The World's Wonder, OR THE QUAKERS BLAZING STARR: WITH An Astronomical Judgement given upon the same, from 2 Cor. 11.13, 14, 15.  
Proving them to be altogether deluded by Satan, both in their judgements and walkings:  
Together with a probable conjecture of the end of the World, and the estate of things in the interval.  
By EDMUND SKIPP Preacher of the Gospel unto the People at Bodenham in Herefordshire.  Matth. 24.24. 
There shall arise false Christ's and false Prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, in so much that (if it were possible) they shall deceive the very elect.  
LONDON, Printed by Henry Hills, and are to be sold at the Sign of Sir John Oldcastle near Py-corner. 1655.   

To all those who are willing to hold fast the Faith of the Gospel, and to be guided by the Truth, Grace, Mercy and Peace, from God the Father and the Lord JESUS CHRIST.  
TWo things have much moved my affections unto this Work following;  
1. The one, that herein I might show an humble acknowledgement of love unto the Lord who delivered my soul from under those obscurities which would utterly have disabled me from being good to my own heart or others.  
2. That I might herein become a means of staying and directing many an unestablished soul to beware of those horrible Delusions and mysterious Deceits, which I have in this ensuing Treatise, with as much plainness and brevity as I judged convenient, demonstrated, for the sake of all who are unacquainted with these Apostasies, and are willing to search out until they gain an establishment in the knowledge of the truth, as it is in Christ Jesus. For it would have been great unworthiness in me, if when I was brought so experimentally to the knowledge of these unheardof ways of Satan's deceiving the hearts of poor Creatures under fair pretences and glorious shows of righteousness, and doing great signs and wonders, I should have concealed from my generations such things that were never yet manifested in such a manner: The writing of common experiences either of good or evil operations, would neither have been an incitement to my Pen, or my Readers attention; but having an extraordinary understanding in an extraordinary apparition of a prodigious Comet, whose beautiful scintillations make all the World to wonder what might be her fate, I durst not for fear of wronging my own conscience, but put my Light like a Candle upon the housetop, that so it might be seen into all the Regions of Gospel-professions, manifesting unto them, that this Monster amongst men, or this unnatural and unparallelled Planet promiseth nothing but Vae misero mihi, sadness and loss of all the riches of God's grace, unto every soul that liveth under its malevolent and contagious influences. My Book will expound my Allegory, therefore I leave my Readers to that, and rest,  
Their Servant in the Gospel-service, Edmund Skipp.   

To the Reader.  
COurteous Reader, I have here presented thee with a little Tract, as my New-year's Gift unto thee, and must desire thee to carry a  aspect in thy judgement towards it and me, although thou mayst find it unpolished, and void of such a method and eloquence of words as thou mightst judge would better have become me and it, as well as many an acute Genius that shall honour it in the reading: But give me leave to tell thee truth, I have had but a fortnight's time to begin and finish these lines, (which time I have through much difficulty borrowed from my other Studies and Employments, and they are now calling upon me for a recompense with double diligence) which hath been so little, that I have not had time to write any one line from the first to the last, twice, but am necessitated to send forth these Conceptions of mine thus Embrio-like into the open view of the world; and therefore I desire to receive from thee what I shall be willing to give unto thee or any other in the like ease, a candid censure, desiring also for thy good, that thou mayst have an heart more ready to receive sound judgement from it, than to give a wrong judgement upon it, I rest,  
Ever willing to serve thee in the Lord Edmund Skipp. From my Study at Bodenham this New-year's day so called in the year 1654.   

The World's Wonder, OR The QUAKERS Blazing Starr.  
A sensible Discovery of some high and spiritual Delusions wrought by Antichrist in the hearts of of many poor Creatures, and especially those that go under the notion of QUAKERS.  
BY that power which bringeth good out of evil, it cometh to pass, that afflictions, fall back, temptations, overwhelmings of the soul with a deluge of spiritual troubles, dejections and disconsolations, are many times profitable and teaching to the hearts of the Lords sincere ones who are kept by himself through faith unto salvation, and they are laid in as so many several advantages, and as it were Landmarks to direct the soul in the perfect paths of peace, that they turn not aside either to the right hand or to the left, so that it may make the children of the Most High admire his continued faithfulness in his love and watchfulness manifested in their behalf, while they are run a whoring after their own inventions & Satan's deceivable transformings of himself into glorious appearances, words and actings. If a reasonable heart should but digest itself into a methodical observation of the Lords Law of Retaliation, Leu. 26.14. to 34. and correspondent deal unto the stand and fall of his creatures, it might be overcome in the apprehensions of that great patience, long-suffering and gentleness of the Lord to Apostates and unstable-minded people, who have itching ears, carried about with every wind of Doctrine: But to the end he may gain himself a name in Judah, is he pleased to wait upon poor sinners to be gracious unto them, and to suffer many of them to fall, to be tempted, to be darkened with cloudy and obscure apprehensions of the eternal being, that so their weakness and his strength, their nothingness and his all-sufficiency, their sluggishness and his watchfulness might more clearly appear in their proper place, and to make good his former word and practice in gathering his servants together out of all Lands whither they had been scattered in the dark and cloudy day. And surely, were it not for the hopes of some such glorious and wise end that the Lord doth now intent in the fullness of time to make known amongst the sons of men, it would minister cause of most unspeakable sorrow unto such who are established in the faith of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, to see so many forsaking their faith, and former knowledge and profession of the truth, and instead hereof believing lies, 2 Thess. 2.11. 1 Tim. 4.1. and giving heed unto Doctrines of Devils, walking according to the suggestions of the Prince of Darkness, and every foolish, idle, fantastical imagination of their own deceitful hearts.  
These things do apparently teach the world to see, how vigilant that great Enemy of mankind is, going about compassing the earth to and fro like a roaring Lion, ever seeking whom he may devour, and finding many poor souls easily enticed by him, and made his captives at his will, he ensnares them with his deceits, and engageth them ever more and more surely for himself, until he maketh them his servants in willing obedience, Rom. 6.16. When a judicious man shall take a prospect of the state and condition of all men living under the Gospel-profession, what a sad thing it will be to consider how much Satan hath beguiled the hearts of poor creatures through his lying vanities and specious pretences of one sort or other: while he can beguile men with putting pleasant colours upon that ugly Monster, sin and unrighteousness, he will, but where he findeth himself too short in this, then will he seek another way, and transform himself into an Angel of light; that so under pretence of righteousness he may beguile those that would not yield unto unrighteousness. This did Paul understand by the teachings of the Holy Ghost in his soul, when he spoke so unto the Church of Corinth in 2 Cor. 11.13, 14, 15. For such are false Apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ, etc.  
Here the Apostle speaketh forth the mystery of that great deceit which Satan is now working, as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, an Angel of light, and showeth us that like Teacher like Principle, like Master like Servant; for if he be transformed himself, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, It is no great thing if his Ministers be transformed into Ministers of Righteousness. The word which the Apostle doth use for transformation if it be etymologically noted is something teaching, for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which cometh from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Habit us aut vestimentum corporis, the clothing or apparelling of the body, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, trans, round about or over and over, which being put together, you shall find, that Satan's transformation of himself, is his feigning or dissembling of himself to be what he is not; for whereas he is indeed and in truth one that acteth lying, unrighteousness and iniquity, now being transformed or turned round about as it were, he acteth seemingly Truth, Righteousness and Piety. And for as much as the Apostle calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, an Angel of light, it is to help the people something the better to understand the mystery of his deceit; for generally he was (I suppose) by the people of that time, taken to be an Angel of darkness, as he is by the greatest part of the people of our age; but indeed according to my understanding of the nature of Angels, 
The Angels as well as Man were capable of alteration in their creation.  he was created an Angel of Light, and not of Darkness, and so prima ab origine, or naturally, he is an Angel of Light, but yet from the beginning (as I conceive) capable of altetation as man was. And if he be called or reckoned an Angel or Prince of Darkness it is either,  
Because, he liveth in the dark, as unto the apprehensions of Divine Love towards himself, or,  
Because, he doth chief since his Apostasy (being an utter Enemy to all the Image of God which is Light and Purity) delight to act and bring forth in the conceptions and conversations of men, such abominable things as are called Works of Darkness, Rom. 13.12, 13. such as rioting and drunkenness, chambering and wantonness, strife and envy; these may well be called Works of Darkness, for they are acted of men against that light they have in the first Adam, and they are not willing to be seen in the practice thereof. But leaving of such particular verbal observations, I will proceed to show what the Apostle would have to be summarily taught from his apprehensions and expressions upon that mystery of deceit; in order whereunto I have for method and rule sake, resolved upon these ensuing Doctrines.  
Doctrine 1. That when Satan findeth a people living so strictly and exactly in that light and power they have received, that he cannot prevail upon them by temptations of a gross sort, such as are those provocations unto open profareness, covetousness and pride, and the like, than he concludeth upon another way by suiting himself for their dispositions and capacities, if it be to transform himself into the likeness of God, and as it were to act the part of God seemingly under fair pretences, heavenly words, selfdenying actions, righteous conversations, and the like; that so by this means he may at last insinuate himself into their understandings and affections; for he will not leave any thing unattempted, that may (if it be but in probability of it) serve to seduce a poor people, especially such as are nearest unto the Lamb, desiring to follow him whithersoever he goeth. This maketh him come forth thus disguised, as an Angel of Light, to work, through a mysterious vail, under which he would not be seen to be himself, upon the hearts and minds of those that he can by no other means overcome; for I am persuaded this way of working is very much contrary to his Apostatised condition, as it may appear in that he doth so little and hath so seldom used it; for when do we hear or read of any age, if it were not that of Christ and his Apostles, wherein he was so necessitated, and did so boldly and audaciously act in this nature, except this of our time among those poor beguiled wretches called Quakers?  
This in a general discovery is that disguised angelical and mysterious deceitful operation of Antichrist there spoken of by Paul, and which is now so much practised by that Enemy of poor mankind: yet seeing in what I am going about (the Lord is my witness) I intent the real good and clear understanding both of Truth and Falsehood, that so the one may be avoided, the other by all possible endeavours attained unto, and kept fast by all people, and that as freely as I can from all manner of prejudice or heartburning unto those people, whose sad and ever to be lamented condition hath moved my heart, hand, pen and all to this Paper; Although I have had (I confess) great and manifold occasions offered by them unto my poor, weak and sinful heart, by reason of their clamorous railing Letters and unjust accusations and charges, to have carried it forth into passion and harsh language towards them; and I have been sorely tempted herewith several times, but the Lord (to the praise of his grace I speak it) hath had mercy on me, and hath carried me above these temptations, and hath filled my heart with moderation and tenderness, pitying their condition; and I am so far persuaded of his love, that as he hath drawn forth and enlarged my heart to discover what I know concerning this matter, so he will in his truth and wisdom guide me until I have finished, that neither gall of bitterness or any manner of revenge or self appear at all in my words or expressions, concerning those enslaved creatures. And thus trusting to my God, and desiring his holy and blessed assistance, withal intending a public good, as I spoke, I have thought best for the more clear manifestation of this mystery of iniquity, to lay it down in several particular operations and workings according to my knowledge and understanding therein, and that observing altogether this order: 

1. Laying down the Mystery or Work itself.  
2. Showing what ground or colour Satan findeth out for the same in Scripture-words and instance.  
3. In giving my own once uncomfortable experience and testimony unto the said Works.  
4. To give in the way and manner of the teaching of the Spirit of God to each particular in its place.    
Although I am ignorant whether the Lord hath drawn forth the heart of any man in all the Regions of our Gospel-professions to write and speak against this subtle archieument of Antichrist or no, yet in this me thinks I am conscientious to myself, that there is hardly a man to be found that hath been so much ensnared as I have been, and delivered through divine love, by reason whereof I am best able to give the truest demonstration, and for aught that I do at the present know this might be one end in the Lord to suffer me to wade so far in that troubled Sea, that I might afterward give an experimental testimony of the great danger and trouble thereof, for the sake of others, that they may learn to beware the same danger, Faelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum, Praemonitus praemunitus. If Dives being in torment (parabolically) seemeth to discover so much natural affection as to desire his brethren's timely admonition and caution, it would be a strange thing and miserable, if any of the Lords servants should want what such a one should have, while the law of nature teacheth us to be, Alteri quod nobis, that to another which we would have another be to us. These considerations make me willing to use my best endeavour for a full and profitable unfolding of this secret work, with all possible plainness and fitted language for the meanest capacities, and so to return unto particular Demonstrations.  
Demonstrat. 1. It must needs be the spirit of Antichrist and delusion, 
A misinformation of the understanding.  that doth misinform the heart, and so maketh it judge amiss of things, for the soul being possessed with an understanding of any thing, accordingly discovereth itself, while it is sincere and void of hypocrisy, and by reason of this wrong information it proceedeth to wrong judgement, disowning and condemning what it ought to own and approve; and contrariwise, owning and approving what it ought to disown and condemn. This base deceit doth Antichrist bring forth in the hearts of those people called the Quakers, who are so clearly mistaken in judgement, that they call evil good, and good evil, knowing not what they say, nor whereof they affirm; they do judge the ways, actings and practices of all people to be abominable, Antichristian, and unjust, except their own, and above all people do they cry out against, and disown such, who by the world are reproached, and disowned, as the Church and Disciples of CHRIST.  
But I need not speak of the mistake in them, in order to other people, while I have so clear a testimony thereof in relation to myself, for however I may be ignorant what is in the hearts of some others, yet I cannot be altogether ignorant of my own, because the spirit that is in man knoweth his heart, and manifesteth the hidden things thereof, 1 Cor. 2.11.  
I have been charged and accused by Letters from several of them;  
First, of Hypocrisy; 
My own first charge was Hypocrisy.  now the Lord knoweth, and I myself know, how hateful a thing hypocrisy, dissimulation, and double dealing both with God and man, hath ever been unto me, even in those days while I lived only in the light, life, power and gifts of the first Adam. And therefore, knowing my own heart in this thing to be free, I do clearly apprehend them to be mistaken, and to judge with unrighteous judgement, which a knowing man will confess to be of Antichrist.  
Secondly, they charge and accuse me for acting against my own conscience, meaning my living, 
For acting against my own conscience.  dwelling and preaching constantly unto a particular people in a public meetingplace, this they say is against my own light and convictions of heart, as though they knew my conscience better than myself; hereby do I see again they are acted through delusion and mistake, for they urge that with confidence (such as it is) which I can with much more confidence and boldness in the Lord, deny and justify the the contrary hereof; for I do with much peace of mind, and that in the Lord (I bless him for it) preach that part of the Gospel which I have received from him, unto this people, with much tenderness of affections and out-going of my heart towards them, as they are my witnesses; and it is noted and observed by this people generally (I do not say, how much more by myself,) that I am carried forth to speak unto them far more powerfully from time to time, and more prevailingly upon their affections and understandings, since I did freely, knowingly and considerately in public manner renounce Tyths, than ever I did before. Now let any sober man observe by what power these creatures are acted while they charge me with doing this against my conscience and light, seeing the Lord qualifieth me more and more for the work, and attends it with greater blessing.  
Thirdly, they charge me with being an Enemy to the Lords people, meaning themselves (I suppose) I confess they are the Lords creatures, 
To be an Enemy to the Lords people.  but how to call them in their present Apostasy and delusion, properly his people, I know not, yet as they are his creatures I hate them not, for I have not so learned Christ, but rather to love and to desire to do good in my place unto all, but to show the world their great delusion and mistake in this, I have had something from divine grace always working in me (while I was not under this temptation of theirs) an holy tenderness, and honourable respect unto all that which I could discern to be the work of the Father through his Son upon the hearts of any people in whatsoever form they walked. And I am persuaded the Churches of mine acquaintance in all countries where I have been to see & observe the work of God among them, will witness on my behalf in this thing, for this thing they did and I hope do still love & tender me, although I never did walk with any of them in their Church order, since I came forth of Legalism. Yet notwithstanding I am able to speak this truth from my own heart, which is better known unto me, than any of them, and beside the testimony of the Churches wherein I am bold, these poor beguiled creatures through that mysterious spirit of deceit and lying in them do lay this thing unto my charge.  
Fourthly, they charge me that I never passed the new birth, but am only acted by my natural parts to all that I do. If it be so, 
Not passing the new birth.  I wish all natural men were so acted too, that they might bear witness unto what they affirm. Although I do know that a natural man may make a very large progress in a Gospel profession and conversation, yet I am through the rich grace and love of God shed abroad in my heart, able to give a perfect and experimental discovery unto such, who are able to judge thereof, by that one Spirit we have both received, of that new birth or creation in Christ, 2 Cor. 5.17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; for otherwise there could be but little sound peace or joy in my soul, seeing I know very well, how little satisfactory the utmost attainments in the first creation would be unto me, that have so much knowledge in the second Adam, if my knowledge were merely notional and formal; and besides I hope there hath been long ago, and many times, good satisfaction given unto most of the Lords servants, with whom there hath been mutual givings and receivings of testimonies and manifestations, in that one common grace of God in Christ, to the rejoicing of each others hearts and the building up of one another in that grace and faith wherein we were called. But were it so that I lived in a Wilderness, and all the men in the World were unsatisfied and ignorant in this thing, so that I myself were knowingly satisfied, and that upon good grounds, it would be sufficient for my faith, and hopes of an eternal weight of glory at the righteous revelation of the Judge of Heaven and Earth and therefore let this unjust Charge prove a blank for all uses, beside proving its original to be a spirit of Anitchrist and delusion.  
Fifthly, they charge me with back-sliding, indeed in their senfe, they may do so justly, 
Back-sliding.  For it is the great mercy of God unto me I was delivered from under those grievous delusions and temptations unto which they are yet in bondage; but that which they call back-sliding is my retuming back unto my God, and my holding fast and contending for that faith which I had once received, Judas 2. according to the mind of the Lord discovered, Heb. 3.6. concerning the holding fast of confidence, of rejoicing, of hope firm unto the end. Thus you may see that which they reckon my judgement is my mercy, and that which they call my back-sliding is my owning and receiving my former principles and teachings according to truth. Now let him that hath an eye see, and who so hath an heart let him judge; whence cometh this great mistake, unjust judgement, etc. and when ye have well weighed these things ye shall find it cannot stand with the honour of God to teach a people things which are not true, as to my comfort and their shame doth clearly appear, notwithstanding they pretend and say they were made to write these things as from the Lord.  
These five acousations are most that I have received from any of them, and I suppose the most they were prompt with all from that spirit of deceit, for had there been any more given in unto them, it is like they would have disclosed it as well as this:  
And it is not only to myself they writ thus, but unto most people of any note or quality above others, especially amongst those that make any profession of the ways of the Lord, differing from the men of the world, as I hear by several, and by their own confession to myself formerly. And I would have all the world observe, how they writ with abundance of railing and clamorous words, and unjust accusations, as you have heard me prove; and their language is much after the same sort, unto whom they writ; which maketh me note that they are exemplary one to another in their writing, taking up the same form of words, and it teacheth me also to consider how Satan is no Niggard (as we say) of his skill and power, for they pretend they are abundantly filled up with matter of that nature, as though they could never vent themselves of it all.  
Now I have laid down the work or deceit itself in this nature, I will return unto my second Rule, 
The second Rule to find the colour in the Scripture  which to find out where Satan doth colour over and blind this fallacy with some Scripture words or instances.  
First, for their railing and reviling language they will not own it as such, but count it a sharp rebuking and reptoving men, as though they had some special authority or power of truth in them acting of them thereunto, and so Satan doth hid this deceit under that command which Paul giveth Titus in Chap. 1. vers. 13. where he biddeth him rebuke the Cretians and others sharply; and Chap. 3.15. he biddeth him rebuke with all authority; and they observe the Prophet nathan's coming unto David and saying, Thou art the man: and why may not they, who say they are sent of the Lord as Nathan was, speak in that manner unto men, be they Rulers or others, seeing that God is no respecter of persons? and besides this, Satan cannot be ignorant of the manner of Christ's reproving Peter, when he called him Satan. These and such like Examples carry out the deceit very fairly unto such who are ignorant of his devices.  
Secondly, as for their charging men with hypocrisy, backsliding, and being but only in the first Adam, (for they judge all beside themselves to be ignorant of the new-birth be they never so well gifted and taught of God) and the like, it proceedeth from that blindness which antichrist hath cast in upon their understandings, from whence they cannot choose but speak evil of the things they know not, Judas 10.  
And so judging all men to be in this estate, they take the Example of CHRIST in calling them Hypocrites, as he did the Scribes and Pharises, and pronouncing Woes against them as they do against many people and places, as they have told me themselves how they have declared Judgement and Woes against a place called Kendal in the North, I know not well in what County it is; but I will only say this one word unto ye O people of Kendal, if it be for your holding fast unto the faith of the Gospel, and your bold courage to withstand Antichrist, and all his mysterious actings of unrighteousness, that you are so vilified and disowned by them, it may be your grace and glory: but if it be through a kind of wilfulness and spirit of malice, revenge and bitterness against the poor creatures that you are so carried against them, I commend you not. Therefore look unto it. O what a vail or cover hath Satan got himself here under the pattern of Christ himself? Yet let all people understand, that such as Christ did call Hypocrites and his Enemies, were so indeed, as he proved by long experience; but such as these creatures call so are the most precious and eminent and faithful friends that the Lord hath amongst all the sons of men; therefore now judge of the delusion.  
Now followeth the third Rule of disclosing this secret, which is my own experience in order to this particular, 
The third Rule in Demonstr. 1. is my own experience.  while I lay under these temptations.  
Experence I have in this thing sufficiently, although I was never carried much forth into any such practice; for although I have had many movings and stir in my heart to write to some particular men, with all possible haish language and unjust accusations (as I now see) yet the Lord did by one secret means or other prevent me; only once I wrote unto several people with abundance of bitter expressions, and yet all exact Scripture-language; and as I gave an hint before how they have told me, that sometimes when they are made to write in this nature, they are so siled up with matter and phrases of Scripture for their purpose that they know not how to make an end; even so it was with me at that time when I wrote that Letter, for I do at this time perfectly remember that I told them the very next time I saw them, how I was made to write to such a people at such a time, and in such a place, such and such things, and I said I was so filled, and the Scriptures were so tumbled in upon me, that I could have dictated fast enough for four Pens to have writ, and I think I left three parts of four that were as it were laid open before me to pick and choose, unwrit. Else beside this Letter I do not remember that ever I wrote any of that nature, but I wrote several Letters to whole Congregations and private persons in high expressions in Scripture-phrase, (for it is the Devil's policy to keep close to that) and in high commendation of that dispensation (as I then judged it and called it) of God, with many encouraging Arguments unto the people to whom I writ to wait and look for that glorious way and discovery of divine light and power, to be brought forth among all the children of the Most High, O Mystery Babylon!  
Lastly, we will make known the very truth of this delusion, by comparing these kind of actings and teachings of the heart, 
The fourth Rule in Demonstr. 1. is the teaching of the Spirit of God.  with those that the Spirit of Truth in the Lord was and is wont to bring forth in the souls of his people in this particular thing.  
1. Whereas these people are mistaken in their judgement, and made to accuse and condemn people for what they ought not, you shall find the Spirit of God teaching his servants in another manner, according to the promise of being guided by that Spirit into all truth, and like that which the Lord maketh concerning his people, Mal. 3. ult. They shall discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not, If any shall say this was a promise God made with some particular men, as the Prophets, or Christ, or his Apostles, etc. You shall find in reading that place, that it was spoken to all the people of the Lord upon that great acceptation the Lord had of them upon the account of their meeting often together, and speaking one to another, etc. And besides you shall find the Apostle 1 John 2. writing unto all sorts of God's people, and telling them v. 27. that they have received such an holy anointing from the Spirit of the Lord, which should teach them all things, for in it there was no Lie, and therefore they needed not that any man should teach them. And furthermore, if you do but observe, you shall see when any poor sinner's heart is called into and filled with the knowledge of the love of God, as it is given forth through Christ, 
A description of the new birth.  and is engaged in his desires and affections to the Lord, that every such sinner thus converted is presently able to judge such a people to be indeed in truth the children of God, and he is likewise able to judge on the other side, that all such who are not brought in with the love and desire of their souls, and in that love made one with his servants, are yet in the first estate and so strangers to that dispensation or covenant of free grace in Christ. Although this alteration or change be but of a short time; for he is become a new creature, as Paul saith in 2 Cor. 5.17. New as well in his judgement & apprehensions of the differing estates of the first and second Adam, as well as new in his practice and conversation, 1 Cor. 2.14.15. For though the natural man discerneth not these things yet consequently he that is baptised with that precious and holy anointing of the Spirit doth know and apprehend them, for he judgeth all things, although he himself or rather his new birth be not rightly judged of any man not under that divine operation. 2. Whereas they are filled up with railing harsh and clamorous language, it is but what is incident to such a misled people, 1 Tim. 6.4 5. 2 Tim, 3.4. I find here when once a people are drawn from sound Doctrine they may be brought to any thing; but however they are continually acted thus against those whom they apprehend do oppose them and their deceits; yet it is said of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, Judas 9 that when he was disputing with the Devil about the body of Moses, he durst not bring any railing accusation against him, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. Yet these creatures do adventure to do what Christ would not. Moreover we find what counsel Paul giveth Timothy, in 2 Tim. 2.24, 25 28. The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patiented, in meekness instructing them that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil who are taken captive at his will; and Paul in his 1 Tim. 5.19. biddeth him that he should not receive any accusation against an Elder, except it were before two or three witnesses, and yet these people when they receive no accusation at all before any witness do through the imagination of their own hearts or rather the suggestions of Satan, send most railing and unjust ones against such who are not only Elders but Pillars of the Truth in the Church of Christ.  
Thirdly, in as much as they say (and I know it is true) that they are filled up with matter, Scripture and expressions: yet note these two differences,  
1. When they are made thus to write abundantly unto men, charging and accusing of them without knowledge or truth, they are not able to justify and make good their wrongful accusations; but when any man is moved of the Lord to write unto a man or people, telling them in love and according to truth of their transgressions or failings, he is able to justify what he hath writ, and to declare the truth of things more fully, and that with so much power and majesty, that it doth beget an acknowledgement commonly, or filence in the heart of the transgressor: but when they writ especially unto people of sound judgement, and well grounded and established in the faith of Christ, it is so far from begetting any silence or convictions upon them, that it doth rather discover itself to be what it is indeed, delusion and good for nothing but to be returned back and strongly resisted in the Name and power of the Lord,  
2. This kind of writing (I know what I speak by experience) is with such a kind of lording and vain-glorying over the estate of such unto whom it is written, as though they were not worthy to be writ unto, I can hardly tell how to express this deceit in words, it is with so much undervaluing and vilifying of men, that in cannot match itself with the teachings of God in this kind; but when the soul is moved hereunto from that power as it cometh purely from God, it is mixed with so much love and tenderness, it remembers itself and remembers another's condition, it doth make another's condition its own, and its own another's, and so it was wont to work in the hearts of the servants of Christ, as we may find by Paul's words when he saith, Gal. 6.1, 2. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  
And as for that fullness of knowledge and words, and the like, which is a most strong and prevailing delusion, and carrieth more the heart of a creature away than any other thing I know as yet manifested, whither it be the heart of him in whom it is already conceived, or of another that shall once clearly know it to be so; for to see one as it were yesterday not able to write or say any thing although to a mean capacity, to be able this day to write in such a large manner, (as I myself know some) it begetteth abundance of admiration and silence for a time in the beholders, especially such who are of small knowledge and understanding in mysterious things. But let not this blind any man, you shall find it nothing but delusion in considering these Particulars:  
1. It is like a lightning from the Sky, come and gone in a little time; for at another time (as they confess themselves) they cannot do so much if it were to gain the world, and yet at that very instant of time, while this deceitful power worketh them thereunto, they must do so, nay, if it be to rise of their beds, and if they be not very observative hereunto they shall be made to suffer most unheard of troubles, agonies and passions, as they have often told me, until they do yield obedience unto that wicked spirit, and then they apprehend themselves at very much peace for a time, until Satan have a desire to make use of them again. Now that fullness of knowledge and words which are wrought in the soul from the power of truth, is more lasting and durable, it is the owners to day, and to morrow, the Lord doth not use to steal away his truth and his knowledge from his servants in this manner: but if they see good and just ground of writing or speaking once, they can do so twice or thrice or oftener; and I have this thing to bless the Lord for in a special manner. I cannot say that I do remember the time, since I was in any noted and considerable measure endowed with the gifts of God through his beloved Son, that ever I did want matter or expressions either to write or speak in public or private to many or to few, but have always found myself abundantly furnished with some kind of experimental knowledge in order to one particular truth or other whereof I was to deliver myself, that I needed not to go and create things, by long digested serious meditations, readings, writings, and the like; for in my apprehensions it is very easy for a man to divulge that which he is truly and sound taught of God, as the Apostle saith, 1 John 1.2, 3. That Life and Light which we have seen and heard declare we unto you. But I must confess that I do very well know it to be a difficult thing for such who are untaught in that thing they are to communicate unto others, while they must be digging for it out of earthly mines.  
2. Me thinks if these creatures were moved and necessitated in this nature from the power and Spirit of God to write and speak such sharp things in such a terrible and threatening manner unto particular souls or people, that their writing and speaking would be of great power and prevalency with them, that they should be convinced by it, and should not be able to defy it as delusion and madness.  
When Nathan was sent in such a particular manner from the Lord unto David, it presently convinced him, and when Jonah was sent to Nineveh, with that sad news from God, they were presently convinced by it, but I see no conviction, or subjection, or fear, or love, or any such thing wrought by it, it being like the chirping of Birds in the air, for matter of weight and worth: which maketh me judge (and so may any man else that hath his judgement rectified by divine Light) that all this fullness of words and expressions, as I have mentioned, are merely suggested and inspired into their hearts by Antichrist disguised.  
This shall suffice for the Examination and Trial of the first Demonstration, and I will now proceed to a second.  
The second Demonstration of this deceit is thus to be considered.  
It must needs be the power of Antichrist working through deceit, that robbeth and depriveth the soul of all those former ways and means wherein the Lord did work faith, 
Domonstr. 2. is a robbing the soul of its former knowledge, etc.  knowledge and enjoyments in the hearts of his children, nay, and which robbeth them of all those former excellent things which were brought forth in them by the power of Truth: and as it stealeth away all those ways wherein God hath manifested his love and grace to them, so it hath deprived them of the use of those ways of walking wherein they have manifested any love or obedience to God, so that they are people bereft of all things of this nature, and they reckon it their happiness and their perfection so to be, and I have heard them complain exceedingly that they were not wholly taken off such things, but they did find (as they were wont to say) their hearts hanging upon old dispensations, ways, discoveries, and the like. All these things they say must be burnt up in them and destroyed, and because there is so much hereof remaining, they understand it is that they are brought into so great sufferings, agonies and passions, which they reckon the fiery work, going on to perfect what is amiss in them.  
They esteem also the more the heart is brought off from the meditations and considerations of Gods former deal, and the more negligent it is become in hearing, reading praying, or any such heavenly and their own once exercise, the more pure and perfect it is become, and they say if it were so with them, they could altogether cease from these things, it would be well with them, waiting only for that great and mighty power which they say is of God, to act them unto any such consideration or meditation, reading, praying, or the like; for they think that all that acted them hereunto formerly was the power of the first Adam, and therefore being not of Christ, it ought to be denied and thrown away as an abominable thing. Thus in brief they are acted in judgement and practice in this particular; here is the work or mysterious deceit, let us now proceed to our second Rule which is to find where Satan hath Scripture and instance to help himself, and hid his deceit in this thing. 
The second Rule Demonst. 2. is the Scripture and instance.   
First then, whereas they expect and desire the dying and perishing of all such former ways of God to them, Satan covereth himself in these words, Isai 65.17. Behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth, and the former shall not be remembered nor come into my mind. And that of Paul, 2 Cor. 5.17, 18. Lo, old things are done away, and all things are become new, and all things are of God: here is a deep and dangerous covert that he hath got.  
Secondly, for the giving over all those practices and exercises of the soul, unless it be when they are so moved, as they say, you shall find Satan coloring over this business very fairly with that instance and writing of St Paul, Phil. 3.7, 8. in saying that all which was once his gain he now counted loss for Christ, for the sake of whose excellent knowledge he did desire to count all his former righteousness but loss and dung. A dangerous place while it is so mistaken. And there is a saying of Christ's own mouth which through the deceitful unfolding thereof by Antichrist, doth much blind them, John 4 21, 22, 23. The hour cometh and now is, saith Christ, that neither in this Mountain, nor eke at Jerusalem, shall the Father be worshipped, for he is a Spirit, and he will be worshipped in spirit and truth.  
And besides these, they are beguiled by the instance of Paul's conversion, and the command that Christ gave the Twelve to go unto Jerusalem, and there to stay until they should receive such a measure of the spirit as is there mentioned Acts 2. from the beginning to v. 20. together with the mis-apprehending of Joels Prophesy in that place.  
No question if Satan had need he could find out more hiding places than these, but these I am sure he maketh great use of, as I myself do very well know.  
My own experience in this thing maketh me speak what I do, for had I received these things by relation only, I should have judged it untrue. But I will show plainly and orderly the thoughts of my own heart about this thing, 
The third Rule in Demonstr. 2. my own experience.  while I was so much under those dark clouds.  
Although I was not wholly deprived or taken off my former experiences of the ways of Gods dealing with me, neither was I made wholly to cease from the use of those ways of manifesting love and obedience to my God, which I had lived in and owned of long time before; yet I reckoned it my weakness and imperfectness that I was not, and although I did without any intermission continue speaking and praying with my people in public, so that they perceived not any thing at all, yet I was exceedingly tempted to have denied it and given it over, and I was wont to complain very much of the hardness of my own heart that I would not yield unto that thing, being, in my then apprehension, utterly condemned, only there was a mighty power of God keeping that little spark of light alive in me by his own breathing upon it, and I was not ware, that I might say, Surely God was in this place and I knew it not, for I am persuaded, if the Lord had suffered me to have been overcome in this temptation, I had been wholly carried away as the lest are, and had been to this hour, for aught I know, in bondage with them; but the wisdom and love of God which kept me is too deep to be spoken of in this nature, only I tell all the world, that I am not able to tell them, what a mighty warfare I did undergo many days and weeks about that thing, but Michael the Archangel who was most worthy had the preeminence in that duel, all honour and praise be given unto him for ever and ever.  
And note this thing further, while I lay under this temptation I did find some power denying me to use those gifts and graces I had, so that although they were alive in me, and me thinks I could have prayed and have spoke as I was wont, yet there was something turning me aside, and as it were forbidding me, which I did most of all harken unto and yield unto for the greatest part, except it were on the first days among my people in public.  
Thus I do well remember it was with me in order to this deceit, as I may justly so call it, because I know it to be so through a most powerful manifestation of Truth. 
Rule 4. in Demonstr. 2. is the reaching of the Spirit of God.  I am now come unto the  
Fourth Rule which I observe in my method, and that is the way of the teaching of the Spirit of God in Truth in order to these things and Scriptures, whereby Satan hath beguiled the hearts of poor creatures.  
First, in as much as they reckon it their perfection and happiness, to be deprived of all, as you have heard. The Spirit of God doth neither so act nor so teach, but on the contrary bringeth forth more and more ways and manifestations and fresh experiences of his love into the hearts of his people; and David was glad many times to remember the ancient loving kindnesses of God, and because of the excellency and comforts that arise from much knowledge and remembrance of God's love and formermercies, the Apostle prayeth so as he did for the Colossians, that they might increase and be filled up with all knowledge and spiritual understanding, strengthened with all might, Col. 1.9, 10, 11. They desite to become fools, and to be made weak, and I know not what, And they had one expression which did stumble me a great while, and it was this, That the best things that ever we received from God, mentioning knowledge and faith and high enjoyments, as I well remember yet their words, must be burnt up and destroyed; this I thought to be a very strange kind of language, and indeed so it is, when it is compared with that of the Apostle Peter, 2 Pet. 1.5, 6, 7, 8.9. where the Holy Ghost commandeth the servants of the Lord to be careful to seek after the increasings of grace in their hearts, and telleth them, that while such things shall increase, it will make them be fruitful; but if they shall lack these things, it will cause them to be blind, that they shall not be able to see far off; and truly so are these people that are thus misled, for they are so far from being able to see things a far off, that they cannot see the present horrible and devilish delusions under which they live, and this is the just recompense of reward for such creatures, who will negligently use those gifts and graces they have once received: It is no marvel they say, they have lost all their former experiences and enjoyments, and the like, for CHRIST taught so much in the Parable of the Talents, where we may learn, that idle sluggish people who will not improve their Talents shall have them taken away from them. The understanding of this moved the Apostle Paul to give such a strict charge unto his Scholar Timothy, 1 Tim. 4.13, 14, 15, 16. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine, not neglecting the gift that is in thee, etc. and meditate upon these things, and give thyself wholly unto them, that thy profiting may appear unto all; and further saith he, Take heed unto thyself, and unto thy doctrine, continuing in them, for in so doing thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.  
Here we find the Holy Ghost judgeth it meet and convenient that all care and diligence should be used both in reading, exhorting one another, and in the exercising of those graces where with the Lord had ●●dowed the soul, that so they might be kept alive: but these beguiled wretches pretend, they must not read or speak a good word to one another, or do any thing of this nature, unless they can find, as they pretend, themselves moved thereunto of the Spirit, as it were by some extraordinary and immediate revelation or inspiration: but the Spirit of the Lord teacheth his servants to know that it is always the mind of the Lord, that those measures and proportions of grace which he hath bestowed should beused to the utter most of their extent●, and it is the nature of the grace of God manifessed in CHRIST to enable and quicken the soul for a constant course of obedience and holy exercitations, 
A description of spiritual prayer.  and therefore the Spirit of CHRIST is called a quickening Spirit; and hence the Apostle biddeth the people to pray always with all manner of prayer and supplication in the Spirit, Ephes. 6.18. that is, with that life, power and strength which remains in the heart, from that measure and operation of divine grace or love already received, and saith he in this place, Watch thereunto with all perseverance. And again, 1 Thess. 5.17. Pray without ceasing, 19 Quench not the Spirit. These teachings you see of the Spirit of God are altogether contrary unto this negligence in them, and a vain deceitful waiting for a power, as they call it, if it be so they have no power, the greater and more miserable is their loss. I said before, that when I lay under these kind of Temptations myself, that I did not find my power gone, but me thoughts I could have prayed, and have spoken at some other times, yet me thinks my will and desire was very cold thereunto, and I found something dissuading of me from the using of my gifts, etc. And as they are thus deprived of all abilities, as they say themselves, for reading and praying, and the like: so they say they have no freedom to speak, admonish or discourse about any thing, that they may glorify the Lord, or do good unto others; but rather say, that they must cease from their own words, and wait till they have some immediate stirring or working of the Spirit, as they fancy it, for that purpose also.  
How contrary this is unto the mind of the Lord, you shall see 2 Tim. 4.2. Be instant in season and out of season to preach, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine; and as Paul saith, 2 Tim. 1.13. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me. And v 6, 7. Stir up the gift of God which is in thee, for God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love, and a sound mind.  
Here is, you may easily find, such a vas● difference between both these sorts of Teaching and Language, that without all dispute, there can be but one of them the Language and Teaching of Christ, the other must needs be the Teaching and mysterious deceits of Antichrist. I will now end this, and proceed to a third Demonstration.  
Demonst. 3. Which I gather from those strange and unheard of Passions and Agonies, those great burdens and exercitations of body, in so much that they are sometimes in Trances or Souning, and if they are not brought unto such a state of deadness as it were, yet they suffer most extreme. Tortures of body, that hath been visible to me and several others many times, nay, so much extremity that it maketh them roar out for very bitterness; and I do clearly judge that if the Lord did not limit the Devil in their behalf, as he did for Job, saying, Thou shalt not touch his life, it would be impossible for their concaves to hold their in wards, in those violent motions, for they are made under those Agonies to tremble and quake as though their flesh must part from their bones and ligatures, like unto men in the strongest fits of an Ague that ever you saw, as though they had seen Belshazzars Vision, Dan. 10. that made his knees smite one against another: in these strange Passions they are exercised with so much heat (I know not of what sort) that it maketh them cry out for Drink, and maketh them sweat like men in most violent Fevers: now they call these Agonies the fiery Trial, and they fay it is the power of the Holy Ghost burning up and destroying their corruptions, and purifying them like Gold that is tried seven times in the fire: and that which is very strange, when they are thus in the midst of these extreme Shakes, Quake, Trials, Roar and Perplexities, that one would think there could not be more Torment upon the damned spirits than is upon them at the present, yet many times when they begin to come to their speech, (for it falleth out often that they are not able to speak for a long time) they will speak how much joy and pleasure they have mixed with that Torment in such an inseparable manner as they themselves express, as heat and fire mixed together, that they could wish to be in it for ever and ever. This they call the drinking of the Cup, or the undergoing the Curse and Wrath of God as Christ did, for here they speak (to my understandings most blasphemously) and say, they must be brought to suffer as Christ did, and to undergo as great a sense of wrath as he did, when he cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? In a word, as far as ever I could understand their apprehensions by their expressions in this last particular, I did judge this to be their delusion, that they must suffer eternal burn, beating the full weight of divine justice and wrath, as fully as though there never had been any Christ crucified, or acceptation of his Sacrifice, until, as they say, there should be no more left in them, but the pure seed of God in its own perfect likeness; Thus reckoning as far as I am able to determine by their words, that upon this account they must be justified before the Lord.  
And I will here produce one grand Assertion more of theirs, and then let all the world try my Exposition upon their Tenants, which is this, they say that condition or state which is called in Scripture [Hell, or everlasting Torment] or as we are wont to understand those terms, a perpetual undergoing a sense of the wrath of God, and his pure and full justice gone forth against all the sins, transgressions and disobediences of the creature; this they say is but a dispensation which shall end at such a time, as that Burning and Torment of the soul and conscience shall have refined it and brought it, into its former purity and likeness of God. Here is such an Assertion which I think the world never saw or heard of before, you may spend your judgements upon it.  
In brevity I have thus given you the mysterious deceit itself, now I come to the  
Second Rule, which is to show you where Satan hides himself while he worketh thus upon them under Scripture lines and examples. 
The second Rule in Demonstr. 3. which is Scripture and instance.   
First, for their sore and cruel sufferings they take the example of Christ, and think that they must suffer as he did, comparing his Agonies and their own together, and comparing his Cross, and shame, and reproach, and cruel usage by the people, and theirs together, and say, The Disciple is not greater than his Master. And for that fiery Trial, as they call it, they are fed with a false gloss upon the words of Mal. 3.2, 3. He is like a Refiners fire, and Fuller's soap, and he shall sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver, etc. And that of John Baptist, Matth. 3.11. He shall baptise with the Holy Ghost and fire. And the words of Paul are very much abused unto them by the false interpretation of their Enemy, where he saith, 1 Cor. 3.13, 14, 15. that every man's work shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is, etc.  
Secondly, for their Shakes, Quake, Roar, and the like, they have presented unto them that strange amazement of S. Paul at his Conversion. Also they are put in mind of many of David's words in the Psalms from place to place, where he speaketh of the Heavens and the Earth trembling and falling down before the presence of the Lord, as though they did see some mighty appearance of God at such times; and then they are also put in mind how David's heart was sometimes wont to fail him for fear; and how he cried out sometimes, all his bones were broken; and such places and instances as these are abundantly brought into their thoughts, when they are in their Agonies or Shakes, as though they were prompt at the car with an audible voice: and they themselves will confess, that before and after they were not able to speak such things; and generally, except it be at such times, you shall hardly gain a speech of one sort or another from them, in so much that sometimes when I have desired to have some fair reasonings with them about some things, and found they would not, I have told them they were possessed of a dumb Devil as well as a railing Devil: for Satan is all upon extremes, he knoweth not the spirit of moderation; he told Christ he would give him all the World, not any competent part thereof. He kept Dives in the Parable that he should not give any thing unto poor Laxarus. So he acteth these poor creatures upon extremes of one sort or another, such as they will be acted by, as he doth the wretched people of the world whom he overcometh with an extreme care and desire after Covetousness and Riches that they never know any mean for their pains and increase, or how to make any good use of what they have, or else with an insatiable desire after profaneness, lusts and pleasure, until they have spent all upon their own folly and baseness; so that it will be a very wonderful thing to find a man so free from these two extremes, that he should know how to use the world as though he used it not, and to be content and praise the Lord if he do not enjoy things convenient.  
The third Rule is to show the Word how much I can speak unto this discovery out of mine own knowledge. 
The third Rule in Demonstr. 3.  Here I have least to say of any thing whereunto I spoke yet out of any knowledge more than by seeing and hearing of them, which I have several times, for that mighty hand and out stretched arm of the Lord under which I was then secretly kept, did not suffer me very much to be captivated in this nature; but I shought it was my unhappiness that I was not, and it was great cause of trouble and unspeakable sorrow to me, and that which caused me to complain bitterly time after time, but they would tell me I must wait for it, and they said they could believe for me, and they were confident I should be a very glorious piece, and words to that effect very many; and this they would speak with as much confidence, (as I did apprehend) as I can affirm that JESUS CHRIST is the Son of God: and therefore from hence I clearly see how they are befooled by Antichrist, for I am delivered out of the Temptation, and am now through divine Light and Love cousselling all my generations to take heed of being overcome by the subtle stratagems of Satan, and likewise to beware of them, that they are his ministers and servants, labouring through his deceitful power and workings to bring other poor creatures in their own Region of Darkness and Valley of Death.  
Fourth Rule is the manner of the Teaching of God and his holy and blessed Spirit, 
The fourth Rule in Demonstr. 3.  about this thing.  
First, where as they compare their sufferings and Agonies with those of CHRIST, and say, they must suffer the wrath of God, and the like, as he did, and yet reckon themselves the servants of the Lord; the Spirit of God will prove this to be a horrible Lie and delusion, because that CHRIST suffered for his servants, and bore the wrath and curse of God for them, and made satisfaction to his Father's Law and Justice, in his own Blood, and his Father was pleased to accept it, and so forth, indeed it is true of the damned, that they shall undergo the eternal wrath and justice of God upon their own consciences, because they refused to believe, love and obey the will of CHRIST concerning them, and made known in them, that so they might have had the benefit of that sacrifice which Christ gave unto his Father for the sins of others. But this is not true concerning the Lords faithful ones, and that any judicious man may see by these ensuing testimonies of Scripture, Isai 53. all that Chapter, Read O ye people all this blessed Truth, and give your minds to believe, and by believing it let your souls love him that did so much for the sinful sons of men, and in loving of him give him up willing and cheerful obedience, which if you shall continue unto the end, your souls shall know in the testimony of Truth what this Scripture is worth, and you shall be able through the witness of the Holy Spirit of Promise to say and prove it is a most devilish Lie and delusion to conceive that any who are one with God in Christ shall undergo the wrath of God in that manner that they speak of, by this they make the Death of Christ of none effect. Read also about this matter the ninth Chapter to the Hebrews, and when you have weighed it, see whether it can stand with the Lords Justice to call any of his servants to hear so in their bodies and spirits (as they do) his Justice and exact Judgement, until he have wrought out of them his own satisfaction & recompense in that nature. But if Satan shall teach them a point of Sophistry, and make them say they do not undergo this Wrath and Torment for Satisfaction but for Sanctification, yet it will be a Lie and delusion that way, for the Spirit of the Lord when it sanctifieth the hearts of his servants, doth not go about to tear their hearts out of their bodies, and their flesh off their bones, in that nature. And although it be compared and many times called Fire in the Scripture, it is rather from the work wrought, than from the manner of its working; and therefore the Holy Spirit is compared unto Water, Isai 55. & John 4. And the Apostle saith concerning the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 6.11. that they were washed from their former transgressions by the Spirit of the Lord, by which seemingly contrary expressions an impartial man may judge that the Spirit of the Lord worketh sanctification in the soul, in a blessed, sweet, moderate and peaceable manner.  
First, as it is a Light, so it discovereth unto the soul the dangerousness and ugliness of sin, and the unpleasingness thereof unto the Lord. 
The manner of the Spirit sanctifying the heart.   
Secondly, when it hath thus discovered it, it bringeth the soul to a disliking thereof, it gins to take away the affections and the delights of the heart from it.  
Thirdly, in as much as the Spirit of the Lord is called a quickening Spirit, it doth raise up the soul to the contemplations of heavenly ways and duties, wherein the Lord would have his people to walk, and engageth the heart to love them, and so in an holy blessed alluring manner, stealeth the heart away to God, who in the manifestation of that Spirit of Light is made appear to the soul more lovely, excellent, rich, satisfactory, and the like, than, all those former things were they riches or profane pleasures wherein the soul delighted itself before; herein I appeal to the witness of such who have tasted of that Spirit; hence it is that the Lord is said to allure his Church, and to speak kindly unto her, and you shall find how blessedly the Lord speaketh unto a back-sliding people (the worst of all sorts) upon their returnings unto him, Hosea 14.4. I will heal their back slidings, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from them. Me thinks if the Lord would have used such fi●e and faggot like burn upon the hearts and consciences of any people for to have sanctified them withal, it should have been upon such a people as these are. But to end this which the Saints know by experience, and most others by report to be true; I shall turn over all that read my Book unto that Parable of the polluted child in Ezek. 16. from the beginning to vers. 15. where you shall find both the Lords purpose for acceptation of that polluted Babe, and his powerful operations for its sanctification in vers. 9 and others.  
Moreover, if they shall urge David's complaining, that his bones were broken, and his flesh would scarce cleave unto them, and how he had no free part in his body, and the like; It is far from me to think, that this was under an apprehension of wrath, or that his soul did now bear the weight of Justice for its transgressions or so; for David had long before said and known that the Lord was wont to cover the sins of his people, and not to impute them to their charge, and therefore he calls them blessed, Psalm 32.1, 2. and from this conifortable Doctrine of free forge veness and acceptation he concludeth his Psalm with this, Be glad in the Lord, and rejoye O ye righteous, and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart; for as he saith in the beginning of the next Psalm, Praise is comely for the upright, so is a cheerful spirit upon this account. I rather take David's complaining thus to be for want of his communion with God, as he seemeth to teach in that word, Thou hidest thy face and I was sore troubled. I am sure the soul that hath had sweet communion and refreshment with and from the Lord, in the want of this will complain heavily, as you may find in Psalm 42. throughout; And by the Spouse running so earnestly after CHRIST when she had lost him, Cant. 3. in the beginning; And this made her cry out, she was sick of love for Christ. Was it not the want of the continued enjoyment of that extraordinary apprehension of love and glory in the presence of God that made Paul complain, 2 Cor. 12.7. and suffer temptation, which he calleth a messenger of Satan? Shall any man think that he suffered this for his sanctifying? Nay, will you now in the last place consider how St Paul doth reckon the fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5.22, 23. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, etc. Now compare their shake, roar out through extremity, cruel torturings of body and mind, which they call the fruits and operations of the spirit, with these fruits and operations which the Spirit of the Lord doth assume and take unto itself, and then tell me which you will judge to be delusion, for one must, because they are so contrary.  
Demonstr. 4. From that great bondage and slavery which is laid upon them, they are captives by Satan at his will, and made to suffer more cruel burdens than the Israelites were under Pharaoh in Egypt, as you may see in these Particulars.  
First, whatsoever journey Satan shall suggest unto them, they must undertake it, if it be an hundred or two hundred miles, as I hear some have gone from some parts of the North unto London two hundred miles an end, and they must go with all expedition upon his command, and many times shall not have so much leisure as to dress them first, (an hard Master, surely Christ was not wont to be so cruel unto his servants) and they say, they are commanded to go, but whither to go, or to whom, or what to do, they know not, yet they must go like a blindefolded man that knoweth not where his mark is; yet I suppose, Satan who is the greatest Traveller himself that ever was, for he is ever compassing the Earth to and fro, and doth know all the parts thereof, and observeth the temperature of the people's hearts in every corner of the Earth, when he sendeth them his poor beguiled Vassals upon such designs, he sendeth them unto such persons be they many or few that are ready to be overcome and to yield unto such temptations as are offered unto them by these creatures, and so they seldom miss of drawing some unstable hearts into bondage with themselves, under fair notions and pretences, unless it be where Satan himself is mistaken concerning the faith and steadfastness of some soul, for what he does is at forte fortuna, hit or miss, for they have come sometimes unto me and to some others whom I know, pretending they were sent of God in a special manner with a message to deliver, but I know they were deceived, and therefore by Satan; for the Lord is not wont to do things ignorantly, and to deceive his servants in that nature: and sometimes they have not power to speak, and therefore you may see how well the Lord sent them; and if they be able to speak, yet they are told their language is the Devils, and they come with a Lie in hypocrisy. Satan I suppose will not send very often where his Ministers find no better welcome.  
Secondly, the poor creatures are made to fast from all manner of food sometimes three days and three nights, and sometimes as I have heard by them, when they have fasted those three days and nights he commandeth them to fast three more unto that, and when they do eat any thing it is with so much penuriousness and scarcity that they are brought most feeble and wretched creatures by that means, contrary to the law and wisdom of nature, which would teach a man to nourish and cherish his poor body if it were but with moderation; but as I said once before, The Devil knows no mean, but is all upon extremes; either he maketh men merely Gluttonous, as your Drunkards and Belly-gods, that can never hold till their bellies and chins do almost meet, or else he maketh other poor wretches starve themselves, he doth so far deprive them of natural affection, which you may well know to be his work, if you consider of what kind of people the Apostle Paul speaketh, Rom. 1.  
Thirdly, he maketh them go naked, as I have seen in some of their Books, and herein they glory by their expressions, and speak how triumphantly they were made to come up naked into some Ministers Pulpits in the North: and this I find Satan doth act in them for these two Reasons.  
1. Because the people (who are naturally novitatis avidi, greedy of news) might take these things to be as petty wonders or miracles; and indeed it cannot choose but make many simple people admire to see creatures fast so long, and be able to go naked; hereby I do apprehend Satan's design is to bring on these people to false works, as the Apostle calleth them, and as I do intent to show when I come directly upon that Doctrine.  
2. Satan doth labour by weakening and disabling their poor bodies in this nature to bring them the sooner to their dissolution, if the Lord prevent not, that so he might exercise his will more fuily upon them: for certainly as the servants of Christ while they bear about them their earthly tabernacles, are not so capable either of glorifying God, or bearing the glory of God; so the Ministers of Antichrist in this their being are not so fit to act or suffer what he would appoint them.  
Thirdly, they are made to deny their Callings, Professions and honest Employments many or most of them, and to neglect and disregard their Families and new Relations, and to say it is the language of Antichrist that biddeth a man take care for his own household and family, and some of them have said to me, when I have been enquiring what our families should do if all Callings and Labours should be so neglected, that truly they must shift for themselves, which I thought was very strange teaching, for my heart was very tender of my near alliances in the flesh, and they are a people for as many as I know of them that are wholly possessed with a principle of idleness, and going about from place to place, pretending that they are so moved of the Lord to go hither and thither, and if they are set about any honest work or design, I mean in civil affairs, if Satan do but suggest any thing to the contrary, they neglect it, and give it over presently, if it be of never so great concernment, this I know by them, saying, They must leave all to obey the voice of CHRIST, and to follow him to whatsoever he commandeth them, and they are become altogether unprofitable to their generations, and fit for nothing but to carry about the abominable deceits, suggestions and Lies of Antichrist.  
The second Rule which is my experience herein, 
Rule 2. in Dem 4. is Experience.  and that (through mercy) is not much besides the understanding of this deceit from them: only in the business of Fasting my fancy was somewhat carried away; for I could have forborn Eating and Drinking, me thoughts for a great while, but through the persuasions of my Table-companions I would eat more than I had a desire to, because I would not give them offence; but I am persuaded, had I been left to my own freedom, I should have brought myself unto a very low condition of body.  
But as for the giving over of labouring and following of worldly business, I could bear with them in that, me thoughts; for when I considered that most men are overcome and surfeited with the care and love of the things of this life, I thought the people of God should be upon the extreme on the other hand.  
The third Rule is to consider by what Scripture and Example Satan doth conceal this his deceit. 
Rule 3. Demonstr 4.   
First, for his acting of them to go and to run up and down an hundred or two hundred miles, sometimes more, sometimes less, and to go they know not whither, nor to what end; he blindeth them with the Lords sending the Prophets from place to place, as you read of Jonahs' going to Niniveh, Jon. 1. and the Prophet ezekiel's being sent to and fro between Judea and Chaldea; and then for their coming together and sitting like a company of dumb creatures for I know not how long, and sometimes it may be they say nothing at all when they are come together, and come to the place or person where they pretend they are sent of God. And for this deceit you shall find it coloured over with that instance of the Prophet Ezekiel, who when he came to the captives at Tel●abib that dwelled by the River of Kebar, was constrained to wait in great amazement for the space of seven days before the Lord was pleased to manifest his mind concerning that people, Ezek. 3.15, 16. Now this coloureth over their dumbness and silence, pretending they wait for the Vision, Inspiration or Revelation, as that Prophet did. And they have also a Gloss put upon the words of CHRIST to his Disciples, when he bade them Take no care what to speak, for it should be given them in the same hour what to say.  
Then for that gesture and principle of going naked, they have a colour from that instance of Saul stripping off his  and prophesying naked, 1 Sam. 19.24. And they may find the Apostle when he is speaking of the persecutions, say, that sometimes he suffered hunger, and cold, and nakedness, etc.  
Lastly, for that deceit of theirs in giving over all care and callings, and their honest employment in the world, they are made to mis-apprehend the teachings of CHRIST, in Matth. 10.37, 38. He that will not take up his Cross and follow me is not worthy of me: here they think that CHRIST doth engage his people to leave off all care and diligence, etc. And those words of CHRIST in Matth. 6.31, 34. where he biddeth his Disciples take no thought what they should eat or drink, or wherewith they should be clothed, neither would he have them take thoughts for to morrow, for to morrow (saith he) shall take thoughts for itself: and such other like Scriptures as these which Satan is well acquainted withal. But such who are kept under the power and teachings of the Spirit of God do know the mind of Christ about the outward things.  
The fourth Rule is the teaching of the Spirit of God in such things as these are. 
Rule 4. in Demonstr. 4.   
1. As to their going from place to place far remote, and likewise to particular persons, we know that the Lord was wont to make great use of his servants in this nature; Moses was sent into Egypt to deliver the Embassy of God unto Pharaoh, but he would not hearken; so say they, it may fall out many times that our message will not be received. Ezekiel was sent to the captives by the River of Chebar, but the Lord had told him, they should show themselves a rebellious people, and would not hearken: so it may be with them, they say. Christ himself spoke with authority, and in such a manner that most that heard him wondered, yet how doth he complain of the unbelief and hardness of the people hearts? so they speak many times as though it were with authority, and I believe it is with a great deal of impudence and boldness; for I read in what an insolent, proud and authentic manner the Devil spoke unto the face of Christ, Mark 5.7. saying, I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not; and is it any marvel if he shall act his servants and ministers to speak with such audaciousness sometimes unto the Disciples of Christ, seeing they are not above their Master?  
The Lord also sent Ananias to Paul, Acts 9 Peter was likewise sent to Cornelius by Vision, Acts 10. Philip was sent by special command unto the Eunuch as he was travelling. Nathan was sent to David, Jonah to Nineveh, Paul himself was bound in spirit to go unto Jerusalem; and from hence they suppose they have ground sufficient for going to particular persons by Vision or Revelation as well as these whom God sent: so making themselves to be either Prophets or Apostles. But let him that would know this delusion mark these differences.  
First, the Lord sending these last mentioned servants of his to these several and particular men, You find the power of God so much manifested in them and by them, that the Word of the Lord was blessed and made successful unto the hearts of those unto whom it was brought. But these deluded creatures, although they come with as a fair pretence and gloss as the other did (for Antichrist in this fitteth in the seat of God in a special manner) yet their word proveth but a Lie or an imagination of their own brain.  
Secondly, observe, that if they do prevail upon any poor souls by this high mystery of deceit, they are either  
1. Such as are merely ignorant, unestablished, and unacquainted both with the ways of Christ or Antichrist in this nature, or,  
2. They are such who are mere Notionalists, that have been full of brave words, but have had but little if any of the powerful actings of Truth and Grace in their souls, not walking and maintaining close communion together in any visible, exemplary and justifiable way and order of the Gospel. And therefore let it not be thought so strange to see such carried away, for they have been but like clouds without water, as Judas saith, and so might easily be blown about with every wind of doctrine: but blessed be the Lord, I do not hear or know any that have been well grown and experienced Christians, walking and maintaining a close and strict communion and fellowship together according to those exemplary ways of Christ and his Disciples, that are thus overcome and betrayed by the subtle wiles of the Devil: and this I would have all the world to take special notice of, and so it may be a means of unvailing unto their understandings that close and dangerous deceit under pretence of being sent with a special word from the Lord unto such a person, people or place.  
3. Let this be also well observed, these Dreamers say, notwithstanding they pretend it is the Lord by some special Revelation, or Inspiration, or Operation, (be it what it will, the Lord must be the Author thereof, if we will believe them) that sendeth them hither or thither, that they know not whither to go, or to what person, till they come to the place or person, and when they are come whither they apprehend they were sent, yet they say, that they know not what to do or speak until that be given them by Inspiration also. Now let us return and examine the manner of the Lords sending his servants and Prophets upon such particular messages, and we shall find it to be far otherwise; for the Lord was wont when he sent them to tell them unto whom to go, and likewise what to speak.  
When Moses was sent to Pharaoh, he was taught at first by the Lord to whom to go and what to say.  
When Nathan was sent to David he was told to whom to go and what to say, 2 Sa. 12. the beginning. When Ezekiel was to go to the River of Chebar, he was told to whom to go, only at that time (I never read the like any where else to my present remembrance) he was made to wait upon the Lord for the manifestation of his pleasure.  
When Jonah was sent to Nineveh, he was told from the beginning to whom to go, and what to say.  
When Ananias was sent to Paul, he was told to whom to go, and what to say, Acts 9.10.11.  
When Peter was sent to Cornelius, he was instructed by his Vision what to say, and by three men that came to him, to whom to go, Acts 10.  
Note well this difference and so judge.  
Secondly, concerning their going naked. I never knew the mind of the Lord so discovered by any of his servants either under the old or new Covenant. And as for that of saul's stripping off his  and lying down naked among the Prophets, there is nothing in that place that doth prove it to be the will of the Lord, or that he was so acted and commanded of him; and let it not scruple any one that the Lord gave him a spirit of Prophecy at that time, for why might not the Lord make Saul prophesy, as well as make Balaams' Ass speak, Numb. 23. seeing he was a more likely creature for such a work?  
Thirdly, whereas they give over their Callings, Professions, honest Employments in the world, and give themselves over to idleness, and pretend they must have nothing to do with the World, but must be ready at a beck to run hither and thither when the Lord shall send them, and the like: Such who read the Scriptures know how the Spirit of God was wont to speak and teach his servants about these things, that their moderation must be known unto all men, and that they should use the World as though they used it not, and that it was more honourable to give than receive, and that he that would not work should not eat, and that every man should provide things honest before all men, and take care for their families and households, which they call the Language of Antichrist; but Nature and Grace (for the one destroyeth not but rather perfecteth the other) do both teach the servants of CHRIST that this is true in the main, and how to use it in a mean: and do we not know how Paul was wont sometimes to labour had night and day at his Calling, because he would not be troublesome or chargeable to a poor people? And did not the Disciples of CHRIST follow their Callings when they had need or conveniency? And doth not Paul advise such as should be called to the knowledge of the Truth to rest satisfied in that estate, condition or calling wherein they should be called, if any were called being a servant that he should not be dissatisfied; if any were called being free, he should rather desire to continue so?  
I must entreat my Readers to note these Scriptures as they read them, for in regard of the scarcity of my time and multiplicity of business, I am constrained to neglect the quotation of them here, and so to pass more briefly and scantingly over things than I would otherwise have done willingly, and glad I am to find so much time as that my Pen might run with much speed to what it doth singlely without any Copy.  
I shall now give the World but this one discovery more in this nature, and that shall be such an one that (had I spoke no more) might have given a sufficient understanding of this most horrible and dangerous deceit under which these creatures lie.  
Demostr. 5. I do collect from that spirit of enmity, bitterness and prejudice which is conceived and brought forth in their hearts towards such of the servants of Christ who walk most strictly and orderly in their fellowships and communions togegether, and towards such of them, especially such as are the Pillars of the Truth in the Churches of Christ, and that are most eminently gifted, and most instrumental in the hands of Christ for the advancement of his Kingdom. This I know to be too true by what I observed in my own experience of this nature when I was under those Satanish-angelical-metamorphosings; beside that, I have heard them say several times, their hearts were more drawn out towards the creatures of the world, that they were more tenderly affected toward such who were meetly atheistical and profane creatures, than towards such and such Societies, Fellowships, Professions and Professors, and the like. And this may be witnessed by their railing, lying, clamorous, false accusing Letters which they have writ against many precious, honest-hearted men that I know, and yet they pretend all this is done in love.  
Now will we try whether this inward core, secret prejudice, false surmise and heartburning against the servants of Christ be the work of Christ or Antichrist.  
It will every way appear they are under an horrible delusion in this very thing, when the matter is clearly examined, for,  
First, if they cannot see the servants of Christ that walk according to the manifest Rules of the Gospel to be the servants of Christ, but reckon them to be the servants of sin, hypocrites, men in the first Adam, acted only by that first created excellency or light received, and the like, as they do commonly; why then they prove themselves to be blinded and led forth by a lying and deceivable spirit of delusion by Antichrist, like unto the men of the world, that do not know the Servants and Disciples of Christ from his professed Enemies, but speak evil of the things and men they know not, and so there needs no further proof than their own open and professed mistake, ranking themselves with the carnal and sinful men of the world, who are all under the power of Antichrist, as you shall find in the words of Paul to Ephes. 2.2. In times past, saith he, meaning the time of irregeneration, Ye walked according to the course of this world, and according to the Prince of the power of the Air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience; and moreover, saith he in v. 12. At that time (meaning this time last mentioned) ye were without Christ, aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the Covenant of Promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. O ye poor deluded creatures of the world also! your spirits and persons I love and wish well unto, and therefore as my brethren in the first creation, I desire you all in the bowels and mercies of Christ, to weigh well and consider this Scripture, for here is your condition exactly and truly characterized and held forth unto you; and when any of you shall find it so, give neither the Lord nor your own souls any rest until you find yourselves in some measure washed and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ from that uncomfortable condition. But to return.  
Secondly, if these poor beguiled wretches of whom we are speaking all along, shall judge them to be the servants of Christ, and reckon themselves the servants of Christ also, why then they are brethren, and if brethren, and yet hate their brethren, they must needs be under delusion, and the words of the Apostle John will render them to be Liars and a deceived people, to take the words of the Apostle before us.  
1 John 3.10. In this the Children of God are manifest, and the Children of the Devil; whosoever doth not righteousness [Look to that O ye unrighteous men!] is not born of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.  
Vers. 14. We know that we are passed from Death to Life, because we love the brethren; he that loveth not his brother abideth in death.  
Vers. 15. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer, and ye know no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.  
Chap. 4. v. 7. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  
Vers. 8. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love.  
Vers. 12. No man hath seen God at any time, if we love one another God dwelleth in us, and his love is made perfect in us.  
Vers. 16. He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God and God in him.  
Vers. 20. If any man say he loveth God, and hateth his brother, he is a Lyar.  
This testimony of John proveth all manner of envy, hatred, bitterness, evil surmisings, and the like, against the servants of Christ, to be none of the work of God, because God is love, and acteth all in love, and as he doth act, and as he is, so are his servants in this present world, 1 John 4.17.  
But if they shall go about to persuade further, and to say, that notwithstanding they speak sharp and harsh language, yet it is all from a principle of love, This will not agree with that operation of divine love which the Apostle Paul mentioneth 1 Cor. 13.4, 5, 6, 7.  
Charity suffereth long, and is kind, it envieth not, it vaunteth not itself, it doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh none evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the Truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.  
Now let any judicious man compare the operations of that which they call divine love, and these operations which the Apostle doth here mention, and see whether they are like to proceed from one author.  
If I had used only this one Demonstration it might have suffreed to have proved them to be under a most deceitful power of Antichrist; but while here are variety of discoveries with plain and easy Rules for manifestation thereof, I suppose he must be wilfully blind that will be lead away with these people and their pernicious Errors, when he shall have well weighed and compared one thing with another. I do not for the present apprehend any thing more material to have been illustrated in this nature beside what I have done: I will therefore proceed to what I find next to be considered in the Apostles discovering of them, which is, that as Satan transforms himself into an Angel of Light, so it will be no great thing to see his ministers transformed as ministers of righteousness.  
The second remarkable Truth from the Text is thus:  
That such as are beguiled by Satan's angelical transformings of himself in the manner as hath been showed, are likewise transformed themselves as though they were Ministers of Righteousness.  
For if it were not so, they would presently discover it themselves to be of Antichrist, if such a wonderful and extraordinary power should appear exercising and terrifying both their bodies and minds, and yet they themselves carried forth as ministers of unrighteousness they would apprehend it not to be of God, and all other people for the most part would know it so likewise; whereas they now stand amazed not knowing what to think of it; for every one can see and say, that is not quite blind, that all open, profane, wicked, lewd, unconscionable and unrighteous men, are deluded of the Devil, and by him lead into those wicked ways of sin and uncleanness, for God never leadeth men into such courses. Note this all you that go astray from the ways of holiness, and sin against your own Light; and being so in the ways of unrighteousness, Satan findeth himself to be open and unmasked, he transforms his ministers as well as himself, and so maketh them act as though they were Ministers of Righteousness, and that they were indeed moved thereunto of the Lord.  
And this is the reason why this prodigious Comet doth through these its scintillations and sparklings beget such a dreadfulness in the hearts of the beholders, and to speak out, I am afraid it doth prognosticate a sad destiny unto many people, as I shall show toward the end of my Book, only such who walk in the statutes and ordinances of CHRIST shall be kept by him as Lambs in his bosom, but let all other wand'ring stars and empty clouds, such who are mighty in words and expressions, little or nothing in a sound, experimental and lively knowledge of CHRIST, look to themselves, and if this cautionary word make any of them wise, let them glorify God on that behalf,  
Did you ever know a people acted through a more glorious show or appearance of righteousness than they are?  
Their denying and throwing off the world, and all the cares and pains thereof for Christ's sake, as they say, and their forsaking father, mother, wife and children, What a fair colour hath this?  
Their enduring so much affliction, opposition, persecution and disgrace from men, Is not this like the Cross of Christ? and like the sustering of Christ and his Apostles? Their running and travelling so many miles from place to place, and speaking so boldly unto great men, crying out against their abominations, Doth not this blace abroad mightily in the eyes of the world? Their writing so many Letters, and dealing so plainly with men, carrieth a fair show of holiness.  
And there are hardly a people to be found that cry out more against Antichrist and all appearances of sin and unrighteousness than they do; and this I believe doth stumble many ignorant hearts.  
But let such consider, that if a man call himself Knave, or speak evil against himself, it is no slander, neither doth he take it amiss: so for Satan to cry out against himself is no offence unto him, and this is but a small game for him to play in comparison of some other he doth, and will yet use more and more if the Lord permit him. How can he be rightly said to transform himself into an Angel of Light, if he do not seemingly act the part of God, and make his ministers act as the Ministers of Right. ousness?  
These people, if you observe them well, are such a people that would seem to be very blameless in their whose carriage, for because they will not speak words that be evil, they will cease from speaking those that are good.  
And because they will not use a labour, pains or care that shall be evil, they will neglect that which is honest, good, and just: these in a vain show of will worship in neglecting their bodies, Col. 2.23. thus seem to go beyond the very Servants and Ministers of CHRIST indeed.  
The whole bulk of their hitherunto actings as far as I know or have heard, do declare them to be carried forth as Ministers of Righteousness, and so must all that are beguiled of Satan in this nature be deceitfully transformed like himself, otherwise as I have said, they would easily find out the mystery of this deceit themselves, and it would quickly appear to others also; and this you see is agreeable to the discovery which St Paul himself giveth through the spirit of discerning, in order to this secret delusion.  
I know not any thing of concernment that I should amplify upon this Truth; moreover the importunities of some things do necessitate me to hasten towards a period with all possible expedition, and therefore I shall proceed to the next observation in my Text.  
Doctrine 3. That when Satan hath transformed himself into an Angel of Light, and hath transformed his ministers as Ministers of Righteousness, he will not let them rest there (reckoning that to be too low an honour for such faithful friends) but will advance them even to become false Apostles, being transformed into the Apostles of CHRIST, and then they shall be qualified fit for their attainments, and made able to do deceitful works.  
Here let all persons note by the way how methodical Antichrist is in his School; first he will make them his ministers, and afterwards they shall be made like the Apostles of Christ; here is his subtlety in his gradations, he hath not judged it safe for him to begin too high for fear of being discovered, but doth walk softly, and so for himself more safely, like as though he had learned that Philosophical Maxim, Violentus motus nunquam diuturnus.  
This masterpiece of work is yet behind, I mean his making these creatures mechanical able to do deceitful works with their hands, as the Apostles did by laying their hands upon the sick, etc. But what will the world think when they shall be raised a degree higher than this yet, and appear as false Christ's? for we all know that CHRIST himself did prophesy there should be false Christ's, Matth. 24.23, 24. and false Prophets, and should show great signs and wonders, and should deceive, nay, if it were possible the very elect servants of Christ should be deceived by them.  
Let all people well consider this Prophecy of Christ, together with that of St Paul, 2 Thess. 2.9. Here is mention made of a way of Satan's working with all power, and signs, and lying wonder.  
There is a principle in most part of the ignorant people of the world that leads them after news, and this hath been of old in the days of Christ himself, for the unbelieving creatures were always gazing after signs and wonders, and so they are now, but by such time I shall write something more of this, and you shall well consider what I have writ, I suppose there will be but little encouragement to look after signs and wonders.  
Some men think that Satan cannot do miracles and wonders; indeed I do now remember I have sometimes read this difference in some of the later Systems of Divinity, that Quanquam miracula non possit, tamen mira potest. Let men call his actings in this nature what they will, they will be big enough and strange enough to deceive many unstable souls withal: and if you do but remember the History of Moses miracles wrought in Egypt before Pharaoh, you may likewise find how the Egyptian Magicians could do the like things with Moses, as long as the Lord would suffer. Spare me the labour, and read the History yourselves, Exod. 7, & 8. chap. to v. 18.  
And what do men use to call those horrid and dreadful acts that are brought to pass sometimes in storms and tempests, as the splinting and throwing down of trees, removing of great stones, and the like, which are commonly known in the experience of Countries and Nations?  
Are these actings of Antichrist so lovely that you desire signs and wonders, if you knew what Satan can do by creatures in whom he acts as he doth in them, you would rather rather desire to be hid from them: you may read that sad exigent that fell out by the power of the Devil in a poor creature, Acts 19.16. The man in whom the evil spirit was leapt on them, and overcame them, and prevalled against them; so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded, and it was well they could escape so.  
If such things as these should be showed upon some of those ignorant people that are harkening after this so much, it would make them weary hereof quickly.  
As for my part, I do expect to see these kind of creatures brought so far by that Antichristian power under which they are so firmly kept, as that they shall Apostle-like or Christ-like be able to do great things to the amazement of such as shall be ingorant of these devices, and they themselves to my knowledge do live in expectation of such a power, and make their boast thereof, 
The story of a wonder.  and some of them have told me a story which I will here insert, to the end the world may be prepared in some measure with faith and knowledge, that they may not be too much carried away with these things when they are more public: and I for my own part am apt to think it might be true. It is as followeth.  
They told me there was a man in the North, I took it then by conjecture to be either Fox or Nailer, who was commanded (as he said) of the Lord to fast a great while, (if my memory fail me not) they told me at the first it was seven days and seven nights, and having so done he was commanded to fast so many more next ensuing, but if through some suspicion I have of my memory in this particular of time, I shall not be positive, yet I do well remember they have told me of three days and three nights, and so many more presently after that several of them have been commanded to fast: but here is the little-great wonder, this man having fasted, whether twice seven days and nights or twice three, it matters not much to me, but having so fasted as he was commanded by his Enemy under pretence of a friend, he was commanded to go into such a Well in a certain place that he knew, and so he did, and he was appointed to drink of that water, which he did, having taken something with him for that purpose, and when he drank he apprehended it to be pure and perfect good Wine, and so he drank no more, but on the morrow he returned unto the said Well, to see whether it were so continued or not, and then he found it mere Water as at other times.  
Here was a remarkable thing, which I believe to be true, for I am persuaded they dare not tell a Lie, knowing it to be so; and if this were true, than I shall be bold to affirm there was a false Christ appeared, for we know that Christ converted Water into Wine at a Marriage in Cana of Galilee, and because Christ did so, therefore Satan he cometh as it were the same Christ, doing the same thing: but let not this be thought very strange by any one that reads my lines, that Satan should be able to do this, for it was a far easier matter for him to turn one Cup of Water into Wine to deceive this poor silly man, than it was for him to turn all the Rivers, streams and Ponds that were in Egypt into blood, Exod. 7.19, 22. Or haply he might not really turn this Water into Wine, and yet he might really deceive the man, in deluding his taste; for you must know that Satan can easily delude a man's senses, as I have seen by these Juggle and Popper-plays, and the like.  
I have heard them tell me some other fine things of this nature, which I shall forbear to cite in regard they are no news to me, because I do apprehend that they must become false Apostles and false Christ's to do great signs and wonders: yet this I do observe by the way, that Satan is so politic, that he will not do as yet any terrible acts by them, whereby he might fear or amaze the people, as he did by that man in Acts 19 for then he might lose them before he had gained them; but he will rather choose to do things that may be delightful and pleasing unto the people, such as healing some infirmities, and turning of Water into Wine, and the like; and truly this is such a deceivable way, that if he should use it much, it would be enough to make all the Drunkards and Sack-belly-gods in England to become Quakers, Comes hilaris quasi vehiculum viatori, if it were but for that they might not empty their Purses to fill their bellies.  
I should gladly hear of the charge of that Principle therefore that maketh so many ignorant people look after lying signs and wonders, and to see them inquire after faith, and knowledge, and the grace of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, that so they might be able to stand in such evil times as these are, while Satan is playing his last game; and let all the world assure themselves, that we are now living in those last times that the servants of Christ hinted in so many places; and indeed the most ignorant and scandalous men of our Nation called by the people like themselves Ministers and Preachers, have of late years been telling their people over and over this thing, but here was their mistake, not in the time but in the persons and things, for they have reckoned and railed at the Churches and servants of Christ who did most endeavour to demean themselves unto an exemplary and visible order of the Gospel, to be those Heretics and deluders of deluded people that are mentioned in the Scripture, but considering their ignorance and blindness unto the things, ways, administrations, and servants of Christ, it was well they could come so near as to point at the time so rightly, and I will forbear with them in this. Yet let not the Readers of my Book think that I take their testimony for my own confirmation, or shall offer it unto any other, but if you will forbear me in this place, you shall have my own grounds and reasons with the Scripture to prove this thing hereafter in my first question, only I shall be bold before I go any further to tell all carnal and natural men in the world, be they Preachers or People, that they must be beholding to those People whom they have ignorantly called Heretics and Deluders. I mean the servants of Christ, not in form only but in power, evidence and demonstration of the Spirit, to encounter with this spiritual mystery of iniquity that reigneth in such an high nature in the poor undone people. There is nothing in any carnal man in the world that can enable him for this work, if they had all Apollo's wisdom, Minerva's learning, or Sampsons' strength, it would not help them, unless it were vi & armis, by an arm of flesh, and that would be next unto nothing.  
Peradventure this little labour of mine may make many thousands able to refuse their Errors and Delusions, but it will not make any one able to resist and encounter with it, Delinquere sed non evincere, because it can be done no way but through a greater power, and strength, and light than is in Antichrist: and he that shall observe me in this one thing shall see the reason hereof; because Satan is by his creation an Angel of Light, such as the rest of them were; and we know that God made all things pure and good, he made no Devil nor wicked man, he made Adam an innocent righteous man, he made the Angels innocent and righteous, and far more excellent creatures than Adam was: now if you compare the greatest excellency or glory in Adam while he was unchanged, with that light and glory of the blested Angels into which Satan hath now transformed himself again, you shall find as much difference as you can judge between the light of a little star and the great Sun; how much more than when you find but the relics, reversions, and some small remainders of Adam's first excellency in any man that now liveth in that apostatised condition? Therefore I would said know how any man living in such a low carnal state of apostasy should be able to deal or to encounter with such an angelical and mighty appearance of Antichrist, as is now manifest; Will not it be now a Truth unto your understandings, that there must be a greater light, power, glory and excellency thin his, be found out to match and overcome him, even that light, power, glory and excellency of the eternal being, brought forth in the hearts of the sincere and faithful servants of Christ? You know that Christ saith, If a strong man keep the house then all things are safe until a stronger than he cometh, but then Minima cedant maximis.  
What would a wicked, drunken, profane, ungodly man say for himself? if one of these creatures in whom there is such a mighty power of Antichrist should come unto him with so much audacity and boldness of speech as the Devil came to the face of Christ, Mark 5.7. saying, I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not, and tell him plainly and with all authority, Thou art a damned wretch, there shall no such as thou art enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, thou art such and such a creature, and all such are fit for nothing but to undergo the eternal wrath of God, and the like: What would such a miserable creature be able to say for himself, he is conscientious to himself that he is told truth? Where is the power now to resist this mighty appearances rance, and to filence this accuser of the brethren? you will be lest like Belshazzar one knee smiting against another.  
Moreover, what if one of these creatures should be sent with much power and boldness unto a profane, scandalous Preacher, and made to tell him, He is a blind Leader of a blind People, and a man that crieth Lord, Lord, and that speaketh of a Christ without, but knoweth not, neither hath he received any of the power, grace or Spirit of that Christ within? he speaketh he knows not what, he telleth his people hay should not be envetous, proud or sinful, and yet he himself the Ringleader of these base things; he is told further, he is only an hireling, preacheth for Tyths and stipends, and if it were not for this he would not preach at all, and that he knows not what to say till he hath stolen it from other men's lines, he hath no experience of truth in his own soul, and lays this hard upon his conscience, which will join with this his adversary, and tell him all this is true, and by that time he hath charged him home with truth to his own knowledge, What a trembling, dumb and miserable condition will this poor man be in, standing like one ready for his dissolution, notable to reply any wise word, like unto a pale-faced image that the slander by must cry, Opertet aliquid intus, and yet may be the man a good Scholar of great natural parts, a blazing star in his country; but what is this starlight worth when the Sun ariseth? all his light is become darkness now by reason of that angelical light which appeared in one of the ministers of Satan become a false Apostle or a false Christ.  
This me thinks should be wonder big enough for such who will not believe except they see wonders; but what will you say if you should see Satan stirring up one of his foresaid ministers to fall upon any such creature that is so naked and unarmed from all power of Christ and his powerful Spirit, and to tear him, hurt him, wound him, and peradventure take away his life also? Remember still that instance Acts 19.16. than it would make your hearts ache with wonders, and when by such time you shall be told your own in this nature, you carnal and ignorant creatures of the world, you will believe it is not well with you, notwithstanding you had been told the same things several times before by the servants of Christ, by their preach, writings and discourses in much love and tenderness: and moreover, when you shall see yourselves not able to defend yourselves against them, and yet shall see those people you so much vilified, and reckoned the Hereteticks and Deluders, upon whom the Scripture was fulfilled, able to silence them, to defy them, to prove them through the power of Truth to be Deceivers, and false Christ's, and false Apostles, and in the end to make the Devil flee from them as James saith, by their strong resistings of him with that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or complete armour of God, spoken of Eph. 6.11. Read on this Scripture you feeble creatures of the world and you shall find that for want of this spiritual armour of proof it is that you are not able to deal with that mighty appearance and power in them: and on the other side by reason of the investing of the soul with this armour it is that the servants of Christ are able thus to foil them: and the more holy, heavenly, humble, selidenying, any of the servants of Christ are, 
A Caution for Saints.  the more powerfully they will be able to withstand all these fiery dirt's of the Devil. Note this all you holy ones of the Lord, and take heed that Satan find no hole of covetousness, pride, vainglory, or the like, in any of your coats, for I will assure you if he do, you will have an hard match of him, as I know by experience in others.  
The breaking forth of things in this nature will bring honour to God and his servants before all the world, and convince them of the Truth, and make them see and know the people of God from others; and that there are none able to withstand such assaults of the Devil as these are either upon themselves or others, but only such who have received power from Christ.  
I had here thoughts to have gone unto the last thing in the Text, but fearing lest there should be any scruple in the hearts of some ignorant people about their prevailing so much, and increasing their number in so many places of this Land, I will take away if I can the ground of this first.  
There hath been enough in my thoughts spoken to this already upon this last Doctrine of doing false works, for here I have showed that they must act as Ministers of Righteousness, and thence they must come to act as false Apostles, nay as false Christ's, and if they shall be brought to this, as Christ and his Apostles did true signs and wonders, so these must do lying signs and wonders, even such things as Christ and his Apostles did, and if those things wrought by Christ and the Apostles did convince and draw in many into their ways, why shall not the same things done now under the same show and pretences draw in many as well into the ways of those that do them?  
And beside you shall read in Acts 5.36. that there was one Theudas that risen up among the people, boasting himself to be somebody, (it is like far short of these Quakers) to whom a number of men about four hundred joined themselves, who was slain, and as many as obeyed him were scattered and brought to nought. After him risen up one Judas of Galilee, in the days of the Taxing, and drew much people after him, he also perished, and as many as obeyed him were scattered.  
I hope in the consideration of this there will remain no jealousy about their increasings, and if it shall stumble any one to see a few drawn in by them while they act but as Ministers of Righteousness, hardly come up to that perfection of deceit to be either Apostles or false Christ's, then when they are come to this it may be a stumbling unto many, and they may draw whole multitudes of unstable wretches for aught I know into their damnable ways.  
But you have a fair warning, therefore take heed.  
I am now come to the last thing in the Text, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, whose end shall be according to their works.  
The very thoughts of this already do begin to sadden my spirits; but according to my former method I will proceed.  
The Doctrine from the whole is thus.  
Such as Satan shall beguile by transforming himself into an Angel of Light unto them, until they transform themselves as Ministers of Righteousness, and then as false Apostles, shall come to an end suitable to their works: now let us examine their works, and then we shall know their end.  

1. Their works are deceitful, so their end will be; for whereas they themselves have sometimes thought, whatsoever they do now I know not, and others likewise concerning them, that they might have ended this their earthly being with a great deal of comfort, peace and joy to themselves and others, I am afraid they and others will be deceivers.  
2. Their works are railing and disowning the power and Spirit of Truth; so I am afraid their end will be, a railing and speaking against the pure and holy being of God.  
3. Their works are cruel torturings and perplexities both of body and mind; so it is to be doubted their consciences will be in their dissolution.   
However, if any of them shall escape this, that the word of the Apostle may be true, and receive no prejudice by any private interpretation: their end at the best must be according to their works, for as their works are odious and shameful unto all that know of what nature they are, because they are brought forth through the power of Antichrist; so their end must be, if they are brought from under that power; for it will be a great deal of shame and trouble to them to see how they are beguiled by their Enemy, as it is unto myself, when I consider thereof, although there was no more in me but an approbation thereof, and a desire after it, and the like, the power thereof was through the Lord's goodness to my soul kept from me.  
Yet my former thoughts and expressions upon their end have a strong confirmation from that place of Paul, Heb. 6.4, 5, 6. It is impossible for those who who were first enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to open shame.  
Now these people as far as I am or ever was able to discern them, were endued and that in a large measure with those things the Apostle mentioneth; I mean many of them that I know whom I took in my former intimacy and communion with them to have received much of the power of Truth through Christ, and to have much communion with God and large experiments of his love, but as for many others of them they were never judged by me or the rest to be any more than a willing people to inquire after the ways of the Lord, and as for such this Scripture doth not touch him.  
But yet let us examine this Scripture a little farther, for I know it is a very mysterious one, and hath much puzzled the thoughts of many good men, and in my apprehension there are two wrong judgements given upon it by most men.  
The one is, they generally take this Scripture to speak forth nothing but eternal death and damnation to all such who shall sin and fail, as the Apostle doth there speak, whereas the Apostle saith not any such thing, but only it is impossible to renew them unto repentance; and although it be true of men in general, without repentance there can be no salvation, yet Paul doth not here speak of men that never had received CHRIST, but of men that had fallen away from and lost what they had received, and therefore I hold good, in the speaking upon this Scripture, to look distinctly upon the two conditions of inegeneration and apostasy.  
A second wrong judgement given upon this Scripture as I conceive is, that this sin here spoken is the sin against the Holy Ghost, which I do not so apprehend, and me thinks it will appear not to be so, from the last words in that place, for the utmost the Apostle reckons it unto, is, but the crucifying the Son of God afresh, that is, the crucifying of a Christ without, or as he is in the heart of another, not his own that doth it; and we know that Christ himself saith, All manner of blasphemy and sin against the Son of man shall be forgiven, Matth. 12.31, 32. Here CHRIST himself doth not make any sin against himself, that is, as he is not living and dwelling in the soul, to make a man without all conditions utterly uncapable of salvation for ever, for then all the world were uncapable of life, because they sin against that CHRIST which liveth and dwelleth in the hearts of his servants: But he maketh only the sin against the Holy Ghost, that is, as I apprehend, 
Discovery of the sin against the Holy Ghost, a wilful sinning against the present operation and power of Christ or his Spirit.  against a living Christ within, not a Christ without, to render a man beyond and without all conditions whatsoever utterly uncapable of salvation, and this is the sin which the Apostle John saith is unto death, and therefore ought not to be prayed for, 1 John 5.16. So that I cannot find that the Apostle doth in these words point out any thing but such a desperate and dangerous Kind of apostasy, as that he who shall be so qualified as there he speaketh, and yet fall away, cannot possibly be brought to repentance, or out of that condition of apostasy while he continueth this being; and under this kind of apostasy I find many of these poor deluded creatures; as for those that never received the grace of God in power and truth, they cannot be said to fall from that they never had, and so their condition is not the same; but for the rest of them I am afraid they will never be brought from under that delusion while they live in their earthly tabernacles, for I see the presence and Spirit of CHRIST is wholly with drawn from them, and Satan he hath afterwards stolen away out of their hearts all those blessed operations of his presence, as faith, knowledge, sobriety, and enjoyments, and the like, and hath given them some dross or counterfeit stuff in the stead thereof, such as they take to be better and more pure metal than what they had formerly, and therefore they seem very much to rejoice that they lost it. O the most unparallelled apostasy and delusion that ever was yet manifest!  
But if any one shall ask what I do judge to be the reason why the Lord CHRIST did with draw his presence from these people, and so consequently suffer Satan to rob them of their heavenly treasure in this kind? I shall by way of answer hereunto give one Reason, whereof I am confidently convinced, and another whereof I am but in part.  
1. I am really persuaded, was their negligence in using those eminent gifts of speaking praying, reasoning, discoursing, building up one another, and the like, wherewith they were endued, and that so largely, that I could not find in my apprehensions such excellent attainments amongst other people generally, which was the reason of engaging my affections so much to them above others; and as they grew negligent in using those gifts, so from time to time they neglected keeping communion together, and became a scattered people, every one giving himself over to a selfish retired condition, because they were so full of knowledge that they found not one able to instruct another, or to be a means of increasing any farther understanding, and thus by little and little the bond only being broken, which I reckon to be a close and strict communion of Saints under every atainment or discovery, therein watching over one another, and praying for and with one another, Satan carrieth away their hearts into a very mere confusion, loss and nothingness, and having brought them to that pass he presenteth them with something under most fair and glorious pretences, whereunto he gaineth their affections, even as far as unto willing obedience, and so acteth them therein according as you have heard all along,  
Reason 2. Whereof I am but in part convinced, is, that peradventure the Lord would have his people walk in some one way, administration or form (call it what you will) whereby they might be brought unto a perfect unity in heart, judgement and obedience, making but one echo or voice both in their prayers and praises, that so all that indignity and disgrace which is cast upon the servants of Christ, and that in a great measure, justly might be taken away, for as yet the world say, that we cannot be the Church of Christ, because we are so divided both in our judgements and practices, and me thinks I do apprehend the Lord as going about to take away all occasion of stumbling of that nature from before the eyes of the world, and to render his Church and people so like his people, that the enemies of Christ may see and say they are so indeed and in truth.  
And not only for want of this is there a prejudice, suspicion and wrong judgement begot in the hearts of such who are without, but also the hearts of the Lords own servants become very dead, cold and unprofitable to others, and uncomfortable to themselves, and their gifts and graces for want of holy and continual exercises do exceedingly fade away. I do not speak this by report, but I have too much experience of this nature myself, and so much it is, that I hope I shall not give over until I find through an holy and humble waiting and diligent inquiry some way or means of having my former enjoyments, refresh and blessed communion with the Lord and his CHRIST restored unto me again, for in the loss of the former means and way of God wherein he was pleased most of all to afford me the comfort which was in a strict and diligent maintaining communion of Saints, I am very sensible I lost my comforts, and therefore I hope when I shall be brought into the same way again I may find my former mercies, and much mercy and peace in Christ Jesus be unto all such who shall be solicitous at their Father's Throne for the teachings of his Spirit in such casea of difficulty as this is, to deliver any of his poor servants out of these straits.  
I had once thoughts in this place for the confirmation of my apprehensions and exposition upon Heb. 6. to have presenced a rehearsal of a sad self-murder judgement which in these parts did lately befall one such creature carried away with these deluders and their delusions, who was for many years in my judgement, and so I think in most of the Lords people, a Pillar of Truth in the Church of Christ, and like a Mother in Israel; but finding it to be an occasion of glorying or rejoicing among the wicked in all these parts, I shall forbear to give any more of them this cause of bringing down their own judgements upon their own heads, hoping that this brief hint may suffice to teach all the children of God to ache heed.  

1. Of living in a condition of idleness without any just or warrantable ●mployment.  
2. In growing cold in the ways and administrations of God, wherein their souls had been richly fed by him.  
3. Of neglecting, praying, watchfulness, etc.   
Such things as these were the apparent and fore going causes of this sore Judgement.  
And this instance maketh me afraid that but few such once eminent of them will ever be brought to repentance, but have their end according to their works.  
I shall here leave off speaking any further concerning this delusion and the doctrines thereof, and would have fimshed with this, were it not that there are two Questions of some concernment, that I conceive might be urged in order to these things and persons whereof I have spoken.  
Question 1. Why doth Antichrist act in this nature, and with so much fierceness, beyond what he hath been wont to do?  
Answer. First, because he was necessitated hereunto, for these creatures would not be taken with Hue and Cry, nor with allure and drawing back, nor with the common baits of ungodly practices, so that he was constrained to leave the pursuit of them, and to get before them, disguising himself into some form or other that might best fit their dispositions.  
Secondly, he acteth with so much diligence and watchfulness thereunto, because he hath a short time to effect his designs, Rev. 12.12. We unto the inhabiters of the earth and the sea, for the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he hath but a short time, and it is short indeed according to my understanding of time to the end of the Creation to make up seven thousand years complete, 
The end of the world.  and no more, (I have in my apprehension a fair Scripture and reason for this) and of this there are not above thirteen hundred and fifty behind, and out of this there must be a thousand taken, wherein Satan shall be chained up and cast into the bottomless Pit, Revel. 20. Read all this Chapter, and see what you can understand therein.  
The thousand years there spoken of I take literally according to our computation of time.  
The binding and chaining up of the Devil I take to be such a powerful and blessed appearance of God in the hearts of his people, who shall through the teachings of himself be brought to such an holy Conformity and Uniformity, both in affection, judgement and walking, that Antichrist shall not be able to break in upon them; to delude or entice them, or the like; but they through the glorious and in dwelling of God in their hearts shall be able to resist all the deceivable ways of Satan, that he will be as it were no Devil at all unto them, he will be as though he were tied with a Chain, or cast into a I'll, not able to hurt or wrong any of them as now he doth.  
Now this thousand years being taken out wherein the Church of CHRIST shall thus triumph over him, and conquer him, there remaineth but three hundred and fifty or there about, which must likewise be divided into two parts; one part must be for Satan to go about into all the corners of the earth to deceive and beguile the people again, v. 7, 8. at the expiration of the thousand year, after the manner as now he doth in my judgement, and so to bring them into a state of apostasy, which he cannot do probably under an age and a half, or two ages; for we see in our own experience, there is no ground, error or superstition sucked into the hearts of a people, or rooted out, under an age and an half at least, and therefore I think he must have such an allowance as this for to bring an universal apostasy into all the earth before its destruction, and if you shall allow him but an hundred and fifty years for this, than there willbe but even two hundred before that thousand, which is but a short time in comparison of what he hath had ever since he first beguiled Eve with the forbidden Apple; and therefore no marvel he doth so bestir himself now, and find out new and more dangerous ways.  
This is my present apprehension concerning the ending of the World, and concerning that mystery in Rev. 20.  
— Si quid novisti rectius istis  
Candidus imperti, si non, his utere mecum.  
Question 2. In order to the people themselves called Quakers.  
Peradventure some are enquiring, seeing they are so exceedingly deluded and such a dangerous people, what course should be taken by them, whether it were best to imprison them, or banish them, or the like?  
In my Answer hereunto I shall direct my speech unto two sorts of people.  
First, unto the common sort of people. I do hear and believe it is true, that the ordinary sort of people in all Countries and Towns whither these poor creatures come, do abuse them very much, and beat them, and despitefully use them; I do not conceive that this is the right way to deal with them, neither can any good ground be given for this kind of usage of them, seeing they come to places in a peaceable manner, pretending they come for the people's good, and me thinks it is great inhumanity to use any people so uncivilly that come so civilly, and withal they speak nothing in that nature but what their hearers themselves must confess to be true, reproving them sharply for some unjust and unrighteous actings or other, or for some carnal and secure conditions wherein they live, etc.  
And therefore I would counsel all such people to whom they shall come in this kind, to take a right way of opposing them; which is through a strong knowledge and understanding of the Scripture to reason with them and to prove them fairly according to the rules of the Scripture, and such rules as I have here given you in my Book, to be those deluders and deluded people that are spoken of by Christ and his Apostles; and upon that account, neither to own them nor their Doctrine. This is the warrantable way of the gospel, and I think I may be bold to tell you this for your encouragement, that if you shall stick up closely and unanimously to this way, you will find the Devil a very Coward, according to that word of St James, Resist the devil and he will fly from.  
But if any of you shall say, that you are not able to deal with them in this nature, they are too full of knowledge, and you are not so well acquainted with the Scriptures as they, etc.  
I fear it is too true as you say, but is not the fault your own? Hive not you Bibles as well as they? How comes it to pass that you are so empty of knowledge in the Word of God, but for want of diligent reading and meditating in the same. And therefore I would counsel all men both Preachers and people, to be hereafter better armed against them, for I suppose you will be more troubled with them than you have been, and indeed when you have done all this, your natural attainments of this kind will prove too short to deal with them by; therefore by all means laber father, and seek to gain the spiritual armour of Christ Jesus, which you shall have from him, if you will receive him, John 1.12. and harken diligently unto the voice of God calling you, and do not stand still and rest yourselves satisfied in your ignorant and carnal conditions, but remember that word Ephes. 5.14. Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light, yea and power, and strength also to overcome the assaults of Satan; and you must pray with all your might unto the Lord to furnish your souls with his grace and holy Spirit, that you may be able to stand fast in such perilous times.  
Secondly, I direct my speech unto the civil Magistrate, and desire him to consider what he doth to these people, I hear they are from City to City, and Country to Country, persecuted and imprisoned by you, but by what Law of yours I know not, I do not hear that they do transgress any of your Laws by sinful and unrighteous actings, (if they should, I shall give my consent they might have double punishment) if they do not, I would have you forbear them, and see that they have not greater grounds to speak against your abominations than you have to punish them. I fear because they tell you your own, many of you, they turn your Patience into Passion, and from thence rather than from any Principle you have to do justice you act against them; for if you were generally men possessed with a zeal to do justice we should not have such abominable and crying sins, calling at the Throne of God for justice against such injusticers as many are.  
If you will not believe the Truth because it comes from them, yet I hope you will believe it as it comes from the mouth of God, Isai 1.23, 24. Thy Princes are rebellious and companions of Thiefs, every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards, they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come before them; therefore saith the Lord, I will ease me of mine aduersaries and avenge me of mine enemies. And I would desire you to read judiciously over most part of the second Chapter of Isaiah, there you shall find the mind of God against selfseeking and pride, etc.  
But that my counsel may appear more fully, I shall desire you to give me leave to instruct you with much love and single-heartedness in these two things.  
First, that you will carefully in the fear of the Lord see to yourselves and your ways, that these people may not charge you justly with any coverousness, pride, vainglory, selfseeking, oppression, or injustice, or profane and lose walking, and in so doing you will in a most victorious manner disarm them of their offensive weapons.  
Secondly, that you would with all possible diligence seek for the armour of Christ Jesus, and have yourselves strengthened with that faith and knowledge which comes from him, and these will be your defensive weapons, and then by that time you shall have disarmed them and armed yourselves in this kind, I know you will prove so able to deal with them yourselves that you will never need to cry for your Sergeants and Officers to imprison them.  
This I apprehend to be the most Gospellike and most honourable way for Magistrates, Ministers and People to take against the Quakers.  
I have now through the good hand of the Lord attained unto the end of my thoughts and mediatations about this mysterious work and workers, and have no more behind but a few single words, and then I have done.  
Let not any wonder while I am speaking some particular words in a particular manner, that I have not a word for the Quakers, seeing they have been the whole object of my discourse: my reason is, because I find the strongest of them to be beyond all hopes of returning or being convinced by such means, for I have had some trial by reasonings with them, and writings unto them, and I find it bringeth forth nothing in them but more obdurateness of heart, and some railing, unchristianlike expressions in their Letters; so that I choose rather to leave them to the wisdom and power of God in this thing, and shall only give these Cautions to such younglings of them who never were yet in any powerful working of the Truth and Light of Christ, and are but as it were entering into that deceitful condition.  

1. With speed forsake their society wholly, both in public and private manner; for although they may not prevail upon a knowing Christian, yet they may easily carry away your hearts.  
2. adjoin yourselves unto the societies of such people especially who walk according to the most plain and sure Rules of the Gospel, and they are the Baptists, so called.  
3. If there be any power or faculty to pray left in you, I would have you use it to the utmost, desiring the Lord in sincerity and with diligence from time to time to teach and show you the ways that you shall choose, and then to establish and keep you in the same; and undoubtedly if the Lord through his mercy will be pleased to help you to observe these three things, it may be much for his glory and your comfort.   

First, a word to the Seekers so called.  
You are that progeny of mankind or parentage of people, that have born forth unto the world that uncomfortable fraternity of Quakers and Ranters. These brethren in iniquity are now in a state of desperate apostasy, who were once a people of most blessed principles and great attainments, for which things sake I was in my affections and judgement engaged to maintain fellowship and society with them in a special manner above and beyond all other people professing the ways of the Lord, for the space of six years complete.  
For the worth of those principles sake which did so much affect me, I shall make bold to mention three above the rest in this place.  
1. Was their readiness and willingness to own and receive any farther manifestations or appearances of God in power and truth that he should be pleased to show unto them; and this was no small mercy or attainment, when I consider how many other poor creatures are possessed with a selfish, rigid principle, crying out against any farther manifestations or operations of God than what they have received, as Heresy, Error, and the like.  
2. Was their cheerful owning and embracing all the workings of the grace of God in truth that did appear in the hearts of any poor creatures, with much love and tender-heartedness towards them.  
This was much, compared with the frame of spirit that possesseth most professors.  
3. Was a greater careand seeking after a power, life, and spirit from the Lord, to perform their worship and duty withal, then standing upon the form or outward appearance of such worship or duty.  
Which 3. Principles as I did, so I do own them and judge them to be very heavenly and spiritual, only by these poor creatures sad example, I hope I shall be more careful to try well what I receive under either of them. As you see these to be very high and spiritual, so they lie very open to temptation and deceit. And I will show all people how Satan hath insinuated himself into the hearts of these people under every one of these principles, and that with a very fair and unknown guile.  
First, whereas they were ever ready and willing to receive all further discoveries and manifestations from the Lord, he transforming himself into an Angel of Light, that so he might seemingly act the part of God, hath presented some new things or ways and operations un o them, more seemingly spiritual than any they had before, such as you have seen throughout this book, and so easily engageth their hearts to receive what their principles led them unto.  
Secondly, they being very tenderly affected to all such whom they judged to be sincere, although under the lowest discovery of truth. Here Satan deceiving of them maketh them to become very much affected with the carnal creatures of the world, and to disown such as they formerly owned and tendered, under small attainments, as though they were in a worse estate than mere carnal and atheistical persons.  
Thirdly, in as much as they did more look after the power of godliness than the form, and more after spiritual enabling of the soul to duties than its going forth in its own strength. Here the Deceiver beguileth them, and carrieth them first away from that form they did use; and secondly, under waiting for spiritual endowments he suggesteth by fits much power of speaking and praying likewise, for he can enable men to pray as well as to speak rumable words. I know this to be true, for when some of them have been under the greatest delusion that might be in speaking, they have been carried out to pray in as ample manner and as good language as ever I prayed when I enjoyed most of the divine operations and presence of God. I can witness this several times.  
And because you shall have a little farther discovery of this, I will turn you over unto a book of Hannah Trapnels, if ever you have seen it, she was a maid in London, that as I have heard by credible report, would be cast into trances and swoon, sometimes a whole day and a whole night, and sometimes twelve hours, that to the view of the beholders she would be dead, and yet in the coming out of those fits would sometimes speak, and sometimes pray, as though she had been an Angel from Heaven, I have seen her Book, and that which I was stumbled at, (even in those times when I thought she was sent as an Angel from God to speak unto men, rather than one deluded by Antichrist) was that confusion that was in her spirit about Oliver Cromwell, as she calls him: for sometimes, for one while she would be raging, and raving, and railing at him with such kind of language that I never heard any servant of CHRIST use, and another while it may be in the same breath praying for him again with such words and expressions that were admirable; and some of the beholders standing by that could write shorthand took most of her expressions, for she was but slow in delivery.  
That Book will give any one a perfect form of Antichrists teaching men to pray and to speak, and withal to prophesy a little; for in many things in that Book she is like a Prophet; and although it be in undeniable words and expressions peradventure, yet I am sure the Spirit of God doth not act any of his people to pray and curse so both in a breath; and as for Oliver that she speaketh so much of, the see vaunts of CHRIST are not acted to rage nor rail against him, but to speak with wisdom and sound judgement when they tell him of what they conceive amiss in him.  
This business of praying, whereat many simple people might stumble as much, if not more, than any thing else they see by them yet, hath procured these Lines; and I hope this may be a useful hint to one and many.  
Here you have seen the Seekers' Principles, which the Quakers hold yet entirely, because they are acted as Ministers of Righteousness, But as for the Ranters, they have had new Principles or apprehensions added unto these.  

1. That God is all in all things, and that all things are God, etc.  
2. That God is all in all in them, and they all in him, and then by consequence they are not themselves, neither can do any thing of themselves, but God acteth and doth all in them and by them, etc.  
3. That God acting all in them will act nothing against himself, and all that he doth must be good, and therefore whatsoever they do must be good, because they are acted thereunto of God, etc. and to the pure all things are pure, etc.   
These Ranters are the most unworthy of all sorts of creatures that ever were known, and I reckon them far more wicked than any other profane, wicked people; in as much as profane men (be they never so wicked) dare not justify their ungodly deeds; but these deluded creatures justify their actings, and reckon them perfect, pure and good, as being done of God. There were a people deluded and acted after the very same manner as these are in the days of the Apostles, for such were they of whom Peter and Judas speak of, 2 Pet. 2.2. Judas the beginning to v. 20.  
Most of all those Apostates in the days of the Apostles were acted like unto these Ranters now, or else as mere worldlings, like unto Demas forsaking all former professions of the faith and Gospel to embrace this present world. I can hardly find any in reading all the New Testament that were acted as Ministers of Righteousness as these Quakers are; and I suppose they were only foreseen and prophesied of against this time, by Christ and Paul here in my Tex, and in 1 Tim. 41, 2, 3.  
Herein I observe not only the subtlety but also the diligence of Antichrist, who finding his time to be short, and willing to enlarge his Kingdom, acteth his servants several ways under several pretences and forms, that so such as would not be held in through open profaneness, because they themselves do condemn and disown it in their judgements, might be brought to see (through a Lie in Hypocrisy) that there is no sin at all but to him that doth so esteem it, and upon that account to justify all their ways and actions, laying it all upon the score of God, saying he doth all in them and by them, they are wholly crucified into the will of the Lord, etc. And again, such as would not be deceived by him in neither of both these ways, might be acted as Ministers of Righteousness, as false Apostles or false Christ's, not being seen either to own or to practise any uncleanness at all, but rather to be ready to do all good, as Christ and the Apostles were. I remember that I have sometimes told these Quakers, that I did conceive the design of Antichrist was in the end to bring them to work all manner of uncleanness, but since I have taken farther notice of the prophecies of Scripture concerning them, and also noting that Satan hath acted another sort of people that way already, viz. the Ranters, I do now judge that they shall be carried on from one degree unto another to act righteousness all along, as I have declared at large before.  
In what I have lately writ, all the world may see that Antichrist doth act three manner of ways in three sorts of people.  
But little did I think once to have seen the people called the Seekers, whom I did esteem to be so heavenly and spiritual both in principle and practice, carried away with such spiritual delusion, and truly I fear there are but few of them but what are ensnared already, so that I know not whether any admonition here may come soon enough for their prevention, yet rather than I would spare my Pen for a few Lines, if it might be, but for the sake of very few in this Nation, I will tell them what I apprehend they ought to do with speed.  

1. Either to consort themselves among themselves, and regain their lost time, and exercise their fading graces.  
2. To join themselves into the societies of other servants of Christ, and especially such as do live the best life, and walk most agreeable to the order of the Gospel.   
For I know no other ordinary way of preventing the delusion from such as are yet escaped. But me thinks I have strong persuasions that all of them will be hurried up and down unto one of these shameful conditions of Ranters, Quakers, or mere worldlings. I have too much reason for what I speak.   

The second word to the people called Baptists.  
I have been a great while since convinced that you are the people who are best able, according to the exemplary rules of Christ and his Apostles in the Gospel, to prove yourselves to be the visible Church of Christ amongst men, being necessitated by my Antagonists in a public disputation against Infant-baptism to fly unto your practice and rules for my own defence, ever since which time I have more and more seen the clearness thereof, although not yet carried forth to the practice thereof myself, judging that the Lord did not require any of our ages to walk so, but yet did very gladly own and receive such who out of simplicity of conscience and obedience to Christ did take it up, thinking also that it was but a creaturely act whereunto any carnal man might be brought through the convictions of his own heart, as well as Simon Magus.  
But indeed that which I conceive did most keep me from it, was these comforts and refreshments which I do receive from the Lord without it, and having also communion with my former society, which now is wholly broke off through the mysterious workings of Antichrist, and I am afraid that I shall receive some Eclipse of my former enjoyments and divine operations, yet I know whom I have believed, which thing if it shall be joined to the loss of my communion with Creatures, I hope they shall produce much diligence to inquire further into that administration of Baptism, and make me more entirely one in the will of the Lord concerning it, and I would gladly desire you upon the terms of Christian love to use often those words of Paul, Col. 1.9, 10, 11. and when you use them, let me be your object, as the Colossians were Paul's; and I would desire you also to walk so dexterously, that you might ever more and more prove yourselves to be the Church and Disciples of Christ, and that you would endeavour to remove all things that might be an occasion of stumbling to any weak creatures, and that you would so far deny yourselves that you might not live in the practice of such things which neither Christ not his Apostles would by any means allow of.  
The Lord help you and me to walk blameless.   

A third word to my Book.  
While I have saluted so many by the way, I cannot choose but bid thee Farewell also, telling thee, that as thou art like to be a great Traveller, so thou must expect to pass through evil report and good report, through honour and dishonour, as a deceiver and yet true, thou must become subject to every man's judgement, the godly and the wicked, the learned and the ignorant, the wife man and the fool; but regard it not, it is that common destiny of others with thee; and thou mayst expect to hear very suddenly a mighty Hue and Cry sent after thee (as though thou wast some notorious Thief or Robber) by him who will act like a roaring Lion in those that are his servants at command, endeavouring thereby to hinder thy travels, knowing that thou mayst be a great means of destroying his Kingdom; he will questionless, as he dealt by the Woman Revel. 12. so by thee, cast a mighty flood out of his mouth of all manner of opprobries, Lies, and disgraceful railing speeches; but if there be no other means the Earth shall help the Woman, thou needest not be afraid of being overcome, because as the truth of him who is said to be Truth itself, in whom there is said to be more power and strength for the propagation than in all thine Enemies, be they men or devils, for thy opposition; therefore expect not from me (who am but in that respect thy servant) any defence by raising an Army of Reasonings, Argumentations and Dispute either by my Pen or words.  
But go forth like a Man of War in thy own power and strength, and in the Name of the Lord be prosperous.  
FINIS.