NOw that which I long to see brought forth in this Nation is, that man may be one with the Lord in his word, and Christ to be heard in all things, whom God hath appointed, and not to leave undone what he commandeth, neither to act before he be heard, but to be still in their minds untill they hear him, then there would be no jealousies, fears, nor controversies, for God is not the Author of confusion but of peace, as in all the Churches of the Saints. And I am for unity, peace and Order, and not disorder, but it must be the Order of God, who doth all things both in heaven and in earth, according to the counsel of his own wise heart, and brings all things into peace and good Order, out of discord, where confu­sion is. The Mystery of Faith is held in a pure conscience, void of offence towards God and man, And the Unity of the Spirit stands not in any ex­ternal thing, for that unity which stands so, their love will ebb and flow, which the spirit will break again, but the unity of the Spirit is a inviolable, unalterable, that which stands in the will, is soon broken, because the will is brittle, and is peevish and froward if it hath not its end, now the seed can be content to leave it unto God, which cryeth, not my will but thy will be done. And that there might be an universal love towards all, if there be but a desire or breathing after the life of innocency, and the life of righte­ousness, and wherein that they cannot come to us, that we may come to them, where the thing is not sinful, but to abstain from all appearance of evil: So therein shall we be as Saviours unto them, to judge the evil but love the good, and to bear the Ceremonies, or outward gestures, to reach unto the tender seed, yea to be one with them, so far as not to sin against God, till that be reached which is to be every ones Guide, Commander and Leader. And this the Lord hath opened unto me, that there might be an open way to come at the seed to reach the witness, in things that are nothing a Ceremonie or Circumstance in all these things to come unto people; to speak through them, as moved to the witness, keeping to the invisible power and heeding of that, wherein God is able to deliver and preserve, [Page] [Page 1] [...] [Page 2]and to awaken them therein again that are there fallen a sleep, or do not see beyond the visible signe, by hearing the living voice, whensoever he shall speak, And this is still in the way of God, so far as it is discovered by the light, for whatsoever maketh manifest is light, wherein the Lord will keep the sincere hearted soul, which desires no name in the Earth, but is will­ing to be accounted any thing, or nothing, so that Gods holy name and power may be exalted over all in every heart, and the creature abased low before him. As it is written ‘Tell the daughter of Zion.’

Behold thy King cometh unto thee meek, and sitting upon an Ass, and a colt, the foal of an Ass, though it be smitten on all hands, yet it bears it all and suffers it, although it be smitten in the house of its friends, it grudg­eth not, nor repineth: And note what was affected at that time, when he came in such a p [...]or low despicable manner into Jerusalem, he driveth the buyers and sellers out of the Temple. For verily it is not a profession only or name shall live, but that which is of the nature, and hath of the image of God upon it, whatsoever is of man shall fall but that which is of God shall stand. Do you see any run out as you think in their imaginations, bear with it a whise, and pray unto the Lord for the exalting his truth or what may be his mind or will, if the thing they speak or do, be of man it will come to nothing, but if it be of God it will stand, that none may be found fighters against God in this day of his appeareance, as others have done in ages past under the name of hereticks, bad spirits, or scismaticks, and what not? Much I have had at times of this kind opened in me, which if the Lord draw me forth, and there be an ear to receive it, I may the more freely come forth, for the days are evil, and I desire to walk circum­spectly, and not to give any just offence to any one, but I cannot call good evil, nor evil good, nor put darkness for light, nor light for darkness, but what I have seen and felt, that I do declare, if any receive my testi­mony, so, if not I shall not be angry with them, but leave it to the Lord who judgeth in righteousness but this know, to be one with the Lord in his Work and know the mind of the spirit, to be of the spirits mind, therein is life and peace, in it, but not out of it. For I do not find the spirit place­ing so much the safety or prosperity or, the standing of any man in the com­pany of people or society without him, as in the faith within: As to say there is no standing for any out of the body of friends. And another writing speaks to the same purpose that out of the body there was no prosperity, or they could not prosper: When as the Apostle declareth by faith ye stand. And David saith blessed is the man he doth not speak of a Company, or [Page 3]multitude that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night, and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth his fruit in his season, and whatsoever he doth, shall prosper, his leafe also shall not wither: Upon hearing or reading of those expres­sions before mentioned it was brought to my remembrance the state of the holy men of old Noah was a preacher of righteousness in his Generation, and Noah walked with God, and we do not read of any other was with him, except his own Family, yet God saved him, and commanded him to come and all his house into the Ark, saying thee have I seen righteous before me in this Generation, whose eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth still. And Enoch in his day he walked with God, and so doubtless was in a safe state; and what shall I say of Abraham in his day, the Lord ap­peared unto him and blest him, and Daniel in the captivity, and Joseph in Egypt, yet the Lord was with him, though he was alone; and though I am alone in this matter whereof I write, yet I believe the Lord is with me and blesseth me, So blessed is the man, &c. And the Church of Rome saith EXTRA ECCLESIAM, NON EST SALUS, That is, Out of the Church is no Salvation, and tell people they must believe as the Church believeth, but Christ was before their Church or Rome either, and he saith learn of me, and believe in the light that ye may be children of the light. And the holy men of God were and are saved by their own Faith, and not by others, that is implicite Faith, but the Faith that Christ is the Author of in me, that is the li­ving Faith that I am to cleave unto for Salvation, and not other mens though they be of the same Faith, yet their oyle will not serve me, I must have it in my own lamp or vessel. And if that be thrown down which formerly was built up, and I have not faith in the thing, I do not know that I am a transgressour; Circumcision is nothing nor uncircumcision, but the keeping of the Commands of God, and the new creature avaiseth the other is nothing, any outward visible thing, though the life and power of God once appeared therein, and brings it not up again, but draws off from it, yet if he doth appear therein, it is but an external sign, shadow or form, which is no farther to be heeded then as bowed thereunto by the Spirit; as kneeling is a signe or token of reverence, and the putting off the hat a signe or coken of hu­militie, but not the thing it self or substance; the humility of Spirit is [Page 4]all, and that soul that yeilds obedience daily to what it knows, or is of God made manifest to it, is in the fear and is in the reverence, in the substantial part, of what the other represents. And this is not self exaltation or being of Corahs spirit, to obey the Lord and keep his commandments and the evil way to hate and the forward mouth, for those that honour the Lord he will honour and exalt them above their opposers. And it is Gods prerogative to change or alter, set up or pluck down at his pleasure, that none may rest in any thing short of the substance or life it self of the thing, and whatsoever a man doth, it is his part to do it believingly, and in that he pleaseth God. And as I keep to the thing that maketh new, or the new creature I shall not plead for, or against any of the Signes or shadows among the Christians, more then among the Jews, any further then the Spirit in newness induceth me, for this is the all to come unto Christ all and in all, then I am nothing, neither is the creature to be any thing in it self, if Christ be all, then the shadows must fall, where the substance is enjoyed; If he be all in the Jew and Gentile, then he is to be looked at, and not the signes nor the shadows, and his permission or command who suffers things to be, and doth all things in heaven and in earth according to his own good will and pleasure, onely he asketh the heart, a willing and obedient heart and here is the one thing necessary, many things are not necessary but cumbersome and burthen­some

And that of the Apostle, he could not stand its like in the same exter­nal form to the Jews as he did to the Gentiles, nor to the Gentiles, as he did to the Jews, to please them, but one might have been displeased, but his condiscention took off any occasion of offence, he became all things that he might gain some, and yet the man the same as to God-ward giving none offence least the Gospel should be evil spoken off, for the power would crush down that which would take offence, so was hereby the better able to come within them to reach to his own, or to the Word in them which he said he preached, which word all people must hear that will live. The Word that shall live for ever, but the signes or the shadows, or the form wherein God once appeared he doth not say that shall live for ever. And it would be to little purpose for any to strive to perpetuate a thing which will wear out as if there were any validity or worth in that to make them the better Christians, it is the new heavens and the new Earth wherein righ­teousness dweleth that remaineth, or is to remain, the other will wax old as a Garment, or that which man in the old nature is pleading for it is the new that remaineth; and it is in the newness of Spirit we are to serve him, who is our life our streugth our daily preserver, and it is by or through the [Page 5]renewings of the holy Ghost, whereby we are saved, through which the birth born of the spirit comes to live, the new birth without which it can neither live nor grow up.

So I questioned with them, to wit the Papists, how were they safe where uncleanness unrighteousness and drunkenness was, for that is shut out of the Kingdome. And so where there is respect of Persons, height of spirit, haughtiness or wise in their own conceit, how can there be safety or pros­perity. which would confine the Lord, or lye him as it were, to a taberna­cle, or certain number of men whom the heaven of heavens cannot con­tain? and such onely to be righteous, when as the Apostle saith, be not wise in your own conceits but condescend to men of low estate, and in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him. So that those that would limit the holy one or confine him to a tabernacle, and that there must be safety among such and no more, may it not be just with the holy Lord God to leave them, and pitch his tent among others u­niversally, that it may appear there is safety where he wil be or manifest him­self, as he did his tabernacle which he planted in Shilo? and the Lord is come down to men of every Nation, in all professions that fear him and work righteousness, that his people may come down more to them in the signs and shadows, not for the shadows sake, but for the seed sake, and the Lords sake who hath visited them. And this to be sure, amongst all where there is most of the true knowledg and true learning, there will be most of the hu­mility meekness and love, Christ is a pattern and example to us, who hath said as I have kept my Fathers Commandment and abide in his love, so shall ye abide in my love, if ye keep my commandments, who was obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross, that is in doing the will of his Father, whose love is such that it passeth knowledg, should man then be so strait­ned in his love, who hath vouchsafed to condescend unto mankind in their low condition, and not rejected them? whose tender mercies are over all his works. And so whom the Lord owns I may own, and every one may own, as being one with him in spirit, for he that is joined to the Lord is one spi­rit, and the Saints had the mind of Christ, and not to leave or forsake any, because of such a profession, but to have unity with the good, the plain deal­ing, honesty sincerity and uprightness in them, and to bear testimony a­gainst the evil (as moved of the Lord) in them or what people soever, and so to be for the Lord, and neither for the one or the other people, no far­ther then the spirit unites or enjoyns. For the gathering is unto the Lord, the whole stock or race of mankind, into one entire body, life, love spirit and not for any to appropriate or arrogate to themselves a priviledge above [Page 6]others, seeing God is no respector of persons, for if thou do well shalt thou not be accepted, if not, sin lies at the door. And why may it not be as easic with God to keep man, or for a man or people to be kept entire and sin­gle unto him in all or any profession (that in themselves are not sinful) as for a man to be kept in the world trading buying and selling, for people in their worship (if at any time) their spirits are more bowed then at other times; and in a brotherly way I reason out things, and offer you my ad­vice in what I have received, if any know better or see further and that from the Lord I would willingly hear them, for men should friendly con­fer together and offer one another their gifts and knowledg in love, and try things one with another, and hold that which is good, and friendly in­struct one another, and not so stand in their own opinion, as if they could not erre, seeing we have a mighty enemy against us, (the old Serpent the Devil) who suddenly brings strange immaginations into mans thoughts, and maketh men insu [...]t; whence Sects and Scisms exist, Was the saying of one, which I take notice of in this place. And all strive in Religion or about the divine will whereby men despise one another cometh from selfishness; or self immagination, that one man comprehendeth the image of another, viz. his thoughts and yet cannot rightly apprehend them; Where one man sets himself in the thoughts and mind of another, and brings that which is his his own thereinto, and compelleth that which is anothers into his meaning and forcibly sets himself aloft in the thoughts and mind of another, and holdeth them for his proper own, and will make a shew therewith, and there he domineers in and over the thoughts and minds of others. But a true man inclineth himself to his original (which is the word of God) and for­saketh all images, and desireth no self imagining of his understanding, ex­cept what God will frame and speak with and through him, and despiseth none but onely distinguisheth the true from the false the good from the evil, and teacheth the truth with divine and powerful out-flowings and will; for a­gainst cert [...]in which trusted in themselves and despised others, Christ gave forth a parable, two men went up to pray the one a Publican and the other a Pharisee, the Pharisee stood and justified himself, but the Publican stood afar off laying God be merciful unto me a sinner, now here is Christs judgment of them, the latter went down to his house justified rather then the other, for every one that exalteth himself shal be abased and he that humbleth him­self shall be exalted. And speaking further that the love of Christ groweth in the true life of man, and penetrateh through the life as fire doth through iron; Not that such power stood in mans life, that it could receive the sub­stance of God in its own power and vertue, No, it is given him of grace [Page 7](or introduced by Christ) as the Sun of its own will giveth it self to the herb, and the herb cannot therefore say I am the sun, because the Sun worketh in it, so also can man not say I am Christ, because that Christ dwelleth and work­eth in him, as in his express image. But the Creature is the passive, where­in the Creatot dwelleth and worketh for so as saith the Apostle we are all the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus. And here let me ask a question, Christ the seed of God being come up in male or female, then which is greatest? or the holy birth being born, begotten with the word of truth? and so all be­ing brought one among another, where there is most of meekness love and humility there is most of God and most of Christ, and that will prevail, for it is not hardheartedness, false accusing nor evil speaking, or envie that shall prevail, neither is that state safe or prosperous; for two men of two differ­ent forms the one hath enmity in his heart arising against another or hatred, when as the Apostle saith he that hates his brother is a murderer, and no mur­therer hath eternal life, which thing is to be seen in the highest form; ano­ther in a degree below him in profession walks in humility of mind, honesty and plain heartedness, whether of these two is to be united unto, or owned to be a friend, he is my neighbour that sheweth compassion unto me, and that is my friend that doth me good, and not hurt. But the Lord is exalting his Son over all I verily believe, yet because he cometh not in mans way or form therefore he cannot be received, the same that ever was, but happy are they that wait upon him in his own way in the light, and blessed is he who­soever shall not be offended in the son; and this is another thing for us to mind, not so much to be eyeing man as the Lord in all his dispensations, for if the Supream or chief ruler of a Nation be made to afflict or bring a peo­ple under, not so much to look at him, as the hand that brings it to pass, and then to rejoice when we fall into divers tryals; or if he should favour a people or countenance them, then to keep low, and that Spirit is the creeping Spirit that creeps up high into pride and loftiness one above ano­ther; which came in when the fear of the Lord was not stood in, and the low watchful spirit as first appeared when flesh was abased, and the spirit a­lone exalted, which brought in a great stilness upon all flesh, and silence, but now the loud and clamorous thing in many is apt to get up, which is not afraid to speak evil. Remember the closure of the Apostle in his Epistle, lit­tle children keep your selves from Idols, Amen.