The glory of the true church, discovered, as it was in its purity in the primitive time also, a manifestation how and when the apostacy came, and how long it hath continued in the Church of Rome, proved to be in it, because she differs in doctrin & practice from the Church of Christ in the Apostles dayes : published for this end, that people may be informed, and their understandings opened to discern of the times and seasons, and see the difference between the lambs wife and the mother of harlots / by one who desires that all may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved, and walk in the light of the Lord, Francis Howgill.

CHAP. IIII. Now a few words to shew unto all, how they may come out of the Apostacy, to be members of the true Church, which is in God, the Lambs wife. (Book 4)

SO far as God did appear in any age or generation. or manifest himself unto the Sons of men, in any shadows, figures, representations, or outward ap∣pearances, the evil Spirit, and Serpents seed. and evil doer, alwayes took up the form of the thing, when it came into reputation, as largely might be demon∣strated and instanced through all ages and Generati∣ons, till the closure of the Apostles Writings; some∣thing whereof hath been briefly hinted at before, so in this I shall be very brief.

The Jews held up the Types and Figures of the first Covenant, and the ordinances thereof, and opposed Christ the Light, the everlasting Covenant, and also the publishers thereof. Moreover, when the name of Christ came to be spread abrood, then false Apostles and deceitful workers, who were enemies to the Cross, and to the power of God, they preached Christ out of contention, and envy, and for filthy lucre, and by wicked practices made the name of Christians odious among the Heathen, as it is this day, and caused the worthy name by which the Saints

were saved, to be blasphemed by their ungodly practices, Rom. 2. 24.

When the Apostle gathered together many that believed, and setled them in the order of the Gospel, and the order came well to be accounted of, and the conversation of the Saints of good account amongst many; divers false Prophets and deceitful workers got up, and as the Apostles met in houses, and the Saint met together in houses, the false Apostles they crept into houses, and held the form, as I said be∣fore, and denied the power, and they were to be turned away from, by the Apostles exhortation to Timothy.

Now since the true Church fled into the wilder∣nesse, the false Church came into visibility, and to sit as a Queen upon the Waters, the Nations and Peoples'; other things have been brought in, other things are brought in and invented, which were not constituti∣ons of Christ or the Primitive Churches; And these the world have wondered after, in the dark night of Apostacy. And the worship hath been made up, and compacted partly from the Jews worship, partly from the Heathen, and partly from themselves, being cor∣rupted, and the Scriptures perverted every way to prove all this deceit.

Now many have Judged to relinquish the former superstitious practices, and to come and to take up the form and practice again in the outward, as it was in the Apostles dayes, is to come out of the Apostacv. Let all know this, the outward Court of the City was given to be trodden under foot of the Gentiles, to pollute and defile it, and many may wait there, and look there in the polluted Court, and in the out-side, that hath been defiled; and many may visit the Sepulchre and wait for Christ when he is risen, and so look for him to appear in that which he is risen out

of, the Iews at their Temple when it is left desolate, the Christans (so called) may glory in their outward Court, though it be defiled, and so defiled as God will not appear therein again; for he hath another way ma∣nifested himself unto the sons of men.

And now, that worship that God requires, that ser∣vice that he requires, and that glory wherein he will manifest himself, is, and will be in the Spirit, which all people is to wait for, which comes to witnesse restoration, and to come to the end of the night of er∣rour, to the Bride the Lambs wife again. Now a mea∣sure of Gods spirit being given to every one to profit withal, which shews them sin and transgression, and will lead out of it, which shews formal worship, and how deceit hath transformed into them, and leads them that believed in it, out of that which is polluted, and out of deceit, to Christ the sure foundation, and mighty power of God; and to know Gods peace, and good-will to all men. And that which must restore all people, and bring them out of the Apostacy, into purity, and to have fellowship with the Father and the Son, and one with another, as it was in the Primi∣tives times, is the mighty power of God alone, which must be waited for, and believed in, and received, and made manifest in the heart of the People, or else thev cannot come out of the Apostacy, nor see to the end of those things that are to be abolished; And this is that which must be witnessed by every man, that comes to be a living stone of the holy City, and a living Son of the free-woman, and true member of the Heavenly Je∣rusalem, whic•• God hath caused to descend, which is the Mother of all the Saints, and the womb that brings them all forth, and the breast at which they all suck, and are satisfied and nourished up to everlasting life.

These sayings are faithful and true, and bles∣sed

is he that heareth, believeth, and receiveth them.

And this is a Testimony of the People called QUAKERS, whom God hath brought out of the Apostacy, to the beginning again, to see the bright∣ness of the day of the Lord, wherein there is not a Cloud.

Furthermore it is manifest how many things have been introduced and brought in, concerning worship, and ordinances, and are taught to be Doctrines of the Primitive times, when as they are brought in by men of corrupt minds in latter ages, which had lost the faith once delivered to the Saints, and had lost the Gospel order, and compelled people by outward Law to submit unto them, and yet all those things they would fasten upon the Scriptures, and bring some Scripture which they pervert, as a cloak and a cover to blind people withal; but I shall descend to some particu∣lars.