To the people at and about Stafford a testimony for God and his truth and against deceit and deceivers, especially the hireling priests ... / by ... Thomas Taylor.

HEAR the Word of the Lord, all you that fear to offend the Lord, and who breath after Righ∣teousness in any measure, and yet in your Ignorance are seeking the Living among the Dead, the Living God in Dead Observations, which by Tradition you have received one from another, and not from the Lord Jesus. The Day is come, wherein by the Spi∣rit of Jesus it is witnessed in and by his living Mem∣bers, That he that was dead is now alive, and lives for∣ever more, and is ascended for above all Heavens, and out of all Figures and Shadows, that he might fill all things with his holy Substance: And as in former days he gave some Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ, till we all (saith the Apos••le) to wit, the Hea∣venly Body not the Body of Sinful Earthly Flesh) come in the Unity of the Faith, and the Knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect Man, unto the Measure of the Stature and fulness of Christ, Ephes. 4. 11, 12, 13. Even so the Lord is now giving forth of his Spirit to his Children, born of his Spirit, for enabling them in this Day of the Restitution of all things, for the Work

of the Ministry, for the perfecting of the Saints, and fitting them for Glory; and this now after a long Night of Darkness and Desolation, is to the Praise of his Glory, who hath made us in this his blessed Day, as he did his Faithful Followers in the Beginning, ac∣cepted in the Beloved, to shew forth his Praises to Ages to come, whom he will also raise up by Christ Jesus, together with us, to magnifie his Mercies for evermore.

But that the Parish Teachers of these times, who Preach for Hire, and Divine for Money, loving to be called of Men Master; and like the Pharisees of old, love to go in Long Robes, and receive Honour one of ano∣ther, John 5. are such, to wit, so given of Christ, and begifted from Heaven, and fitted for so great a Work, as to perfect the Saints, as those before (in Ephes. 4) mentioned were, I utterly deny, and their Fruits, as also the Fruits of their Hearers make manifest that they are of another Sort, Seed and Generation, even such as the Prophet Jeremiah speaks of and declares against, who have run, and God never sent them; For why? they waited not for the Word of God to speak in them and by them, but stole the Words from their Neighbour, and used their Tongues to say, The Lord saith, when the Lord never spoke by them, (Jer. 23. 30.) and therefore, saith the Lord, these Teachers shall not profit the People at all (Vers. 32.) For what are their Chaffy Words to the Word of God? (Vers. 28.) So the Teach∣ers of the Parishes this day get into the Pulpit with the Words of the Prophets and Apostles in their Hand, and Sin in their Hearts, as those other did, dreaming over them for Filthy Luere, & cry to the People, BE∣LOVED, (yea, Beloved, because they put into their Mouths) Hear the Word of the Lord, as you shall find it writ∣ten

in such a Chapter, and such a Verse, when the Lord never spoke to these Hirelings, nor sent them thus to preach, but they are Men made Ministers, Men of the Evil world, and great Lovers and Pleaders for it, and therefore the world hears them, 1 John 4. 5. But the true Messenger of Christ saith for himself and his Bre∣thren, We are of God, and the whole world lieth in Wick∣edness. And saith Christ to his Disciples, Ye are not of the World, as I am not of the World; for if you were of the World, the World would love you; for the World loves its own; but now I have chosen you out of the World, therefore the World hates you, John 15. 18, 19.

So all people fear the Lord God; for the Name of Christians, without the Nature of Christ, will do you no good at all; for the Lord is come to search all that called Christendom with Candles, and to pull down the lofty Hearts and Looks of all amongst them called Christians first, and then of all the World besides; for now is the Lord exalting his great Name over all, as in the Beginning, before the Antichrist, Beast, False Prophet and Whore got up; and who shall stop the Passage of this mighty Jehovah, in the great Work of setting up his Kingdom over all the Kingdoms of the Man of Sin, that the Kingdoms of this World may become the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose Right alone it is to Rule and Reign, according to that Saying in the Prophet, I will Overturn, Over∣turn, Overturn, till he come to Rule whose Right it is.

And now Wo and Misery begins to take hold of all Hypocrites, and all the Wicked, because of the ari∣sing and appearing of the great God from Heaven this day, who is on his Throne, judging in Righte∣ousness, and in Righteousness making War, whose

Fiery Word, his Two-edged Sword, goes out of his Mouth, not only to discover, but also to destroy and consume the Man of Sin in all the Earth. And now the Hireling Teachers of all sorts, the Merchants of Mystery Babylon, shall cry, Alas! alas! that great City, People begin to see us, and they will not trade with us, nor buy our Merchandize, as in former dayes, but declare a∣gainst it; see Revel. 18. 10, 11. O, yea; it cannot be otherwise; for now the Witnesses, that lay slain in the Streets of the great City, Sodom and Egypt, spiri∣tually so called, are arisen, and stand upon their Feet, praised be God. And now Judgment is given to the Saints of the Most High God, Dan. 7. 12, 25, 26, 27. So that though the great Antichrist, under many shapes and appearances, ha••h spoken great words against God, his Truth and People, and hath oppressed the Saints; yet now the Judgment of God being set a∣gainst him, his Dominion shall be consumed and de∣stroyed, and the Saints of the Most High God shall have Dominion, and Reign with Christ, whose King∣dom is an Everlasting Kingdom, and all Dominions shall serve and obey him, to wit, our Lord Jesus Christ, for whose blessed Name and Truth's sake, the Holy Tremblers, who Tremble at his Word, and follow him in the Regeneration, do this day suffer; it is so.

In the Year 16••7

T. T.

THE END.