Babylon the Great described. The city of confusion. In every part whereof Antichrist reigns. Which knoweth not the order and unity of the spirit, but striveth to set up an order and uniformity according to the wisdom of the flesh, in all her territories atd [sic] dominions. Her sins, her judgements. With some plain queries further to discover her, and some considerations to help out of her suburbs, that her inward building may lye the more open to the breath and spirit of the Lord, from which it is to receiv [sic] its consumption and overthrow. Also, an exhortation to the powers of the earth. By Isaac Penington, the younger.

The sins of Babylon.

Although in the foregoing description, some of the sins of Babylon have been touched at, yet I find my spirit further drawn forth (in way of service to the Lord and his people) to take a further view, both of them and some other of her sins.

THe sins of Babylon, by the Spirit of life (which hath righte∣ously measured and knoweth them) are referred to these two Heads, Fornications and Abominations. She allureth the spi∣rit of the creature into a strange bed, and there it acts filthily and abominably with this strange spirit. Now of these there are two sorts; First, some more open and manifest; Secondly, some more hid and secret, hard (yea utterly impossible) to be dis∣cerned without the shining forth of the pure light of li••e.

All sorts of men are estranged from the life: under the whole heaven is the Lord God forgotten, and his holy and pure Law and way of life, and filthinesse and abomination is committed every where. Now all this filth (even the common filth of the earth) springs out of Babylon, hath it's rise from her womb. Were it not for her, the sound of life would be heard even among he Heathen, and they would not be such strangers to him that made

thē, nor would they act so contrary to those leadings & teachings of the Spirit of God (who is the God of the whole earth) which the darkest parts are not without. It is she, which withdraws their minds from the pure glimmerings that rise up in them, setting up another God in their eyes, and heathenish sottish wayes of fear, worship and devotion: and under this she makes them filthy and polluted, unclean in their minds and in their bo∣dyes, brutish in their knowledge and in their practices: For she is the mother of fornications and abominations of the earth, Rev: 17. 5. Look what of pride, of vanity, of cruelty, of envy, of wrath, of lust, of covetousness, of idolatry, of blasphemy, &c. is to be found any where among men upon the earth, she is the mother of it all. All the common filth and stench of the earth springs out of this womb; this secret womb, this hidden womb: For though in this her open & visible appearance, she be manifest to the eyes of many; yet to those children of hers who are thus conceived, brought forth and bred up by her, she is a mistery of iniquity, and they perceive her not so much as here, and so can∣not escape this her openly polluted bed.

Secondly, The whore hath more secret fornications and abo∣minations. Where she can passe thus, she need not paint, either her self or her ware: but where need requires she hath her paint, she hath her delicates for the curious eye (Rev: 18. 3.) she hath her Cinamon, Odours, Ointments, and frankinsence for the nice scent; she hath her fine flower and wheat, &c. for the fine pallace; and gold, precious stones, pearl, and vessel's of ivory, and all manner of vessel's of most precious wood for the more stately worshipper; as wel as of brass and Iron for the more common, Rev: 18, 12, 13. she can paint both her self and her ware, so as to make them taking to the eye of all flesh. She can so mingle her cup, as shall please every palate, but that which is truly living, and cast such a co∣lour upon her abominations, as no eye that's without can suspect, but takes with every young man that's hunting abroad, and knows not the spring of life in himself. So that all the deceits in Reli∣gion, all the several forms and wayes of knowledge and worship, all the ordinances, duties, and devotions which the spirits of most men take pleasure in, are of her. And herein is her pride and glory, in subjecting these, in ruling over these, in blinding the eyes of these, and opposing the true life and power by these.

She doth not value whole Territories of the other, so much as one Congregation of these. For mark,

The great Master-piece of the whore was to paint her self like the Lambs wife, and so to withdraw from the true Church, and set up a false Church, which by reason of its paint and like∣ness to that which once was the true, should passe up and down the world, and be taken for the true: And here lies her beau∣ty, her glory, her majesty, her life, her heart, even in the deceiv∣ableness of this appearance. Therefore her great care and indea∣vour is, to keep her possession and dominion here. She often re∣neweth and changeth her paint, neerer and neerer to the Image and former likeness of truth, that she might make it pass instead of the truth, and so keep that which is indeed the truth down stil under reproach, contempt and persecution, as she hath done these many ages. Therefore she hath her sorts of paint by her, her varieties of sorcery, of witchery, of inchantments, whereof her cup is ful, and wherewith her wine is made strong, to make the Inhabitants of the earth drunk thereby, that being thus be∣sotted, being not themselves, but their spiritual sences bound up (as this wine doth very effectually, where ever her cup is drunk off) she might lead them up and down from one thing to another, from one chamber to another, from one bed to another, from one practice and way of worship to another, and stil keep them from the true living thing which their souls seek.

For were it possible for persons, who did but so much as read in the Scriptures, concerning the power of life the Saints former∣ly enjoyed, the living Ministry and Ordinances, their sweet walking and fellowship in the light, the presence of the spirit in their worship, and in their whole course, their sincere love in the spirit, and tender bearing with one anothers weaknesses, doubts and differences; (which he that reads singly, cannot but pant af∣ter;) And the state of the Gospel was not to be a decaying and dying in these things, or a loosing of them, so that the power of the spirit, and the revelations thereof should cease (as the who∣rish spirit, which hath gone out from the life, pleads;) but to grow and increase, and the last times to abound most of all with the power and glory of truth: I say, were it possible for persons who should read, and entertain the least tast or savour of these∣things, to be satisfied with any of those dead wayes and forms,

which the whore hath set up instead of them, unless they were wholly bewitched, and altogether deprived of their sences, being made dead drunk which the whores mingled wine in this dark night of apostacy? Yea, professors are drunk, they have deep∣ly drunk of the cup, and are sorely overtaken, and their hearts overcharged with strong liquor, which makes them even mad to draw others into their beds of fornication, and to stand up them∣selves in great rage, and call also to the Magistrates for the de∣fence of them. Yea like the clamourous woman they make a great noise about ordinances, duties, Ministry, Church, &c. (I have decked and perfumed my bed, saith the loud woman, the subtil∣hearted woman, Prov: 7. 16, 17.) but do not soberly consider which are the painted ones, which the truth. We have run on headily after these things too long; it is now time to stand stil a while, and wait for the purging out of the wine wherewith all our brains have been overturned, that we may come into soberness, and into a fit temper to be led by the Spirit of life, out of the bed of fornications, and out of the wayes, worships, ordinances, and duties of fornication, into the bed of the true and undefiled Spirit. Now he that worships God aright, must feel life within (and that life raised and strengthned by him who begets it) and this will savour death, and (faithfully following its guid) will come out of the land of death, even that land wherein all the false worshippers inhabit, and wherein all the false wayes and worships, duties, ordinances, Ministeryes, &c. are set up and flourish.

Now these secret sins of Babylon, are the same with the more open and gross, the great difference is their secrecy, their not appearing like sins, their paint, their colour, whereby they are swallowed down for holy and good. As to instance.

There is fornication (or adultery from the life) in the fi∣nest, in the purest way of worship man can invent or imitate: but the fornication doth not so plainly appear here, but they who have drunk of the cup, take these things for the wayes and ap∣pointments of God. Those that set up the whores Church, do not call it so (nor perhaps think it to be so;) those that set up the whores Ministry or ordinances, do not give them that name, but call them the Ministry and ordinances of Christ: yet this is

as truly, as really fornication from the life, as the grossest wayes of Heathenish worship. O mark it, mark it.

If thou hast read the Scriptures, and thrust thy selfe into any practices thou there findest mentioned, without the raising up of a living thing in thee, and without thy following by the gui∣dance thereof, thou hast done this by the whores advice, and in this thou art committing fornication, and erring from the life: for the true worship lies in the Spirit and in the truth, and it is the new birth that God seeks to worship him: but the spirit of man thrusting it selfe into these things, the Lord abhors and re∣jects. And this spirit never can be thus cleansed and fitted to enter into Christs bed, but only gets a paint from Scripture, and enters into the painted bed and bosome of the harlot, where it remains unrenewed, unchanged, unmortified in the midst of all it's great talk and profession of these things. And thus the Scrip∣tures, the Holy Scriptures of truth (which were given forth from the pure spirit of life) the whorish spirit maketh use of to estrange from the life. For what sort of persons, which have fornicated from the life, but make use of the Scriptures to maintain their whoredoms by, and to bewitch others into their whoredoms with? Every sort cryes up their own way and worship, to be the way and worship according to the Scriptures: and if any be ga∣thered out of all these witcheries into the power of God, then the bewitched say that such are bewitcht.

Then as for all the abominations of the earth, all the filth that defiles the heart, it is to be found on the skirts of the whore, even in her most refined dresse: For her religion, her worship, her profession, her practices do not reach to the purifying of the conscience, but only to painting over of the old Sepulcher, where rottennesse still lodgeth within. The sore was never throughly searched, the heart was never throughly circumcised or baptized, the old man was never put of, nor the new man put on, the blood of purifying (which truly washeth away the sin) was never felt in it's vertue and power, but only an apprehension and talk that they are cleansed in Christ, from a notion they have stollen out of the Scriptures, but not from the sensible feeling of the thing in life and power in their consciences. And so the evil nature stil remains, the evil heart of unbelief is stil to be found in them, and they want the life, they want the power; they want the Spi∣rit,

they want the love, they want the humility, they want the meekness, they want the patience, they want the innocency and simplicity of the Lamb and Dove. And when the Lord comes to provoke them to jealousie by the shining of his light, and by the appearance of his power in some whom they despise; then the pride, the passion, the envy, the heart-burnings, the hard spee∣ches, the false surmisings, with the rest of the enmity which still abides with them, stirs and rises against the life and power, and their hypocrisie is made manifest. Yea some of the strictest a∣mong them can scoffe and jeer at the appearance of life, so strong is the evil and unmortified nature in them, and so conceited are they in their wayes and practices, because of their cover, under which all this iniquity (for the most part) lyes hid from their eyes. But for all that it is there, it is there, the Lords candle will search it out, and thine owne eye shall see it, and find in thy selfe bloody Cain, scoffing Ishmael, prophane Esau, the un∣circumcised Jew, who is angry that his brothers sacrifice is ac∣cepted and his not, who disdains and derides the true seed of of life, the living heir, who hunts abroad for food pleasing to that nature which is to be famished, who crucifies the Lord of glory because of his meaness, and because he appears not in that way of devotion and holinesse wherein they expect him. Neither will he appear so, but to overturn all that which ye have set up, and to set up that which ye disdain. This is the Lords work, and it is marvellous in our eyes.

Now there are several sins which the Spirit of the Lord hath charged Babylon with, and which he will reckon with her for, and with all that partake with her therein, some whereof I may mention. As,

1. Her deep fornications from the life, under a pretence of honou∣ring and worshipping of it. (Be not offended that I begin with it again, seeing it is also mentioned among other particular sins of hers, Rev: 9. 21.) She speaks fair words, she calls to have the worship of God set up, and a Godly Ministry, and the Ordinan∣ces of God in a Nation; but the thing is not so in the sight of God, but in all this she seeks the advancement of her owne whoredoms. And this was, and is the very way of Antichrists ri∣sing; he gets into the form, he cryes up the form; and by the form which he cries up, he eats out the power. If Antichrist

speak directly against the power, (without first creeping into, and setting up a form, and crying up that) he would soon be de∣tected: but under a form and profession of truth, he hides him∣selfe, and covers his spirit of enmity and persecution therewith; and here he can secretly and safely smite the innocent, and fight against that very spirit, life, and power, which he himselfe in his form makes a profession of being subject to. And this is the Wolfe in the Sheeps cloathing, which by this fair appearance of the sheeps wool on his back, covers his ravenous narure from the eyes of the beholders.

Now there are three wayes of fornication, one of which this spirit is allwayes guilty of, sometimes of them all.

1. By inventing things which the Lord never commanded, or ad∣ding to that which the Lord did command. The mind of man is very busie, and ful of inventions: and where the heart is touched with devotion and zeal towards God, the inventing part excee∣dingly exerciseth it selfe this way, either in imagining and for∣ming somewhat which it thinks may be acceptable to God, or in adding to those things which it finds commanded. In this way of fornication the popish Church abounds, being filled with ce∣remonies of their own inventing, and of additions to such things as are found mentioned in the Scriptures. The common Protes∣tants also have been too guilty here.

2. By imitating of those things, which were commanded to others. When a man finds in Scripture the things which some others did, or which they were commanded to do; and so he is venturing up∣on them, before he feels the leading of that spirit, whereby they were led thereunto. Now in this, he errs from the life, he goes without his guid, he doth that which was a good thing in others (who were led by the Spirit thereto) but in him it is fornication. This man is a theif and an intruder, he steals into the outward knowledge and practise, without the inward life and power, he intrudes into that into which others were fairly led, coming in by the doore, for which entrance he also should have waited, and not have run on headily of himself. This way of fornication, the strictest among the Protestants have generally been ensnared in, who have run on further and further to search out the purest way of worship, the neerest pattern to the primitive times, and so have applyed themselves diligently thereto, not knowing what

they were to wait for to be their guid, and give them the enter∣ance. And here now, thinking themselves to be in the right, they have contracted a lofty spirit, (and held forth their concep∣tions of the way, as the only way) and so have lost the meekness and simplicity, which was fresh and lively in some of them be∣fore, which sets them a great way back, and makes the enterance into the kingdom very hard to them: Whereas if that simplici∣ty and tenderness were fresh in them, the Lord would shew great regard to that, easily pardoning this their errour and (in mercy to them) visiting that evil spirit with his judgements, which stood nigh them, and was the cause of their error. But they are grown high, they are grown wise, they are become confident, they know the way already, and can maintain it by undenyable argu∣ments (as they think) to be the way, so the Lord with his teach∣ings is at a great distance from them, that lying very low in them, which the Lord alone will teach.

3. By continuing in practices, to which they were once led by the Spirit, without the immediate presence and life of the Spirit. For the whole worship, the whole Religion of the Gospel consists in following the Spirit, in having the Spirit do all in us, and for us. Therefore whatsoever a man doth of himself, it is out of the life, it is in the fornication. If a man pray at any time without the Spirit, that prayer is fornication, and is not either acceptable to God, or profitable to himself; but grieves the Spirit, hurts the life, and wounds the soul. Now this way of fornication have they especially fallen into, who have been acquainted with true lead∣ings and openings of the Spirit, and have afterwards run to them for refreshment, and so by degrees forgot the Spirit that opened. And by this means was that life, which was precious and very favoury in the Ranters (before they were seduced, by the Spirit of deceit, into that way of ranting) overturned. And thus they also (who deeply saw into the mistery of whoredoms, and into the more inward wayes of fornication, above others) even they also were deceived with the whores cup, and drank afresh of that wine of fornication, which the whore very cunningly had new mingled for them, and they also are become a reproach to the Inhabitants of Sion, who find a living habitation in that Spirit of life, which they turned from.

Now if there be a true eye opened in any in the reading of

this, how easily and manifestly will he see whoredome, whore∣dome, fornication, adultery generally in mens Religions practi∣ces, in their Churches, in their Ministeries, in their Ordinances, in their prayers, in their whole course! O how, think ye, doth the eye of the Jealous God behold these things! but your eyes, who are held captive here, cannot see it. The God of this world, with his mists hath darkned you, the great whore with her sor∣ceries hath inchanted you, and ye are her slaves,: ye are drunk with her cup, and how can ye judge soberly, ei••her of your own estate towards God, or concerning your practices in Religi∣on?

2. Her notorious blasphemies. Having fornicated from the life, and from the Spirit, then she blasphemes the life, and the holy pure power and movings of the Spirit. The woman which sate up∣on the scarlet coloured beast (with whom the Kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made dru••k with the wine of her fornication) was full of names of blasphe∣my, Rev: 17. 2, 3. Yea the beast which carried her, which had many heads horns and crowns, he also had on his heads names of blasphemy, Rev: 13. 1. And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things, and blasphemies, ver: 5. And he, with the whore together (for he did it by her spirit and instigation, by vertue of the wine he had drunk out of her cup) opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwel in Heaven, ver: 6. This hath been the work of the tongue, in every head of the beast, namely, to blaspheme the life, to blaspheme the true living power, in all ages and generations, since the apostacy from the life and spirit of the Apostles.

Now there is a twofold blasphemy, which the whore (and the powers of the earth that serve her) are guilty of.

1. There is a speaking well of the wayes of their own inventi∣on, or the wayes which they have imitated without the life, to call these the wayes of God, the true wayes of life is blasphemy, I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but a Synagogue of Satan, Rev: 2. 9. There were even in the Apostles dayes, persons who pretended to be Christians, and pre∣tended still to be of the Church, though they had lost the life, and this the Spirit of the Lord saith was blasphemy. And what is

their gathering into a Church, who were never gathered into the life, and setting up Ordinances and pastors? what is this? what is it for him to call himself a Christian, or inward Jew, who ne∣ver had the fore-skin of his flesh cut off by the circumcising knife of the Spirit? what will the Lord say this is, when he comes to judge?

2. There is a speaking evil of the truths of God. The true knowledge, the true fear, the true worship, the true Saints, the true God, the true Tabernacle, the true Temple, the true Hea∣ven (all which is in the Spirit, and is alone revealed and seen there) there are reproached, these are mis-represented (and the true sight and acknowledgement of them called error, heresie, and sectarism) by all the blasphemers of Babylon.

Israel, who had the Law and the Prophets, the true Ordinan∣ces and the true Priests, yet they called evill good, and good evil; they put darknesse for light, and light for darknesse; they put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter, Isa: 5. 20. They were so wise in their own eyes, and so prudent in their own sight, they were so mighty to drink wine, and men of such strength to mingle strong drink (justify∣ing the wicked for reward, and taking away the righteousness of the righteous from him) that there was no convincing of them by the light of God shining from the Prophets, of their casting away of the Law of the Lord, and despising the word of the holy one of Is∣rael, ver: 21. to 25. Nay they were observers of the law, and bearkned to the Prophets and Priests of the Lord, Jer: 5. 31. Therefore when the overflowing scourge came, it should not come neer them: Yea when the true Prophets of the Lord threatnedthē with his coming with dreadful vengeance, and his strange worke, they in the height and confidence of their spirits could reply, Let him make speed, and hasten his worke, that we may see it, Isa: 5. 20. How blind were they from seeing their blasphemies, their cal∣ling of evil good, and good evil &c? Yea in the very dayes of the Apostles, The way of truth was evil spoken of, and Synagogues of Satan setting up, and blasphemies growing up apace from those which held the true form, but denyed the power, even while the powrings forth of the Spirit, and revelations from the Spirit did abound: How can it be expected it should be otherwise now, when the Spirit is grown such a strange thing, that to mention such a thing as being moved by the Spirit, or acted by the Spi∣rit,

is become ridiculous? and the very teachers of the Nation (who must speak by the Spirit, if they speak the word of God) cry revelation is ceased, and count it a reproach, for a man so much as to pretend to speak by the movings, and in the power of the Spirit.

Now this double blasphemy necessarily follows the fornicati∣on. Whoever is fornicated from the life, he blasphemes the the life, in all his knowledg, in all his worship, in all his Religion. He calls that prayer which is not prayer, that an ordinance which is not an ordinance, that a Church which is not a Church, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a Minister which is not a Minister: and that which is indeed the prayer, the ordinance, the Church, the Minister, he denyes and blasphemes, and cannot do otherwise, until the righteous judge∣ments of the Lord purge the whores wine out of him, and he be led back to that life and Spirit again, from which (in all these wayes of worship, inventions, and imitations) he is gone a who∣ring.

The whore, for these many ages, hath been laying blasphemy to the charge of such, as in any degree, have been led by the Spirit of the Lord from her whoredomes: but now the Lord is taking it off from them (who have long been unjustly charged therewith) and charging it upon her, and she cannot escape his judgement: for though she put on never so fine dresses, and appearances like the Spouse and Church of Christ, yet the Lord can distinguish and find out his Spouse, though naked, in the wilderness, and without her attire; and can also espy the who∣rish spirit, though cloathed with the Churches attire, and can charge her blasphemies (against him, his Tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven) upon her.

3. Grosse or more refined idolatries. Little children, said John, keep your selves from Idols, 1 John 5. 21. He saw Antichristia∣nism breaking in apace, many Antichrists being already come, and now saith he, keep to the anointing, and keep from Idols. Without a very strict watch, without a mighty preservatiō by the anointing, he saw idolatry would even creep in upon them, who had tasted of the true power and vertue of life. But how shall they keep from Idols, who know not the anointing, but think the revelations thereof are ceased? He that buyeth not the tried gold of Christ (Rev: 3. 18.) How can he avoid buying untried

gold of Antichrist, or silver, or brasse, or wood, or stone, which his Merchants traffique for, and make idols of? Rev: 9. 20. If thine eyes be anointed with the true eye-salve, thou mayest see, and read the parable.

Idolatry is the worshipping of God without his Spirit (that is the plain, naked truth of the thing.) to invent things from the carnal mind, or to imitate things which others (who had the Spirit) did in the Spirit, by the command of the Spirit, for thee to imitate and practice this without the Spirit, is idolatry. An invented Church, an invented Ministry, an invented worship, an imitated Church, an imitated Ministry, an imitated worship without the life, without the Spirit, all these are the work of mens hands, and are idols, and all that is performed herein is idolatry, Rev: 9▪ 20. This is a Religion without life, a worship without life, a fabrick for idolatry; and the whole course of worship and service in it, is idolatry. For the living God, the Lord God of endless life and power, is alone worshipped by his Spirit, and in the truth of that life which he begets in the heart, and all other worship (though never so seemingly spiritual) is idolatrous. Ah professors, pro∣fessors, if ye knew how many idol-prayers, and services ye have loaded the Lord with, and how ye have been whoring from him, while ye have seemed to be drawing nigh to him, ye would hang down your heads and mou••n: For what ever ye have done, in the worship of God, without the leading and presence of his Spirit, it hath been idolatry. For the worship of God under the Gospel is in the Spirit and in the truth, and required of them who are in the Spirit and in the truth, and not of others, John 4. 23. for them alone the Lord seeketh to worship, and the Lord will admit of none to his worship, but such as he seeks. And if any else will thrust themselves into his worship, it is not accepted, nor do they worship the true God, but they worship they know not what: and their whole state and course here, is a state and course of idolatry.

4. Sorceryes, witcherafts, divinations and inchantments (I do not mean outward sorceryes or witchcrafts, they are but the sha∣dow or figure of the inward mistery of deceit of this black dark spirit, which appears as an Angel of light, that he migh bewitch and deceive.) Neither repented they of their sorcer yes, Rev: 9 21. This false Church, this adulterous woman, she hath her golden

cup, and her wine mingled, and with this cup she bewitches the eye, with this wine she inflames the heart, and intoxicates the brain. She invents wayes and worships like to the true, or she imitates the true wayes and appearances of life, and when the poor simple young man is singly seeking after God from some true touches of his life, before he comes to know the Spirit of life, before he can come to be marryed to the Lamb, she comes with her golden cup, and with her tempting wine, and bewitches the poor heart therewith, and so leads it aside into her painted bed. Wouldst thou enjoy God, saith she? wouldst thou worship him aright? wouldst thou have fellowship with him? Lo here's the way, here's the Church, here are the Ordinances, here's the Mi∣nistry, here are the means. Thou must wait upon God in the use of the means, and these are them. Did not the Saints formerly do thus? did not they meet with God here? did not they serve and worship God thus? Come thou hither also, do what they did, enjoy what they enjoyed. Yea, but thou whorish woman, did ever God appoint means wi••hout his Spirit? Thou leavest the main, yea indeed the only thing behind thee, which it selfe alone is accepted, and without which nothing is accepted. And this is the course of the whore in all her transformings, in all her baits, in all her temptings, she stil leaves the Spirit behind her. She may perhaps speak of the Spirit, to hide her self the more (because the letter of the Scripture is so expresse therein) and teach people to look and wait for the Spirit, but so as is never to be obtained: For he that begins in Religion either to pray, or worship, or seek the knowledge of God without the Spirit, shall never meet with the Spirit so; but that way of knowledge, religi∣on, and worship of his must first be broken down, and he become a fool, and recieve the Spirit as a fool (out of all his religious knowledge and wisdom which he had gathered before) and after∣wards, following the Spirit which is thus received, he shall be led into the true wisdom. Now mark that which follows, ye that have a desire to understand.

This spirit of deceit, this whorish spirit, this spirit of divinati∣on and witchcraft, (which by her sorceryes deceived all Nations, Rev: 18. 23.) came forth curiously decked at first with all man∣ner of deceiveableness of unrighteousness. It had the exact form of life, (the true form of Godliness) and a lively spirit in it: it had

the form of knowledge, and the form of worship, and with these it came to tempt, and draw away them from the life and from the power, who were in the life and in the power: and it did prevail upon such as kept not close to the anointing. But after it had overcome, and gained the Churches territories, then it might safely corrupt the form; and so it did, and went into multitudes of inventions and fopperies (as at this day may be seen amongst the Papists.) Now these are easily discovered, and seen through by any simple plain honest eye, upon a little breaking forth of the light. Therefore the whorish spirit, when she perceives her self found out here, she changes her shape and attire, and comes back, back again by degrees (as need requires) to the forms of know∣ledge and worship, wherewith she was arrayed, when she de∣ceived at first: yet stil she is the same, and doth this to keep poor simple hearts, still in her bands, from the life and from the Spirit. And thus painted, thus decked, thus holding forth Scrip∣ture-knowledge, and Scripture-wayes of worship, she is the more subtil witch, the more subtil sorceresse, and is able to de∣ceive any eye, but that which is opened in the light. With her Lo here Christ, & lo there Christ, she would deceive the very elect, if it were possible: but it is not possible; for they are taught by the Spirit not to go forth, and the anointing within preserves them. And he that knoweth not this preservation, is bewitched by her, and his fear of God is such as may be taught by the pre∣cepts of men, and practised without the knowledge of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which is the Saints rule, guide, and preservation. For as the Apostles were able Ministers, not of the letter, but of the spirit of the New Testament, 3 Cor: 3. 6. So they that received their Ministry (or that which they ministred) received not the letter only, but the Spirit; and were preserved, not by the letter, but by the Spirit; and were made able to try words, things, and Spirits, not by the letter, but by the Spirit. But this the whorish spirit is departed from, and bewitcheth others from, first possessing them that the Spirit is not to be loo∣ked for, and then perswading them to make as good shift as they can without it: and then (having thus prepared people) she brings forth her wares. Look ye, saith she, this is the way, thus and thus the Saints practised, do thou thus also. But thou must receive the Saints spirit, before thou either know or worship, or

thou knowest and worshippest out of it: and in that path of sor∣cery and witchcraft from the life, thou shalt never meet with the life, but the further thou proceedest therein, wilt be more and more entangled from it, and become stil a greater and grea∣ter enemy to it, and more and more in love with the whore, and her whorish paths and pleasing wayes of devotion, whereby the false spirit in thee is raised up and nourished, but thy soul famished: for that can be nourished with nothing but the bread of life from the hand of the Spirit, but not with words, or forms of knowledge, or wayes of worship invented, or imitated; which doe but tickle the understanding or affectionate part of man, but reach not the life, so that that which should serve the Lord, is not there raised, but stil bound over with the bond of iniquity.

5. Luxury, excesse, and pleasure. She is rich with her Mer∣chandize, and she enjoyes it to the ful, she takes the pleasure of it. She builds costly houses, weares rich apparrel, fares delici∣ously (read spiritually with the spiritual eye.) She is rich in knowledge, rich in wayes of worship, rich in duties, rich in re∣ligious performances and practices. And as she gained these in her own will (without the leadings of the life) and by her own search and wisdom: So she can make use of these in her own will, and according to the direction of her own wisdom. She can fast when she will, give thanks when she will, preach when she will, pray when she will, sing when she will, meditate when she will, bring forth her knowledge to others when she will. Look on the Papists, how rich are they in outward buildings, in gorge∣ous Ceremonies, in times of worship, in wayes of mortification and pennance, in fasts, in feasts &c! Look on the several sorts of Protestants, they have their riches in their kind too, their Chur∣ches, their buildings, their arts, their sciences, their languages, their bodyes of divinity; their cases of conscience, &c. They can open the whole body of Religion, resolve all doubts, expound all Scriptures, &c. The great City was cloathed in fine linnen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones, and pearls, Rev: 18. 16. And she sate thus on rhe Throne like a Queen, living deliciously, and taking her pleasure, to which her torment and sorrow afterwards is proportioned, ver: 7. Yea she had treasure and costlinesse enough to make all her Merchants

rich that would trade with her, ver: 19. What knowledge, what delicate food, could the wisest or greatest of the earth desire, which she had not ready for them, see ver: 3. & ver: 9. But Sion, all this while, hath lain in the dust, and been despised: She hath had no building, no fence, but hath been trampled under foot by every unclean beast: Her witnesses have been cloathed with sackcloath (a garment which all the lofty inhabitants of Ba∣bylon disdain:) her sare hath been hard in the Wildernesse, only a little Manm (which with fleshly Israel, who lust after rich and large knowledg, is counted light bread, and their souls soon loath it:) Nor had she this in plenty, but only a smal proportion dayly from the hand of the free-giver, sufficient to keep life in her in the Wildernesse, and to furnish her with strength to give in her testimony against Babylon, so far as the Lord saw good to call any of her seed thereunto. Now what professor can be willing to fare thus with her at present, and to wait for her future riches, ful∣nesse, beauty and glory! Nay, nay, they have so long lived rich∣ly, and fared deliciously in Babylon that they know not how to eat the bread of affliction, and drink the water of affliction with sad and desolate Sion. And yet this is the only way and passage out of Babylon into Sion: That which hath been rich and fat, and ful-fed there, must become poor, and lean, and feel hunger, and have none of the bread of life administred to it, no nor so much as husks neither: And in this sad day and state of misery, the poor is visited which receives the Gospel, and the dead raised, which receives the life.

6. Worshipping of the Devil. All the world wondred after the beast, and they worshipped the Dragon, Rev: 13. 3, 4. Now the Dragon is the Devil, Rev: 20. 2.

There is no other worship of God under the new Testament, but in Spirit and truth: and he that worships otherwise, worships not God, but that Spirit which teacheth to worship out of Gods Spirit, and out of the truth. Every prayer is not a prayer to God, but only that prayer which is from and in the Spirit. Every Or∣dinance or duty is not an Ordinance of God, or a duty perfor∣med to God, but only that which the Spirit leads into, and guids and preserves in. This is the way that all the earth have depar∣ted from the Lord, namely, by erring from his Spirit. They cry up practises in Religion, dutyes, ordinances, the means, the

means, a Church, a Church (as the Jews did the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord:) but they find the Church, before they have found the Spirit of the Lord; and so they find not the Church that is in God, the Church that is of his building, but they, poor hearts, frame up a building as wel as they can accor∣ding to the pattern they find in the Scriptures; and so they are not an habitation for God in the Spirit, but are estranged from the life and Spirit in all their worship: and so are not found by the Spirit (which searcheth them and their worship) worshiping of God, but the works of their own hands, and Devils, Rev: 9. 20. For that charge stands good against all the inhabitants of Babylon, even to the highest and strictest of them all, whether in forms, or out of forms: There are many men who are very zealous and devout in their wayes of worship, who were never taught by the Spirit the way of worshipping God, nor do at all know how to worship in the Spirit: these my soul exceedingly pittyes. They have received into their understandings from the letter of the Scripture, that God is to be worshipped in Spirit, and that God will give his Spirit to them that ask it. They have asked, and they hope they have the Spirit, but poor deceived hearts, they know not what spirit they are of, nor in what spirit they act, nor what spirit they serve; and so perish for lack of knowledge, the key whereof hath been hid from them. Now let such consider:

There are but two spirits, the Spirit of God and the spirit of Satan, one of which guid all men in their devotion and Religion, and one of which they serve therein. He that is led by the Spi∣rit of God, he serves God, he worships God: He that is led by the spirit of Satan, he serves not God, but that spirit which ap∣peares in the Temple of God, like God, and gives such demon∣strations that he is God, as no flesh can deny, 2 Thess: 2. 4. Here now is the great deceivableness of unrighteousness. In prophanesse, in manifest wickednesse, Satan is easily seen: and men that are found here, it is granted that they are serving the Devil: but that he should sit as King in gathered Churches, in dutyes, in ordinan∣ces, in wayes of self-denyal and mortification, and be worship∣ped here, this is hard to be seene: yet any of these which the Spirit of the Lord leads not into, or which are performed at any time without his Spirit, he is worshiped in. Consider this, ye that are wise in Religion, and are dilligently reading the Scrip∣tures

and gathering knowledge, and rules of worship, and ap∣plying promises, &c. Do ye this in the life and Spirit of God? or in your own wisdom, and according to your owne understan∣ding? Doth not the wisdom of that spirit which is out of the truth, guid you in your searchings after truth? O do not serve that spirit which the Lord hates but come backe to that, from which in all this ye erre, and which in all this ye cannot serve and worship. And let not your Religion any longer consist in meer practising what the Saints formerly practised (for that ye may do without the same spirit) but in yeelding up to that life, power, and pure spirit that they were led by. And when ye are joyned to this, then do not prescribe the Lamb the way that he shall go, but follow the Lamb, whithersoever he goeth. Do not tell the Shepheard (by your gathered wisdom) the way that he must lead you in, but know the voice and follow: For this I can truly testi∣fie, that if once ye come in faithfulnesse and true light to follow the Lamb, he will lead you in paths ye have not known, and out of the paths ye have known.

7. Compelling of others to worship, Rev: 13. 15, 16. The false woman and the beast set up a worship in the will, and they do not know why any in the will also may not subject and submit to it. They can give them reasons, they can give them arguments from Scripture, and if they will not yeeld to these, they are to be look∣ed upon as stubborn and refractory, and to be compelled by out∣ward force. This hath been the course generally throughout the Land of Babylon, But these shew hereby that they themselves are erred from the truth (and therefore very unfit and unlikely to teach it others:) For that which God works upon is the con∣science, which he convinceth by the light of his Spirit, and no other light can truly convince it. That therefore which would have a man yeeld to any practise, or way of worship, till he be truly convinced, is of the Devil. My son, give me thy heart, saith Christ, the wisdom of God: Come not to me with oblati∣ons and sactifices, but give me thy heart. My son, give me thy knee, give me thy obedience to the wayes I have set up, give me thy conformity, saith Antichrist, saith the adulterated wisdom: and if any refuse, she endeavours to compel them. Thus like Jeroboam the son of Nebat, she makes (that which she calls) Isra∣el to sin: or like Nebuchadnezzar, she sets up an Idol, and cau∣seth

all her children to bow to it. Thus the load of the iniquity of multitudes lies upon that scarlet whore, who forces her cup of abominations and filthiness upon all she can, Rev: 17. 4. cau∣sing all both smal and great, in all her Territories to receive her marke, and worship her Image. The work of the Minister of Christ, is to keep the conscience tender, that the voice of Christ may be heard, and the Law of his Spirit of life (which makes obedient to the God of life) spring up there: but this is the Image, here is the way, bow, conform say the Ministers of Anti∣christ. But we are not convinced in the sight of God, that this is the way, say poor souls. It is your own fault, ye may be convin∣if ye will, say the Ministers of Antichrist, we are ready to give you arguments and Scriptures to convince you, how is it ye are not convinced? Ye must be convinced otherwise, the Magistrate must deale with you. Thus they endeavour to harden the con∣science, that they may set upon it and ride it, and terrifie it from it's subjection to it's only true and lawful King. O the havock that hath been made of souls by this means! the Lord is requiring it of this generation.

But let me ask this question to all the learned and wise, in all the Regions of Babylon, under what painted form or way of wor∣ship soever. Can any worship God aright, before they be truly convinced of his will and way? can any be convinced without his light and Spirit? were it good and acceptable in the sight of God, for any persons to run into that way, whereof thou sayest thou art convinced that it is the way, before they themselves are convinced? If it be not good or acceptable, what is that that goes about to compel them? Away with thy carnal weapons; and if thou wilt draw to God, draw by that which is spiritual: but if thou wilt still be using outward force (running to the laws of men, and power of the Magistrate) the Lord hath opened an eye, which discovers thy nakednesse herein, and is able to make it manifest in the sight of all people, and thou shalt not long cover thy shame. The Lotds people shall be a willing people to follow him in the day of his power: but all the Lords people have been unwilling to follow thee in the day of thy power, which is neer an end; and the very fountain of thy deceit (and tyranny over the conscience) is opening and making manifest.

8. Persecution of such as she cannot compell to her worship.

She sets up her form of knowledg, she sets up her way of worship, and those that will not be drawn to own the one, and practise the other, she sets her brand upon them for erroneous persons, Schis∣maticks, Hereticks, they must not buy or sel, Rev: 13. 17. They must be banished or imprisoned, or perhaps put to death, for she is hardly satisfied, til she hath drunk the blood of those, who in any eminent degree are the witnesses of Christ against her, Rev: 17. 6. This was a thing wondered at by John with great admiration, to see this woman, this great City, out of which all the venomous darts are shor, against the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus, under a pretence of zeal for the Church and ordinances of Christ. For this is the engine, whereby the Dragon makes war with the true womans seed, (which keep the commandements of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ) even by this false woman which rides on the beast, by whose power and strength she overcomes the Saints. She sets up a way of doctrine, a way of worship in a Nation, and gets laws made for the defence of it, and against them that will not submit to it, and here she is too hard for the Saints, by this means she overcomes the Martyrs and Witnesses, and keeps the truth down, and keeps up her way of deceit, which without this prop would soon sall.

This whorish spirit scents the Spirit of the Lord, she knows it will soon be her death, if she cannot make it appear odious, and suppresse it: Therefore she hunts this spirit, she hunts the life and power of what she her self professes (especially if it appear vigorous and strong in any) she seeks advantages against the ser∣vants of the living God, representing them to the earthly powers as persons of dangerous principles and bad practises, inventing all manner of what can be called evil against them, and spreading it among the people, that the truth may start up no where in the earth, but every where be knocked down by the violence of the multitude, or by the sword of the offended Magistrate. Now what is the matter of all this great noise and fury? Why this: A Lamb is risen up in the innocency, the pure harmless spirit is appea∣ring in the earth, the true life. (which discovers the hypocrisie, and dead forms and wayes of the whorish spirit) is breaking forth: Therefore she makes a great out cry, awakpeople awak, the church is in danger, arise Magistrates, Magistracy and Ministry wil down, if this Lamb-like spirit be suffered. Nay, nay; These shall stand,

but Babylon shall fall, and her mistery of iniquity be discovered, and her deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse made manifest; and the true life and Spirit shall arise and take possession of the hearts of people, and make them a clean and fit habitation for God: and people that are subject hereto, shall feel it and enjoy it, though the Merchants of Babylon say, men shall never be made cleane while they live, but must stil have a body of sin and death hang∣ing about them. But how shall they put on Christ, who have not put off the body of sin? Shall those who are made Kings and Priests to God here on earth, minister in their filthy garments.

These are some of the sins of Babylon, that painted harlot, which is subtle in heart and lyes in wait to deceive, in the absence of the true Church, whose cloathing and resemblance she takes up and appears in.

And when she hath done all this, When (like Aegypt) she hath kept the seed in bondage in all her Territories and Domini∣ons, in every Church she hath set up, and by all her Ministries and Ordinances: When (like Sodom) she hath filled the whole world with filthinesse, uncleanesse, and all manner of spiritual abominations: When (like old Jerusalem the bond-woman) she and her children have scoffed at the Spirit in every appea∣rance, all the time of her reigne, and have trampled upon and domineered over them, who have but spoken of the coming of the just one in his people, sporting her self in her own deceivings: Yet, after all this, She wipes her mouth, and saith she hath done no harm: She hath been for the Gospel, and Church, and Ministry, and Ordinances, and the saith once delivered to the Saints, and only against deceivers, seducers, blasphemers, and hereticks. But the Spirit of the Lord cannot be thus deceived, nor shall the Na∣tions be allwayes thus deceived, and suffer her to sit as a Queen upon their consciences, but she shall see sorrow, and they shall taste joy at the sound of the everlasting Gospel, when once again it cometh to their ears, Rev: 14. 6. & Chap: 19. 6, 7.