A seasonable word and call to all those called ranters or libertines through-out the three nations, to come into the true faith and pure fear of the Lord ... written ... by John Chandler ...

TO all you who are or may be called Ranters, or Libertines, either for your loose practises or principles (which ye esteem to be good, pure, and without deceit); This is a word of knowledge or experience, from one who hath obtained mercy from the Lord, in turning to him that smote him: and, whether you hear or forbear, know and remember, that in a day of Grace, and an acceptable time, (wherein the Lord is gathering all sorts of wanderers and stragglers into his fold), Ye have been put in mind, and warned to return; Even you I mean (in the first place), who formerly have had convictions of; & trouble & sorrow for, sin against the Lord; and after that, some inlets and openings of peace and recon∣ciliation, and tasts of the good Word of God within you, and of the pure powers of the world to come, even of an endlesse life with, and in, God, the Father of Spirits, whom ye then believed to be an ex∣ceeding great reward to all that walked before him in uprightnesse, and with a perfect heart; as he declared to Abraham the Father of the Faithfull, who saw Christ's day and rejoyced therein: Which melted your hearts, and made them tender; and you conscious of thinking, speaking, or doing, vainly, idly, or unjustly. Now, know this (all such) that in the pure and unfeigned love of the Spi∣rit (which dwelt in the Apostle James) do I write unto you, who truly and sweetly said to the Brethren, If any among you shall wander from the truth, and any one shall convert (or turn) him; let him know, that he which hath turned a Sinner from the Er∣rour of his life, doth save a Soul from death, and cover a multitude of sins: So it appears, there were those in his daies who wandred from the truth, and so fell into errour of their life, as ye have done, which brought their souls into death, and danger of eternall death, which they could not see at the present, or (at least) were unsensible there∣of, by reason of their wandring minds and hearts, which brought a Vail over the Understanding, or stupified the Conscience; whereby it is no wonder, if such then, and you now, did and do call Evill

Good, and Good Evill; put Darknesse for Light, and Light for Darknesse; bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter; Bondage for Li∣berty, and true Liberty for Bondage; promising others Liberty, when they and you were and are both the Servants of Corruption; the cause of all which, hath been (I testify) the going from, or for∣getting that which first convinced and troubled for the Sin and Evil, whereby that conviction and trouble was thought to be raised up in the mind and conscience, by misapprehension or imagination onely, and not from a true thing or principle which was the true Light (that enlightneth every man that comes into the World) which could not lye, dissemble, or flatter, but shewed Sin & Evill to be so, because they were so really; & therefore troubled, & vexed, & terrifi∣ed the sinful Soul: So, by you called Ranters or Libertines, when ye grew into a carnall freedom, the Master of the House was called Be∣elzebub, to wit, the pure, holy, just, and righteous Principle of God, taken by you but for a Fancy; whereby all that was truly good in you soon went to wrack, for hereby shipwrack was made of Faith and a good Conscience: of Faith, because there is nothing that doth or can discover to a Man or Woman's Soul, the true Object of Faith, but the true Light within, (which first reproveth, and then giveth the knowledge to the penitent and obedient) which Object of Faith or Belief is Christ; either, as the living Hope, Gain, and eternall Re∣ward, to those that love him, keep his Commandments, and waite for him (as the Saints formerly witnessed him); for, saith the Apo∣stle, He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a Rewarder of those that diligently seek him: or, as an eternal Judge, and Minister of the Father's justice, wrath, and vengeance to all that follow and obey him not, but their own Wills and Lusts, according as it is written; Tribulation and anguish upon every Soul that doth evil both to the Jew and Greek. So that ye, miscalling the Repro∣ver in you for sin, as aforesaid, soon fell from this belief of the eter∣nall Reward and Punishment, looking upon man (as to his own par∣ticular self) to dye and be but as the Beast that perisheth, (although, in the course of one Generation succeeding another, ye framed up a Unity and Salvation in your erring minds); whereby, even as a Ship that hath lost his Anchor runs at randome in the Sea, so ye having lost the Anchor of your Souls were let loose to think Sin and Evil to be no such thing, and some of you to commit all iniquity with gree∣dinesse;

For the strong consolation in the light by the Spirit, and hope, which the Saints have (which hope entreth within the Vail, even into the Glory that was with the Father, before the World, or succeeding Generations began) is the Soul's Anchor; as it was of Christ's the Elder Brother: Who for the joy that was set before him, endured the Crosse and despised the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God: And the same that led you, not to believe this particular and eternal Reward, led you also to deny the eternal Pu∣nishment; when as Christ, who was the true Light, and meant as he spake without dissimulation or equivocation, saith, If thy right hand or eye offend thee, cut it off or pluck it out, and cast it from thee; for it is better to enter into life maimed, than having two hands or eyes to be cast into Hell, where their Worm dieth not, nor their fire never goeth out. To which truth the Holy men of God in the Scriptures plentifully wit∣nesse, as knowing the terrour of the Lord, they perswading men; for the Lord God is known by the Judgment which he executeth on the wicked, as well as by the Reward (which is himself) that he bestoweth on the righteous: but ye being erred from the right Spirit (which David, after a fall, desired might be renewed within him) in your own phansies and imaginations, (Satan having transformed himself into an Angel of light within you) have put secret meanings and interpretations upon the Scriptures, as though Christ and the holy men of God did not really mean, as they spake, of these and divers other things (which I shall not now name parti∣cularly) but according as ye would have them to be understood: whereby Christ, the true light, and those that were enlightned, and enlivened & sanctified by him, were by some of you accounted even such as your selves, who live in divers lusts; so far hath the deceit entred into you: But ye shall know, in the day of the Lord's righ∣teous Judgment, as I have truly known, by turning to that which judged aright and made manifest Sin to be exceeding sinfull, that Christ, and the former Saints, and holy men and women, were sin∣cere in their thoughts, words, and deeds, haring no mental reservati∣on in what they spake; and that they lived according as their words hold forth, being wise as Serpents, (yet not in the Serpent's wisdom,) and harmlesse as Doves, yea, fleeing from all sin and wickednesse as from a Serpent. And now I will say, How are the hidden things of Es;au searched out by the light, which is the Candle of the Lord,

even of prophane Esau, who for a morsel of meat sold his birth-right? And let me (in God's wisdom and fear) reason with you a little; Are not some of you prophane Esaus? who, for a few momentary pleasures and unsatisfying Lusts, have quite parted with, and for ever bid Adieu to, the sense and feeling of that which ye once counted better then life it self; to wit, a broken heart and contrite spirit, and godly sorrow for sin, which things wrought you to some Repentance, whereof ye had never just cause to repent: As also comfort and peace in your Spirits, as your minds were kept in that which was pure, o∣pen to the Lord, and being afraid to offend him: Such a step in the truth, no doubt, some of you have made; but now your hearts are as hard as an Adamant, so that ye find no more place for Repentance than Esau did, nay, not going so far as he; for he sought the Blessing with tears, (though he obtained it not, being still prophane): but ye desire not to returne, in any outward shew, yea, perhaps will laugh and scoff at any that shall exhort you thereunto. Had it not been good for such, if they had never been born? And are you not all pro∣phane ones, from the greatest to the least? that have left your first love to simplicity, and sincerity, purity, holinesse, sobriety, tempe∣rance, and other the good fruits of the Spirit, and think your selvs to have attained the higher perfection, the more freely ye can act con∣trary to these, without check or controul in your selvs, which ye count but the working of the Fancy; over which to get victory, that it should not at all trouble you, ye count your perfection, redemption, justification, sanctification, and salvation: So ye quench the Light, which is God's faithful witnesse within you, (that in love often pleads with you for a return, & kill the Just one, & stop the cry of the innocent, & trample upon the holy Seed that should bruise the Ser∣pent's head, who is head in you; & call it your perfection & redemp∣tion; would (if it were possible) set God at variance against himself, ac∣counting that to be God's arme and power in you, which slayeth his reproving witnesse, which is his good Spirit; which Spirit (know ye) shall not alwayes strive with you for good: Therefore I charge you by the Lord, to bethink your selves (ye that are not past feeling) of your former estates when ye were conscientious and tender, for it was much better then with you than now; and commune with your own hearts, by turning in to the witnesse of God, that calls for purity and holinesse in thought, word, and deed, for sobriety and

temperance and chastity, and all godlinesse, and honesty: and that while ye have time, lest your consciences be quite seared, and the Lord God sware in his wrath, Ye shall never enter into his pure and everlasting Rest; for this is God's very and true day, (not an imagi∣nary one, which ye have conceited, for some years past, to your selvs) and so no time to dally with the wicked and back slider; for, Woe (saith the Lord God) to him, that in the land and time of upright∣nesse, will deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. And if any of you have, or shall have, stirrings and thoughts raised up in you of waiting upon God's witnesse, and any true desires be∣gotten, to know by the light within you (which makes manifest all things) wherein ye have erred and done amisse, I charge you flee it not, though it begin to bring some terrour and shame upon the car∣nal part; for as ye have made the pure seed to suffer by your sin and deceit, so you must expect to suffer by the Seed, when he comes to bruise the Serpents head, to whom ye have been joyned; and accept of the punishment of your iniquity, and say, It is all far lesse than we have deserved: and let your uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and wait low and humbly to know the Lord's mind, and be willing to forsake all evill, and cleave unto, and do, all good that the Lord by his Light shall lay open before you, (who will bring Judgment to the line, and Equity to the plummet) and be willing to come into Unity with the Holy men of God, and Christ's words in the Scrip∣tures, which testify against all the fruits of the flesh, let them be done under never so fair a pretence of liberty; and above all things desire sincerity and uprightnesse of heart, (for so it was with me at my re∣turn, and this was the word in me, His countenance shall behold the upright) and then will the Lord have compassion, and by degrees heal your land, I mean, your poor Souls, and ye shall see Faith in the truths of God, and a good conscience, and the pure fear of the Lord, grow and spring up together in you; for 'tis Faith that purifies the heart: But if you flee in Winter, and will not bear the Judgment till the indignation be over-past, or will be ashamed to be ashamed of your evill wayes, and so let deceit prevail over the pure, and make up a healing to your selvs by quenching the witnesse, ye shall receive the fruit of your own doings, even to lye down in perpetuall forrow in the end.

But I hear some of you asking, What is Sin and Evill? Do ever any of you find any of the Holy men of God, from one end of the Scriptures to the other, to have asked such a Question? Nay. For they believed the Lord's witnesse, which he had placed in them, without their own reasonings, and disputings; as finding twins in their womb, two Seeds opposite each to other, which brought forth contrary fruit; and by the Holy Seed, which is the true Light, they saw the good Tree, and the corrupt Tree; the good fruit, and the corrupt fruit: for the Light reproved them for evill and corrupt motions, and all words and actions proceeding there-from; but it justified them, and gave them peace in pure and holy motions, and all words and actions issuing from thence, which were seen to be of its own begetting: David witnessed these two States; Saith he, Thou hast set my sins in order before me; Mark, He believed God's witnesse without disputings; the Lord had set them before him, he therefore believed they were sins, or that which was against the Lord, which his pure eye had a controversy with: Now, the Lord doth not set a thing, that is not, before us, but that which is. Again, he saith, Oh Lord I am thy Servant, I am thy Servant, the Son of thy Hand maid, thou hast loosed my bonds; There he felt God's acquit∣tance and Justification, not in giving him a liberty to do what he list without controul, but in enlarging his heart to run the waies of his commandments, in which he was accepted, even in that which enlarged his heart so to do: For (saith he) in another place, Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy Commandments. Consider also, that they were the wicked and ungodly who did say, Tush, our Tongues are our own, we will speak, Who shall controul us? As if they had asked in derision, What is Sin or Evill? Not because there was not such thing in reality, (but onely according to mens ap∣prehension); but because the Serpent had got such a head in them, that they scarce felt a Controuler when they so spake. But if you will be to learn what Sin is, Paul and John in the course of their ministry (but not in answering such a Question proposed to them by the Saints) do experimentally declare. The one saith, I had not known sin but by the Law; Mark, the Law written in the heart by the finger of God (of which the two Tables of stone were a declaration) made Paul to know sin to be Sin: Now, God's Law in the heart is Light, as David long ago witnessed; and Christ is the true Light that Light∣neth

every man: Now, Christ was he which spake to Moses in the Mount Sinai, (from whom Moses received the Law, to declare it to the People,) as Stephen (when he was full of the Holy Spirit) testified: So then Christ, the Light, is the Law-giver, whereby Sin comes to be known; now, if he hath enlightned every man, and he be the true Light, then he sheweth a truth to every man, which is, that he hath transgressed his Law or Light, by dark motions, words, and actions, arising from a contrary ground; and so sin is not a ficti∣on or fained thing in any man whatsoever, because sin is known by a Law, which Law is Light, which Light is in every man, which Light is true, and discovereth nothing but a reall thing in every one: The other saith, Sin is the transgression of the Law; He knew the Law in his heart, or the righteous principle of God, which he had been a Transgressour against: He doth not say, Sin is nothing but an appre∣hension that there is such a thing, but that sin is a reall transgression of a reall Law, or Principle of God. Again, John saith, all Unrigh∣teousnesse is sin: There is Unrighteousnesse, and that of sundry sorts, both toward God and man, and all this Unrighteousnesse is sin. Now, (saith Peter, by the Spirit of truth), In every Nation, he that feareth God, and worketh righteousnesse, is accepted of him; But (saith Paul) all they that had pleasure in Unrighteousnesse should be damned: Here are contrary works really so, and they have contrary effects; for the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all Unrighteousnesse, with all which Unrighteousnesse the Gentiles were and are filled; to wit, with fornications, wickednesse, covetous∣nesse, envy, murther; Covenant-breakers, despisers of those that are good, implacable, unmerciful, &c. Who, (saith Paul) knowing the Judgment of God, that they which commit such things are wor∣thy of death, not onely do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Here he witnesseth, and we see and know it so to be; that they were filled with all Unrighteousnesse, and that the things mentioned were reall Unrighteousnesse; to prove which, none need go any farther than their own consciences, wherein they knew and felt, by the true Light, the Committers of such things to be worthy of death, (even eternal death, or separation from the life and enjoy∣ment of God;) even as a Labourer is worthy of his hire; which can∣not be an imaginary but a real thing.

But ye will say to me, The Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostler; spake according to the several dispensations or ministrations they were under: The Jews before Christ were under a Vail; and the A∣postles (after the renting of the Vail of the Temple) though they saw clearer than they, yet not so clearly as we see now in this last and highest dispensation.

The Vail that was over the Jews hearts consisted in this, that their Church-Ministry and Ordinances being according to the flesh, letter, and written in Tables of stone, they felt not, for the generality of them, the Spirit and finger of the living God, writing his Law in the fleshy Tables of their hearts, according to his new Covenant: Their Church were Jews outward; their Priests, Ministers of the Letter, which left their Souls in death; who had need both to offer up Sacrifice for their own sins as for the sins of the People; and so the Law outward made nothing perfect, but it was the Ministration of condemnation to them, for want of quickning life from Christ to ease them, who is the Minister of the Spirit, and of Righteousnesse and Peace; at which Corner-stone they stumbled, because of the old and long Vail that had been upon their hearts; which Vail, to this day, when Moses is read in their Synagogues, abideth on them; who, when hey shall turn to the Lord, the Vail (which is a false ap∣prehension of being accepted in their carnal Services, Performances, and Ordinances, from a literal rule, without a feeling of the life of Christ, in whom all Sacrifices should be offered up) shall be taken a∣way, and then shall they feel a ministration of Righteousnesse in the Spirit, in respect whereof, their other ministration had no Glory. But what is all this (ô ye Libertines) to your purpose? for they were not, nor are, vailed in seeing sin, (which the true Light that lightneth every man, reproveth to be sin); for that is not from darknesse of Understanding, but from light set up there, without which they could not see it at all: Yea, this was that which ministred condemna∣tion unto them all, both the righteous and unrighteous, so far as sin was standing; and they could not, nor ought not, otherwise to ap∣prehend, because else they should, as you do, have believed against God's witnesse in them, which is to make him a Lyar, an abomina∣ble presumption. As for the Apostles and Saints, both Jews and Gentiles, who had the Vail rent, and lived in the dispensation or mi∣nistration

of the Spirit and of righteousnesse, which exceeded in glo∣ry that of condemnation (which was and is also glorious in its time and season), Ye Libertines know nor, nor cannot know (while ye are as ye are) in what a high and sweet state they lived: But ye speak proud and swelling words of vanity of things ye know not, nor live in; and would be at the top of the Ladder before ye are come to the foot, even to know Judgment upon the transgressour in you. Ye are not ignorant that the Apostles and Saints believed perfection, pressed after it, and might obtain it; But that it was such a perfecti∣on which ye dream of, I utterly deny; for it was a destroying of all the Devir's works, and a plucking up of all the evill Plants which the heavenly Father had not planted, by Christ the pure power of God, who was manifested in the flesh to that end. And know ye (Oh ye haughty and conceited ones) there is never any other new dispensation, different from this, to be brought forth in the World; but that the Glory of the Church in these last times is to be wrought out by the pure and powerfull appearance of the Lord God, in this very way of purifying and refining his People; for through Judg∣ment is Zion to be redeemed, and her Converts with Righteous∣nesse; for Sin & Unrighteousness staines & marrs the beauty of any People or Person, making them to become drosse, an ill savour, and a smoak in the nostrils of God, and a fire that burneth all the day: Wherefore, that every thing which offendeth the pure eyes of his Glory may be gathered out of his Kingdom, will he purge his peo∣ple by the Spirit of Judgment and burning; and, by fire, and by Sword, plead with all flesh; and the slain of the Lord shall be ma∣ny, and those (be they who they will, or have what high conceits they can of their own security) that will not fall upon his Corner stone, Christ, the true Light, that leads to the Life, that he may be broken, and humbled, and melted, by him, into godly sorrow for sin, and a sorsaking thereof in thought, word, and work; this stone shall fall on him with a heavy hand at last, and grinde him to pow∣der: So, when such a one is by the Judge delivered to the Officer, and then by him cast into prison, he shall never come forth out of those chaines of darknesse, and that Dungeon of torment that the Almighty hath prepared for all the wicked, till he hath payed the last mite. Now, Let me ask you Libertines (that sore so high in your talk of this last dispensation of God to his People) one Questi∣on,

What do you think of the new Jerusalom which is from above the holy City of our God? Is she not the Mother of all the Saints? Is she not the Bride, the Lamb's wife? and must she not then be like the Spotlesse Lamb her Husband? and doth not John in the Spirit testifie that there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lye, but onely they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, which must needs be none but those that are free from all defilements; for, saith he, The fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and Murtherers, and Whoremongers, and Sorcerers, and Idolaters, and all Lyars shall their part in the lake which burneth with fire and Brimstone; which is the second death: Now what think you? Doth the Spirit in John mean as it speaketh or not? Or did John mean as he spake? Do you think the mind of God in these words were to this purpose, that a man might do that which is counted Whoredome or Adultery, or Lying, or Drunkennesse, or Swearing and Cursing, or bowing to any Idol, or bewitch Peoples Souls or Bodies by Sorceries, or murther ones Neighbour, Brother, or Ene∣my; or do any other such thing which is declared evil in the Scrip∣tures of Truth; and yet, if he count it pure to him, and he see no evil therein, he may do it, and yet enter the holy City. Search with the light (if ye are not quite past all honesty, tendernesse, and fee∣ling) and see whether that doth or can give such an interpretation thereof, or whether any thing but man's fleshly and corrupted Will, and blinded Judgment can do so. But (Lord) how have some so darkned the pure eye, that should see things as they are in truth and simplicity, by often transgressing against the Light that now they even (as desperate) do not desire to have the blind eye opened! But, Fa∣ther of glory, I beseech thee for thy Seed's sake, whom thou hast pro∣mised to gather from the remotest parts of the Earth, to shew thy Al∣mighty Arm in the ransoming of them out of the hands of the spiritu∣al Enemy, who hath beguiled these People, as he beguiled Eve, by drawing them to eat the forbidden Fruit, whereby they must needs know evil as well as good, whatever they may affirme (yet far from being as gods, but cast out of Paradise) that so thy ransomed ones may come (after Judgment known) wich songs to Sion, praising and magnifying thy holy name (as I have done and do) for thy infinite goodness and mercy never to be forgotten.

But ye make other Objections, as, Where there is no Law, there is no Transgression; and, To the pure, all things are pure; and It's Pro∣phesied in Isaiah, that the Lord will lead his People by a way that they knew not; and He will make Darknesse Light before them, and crooked things straight, &c. Also, Solomon hath some expressions tending to confirme our Judgment; yea, and Christ himself saith, If the eye be single, the whole body is full of Light; but if the eye be dark, the whole body is full of darknesse: so that all things are but as they are looked upon, and so is sin and evil.

Where there is no Law, there is no Transgression, that's certain: but where is the man (as he is in the Fall) throughout the World that hath no Law placed within him, since the Law is light, and Christ the true light hath enlightned every man: So then there is real Trans∣gression in every man, whiles in the Fall, for there is a Law left in him to shew it: now when as a man comes into the Law of the new Creature, or of the spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus, so as naturally to refrain from all sin, and to do the will of God, the Law is no longer his reprover; and so where there is no Law, there is no Transgression, and on the contrary: yet such a one is not without Law to God, but under the Law to Christ; Let him that heareth under∣stand. Likewise all things are pure to the pure: But that which is impurity it self in the Root, as Pride, Envy, &c. and those words and actions which can flow from nothing else but that impurity, cannot be pure to the pure in heart, because He cannot but hate all such things: Now Paul's words are exceedingly abused by unclean spirits; for he speaketh of the things of this life, as Food, Rayment, &c. (which are pure to one whole conscience is not defiled with sin) and they apply them to all thoughts, actions, and words which Paul himself often declares against in all. Tell me also (Oh ye Li∣bertines) is not willful murder something? and Sodomy something? and Men with Men something, and Women with Women commit∣ting filthynesse something? and Man to engender with a Beast some∣thing? and for a Witch out of malice, without just cause given, to do mischief upon the Bodies of Men, or the innocent Beast, some∣thing? or to curse ones Maker, something? And dare any of you

say these things are pure to the pure? do any of these, bear any face or resemblance of or with purity? I believe very few of you would have the face to affirme it: Now if there be something in you that riseth up against these things, why should it not also against other things which are declared by the Holy Men of God to be the fruits of the flesh? and how, if but one thing be judged filthy in it self, can all things in your sense be pure to the pure? That place in Isaiah, is a Prophesie of Gospel Times: the Jews had been long (before those times came) led by the Letter of the Law, but then the Lord said, He would lead them by a way they knew not, even by the teachings of His Spirit: they had before walked in darknesse, but now darknesse should be made light before them, not (as a great Ranter once said) that darknesse and its works should be then accounted by them (that were taught of God) for light, and truly so; for that is impossible they being of a direct contrary nature: Now darknesse is truly said to be turned into light, when the light and its works do expell the darknesse and its works, because then these are not at all in being: as the darkness of the night, and works proper to the night, are not in be∣ing in the day time; so night is turned to day. So John came to prepare a People for the Lord, even Christ, when the crooked perverse pa∣ture was destroyed, and made a right and good nature, and the rough nature destroyed, and made a mild nature, that all flesh might see the Salvation of God. As for Solomon's expressions in some things; take heed of stumbling and falling at a wise man's words: He was once Captivated by Lust, and Idolatry, and Pride; but consider him in all his Rayment or dresse of Wisdome and Knowledge as he was Solo∣mon, a greater than Solomon is here, even Christ the true light of men, who said, If thy eye be single, thy whole body is full of light: The single eye is, when a man looks singly to the Lord in all his thoughts, words, and actions, keeping the watch, that his mind run not out after other Lovers, so long is the Body full of Light, for the Light shineth out of the Darknesse therein; but if the eye be dark, if he looks or runs after any thing in his thoughts, &c. besides the Lord alone, there is the double-minded man, whose heart is to be purified; for darknesse fills his Temple, that he knoweth not what he doth in so doing. So that the single eye is not to look on sin to be no sin (for that is to see a lye) but to look on the Lord singly, that the soul may be preserved out of all sin and evil, which is contrary to his pure nature in the ground and root.

But 'tis said, Amos 3.6. Is there any evil in the City, and the Lord hath not done it? Whence ye conclude, all evil in thought, word, and deed which appears in Men, or to the view of the World, are of the Lords own doing, and so good. That Scripture is not rightly translated out of the Hebrew tongue; for there it is, Is there any evil in the City, and shall not the Lord do somewhat? And, in the old translation it is, Cometh any Plague in a City without it be the Lords doing? So that this makes quite against you: For shall any evil or sin be committed, and the Lord (who is pure, and holy, and just) not do something in punishing or plaguing thereof; for he, in the second verse of the same Chapter, had said to Israel by the Prophet; Ye onely have I known of all the Families of the Earth: Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities; and he saith in the seventh verse, Surely the Lord will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret to his Servants the Prophets. So that he speaketh here of doing some∣thing, or scourging the Isralites for their sin which he revealed be∣fore hand to his Prophets, that they might declare it to the trans∣gressours; so that the sin and evil is from the evil nature in man, but the punishment thereof is from the righteous God: which punish∣ment, be it either Spiritual or Corporal, is an evil indeed to him that is punished, because it plagues him for his iniquity; but in God it is good, because it is justly inflicted by him upon the unrighteous Doer. But had ye Libertines kept your first integrity, and out of your own humane thoughts, all which are but vain, ye would never thus have run to the letter for counsel, but would have kept to God's witnesse in your selves, which reproveth for all sin and evil, which is more to us than a thousand witnesses from without, and which brings to a right understanding of the Scriptures.

But ye raise another great stumbling block from Isaiah 45. where 'tis said, I forme the Light and create darknesse, I make Peace and create Evill: I the Lord do all these things. Whence ye gather, that darknesse, and Evill which is the fruit of darknesse, is created by the Lord, and done by him: and therefore ye say, That which we count darknesse, and the works of darknesse, is as good as that which we count Light, and the works of Light. Consider, in the wisdom and fear of God, what the Prophet speaketh of, and to what end:

He speaketh of Cyrus whom the Lord would raise up to be an Instru∣ment of delivering his people out of the Captivity of Babylon, whom he had sirnamed, and girded by his power for that purpose: which was a great Work, whereby the Nations from East to West (who all had the Jewish People in their evil Eye) should know that he was the Lord, and that there was none besides him, that could put it into the heart of such a proud Heathen as Cyrus was, to let his People go free: So, the more to illustrate his own Power, He moved his Pro∣phet to utter those words above mentioned, concerning the things of the Creation, and the management thereof; He forms the Light by his natural Sun which He hath created, and the Darknesse or Night by the withdrawing of the Sun; He maketh peace in the Earth by restrayning the Oppressors cruelty, and inclining his heart to pitry towards the Oppressed, (as in this case of Cyrus towards the poor Jews); and createth evil or trouble, by justly and wisely letting loose the ungodly to scourge others for their iniquity, and to try his Peoples patience; but that the Lord who is simply, and perfectly Pure and Holy, who can behold no iniquity, should be the Author or Creator of Spirituall evil or sin in the Root, both the Prophet Jeremy, and Christ the true Light doth expresly contradict; for one saith, Lamentations 3. verse 38. Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good; Now by the word or mouth of the most High were all things made that were made, but out of the Lords mouth, or from the Lords word, proceedeth not evil and good; therefore sin and evil in the Root, Ground, and motion were never created by him; but arose from self, which is a swerving from the word by whom all things were made: the other saith, Every Plant that my Heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be plucked up: So he plainely affirmeth, there are some plants and motions in mans heart which the Heavenly Father never planted, and therefore will He by his powerful and good word pluck them up; whereas ye plead for their standing, because ye say, God planted them: so do ye directly oppose the true Prophet, and give him that called himself the Truth, the lye: Now indeed the Lord doth make Darknesse his secret place, and his pavillion round about, because he dwell∣eth onely in the Light, and so no darknesse can come into his habi∣tation; and therefore also are darknesse and Light both a like to him: for He dwelling wholly in the Light, comprehendeth all the

darknesse and dark waies of men, knowing nothing but Light in himself; but in man, as he is under a Law, which is his Light, dark∣ness & its wayes are not alike to him; for he reproveth the one by the other: And therefore ought not man to apprehend them to be both alike in himself, but contrary; for if he doth, he believeth a Lye, and so deceiveth his own Soul. Therefore cease from your own wisdom, reasonings, and disputings, and in silence and humility come to the Armour of Light, which is the true spiritual weapon; which casts down all reasonings that exalt themselves against the Knowledge of Christ, as Paul witnesseth, whose words I do also experimentally witnesse.

Now a word to you, more ignorant Ranters, who never tasted of the good word of God: some of whom perhaps scarce ever knew what an hours sense of guilt of sin meant in all your lives; although ye have not, at some time or other, been without a Checker and Reprover: who have now leightly and inconsiderately leapt into a carnal and fleshly liberty, (which ye were in before) as it were by authority; justifying your evill deeds, and idle, and naughty words, and wick∣ed, vain, and wandring thoughts, by taking up words, and imita∣ting of others; saying, All is good, and therefore what should we be troubled for? Alas for you poor Creatures! ye know neither the beginning, nor the end, of the work of God, even his great and strange work, in turning the Creature from darknesse unto light, and from Satan's power unto God's power; for in Satan's power are ye at present held, and led Captive at his Will; so that unlesse ye turn to the witnesse of God in your consciences, (and that while 'tis cal∣led to day,) ye will dance into the eternal pit of everlasting destruct∣ion; for to the light must ye all come, even to Christ the true light, which must shew you what Vessels of wrath ye are, as ye stand in the disobedient nature, through the Fall, that so, your hearts being sear∣ched by that which makes manifest all Sin and Evill, in thought, word, and deed, Judgment may be set up in the earthly part; the which, as ye shall come humbly and sincerely to lay down under it, shall be brought forth to Victory; and then ye shall feel Mercy re∣joycing over Judgment, and so the glad tidings of Salvation will be felt by you, which as ye hold fast by Faith which purifieth the heart, fruits of righteousnesse, purity, chastity, sobriety, temperance, &c. will appear visibly in you, and so the good Tree will be known by

its fruit: Whereas now ye are fruitlesse Trees that cumber God's earth, yea, burden and eorrupt it exceedingly; and so, while the Saints who sollow Christ in the Crosse to their own Wills, and, in his regeneration, feel the sweet effects of righteousnesse in them∣selvs, which is peace and assurance for ever; ye are as a barren heath in the wildernesse, and know not when any true good cometh: therefore repent and turn to the Lord, with fasting, weeping, and mourning; fasting from the leaven of deceit and Hypocrisy, weep∣ing for your sins and loosnesse, whereby God is dishonoured, and his good Spirit grieved within you, and mourning for your killing of the just & crucifying the Lord of life afresh, that so the pure Oyl of joy and gladnesse ye may come to feel, the least drop whereof farr exceeds all your carnal pleasnres and delights, which will quickly have an end, and be as if they had never been, and then will the re∣membrance thereof be bitter unto you: for, Are not all such things bitternesse in the latter end? Hear what Wisdom saith, Prov. 5. Hear me now therefore, Oh ye Children, and depart not from the words of my mouth: Remove thy way far from her, (to wit, the deceitfull har∣lot, within or without, with all her inticements) and come not nigh the door of her House; lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruell; lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, and thy labours be in the house of a stranger: And thou mourn at the last when thy flesh and body are consumed, and say, How have I hated Instruction, and my heart despised reproof, and have not obeyed the voice of my Tea∣chers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me? I was almost in all evill, in the midst of the Congregation and Assembly.

And as for you Ranters in practise and principles, who are turned National Priests in outward shew, for a livelihoods sake, though ye scarce or not at all regard any truth of God, or the Scriptures, which ye dissemble by, or the People's good to whom ye speak: Know, that this is the word of the Lord God unto you; that by such deceit and dissimulation (which ye count your liberty) ye treasure up wrath to your selves against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righte∣ous Judgment of God, who (think you what ye will) will reward every man according to his works; even the Lord God, who is most perfectly pure, who hath his pure witnesse in every one of you, (though at present ye stifle it for self-ends) which hateth and abhor∣reth all dissembling falsehood; which is for a man (under any pre∣tence

whatsoever) to appear to be that outwardly to others (and es∣pecially in a Priestly garbe, which bears a shew of external holinesse, more then ordinary) which he is not in his mind and heart; for it is Hypocrisy, against which Christ, the true Light, hath pronounced the greater damnation: For the body is to be presented an accepta∣ble Sacrifice to the Lord, which is but ones reasonable service; for it is but reason that it should be so: but your bodies and Spirits are (by this means) divided and seperated, which should go both toge∣ther in all actions: For sometimes, when ye are at your hypocriti∣call devotions, or in the Pulpit in a Steeple-house, or preaching else∣where, your hearts are far off; it may be, to go into some Ale∣house, or ranting and loose Company, or to commit some unclean∣nesse, or the like; and when ye come into such company, it may be, be ready to laugh at your own Prayers and Preachings, and how ye gull the People, who know not of what spirit and conversation ye are: Oh ye deceitfull ones! I testify against you in the name of the Lord, That ye are the worst of all men living in the Nations, worse than the multitude of Priests, who do much that they do from a de∣ceived Understanding and Vail that is over them; but ye transgress against the Light, which (I believe) sometimes pleads with you, though ye put it from you, and would esteem it but an imagination. Assure your selves that all you get from the People in this way of deceit, be it lesse or more, will prove bitter morsels to you in the end, when God's witnesse shall arise: Wherefore repent ye also, and turn to his witness, which will lead you out of all the snares of sin & deceit (if you will hearken to it & obey it) into the pure liberty of the Sons of God, whose freedom stands not in doing what Self list∣eth, but in that which crosseth the carnal, and leads into the paths of all Righteousnesse; out of which paths (I testify) ye are at present, and are in the way of Balaam, who loved the wages of Unrighteous∣nesse, and his reward shall ye receive, except ye repent.

And as for all you that have run out into the loosnesse and carnall Liberty, whom God hath been pleased to recollect; so that some are brought, and some bringing, into the fold of Righteousnesse, In∣nocency, and Peace, by believing and following the true Light: I, in the love and fear of the Lord God, exhort you to listen continually to the voice of the good Shepherd, whose rod and staff hath repro∣ved and comforted, and is reproving and comforting you; that so

neither ye, nor I my self, may ever any more turn aside to folly, on suffer a deceived Understanding to turn us aside from his living truth and witnesse, whereby we should again let go the Anchor of the Soul, which is Christ, the hope and eternal reward to all those that obey and love him, and his pure appearance, more and more, lest the latter end be worse then the beginning.

FINIS.