The brazen serpent lifted up on high, or truth cleared and above the deceit exalted, and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wildernesse: even so must the son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish but have eternall life. Joh. 3. 14. 15.: Here is also laid down in this treatise something, concerning election and and [sic] predestination, which is so much spoken of, and how they may know their election, something concerning Christ being the way to the Father; and how, and concerning Christ, the mediatour of the new covenants, and the end of the old, and tythes are ended. ... Lastly, here is part of a dispute, held between two chief priests, and two men that came and met with them, and the people at Chadwitch in Worcestershire; ... to clear the truth form accusations, held forth by those men that the world scornfully calleth Quakers. Written in Worcestershire, the beginning of the first moneth called March. 1655.

The Crosse in the Mistery, and what it cuts down and raiseth up, as it is taken up daily &c.

The Crosse in the mistery, Colos. 1.26.27.28. is known to such as obey the light which comes from the Lord Jesus Christ, which light doth convince of sin, and unbelief, self-love, self-righteousnesse, pride and vain glory, and all ini∣quity,

and reproves in the conscience for such, which light sheweth the lusts and evil of the heart, and the light is with∣in that doth so; which light manifesteth corruptions, and the naturall estate: which light checks and reproves for sin and evil, and being obeyed, teacheth to forsake sin and the pride of the flesh, and all evil desires, lusts and devices of mischief, the light where it is obeyed crosseth them and judgeth them within, in the ground from whence they do a∣rise; Which light that so convinceth of evil, and where it is submitted unto, crosseth the ground of enmity, and judgeth deceit in its appearance within; the same light moveth upon the conscience, and worketh men into the knowledge of sin: And such as encline to the light may know it calling them daily to come to repentance; which light being attended up∣on perswadeth mans heart to turn from the evil to the good, & in perswading his heart, perswades him (to wit the creature man) against sin; and to turn from the iniquitie, and he joyning to the light: his lusts, naturall corruptions, and incli∣nations to the evil, is thereby (to wit by the light) not onely discovered, but also crossed, judged and condemned. So the creature man obeying the light, and serving the good, he forsakes the evil and becomes a servant of righteousnesse, yielding up his members to the light, as instruments of righ∣teousnesse unto that which is holy, that he may serve in the new life, and so witnesse the change and the new creature, as it is written Rom. 6.11.12. and the 17.18. to the 23 verse. 2 Cor. 5.17.

Which light as aforesaid, within in the conscience that re∣proves for sin being obeyed, and upon the discovery and ma∣nifestation to the view of the understanding, submitted whol∣ly unto, it crosseth and crucifieth lusts and all evil of what sort soever, as it doth arise: so condemning sin in the flesh, and also quickens the soul, so easing it and redeeming it ac∣cording to the working of the divine power, and thereby freeing the soul from the bondage of corruptions wherein it was held; which corruptions are purged out of the soul by the ministry in the crosse: 1 Cor. 1.18. throng the obedi∣ence to the light and truth in the spirit, 1 Pet. 1.22.23. 1 Pet. 2.9.10. and so the soul is through the obedience to the light, and by the operation of the divine power raised up

from under the bondage wherein it had been held, into a spi∣rituall enjoyment of the fathers eternall love; and wrought through the obedience to the light and truth in the spirit, into the new life and spirituall worship, Rom. 6.1.2.3.4. Ioh. 4.23.24. Rev. 22.17. Philip. 3.3. whereby the heart through the obedience to the light and the eternall spirit, is circumcised, the body of sin put off, and the soul baptized in∣to the endlesse love: so into Christ the fulnesse: whereby it putteth him on, and so stands compleat in him the fulnesse; and being baptized by one spirit into unity in that one spi∣rituall body, so into the new covenant entered, sealed, and confirmed, and there the soul sits under the vine receiving of the vertue from the fulnesse; and drinketh in that one spirit, where there is one covenant, one body, one bread of life, one spirituall reck for souls to be refreshed at, and in, one faith, one Lord, one baptisme (which is not carnall but spi∣rituall) and so there is no confidence in the flesh, nor flesh∣ly worships, but a rejoycing in Christ Jesus, and being of the spirituall seed, in the spirituall worship and covenant. There is a glorying in the Lord the justifier, and in the spi∣rituall circumcision, baptisme, breaking of bread and prayer; and the glory communion and fellowship into the covenant and doctrine, is known by the preaching of the crosse, and the ministry of the spirit; through the crosse, which crucifieth the worlds nature, and the creature to the world, and there my glorying is where the old things are passed away, and the new things enjoyed, for if any man be in Christ he is a new creature. Old things are passed away, and behold, all things are become new; as it is written and know with such as en∣joy the same. 2 Cor. 5.16.17. Rev. 21. and Colos. 2.9.10. Galat. 3.27.28. 1 Cor. 12.11.12.13. Eph. 4.4.5.6. Ioh. 6.53.54.55.56. 1 Ioh. 5.20.

Notes

• 1. Cor. 10.15.16.17.