Of perfection.: The great mystery of Anitchrist unfolded, by the rising of the sun of righteousness; or, The difference between the work and ministery of the messengers of God, and the work and ministery of the messengers of Antichrist. By a labourer in the vineyard of the Lord, called of the world Ambrose Rigge.

Of PERFECTION.

The great Mystery of Antichrist unfolded, by the rising of the sun of righteousness; OR, The difference between the Work and Ministery of the Messengers of God, and the Work and Mi∣nistery of the Messengers of Antichrist.

By a Labourer in the vineyard of the Lord, called of the world AMBROSE RIGGE.

THis is to all you Teachers, Professors, Priests and People, whether Presbyterian, Independent, Anabaptist, or Seek∣ers, (as they are called) or under what name or form so∣ever they be, or whatsoever they profess or plead for from the Scripture, which was declared by the holy men of God, which had gifts given them which was perfect from God, in which they walked whose ways was perfect and upright before the Lord, and was justified in his sight, and pleased him, walking by faith and in it; by which they had victory over the world, and that which was imperfect: and they writ forth the Scripture from that which was perfect by the inspiration of God, as they were moved of the holy Ghost; which was and is profitable for doctrine, for cor∣rection and instruction in righteousness, &c. that the man of God might be perfect, thorowly furnished unto every good work: and to this end, did the holy men of God write forth a declaration in order of their life and power, faith and victory, and how they came to have victory over the works of the devil, which is all im∣perfect; and how it was the gift of God which was perfect which led them to a perfect man in Christ Jesus: and how they came to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy, and to be more then conquerors through him who loved them.

Now they knowing, that after their decease grievous wolves would enter in, which would seek to draw many from the gift of God which is perfect, the light wherewith Christ Jesus the light of the world hath lighted every man withal, which is the gift of God, the covenant of the Father, which Moses, Abraham, and all the Prophets and Apostles of God bare witness unto: now they knowing such would enter in, whereby the worthy Name of God by which they was called would be blasphemed & the ways and works of the devil would be pleaded for and upheld, which stands altogether in imperfection; which they who walk therein, can∣not believe any other; who receives not the gift of God which is perfect. Now this they writ forth, that all who came to be turn∣ed to the light, and in it walk, which is the gift of God, might have a cloud of witnesses against them who had stollen their words to plead for the devils kingdom, but hates the gift of God, and turns his grace into wantonness, and hates that which would bring you to witness the power of God, and the faith of God, which is perfect, which overcomes the world: and so it is no won∣der that you are left stumbling in the dark, and blinde, not know∣ing the Scriptures, nor the power of God: and here you wrest the Scriptures to your own destruction.

Now all you Professors afore mentioned, who are out of the light, and walk not in it, wherewith you are enlightned, which comes from the Son of God; do you not all meet and agree in this, That no man shall be perfect while he is upon earth? and do you not preach this, and plead for this? which is a doctrine well pleasing to the devil; he will not contradict you in it, for it is that which he would hear: nevertheless all your high talking, and se∣veral inventions and images set up from the letter; yet here you are not separated, but are of one minde, faith and belief; and so it is no marvel why there is so much pride, covetousness, lying, swearing, drunkenness and gluttony, defrauding, cozening, cheat∣ing, backbiting murther, adultery, theft, and all other evil that can be named or invented, acted among such who are in this faith and this belief; which in stead of giving victory over these things, leads into them, and gives them the name of Failings; and brings Davids words, and Paul's words, to cover these abominations with. But now is the perfect day springing, which discovers and

makes manifest all your words and works to be evil, and not to be wrought in God, notwithstanding all your talking of him, and calling him Lord and Master; for his work is perfect, to destroy the works of the devil: And this is the reason why people hath been learning this sixteen hundred years and are yet ever learning, but are never like to come to the knowledge of the Truth, if they should learn sixteen hundred years longer; but shall live and die in their sins, because they believe not the light wherewith they are enlightned, whereby sin is seen and condemned in the flesh, and victory witnessed over it; and so the righteousness of God is re∣vealed from faith to faith, in which the power of God, which is the Gospel, is received; which opens the prison-door, and makes way for that which is pure and perfect to arise and come forth; and here the perfect Law of God comes to be set up, to be the Schoolmaster unto Christ, which teaches to deny all them who hath gotten the Saints words, and hath transformed themselves as the Ministers of Christ, and thinks very much if they be not cal∣led so; when as they have bent all their strength and power against Christ, and hath mustered up all their forces, (who will be under their command) against the appearance of Christ: but their wea∣pons is carnal, and their captain doth not lead them to salvation. but to condemnation; though he may make fair promises and large pretences to stand by them in the day of battel, and to give them the honour, glory, and preferment of the world, if they will serve him, and be under his command: and this is beautiful to the eye, and sweet to the taste; so that many hearkens to him and are willing to serve him, and be under his command: so some he sets on work on lying others on swearing and cursed speaking others on pride, and covetousness, and drunkenness; and others, who hath not money to satisfie their lusts and his will, he leads them to covet and steal that which is another mans, and so to the Gallows; others that he cannot get into these things, he leads them to wantonness and filthy pleasures, to talk idly, or jest foolishly, or to go a ga∣ming or sporting, to spend their time without the fear of God: o∣thers that he cannot get in gross evils, he leads them into the Scri∣ptures, to get a profession, and a talk of them that witnessed the precious faith, whereby they was made partakers of the precious promises, which was of right due to them: but still he keeps them

under his power and command▪ subj••ct to his will▪ in the fashions, and customs, and vanities of the world; so that there is very little difference but in words and outward pretences among them, whereby the Devil is more transformed into an Angel of Light, and here the enemy of God makes many believe they are well enough, they are Church-members, and they themselves yielding their Members servants to sin, whereby they are captivated a•• his will; And all these agree together, and with one mouth saith, they shall never be free from sin, while they be upon earth: and here he deceiveth thousands, and devoureth ten thousands, and overthrows the true Faith which gives victory over the world, and the Prince of it, & leads into the place of Holiness within the vail: And here is his wiles and subtilties seen and known, which he deceiveth the Nations with, who is and hath been pleading for him, and fulfilling his will, in which you Priests and Pro∣fessors of what kinde soever, and people are found, who hates the Light wherewith you are enlightned, now are you found fight∣ing against the Lamb of God, that is come to take away sin and destroy the works of the Devil, and to present his children perfect to his Father without spot. And now doth the Prince of the Air, which hath ruled in your hearts all this time break forth and shew himself to the children of Light, who follows the Lamb, even ready to destroy the man childe, which is ready to be brought forth, which must rule the Nations with a rod of Iron, and leads you to set your selves in battle against him (though it be hard for you to believe it) and the work of his Servants in all ages, and the Life that they lived and the Gospel they preached, and the Testimony they gave of the Son.

1. You are against Noah▪ with whom Gods Covenant was, who was a just man and perfect in his Generation, and walked with God, Gen. 6. 9. but you are of that generation which walks not with God, but in the way that leads to the Chambers of death.

2. You are against the command of God to Abraham, and so are of your father the Devil, whose work ye do and plead for, who saith and believeth none can be perfect upon earth; for God said to Abraham, Walk before me, and be thou perfect, Gen. 17. 1.

3. You are of another minde then David was of, who com∣manded his son Solomon to serve the Lord, with a perfect heart and with a willing minde, 1 Chr. 21. 9.

4. You are against Gods Testimony of Job, who said, He was a perfect and an upright man, and one that feared God▪ and eschewed evil, Job 1. 18. and contrary to Bildads Testimony of him, though he was compassed about with troubles; yet he said, God would not cast away a perfect man, Job 18. 20. Job 33. 9.

5. You are not in the way of God which is perfect, but are pleading against it, and any that shall be brought into it, Psalm 18. 30. And David witnessed that God girded him with strength, and made his way perfect, Psal. 18. 32. now you who are in the crooked ways of darkness knows not the way of God which is perfect, but hath chosen your own ways which leads to the Chambers of death.

6. You are against the command of Christ unto his children, Mat. 5. 48. Who said unto them Be ye perfect, as your father which is in heaven is perfect. Now they did not Answer and say as you do, That they did believe that they should never be so: but you are made manifest, whom you serve, and whose com∣mand you obey, with that which is perfect, which is hid from your eyes.

7. Your Faith and Belief is against the coming of Christ, whose coming is to do away, and destroy that which is imperfect, 1 Cor. 13. 10. who was made manifest for the same purpose to destroy the works of the Devil, 1 Joh. 3. 8. Now who are the Antichrists? but you Priests, and Professors, and People, who are so wholly bent against the Coming, Command, and Work of Christ, that you are so far from witnessing him come in the flesh, that you have bent all your strength together to fight against him. Now if this be not that Spirit of Antichrist, which John warned the little children of, who witnessed Christ in them, a greater then Antichrist which was gone out in the world, let all who are children of the true Light judge, John 4. 3. So they that witness Christ come in their flesh now, are to be warned of such Spirits, not to believe every Spirit, but try the Spirits; for many false Spirits are gone out into the world, and speaketh of the world, and the world heareth them, and believeth them,

and fighteth for them whose Kingdom is of the world, and per∣secuteth and imprisoneth them that shall and doth oppose these Spirits of Antichrist, which goes under the name of Christ; and hath gotten the words of Moses, Abraham, the Prophets, and Apostles, yet are found out with the eternal Light of God, to be fighting against his Son, and are such as he cryed many woes a∣gainst, Mat. 23.

8. You are also opposing the command of the Apostle, who said unto his brethren, Be perfect, be of good comfort, 2 Cor. 13. 11. Now if you had been in his days, you would have said it was impossible, you could never believe it, as you do now. And so you put more confidence in the Devil, that he is able to up∣hold his work in you as long as you live, then you can of God, that he will destroy the Devils work in you; and so according to your Faith will it be unto you: Now this is glad tidings to the Devil, that you have made a covenant with Death, and an a∣greement with Hell; he will let you profess as much of the Scrip∣tures as you will, as long as you are of this belief, and yet in the end will turn you into the Lake amongst the unbelievers.

9. You are seeking to destroy the gifts that was given to the Apostles, which was for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministery; which was to that end, to bring them to a perfect man, to the Measure and Stature of the fulness of Christ, and to the unity of the Faith in this, that afterwards they might not be tossed to and fro with the windy Doctrine of men, which was of a contrary Faith, as you are now, Eph. 4. 11, 12, 13, 14. Now your gift and work of your Ministery, is contrary for the perfecting of the man of sin, and your work and ministery is that none can be perfect, which is the work Faith and Ministry of Antichrist, and brings all the conditions of the Saints, which they passed thorow, before they grew up to a perfect man in Christ: These things you bring to plead for the Devils Kingdom as long as you live, which they never did: but your cloak is too narrow, it will not cover you, and here you are found out the Antichrist, and your gift and ministery of him, to the building up of his Kingdom, and the overthrowing of the true Faith in thousands, which leads into the Kingdom which stands in righteousness all that walks in it.

10. Your preaching is contrary to the Apostle, and your wis∣dom is contrary to his, who came not with entising words of mans wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power, and spake the wisdom of God in a mystery among them that was perfect, 1 Cor. 2. 6. but your wisdom and speaking is to make people believe they shall never be perfect, and so are as far contrary to his, as light is from darkness; therefore it is no mar∣vel that people is begotten into a contrary faith and belief, and their wisdom so earthly, carnal, sensual and devilish: now if this be not the Doctrine of Devils, let all who are of an upright heart judge.

11. You are against the end for which the Scripture was gi∣ven forth, which was for the perfecting of the Man of God, 2 Tim. 3. 17. And so are the Antichrists the Scripture speaks of.

12. You are against the Prayer of the Apostle for the Saints, Heb. 13. 20, 21. whose Prayer to God was that they might be made perfect in every good work: Now your Prayers is, that he would give you grace, when as his grace hath appeared to you, and you have turned it into wantonness, and so tempts God, to give you that which you would spend upon your lust: but your prayers are an abomination to him, and he will not hear you, because you regard iniquity in your hearts, and works it with your hands, and cannot believe that ever you shall be brought out of it here: your prayers are out of the Faith, and so are not accepted; but you are those that must depart from the Son▪ though you may prophesie in his name, and preach his words in your synagogues, and make many long prayers to him, as your forefathers did, yet your iniquities hath made a separation between him and you, and though you make many prayers, he will not hear, because you have cast his perfect law behinde your backs, and hath wrought despite again the Spirit of Grace.

13. You are against the prayer of Peter for them he spoke to, who prayed that the God of all Grace, who had called them unto his eter∣nal Glory by Christ Jesus, after they had suffered a while, make them perfect, 1 Pet. 5. 10. And the Apostle Paul said, Let as many as be per∣fect be thus minded, Phil. 3. 15. but you being men of corrupt minds doth withstand this, as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, and to this Faith are Reprobates, and so hath not victory over the least evil that is in the world; and therefore are to be denied by them who are not of the world, who keeps people ever learning, but are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, 2 Tim. 3. and so are to be turn∣ed away from and denied, according to the Apostles command.

14. You are against the offering of Christ, who through the eter∣nal Spirit offered himself to God, to purge their consciences from dead

works, to serve the living God, Heb. 9. 14. now this you do not believe that ever you shall be brought from dead works, and so cannot be ser∣vants to God; for his servants you are, to whom you do obey, whether it be of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness, Rom. 6. 16.

15. Your pleading is against the one offering, which hath perfect∣ed for ever them that are sanctified, and so here you lies in the pollu∣tions of the world, children of disobedience, in whom the Prince of the air lodgeth, the Spirit that now worketh in you, whom you believe and obey, which opposeth the Spirit of truth which the world cannot receive, which who doth receive and obey, comes to be sanctified, and so by one offering perfected, Heb. 10. 14. but this your enmity is a∣gainst, and so your many offerings day by day, and year by year, doth not make you that are the comers thereto perfect, but your conscien∣ces are corrupt, and your preaching vain, and faith vain, and are yet in your sins, and can never believe any other: now here have you made the blood of Christ of none effect, which takes away sin, and pur∣ges the conscience from dead works in all them that know it; and this is the cause of your 〈◊〉〈◊〉 envy and rage against them, who by the power of God are brought to witnesse the one offering, whereby they are perfected from sin, and so from condemnation to do the will of God, which is their sanctification.

From him who now suffers in outward bonds at Dorchester in the Country of Dorset (for de∣claring against the Spirit of Antichrist which is now abroad in the world) who is called among men, AMBROSE RIGGE.

Now all you aforementioned, who saith and believeth no man or woman shall be made free from sin while they be upon earth: I ask you one question, Where shall people be made clean, seeing as death leaves them, judgement finds them, and no imperfect or unclean thing must enter into Gods Kingdom? Now I challenge you all Priests, and Professors of what kinde or sort soever, who are of this Faith, Answer by plain grounds of Scripture, without adding or diminishing, where or with what must people be made perfect, that people may no longer give ear to lying vanities, but may strive to make their calling and election sure, knowing that no other thing obtains the Crown of Life: And send your Answer to any of those people, that are in scorn called Quakers; or to me in particular, whose name after the flesh is

A. R.

FINIS.