A description of the true temple and worship of God. And Jesus Christ manifested to be the head of the Church, which is his body, and the onely pastour and also the members of the body of Christ, known by their fruits, from the synagogue of Antichrist, with a few words to the Romane Catholicks. Likewise the order of the church in God the body of Christ made manifest, and the disorder of the synagogue of Antichrist.

A Description of the Temple and Worship of God, &c.

The true Church manifested to be the Body of Christ, and not the externall Temples made with hands, and Christ exalted who is Supreme head of his Church, and the Teacher of the Members of his body, and the end of the first Priesthood.

THE Eternall God, that made the world, and all things therein,* 1.1 who gives life to all living creatures,* 1.2 dwelleth not in Temples made with hands, neither is he worshipped with mens hands, as people may imagine, but the Almighty dreadfull God is a Spirit, and the true worshippers worship him in the Spirit, and so he will be worshipped, and is and hath been so served and worshipped by the true Christians, the faithfull worshippers created anew in Christ, ever since Christ came in the flesh, the living substance, who prophesied of the deftruction of the Temple, which Solo∣mon builded for the Service of God in the time of the Law, which Temple and Service in its time was agreeable to the will of God, being duly and truly observed, according to the requi∣rings of the Law, and the first Priesthood, as they stood faith∣full in the Councell of the Lord, their service and offerings was accepted, but their time was but untill Christ came in the flesh; the everlasting, unchangeable High Priest, in whom the Righteousnesse of the Law is fulfilled, who is made a Priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedech; he puts an end to the (first Priesthood) Law, the carnall Ordinances, offerings, and outward observations, Rites, and Ceremonies contained in the Law, which were Types, figures, and shadows, all fulfilled in Christ the living Substance, the end of the Law and the Pro∣phets, for the substance, the end of all things, the eternall son

of the dreadfull God being come, the shadows and figures cease and end, the first Priesthood, which was the changeable Priestood, had its time untill the coming of Jesus Christ, the eternall, unchangeable Priest, and then changed, and the Law also:* 1.3 And this is he (at whom the whole world is offended, who makes themselves Priests after the Law of a carnall com∣mandement) who is made high Priest for ever over the hou∣shold of God, not made by a carnal 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of a commandement (as the Priests of the world are, who receive their orders & Commis∣sions from man, so made by the will of man but after the power of an endlesse life, and they who have not Christ to be their chief Shepherd, and high Priest, are none of his sheep, nor of the hou∣shold of God; whatsoever in words may be professed of him; for there are many that draw nigh with their mouths and lips, but their heart far from him.

The Law made nothing perfect, as the Scripture of truth, af∣firms, but Christ Jesus the substance hath by one offering perfected for ever them that be sanctified; the daily sacrificers the Priests themselves,* 1.4 who daily offered sacrifice for themselves and the people in the outward Temple, according to the Cu∣stome of the Law, were not made perfect as pertaining to the conscience, for that by the works of the Law, no flesh can be justified, if there had been perfection in the works of the law under the first Priesthood; what need had there been for a change of the law and the Priesthood, but not being of force, to make the comers thereunto perfect, nor the Priests themselves: there∣fore there was a necessity, for the change of the law and the Priesthood,* 1.5 for as saith Paul, if there had been perfection by the Leviticall Priesthood (for under it the people received the law) what further need was there, that another Priesthood should arise after the order of Melchisedech, and not be called after the order of Aaron for the Priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity also a change of the law.

Wherefore I say, all such people, as now go to, and uphold the outward Temple and Synagogue, and observe the ancient customes, the Rices and Ceremonies contained in the law; fol∣low the example of the Jews, and the first Priesthood and their

practises, and so goes on in the way where perfection cannot be actained, nor the light of life received.

It was the labour and practice of the Apostles, the primitive Christians, to go into the Temple and Synagognes, and to de∣clare against their carnall Ordinances, weak and beggarly Ele∣ments, which had no strength nor power in them to bring peo∣ple to perfection, and to call them forth of these things to fol∣low Jesus Christ, the everlasting unchangeable high Priest, who by one offering hath perfected for ever them that be sanctifi∣ed, and so many as believed and received Christ, which the Saints in light preached, left the outward Temple and worship, and forsook the types, figures, and shadows, and the rudiments of the world, and followed Christ and they recived the light of life, the knowledge of God, and in Chirst was created anew, and so be∣came Christians, forsaking the old way, and following the new, and living way, which all be our of,* 1.6 who uphold the outward Temple and be in the Rudiments of the world, the carnall Or∣dinances, and outward observations, whose performances stands in their own wills and time: take notice, they who continued in the outward Temple-worship were not called Christians, and though ye Temple worshippers call your selves Christians, and go under the name of believers in Christ, neverthelesse your practises and fruits manifests the contrary, with the eternall eye, ye are seen to be in the same nature and life of the Jews and In∣fidels, who were enemies to Christ and the primitive Christians, for ye have but the talk or nimes of Christ and the Saints, our of the nature and life of the living substance.

The Temple which King Solomon builded,* 1.7 Jesus Christ the e∣verlasting unchangeable high Priest,* 1.8 foretold the destruction of, and told his Disciples,* 1.9 that there should not be left one stone up∣on another, that should not be thrown down, and after the Prophesie of Christ was fulfilled, the Temple destroyed, the Scripture of truth doth not mention, that ever the Lord com∣manded one other to be builded, but the Iews, Scribes, Pha∣risees and Infidels, who murdered the just, who were in dark∣nesse, upheld the ourward Temple, and Synagogues (as the truths enemies do now) and have builded many Temples and

Synagogues, following their own imaginations and inventions, and the Superstitious traditions and Ceremonies of the enemies of Christ, (and the harmlesse Christians) not regarding Christ, nor the Doctrine of the Apostles, who declared against them, and told people in plain words, God dwelt not in them, as is in the Scripture of truth recorded,* 1.10 Which shall stand a witnesse for ever against all their upholders.

And as the Temple-worshippers in former ages were ready to cry up their Temple and worship, after God had removed his Candlestick from it, even so it is at this day, they in the Primi∣tive times upheld and cried up the temple-worship, and servi∣ces therein, when the Lord was departed out of them, and there was no life to be found in them; and they persecuted, im∣prisoned, and shamefully intreated the Christians in whom was the Life, whose bodies were the Temple of the living God, and the cryers up,* 1.11 and upholders of the idolized houses, the externall Temples and Synagogues (which they call common∣ly Churches) and the daily services, follows the same example, though they call themselves by the name of Christians; but your fruits and practises makes you clearly manifest, ye are as the Jews and unbelievers were in former ages, without the Life and Power of truth and righteousnesse, and enemies to it:

Likewise, the heathenish Idolaters, set up Temples for to worship their idol-gods in, and they cryed up their outward Temple,* 1.12 the Temples of Diana, Great is the Temple of Diana, and the upholders of the Temple of Diana was in a great up∣rore against the Apostle Paul, for declaring against their abomi∣nable superstition and idolatry, and with all their force and power in a tumultuous manner, resisted the power and life of truth, and cryed up their own idol, as all the Sects and opini∣ons do now, every particular Sect cryes up their own way, but all enemies to the life and power of truth, and can all agree in one to persecute the Temple of God, in whom the life of God is made manifest, ye who are gathered into various forms, though in judgment and opinion ye from one another differ, and be at enmity one against another: neverthelesse in this Nation

of England, as well as in other Nations and Islands ye can joyn together, and make warre against the children of light, speak and write against the life of truth, and beat, imprison and per∣secute the bodies of the Saints, in whom the life and power of truth is manifested, in the former ages as may be read in the Scriptures of truth, the chief Priests, Scribes and Pharisees, the Libertines, Sadduces, and Alexandrians, all were enemies to Christ and the primitive Christians, and even so are the various formalists in this age, all enemies to the chosen of the Lord, the elect seed, but it is our joy, that our God hath called us unto such an high calling, and counted us worthy to suffer in inno∣cency for his pure names sake, glory, honour, praise, and eter∣nall dominion, be given unto our God; all ye dear innocent Lambs who suffer for Righteousnesse sake, rejoyce and sing prai∣ses unto the Lord our God for ever, the day of your eternall Redemption draweth nigh, your enemies, the enemies of truth and innocency, the Lord our God will confound and destroy, and through patient suffering we shall all be crowned with vi∣ctory, and triumph and rejoyce over all Gods enemies for ever. Blessed are ye for ever who abide the fiery tryall, for yours is the dominion for ever; but who ever shrinks in the time of suf∣fering, when the great day of tryall shall come, shall never reign with Christ the Captain of our salvation, who was made perfect through suffering; but ye who continue to the end, are blessed for ever, and shall reign as Kings over all the earth.

And ye Temple-worshippers in this age, manifest your selves to be as blind and ignorant concerning the mystery of life and salvation, as your forefathers were, the enemies of truth and righteousnesse in the former ages, who did not believe in Christ the substance, who put an end to all types and figures, though ye pretend ye believe in Christ, and go under the name of Chri∣stians; but all are not Christians that go under that name, for all ye that be from the light with which Christ Jesus hath en∣lightened you, and deny the light, and call it a naturall light, or a fancy, as many of ye have done, be out of the way of Truth, Life, Peace, and salvation; for there is no Life, Peace nor sal∣vation in any other but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the true light, which hath enlightened

every man that is come into the world, and I say unto you, un∣till you come to own the light of Christ in you, and it receive to be your guide and leader, you cannot receive the light of life: the way of life, peace and eternall salvation, the light will lead you if you believe in it, and receive it to be acted by it, which will for ever be sealed from you, if ye continue in enmity to it, and hate, and despise it, and will be your condemnati∣on for ever from the inheritance of the Righteous: none up∣on the face of the whole earth can come into the persect know∣ledge of the secret mystery of life and salvation, but by the Light with which Christ hath enlightened them; for it is the key of Divine knowledge, it being owned and received, it will clear and open the understanding, and give truly to know the secret mystery of eternal life and salvation, which cannot be at∣tained any other way, but by the light, which is the eye with which the face of God is seen in Christ, the eternall Divine sub∣stance, in whom all fulnesse dwells, which Divine secret is hid eternally from all that deny and refuse the light in them, with which the expresse image of the Fathers glorious substance, Christ hath enlightned them.

Also I say, all people upon the face of the whole earth, under what name or Title of Religion soever, that make men∣tion of the name of Jesus Christ, and are from the light with which the true light Christ hath enlightened them, are out of the nature and life of Christ, and are no true Christians, but are in the flesh, and brings forth the fruits of the flesh, and such as be in the flesh be enemies in their minds to Christ, and the true innocent Christians: the fleshly man in all ages hath been, an enemie to the Spirituall man, as in particular, in the general, the flesh makes war against the Spirit, the fleshly man against the Spirituall man, and strives with all his might and force to have the rule over the spirituall man; but thou fleshly man, thy Strength is the Arm of flesh, and thy weapons of Warre are carnal, and thou canst not prevail against the man born of the Spirit, for the Lord of hosts is his strength, who is Mighty and Powerfull, who will cut downe by the World of his Power, the Sword of his Mouth, and give

him dominion over thee, though thou use all thy craft and subtill policy, for to bring the spirituall seed under thee, yet thou shall know that God hath decreed the contrary; for this is the day of the Lords mercy, and the innocent seed, which hath long been sore oppressed by the unrighteous generation of fleshly men, shall now be freed from bondage and thral∣dome; and I know the day draws nigh wherein this shall be fulfilled; though the utmost of your wrath and cruelty, you will manifest, who walk in the flesh, yet all your stri∣ving, plotting, and close combining and unrighteous de∣crees, shall stand you in no stead, for the elect seed, accor∣ding to the determinate Counsell of the Almighty God shall now be set free, as well from out ward bondage, as in∣ward, and shall reign and govern in righteousness, over all the earth for evermore, our God according to his promise, for his elect sake, will hasten his work, a short work, he will make upon the earth, now woe, woe, to the oppressors of Sion great will be your misery pain and torment, of your grief and sorrow there shall be no end; but blessed art thou who art hated, and despised, persecuted, and shamefully en∣treated, mocked and scorned, and not counted worthy to live upon the earth, thy grief and sorrow, shall be turned into everlasting joy, thou shalt sing and be glad, when thy enemies mourn and lament, thy time of sorrow is come in remembrance with God, and he will plead thy cause against thy oppressions, and give thee ease and peace for ever, and o∣ver the smoke of their torment shalt thou rejoyce, and the time draweth night wherein our God will bring this to pass.

Gods people, his Temple; and who they are.

THe Apostle, Paul writes unto the Corinthians in plain words, concerning the Temple of God;* 1.13 which might stop the mouths of all the Carnall professors upon the earth, who call, a stone-house their Church or Temple; if the words were truly weighed and beleeved; know ye not

(saith he) that ye are the Temple of God; and the spirit of God dwelleth in you, if any defile the temple of God, him shal God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are, but the whole earth hath been covered with thick dark∣ness, in this long time of Apostacy, that the understandings of most part of people hath been vailed and blinded, that the knowledge of the truth and life of the holy Scriptures hath been sealed from them, and are to thousands at this day; who make a profession of it; and by many thousands of peo∣ple in this Nation and other Nations, the stone houses, the Idol Temples made with mens hands, are called Churches and Temples; and are esteemed to be more holy places then others; though the Scripture clearly manifests to the true understanding Reader, that the people of God are his Church or Temple;* 1.14 ye are (saith Paul to the Church of Corinth) the Temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; take notice, the people in whom God dwells and walks are his Temple; but if any of Gods people, whom he hath chosen to be his rabernacle; do now bear restimony of the spirit of life dwelling in them, it is by this dark generation of people counted presumption, and by some blasphemy; because it is beyond the reach of their car∣nal reason and sensuall wisdome, which never shall enter in∣to the true knowledge of this my stery, god dwelling in man and man dwelling in God; and furthermore, Paul saith to to the Church at Corinth,* 1.15 what know ye not that your body is the temple of the holy Spirit which is in you? is not this a plain thing, that the people of God are his temple, and dwelling place, if you will beleeve the Scriptures, you can∣not deny the truth of this which is so clearly made manifest. And these are Gods, people, who walk in his light and Counsell, who are borne againe of the incorruptible seed, who have put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man Christ Iesus, and this is the same body as ever was; the temple God dwells in; the body purged from sin and corruption, and this is the eternall tabernacle of God, the new man, Christ Jesus the same to day yesterday and for ever, but such people as be in the corruptible nature, not

purged nor cleansed from sin and corruption, are not the holy temple of God; such as bring forth the fruits of unrighteous∣ness, and hath no experience of the in ward work of Gods li∣ving power in them, but are ignorant of the work of repene∣ration, they be none of the body of Christ the temple of God, but the Synagogue of Satan, the body of Anti-Christ; for it is they and onely they, who are (borne of the spirit and walk after the spirit, (to walk after the spirit is to be led and guided by it) which brings forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness which knows the operation of the divine power, and the work of Regeneration wrought in them, which are the true and onely temple of God; ye who are Regenerate, and born again of the immortall seed, ye are the true Christians body of Christ, temple of God, and Gods dwelling house and ta∣bernacle, ye babes of God, who through the eternall spirit, hath mortified the Just and Concupiscence of the flesh, Cru∣cified the old man with his deeds; from whom all old things are passed away; who are created a new unto good works, ye are the Church of the first borne, your body is the temple of the eternall God, and he will dwell in you, and make his a∣bode with you for ever,

The members of the body of Christ known by their fruits from the Synagogue of Anti-Christ.

YE who be of the body of Christ, from sin and iniquity are purged and cleansed through the Spirit, by which ye are baptised into the one body, and ye cannot bring forth evill fruits, ye are known one of another in the life of innocency, though the world know ye not, ye are meek, loving and full of tender compassion, ye cannot render evill for evill to no person, ye are patient and long suffering, willing freely to forgive them that trespass against you, your humillity and moderation is manifest to the light in all consciences, ye are not puft up with pride and conceitedness, but are low and little in your own eyes, ye cannot seek after earthly honour or riches, but are contene with what the Lord provides for

you, and ye seek onely after honour of God, ye are no self-lovers, but self-denyers, no followers of the worlds fa∣shions, Customs or traditions but of Iesus Christ, whose king∣dome is not of the world who alone is your Head, King, Priest and Propher, ye who goe under the name of mem∣bers of the Church of Christ, and call one another Brother, and Sister, who pretend to have Communion and fellow∣ship with one another, search your hearts with the light of Christ, and it will not deceive you, but let you truly see, in what your fellowship hath stood and stands, and will clearly manifest unto you, whether ye be in the spirit of truth and righteousness yea or no; if ye be, then the fruits before men∣tioned ye will bring forth abundantly, which are the fruits of the spirit, and your Communion and fellowship will stand, and as ye abide in the life of truth and righteousness, your love and unity will grow and increase, and your pure lives and holy conversations, will make you manifest to be members of the body of Christ; but if you see with the light of Christ self-love, pride, covetousness, rashness, self-wild∣ness, envy and uncharitableness, then know that if these things remaine in you and things of the like nature, that your Communion and fellowship, is in the flesh and not in the spirit, formal and not eternall, and ye are none of the li∣ving stones which the temple of God is built on, none of the members of the body of Christ, but of Anti-Christ, the body of Christ is washed in his blood which cleanseth from all un∣righteousness, unrighteousness, uncleanness, and all sin and iniquity is out of the body of Christ, the Church in God; in the body of Anti-Christ, the enemy of the Church of God; All ye formalists who are puft up in pride and arrogancy, who have gotten the Saints words to talk on in your airy minds, and live at ease in vain pleasures and wantonness, your words and policy shall stand you in no stead, in this the day of the Lord, you shall appear in your own likeness, your close hypocrisy and your fained humility, shall not cover you, nor save you from the judgements of the dreadfull God, your hearts shall be made naked and bare; and your

reward you shall have, with the wicked and ungodly, your shame and confusion, ye shall no longer hide, ye shall be known whose servants and Children ye are, and of what body ye are members, and that Anti-christ is your head, and not Christ, the body of Christ is purged from all secret de∣ceit, treachery, and close hypocrisy, and is filled with righ∣teousness, purity and innocency, every particular member of the Church in God (this pillar and ground of truth) knows the work of sanctification, by the powerfull ope∣ration of the word of truth are thorowly cleansed and san∣ctified, and by the divine power joyned and united unto Christ the head of his Church which is his body; he is no member of the Church of Christ what ever he profess, that lives after the flesh, and knows not the work of the Eternall Spirit of judgement and burning, which mortifies the fleshly desires and lusts, and purges and cleanses the heart thorow∣ly from sin and iniquity; for it is the work of the spirit to purifie, and the body purified without spot, is the body of Christ, the Church of God, no unclean person can be uni∣ted to the body of Christ, though thousands of unclean people, may come amongst the members of his body, yet no defiled thing can be joyned to it, for it is pure without spot, and members of the Church in God feels, enjoys, one ano∣ther in the life of pure love, and their unity and fellowship, stands not in outward formallity; but in the pure life of truth and innocency, where they meet and imbrace one a∣nother, and are refreshed one in another, in the love, and life which changeth not; which all men and women upon the face of the whole earth are out of, which be from the light, with which Christ hath enlightned them; for the light leads into the life of innocency, where the eternall u∣nity stands.

The Church made of living stones.

THe living stones of which the Church of God is made, are the people who have passed from death to life, who

are dead to sin, and alive unto righteousness, such as have passed thorow much sorrow and many tribulations, and hath seen the travail of their souls, and are satisfied with the birth of the immortall seed, which is borne and brought forth in them; they in whom the righteous seed is raised, and the unrighteous nature destroyed, which was dead in sin and transgression, and made alive unto God; and now lives in the light, the life of righteousness, are the Church of God, the House of God, the tabernacle of the most high, and in them the Lord of Hosts is sanctified, who will be sanctified in all that draw nigh unto him; and in ye who are raised up in the life and power of truth and righteousness is the living praises; for the living praises God, the dead cannot praise him, the life, which through the operation of the E∣ternal spirit is raised, which purgeth from sin and iniquity glorifies God and praises God, and these are the living stones on which the Church of God is builded, who are borne of the immortall seed; whose delight is to walk in the Counsell of the Lord, and to serve and obey him, which cannot delight in themselves nor in their own works, and truly it is not grievous to the living stones, the Babes born of God to follow the Counsell of their Father, for it is the nature of the seed of God to doe the will of him, who hath through the power of his free love and tender mercy be∣gotten it unto himself; ye in whom the babe immortal is born and brought forth, can seal to the truth of this, though to many it may seem to be a strange doctrine, who be ignorant of the work of God, and knows not the birth of the seed immortall; but truly I know that as Iohn saith, that the Commandements of the Lord out God are not grievous unto us his Children,* 1.16 who are begotten and borne of him, but rather joy us, yea it is our joy to serve the Lord our God, and to keep his pure Commandements, as it was the delight of his faithfull servant David to walk in his Com∣mandements which he loved;* 1.17 but who be in the transgres∣sion, in the disobedience loves not God,* 1.18 neither delighteth in his commands, but loves themselves, their own ways,

and rejoyceth in their iniquities, and delighteth in the things which are perishing, which profiteth not but such are dead in sin, though alive in the fleshly body, and are none of the living stones which the Church of God is made on.

Iesus Christ head of his Church, and the onely Pastour.

MAny people there are that in words make a profession of Christ and the Scriptures, and will say they beleeve in Christ, yet will not own him to be their Pastour and chief Shepheard, as the Church in God owned him, and confes∣sed him, as the Scripture of truth makes manifest, yet ac∣count themselves to be his Church and people; but such as cannot own him to be their teacher and leader clearly mani∣fests themselves to be none of his flock; for the Sheep of Christ, know his voice and follow him, and regards not the voice of the stranger, and they who know his voice, observe his counsell, and follow his leadings and dire∣ctions, for how doth any man follow Christ, if he doe not hearken to his pure Counsell, and obey what he re∣quires, Christ saith himself, I am the good Shepheard and know my sheep, and am known of mine, and such as know Christ and are known of him, need no other Pastour or Shepheard, he is sufficient to guide his own flock, and such as make a profession of him in words and shew outwardly, (as the va∣rious formalists doe) and will not own him to be suflicient, without other helps, to teach them the way of life and sal∣vation, shews that they know him not, for if they knew him, they would know that there is no salvation in any o∣ther, all power and authority is committed unto the true light Christ Iesus, the everlasting unchangeable high Priest, who is over the houshold of God, their head and Pastour, and who are not under his Scepter and Government, what ever they profess in words of him; they are none of his subjects, none of his body, none of his Church, but the sub∣jects of Antichrist; for whose Scepter and Government ye

are under, his servants, and subjects ye are; if Christ govern then are ye guided in the way of truth & righteousnes, which is the strait path which leads to life eternall; and ye cannot follow the broad path of wickedness and unrighteousness, which leads to perdition and eternall destruction; for the Church of Christ who are subject to him, are restrained by his saving power from the evill way, and kept in the pure way, the way of holiness, for he goeth before, and his flock follow him, and they that follow his leadings cannot erre from the way of truth and holiness, who goe on in the ways of wickedness follows not Christ, he doth not goe before them but Anti-christ, the enemy of Christ he is the King of unrighteousness, and the wicked his subjects follow him, so that ye who be in the sin and unrighteousness, and plead for sin remaining in you, so long as ye live upon the earth, ye are none of the subjects of Christ; for he saves his people from their sins, Christ is none of your King, Priest nor Pro∣phet, who are not governed by him and saved from your sins; ye are none of the members of his body; who be in your sins, the members of his body are purified and cleansed, without spot or blemish; Take dilligent notice, the Church in God which is the body of Christ,* 1.19 is without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, holy and without blemish; and of this sanctified body, Christ is the Head and Saviour, who saveth to the utmost all them that come unto God by him, and such a glorious high Priest becometh the Church of God, who is able to save and defend them from the power of sin and Satan, and to present it without spot or fault un∣to God the Father of Spirits; who hath set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, and hath put all things under his feet,* 1.20 and hath given him to be the Head of his Church which is his body; such people as choose a man (or men) and set him (or them) up to be their teacher (or tea∣chers) Christ is not their pastour nor teacher, such as set up man, and dishonours Christ, ye that choose a man and set him up to be your Head, and receives Orders and Com∣missions from him, you goe about to take the authority from

Christ, and to rob him of his glory, who in all things ought to have the preheminence, who is the everlasting unchangeable high Priest, in whom there is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning, he alone is the Supreme of his Church, and the members of his body receive orders and directions from him, they know his voice, and follow his Counsell, and need not seek unto man, so sets not up man, but Christ to be Supream Ruler, head and Governour, who is most worthy to have the Government of his own body, who is over all, God blessed for ever, he is the same yesterday, to day, and for ever, and his Church is the same, the chast, pure, holy Virgin, which he hath chosen to be his espouse for ever, he is not espoused, nor will not espouse himself to an harlot, an adulterer, that follow∣eth after other lovers, such as follow their imaginations and in∣ventions, and loves themselves the world and its glory, such are none of Christs espouse, for the Bride, the Lambs wife follows the Lamb, denies the world, its pomp and glory, and tramples upon all vain traditions, foolish inventions, and earthly imaginations, and over all the earth reigns, and gives glory to him who redeems them from the earth.

Therefore all people upon the face of the whole earth who make a profession of believing in the name of Christ, turn in your minds to his light in you, with which he hath enlightened you, and in it wait patiently, that you may come to know his saving power, which is nigh you, if ye were but acquainted with it, which if you cease from man, and your own works and imaginations, and take heed to the light of Christ in you which shew you your thoughts, desires, and evil deeds, the saving power of his love, you would shortly come to know and feel, which would rend the vails which hath darkned your understan∣dings, and give ye to see into the secrets of God, the Church in God you would come to know, and Christ to be the chief Shepherd, the everlasting, unchangeable priest, the light is the eternall eye which sees and searches into the deep secrets of God, and ye cannot come to know the true Church, nor the order and Government thereof, untill you come to the light in you and receive it to be your guide, which light leads to

Christ from whence in comes, who reveals and makes known the deep secret mysteries of life, peace, and eternall salvation, which you can never attain unto by any other means, for man by rea∣ding, studying, praying in his own will, and observing duties and outward Ordinances, can never find out the knowledge of God and his secrets; for whatsoever man doth in his own will, and time, is but his own work, and not the work of God, and all men and women upon the face of the whole earth must cease from their own works, before they enter into the true rest, the rest prepared for the children of God, which is in Christ the true light, which enlighteneth every one that cometh into the world in him the fulnesse of the Godhead dwells bodily, and all that dwell in the truth, in the light, in Christ, dwell in peace; for in me saith Christ, Ye have peace; dwell in the light, in Christ, free from the condemning power of the Law, but out of the light in draknesse, under the condemning power of the Law, under the curse and wrath of God; this is the way of true knowledge, the light loving it, and the way of life and peace to all that receive it, to be their leader, and for ever bles∣sed are they that submit to the Scepter of Jesus Christ, and con∣tinue under his Government unto the end; for they shall have an inheritance with the righteous generation, in the world which hath no end.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Act 17.
• * 1.2

  Acts 7.
• * 1.3

  Heb. 7.
• * 1.4

  Heb. 10.
• * 1.5

  Heb. 7.11, 12.
• * 1.6

  Col. 2.20, 21, 22, 23
• * 1.7

  Mat. 24.
• * 1.8

  Mar. 13.
• * 1.9

  Luk. 21.
• * 1.10

  Act. 17. Act. 7.
• * 1.11

  1 Cor. 3.
• * 1.12

  Act. 19.
• * 1.13

  1 Cor. 3.16.
• * 1.14

  2 Cor. 6.16.
• * 1.15

  1 Cor. 6.19.
• * 1.16

  Ioh. 5.3.
• * 1.17

  Ps. 119.47.
• * 1.18

  Ver. 143
• * 1.19

  Eph. 5.
• * 1.20

  Eph. 1.