deceivers, and deluded ones, which may be walk more in the life of Christ than yourselves? do you not force them, or sue them that do not give you a maintenance? The apostle saith, they were 'not to eat with such as walk disorderly;' where did ever the prophets or apostles take maintenance, or force them to give them a maintenance, as they called antichrists and deceivers, and heretics, or deluded ones? Let us see where the scripture gives you a rule for this: and where did ever the Jews take tythe-pigs? were not swine unclean by the law? or tythegeese, or tythe-foals? and though the law gave tythes to the priests, yet the gospel saith, freely you have received, freely give:' And if you priests do say, you are of the tribe of Levi, and if you are of the tribe of Levi, how is it that you take of so many sorts of people to make priests of; for the Levitical priests were all of one tribe, but yours of many; but Christ who came of the tribe of Judah hath ended that priesthood that came of Levi's tribe, and the law by which they were made, and the commandment that first gave them tythes.

And the apostle saith, 'look to yourselves that ye lose not the things which we have done, but that we may receive a full reward; whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God; he that continueth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son,' mark, hath them; if there come any among you, and bringeth not this doctrine, receive him not into your houses, neither bid him God speed; for he that biddeth him God speed, is a partaker of his evil deeds;' for how can he bid him God speed, that is without the Father and the Son, and transgresseth, and doth not abide in his doctrine, though he may have a great profession of Christ and the apostle's words, and yet hath not seen Son nor Father, which is the substance of all.

Therefore come ye priests and professors, try yourselves; have ye the Father and Son? do you abide in the doctrine of Christ, 'freely ye have received, freely give? try yourselves by the scriptures, and the 2d epistle of John, and let God, and Christ, and the scriptures judge.

And the apostle Peter saith, through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandize of you,' to wit, the people. Now consider how many sorts of religions there are, and the priests and the teachers thereof, that have made merchandize of the people, hath there been in Christendom since the apostles' days, 2 Pet. ii. 3.

'But the merchants of the earth shall weep and wail over her, (to wit, Babylon) for no man shall buy her ware any more.' Rev. xviii. 11. And Peter saith in 2 Pet. iii. 3. first understanding that there shall come in the last days mockers, which shall walk after their ungodly lusts;' and have we not sufficiently experienced this, both from the leaders and hearers, who have mocked at the spirit of. God, which should mortify their lusts, and at the movings of the spirit of God. and yet make VOL. V.-7

a profession of the scriptures, which no prophecy of it came in the old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost; and you not being in the same moving of the same Holy Ghost, professing the words that were given forth by it, and mock at it, where it is manifested in life and power, and say there is no having the same Holy Ghost now a-days, as they had, which Holy Ghost leads into all truth now, as it did in the apostle's days, where it is received and not resisted, like your forefathers, and none come into all truth but by it, though they may have all the scriptures given forth from it, from Genesis to Revelations.

And Jude in his general epistle warns the church of deceivers, and bids the saints' earnestly to contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints; for there were certain men crept in, which were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men they are, which turn the grace of our God into wantonness, denying God the only Lord, and our Lord Jesus Christ,' which are compared to the angels that kept not their first state, but left their own habitation, whom he hath reserved in everlasting darkness, under chains, unto the great day;' and they are compared unto Sodom and Gomorrah, that followed strange flesh, that were set forth for an example, and to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire;' and are compared to such as God had delivered out of Egypt, 'whom God destroyed, that believed not;' which are called 'filthy dreamers, that defile the flesh, and despise government, and speak evil of dignities, and speak evil of those things which they know not; whatsoever things they know, they know naturally as brute beasts, without reason, in those things they corrupt themselves.'

Now consider ye elders, and teachers, and professors, you that say, that neither yourselves nor others have the same spirit, and Holy Ghost, and power that the apostles had now in your days; then is not what ye know, ye know naturally? and do not you in those things corrupt yourselves, who plead for the body of sin and death to the grave? do not you plead in this for that which defiles your flesh, and speak evil of that dignity which should work it down? and have you not made a mock of the grace of God, which brings salvation, which teacheth the saints, and hath appeared unto all men? for faith and grace is not natural (which Christ is the author of,) but is the gift of God; and was it not, and is it not well for the saints to contend for the faith which Christ is the author and finisher of in them, which is God's gift, and purifies their hearts, which brings them to have access to God? is it not good to contend for this faith, the work of Christ in their hearts, seeing such that turn the grace of God into wantonness, and in their works deny the only Lord and our Lord Jesus Christ, though in words they may profess him, whose ways are like Sodom, and the angels that left their first habitation, and to the

children of Israel, that after God had delivered them out of Egypt, believed not, whom God destroyed; therefore it is good for the saints to contend for the faith and grace of God, that comes by Jesus, which saves them, and brings their salvation, seeing there is so many that turn the grace of God into wantonness, and contend. for their body of sin, and death, and imperfection to the grave, and walk despitefully against the spirit of grace, and seeing so many speak evil of those things they do not know, and deny the power and spirit the apostles had, which would give them knowledge, for what they know they know naturally as brute beasts, the worst sort of creatures; now are not all your tongues natural, and learning natural? did they not begin at Babel? and did not Pilate and the Jews set them a-top of Christ when they crucified him? and hath not the beast and the whore (mentioned in the Revelations) power over the tongues, that sits upon the waters? and are not the tongues called waters? but Christ is risen above them, and all natural things; and may not a parrot be taught to speak any language? and is not all what ye know, ye know naturally, that say, you have not the same power and spirit of God, and Holy Ghost as the apostles had? pray you come, try yourselves, and measure yourselves by this scripture, and see if you be not found in these practises, that Jude warns the church of; for how can ye know spiritually, that deny the light that shines in the heart, to give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus, who mock at this light, and call it natural, and the Quakers' idol.

And further the apostle saith, Woe be unto them, for they have followed the way of Cain, and are cast away by the deceit and error of Balaam's wages of unrighteousness; these are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, without all fear feeding themselves, clouds without water, carried about with winds, corrupt trees without fruit, twice dead, and plucked up by the roots, they are the raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame (and have we not seen you rage sufficiently?) they are wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever; these are murmurers, complainers, walkers after their own lusts, whose mouths speak high swelling words of vanity, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage, (mark, there is the ground of their preaching,) but beloved, remember the words which were spoken before of the apostles, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, how that they told you, that there should be mockers in the last times, which should walk after their ungodly lusts (these are makers of sects, fleshly, having not the spirit) of some have a compassion, in putting a difference, and others save with fear plucking them out of the fire, and hating even the garments spotted by the flesh.'

And now come ye professors and teachers, and try yourselves by these scriptures; do not you plead for the body of death and sin to the grave?

and doth not that spot the flesh? and have you not men's persons in admiration because of advantage? and are not you wells without water, the living water, and wandering stars from one thing to another, and trees without heavenly fruit, that say you have not the same spirit and power the apostles had? and are not some of you (I fear) twice dead and plucked up by the roots? then you cannot grow; and have you not gone in Cain's way of persecuting, and Balaam's way for the wages of unrighteousness, contrary to Christ's command, freely you have received freely give?' pray try, and see if you be not found in his error, and these evil practises.

And have not you gone in Core's way, gainsaying the power and the spirit as the apostles were in? and did not the same gainsay that in the apostles' days? and does not the apostle say, 'They that have the form of godliness, and not the power, from such turn away?' that is, they that have not the power, and spirit, and Holy Ghost the apostles were in, turn away from such; so try yourselves by these scriptures, and see whether ye be found in the practice of the apostle, or such as he cried against here, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage, and makers of sects; look how many sects there are amongst you in Christendom; and what can you walk after else but your ungodly lusts, who say, you have not the same spirit the apostles had to walk after, who plead for your carrying your body of sin, and death, and imperfection to the grave.

And also another scripture ye bring in Mat. xxviii. 'go and teach all nations,' &c.

Now consider, most sects will bring this; for papists, presbyterians, independents, baptists, and others, will bring this scripture for their call, and say, Christ bids his disciples, 'go, and teach all nations,' &c. But mark, do you go into all nations? hath Christ spoken to you, and bid ye go into all nations, as he bid the apostles? if so, then you are disobedient; how is it then that you settle down in great bishoprics and parsonages, and are ready to jostle and thrust one another out for them; but will you go any further than you may have a fat parsonage or benefice provided by some magistrate or great person, or have a law to compel people to give you a maintenance; the apostles trusted the Lord, and went out without bag, &c. and freely as they had received, so did give freely, but will you go any further than there is a fat benefice or parsonage? And if this be your call, as you pretend, why do not you go among the Turks, Tartars, Blacks, and Indians, and give unto them freely, as Christ gave himself freely, who had power to lay down his life, and take it up again? and he hath tasted death for every man freely. and hath enlightened every man with his heavenly divine light freely; and the grace of God which brings salvation, which appears unto all

men, is given freely. So, if any man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God, he gives unto all men freely, and upbraideth no man,' Jam. i. 5. And so Christ bids his ministers give freely, as they had received freely; so try yourselves by these scriptures, all ye who neither obey Christ's command, nor do his work. And thou believest there is a God, thou dost well, the devils also believe and tremble,' Jam. ii. 19. and so thou mayest believe there is a Christ, so did the devil, and thou dost well, but see if the devil's belief doth not condemn thee, but thou shouldst shew the works of thy faith and of thy belief, that thy heart is purified, that thy faith be not dead; for a dead faith will plead for a body of death and sin to the grave, but the living faith, the gift of God, is the victory over it, and doth purify, through which faith there is access to God, and in that faith thou wilt please God, which the saints now contend for, which Christ is the author of. And, He that saith he remaineth in Christ, ought even so to walk, even as he walked.' 1 John ii. 6. And he that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath him not, hath not life; and he that believeth in the Son of God hath the witness in himself,' 1 John v. ' and he that hath the Son, hath the Father.' So this is more than an outward belief, as the pharisees had of God and Christ to come, or others now, that say he is come, and do not receive him freely into their hearts by faith.

6

And therefore, 'prove yourselves, examine yourselves, know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates.' So try and measure yourselves by the scriptures here, whether you be in the life and spirit of the prophets, Christ and the apostles, or in the spirit of the false prophets and teachers. This is in love to you all, that you may not sin out your time.

And Paul saith, 2 Cor. xii. 17. Did I make a gain of you, [or peel you] by any of them whom I sent unto you? I have desired Titus, and with him I have sent a brother, did Titus make a gain of you, [or peel you] of any thing? walked we not in the self-same spirit? walked we not in the same steps? Now come priests, try yourselves, do not you make a gain of people yourselves, and by such as you send amongst them? do not you peel the people? do ye walk in the self-same spirit the apostles were in, and in the same steps? let your practice, and that of God in your consciences, and the people, and the scriptures judge, for there is the succession. 2 Cor. xii. 17, 18. And you may see in your own margin notes, such false teachers, who under a pretence of preaching the truth, sought only to fill their bellies, whereas the true teachers sought the people and now come try yourselves by your own marginal notes in the beginning of 2 Cor. and see which of these steps you walk in, and whether you seek the people, or to fill your bellies. And in the marginal notes upon 2 Thes, such as lived idly of other men's labours, were to