be esteemed any better than unchristian, yet Antichristian.

Let not your adversary and mine (Dear Countreymen) fill your hearts with indignation, and thoughts of revenge against him, who in a faithful discharge of his conscience both towards God, and you, have made bold to deal plainly with you, least my God to whom vengeance belongs, repay it upon you, and smite you with blindness of mind, and hardness of heart that cannot repent, but rather set before your eyes that memorable practice, and worthy pattern of those noble Bereans, and (laying profits, honor and prejudice aside if it be possible) peruse my testimony, and search the scriptures diligently to see whether the things contained therein be so or no; if you find them so, viz. confirmed, and justifyed by the word of God, and by the testimony of Christ Jesus the Lord, then consider, not I but the Lord from heaven calls upon you to break off your sins by repentance, and let me hereby give you warning to take heed that you dispise not him that speaketh from heaven. As touching the wrong and injury done to us, you having thereby much more wronged your own souls in transgressing the very law, and light of Nations, doing as you would not be done unto, it is in my heart to pitty you rather, and to petition my Lord in heaven not to lay this sin to your charge, than to complain against you, or to petition your lords and ours here on earth for justice herein; no, no, we have better learned Christ than so, having also given up our hearts to be led by his spirit; and to walk in his steps, who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatned not, but committed his case to him that judgeth righteously, and who knowes but that the spirit of judgement, and the spirit of burning, hath been, or may be ere long in your hearts, whereby you may be made affectedly sensible, that the cause is the same, or very little differing from this.

A poor innocent traveller passeth along the countrey upon his occasions: a man having strength in his arm findeth him, frames himself offended with him for no cause he hath given him, and because he cannot draw him unto his party, either to rob, or to kill, or to say amen to his practises, he therefore binds him, and casts him into a

pit, and declares himself resolute there to keep him, till he hath his blood, unless he will deliver him his purse; the man either hath not a purse about him, or a heart to deliver it; and being unwilling either to part with his blood, or that the other should be so deeply guilty in taking it from him, he meekly, and earnestly thrice moveth the strong man for a discourse, and humbly entreats him that he would not seek by the strenth of his arme, but by the force of some arguments to convince his understanding, and conscience, and so to draw him (as a man) to his party, but the strong man delaies him, and so puts him off; whereupon a good tender hearted Samaritan passing by, and perceiving how the case stood, and that the strong man would have his purse, or his blood without any dispute, being moved with compassion to redeem this innocent blood from the hand of the strong man he delivers him his own purse, and so the man is released. Take it not ill that I have used so much plainess of speech, for my studie is now to speak plainly, and neither flatteringly nor invectively: and to use plain dealing with all men, although I verifie the Proverb, and die a begger; for as I told some of your selves (and that in publick) I abhor dissimulation, neither can I account him a wise man who doth not hate dissembling, or that doth love to dissemble; and therefore saith Solomon rebuke a wise man and he will love thee, &c. and David the King saith on this wise, let the righteous smite me and it shall be a precious balm; I know instruction is grievous to him that is out of the way, but what saith the wise man, he that hateth instruction shall die. Consider I pray what hath been spoken, and turn not away your eye, nor your ear, nor your heart from instruction, least that which was said by the prophet of old Isa. 9. 14, 15, 16, be in you verified, which to prevent is the humble and earnest request unto the fathers of mercies of

To the true Christian Reader.

THOU maist herein (Christian Reader) see, and peruse thy destiny in this present evill world (which seems in a great measure to be subjected unto devils) through which thou art to pass unto that purchased possession, and promised inheritance of the Saints in light, which is in that better world, which is not subjected unto Angels, but unto the Sonne of God himself; thou maist herein also observe, and take notice of the hand by whom from thy heavenly father thou art to receive that bitter cup, which he drunk off when he was here below; for thy sake chiefly was this treatise brought forth into the publick view; I hope not to discourage thee, but to strengthen thine heart, that thou mightest not fear any of those things, which thou shalt suffer, either from men or devils for thy testimony, that Jesus is the Christ (it being that which will shortly appear the only prevailing, and victorious truth in all the world): for herein shalt thou also see that worthy saying lively accomplished; If ye suffer for the name of Christ blessed are ye, for the spirit of the Lord, and of glory resteth upon you; thou hast a worthy name called on thee. My hearts desire, and prayer to God on thy behalf, therefore is that thou maist enjoy such a plentifull pouring forth of that holy spirit into thine heart, that thereby thou maist be inabled to walk worthy of it, and having so bright a beam of the Fathers glory in thy soul, it may so shine forth before the sons of men, that they seeing thy good works may have cause administered to glorify our father, which is in heaven; It is not words now Christian, (although they were spoken with tongues of men and Angels) when that worthy name is every where well spoken of, but faith that works by love, and love by works that will distinguish a heady from a hearty Christian. Say not in thine heart that Christs Comands are low, and his appointments carnall, legal in

junctions, and at the best, but meat for babes; least hereby thine heart be declared to be vainly puft up in thy carnall or fleshly mind, and to have too low, and carnall conceits of Christ himself, who is the injoyner, appointer, and commander thereof, and shall ere long appear as Judge, yea least hereby thou be declared ignorant, or at the best forgetful of this one thing, that it is the great design of God in Christ as to glorifie himself to admiration in poor sinful flesh, so whilest he doth it to hide pride from man, and therefore as he hath chosen not many wise, mighty, nor noble of this world, but the foolish, weak, base, despised nothings thereof, so hath he suited his commands, and appointments thereunto, and intends through these foolish things so to cause his wisdome to shine forth as thereby to confound the wise; through these weak things so to cause his power to appear, as thereby to confound the things that are mighty; and through these base dispised things that are not, to bring to nought those noble, glorious, and excellent things of the world that are; Thou mayst herein see (gentle Reader) that I have rather chosen to bear witness to the faith, and order of our Lord, and to shew unto the world, but especially unto thee, what is the mind of Christ in this time of his absence as to faith, and obedience, to shew I say rather what is truth, which is but one, than to bear witness against the ly, which is so various, knowing that the truth once established shall discover the falshood, and light breaking forth shall scatter the darkness. And whilest I lead thee forth to seek him whom thy soul loveth, and longeth after, who is also thy joy, and thy Crown; while I lead thee I say by the footsteps of those flocks that first trusted in Christ, and were fed by such pastors according to his own heart, as he gave them, God forbid that thou shouldst be as one that wilt turn aside by the flocks of his companions, and shouldst be found remaining either on the left side in a visible way of worship in deed, but such as was neither appointed by Christ, nor yet practised by them who first trusted in him, or on the right in no visible way of worship, or order at all, either pretending that the outward court is given to the Gentiles, and the holy City is by them to be troden under foot; that the Church

of Christ is now in the wilderness, and the time of its recovery is not yet, or else pretending that God is a spirit, and so will in spirit be worshipped, and not in this place or that, in this way or that. Well if thou beest in these waies misled I can no longer forbear in tenderness of spirit, and compassionate bowels of love to stretch forth a helping hand thereby to try whether it be the good pleasure of God at this time to drop down a word of light, and life, and power into thine heart, that thou mayest be thereby awakened, and quickned to be still saying within thy soul; Lord what wilt thou have me to do? so shalt thou hear such a saying as this, Come out from among them (Oh my people) and be ye separate from them, and touch no unsanctifyed thing, and I will receive you, and be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons, and daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty, and also such a saying as this, Blessed are they that do his commands for they have right to the tree of life, and shall enter in through those gates of pearl into that glorious City; Rev. 22. 14. and know that these are the commandments of Jesus sci. As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him; and behold I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast, yea hold fast till I come; And such as may be under the later disceptions let me intreat thee to ponder these words in thine heart sci. That prophecies although marvelous plain, and easy to be understood, cannot warrant a pure conscience to neglect, much less to cast off the commandments and appointments of Jesus, neither can the spirit of Christ direct or incourage the heart of a Christian to cast off his lordship; no, no, the spirit of Christ is hereby distinguished from that of Antichrist, in that he shall unfainedly confess that Jesus is the Christ, and that this Christ Jesus is come in the flesh, and when he is come according to promise into the heart of a Christian, he shall not speak of himself, but as a messenger his office is to glorifie Christ by taking of him, and his, and shewing it unto, yea writing it in the heart of a Christian, so that I dare boldly say, there is none for the exaltation of Christ Jesus the lord according to his last will and testament, and for the nourishing a lively hope in the heart of a Christian concerning his glorious return, I say there is