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A few Words to fuch as Complain for Want of Power.

E fure ye receive Chrift; for he is the fame that ever he was.

many as received him, to them gave he power (not only to ftand against fin, but) to become the fons of God; he did fo formerly, and he doth so ftill. And they that are'true Jews, born after the Spirit, truly circumcifed, and are indeed come to Mount Sion, and the heavenly Jerufalem inwardly; feed on God's holy mountain, and dwell in his holy city, in the building that is from above, for the birth which is from above. There is no complaining in the streets of this city, but what God requireth is performed; and what God promifeth to his, is enjoyed there; according to the feveral states and conditions of each, and according to the ability which is given in the new covenant, where God fulfilleth the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power, in the hearts of his daily. Everlafting praises and honour to his name.

Oh! the precious name of Jefus, in which the fpirits of the redeemed meet, in which name is power; and he who is the arm and power of God, is in the midst of them.

They who receive him who is the power, who is a spiritual vine and olive-tree to all his, who yields daily of the living fap and virtue to them (wherein there is power); how can they want power? Or how can they but praife the Lord, who daily minifters unto them of the power of the endlefs life? When the holy life and power springs, and is felt, praises to the Lord cannot but fpring with it.

So that it concerns all people feriously to confider, whether the reason why they have not power, be not because they do not receive Chrift, who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him. For many talk of Chrift, but few come to him in the Father's drawings; fo will not receive him; like the Jews who waited for his appearance, and yet rejected him when he

came.

ISAAC PENINGTON.

SOMEWHAT

CHURCH-GOVERNMENT,

WHEREIN THE

Neceffity, Usefulness, and Bleffed Effects of the True CHURCH-GOVERNMENT, are here and there hinted at; and this clearly manifested,

That the Authority and Power of CHRIST's Spirit in his Church, is no ufurped or Antichriftian Authority, nor contrary to the True Light and Liberty of any particular Member, but a Cherisher and Preferver of it.

AS ALSO

REM MARK K S Upon fome Paffages in a late Book, Intituled, " Anti"chrift's Transformations within, discovered by the Light within."

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WHERE IN THE

Antichriftian TRANSFORMER is made manifeft, and the LIGHT within cleared from his falfe Imputations and Pretences to it. Written in Obedience to him that is True; who hath given a certain Teftimony against him that is Falfe, to very many in this his Day; and, among others, to me alfo; whom he hath pleased to gather and own among his Children and Servants in Truth,

ISAAC

PENINGTON.

For God is not the Author of confufion, but of peace, as in all churches of the faints. I COR.

xiv. 33.

For what have I to do, to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? I COR. v. 12.

The government shall be upon his shoulder, &c. Of the increase of his government and peace, no end, &c. Is A. ix. 6, 7.

Woe unto the world, because of offences; for it must needs be, that offences come: but woe to that man, by whom the offence cometh! MATT. xviii. 7.

For there must be alfo herefies among you; that they which are approved may be made manifeft among you.

I COR. xi. 19.

Alfo of your ownselves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away difciples after, them. ACTS xx. 30.

For not he that commendeth himself is approved; but whom the Lord commendeth. 2 COR. X. 18.

THE

PREFACE.

T hath pleased God, in thefe our days, to caufe his true light to fhine forth out of darknefs. Oh! everlaftingly bleffed be his name! He hath laid the foundation of life in many hearts, and gathered his once defolate people into families and churches; and hath been with them, and is with them, dwelling among them, preferving them, building up Sion more and more, and caufing his glory more and more to appear therein. The living God hath made us a living people, and honoureth us with his living prefence, and with the daily manifeftations of his pure power. Oh! glory, glory, is founded to him, in his own fpringing life, in the hearts of his children, day by day.

But the enemy of God and his appearance, hath wrought against his power and work many ways, and hath endeavoured to ftop the gathering to the light and building up, not only by outward force, but also by all the devices and myfterious workings he could invent. But bleffed be the Lord, who hath appeared against them all, and preferved his remnant from them all, though fome that have not watched and lain low, but being foaring high, in that part where the fnare is laid and takes, have ftumbled and fallen. Yet truth ftands, and the gathering in the truth ftands; and the life which God hath raifed, and to which he hath given dominion, reigns; and much is fubdued, and the Lord is going on to subdue more and more under it daily, in the hearts of fuch as fenfibly and livingly, and not notionally and in a dead formal way, wait upon him and worship him.

Now, the forest and most mifchievous way of oppofing truth, is by pretending to it. Who could more advantageously or readily betray Christ, than an apostle of Chrift? And who can be fitter to undermine the light, than he who in words cries it up; and yet is departed from it, and fecretly fights against it, and would bring forth, propagate, and fet up an hideous, monftrous, comprehenfive kind of knowledge (which is contrary to it, and cannot confist with it) in the name of it?

Ab!

Ah! that this person, who now appears against the truth, and the church and miniftry which is in and of the truth, were but what he pretends to be! For then I fhould gladly have received his teftimony, and not have been thus neceffitated to appear against his fpirit, and the dark work and testimonies thereof. He faith, there are two chrifts, both the true Christ and antichrift. I confefs his work comes from one of them, even antichrift, who would deftroy Chrift's work, kingdom, and building, and the ministry which he makes ufe of, both to plant, water, and build up; but not from that Chrift who hath gathered a church to himself, and is with the church which he hath gathered, and bleffeth the church which he hath gathered, and owneth them in their affemblings, and in their ministering: which owning and teftimony will ftand; when the disowning, and falfe teftimonies of all these false apoftate fpirits, will fall, and end in their own for row and mifery.

What I have here written, I have written in an holy constraint, in the opening and feeling life of truth, with true love to fouls; yea, even of this very person, who is erred fo exceedingly from the holy light and Spirit, and its holy teftimony, and would fain exalt his critical conceits and notions, above the plain teftimony and evidence of truth, in the hearts of God's chofen ones.

The Lord bring down the kingdom of darkness, and exalt his own kingdom in the hearts of the children of men more and more; and add to his church, and keep them in that which will never fuffer them to depart from it; or to teftify against the life, and power, and prefence of the Lord, manifefted, dwelling, and ruling in it! Amen.

REMARKS

RE

M

ARK S

Upon fome Paffages in a late Book, intituled

ANTICHRIST'S Transformations Within, &c.

T

HE first thing that I fhall obferve is, That he doth deny that man bath any rule, power, dominion, government, or authority, either given or committed to him from the Lord, as pertaining to the confcience in things relating to the worship of God.

Remark. God fent Chrift into the world, and he gave him power and authority in his name to do whatever he required of him. And Chrift fends his fervants and minifters into the world, as sheep among wolves, and he gives them power and authority to do whatever he requires of them, and which he expects from them, and would have done by them. And their work relates to the confcience, and to the worship of God; and their power and authority extends thither, where their work lies. They are ambaffadors of Chrift, and they have power and authority in Chrift's ftead to beseech men to be reconciled to God. For as Chrift came in his Father's name, to fulfil the work which the Father gave him to do, fo they come in Chrift's name, to fulfil the work which he gives them to do. They have power to feed the flock; they have power to watch over them; they have power to build up in that which is good; and they have power and authority to teftify against and hammer down that which is evil; they have power to reprove; they have power and authority to vifit with a spirit of meeknefs, and power to come with God's rod, yea, with his fword, and to fmite that with it which rifeth up against the truth, against the life, against the Spirit, against the holy way and work of the Lord, and holy order and government of his Truth and Spirit.

That Chrift hath fent forth his fervants, his minifters, his ambaffadors, about things relating to the confcience, is fo manifeft, that it cannot be denied. But that he hath fent them forth with power and authority in things pertaining to the confcience, relating to the worship of God, that this man denies; but all that have received the truth, hold the truth, and keep the truth, cannot but acknowledge it

Now

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