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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la n^Athode. 1 2 3 4 5 6 l! -V » -i THE RIGHTS OF CHRIST, ACCORDING TO THE PHINCIPLES AND DOCTRINES OF THE CHILDREN OF PEACE. BY DAVID WILLSON. PHILADELPHIA: PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR. 1815, m^ X ^-:. id <"' « INTRODUCTION. Lthe writer, was born of P'e^''j^«t"''N!«hime- county of Dutchess, state of New-York, in North Ame ™1„ the year .80. I removed with my fe«>-'>y '"^'J;'^ province.' nd after a few years became » member of the society of the Quakers, at my own request, as I chose a spWtual people for my brethren and sisters m reUgion. Bu after^ had been a member thereof about seven years, I began to speak something of my ^°;^^^ God, or a Divine Being in the heart, soul, or mmd ot man, all which signifies the same to »/ "''^'■•^"''"/d' but my language was offensive, my spmt >*^; ^^™' my person was disdained, my ccmp...y was forsaken by my brethren and sisters. After which I retired from the society, and was disowned by them for so do.ng, but several retired with me, and were disowned also, be- cause they would not unite in the disownmg and con- demning the fruits of my spirit, for as 1 had been accounted a faithful member of the society for many years, they did not like to be hasty in condemnation. Therefore we became a separate people, and assembled ourselves together, under a separate oi-der, which 1 im- mediately formed. After I retired from our former meetings, and »b our discipline led to peace with al people more till any one in our knowledge, we called ourselves Children of Peace, because we were but young "■"'"'"• DAVID WILLSON. East Gwillimburg, county of ^0^^^."^ apd province oi Upper Canada, 3 4 Eaet Gvjitlimburgy County of York^ Xat Mo7it/if 21, 1815. I, and my brethren and sisters, are scandalously reported of throughout this Province> viz. Upper Ca- nada, (chiefly by the quakers, and others whom they have employed) by false accusations on myself and others, from the beginning of my work in the ministry in ihis place, for this cause I write as follows: Sin is a shame to all people; but the works of righte- ousness remaineth for ever and ever. Therefore it is jnete for me to make icnown that which I have received, as it is for others to make known, that which they think to be evil and against my spirit in the world. Therefore I commit the same to publication in this Province, and to all others where it may come: least the day shouh^ come that my enemies should rejoice over me without a cause, and make themselves glad for nothing. Accord- ing to the expressions of the wise man ** there is a time for every purpose under the sun"— So also, there is a time for me to meet with my enemies, not only in the sight of men, but in the firesence of God, who is my judge amongst men this day, and will deliver me from the hands of mine enemies, that rail against me without a cause, save this, that they are afraid, that I shall be as much thought of in principles and doctrines as them- selves, and they should receive dish^r thereby. As every class or society wishes their pi^|psion to be best thought of amongst men, therefore, when others arc thought to be equal with ourselves, we can receive no honour from them, for what we think we know more than others. For which cause, I write not that we should be exalted above others, but that we should be as others, in this, that we should have liberty to improve the talent or >1 t t t I ■ talents which we have received of God in peace, without the condemnation of any people; seeing we have not dis- turbed, nor accused any, of those things of which nveare accused by therm which is unto death and abundant suffer- ing according to the laws of the British government, un- der which we both labour and suflFer reproach with joy, for peace sake. If so, it may be said of me or others, why writ- est thou against the accusation of others? For the same cause, that they may repent of their iniquity, become ashamed of their sins, and have joy in the sight of God also; where our own sins are our just accusers, without the condemnation of men, or any, that arc raised up in the . spirit of judgment, in the sight of God, in the name of religion. Hearken to my accusations, and^paarvel not why I write unto you: ye have gone the greatest length your tongues can go, my accusers. Now, I demand of you, to give the world a cause and reason for these things, as I am about to publish that which I have received of God to your condemnation. Blasfihcmy hath been your speech,— (/eni/m^ of Jesus Christ hath been your common sayings,— -denying the Godhead is a speech of me, to which ye have been sub- ject, and that I denied and condemned the scriptures, hath been your by-word from day to day, to almost every one you did chance to meet. Now think, what ye have done unto me, with what I am going to write unto you, with faith, that God will deliver me from your dark accu- sations in the sight of all men, who are willing to judge with an impartial spirit between you and me. It might be justly supposed, or so ought to be, that those that are in haste tb judge others, are clear of the crime of con- demnation, which they so freely place on others, who they think are far inferior to themselves in the name of religion. Let him that hath received little, not condemn A2 bim that hath received much, becau.e he hath not re- ceived hi neither let him that hath '««"«<» ""T^'^,'^""; dem. hi; that hath received little, because he haU. not received as much as ourselves: or such as condemn man a^d every woman improve _that .h.ch they have received of God, without the condemnation of »ny-|~ same liberty I ask of all men without the cor.demnat on of any. that every man may be free in the grace wh.ch he ha^h received, seeing it is the g.ft of God to all. Amen.-It is hard to say, or yet make it appear, that any one man received the fulness of the knoy'^/sr "^ all the scriptures, save Jesus Christ, who ^f^'^^^^ all according to the will of God: Therefore, ^U that c ijtu'e thft was of God. given forth by holy in^.- ,ion, was fulfi.led in Jesus Christ, as the «J«"t tnereof abo^e in him before *e worid began, in the hean „r soul of man, as his spirit remained with the father or fountain of all good, both before, and when the jvorldj nature entered into the heart of Adam, by «atmg t^ fruit of this world, which sets mankind up to be judges of B-ood and evil in each other, rather than to be proper Ss o? what we are in c -selves: Therefore A^.m Cs not left to be his own judge, but God -™! « "T ^ into him in the garden of Paradise to be his judge Ci ;:e things whii he had done. And -hat he di , oroved his own condemnation in the sight of Cod. i« E state, it is lawful for God in n,an to judge -oh other; as our eyes being opened by the spirit of God, to ?hrcastinK of the deeds of our brethren before their S:. arcLdid the iniquity of Adam's before his. to Ms own condemnation. ButwhenGod condemned Adam, it wraccording to the measure or poi^ion of grace ^Wch he had received of God, and h.s_4isobe_a«nce thereunto, proved his own conticM.aauu... ...v...«.- w h< it it 1 n s; B r r I 1 I v) v)l l^h^ without we stand by, in the hearts of each other, and hear .vhat the spirit of God *Mth unto us, we must be incapable of judging accordi. ^ to the will of God, see- ine we know not what each other receires of God. Therefore, we cannot judge whether it is fulfilled or not; but God knoweth, and Christ knoweth, because his spirit was with God, and is with God when the spirit Bpeakelh to us, of what we should do. A state very diffe- rent from this sinful world, when they rise up in judg- ment against each other. Nevertheless let all men have received whatsoever they may at the hand of God, it is no reason we sho«ild iudge each other contrary to his vail, seeing < n^c not to condemn the gmlty, but call sinners 1 . ce. Neither is it easy lo make it appear that h "X man in the sight of God; if 80, he would k. >ved their condemnor and not their saviour from cv...demnation, which cometh by and through our own works in the sight of God. Therefore show unto me and others, a cause why ye have con- demned me, least your condemnation should be visited on your own heads, as received fiom your own works and not from n»ine, who haih condemned you not, save in this, that your own works prove your own coiKlemnr.- ^^^^Therefore, 1 will make manifest unto the world what I am, and if cause is found, judge on lo prisons and to death, as ye have begun to stir up evil against me w this province. * ^ , , .u One thing comf /rteth my scul, that after death cometh the resurrection, or after condemnation is done, then shall my soul be free. To this purpose came Jesas Christ into the world to^set sinners free in the Uberly of the GospeUthat his day might be glorified on earth wrth peace: And that God might receive praise in heaven for the coming of Jesus Clirist in man to set oui' mortal bo- 8 dies free froiii sin and deat^i, Avhich are the bonds of cor- ruption in the sight of God. If Jesus Christ saw no corruption, why will ye remain therdn to the dishonour of that salvation which comes by Jesus Christ, who sayeth, *' I judge no man, yet if I judge, my judgment is tru^ " because the lather is with hiin in judgment m all things whatsoever. And so also, if God in Ihrist doth judge ;he world, he must equally be a justifi.u- of them that lovo his will theiein, which appeare-l m Christ, by not condemning any that came before him, but fulfilled their measure to the fulness of the will of God in all. Which signifieth, that all the spirit of them that wrote the works in scripture which Christ fulfilled, rests with him this day on the right hand of peace, as he condemned them not on earth, who had received less portions of the grace of God than himself. For, although it took many souls to fulfil the scriptures by parts; yet all was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. For which cause, I have, from the abundance of the heart, called him a man of God} because he lacked nothing, and was the fulness of the will of God in one body, to the salvation of every state that is lost, and lieth under the condemnation ot the sight of God by our own works, which renders or ren- dered -thers, incapable of their own salvation, without some one to testify of God unto us. Therefore the grace of God or angels of his spirit hath been sent into The world, for our instruction, prophesying unto us by Moses and others, that, by and by the day cometh, that we shall be nmde clean through Jesus Christ, and no part of the soul or mind left in the deeds of corruption any more. „ , , . , But as touching the salvation of the earth, he saith, « except ye eat my flesh, and drink my blood, ye have «n nart with me." The same I make use of for my own dcfwice, as the same needs but little interpretation, aivd is plain and easy to be understood by all. t c t i ^ I /7 ^-"^ 9 1 I believe in the aulTsrings of Christ from the founda- tions of the world, and that he suffered death, in that day that Adam did that he should not; as he was the spirit of the soul of Adam, before he was made an esc- ternal or visible being in the presence of God, or all others th, t beheld him in the garden of Eden, where hs fell from the prcbcnce of God. Therefore it is the soul wt man that received the loss, pain or death by sin, and not the Holy Ghost, seeing t^ ^^oly Ghost which spoke unto Adam, disobeyed not >od, but the soul that re- ceived it, and kept not the saying thereof: therefore it is, and was the soul of man which suffered the loss, and re- ceived the nain which came by disobedience into man. Therefore, as the spirit of Christ, being present with God, when the commands were given to Adam, well knew how he transgressed them through disobeying what God, or the Holy Ghost, did speak unto Adam, of what he might do, and what he should not, in conse- quence of the reward which should come upon him for so ^oing;— therefore,- when Christ saw the worlds or senae3 (which he had made, while he dwelt with the father,) had suffered a loss by sin, he so loved thi world, and the honour of God, the power of all creation, that he imnediately took the nature of condemnation upon him, to make way for Adam to dwell with the father, as at the first; where, or when he heard the voice of God every day in his heart, teaching him what he should d'% in the world, to the honour of him that made hir^i and 'in obedience thereunto, might have received the lan- guage, that was long after s;)oken to Jesus Christ, say- if/^ing, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. * For Adam was the first son of Gou in the world, and Christ was his father in spirit, because, he is or was that power, by which God created all tilings und ^r the ««n; UlcFcitiFc tnjB cailii W'Sa v^iiFAow a aiiU viiv iUliXwaS iiivivVi., 10 so ..o .he ^^^^^^:-:s::x:::::o^^^^ the righwousness thereof. IMr j j^j^e free of condemnation "P"" '""•*»; *X >.aB »We to hide f.^ sin, and *. '"J^J^; ji"'^ ^ of righteousness. , all the works of darkness, in ^^^ that the fruits thereof '^''""'^^^"^rrcreation suffered Therefore as soon as the fi^t «t^« °^ fo„„„k his a loss by Adam, Jesus Christ '"'"« J ^^ ^ork, joyful rLt ,,hich he ^fj:''^;^^t^':^Z^o save that if creation, and ''°*«'":"°tL ° orks «.th him might which was lost by sin, that his «°** «' ^ j^^ed ^t on the right hand of G°d again, -e«.g ^^^ ^ ^.^^ the worlds which he bad ™f «' ^''^f "„„ptio„ which they did lie — X^he'r^'^Grd -d' c^nde«=ended came by sm. Theietore n ^^^ ^^, ^„ to dwell with man, m f*'""'^ '"™ j„ ^^,^ presence of tored, and every man f ""^^ dweU m P^^^^^^^ ^ God's spirit, as Uie soul °f ;'^^»~ "^ ™^„ took place in God when the worlds was an.shej. U - ^^^P^^^ .^ «an. TO -*'fj'^;'::,tr a^ing is applicable, vi. hath taken P>»«'*''^^" ..,:./ „ot my blood, ye have „ U ye eat n«t -y.^-^if f Jdo L these things no part with me. Therelore, ^^^ ^^ ^^^^ we can have no part with Chmt, and, « ^^ ^^^ with Christ, we have ^ P^^Jht ride of power, how .^„aif>vebavenoparton h r.g^_^^ --6 -e "«">* shall we be jus..fied by Je ^^ ^^^^^^^ first justify «very 7" /"^^^"""hich is to say, when up the ^i»Saom to^,',:^^^^^^^^^^ l\ and man is wor- he hath done «■*.*"* ''^^° nee more in the presence thy to hear the »<»«=« °^ ^"f"""* Z first ascended the ^f'jesus Christ. Which »'.»y^««' ^„ g..„„ . kingdom of heaven, before ^ejio ^ ^^ ,i„ ,p„.i. of s,fsKt?hrrrhr.Uinhim.ndhis «-< ani 11 - 1 s- of of in sin riz. ive igs )art lodi igns rhen wor- ence I the riven lit of kdhis disciples: else he would, or could not have saiU that he would perform that humble act for us, which, ** I,** sahh he, " will pray the Father, and he shall send you another comforter even the Holy Spirit." Which aignifyeih to pie the will of God made manifest in us exclusive of all flesh. For he saith, " if I go not awa^ the comforter will not come." Therefore let God and Christ have their proper due, and God the honour which his son giveth him: which is to say, him that sent ni^ is greater than y me, which signifieth to me, that the spirit is greater than the flesh, and the power of God's spirit came in Christ, doing all things that ie done in his name. And it is the spirit that doeth, and not the flesh; seeing his flesh was but a servant to God, or the spirit thereof, which was in him from the beginning of sin and transgression on earth. Now it becometh us to know what part suffer- ed in Christ, and what did not, least the Godhead should be aflected and corrupted by the state of sin. Adam was made a living soul in the. presence of God, fliU of the knowledge of what he should do, and what he should not, and received his instruction of God: so also, believe J, of Jesus Christ, that he was a living soul; born of the spirit of God, without corruption, free from the dee^s of his forefather Adam according to the flesh. For such he was, by Adam's being made flesh, or the soul thereof clothed with flesh, before the spirit of Jesus Christ. But after sin began to take place in Paradise, Christ, or the spirit thereof, so loved the world, that he began to take upon him the nature of the rewards thereof, and began to groan under a sense thereof for relief in the presence of the Almighty fountain of heaven, who had power to forgive sins through repentance, which is made by the groans of Jesus Christ in the presence of God. And God so loved his Son, that in due time he gave him relief for all men, or for all sinsy and accepted him the second ^i^L J(' i \'A 1 1 12 there^atthe command of the internal P"^*' °f ^"f; TeU h t^ internTlaw of God. and keep it not to Iheiol salvation: >»hich thing A«l^'».«><"'^/" J^" . . ,„j „j,en God condemned hmi or them, rrd!; d „t; uSed not the Holy Ghost; ^ut thatT^rit which led the soul astray *erefn.mi ther^ fori M. Mar, that suffers in man, enabled by God hereunto. 'dU It receives the rewards of its actto^n ai>d heCl for receiving, and the flesh for g.ving. Thus, ™!n buffers in body, soul and spirit for sm, seemg, he man sutlers in u /, . j^ God never com- ^"/ThiranVir onmr;'o tte will of God; there- r"'ci « lut of him. before t^e^t orwiU of God can enter the heart of man, '" '^^ Mn " n' u € h t< h r a -^ I /■ 13 life in us, according to the will of God. But, in Jesus Christ dwelt the fulness thereof bodily; therefore, he had to give to them, which had part with him, which is to say, they that « eat my flesh and drink my blood," hath part with me in the kingdom of heaven, or the right side of power. Which side, is that in which we are justified of God; and that which is the wrong side, or left hand of God, is that, in whicK we are lying under the condemnation of our own works, of which nature, Jesus Christ took upon him, toiling under which for our salvation, that we might pass from the left, to the fight hand of God. Thus, he became a mediator between the two states, often telling us of what God revealed to him, that we might believe therein, and do that which pleases God, till he could testify unto God his father for us, that we had become as he was, and was fit to dweU with God, by keeping and doing all things which he commandeth us, even as he doeth the will of liis father which is in heaven. Which would be the baptism of the Son in us, by which we would be fitted to dwell with God as in the beginning, where Christ and God, or the spirit and the soul dwells together in man, actuating the five senses of the body. In which state Christ is one with the Father, or the soul one, by obe- dience to the spirit of heaven, which is the salvatioi\ of the man, in body, soul and spirit: which work, I believe, Jesus Christ came to accomplish in the world, and was done in his own soul, before he entered the kingdom of heaven. Therefore he made way for all men in himself, to come to the knowledge of God, and be at peace with his spirit, as he was at peace with all men on earth, when his groans and agonies had ceased on the cross, which is the end of corruption to all that hath sinned. Therefore, take heed what ye say, least ye condemn T nm r»/^f oKIa f/\ odir 'lib** B in 14 • many others) that I own and believe in all the scriptures, vft I have not condemned any part of them. But it is not kwful for me in the sight of God, to say that which I am not, and if I should say, that the spirit of Christ dwells in me, then I might in justice say that I owned or professed all the scriptures that are written of God s snirit But, suffer me to be small in my beginnmg; that K grl in the grace of God, least I should be ffr.«« in JoLsion and small in ,.<.rA:„ like many of my con- demners, and instead of growing greater in the works of God, I should grow less than my profession, and great in the service of the Devil, like some of you, who cannot distinguish the works of one day from another, and for ir thereof, have no knowledge how Jesus Christ « grew in favour, both with God and man, nor how the iace of God was multiplied upon him, till he received L fulness of all things written in the scriptures in o one body, even that which his spirit took upon him, m lich he endured the nature of all sin, and the tempta- bns thereof like unto us, and more in abundance; for •ne couW not be overcome with the temptations of all the Xies of the earth. Therefore, beware how ye judge of - trZvls of the spirit of Christ, either in an mward or lu'Jar? ensl of the word. Ye whohave been overcome riess than the tenth part of that, by which he was Jmptedtd fell not, least ye yourselves should be fou.d S under the condemnation of the works of Christ, SUe no part with him, who f"lfi"'=1;'- --?f -; to the coming of the glorious spirit of God in m^n, rn,ri«t ve have no part with him. .... . t._ _c ' ^' What were the first fruits, that Christ did par.«K. of d t s i s c « \ \ / in ^i^ 15 for us after sin had taken place in the world? He imme- diately look upon him the rewards thereof for our salva- tion, and became as one of ws in all things save sin in the sight of God: which obedience, maketh intercession with God, for all states that have sinned, till this day.— The same was, and is his stale of mediation in man, as by obedience, he doeth the will of God, and, as by pain, suffereth for that which we have done. That we might be free therefrom, by eating hisjflesh, and drinking his blood on the cross of death Which ran from his side after his crucifixion. Then, in order to have part with Jesu^ Christ, we must begin at the beginning, and follow him through all, as he hath followed us through sin: which is to say, when we have sinned in the sight of God, %ve have need of a mediator, and, if we have any part in be- ing redeemed from sin, must follow him into heaven: and how did he enter the kingdom of fieaven, or how did he come down therefrom, that we may know the way to return, seeing Jesus Christ is not personally with us to teach us the way how he came from or passed into hea- ven? Again true, but nevertheless, he promised he would be with his disciples, till the coming of the end of the world: this must be in spirit, seeing in flesh he is long since absent, and the world yet remaiueth, and the spirit thereof in the hearts of the people: therefore, j,t becometh us to know the spirit of Jesus Christ, till this spirit is done away in us, after which, the spirit of God, or Jesus Christ in the fulness of his glory is only necessary, and not in the pains of sin and death. But as we have sinned, we must first know him in sorrow, before we can receive him in joy; in which state the eating and drinking of his flesh and blood is neces- sary, or the knowledge thereof. Jesus Christ descended down out of heaven, in that day that condemnation and darkness took place in the Paradise of God, or infant n. 1!^ 16 state of man; Uiat day he suffered death spiritually for ua, not according to the spirit of God, but according to the nature of the spirit of a man, which was to do the wiU oi God on earth, according to the purposeof his creator, who formed him to do his will, that he might be changed into the nature thereof, and dwell with God, like Christ in the beginning. And in order thereunto. Christ came down out of heaven, to fashion sinful man into his own likeness, that he might dwell in favour with God, and be like himself in the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, he began to suffer for the loss in Adam, and began to toil for bread in him, which he had already earned, and was with God in the kingdom of heaven, ready ^^ Uie re- wards of man, if he had kept the commands of God in his own soul. .. Therefore, Christ began in man, to build up all thmgs anew in him, as he began the creation in the presence ot God, he himself sufferin?: the loss by sin, as coming down out of heaven, and dwelling in the absence of the father's glory, resting and toUing under condemnation, for the restoration of that which was lost. And the com- mands of Jesus Christ unto us, I believe to be the will of God to man, as he gave unto Christ these things, which he gave unto us-which was his body and blood on the cross: but his soul, he resigned not into the hands of any save God; which body, suffered from the foundation of the world, which was unlawfully received inti the hear of man by partawing thereof, when God giveth U not untTus. A knowledge, which I think, thousands have received of the life of Christ which I think never was given them by God: else there would be more know- fedge of the partaking of the pains of his flesh and drink- ing^into us his life, which is the New Testame^because it is partaking of a new life, contrary to that which comeih by sin in ws all. »f I V 17 •' Mark, while Jesus died by parts, and suffered in Mo- ses and the prophets, by the loss of their outward inhe- ritance, and in the patriarchs, by the loss of their children; the world remained in sin and but part clean, not doubting:, but that all that eat of the sufferings of his flesh, received their rewards equally with the members of his body, till the day came, that his whole body suf- fered in death; after which the world was made clean in him, by giving up that ghosi in every whit, which is con- trary to the nature and will of God. ThcTsame said in him> •< if it be possible let it pass away from me, never- , theless not my will but thine be done," Which sheweth unto me, that the desires of man are inferior to the will of God, which ought to have been denied by the soul of Adam in paradise, and said to the will of the flesh; or fruit of the body, not thy will, but that which God hath commanded me be done, which was fulfilled by Christ on the cross, after suffering through the whole of the Old Testament dispensation, to the fulfilment thereof. Therefore take heed how ye profess Christ and condemn others, seeing he may not be in all men alike. I may have received the least portion of his spirit, and am hardly worthy to be numbered with them that lived in the world before the appearance of his fulness in the flesh, seeing he.is not in all men alike; but one hath re- ceived one portion of his spirit, and another, another portion, all to the honour of tlie works done in his body when he dwelt therein in the fulness thereof. The same £^race was multiplied in him, as in the world before his coming, when one i-eceived one portion, and another, another, 'till he himself received the fulness of all things withoitt measure in one body, and is able thereby to jus- tify the least portion of the spirit or works of grace in all, withoutthe condemnation of any in whom the grace of God 15 'hich he done on earth^'in his body, by doing the same in the Hesh of others, to the honour of God, both in the Old and New Testament, which U his life unto salvation in all. Wntten on the /irosfiect of death, by the Author, in the thirty seventh year of his age, ^6th of the Ut Month, 1815. THE powers of hell are now combir/d; With war against me rage. But in my God my souFs resignM— The rock of every age . Hif. power in my soul I'll see, When death and hell has done; The hope thereof sustaineth me, Until that day doth come. In vain men rage against God's will; His power on earth is all; For which I do resign my skill. And on his power call. O God, thy Son hath formed me; I nothing was at all; And if my like well pleases thee, Thy spirit is my all. For this is what thoti giv'st to them, That doth thy gracious will; In this I am like other men, According to thy skill. Some thou doth set in kings' estate, And some on earth must serve; When others almost starve. 19 it of vr he th, ^ V v: \ Choose which of these shall be my lot, Before I'm doom'd to die; For notwithstanding all I've got My lot is yet to cry. For crowns may fall from great estate, And children dear may die; And those with gold and silver plate, May for thy mercy cry. If thou would grant what I would choose. With beggars let me share; And with thy will proud Satan bruise, That none may with him fare. He sits as king in many a seat, In a religious name, And grants his servants daily meat, To war against thy name. But God my Lord Til yield to thee My body and my breath; And my poor soul shall subject be Although my lot is death. r^e earth doth hunger for my blood, C. ^:^nd Satan for my soul; And men my flesh, for daily food. That they may me control. if this O God should be thy will, Resign'd I am to thee; For Jesus Christ my Saviour's skill, Prov'd ^eace and liberty. Therefore to death I should resign, Just as thy hopeful Son; For after death did him confine. The resurrection come. Therefore my soul should follow him, As he's the only way; 20 ! ! .' ADDRESS TO THE CROWN OF ENGLAND. ! ADDRESS. To thy Crown J Englandy and !hy great name, I write as /oliows'-^to all the InhMfants thereof. 1, WHO am the least amongst thy subjects in the sight of men, beg leave of thy ruling po' ^^ on earth, to ad- dress thy dominions with the language of my heart, which is no less for thy good than other men, who ap- pear by action to be more for thy support in this world than I am— ne^rertheless thy dominions are great, thy subjects are many, and thy power ruleth over many in the earth, of which I am one, asking of thee that which is in thy hands, or power to grant, or to deny, wiiich may, or might be of some consequence to thy kingdom, although I am but small therein in thy sight, nay scarcely worthy of thy notice, in a day of clamorous war and great dis- tress in the earth to them that suffer there' y. I am no sufferer in these things,— save a little property which is taken from me by distraint, which is not M'orthy of mention in thy sight. I am a man of very little educa- tion in literal things, neither am I acquainted with much liistory in the ear*h, neither do I wish to recollect these things, or write therefrom, any more than concerns my- self, or the work of my day which I may be called to do in thy dominions, before I pass away therefrom. Peace in the land, is an honour to the crown of all nations, because God is peace, and in peace created the heavens, the earth, and the seas, with aii that remain therein; yea, canst thou say, oh England, but what the i I h 24 very ground on which thou standest, and which yields up thy support, was created in peace; canst thou deny but that the very seas, Ihe ocean on which thou rovest with ships of war and merchantmen, was formed in peace by the Almighty forming hand of power; yea, these things are undeniable truths according to your own F:*ofession, of which I ask not the aalvatiofi of my own soul, but of God that gave it. But my person and pro- perties, which I have received of God, is given into thy hands: now consider what ye will do with it after I make known unto thee, and prove hereby, what manner of man I am, of which yc know not, except I write unto you according to the wisdom of God which I have re- ceived respecting thy nation and kingdom in the earth. I was caught as a child from his mother's lap, and brought into thy dominions, where I have been blest with a sufficient support to myself and family; and al- though this may be counted as but a common or earthly favour, yet I receive it as at the hand of God, and have been even or almost ready to bless the earth in the name of God in th;- dominions. For wi.en God created the earth as well as the heavens, he saw that it was good and blessed it; so I can say it has been to me under thy government, for which I give God praise in thy land, by calling the inhabitants thereof to repent of their wickedness, be baptized, and believe in the name of the Lord, who is the great governor of all the earth: there- fore as he has caused me to offer these things to you in his name, I would not that ye account them as trifles, or as though they were small, least by so doing ye despise the things of God and enter into error thereby, and come under the condemnation of God, the greater power, for despising the day of small things in thy land. Great Britain, that hath long ruled as king in the earth: peace be unto thee, and grace be multiplied by my soul, and \ ■' <4' r^Eatisa^STjESaerr-r - J ■r 25 hll others that serve the true and living God in thy name. Thou that art great in the earth, with thee I speak no more, but to thy inhabitants in every degree therein. Hemember the time of thy beginning, and when thou wast but as an infant in the hand of God, and consider what he hath done for thee, that thou may know thereby what to do with me, who am but as an infant in the hand, or works of God in thy nation. Hath not God multiplied thy borders, and made of thee a great and mighty people in the earth? Hath n»t - the womb of thy mother been blest unto thee, and borne many subjects to support thy cause. Yea, may U not be said of thee, that God hath been thy father; e^sethine enemy would have conquered thee long ago Hath not God settled disputes and disturbances in thy nation, when one was raised up against another; aim by » domg, suffered thee to be a people in peace in thy land and there hath supported thee and sustained thee, been for the mercy and power of God in thy name, thjr own nation and subjects would have been involved in blood one against another, and thine enemy would have and trodden thy crown under their feet, and by so doine ye could no more have been a people, neither could y! have bad a nam« m the earth any more.-Consider what the Loi-d your God hath d. ,- un.o you, not toZtaZ but that the enemy yet strivuh for a place in youTund o overthrow the kingdom which ye possess. Bu while U IS yet in your hands, I would that ve consider the Door subjects that are therein and are subject to .1 y tw" Forget them not, I say unto thee, for this cause, thlt a nation u, no more than one man, in the sigh, of God and as he hath power in his wrath, to curse! nut 0^^^; injusuce done .0 one man, so also hath he v^ZZ C !'!< i I I iff 26 bless the same for kindness and jusdce done to one of the least of his people, of which I am one that speaketh with thee this day. Ye may think it strange that such an inferio. should address the crown of Great Britain with all her subjects, nevertheless, inferior I am indeed, and have no posses- sions therein, save what the Lord my God hath given unto me, neither do I rule over any therein, save that of which I am made master, of which I hardly durst say m the vain thoughts and imaginations of my own heart, an inferior crew to rule over, if I had full dominion over them all, but more inferior is my lot when some, or many of them doth rule over me. And now I have made known unto thee, these things which concern myself in thy dominions, and of my inferior station therein, I would that ye suffer me to be free in all things which the Lord may give unto me for thy eternal good, Seeing that which every minister receives of God in thy name and nation, is for the good of thy inhabitants throughout the whole of them, save those that needeth no repen- tance in thy name, if any such there be in thy land; I mean not that they should be included in my hand writing, seeing they are already whole and need no re- pentance. In this way I wish to be excused for my pre- sumption, for as I did not know these from the rest, I included the whole of you iijtKe beginning, least I should miss some that had need of preaching, and I thereby should be deprived of my rewards. Therefore after I have writtea 1 will leave God to judge between you and me; and also to make judges of you, whether you will receive my mijiistry in your land in peace, yea or nay. Not for- gettmg the text, that God is peace, in which I am callecl to preach the gospel unlo you, whether ye will receive it or not — it is the same to me, seeing 1 have received, or trust in God for my own salvation. Ye are great O' indeedj I can*t help that, neither do I want to, but am willing ye should remain great in the sight of God, although I am but small therein, in the things thereof. Now choose whether I should, or might be your servant in these things, yea or nay; as I think it would be a shame for a minister to be banished from your nation, for preaching the gospel of peace therein. I am a man under the visitation of God*s power in your land, and many scandalous reports are in circulation against me. The intent of the spirit of the thing, is to put me to flight from your dominions, or that I should be imprisoned therein; for which cause, I as a dutiful subject make myself known hereby unto you of great estate in the world, least your minds should be affected and stirred up against me without a cause, by your in- feriors, who seek to do evil to the works of God, when- ever the Almighty is trying to do you good: this practice hath prevailed in your land, till it is enough, and suffi- cient proofs have been made amongst you by formjr disseiiters: which is to say, when they come to be well examined and tried, they were not the people that they were judged to be in the beginning. The last that suffered under the crown of Great Britain, I believe to have been the Quakers, through the scandalous reports and false surmisings of their enemies. And as I am one that have dissented from tl^em, and have become a little body of people in this place, and on a little trial in our separate station from them, find that they are very envious against us, especially the most zealouc amongst them, and by false reports and wrong judgments, have stirred up much evil against us in thy dominions: and in order that the power of government which is in your hands, should not be affected thereby, we write as follows for your information and peace sake between you and us, not desiring to be so far taken notice of, that you should I ii ill 28 plead our cause against our enemies, but that ye should not become a weapon in their hands to stir up str»fc -against us without a cause, which might prove to your own condemnation in the sight of God; for which cause, peace be still, and let there be a calm in your land, in these things in the sight of God; remembering that the evil hath raged against the good in thy dominions like the mighty seas, to which Christ said, peace be still, and there was a calm and the seas obeyed him. There- fore I would that ye make such use of that power which is in your hands, O England, as never to suffer such things to rise in thee any more, but rather repent of that which is done in thee, by suffering the gospel to rise in peace in thy dominions; seeing none can do any thing against us without ye give countenance thereunto, and commit the power of the law into the hands of those who may make evil use thereof, against us in thy name. It is not the nature of my spirit to lie bound in prisons, without a cause, as others have done. Therefore I write unto you, that ye may shew unto me a cause, and make manifest that I am an oiTender thereof, before I suffer thereby. Ye may wonder why I write these things, but as they concern me they may be better known to myself, than almost any other, in this place. Therefore 1 write the following precaution to you, lest ye should be found engaging in a work, of which ye know not the end: see- ing the Lord is with his people, and God goeth before us in the way: therefore as a messenger of his will, I transcribe these few lines to you, ye inhabitants of England, with all the rest of thy dominions: peace be unto me and peace be unto you therein; God be with you, and God be with me, that the power of peace may have fiill dominion between you and us, that it may be said of thy government, kingdom and nation, we have been blessed with many great and bright ministers, who f "• r j f 29 have shone forth unto us, giving light to our nation, as stars in the firmament of heaven. And now, as thus our land is visited once more, with the nature of dissention, separation, and reformation from that which is evil; let us bless it while it doeth no evil unto us, that we may be blest of God who has done no evil unto us, but has often rewarded us with a good re- ward, although we have done evil unto those whom he hath sent unto us; lest the day should come upon us, that he wil^ visit us with his servants no more, and take the crown of our blessings from our heads and all be left to go to the fi^d of battle, and the seas of cruising against our enemy, and there will be none left to ciy peace in our land any more. Seeing in peace God doth all his work in the beginning, and God changeth not, there- fore let his wok'ks be at peace in our land, and the Lord's work be done in peace therein, because God is peace. DAVID WILLSON, Whitchurch, county of York, and" province of Upper Canada, 15th ' of the Second Montk, 1815. C2 i I I 1 THE PATTERN OF PEACE, OR BABYLON OYERTHROWN. J, we I i T f X THE PATTERN OF PEACE, OR BABYLON OVERTHROWN. X ROM whence came man but of God? From whence came sin but of man? seeing there was no sin before man '/done that which he should not. Who or what is right, save ■ God; and who or what is wrong, save man, and the works thereof? Then if man in his works is wrong, it becometh him to labour and toil to know that which is right, that he may do that which is wrong no more. Did God make all things right in the beginning? yea, because God is, and was altogether rightj therefore no wrong or unclean thing Cometh fortli of God. If God was and is good with all his works, how could man do that which was wrong in his sight; because man had a work to do in the begin- ning, the neglect thereof was wrong in the sight of God; seeing God spake unto, or ii7^'> mao, of what he should, or might do; but positively ot :hat which he should not; for in so doing, he should die to the rewards of that which he might have done; if he had kept the word of God in himself, by which all things was created. Behold the goodness of God to man in the beginning, and doubt not but God is altogether good; for when he had finish- ed the worlds^ and all things which is, or was therein, by his all-powerfal, or labouring word; he gave the same unto man, whereby he might toil, and become an image, or heir of his gtoiious res^; whlgh wa^ with liiiii Wr^n the » J 34 worlds were made; therefor-, man was made in the image of God in the beginning, that he might be an heir to his rest in the end, seeing in the spirit of God are many mansions, which signifies to me, a place for all that tul- iil the purpose of their creation, which is to obey whatever the word of God saith unto us in the beginnmg in us all. r i- j» • % When man, or Adam is, or was born of God s spirit, he was upright in Iiis sight, as he had not yet fallen; but in order that he should know his creator, and the pur- pose of his creation, God commanded him to toil, or do, by which experience we come to the knowledge of all things which is done; otherwise man could not keep the image of God, from the beginning to the end of his days, and the image of God's hereafter presence, or glory for ever and ever, into which God entered when his work on earth, or in earthly things was done, into which man can never enter, nor behold the presence thereof, until he comes to that state of uprightness in which he was created, or born cf the spirit of God, and that which is fallen or lost, altogether restored, or found by him in the first state of creation; after which he may receive his word* or the Holy Ghost again, as in Adam, and keep the commands thereof till the end of our days, and do the will of God from our cradle to our gr^ve, and keep the image, or glory of God, in which we was made for ever and ever peace without end. Amen. Because the ghost of God is holy, from the beginning to the en4 in the life of man; unto this state all must come that hath sinned; seeing in sin, or corruption, no man is worthy of the will, or presence of God; then it Tiiay be said, how did God appear unto Adam after trans- gression of soul: he first appeared in Adam by remem- . .. , . .1 1 1 J ««:«! uTifrt Viim before he brance oi wnat iiiv wui"u A*a-u =ai« «:=-.-.^ ^ had disobeyed the commands thereof, the same as Christ T 35 / appeared in Peter, causing him to remember what he had said unto him that night in which he was betrayed into the hands of sin and corruption; so Adam also by forgetfulness, carelessness, or neglect, refused to keep the word of God, and thereby was betrayed into the state of shame before God, or the power thereof appear- ed unto, or into him; in condemnation for that, or for not doing that which he ought to have done; the ne- glect of which caused him to do that which he should aot. If things had been right in the world, the same might have been said of them in the act of denying and betraying Jesus Christ; but suffer it so to be, seeing the same preaches unto us, that we should not do like them in these things; neither should we do like Adam, in what he done, that was contrary to the will of God. But of the former cometh the latter, and from the fall of Adam, or first transgression in us, cometh all iniquity, seeing it is, and was the root of all evil under the sun; therefore him, or them which hath sinned in the sight of God, must first know the beginning of evil in ourselves, be- fore we can know the beginning of the will and power of God in us, because good was before evil in the sight of God, but evil works was before that which was good in Adam, or in us, that is like unto him in all things which we do in the state of sin. Therefore it is meet for Adam ^ or his fallen state in us, to first know the evil which we have done, before we can know the will of God, which was in us before evil took place by transgrt- ssicn there- in. The want of which knowledge is the downfall of so many good buildings, and great ciiies, or societies that are raised up in the earth, after the order oi Babylon, or the tower thereof, which grew well for a while, till the language got confounded, and the builders, or ministers could build no more: the reason isj the v have not the will, or the spirit of God, for their foundation; neither 36 had the builders of Babylon, else it nexer could be over- .htwn; seeing th« po«er of God is the greatest power, lndrureslfoundatio.8 amongst men; yea, the globe, the heavens, and the earth, remains thereon, «.th the sun. moon, and stars, in the firmament thereof, and their Ught goeth not out for ever.because God ts the bu.lder. pfwer! and light thereof. But these »hatbmld"P good, not knowing the foundations, and beginning of evil, is very S to build thereon, and down comes Babylon, with all he glories of the earth, seeing Jesus Christ refused and despised them all. before he began to preachthe gospel of peace to the people; and his first cry was not "«<> *ein, do good, but repent of that evil which is done, that here- after we migh. do good. Mark how he was baptized of John, when in man's estate, according to the size of the flesh, before he could endure all these temptations, by which all the Sons of Adam fell from uprightness of heart before God, net as though he had need to be bap- tized for his own sins, but as though we had need he should pass through this state, for our sakes, that his whole Ufe might be the complete and full ministry of God, from the state of the fall, to uprightness of heart, or the full resloralion of all that which was lost in us, which ap- peared in Jesus Christ on earth, by fulfilling every state of the mercy, and power of God to all that hath sinned; therefore, in the life of Christ, are many mansions, much room, or many states, wherein all may rest, and never fall like Babylon; because every state m hirn is, and was right; therefore God is the author of that which is right, and man the author of that which is wrong; and Jesus Christ, in whom was both the'nature of God and man, in one body, the perfect knowledge of a mtAimr jj.M-o.p »hp tivn states in us: therefore the life ol Christ U 'th7 full 'and ample ministry of God in us, while we 37 remain in a state of sin, or by experience in the least sense thereof, which sense was not in Adam, when he first heard the word of God, neither can it be in us, when his spirit speaketh in us again, which state I call God in man, and Christ with the father, as in the beginning; and his spirit only known in us, exclusive of the flei^h of all men, as no man had laboured on earth to corrupt the mind of Adam before he sinned, or might have done that which is, or was right in the sig^ of God. But now while we have got things into a small com- pass) even in us, let us try to know what we, or I am, wluch becometh every man, let them be born of Adam, Christ, or God, which are the three states in man, or the soul thereof, God striving by Christ, for the victory therein, over all the powers of the earth, or temptations of the Devil therein. How came man into three parts, or the Godhead into three natures subsisting on or in one God? God made all things in his own image, which image ,s good in .i' hings that are made; in that day I cannot see, that there was any thing more in the world, or m man, than God, and his works, or God in his works. Xr? •^•'^^rK^^'^^' ,nd all things to obey him, which dominion he had when he dwelt with the father and whatsoever he said should be the name and power of he beasts, that it was, and thsy were contented therewith, that Adam the first son of God should rule over them in peace, because all were satisfied with the name or power which Adam gave unto them. The same is an emblem of that which was fulfilled by Christ and his disciples, wl'o once had lost their first estate, and fallen into the n^tue of beasts by serving the temptations of the earth: there! and be passive m the har, ! of the son, spirit, or son] of God once morp. Qio..^;f„:..^.u^„^i.. ., . ... ' ^ =>"i»i oi *u^ u ' " ' -o-"/-"5 iiiwrvuy meir iaiien state from the begmnrng; when the spirit of God, or the Holv Gho« 58 if.' II ■•1 W u ; h .1 \i-i both .„,,. u ever, r^'^':^^^^:.:^:^^^:!:::^^ the body and soul °f ''\"'»" or us it would have pre- order had been kept .n Adam, or us^ '^ « ^ served us in soul and body, or ^^"^J^J^; „„ ^arth, other Lord and .aster, - — -J^^ru God's «orUs. seeing man was and is the mosi i and aLe worthy to be — ^»"f ^„7„\ bTthe last in ^as the Hrst c-der of God m man, and will be ^^^ us, if we ;ver know our own «°">» '» ^ ^"^b^^ ^hen s. te of Paradise -"""-J.'^tf^f ''.tre'^as. or is one ™an or Adam first entered f ° «>"; '^^^'^J^^; „eated; «ore nature in "^han J^t - -h.a. w ^^^ .^^^^^^ ^^ and when we ^o 'hat which we _^ ^ ^^^_ that which we should do, there is an ^s, trary to the will «"''P°:t;;;f'i: professions, or so- and tens of thousands >- J »P J^ ^ ^,, ^.j.h is the cieues in the earth, PJ°™ ,^„ ;„ „s after we second nature of Gcd, "h'ch ''« J „^jures in us, have sinned, in which «;=> « ^^^^.^^Vrh" knowledge of ,.hich are the nature of «>" J^ J^^^ ^^ich the know- God is lost, and the nature oChr^^hy ^^ ^^^^ ledge of God may be fo-f ^^l .hereof by the ^ sinned, and received «ome know g ^^^^^^^ ^^_ spirit of Christ crying repentance m j ^^ ^ /eived God, but J^e kno-J^^^^^J,, „, ,,e spirit there- found, seeing the hfeoH""'' ^ reconciliation, to bring of, is a spirit of -ef ««°»; ° J^, „f the Holy Ghost, mankind back into the knowie g ^^^^^.^^^ ^^ ^hich is without flesh or -"ho»t^^";^„, ,^^, God be- all that labour in the will °f «°° '°^ ,fter man had came into, or came in twonatu es n m , ^^ ^^^ ^.^^ ^^ taken into him a -'";;;'^,f^;;h°ch Go'd appeared no God, which he should not after ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ more naked before him, as in_spu«, ^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ in the beginning, but Dega-.. v" "■"- - •.*« 39 upon him which first veiled Adam, or ourselves from his sight: therefore he began to speaK to the sons of Adam or repeated transgressions in another manner, than that in which he first did speak to him in the beginning, in the heart, soul, or mind thereof. Therefore Christ first began his work, with, or in the state of sin by the first teachers of righteousness, after transgression first took place in the heart of man; therefore God in Christ, or the fiesh thereof, first became veiled from the presence of all that have sinned, and became unworthy of his holy presence, or that Ghost which is holy in man, the same hath a right to the whole heart thereof, and while any other ghost or spirit abides therein, no man hath re- ceived the whole interpretation of God to man, or the spirit thereof in man, in which state no man is perfect neither have they received God*s holy ghost, seeing the heart is partly filled up with another, which is con- trary to the pure aind undefile^ nature thereof. There- fore God remained or remains veiled in the spirit, or flesh of Christ, and only reveals himself to man, by and through the flesh, or the spirit thereof, by parts, as the heart becomes clean by repentance, to the reception thereof, till he appears naked and bare in man as at the beginning, speaking to man by and through no object of mediation any more, in which state we receive Christ, in the glory and will of God; but in the first state, under the bonds of sin, and corruption, in which state his acts are not clean in the sight of God, as though we had not sinned, yet they are clean in his sight, because we have sinned and the first nature of Jesus Christ, or God therein after \ye have sinned, is agreeable to the will and mercy of the Holy Ghost, because of sin in us purging the heart of man, by the spirit of Jesus Christ, that the temple of God might be made clean thereby; that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, might dwell together i> i 40 therein as in the beginning when these three made one all powerful, all living and one all eternal God in man throughout all the earth. But in order thereto, many if not all of these little ^ B-.bylons that are not more than knee high must come down; which is to say, our society, and our profession, and our folks exceed all accorcUng to scriptures, but which exceeds in the life of Christ, which is the rights of man, or the right of God in man, after he hath sinned to his own condemnation. Why the most spiritual people say, that most assuredly we are right, and must stand the longest; seeing we have the very spirit of Christ for our fDundation. Boast not of these things, because in the end, Christ resigns up the kingdom in the heart of man to God, and his spirit becomes all and all therein; and the spirit of the works, or life of Christ, is a spirit of mediation, and must pass away from between God and man, or the works done in his body; from between the Holy Ghost and the soul. The same caused Chrifit to say to his disciples, if I go not away, the comforter, or ano- ther will not come: in which state he resigned up the heart of his disciples to the immediate power of God, or commands of the Ho., Ghost; in which state the servant was as their Lord, when he was commanded by the Holy Ghost from the manger, to the cross; where he died and rose again, free from the condemnation of sm, which he put off in his agonies on the tree, sentence by sentencer or croan by groan till he gave up the whole ghost of sm, death, and corruption, which state we must all see before ever we know the first coming of the state of Jesus Christ in us, seeing he was without sin in his fir^ body, which was born of the virgin, formed of God as the soul of Adam in Paradise, and was without sin throughout his days until death. ^» . , -n ^««,- L, __ r_^ :.!-« «1.e»>iftr Teaus Christ Will COmC -^ <* ^ 41 # << down from heaven, and abide in us, doing his former acts in our sinful bodies, yea, or nay; if we say yea, so it is, then why did God chose, or form a body without sin, to dwell in, because he would not dwell in the heart, with the spirit of corruption; therefore, he appeared on earth in one that was altogether clean, for although the wages, or rewards of si.^ was upon him, yet the spirit thereof was not in him, where God the power of his father did dwell; for which cause I think many are not quite in as high a stats of spiritual things, as they would feign teach to others, if they would receive them, fo^ which cause I murmur not, that I have received no man's doctrine, save that which God hath given, for by so doing 1 shall not break through and steal that which is given to others, which I think all do that profess Jesus Christ in the second state, not knowing him in the first. These to me are like a people that never toiled, resting before they are wearv, entering into heaven before the work is done, setting down in a state of dumb stupid case, as though the pains of Jesus Christ had washed their sins away, when I believe his life to be the only pattern, of example by which we are made clean, ard as Ood in the first place spake in Adam, in spirit, so also in the third he spake in us by and through the power of the Holy Ghost, but as in the second, by and through his Son, our souls or God*s redeemer of mankind, unto him that is or was lost. Now if God, or his immediate power, or the Holy Ghost is in us, as professed by many in our day, the same I believe to be God in the beginning and in the end And as it is a common saying, or profession, that we all have sinned, so also I would that it was as common to. tell how all was redeemed therefrom that profess they have receiv- ed the spirit of Christ, or that inspiration that is alto- gether acceptable in the sight of God. Seeintr I have nnt D 2 Hik-:. l»- i ;4' I fe:u i I 'i i: ! -•JB^ 42 professed these things, but the name of God only, not as though I was great and did profess, or possess the fulness thereof; but as though he was the father of all good, both great and small, I professed his name, lest I should err in profession. Seeing it is testified that it is by him that we come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and by the power or spirit of Christ, we come to the knowledge of the Holy Ghost. And it appears by the doctrine, and life, and prayers of Christ, that God giveth all; which signifies to me, that God giveth unto us the right knowledge and sense of Jesus Christ; and how we should work by him as our pattern, or follow him as our example, or believe in him as our God, till the Holy Ghost cometh. All which is born of the spirit of God and the Holy Ghost, his internal likeness for ever in the heart and soul of man, bringing forth fruits of its own kind for ever. But as the God of all nature, both spiritual and temporal, save sin, hath become divided into three parts for our sakes that hath sinned, it oe- cometh us to know how we receive it, lest we should do dishonour to the author of all good thereby, seemg the Almighty in his several existences in man, cannot be divided against himself, lest his kingdom thereby should fall in us, and the works thereof in the world, and the desired prayers of Jesus Christ to his disciples, should never be fulfilled on earth: which is to say, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven, which signifies thy kingdom rule in the heart, as in thy spirit, where all things issue for thy praise, as in the beginning. Then it becometh us who have fallen into a lower degree of nature than our first state, to praise God for all, or every means of our deliverance therefrom, as people m every age, state, or degree, hath given unto him a measure of praise. But if vc should praise God for that which we . _ -^ : A ,*« oU/MiU Ha false worshiDDcrSy nave noi yei icvwiicuj ww aw-'-^i-- — - — — »• ' '^ •^ t »!■ 43 serving a God whom we know not, and none would be our equals in these things, save the state of the Pha- risee, who praised God for that which he had not yet received, and gave him thanks for that which he had not. And I can say of a truth with the Publican, that spake after hirn in the world, as I speak after your great and mighty spiritual professions therein:— that him that knoweth his own sins, and the spirit thereof, is more justified in the sight of God, than a great many others that are boasting of what they have received, puffed up with some knowledge of the Holy Ghost according to professions. Suffer me to ask of you some questions, you tliat are my superiors in your own eyes, according to your un- blameable profession. If Jesus Christ is; the way to God, and the mercy and power of God in us, the way to Jesus Christ, and the spirit thereof, how far ye have travelled in the way, where ye came from, and when you got there; seeing ye have received Christ, and the Holy Ghost, that lightest every man, coming into the state, or nature of this world. 1 herefore ye that have the light, are a very proper people to ask, how myself or others shall get out of it. What foolish questions to ask, seeing eveiy man hath received the light: true, but every mar. hath not brought forth fruits of the light, by which all men shall know that ye have received it. What good doth it do, to say there is a light in dark^ ness, if the darkness cannot comprehend it: ye might as well say there is a light under a bushel, as to say that Christ, or the Holy Ghost, dwells in 9 heart of wicked- ness. Christ saith, when I am in the world, I am the light thereof; so also believe I,* that when Christ is in tis, we is a light in the world, by works which he hath done, when, or while he dwelt immortal in that body of mortality on earth, in which he TninictAr^^ /^» ^A^i^f •i; i ^•i i 1 44 tered his father's will unto us; beginning at the first and j-emaining till the last therein. Not after the order of those societies, that rise and fall according to the order of Babylon in us, which spirit takes place in us, when- ever we think we get pretty high in the world: then doth every society return to the place where it came from, as the materials, or spirit of the builders of Babel returned to the earth. And there I think many are, that are this day professing Christ, and the Holy Ghost, by which he was actuated according to the most holy, great and adorable will of God. For this cause, that ye cannot tell, or never have told, the difference between the Father and the Son, or between the diap-osation, or visitation of the Son in the world, or the Holy Ghost. -For which cause I am tempted to believe, that ye know not these things in us, and so much like the builders of Babylon in this day, that ye think, that your present state will carry you to heaven, and that every society is right that professes Jesus Christ to be the light of the world: till some amongst you continue to build up, while others are pulling down seven times faster than others build. In which state the spiritual professors, with all . the rest are like to fall into that state in which Babylon was begun in spirit, which is to say, in a state of sm, death and darkness. We, 1 or us, believe m Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, because they have heard of these "things, or names in the Godhead: therefore they under- take to profess them all, not knowing any of them, nay, scarcely received so much as to know we are sinners and hath much need thereof; which is and was just like the builders of Babylon, who when they heard of heaven immediately provided a way to get there, like a man pro- fessing Christ in sin, which is the ministry to, or for that state, like a people professing to go to heaven on a tower, built of the things of God. t 45 Was Christ like the tower of Babylon? nay, Christ lUrt "''"''' '° '""' ^"^ '"^ 'o-- °f Babylon buU, of the things of God. Can people make a Babylon when they should begin at the bottom, and begin in tl^ lluT. *"' 5"' '"■"'■' "'«y '"^^ '° »"« second, vvhtch leads mto the kingdom of heaven, and in favour and in the presence of God: but the builders of Baby- ln"J'f T ^^'" '° ■'""'' "^ '""^ '°P' ""y' "« they ought to, for there they come to the spirit of that which was in them before they began to build; which if they had known, they might have tried to have built a little downwards, and have become into one spirit before they began; in which state I think many of them would not have bu.It at all, to come to nothing. Moreover, I be- .eve If some of the active members knew what spirit they were of they would be still; but for want thereof so- cieUes get confounded on the top, or after they have g own up a while by different kinds of spirits, which will bnng many of them to the earth, as low as the tower was before one stone was laid on another, or any two formed together in the earth. Thus Christ is professed in the dark, and the works of God hidden in the night, • for want of repentance in the soul, every man building on his own foundation in a state of sin. before the heart is made clean, having corruption at the root thereof. So was the builders of Babylon corrupted in spirit, which thing destroyed the building, to the dishonour of the work- man; so will, hath, and do societies fall to the disho- nourof the ministry and acUve members therein, be- I > cause they lay the foundation in the night, and build, or t profess thereon, without being baptized, or prepared \ thereunto, ull the day cometh that they can see to buUd no more; after which they do one thine over and ov,-. Deeause no more is given them of G<^. The reason is I 'i ■ t ; I 46 plain to all: we think we know so much, and hath re- ceived such large portions of his spirit, we do not . and in need of any more, or that any man should teach us any farther: true, that is far enough, and we have need of some one, or sotnething to teach us backwards, and bring all such Babylons in us to the ground, that profess every thing, knowing nothing in the order and purpose thereof, which is the state of many in this day, crying up and down the Lord is with us, come follow us for we are right, come and hear what our teachers say. Well I will stand by and see you build, and see how high you can go before you fall. But hear me a moment before you begin to preach, after which you may be at liberty to build, or say on. Seven days make one week, one of which belongeth unto God alone, and Jesus Christ rested therein, and be- came, or was Lord thereof; the seventh power, day, 1 cn^-n'R eth to me, the spirit of God, of which no man is Lord, save God alone; but when the six days of the week are fulfilled, then the seventh is his to rest with all his works, or beasts and servants, which is the senses of his body; on the sixth day Adam was made a living soul; after which cometh the seventh, on which God rested; therefore it is hard for me to believe that after God made Adam a living soul, or the knowledge of all things living therein, that he done any thing more, save form, or abide in a state of rest which he finished, and rested on the seventh day, signifying thereby that he was the greatest number, or highest power of all the days of the week: but when ever one evening and morn- ing was formed, it was counted or numbered in this yyay,— calling it the first, and that it was good, because it was of God, and so on throughout the whole of them, a.:ii »u^ ,.,^^\r r^f tK . 49 the name of one all great and all powerful God, into TnJlh "f" '°"""' ^y """'"R °»e thing firM, and then another, till every seal is opened in them, a..d every day of the woik filled up before the seventh cometh: so must every purpose of the coming of Jesus Christ be filled up, before the knowledge and power of the Holy Ghost cometh: so must the doctrines and mysteries of the old and new testament be filled up, before we receive the knowledge of the Holy Ghost, which taught Adam before s.n, and w.ll teach us when sin is done, the same gifts which are wntten, preceded out from the Holy Ghost to us m a state of sin, and must be known by us before we Z T"' "" ^^°'^ ^'^°'' "eain, seeing the spirit ' thereof IS greater than all things which are written, and the Father greater than the Son, while he abides on earth, or ,„ us. Therefore he must be first known in ex- perience, before we can know God, an..' be at peace, see- wg we have lost the greater spirit by sin, and the less is given us, til we return in that state in which we firs received it, in which state Christ goeth away from us in the flesh, and appeareth in us with the father, where all thing, are given into his power, which is the gift of God and the ghost of Christ, or the spirit of God, rests in thZf '"""""'""'•/'•"« the various gifts, or portions thereof are on earth striving with man for his ledemp- «on, m the various states thereof; if which portion »c had received as with God, we would know in wh.t state M- « !■* r' ""'° ""= "'^" ^» 'hat hunger might be satisfied; and all that are unclean be washed; and a due proportion of God's will, or spirit be preached to ^' p o^e; andin our hearts .here would be much room fo all God s people to rest: for the h^.,., :. .,.„ r... . house and Ms order will appear" UieVe'in. ;,;;:s';Xa: Babylon on earth is overthrown; and every one shal F. k' .1 ' 50 know the will of God therein, and portion of grace which he hath received: after which there shall be peace on earth with all, and all walk in the order of God in Christ for ever; and the building shall not come down any more, neither shall the spirit of Christ be crucified unto death by the builders of laws, and temples on the earth any more; and while sin remains on earth, Christ will be still in the souls of some, as he was in his mother's womb on earth; these can profess nothing, and others shall be passive in the power >f beasts, as Christ was in the manger, amongst oxen, and not be hurt; and others shall be fulfilling the law as other men, and not be distin- guished, or discovered from others, as was Jesus Christ in the days of his yo'itli, when wisdom was multiplying upon him, preparing him for the conception, or recep- tion, and bringing forth of the gospel of order and peace; and when it appeared, it condemned no pa^i of his past life; nor yet them that had lived on earth before the coming of his fletjh therein. Therefore he is and was the house of God; in which there is much room; his spirit containing the inspiration of all things which are written in scripture of God: therefore blessed was, and is he in every state; which if we knew in ourselves, we should no more judge and condemn each other, but reprove by the word of instruction till the least became like the greatest, and the greatest like the least, seeing the son of God once became a child, and was born of a woman like unto us, and more in obedience than all that hath binned; in this, that he humbly kept the will and law of God from the beginning in us, which we ourselves did not: therefore he that saith that he hath Jesus Christ, or the spirit thereof to his Lord and master, and receiveth not his doctrines to do them, nor keepeih not his com- mands is a liar, and his profession is a perfect Babylon on earth, as professing Christ, not knowing nor fulfilling u 51 any part of his life. Such are the professors of the God- head separated apart, not being in one spirit together, as God, and Christ; as Son, or Holy Ghost, he want of which makes more Babylons on earth, thfc . there are stars in the firmament of heaven; and for want of the knowledge jf which, or lights* of God's power in the scriptures, many will be confounded and Tall to the earth, both Jew and Gentile as the one work and one spirit are necessary in all, either by, or without the knowledge thereof. SOME REASONS FOR BELIEVING THAT THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST IS NOT IN ALL THAT PROFESS HIS NAME. If I could stand on yonder shore, And see yon distant sun Arise from death, to set no more, l*d think that time ha*, come, When Christ in spirit had come down, To light these glromy skies; O then my soul would give renown To every word that flies. That is proclaimed by Christ aloft, ^^ . y That dwells above the skies; That is not by the billows tost, Nor trusts in earthly joys. But we in our immortal strains, How oft they pass away, And all our labour and our pains, Will scarcely last one day. Behold how many a goodly work, In one poor age doth fail: «-■** r i;i ti :! "r I?' )\ \ it! I bd in «I tw an Mi c