that with this spirit of truth they may know the God of truth; and in the spirit of truth, serve and worship the God of truth; which pure truth and holy spirit, the devil, the foul spirit, and all his worshippers are out of, and cannot come into, for there is no truth in him. And this is our pure and perfect standing worship, which Christ the son of God set up above sixteen hundred years ago.

II. Concerning the antiquity of our religion.

Which was set up by Christ in his apostles, above sixteen hundred years ago, who saith, that 'pure religion and undefiled before God is this: to visit the widows and the fatherless; and to keep themselves unspotted from the world.' And this pure undefiled religion, which brings to visit the widows and the fatherless, is above all the impure, vain, defiled religions, that do not bridle people's tongues, nor keep them from the spots of the world; and their widows and their fatherless go a begging about the streets, and not taken in, fed, nor clothed, nor visited. And this is below the pure undefiled christian religion, that was set up among the primitive christians, in the apostles' days, which is our pure undefiled religion.

III. Concerning the antiquity of our mother, new and heavenly Jerusalem.

She is the same as she was confessed to by the apostles, in the primitive times, above sixteen hundred years ago, who said, 'Jerusalem, that is below is in bondage with her children, but Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all;' which is the mother of all the true believers in the light, the life in Christ, who walk in the light of heavenly Jerusalem their mother. And they that receive Christ, to them he gives power to become the sons of God. And so are the children of heavenly Jerusalem, the bride, the lamb's wife,' which is free, as in Gal. iv. 25. And the apostle saith to the church of Christ, the Hebrews, Ye are come to heavenly Jerusalem; and to the innumerable company of angels; and to the assembly and congregation of the first born, which are written in heaven; and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.' Heb. xii. 22, 23.

Now here you may see, that the saints were come in the apostles' days to heavenly Jerusalem their mother; and to an innumerable company of angels, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to the congregation of the first born, written in heaven, while they were upon the earth. And this heavenly Jerusalem that is free, is the true mother of all the true christians now; for as all by nature are born natural, so all the true believers in Christ are born again; for he that believes, is born of God, so born spiritually, and such are heavenly Jerusalem's children.

An again, John in the Revelations saw this holy and heavenly JeruVOL. VI.

49

salem, descending out of heaven, from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and there shall enter into it no unclean thing, nor whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the lamb's book of life.' Rev. xxi. 2. and Rev. x. 27.

Now here you may see, here are three witnesses or testimonies that do confirm heavenly Jerusalem, that is above and free, to be the mother of us all, that believe in Christ and receive him, to whom he hath given power to become the sons of God, and children of the light, (by believing in his light,) and children of the day. And they of this spiritual birth know heavenly Jerusalem their mother, and walk in the light of their mother, heavenly Jerusalem, whose light is the Lord God and the Lamb. Now this heavenly Jerusalem our mother, comes down from heaven, that brings forth her free born children; and the power and light is from Christ, who is from above; through whose power and light they become children of God, and children of the light, and of heavenly Jerusalem, where there is no night; and so are nursed up in the arms and bosom of heavenly Jerusalem their mother, who feeds them with the milk of the word, and they grow by it.

6

For the Lord saith, The law shall go out of Sion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.' Micah iv. 2. Is not this heavenly Sion and heavenly Jerusalem? And that the word shall not depart out of the mouths of heavenly Jerusalem's seed and children; yea, not out of the mouth of its seed's seed, but the word of power, and of patience, and of wisdom, shall abide in the mouth of its seed's seed; namely, all heavenly Jerusalem, our mother's spiritual children in the new covenant and new testament, which cannot join to, nor own any mother church below her that is heavenly. And here is the antiquity of our mother acknowledged, to be the mother of all true christians in the apostles' days, and now. And in our mother heavenly Jerusalem's children, is love of loves, and joy of joys; above all joys and loves below, that will pass away.

IV. Now concerning the antiquity from whence we have our faith, and who is the author and finisher of it.

The apostle saith to the church of Christ, the Hebrews, 'Let us run with patience the race that is set before us; looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.' Heb. xii. 12. i. 2.

Now here you may see the apostles did not make the saints a faith, but bid them look unto Jesus, who was the author, or beginner and finisher of their holy and precious faith; the mystery of which is held in a pure conscience. And so Christ doth reveal his faith to his people; and so they grow in faith, and from faith to faith up unto Christ, the author and finisher of it. So the apostle did not say to the saints, the church of Christ, look unto us to make you a faith, and that they

should be the author and finisher of their faith, for them; but bid them look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith. And so this was the apostles' doctrine to the christians in the primitive times, above sixteen hundred years ago; and this is the doctrine that we have received, and own, who do look at none below Jesus Christ, to be the author and finisher of our holy precious faith; in which faith all God's people please him, and have access to him; which faith is our victory over that which displeases God, and in which holy faith is our holy unity, and by this precious faith all the just live. And this is the one, holy, pure, precious faith, that purifies the hearts of God's people, which Christ is the author and finisher of; in which they have access to the holy God, and serve and please him. So our holy, catholic, or universal faith, Christ is the beginner or author and finisher of; in which holy faith the church of Christ did, and do build one another up which (as before) Christ the holy one, is the author and finisher of, and

not men.

V. Concerning the antiquity of our belief.

Christ, the heavenly man, and second Adam, doth enlighten every one that comes into the world, with his heavenly spiritual light, which is the life in him, the word, and by him the word, all things were made and created. And Christ saith, 'Believe in the light, that you may become children of the light.' And so we believing in the light, the life in Christ, are become children of the light, and so are grafted into him, the life, in whom we have the light of life, and so are passed from the death in Adam, to the life in Christ, the second Adam; and as the apostle saith, He that believes, is born of God, and overcomes the world.' And these are the true and living members, or the living stones that make up the spiritual household, the church of Christ, which he is the holy head of. And as the apostle saith, 'It is given us to believe;' so Christ hath given us a light, which is the life in himself; and saith believe in the light: so we believe in that which Christ hath given us, and commandeth and teacheth us to believe in, namely, the light, which is the life in him, by which we may see him, and know him, and that we may become children of the light, and of the day of Christ; and this light shining in our hearts, it gives us the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus. And this is the treasure which we have in our earthen vessels; and after we do believe, we are sealed with God's spirit, and can set to our seal, having the witness in our. selves, that God is true in all his promises, and prophets, and types and shadows in the law, concerning his son Christ Jesus, in whom we do believe, who is our heavenly rock and foundation to build upon in this heavenly divine light. And all the foundations that men lay below Christ, we cannot build upon; for we believe in the light, the life in

Christ, and are grafted into him. And Christ saith, 'He that believeth in me hath eternal life.' And they that do the work of God, believe in the son of God that he hath sent; and he that believeth shall not perish, but hath everlasting life.' And Christ said to Martha, 'He that believeth, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and he that liveth and believeth shall never die.' This is the true and living belief that Christ hath taught us. And he hath given us his light to believe in; which belief is distinct from all false beliefs that men make and teach. VI. Concerning the antiquity of our way.

Christ Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father, but by me.' John xiv. 6.

So Christ is the new and living way, which God hath consecrated for us, as in Heb. viii. 20. And this new and living way Christ set up himself, above sixteen hundred years ago, by which we come to God. And as David said, 'As for God, his way is perfect; and it is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.' Psalm xviii. 30. 32.

And again, David saith, Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to thy word.' Psalm cxix. 9. So the word will keep out of defiled ways.

And as Solomon saith, 'The way or path of the just is as the shining light, which shines more and more unto the perfect day.' Prov. iv. 18. 'But the way of the wicked is darkness, and they know not at what they stumble.' And that is the condition of them that hate the light. The just man's way or path, and the way of the just is uprightness; and the most upright God doth weigh the path of the just. Isaiah xxvi. 7.

And you that have been astray from the light, have not you heard the word from behind you say, 'This is the way, walk in it.' Isaiah xxx. 21.

And all you that have heard the word Christ, and so turned to him, the light, and the way, you know the scripture fulfilled. The old testament was the good old way for the Jews to walk in; but Christ in the new testament, is the new and living way to God, to them that believe and walk in him; for God hath given Christ to be a governor and leader for his people, and to be his salvation to the ends of the earth. So Christ, who is our leader, is our counsellor and salvation, and way to God, and there is no other way to the Father but by him, who hath died for our sins, and is risen for our justification.

VII. Concerning the original.

John saith, In the beginning was the word, &c. And all things were made by the word; and without the word was not any thing made, that was made.' John i. 9. And the apostles were preachers

of the word. 1 Pet. i. 25. And the apostle said, 'The word is nigh thee, in thy heart and in thy mouth; and this is the word of faith which we preach.' Rom. x. 8. And James saith, 'Of his own will begat he us, by the word of truth.' James i. 18.

So God's people are begotten by the word of truth, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives, and abides, and endures for ever; and so as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that they may grow thereby. 1 Pet. ii. 2.

And John saith, That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, and our hands have handled of the word of life; that declare we unto you, that ye also might have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and his son, Jesus Christ.' 1 John i. 1, 2, 3. And this word is no new commandment; for John saith, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment, which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word, which ye have heard from the beginning.' 1 John ii. 7. And by the word of God, which did abide in the saints, they overcame the wicked one. 1 John ii. 14. 'And John bore record of the word of God,' Rev. i. 2. and said Christ's • name was called the word of God;' and the word is called the word of grace, and the word of faith, and the word of wisdom, and the word of power, and the word of patience; and this is the word by which all God's people are sanctified and made clean; and by it all things are sanctified. to them, and by this word they are reconciled to God, and this word was before the confusion of Babel, with their many languages, which the priests and the world called the original. And Pilate set a superscription in letters of Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, upon Christ, when they crucified him. And the beast and the whore, and the false church, had power over the natural tongues and languages, as in Rev. xiii. 7. and xvii. 15. But the word of God was before their tongues and languages were. And natural men with their natural arts and sciences, and tongues, do not know the things of God; for natural men, in their natural schools, may learn their natural arts and sciences, and their natural tongues, and their natural religions, and so to be natural ministers. But they that hear Christ's voice, and learn of him, and are bred up in his school, are made able ministers of his everlasting word.

VIII. Concerning the antiquity of our true hope, distinct from the hope of the hypocrite, that perishes.

The mystery which hath been hid from ages and generations, is now made manifest to the saints, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we preach; warning every man, and teaching every man in all