saints' light, while thou art looking at the letter, and art from the life which was in them that gave it forth; and the light shined in the hearts of them that gave forth the scriptures.

P. He saith, The scripture light, that is a standing rule for our faith, and there is present light in it to guide men to salvation, and so are not immediate revelations and teachings. And the knowledge of Christ and eternal life is given forth in the letter,' page 283.

A. They that had scriptures knew not salvation, and they knew not the rule, being erred from the spirit of God. And none know salvation, but by the immediate teaching and revelation of Christ Jesus the son of God, the salvation. And if men have all the scriptures given forth from God, they themselves are not able to make men wise unto salvation without faith, which Christ is the author of, who is the substance of what the scripture speaks of, and so they are not able of themselves' to guide men to salvation.' Neither are they a rule of faith, but Christ is the author of faith, and the spirit the rule that gave them forth; and all that have them, and are not in the immediate, know them not, neither the gospel. And none know eternal life, nor Christ (who is the author of life and faith, who was before scripture was) by the scriptures, but as they come into the life that they were in that gave them forth. And there is the life found, Christ found, Christ seen, him by whom the world was made before it was made; for the life was in them that gave forth the scriptures, by which they knew God and eternal life, and Christ the saviour, Abraham, the prophets, and Moses; so the life must be in all now, before they know scriptures, or Christ, or God.

P. He saith, If the letter declares of Christ's fulfilling, then we should need to know no more of Christ than what for substance is in the scriptures; then there is no need of immediate teachings,' page 284. He saith,new apostles and doctrine discovered, of a righteousness within them, that is their justification. And this is as the ringleaders of the Jews among the Galatians,' page 286. And the salvation which is to be wrought out with fear and trembling is not the same as made Moses and David, Habakkuk and Paul tremble,' page

287.

A. The power of God is one, which threw down Paul, shook Habakkuk, and Moses, and David, whereby these all came to know Christ; which power, who cometh into it, and into the infiniteness of it, which raiseth up the seed, which is Christ, whereby the salvation is known, and wrought out with fear and trembling. And when ye all come to know this power that works out the salvation with fear and trembling, your reproaches will be laid aside, for reproaching of such whose salvation is wrought out with fear and trembling. And righteousness within, and sanctification within, is a new doctrine to you

that are inwardly ravened from the spirit of God since the days of the apostles, and so from the spirit of faith, from the hearing of faith; as they that drew the people to the circumcision without, went from the hearing of faith within, by which they should be justified. So they that are come to the hearing of faith, are come to the justification and sanctification within, and look not to the circumcision and baptism without. So this is an old doctrine, and not new but to you apostates. And though the scriptures declare of Christ's fulness, if people have all the scriptures, that speak and declare of his fulness, (and you say you need know no more of Christ than what for substance is in the scriptures, and so have no need of immediate teachings, we believe you,) none know the fulness of Christ but they who come into the immediate teachings. Your mouths may be full of scripture, and you may use your tongues about the saints' words, and run up and down, and the Lord never sent you, saying, thus saith the Lord, in chap. and verse, and it is sufficient that the scripture speaks of his fulness;' yet I say, neither you, nor any upon the earth, can ever know his fulness, but as ye come to the light wherewith Christ hath enlightened you, in every one of your own particulars, though ye may have all the scriptures. For they that knew the fulness of Christ, and they that gave forth the scriptures, had the spirit of God in them: so must every one that knows it and them again.

P. He saith, If the scriptures be a rule for thee and thou, then it is a rule for respect to superiors: and keeping on the hat shows the pride of the heart, and a lying spirit.' He saith, they have not a growth of perfection in this life, but a pressing on,' page 290. And he saith, "the prophets took texts, and raised motives.' And he saith, he that believes not our points from scripture, shall be damned; that he must tell him from Christ,' page 299.

A. They who are standing up against thee and thou, and the hat, show the pride of their hearts, and are out of the humility, looking for an earthly honour; but before the honour is the humility. Nay, the scripture is not a rule for respecting persons, neither is the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ; they that respect persons are out of the faith, and are convinced by the law to be transgressors, and committers of sin, and so out of the law, and faith. And David saw the end of all that perfection, so he was past the growth of it, when he saw its end. And the scriptures, and Christ, you know not, who are not come into the immediate teachings, and have no need of it; who say, the scripture it is sufficient that declares of Christ. And the prophets did not take texts, and raise motives, and uses, and reasons, and lay in them half a year together, and sell them for money, as ye do now since the days of the apostles in the apostacy. But now I am come to reckon with you, VOL. III.

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and you shall have a portion, a reward according to your works: and I will slay you with the sword, the words of my mouth, saith the Lamb. And your points, and reasons, and imaginations which ye fetch out of scripture, are but to lead people under condemnation, and keep them from the immediate teaching, and the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world. And James Parnell's blood, who died in prison, that righteous man, his blood lies upon you, and it shall lie upon your heads sparkling, and from under it ye shall never come, but ye shall own it. And the spirit of God levels down all the proud and lofty hearts of men, by which people are brought into unity with God, and one with another.

And the first day in the week which ye call the sabbath, ye never read it in the scriptures as a strict command among the apostles.

P. And the magistrate is not to level the laws with the light in every man's conscience.' Again,' If the magistrate be in the light, and discern into the mind of Christ, and understand his law; is he to compel all the nation, and commonwealth, to come to the practice of his light?' page 308.

A. The magistrate of Christ, the help government for him, is in the light and power of Christ, and he is to subject all under the power of Christ, into his light, else he is not a faithful magistrate. And his laws here are agreeable and answerable to that of God in every man; when men act contrary to it, they do evil: so he is a terror to the evil doers, discerns the precious and just from the vile, and this is a praise to them. that do well.

P. He saith, The scriptures are the more sure word of prophecy, that shines in the dark heart until enlightened by the law. And every man's light, &c. is the glimmerings of the law, and not of the gospel light: and it is the voice of the spirit of unbelief that saith, the spirit and the power are not in the declaration.' See his appendix.

A. The spirit and power were in them that gave forth the declaration, but many have the declaration, and want the spirit, and want the power, as the Pharisees did; as all you apostates, inwardly ravened from the spirit of God, have had the declaration, but not found the power in it, nor spirit in it, and so are in the unbelief, and all on heaps about it. For if ye had found the power and the spirit in it, ye had been all one, and quiet before now about religion; yea, whole Christendom would have been in power, and in the spirit, and in the bond of peace, and in fellowship one with another, and the scriptures, and the spirit, and God. And the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world,' every man being in the light which hath enlightened him, he shall feel the word of prophecy; he shall

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feel the light shining in his heart; he shall feel the day-star arise there in his heart; he shall see that no prophecy of the scriptures came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke them forth. He shall see that many may have the scriptures, yet quench the spirit and despise prophesying; he shall see the scripture is but the letter declared forth from the spirit of prophecy, by the prophets, and the spirit of God in the son, and in the rest of the apostles. And the 'light which doth enlighten every one,' &c. is the end of the law, and of all glimmering lights, and is the light of the gospel. And none know the gospel, the power of God, Christ Jesus, but with the light that cometh from him. Here every man comes into his particular comfort. And that is the voice of the unbeliever, that, like the Pharisees, thinks to have life in the letter, and will not come to Christ the life, the substance of scriptures, but stops his ear to the light of God in him.

P. He saith, Let all know, that the work within is not the ground and purchase of true peace. And that God is more pleased with that which Christ works without for them, than that which he worketh within them.' And those that Peter speaks of, that had escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Christ, yea, clean, and yet are in the natural state, first and last.' See appendix.

A. They that have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and are clean, are out of the natural state, for they have escaped out of that state which they were in first. And such as witness their sanctification and justification wrought within them, witness in this they please God, by the faith in the blood of the son of God. Now they feel not the comfort, nor the benefit, but by the faith of Christ Jesus, the one offering, in which God is pleased, which is acceptable, which is Christ's offering; his sacrifice, his flesh, his blood, his life, his mind must be manifest and received within, before they come to justification, sanctification, and redemption, and the serving of God in the new life. And herein is God glorified, to 'believe in the only begotten son of God;' and here they honour the son in believing in him whom the Father hath sent.' And so they that feel not Christ in them, are reprobates.

And as for all the rest of thy lies and slanders, and strife and confusions, who would set one against another; all cool, quiet, and sober spirits will see thy confusion, and so thy words shall be thy own burthen, and thy lies turn upon thy own self. And no man shall establish Sion, nor lay a stone there, as he is in himself; but the elect make up Sion, and the living stones, where the elect and precious stone is in the midst, (which is Christ,) laid in Sion. And all thy Babylonish ways, actings, and doings, and all the rest of thy brethren,

and who are begotten with the same spirit of the great whore, that inwardly ravened from the spirit of God, who long have had the sheep's clothing upon your backs, who all come from one Popish stock, are comprehended now by the spirit of God which ye have all ravened from inwardly; with it are ye all fathomed. And the whore hath been arrayed with the sheep's clothing, and hath had power over kindreds, tongues, and peoples, and nations, and multitudes, and brought nations into waters, and peoples, tongues, and multitudes like waters; which have drunk the blood of the prophets, and the saints, and the martyrs. And so thou art flattering the authorities of the earth, and crouching under them, out of whose mouth goes the unclean spirits. But that is stirred and stirring, and rising in people, which ye are all ravened from, and gone from, with which ye are all comprehended.

And the judgment of the great whore is come, and her garments shall be plucked off, and that which ye all have ravened from, high and low, shall answer the judgment, and it is set atop of you all. For such as ravened from the spirit of God inwardly, got the sheep's clothing, but turned against the saints, and the woman fled into the wilderness; but now the Lamb and the saints shall get the victory. Though now the beast, and false prophets, and mother of harlots, and the devil, and the kings of the earth make war against him. He that I was dead is alive, and lives for evermore.' The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,' who rides on conquering, and to conquer, who slays and kills with the sword, which is the words of his mouth. Now wo to the dragon, and false prophets, beast, and mother of harlots, and them that worship the beast, the unclean spirits! Woes, vials, thunders, plagues, and earthquakes are come, and coming upon you! And he is manifest and come, that treads the wine press alone without the city; who is the Wonderful, Counsellor, the Prince of peace, whose name is called 'the word of God.' With him are the saints singing victory over the beast, and over the false prophets, great whore, mother of harlots, Babylon, and antichrists. Babylon is fallen!' the Lamb and the saints shall have the victory. In the body of witchcraft thou art found, as all that read thy book, that are in the spirit of discerning, may see; whose body is redeemed, and reigns over thine in the glory and victory.

Ralph Farmer's book, called The great mystery of godliness, and ungodliness.' In which are these principles following.

P. HE saith, The soul is of an immortal and spiritual nature. And