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<DATE>2011-02-08</DATE>
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<NAME>Megan Marion</NAME>
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<P>THE NAKED TRUTH <HI>Laid open,</HI> Again&s;t vvhat is ami&s;s: <HI>OR,</HI> May be mi&s;-interpreted, <HI>IN THOSE</HI> TWO BOOKES: The one, entituled, <HI>The Foot out of the Snare;</HI> And the other, <HI>The Snare Broken.</HI></P>
<P>Together with a Word of Invi|tation to all who are e&s;tranged to the <HI>True Faith,</HI> that they would hear and receive the Word of Truth, which makes free the <HI>I&s;rael</HI> of <HI>GOD.</HI></P>
<P>Set forth by me <HI>John Toldervy.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL>Rom. 9. 31, 32, 33.</BIBL> But <HI>I&s;rael</HI> which followed after the Law of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, hath not attained to the Law of Righteou&s;ne&s;s: Wherefore becau&s;e they &s;ought it not by Faith, but as it wore by the works of the Law, for they &s;tumbled at that &s;tumbling &s;tone: As it is written, behold, I lay, in <HI>Sion</HI> a Stumbling &s;tone, and a Rock of Offence; and who&s;oever believeth on him &s;hall not be a&s;hamed.</Q>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed for <HI>G. Calvert,</HI> at the Black-&s;pread Eagle, at the We&s;t-end of <HI>Pauls,</HI> 1656.</P>
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<HEAD><HI>The Naked Truth laid open, a|gain&s;t what is ami&s;s, or may be mi&s;-interpreted, in the&s;e two Books: The one, entituled,</HI> The Foot out of the Snare: <HI>And the other,</HI> The Snare bro|ken.</HEAD>
<P>FOra&s;much, as there hath appeared &s;ome &s;ecre&s;ie in me, in that work which fir&s;t I appeared in to the World, entituled, <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">The Foot out of the Snare.</NOTE> By which, the true end and &s;cope of my purpo&s;e, in the greate&s;t part of what I have di&s;covered, is much clouded in ob&s;curity from the ge|neral &s;ight of men: and al&s;o, for that I have &s;tood up in the Defence of this my Vanity, in that of <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">The Snare broken.</NOTE> By which, much prejudice may attend that work, which the Prince of Righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e is now in this our day bringing to pa&s;&s;e, that his Name might be known in the Earth, a Deliverer from the Bonds of Iniquity, a Leader Captivity Captive, a Redeemer of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> Cho&s;en, which hath long lain in Death, by the di&s;obe|dience of a Rebellious people: I &s;ay, having not been found faithfull to that Witne&s;&s;e of God in my own Con&s;cience, which condemneth all deceit; and being much rebuked and condemned for what I have done, I am con&s;trained in this further Di&s;covery, that the Simple might be undeceived, and the Envious might be reproved.</P>
<P>When fir&s;t I was per&s;waded to write, I had principally 4. things in my Eye: Fir&s;t, my de&s;ign was to di&s;cover the em|ptine&s;s, and the vanity of all that Mini&s;try, and of all tho&s;e Ways, and Forms of Wor&s;hip, which generally is upheld among&s;t us by the dark mind of tho&s;e who are blind in their under&s;tandings; by which the people, who are in darkne&s;&s;e,
<PB N="2" REF="2">
are mouri&s;hed in that condition, and the Seed of the Righ|teous, which creates a new heart, and redeems out of &s;inne, is kept in bondage. And, for this purpo&s;e, I began with a Di&s;covery of what I was, and how I was led, before I came among&s;t tho&s;e people, who go under the name of <HI>Quakers.</HI> where, I &s;ay, <HI>I was for divers years full of zeal led forth in love to &s;eek after the knowledge of God and Chri&s;t; for which cau&s;e I &s;ought, if that I could find, tho&s;e wayes and tho&s;e means, which were mo&s;t u&s;eful for the clearing of my Con&s;cience, that I might walk in unity with God by a holy and innocent life: to which end,</HI> I &s;aid <HI>(in my per&s;wa&s;ion) I was led forth with much fervency of &s;pirit, after tho&s;e teachers which were e&s;teemd of among&s;t the pri|me&s;t Profe&s;&s;ors, as men inlightned with the &s;pirit of God: in which way I laboured, had there been a po&s;&s;ibility to apprehend the true knowledge and mind of God: but not finding a po&s;&s;ibility in that way, to apprehend the thing &s;ought for, but in&s;tead thereof, un&s;ta|bility, and diver&s;ity of Opinions, confu&s;ion in Societies, things which are at perfect enmity with God, who is one Spirit, and can|not be divided;</HI> I &s;aid, <HI>I left them as they were, and all that ever I received from them; and &s;ought further, if that I might find the way of Redemption, from under that heavy burthen, which lay upon me:</HI> in which &s;eeking, (as I have &s;poken) <HI>I found &s;uch who declared against all &s;in who&s;e order and manner of teaching, and Duties, were united, compleat in one, they being the fruits of one Mind by which they were joyned in one Spirit, and &s;o judges and witne&s;&s;es for God, again&s;t all tho&s;e fal&s;e Chri&s;ts, and fal&s;e Prophets, who were going forth into the world, who&s;e doctrine was of Man, who</HI> (having &s;lain the Witne&s;s) <HI>knew not the Word of Life; therefore uncapable of edifying the People,</HI> and &s;o <HI>Mini|&s;ters of the Letter, and not of the Spirit.</HI></P>
<P>Here, my purpo&s;e was, to extingui&s;h them, who are ever learning the people, and them&s;elves, and yet never able to know the truth; and withall, to confirm tho&s;e who appear|ed, in &s;uch a Witne&s;s again&s;t all &s;in, <HI>whom I concluded were the people of God;</HI> who&s;e doctrine and life, I have not denied [by words] in any particular, of all what I then di&s;covered, except in tho&s;e things of civil Expre&s;&s;ions, and Carriages, which otherwi&s;e I called Ceremonies.</P>
<P>A &s;econd thing, which my mind was directed in, was, to invite, or per&s;wade &s;uch who were &s;trangers to tho&s;e people,
<PB N="3" REF="3">
and their ways, who are called (of men) <HI>Quakers,</HI> That they &s;hould inquire after that Truth which is profe&s;&s;ed by them; for which end, I di&s;covered them as &s;uch who were <HI>united in one mind,</HI> and &s;o <HI>acted on in their duties, who&s;e Mini&s;try was one, being guided therein by one Spirit,</HI> &amp;c. and then <HI>I relate a Di&s;cour&s;e mini&s;tred by one of tho&s;e people, with the effects which that Di&s;cour&s;e wrought upon my Spirit; together, with what I had received before from tho&s;e people;</HI> as the Di&s;cour&s;e holds &s;oul; al&s;o <HI>of my orderly forbearance, untill I had received a more cleare under&s;tanding, before I complyed with them; in which time, I received a further Witne&s;s:</HI> And &s;o I go on, <HI>di&s;|covering of their Judgment;</HI> without which knowledge, there is none can ever come to &s;ee the Redemption of their Souls. The&s;e things being con&s;idered, I was per&s;waded, that &s;ome|thing of that end might be effected, for which purpo&s;e they were di&s;covered.</P>
<P>Having thus laid open my Under&s;tanding, I began in the third place, to give warning unto all, who may be per&s;wa|ded, to receive the Word of Truth; that when convinced in their under&s;tandings, where that Word of Life, which re|deems out of &s;inne, is to be found: That they con&s;ider and examine in them&s;elves where withall they are led, that they run not before they are &s;ent, but to abide in the watch, that &s;o they lo&s;e not their Guide, and bring in Darkne&s;&s;e upon their Spirit: And for this cau&s;e, I di&s;|covered, <HI>what evill attended me through the ha&s;tine&s;s of my mind, in that I gave not heed to that obedience whereunto I was called; which evill I wholly took upon my &s;elf, as being the work of my&s;elf:</HI> with purpo&s;e therein, to unvail that Darkne&s;&s;e, which was upheld, in many, by their mi&s;-under&s;tanding of the cau&s;e of tho&s;e things, which generally had pa&s;&s;ed abroad concerning me,</P>
<P>A fourth end, was to di&s;cover tho&s;e things, practi&s;ed by tho&s;e people who are in that way: in which I conceived there was no evill in the not performance thereof, And in re&s;pect of which things onely, I my &s;elf did &s;eparate from them, <HI>which things were none other, but a denial of tho&s;e things, which generally is called, Civil Carriage to Civil Per&s;ons.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e four grounds, being the chiefe&s;t ends of my pur|po&s;e in writing, I was wel &s;atisfied in what work I had done,
<PB N="4" REF="3">
though yet I appeared a tran&s;gre&s;&s;or (in re&s;pect to my &s;elf) for which cau&s;e having received knowledge, that my ends are generally fru&s;trated, I am con&s;trained (as I have &s;aid) in this further appearance to the world.</P>
<P>Now that tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion (in re&s;pect to my &s;elf) was thus, in the con&s;ideration of what condition I had brought my &s;elf unto, &s;ince fir&s;t I became affected with tho&s;e people, who are called of men Quakers: My minde was directed (as I have &s;aid) for the an&s;wering of tho&s;e ends which I have re|lated, in which work I was glad; in that I was of any &s;uffi|ciency to appear therein; but yet I would &s;carcely have ap|peared to the world, as one who &s;hould di&s;cover him&s;elf in &s;uch a work, that I might not be looked upon as one my &s;elf, with tho&s;e people among&s;t whom I was, le&s;t the &s;ame re|proach and lo&s;&s;e of friend&s;hip from men, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> which once was my reward for the obedience of that faith, which the world knoweth not, I &s;ay, le&s;t &s;elf &s;hould thus have bin de&s;troyed, I &s;ought &s;ecretly to di&s;cover my minde &s;omething in ob&s;curity; but yet I made provi&s;ion, that &s;uch who were not ingaged, but would read and under&s;tand my witne&s;&s;e with a &s;ingle eye, that &s;uch might &s;ee the end of my minde, according as before is di&s;covered, which thing was unto me for the pre&s;ent, a &s;atisfaction in what I had done.</P>
<P>But yet further con&s;idering the &s;trangene&s;s of that Rela|tion, which declares of tho&s;e delu&s;ions which the evill &s;pirit in me guided me in &s;ubjection unto; and al&s;o con&s;idering what prejudice had befallen me by tho&s;e many reproaches which hath pa&s;&s;ed abroad concerning me, &s;ince my depar|ture from tho&s;e people: together, with what lo&s;&s;e of kin|dred and acquaintance had befallen me, &s;ince I came a|mong&s;t them: con&s;idering the&s;e things, I was much pro|voked, time after time, to &s;eek for &s;ome help, now in this my appearance to the world; but &s;eeing this provocation was from the tempter, I was fully per&s;waded for &s;ome time, after I had writ, that none &s;hould have the lea&s;t &s;ight of what I had done, untill it was di&s;covered to the world; but upon a further con&s;ideration, that I might not appear ri|diculous to men of &s;erious mindes, becau&s;e of the &s;trange|ne&s;&s;e of what I had related, I was per&s;waded to de&s;ire a cre|dible witne&s;s of what I had &s;o &s;poken, from &s;ome per&s;ons of
<PB N="5" REF="4">
&s;ober minds, who&s;e moderation was &s;omething known to me, though &s;ome there are, who&s;e Names were made u&s;e of again&s;t my good-will,) but that the people for their &s;akes, might not under&s;tand and otherwi&s;e then I intended, I was led forth to di&s;cover more plainly the cau&s;e of tho&s;e di&s;tracti|ons which I then declared, as the effect of the evil One in me: Before which di&s;covery, I &s;pake again of the darkne&s;&s;e, and the emptine&s;&s;e of that Mini&s;try, which is of the outward Law of the Letter <HI>under which Mini&s;try I could never enjoy a true peace,</HI> &amp;c. for which cau&s;e I &s;aid, <HI>I departed from that way and Mini&s;try having received knowledge where the truth indeed was to be found:</HI> which knowledge, I received from tho&s;e people before named; and &s;o having related the effects, which this knowledge &s;hould have wrought upon me, I came to di&s;cover how I erred from that work of Faith, wherein I was called, which fir&s;t began with <HI>the Creatures Joy and Covenant and forward zeal, which ran before the fear, and &s;o led forth before the true light, by which darkne&s;&s;e was brought in: in which Darkne&s;&s;e the Di&s;puter was rai&s;ed to life, and exalted above the light of the Sonne formed in the &s;hape of a true light; and &s;o delight got the power by which the true obedi|ence was lo&s;t, and &s;o the Simple was deceived;</HI> and having thus done, I concluded in the prai&s;e of that way, in which tho&s;e people are led forth in, which leads to the perfect Truth; which way and truth is but one, which the world knoweth not: neither can they know, untill they come to walk in it.</P>
<P>The&s;e things being laid open, my Judgment was, that although tho&s;e names were u&s;ed in my book, yet the people would have con&s;idered the thing, as it was di&s;covered from me, and not in a generall &s;ence, as a thing proceeding from their Judgments, who&s;e Names were unto it, and &s;o another thing than it &s;peaks.</P>
<P>But now I am mi&s;taken in my Judgment; and on the contrary, a Divi&s;ion among&s;t men concerning the thing, &s;uch who are affected in the way of tho&s;e, who&s;e Names appear in what I have done, they and the&s;e who have appeared, re|ceive to them&s;elves a &s;atisfaction of that, which the thing &s;peaks not of, but condemns; as al&s;o it condemns them and their way.</P>
<P><PB N="6" REF="4">
A &s;econd &s;ort there are, in whom there is no prejudice unto the one, or unto the other, but receives the thing as it is &s;ingly, and they give witne&s;s, that &s;urely a thing could not have appeared more (in &s;uch a ca&s;e as this was) on the behalf of tho&s;e people, who go under the name of Quakers, than that did. And a third &s;ort have been un&s;atisfied, not know|ing whether it &s;peaks for the one, or for the other.</P>
<P>The&s;e things I received knowledge of, time after time, from divers who&s;e mindes were thus different in the thing: but in the con&s;ideration, that there were &s;uch who &s;aw my minde, and meaning as it was, and &s;o received my witne&s;&s;e. I aboad hitherto &s;ilent, judging, that if &s;uch who were inga|ged, would leave their vanity, they might &s;ee and under&s;tand as others did: and that &s;uch, who &s;ay they could not under|&s;tand the true meaning thereof, might leave the thing as it was.</P>
<P>Now <HI>James Naylor,</HI> that per&s;on from whom there was di&s;covered in an&s;wer unto the thing, by what I now am gi|ven to under&s;tand, was otherwi&s;e minded, in re&s;pect of &s;ome things, than what I at fir&s;t under&s;tood of him, which was thus. When having read his Book, and &s;eeing much of the Spirit of Judgment upon me, and all tho&s;e who appeared with me, and that we were by him united in one, as &s;uch who were joyned in enmity again&s;t the light of Chri&s;t; and that he looked upon them as one with me, and I with them, in the whole of what was di&s;covered, and &s;o &s;ecret &s;miters again&s;t the truth: the thing being &s;omething in ob&s;curity-Seeing the&s;e things, I was moved, and &s;ought to finde what &s;hould be the cau&s;e why he appeared in &s;uch a Spirit; for I &s;aw that either he was much mi&s;taken, or el&s;e I was greatly deceived in what I had done; but when having &s;earched a|gain, and again, I could not &s;ee that his judgment was true upon me, except in that, of my receiving other witne&s;&s;e to what I had di&s;covered than my own: the extent of which deed, I &s;aw, as to me, little evill in; for that I had di&s;covered my Witne&s;&s;e, according as I have before related, in which, if well con&s;idered, there was no advantage for them, or any that might affect them: Neither could I &s;ee his Judgment to be true, in &s;ome things, concerning tho&s;e who appeared
<PB N="7" REF="5">
with me, in that; he concluded them as one with me in what I had done &amp; as privy to what was contained in the Ti|tle or the Epi&s;tle. Now the&s;e things being &s;o by what I knew concerning their knowledge of the Title, or the Epi&s;tle, or could apprehend concerning the other, I was much troubled concerning him, and that work he appeared in: upon which, I con&s;idered with my &s;elf what I were be&s;t to do, if to return an an&s;wer, or if to let it re&s;t &s;ilent: in which con&s;ideration, (my &s;pirit being moved) I was per&s;waded to return an An|&s;wer: for as yet I was di&s;plea&s;ed, in that I &s;aw my de&s;igns were wholly broken in many things, which in ob&s;curity I had di&s;covered with purpo&s;e to advance the truth (though I would &s;carcely have been &s;een in &s;o doing) and &s;o I was pre|&s;ented as a per&s;on unworthy, and my work, as confu&s;ion, though other things, &s;poken in more plainne&s;s, appeared for me as a true Witne&s;s.</P>
<P>Now, having &s;ome advantage for the effecting of this work, and the more, by &s;ome clouded expre&s;&s;ions; which yet being di&s;covered as my mind, that the Ju&s;t might not be condemned, I was therein &s;atisfied, and &s;o directed in a dir|tle anger again&s;t the per&s;on <HI>James Naylor,</HI> though (at the pre&s;ent) I thought I was guided therein, by obedience to the Ju&s;t in me, in that I made &s;ome provi&s;ion to &s;ecure the people and their way, though I judged his per&s;on, and con|demned his deed: But when after, what I had thus done was publi&s;hed to the world, my mind being &s;etled; in read|ing one of them &s;eriou&s;ly, I was &s;mitten in my judgment, and much reproved, for that I &s;aw an envious &s;pirit had ap|peared in me: Then was there given me clearly to &s;ee the right mind in which <HI>James Naylor</HI> was led, in the an&s;wering what I had di&s;covered: by which I &s;aw, truly, much of what he &s;pake, to be another thing, then what I formerly appre|hended, and his Judgments, in a great mea&s;ure, to be e&s;ta|bli&s;hed in truth; for, in that I &s;pake in ob&s;curity, <HI>I</HI> &s;aw <HI>I</HI> laid a &s;tumbling block before the truth; and in that <HI>I</HI> engaged others, this my ob&s;curity became a &s;nare to tho&s;e, by whom they were affected: and &s;o <HI>I</HI> receiving their te&s;timony, though not one with them in the thing, nor they one with me: yet in re&s;pect of the end, which is effected by their means, <HI>I</HI> was overcome, and &s;o became one with them, in
<PB N="10" REF="5">
that end which the thing it &s;elf doth condemn: And thus (through my vanity) we all became &s;ecret &s;miters again&s;t the truth; which things being made known, <HI>I</HI> could do no le&s;s but di&s;cover that the burden of my &s;pirit might be re|moved, and that the Ju&s;t might not &s;uffer by my meanes, knowing there is a time in which all &s;ecrets &s;hall be laid o|pen, and every deed &s;hall receive its own reward: Therefore have <HI>I</HI> rather cho&s;en to own the Condemnation, that the truth might have its free cour&s;e without interruption, and to pa&s;s by what reproach might be ca&s;t upon me, for that <HI>I</HI> have appeared herein, knowing that unto the truth <HI>I</HI> am made manife&s;t, by whom <HI>I</HI> am witne&s;&s;ed, that if by any means <HI>I</HI> could have put by this work, <HI>I</HI> &s;hould have been much glad (with re&s;pect to my &s;elf) therein: But where the blame is, my due, I mu&s;t receive it (from all) as my due, and therein re&s;t &s;ilent: And for that deed of engaging the Mini&s;ters, I am &s;orry (as I have &s;aid) that I &s;hould be &s;o fooli&s;hly led forth as I was therein, both in re&s;pect to them, and al&s;o to the thing in hand, by which my whole purpo&s;e (having appeared &s;ome|thing in ob&s;curity) generally became void, and &s;o deceived my &s;elf and them al&s;o.</P>
<P>But now I would freely &s;peak my mind, and utter words in knowledge, that the ju&s;t might receive its own due; yet not in the lea&s;t envy, with re&s;pect to one or the other; but in plainne&s;&s;e, as I have received: Therefore, my de&s;ire is, that none would receive to them&s;elves any offence in this work: but if in any, (as I have before &s;aid) in what formerly I have done; for verily (as I have &s;poken) often-times I was di|ligent in &s;eeking in tho&s;e ways, which the prime&s;t Profe&s;&s;ors of the&s;e Times, who were led by the Letter, were guided in, I ran from one to another, from Mountain to Hill, I &s;ought to find, but could not: onely I increa&s;ed in wi&s;dome (the work of my own labour) and this wi&s;dome, being of the fle&s;h, was plea&s;ant and delightful, and &s;o I thought it was the My&s;tery of the Spirit: But yet &s;till this wi&s;dome was unto me but little &s;atisfaction, though I laboured very &s;trictly in obedi|ence to what I had learned from the Law of the Letter, which was the end of that Mini&s;try, by which I was guided; for there was &s;omething yet in me that was un&s;atisfied, which lay under a great burthen, which all the wi&s;dom and know|ledge
<PB N="11" REF="6">
in my &s;elf, and in tho&s;e my Learners, was not, in the lea&s;t, able to &s;atisfie: Yet, in that time, I could not &s;ee the cau&s;e of the&s;e things; but when after I came to hear tho&s;e people who are called (of men) <HI>Quakers,</HI> in a &s;hort time I was clearly convinced, and given to &s;ee, the end of all my former labours, and the cau&s;e of my troubled &s;pirit: for they being redeemed out of the wi&s;dome, out of the imaginations of the brain, which is &s;en&s;ual, and of the fle&s;h, &amp;c. they &s;pake by and from that Spirit of Life in them, by which they were redeemed; and &s;o their words, being from the Life, reached to the Life, the Seed of the Righteous, which lay under the dark Mind burdened, and groaning for a deliverance. And here was that My&s;tery that is of God, <HI>which mini&s;ters to the Spirits in Pri&s;on:</HI> Which being made known, I was not in the lea&s;t able to gain-&s;ay: And then I &s;aw, indeed, that <HI>Word of Faith which reveals the everla&s;ting Go&s;pel</HI> to be <HI>near in the Mouth and in the Heart;</HI> and that <HI>Circumci&s;ion which is of God, was of the heart, in the Spirit, and not in the Letter; who&s;e prai&s;e was not of Man, but of God.</HI> But now for any to judge, that all, or any of tho&s;e di&s;tractions, and workes of deceit, which are delcared by me, as the effects of my di&s;obedi|ence to the light; I &s;ay, for any to judge of them other|wi&s;e than they are, and to ca&s;t them as a reproach upon the light, it is vain and evill, and a thing contrary to my whole mind: for that (as I have &s;poken) I dare not, neither can I &s;ay, but that the whole cau&s;e of all tho&s;e evils, was of my &s;elf: But though my &s;ufferings was great, when after I came in this way, yet I &s;aw much good was the end of all, Peace and Re&s;t in Spirit, according to the mea&s;ure of Grace recei|ved, which I never could &s;ee or attain unto, by all tho&s;e means, and in all tho&s;e ways which formerly I was led forth in: But to &s;peak in truth (that the Ju&s;t might receive its own) wherein I have at any time with-drawn from that grace I then lived in, therein I have refu&s;ed the good, and cho&s;e the evill, which works I mu&s;t acknowledge, as the works of my &s;elf in the hour of judgment.</P>
<P>And now, I hope that none will judge of me, as an Offence to the Law of Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, but as one that e&s;tabli&s;h|eth the Law in Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e (though much again&s;t my own &s;elf-will) and have I cho&s;en to acknowledge that thing
<PB N="12" REF="6">
which is rejected of among&s;t men, becau&s;e my Con&s;cience beareth me witne&s;&s;e, and &s;eals to the truth thereof? I hope men will not be &s;o vain to deny, but that I have mo&s;t rea|&s;on in thus doing. I honour and re&s;pect all men, as they are men: but &s;hould I honour and re&s;pect that in man, ei|ther in their Mini&s;try, or Practice; which I know a&s;&s;uredly in my own Con&s;cience, is not of God, but of them&s;elves: I &s;ay verily, &s;hould I do &s;o, I &s;hould be condemned of my &s;elf, and for that deed of mine, in engaging other per&s;ons then my &s;elf in what I formerly did, I looked otherwi&s;e upon the thing then it did effect: my mind was principally to receive a civill favour from them (with re&s;pects to my &s;elf, as I have before &s;poken) and not for the di&s;honour of the wayes of Truth: And for that I appeared in enmity to tho&s;e things di&s;covered by <HI>James Naylor,</HI> again&s;t that end, which their appearance with me hath accompli&s;hed, for that I &s;o ap|peared, I was mi&s;taken: For now I &s;ee his mind was one and the &s;ame with what fir&s;t was in me: wherefore, I can no le&s;s but deny that my mi&s;take, and receive the Judgment which I did for &s;o doing ca&s;t upon him, as due unto my &s;elf; and did I in di&s;plea&s;ure call him a fal&s;e Prophet, Corrupti|on, and a body of deceit, &amp;c. I mu&s;t un&s;peak what I &s;o &s;pake, and deny my &s;elf therein: Yet however, my mind was what <HI>I</HI> &s;o called him, to extend no further then the thing in hand, for <HI>I</HI> knew another life in him, who&s;e name is true, by whom the whole body of darkne&s;s in all the ways of &s;elf-wor&s;hip among&s;t men is &s;een, judged, and condemned: and for tho&s;e things of which I &s;pake in my fir&s;t book though in ob&s;curity, (with purpo&s;e that I might be excu&s;ed in the &s;ight of men) which were di&s;covered in judgment upon me, by one of tho&s;e people among&s;t whom I was, by which I was denied as one of them, when fir&s;t I departed from them, that the light of truth might be left inexcu&s;able, I mu&s;t confe&s;s the judgment (in a great mea&s;ure) there in was true, I was fallen from that by which I was convinced, which was the life of righteou&s;nes in &s;pirit, &amp; in power, which being &s;een by tho&s;e who abode in the faith, <HI>I</HI> was refu&s;ed in &s;o doing, (though yet unto that eye with which the Profe&s;&s;ors of the world are led, <HI>I</HI> &s;hould not have appeared a tran&s;gre&s;&s;or) and when it was &s;een of me that light in my Con&s;cience, unto which
<PB N="13" REF="7">
was di&s;covered, was made manife&s;t, was one with the great|e&s;t part of the thing di&s;covered, &s;o that I had not a word for my &s;elf, when the witne&s;&s;e was made known unto me.</P>
<P>Yet as to tho&s;e things which <HI>I</HI> called the fruits of Civility, and indifferent things, in which I declared, there was no &s;in, <HI>I</HI> &s;aw not at that time, neither do <HI>I</HI> yet &s;ee (if u&s;ed in mo|deration) that evill is the cau&s;e in the practice of them, yet however, &s;eeing my weakne&s;s, I will not be much confident concerning them, though my Con&s;cience at the pre&s;ent may not condemn them, neither would <HI>I</HI> that any &s;hould follow my example therein, except they &s;ee a freedom in them&s;elves; for a time was when all the world could not have per&s;waded me in the practices of any of them, my Con&s;cience being my witne&s;s in defence again&s;t all the per&s;wa&s;ions of man &amp; now whether <HI>I</HI> have erred or no, I know not. When fir&s;t <HI>I</HI> layed them down, it was in the ob&s;ervation of others, and not by any Command <HI>I</HI> &s;aw in my &s;elfe; but when after &s;ome time of my continuance, in the way and work whereunto <HI>I</HI> was called, <HI>I</HI> was verily per&s;waded, that all tho&s;e things <HI>I</HI> layed down in the imitation, was not then performed in the imi|tation; but by a Command from the witne&s;s rai&s;ed in me, in my own Con&s;cience; but when <HI>I</HI> was guided to take them up again, (as <HI>I</HI> have &s;poken) <HI>I con&s;idered the fir&s;t cau&s;e by which I was led in the laying of them down;</HI> and finding the deed was wrought in my will, (being in the imitation) <HI>I</HI> was a little provoked to take them up again, and the rather, becau&s;e <HI>I</HI> &s;aw no place of Scripture, which directly condem|ned them, though <HI>I</HI> could not &s;ee any practice of them, by (any, who appeared in Scripture: which per&s;wa&s;ion for the pre&s;ent, for what <HI>I</HI> can &s;ay, was out of knowledge, though at fifth <HI>I</HI> laid them down in the imitation; but when <HI>I</HI> had ta|ken them up for a little time, my &s;pirit was free in the u&s;ing of them, as though <HI>I</HI> never had denyed them; and now if <HI>I</HI> have done well, <HI>I</HI> know not, but if evill, <HI>I</HI> mu&s;t once again know the Judgement.</P>
<P>The&s;e things was I moved to write, not out of evill, with re&s;pect to one, or unto other per&s;on or thing, yea truly I have not in the lea&s;t been partiall towards my &s;elf, but my whole minde were directed, that I might remove the bur|den of my &s;pirit; and freely out of good will towards men,
<PB N="14" REF="7">
and that for the &s;ake of truth, who&s;e light is made known, that men might &s;ee and under&s;tand the things that belong unto their peace: now in this day of everla&s;ting love. And now what &s;hall I &s;ay of my &s;elf? have I appeared an evill ex|ample, one to&s;&s;ed to and fro, led a&s;ide by vanity, a bur|den to the Lord, and his wayes of truth and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, a &s;tumbling block to the &s;imple, an offence to all, have I thus done? I am di&s;quieted with my &s;elf, and good had it been, that the&s;e things had not been &s;o; but now in that I have thus done, as I deny my &s;elf therein, &s;o al&s;o I &s;hould de&s;ire, that none would therein receive me; but in that I have here &s;poken the words of truth, as they are in the truth (though much again&s;t my will) &s;uffer me a little, that I may prevail in that I have thus done.</P>
<P>The Scriptures they declare of the minde of God, and of the practice of the Saints, in which there is made known the whole Law, by which &s;o far as men are &s;ubjected unto it, they are found in the moderation, in temperance, in cha&s;tity, in a degree of faithfulne&s;s to God and to man; and this is good; but yet man (being fallen from God) is not redeemed by this obedience of the outward Law, into that &s;tate from whence he is fallen, as it is written, <HI>But that no man is ju&s;tified by the Law, in the &s;ight of God,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gal.</HI> 3. 11, 12.</NOTE> <HI>it is evident, for the ju&s;t &s;hall live by faith, and the Law is not of faith, but the man that doth them, &s;hall live in them;</HI> but the Scriptures they declare of him, who is the Redeemer, and where he is to be &s;ound; but they are not him, <HI>which is in the month, and in the heart, the word of faith. Mo&s;es</HI> was a fi|gure, but he was not the Chri&s;t. Chri&s;t Je&s;us appeared in the vi&s;ible, and was true in him&s;elf, yet the &s;pirit was not given untill he was glorified: Now that Law that is of faith in the &s;pirit, that judges and condemns the Serpent, in the root whence he &s;prang, which faith, whom&s;oever receives, will &s;ee that promi&s;ed &s;eed which breaketh the head of the Ser|pent, to be neare <HI>in the month, and in the Heart;</HI> and &s;o the mini&s;tration of death being pa&s;&s;ed upon the unju&s;t, the &s;pirit is renewed untill the election be rai&s;ed to life, unto which the promi&s;e is two, and &s;o that &s;tate witne&s;&s;ed, of which <HI>Paul</HI> &s;pake to the <HI>Colo&s;sians</HI> the third and the third; <HI>For ye are dead, and Your life is bid with Chri&s;t in God,</HI> by which
<PB N="15" REF="8">
obedience the &s;pirit is renewed, they being the fruits of faith, <HI>There is therefore now no condemnation to them</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 1. 2.</NOTE> <HI>which are in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, who walk not after the fle&s;h, but after the &s;pirit; for the Law of the &s;pirit of life in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, hath made me free from the Law of &s;in and death, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 23. 24.</NOTE> But before Faith came, we were kept under the Law, &s;hut up un|to the Faith, which &s;hould afterwards be revealed: wherefore the Law was our Schoolma&s;ter, to bring us unto Chri&s;t, that we might be ju&s;tified by faith;</HI> but now they that are not yet come to the hearing of faith are &s;trangers to the&s;e things, <HI>Paul</HI> was very &s;trict in this profe&s;&s;ion: as touching his Conver&s;ation among&s;t men blamele&s;s, <HI>he profited in <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gal.</HI> 1. 14.</NOTE> the Jewi&s;h Religion above many his equalls, being more exceedingly zealous, of the Traditions of the Fathers;</HI> yet all this while he was a &s;tranger to the true faith, <HI>until it plea&s;ed God to reveal his Son in him;</HI> and thus it is <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gal.</HI> 1. 1. 516.</NOTE> with all who are led by the letter, untill they come to &s;ee Chri&s;t Je&s;us brought to light in them; yet &s;hould I &s;ay, there is no other way under Heaven, by which men can come to know their Redeemer, but by that light, with which all are inlightened, Chri&s;t Je&s;us the light of the World, &s;hould I &s;o &s;ay as <HI>I</HI> do, vanity and darknes unto which what I &s;o &s;peak is unknown, would deny me in &s;o &s;peaking; but my words are true, by which I may not be deceived, knowing they come forth, from the word of truth, <HI>I</HI> have a little ta&s;ted of both wayes, of the good, and of the evill; but really <HI>I</HI> found the <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;s of preaching,</HI> to be another thing then the <HI>wi&s;dom of fle&s;h, and ba&s;e things, and things of mean degree,</HI> to be ano|ther thing, then what is in the <HI>exaltation,</HI> though never &s;o lovely; but here is the mi&s;ery, darkne&s;s is pa&s;&s;ed over, and &s;o good is called evill, and evill good: let not people be|lieve generall reports, but call to minde a de&s;pi&s;ed people, tho&s;e were they in all generations; but if any thing heard and &s;een in particular, may appear truly to be evill, then may it be refu&s;ed; but if good, why then are men &s;o vain, that they will not &s;ee, that &s;o they may under&s;tand.</P>
<P><HI>Abraham</HI> was taken from his <HI>fir&s;t Habitation, and from his <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 12. 5.</NOTE> kindred,</HI> and &s;ent <HI>by revelation into a strange Land,</HI> in which obedience he received the promi&s;es: now <HI>the promi&s;es are made unto the &s;eed, not as of many, but as of one, which &s;eed is</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gal.</HI> 3. 16.</NOTE>
<PB N="16" REF="8">
<HI>Chri&s;t. I will ble&s;s them that ble&s;&s;e thee, &amp; cur&s;e them that cur&s;e thee, and in thee &s;hall all the Families of the Earth be ble&s;&s;ed,</HI> not as of <HI>I&s;hmael,</HI> but of <HI>I&s;aac,</HI> neither yet <HI>not of the Law but of</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 12. 3. 21. 10. <HI>Gal.</HI> 3. 18.&mdash;3. <HI>Heb.</HI> 7. 28. <HI>Rom.</HI> 5. 10.</NOTE> <HI>promi&s;e;</HI> but <HI>the Law was added becau&s;e of tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, untill the &s;eed &s;hould come unto whom the promi&s;e was made,</HI> again&s;t which inheritance there is no Law, as it is written, <HI>but the word of the Oath which was &s;ince the Law, maketh the Son which is con&s;ecrated for evermore,</HI> and here is it now not of works, but of grace.</P>
<P>Man being run out from God into the <HI>tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ion,</HI> he hath broken the <HI>Law,</HI> the fruit was <HI>plea|&s;ant</HI> and <HI>delightful,</HI> he feels tis <HI>plea&s;ant, (the daughters of men were fair)</HI> and now he knowes <HI>good</HI> and <HI>evill,</HI> he is un|der the <HI>Cur&s;e,</HI> he <HI>hides him&s;elf,</HI> he is <HI>a&s;hamed,</HI> and thus (ha|ving denyed the obedience required, <HI>death is pa&s;&s;ed over that &s;eed created by God in him a living &s;oul,</HI> and &s;o that breath of life which came forth from God, and breaths after him&s;elf <HI>is hid in darkne&s;s,</HI> and now being lo&s;t in this fallen e&s;tate, the &s;ame nature in him, which at fir&s;t joyned with the Ser|pent, feeding upon the Tree of knowledge, &s;eeks for a ju&s;ti|fication (having transformed it &s;elf into the outward forms of wor&s;hip and appearances of things) and thus the eye with which men &s;hould &s;ee, being put out, the evill day is put a farre off, and the good day rejected.</P>
<P>But now the <HI>Grace of God hath appeared,</HI> by which is made <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 10. 18, 19. <HI>Rom.</HI> 10. 16. 17. <HI>Rom.</HI> 10. 8, 9.</NOTE> known the everla&s;ting Go&s;pel of Peace but yet who <HI>hath be|lieved our report. So then faith commeth by hearing, and hearing by the word of God</HI> which <HI>word is near in the mouth, and in the heart,</HI> and here is the end of the Covenant, <HI>That if thou &s;halt confe&s;s with thy mouth the Lord Je&s;us, and believe in thy heart that God hath rai&s;ed him from the dead, thou &s;halt be &s;aved.</HI> Now to confe&s;s with the <HI>mouth,</HI> and believe with the <HI>heart,</HI> is not onely a belief in the minde, what the Scriptures declare of him, <HI>that he is ri&s;en,</HI> and &s;o a confe&s;sion from that belief; but to confe&s;s &amp; believe to the <HI>Re&s;urrection of him in us to increa&s;e</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Col.</HI> 3. 1. 2. 19. 12. 2.&mdash;23.</NOTE> <HI>with the increa&s;e of God;</HI> to the <HI>death</HI> and <HI>Re&s;urrection of Chri&s;t,</HI> above <HI>the rudiments of the world,</HI> and the <HI>Ordinances, which things have a &s;hadow of the wi&s;dom,</HI> and &s;o to witne&s;s what <HI>David</HI> &s;pake, <HI>I know my Redeemer liveth,</HI> and what <HI>Paul</HI> &s;pake <HI>I live, yet not I but Je&s;us Chri&s;t that liveth in me.</HI> And now what redeems but the precious <HI>blood of Chri&s;t, as of a Lamb</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 5. 9.</NOTE>
<PB N="17" REF="9">
(in all) <HI>from the foundation of the world:</HI> and this Redemption, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 5: 10. <HI>Heb.</HI> 7. 25. <HI>Gal.</HI> 3. 21 <HI>Heb.</HI> 13. 8.</NOTE> <HI>is perfock</HI> into the &s;tate in which man was fir&s;t created, unto which <HI>there is no death,</HI> by which regeneration, &s;uch who re|ceive the power for the obedience of the faith in Chri&s;t Je|&s;us, <HI>boing born again of him, are become the &s;eed of Abraham,</HI> and &s;o <HI>inhenitors of the promi&s;es,</HI> by Generation, and here is the &s;econd <HI>Adam</HI> Chri&s;t Je&s;us brought forth into the World; but this is a My&s;tery to &s;uch who&s;e mindes are with|out, who are yet &s;eeking for a Chri&s;t without, who&s;e faith is without, who&s;e obedience is without, who are e&s;tranged from the di&s;covery of Chri&s;t Je&s;us within, who is given <HI>of the Father, to work all our works in as, and through us, that the prai&s;e might be alone of him that calloth;</HI> but now <HI>it is of grace,</HI> and not <HI>by any works of righteou&s;ne&s;s, which we have done, but through the obedience of faith in him,</HI> which is not of the will; but by which the lea&s;t motion to will is &s;ubdued, in its motion, which is wrought in &s;pirit, by obedience to the &s;pirit, for the Re&s;urrection of the &s;eed, which things the Adultre&s;s eye cannot &s;ee; but unto tho&s;e that have received the light, they are made manife&s;t.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="9">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
