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<DATE>2014-12-11</DATE>
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<NAME>Alexis Jakobson</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>PRIMITIVE ORDINATION AND SUCCESSION, OF <HI>BISHOPS, DEACONS, PA|STORS and TEACHERS in the CH&V;RCH of</HI> CHRIST.</P>
<P><HI>By</HI> George Fox.</P>
<Q>As thou &s;ente&s;t me into the World, even &s;o al&s;o &s;end I them into the World; they are not of the World, even as I am not of the World, <BIBL><HI>John 17.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<Q>Ye &s;hall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you, <BIBL><HI>John 14.20.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<Q>I in them, and thou in me, <BIBL><HI>John 17.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<Q>Go and teach all Nations, I will be with you to the End of the World, <BIBL><HI>Mat. 28.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<Q>Go ye into all the World, and preach the Go&s;pel, <BIBL><HI>Mark 16.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<Q>Examine your &s;elves whether you be in the Faith, prove your own &s;elves, know ye not your own &s;elves, how that Je&s;us Chri&s;t is in you, except ye be Reprobates, <BIBL><HI>2 Cor. 13.5,</HI></BIBL></Q>
<P>Printed in the Year 1675.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="argument">
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<P>How Chri&s;t ordained his Twelve Apo&s;tles, and Seventy Di&s;ciples.</P>
<P>How he would be with them to the End of the World, and in them.</P>
<P>What was the Maintenance he ordained for them.</P>
<P>How Chri&s;t cho&s;e and ordained Pa&s;tors, Teachers, Prophets, and Evangeli&s;ts in the Church.</P>
<P>And the Primitive Ordination of Bi&s;hops, and Deacons, and Elders in the Church.</P>
<P>Al&s;o who they are that do &s;ucceed them in their Or|dination, Succe&s;sion, Po&s;&s;e&s;sion, Doctrine and Practice, in their Preaching, Praying, Singing and Mainte|nance, and who not.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="3" REF="2">
<HEAD>CONCERNING Ordination AND Succe&s;&s;ion. <HI>About which there is &s;o much Di&s;cour&s;e and Work in all</HI> Chri&s;tendom.</HEAD>
<P>LEave off all your Bu&s;ling, and come to Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles, and &s;ee how they were or|dained and &s;ent forth; Chri&s;t &s;aith in <HI>Mat.</HI> 28. <HI>Go therefore, and teach all Nations, &amp;c.</HI> Now here was the Command of Chri&s;t, after he was ri&s;en: So the&s;e were not to &s;it down in Benefices, but they were to go and teach all Nations; the Nation of <HI>E&s;au,</HI> and the <HI>Egyptians, Hams</HI> and <HI>Tartars, Barba|rians, Scythians, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e did not rea&s;on, What &s;hall I do with my Wife and Children; or how &s;hall I do for a main|tenance; &s;o as Chri&s;t commanded them to go and teach all Nations? here was the Love of God and Chri&s;t to all the World: And again <HI>Mark</HI> 16. Chri&s;t &s;aid unto his Di&s;ciples, <HI>Go ye into all the World, and preach the Go&s;pel to every Creature;</HI> mark, to every Creature the Go&s;pel of Salvation was to be
<PB N="4" REF="3">preached; here Chri&s;t makes no Sects, nor leaves out &s;ome Part of the World; but as he ta&s;ted Death for every man, and was an Offering for the Sins of the whole World, &s;o he &s;ent his Di&s;ciples, which he ordained to preach the Go&s;pel, into all Nations; and he &s;aith, <HI>Lo I am with you alwayes, even to the End of the World;</HI> and Chri&s;t &s;ayes, <HI>If you were of the World, the World would love its own, but becau&s;e you are not of the World, but I have cho&s;en you out of the World, therefore the World hates you:</HI> So the&s;e were the cho&s;en Di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t, which he &s;ent forth into the World, <HI>Joh.</HI> 15. And Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>I have given them the Words which thou gave&s;t me, and they have received them, and have known &s;urely that I came out from thee, they have believed that thou did&s;t &s;end me,</HI> Joh. 17. <HI>and the Glory thou gave&s;t me, I have gi|ven them, and that they may be one, even as we are one, I in them, and they in me, that they may be made perfect in one.</HI></P>
<P>So here you may &s;ee, that Chri&s;t is in his Apo|&s;tles, that he &s;ends forth into all Nations, and he will &s;end them his Comforter, which &s;hall lead them into all Truth, who is the Spirit of Truth, and this Comforter will teach you all things, &s;aith Chri&s;t, and bring all things to your Remembrance, what&s;oever I have &s;aid to you, <HI>Joh.</HI> 13. And fur|ther Chri&s;t &s;aith, Joh. 25. <HI>I have cho&s;en you and or|dained you, that you &s;hould go and bring forth Fruit, and that your Fruits &s;hould remain, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>So here you may &s;ee how Chri&s;t cho&s;e and or|dained his mini&s;ters, and how he would be with them, and in them, and how he had cho&s;en them
<PB N="5" REF="3">out of the World, and they were not of the World, as he was not of the World, and therefore the World did hate the&s;e that were cho&s;en &amp; ordained, and &s;ent forth by Chri&s;t, and were not like a Com|pany of Worldlings, &s;eeking for great fat Benefices and to agree with Nations or Countries for &s;o much a Year, and to hale People into Courts, and ca&s;t them into Pri&s;on, if they would not give them main|tenance or earthly things.</P>
<P>And when Chri&s;t &s;ent forth his &s;eventy Di&s;ciples by two and two into every City, and Town, and Place, as in <HI>Luke</HI> 10. he &s;aid to them, <HI>Go your Wayes, behold, I &s;end you forth as Lambs among Wolves</HI> (&s;o here is Chri&s;t's Sending and Command) <HI>carry nei|ther Pur&s;e, nor Scrip, nor Shoes, and &s;alute no Man by the Way, and into what Hou&s;e ye enter, fir&s;t &s;ay, Peace be unto this Hou&s;e, &amp;c. and in the &s;ame Hou&s;e remain eating and drinking &s;uch Things as they &s;et before you; for the Workman is worthy of his Meat, &amp;c. and into what City ye enter, and they receive you, eat &s;uch things as they &s;et before you:</HI> And when tho&s;e &s;eventy re|turned again to Chri&s;t, &amp;c. in the &s;ame Hour Je&s;us rejoyced in Spirit and &s;aid, <HI>I thank thee O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, that thou ha&s;t hid the&s;e Things from the wi&s;e and prudent, and ha&s;t revealed them unto Babes, even &s;o Father, &amp;c. And no Man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father, and who the Father is, but the Son, and him to whom the Son will reveal him:</HI> And Je&s;us &s;aid privily to his Di&s;ciples, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the Eyes which &s;ee the&s;e Things.</HI></P>
<P>So here you may &s;ee how Chri&s;t &s;ent forth his &s;e|venty Di&s;ciples, and how he thanked his Father,
<PB N="6" REF="4">which had reveal'd him &amp; the&s;e things unto Babes; and how the Son had revealed the&s;e things unto his Di&s;ciples; &s;o the&s;e did Chri&s;t chu&s;e and ordain, and they went forth in the Revelation of the Son: And likewi&s;e, when Chri&s;t had &s;ent forth his twelve Di&s;|ciples before, he &s;aid to them, <HI>As ye go, preach, &s;ay|ing, the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand, &amp;c. and free|ly you have received, freely give, provide neither Gold, nor Silver, nor Bra&s;s in your Pur&s;es, no Scrips for your Journey, nor Staffs, nor two Coats, nor Shoes for your Journey, &amp;c. and into what&s;oever City or Town ye &s;hall enter, enquire who is worthy, and there abide till ye go thence, &amp;c. And who&s;oever will not receive you, nor hear your Words, when you depart out of that Hou&s;e or City, &s;hake off the Du&s;t of your Feet, &amp;c.</HI> So the&s;e were not to agree for a Benefice with the Heads of the Town, and if they would not pay them, then ca&s;t them into Pri&s;on.</P>
<P>And al&s;o ye may &s;ee the &s;ame Ordination and &s;ending forth of Chri&s;t's mini&s;ters in <HI>Mark</HI> 6. and mark, who&s;oever would not hear Chri&s;t's Apo&s;tles and Di&s;ciples Preaching, they were to &s;hake the Du&s;t off their Feet again&s;t them, they were not to &s;ummon them to Courts, and ca&s;t them into Pri|&s;on, becau&s;e they would not hear them; for &s;ayes Chri&s;t, <HI>He that heareth you, heareth me, and he that de&s;pi&s;eth you, de&s;pi&s;eth me, and he that de&s;pi&s;eth me, de&s;pi&s;eth him that &s;ent me,</HI> Luke 10. And Chri&s;t &s;aith in <HI>Luke</HI> 22.35. unto his Di&s;ciples, <HI>When I &s;ent you without Pur&s;e, Scrip and Shoes, lacked you any Thing?</HI> and they &s;aid <HI>Nay.</HI></P>
<P>Now you may plainly &s;ee here Chri&s;t's mini|&s;ters,
<PB N="7" REF="4">both before he was crucified and after, when he was ri&s;en, the manner of Chri&s;t's ordaining and choo&s;ing and &s;ending forth his mini&s;ters; and be|fore he was crucified, he ask'd his mini&s;ters that he did &s;end forth freely, whether they lacked for any thing, and their An&s;wer was to Chri&s;t, they wanted nothing.</P>
<P>Now try your &s;elves you mini&s;ters in our Dayes by Chri&s;t's Words and his mini&s;ters then, who are &s;ent forth in the Wills of men, whether ye can give the &s;ame An&s;wer, that ye want for nothing, and that you go forth freely, as they did? And Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>I will be with you, and I will be within you;</HI> now they that follow the Apo&s;tles in their Succe&s;|&s;ion, they mu&s;t be in the &s;ame Power and Holy Gho&s;t that the Apo&s;tles were in, and not to &s;ucceed them in the Form, as the fal&s;e Prophets did the true, and Anti-chri&s;t doth the true Chri&s;t, who got the true Chri&s;t's Words; but to &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles in the &s;ame Holy Gho&s;t, and Power, and Life that they were in, that is the right Succe&s;&s;ion, and &s;o in their Inheritance and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion; for any worldly man will tell you, it &s;ignifies nothing to have only the Writings of an E&s;tate, and not to po&s;&s;e&s;s it: And therefore to &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles aright, is to &s;ucceed them in the &s;ame power and holy Gho&s;t they were in, and to have Chri&s;t with them and in them; for Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>Matth.</HI> 21.16. <HI>Out of the Mouthes of Babes and Sucklings ha&s;t thou ordained Strength;</HI> and <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 8.</P>
<P>So you may &s;ee here how Chri&s;t ordained Babes and Sucklings to preach his Name freely, as they
<PB N="8" REF="5">had received freely; and you know the Babes and Sucklings are not fit to be &s;ent to Schools, but the&s;e were taught of Chri&s;t, and ordained of him to &s;peak and to confe&s;s Chri&s;t Je&s;us freely, as they had re|ceived; and he ordain'd Strength out of the mouthes of the&s;e Babes and Sucklings; yea, &s;uch Strength, as the Devil, nor all his mini&s;ters, nor all the pro|fe&s;&s;ors of the World were able to gain&s;ay, but it convinced the Gain&s;ayers; &s;o they need not lye at Schools many Years, whom Chri&s;t ordains and &s;ends forth: And when they cho&s;e another Di&s;ci|ple in the room of <HI>Judas,</HI> to be a Witne&s;s with the Apo&s;tles of Chri&s;t's Re&s;urrection, the Lord gave them <HI>Matthias</HI> by Lot; &s;ee <HI>Acts</HI> 1. And the Apo|&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith in <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 3.7. <HI>How that by Revelation he had made known to him the My&s;tery whereof he was made a Mini&s;ter, according to the Gift of Grace of God given to him by the effectual Working of his Power.</HI> And again the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>That the Go&s;pel which was preached to every Creature under Heaven, whereof I Paul am made a Mini&s;ter, according to the Di&s;pen&s;ation of God, which was given unto me, which hath been hid from Ages and Generations, but now is manife&s;ted to his Saints, &amp;c. which My&s;tery is Chri&s;t in you, the Hope of Glory, whom we preach</HI> (to wit, the Apo&s;tles and mi|ni&s;ters of Chri&s;t) <HI>warning every man, and teaching every Man in all Wi&s;dom, that we may pre&s;ent every man perfect in Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</HI></P>
<P>Here you may &s;ee <HI>Paul</HI>'s Ordination, and how he and the Apo&s;tles received their mini&s;try, and what he preach'd, <HI>Col.</HI> 18. And again the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>When Chri&s;t a&s;cended up on high, he led Captivity cap|tive,
<PB N="9" REF="5">and gave Gifts unto Men, and he gave &s;ome Ape|&s;tles, &s;ome Prophets, &s;ome Evangeli&s;ts and &s;ome Pa&s;tors, and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Mini&s;try, for the edifying of the Body of Chri&s;t:</HI> So this Gift of Chri&s;t made them mini&s;ters and you that deny perfection, deny the Work of Chri&s;t's mini&s;ters, as you may &s;ee <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. And the Apo&s;tle &s;ayes, <HI>We &s;peak the Wi&s;dom of God in a My&s;tery, even the hidden Wi&s;dom of God, ordained be|fore the World to our Glory:</HI> So here you may &s;ee what he preached, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.6. And in <HI>Gal.</HI> 1. Paul <HI>an Apo&s;tle, not of man, nor by man, but by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and God the Father, who rai&s;ed him from the Dead. I certifie you Brethren, that the Go&s;pel which is preached, by me, is not after man; for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the Revelation of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>So here you may &s;ee how the Apo&s;tle was or|dained, and from whom he received his Go&s;pel and what he preach'd, and how that he was an A|po&s;tle, not of man nor by man: and the Go&s;pel which he preached was not after man; and the Apo&s;tle &s;aith in <HI>Acts</HI> 10.42. <HI>he hath commanded us</HI> (to wit Chri&s;t) <HI>to preach unto the people, and to te&s;tifie that it was he, which was ordained of God to be the Judge of Quick &amp; Dead:</HI> Here you may &s;ee it was Chri&s;t that commanded his mini&s;ters and his Di&s;ciples to preach; and in <HI>Mark</HI> 3. He ordained twelve that they &s;hould be with him that he might &s;end them forth to preach; mark, here is Chri&s;t's Ordination and his &s;ending forth.</P>
<P>So all along you may &s;ee how Chri&s;t ordained
<PB N="10" REF="6">his mini&s;ters and Di&s;ciples, and the &s;eventy, and his Pa&s;tors, Prophets, Evangeli&s;ts and Teachers, and he will be with them to the End of the VVorld, and he will be in them, and they &s;hall be in him, and they &s;hall have his holy Gho&s;t to lead them into all Truth.</P>
<P>Now here is a Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, and they that do &s;uc|ceed them in the Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion mu&s;t be &s;uch as po&s;&s;e&s;s Chri&s;t in them, and his holy Gho&s;t, and the &s;ame Power and Spirit that the Apo&s;tles did po&s;&s;e&s;s; they mu&s;t po&s;&s;e&s;s the &s;ame VVi&s;dom which was ordained before the World was, and the &s;ame my|&s;tery hid from Ages and Generations, and the &s;ame Gift from him that is a&s;cended up on high, and the &s;ame Go&s;pel which is not after man, neither is it received of man nor by man; this they mu&s;t po&s;&s;e&s;s if they be the Succe&s;&s;ors of the Apo&s;tles; for any fal&s;e Prophet or Apo&s;tle, or me&s;&s;enger of Satan, An|tichri&s;t or Wolves may get the Sheeps Cloathing, the out&s;ide, the Form of Godline&s;s and deny the Power thereof, &s;uch are not the Succe&s;&s;ors of the Apo&s;tles in their Inheritance and Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P>Now the Apo&s;tles in this Po&s;&s;e&s;sion they that did &s;ucceed them in it were called Elders, and they ordained Decrees by the holy Gho&s;t, as in <HI>Acts</HI> 16. to the Churches that were e&s;tabli&s;hed in the Faith: &amp; they ordained Elders in every Church; they that were in the Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the holy Gho&s;t, ordained others that were in the holy Gho&s;t. <HI>Acts</HI> 14. <HI>&amp;</HI> 20. Take heed therefore unto your &s;elves, and unto all the Flock of God, over which the holy Gho&s;t hath made you Over&s;eers, to feed the Church of God
<PB N="11" REF="6">which he hath purcha&s;ed with his own Blood; mark here you may &s;ee the Ordination of Over&s;eers or Elders, and what they were to over&s;ee withal and feed withal, the holy Gho&s;t.</P>
<P>Now they that do &s;ucceed them in their Elder|&s;hip or Over&s;ight, their Succe&s;&s;ion mu&s;t be in the Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the &s;ame holy Gho&s;t, el&s;e they are no Succe&s;&s;ors of the Apo&s;tles, nor the Elders, nor O|ver&s;eers; but are in the Form of Godline&s;s without the Power thereof, which are to be turned away from: And in 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5. He that is an Elder writes to the Elders, who was a Witne&s;s of the Sufferings of Chri&s;t, and al&s;o a Partaker of the Glory that &s;hould be revealed: <HI>Feed the Flock of God</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>which is among&s;t you, take the Over&s;ight thereof, not by con&s;traint but willingly, not for filthy Lucre but of a rea|dy Mind; neither as Lords over God's Heritage; but being Examples to the Flock.</HI> Now here you may &s;ee further of the Ordination of Elders, and the Coun|&s;el of an Elder to them that were Partakers of the Glory, and Witne&s;&s;es of the Sufferings of Chri&s;t, they &s;hould feed and take the Over&s;ight willingly and not for filthy Lucre, not being Lords over God's Heritage; but Examples to the Flock. Now they that are as Lords, and are ill Examples, and will be over&s;eers for filthy Lucre, are not Succeeders of the Apo&s;tles, neither in their Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, nor Example, nor Command.</P>
<P>So all they that &s;ay they have not the &s;ame Pow|er, and holy Gho&s;t the Apo&s;tles had, do not &s;uc|ceed the Apo&s;tles in their Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, and all they who deny, that any People &s;hould expect the &s;ame
<PB N="12" REF="7">Power and holy Gho&s;t the Apo&s;tles had, deny their Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, and are no Succeeders of them: And all they that deny the Light that &s;hines in the Heart to give them the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Chri&s;t Je&s;us now adayes in People, and all they that deny the Anointing within to teach, and the Word of God in the Heart and mouth to obey and do, which was the Word of Faith the Apo&s;tle preached, they are not in the Succe&s;&s;ion of the Apo&s;tles, nor in the Doctrine that they preach|ed, nor in the Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion and Practicet they lived in.</P>
<P>And all they that deny that there was not an Of|fering for the Sins of the whole World, and that he doth not enlighten every man that cometh into the World, with the Light, which is the Life in the Word, and forbid People from believing in this Light, and &s;ay, that God doth not write his Law in Peoples hearts now, nor put it into their minds now; all &s;uch, I &s;ay, do not follow the Apo&s;tles in their Succe&s;&s;ion of their Life and Power they were in, for they have denyed their Doctrine, and that which all good Chri&s;tians do po&s;&s;e&s;s.</P>
<P>And all &s;uch as &s;ay, that the Grace of God hath not appeared to all men to teach them, and bring their Salvation and that the manife&s;tation of the Spirit is not given to every man to profit withall, and that God doth not give his holy Gho&s;t to them that rebelled again&s;t it, and that Chri&s;t hath not &s;ent his holy Gho&s;t to lead his mini&s;ters now into all Truth, which holy Gho&s;t &s;hall reprove the World of Sin, &amp;c. they that deny this are not the Suc|ce&s;&s;ors of the Apo&s;tles, in their Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of
<PB N="13" REF="7">heir Life and Power in the holy Gho&s;t; but are denyers of their Doctrine, though they may geta Form of Words, but deny the Power thereof; &s;uch are to be turned away from.</P>
<P>So you may &s;ee how Chri&s;t hath ordained his mi|ni&s;ters; for he him&s;elf was made after the order of <HI>Melchizedeck,</HI> and not after the Order of <HI>Aaron</HI> (though <HI>Aaron</HI> was made after an Order) and &s;o they were ordained to offer Sacrifices, as in <HI>Heb.</HI> 7.8. which Prie&s;thood Chri&s;t hath ended, and their Or|der, who ordained his Di&s;ciples and Elders as you may &s;ee before: and all that do &s;ucceed them mu&s;t be in the &s;ame Grace, in the &s;ame Light and holy Gho&s;t, and Power, and the &s;ame Law of Life, and of the Spirit, and the &s;ame Anointing within, and the &s;ame Word of Faith in the Heart and mouth, and the &s;ame Gift from Chri&s;t that is a&s;cended up on high, and Chri&s;t within according to his Pro|mi&s;e, that he would dwell in them, and as the A|po&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>It plea&s;ed the Father to reveal his Son in me,</HI> and &s;o he preached him in others: and all A|po&s;tles, Pa&s;tors, Evangeli&s;ts, Teachers, Elders, Over&s;eers, &amp;c. that do not follow the Apo&s;tles in the Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of this before mentioned, and are not Inheritors of this, then they mu&s;t needs be Apo|&s;tates, and do not follow the Apo&s;tles in the Po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ion and Practice, though they may get the Form and not in the &s;ame Power, but deny it; they are not the Succeeders of the Apo&s;tles; but are to be turned away from; for none do &s;ucceed the Apo|&s;tles, Evangeli&s;ts, and Pa&s;tors, Elders, Over&s;eers, and Teachers, but who &s;ucceed them in Chri&s;t, and in the &s;ame Power and holy Gho&s;t that they were in
<PB N="14" REF="8">who gave forth the Scriptures: And in <HI>Acts</HI> 19.13. then certaine of the vagabond <HI>Jews</HI> Exorci&s;ts, took upon them to call over them which had evil Spirits in the Name of the Lord Je&s;us, &s;aying, <HI>we adjure you by Je&s;us whom Paul preacheth,</HI> and there were &s;even Sons of one <HI>Sceva</HI> a Jew and chief of the Prie&s;ts, which did &s;o, and the evil Spirit an&s;wered and &s;aid, <HI>Je&s;us I know, and Paul I know, but who are yee? And the man in whom the evil Spirit was, leaped on them and overcame them, and prevailed again&s;t them &s;o that they fled out of the Hou&s;e, naked and wounded, and this was known to all the</HI> Jews <HI>and</HI> Greeks <HI>al&s;o dwelling at</HI> E phe&s;us, <HI>and Fear fell on them all and the Name of the Lord Ie&s;us was magnified, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Now it is clear that tho&s;e did not &s;ucceed in the Ordination of the Apo&s;tles, in the Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of their Power, Life and holy Gho&s;t, though they had the Form of Words, and u&s;ed the Name of the Lord Je|&s;us Chri&s;t: And you may clearly &s;ee, that it is not the &s;aying the Form of Chri&s;t's and the Apo&s;tles words, and &s;uch as can hold them in their memories, that doth not bring them to &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles, and &s;o to plead their Ordination, becau&s;e they can &s;peak Chri&s;t's and the Apo&s;tles Words, this doth not prove their Succe&s;&s;ion in the Ordination of Chri&s;t nor the Apo&s;tles; for it &s;ayes, they fled away naked, they wanted the Power and holy Gho&s;t the Apo|&s;tles were in: and &s;o are not all naked though they have the Form of Chri&s;t's and the Apo&s;tles words, as the&s;e were? Let them be Prie&s;ts or Profe&s;&s;ors, if they be not in the &s;ame holy Gho&s;t, and Power the Apo&s;tles were in; they are naked.</P>
<P>And may not this be an Example to all Chri|&s;tendom
<PB N="15" REF="8">to take heed how they u&s;e the Form of Chri&s;t's and the Apo&s;tles Words, without they be in the &s;ame Fear of God, and Power, and holy Gho&s;t the Apo&s;tles were in: So its clear, none do &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles in the &s;ame Ordination and Succe&s;&s;ion, but &s;uch as do &s;ucceed them in the &s;ame Power and holy Gho&s;t, the Apo&s;tles were in; for can naked men, with the Form of Chri&s;t's and the Apo&s;tles Words, convert any men or women to Chri&s;t or God? that be not in the &s;ame Power and holy Gho&s;t the Apo&s;tles were in, which Power cloathes them: And are not all naked men liable to be wounded by the evil Spirit? and flee frour the evil wounded, like the&s;e Prie&s;ts Sons, that are not in the &s;ame Power and holy Gho&s;t the Apo&s;tles were in: and therefore is not this a fearfull warning to all Chri&s;tendom, to take heed how they take upon them, or u&s;e any way the Form of Chri&s;ts or the Apo&s;tles Words, without being in the &s;ame Life and Power, and holy Gho&s;t the Apo&s;tles were in, le&s;t the evil Spirit get power over them, as it did over this Prie&s;t and his &s;even Sons.</P>
<P>And are not all Vagabonds from the Apo&s;tles power and Inheritance, that are not in the &s;ame power and holy Gho&s;t the Apo&s;tles were in, though they may talk and have the Form of Chri&s;t's and the Apo&s;tles Words, as common Vagabonds and Wanderers may talk of other mens Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions: and did <HI>Simon Magus</HI> continue in the Succe&s;&s;ion of the Apo&s;tles, though he was convinced? And did not he go out of the Succe&s;&s;ion of the Apo&s;tles, when he thought the Gift of God was to be purcha&s;ed
<PB N="16" REF="9">with money? did not <HI>Peter</HI> tell him, he was in the Gall of Bitterne&s;s, and Bond of Iniquity, though he was a profe&s;&s;or of Chri&s;t, and a Believer as ma|ry are now? &s;o you may &s;ee, that he did not &s;uc|ceed the Apo&s;tles in the Life, and holy Gho&s;t, and Power, and you may clearly &s;ee the Succe&s;&s;ion to the Apo&s;tles is in the Life, and Power, and holy Gho&s;t that they were in.</P>
<P>And do not you think that there are many <HI>Si|mon Magus</HI> now adayes, in Chri&s;tendom, in their Gall of Bitterne&s;s, and Bond of Iniquity, that think the Gift of God can be bought and fold for money? And are there not many now adayes, that do buy and &s;ell the Go&s;pel, as they call it, to people for money? And you cannot &s;ay, that the&s;e &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles in their po&s;&s;es&s;ion in the Life and pow|er; but <HI>Simon Magus</HI> in his Gall of Bitterne&s;s and Bond of Iniquity.</P>
<P>And do you think, <HI>Diotrephes,</HI> that <HI>John</HI> reproves followed the Apo&s;tle with his prating, in the po&s;|&s;e&s;sion, and in the Succes&s;ion of the power and ho|ly Gho&s;t as in the third Epi&s;tle of <HI>John.</HI></P>
<P>And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.19. <HI>But I will come to you &s;hortly, if the Lord will, and we will know not the Speech of them that are puft up; but the Power; for the Kingdom of God is not in Word, but in Power:</HI> So here it is clear, the Knowledge, Ordination, and Succe&s;&s;ion mu&s;t be in the Power, and they that do &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles, in their po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion and Ordination in the Go&s;pel, which is the power of God, they mu&s;t be in the &s;ame Power of God, the Go&s;pel, which brings Life and Immortality to
<PB N="17" REF="9">Light; for all that have the Form of Godline&s;s and deny the Power thereof, deny the Go&s;pel, for the Go&s;pel is the power of God: So they mu&s;t &s;ucceed them in the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of this power that brings Life and Immortality to Light, that &s;hines over the Devil, that hath darkened them; for the Go&s;pel, the Power of God, is called the everla&s;ting Go&s;pel, and there fore the Succe&s;&s;ion mu&s;t be in the ever|la&s;ting Go&s;pel, and Power of God; and therefore to &s;ucceed them in the Form without the Power and holy Gho&s;t is no Succe&s;&s;ion to the A|po&s;tles in their Ordination; but a Succe&s;&s;ion of the fal&s;e Apo&s;tles, that got the Form and denyed the Power, from &s;uch &s;aith the Apo&s;tle (that was in the Succe&s;&s;ion of the Life and Power and Ordi|nation by Chri&s;t) turn away from &s;uch: And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 18. <HI>For the preaching of the Cro&s;s</HI> (to wit, of Chri&s;t) <HI>is to them that peri&s;h Fooli&s;h|ne&s;s; but unto us which are &s;aved</HI> (to wit, the true Apo&s;tles and Chri&s;tians) <HI>it is the Power of God.</HI></P>
<P>Now they that do &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles, and true Chri&s;tians in the Cro&s;s of Chri&s;t, it is in the Power of God that crucifies them from the World: it is not to &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles with wooden, &s;tone &s;ilver or bra&s;s Cros&s;es; for the&s;e would have been fooli&s;h Things to the Apo&s;tles; for you cannot &s;ay, that you &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles with your woo|den, &s;tone, bra&s;s and &s;ilver Cro&s;s, except you &s;ay the&s;e your own Inventions of Stone, Wood, Bra&s;s, and other &s;uch like made outward Cro&s;&s;es are the Power of God.</P>
<P>And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, we &s;peak the Wi&s;dom
<PB N="18" REF="10">God in a My&s;tery, which Wi&s;dom we &s;peak among them that are perfect; yet not the Wi&s;dom of this World nor of the Princes of this World, which cometh to nought: So all that do &s;ucceed the A|po&s;tles in their Ordination and Succe&s;&s;ion, it mu&s;t be in this Wi&s;dom of God, which is pure and gen|tle from above, and ea&s;ie to be intreated, it mu&s;t be in the Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of this Wi&s;dom (which will abide and not come to naught) which they &s;poak among&s;t them that were perfect: And it is not to &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles, to get Chri&s;t's and the Apo&s;tles Words to talk of them in Man's Wi&s;dom that comes to naught: And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>my Speech was not with enticing Words of Man's Wi&s;dom; but in the Demon&s;tration of the Spirit, and of Power.</HI></P>
<P>And now all Preachers that do &s;ucceed the Apo|&s;tles, it mu&s;t be in the &s;ame Demon&s;tration of the Spirit and Power; for they do not &s;ucceed the Apo|&s;tles, who&s;e Speech and Preaching is only with the enticing Words of mans Wi&s;dom: And the A|po&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>That your Faith &s;hould not &s;tand in the Wi&s;dom of men, but in the Power of God:</HI> So who&s;e Faith doth &s;tand in the Wi&s;dom of men, and not in the &s;ame Power and Wi&s;dom of God the Apo&s;tles were in, do not &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles in their Ordi|nation and Succe&s;&s;ion: And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>God hath revealed unto us by his Spirit the deep Things of God, and we have not received the Spirit of the World, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God</HI> (mark, Freely) <HI>which things al&s;o we &s;peak, not in the Words which man's
<PB N="19" REF="10">VVi&s;dom teacheth, but which the Holy Gho&s;t teacheth, &amp;c.</HI> and &s;aith he, <HI>we have the Mind of Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>So now all that do &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles, mu&s;t be in the Spirit of God that reveals the deep things of God to them, and by which Spirit they know the deep Things of God, given forth freely unto them, that they may give them forth freely again to o|thers, according to the Ordination and Command of Chri&s;t; and they mu&s;t &s;ucceed them in the &s;ame Speech, not to &s;peak the things of God in the Words which man's Wi&s;dom doth teach, but in tho&s;e Words which the Holy Gho&s;t doth teach: And now they that &s;peak the Words of Chri&s;t and the Apo&s;tles in man's Wi&s;dom, and not freely, and have not the Mind of Chri&s;t, and deny the Spirit of Revelation, but &s;peak the Apo&s;tles Words by the Spirit of the World, that knows not the Things of God, &s;uch do not follow the Apo&s;tles in their Succe&s;&s;ion of the Spirit of God, nor in their Ordi|nation by the Spirit of God: And likewi&s;e all &s;uch that teach for filthy Lucre, <HI>and &s;erve not the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, but their own Bellies,</HI> and are covetous Teachers, and are <HI>heady, high-minded, Lovers of Plea&s;ures more then Lovers of God, and are Strikers, and Per&s;ecutors, and think that Gain is Godline&s;s,</HI> all &s;uch do not follow the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> in their Succe&s;&s;ion and Ordination; for the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> declared again&s;t &s;uch, who freely as they had received, freely they were commanded to give, and did &s;o; and them that follow not the Apo&s;tles in this their Example, and Chri&s;t in his Command, are not Followers and Succeeders to Chri&s;t and the Apo&s;tles, in the &s;ame
<PB N="20" REF="11">Life, Power and Doctrine: Now for the Tryal of Bi&s;hops and Deacons, that follow the Apo&s;tles in their Succe&s;&s;ion; <HI>A Bi&s;hop mu&s;t be blamele&s;s, the Husband of one Wife, vigilant, &s;ober, of good Beha|viour, given to Ho&s;pitality, apt to teach, not given to Wine, no Striker, not greedy of filthy Lucre, but pa|tient, not a Brawler, not covetous, one that can rule well his own Hou&s;e, having his Children in Subjection with all Gravity, not a Novice, le&s;t he be lifted up with Pride, and fall into Condemnation of the Devil: More|over, he mu&s;t have a good Report of them that are without le&s;t he fall into Reproach, and the Snare of the Devil,</HI> 1 Tim. 3. And in <HI>Tit.</HI> 1. <HI>A Bi&s;hop mu&s;t be blamele&s;s, as the Steward of God, not &s;elf-willed, nor &s;oon angry, not given to Wine, no Striker, not given to filthy Lucre; but a Lover of Ho&s;pitality, a Lover of good Men &s;ober, ju&s;t, holy temperate, holding fa&s;t the Faithful Word, &amp;c. for there are many unruly and vain Talkers, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Now here you may &s;ee the Ordination of Bi&s;hops; and if they do not &s;ucceed in the&s;e Steps and Pre|cepts as the Apo&s;tles have laid down, they do not &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles; for if he be of <HI>ill Behaviour, not given to Ho&s;pitality, nor apt to teach freely</HI> (as they did) <HI>and if he be given to Wine, and a Striker, and greedy of filthy Lucre, and not patient, but a Brawler, and Covetous, and not the Husband of one Wife, and can|not rule his own Hou&s;e well, and hath not his Children in Subjection and in Gravity, and is a Novice, and puft up in Pride, and hath an ill Report from them without, and &s;elf-willed, and &s;oon angry, not &s;ober, ju&s;t, holy and temperate, &amp;c.</HI> Such follow not nor &s;ucceed not the Apo&s;tles in their Ordination and Succe&s;&s;ion, nor in
<PB N="21" REF="11">their Life and Power of the holy Gho&s;t, but were reproved by them: Now likewi&s;e concerning Dea|cons, <HI>if they be not grave, and if they be double-tongued, or given to much Wine, or if greedy of filthy Lucre, if their Wives be not grave and &s;ober, but &s;landerous,</HI> they are &s;uch as do not follow the Apo&s;tles in their Ordi|nation and Succe&s;sion; therefore the Apo&s;tle &s;ayes, <HI>Fir&s;t they mu&s;t be proved, and then let them u&s;e their Office of a Deacon, &amp;c. being found blamele&s;s:</HI> And likewi&s;e the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, they mu&s;t hold the My|&s;tery of Faith in a pure Con&s;cience; mark, in a pure Con&s;cience; and Faith is a My&s;tery; and therefore all &s;uch that are not qualified according to the Apo&s;tle's Direction to <HI>Timothy</HI> and <HI>Titas,</HI> do not follow and &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles in their &s;piritu|al Succe&s;sion and Ordination: And moreover, the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Follow us as we follow Chri&s;t, and walk as ye have us for an Example;</HI> and they coveted no man's Gold, nor Silver, nor Apparel, and &s;aid, <HI>Although he preached the Go&s;pel, yet he had nothing to glory of; and what is my Reward?</HI> (&s;ayes he) <HI>verily, that when I preach the Go&s;pel, that I make the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t without Charge,</HI> 1 Cor. 9.</P>
<P>And now you that do not follow the Apo&s;tle in the&s;e Things, both in Example and Life, and to keep the Go&s;pel without Charge, you do not follow the Apo&s;tles in the &s;piritual Succe&s;sion and Ordina|tion, neither are you to be followed, but as you follow Chri&s;t, and the Example of the Apo|&s;tles.</P>
<P>And all &s;uch that forbid to marry, and com|mand to ab&s;tain from Meats, &s;uch are not the Suc|ceeders
<PB N="22" REF="12">of the Apo&s;tles in their Ordination, and Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the Heavenly Power and Spirit; but &s;uch are Speakers of Lyes, and are &s;uch as are de|parted from the Faith, giving Heed to &s;educing Spirits, and Doctrine of Devils &s;peaking Lyes in Hypocri&s;ie, having their Con&s;ciences &s;eared, as with an Hot Iron, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. And in <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. <HI>If the Spirit of him that rai&s;ed up Je&s;us from the dead dweleth in you, he that rai&s;ed up Je&s;us &s;hall quicken your mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you: For as many is are lead by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God; but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry</HI> Abba <HI>Father, which Spirit it &s;elf bear|eth witne&s;s with our Spirits, that we are the Children of God; for the Law of the Spirit of Life in Chri&s;t Je|&s;us hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death,</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle.</P>
<P>Now here was the Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the Apo&s;tles, and all true Chri&s;tians, and all that follow them in their Succe&s;&s;ion, and heavenly Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, mu&s;t be led by the Spirit of God, and to have the &s;ame Spirit to bear witne&s;s with their Spirits, that they are the Sons of God; yea the &s;ame Spirit that rai|&s;ed up Je&s;us from the dead, to dwell in them, and to quicken their mortall Bodies: So the Succe&s;|&s;ion mu&s;t be in this &s;ame Spirit, and in the Law of the Spirit of Life in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, which makes free from the Law of Sin and Death, and then there will be the Fruits of the Spirit to &s;hew forth their Succe&s;&s;ion to the Apo&s;tles, that they do &s;uc|ceed them in the &s;ame Spirit, in the Law of the Spirit of Life that is in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, that doth
<PB N="23" REF="12">make them free Men and Women from the Law of Sin and Death: So all the Succeeders of the A|po&s;tles in the Spirit can cry <HI>Abba</HI> Father. And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith in <HI>Rom.</HI> 10. <HI>How &s;hall he preach except he be &s;ent? &amp;c. And the Word is nigh thee in the Heart and Mouth, and this is the Word of Faith which we preach,</HI> which were &s;ent (to wit, the A|po&s;tles) to preach it.</P>
<P>So all that do &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles, they mu&s;t be &s;ent of Chri&s;t in the &s;ame Power and Spirit, that the Apo&s;tles were &s;ent from God and Chri&s;t, and freely give as they have received from him free|ly, and preach the &s;ame Word of Faith, which is nigh in Men and Women, even in their Mouthes and Hearts to obey it and do it; for if People go not in the &s;ame Power and Spirit as the Apo&s;tles were in, and preach the &s;ame, they are not &s;ucceed|ers of them in their Po&s;&s;i&s;&s;eon. Now Chri&s;t &s;aid, <HI>I am come in my Father's Name and you received me not; if another &s;hall come in his own Name, him you will receive, John</HI> 5.</P>
<P>And now is it not clearly &s;een to this Day, that the Prophets and Apo&s;tles, that came in the Name of the Lord and of Chri&s;t, &s;uch were alwayes hated; and they would not receive them: And by &s;ad Ex|perience we have found it in our Age, who have been moved by the Lord, and gone in the Name of the Lord to &s;peak to Prie&s;ts and Profe&s;&s;ors, many of which you have impri&s;oned and beat; but if a|ny have come in their own Name, &s;uch are recei|ved by you.</P>
<P>And if <HI>Paul</HI> had been an Apo&s;tle by Men, or of
<PB N="24" REF="13">Men, or had received his Go&s;pel and Ordination by Men or from Men, Men would not have called him <HI>a Ring-leader, and a pe&s;tilent Fellow, &amp;c.</HI> And the Apo&s;tle &s;aid, <HI>they were able Mini&s;ters of the new Te&s;tament, not of the Letter, but of the Spirit; for the Letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth Life.</HI> So all that follow the Apo&s;tles in their Ordination and Suc|ce&s;&s;ion, mu&s;t be Mini&s;ters of the Spirit and of the new Te&s;tament, yea of the Spirit that giveth Life, and not of the Letter that killeth: Now they that are Mini&s;ters, but not of the &s;ame Spirit that gi|veth Life, and of the new Te&s;tament that the Apo|&s;tles were in, do not follow them in their Ordina|tion and Succe&s;&s;ion, though they may have the Let|ter. And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>We all with open Face, beholding as in a Gla&s;s the Glory of the Lord, are changed into the &s;ame Image from Glory to Glory, even by the Spirit of the Lord,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.13. <HI>And we having the &s;ame Spirit of Faith, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Now here was the Apo&s;tles Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, and all that follow them in their Po&s;&s;e&s;ison, Ordination, and Succe&s;ison, mu&s;t behold the &s;ame Glory as they all did, and know the &s;ame changing from Glory to Glory, even by the Spirit of the Lord, and they mu&s;t be in the &s;ame Spirit of Faith, el&s;e they do not follow the Apo&s;tles, and true Chri&s;tians in their Ordination and Succe&s;sion. And the Apo|&s;tles &s;aith, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. <HI>In all things approving our &s;elves as the Mini&s;ters of God, in much Patience in Afflictions, in Nece&s;&s;ities, in Di&s;tre&s;&s;es, in Stripes, in Impri&s;onments, in Tumults, in Labours, in Watchings, in Fa&s;tings, by Purene&s;s, by Knowledge, by Long-Suffering, by
<PB N="25" REF="13">Kindne&s;s, by the holy Gho&s;t, by Love unfeign'd, by the Word of Truth, by the Power of God, by the Arm of Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s, &amp;c.</HI> Now all you that follow the Apo|&s;tles in their Succe&s;&s;ion, you mu&s;t approve your &s;elves as the Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t, by your Patience, by your Purene&s;s, by your Long-Suffering, by Know|ledge, by Kindne&s;s, by Love unfeigned, by the Word of Truth, by the Power of God, by the Arm of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and by the Holy Gho&s;t: But now if you &s;ay, you have not the &s;ame holy Gho&s;t as the Apo&s;tles had, then you cannot approve your &s;elves, neither can you follow them in the &s;ame Ordina|tion and Succe&s;&s;ion as the Apo&s;tles were in: And you that be the Strikers, and Impri&s;oners, and Afflicters of People for Religion, you do not follow the Apo&s;tles in their Ordination and Succe&s;&s;ion that were &s;tript, impri&s;oned and afflicted.</P>
<P>And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Ye are the Temples of the Living God; as God hath &s;aid, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God and they &s;hall be my People, and I will be a Father unto you and you &s;hall be my Sons and Daughters, &s;aith the Lord God Almighty:</HI> Now here was the Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the Apo&s;tles and true Church: Now all that follow the Apo&s;tles in their Ordination, and Succe&s;&s;ion, and Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion in the true Church, they mu&s;t follow them in their Son&s;hip and Daughter&s;hip, and mu&s;t be &s;uch as God dwels in, and walks in, if not, and they will not have him to dwell in them and walk in them, and &s;o be the Sons and Daughters of God, then they do not &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles and true Church in their Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion: And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3. <HI>For ye
<PB N="26" REF="14">are all the Children of God by Faith in Chri&s;t Je&s;us; for as many of you as have been baptized into Chri&s;t have put on Chri&s;t:</HI> So all that follow the Apo&s;tles and the true Church in their Succe&s;&s;ion, mu&s;t be in the &s;ame Light, and Power, and Faith in Je&s;us Chri&s;t, which Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath been the Author of, and all mu&s;t look to him for it, and &s;o all Chil|dren of God in this Faith, that brings them to have acce&s;s to God, and Victory over that which &s;epa|rates from God.</P>
<P>So all mu&s;t &s;ucceed in this one Faith, and they that are baptized into Chri&s;t, mu&s;t put him on; not make a Profe&s;&s;ion of him without them, and not put him on; if they do, they do not follow the Apo&s;tle, and the true Church, in their Succe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P>And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Gal.</HI> 4. <HI>Becau&s;e ye are Sons, God hath &s;ent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts, crying Abba Father:</HI> mark, into your Hearts: Now all that do &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tle and true Church here, it mu&s;t be in the &s;ame Power and Spirit; they were in, that they may cry <HI>Abba</HI> Father: And the Apo&s;tle in <HI>Gal.</HI> 5. &s;aith, <HI>walk in the Spirit and ye &s;hall not fulfil the Lu&s;ts of the Fle&s;h:</HI> and again he &s;aith, <HI>If we live in the Spirit, let us al&s;o walk in the Spirit;</HI> mark, us the Apo&s;tles and the true Church, the true Chri&s;tians: Now if ye do not walk in the &s;ame Spirit as the Apo&s;tles and true Church were in, then ye do not &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles and true Church in their Succe&s;&s;ion, and Ordination, &amp; Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion that they were in; but do fulfil the Lu&s;ts of your Fle&s;h: Now the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>The Fruits of the Spirit are Love, Joy, Peace, Meekne&s;s, Long-&s;uffering,
<PB N="27" REF="14">Temperance, &amp;c. again&s;t which there is no Law, &amp;c.</HI> Now if you do not walk in the Spirit, you do not &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles in their Ordination by the Spirit, neither do you &s;ucceed them in the Fruits of the Spirit; but are in the Fruits of the Fle&s;h A|dultery, Fornication, Uncleanne&s;s, Laciviou&s;ne&s;s, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Hatred, Variance, Emu|lation, Wrath, Strife, Sedition, Here&s;ie, Envyings, Murders, Drunkenne&s;s, Revilings, and &s;uch like. And the Apo&s;tle tells you plainly, that they that do &s;uch things &s;hall not inherit the Kingdom of God, and therefore, look all Chri&s;tendom at your Fruits, and &s;ee whom you do &s;ucceed: And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Gal.</HI> 6. <HI>For he that &s;oweth to the Fle&s;h &s;hall of the Fle&s;h reap Corruption; but he that &s;oweth to the Spirit &s;hall of the Spirit reap Life Everla&s;ting.</HI></P>
<P>Now no Man can &s;ow to the Spirit; but &s;uch as be in the &s;ame Spirit of God and Chri&s;t, that the Apo&s;tles were in, and they that be not in the &s;ame Spirit, that they were in, are not their Succeeding Seeds-Men in their Ordination by the holy Gho&s;t, then &s;uch &s;ow to the Fle&s;h, and of the Fle&s;h they reap Corruptions, and not everla&s;ting Life; mark this all you Seeds-men what a Crop you may reap of Corruptions, that are &s;own to the Fle&s;h, who have not &s;own in the &s;ame Power and holy Spirit as the Apo&s;tles &s;owed withal, and to: And the Apo&s;tle &s;peaking to the <HI>Ephe&s;ians</HI> of his Knowledge in the My&s;tery of Chri&s;t, which in other ages was not made known unto the Sons of Men, as it is now reavaled unto his holy Apo&s;tles and Prophets, by the Spirit: Now you that do not &s;ucceed the Apo|&s;tles
<PB N="28" REF="15">in this Spirit of revelation, you do not know the My&s;tery of Chri&s;t as the holy Prophets and Apo&s;tles did, though you may have the Form: And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith in <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.18. <HI>For through him we both have an acce&s;s by one Spirit to the Father, and in whom ye al&s;o are built together an Habitation for God, through the Spirit.</HI></P>
<P>So all you that do follow the Apo&s;tles and the true Church in their Succe&s;&s;ion, it mu&s;t be in the &s;ame Spirit of Interce&s;&s;ion, that gives acce&s;s to the Fa|ther, and by the &s;ame Spirit built together for an Habitation of God.</P>
<P>And all you that deny having the &s;ame Spirit the Apo&s;tles had, how can you be built toge|ther an Habitation for God, or have acce&s;s to the Father: And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Finally, my Bre|thren be &s;trong in the Lord and in the Power of his Might; put on the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to &s;tand again&s;t the Wiles of the Devil; for we wre&s;tle not against Fle&s;h and Blood, but against Princi|palities and Rulers of Darkne&s;s, &amp;c. And take unto you the Helmet of Salvation, and Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.</HI> And now mark, they that follow the Apo&s;tles in their Succe&s;&s;ion and Ordina|tion in the true Church, they mu&s;t be in the &s;ame <HI>Power and Might,</HI> and the &s;ame <HI>Helmet of Salvation,</HI> and <HI>Shield of Faith,</HI> and their <HI>Feet must be &s;hod with the &s;ame Go&s;pel of Peace,</HI> and their <HI>Loins must be gir|ded with the &s;ame Girdle of Truth,</HI> and the &s;ame <HI>Brea&s;tplate of Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> and they mu&s;t have the &s;ame <HI>Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,</HI>
<PB N="29" REF="15">with which they mu&s;t not <HI>wre&s;tle with Fle&s;h and Blood, but &s;piritual Wickedne&s;s, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Now you that are not in the &s;ame Power of the &s;ame Spirit, nor the &s;ame Faith, Truth, Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s, Go&s;pel, Salvation and Armour of God, you are not the Succe&s;&s;ors of the Apo&s;tles in their Weapons, in their armour, in their Wre&s;tling, who wre&s;tle with Fle&s;h and Blood, neither are you able to &s;tand again&s;t the Wiles of Satan: And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.4. <HI>We do not war after the Fle&s;h; for the Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal, but &s;piritual, mighty through God to the plucking down of &s;trong Holds, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Now all that follow the Apo&s;tles in their Succe&s;|&s;ion and Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion and Ordination, their Weapons mu&s;t not be carnal, and they mu&s;t not wre&s;tle after the Fle&s;h, if they do, they are no Mini&s;ters in the Succe&s;&s;ion of the Apo&s;tles in their War and their Weapons: And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12. <HI>For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body, whether we be</HI> Jews <HI>or</HI> Gentiles, <HI>whether bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit;</HI> mark, here is the one Bapti&s;m, and here is the one Spirit, and here is drinking into one Spirit through &s;everal Sorts of People; the&s;e followed the Apo&s;tles in their Succe&s;&s;ion; and therefore all that follows the Apo&s;tles in their Succe&s;&s;ion, mu&s;t be baptized by the &s;ame Spirit, as the Apo&s;tles and true Church was baptized withal, and drink in the &s;ame Spi|rit; and they that &s;ay, they have not the &s;ame Spi|rit the Apo&s;tles had, cannot be baptized into the
<PB N="30" REF="16">&s;ame Body they were baptized into, neither can they have the &s;ame Union, in drinking in the &s;ame Spirit they drunk in, though they may have the Letter, they cannot &s;ucceed them in their Bapti&s;m in the Spirit, and drinking in the Spirit, if they have it not, and do not look for it (to wit, the Spi|rit) now adayes: and the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. <HI>Be thou an Example of the Believers</HI> IN WORD [mark] IN CONVERSATION [mark] IN CHARITY [mark] IN SPIRIT [mark] IN FAITH <HI>and</HI> PURITY [mark] Now all the Succedeers of <HI>Timothy</HI> and the Apo&s;tle, mu&s;t be in the &s;ame Example, in the &s;ame Word, in the &s;ame Conver&s;ation, Charity, Spirit, Faith and Purity; and they that are not in the &s;ame Spirit, they cannot be in the &s;ame Faith, Word, Conver|&s;ation, Charity and Purity, and then &s;uch do not &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles nor <HI>Timothy:</HI> and in 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. <HI>Ye al&s;o as living Stones are built up a &s;piritual Hou&s;hold</HI> [mark, are built up] <HI>and an Holy Prie&s;thood, to offer up &s;piritual Sacrifices, acceptable to God by Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> Now all that follow the Apo&s;tles and the true Church in their Succe&s;&s;ion and Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the Spirit, they mu&s;t be the &s;piritual Hou&s;hold and living Stones, offering up &s;piritual Sacrifices accep|table to God by Je&s;us Chri&s;t. And you that &s;ay, you have not the &s;ame Spirit the Apo&s;tles had and the Church in the Primitive Times, you are not the Succe&s;&s;ors of the Apo&s;tles, and you cannot be the living Stones, nor &s;piritual Hou&s;e, nor an holy Prie&s;thood, neither can you offer up &s;piritual Sa|crifices
<PB N="31" REF="16">to God, acceptable through Je&s;us Chri&s;t, not being in the &s;ame Spirit the Apo&s;tles and true Church were in.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Concerning the Succe&s;&s;ion in the Fellow&s;hip.</HEAD>
<P><HI>IF we &s;ay</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>that we have fellow|&s;hip with him</HI> (to wit, Chri&s;t and God) <HI>and walk in Darkne&s;s, we lye, and do not the Truth; but if we walk in the Light, as he is in the Light, we have fellow&s;hip one with another, and the Blood of Je&s;us Chri&s;t clean&s;eth us from all Sin.</HI></P>
<P>Now all that do &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles and true Church in the Fellow&s;hip, it mu&s;t be by walking in the Light, as he is in the Light; and there they &s;hall know clean&s;ing by the Blood of Chri&s;t; but all &s;uch as hate the Light of Chri&s;t, and call it of the Devil or an Idol, &s;uch do not &s;ucceed the Apo|&s;tles and the true Church, though they may get the Form of Words, and &s;ay, they have Fellow&s;hip with him, but walking in the Darkne&s;s, and ha|ting the Light, the Apo&s;tle tells you, they lye and do not the Truth, as you may &s;ee in 1 <HI>John:</HI> and the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>for your fellow&s;hip is in the Go&s;pel,</HI> Ephe&s;. 1.</P>
<P>So all that follow the Apo&s;tles and true Church in their Succe&s;&s;ion, it mu&s;t be in the &s;ame Go&s;pel, the Power of God, and not in a Form of Godline&s;s, and denying the Power of the Go&s;pel, that is a de|nying a Succe&s;&s;ion in their Fellow&s;hip: and in ano|ther
<PB N="32" REF="17">Place he &s;peaks of keeping the Unity of the Spirit, which is the Bond of Peace: So all that do not follow the Apo&s;tles and true Church in this U|nity of the Spirit, they want the Bond of Peace, yea, the Bond of the Prince of Princes Peace, and they that do follow the Apo&s;tles and true Church, it mu&s;t be in the &s;ame Spirit that they were in, and &s;o in the &s;ame Unity and Bond of Peace.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Concerning Singing and Praying in the Spirit in the Succe&s;&s;ion of the Apo&s;tles.</HEAD>
<P>THE Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 6.18. <HI>Praying al|wayes with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit:</HI> Now they mu&s;t be in the &s;ame Spirit the Apo&s;tles and true Church were in, if they do &s;uc|ceed them in the Spirit of Prayer, or el&s;e is it not like the <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> Babling, and &s;uch as ask, and re|ceive not? And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. <HI>Likewi&s;e the Spirit helpeth our Infirmities; for we know not what we &s;hould pray for as we ought, but the Spirit it &s;elf makes Interce&s;&s;ion for us, &amp;c.</HI> So all that do &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles in their Prayer, it is not u&s;ing a Company of Words, and making Prayers, but it mu&s;t be in the &s;ame Spirit which helps the Infirmity, &amp; makes Interce&s;&s;ion; for without this Spirit the Apo&s;tles were in, we know not what we &s;hould pray for as we ought; &s;o therefore the Spirit is the Helper, and makes Interce&s;&s;ion; and therefore they that have not the &s;ame Spirit the Apo&s;tles had, want the
<PB N="33" REF="17">Helper that &s;hould make Interce&s;&s;ion, and are not in the &s;ucce&s;sion of the Apo&s;tles &amp; the true Church. And again the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14. <HI>I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the Under&s;tanding al&s;o; I will &s;ing with the Spirit, and I will &s;ing with the Under&s;tanding al&s;o, when thou ble&s;&s;e&s;t with the Spi|rit, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>And therefore all that do pray, and &s;ing, and ble&s;s, and not in the &s;ame &s;pirit the Apo&s;tles were in, and the true Church, they are not the &s;ucceeders of the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> in their &s;piritual praying, &s;inging and ble&s;|&s;ing, neither can they pray with the Under&s;tanding, nor &s;ing, nor ble&s;s with the Under&s;tanding, as the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and the true Church did, if they be not in the &s;ame &s;pirit they were in that gave forth the &s;criptures. And the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Let the Word of God dwell in you in all Wi&s;dom, &amp;c. teaching and admo|ni&s;hing one another in P&s;alms, and Hymns, and &s;piritual Songs, &s;inging with Grace in your Hearts to the Lord,</HI> Col. 3.</P>
<P>Now they that do &s;ucceed the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> in this teaching and admoni&s;hing in P&s;alms, Hymns and &s;piritual &s;ongs, they mu&s;t &s;ucceed them in the Word of Chri&s;t dwelling in their Hearts, and in the &s;ame &s;pirit, and &s;ame Grace in the Heart that the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> and true Church were in; for they cannot &s;ucceed them in the Letter, in the Form without the Pow|er, in their Po&s;&s;e&s;sion: And the Apo&s;tle bids them pray without cea&s;ing, and quench not the Spirit, and de&s;pi&s;e not prophecying: and they that do de|&s;pi&s;e prophecy, and quench the Spirit, do not fol|low the Apo&s;tles in their Succe&s;sion and Ordina|tion,
<PB N="34" REF="18">and Comfort, and Edification; who &s;ay they may all prophe&s;ie one by one.</P>
<P>And &s;o all that grieves, and quencheth; and vex|eth the Spirit of God, and rebelleth again&s;t his Spirit, and re&s;i&s;teth the holy Gho&s;t, and hates the Light of Chri&s;t, doth not follow the Apo&s;tles in their Succe&s;&s;ion &amp; Po&s;&s;es&s;ion: And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>But ye beloved, build up your &s;elves in your mo&s;t holy Faith, pray|ing in the holy Gho&s;t:</HI> So all that do &s;ucceed the Apo|&s;tles &amp; the true Church in their praying, it mu&s;t be in the holy Gho&s;t, and &s;ucceed them in their build|ing, it mu&s;t be in their holy Faith, which Chri&s;t is the Author of, &amp; they that are not in the&s;ame holy Gho&s;t and Faith, do not &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles in their Building, and in their Praying: And the A|po&s;tle &s;aith in 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2.10. <HI>Ye are witne&s;&s;es and God al&s;o how holily, and ju&s;tly, and unblameably we behaved our &s;elves among you that believe:</HI> &s;o they that do &s;uc|ceed the Apo&s;tles, mu&s;t &s;ucceed them, in that holy and ju&s;t, and unblameable Life: and Chri&s;t &s;aith in <HI>John</HI> 1. <HI>They that wor&s;hip the Father mu&s;t wor&s;hip him in Spirit and Truth:</HI> Now none can &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles in this Wor&s;hip that Chri&s;t &s;et up above &s;ixteen hundred Years &s;ince; but who are in the &s;ame Spirit and Truth the Devil is out off, that the Apo&s;tles were in: and &s;o it is clear; all that do &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles in their Succe&s;&s;ion and Or|dination, and Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, it mu&s;t be in the &s;ame Power and Spirit: And &s;aith the Lord, <HI>I have or|dained thee a Prophet to the Nations, before I formed thee in the Belly I knew thee. Jer.</HI> 15. And a Multi|tude of the like Things concerning the Succe&s;&s;ion
<PB N="35" REF="18">of the Apo&s;tles, and the true Church, of Sancti|fication, Ju&s;tification, and Perfection and the like might be declared, and the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit &s;aith to the Churches:</HI> John &s;peakes this &s;even Times in the <HI>Revelation;</HI> but if People have not the &s;ame Power and Spirit now adayes as the Apo&s;tles had, then they cannot hear what the Spirit &s;aith. Now the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14. <HI>If any thing be revealed to another that &s;its by, let the fir&s;t hold his peace; for you may all prophe&s;ie one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted; for the Spirit of the Prophets is &s;ubject to the Prophets:</HI> Now all that deny Prophecy, and &s;peaking one by one, deny the Way by which the Church may learn, and may be comforted, and deny the &s;ubjection of the Spirit of the Prophets, and &s;uch are not the &s;ucceeders in the &s;ame Pow|er and Spirit the Apo&s;tles were in: and the Apo|&s;tle &s;aith, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14. <HI>Except ye utter by the Tongue, Words ea&s;ie to be under&s;tood, how &s;hall it be known what is &s;poken; for ye &s;hall &s;peak in the Air, therefore if I know not the Meaning of the Voice, I &s;hall be unto him that &s;peaketh is a</HI> Barbarian, <HI>and he &s;hall be a</HI> Barba|rian <HI>unto me.</HI> And therefore all ye that &s;peak, and preach, and pray in an unknown Tongue, or ble&s;s, the Apo&s;tle telleth you, ye are <HI>Barbarians,</HI> and &s;peak to the Air, and &s;o you do not follow him in his Succe&s;sion; &s;o therefore all that follow the Apo&s;tles and the true Church, in their Succe&s;|&s;ion, Ordination and po&s;&s;e&s;sion; either in preach|ing, praying, or &s;inging, Fellow&s;hip, or Wor&s;hip they mu&s;t &s;ucceed them in the &s;ame Power and Spirit the Apo&s;tles were in.</P>
<PB N="36" REF="19">
<P>And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Gal.</HI> 6. <HI>As many de&s;ire to make fair &s;hew in the Fle&s;h,</HI> &amp; in <HI>Rom.</HI> 15.18. <HI>For I will not dare to &s;peak of tho&s;e Things, which Chri&s;t hath not wrought by me, to make the</HI> Gentiles <HI>obedient, by Word and Deed.</HI> Now con&s;ider, do you follow the Apo|&s;tle in this Succe&s;sion, dare you &s;peak of Things; which Chri&s;t hath not wrought by you, and to bring People to be obedient by Word or Deed? And is not this to make a fair &s;hew in the Fle&s;h of that which Chri&s;t hath not wrought by you? then you are not Succeeders to the Apo&s;tle and true Church: And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith in 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.15. <HI>Not boa&s;ting of Things without our Mea&s;ure,</HI> that is, of other Mens Labours, &amp;c. <HI>but according to the Mea&s;ure of the Rule, which God hath di&s;tributed unto us, &amp;c.</HI> Now con&s;ider do any follow the Apo&s;tles in their Succe&s;sion; but who follow them in the Rule to wit of the Spirit? And do &s;uch follow the Apo|&s;tles in their Rule, that boa&s;ts of other Mens La|bours, to wit the Prophets, Chri&s;t's and the Apo|&s;tles Words, &amp; deny their Rule of the Spirit? &amp; did not the <HI>Corinthians</HI> make a great profe&s;sion of Chri&s;t, and look't upon them&s;elves to be great gifted-men? and did not the Apo&s;tle tell them, they were Reprobates if Chri&s;t were not in them, for all they might make a Profe&s;sion of Chri&s;t without them? And &s;o, is it not needful, for all Chri&s;tians to try them&s;elves, whether they be in the Faith, and prove, and know their own &s;elves, that Chri&s;t is in them, except they be Reprobates; and &s;o Re|probates may <HI>make</HI> a Profe&s;sion of Chri&s;t without them, which do not follow the Apo&s;tles in their &s;ucce&s;sion, who preach'd Chri&s;t within, the Hope
<PB N="37" REF="19">of Glory, who &s;aid, <HI>The Life that I now live in the Fle&s;h, is by the Faith of the Son of God, and I live, yet not I, but Chri&s;t that liveth in me,</HI> Gal. 2.20.</P>
<P>So now who follow the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> in this their Po&s;|&s;e&s;sion, &s;ucce&s;sion and Ordination, mu&s;t follow them in the Po&s;&s;e&s;sion of this Faith of the &s;on of God, and in this Life in him: and the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> &s;aith in <HI>Gal.</HI> 4.9, 10. <HI>But now after that ye have known God, or rather, are known of God, how turn you again to the weak and beggarly Elements, whereunto ye de&s;ire again to be in Bondage, ye ob&s;erve Dayes and Moneths and Times, and Years, I am afraid of you, le&s;t I have be&s;towed upon you Labour in vain.</HI></P>
<P>Now con&s;ider this you that ob&s;erve Dayes, Months, Times &amp; Years, which he calls beggarly Elements, and Bondage upon &s;uch that went into &s;uch Things, he was afraid he had be&s;towed his Labour in vain. Now you that do ob&s;erve the&s;e Things, and follow the&s;e things the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> reproves, do not you &s;ucceed them that went into Bondage, and are not &s;ucceeders to the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> nor true Church: and in 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5.12.20. <HI>He that hath the Son hath Life, and he that hath not the Son hath not Life, and we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given to us an Under&s;tanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Je&s;us Chri&s;t, this is the true God and eternal Life.</HI></P>
<P>Now here you may &s;ee their Po&s;&s;e&s;sion, and what the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and the Saints did po&s;&s;e&s;s, and they did confe&s;s Chri&s;t was come without them and within them, and they were in him: So all that follow the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and true Church in their Po&s;&s;e&s;sion and
<PB N="38" REF="20">Succe&s;sion, mu&s;t have this Confe&s;sion, that Chri&s;t is come, and hath given them an Under&s;tanding, and to be in them, and to have the Son if they have Life, &s;ignifying that all the Profe&s;&s;ors of the Son of God, if they have not the Son of God, they have not Life, then they cannot &s;ucceed the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and the true Church in the &s;ame Life, Po&s;&s;e&s;sion and Con|fe&s;sion from the &s;ame Faith, and &s;o are no true Wit|ne&s;&s;es.</P>
<P>Now who follow the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> in the Succe&s;sion and Ordination, are faithful Witne&s;&s;es; and in <HI>Luke</HI> 24.48. Chri&s;t &s;ayes to his Di&s;ciples, <HI>Ye are Witne&s;&s;es of the&s;e Things;</HI> and <HI>Acts</HI> 1.8. <HI>But ye &s;hall receive Power after the Holy Gho&s;t is come upon you, and ye &s;hall be Witne&s;&s;es unto me in all</HI> Judea, <HI>and</HI> Jeru&s;a|lem, <HI>and</HI> Samaria, <HI>and to the utmost Parts of the Earth.</HI></P>
<P>Now mark, the&s;e were the faithful and true Wit|ne&s;&s;es in the Power and Holy Gho&s;t that witne&s;&s;ed in <HI>Judea, Jeru&s;alem</HI> and <HI>Samaria,</HI> and to the utmo&s;t parts of the Earth, to Chri&s;t: Nor can any &s;uc|ceed the <HI>Apo&s;tles,</HI> and be true Witne&s;&s;es, but in the &s;ame Power and Holy Gho&s;t; and in <HI>Acts</HI> 2.32, 33. <HI>This Je&s;us hath God rai&s;ed up, whereof we all are Wit|ne&s;&s;es; therefore being by the right Hand of God exalt|ed, and having received of the Father the Promi&s;e of the Holy Ghost, he hath &s;hed forth this which we now &s;ee and hear, &amp;c.</HI> and in <HI>Acts</HI> 3.15. <HI>Ye have killed the Prince of Life, whom God hath rai&s;ed from the Dead, whereof we are Witne&s;&s;es;</HI> now all the&s;e were Faithful Wit|ne&s;&s;es: and <HI>Acts</HI> 5.32. <HI>We are his Witne&s;&s;es of the&s;e Things</HI> (to wit, Chri&s;t) <HI>and &s;o is al&s;o the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him:</HI> Mark
<PB N="39" REF="20">then, tho&s;e that do di&s;obey God and Chri&s;t, receive not this Holy Gho&s;t, and then they cannot &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles in the &s;ame Holy Gho&s;t, as faithful Witne&s;&s;es of Chri&s;t. And <HI>Acts</HI> 10.39. <HI>We are Wit|ne&s;&s;es of the&s;e things which he did</HI> (to wit, Chri&s;t) <HI>both in the Land of the</HI> Jews <HI>and at</HI> Jeru&s;alem, <HI>whom they &s;lew and hanged on a Tree, &amp;c.</HI> And <HI>Acts</HI> 13.30. <HI>But God hath rai&s;ed him from the Dead, and he was &s;een many Dayes of them which came up with him from</HI> Ga|lilee <HI>unto</HI> Jeru&s;alem, <HI>and we are his Witne&s;&s;es unto the People, and we declare unto you glad Tidings.</HI> And <HI>Acts</HI> 20.23. <HI>Save that the holy Ghost witne&s;&s;eth in every City, &s;aying, that Bonds and Afflictions abide me</HI> (to wit, him that preach'd Chri&s;t.) And <HI>Acts</HI> 26.22. <HI>Ha|ving therefore obtained Help from God, I continue unto this Day, witne&s;&s;ing both unto &s;mall and great, &s;aying no other things then tho&s;e which the Prophets and</HI> Mo&s;es <HI>did &s;ay &s;hould come, that Christ &s;hould &s;uffer and ri&s;e from the Dead; and &s;hould &s;hew Light unto the</HI> Gentiles.</P>
<P>Now here you may &s;ee his faithful Witne&s;&s;es in the Holy Gho&s;t, witne&s;&s;ed to all, &s;mall or great, freely; and you that deny having the Holy Gho&s;t the Apo&s;tles were in, and the Light of Chri&s;t, which he enlightens every one that comes into the World withal, which he &s;hews to the People and to the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> you are no true Witne&s;&s;es nor Succeeders to the Apo&s;tles, that call his Light (that he hath &s;hewed to us <HI>Gentiles,</HI> which &s;hines in our Hearts, to give us the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Chri&s;t Je&s;us) of the Devil, and the <HI>Qua|kers</HI> new Chri&s;t, and natural; you are no Succeed|ers of the Apo&s;tles in the Power, Light and Spirit,
<PB N="40" REF="21">nor true Witne&s;&s;es, but their Oppo&s;ers. And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2.10. <HI>Ye are Witne&s;&s;es and God al&s;o, how holily, ju&s;tly and unblamably we behaved our &s;elves amongst you that believed.</HI></P>
<P>Now we cannot witne&s;s that you walk &s;o holily, Ju&s;tly and Unblamably in Chri&s;t, we who are the true Believers: And can you &s;ay, that God is your Witne&s;s of your Holy, Ju&s;t and Unblamable Life, as the Apo&s;tles did? and if you cannot, you do not &s;ucceed them in their Po&s;&s;e&s;sion and Succe&s;sion; and the Apo&s;tle &s;aying before, <HI>That the holy Ghost wit|ne&s;&s;ed in every City, &s;aying, Bonds and Afflictions abide me.</HI> Now you that do per&s;ecute, and afflict, and bring into your Bonds and Pri&s;ons, and &s;ay, you have not the &s;ame Holy Gho&s;t the Apo&s;tles had, and yet afflict them that be in the Holy Gho&s;t, you are not the Succeeders of the Apo&s;tles in their Ordina|tion and Succe&s;sion. And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.14. <HI>Neglect not the Gift that is in thee, &amp;c.</HI> and he was to <HI>hold the Faith in a good Con&s;cience,</HI> 1 Tim. 1.19. and he calls him <HI>his Son in the Faith,</HI> 1 Tim. 1.2. And in 1 Tim. 6.11, 12. <HI>But thou, O Man of God, follow Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Godline&s;s and Faith, Love, Patience, Meekne&s;s; fight the good Fight of Faith, lay hold on Eternal Life, whereunto thou art al&s;o called, and hast profe&s;&s;ed a good Profe&s;&s;ion before many VVitne&s;&s;es; and hold fast the form of &s;ound VVords, which thou hast heard of me in Faith and Love, which is in Christ Je&s;us</HI> [mark] <HI>in Faith he had heard</HI> and in Love, which is in Chri&s;t Je&s;us; this Form of &s;ound Words he was to hold fa&s;t, which he had heard in Faith, &amp;c. which Chri&s;t is the Author of, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1.13. So they that
<PB N="41" REF="21">be not in the &s;ame &s;ound Words, which is heard in Faith and Love in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, do not &s;ucceed the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> in their Po&s;&s;e&s;sion nor Ordination: and in 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1.14. <HI>That good thing which was committed un|to thee, keep by the holy Ghost, which dwelleth in us;</HI> [mark] Keep by the Holy Gho&s;t which dwelleth in us: and in 2 Tim. 2.2. <HI>And all the things thou hast heard of me amongst many VVitne&s;&s;es, the &s;ame commit thou unto faithful Men, who &s;hall be able to teach others al&s;o.</HI></P>
<P>Now mark, the&s;e followed the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> in the Suc|ce&s;sion in the Holy Gho&s;t, in the Faith in the good Things, which they dwelt in and committed unto faithful Men, which My&s;tery of the Faith is held in a pure Con&s;cience; &s;o none can &s;ucceed the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> nor <HI>Timothy,</HI> nor the&s;e faithful men, but in the &s;ame Faith, and in the &s;ame Gift of Prophecy, and in the good Thing, kept by the Holy Gho&s;t dwelling in them: Now they that be not in the &s;ame Faith and Holy Gho&s;t, and in the &s;ame good Thing the <HI>Apo&s;tle Timothy</HI> and tho&s;e faithful men were in, do not &s;uc|ceed the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and them, though they get the Form of Godline&s;s; and the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> and <HI>Timothy</HI> did not commit tho&s;e Things to faithful men, to teach them, and make a Trade of them; for they that do make a Trade of them are unfaithful men, and do not &s;ucceed the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and <HI>Timothy,</HI> but are Suc|ceeders of &s;uch as re&s;i&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t, and Di&s;o|beyers of God; for the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> &s;aith, <HI>He gives the holy Ghost to them that obey him:</HI> and the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> &s;aith, 2 Tim. 3.5. <HI>Having a Form of Godline&s;s, but denying the Power thereof, from &s;uch turn away:</HI> Now to have
<PB N="42" REF="22">a Form of Chri&s;t's Words, the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> Words, or <HI>Timothy</HI>'s Words, or the&s;e faithful mens Words, and deny the Power and the holy Gho&s;t that led them to &s;peak them forth, they are to be turned away from, and are no Succeeders of the <HI>Apo&s;tles:</HI> and the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12. <HI>VVherefore &s;eeing we al&s;o are compa&s;&s;ed about with &s;o great a Cloud of VVit|ne&s;&s;es, let us lay a&s;ide every VVeight, and the Sin that doth &s;o ea&s;ily be&s;et us, and let us run with Patience the Race that is &s;et before us, looking unto Je&s;us, the Author and Fini&s;her of our Faith, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>So you may &s;ee it is not any man, nor Writings, nor Words, that is the author of Peoples Faith, but Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and all mu&s;t look unto him, the author and Fini&s;her of their Faith for it, if they do &s;ucceed this Cloud of Witne&s;&s;es, which Faith is the Gift of God, and brings to have acce&s;s to God, in which God is plea&s;ed: and the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> &s;aith, 1 Joh. <HI>That which was from the beginning</HI> (mark, the Beginning, to wit, Chri&s;t) <HI>which we have heard</HI> (mark, they have heard that which was from the Beginning) <HI>which we have &s;een with our Eyes</HI> (mark, they had &s;een with their Eyes that which was from the Beginning <HI>(which we have lookt upon, and our Hands have handled of the Word of Life, which was from the beginning; for the Life was manife&s;t, and we have &s;een it, and bear Wit|ne&s;s, and &s;hew it unto you, that Eternal Life which was with the Father, and was manife&s;t unto us, that which we have &s;een and heard declare we unto you, that ye</HI> (to wit, the Church) <HI>al&s;o may have Fellow&s;hip with us, who had &s;een, heard, lookt upon and handled the Word of Life, and truly our Fellow&s;hip is with the Father and
<PB N="43" REF="22">with the Son Je&s;us Christ; and the&s;e things I write unto you, that your Joy may be full.</HI></P>
<P>And now mark, he that hath not the Son hath not Life, and he that hath the Son hath Life; and there|fore con&s;ider all ye Teachers and Churches in <HI>Chri|&s;tendom,</HI> where is your Fellow&s;hip? have you heard that which was from the Beginning? have you &s;een, lookt upon and handled, and &s;o bear Witne&s;s to what you have &s;een, heard and handled? and do you declare that to your Churches which you have heard, &s;een and handled, as the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> did? If not, you do not &s;ucceed the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> in their hearing, in their handling, in their looking, and &s;eeing, and witne&s;sing, and declaring to others: For will not the VVorldlings Rea&s;on teach you in your common Courts, that if a Company of VVitne&s;&s;es come to bear VVitne&s;s before a Judge, the Judge asketh them whether they have &s;een, heard or lookt upon the man; if they &s;ay, No, they never heard, nor lookt upon him, nor do not expect ever to &s;ee him while on this &s;ide the Grave; what do you think the Judge will &s;ay to the&s;e VVitne&s;&s;es, that will come to witne&s;s for or again&s;t a man they have ne|ver &s;een, nor heard, nor lookt upon, nor never expect to &s;ee him: But you may &s;ay, the VVitne&s;&s;es heard others &s;ay &s;o of him; and will this plea&s;e the Judge? let worldly Rea&s;on Judge: So con&s;ider, if you ne|ver heard God's Voice, nor &s;ee his &s;hape, as you may &s;ee in <HI>John</HI> 5. Chri&s;t the Judge did not accept of &s;uch as the <HI>Jews,</HI> that were &s;ayers of what the Prophets and <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;aid and did; for &s;aith he, <HI>the Father him&s;elf, which hath &s;ent me beareth Witne&s;s of
<PB N="44" REF="23">me, but ye have neither heard his Voice at any time, nor &s;een his Shape;</HI> then the&s;e were not nor are not the true or faithful Witne&s;&s;es of God nor Chri&s;t. And in <HI>Jer.</HI> 23.21. <HI>I have not &s;ent the&s;e Prophets, yet they ran, I have not &s;poken to them, yet they prophe&s;ie;</HI> and Ver. 30, 31. <HI>Therefore behold I am again&s;t the Prophets, &s;aith the Lord, that &s;teal my Words every one from his Neighbour: Behold I am again&s;t the Prophets, &s;aith the Lord, that u&s;e their Tongues, and &s;ay, he &s;aith it;</HI> and Ver. 16. <HI>Thus &s;aith the Lord of Ho&s;ts, hearken not unto the Prophets, nor unto the Words of the Prophets that prophe&s;ie unto you, they make you vain, they &s;peak a Vi&s;ion of their own Heart, and not from the Mouth of the Lord:</HI> And in Ezek. 13. <HI>Wo unto the Prophets that follow their own Spirit, and that &s;ee nothing, I have not &s;ent them, &s;aith the Lord, and they &s;ay, the Lord &s;aith it, albeit I have not &s;poken to them&punc; I am again&s;t you, &s;aith the Lord, becau&s;e with Lyes you make the Hearts of the Righteous &s;ad, whom I have not made &s;ad, &amp;c. I will deliver my People out of your Hand, and you &s;hall know that I am the Lord, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>And now con&s;ider the&s;e were not the Succeeders of the true Prophets, though they us'd their Tongues, and &s;poak, and ran with a Divination of their own Brains &amp; Studies, the Lord was again&s;t &s;uch, though they might &s;ay, thus &s;aith the Lord, and get the Words of their Neighbour Prophets.</P>
<P>So though you may &s;ay, thus &s;aith Chri&s;t, and thus &s;ay the Apo&s;tles, and be &s;uch as run and God never &s;ends nor Chri&s;t, &amp; have neither heard God's Voice, nor &s;een his Shape, and the Lord nor Chri&s;t have not &s;poken to you, and &s;ay, you have not the
<PB N="45" REF="23">Holy Gho&s;t as the Apo&s;tles had, and &s;o follow your own Spirits, &amp; &s;ee nothing; and do not all, who &s;ay, they have not the &s;ame Spirit the Apo&s;tles had, fol|low their own Spirits, and &s;ee nothing, and &s;o are Succeeders of the&s;e fal&s;e Prophets which God re|proved, and not the true Prophets nor Apo&s;tles? <HI>And how can you preach, except you be &s;ent?</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle; for whom Chri&s;t &s;ends they be in the Holy Gho&s;t, and none can call him Lord, but by the Holy Gho&s;t.</P>
<P>And Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>That he may abide with you for|ever, to wit, the Comforter, the Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> Joh. 14.16. <HI>even the Spirit of truth that &s;hall lead you into all truth,</HI> and he &s;hould dwell in them, and &s;hould be with them; and al&s;o Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>He would be with them and in them to the End of the World.</HI></P>
<P>And now therefore how can you be faithful Wit|ne&s;&s;es to God and Chri&s;t the Judge, by u&s;ing your Tongues, and &s;aying, he &s;aith it, or by getting the Form of Godline&s;s, and denying the Power and the Holy Gho&s;t, to wit, the VVitne&s;s; and by your running and God never &s;ent you, and though you &s;ay, he &s;aith it, and hath never &s;poken to you; yea, though you may be Mini&s;ters of the Letter from <HI>Gene&s;is</HI> to <HI>Revelations,</HI> and &s;ay, he or they &s;ay it, and yet never hear his Voice, nor &s;ee his Shape at any Time; then how at any Time can you be true VVitne&s;&s;es, except you were in the &s;ame Power and Holy Gho&s;t the Prophets and the Apo|&s;tles were in?</P>
<P><HI>He that hath the Son of God, hath Life, and he that
<PB N="46" REF="24">hath not the Son of God, hath not Life;</HI> then how can he be a VVitne&s;s of the Life that he hath not &s;een, heard nor handled? and if Chri&s;t be not in him, he is a Reprobate, and then how can Reprobates be faithful VVitne&s;&s;es of him, though they may talk of him by the Letter <HI>he is come,</HI> as the <HI>Jews</HI> by the Letter talkt <HI>he was to come?</HI></P>
<P>And therefore they that have the Son of God they have Life, they &s;ee it, they hear it, they handle it, they look upon it, that Life that was in the Begin|ning, and can &s;ay, <HI>the Son of God is come, and hath given us an Under&s;tanding, and we know him that is true, and we are in him that is true,</HI> and &s;o are faith|ful VVitne&s;&s;es, Succeeders of the Apo&s;tles and the true Church, and can declare what their Eyes have &s;een, and their Hands have handled, and what they have heard, and what they have looked upon, and bear witne&s;s and &s;hew to others that Eternal Life, which was with the Father, and manife&s;t unto us and in us, and can both witne&s;s and declare this to others freely, as they have received freely from God, that others may have Fellow&s;hip with them, and can &s;ay truly, <HI>Our Fellow&s;hip is with the Father and with the Son,</HI> and this we declare and witne&s;s to: I &s;ay, all that &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles and the true Church, it mu&s;t be in this Hearing, Sight, Hand|ling, VVitne&s;&s;ing and Declaring of this Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of this Life, Chri&s;t that was in the Apo&s;tles and the true Church, el&s;e they are no Succeeders to them, nor in their Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion: For all the fal&s;e Wit|ne&s;&s;es again&s;t the Prophets, Chri&s;t and the Apo&s;tles,
<PB N="47" REF="24">they might profe&s;s the Scriptures; and the Bea&s;t, Whore, Anti-chri&s;t, Satan's Me&s;&s;engers and fal&s;e Apo&s;tles, they might profe&s;s Chri&s;t in Words; but they that <HI>have him not, have not Life,</HI> and &s;o are no true Hearers, Seers, Witne&s;&s;es nor Succeeders, neither can they call Je&s;us Lord, except they be in the Holy Gho&s;t the Apo&s;tles were in, neither can they witne&s;s as they did without the Holy Gho&s;t, neither can they build up one another, except they be in the &s;ame Holy Gho&s;t the Apo&s;tles and true Church were in, praying in the Holy Gho&s;t, build|ing up one another in the mo&s;t Holy Faith.</P>
<P>So all true Succe&s;&s;ion is in this building in the Ho|ly Gho&s;t and Holy Faith that they were in; and if they be not in this, they are Pluckers down, and Scatterers from the Head, Lo here, lo there, lo there Chri&s;t without them, and not within them, and &s;o no Succeeders to the Apo&s;tles, nor true Church, but to &s;uch, again&s;t whom the Cry is, Lo here, lo there, which Chri&s;t commands not to follow.</P>
<P>And in 2 Cor. 2.17. <HI>For we are not as many which corrupt the Word of God, but as of Sincerity, but as of God in the Sight of God &s;peak we in Chri&s;t.</HI> And in 2 Pet. 2.3. <HI>And through Covetou&s;ne&s;s &s;hall they with feigned Words make Merchandize of you, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Now con&s;ider, &s;uch as the&s;e did not follow the Apo&s;tles in their Succe&s;&s;ion nor Ordination, nor any that be in feigned Words, who through Co|vetou&s;ne&s;s make Merchandize of God's, Chri&s;t's, the Prophets and the Apo&s;tles Words, and of People.</P>
<PB N="48" REF="25">
<P>And none follow the Apo&s;tles in their Succe&s;&s;ion and Ordination, but &s;uch as be of God, and in the Sight of God &s;peak the Truth in Sincerity in Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</P>
<P>So all they that teach for <HI>filthy Lucre, and &s;erve not the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, but their own Bellies, and by good Words and fair Speeches deceive the Hearts of the &s;imple,</HI> Rom. 6.8. all &s;uch follow not the Apo|&s;tles and true Church in their Succe&s;&s;ion, but are reproved by them.</P>
<P>And in Numb. 28. You may &s;ee how God or|dained his Law in Mount <HI>Sinai,</HI> and that his Peo|ple &s;hould walk in it, which Law commanded their Offerings and the Prie&s;ts to offer and attend upon their Servicce.</P>
<P>But Chri&s;t Je&s;us, who ends the Law and the Offerings, and the Prie&s;ts, by offering up him|&s;elf once for all, he ordained his Di&s;ciples to preach, and commands them, FREELY as they had received of him, &s;o FREELY to give.</P>
<P>And therefore they that follow the Apo&s;tles in their Ordination and in their Succe&s;&s;ion, mu&s;t give FREELY, as they have received FREELY.</P>
<P>And Chri&s;t commands his Di&s;ciples <HI>Not to Swear AT ALL,</HI> but keep to <HI>YEA</HI> and <HI>NAY</HI> in their Communication, and to ble&s;s, and cur&s;e not.</P>
<P>And the Apo&s;tle that kept in the Ordination
<PB N="49" REF="25">of Chri&s;t and his Command, forbad Swearing and Cur&s;ing, and &s;et up Yea and Nay, as Chri&s;t commanded.</P>
<P>Now all them that &s;wear and cur&s;e, do not fol|low the Apo&s;tles in their Succe&s;&s;ion nor Ordination nor Qualification.</P>
<P>And Chri&s;t forbids his Mini&s;ters for being cal|led <HI>GRACIOUS LORDS,</HI> as the <HI>Gentiles</HI> were, or for being called of Men <HI>MASTER,</HI> as the <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> were.</P>
<P>And therefore they that follow the Apo&s;tles in Chri&s;t's Ordination, and in the Succe&s;&s;ion of the Apo&s;tles, mu&s;t keep his Commands; for &s;uch Mini&s;ters that do plead for &s;uch Titles, and to be called of Men <HI>MASTERS</HI> and <HI>GRACI|OUS LORDS,</HI> &s;ucceed the <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> and the <HI>Gen|tiles,</HI> and not Chri&s;t nor the Apo&s;tles.</P>
<P>And therefore none can &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles, but in the &s;ame Power of God and Holy Gho&s;t that they were in, who gave forth the Scrip|tures, and they mu&s;t receive Chri&s;t, and live in him, who is the ROCK OF AGES, and &s;o to know him to be with them and in them to the End of their Age, and &s;o to the End of the World, who is the ROCK and FOUN|DATION of all the Righteous in their A|ges; and they that do &s;ucceed the Apo&s;tles, mu&s;t &s;ucceed them in their Work and Foun|dation.</P>
<PB N="50" REF="26">
<P>So in the Light, in the Life, and in the Power of Chri&s;t Je&s;us, and in him, and he in them, who is the fir&s;t and la&s;t; here is all the true Succe&s;&s;ion and Succeeders, who walk and live in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, and he in them, who is fir&s;t and la&s;t.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Swarthmore, <DATE><HI>the</HI> 10th <HI>of the</HI> 9th <HI>Month,</HI> 1675.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>G. Fox.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>THE END.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="26">
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
