are his witnesses of these things, (to wit, Christ,) and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him:' mark then, those that do disobey God and Christ, receive not this Holy Ghost, and then they cannot succeed the apostles in the same Holy Ghost, as faithful witnesses of Christ. And Acts x. 39. 'we are witnesses of these things which he did, (to wit, Christ,) both in the land of the Jews, and at Jerusalem, whom they slew and hanged on a tree,' &c. And Acts xiii. 30. 'but God hath raised him from the dead, and he was seen many days of them who came up with him from Galilee unto Jerusalem, and we are his witnesses unto the people, and we declare unto you glad tidings.' And Acts xx. 23. 'save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying, that bonds and afflictions abide me,' (to wit, him that preached Christ.) And Acts xxvi. 22. 'having therefore obtained help from God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both unto small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come, that Christ should suffer and rise from the dead, and should show light unto the Gentiles.'

Now here you may see his faithful witnesses in the Holy Ghost, witnessed to all, small or great, freely; and you that deny having the Holy Ghost the apostles were in, and the light of Christ, which he enlightens every one that comes into the world withal, which he shews to the people and to the Gentiles, you are no true witnesses nor succeeders to the apostles, that call his light (that he hath shewed to us Gentiles, which shines in our hearts, to give us the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ) of the devil, and the Quakers' new Christ, and natural; you are no succeeders of the apostles in the power, light, and spirit, nor true witnesses, but their opposers. And the apostle saith, 1 Thes. ii. 10. 'ye are witnesses and God also, how holily, justly, and unblamable we behaved ourselves amongst you that believed.'

Now we cannot witness that you walk so holily, justly, and unblamably in Christ, we who are the true believers: and can you say, that God is your witness of your holy, just, and unblamable life, as the apostles did? and if you cannot, you do not succeed them in their possession and succession; and the apostle saying before,' that the Holy Ghost witnessed in every city, saying, bonds and afflictions abide me.' Now you that do persecute, and afflict, and bring into your bonds and prisons, and say, you have not the same Holy Ghost the apostles had, and yet afflict them that be in the Holy Ghost, ye are not the succeeders of the apostles in their ordination and succession. And the apostle saith, 1 Tim. iv. 14. ⚫ neglect not the gift that is in thee,' &c. and he was to hold the faith in a good conscience, 1 Tim. i. 19. and he calls him his son in the faith, 1 Tim. i. 2. And in 1 Tim. vi. 11, 12. but thou, O man of God, follow righteousness, godliness, and faith, love, patience, meekness; fight the

good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses; and hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me in faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus, [mark,] in faith he had heard,' and in love, which is in Christ Jesus; this form of sound words he was to hold fast, which he had heard in faith, &c. which Christ is the author of 2 Tim. i. 13. So they that be not in the same sound words, which is heard in faith and love in Christ Jesus, do not succeed the apostles in their possession nor ordination: and in 2 Tim. i. 14. that good thing which was committed unto thee, keep by the Holy Ghost, which dwelleth in us' [mark,] keep by the Holy Ghost that dwelleth in us: and in 2 Tim. ii. 2. and all the things thou hast heard of me amongst many witnesses, the same commit thou unto faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.'

Now mark, these followed the apostles in the succession in the Holy Ghost, in the faith in the good things, which they dwelt in and committed unto faithful men, which mystery of the faith is held in a pure conscience; so none can succeed the apostles nor Timothy, nor these faithful men, but in the same faith, and in the same gift of prophecy, and in the good thing, kept by the Holy Ghost dwelling in them: now they that be not in the same faith and Holy Ghost, and in the same good thing the apostle Timothy and those faithful men were in, do not succeed the apostles and them, though they get the form of godliness; and the apostle and Timothy did not commit those 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 succeed the apostles and Timothy, but are succeeders of such as resist the Holy Ghost and disobeyers of God; for the apostle saith, he gives the Holy Ghost to them that obey him:' and the apostle saith, 2 Tim. iii. 5. having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof, from such turn away :' now to have a form of Christ's words, the apostles' words, or Timothy's words, or these faithful men's words, and deny the power and the Holy Ghost that led them to speak them forth, they are to be turned away from, and are no succeeders of the apostles and the apostle saith, Heb. xii. 'wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith,' &c.

So you may see it is not any man, nor writings, nor words, that is the author of people's faith, but Jesus Christ, and all must look unto him, the author and finisher of their faith for it, if they do succeed, this cloud 'of witnesses, which faith is the gift of God, and brings us to have access to God, in which God is pleased: and the apostle saith, 1 John,' that which

was from the beginning, [mark, the beginning, to wit, Christ,] which we have heard, [mark, they have heard that which was from the beginning,] which we have seen with our eyes, [mark, they had seen with their eyes that which was from the beginning,] which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life, which was from the beginning; for the life was manifest, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew it unto you, that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifest unto us, that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye, (to wit, the church,) also may have fellowship with us, who had seen, heard, looked upon and handled the word of life, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ; and these things I write unto you, that your joy may be full.'

And now mark, he that hath not the Son hath not life, and he that hath the Son hath life; and therefore, consider all ye teachers and churches in Christendom, where is your fellowship, have you heard that which was from the beginning? have you seen, looked upon, and handled, and so bear witness to what you have seen, heard and handled? and do you declare that to your churches which you have heard, seen and handled, as the apostles did? if not, you do not succeed the apostles in their hearing, in their handling, in their looking, and seeing, and witnessing, and declaring to others: for will not the worldling's reason teach you in your common courts, that if a company of witnesses come to bear witness before a judge, the judge asketh them whether they have seen, heard, or looked upon the man; if they say, no, they have never heard, nor looked upon him, nor do not expect ever to see him while on this side the grave; what do you think the judge will say to these witnesses, that will come to witness for, or against a man they have never seen, nor heard, nor looked upon, nor ever expect to see: but you may say, the witnesses heard others say so of him; and will this please the judge? let worldly reason judge: so consider, if you never heard God's voice, nor seen his shape, as you may see in John v. Christ the judge did not accept of such as the Jews, that were sayers of what the prophets and Moses said and did; for saith he, the Father himself, which hath sent me, beareth witness of me, but ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape;' then these were not, nor are the true or faithful witnesses of God nor Christ.

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And in Jer. xxiii. 21. I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran, I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesy :' and ver. 30, 31. therefore behold I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words every one from his neighbour: behold I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that use their tongues, and say, he saith it;' and ver. 16. thus saith the Lord of hosts, hearken not unto the prophets, nor unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you, they make you vain, VOL. V.-25

they speak a vision of their own heart, and not from the mouth of the Lord' and in Ezek xiii. 'woe unto the prophets that follow their own spirit, and that see nothing, I have not sent them, saith the Lord, and they say, the Lord saith it, albeit I have not spoken to them; I am against you, saith the Lord, because with lies you make the hearts of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad, &c. I will deliver my people out of your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord,' &c.

And now consider these were not the succeeders of the true prophets, though they used their tongues, and spake and ran with a divination of their own brains and studies, the Lord was against such, though they might say, thus saith the Lord, and get the words of their neighbour prophets. So though you may say, thus saith Christ, and thus say the apostles, and be such as run and God never sends, nor Christ, and have neither heard God's voice, nor seen his shape, and the Lord nor Christ have not spoken to you, and say, you have not the Holy Ghost as the apostles had, and so follow your own spirits, and see nothing; and do not all, who say they have not the same spirit the apostles had, follow their own spirits, and see nothing, and so are succeeders of these false prophets which God reproved, and not the true prophets nor apostles? and how can you preach, except you be sent?' saith the apostle; for whom Christ sends they be in the Holy Ghost, and none can call him Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

And Christ saith, 'that he may abide with you forever, to wit, the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, John xiv. 16. even the spirit of truth, that shall lead you into all truth,' and he should dwell in them, and should be with them; and also Christ saith, he would be with them and in them to the end of the world.

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And now, therefore, how can you be faithful witnesses to God and Christ the judge, by using your tongues, and saying, he saith it, or by getting the form of godliness, and denying the power and the Holy Ghost, to wit, the witness; and by your running, and God never sent you; and though you say, he saith it, and hath never spoken to you; yea though you may be ministers of the letter from Genesis to Revelations, and say, he or they say it, and yet never hear his voice, or see his shape at any time; then how at any time can you be true witnesses, except you were in the same power and Holy Ghost the prophets and the apostles were in?

'He that hath the Son of God, hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life;' then how can he be a witness of the life that he hath not seen, heard, nor handled? and if Christ be not in him, he is a reprobate, and then how can reprobates be faithful witnesses of him, though they may talk of him by the letter he is come, as the Jews by the letter talked he was to come?

And therefore, they that have the Son of God they have life, they see it, they hear it, they handle it, they look upon it, that life that was in the beginning, and can say, 'the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, and we know him that is true, and are in him that is true, and so are faithful witnesses, succeeders of the apostles and the true church, and can declare what their eyes have seen, and their hands have handled, and what they have heard, and what they have looked upon, and bear witness and show to others that eternal life, which was with the Father, and manifest unto us and in us, and can both witness and declare this to others freely, as they have received freely from God, that others may have fellowship with them, and can say truly, our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son,' and this we declare and witness to: I say, all that succeed the apostles and the true church, it must be in this hearing, sight, handling, witnessing and declaring of this possession, of this life, Christ that was in the apostles and the true church, else they are no succeeders to them, nor in their possession: for all the false witnesses against the prophets, Christ and the apostles, they might profess the scriptures, and the beast, whore, antichrist, Satan's messengers and false apostles, they might profess Christ in words; but they that have him not, have not life, and so are no true hearers, seers, witnesses nor succeeders, neither can they call Jesus Lord, except they be in the Holy Ghost the apostles were in, neither can they witness as they did without the Holy Ghost, neither can they build up one another, except they be in the same Holy Ghost the apostles and true church were in, praying in the Holy Ghost, building up one another in the most holy faith.

So all true succession is in this building in the Holy Ghost 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 Christ without them, and not within them, and so no succeeders to the apostles, nor true Church, but to such, against whom the cry is, lo here, lo there, which Christ commands not to follow.

And in 2 Cor. ii. 17. '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 speak we in Christ.' And in 2 Pet. ii. 3. and through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you,' &c.

Now consider, such as these did not follow the apostles in their succession nor ordination, nor any that be in feigned words, who through covetousness make merchandise of God's, Christ's, the prophets' and apostles' words, and of people.

And none follow the apostles in their succession and ordination, but such as be of God, and in the sight of God speak the truth in sincerity in Christ Jesus.

So all they that teach for filthy lucre, and serve not the Lord Jesus