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5. They reached to the inward state and cons dition of people, which is evidence of the virtue of their principle, and of their ministering from it, and not from their own imaginations, gloffes or comments, upon fcripture. For nothing reaches the heart, but what is from the heart, or pierces the confcience, but what comes from a living confcience. Infomuch, as it hath often happened, where people have, under fecrecy, revealed their ftate, or condition, to fome choice friends, for advice, or eafe; they have been fo particularly directed, in the ministry of this people, that they have challenged their friends, with difcovering their fecrets, and telling their preachers their cafes, to whom a word had not been spoken. Yea, the very thoughts and purposes of the hearts of many have been fo plainly detected, that they have, like Nathaniel, cried out of this inward appearance of Chrift, "Thou art the fon of God, thou art the king of Ifrael." And those, that have embraced this divine principle, have found this mark of its truth and divinity, that the woman of Samaria did of Christ, when in the flesh, to be the Meffiah, viz. It had told them all that ever they had done; fhewn them their infides, the moft inward fecrets of their hearts, and laid judgment to the line, and righteousness to the plummet; of which thousands can, at this day, give in their witness. So that nothing has been affirmed by this people, of the power and virtue of this heavenly principle, that such as have turned to it, have not found true, and more; and that half had not been told them, of what they have seen of the power, purity, wisdom and goodnefs of God therein.

6. "The accomplishments, with which this principle fitted, even fome of the meaneft of this people, for their work and fervice; furnishing fome of them with an extraordinary understanding, in divine things, and an admirable fluency and taking way of

expreffion,

expreffion, gave occafion to fome to wonder, faying of them, as of their master, "Is not this fuch a mechanic's fon? How came he by this learning? As from thence others took occafion to fufpect and infinuate, they were Jefuits in difguife, who had the reputation of learned men for an age past, though there was not the least ground of truth for any fuch reflection, in that their minifters are known, the places of their abode, their kindred and education.

7. "That they came forth low, defpifed and hated, as the primitive Chriftians did; and not by the help of worldly wisdom or power, as former reformations, in part, have done: But, in all things, it may be said, this people were brought forth in the cross; in a contradiction to the ways, worships, fashions and cuftoms of this world; yea, against wind and tide; that no flesh might glory before God.

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4. and 19.

8. They could have no defign to themselves, in this work, thus to expofe themselves to fcorn and abuse; to fpend and be spent: leaving wife and children, house and land, and all that can be accounted dear to men, with their lives in their hands; being daily in jeopardy, to declare this primitive meffage, revived in their fpirits, by the John i. ch. good fpirit and power of God, viz. That God is iii. ch. 20, light and in him is no darknefs at all; and that he 21. I. John i.ch. 5,6,7, has fent his fon, a light into the world, to enlighten all men, in order to falvation; and that they, that fay they have fellowship with God, and are his children and people, and yet walk in darkness, viz. in difobedience to the light in their confciences, and after the vanity of this world, they lie, and do not the truth. But, that all fuch as love the light, and bring their deeds to it, and walk in the light, as God is light, the blood of Jefus Chrift, his Son, fhould cleanse them from all fin.

Of their

9. "Their known great conftancy and patience, in fuffering for their testimony, in all the branches of it, and that fometimes unto death, by beatings, bruifings, long and crowded imprisonments, and noifome dungeons. Four of them, in New England, dying by the hands of the executioner, purely for preaching among that people; befides banishments, and exceffive plunders and fequeftrations of their goods and eftates, almost in all parts, not easy to be expreffed, and lefs to have been endured, but

those that have the fupport of a good and glorious cause; refufing deliverance by any indirect ways, or means, as often as it was offered to them.

10. "That they did not only not fhew any difpofition to revenge, when it was at any time in their power, but forgave their cruel enemies; fhewing mercy to thofe, who had none for them.

II." Their plainnefs with those in authority, like the ancient prophets, not fearing to tell them, to their faces, of their private and public fins: and their prophecies to them of their afflictions and downfall, when in the top of their glory:-Alfo of fome national judgments; as, of the plague and fire of London, in express terms; and likewise particular ones, on divers perfecutors, which accordingly overtook them; and were very remarkable in the places, where they dwelt, which in time, may be made public for the glory of God."

"As to the doctrine, which they taught, (says the doctrines. fame author) having already given fome account of their fundamental principle, their characteristic; or main distinguishing principle, viz. the light of Christ within; which is, as the root of the goodly tree of doctrines, that grew, and branched out from it, I fhall, therefore, now fpeak of them, in their natural and experimental order.

Repent

ance.

....

"First, repentance from dead works, to ferve the living God; which comprehends three operations;

firft

first, a sight of fin; fecondly, a fenfe and godly forrow for fin; thirdly, an amendment for the time to come. This was the repentance, they preached and preffed, and a natural result from the principle, they turned all people to. For of light came fight; and of fight came fenfe and forrow; and of fenfe and forrow came amendment of life. Which doctrine of repentance leads to justification; that is, forgiveness of fins, that are paft, through Chrift, the alone propitiation and the fanctification or purgation of the foul, from the defiling nature and habits of fin prefent, by the spirit of Christ in the foul; which is justification, in the complete fenfe of the word, comprehending both juftification from the guilt of the fins that are paft, as if they never had been committed, through the love and mercy of God in Chrift Fefus; and the creatures being made inwardly just, through the cleanfing and fanctifying power and fpirit of Christ revealed in the foul, which is commonly called fanctification: But that none can come to know Chrift to be their facrifice, that reject him as their fanctifier; the end of his coming being to fave his people from the nature and defilement, as well as guilt, of fin; and that, therefore, thofe that refift his light and spirit, make his coming and offering of none effect to them.

"From hence fprang a fecond doctrine, they were led to declare, as the mark of the prize of the high calling, to all true Christians, viz. perfection Perfection from fin, according to the fcriptures of truth; which from fin. teftify it to be the end of Chrift's coming, and the nature of his kingdom; and for which his fpirit was, and is given, viz. to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect; and holy, becaufe God is holy.' And this the apoftles laboured for; that the Chrif tians fhould be fanctified throughout, in body, foul and Spirit." But they never held a perfection in wif dom and glory in this life, or from natural infirmities,

or

punish

ments.

or death; as fome have, with a weak, or ill mind, imagined, or infinuated against them.

"This they called a redeemed ftate, regeneration, or the new birth: teaching every where, according to their foundation, that without this work were known, there was no inheriting the kingdom of God.

''

*

Eternal re- Thirdly, This leads to an acknowledgment of wards and eternal rewards and punishments, as they have good reafon; for elfe, of all people, certainly they must be the most miferable; who, for above forty years, have been exceeding great fufferers, for their profeflion, and in fome cafes, treated worfe than the worst of men; yea, as the refuse and off-fcouring of all things.

"This was the purport of their doctrine and mi-` niftry; which, for the most part, is what other profeffors of Chriftianity pretend to hold, in words and forms, but not in the power of godlinefs; which, generally speaking has been long loft, by men's departing from that principle and feed of life, that is in man; and which man has not regarded, but loft the fenfe of; and in, and by which only, he can be quickened in his mind, to ferve the living God, in newness of life. For as the life of religion was loft, and the generality lived and worshipped God, after their own wills, and not after the will of God, nor the mind of Christ, which flood in the works, and fruits of the holy Spirit; fo that which they preffed was not notion, but experience; not formality, but Godliness; as being fenfible in themselves, through the work of God's righteous judgments, that, without holinefs, no man fhall fee the Lord with comfort."

Having thus far mentioned the manner of the firft rife of this people, with their prime, or fundamental principle, and fome of their chief doc

W. P. writ this about the year 1694.

trines,