thus thou liest to the Holy Ghost (in Christ's office) who trieth the heart; and thou liest to the congregation of Christ, and dost scandalize it therewith: it were a great deal better they had never heard thy lies, and then their hearts would not have been so filled with lies.
101. How canst thou say, that thou executest the office of Christ, seeing thou art a liar and mocker of Christ? Thou art not born of Christ, but of lies; and when thou speakest lies, thou speakest from thy beast, on which thou ridest, in the Revelation; thou speakest of thy own, from the spirit which is in thee, and yet wilt [take upon thee] to feed the sheep of Christ; thou shouldst feed them in a green meadow, in the fat pasture of Jesus Christ, and tell them the truth; but thou feedest them upon the devil's rocks, and the mountains of the abyss, in his lustful grass.
102. If you be the minister of Christ, then serve him in spirit and truth; reprove sins without any respect of persons; spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; reprove all wickedness of all persons, both superior and inferior; teach the way of Christ rightly; praise [or sooth] none for his money and honour's sake: for Christ praised none of the potentates for gain's sake; neither did he reprove any of them out of envy of their greatness and honour; for he commendeth order and saith, Give to Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's: but he reproveth the hypocrites, the Pharisees, in that they made long prayers, and stood in the streets, making a devout show, and would be seen of people, and sought only after praise; and such an one is the Antichrist also: and therefore the spirit in the Revelation of Christ saith, Go out from her my people, that you be not made partakers of her sins; for he that alloweth of sin is one spirit with the sin; he that for favour confirmeth [or consents to] the lie of liar, he is guilty of that lie, and of the wickedness thereof.
103. God the Father hath regenerated us in Christ, out of the truth, therefore we should not be the servants of lies; for when we enter into lies, we go out from Christ, and are with the devil, who is the father of lies; and so is the Antichrist also, and all that depend on him, and serve him; it were better to be far absent, and to have Christ formed in the heart, than to hear lies in the Antichristian office [of the ministry].
104. 1 know, thou evil beast wilt cry out upon me for an envious person, as if I did grudge what good people give thee; no, that is not my ground [or meaning] ; for Christ saith, Whosoever ministereth the Gospel, should live of the Gospel; you must not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn, it must feed: they cleave not all to the Antichrist; we have only set forth the wicked Antichrist, who rideth in the hearts of men; we despise none for their good conscience: Only, the
Antichrist shall stand naked for a witness to all people: He rideth over the face of the earth in all countries and nations. [Note: wheresoever pride, covetousness, envy, and wrath, are predominant in falsehood, deceit, self-seeking, and an hypocritical show of holiness, there is the greatest Antichrist of all.]
105. People now suppose they have rooted him out, and are now in strife and contention about him; every one will slay him: O thou blind simplicity, thou slayest him not; do but go out from him, and enter into the temple of Christ, and let Antichrist's houses stand [empty], and then he will /a// of himself, and at length be ashamed of his own abominations and whoredom: only do not worship him; do not bow the knee before him; but worship God.
106. Do but open your eyes, the whole world is full of God, the whole matter [of conversion] is about the outward life; in the inward God dwelleth in himself; and the outward life is also God's; but the abyss is in it, viz. the centre of nature, in which the severe, stern life is, which is the cause of this warning.
107. There are Three Principles, (three kingdoms), two are eternal, and one hath a beginning, and is transitory: Each of them is desirous of man: for man is an image of all three: and the Being of all Beings is a longing, seeking, and desiring, which existeth out of the eternal will, and the will is the eternity.
thus you liest to the Holy Ghost (in Christ's office) who tries the heart; and you liest to the congregation of Christ, and do scandalize it therewith: it were a great deal better they had never heard your lies, and then their hearts would not have been so filled with lies.
101. How can you say, that you executest the office of Christ, seeing you are a liar and mocker of Christ? You are not born of Christ, but of lies; and when you speak lies, you speak from your beast, on which you ridest, in the Revelation; you speak of your own, from the spirit which is in you, and yet will [take upon you] to feed the sheep of Christ; you should feed them in a green meadow, in the fat pasture of Jesus Christ, and tell them the truth; but you feedest them upon the devil's rocks, and the mountains of the abyss, in his lustful grass.
102. If you be the minister of Christ, then serve him in spirit and truth; reprove sins without any respect of persons; spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; reprove all wickedness of all persons, both superior and inferior; teach the way of Christ rightly; praise [or sooth] none for his money and honour's sake: for Christ praised none of the potentates for gain's sake; neither did he reprove any of them out of envy of their greatness and honour; for he commends order and says, Give to Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's: but he reprovs the hypocrites, the Pharisees, in that they made long prayers, and stood in the streets, making a devout show, and would be seen of people, and sought only after praise; and such an one is the Antichrist also: and therefore the spirit in the Revelation of Christ says, Go out from her my people, that you be not made partakers of her sins; for he that allows of sin is one spirit with the sin; he that for favour confirms [or consents to] the lie of liar, he is guilty of that lie, and of the wickedness thereof.
103. God the Father has regenerated us in Christ, out of the truth, therefore we should not be the servants of lies; for when we enter into lies, we go out from Christ, and are with the devil, who is the father of lies; and so is the Antichrist also, and all that depend on him, and serve him; it were better to be far absent, and to have Christ formed in the heart, than to hear lies in the Antichristian office [of the ministry].
104. 1 know, you evil beast will cry out upon me for an envious person, as if I did grudge what good people give you; no, that is not my ground [or meaning] ; for Christ says, Whosoever ministers the Gospel, should live of the Gospel; you must not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treads out the corn, it must feed: they cleave not all to the Antichrist; we have only set forth the wicked Antichrist, who rids in the hearts of men; we despise none for their good conscience: Only, the
Antichrist shall stand naked for a witness to all people: He rids over the face of the earth in all countries and nations. [Note: wheresoever pride, covetousness, envy, and wrath, are predominant in falsehood, deceit, self-seeking, and an hypocritical show of holiness, there is the greatest Antichrist of all.]
105. People now suppose they have rooted him out, and are now in strife and contention about him; every one will slay him: O you blind simplicity, you slayest him not; do but go out from him, and enter into the temple of Christ, and let Antichrist's houses stand [empty], and then he will /a// of himself, and at length be ashamed of his own abominations and whoredom: only do not worship him; do not bow the knee before him; but worship God.
106. Do but open your eyes, the whole world is full of God, the whole matter [of conversion] is about the outward life; in the inward God dwells in himself; and the outward life is also God's; but the abyss is in it, viz. the centre of nature, in which the severe, stern life is, which is the cause of this warning.
107. There are Three Principles, (three kingdoms), two are eternal, and one has a beginning, and is transitory: Each of them is desirous of man: for man is an image of all three: and the Being of all Beings is a longing, seeking, and desiring, which exists out of the eternal will, and the will is the eternity.
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