A SHORT DISCOVERY OF THE MYSTERY OF INIQVITIE 2 Thes 2.7 For the mysterie of Iniquitie doth already work Revel 17.5 And upon her forehead was a name written Mysterie c. 1 Pet. 3.13,14,15 Who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good But and if ye suffer for righteousnesse sake c. To which is added also A Brief Discovery of the false holinesse of Nations their Instituted or Church State and what appertains thereunto set forth for the good of all that love Truth in the inward parts By Mich Quintyne 2 Pet. 2.1 But there were false Prophets also among the people even as there shall be false Teachers among you Verse 3. And through covetousnesse shall they with feigned words make merchandize of you c. Colos 2.8 Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophie and vain deceit c. LONDON Printed for the Author Ann. Dom. 1645. Matth. 10. from 26. to ver 34. REader take notice in publishing what is agreeable to the will of God and welfare of mankind without speciall Licence is no contempt of Authority but of oppression or the threatnings thereof Prov. 3.5,6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart c. In all thy wayes acknowledge him c. We must not be afraid to pull Antichrist by the coat and pull it off also to discover him to the people For t is he that maketh oppression and injustice easie till he be removed here will be no roome for a new Heaven and a new Earth in the sense of the want thereof let nothing be spared to gain them for what is heaven and earth wherein is no righteousnesse to be enjoyed and used towards God and man behold the policie to prevent the least touch of false holinesse and injustice but wo unto them that seek deep to hide their counsell from the Lord. c. Isa 29.15,16 A short Discovery of the Mystery of Iniquity I Have formerly commended to the King and Parlament in speciall manner yet not exclusively to their consideration the Discovery of the States of Policie and likewise the natures from whence they flow the largest knowledge with the right use whereof is their most lively and proper Element which leadeth to the preservation of the Church of Christ and maintenance of humanity and as fully do charge it upon them it being principally their work to discern and distinguish between them and so to order their Dominions that each may have its due Rom. 13.3,4,5,6 1 Tim. 2.12 both which Treatises were much lamed in Printing but I hope the time now is and yet will be more wherein men will look upon right drift and good intentions then mistakes in writing and Printing of any point substantiall or circumstantiall Trying all things and holding fast that which is good according to Divine counsell 1 Thess 5.21 considering man incident to error And for the better accomplishment of the work intended even that all men whether esteemed better or worse of each other in Religion keeping the bonds of Civilitie may live a peaceable life enjoying the liberty of their souls and bodies kept as aforesaid within the Laws of humanity in the free use of their consciences in their religious service of God I do in the discharge of my dutie to God and man according as I have received set forth to the generall consideration of all men this following Discovery of the Mystery of Iniquitie And that it may be done in the fullest measure to the common understanding of humane reason let it be considered First what a Mystery is or wherein it doth consist Secondly whence it floweth or the reason of it Thirdly what it serveth to or is of use for A Mystery is or doth consist in two respects First in the curious composition of any creature whether artificiall politique or naturall under one of which titles all the creatures that are have their being Secondly in the curious counterfeiting of any thing making things seem the same which in nature and truth they are very short of or the absolute contrary In things artificiall the first is proved in most Indentures of Apprentiship in the expression of what is to be taught and learned under the title of Trade Art and Mysterie The second is sufficiently proved in the usuall cheats and common deceits in artificiall things In Policie of all sorts is proof of the first in the constitution or way of unifying the matter and form thereof both in Civill and Ecclesiasticall the palpable grosse and common ignorance wherein the wrong and false is usually taken and used for the true in both sorts confirmeth it The second is also apparently true in bodies politique in the Civill in cases of usurpation so likewise in Ecclesiasticall the Jewish false in the constitution and the Antichristian false from the institution and in every main part of the constitution yet accepted and approved of by people Nations and Languages to their utter ruine and destruction besides your own experience of the truth hereof I shall in future passages prove it by principles rationall confirmed by Divine records In things naturall vegitables animals and rationals the first is evidently true For the curiosity of their elimentary compositions or constitutions of the meanest of them yea the least part of them is to the wisest of men a Mystery for who can make a naturall haire experience is without deniall The second is most manifestly true in things naturall since the curse in Adams dayes upon the earth for his sake the deceit in vegitables and in animals which also is the more through abuse taketh away all doubt thereof And since mans first transgression whereby humane nature became subjected with a curse and through the continued permission of God to the use of the devill the redeemed onely in most speciall manner excepted unlesse in the father of lies himself where can be found greater mischievous deceit then in the sons of men The Reason of a Mystery in relation to any or either of the foresaid creatures is twofold 1 Is from the rarenesse of the essence or substance and constitution or contrivance of things artificiall or politique and from thâ— most curious composition by creation or generation of natures and spirits which by infusion the Creator alone hath brought forth and doth and will willingly and permissively until his determinations are accomplished 2 Is from the weaknesse of our capacitie shallownesse of our understanding and unaptnesse to the right use of any creature subjected to the use and for the welfare of mankind the truth of both these Reasons appeareth from the inability in us to any reall good and our aptnesse to transgresse from the first trespasse to this moment and will to the last of all our dayes The speciall use this word Mystery serveth for is twofold 1 Is to possesse us with the weightinesse and consequence of things which most essentially concern man in his personall and politique condition both spirituall
that compels all high and lowe rich and poore bond and free to be subject or to perish by deprivation of humane rights or by infliction of undue sufferings here in false Church-government in the Seat and Throne of matters of conscience which belongeth to Christ alone the spirit of the devill through delusion with all lying signes and wonders ruleth therein with unnaturall violence an higher way then ever was allowed or used by Christ or his followers 2 Thes 2,3,4 Revel 13. gulleth the Earth under guilded conformitie and uniformitie with forced hypocrisie in a way of Religion the most unnaturall and divillish bondage in the world which in the height of its operation transports humane nature in to the most implacable murtherous spirit of hell which is pleased with no thing more then the utmost ruine of mankind By this very spirit doth the holy Ghost discover the Beast the false Church State Revel 13.7 to the 18. And thus in shortest manner I could I have given you what I have received of the Discovery of the Mystery of Iniquitie both in the personall or particular and the publique or politicall part of it which shunned and avoided helps to gain and preserve the welfare of man in generall Now that this is a way agreeable to reason and confirmed by Scripture judge all rationall people what is from the devill in nature and policie must needs be all one and produce the same effects and fruits by which saith Christ of his speciall instruments false Prophets ye shall know them Matth. 7.16 1 Thes 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good 1 Joh. 4. read that Chapter and to verse 3. of the next Chapter where you shall find the same way or means of distinction by trying the spirits c. The former Treatises touching the discovery of Policies and Natures help to clear up this and so doth this following concerning false holinesse to which I refer you A brief Treatise discovering thâ— holinesse of Nations in their Church Institution and what relates thereunto to be false and not of God VVHich in short is proved by considering 1 What holinesse is or what is meant by the Word 2 How many sorts there be The meaning and drift of the Word is to set forth the pure nature or use of any thing whereby the excellence thereof is expressed and so the word is used in Old and New Testament as is commonly known to set forth God himself and all belonging to the Divine nature and the state and use of all Gods institutions The sorts of it are two 1 Is invisible inherent and unchangeable relating to the spirituall substance expressed as an attribute of the same 2 Is visible imposed temproary and pervertable according to all Institutions relating also to mens professions and callings Laws and Ordinances stinted by ordination and limitation in respect of people way of worship time and place as hath been publickly and tipically expressed in the Church of the Jews in each particular and is now refined in the Christian Church sutable to the more substantiall and spirituall worship and lesse subject to abuse but by grosse and foule delusion guilding or counterfeiting the substantiall or circumstantiall parts of any Institution wherein onely may false holinesse visibly and possibly cousist as is most apparant and will so remain in farther examination thereof For counterfeit or false holinesse or things seemingly holy which in truth and proof are the absolute contrary have their rise or means of being in humane nature and things subjected to the use therof for what commands that in spirit is perfectly and unalterably in its self and nature good or evill holy or unholy which needs no proof in beholding the fountains thereof All things subjected to the use of man and man himself is under or rather capable of a twofold Institution which God injoyneth and approveth of to wit Divine and Civill government which the morall Law in the two Tables plainly sheweth the state of the Jews and Gentiles before Christs personal coming and the state of Christs Church in and since his time different both from Jews and the common way of the Gentiles politiquely and personally also most eminently hold forth Civil Government is or ought to be that by which all men good and bad except exceeding and inconsistent therewith have a being and preservation wherein the wheat and tares grow together till the harvest freed from the unnaturall and unjust violence of cursed humane nature which Christ himself approveth of in Cesars time and his Apostles also both doctrinally and practically This state except it be delusively transported out of it self for the ends of divillish pride deceit and envie is like the Sun-shine and rain upon the good and bad the just and unjust yea all creatures receive good thereby and in its proper centure is not easily perverted to cut off the innocent from the earth as common equity informeth And hath no relation to distinguishing of mens spirits or their uses in any Divine Institution which God hath given onely to his own Son since the time of types and refining wherein their being and use sutable to the beauty of his own love is made more saving and comfortable to the sons of men Divine government which in truth is that wherein Christians or Saints have politique and visible fellowship with their spirituall head Christ and God the Father the fountain of all mercie and goodnesse and is of an higher not contrary nature to Civility wherein people are led forth in the disposition of their Saviour more by love and forgivenesse and doing good yea for evill then by principles of equity and returning like for like in cases of injury and wrong done and received This I need not stand to prove from Abels time of opposition to this day of Antichrists reigne wherein the innocent have plentifully gone to the wall as the weakest parties use to do and will till the brightnesse of innocencie delivers them This being of higher nature and use then humane nature and sense did before the fall and much lesse since the curse incline to either to look into or affect it but in pride and forgetfull disobedience to God is become like the forbidden fruit by Gods permission through the Serpents delusion and perversion even the greatest means of destruction to mankind with the greatest pretence of holinesse which is truth and realty is altogether contrary thereunto This false holinesse or abuse of Divine Government and Gods holy Institutions whether in respect of the Church or the Laws and Ordinances thereof will be manifestly discovered in confidering The constitution of the body according to Christs approved institution wherein observe 1 The nature of the power and life thereof by which it hath all due motion 2 The nature of the materiall part or members incorporated in that body The nature of the power properly by which it is and moveth is no other in kind then that by which Christ gave it