those who give counsel to States and Commonwealths herein give not counsel evidently and eminently destructive to them For no one command precept or president is there given for it by Christ or any of his Apostles who brought preached and published the Gospel but the quite contrary as hath been shewed I would next offer to consideration what surer or better pretension the present Clergie have may or can have to the Chair of Peter to the power given from on high to the appointing or anointing of the Father then hath the Romish Episcopal or other Clergie that what they propose preach or publish should be more obliging or binding then others And then whether they can pretend any more or further to the spirit of infallibility for the opening those mysteries of the Kingdom the mysteries of Christ or to open unfold and truly to declare Christ who is the Mystery of mysteries Great is the mystery of godliness Christ manifest in flesh Perhaps they think it easie let them take heed that lest seeing they be made blinde but Christ himself saith in Matth. 11.27 No man knoweth the Son but the Father Or whether they be able to unriddle the riddles open the parables declared by Christ for it 's written Without a parable spake he not Or to unseal the book spoken of by John in the Revelations And if any man understand not these mysteries as they do unfold or open these riddles or parables according to their sence meaning or interpretation he must presently without all doubt or peradventure be an Heretick or Blasphemer And then from the consideration of what Christ and his Gospel as it is held forth unto us in the Scriptures quoted and many other coherent thereunto whether the constituting or appointing any other laws by any in reference to the promulgation and propagation thereof other then are by himself expresly commanded and appointed be not derogatory unto if not a denying of Christ himself whom we lay and affirm to be the onely and alone King Priest and Prophet in and unto his Church and people And then whether it be not upon the fore-going grounds indeed and in truth the spirit of Antichrist as in their predecessors so now risen up again in these their successors labouring and endeavouring by all the force and power they can and by all the subtil devices they are able to engage stir up and incite the present powers for the support defence and maintenance of their own kingdom under colour and pretence of defending the Kingdom of Christ which he disclaims as is before proved and under the notion of suppressing Blasphemy and Heresie that spirit doth not in very deed and in truth aim at labour and endeavour the suppressing of the very Truth it self as it hath constantly been seen to this day though perhaps and I do verily believe many of them see or know it not Verily Truth is seldom or never heard in out-cries against others it 's seldom whispering against or secretly backbiting of any Truth is strong and therefore not easily oftended it willingly hurts no man because it knows no man can hurt it Verily that 's not worth owning that will not stand alone by it self Wherefore I say Let them alone to stand or fall to their own master and if Christ be their Master what need they fear I should therefore offer As you have already broken the Head of that Abaddonism in this Nation that same persecuring spirit that same spirit of division and dividings so that you would also cut off its Tayl. Not that I would have them or any other injured troubled persecuted or molested no for that were contrary to the Gospel as is already declared it were contrary to that rule also which saith Love thy neighbour as thy self and Do to all men as thou wouldst they should do to thee nay as thou wouldst God should do to thee and Do not that unto another man that thou wouldst not another man should do to thee And indeed herein is the fulfilling of the whole Law and on this as Christ saith hangeth or dependeth all the Law and the Prophets this being indeed and in truth all in all this and this onely being the onely and alone necessary and fundamental thing so far as I can or ever could understand It and it onely serving and enduring in and unto all sorts of men whatsoever Wherefore it is that Paul in 1 Cor. 12. the four last verses and the eight first verses of the thirteenth Chapter after he had reckoned up all the most glorious gifts of the Spirit as Apostles Prophets Teachers workers of Miracles Gifts Healings Helps Governments diversities of Tongues but saith he Study earnestly the best gifts and yet saith he shew I unto you a more excellent way intimating there was something more desirable more excellent then all or any of these as in the thirteenth Chapter it appears And God hath set some in the church first apostles secondarily prophets thirdly teachers after that miracles then gifts of healings helps in governments diversities of tongues Are all apostles are all prophets are all teachers are all workers of miracles have all the gifts of healing do all speak with tongues do all interpret But covet earnestly the best gifts and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way Though I speak with the tongue of men and angels and have not charity I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal And though I have the gift of prophecie and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have no charity I am nothing And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not charity it profiteth me nothing Charity suffereth long and is kinde charity envieth not charity vannteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things Charity never faileth but whether there be prophesies they shall fail whether there be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away So that here you see Love or Charity is preferred before and above all other things and the reason of it as you see also is because it and it onely is everlasting for it is God or Christ as the Scriptures testifie God or Christ made visible manifest born or brought forth in flesh Apostles Prophets Teachers may nay must cease nay all things but it then it and it onely is and can be Fundamental The Temple with all the rites laws and administrations thereof are ceased and done away the Brazen serpent one especial type and figure of Christ after the flesh it also when idolized is stamped to powder and done away the Priesthood must be changed from Levi to Judah as it was in
Proposals for propagation of the GOSPEL Offered to the PARLIAMENT By Capt. ROBERT NORVVOOD THe occasion of my presentment of these at this time is my being charged of Blasphemy or being a Blasphemer at the Committee for propagation of the Gospel by M. Scot Chair-man thereof Quere Whether a Member of the same Committee be not guilty of the same Blasphemy if it be so adjudged Then whether there weer not as much reason for me to propose as for him to receive Proposals But if it shall not be found Blasphemy then Whether M. Scot ought not in Equity and good Coâ—science give open and publike satisfaction for so open and publike an Injury and Scandal That I do and ever did acknowledge both Heaven and Hell and these as distinct as light and darkness all who know me can witness and my Book dedicated to the Parliament intituled Parson Simpson's Excommunication excommunicated where that Subject with the other of the Soul is discoursed and to which I could not have answer to this day doth fully testifie A certain local limitted place being only by me denyed And to say that the Soul of man is of a Divine Essence or of the Essence of God is no more if rightly understood then to say that the Soul is Immortal or that it was breathed into man from God or that in him we live and move and have our Beings Hath Capt. Norwood been or is he an Oppressor or Violator a Slanderer Backbiter or Murderer of his Neighbor Hath he been or is he a Swearer Drunkard or Adulterer according to or after the flesh No of a truth he walks contrary to these Yet reckon I not my self justified herewith or hereby nor judg I any therefore What then Why he hath blasphemed the abominable Arrogancies and Usurpations of the Clergy who would sit in upon and over all mens Consciences Witness M. Shidrach Simpson in my case who have ever done and still would make the Civil Magistrate their whips and rods their Jaylors Butchers and what not The extreme desparate and vilde deceits of the Lawyers in the whole course or management of the Law in all the several Courts of Justice these indeed I have blasphemed and this hath been the only and alone cause of all my sufferings and being charged with Blasphemy against God which whether I am such I leave to the judgement of all who know me have seen or read my writings Being thus occasioned to make this presentment and having as I suppose equally with others the liberty of throwing in my mite and that with you whatever is proposed shall not finde the less or more acceptance in respect to the Proposers thereof because that were to have the truth in respect of persons contrary to the Scriptures command Do therefore humbly offer to be considered First What the Gospel of Christ in its very true and real nature property and end in very deed and in truth is The true and very knowledge whereof may give light and direction in for or to its propagation or promulgation The end wherefore I propose this is lest whilst we pretend or intend its propagation we do not in deed and in truth so much as in us lies work or bring forth its overthrow and destruction Secondly That which next I should offer to be considered is How far any man or men whatsoever are impowered constituted ordained and appointed by Christ thereunto or wherein the aptitude and fitness of any unto such a work may or doth consist The knowledge of or true information in the former will easily give us the understanding and sight of this latter That which I take to be the Gospel is Love Peace good Will towards men Luke 2.14 Be ye merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful who causes his rain to fall as upon the good so upon the bad as upon the just so upon the unjust Matth. 5.45 Love your Enemies do good to them that hate you Bless them that curse you Pray for them who despitefully use you Luke 6.27,28 In this are the children of God and the children of the Divel manifest Whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother For this is the message we had from the beginning that we should love one another Not as Cain who was of that wicked 〈◊〉 and slew his Brother 1 John 3.10,11,12 Hereby have we perceived love that he laid down his life for us therefore we also ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren v. 16. Hereby we know we are translated from death to life because we love the Brethren He that loveth not his Brother abideth in death he who hateth his Brother is a man-slayer and you know no man-slayer hath eternal life abiding in him v. 14 15. Do good to all men especially to the houshold of faith Every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love And herein is the love of God manifest that whilst we were sinners Christ died for us 1 John 4.7,8 A new Commandment saith Christ give I unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you John 13.34 And we must know Christ and his commands are one and the same his Word and his command is not one thing and himself another And he came to save sinners the chief of sinners as Paul saith and himself also I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance for the whole need not the Physitian but those that are sick Again he saith For judgement I am come into this world that they which see not might see the following words will be very well worthy the consideration of most men which is and that they who see might be made blinde John 9.38 The Pharisees that heard him answer What are we blinde also Christ answers them If ye were blinde ye should have no sin but now you say we see therefore your sin remaineth God or Christ whose end it is as the Scriptures testifie to magnifie the exceeding greatness the richness the freeness and fulness the heights lengths bredths and depths of his mercy the wonderful glorious dimensions of it must suffer the greatest sinners that so he may publish himself his Gospel the greatest salvation preach the exceeding greatness of his power and so save and deliver them from their sins as Paul saith Sin hath therefore abounded that the grace of God might superabound yet I say as Paul also said Let us not therefore sin This then if I mistake not is the Gospel of Christ or rather Christ's Gospel This is the message and messenger God sent into the world for the message and messenger must be one and the same thing This is that Son of Righteousness or rather that righteous Son God sent into the world Christ he preaches what himself and his Father indeed and in truth are commands and promises what we should and must be and do if we receive