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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84337	The axe, against sin and error; and the truth conquering. A sermon on Matthew 3. 10. Now also the ax is laid to the root of the trees, therefore every tree, that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire. At which, a Christian confessed, she was converted; and because it did good to her, desired it might be preached again at her funerall, that it might do good to others, ... wherein are shewed the causes of the sword upon England, and on the Lutherans, and the remedies that must be used, before the judgements cease. / Written by John Eachard, M. A. of Trin. Col. Camb. and pastor of Darsham in Suffolke. Published according to order.	Eachard, John, 17th cent.	1646 (1646)	Wing E46; Thomason E322_26; ESTC R200585	51,668	51

his houshold after Baptisme rejoyced And I can testifie that my God shall fill you full of joy and peace in believing i. that you are in him that is true in that his Son Jesus Christ the same is very God and eternall life and this I know by faith in my baptisme into that Jesus that came by water and blood not by water of Baptisme only but by water and blood 't is that Spirit that beareth witnesse i. unto our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. that Spirit is true and those Christians that hold the true faith in their baptisme that by it and by the blood we know we are in him that is true and by the Spirit that beareth witnesse by both these they are the right joyfull Christians in all the world the Devill and the world are mad at them for their joy and are the citizens of the new Jerusalem the street of it paved with pure gold like transparent glasse signifie the lively faith of our Baptisme And this John had his garment of Camels hair he was no velvet or silken Preacher with long Camels hair on his head no his garment was hairy like Elias free from softnesse or pride and a lethern girdle about his loynes not broydered with silver or gold but like Elias in his lether girdle 2 King 1. and his meat was Locusts and wilde Honey to shew Humble-Bees honey and Locusts could content him as the Pulse did Daniel and the three children Daniel he did not desire delicate fare but he was in his apparel and diet far from pride or luxury There went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about Jordan and they were baptized of him in Jordan confessing their sins They went out into the Wildernesse to see a Prophet he was not a Reed shaken with the wind to run after every wind of doctrine but he taught that doctrine and baptisme that he was sent to teach from God for so he testified he that sent me to baptize with water said unto me Joh. 1. 33. But when they came to see him he so preached the Law and the wrath of God to come upon them for sin they confessed their sins i. they humbly confessed they were sinners before God by the Law and had deserved eternall damnation and prayed to God to forgive them their sins and took the Sacrament of Baptisme unto repentance for the remission of sins and bad them believe in Christ that should baptize them with the Holy Ghost which Johns baptisme could not do as the twelve men Acts 19. For by our baptisme now we are made clean from all our sins before God and regenerate that of the children of Adam we might be made the sons of God and as Ananias said to Paul Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins in calling on the name of the Lord Acts 22. And Paul testifieth that Christ doth cleanse his Church in the laver of water through the Word Eph. 5. and Christ saith Except ye be regenerate of water and the Holy Ghost ye cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Joh. 3. And Paul saith that Baptisme is the laver of regeneration Tit. 3. that we might have this ground of consolation in all afflictions that we are baptized and so regenerate and are adopted to be the sons of God And seeing Baptisme is a means saith the Expositor whereby we obtain remission of sins and the benefit of regeneration let us beware of that doctrine of Devils that through malice or foolishnesse we deprive not our children to come unto Christ to obtain remission of sins and the benefit of regeneration in infancy For if Christ say Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of heaven then they must be baptized for they can come no other way to Christ but by Baptisme nor any other way be of the kingdome of Heaven as Joh. 3. 5. but by that of themselves or of their parents if they die in the womb for Baptisme is as the Ark for a man and his houshold 1 Pet. 3. 21. When he saw many of the Pharisees and of the Sadduces come to his baptisme he said unto them O generation of Vipers who hath forewarned you to flee from the wrath to come What you Pharisees that think your selves good and contemne others you that trust to your own righteousnesse you that say stand apart I am holier then thou you that think your selves better then other folks the Law doth declare you are a cursed generation for you are a poysonable generation and desirous of hurting you are the generation of Vipers for your fathers slew the Prophets and you are of the same viperous mind to kill them that discover your hypocrisie for all your plots are against them that discover you And you Sadduces What are you come to my baptisme What need you be baptized as if he should say you believe no resurrection nor Angel nor Spirit you are all cursed by the Law for you have not continued in all things you shall go cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his angels you shall finde a Devill in Hell that will not believe there are Angels in Heaven Well both of you are come to my baptisme look you be both of one faith to believe in the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the Pharisees and the sins of the Sadduces and of the whole world and thus he reconciled these Sects to be all one in their baptisme So the only way to reconcile all the Sects in the world is to shew them their abominable estate by Adam the generation of Vipers and how cursed they are by the Law and the wrath of God hangs over them and bring them all to faith in baptisme to obtain remission of all sins past present and to come and how they put on Christ in baptisme to make them everlastingly righteous For here is the cause of all the sects and divisions in Christendome for when men have lost baptisme then one sect will devise to get remission of sins one way as by a Popes pardon by pilgrimage or in Purgatory The Anabaptists by a new baptisme and by a new Church-way not appointed by Christ but invented of themselves to make them more righteous and holy and clean then others that are not of their way and therfore will not communicate with others for they think they are more holy then others by strictnesse of their order and thus all sects imagine that in that way they walk in they are lesse sinners then others and more righteous then others and therefore will not communicate with others and you will be a Church by your selves But I say unto you O generation of Vipers all you sects in Christendom come home to the faith in your baptism into Christ there is wrath coming upon all

you trusted in him vers. 3 O trust in the Lord Jesus for ever for in the Lord our righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. is strength for evermore vers. 4. for he will bring down them that dwell on high that fight against you the high city of Rome will he abase even unto the ground and bring it unto the dust v. 5. that your fee● shall tread it down and all doctrine of infidelity I call you White-rayment Christians if any ask my reasons they are these First because you are the few names in Laodicca of England as well as in Sardis that have not defiled your garments ● by a false faith or raigning sin therefore you shall walk with Christ in white for you are worthy Rev 3. 4. Secondly whosoever overcomes shall be clo●hed with white rayment saith Christ Rev. 3. 5. but you have overcome 1 John 4. 4. Ergo you shall be clothed with i● and therefore shall be white-rayment Christians for whomsoever Christ saith shall be clothed with white rayment I may truly call a white-rayment Christian but you overcommers are they that Chist saith shall be clothed with white rayment E●go I may truly call you white-rayment Christians Thirdly whosoever have bought of Christ white rayment that he may be clothed that the shame of his nakednesse may not appear may be called a white-rayment Christian because he hath bought it Rev. ● 18. But you are they Ergo Again whosoever watcheth and keepeth Christs garments that are white as Rev 3. 18. lest hee walk naked and they see his shame is a blessed white-rayment Christian as Rev. 16. 15. But you are such Ergo you are blessed white-rayment Christians Also you are citizens of the new Jerusalem for on whomsoever Christ will write upon the name of the city of my God the new Jerusalem which cometh down from my God out of heaven Rev. 3. 12. shall rightly be called a citizen of the new Jerusalem but on you that have overcome Christ will write the name of the new Jerusalem Rev 3. 12. Ergo you shall be called citizens of the new Jerusalem This was spoken to Philadelphia not to us of Laodicea I answer whatsoever was spoken to any one of the seven Churches runs into the last for let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches Rev. 3. it saith it to you overcommers in Laodicea in England for what I say to you I say to all Marke 13. Now concerning the Philadelphians that were admonished by Christ to hold fast that they had that no man take their crown Rev. 3. 11. I gather the Philadelphians being admonished to hold it fast should lose it for if man must hold fast a crown he will lose it and that the La●d ceans should take it from them for the white-rayment Christians that have overcome and taken Christs counsell Rev. 3. 18. shall take their crown from them to be called first citizens of the new Jerusalem And you shall take the crown from the Lutheranes because they defiled their garments and their works were not perfect before God Rev 3. 2 3. and shall be called first White rayment Christians Secondly whosoever is come to the celestiall Jerusalem and to be citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God are citizens of the new Jerusalem but by the blood of Christ in Baptisme and by faith Eph. 2. 13. Rev. 1. 5. you are come to the celestiall Jerusalem Heb 12. 22. and to be citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes. 2. 19. Ergo you are citizens of the mew Jerusalem therefore call your selves no more the Church of England or of the Lu●herans or the like for they are shaken and shall be removed Heb. 12. 27. but call your selves White-rayment Christians and citizens of the new Jerusalem for you see God calls you so Now your city is of pure gold like cleer glasse Rev. 21. 18. for your city of the new Jerusalem is built of pure gold that Christ hath counselled you to buy of him Rev 3. 18. which is the lively faith in the merit● of Christs death in our baptisme for remission of sins Acts 2. 38. in the first love of Christ not of such as have taken a new baptisme and so forsaken their first love of Christ as the Church of Ephesus did and therefore the candlestick of the Church was removed out of their place Rev. 2. 5. because they tooke a second baptisme and forsook their first for which cause the Councel of Nice made it an Article of their Creed I believe one Baptisme for the remission of sins and it is like cleer glasse because through this golden glasse of your baptisme wherein you were washed sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6. 1● you may see the face of God through it what a reconciled mercifull and loving Father he is to you that hath sealed a new Covenant to you to become your father and you his children and that your sins and iniquities shall be remembred no more Heb. 8. 12. and you may see through this glasse of your baptisme the face of Jesus what a blessed meek and loving Saviour he is to you that hath loved you and gave himself for you Gal. 2. 20. and washed you from your sins in his own blood and made you Kings and Priests to God his Father Ephes. 5. 25. Rev. 1. 5. and you may see as in a glasse 1 Cor. 13. 12 what a blessed holy and sweet Comforter you have that hath washed you in the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost Titus 3. 5. And the street of your city is of pure gold like to transparent glasse Rev. 21. 21. O walk in this golden street for it is transparent like perspective glasse for as he that hath a good perspective glasse may see far off so may you even your sins set as far as the East is from the West Psal. 103. 12. Peter complaineth of many that are blind and cannot see far off because they have forgotten their baptisme wherein they were washed from their old sins they have forgotten this transparent glasse But all you citizens of the new Jerusalem walk in this golden street of your baptisme it is a perspective glasse and as in a perspective glasse men look through two glasses so in this there are two glasses the first is made of the pure river of the water of life cleer as Crystall which is the pure water of baptisme Heb. 10. 23. the second is the blood of the Lamb both these meet in one look through them both together and anoint your eyes with eye-salve of the Spirit and you shall see far off even into heaven and behold Christ to be your wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. and your blessednesse happinesse holinesse eternall life everlasting glory immortality yea thou may see thy name

many shal rejoyce at his birth because he shall have a new birth for parents may have great joy and gladnesse at the new birth of their children for he shall be great before the Lord although the wicked world shall contemne him and say he hath a devil yet he shall be great for he shall be a Baptist They are the greatest before the Lord that preach most soundly of Baptisme Paul the greatest of the Apostles preached most of Baptisme Luther was famous for Baptisme and Calvin the fourth Angel and name any that ever was famous in the Church that was not sound in the faith of his baptisme for no Anabaptist nor any other shall be great before the Lord in his Church which is not sound in that point that do not thunder out the Law to men that may drive them to the faith of their Baptisme in Infancie He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost from his mothers womb which is not so to be understood that all the elect do now receive the Holy Ghost in their mothers womb but that all the elect should receive the Holy Ghost in their mothers womb of the Church which is baptisme in their Infancie when their godly parents i. all the true Church pray for the holy Spirit to be given to their Infants For why should not the Lord give his holy Spirit to Infants at baptisme as well as to John And as Peter told the Jews Be baptized and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost He shall drink neither wine nor strong drink i. he shall be no drunken Minister the Holy Ghost shall teach him sobriety And he shall convert many of the children of Israel unto the Lord God The Baptist and all that preach most soundly of Baptisme convert most to Christ I have observed that those men and that those Ministers that have preached the Law and Baptisme most soundly amongst men have converted most and the reason why so few are converted in these dayes because few preach the Law cleerly in the spirituall breach and Baptisme as Luther prophesied Baptisme after his time would be lost so there be few preach Baptisme cleerly to make the tree good and the fruit good for the tree is evill and the fruit evill by Adam And here is the rule to know all Sermons to be good or bad by converting or not if they make the tree good and the fruit good or the tree evill and the fruit evill as it is Christs own rule Mat. 12. 33. This is the first main ground of a faithfull Minister to prove all his Doctrine and Sermons by if he misse this ground he cast out his net on the wrong side and catch no fish convert no souls though he labour all his life This is the right side that Christ bad Peter cast out the net on i. the net of the Gospel to make the tree good and the fruit good or the tree evill and the fruit evill and this is the reason why hearers get no assurance of salvation because they do follow such Preachers that make neither the tree good nor the fruit good nor the tree evill nor the fruit evill but partly good and partly bad We must do something to make our selves good before God which is the greatest abomination that Antichrist can set up against God to affirm that we can make our selves righteous in whole or in part as the Homily of our Church for then Christ died in vain Now seeing John the Baptist was fore-prophesied of by so many Prophets and by so many Apostles and by Christ himself that a greater then John have not sprung up among them that have been born of women that he was a burning and a shining candle and thus testified by an Angel from heaven Let us believe his baptisme was from Heaven let us know that those that are Baptists that preach most of Baptisme their doctrine is most heavenly and they shall convert most to the Lord for they point most to the Lamb of God that hath taken away the sins of the world who drew all his obedient hearers by preaching the Law from the sundry sorts of sects 1. to Baptisme and then shewed them Christ the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the world Wherefore hearken to this Elias Repent and receive Christ the Lamb of God by Baptisme to take away your sins for so many as received him to them he hath given prerogative to become the sons of God so many as believe in his name which are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God So he that would draw all the sects and divisions of England into one he must first thunder out the Law and shew how cursed they are all because they have not taken Christs counsell Rev. 3. 18. Then he must bring them to the faith of their Baptisme he must teach them there is one God one Faith one Baptisme and he that does not gather with John and Christ too into Baptisme scatter and here is the cause of all the sects and divisions in all the Churches in Christendome for when men have lost Baptisme some will have justication from all eternity some from the crosse all born and unborn some in the womb some at faith some at conversion some at death and some after death and then they must go wash to get remission of sins Thus he that gathers not into Christ by Baptisme scattereth abroad for except I wash thee thou shalt have no part with me so except thou take thy part with Christ from thy Baptisme thou canst have no assurance of salvation John preached saying Repent for the kingdome of heaven is at hand this is not only to be understood that he preached nothing else but the summe of his doctrine was by the Law he shewed them what horrible sinners they were the generation of Vipers detest your sins and your own righteousnesse believe in the Messias he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire for all that are baptized into Christ have put on Christ for in our Baptisme we received remission of our sins in the death of Christ into which we were baptized and buried and in Christ we received everlasting righteousnesse in whom by baptisme we are raised and he preached the kingdome of heaven is hand because Baptisme was at hand for where Baptisme is truly preached there the kingdome of heaven is at hand Christ and his righteousnesse is at hand in Baptisme peace is at hand to them that believe their baptisme they have peace with God and assurance of salvation and all the sects and professors of England have no peace with God nor assurance of salvation but they that believe they have peace with God from their baptisme into Christ in infancy and joy in the Holy Ghost is at hand by Baptisme as the Eunuch found true and the Jaylor and

Christendome Christ is come as a thief by the judgement of a plundering robbing spoyling stealing pillaging civill war upon all sects Here is an Ark for you to be saved in come unto your baptisme what foolery have you professed Can you get a better remission of sins then Christ hath procured for you in his own blood in your baptisme If you should wash your selves an hundred yeers with all your tears and mortification and holy walking though these may give some satisfaction to the conscience yet you cannot wash your selves more clean from sin before God then Christ hath made you in baptisme and by his blood And seeing Christ hath made you everlastingly righteous in baptisme by putting on of Christ you cannot make your selves more righteous before God by all the works in the world then the wedding garment hath made you already and if you go about to make your selves more righteous by works before God you defile his garments you may make your selves more righteous before men but you cannot make your selves more righteous or more holy then Christ hath made you in baptisme and therefore all you sects come to your baptisme into this Ark and be saved from the blood of Gods wrath coming upon Christendome for the contempt of Christs counsell And all you Sadduces that are prophane and loose livers that believe not your resurrection for you purifie not your selves as he is pure 1 John 3. 3. Come home to believe your baptisme and you shall have your part in the first resurrection for blessed and holy is he which hath part in the first resurrection and the second death shall have no power over you The first resurrection before God is in baptisme as Col. 2. 12. though before men it be at conversion and faith Bring forth fruits worthy of amendment of life i. bring forth fruits in Christ believe you are in him that is true in that his Son Jesus Christ and let this faith cause you to bring forth fruits of piety and charity And think not to say we have Abraham to our father for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham He told them of their thoughts nourish not such proud thoughts as these that you have Abraham to your father you have a Church you have the Word and you have Sacraments you are the children of the martyrs for I tell you all you are cursed by the Law for not continuing in all things written in the book of the Law to do them and therefore come and believe your baptisme or else you are cursed for ever For God is able of these stones yea stony hearted people by baptisme to raise up children unto Abraham and give them faith to believe it Gal. 3. 9. and to take away the stony heart and give them hearts of flesh Ezek. 36. 26. For Now the ax is laid to the root of the trees every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into he fire Now Christ is come by baptisme and faith to make you good trees to bring forth none but good fruit every tree every church or sect or particular man that bringeth forth sin before God is hewn down and cast into the fire of Gods wrath Every man or church that will not believe his baptisme that by it he is baptized into Christ and ingraffed into him and made a good tree in Christ and bring forth good fruit before God he is hewn down by the Law and cast into the fire of Gods wrath for he believeth not that he hath the Son that he hath his blood that hath washed him from all his sins before God nor Christs righteousnesse to make him everlastingly righteous therfore the wrath of God abideth upon him John 3. vers. last What is meant by the Ax It is taken materially for an●…strument to cut down trees So Deut. 20. 19. Thou shalt not cut down the fruit trees with an ax when thou besiegest a city for thou mayest eat of them for the tree of the field is mans life but it is taken metaphorically for Gods Decree and Judgement as in this place Now is the decree of God come forth that every one that is not made a good tree by baptisme into Christ is hewn down and cast into wrath In the time of the Law there was sacrifice for wrath but now baptisme for men to get into Christ now no more sacrifice for wrath So Dan. 4. 11. 14. 21. Hew him down is the Decree of the most High So Zeph. 2. 1 2. Gather your selves together gather your selves together O nation not worthy to be beloved before the decree come forth for Gods decrees are never to be recalled The ax at the root is baptisme What is meant by trees Metaphorically by trees are meant men as is plain by Jothams Parable Judg. 9. 8. The trees went forth to anoint a king over them and they said to the Olive Come thou raigne over us but the Olive said Should I leave my fatnesse whereby by me they honour God and man and go to advance me above the trees No I am content with my estate to honour God in that estate I am created I will be content with my calling to honour God and man in that I must forsake my fatnesse and by taking of an higher calling of a King I may so dishonour God and man and the Fig-tree would not forsake his sweetnesse and good fruit to be a King nor the Vine would not forsake his wine whereby he cheered God and man to be King to which he was not called of God he should displease God and man but the Bramble would be King though most unfit for it that would do no good to them but scratch and fire them Also where the tree falleth there it lieth whether towards the South or the North Eccles. 11. 3. i. in what estate men die whether in a good estate or bad to heaven-ward or to hell so they lie So the persecutors of Jeremiah said Let us destroy the tree with the fruit i. let us destroy Jeremiah and his Prophesie Let us destroy the Preacher and his preaching but thou Lord God of Sabaoth that judgest right let me see thy vengeance upon them Jer. 11. 19. declaring the destiny of all such as plot to destroy a faithfull Pastor and the tree to be hewn down was Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. 21. So Jude 12. Corrupt trees whose fruit withereth twice dead and plucked up by the roots are men that are dead by originall sin and then dead by actuall sin Reprobates that cannot repent are cast into the fire of Gods wrath and then heap up wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the just judgement of God Rom. 2. 5. What is meant by hewn down i. They are cut down before God that refuse or will not believe baptisme by Gods Law and Decree for as Samuel hewed

26. Now such as doe not abide in Christ indeed such saith Bullenger not onely shall be but are cast out already from the societie and inheritance of Christ and his Saints as he saith of the faithfull not that they shall have eternall life but they have it already as Joh. 3. 36. because Christ is possessed which brings with him righteousnesse and the fruit of eternall life as Calvin and Bullenger that he saith not he shall have eternall life for now as his own he possesseth it already and hath it and by hope expecting that which he knoweth most certainly shall be i. He is freed from death from malediction and condemnation and hath justification absolution felicitie and eternall happinesse And so he saith of the incredulous that beleeve not they are in the Sonne he saith not they shall have the wrath of God upon them hereafter when they die but the wrath of God abideth upon them i. now for all men by the sin of Adam are fallen under the wrath of God as Augustine and Eph. 2. 3. They have with them by naturall birth the wrath of God upon them and that for the sin of Adam But the Sonne of God came not having sin and clad with flesh that he might turne away the wrath of God if men receive the Sonne of God in Baptisme as all the Elect and grace offered by him otherwise wrath abides upon them I heare the Anabaptists brag they have a Church but I would know of them whether the witches of England can make a Church No why because they have denied their Baptisme no more can Anabaptists because they have denied their baptisme that made them of the Church Because where Baptisme is refused there grace is refused as is plaine Luk. 7. 30. The Pharisees and the Expounders of the Law despised the counsell of God against themselves and were not baptized of him but the people that heard and the Publicans justified God being baptized with the baptisme of John ver. 29. for the remission of sinnes So that you see that they that despise baptisme for their Infants despise the counsell of God against their owne children that will not suffer little children to come to him And all they justifie God that receive and beleeve baptisme for the remission of sins and put on Christ to make them everlastingly righteous before God Gal. 3. 27. they which believe it not are as with an ax cut down by the roots before God as all Heathens all Jews all Turks and Tartars and all Anabaptists and all Papists and Protestants that do not justifie God by baptisme for the remission of sins and righteousnesse are cut down in conscience and have no assurance of their salvation because they will have remission of sins and free righteousnesse by some other way then God hath appointed This is the most mournfull and lamentable thing in the world as our Saviour wept over Jerusalem saying O if thou hadst even known at least in this thy day the things that concern thy peace how often would I have gathered thy children together as the Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not I would have gathered your children by baptisme and faith in me under the wing● of the Father and of the sun of righteousnes and of the holy Ghost Behold your habitation shall be left unto you desolate Here is the cause why many places shall be left desolate now Christ is come as a thiefe by the judgement of a civill war because they believe not their baptisme the axe is laid to the root of the trees they bring forth sin they are hewn down and cast into the fire of Gods wrath Now this will appear more plain by the second Doctrine which is this That all men by nature are evill trees and can bring forth nothing but evill fruit all men now that baptisme is preached and administred in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost that are now out of Christ and bring forth evill fruits before God of sin he is hewn down by the ax of Gods Decree and cast into the fire of Gods wrath that is every man that will not receive or believe his baptisme into Christ that he hath an eternall redemption through Christs blood the forgivenesse of his sins and in him he hath everlasting righteousnesse his person or his conscience is hewn down and cast into the fire of Gods wrath This is proved not only by the doctrine of John by the Text but also by our Saviour Christ himself Mat. 7. 17 18. So every good tree bringeth forth good fruit i. that is made good by baptisme and faith in Christ before God and a corrupt tree bringeth forth evill fruit A good tree cannot bring forth evill fruit neither can a corrupt tree as all that are in Adam are bring forth good fruit Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire So Luke 6 43 44. For it is not a good tree that bringeth forth evill fruit i. of sin before God 't is not in Christ by baptisme it hath no benefit of Christs blood or righteousnesse that brings forth sin before God neither is it an evill tree that bringeth forth good fruit i. before God For every tree is known by his own fruit if it say it bringeth forth before God righteousnesse by faith in his baptisme it is a good tree but if it bring forth sin before God it is an evill tree for neither of Thorns gather men figs nor of bushes or Thistles gather they grapes neither doth God of naturall men which are but Thornes and Thistles gather any fruits of righteousnesse for they that are servants of sin are freed from righteousnesse Rom. 6. 20. i. they are evill trees that are out of Christ that can bring forth no righteousnesse before God but being made free from sin i. by baptisme and faith they are made servants of righteousnesse and to bring forth fruits of holinesse before God for he that is made an holy tree shall bring forth holy fruit Reasons why For all men are evill trees by generation all conceived in sin and born in iniquity all the parts of soul and body are corrupted by that sin of Adam so that their throat is become an open sepulchre which sends forth stinking smels before God their feet are bloody yea swift to shed blood their tongues are deceitfull their lips poysonable for the poyson of Aspes is under them their lips their mouths are full of cursing and bitternesse destruction and calamity are in their wayes and the way of peace have they not known there is no fear of God before their eyes thus all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God Rom. 3. 13 14 15 16 17 18. 23. and so all men by generation are evill trees bearing nothing but evill fruit A Crab-tree bears nothing but Crabs and as the

peny-worth of bread or drink thou art guilty of his death for he that taketh away a mans living killeth him Thou that hast oppressed or defrauded thy brother in any thing God is the avenger of all such things thou hast slain thy brother wo unto thee thou manslayer as Luther saith to the objection of the Usurer that said he lent his money to usury not to the poor but only to the rich I thank you Master man-slayer you will kill no poor men but only those that are rich but you will make them poor by usury and so kill them if a peny be so much what shall become of you that have defrauded cozened spoyled and plundred your brethren of many shillings and pounds wo unto you let this scourge of small cords or sins driye out all these sins out of thy conscience by contrition confession mortification vivification prayer against sin love of righteousnesse that Christ may dwell in the Temple that was made good by Baptisme but you have made it a den of thieves by your sins and it will remain an house of Prayer for which it was built of God for the Temple of God is holy which are ye And for you that will not believe it is so because you cannot see it it shewes you are not dead unto reason you have not slain the beast reason you are nor resolved to believe whatsoever God sayes though it be never so contrary to reason you will believe no more then you can mould up with sight and reason you are but Dunses in Christs School Do not you know that the Kingdome of God is as if a man should cast seed into the ground and should sleep and rise up night and day and the seed should spring and grow up he not knowing how for the earth bringeth forth fruit of it self first the blade then the eare and after the full corn in the eare and as soon as the fruit sheweth it self anon he putteth in his sickle because the harvest is come What will you say there was no seed sown because you see none for many dayes The Kingdome of heaven is sown in Baptisme wherein the seed is sown into the ground and men sleep and rise up night and day and walk in their calling the seed grow and spring downward first with a feare of hell and grow to some knowledge of a way of salvation he not knowing how yet by thundring and lightening hail the law and rain of the Gospel the ground of mans heart bringeth forth fruit of it self by the Sun of righteousnesse first the blade of godly sorrow then the eare of faith after the full corne in the eare fruits of righteousnesse and holinesse and anon he putteth in the sickle and reaps men unto Heaven because the harvest of such a man is come Are we graffed into Christ by Baptisme and made good trees because we are made partakers of the fatnesse of the stock See that ye abide in Christ for though ye be wilde Olive branches by Adam yet such is the nature of the sweet Olive Christ as Psal. 52. Christ is this true Olive tree that is both fat and sweet and we are graffed into him by Baptisme to bring forth fruit in the stock Christ know that it is the nature of a fat and sweet Olive stock to change the nature of a wild Olive branch and contrary to our manner of graffing to make it bring forth sweet Olives So Christ the sweet Olive will change the nature of thy person and actions before God and make them all good that abide in him by this faith in thy Baptisme Is it so Christ is a Vine and are we the branches and how were you made branches but by Baptisme look you bring not forth evill fruit before God for he that bringeth not forth fruit in Christ but evill fruit of sin God taketh it away cuts it off it withers in faith and men gather them together and they burn such are hewn down and cast into the fire Are we members of his body flesh and bones For he can say as Adam did to Evab and so may we say Ephes. 5. 30. Then are any of Christs members in a twofold estate before God partly Adam and partly Christ what do any of Christs members hands feet legs arms fingers toes bring forth good fruit and bad too before God no all Christs members are good trees and a good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit before God here is comfort for thee if thou abide in this faith no man shall take thy joy from thee many lose their joy by believing they are in a twofold estate before God Again are you members of Christ by Baptisme where is your love to the members of Christ that are baptized into Christ as well as you Here is the reason of all the sects and divisions and wars in Christendome and no more love because they have forgotten their Baptisme as 2 Pet. 1. 9. they have forgotten they are members of Christ and children of God and inheritors of the Kingdome of heaven they say not why do we wrong one to another for we are brethren they have forgotten they were washed from their sins saith Peter and therefore if they have not put off the old man must needs live in old hatred malice envie and lying wherefore labour to bring all men to the faith of their Baptisme that in it they were made members of Christ for this faith would teach them to say Should one hand fight with another though the children of the Devill fight and could never agree should not the members of Christ love one another O quam iniquum est ut ii dissideant in terris qui in omnem aeternitatem una victuri sunt in coelis O! how unfit is it for those to disagree fight and hate one another on earth which shall live together for ever in heaven So that he that forgets his baptisme i. his washing from his old sins i. from originall and actuall sins that man cannot make his calling and election sure that hath forgot his Baptisme for he hath forgot the true faith i. that he is in him that is true and he hath forgot to adde to faith vertue i. of Christs death and resurrection and he hath forgot to adde to vertue knowledge i. of salvation by the remission of sins which was in baptisme and he hath forgot to adde to knowledge temperance for want of the knowledge of salvation by remission of sin cause men to fall to intemperance and he hath forgot to adde to temperance patience and thus they wrangle and fight with his comembers and he hath forgot to adde brotherly kindnesse he believes not his own sins are forgiven he forgives not his brother and he addes not love for he hath forgot Christ hath loved him and washed him from his sins in his own blood he covers not a multitude of offences in his brother so that you see the