Doctor HILL's FUNERAL-SERMON OR A Nevv-yeers-Gift To all the CLERGIE Daynus the reviving feet of the Witnesses past and to come To shew the day and yeer of the Lord and his time accepted Printed at London 1654. And are to be sold by Richard Moon at the seven Stars in Pauls Church-yard His Epistle and Dedication to the Clergy THou sowest all life in the flesh and thou reapest life to thy self O Lord thou windest up life in the body of life thou art the Center and orency of quickning life All Creatures move in the power of that life That substance of flesh by procreation is not that saving life but thou art the quintessence of all life in the Soul The Soul in its natural condition is vayla and changeable by the instinct of Nature included in the flesh varra changeable in it self fayla not able to stand unless it be redeemed by an inclusive power spiritual and in that way God will be seen to deliver by way of imputation of life to the Soul Reeda Alda at every season Helpative Soona Plyant Dative by a dividual dividing betwixt the Marrow and the Bones Circumference Deus All-fulness Unus varius Allmagnus God the full beauty and life in him all things are computed comprized and comprehended by him he is All meritus and translatirus and doth refine all things he is the final and fountain of all perfection the life and death of all the Creatures every thing that moveth liveth in him All solestial flesh is as a flower or grass that withereth away and shall be no more in its natural perfection for nothing shall live but life that shall not dy which is the principle of God in thee called that immortality which is a spiritual reviving power that shall return to God although the flesh doth not yet the spirit shall return to him that gave it The Soul is the life of the Creation naturally in us prohibited and presented by him which is our life so preserved The Spirit is an inclusive thing of union and by an immortal marriage it hath congruity with the Soul the Soul is a high mystery it is the Virgin of the spirit and the spirit dwelleth in it till the flesh dieth which maketh a dissolution betwixt flesh and soul The spirit of grace is an high mystery and dwelleth in some but not in all every one may have life in them yet not that spitual life which is the life of eternity therefore none can live after the old Adam but shall dy the death until the quickning power of the second Adam come in which is Christ in thee and in me to renew in us that which would die for nothing carnally can live The soul is naturally sowed in the flesh and is of it self fleshly by four natural causes by a Soveraingty from God as Breath blood Heat and Food which keepeth thy natural soul alive there is a threefold life two of them be but natural life as vegetive life natural life and spiritual life and all have their being from that eternal life We see many times that young flesh droppeth off from the Tree of life the aged must do so the King must die as well as the Beggar so must the high Doctor as well as the silly poor man then behold with me the period of mans life and full of brevity fading changeable smoak or as a vapor that soon passeth away So much for mans mortality The next thing is to enquire and speak something of this our late deceased Brother Doctor Hill Doctor HILL'S Funeral-Sermon BY a singular providence of God I happened to be at the Town of Cambridge at the very instant of Doctor Hill's departure then at the same time the Lord moved me to write and he actually taught me what I should write which he the Lord preached to me This Sermon preached to me was not my desire onely yet the God of life put it upon me and supported me with matter accordingly that I could not deny but write for the Lord preached unto me the things I should write and now I declare unto you a new Sabbath which I did write with much niceness and fear of spirit yet the Lord told me that the Sabbath-Ordinances were changed by the Priests under the Law and likewise by the Ministers of our time And therefore of necessity I did write as he commanded me by way of a Funeral-Sermon or a final dissolution of the Clergellical power whereof I declare the life and death of the Creature and the stability and endless power of Christs Ministery with a description of them that call themselves Ministers of God and how they shall fall under the Worlds contempt some degrees worse then the Bishops The Prophets complaine the clamation is The Minister and Priests have robbed Gods store-house taking to themselves those priviledges that are not their own therefore they shall say no more Know the Lord from the greatest to the least and shall be free from your mouth inherently taught of God and live by faith exemplary to Abraham Noah and Christ which is to live in righteousness and not to need the teachings of men for all our teachers are failable now as well as they were under the Law so that our redemption is clearly by Christ Heb. 7.24 Christ he continued ever unchangeable as a Priest whereof he is able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them which is a plaine proof without dispute that he is the Minister of God and Priest he will put an end to your Ministery because you are failable yet Christ is infailable and therefore we cast you off in the name of the Lord and cry ye down as no Ministers of God but deceivers of the people I would bave all live up to Christ by a personal power free from all the teachings of men and that no man shall ought to teach whether he be a Minister or a lay-man for one mans tongue is no lawful testimony for one may speak of Christ as well as another so that all may prophesy one by one as they did in Christs time for in the last dayes I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh for my servants and handmaids shall prophesie Then said he unto me Prophesie son of man So I prophesied as he commanded me and the breath came into them and they lived and stood upon their feet an exceeding great Army Ezekiel 37. This Army Giddon of the Lord shall cause the River Euphrates with seven streams to dry up and there shall be many voyces heard and witnesses on their Feet Then looke to it Doctor without all dispute your trade of preaching will fall BEloved this Doctor Hill was a man of good ranke an eminent man that I did formerly know though now he was very justitious I was his Country-man about sixteen or eighteen yeers past he was a reasonable good professor called a Puritan in those dayes
ordain and appoint without the help of man Let no man say He can teach for no man can teach life and salvation Then down with all teachers that we may live under a peaceable Government our own Vine Christ Jesus for he will teach us of his wayes without all differing disputations Those that call themselves teachers they live as drone-bees by the sweat of other mens brows Therefore let them stop their mouths for the people will not give ear to them but will live under their own vine by a new Sabbath Covenantial and you shall bewitch the people no longer when fulness comes God will teach and the people shall declare what God hath done for their souls Then all these Dromidaries of Midian must break off your heavenly teaching and come under the peaceable Dominion of Christ You high Doctors blame me not for speaking where life is it will branch it self forth Who shall hinder my speaking the truth the silly Worm to the cold Earth the Sallamander to the Fire so all things to their proper use to the honour of God Oh that these rotten Priests would lay down their power and make Christ all in all Fat Priests that live as Drones belly-godded persons proud and delicious God is angry with you because no power will throw you down God will give his people wisdom to come out from you and to live by a higher teaching which is from the holy Ghost for there will be a great falling away that the iniquity of the Priests may be discovered I have tried all your Ministeryes and can have no rest in them my spirit is so universally taken up with the appearings of Christ that I unfailably see an absolute doing away of your Forms your Sabbaths your Sacraments your Baptism your common-Churches your separate-Churches your Anabaptist-Churches your Papist Churches all your set forms must return to the ancient Church of the Jews which is the stable perfection of Christ for now he apeareth all your forms must be done away Christ at the first came under a state of imperfection yeilding to the laws of men but now he cometh in perfection and will do away all your forms and shadows for when that which is perfect is come the unperfect must be done away My desire is to see the Priests thrown down and let the Lord preach alone for all the Ministers under the cope of heaven are not able to define or make out the truth neither can they speak truth till they give up their Ministery to Christ for all teaching belongeth to him and I know not any as can teach but shall run themselves into errors for it is God that teacheth and not fleshly man for by mans teaching the curse hath continued on the earth to this day neither shall it be till Christ hath the full pre-eminency and all powers yeilded up to him by an endless Covenant saying When that which is perfect is come then that which is not shall be done away when he cometh in power your illegal forms and relecks shall be done away for his formal power shall throw off your shadows as all the creatures declare the glory of God and preach forth his excellency but not as a Priest to Minister in Christs place but to shew what the Lord hath done for the creation and to acknowledge Christ alone to teach life He preacheth forth peaceable dominion to them that are nigh and to them that are afar off from him righteousness doth arise which is the end of all preaching Christ is the stability of the Church I do not say of named Churches but of one Church without difference or dividual dividing he is the husband of one spouse his perfection shall guide us unto all truth and for want of setting up Christ in his oriency of power men set themselves up and destroy his heritage but the chosen people of God must act against every thing that is opposite to Christ for he is Prince of peace and Prince of power and for his cause sacrifice thy life otherwise thou art no Christian for we must look no more upon the Ark of the Covenant it must not be once named amongst us The letter of the Scripture shall be failable when the testimony truly dwelleth in us by faith then all our outward shadows shall be done away Christ hath redeemed us from all typical shadows and from the curse of the letter being once made a curse for us that the blessing may come upon the people by faith and not by literal forms and shadows Gal. 3.13 Cursed is every one that hangeth upon a tree Shewing the miserable condition of all such that hold so much by the tree of the Law and deny the freedom of the Spirit they might have in the Son of God for as many as rely upon works are men-workers lie still under the curse for Christ is the free Abraham he hath done all the work of renovation and we are free in him without works and saved in him without mens works if once in Christ then free indeed from all mens traditional teaching while we are justified in Christ we acknowledge our selves sinners in that we see nothing in our selves and Christ to be just in all It is the believing Abraham that shall be justified and not the working Abraham For grace is of faith and not by works lest any man should boast for if the inheritance be of the letter it cannot be of faith God gave it to Abraham as he believed so the Lord promised to him and to his seed for ever according to the Covenant of faith which is the Law and Testimony written in the conscience called two Witnesses within which do Christian a creature and baptize him into the promised Covenant of Abraham and Christ which is far above all your teaching forms and shadows I speak to the people saying Stand fast in the liberty wherein Christ hath made you free and be no more entangled with the yoke of bondage but know your selves at liberty as children of the day and rejoyce with Jerusalem all that love her be glad and rejoyce for the amplitude and stability of the Church when all the Churches shall be maried to Christ in the new Covenant that they may suck and be satisfied with the brest of consolation for the Lord will extend peace to his Church as a river and to the people as a flowing stream from a fountain of teaching from above GOod men may sometimes deny Christ not knowing the end of disciplying This Doctor Hill was an eminent man and without all question declared forth many good things in his time yet subject to erre as we be by relation of some of the Souldiers that quartered in the town of Cambridge as they told me I cannot tell but as they related a sad story of this Doctor Hill by relation he was intended to persecute with the tongue whether right or wrong his spirit knoweth it best I cannot prove it yet it was certified me
martyrs Come may the Church say Let us eat her up for God hath given her into our hands and Christ shall raign and shall put all authority under his feet IT shall be a peaceable Dominion when Christ shall raign over the Earth by a personal power of Saints that shall fully hold forth the Scepter He shall come to raign in power over the earth till all rule and authority is put under his feet Kings must throw down and stoop to his peaceable Dominion he shall make straight every crooked way his endless Priesthood shall teach when every mouth shall be stopped he giveth peace which the world cannot give he saith Walk in my way I will be your Sun and your light when every form and written declaration shall cease and be no more I would have all men live above the flesh by a heavenly procreation or inclination of doing good and that is perfection indeed for by doing well thou shalt have joy unspeakable which will be as a whole kingdom in thy soul I would have Gods people preach forth restoration and desire to see a full manifestation of things made out as the Lord alone to be all our teacher he is our Protector and not man his Priestly power shall be a peaceable Dominion when Monarchy is put down though Kings and Lord stands in his place and Protectors stand in his place yet who shall stand when he appeareth by a more brighter shining light when all shall be forced to give up their dignities stoop to his peaceable Dominion Isa 66. I will send them to declare my glory among the Gentiles shewing the great day of Jehovah when men shall finally throw down their high titles and then peaceable Dominions shall raign What Priest will plead for my name saith the Lord against them that set themselves so high as Lord and King and set themselves up by earthly enjoyments Therefore God hath raised my Spirit to plead against all the Priests and to lay open their folly that call themselves Seers in Israel and yet keep all things as they were ye have not yet preached the Gospel but denied the Son of God and the power of his resurrection for ye have given his glory to men Therefore as yet ye have not preached the Gospel nor laid your life down as yet for the truth You have declared the History of the Prophets and of Peter and Paul but we have had enough of it without you would preach them out of their Graves But which of you Priests will vindicate life for the eternal Gospel to set Christ upon his throne to say he is King alone and Lord alone and so deny outward honour and acknowledge nothing honourable but the Lord and that is true Gospel thou must tread down all for Christ thou shalt tread upon Scorpions and Serpents and they shall not hurt thee it is the words of our Saviour thou must tread upon Kings Lords and Princes and Nobles and Rulers if thou beest true for Christ he is the everlasting Gospel thou shalt cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils it is the Lord that preacheth peace keepeth all alive fear not man or any power of men formed against the Gospel it shall not prosper when he appeareth Kings must lay down Princes must lay down Protectors must lay down Lords must lay down Magistrates must lay down Priests must lay down thou must lay down and I must lay down the Stars and Constellations shall fail at his appearing the negative voice shall not stand for he will give power to his two witnesses to plead for all truth before a Judgement-seat of the Saints when this Government shall be taken away and changed at his bright appearing when all formed Gospels of men shall be changed to a new Sabbath when men shall be forced to lay down for the Gospel when they shall ascribe to him kingdom power and glory and that is the full end of preaching to set God upon his throne he is the everlasting Gospel of peace and I know no other Gospel but that he should rule above every man in dignity and honor And that Lord man should not pollute his holy name Ye high Doctors may Object saying What is the power of Christ you speak so much of I answer It is the power of God that shall silence the great mens spirits when it shall apear it shall take away their sting as from King and Lord and Bishop that have formerly persecuted the Saints Christ saith All power is given me in heaven and earth and God saith Vengeance is mine I wonder how men dare do as they have formerly done to put an end to some of Gods chosen people by taking away life and free-creation and by silencing some others in prison which is a type of hell and dare not kill them lest heaven and earth should cry out against them as that it hath done long since Ye Ministers go with your hands full of blood by flattering men in their blood-thirsty-way by sowing pillows and cushions under their elbows very loth to tell them the truth from God saying Why do you take away life and free-creation from the creatures of God seeing life and death is in the hands of the Lord then what hath man to do to take away life from any of the creatures of God it is an intolerable thing which of you Priests will ingage for Christ in this cause saying Oh great men I doubt you will sink in the lake of Gods irrecoverable vengeance for vengeance is the Lords and he will give it them to drink for the Soul that sinneth it shall die Let men take heed how they act and see that they act in righteousness better they had never been born then to be bloody persecutors to offend any of those little ones of Christ either by death or imprisonment GOd teacheth us by his Son he is the sure word of prophesie our everlasting Gospel which may reprove the literal teachers that call the Scriptures the Gospel when indeed they are but the writings of men put together as a History but Christ is the eternal mystery Christ Jesus alone is our eternal peace free from failable mixture it is God from the beginning he is the word of life beyond the written word of man so is the eternal decree in paradise and as by a further manifestion of his Son to preach and declare forth all truth far above the writings of men which is not the word of God but mans word spoken in part nd prophesied in part as Paul declareth Therefore the Scripture cannot fully be called the word of God but mens traditions and part of the minde of God they prophesied in part they writ in part they believed in part of the mystery of God but Christ he comes in the volume of the book he is our sure word of prophesie far higher then any Scripture and for that cause Scripture cannot be fully called the word of God except