Sparkles of Glory OR Some Beams of the Morning-Star Wherein are many discoveries as to Truth and Peace TO The establishment and pure enlargement of a Christian in Spirit and Truth By JOHN SALTMARSH Preacher of the Gospell HOSEA 3. His coming is prepared as the morning London Printed for Giles Calvert and are to be sold at the Black-spred-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1647. To the High and Honourable Court of Parliament WHat others have done by the Law of your authority Presented before yee their advise in matters of Religion I shall from the law of love to your Iust authority present ye not my advise the Lord himself advise and counsell ye but some things which concern the Lord Iesus Christ and the peace and prosperity of your Kingdome and that I may not be disobedient to the heavenly vision or light of God revealed in me There are two Principles in the world which have these sad and dark conclusions attending them the two Principles are these 1. That such as conforme not to the Doctrine and discipline established and yet as to the State are good Subjects and peaceably affected shall be proceeded against by fines imprisonment c. 2. That such as shall speak upon the Scriptures or open them Publikely or in Private and are not ordained by the laying on of the hands of that present established ministery of a kingdome shall be proceeded against by fines imprisonments c. The sad and dark conclusions which follow are these 1. All the glorious discoveries of God above or beyond that Systeme or form of Doctrine c. shall be judged and sentenced as Heresie and Schisme and so God himself shall be judged by man which must needs be a sin bringing much desolation unless they that enact such Laws were that very infallible Apostleship for Interpretation of all Scriptures as the first Apostleship was for writing all Scriptures And is God a God of the Iewes only is he not a God of the Gentiles also that is is God limited to one sort of men Thou thoughtest saith God that I was altogether such a one as thy self that is a God meerly of one Image or figure behold the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him he dwelleth not in Temples made with hands and where is his habitation and who hath known the place of his rest That is what is man that he should conceive that God is only in a place or Temple or form of Worship or Systeme of Doctrine of his forme or making since the time is come that we do no longer worship in this Temple nor at Ierusalem but they that worship must worship in spirit and truth which truth is he only who is the truth 2. Many thousands of pretious Christians shall be under Delinquency as to fines imprisonment c. and under the scandall of Hereticks and Schismaticks because not seeing by that one light nor believing in that one Proportion of faith nor receiving such interpretations and Consequences of Scriptures for the very Scriptures themselves and by such persecution the civill power which is received from God shall be turned against God or against the more spirituall administration of God and so Gods Administrations dashed one against another Saul Saul why persecutest thou me touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm not as having dominion over the heritage orLordship over faith 3. That were to set up the Church Politie of the Iews amongst Christians and not according to Gods divine apointment but mans for God in that first Politie of the Iews Church under the Old-Testament joyned to the Kings and Magistracy then a Priesthood with Vrim and Thummim and Prophets anointed of God as a certain true infallible directive power for ordering that way of administration but this way of Christians now without any such warrant or appointment of God brings back again the same Church Politie under the New-Testament which was typicall as to Christ the King and Priest and Prophet and joyns to Kings Magistracy now a ministery less of God less certain less true not infallible so as all texts instances and examples brought from the Old-Testament of the Kings Princes and Magistrates of Israel compelling to the worship of God without proving the continuance of the same Church Politie under the New-Testament and the like Priesthood and Prophets accordingly sent of God to direct them is all invalid and of no effect as to such proceedings 4. The infinitely abounding spirit of God which blows when and where it listeth and ministers in Christians according to the gift and prophesies according to the will of the Almighty God pouring its self out upon all flesh giving out the word and making the company great who publish it even this Almighty all glorious infinitely abounding dispensing and revealing Spirit is made subject to the Laws Ordinances of men to the pleasures and wills to the measures and forms of men to outward ceremonies as Ordination c. God must not speak till man give him leave not teach nor Preach but whom man allows and approves ordains 5. This making laws for punishing all that conforme not to the doctrine and discipline established destroyes the true interests of all states and kingdomes excluding all societies of men but of one sort and forme though never so peaceably affected or obedient as men and Subjects respectively to the State and civill government thereof and was never found in any State or Church Politie by divine appointment but in that one nation of the Iews whose Politie as to such a form God himself peculiarly made owned and preserved and the Lord Iesus himself fulfilled and dissolved For Heresie and Schisme I know ye ought not to tolerate any but to let them bear their own judgement which is spirituall admonition Church-censure rejection excommunication which if effectuall as all true right spirituall censures have been and are is that just proportionable judgment for such Gospel-sins if not effectuall then the insuffiency weakness unprofitableness of such as assume such Church-power and censures will appear before ye And as to that point of the present Ordination which some have so pressed upon ye distinguishing to ye that their Ordination was from the Bishops as Ministers not as Bishops Right Honourable consider that distinction cannot be for there was no such thing as Ministers in the Church of Rome or of England as to this successively pretended Ordination but Priests and Bishops or Episcopacy and Priesthood and surely if Episcopacy doth not yet Priesthood doth altogether evacuate the essence of Ministery now under the New-Testament as by such Ordination and how much more rationall are their Arguments who hold their Ministry lawfull from the lawfulness of Episcopacy then those who deny Episcopacy c. and yet have no Ordination but from them For this Christian-liberty it is such as preserves not only the outward peace of Christians who enjoy
Prophets even partakers of all his offices in Spirit he being the spiritual head of all his who are the spiritual body his Church The Christian under Episcopacy Prelacy Presbytery Baptism Independency c. THe whole world was divided into Jew and Gentile the Jew was that only visible Church of God to whom pertained the glory and the adoption and the Covenants and yet this Jewish Church was exceedingly faln from its glory and purity both of Priesthood and Worship and Administrations when Christ came So as now the Prophesy seemed to be fulfilled they were now without a King and without a Priest and without a Sacrifice and an Ephod and a Seraphim and were corrupted with many traditions and doctrines of men teaching for doctrines the traditions of men Thus was the Jew and their Church The Gentile had changed the truth of God into a lye and had worshiped the creature more then the Creator and had changed the glory of the incorruptible God and were given up to a reprobate mind and were therefore called sinners of the Gentiles alienated from the life of God strangers to the Covenants of Promise thus were the Gentiles full of Idols and Idol-temples sacrificing to devils and that way of the knowledg of God which was both in the law written in their hearts accusing or excusing and in the whole Creation where the eternal Power and Godhead was clearly seen even in the things that did appear even that way of the knowledg of God in them was darkned and they became vain in their imagination and their foolish hearts were darkned Now when Jew and Gentile were both thus yet God had his people amongst both amongst the Jew where Zacharias the Priest Elizabeth and Mary and Joseph and Simeon and Nicodemus a Ruler of the Pharises and Joseph of Arimathea with many such were like so many Starrs in a dark night Among the Gentile there was a Iob a Queen of Sheba a woman of Canaan the wise men that came to Ierusalem the Greeks that came to see Iesus Cornelius the Centurion so as in every Nation he that serveth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him and God is no accepter of persons When Iohn came who was a burning and a shining light he preached to and baptized all Iudea who went out to the Baptism of Iohn and taught his Disciples by formes of Prayer and such rudiments to their weakness and God had his people here that were under no more knowledge of Christ not higher revelation then this washing to Repentance and to him that should come after him and this low way of communion with God in forms or rules of Prayer given out by Iohn for so John taught Disciples When Christ came preaching the Gospel of the kingdom and teaching in Parables and Mysteries he had a People and Disciples who knew little of his sufferings that he should dye and rise again as Peter and the rest and knew little of that glorious doctrine and truth which he spake and preached to them till he took them alone and expounded to them those Mysteries and his Disciples were under a form and rule of Prayer as Iohns were Lord teach us to pray as Iohn taught his Disciples They saw little more of him then his fleshly presence and miracles they loved him and clave to him and followed him but had very few discoveries of him in Spirit except some few of them Iames and Peter and Iohn before whom he was transfigured in the Mount which was but figurative and typical of a more spiritual revelation And when the Spirit of Christ was come and the Apostles were sent forth in clearer evidences and demonstrations of Truth then some were under Iohns Baptism and knew not of any Holy Ghost some were under the law and zealous of the Law and Circumcision some regarded a day some eat herbs some were eating such things as were sacrificed to Idols So as here Gods people were found some in a corrupted Church as that of the Jews some under false worship and traditions some under Legall rites under formes or rules of prayer some under Johns Baptism under bondage of dayes and times and other outward things under the ignorance of Christs death and resurrection and of the holy Ghost So as all these things considered there will spring these Conclusions That the Nations commonly called Christians who are under the account of others as fals in their Church-constitution worship forms and order yet these things are not exclusive to the true Christian in Spirit or one born of God but in these commonly called Christians though under Episcopacy or Prelacy or Presbytery yet there may be such as have the true seed of God in them partakers of Jesus Christ true Disciples of Iesus Christ respectively to regeneration or the new birth if they wait in the encreasings of Christ and revelation of righteousnes from faith to faith That there are true and spiritual Disciples of Iesus Christ under forms of Prayer who have little more communion with God then in those formes as of Common-Prayer Book-prayers outward rules of worship so as they wait in these to come up into higher revelations of Spirit when discovered to them That there are such who are Christians anointed by the Spirit of God under observations of days times meats drinks several opinions of Christ of the Holy Ghost of the resurrection of Church order of Baptism of Water which is Iohns Baptism called Anabaptists so as they all in these several measures pass on from faith to faith and glory to glory The Christian in truth THat which forms essentiates or constitutes the true Christian is the Spirit of Jesus Christ that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit so as a man is a Christian from birth as he is born a man so he is born a Christian both are from birth and seed the one of flesh the other of Spirit The Christian is one who is of the second Adam as all men are of the first and the second man is the quickning spirit the Lord from heaven and so are they that are heavenly The Christian is one in whom Christ is formed or figured as the Greek word implies one that bears the image of the heavenly man who is the Image of Iesus Christ as Jesus Christ is the Image of the invisible God The Christian is one who hath the incorruptible seed in him or the word which liveth and abideth for ever which word is the Lord Jesus Christ who quickens the Saint and is the life of the Saint you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins The Christian is one who is in fellowship and conformity with Jesus Christ in his crucifyings death and resurrection in whom the flesh and life of the flesh must dye as it did in him and the Christian as Christ did must live in Spirit to God The Christian is one who is the new creature or new man for
plainly and clearly in the letter not so much in spirit as the letter of the New Testament And therefore the Magistracie now having no such special reference to a Church-Politiâ— nor any such Ministery infallibly directive joyned to them cannot proceed so to reform nor compel nor punish 3. The Magistrates under the New Testament are Ministers as to good and evil not as to Truth and Heresie and this good and evil is such good and evil as falls under the Law of their cognizance that is the Law of Nature by which they make Laws and judge the breach of them which Law of Nature or right Reason is the Law or principle for administration of Justice and Righteousnesse in all Societies of Men and Nations And thus the Magistrate bears not the sword in vain But this is not as to Heresie and Schism of which the higher Law is judge viz. the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Jesus Christ not the Law of Nature or this Creation 4. In that Prophecie Kings shall be thy fathers and Queens thy nursing mothers is not in its own Scripture or any other interpreted to be any other thing then the indulgency and favour of States and Kingdoms to the people of God which is far from bearing witnesse to any destructivenesse or persecution of them 5. That Peter smote Ananias and his wife Sapphira with death for lying is onely a witnesse of Gods power and holinesse put forth in an act of Miracle upon the sin of Hypocrisie for convincing unbelievers and confirming believers and is no way exemplary to any Magistrate being a power by miracle or by an extraordinary act and Magistracie in its administration is ordinary and it was in an Apostle not a Magistrate by a spiritual not a carnal weapon 6. Pauls wishing that such were cut off that troubled them holds forth no other cutting off then by Church-censure or Excommunication which was a visible dividing them from that visibly spiritual body the Church called a delivering up to Sathan c. 7. The Church of Thyatira was reproved for suffering Jezebel to teach and to seduce but this is not the Magistracie of Thyatira which was to forbid her teaching by punishment but the Angel or Ministery of that Church as all agree who was rebuked because they or he put not forth that spiritual power they had of Admonition Rejection Excommunication 8. The father and mother of him that begat the false Prophet and was to thrust him thorow that prophesied lyes in the name of the Lord was a Prophesie respectively to the Law of the Jews which was amongst them against false Prophets and had a true Priesthood and infallible Prophets with a special Law to try them by and condemn them And more spiritually was this By the false Prophet is meant the spirit of Antichrist by the father and mother that begat him they who made him a Prophet or begat cried him up into the reputation of a Prophet and then thrusting him thorow for the lyes he prophesied is their spiritual smiting that Antichristian working with the Sword of the Spirit through some new enlightnings from God received or brightnesse of Christs glory which shall stay and kill all appearances deceiveablenes of the man of sin or false Prophet and not suffer him to live 9. That there will be no settlement of Peace Order or Truth in the Church if the Magistrates do not punish for Heresie is upon mistaken false grounds supposing three things which are not First that the Church-politie of the Jews by Magistrate and Priesthood is to be used by Christians which is not it being fulfilled in Christ the true King and Priest and Christians having no such infallible Priesthood to joyn to Magistracie Secondly that Civil power can establish any thing of an higher glory law and principle then it self as all spiritual truths and discoveries of Jesus Christ are Thirdly the mistake of true spiritual settlement peace order and truth which receive all their being propagation and establishment from the Spirit of God and the Scriptures and such spiritual Laws as God hath revealed for ordering the outward man of the Christian by respectively to the Society or fellowship of other Christians called Church-censures c. Christians being under a twofold Politie that of the Kingdome of Christ as Christians that of the Kingdom of this world as men or such as are subject to the Laws of civil Government And likewise supposing all peace and order to be grounded upon Uniformity not upon Unity of spirit and preservation of the civil Peace of the State 10. That States and Kingdoms do to this day practise punishing Heresie by the power of Magistrates and that Councels and Synods do allow it all such practice of what States soever in this kinde doth shew onely what they do not what they ought to do And the kingdoms of the world are prophesied on to give their Kingdoms and strength from themselves to the false Church And for Councels and Synods they are such as have erred in other things and why not in this it being their great Interest to establish themselves c. by the Magistrates power Whatsoever is not of faith is sin So as all who are compelled in things of Worship to do any thing of which they are not perswaded do sin Gospel-sins or sins against an higher law or light then that of Nature and Reason which is the onely sphere for Civil Government to move in is to be judged and punished by a law and light proportionable and more spiritual then any power of Magistracy as the Spirit of God going out in Gospel-Judgement Admonition Rejection Excommunication c. The danger and hazard of Persecution of the members of Christ which is a sin bringing much judgement because judged and punished by such a light and law viz. by Synods and Councels of men who are not infallible in their decrees and judgements of truth and heresie By force and compulsion men who are weak in the faith are made hypocrites in their outward man conforming to the laws of men in fear and bondage All such power of compulsion in States and Kingdoms principled with any light and liberty except Spain France c. shall destroy the true Interests of all such States and Kingdoms oppressing all Societies and fellowships of men as to spiritual things though never so peaceably affected as men and subjects A Mystery OR The Christian following the appearances of God thorow all created things THat which is the pure spiritual comprehensive principle of a Christian is this That all outward administrations whether as to Religion or to natural civil and moral things are onely the visible appearances of God as to the world or in this creation or the clothing of God being such forms and dispensations as God puts on amongst men to appear to them in this is the garment the Son of God was clothed with
state and persecution of the Lord Iesus in Spirit and the time of the womans being in the wilderness all things in this time seeming as a wast and barren dispensation about her not inhabited by the Spirit of God and she in a retirement of Spirit dweling with God out of the power of the Dragon who casts only his flood after her but not upon her So as here is no more in this time of Antichrists ragin in the Flesh and the World but only the Churches oppression in Spirit and the crucifying the Lord in Spirit And all these appearances of the Lord Iesus in many glorious Saints who in particular ages appeared were but appearances of him who is that Faithfull and true witness against this power of the man of sin and were but drops of the vialls Soundings of the Trumpets openings of the Seales before the Battle of the great Day when fire shall come down from God out of heaven and devour them the Lord Iesus being revealed in flames of Spirit and glory against all Flesh So as there is not any word appearing in all the Scripture that the first ministry by gifts and ordinances shall in any measure be continued though in part or in reservation to the restored as if this were the great work the Lord intended to bring to pass viz. the setting up a purer ministery of gifts to teach his people or restoring some legal ordinances as Baptism of water the church way or Presbyterie of Elders and all the glory of the last times or ages should be only the bringing in these and taking them out of the hands of Antichrist all which arise from a mistake of the type of the Iewish Apostacy and captivity which figured out the Spirituall Church or new Ierusalem in Babylon or Captivity to the flesh or man of sin in all his deceivableness and Power and the restoring of all shall be only the appearance of the Lord Iesus who shall destroy Antichrist with the brightness of his coming and the two edged Sword of his mouth his Spirit And there is not a word spoken in all the Scriptures of these things to be restored as gifts and ordinances but the glory of the Lord in Spirit and therefore the Reformation or Restauration that the Lord Iesus brings with him for Moses Ioshua and all the reforming Kings of Iudah were but types of him the last and most excellent and glorious Reformer King of Kings and Lord of Lords that Reformation I say that he brings with him is the revelation of himself in Spirit he and his Father being the light and Temple of his people for there shall be no other there This shal be a glory without Sun or Moon or Stars or any such low or faint appearance as gift or ordinance but the Lord God shall be the everlasting light and God the glory and light shal cover the earth as the waters cover the sea light shal not Sparkle or be in bright beams as in a gift or an ordinance but it shal flow out from the Lord himself even cover the earth swallowing up or overflowing all earthly administrations And it shal be as much â—â—stacy in the Saints to go back to that first ministry of the Gospel-times which was the ministery to the first discovery of that mystery hid from ages as it would have been in them to have gone back to Iewish Temple and Preisthood c. And have taken the setting up of those to have been the great and only Reformation of Christ come in the flesh and as the Lord Iesus himself did in his coming in the flesh fulfill all these and destroy nothing save only as to the outward and perishing nature of those ordinances and Rudiments of the law So in this his last glory to be revealed in the saints here he shall not destroy any of the first ministry of the Gospel by gifts and ordinances but shal fulfil it It being but a type of his glory to be revealed in the Saints and the former ministery is only destroyed as to that outward Perishing part of it And this destruction of Antichrist and the glory to be revealed is the Prophesie of the Prophets and John in the Revelation and is the sum and substance of all types and ministrations wch were before So as all the pretended Reformations by gifts and Ordinances which tends to a reducing us to that first ministery of the Apostles times which that of Presbytery of Independency and baptism-way endeavors is but a building up such things as the Lord wold have destroyed it being an administration which he would use no longer therfore suffered Antichrist to prevail upon it and the man of sin to overcome it and as God to sit in the Temple or in all that outward form and worship figured out in that word the Temple as God or as God himself used to do when he was pleased to appeare there And therefore all that ministery and Pastourship and teaching is not at all upon the account of the first Gospel-ministration according to that very glory of the gifts and pure anointing by which they did minister as the oracles of God and very truthes of God as they did then so farre as they Spake or did any thing in the holy Ghost but they now I mean the Pastours and ministers do Speak and minister doubtfully darkly uncertainly more in the flesh then the Spirit not at all in any thing of unction or annointing exceeding any private Christian or distinct according to any gift of the holy Ghost but so farr only as they exceed others in parts wit or learning which are upon a lower account of the Spirit then the firsts gifts upon that of Arts and sciences And therefore if Pastours ministers and Christians who cannot now minister as the oracles of God nor according to the very gifts of the holy Ghost then wil be content to Prophesie as Christ wil only allow his Witnesses to do even all that bear Witness of him in Sackcloth according to that poor low and legal account and humble condition they are in it being yet the time of Antichrists raign not of Christs and not assume to themselves the names Offices Preheminence glory obedience very administrations which were then in power and in the holy Ghost both in Pastour and Churches and not walk as full and rich and wanting nothing when as they are poor miserable and naked The Church of Laodicea being a figure of all such for my part I then shal look on all such as in the Spirit and walking humbly with God and prophesying in sackcloth and waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus nor do deny but Christians in these wayes and administrations have enjoyed God sweetly though they be not such ways as God approves on though he suffer as many of the Godly Bishops and Martyrs did enjoy Iesus Christ in their times of Ceremonies and Forms of Prayer God stil appearing to
the Power and Iudgment committed to Christ Scripture and the gift of wisdom justice and righteousness are his unction now as the oyl or anointing was his unction under the Old Testament Magistracy for form is not one and the same but divers according to the several polity of Nations and Kingdoms by Kings singly or Kings and States joyntly as in this Kingdom or States singly as in the old notions of Monarchy Aristocracy Democracy and that each Nation is subject according to its polity and form to the respective government and that Scriptures cloath and invest that form in its very first being and constitution and that form receives an Image of God upon it as the first man who as soon as he became such a model of earth or clay became a man and had the glory of God upon him and dominion over the creatures These Powers and Magistratesupon earth are set up for the punishment ofevil doers and for the praise of them that do wel justice and righteousness being that very line or golden reed by which they are measured the very Scales by which Godweighs them where if they be found too light he gives their Kingdoms to another All lawful subjection is to be rendred honour to whom honour tribute to whom tribute and subjection to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake Prayers and Supplicationsare to be made for them that we may lead a peaceable and a quiet life in all godliness and honesty Magistracy is set up not only to be an Image of Christ to the world but to administer Peace and Judgment to the world and Societies of men and more principally to his people in the flesh who while they are nursing fathers to them do administer truly and to Christ in his people when Persecutors Christ stil turns their administration though evil in it self into good for his all things working together for good to those that love God The high and glorious design of Christ in Magistracy is to open a way in all their kingdoms and dominions for the Spirit of God to breath in Kings shal be thy fathers c. and walk in in such outward administrations as it pleaseth the Spirit of God to appear in to the Saints who are in flesh and weakness and so far as concerns any outward administration of Christ Iesus Christ becomes a subject in his Saints to the power he hath committed to Magistracy they having power to hinder and further his spiritual design so far as it comes forth in the outward man therefore all power of Magistracy turned against the Spirit of God in this apearance shal and all such Kingdoms and Nations as proceed accordingly viz. to oppose that Kingdom Power and Dominion they receive from Christ against him in his spiritual Kingdom shal be dashed to pieces like a potters vessel Be wise now therefore O ye Kings and be instructed ye Judges of the earth But all such Nations States and Kingdoms as shal administer not only judgment and righteousness in the world but shal bring their glory and honour to Christ and hiâ— Spirit in his People Peace shal be within their walls and prosperity within their Palaces judgment shal flow there like a river and righteousness like a mighty stream The discerning of Spirits THere was such a Maniâ—estation of Spirit given to the people of God in the first Gospel-times as they could in the very unction or anointing of God discern Spirits and try Spirits Ye have an unction and ye know all things the same anointing teacheth ye to another the gift of discerning Spirits In this Manifestation of Spirit were all False-teachers Deceivers Antichrists and Hypocrites judged and discerned I wil come to you saith the Apostle and will know not the words of them that are puffed up but the power This Manifestation of Spirit is that in which Spiritual men are known and revealed to each other and have as ful assurance of each other in Spirit and in Truth as men know men by the voice features complexions statures of the outward man The Manifestation of Spirit may be darkned and clouded in Christians sometimes and hath been in the purest times when the Disciples did not know Simon Magus nor Demas nor Hymenaeus and Philetus nor those that went out from them nor Judas The Manifestation of Spirit hath been much lost and darkned in the Churches for many hundred years since the Antichristian darkness upon them and therefore they have judged Spiritual things in a mist and in much dimness and doubtfulness it hath been neither night nor day For supplement of this Manifestation of Spirit Christians walked by Candle-light and Star-light and set up marks and signs of tryal and demonstration in the letter and outward man so as any hypocrite might appear for a true Christian and therefore most of their way of Manifestation hath been from formal relations and confessions of faith and experiences according to the Law or standard of their own Spirits trying and judging all other measures of grace by their own The experience of Christians who have the Spirit of God in them is very clear concerning the workings and manifestations of the same Spirit in others as in Prayer Preaching Prophesying Conference Conformity to Christ Spiritual conversation so as Christians can in a manner say the Spirit of God is here and here or here I tast and see something of God here is a spiritual savour there is none as in natural things there is such a proportion betwixt the sense and object that the sense knows and discerns its own object as in smelling tasting seeing hearing so in Spirituals and as there is an outward a letter or Scripture Christianity by which men are distinguished as Jew and Gentile as Professors and Prophane as of the visible Church and of the world so there is in the true spiritual Church or Kingdom of God in Truth a more pure spiritual and glorious way of knowing each other according to that true spiritual glory nature and light that each walks in being all children of the day and of the light And this is no more then the fulfilling of that promise then shal ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not but it is in that day when the Lord makes up his jewels which the more glorious revelation of Jesus Christ in the Saints gathering his people into more unity and glory of Spirit All works and fruits of men as they are Christians and spiritual must either be judged and discerned in the same Spirit and measure of light and glory in which they are wrought and from whence they flow or else it is but a meer formal outward pretended false and fleshly way of judging in those that so judg and thus the tree is truly and purely known by its fruits and faith by works The same Faith
Spirit shining and discerning in those that judg the works of their faith who are judged And thus we may see how Synods and Councels of men and visible Churches have erred in their judgments and discernings of all others judging all higher attainments of light and glory heresie and schism and by this sentencing the Lord himself and confining him only to their own measures and degrees which is that very spirit of Antichrist sitting in the Temple of God and judging as God nay judging God himself according to his other manifestations which they see not nor receive unless they pretend to be that only select Apostleship for interpretation and revelation of Scripture as the Apostles who were the first Preachers of Scripture and this they must do upon their ways and grounds of discerning but what shal be done to these that judge before the time and the day or more full revelation of Jesus Christ the false Prophet shal be taken and cast into the lake that burns with fire and these that judg God in their brethren according to such manifestations as are not in themselves shal be judged of God their Judg even of the Lord Iesus the Iudg of quick and dead Cain was an image of all such judging his brothers sacrifice and for that was sentenced of God Principles of Warr and Peace 1. WAr is the more natural work of the Nations of the World who shal according to Christs Prophesie be dashing one another in pieces till the last appearance of Iesus Christ there shal be Wars and rumours of Wars Nation shal rise against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom 2. War is from the Law and Principles of nature according to which the Nations of the world live and are acted having no higher a law to raise them and carry them up into more glorious dispensations For the Law or Principles of nature dictate thus preserve thy self thy life thy lands thy rights an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth 3. The true Christian so far as he is in nature and under this law he is acted according to the world and to the meer Principles of nature and law and therefore it is that the Christians to this day are found at the same work with the world and two are grinding at one mill two are in one field two in one bed that is the true Christian and the meer natural man are together in one work at one plough in one bed or way of Peace and worldly rest till the Lord Jesus be more manifested in Spirit or in his coming and revelation and the one or true Christian be taken and the other left the one taken up higher into more Spirit and more of Christ the other left in their meer nature and legal principles and worldly doings 4. The Jews were not only a type of the true spiritual Church but of the Christians under the lowest dispensation and in the model of their armed Tribes and Generals as of Moses and Joshua were a figure of the Christian under pupillage and bondage to nature and the laws of nature and so they were led out against the Nations who were a figure of worldly Tyranny and oppression to recover their land of rest or such worldly priviledges as they had in promise and donation from God 5. Under the Gospel the Lord suffered the same figure in Peter who walked about with Christ in his fleshly appearance with his sword girt about him and attended his Person till Christ bid him put it up again into his sheath because he was now going out of that dispensation of flesh into more glory into the same glory that he had with God before the world was and was accordingly providing a more spiritual dispensation for them even the Comforter or Spirit of truth all which were a figure of all the Disciples of Peters fellowship and weakness whom the Lord would suffer in an armed and defensive Posture till he provided a more spiritual Ministration for them and a way of more spirit light and glory In order to Peace and Suffering and Love 1. The Will of God A Christian is most perfected in the Will of God in laying himself down to rest in the bosome of such providence as the Lord opens to him for nothing creates perplexity and disquietness of Spirit but when the will of man is in complying and in a motion distinct from the will of God when the Spirit of man moves in its own fleshly course and circuit and so runs out into a dispensation further then the law of present providence will fairly allow it and in this way men study plot desire lust are passionate inordinate unquiet unstable and like the troubled sea foam out themselves upon this account men lust and have not they kill and desire to have and cannot obtain they fight and war yet they have not are with child and bring forth winde and work no deliverance they say the bricks are faln down but we will build with hewen stones the Sicamores are cut down but we will change them into Cedars The Lord Jesus held forth another pattern and figure Lo I come to do thy will O God not my will but thine be done it is my meat and drink to do the will of my Father the Apostle answers this as in water face answers face I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content I can be abased and I can abound the reason of all is from the spiritual anointing they receive by which their understandings are enlightned to see all the various workings and contrary contextures of providence meeting in one point or line the will of God so as all things work together for good to those that love God 2. God changing dispensations THe Christian is most at peace when he is willing to be gathered up by God from such ways and ministrations below as he hath lived in formerly if he see God clearly in it for God hath his times of letting out and winding up of using such or such a ministration and then breaking it and laying it by and appearing in other and we must not limit the holy one of Israel nor fix him always upon the same point of dispensation he went out from his Tabernacle into his Temple from thence into the flesh of Christ and so into ordinances and gifts and graces and Spirit with the Jews he was in war in peace in captivity in deliverance or return and in this exchange of dispensation God reveals and shines forth his wisdom glory and power upon his and upon the world which wisdom power and glory being in that fulness and infiniteness in himself cannot appear in one globe and ball of glory below upon this Creation but as in parts and scattered beams and divers workings and therefore John saw the Lord in a vision like a Jasper upon a Throne
further revealed in Revelations 2. 9. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty c. and ye shall have tribulation for ten dayes this was written to the Church of Smyrna or to all Christians under the figure of that Church which was tribulation prison or bondage and poverty that is while Christians are in their former administrations as in bondage prison poverty looking at all they have as nothing and all former things they were rich in as nothing and now as bondage to a more excellent enjoyment of God This is likewise in the mystery of it the cross of Christ or the fellowship of Christs sufferings crucifyings and death for as Christ crucified all that glorious administration in which he was in the flesh and it all died to a more glorious life even the glory of God the father so every Christian is to take up this cross and to bring his highest and choycest administration to this cross and to have them all crucified to higher discoveries of God this is the knowledge of Christ Crucified or self-denial Many Christians who are sadded darkned in much tribulation as to the administrations they are under and take them for desertions and withdrawings of God when as they are the presence of God upon such administrations making them dark and wither and consume and the bringing in of a richer and fuller glory God in heaven or in a place of distance as to our infirmity MAny Christians in theirconceptions of God andprayings or addresses to Godconsider him as in a local glory and so change theglory of the incorruptibleGod into an image made like to corruptible man God is infinite and all in all and whither shal I go saith the Psalmist from thy spirit or whither shal I fly from thy presence and where is the place of his rest And say not in thy heart who shal ascend into heaven to bring Christ down from above The word is nigh even in thy heart the word saith the Apostle that we preach which word was Christ the eternal Word which was with God and was God And thus the Lord is said to be at hand the Lord is at hand The spiritual Christian knows that all figures of place as of Gods residence as heaven and all such discoveries of God as to place or distance are only as to man and to the infirmities of man and therefore prays not and speaks not to God nor of God as to Place or distance but as if he were in him and about him his right hand embracing him and his left hand under him and in such discovery of God as he hath by faith c. or any such graces and other administrations he worships not God nor considers God as that or that discovery because then he should worship something for God which is not God and as Iohn fall down at the feet of the Angel or some glorious ministration and worship there The carnall and weak christian worships prayes c. and thinks of God as to form figure and place and distance and discoveries of him by graces gifts c. Whereas God is only to be enjoyed in those as in a glass darkly for we have not seen his shape nor heard his voice The Spirituall Sabboth THis Mystery of God was held forth first in the Creation in that of the seventh day which God was said to sanctifie which was no other then the enjoyment of God in the Revelation of himself who is perfect rest and sabboth in his own glory the six dayes being accordingly a figure of the Christian in bondage or under active and working administrations as those of the Law and Gospel are as all forms of worship duties graces prayer Ordinances c. This Sabboth was a sign to the people of God in bondage or under the law and the Lord Jesus in his Active and fulfilling Administration while he was in the flesh was the Antitipe of the six dayes and his entring into glory was that very Sabboth and rest which was the bosome of the Father from whence he came and where he returned and this is the scope of that fourth chap. to the Hebrews and the bosome of the Father is that Sabboth or Rest there remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God and he that hath entred into his rest hath ceased from his works as God did from his that is the Lord Jesus having fulfilled his dayes work as to the law entred into his glory or rest so Christ in that held forth the true Christian Sabboth which was the father as Philip shew us the Father and it sufficeth us there is fulness rest sabboth and sufficiency in the Father or Revelation of God in the Christian So as the Spirituall Christian in the true discovery of God his fulness lives in an eternall every-day sabboth while some live in little more than the bare sign or one day in the week The Gospel as in its own glory and as in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament THe Gospel is everlasting for it is the tydings and Revelation of God in love grace or mercy to his or God manifested in flesh or making his Tabernacle with men This Gospel which is no other then the mystery of Salvation revealed or declared in Spirit to men is cloathed in several administrations as that of the Old Testament and the New the Scriptures of both being the Revelation of heavenly things by earthly or created things or by naturall forms and expressions so as the letter is a parable figure or allegory by which spirituall things are spoken and brought forth amongst men they are they which testifie of Christ hitherto I have spoken to you in Proverbs c. The Scriptures or writings of the everlasting Gospel are the true scriptures as they are the very Image and letter of the mystery of Salvation or of Spiritual things or the mind of God or as they are in that pure and spiritual Order and form of words to truth its self not as they are meerly in their grammaticall construction and sense or common reading which any that understand the Hebrew or Greek may receive and therefore the Scriptures according to such or such interpretations consequences of men are not to be imposed as meer things of faith and fundamentals but so far as the spirit of God reveals them to be that very truth and minde of God in those who receive them else they are received and acknowledged for the Authority and reputation of men not of God therefore Christ told the Pharisees they erred not knowing the Scriptures and yet they had the Scriptures and read them and understood them in the letter but not in the Spirit The Gospel being thus distinguished into the spiritual nature of it and into the administration with which it is cloathed nothing is pure spirituall divine Gospell but that which is light life glory spirit or God revealed whatsoever is of meer
Testament before Christ came in the flesh and now in the New Testament since his coming and this is said to be as in a glass 6. By Gods own light evenhimself revealed and this is that pure increated divine immediate glory flowingfrom himself or himself FATHER saith Christ glorifie me with thy self or the glory that I had with thee and the glory that thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one as we are one Now let us consider who knows God according to himself or his own light glory None saith God can see me and live so as they that see God do not live they do not live or that thing called themselves doe not live that which is called a mans self is his own reason his wisdome his righteousness his desires or wil his imaginations his affections his lusts now if these live God was never yet seen none can see God live for when any see God it shall be no more they that live but Christ or God that liveth in them now who is there that hath seen God that doth not live in whom nothing of self lives And that we may see how God revealed wil annihilate and bring to nothing all flesh consider the appearances of Angels graces c. How was Daniel smote into astonishment no spirit was left in him how was Isaiah Wo is me I am undone I have seen the Lord how was John when he fell at the Angels feet how have many left the world and worldly contents relations and all other creature comforts as many Anchorites and contemplative souls who are carried no higher then by Angel discoveries Oh! how doth the pure appearance of God pour shame upon all flesh fleshly glory and excellency upon all the visions and dreams that man hath had of God either by pure reason his image or by creature-imagery or outward administration and notion by letter or by graces c. for when that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall be done away The day of the Lord wil be upon all our Cedars and Oaks and pleasant pictures and Idols of gold and silver even our richest and most spiritual Idolatry and judgment shal be upon all the merchandise of Babylon the pearls and pretious stones the Cinamon and odours and frankincense upon all deceiveableness of unrighteousness and all false worship c. A further discovery of the mystery of Salvation in the Gospel-administration and its own glory THe Gospel-administration wherein the mystery of salvation is first discovered is in the Scriptures of the New Testament held forth in these following particulars 1. In repentance which they say is a sorrow for sin wrought by the Spirit of God and the Law flowing from Christ who gives repentance to Israel and the Spirit of grace which mourns over him c. and is that godly sorrow for sin the new-man grieving over the old 2. In faith which they say is an act of the regenerate soul upon Christ resting and beleeving in him for justification righteousness or as some say a grace from Christ or righteousness 3 In conversion or calling which is the work of the spirit of God turning or sanctifying or perswading the soul of the Christian from his sinfull and unregenerate estate to God in Christ 4. In justification which is Gods pardoning the sins of a beleever or not imputing sins unto him and imputing the righteousness of Christ unto him whereby he stands justified and forgiven and righteous in the sight of God freely and of Gods grace through faith instrumentally which as the hand receives Christ as some say without faith as others say Thus the scripturs in the letter hold forth the first revelation of the mystery of God in such words and expressions as these and such as these are as prayer good works duties ordinances which are very suitable and proportionable to the first appearance of God in us or the mystery of salvation working in its infancy and first creation in the Christian and thus the infirmity of Christians is fitted with a manifestation of the mystery in words and forms and all the Christian Churches of the world generally draw out all their Systemes and models of divinity into articles of faith and Confessions of faith according to this very letter of Scriptures which is no other but a revelation of the mystery of Salvation as to mans infirmity and say some they call it their fundamentals and the highest attainment of Christianity Others say the mystery of salvation is no other then Immanuel or God with us or God in flesh not only in that man Christ but in the whole Christ Christ being no more but an annointed one and that annointed one is our nature or weakness annointed with the Spirit even God himself who is strength and this mystery of great and exceeding glory is revealed in pieces and parts and after the manner of men according to the infirmity of our flesh within the Christian in graces c. and in the Scriptures or expressions and forms without the Christian The SEEKERS their Attainment With a Discovery of a more Spiritual Way THey finde that the former Christians of the first or of the Apostles times according to Institutions then and the administration of Ordinances then were more visibly and spiritually endowed with power from on high or with gifts of the Spirit and so were able to make cleer and evident demonstrations of God amongst them as in the Churches of all the Christians then in Corinth Ephesus c. And that all who administred in any outward Office as to spiritual things were visibly gifted there was then an Apostle Evangelist Prophet Pastor Teacher Gifts of Healing Gifts of Miracles of Tongues c. And all was administred in the anointing or unction of Spirit clearly certainly infallibly they ministred as the Oracles of God But now in this time of the Apostacie of the Churches they finde no such gifts and so dare not meddle with any outward Administrations dare not preach baptize or teach c. or have any Church-fellowship because they finde no attainment yet in any Churches or Church-ways or administration of Ordinances according to the first patern in the New Testament they finde nothing but the outward Ceremony of all Administrations as of bare water in Baptism of bare Imposition of hands in Ordination of bare Election of Officers as Pastors Teachers c. of bare Church-censures without the visible power of gifts of Spirit which were before Therefore they wait in this time of the Apostacie of the Christian Churches as the Jews did in the time of their Apostacie and as the Apostles and Disciples at Jerusalem till they were endued with power from on high finding no practice for Worship but according to the first patern They wait onely in Prayer and Conference pretending to no certain determination of
down to the feet or to his lowest appearance And God doth not fix himself upon any one form or outward dispensation but at his own will and pleasure comes forth in such and such an administration and goes out of it and leaves it and takes up another And this is clear in all Gods proceedings with the world both in the Jewish Church and State and Christians now And when God is gone out hath left such or such an administration of what kinde soever it is be it religious moral or civil such an administration is a desolate house a temple whose vail is rent a sun whose light is darkened and to worship it then is to worship an Idol an Image a form without God or any manifestation of God in it save to him who as Paul saith knows an Idoll to be nothing The pure spiritual comprehensive Christian is one who grows up with God from administration to administration and so walks with God in all his removes and spiritual encreasings and flowings and such are weak and in the flesh who tarry behinde worshipping that form or administration out of which God is departed A Postscript to Master GATAKER Authour of a Book called Shadows without Substance writ against me SIR THe Reasons why I did not answer you were these I mean your last Book called Shadows without Substance c. I found that Replies and Rejoynders did exceedingly confound and perplex the plainnesse and simplicity and glory of Truth and had much of self and passion and recrimination which I am confident the Lord will shew you in much of what you have writ For I am assured that God will reveal and convince you powerfully and mightily in many passages which your self writ and not the Spirit of God Lay your hand upon your heart and consider sadly if the advantage of the times the glory of reputation the passion of man in you and the multitude of yeers and fame of learning not willing to be convinced by days or months did not write most of your last Book What you wrote in the sincerity of Spirit and in that measure of Truth you received I rejoyce in and what you wrote in the artifice of your parts your wit and your other humane advantages or devices of flesh and blood whereby you laid on colours to make your own Arguments fair and comely to a man judging no higher then Reason or in your own measure of Truth and whereby you laid on your darker and more shadowish stuff upon me your adversary rendering me to the Reader both in your Title-page and thorowout your Book as one that denied the Apostles Doctrine and Christ's because I denied your conclusions and deductions to be that very Doctrine and the minde of those very Scriptures of Christ and the Apostles This I say must passe under the fiery trial and you must suffer losse so as by fire Surely to deny what Master Gataker or some Synods of men say is not to deny what Christ and the Apostles say unlesse the Spirit of God reveal in them one and the same Truth and that they all speak by one and the same Spirit in one and the same language Nor did I see that you in all your Writings had done any thing against the truth declared by me but had onely defended your self and your own measure of truth with rejection and reproaches of mine and all this in the form onely of argumentation and confutation not in the power so as I did rest without replying knowing that the substance of what truth I had writ was as I had received then and would abide because he who is the patern of all truth Jesus Christ abides the same yesterday and to day and for ever And for any expressions of mine or form of words which may make truth appear to some not one and the same I onely can as yet speak truth in the language given me when I can speak more tongues or the languages of several Christians of which the gifts of tongues were a signe then I you shall be better understood by our selves others Sir I have spoken one particular more clearly which you some others spake on in my Book And thus I take my leave of you desiring to love any appearance of God in you and to forgive any infirmities in you which are of man as I desire my self to be loved or forgiven of others And truely I do not expound that of contending earnestly for the Truth to be in reproaches and passions in Replies and Rejoynders and many Books but in Spirit and spiritual affection and pure manifestation of the same Truth SIR Your friend JOHN SALTMARSH A pretended Heresie THat which is pretended or at least believed by some to be Heresie in my Book of Grace is this which I desire to explain more fully that it may appear more clearly to be Truth That Christ hath believed perfectly repented perfectly mortified sin perfectly for us First That Christ hath done all for us is truth he hath fulfilled all righteousnes both that righteousnesse which is of the Law and that which is of the Gospel in graces c. and upon this account he is made unto us righteousnesse c. Secondly Faith Repentance mortification were all in Christ originally primarily as in their nature theirfountain their root or seed and therefore he is said to give repentance to Israel and he is the authour and finisher of our faith and it is called the faith of the Sâ—n of God and of his fulnesse have all we received and grace for grace for everygrace in him a grace inus And to say Christ hath done all these for us first in himself and then in us through himself I hope is such an Heresie as we all believe It may be my want of clearer explanation made it be taken for Heresie which I hope will now be judged more candidly to be a Truth Nor can this That Christ hath all graces and perfection in himself prove that we stand in need of none in us no Faith nor Repentance in us nor mortification of sin in us no more then Pauls Doctrine of Grace and Faith and the Christian to be under Grace destroy the Law or make void Faith or cause men to sin that Grace may abound I never yet denied the Graces and Fruits of the Spirit of God which appear in Faith Repentance new Obedience Mortification of sin as may be seen in all things I have writ It may be I may speak Truth in such a notion or conception or measure of light as I have received it in and not in anothers The Christian as the English or French can onely speak in his own Tongue or Language till the Lord be one and his Name one amongst us and in the mean time let us judge Heresie by the Truth in Scripture and in the Spirit not as it seems to us so or appears so perhaps not for want