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A05464
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[Come out of her my people] or an ansvver to the questions of a gentlevvoman (a professour in the Antichristian Church of England) about hearing the publicke ministers vvhere it is largely discussed and proved to be sinfull and unlavvfull. Also a iust apologie for the way of total separation (commonly but falsely called Brownisme) that it is the truth of God, though lightly esteemed in the eyes of the blinde world. With a challenge to dispute with them publickly before King & Counsell: to prove whatsoever I said at the pillery against them. Viz. that the calling of them all is jure diabolo: even from the divell himselfe. By mee John Lilburne. Close prisoner in the Fleete for the cause of Christ.; Come out of her my people.
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Lilburne, John, 1614?-1657.
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1639
(1639)
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STC 15596; ESTC S107364
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35,511
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36
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the strict profession of it is so meane contemptible and burdensome a thing in the blinde and darke eyes of the World and lyes under the reproach and ignominy of the men thereof the great Rabbies doe stumble at it and doe not imbrace it 1 Cor 1 19 20 for it is written saith God I will destroy the wisdome of the wise and wil bring to nought the vnderstandings of the prudent where is the wise where is the scribe where is the disputer of this world hath not God made foolish the wisdome of this world Isa 29.14 33 18. Oba verse 8. Therefore in regard the great Doctors of the world doe not imbrace the ways of God the multitude stumble at them likewise being ready to say with them Io 7 haue any of the Rulers or of the Pharises beleeued on him but this people who knoweth not the law are accursed Even so say men in these daies of the naked truths and waies of God do any of the Rulers or Nobles or do the great learned Doctors famous Divines imbrace and practice these strict and rugged waies but onely a companie of Brownists who are the base and obscure fellowes of the world and a companie of foolish singuler people contemning and censuring all besides themselues as though none should be saved but they onely To you Oh yee spirituall blind people whose vnderstandings are darkned with the smoake of the bottomlesse pitt and whose braines are intoxicated and drunke with the glittering and gilded Cup of spirituall fornication abhomination of the scarlet whore Reuel 17. To you J answere and know you that the way to heaven is narrow and straite and Christs fold and flocke but a small little company in comparison of the world Math 7.14 Luke 13.24 Also know that God hath not called many wise men after the flesh nor many mighty nor many noble but God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of this World to confound the things that are mighty and the base things of the World and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to naught things that are And he himselfe gives the reason of it that no flesh should glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1.26.27.28.29 And Iames tells us that God hath chosen the poore of this World rich in faith and heires of the Kingdome which he hath promised to them that love him James 2 5. And what though the Rabbies and great Doctors be learned yet it is but Earthly and humane learning which Paul had before his conversion for he was a Pharise brought up at the feete of Gamaliel a great learned Doctor of the Law had in reputation among all the people Acts 5.34 and 22.3 But yet when he came to the true spirituall knowledge of true spirituall learning indeed which is taught to all Christs Schollers lesse or more that are brought up in his Schoole he renounced his humane Schollership and accounted it no better then dung or dirt Phil 3.5.7 8. But besides him we read of none of the Apostles that were learned in that learning which the blinde world accounts learning and Schollership for they were all or most of them poore men brought up in obscure and base callings many of them being no better then poore Fishermen yet when Christ called them he indued them with spirituall learning which is the true learning indeed Acts 2.1 c. And those in the new Testament that are commended for their learning it was because they were filled with the gifts of the Spirit and were mighty in the Scriptures Iohn 7.38.39 Acts 18.24 1 Cor. 12.3.7.8.10 and 14. By all which places of Scripture we see that the learning which made the Apostles famous was not human learning for none of them had it but Paul and he renounced it but it was heavenly learning which came from God being the gift of his Holy Spirit And for all the rest of those which they ordained by the power and Authority which they had from Christ to officiat in the Churches and to administer the sacred and holy things of God to his chosen and sanctifyed ones for none but them have true right to Christs ordinances it was spirituall knowledge divine learning and insight into the Scripture which are the gifts of the spirit of God as is before proved which made them fitt for those Offices that they were chosen to by the Church and ordained by the Apostles for they were not to be Novices in the Mysteries and wayes of God but sound in the Faith and also of a holy and Godly life and conversation which the Apostle calls a good report and to have the rest of those qualifications which he layes downe in 1 Tim. 3. and 5. Chapters and Titus 1. And whosoever have not these qualifications are not fitt according to the Apostles command there to beare Office in the true Church which is the spirituall Sion Citty House of God Psal 87.2.3 and 132.13.16 Esay 3â— 20.21 and 52.1 Heb. 12.22 Rev. 20.9 and 12.2 Now that Heavenly learning and gifts of the spirit which the Lord under the time of the Gospell doth bestow upon his chosen and holy ones doth fulfill the Prophesies of the Prophets in old time who Prophesied of the same things Esay 44 3.4 and 54.13 Ier. 31 Ioel 2.28 saying And it shall come to passe afterward that I will poure out my spirit upon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dream dreames and your young men shall see visions and also upon the hand-maids in those dayes will I poure out my spirit Oh! the simplicity sweetenesse and pleasantnesse of the wayes of God if we had but inlightened spirituall understandings to see behold and looke into them which if we had they would ravish our soules rejoyce our spirits and fill our hearts full of gladnesse But they are sealed and will be hid from us till the Lord in his rich mercy loving kindnesse be pleased to anoynt our eyes with spirituall Eye-salve and take away these Foggie Mists of darknesse scales of ignorance that hang upon our understandings 1 Cor. 2. Oh! that the Lord would be pleased to deale so gratiously with us that we might be fooles Idiots emptie vile in our own eyes that so we might nakedly lye at the footstoole of Iesus Christ and seeke for wisedome spirituall understanding from him him alone according as it is our duty the the command of wisedome Prov. 1.4.8 and 9. Chapters But alas alas we have haughty hearts proud spirits our owne and seeke to be something in ourselves and doe not labour to be weaned from all things in our selves as is our duty for we should nakedly goe out of our selves and this we shall know to be true if ever the Lord come truely and throughly to instruct and teach us in
doth as we may read when the Spies that went from the Tents of Israell at the Lords command to search the Land of Canaan which they were a doing 40 dayes And at their returne they gave out an evill report of it which made the people to sinne and rebell against God and not to give credit to his word Oath and promise which was to bring them into the Land of Canaan to give it to them notwithstanding the greatnesse and potency of the Heathen for the Lord himselfe had promised to cast them out but because they beleeved him not but rebelled against him fearing the strength and power of the Heathen the Lord would make them to wander in the barren and desart Wildernesse 40 yeares For saith he after the number of the dayes in which ye searched the Land even 40 dayes each day for a yeare shall you beare your iniquities even 40 yeares and you shall know my breach of promise Numb 14.34 Ezek 4.5.6 where God saith thus to the Prophet J have laid upon thee the yeares of iniquity according to the number of the dayes three hundred and ninety dayes so shalt thou beare the iniquity of the House of Israel and when thou hast accomplished them lye againe on thy right side and thou shalt beare the iniquity of the house of Iudah 40 dayes I have appointed each day for a yeare So that if we expound the 1260. by these 2 places of scripture reckning as God him self doth each day for a yeare which I verily beleeve is the right meaning of the Holy Ghost We shall finde that the Beasts Kingdome shall endure from the beginning to the end 1260. yeares For I see no ground that these places should be expounded litterally for three yeares and a halfe and no more for it is impossible that Antichrist should doe all these strange things in so short a time that is said he he shall doe fulfill therefore without doubt it must be expounded each day for a yeare for the man of sinne was a working in the Apostles time but the Emperour who letted him kept him out of his seate till he was taken away 2 Thes 2.7 Now during the time of Antichrist the Holy Cittie or the true Church of God is to be troden under foote Rev. 11.2 and to be in a sad and afflicted condition and to be persecuted by the beast and the members of his state Kingdome all that time Rev. 13.7.15 and Chapt. 12. though now and then she should have some breathing and refreshing times And when Antichrists Kingdome growes to an end which blessed be God doth hasten apace the Foggie Mists of darkenesse blindnesse and ignorance which is the smoake that the Holy Ghost saith came out of the bottomlesse pitt Rev. 9. shall in some measure be dispeld and the Beames of Truth and spirituall light shall breake and shine out as is plaine in the 10.14 and 16. Chapters for then the Booke of Life the Holy Scripture is opened which in former ages lay altogether hid and in a manner shutt up in obscurity darknesse as appeares plainly out of the 11. Chapt. Therefore let us not wonder nor think it strange that the eyes of spirituall understanding which is to know see imbrace the naked Truths of God is opened of so few of the great and famous men in the eye of the World but continue still enemies to the bare naked Truths of God for the Kingdome of the Beast is not yet destroyed the smoake of the bottomlesse pitt hath so darkened the Sunne the aire that the spirituall eyes of few mens understandings are opened to see take notice of the intyre Truths of God yet notwithstanding let us take heede that we be not offended stumble to our destruction Luke 20.17.18 1 Pet. 2.8 at the naked wayes and cleare and pure Truth of Christ because they are but few and meane in the estimation of the World that doth imbrace them and professe them for the Church of Smirna though shee were but poore and meane in the eye of the World yet shee was rich in Gods account because she kept close to his naked wayes and Truths Rev. 2.9 whereas on the contrary proud and haughty Laodicea who was full of outward riches and treasures And wanted nothing that might make her glister shine in the eyes of the world yet notwithstanding is odious in the sight of God because she was luke warme and neither hot nor cold for he threatens to spew her out of his mouth doe you your selfe make the application Likewise let us take notice of that thanksgiving which Christ gives to his Father J thanke thee oh Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hidd these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to Babes even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight Math. 11.25.26 The naked purity and Truth of the Gospell of Christ is too homely a thing for the great learned Doctors of the world to imbrace stoope and submitt unto for Christ hath said that the professors of it shall be hated of all men yea of their parents kindred and Freinds Luke 21.16.17 Marke 13.12 and are accounted as Sheepe to the slaughter all the day 1 Cor. 4. whose condition is to be afflicted and persecuted here by the men of the world Iohn 15.18.19 and 16.2 â— 33 Heb. 12.4.6.7.8 for there must and will be to the end of the World enmity betweene the seede of the woman and the seede of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 and therefore false Teachers and seducers though they come in the name of Christ and preach part of his Gospell Math. 7.5 and 24.5 yet they are enemies to Christ the purity of his Truth and people though they make a flowrishing show in the flesh yet because they love not the Crosse of Christ which alwaies goes alonge and is inseperable from the zealous and strict profession of him and his Truth Prov. 3.11.12 Heb. 11. Rev. 3.19 nor will they part with their ease pleasure and fatt morsels Esay 65.10 11 12 nor suffer persecution with the people of God for the Truth of God as Moses did Heb 11 25. Therefore they will neither imbrace the purity of the Truth nor willingly let those that would Gal 6 12. Yet for all that though they will not yet all those that desire to approve their hearts and spirits unto God and to glorifie him both in their lives deaths must not forsake his Truth for feare of persecution or losing of their kindred or Freinds Gal 5 11 Math 10 33 Marke 8 34 38 Luke 14 26 for here Christ himselfe saith that he that loveth Father or Mother or his owne life or any thing else more then him shall never possesse nor enjoy him neither here nor hereafter For he saith He that denies him or his Truth before men him will he denie before his Father which is in Heaven Therefore in regard the Gospell of Christ in