things which was unlawfull So that the Apostle urges the foulnesse of that practise chiefly for the unlawfullnesse of it in it selfe which he would never have done had not that place or state bin to have been abandoned of all whatsoever that feare the Lord Therfore this practise of going to Idolatrous Assemblies which the Spirit of God calls whores houses Prov. 5.7.8 13.14 is not onely unlawfull in the Corinthians but also in all others that be in the order of the Gospel for what ground or warrant hath persons to come there at all seeing this is one badge and marke of our Christianity to have our faces towards Sion and our backs upon Babylon Jere. 50.5 51.9 and in the walking in this way and on this ground persons are to be held and judged the people of God and not otherwise So that here is a shutting up of the controversie namely that there is no more to be said but that this verdict must be given even that they that had communion with the Gentiles in their Temples and sacrifices had communion with him that the Gentiles had communion with But the Gentiles did sacrifice to and had communion with Devils Therfore those that had communion with them in eating of their sacrifice had so too But it is the mind of God that all those that he called by his name should not have fellowship with Devils Therfore of all that feare God it must be avoyded which is done by us when we forsake all false and Antichristian wayes and walke onely in God true wayes without halting worshiping him in Sion the City or place of his presence according to his own appointment The Seaventh Observation is out of Verse the 21. where the Holy Ghost doth shew the impossibility of the people of Gods partaking of the administrations both in a true and false state according to rule and without wrath it for as the former part of the Chapter doth shew in those examples both of the sinne of the Israelites who though they were incorporated into one body unto Moses their Mediatour and type of Christ whose lawes and ordinances they were to observe yet ran a whoring after their own inventions and also of the wrath of God manifessed on them that did so Verse 5.7 8 9 10. for God cannot indure any halting between him and Baal 1 King 18.21 neither can a man serve two Masters but as Christ hath purchased soule and body with the price of his own precious bloud so he will have us to glorifie him in our soules and bodies 1 Cor. 6.20 7.23 which is done by our obedience to the truth so that the observation of these things themselves be the onely things of our wealth it is therfore the Saints wisdome to keep them in the sight of all the people The Lord having set before us life and death it is the wisdome of the Saints to eschew the wayes of death and to have their feet guided in the paths of life these things being so opposite to each other that the imbracing of the one is the rejection of the other for a man cannot walke in the true wayes of God but he must reject and hate the false wayes of the Devill Besides for these and like sinnes that is for leaving of the pure wayes of God and imbraceing wayes of their own the Lord removes the Candlesticke from and abhorres even his own inheritance so that for this he forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh the tent that he had pitched among them Psal 78.60 so that they be unfit for communion with him and uncapable of such heavenly treasures as the Saints are made partakers of that so do So that God doth warrant and approve of no such persons walking so so that if there be an evill heart in any thus to depart or draw backe from the living God his soule can have no pleasure in them Heb. 3.12 38 39. And thus I understand this Scripture treats of the communion of the people of God both with him as God 1 Joh. 3. Heb. 12.23 and also with Iesus as Mediatour ver 24. and to Iesus the Mediatour of the New Testament The things that they have with God in Iesus Christ is that heavenly state called Mount Sion the City of God the heavenly Ierusalem and the drawing neare to God in the wayes of his worship herein is the drawing nearer to him in a new and living way consecrated by the vayle of his flesh Heb. 10.20 21 22. This being the state which the Lord hath instituted for the good of the godly they are here to dwell under the shadow of the Almighty Psal 91.1 there to lye town in peace and quietnesse because the Lord is at one with them and not to change their habitations for all ather wayes are wayes of darknesse Isay 59.8 9 10 11. and he that walkes in darknesse though he sayes he hath communion with God he is a lyar as saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 1.6 Seeing the Saints have received a Kingdome that cannot be shaken yea a Kingdome with all the glorious appurtenances thereunto belonging therfore let all the Lords people have grace whereby they may serve the Lord with reverence and godly feare by walking uprightly and unblameably in his wayes Concerning the approved use of Gods ordinances we are taught of God to use them as he hath given commandement and not otherwise For in Exod 20. God straitly forbids the unholy use of any thing that his Name is put unto the which is done when it is used any other wise then that he hath appointed as the whole body of the Scripture doth plainly manifest Now Gods Name is largely to be understood and the command is as large as the name or things so that by Gods Name we are not onely to understand Gods Essence as Exod. 3.14 but also his Attributes as Exod. 3.5 6. and also his Ordinances his Word and Gospel Deut. 33.34 Acts 9.15 as also the Law of Christ Esay 42.1 is called his Name Mat. 12.21 also prayer Gen. 4.26 and Gods whole worship with all his ordinances partaining to the same Deut. 21.5 Mal. 1.11 12. and his Seales Mat. 28.18 19. and his Censures 1 Cor. 5.4 5. Mat. 18.20 So that God requires the holy use of all whatsoever his Name is put unto so that as he doth in the first Commandement forbid any besides himselfe to be worshipped so in the second he requires all worship to be performed to himselfe onely according to his own rules expressed in his word which containes the onely Rules for worship so that as we must receive them only and worship him onely by those rules so we must use them as he hath required and not after neither our own wills nor after any others but to take heed that we doe observe to doe them as he hath given charge to use them and not otherwise for he will not hold them guiltlesse that shall use them otherwise then he requires So that this
for they could not be used holyly among the Babilonians who set them in their Temple because they wanted their proper seat or place of and being all those that had them when they were removed out of the Lords house could not use them but prophanely they being not the persons that God had appointed to use them nor the place This is plain if we consider the tennour of Gods Book with the third precept So that he hath compiled state laws ordinances with their offices and administrations together as may be seen in all the Churches and in this 10. Cor. Further that as men must not partake of any of Gods ordinances but according to rule So must they use and frequent none other for all wayes of a mans owne are by God condemded all precepts of men forbidden therfore the state and ordinances of Christ with all appurtenances must of all Gods people be flowed and adhered unto not to be departed from they being the onely life of the soule the wells in the right use of them that the waters of life doth run in So that by this little that is said I may be discerned both what I intend and also the drift of the Scriptures which is that Gods ordinances cannot be rightly used out of his own spirituall house or state and that it is unlawfull for us to goe any where else to partake of any of them Cant. 1.6 whether it be the Sacrament or hearing of the word seeing he that partakes in any administration in a state partakes of the state it selfe and so hath communion with the Devil the author and king of all false states as the Apostle against the Corinths in the 10th Chap. doth strongly prove by many illustrations So that hearing of the word under an Institution is aswell communion as receiving of the Sacrament for the sacrifice here spoken of was part of the Jews worship and not any of their Sacraments as the Non-conformists ignorantly and blindly affirme For they had Circumcision and the Passeover for their Sacraments instead of which Christ our King and ordinance instituter set up for us under the Gospell Baptisme and the Supper Now unto as many as walke according to this rule peace be unto them and mercy and unto the whole Israel of God Amen POSTSCRIPT A PVBLIKE CHALLENGE MADE BY N.E. to all the Non-conformists or Reformists in Old and New-England and Holland in the behalfe of the totall Seperation but in a speciall manner made to those persons in London that are convinced that the Church Ministry and worship in England are all of them Antichristian and yet hold it lawfull for themselves to walke in a stragling spirituall way without joyning or uniting of themselves to a true visible Church But all and every one of you are Challenged to Answer these 9. insuing Propositions particularly in writing if you be able London An. 1640. The first Proposition THAT the planting of Grace in the soule is not only a renovation but it is an instamping ingrafting or creating of a new creature or a communicating of the divine nature unto the soule which in no measure it had before no not in Mans innocencie 1 Cor. 15.45 to the 50. 2 Pet. 1.3 4 For Adam in his innocencie was but a perfect morall man and had no participation nor divine communion with the divine nature which if he had had he had been as perfect as Christ himselfe and could not possibly have fallen from his innocency for it is the Saints communion with the divinity of God which makes them that they cannot lose the truth of the seed of grace which God hath wrought or bestowed upon their soules 1 Joh. 3.6.9 4.4.2.27 the ingrafting of which is the immediat and alone worke of God Joh. 3.3.5 6. Ephes 2.1.4.5 6. 1 Pet. 1.3.23 1. Joh. 2.20.29 5.20 1 Cor. 2.12 wrought without the use of meanes Rom. 10.14.17 1 Cor. 1.18.21.24 Act. 27.22 to 25.34 And that all that the Ministry of the word or any other meanes doth is no more but this namely to manifest and declare that this divine principle or nature is in the soule Luke 8.5.8.15 or to build up and strengthen the soule in spiriturll things or in the wayes of God Acts 20.28 Ephes 4.12 13. 1 Pet. 5.2 2. That the onely materialls of which a true visible Church of Jeus Christ doth consist and is made up of is true matter and true form Col. 2.5 that is to say that all the matter or people ought to be totally Separated from the world and all Antichrstian Assemblies whatsoever 2 Cor. 6.15 16 17. Rev. 18.4 Seeing God in all ages put a visible and distinct difference betwixt his people and the men of the World Lev. 20 29. Deut. 7.6 Act. 2.40 19 9. of whom it is required that they be not onely beleevers but also have a competent measure of knowledge to joyne knit and unite themselves together in the comly order of the Gospell Deut. 29 9.10.12 Nehe. 10.28.29 Jer. 50.4 Act. 11.23 24. And the reason why faith onely doth not make fit matter is because that in the working of grace the soule is onely passive and not active in the least faith being wrought in or upon the soule by God alone But in obedience a beleever is active therfore it is required he should be fitted with a measure of knowledge to tender that worship and service which he offers up to God aright and according to his will otherwise it becomes will-worship and a lame sacrifice which is the sacrifice of fooles in which God hath no delight or pleasure Eccles 5.1 2.4 And the forme is that heavenly State City or Kingdome described in the Book of God which hath diverse and severall Names as the beauty of holines 1 Chro. 16.29 Syon Psal 84.7 Ierusalem Esa 62.6 the Lords holy Mountaine Esa 65.9.11 his holy or secret place which the Lord hath chosen to divell in Psal 132.13 14. Ierusalem the mother of us all Gal. 4.26 The City of the living God Heb. 13.22 Mount Sion Reve. 14.1 the beloved City Reve. 20.9 the holy City or new Ierusalem Reve. 21.1 2. the Lord is there Ezek. 48.35 and that we are now as strictly tyed to the institutions of Iesus Christ under the Gospell as the Jews were tyed to his institutions under the Law Acts 3.22 23. Heb. 3.2.5 10.28 29 12.25 3. That Jesus Christ in his new Testament never instituded no Nationall nor Provinciall nor no universall Church which then must needs have uniuersall Officers but onely particular Churches or Congregations many of which may be in one Kingdome or Province 1 Cor. 16.1 2 Cor. 8.1 Gal. 1.2.22 1 Thess 2.14 and all of them independant bodies Rev. 1.2 3 Chapters and yet every one of them have one and the same state Gal. 4.26 one and the same King head and Lawgiver one and the same Laws one and the same manner of government one and the same ordinance one and the same
nullifier Act. 6.14 yet hearing of the word preached from any false Officer whatsoever is absolutely unlawfull because it is a sinfull communicating and partaking in his Administration Office or Institution Mat. 23.19 20 21 22. compared with 1 Cor. 10.18 Mat. 10.40 Luk. 10.16 compared with Reve. 13.2.4 1 Cor. 10.14.20 21. 1 Joh. 5.21 Hos 9.4 for he that partakes in any administration in a State whether true or false partakes in the State it selfe Therfore though the naked truth of God in the purity of it were taught by false Officers in false Assemblies yet it is as unlawfull for Gods people now to goe thither to pertake in hearing of it or to eat any spirituall meat there as it was for the Israelites to goe to the Philistims when the Arke of God was in the house of Dagon there to seek Gods presence or for the Corinths to goe to the Idols Temple to eat of their sacrifices there though eating in it selfe be as morall as hearing is yet the Corinths going thither to eat of their set apart or instituted meat made them to have communion with Devils who were the instituters of their institutions and state 1 Cor. 10.20 21. and as lawfull was it for the Israelites to goe to Dan Bethel or Gilgall there to sacrifice and doe worship unto God as it is for us to goe to heare the word of God in false Assemblies unto which places the Lord peremtorily commands them they shall not goe Hos 4.15 9.15 Amos 5.5 seeing the Lord had tyed all his worship and service to the Temple at Ierusalem and there onely promised his presence and acceptance of their service and worship Deut. 12.11 1 Kin. 8. compared with Chap. 9.2 3. And that the Lord now under the Gospell hath as strictly tyed all his worship and service to be offered up and performed in that heavenly State City or Kingdome before spoken of which is called the * Revel 21. new Ierusalem coming down from heaven the name of which City is ‡ Ezek. 〈◊〉 The Lord is there And therfore out of it to worship the Lord may we not goe lest we sin as the Jews did who left the Temple and went to sacifice under every green Tree which though their sacrifice which they offered up there was true sacrifice yet it comes under a sharpe reproof as a grosse and remarkable sin because they brought it not to the true State and Altar where onely the Lord had commanded them to offer their sacrifice Even so though persons goe to heare the word of God in a false state and think they may lawfully so do yet they come under the same reproof with the Jews being guilty of the same sin there being a true paralell betwixt the Jews offering up of sacrifice under the Law which was part of their worship and of our hearing of the word preached which is part of our worship under the Gospell the materiall Temple at Ierusalem being the type and our spirituall Ierusalem or heavenly State is the substance of it in the which onely and alone and no where else his people are to tender all their worship and service to him seeing he hath not declared nor promised that he will own any service whatsoever but only that which is offered up unto him within this heavenly State or holy City his dwelling and abiding place of which glorious and excellent things in Scripture ‡ Psal 87.3 Isay 60.19.20 Rev. 21. 22. Chapters are spoken of And that betwixt morrall things and institutions there is this difference Morrall things are therfore good because they are so in themselves Institutions are therfore good because the instituter hath set them apart for a holy use and ordayned them so to be as the Tree in Paradice and the Tabernacle and Temple and all the things thereunto belonging and all the institutions under the Gospell as the Temple Altar and worshipers all of which are institutions and therfore holy That that Learning of Curious Arts and Sciences which men attain unto at the Schooles is but Humane and not of God the attaining unto which is no way necessary to the making of a man fit to beare office in the Church of * See for this A late printed Booke called The Sufficiency of the Spirits Teaching without Humane-Learning By Sam. How Christ but that man that wants them may be every way as fit as he that hath them For they puffe men up with pride and worldly wisdome which is § 1 Cor. 1.19.20 27.28 2.1.4.6.13 3.19.20 foolishnesse and enmity against God And therfore those that have these humane Arts and earthly learning are not more unfit then others that want them to be chosen by the Church of God officially to officiate therin but Because they cannot easily be tryed according to those rules which the Apostle Paul layes down to Timothy for that end For without grace they will and do cheat cousen and deceive the Saints many times with their Arts by making that seem to be a spirituall guift from God which is nothing else but a humane Art But that learning which chiefly makes the Saints fit to beare office in and take care of the Church of God is divine and spirituall learning of which God is the * 1 Cor. 12.6.7 8.9.10.11 Author without which none are truly able to know and interpret the holy ‡ 1 Cor. 2.10.11.14 Scripture Therfore wo wo. to all those that follow and are guided and led by Antichrists ignorant and spirituall drunken Priests whose soules are so infatuated and besotted with the abominable fornications of the Scarlet whore that they are not able rightly to know the will of God and therfore do they feed you with ashes froth and scumme and these you take for famous truths their hearts being so exceedingly deceived that they are not able to deliver their soules from their grosse abominable Idolatry and wickednes nor say is there not a lye in our right hand for as the Prophet ‡ Isay 44.18 Esay speaks they have no knowledge nor heavenly understanding for God hath shut their eyes that they cannot see their hearts that they cannot understand Answer these 9. Propositions O all ye Non-conformists or Reformists if your much boasted of abilities have any reality or substance in them besides windie and cowardly brags who think you are separated away frow Babilon and Antichrist and yet you are in midst of it and have communion with him and by Gods assistance you shall be punctually replyed unto But look to it if you goe to your cowardly fugitive and run-away Priests to get them to answere it that you charge them not to stuffe their Books full with citations of their rotten putrified and empty Fathers and Authors and Heathenish Poets and Phylosophers which usually they do giving us three of them for one well applyed place of Scripture But if now they thus doe of their Authority I shall no
institutions and manner of administrations having all administeriall power within themselves depending upon none but onely upon Christ their onely and alone spirituall and visible head 2 Cor. 11.2 Ephes 1.22 23. and the 5.23 Col. 1.18.24 2.19 who though he be spirituall as the Subjects Lawes government worship ordinances and administrations are yet is he visible Esay 9.6 7. Psal 110.12 Act. 7.55 56. as well as his Kingdome and all the Laws ordinances and administrations therof And that it is altogether sinfull and unlawfull for any whatsoever to inflict any bodily or corporall punishment upon any for spirituall things or matters of conscience seeing excommunication or casting out into the world is now in the Gospell put in the place of killing the body under the Law which wicked practise notwithstanding is not only used by the Diabolicall and Satanicall Prelats here in England but also by the Magistrates and Priests in New England who ungodly wickedly and sinfully unprison banish and take away mens goods and that even for Conscience sake 4. That it is the duty of all those that will approve their hearts unto God and declare unto his people that they are his Jam. 2 18 to walke in a spirituall totall Separation from the men of the world by joyning themselves freely and voluntarily to a true visible Church there publikely to worship and serve the Lord according to his own Laws ordinances and appointment seeing the Lord never promised his presence blessing peace nor protection to any persons whatsoever but onely these that walke in this State City or Kingdome into which all his people are bound in Conscience to enter into it Esa 26.20 Mat. 28.20 Cant. 1.6 that desire according to their duty to glorifie him in the eyes of the world by holding forth the publick profession of the purity of his truth as so many burning and shining lamps in the midst of a perverse and crooked generation Mat. 5.26 Phil. 2.15 That it savours of a muddy earthly carnall base and unsanctified heart for any man or woman whatsoever be they high or low rich or poore to plead that the people of God may lawfully walke in a stragling spirituall way though they joyne not themselves to a visible Church 1 Sam. 15.22 23. Mat. 13.44 45 46.6.33 Mark 10.22 23. for the servants of God in former ages made no cavils against neither needed they any pressing to this duty who with loning desires desired to come before God and meet with him in this his Sion Psal 42.1 2 3. and 84.10 and who have taken this Kingdome of God by violence Mat. 11.12 Act. 2.41 and that such pleading doth declare that the chiefe treasure of such persons are the empty huskes and base things of this evill world and that their hearts are possessed with selfe-seeking and selfe ends and covetousnesse which is Idolatry Col. 3.5 Ephes 5.5 and have no regard to Gods glory or honour for which sin he will plague them 1 Sam. 2.30 Psal 2.12 especially in their inward man 2 Thess 2.11.12 that they shall not excell in being famous amongst the true children of Sion for being eminent in the knowledge of the true wayes and mysteries of God and godlinesse Esa 19. 13 14. and 59 9 10 11 12. Mal. 2 2. 1 Cor. 1.19 3.19 That Iesus Christ did redeem and save his people from the wrath to come mainly and principally for this end that they should glorifie him both in their soules and bodies without feare Luk. 1.74 Joh. 14.21 23. 15.8.10.14 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Rom. 12.1 which is done when they walke unblameably and uprightly without any selfe-respects in his publike wayes which it is their duty so to doe Mark 10.30.33 in the worst of times and amongst the greatest oppositions whatsoever Reve. 12.11 14.1.4 though it be to the spoyling of their goods and the losing of their lives Mat. 10. 37 38 39. seeing Iesus Christ will have his full and whole price of all those that will truly imbrace and entertain him Zeche 11.12 which is to part with all for his sake and glory with willingnesse and contentednes Mat. 16.24 25. Mark 8.34 35.38 Luk. 9.23 24 14 16. whose praise and glory ought to be more precious and deare unto them then all they have are or shall be 1 Sam. 4.21 22. Dan. 3.16 17 18. that is to say then their own eternall happines and welfare And that it is impossible for any of Gods people to glorifie him aright as they should and ought to doe till they be entered into and joyned as fellow Citizens with the Saints Ephe. 2.19 in this heavenly State City or Kingdome which he instituted and appointed principally for the perfecting and building up of the Saints Ephe. 4.10.12 13 14. out of which they cannot possibly worship him aright nor come to the true knowledge of the naked and pure wayes of God seeing this City cannot be measured by any but those that are within it Therfore the peole of God according to his promise Psal 110.3 Jere. 50.4 5. ought with all willingnesse with longing and striving desires without any compulcion to come to worship God within this his Sion Tabernacle and dwelling place Psal 68.16 as his Saints in old time did Psa 84.1 2. 120.5 seeing here and no where else he hath promised his presence with the increase and growth in grace Psal 9.11 84.7 92.13 14. 133.3 Zeche 8.3.12 and hath tyed all his worship therto Joh. 4.23 24. Lev. 17.1.2 3 4. 9. Therfore blessed are they that dwell in this his house that they may be still praysing of him Psal 84.4 That it is as easie to prove that woman to be an honest woman that hath had twenty Bastards as it is to prove the Nationall or Parishionall Church or Churches in England to be Christs true Spouse Reve. 13.16 17. 16.19 And that they who by reason of blind and ignorant zeale offered their Children through the fire to the Devil and Molech Psal 101.37 Jer. 32.35 had as much ground and warrant for their so doing as the members in the Church of England have for their worship and service which they publikely tender up to God Reve. 9.20 21. 13.2.4 And that in the worship and service of God there is nothing indifferent but his commands doth strictly tye us to punctuall obedience in all times ages and places and that we must not in the least have any respect to a misinformed Conscience 2 Thess 1.7 8 9 10. which so farre as it falleth short of the word of God is faithfull seeing it is to be guided by the revealed will of God Deut. 29.29 Esa 8.20 2 Chro. 5.15 16 17. and to be measured by it and not it by a misguided or erronious Conscience Mat. 22.29 That though hearing in it selfe be a morrall thing and though a false administration cannot destroy nor annihilate any ordinance of God seeing the ordinance Maker is the onely and alone ordinance destroyer and