Arguments for Liberty of conscience and thus far it hath been wel in order to the peace of those whose consciences in outward things runs cross contrary and destructive to others both in rule and practise so as when Christians are under several forms and administrations and these diametrical or opposite to each other and mutually contradicting and expelling each other here can be no Peace nor Preservation of all but from an indulgency or liberty in all and this is such a liberty as men may give to men this is the liberty of the outward man and is upon the old legal and first Gospel or New Testament-account as in the meer letter as in those Scriptures but this is yet below the true Christian Liberty and a mystery unwritten which is originally from the Spirit of God and is meerly spiritual and works from a pure enlargement of Spirit and a true spiritual Prospect of all outward things which is an image of that liberty which is in God who appears under his several forms of Creation pure and holy in himself or his own nature But this is a mystery yet and a land of peace and purity not yet clearly discovered nor the right inhabitants of it but to some and this liberty wil further appear as the Lord Jesus is more and more revealed in the Saints judging the world in Spirit and raigning over the tyranny and power of men in a glory of Spirit which shal judg and torment their adversaries while they shal triumph over all the practises in the flesh against them A Discovery of the highest attainment of the Protestants generally in the mystery of salvation ADam was the first man created after Gods own image he was a publick person and he sinning sin entred upon all and death by sin the Law was afterwards revealed by God to Moses wherein was a copy of that first image or righteousness from whence man fell and under the condemnation of which all mankind were by nature or as born of their first Parents The way of life or salvation which was revealed to be a way our of this condemnation and death was by Iesus Christ the Son of God born of a Virgin in the fulness of time made under the Law and fulfilling the Law bearing our sins crucified dead buried and risen ascended and entred into glory and sitting at the right hand of God making intercession for us and by the Preaching of this Iesus Christ in the Ministry of the Word which he hath set in his Church a true and lively faith is begotten in the hearts of men such as are elect or chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world were layd not from any works foreseen but of Gods meer grace and by this faith so begotten they apply Iesus Christ and all his merits to righteousness and justification and through this and the sanctified use of all other ordinances of God as Preaching Prayer Sacraments the regenerate are more and more sanctified and so built up in graces of faith repentance love new obedience and made to persevere through the power of God unto salvation Nor is the Ministry of the Law useless in this the Law being a part of this Ministry to bring men to Christ or to make them seek out for mercy they discerning their misery by the preaching of the Law it being Gods usual method in Scriptures not to offer the Gospel without this preparatory of humiliation and contrition and men so humbled and wounded by the Law are only fit for the mercy of the Gospel or of Jesus Christ This Iesus Christ they beleeve to be one ascended according to that body he appeared in and sitting at the right hand of God and in the figure of glorified flesh according to which all the Saints shal be glorified in their souls and bodies and in Jesus Christ thus glorified in flesh and entred thus into his Fathers glory they beleeve and to the Lord Jesus in this figure and form of glory without them they are carried out in faith and through Jesus Christ thus they believe that they are justified and through the Spirit of God in this Iesus Christ they are sanctified Of Faith FAith they say is a grace wrought by the Spirit of God whereby a beleever rests upon Jesus Christ for justification and this they cal faith of adherence and when this faith works through love obedience self-denial and other fruits they call it faith of assurance for they say assurance is obtained through the Spirit of God bearing witness in promises and good works as wel as by it self and faith working thus is sanctification too or holiness wrought by graces A further Discovery as to Free-Grace THey beleeve Iesus Christ ascended in the body accordingly and glorified in flesh and through Iesus Christ thus ascended and sitting on the right hand of God in this figure and bodily form they accordingly conceive all graces of Spirit to flow forth into the Saints in faith love obedience c. But they look not on justification as flowing from Christ acted upon by the faith of a beleever first and so a consequent of beleeving or of faith but an antecedent or going before faith they hold Jesus Christ to be righteousness and justification to a sinner and that all are justified before they beleeve or repent and faith repentance are fruits of righteousness or justification Christ being given to open the eyes of the blind and to bring the prisoners out of prison c. and that all such righteousness and justification clothes the sinner so compleatly through Gods imputation that all sin is done away like a thick cloud and none imputed to beleevers Christ hath taken away all sin by his offering up one sacrifice once for all and that faith in the beleever doth nothing no not instrumentally as to justification but as by way of revelation and manifestation of that justification Hence it is that they affirm no beleever ought to pray for pardon of sin being a righteous person at once in Christ and wholy pardoned but all this righteousness and justification they take upon the account meerly of Gods imputation of Christ without us or in heaven who calleth things that are not as if they were and they look upon all works and duties c. as works flowing from love and from justification or righteousness not directed to justification or in any order to it we beleeve repent love and obey say they not that we may be saved but because we are saved and any other way of beleeving obeying c. they look upon as legal and not so purely Evangelical and they hold forth all the work of justification and righteousness to be of meer grace and that all Gospel-promises are free and Christ is freely offered to sinâ—ers as sinners in the Ministry of the Word So as their highest attainment is this that God
the glory of those Baptists that did undertake to administer which in the Scripture method is sufficient for all others of whom the Scripture is silent And for that of Christs Disciples both in Iohns time and Christs and after his Resurrection in the Acts of the Apostles baptizing by water we finde this That the Lord Jesus himself baptized none but his Disciples nor did he in his first sending them forth give them any power to baptize as in his Ministery but they Baptized upon Iohns account that of water being his ministration who Baptized unto Christ as well as they though not in that cleerness of ministration and Doctrine as they did and therefore Paul did tell the Corinthians he was not sent to Baptize and did it according to his spirituall liberty he was a Iew to the Iew c. and Peter and the rest did it upon the like account though I beleeve they were under more bondage to these outward things as washing for Peter was an Apostle to the Circumcision and Ananias who baptized Paul was a Jewish Disciple And further I beleeve that as the Lord did suffer the Law of Ceremonies to dye out by degrees and to be worn out by the ministration of the Gospel so he did that part of Johns Ministery of washing by the Baptism of Christ of his Spirit I must decrease but he must increase which surely was spoken not according to the persons of John and Christ but according to their ministration which is the great thing the Scripture takes notice on The Spirit and life of outward Ordinances THe second Man or Adam in whom we all live is a quickning spirit and the Lord from heaven and is at the right hand of God viz. in the choicest glory of the Father That by which the people of God or all true Christians are born is the seed of God or Word of God or the divine nature of Jesus Christ or the Spirit of God which is called sanctification regeneration That the true spirituall Christian is that new creature that sanctified one or regenerate one who is thus born and hath Christ formed on him and this new creature is fed by the Spirituall life of Christ That the new creature or spiritual man is one who receives all his growth and encreasings in the power seed and Principle of the Spirit of God or Jesus Christ That the Ministry or Ministration by which he grows up to that fulness of stature in Iesus Christ is a Ministry or ministration of glory spirit That the true and spiritual Baptism by which every Christian is baptized into Christs death is the Baptism of Blood which is the righteousness spirit or life of Christ That the due and spiritual Sacrament of the Lords Supper is the very body and blood of Christ in the Spirit or that pure spirituall nature of Iesus Christ quickning and feeding up the Christian into a spirituall life and vnion with God That the true spirituall Minister is Iesus Christ who is called a Minister of the Sanctuary which the Lord pitched and not men That Iesus Christ is the true Spiritual Apostle sent out from God to reveal the Father and is so called by the Spirit of God in Scriptures the Apostle and high-priest of our profession That Iesus Christ is the true spirituall Prophet that teaches his people so as they are all taught of God and is so called in Sccriptures a Prophet which the Lord God raised up in stead of Moses That the true Spirituall Pastor is Iesus Christ who is that one Shepherd prophesied on who can lead his people onely into green Pastures or places of life That the Spirits of just men made perfect or the true Christian in spirit are those true spirituall Elders in the New Testament That the true Church of Christ is that spirituall company whom Christ hath washed in his blood cloathed in his righteousness sanctified in his spirit espoused to himself this is the City of the living God the heavenly Ierusalem the generall Assembly and Church of the first-born the House and Temple and Kingdome of God That the true spiritual keyes of the Kingdom of God is the very Spirit of God the very Spiritual power of Jesus Christ upon beleevers and unbeleevers who hath the keyes of David and opens and no man shuts and shuts and no man opens That true spiritual excommunication is Jesus Christ who is mighty in Spirit and Power in all his pronouncing an anathema maranatha or curse upon all flesh and delivering the body or sinful flesh over to Sathan or the power of darkness whereby flesh and every fleshly member is cast out from all communion with God and Jesus Christ and from those who are indeed born of God and are the true Spirituall Church of God which is no more then that true difference and distinction which Jesus Christ puts betwixt the pretious and the vile The true Spirituall Gospel-Order which the Apostle rejoyced to behold is that spirituall distinction and variety in the body of Christ wherein one Member differs from another in measure of Spirit and Glory and Power and yet all compleat and make perfect that body of Christ in the Spirit for he being a spiritual head must have a spirituall body The true Spiritual government is Christ reigning in the Saints in Spirit ordering them in thought word and deed holding forth his power and scepter which is a scepter of righteousness against flesh and blood Principalities and Powers spirituall wickedness in high places The true Spiritual Covenant is the New Covenant which God makes with us in Christ and wherein he is manifested to be their God and they his people to teach them and write his law in their hearts The true Spirituall Ordination is the hand of Jesus Christ stretched out or laid on upon the Spirits of such Christians as preach or Prophesy of the Ministery of the Gospel that is such are rightly and purely ordained and sent out who are sent out from the power of the Lord Iesus to whom all power in heaven and earth is given and are annointed of him to preach the Gospel and sent of him who ascended to give gifts unto men some Apostles some Evangelists some Prophets some Pastors some teachers The true spirituall tryall or examination of the gifts of any is then when the Spirit of the Prophets is onely subject to the Prophets that is when the gift by which any one speaks of Jesus Christ is manifested in the hearts and spirits of the Saints when they see the truths they minister as they are in Jesus and in themselves and in them that are spiritual and truly anointed by the same Spirit and so are all Prophets according to the measure given or as they are all baptized into one spirit and body and have all received of his fulness who is that great Prophet raised up of our brethren like unto Moses and are redeemed to be Kings and Priests and
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
first born which are written in heaven This is the Church to which Jesus Christ is all and in all filling all the Apostle to thisChurch the Prophet Pastor and Teacher preaching to it prophesying in it feeding it and watching over it and teachingit so as all are taught ofGod This is the Church against which the gates of hel cannot prevail having Iesus Christits rock and foundation This is the Church to which all the promises of Spirit life and glory are made to the beleevers and members that are in this Fellowship and of this Church And into this Church all are admitted through the Spirit of Christ and all are discerned members in the same Spirit and tryed by the Spirit And this Church of Christ being thus baptized by Spirit into one body is not to be divided by any outward things which are of this Creation which are visible outward and perishing or by any fellowship and ordinances below the glory of the Spirit which are part of the first Tabernacle nor are the members of this spiritual Church to be divided by any schism or division procured or effected by any principle less or less excellent then the Spirit of God And therefore whatsoever fellowship in pretence of Church-notion or Baptismnotion or Presbyterial-notion shal cast it self into any model of the letter which allows not communion with other beleevers in Spirit in whom the power of the Spirit and of Christ cannot be denyed but to be visible and apparent though not in the practice of some particular ordinance such fellowship wil in the day of the Lord Iesus or clearer revelation of Christ see how they have offended many little ones whom in these outward things they ought to have pleased to edification the law of love and spirit or life being more royal and excellent then any worldly rudiment whatsoever The true Personal Raign of Christ as it is Spiritual The Lord Jesus is entered into his glory having crucified flesh and sits at the right hand of God or in the choycest glory of the Father where he is the Lord that Spirit and the Lord of glory The Lord Iesus must reign til he hath put all his enemies under his feet he fils all administrations of Dominion Iudgement Power and Magistracy in the world which is part of his Kingdom here all judgement and power in heaven and earth being committed unto him yet this is not his spiritual reign though administred by him who is in Spirit The Lord Jesus hath a kingdom inward and spiritual the kingdom of God is within you the kingdom of God is righteousness peace and joy the kingdom of God is in power The Lord Jesus denyed his kingdom to be of this world or to come with observation as lo here or lo there as the glory of the world and the kingdoms of the world is in its appearance The Lord Jesus his coming is as lightning from East to West filling heaven lightning is a glory without figure so shal Christs coming and revelation in Spirit be for as the lightning lighteth from one end of heaven to the other so shal the coming of the Son of man be The Lord Jesus his coming is in Spirit and glory in revelation in his Saints he shal come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that beleeve The Lord Jesus reigns already all things are put in subjection under him death and hel and sin and Antichrist and the wicked only we see not all yet put under him Jesus Christ reigns inSpirit only his reign appears not yet now are we the Sons of God but it doth not appear what we shal be but when he shal appear we shal be like him All the prophesies and promises of glory and a kingdome of Antichrist to be destroyed of the great Battels of the Thrones of the new Ierusalem of him on the white horse the Lord of Lords and King of Kings are most glorious in Spirit and most suitable to Christ in the glory of his Father and for any other figure of Christs reign or kingdom in any fleshly glory political or monarchical kingdom according to any pattern upon earth these conceptions or notions are occasioned by the Allegories and Allusions and Parables the Spirit speaks which they that are weak and carnal as some Disciples and Pharisees were take more in the Letter then in the Spirit Antichrist within us THat Antichristian mystery which seems to be working in so many figures and shapes without in the world and makes up the truth of those Scriptures of the beast and the whore and the false prophet c. flows only from the Antichrist within us or the mystery of iniquity which lies in the flesh or old man or man of sin the Son of perdition as in the root seed or principle and in us you may finde all the delusions and deceivableness of unrighteousness with all the severall figures it appears in in the Revelation and Epistle to the Thessalonians and the Spirit of that Naturall man in us acts all that wickedness in us which in the World comes forth onely in Images more Visible and fleshly and to the destruction of this Antichrist we should look and lay the Axe to the root of the tree carnall wisdome self-righteousness high imaginations fleshly apprehensions of God and Christ changing the truth of God into a lye with all the false testimonies of our own spirits for the Spirit of God the counterfeit sealings and assurances of our carnall hearts the deceiveableness of carnall reason with all other actings of the flesh The Doctrine of Baptisms THe Doctrine of Baptisms is such a doctrine as cleerly and spiritually understood and opened will establish the Spirits of many Christians who are much in the dark in these not distinguishing nor discerning the Baptisms as they are in their own Nature and in Spirit or as the truth is in Jesus The Baptism of Sufferings THe Baptism of Sufferings is that Passion Crucifying and death which the Body or flesh of Christ was to be Baptized or washed in Can ye be Baptized with the Baptism that I am Baptized with The Baptism of Sufferings is that in which the Lord Jesus was to be perfected according to the flesh it behooved him to make the Captain of our Salvation perfect through sufferings The Baptism of Sufferings is that Jordan that stream or flood of Passions which all the Spirituall Israelites were to pass through this was that River of Brimstone which is kindled from the breath of the Lord Jesus himself through the flowings of which he was able to conduct all his and Land them safely upon the shore or land of Promise or on the other side Jordan I have a Baptism to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished This Baptism of sufferings is that in which all the whole
things nor any infallible consequences or interpretations of Scriptures They wait for a restauration of all things and a setting up all Gospel Officers Churches Ordinances according to the patern in the New Testament They wait for an Apostle or Angel that is some with a visible glory and power able in the Spirit to give visible demonstration of their sending as to the world and thus they interpret those places of the Revelation This is the highest of their Attainment But some speak of a further discovery and more spiritual then this of the SEEKERS as this 1. That there is no warrant from Scriptures to expect any restoring of Offices or Ordinances according to the first patern in Scripture 2. That the first patern in Scripture of Offices and Ordinances was but a more purely-legal Dispensation or a discovery of the Gospel rather as to Christ after the flesh then after the Spirit and a discovery as to the weaknesse both of Jews and Gentiles then respectively to visible Administrations and gifts of Spirit 3. That the Administrations and gifts then were but a ministration in part and darkly as in a glasse and of things that should vanish away 4. That God never set up any Administration or Office but for a time and season and used it as a temporary dispensation as the Tabernacle Temple Law Priesthood c. and then left them never to be restored So the first Gospel-administration by Ordinances gifts c. 5. That to wait in any such way of Seeking or expectation is Antichristian because there is no Scriptures to warrant any such restauration or expectation of such administrations and that all such waiting is that desert wildernesse-condition prophesied on by Christ that is waste and barren as to spiritual things If they say Behold he is in the desert go not forth And that it is that condition prophesied on to be in the secret chambers or single fellowships that are in such expectations a chamber signifying an upper room or a room above others so this state of Seeking is thought by those of that Way to be an upper room or higher administration as to Presbytery Independency Baptism c. and that Lo Christ is here or the gathering into that Way and saying it is his to wait in 6. That the truth is Christ is in all his in spirit and truth and as the eternal seed and his fulnesse is already in the Saints or all true Christians and that all growth improvement or reformation that is to be is onely the revelation or appearance of this When he shall appear c. or to be revealed in the brightnesse of his coming in the day of the Lord Jesus and that he is in us that true life salvation glory onely we see him but in part and that all conceptions of God or Christ as to distance of coming c. administrations ordinances gifts are but to expect Christ in a fleshly way or appearance not as he is in us our life fulnesse hope of glory c. And this next appearance of his shall be in his own light spirit and glory in himself and his And this is that Reformation to be expected this is the last administration of himself by himself in his In his light we shall see light And the Saints or true Christians shall not onely see God thus in himself face to face as they are seen but the world shall see him in a way of conviction and spiritual judgement upon themselves even him that sits upon the throne And all that pure administration of Ordinances and Gifts which was and is expected by these is but a middle or interdispensation betwixt God and his wherein God is seen as in a glasse not as he is in his own glory which is himself which is the last and most spiritual discovery The Grounds both against Liberty of Conscience and for it clearly stated for all to judge Against Liberty of Conscience these are the strongest Grounds and all the Grounds generally known 1. THe Magistrate is the keeper of both the Tables of the Law and as he may punish any evil committed against the second Table or the society of man so he may punish any Idolatry committed against God or the Worship of God in the first Table 2. The Magistrates under the Old Testament reformed Moses and Joshua the Kings and Princes of Judah and Israel Nehemiah c. so the Magistrates now 3. The Magistrate is the minister of God for good and a terrour to evil works and bears not the sword in vain therefore may punishHeresie and Schism becauseevil 4. The Magistrates are prophesied on to be assistants to the Church of God Kings shall be thy fathers and Queens thy nursing mothers and therefore may punish all such as are enemies to it as all Hereticks and Schismaticks are 5. Peter smote Ananias and his wife Sapphira with death which was a temporal punishment for their sin of Hypocrisie so may the Magistrate put forth a temporal punishment for a spiritual offence 6. Paul wished that they were cut off which troubled them therefore Magirates may cut off Hereticks because they are troublers of the Church 7. The Church of Thyatira was reproved for suffering Jezebel to teach and to seduce therefore Magistrates are not to suffer false Prophets or Seducers to be 8. The father and mother of him that is a false Prophet shall thrust him thorow and say Thou shalt not live for thou speakest lyes in the Name of the Lord This was a Prophecie as to Magistrates punishment forHeresie 9. If Magistrates shall not punish for Heresie Errours and Schism there will be nothing but Confusion and no settlement nor establishment of any Peace Order or Truth in the Church 10. It appears from the practice of all Christian States generally who punish all such as conform not from all Councels and Synods who still hold this power to be in the Magistrate of reforming and punishing Heresie and Schism The Grounds for Liberty of Conscience which are strongest and are all commonly known 1. Moses was a keeper of both Tables onely as he was a Type of Christ and so called the Mediatour of the Old Testament and Worship of God then but so is not the Magistrate now the Office of Moses being fulfilled in Jesus Christ and ending in him even in that Person in whom all the Types were fulfilled 2. The Magistrates of the Old Testament as Moses Joshua the Kings of Judah and Israel Nehemiah c. were in a peculiar and special way of Magistracie as to that Church-Politie of the Jews and had a special and peculiar and infallibly directive power of Priesthood with Urim and Thummim and Prophets anointed of God to assist and direct and instruct them in the Law or Reformation of the Church at such times as they reformed And the Law of the Old Testament lay more