they might the Ceremoniall and other Lawes Secondly From the nature of the law it selfe which in Scripture is compared to fire hammer Sword c. whereof circumcision was a figurative signe shewing it to be no lesse then a keen cutting instrument through the penalty which by a secret insition was to seperate that caule skin or film spread over the Spirit eye judgement of reason at first occasionally entering in by the sences now through custome being so habitually contracted in mans nature as it proves to some many times an incureable disease i Necessary it was then that from the eight day of the wombe at the first budding of the sences they should bee gradually and regularly disciplined accordingly And as for time so for place this signe was very significant it being done there from whence instrumentally was to bee acted the strongest and most burning lust of humane and naturall concupiscence the difficulty in suppressing which and the danger of neglecting was secretly hinted by the paine sorrow and bloodshed in this ceremonial transaction neither is the persons lesse observable God shewing by such an administration that it was the male not the female that was first intrusted from whom as the head and stronger vessel he cheifly of him required performance or else his blood must go or some others for him must doe and suffer what in Gods account is a satisfaction equivolent Thirdly When circumcision and the Law was most in force and highly exalted and through a sence thereby of mans weaknesse though it became instrumentall to beget as upon Hagars knees faithfull children unto Abraham Yet Gospell and Evangelical righteousnesse as a spring and river of life sweetly yet secretly was then running under allegories tipes and ceremonies in a ministration distinctly differing from the former for they all dranke of the same spirituall Rocke that followed them and that Rocke was Christ and they all were baptized as wel as circumcised though mistically under a cloud and in the Sea where water and not blood was the materiall substance of this ordanicall Sacrament Fourthly From the nature and end of baptisme it selfe which is not to bee paraleld so as to come in the roome of circumcision The matter and manner of which holy institution presenteth to our view and serious consideration these severall things following First That it is neither circumcision nor any other ceremoniall reparation but an absolute Sacramentall dissolution of our bodily elements into their first principles as best suiting with a visible Gospell administration From which secondly was lively represented to the eye of faith not sence by the death of the body a spirituall freedome from the imputation of sin * power of the law curse death and the devill The ground of which is this in that God at first gave this Law principally to be binding to the sensitive and weaker part the inward man from it being destinct although united makes but one person l upon which the outward being first in the transgression and by occasion an inlet of sin to the other It pleased God to impute that sin and charge the punishment upon it when yet by a decreed union If faith in an unexpected promise had not intervened the inward had also been in the same predicament from the neernesse of which union of these two destinct natures there is a communion of operations and proprieties so that what may be affirmed of one and the same person at one and the same time in referrence to one nature may be denyed of the other so that by one he may be said to be earthly dead under the law c. and by the other he may be said to be yet heavenly not living under that Law holy blessed and under the protection of God for ever And yet again where faith in a promise is not there a person in both natures is perpetually miserable but where it is that person in both Natures is eternally happie Yet in order first the one and then the other this then asserted is cleared if we observe that when God came to execute judgement he progressively past sentence upon that which was the first occasion of sin beginning with the Serpent then the woman and last of all with the earthly man making good his former threatning That in the day it did eat it should die For earth it was and to earth it should return which was the substance of the outward not the inward m man Thus then this exact compounded elementarie substance at first a fit instrument for the celestiall Spirit to transact a terrestial service being under the sentence of death it became not only unserviceable through a declining weaknesse but it caused also a spirituall death dulling the edge and quenching the sparklings in the Intellect of the divine off-spring for the cheering and reviving again of which he was pleased by a promise in a blessed seed of the same substance to give hope to the one by dying of a better Resurrection and through the quickning spirit for the present to give the other deliverance from a sinful captivity Now a figure of this death of the body was lively held forth by the bodies blood of Beasts which were to be offered up in Sacrifice as a present attonement for the reprieve of all sublimary created things of the same elementary substance until the substance of that which was chiefly tipified and intended namely the body of Christ in which as a spiritual publike person all the bodies of the Saints was included in the offering up of which the wil of God being done he hath consecrated for ever through that will those which by faith in his blood were sanctified Thirdly Baptisme was also ordained that it might be not only a similitude of that union and communion of the body of Christ with the faithfull but also that it might hold forth by this union to a visible part in the behalf of the rest of the members of the invisible body a community of the same Spirit vertue life resurrection and glory of the Head And this we find excellently set forth to us worthy our serious perusall in the sixt and seventh Chapters to the Romans the Apostle in the seventh shewing That now the first husband the body to whom the Spirit by union was marryed it was dead to the Law in the body of Christ so that now the spirit without being counted an Adulteresse might make choice for a husband him that is raised from the dead That by such a union it might bring forth fruit unto God for faith he when we were in the Flesh the affections of sin which were by the Law had force in our members to bring forth fruit unto death but now we are delivered from the Law he being dead that is to say the body in whom we were holden that we should serve him in newness of Spirit and not in the oldnesse of the Letter Fourthly and lastly by the
body c must be dead because of sinne when the spirit is to live for a better righteousnesse sake And so I come to the second particular the Government Ecclesiasticall which imediately receded the other in the Infancy thereof The instruments and formes whereof hath also beene various before the time of Christs fleshly presence the reason of which was the good pleasure of the Fathers will the divine mystery of his Grace since revealed to us in the fullnesse of time for the most part hid in d him whose dispensations works alwayes appeare most perfect in the end During the infancy and minority of the mysticall body of Christ the Church then begun it seemed good to him here and there to enlighten and by a secret and inward call to seperate and segregate from the Common masse of mankinde such as should hold forth according to the measure of faith then dispenced the word of life That in divers wayes manners e and formes of discipline were made instrumentall in their generations to congregate as time and place afforded the children of truth Gradually first preparing and then through union of affection couching them in their due place as so many pollished stones upon that precious corner and first foundation stone of the spirituall Temple Christ Jesus I purpose not here for brevity sake to write severally of the particular Formes in those Ages past but rather with the * Authour of that forenamed Pamphlet I shall fall in with his Method in that Forme since as a Government for us more practically imitable It was evident then according to Scripture when the full time appoynted of the Father for the spirituall liberty and age of the Church was come He sent forth his Sonne into the world cloathing him with humane flesh and in the substance and shape of man put him under the Law That in his pure flesh in mans stead and for his benefit he might actively and passively performe what God or man by any Law could possibly require and though he knew no sinne neither was a transgressor of any Law yet he being instrumentall in the Creation of man the first and supreme * head of man by relation a * brother to man and by a peculiar right had an interest in man it was both just and reasonable that he onely as the fittest person should principally transact the affaires of man and for that end he was by God in the behalfe of all fallen man imputed a sinner numbred amongst transgressors made a curse by suffering upon the Crosse as a Thiefe and Murtherer that so thorough this Gods peculiar ordinance and acceptance he might no more remember or punish eternally the transgressions committed against the first Testament as also to give a sure ground of future hope that the bodies of the faithfull one day shall be perfectly redeemed from the power of sinne death and the Devill unto which by a righteous sentence they became with others most miserably captivated with all to give good assurance to all such by the death and sealing bloodshed of this Sonne of God which was appoynted to be both the testator and Mediator of the new Covenant t eternally stablished upon sure promises their spirits once cleansed from the filth and guilt of the old May now by a new and living way thorough the vaile of his flesh have a free passage into the most holy Sanctuary and presence of our heavenly Father in the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God and for that end this our great high Priest and Apostle of that faith which wee should professe during the time of his abode upon earth he made it his own because the Fathers worke to dispence light according to his will in matters of this Nature that so by it he might publiquely gather unto himselfe all those children of God that were capable Subjects for an audible administration and for that cause he was pleased to elect not onely twelve principall but many others to whom he did impart those mysteries that they might afterwards as good Disciples and Scribes before instructed communicate the same Upon whom after his ascention he poured out his spirit in the dispensation of extraordinary gifts that so by them the foundation begunne and forme prescribed for such a sprituall structure might successively be carried on in all succeeding times untill the very top stone should be layed and grace grace cryed thereunto It s easily conceived then by that 's past who were the Mr. workemen and what was the matter for this building but for evincing a double mistake in our pretended Mr. Builders It s necessary the matter of it be a little further considered It being affirmed by some on the one hand that all persons in a Nation yea infants are fit materialls for this Caelestiall Fabricke The folly of which opinion appeareth in that it is not onely contrary to the practice and direct precept but also the true nature and end of this institution by Christ Besides what benefit can acrew to Infants and others almost as uncapable to be made Members by any initiating ordinance since they are in no capacity through naturall weakenesse visibly to doe or receive any good neither hath God at any time or anywhere as is falsly by them premised engaged through an unwarrantable use of Baptisme to wash away originall sinne Regenerate visibly unite to himselfe and save Infants for why then doth not answerable effects follow Time quickly shewing that many thousands so baptized become Abhominable and Reprobate to every good worke Strange therefore it is to see how these men have been pusled to evade the cleare light of this Scripture Go discipline and baptise and that other Scripture he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but to these persons it seemeth fulfilled if they injoyne others to professe faith for them which visibly have none as if one mans bare profession which is not probably reall were with God meritoriously saving for others in like manner are they pusled about Circumcision which they say Baptisme cometh in the roome of when its clear to them which wil understand that Circumcision was no initiating ordinance for a Church and Gospel fellowship It being but a signe of an externall Covenant and stipulation made with Abraham and his Seed for a revive of the first Testament touching a civill and unblameable conversation in the flesh For sayth God my Covenant shall be in your g flesh So that all Israel after the flesh by the Law gendering to bondage were not Israel after the spirit borne of the free woman gendering to a spirituall liberty And this I am induced verily to believe for these Reasons viz. First Because all those that partook of Circumcision by Scripture proof were rigedly bound to a personall and perpetuall performance of the Morall Law in reference to the outward man h which our Saviour yet testifieth none of them did * keepe nor indeed could as
water in Baptisme covering the earth of mans body it being plunged therein was further signified the sanctifying and renewing again of the body through that Spirit which by a first moving on the surface of the waters gave being in the creation to all things of the same Elementary substance which should be as certainly performed as mans body came forth of the waters a sure testimony of which was evident in the head and others the first fruits of the same by this then as I conceive hath been confuted the first error shewing that Infants and many others upon these grounds are not fit matter for a visible Church or Congregation and though I have in this exceeded an intended brevity yet in things so greatly Important it will I trust be excusable for this seriously considered will put an end to those bitter long disputes and voluminous Treatises about the Law and Gospel Gods seeing or not seeing sinne in reference to the one or the other Covenant c. The Error on the other hand is in some that conceive them only fit which for knowledg and practise are seemingly more eminent whereas at first a Gospel conviction and need of a Christ and a voluntarie submission to his government for a further Instruction through doctrine and discipline was a good ground of admission For Christs Kingdom in the Church is a Kingdom of Grace long-sufferance and meeknes The Subjects whereof at first are very rough hewed not polished stones weak in knowledge and many times more in practice Those Ministers and strong Christians then intrusted ought to bear the Infirmities of the more feeble carrying these Lambs in the bosome of Love leading gently and guiding these younglings in grace like good Pastors so truly knowing the state of their flock as to distinguish them by their names natures and manners that so he might accordingly feed them with knowledge and understanding Not in civill contentions but Evangelicall conclusions but how rare are such at this present what plenty of those shepherds that God so * passionately and pathetically reproves in Ezekiels time that he said Eat the fat and clothed themselves with the fleece of the Sheep but did not care to feed so as to strengthen the weak heal the sick binde up the broken bring again that which is driven away neither sought that which was lost but with cruelty and rigour did they rule them The Lord himselfe then the great and living Shepheard there promiseth to supply their place and doe that for his Sheep which was neglected by those evill Shepherds that is to say to lead them into green Gospel pastures refreshing them with the sweet and pleasant springs of salvation strengthening the weak healing the sick c. As it followeth excellently in the same Chapter The next thing then to the matter is the form of this government which was first those Ministeriall officers as to be ordinary and perpetual were Pastors to instruct and teach Deacons to collect keep and disburse the publike stock Elders among themselves to over-rule and end all civill and occasionall differences Seers to watch over each particular Member which was to present as need required the true state of things to the Church there was also a forme of Sacraments one of Baptisme of which is already spoken One other and main end of which was to distinguish all visible members within from them without putting such into a visible capacity thereby of those benefits before exprest to which then was added the Sacrament of the Lords Supper through which those before baptized were made to drinke into that one Spirit which spiritually quickned it by faith in the blood of Christ running through the veins of the whole body typically represented by way of Communion in the Element of wine to the very senses of the faithfull all those benefits of Christs death and resurrection which upon frequent meeting they were publikely to hold forth in remembrance of the same After these next in order was the forme of doctrine that is to say first To acknowledge God even that Father of whom originally and effentially were all things either temporall or spirituall according to whose supream will all the distinct families in heaven and earth was both ordered and named As also that Jesus Christ his first begotten son was that person by whom all things was made is now preserved redeemed and shall again what belongs to him be restored for which cause he descended suffered ascended according to the Scripture sitting now at the right hand of God untill all enemies are made his footstool which once performed he shall then deliver up the kingdome to God the Father which then shall be all in all to the whole body filling every part according to their measure with his owne fullnes as he now doth the head for the effecting of all which glorious promises in the behalf of the holy visible invisible militant and at last triumphant Church That there is one infinite invisible incomprehensible most omnipotent Spirit which is that of the Fathers communicated to the Son and from him as head to the whole body The fift was the form of discipline which was this every Officer in their proper place through meeknes and love by exhortation instruction reproof and if need require with consent of the Church through excommunication to use their utmost endeavour to present such who have voluntarily submitted unto their Government blamelesse in the day of Christ And then the last of all is the supream end namely the preservation of each Saints propriety in their spirituall names priviledges and benefits of an eternall life so as each member in their proper place may according to the effectuall working and power which is in the measure of every part receive the increase of the body unto the edifying it selfe in love untill we all meet together in the unity of Faith and that acknowledging of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Thus as briefly as I could hath been shewed also the Governours Government matter forme of doctrine and discipline with the distinct and supream end of this Ecclesiasticall Government of Christ The third thing promised to be considered was this In what respect these two Governments so diametrically opposite as heaven and earth may yet agree and dwell together in a Nation City Family or person First they may agree in this that the son of God is constituted and by publicke inauguration is Crowned and anoynted King and Head of both these principallities and powers with their severall Instruments and weapons whither Carnall or Spirituall Secondly they may accord in this that the spirituall deserves the right hand of fellowship since all sublimary things had a being with the externall for ends subservient to this which when it shall perfectly be accomplished in the Nations This exterior Government shall be dissolved and cease The Kings and Rulers of the Gentiles
discourse as a second branch of the last particular First sum up all that hath been said touching this Primitive Ecclesiasticall constitution of government in a compendious form as it was then held forth And then secondly the grounds and reasons of the first defection and Apostacle from the same And lastly propound some means to re-estate the same in its former pureness As for the first I thinke I cannot doe better then only word for word to circumscribe what that Author hath set down touching the same in the Shrill cry where after he had shewed that the Covenant did not require conformity to a Nationall Church because the word of God acknowledgeth no other but that one visible Catholike Church which is in all Nations dispersed into congregations and families that Congregation then saith he or family wheresoever it is that in matter form doctrine or disciplin shal conform to theprimitive institution that must needs be the purest Church which we are bound by Covenant to hold forth in these Nations and that is conceived to be this when at the first by the preaching the sincere word of the Gospel so many as heard it that were convinced of their lost estate by reason of sin were incited therby publickly to professe repentance from dead works and faith towards God through the Lord Jesus desiring thereupon to bee baptized into the visible Church and under his Government to obey both in doctrine and discipline what they shall clearly be perswaded to bee his will and for that end frequently to meete in their severall Assemblies and there orderly and decently exercise each others gifts for the edification one of another in their most holy faith that so upon very good experience had upon such gifts they might out of themselves and for themselves successively choose as they stood in need Pastors and other Officers as they conceived necessary to the well-being and governing those who had voluntarily submitted themselves therunto So that then doubtles this constitution would have continued as a patterne to all succeeding Congregations Those extraordinary Messengers only excepted that by their Miracles shewed their authority from God to lay this foundation and prescribe the forme for this spirituall building Thus far the Shrill Cry But for the second touching the first grounds of apostacy its evident that from those very times this defection began the Apostle John testifying that there was then many Antichrists which by their carriages doctrines and cunning practices did deny the comming of Christ in the flesh which was in truth no lesse then to deny both the Father and the Son for he that doth deny the end of Christs comming which was to redeem inlighten fanctifie rule and governe his Church after his own mind doth in effect deny his very comming as also both father and son and is a very Antichrist To this also the Apostle Paul gives testimony that then this mistery of iniquity began to worke which first appeared in the defection and apostacy of some of those instruments that were first intrusted and furnished with ability to preach the word which afterward through a Satanicall pride and corruption in judgement began to fall off from the true Apostles usurping authority not onely over them but to reigne as Kings over the consciences of the Brethren whom then they did in the next place Secondly seduce from the sincerity of the Gospell pretending yet to be the Apostles of Christ which Paul calls notwithstanding false Apostles Ministers of Sathan transformed into the appearance of Angels of light because indeed they had a zeale for God after the righteousnesse of the law but not according to knowledge in that they could not distinguish between that active and passive righteousnesse of the Law and Gospell the one requiring and exacting obedience when it gives no power to performe the other freely giving a power to performe more than it at all times requires an exact performance to Besides from the womb of this error proceeded many more for as in the Law so in the Gospell there is such a concatination of Gospel truths that an error in one foundation truth causeth the like in others So that by falling off to the Law though they did professe faith in Christ They had no benefit thereby through the neglect of the Gospel either of an effectuall vocation justification true Sanctification or glorificaon which was only in this as Gods way to be found The Apostle to the Gallatians testifying that notwithstanding their profession of faith in Christ in that they preferred mans righteousnesse before Gods they were yet in their sins Christs death was in vaine to them And that all his benefits should profit them nothing which is as was said all one to them as if they had denyed Christs comming in the flesh And then thirdly having lost the purity of the Gospell they fell also from the forme and discipline of the same preferring circumcision before baptisme not assembling themselves as formerly refusing communion and fellowship with those purer Churches dispising and contemning those Sacraments which presented the benefits of Christs body and blood insomuch as the Apostle said in way of reproofe that if a temporall death followed the breach of one of Moses Laws how much shall he bee guilty of a sorer punishement which by the neglect of Gospell truths and Ordinances trample under foot the blood of the Sonne of God Finally After this corruption in doctrine there was so great a departure from the faith that ther followed as universal a corruption in manners and then the man of Sinne the Antichrist not long after came indeed to be revealed whose onely worke was to set himself against and above Christ in all his gospell-ministrations confounding all primitive order and forme both of doctrine and discipline admitting none but himselfe and his corrupt Clergy to be sole Judges in matters of faith which did assume to themselves onely the name of the holy Church that so he might the better sit in the consciences of those hee calls the Laiety as if it belonged not to them either to know or receive any benefit by Christ through a faith of their own over which he did so lord it that he compelled them contrary to their owne light implicitly to beleeve and obey many times those things that were both contrary to nature Law and Gospel Which together with many more horrid abominations that for brevity sake is here remitted So then by this such a thick and close darknes covered the eyes of the people that very few had in those dayes any true understanding in the mistery of the Gospell the Gospell then being turned into the Law and other humane traditions And when that darkenesse began a little to be expeld about Luthers time yet by and by after there was againe such a confused mixture of the Law and Gospell that it was hard to say which was either Which * Luther indeed prophetically foretold should come to passe through