further revealed in Revelations 2. 9. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty c. and ye shall have tribulation for ten dayes this was written to the Church of Smyrna or to all Christians under the figure of that Church which was tribulation prison or bondage and poverty that is while Christians are in their former administrations as in bondage prison poverty looking at all they have as nothing and all former things they were rich in as nothing and now as bondage to a more excellent enjoyment of God This is likewise in the mystery of it the cross of Christ or the fellowship of Christs sufferings crucifyings and death for as Christ crucified all that glorious administration in which he was in the flesh and it all died to a more glorious life even the glory of God the father so every Christian is to take up this cross and to bring his highest and choycest administration to this cross and to have them all crucified to higher discoveries of God this is the knowledge of Christ Crucified or self-denial Many Christians who are sadded darkned in much tribulation as to the administrations they are under and take them for desertions and withdrawings of God when as they are the presence of God upon such administrations making them dark and wither and consume and the bringing in of a richer and fuller glory God in heaven or in a place of distance as to our infirmity MAny Christians in theirconceptions of God andprayings or addresses to Godconsider him as in a local glory and so change theglory of the incorruptibleGod into an image made like to corruptible man God is infinite and all in all and whither shal I go saith the Psalmist from thy spirit or whither shal I fly from thy presence and where is the place of his rest And say not in thy heart who shal ascend into heaven to bring Christ down from above The word is nigh even in thy heart the word saith the Apostle that we preach which word was Christ the eternal Word which was with God and was God And thus the Lord is said to be at hand the Lord is at hand The spiritual Christian knows that all figures of place as of Gods residence as heaven and all such discoveries of God as to place or distance are only as to man and to the infirmities of man and therefore prays not and speaks not to God nor of God as to Place or distance but as if he were in him and about him his right hand embracing him and his left hand under him and in such discovery of God as he hath by faith c. or any such graces and other administrations he worships not God nor considers God as that or that discovery because then he should worship something for God which is not God and as Iohn fall down at the feet of the Angel or some glorious ministration and worship there The carnall and weak christian worships prayes c. and thinks of God as to form figure and place and distance and discoveries of him by graces gifts c. Whereas God is only to be enjoyed in those as in a glass darkly for we have not seen his shape nor heard his voice The Spirituall Sabboth THis Mystery of God was held forth first in the Creation in that of the seventh day which God was said to sanctifie which was no other then the enjoyment of God in the Revelation of himself who is perfect rest and sabboth in his own glory the six dayes being accordingly a figure of the Christian in bondage or under active and working administrations as those of the Law and Gospel are as all forms of worship duties graces prayer Ordinances c. This Sabboth was a sign to the people of God in bondage or under the law and the Lord Jesus in his Active and fulfilling Administration while he was in the flesh was the Antitipe of the six dayes and his entring into glory was that very Sabboth and rest which was the bosome of the Father from whence he came and where he returned and this is the scope of that fourth chap. to the Hebrews and the bosome of the Father is that Sabboth or Rest there remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God and he that hath entred into his rest hath ceased from his works as God did from his that is the Lord Jesus having fulfilled his dayes work as to the law entred into his glory or rest so Christ in that held forth the true Christian Sabboth which was the father as Philip shew us the Father and it sufficeth us there is fulness rest sabboth and sufficiency in the Father or Revelation of God in the Christian So as the Spirituall Christian in the true discovery of God his fulness lives in an eternall every-day sabboth while some live in little more than the bare sign or one day in the week The Gospel as in its own glory and as in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament THe Gospel is everlasting for it is the tydings and Revelation of God in love grace or mercy to his or God manifested in flesh or making his Tabernacle with men This Gospel which is no other then the mystery of Salvation revealed or declared in Spirit to men is cloathed in several administrations as that of the Old Testament and the New the Scriptures of both being the Revelation of heavenly things by earthly or created things or by naturall forms and expressions so as the letter is a parable figure or allegory by which spirituall things are spoken and brought forth amongst men they are they which testifie of Christ hitherto I have spoken to you in Proverbs c. The Scriptures or writings of the everlasting Gospel are the true scriptures as they are the very Image and letter of the mystery of Salvation or of Spiritual things or the mind of God or as they are in that pure and spiritual Order and form of words to truth its self not as they are meerly in their grammaticall construction and sense or common reading which any that understand the Hebrew or Greek may receive and therefore the Scriptures according to such or such interpretations consequences of men are not to be imposed as meer things of faith and fundamentals but so far as the spirit of God reveals them to be that very truth and minde of God in those who receive them else they are received and acknowledged for the Authority and reputation of men not of God therefore Christ told the Pharisees they erred not knowing the Scriptures and yet they had the Scriptures and read them and understood them in the letter but not in the Spirit The Gospel being thus distinguished into the spiritual nature of it and into the administration with which it is cloathed nothing is pure spirituall divine Gospell but that which is light life glory spirit or God revealed whatsoever is of meer
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
of the children of the bondwoman and of the Christians under the Apostacy or in meer letter and corrupted forms of worship and as the Jew was reckoned before to be the people of meer Ordinances and of the worship of God according to the letter of Scriptures to whom the Oracles of God were committed and to whom pertained c. so the Christians generally who are now the people of the New Testament as to letter and of all the worship according to the scriptures in the letter are that Jew under the new Testament answering to the Jew under the old there being two seeds according to the flesh and according to promise though they by promise or faith are counted for the seed The calling of the Jews is the bringing up the Christians from letter to Spirit and according to this mystery the Jews shal be called and converted dayly and are for in the whole Nations of Christians as of Italy Germany Poland Denmark Spain France Scotland England c. the Lord shal call in many by his own Spirit into himself and shal be revealed in them in power not in form That the Jews who are by nature Jews or according to fleshly generation shal be no otherwise called but as the other Jew of which they are a figure and thus they interpret the call of the Iews and not in any such outward observation as men commonly suppose not remembring that the kingdom of God comes not with observation as to the world and that the day of the Lord shal come as a snare upon all the earth All false worships ways practised in Conscience or in Liberty will be destroyed in Christ's day GOD hath a time before Christ come in Spirit as he had before Christ came in the flesh a time wherein he suffered long and was patient and was revealed to his people though dwelling in much Gentilism Judaism and ignorance and therefore Gods appearance or communion with his people from the time of the falling away or of the man of sin being revealed hath bin in grace and long suffering and hath patiently born his being crucified in spirituall Sodome or Egypt and therefore he hath been with his people under Popery under Episcopacy and is at this day not in approbation of their forme but in his own meer love grace and long-suffering and is at this day accordingly with the people in Independency Presbytery Baptism c. and all other male-administrations The Lord Jesus hath a day and time to be revealed in which is his coming in the Saints when he will judge the World and then shall Antichrist be consumed and the flesh of the whore or Babylon in all her administrations shall be tormented and burnt with fire and not a little one of Babylon shall be spared but dashed against the stones not the purest Idols she hath even Idols of gold and silver with all her merchandise pearls and pretious stones and cynamons and odours and frankincense all things of false worship c. and administration though very sweet and pretious in the judgement of flesh and blood and then shal all the saints Indulgencies cease to all these things under which they are now walking some in Conscience some in Liberty even then when Gods indulgency ceases A discovery of Christ in us SOme say it is no other but habits of grace in us and such a work of sanctification mortification wrought by the graces of the Spirit and this they say is Christ formed in us the image of Christ the conformity to Christ this the Protestant generally Others say Christ in us is when we are made the anointed of God which is the Christ or the whole entire Christ as one spiritual new man And that the image of Christ in us is Christ manifested in our flesh as to sufferings and death whereby the flesh is crucified in the power of God and of the Spirit and the outward man or the Flesh is dying and perishing even day by day and is then dead when the very life of the Flesh is slain and we live no more unto our selves but God or Christ liveth in us it being no more we that live and manifested as in resurrection or in the life of the Spirit wherein we who were dead in sins and trespasses are risen with Christ who is the resurrection and the life I am the resurrection and the life The Fiery Tryall THere is a State and condition of Christians scarce known and it is the fiery Tryall or that power of God put forth upon the administrations that Christians are under and so passing out of them into higher discoveries of God and the fiery tryall is the Spirit of God burning up or destroying such an administration to a Christian as when a Christian passes from a meer legall state into a state lesse legall or more Gospell receiving some more precious and sweet appearances of God in Grace and free promises in this passage there is a Fiery Tryall upon that first Administration that was Legall whereby mans own righteousness is consumed and crucified to a more excellent discovery of God and even in that more Gospel-State of a Christian whereby he enjoyes God in that ministration of graces gifts and Ordinances there will be a fiery Tryall in a Christians passage into more glorious manifestations of God and there will be a burning and torment even in that ministration of his graces and gifts c. And this State is Prophesied of in that Scripture the sun shall be turned into darkness the moon into blood before that great and notable day that is not only the Lord Iesus the Sun as some say wil be as darkness to the world c. but all that which was the glory and light of a Christian and his way of communion with God his Sun and Moon and Stars shal be darkned and become as blood before that notable day or that more excellent revelation of God and that of Peter but the day of the Lord will come c. in the which the heavens shal pass away with a great noise and the elements shal melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up which is not only a Prophecy of the last judgment but of the particular judgment upon former administrations in a Christian which is figured out in the heavens and earth and elements which are those more or less glorious administrations and the fire is that trial by the Spirit of God which as fire burns and destroys This is accordingly figured out in that to the Corinthians The fire shal try every mans work of what sort it is If any mans work shal be burnt he shal suffer loss which work is those several administrations of gold silver pretious stones wood hay stubble which pass under the revelation of the day or glory of Christ or fire of the spirit This is
it but the peace and prosperity of Kingdomes and Magistrates who establish it and the life glory and happiness destruction and death of Kingdomes is wrapped in the Christians life or death they are the parts and Members of Christ the apple of his eye his Jewels his anointed his Prophets his Children As therefore ye look to be prospered by this Spirit of God as ye look for wisdom from this Spirit of God to govern this State as ye look for comfort from this Spirit of God in all your distresses as ye look for gifts from this Spirit of God in all the administrations as ye look for the sweet spirituall breathings and refreshment from this Spirit of God in all the severall changes of this creation love preserve Indulge this Spirit quench not oppose not oppress not this Spirit confine it not to one outward form or fellowship of men which are not that Catholick Church that Apostleship of infallibility and they that are spirituall live in that spirit truth which makes them free indeed and it is below that Spirit of God to Petition liberty of conscience in spirituals from any men or Magistrates in the World because God will make Ierusalem a cup of trembling to all Nations and a stone of astonishment and the spirituall Christians will rather hold forth such things to bear witness to the truth and to desire all to forbear persecution as much for their own sakes who persecute as for theirs who are persecuted And for that just power of Magistracy I acknowledge it a Power Ordained of God for administration of Iustice and righteousness in the societies of men and nations a Minister of God for good a terrour to evill works and that we are to be subjest to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake and for this cause we pay tribute to whom tribute honour to whom honour and all societies of Christians by no pretence of religion or liberty for the worship of God are to resist or disturb the civill administration of this power but as to that consideration all Christians are to suffer according to the will of God all lawfull ways for preservation of States and Kingdomes still excepted and all such Magistracy are to preserve their respective States by all wholesome lawfull cautionary Lawes and Ordinances in Peace so as while liberty or indulgency as to the tender consciences in Religion is spoken on yet no less security of the State no diminution to the just power of Magistracy no less preservation of the Peace of the Kingdom is desired by those that are truly spirituall And though many suffer under the name of Hereticks and Schismaticks before ye for not conforming to the present doctrine and discipline established Right Honourable consider whether this doth not call in question all the very present doctrine and discipline so established for by this very thing of judging all Inconformity to the present worship and form of things to be Heresie by the same all this present form of worship and confession of faith is judged Heresie and Schism to the late former government and doctrine established in the Church of England this present Synod of men being no more that visible Catholike Church and infallible Apostleship then the former were so as the changing the former Articles of the Church of England into a new confession of faith the Episcopacy into Presbytery and so altering both the fundamentals in religion and the discipline is equally new light and Heresie As to the former doctrine and discipline and if it be objected but this present Synod are men of more light and Piety then the former and so they establish more truth and bring in more Reformation if so why is there not more love more peaceableness more self-deniall more power of godliness then there was in the suffering Bishops and the Preaching Lay-Martyrs then who loved Christ in himself and in one another And now Noble Senators since very worthy things have been formerly done by ye unto this Nation let not your Sun set in a cloud nor your light shine upon those that have loved you as the Moon once upon the Water making it of the colour of Blood are ye not come to the Kingdome in Peace Are not the gleanings of Ephraim in the Vintage Did not David say shall any man be put to death this day in Israel The Lord enlighten ye if it be his will more and more in the knowledge of Iesus Christ and of the love of God and of all who have any thing of God in them and let you see those things which concerne your peace in this your day Your Honours humble Servant John Saltmarsh To all true Christians Friends THE only scope of this Book is to minde ye of an higher excellency than meer created things can afford ye of the truth as it is in Jesus or in Spirit And of that unity of Spirit which Christians should live in under their severall forms and attainments and I have not held forth any discovery of truth or of any higher dispensation so as to darken too much other dispensations in which Christians live or to lessen and undervalue their attainments but only to be faithfull in the power of God to his discoveries in my own spirit I desire we may all bear one anothers burdens and consider that God is in all his severall dispensations and measures and Christians are not to hasten out of any till the Lord himself say come up hither and the stronger are to bear the infirmities of the weak I am not against the Law nor repentance nor duties nor ordinances as some would say So as all these flow from their right principle to their right end I am not against the setling of Church-Government Prudentially as now so as all of another way be not persecuted Because I know God hath his people under severall attainments and measures and is to his people in all these in his meer grace and love as formerly to the Bishops and thousands of weak Christians in Queen Elizabeths and Queen Maries dayes of Martyrdom in their forms I am only against any form as it becomes an engine of persecution to all Christians differing from it I am not against the sitting of an Assembly or Synod at Westminster that are so perswaded because that is but to allow such liberty to others consciences as we desire our selves and surely if they would propound such things only as they have received or they are in conscience perswaded of to all the Kingdom and so leave it to the Spirit of God and their ministery to perswade and convince all others and not desire power from others to compell this were but to minister as they had received I have stated some things and truths as they are held in those very grounds the Spirit of God in the Reader may Judge truth without any determination of man I have spoken concerning the libertyof some that are spirituall
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
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
his people that he is their God and they his people by killing all the strength and life and power of the first Creation and carrying it up into a more excellent and glorious life his own Spirit And so all Christs birth growing submitting to ordinances crucifying death burial resurrection ascention were so many discoveries as to us in the flesh of the whole mystery of God in the Saints made our in these parts and degrees and several ages and conditions to shew how God weakens and brings to nothing the life of nature or of this Creation in which he wil dwel and make his Tabernacle and carry it up into an higher and more excellent life even himself and his own glory So as they say all that is spoken of Christ as in that person that was born of a Virgin who was circumcised baptized crucified dead and buried risen and ascended is spoken in figure of the whole nature into which God enters or is born into the world and so takes our nature along with him through several administrations into glory So as the summ of all is this that the Lord takes our nature or this whole Creation into union with himself and is present with it in two ways of manifestation of grace and salvation of Law and Iustice and thus God is present with the Angels and Saints with Devils and wicked men and Adam and Christ are the two eminent and principal administrations of this mystery and all the rest from Cain and Abel through all the other several persons ordinances and ministries as of Prophets Apostles Antichrist are but divers administrations or discoveries of this and all ordinances gifts and graces of the Spirit are but weaker appearances of this mystery and such ministrations as the Spirit of God administers in our nature till it be glorified in a higher glory when that which is perfect is come that which is in part shal be done away God shal be unto us broad rivers and streams where shal go no ship with sailes nor gally with oars An additional concerning Antichrist and the mystery of iniquity THese Scriptures hold forth a description of Antichrist There shal arise false Christs and false Prophets and shal shew great signes and wonders Except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped So that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God Whose coming is after the working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness And as ye have heard that Antichrist shal come even now there are many Antichrists And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth c. And he doth great wonders so that he maketh fire come down from heaven And deceiveth them that dwel on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do And he causeth all both smal and great c. to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads The great whore that sitteth upon many waters I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-coloured beast full of names of Blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns and the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and upon her head written mystery Babylon the great And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the Saints And every spirit that confesseth not Iesus Christ coming in flesh is that spirit of Antichrist From all the Scriptures and the revelation of the Spirit of God concerning the mystery of iniquity these things wil arise That the mystery of iniquity or Antichrist is a false Christ or false anointed one that is when any other thing but the Lord himself is in the place or office of Christ unto us either our own righteousness as our Priest and Sacrifice or our own wisdom wit or reason as our Prophet and Teacher and Interpreter of spiritual things And this mystery of iniquity or Antichrist is from a falling away first that is from a departure from God and the life and light of God and dependency or subsistence in God that is when man or the spirit of man wil subsist of it self live in its self and be wise of its self and worship of its self and be righteous of its self this is the man of sin or son of perdition or flesh which God wil destroy and this Spirit of Antichrist or man faln thus from God sits in the Temple of God as God that is is in all forms of worship and there lives and raigns and rules the whole man into a fleshly obedience and his coming or appearances are as Sathan that is in spiritual wickedness transforming himself into an Angel of light teaching interpreting revealing the mysteries of God in carnal reason and wisdom by natural parts and arts not in the pure Spirit and anointing of God and so performing all things in order to God and his worship and communion with him by lying signes and wonders and all deceiveableness of unrighteousness for while the spirit of man in its own wisdom and power acts in the pretence of God and to God and in the mighty working and power of Sathan it doth bring forth signes and wonders even things wonderful in the eyes of the natural man and such things as are very signes very images and shadowes of Spirituall things though not the things themselves And the appearances of this man of sin are many and divers therefore called many Antichrists and as this man of sin opposes the Lord Iesus in spirit and light he is called the beast that ascends out of the earth or the lowest part of the Creation the flesh and by the fire or fleshly counterfeitings of the Spirit which he works in the sight of them that dwel on the earth or of those that are in the flesh he deceives And yet such is the power of this beast or this spirit of flesh as it constrains men and compels them and overcomes them wholy to its own power making such in whom it reigns to receive a mark in their hand and foreheads that is to own and profess this fleshly wisdom and actings and to practise and put forth the power of it against Christ in Spirit And this is that whore too for when the spirit of man is departed from God and the life of God it is become an adulteress having left its first love or husband which was the Lord himself and sits upon a beast even upon the flesh a beast of scarlet colour that is bloody and persecuting the precious and spiritual appearances of the Lord Iesus and this is a beast of seven heads and ten horns which heads and horns are but figures of carnal wisdom and power
doth all to sinners in meer grace that no sin is imputed to sinners but they are pure only by imputation and so no beleevers are punished for sin but from sin and all works of grace in a beleever is because they are saved or pardoned not that they may be saved or pardoned and all they are to do is from love not from bondage or from a meer outward Commandment and the Gospel or grace of God in Christ is free and in free promises and so to be preached to sinners as sinners They commonly called Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists c. hold all points of doctrine as to justification sanctification faith c. the ministry of the word and Sacraments which they call means of salvation all these hold alike with the common Protestant this being the summ of the Articles of the Church of England made by the Bishops and confirmed by Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charls and there hath been uo Reformation further nor any higher attainment in these things then the Bishops made and the Synod in England formerly And all the Reformation that hath been endeavoured hath been only in some outward things as Discipline or Church-government and some outward ordinances of Baptism and the Supper not any purer or more glorious discoveries of God or the Spirit or Jesus Christ or our union with the Spirit or glory as to spiritual things or Christ risen but as to Christ in the flesh or under the law of which these ordinances were a sign A Discovery as to the general point or Christ dying for all THey say the Scriptures hold forth all sinning and Christ dying for all and the promises of Christ generally to all upon condition and exhortations to all to repent beleeve and come to Christ and therefore conclude the Lord Iesus or second man was given from the Father to give a price of redemption for all those who fell in the first man and those they say were all mankind and with Christ a Ministry of reconciliation and graces to all that will not wilfully reject or refuse or put by the offers of grace and salvation so tendered but remain passive and so far as in them lies not oppose the Spirit and means of grace though they acknowledg they can do nothing of themselves to obtain faith or any other work of salvation but all that is meerly of the Spirit of God working in those who are called and upon these general terms of grace they affirm also the election of some which they conclude from that work of God in them who are called of God through the means of grace they not resisting that call or present offer of grace And this they say is the Gospel of salvation preached to all which all may receive if they resist not The last discovery and as some say the highest and most glorious concerning the whole mystery of God to men and this Creation GOD being infinitely one yet in a three-fold manifestation to us of Father Son and Spirit would make out himself in an image in this Creation or nature and therefore he takes to himself one part of it into union to himself according to one way of manifestation called in Scripture light love grace salvation father bridegroom glory and that part of nature which enjoys God in this manifestation of grace or salvation is called the Angels the Saints the Elect the Son the Tabernacle of God the new Jerusalem the Temple the Spouse He takes to himself the other part of the Creation and there he is present but not in this way of grace and light but of another manifestation called law justice wrath everlasting burnings and these are called devils wickedmen flesh which live in God and subsist in him as creatures in their being but not in his grace and glory not in that manifestation of his the light shining in darkness but the darkness comprehending it not This is the mystery God is in as to this Creation and the brighter part of it as to Angels Saints and to the darker part of it as to devils and wicked men and All that God doth here below under the Sun is to preach this in several ways or ministrations as in the appearances of this Creation in light and darkness and in the Scriptures The Scriptures are no other then a way or ministration by letter of this mystery and all the passages there from the first man to the second from the Old Testament to the New with those two very appearances of the two men or Adams were but a ministry or way of God to signifie or figure this mystery and so all the rest we read of as of Cain and Abel Isaac and Ishmael Iacob and Esau Israel and Iudah Saul and David Iudas and the Eleven Christ and Antichrist and thus these set forth and figure this mystery They say Adam was a way by which God preached first to man and was not the first man in whom all stood fel but a way by which this mystery of God was made to appear first to the Creation Adam held forth nature or a part of this Creation in communion with God as to grace and love while he stood and another part of the Creation or nature out of communion with God as to love and grace but in communion or union to God as to law and justice or wrath and thus they interpret those Scriptures of mans first glory and fall less in the very letter and more in the mystery and according to Adam in this two-fold state were all the rest Cain and Abel c. They say that God in the Old Testament preached this mystery though more darkly and in shadows as in the law and sacrifices and in the children of the bond-woman and of the free of Israels walking with God and apostating And that the Gospel or fulness of time of the clearer discovery of this mystery was the Lord Jesus himself or God manifest in the flesh or as in one man a figure of the whole mystery as to grace and love or God in flesh or in his or of God in that other part of his Creation his Church or Saints And all that God did in this single and particular manifestation in flesh as in one man was only a more full clearer excellent and full and spiritual Ministry of the mystery of salvation therefore Christ is called a Minister one sent an Apostle And all that Christ did from his childhood to his crucifying death and cross was a discovery of God by this figure in the whole mystery how God is in all his and how he works and hath his times of law of graces and Gospel of crucifying and offering up all to death through the eternal Spirit which is the blood of the everlasting Covenant or Seal whereby God witnesses to