Ordinances and Statutes Christ commanded the Apostles and his Disciples which was the first Church the very same must be taught to the successive Churches in all ages to the worlds end the consequence is clear which is that Christs Ordinances and Statutes are to be taught upheld and practised after Christ and the Apostles by their successors in all ages till the worlds end And this further appears for as Christ promised them that in their so doing that he would be with them to the end of the world even so the holy Apostle Paul saith as touching that holy Ordinance of breaking of bread and eating of it and blessing of wine and drinking of it in commemoration of Christs death that their doing of it was to shew forth the Lords death till he came again To which I find these two objections viz. as first to that in Mat. 28. Loe I am with you always to the end of the world That is saith Mr. Henden to the end of that age and this he said to me in that discourse above mentioned to which I say now as I said then to him It seems very strange to me that a man that professeth Schollar-ship and godliness should say so without shame and blushing for confident I am that if Mr. Henden knoweth any thing he knoweth this that although the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken for age yet it is to be understood the end of age or the whole time at least of Christs ascention till his coming to judgement for if it were to be understood only that age or generation then in being then the word would have been rendred thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a word used by the same Evangelist for generation Mat. 24.34 and it is frequently used for the present age or generation but a few words to observe the sequal or obsurdities of the consequence which is By Mr. Hendens opinion preaching and baptizing and the promise of Christs presence with his people was to continue no longer than that present age that the Apostles lived in for preaching and baptizing and the promise of Christs presence is the things that Christ speaks of in Mat. 28.19 20 21. And that is to be understood but to continue but for that present age saith Mr. Henden and yet he saith in the second page of his book intituled A glass of some new discoveries That the Ministry and Baptisme and Communion was to remain and did not fall in all the times of Apostasie And how these things agree together or whether they come not from a Babel understanding I shall leave the serious reader to Judge and pass to the next Objection which is in answer to Saint Pauls words to the Corinths 1 Epistle 11. Chap. which saith So often as you eat of that bread and drink of that cup shew ye the Lords death till he comes But say some here I do not accuse Mr. Henden but rather the generation of men commonly called Quakers affirming that Christ is already come meaning that he is come in spirit dweling in the hearts of the Godly To which I answer and say that they which had obtained that injoyment even the Church of Thessalonica which was in God even they did expect that personal coming of the same Jesus that was crucified and raised again form the dead which delivered us from the wrath to come and that the Church of Thessalonica was a Chruch in God read 1 Thes 1.1 8. And that the word of the Lord sounded out from them read vers 8. and yet for all that they waited for Christs appearance vers 10. chap. 2.19 chap. 3.13 chap. 4.15 16 17 18. 2 Thes 1.7 many places of holy Scripture might be brought to prove this but time is pretious and also because this Church is a people much spoken of by them I only bring this Epistle although I could bring Peter and James and John to prove this at large but I leave this objection and the former and shall shew you several grounds and reasons why all the Ordinances of Christ shall continue practicable and to be practised by the Lords people till his second coming Reas 1. The first ground and reason is because the Commission doth not only direct command the Apostles Ministry to teach men to observe all things viz. all Christs Statutes and Ordinances but also commands that it should be made known to all the World successively that every creature may hear of it for the obedience of faith and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16.15 16. Mat. 28.18 19 20. In short I shall observe only these three things which is First that it was the will of Christ that the Apostles should teach the observation of ALL HIS STATVTES Secondly as it was his will to have the observation of all his Statutes taught so also it was his will that the observation of all his Statutes should be taught to all men namely all Nations or every creature that is where ever the sound of the Gospel went which hath or shall be preached to all nations for a witness Mat. 24.14 Revel 14.6 Thirdly it was also his will that all men might know that in their observing all his Statutes and Ordinances unto the end that they should not only obtain salvation at the last but in the mean time in the observation of his Statutes and Ordinances they should have his spiritual presence with them alwayes to the end of the World that is he would as well manifest his spiritual presence with the successive generations to the end of age as to the age or generation then present Object But some will say that God doth not manifest himself in our age as he did in the primitive age for they could work mircales so cannot we To this I briefly say at present because I do intend to speak more largely to it anon that God hath manifested himself very gloriously to many that never wrought any miracle as I think none wil deny for John did no miriacle and yet God did manifest himself very excellently to him but more of that anon and at present I pass to the second ground reason to prove that all the Ordinances that Christ appointed in his last will and testament are to continue till his second coming Reas 2. Because when Christ ascended up on high as he left his mind and will what he would have done even so he gave gifts to men some to be Apostles viz. Messengers and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the gathering or perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto the perfect man unto the measure of the stature of Christ that we HENCEFORTH mark that be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of
come to the next particular which is the seventh and eighth thing which I shall put together and make the seventh compleat with it to shew who are the two Prophets or Witnesses and where they are to prophesie and to whom Seventhly The two Prophets I understand to be two men appointed and set apart by the Lord for that work to prophesie before Nations and Kings to turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the hearts of the Children to the Fathers that the Lord may be one and his Name one upon the Mountains of Israel and these two persons or men as I understand them to be the one I understand to be Elijah or Elias which is one and the other John the Apostle and that Elijah is one read Mal. 4.5 which saith Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the Great and DREADFVL DAY of the Lord and he shall turn the hearts of the Fathers unto the Children and the hearts of the Children unto their Fathers left I come and smite the earth with a Curse From this Text we find that Elijah or Elias is to come before the GREAT and DREADFVL DAY of the Lord and Christs coming in the flesh when he was born of the Virgin was not the Great and Dreadful Day of the Lord for he came in such a mean way in that day that he was not dreadful to his enemies but they were bitter unto him as to whip him and smite him with their hands and crucifie him and indeed that day of his coming was so far from being the dreadful day or the notable day of the Lord that his coming in that day was prophesied on this wise Who hath believed our report or to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed for he is despised and rejected of men he was numbred with the transgressors and bare the sins of many and made intercession for the transgessors Isa 53.1 3 12. even so saith the Prophet Zachariah Chap. 9.9 Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion shout O daughter of Jerusalem the King cometh unto thee he is just and having salvation lowly and riding upon an Asse and upon a Colt the foal of an Asse All which sheweth with many more that might be added that the coming of the Lord in the day when he was born of the Virgin was not that notable or dreadful day of the Lord but a day little noted so as but few to believe his report And Secondly where it is said that the hearts of the Fathers in that day should be turned to the Children and the hearts of the Children unto the Fathers is clearly seen not to be meant the coming of the Lord in his first day of whom John the Baptist was a forerunner to prepare his way for in that day as was prophesied of him he came to set a man at variance against his Father Micah 7.6 Mat. 10.34 35 36. Luke 12.49 50 51 52. in these words Think not that I am come to send peace on earth I came not to send peace but a sword for I am come to set a man at variance against his Father and the daughter against her Mother and the daughter in law aguinst her Mother in law and a mans foes shall be they of his own houshold compared with Luke 12.53 which saith That the Father shall be divided against the Son and the Son against the Father the Mother against the Daughter and the Daughter against the Mother All which clearly sheweth that the coming of the Lord Jesus in his first day when hew was born of the Virgin was not that notable or dreadful day of the Lord of which Elias was to be a forerunner of but relates to another day in order to the reconciling of that great difference between the Parents and Children which difference and division was begat between the Parents and their Children by Christs first coming who came not as he saith himself to send peace upon the earth but a sword namely a house divided the Father against the Son the Son against the Father c. but because I shall hasten to the Conclusion I shall wave all long circumlocutions and in short say as beforesaid that Elijah or Elias is yet to come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord to turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children who is to be one of the two Prophets or Witnesses to establish the remnant of the Womans seed namely the Children of Israel which remain in the City after the Womans flight into the Wilderness Object But against this is objected from the words of Christ that Elias is already come which was John the Baptist Mat. 11.14 Mark 9.11 12 13. Luke 1.16 17. Answ That John the Baptist was a fore-runner of Christ in his first day is not denied and that he came in the power and spirit of Elias is as clear for as Elias shall and did bear witness to and for the Lord even so did John the Baptist and so was a lively type of the Elias which is to come for the type or figure of the thing is often called by the name of the thing it self and so we must understand Christs words here where he saith That Elias is already come meaning John the Baptist or otherwise we set Christs words and Johns words one to contradict another for the Scripture saith That John did no Miracle and yet all that he spake of him was true John 10.41 and John himself when the Jews sent Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to him saying Who art thou art thou Elias he said I am not Elias John 1.19 20 21 22. But him of whom the Prophet Isaiah spake of saying I am the voyce of one crying in the Wilderness c. So then from hence we may see that John was a true Prophet and spake the truth and yet when it was demanded of him whether he was the Elias which was to come he said I am not Elias From whence I conclude that although John came in the spirit of Elias and was a type or figure of him and so might be called by the Lord Elias he calling the figure of the thing by the name of the thing figured yet no more the Elias which was to come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord than the Bread and the Cup of the holy Supper of the Lord is the real Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and yet Christ himself saith Take EAT THIS IS MY BODY which is broken for you and yet it was but a figure of his Body to shew forth his death to keep us in remembrance thereof and also we see that there was pictures made with Gold out of the Mercy seat with wings to cover the Mercy seat and they were called Cherubims and yet were not real Cherubims but were a figure of the Cherubims or did only represent them So that we may see that the thing representing is called by the name of the
the Scriptures and if thou find in this Treatise any thing that seems strange unto thee be not over hasty to condemn it or the Author but know assuredly that he is one that aimeth and strives after Truth as much as thy self who ever thou art and know that the things that are disapproved of by men are the things that are chosen of God and precious and that in all Ages as I have formerly said the Truth of God hath been accounted Heresie and the assertors thereof Hereticks and turners of the world upside down therefore it much concerns thee to be earnest with God in prayer and supplication to give thee a discerning spirit that thou mayest discern between Truth and Error I have in the following Treatise shewed in a methodical order what Baptism is and that it is not Sprinkling or scattering a little water in the face of the Subject no but a Dipping or Plunging or a thorow washing of the person Baptised and also that the Subjects to be Baptised are not Infants as such but such as have first believed in the Lord Jesus or at least such as do make a visible profession of faith such were those that John the Baptist Baptised for they came and confessed their sins and was Baptised of him in Jordan and also when the Eunuch said to Plilip See here is water What hindreth me that I may not be Baptised and he said If thou believeth with all thy heart thou mayest and the Samaritans when they did believe the things concerning the Kingdome of God and the name of Jesus they were Baptised both men and women So that the Scripture is plain that testifieth what Subject should be Baptised And that conceit or more properly great deceit about Original Sin in saying That Infants dying in their Infancy without being Baptised are damned and so bring in Infants Baptism to purge away Original Sin I have shewed is no such thing but a dream of mens own brains and that there is not one Text of Scripture from Genesis to the Revelation which saith that any shall die the second Death for Original Sin nay the second Death was not so much as threatned in any one Text of Scripture either upon Adam or any of his posterity for that sin but the Death of the Body was threatned and also executed for saith the Lord Dust thou art and unto Dust thou shalt return And as touching Mans Mortality it is a general received Opinion That the Soul of Man is Immortal and dyeth not although the Scripture saith that Christ poured out his Soul to death and made his Soul an offering for sin but it is supposed that when men die their Souls if they have done evil go immediately to Hell and in the Resurrection come again from thence to be judged to see whether they deserve it yea or nay as though Souls should be put into their torments before they are tryed and judged to see whether they have deserved it yea or nay for although some mens sins go before to Judgment so as that they are convicted before death yet some mens sins come after them that there is not the sense of their sins at the time of death but they come after them unto Judgment these things I have shewed my opinion upon also the which amongst men is strangely looked upon as a gross Error however peruse it for there is no dangerous consequence in it for he that believeth it or he that believeth it not may both meet with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God if they walk uprightly according to their several measures although if it be a Truth as it appears to me to be it is very necessary that every godly man know it for several reasons that I could give But as touching the Resurrection of the Body which I also have spoken to that is of such weight that without believing it and being stedfast in the same it makes Preaching voyd and Faith voyd and whosoever doth deny it their words eat as doth a Canker and indeed I do not see as yet how such men as deny it can be saved I have also shewed the great and universal love of God to all men which is the ground of Faith and Salvation to all that do believe and be saved which is a very comfortable Doctrine to all men and I think that none can have cause to be offended at it but such as have their eyes evil because Gods eye is good And as touching the Personal Reign of Christ upon Earth viz. on the Throne of his Father David in Zion in Jerusalem is that which causeth the godly to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory and it is that which Christ hath commanded us to pray for though we understand it not as we should do when we pray Thy Kingdome come thy will be done in Earth as it is done in Heaven but that he is to receive a Kindome and Reign upon Earth I have proved in its particular order although briefly I have also added a second Part entituled The good ancient Laws and Statutes of King Jesus Vindicated wherein I have proved the continuance of all the Laws and Ordinances of the Lord Jesus given forth in his last Will and Testament with many Objections answered And also have shewed who is the travelling Woman spoken of in Revellations 12. and who is her Man-child and who is the Remnant of her Seed and to what Wilderness she is to flea into and for how long and who are the two Witnesses and the time and place of their Prophesie and many such like things which I have shewed my opinion upon in the following Treatise and therefore I desire thee courteous Reader to peruse these things seriously and desire the Lord to give thee an understanding heart to receive it so far forth as thou findeth it agreeable to the Word of the Lord and sound Reason It should have been published long before this time if extraordinary occasions had not hindred me therefore it is my desire that they that have long waited for it may excuse the matter because many are sensible of my great occasions taking me off from finishing of it sooner So desiring the Lord to make it to be a word in season unto thee and to fill thy heart with joy thorow believing and also with the fruits of righteousness that having thy fruit in holiness the end may be everlasting life which is the desire of Thy Friend and Brother in the Faith and Profession of the Gospel of Christ GEORGE HAMMON THE CONTENTS OF THE Principal Matters Contained in this BOOK B BAptism to be Dispenced to such as are of ripe years and of understanding Page 5. to page 12. Baptism may not be Dispenced to Infants for several Reasons page 13. to page 25. Of the Battel of the great Day and the Destruction of Gogg and his Company page 89. to page 92. G Of Gods universal Love unto all men and how far
must not be meddled with The sum of all is this First That there is many things used amongst the Sons of Men pretending Worship to God which is abomination unto the Lord and yet no text of Scripture forbidding in so many words saying Thou shalt not do so And Secondly Whereas it hath been affirmed That there is no Example or Command for Women to Eat the Lords Supper It 's false for there is a plain Precept 1 Cor. 11.28 in these words Let a man examine himself and so let him eat which is Preceptory that is He must examine himself and so he must eat The word LET is preceptory Object But if it be Objected that the Text saith Let a Man Examine himself and let a Man eat Answ I Answer It is read in the Greek Let a Man or Woman examine themselves See 1 Cor. 11.28 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a Woman as well as a Man and thus the Woman is to be understood implyed in many places although not mentioned in our Translation as well as the man And so it is said Gen. 5.2 That God made them Male and Female and blessed them and called THEIR name Adam And thus you may see that God hath not left us to be guided by blind Consequences but hath left us a plain Rule And as many as walk according to it Peace be unto them and Mercy upon all the Israel of God So then there being many things practised pretending Worshipping of God and are vain and yet not forbidden in so many words Thou shalt not do it So that these may see themselves Answered which hopes that Infants Baptism may be lawful because the Scripture no where saith Thou shalt not Baptize thy Children neither is it any where Thou shalt not Baptize thy Books and Bells and yet to do it is to practise a Tradition of Man in the Service of God and unlawful And thus I pass from this Objection and also from this Subject of Discourse and come to the next which is that of Original Sin Some Objections ANSWERED TOUCHING Original Sinne. AS touching Original Sin there hath been a great Controversie Whether it made Adam and his Posterity guilty and liable to the Second Death or to the First only or to both And it being the main Controversie between me and my Antagonist I thought good to give my Opinion further upon it and to Answer such Objections as are offered by my Adversary and possibly some others as time will admit of and my Way or Method to make the Matter plain shall be by laying down this Position which is Position 1. That the Sin which Adam committed in Paradice did not make him and his guilty of and liable to the Second Death Which I shall prove by several plain and evident Reasons drawn from the Scriptures but before I speak unto it be informed what I mean by the second Death and that is the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which the Scripture calls the second Death Revel 20.14 for I do beleeve that the Wages of Sin is Death but as there is a twofold Covenant so there is a twofold death viz. a first and second Death And that sin in Paradice made Adam and his guilty of the first Death but sin against God manifest in Christ makes man guilty and liable to the second death And so I come to the Reasons to prove That Adams sin in Paradice did not make him and his guilty of and liable to the second Death And so to the First Reason which is Reas 1. Because God did neither threaten the second death neither did he pronounce a second death or any thing of that nature in the Sentence but the first death only with sorrow labor and such like things as the punishment due to that sin And first we may read the threatning Gen. 2.17 in these words But of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die or in dying thou shalt die Well for all this threatning Adam did eat and thereby did transgress Gods Law whereupon God goeth on to pass sentence upon Adam according to what he threatned to bring upon him if he did eat and transgress his Law and his sentence sheweth what death it was that he threatned which was the first death only and not so much as one tittle intimated of the second death in the sentence as you may read Chap. 3.17 18. in these words And unto Adam he said Because thou hast hearkned unto the voice of thy Wife and hast eat of the Tree whereof I commanded thee saying Thou shalt not eat of it Cursed is the ground for thy sake Thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth unto thee in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to the ground for out of it was thou taken Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return From whence we may see that there is not so much as a tittle of a second death but only the first death Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return that was to be the end of all Object But it is Objected and said That the death mentioned in the threatning must be understood a death of the Soul for ever or a second death because Adam died not in his body or the bodily death that day which he sinned but lived many dayes afterwards Answ In Answer to this Objection Consider these two things The First is That one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day 2 Pet. 3.8 And Adam lived not a thousand years nor no man ever did and therefore Adam upon Gods account died the same day which day in Gods account is a thousand years which no man as before said ever attained to and so died according to what God threatned within the compass or time of the Day In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die And Secondly God that seeth all things at once and calls things that shall be as if they were saw Adam dead the same hour that he sinned and he was as really dead in Gods account as Christ was a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world or as Abrabam Isaac and Jacob living in a state of Resurrection when God appeared to Moses in the bush Matth. 22.30 31 32. And thus much briefly to the first Objection the second is Object 2. What is meant by the Hebrew word saith my Antagonist in dying thou shalt die Answ To which I Answer and say That so soon as Adam had sinned he was mortalized and in a dying condition never continuing in one stay but in the midst of life subject to drop into the dust and so in being in a dying condition till he did return to dust it was said in dying he should die that is he should be dying till he was dead and this is meant by the word
namely Mans Mortality A DISCOURSE Touching the Mortality of the Soul IN order to the clearing up of this Subject of Dicourse I shall lay down this Position which is That man by sin made himself wholly mortal So that when God shall take away his breath which is from the time of death till the time of Resurrection he is no more then what he was before God breathed into him the breath of life which was but dust and also to dust he doth return and the word Soul is used for illustration sake and very large in its acceptation in Scripture sometimes to be understood one thing sometimes another that no man living can say of any one thing this is the soul and this is not but the whole individual man is taken for the soul and where there is spoken of soul and body there is no more difference than there is between Spirit and breath only it is spoken by way of illustration and the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie several things as the Mind Will Soul Delight Pleasure Affection Disposition Phantasie Life Breath Wind Blast Wrath Anger Memory Thought Stomack Courage Advice Opinion Heart Witt Stoutness Willingness Promptness or Readiness of Mind also Sleep and also Man these many significations and more is derived from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we read in our Translation Soul But leaving these things I shall come suddenly to the Reasons and then answer some Objections but first see some Scriptures which proveth that Man is wholly mortal and first see the words of the Wise man Eccles 3.19 20. in these words For what befalleth the sons of men befalleth Beasts even one thing befalleth them as the one dyeth so dyeth the other yea they have all one breath so that man hath no preheminence above a beast for all is vanity all go to one place all are of the dust and return to dust again Agreeable to the Word of the Lord Gen. 3. Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return and this is also further amplified by John 4.7 8 9 10 11 12. in these words For there is hope of a tree if he be cut down that it will sprout again and the tender branches thereof will not cease though the root thereof wax old in the ground and the stock thereof die in the earth yet thorow the descent of water it will bud and bring forth branches like a plant but man dyeth and wasteth away ye man giveth up the Ghost and where is he as the waters fall from the Sea and the floods decay and dry up so man lyeth down for we must needs die and be as water spilt upon the ground that cannot be gathered neither doth God respect the person of any man yet he hath used a means that his banished shall not be for ever expelled from him From whence we may see that the estate of man is compared to the floods that are dryed up that is become as it were nothing and is so to remain until the resurrection for by sin and death we are banished from the Lord yet he hath used a means namely to bring us forth again at the Resurrection that his banished should not be for ever kept from him but if the righteous go to heaven so soon as they die how are they banished from him and become as water spilt upon the ground For what man is he that liveth and shall not see death Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave Selah Psal 89.48 2 Sam. 14.14 No he cannot deliver his soul from the hand of the grave when God sets his heart to look upon man as you may see Job 34.14 15. in these words If he set his heart upon man if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath all flesh shall perish together and man shall again return unto dust From these words we see all flesh is to perish and man is flesh yea the whole man for that which is born of flesh is flesh now the soul of man is born of flesh and if it be not spirit it must die and the Apostle saith that the first man meaning the whole man was earth earthy and as is the earthy so are they that are earthy howbeit it was not first that which was spiritual but that which was natural and then that which was spiritual speaking there of the man Adam and the man Christ affirming that the first Adam was an earthly natural man and the second Adam viz. Christ was a heavenly spiritual man so then the first man thorow his sin made himself mortal even the whole man there is a multitude of Scriptures that proveth this thing but time being very pretious with me I cannot at this time set them in order before thee but shall pass to some few Reasons to prove man wholly mortal and the first is Reas 1. First because Christ dyed soul and body to purchase our souls and bodies from the grave and if Christs soul dyed it was really to that end that our souls might not lie in the grave and if we had dyed only in body then Christ had dyed only in body but the whole man being mortal and returned to dust Christ also poured out his soul to death and made his soul an offering for sin as saith the Prophet Isa 53.10 When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed mark that he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand 12. Because he hath poured out his soul to death and he was numbred with the strangers and he bore the sins of many c. From hence we see that Christs SOVL dyed that ours might live again and not be left in the grave which proveth that our souls are mortal and die and so I pass to the second reason to prove That the whole man is mortal which is Reas 2. Secondly because if mans body be mortal and that die and his soul immortal that live then man hath two lives two distinct Beings which is not for if there be two distinct lives and two distinct Beings then Adam was two distinct Creatures and then it cannot be said that as by the offence of ONE Judgment came upon all men to condemnation for Adam upon that account was TWO distinct beings having two distinct lives but man having but one life the whole man must be mortal or the whole man immortal and that the whole man is mortal the Scriptures and our experience doth witness Reas 3. Again Thirdly Because otherwise Christ had done Lazarus wrong by raising him from the dead for if his Soul had been in Heaven four dayes and then Christ fetched it from thence it was so far from an act of love to him whom Christ so well loved that it was great prejudice and also I strange that Lazarus did not mention one tittle of the glory of Heaven if he had been
from him for Christ hath destroyed him that had power over death which is the Devil and hath delivered us by Resurrection who by the reason of the fear of death were kept in slavery all our life long For nothing would be so troublesome to the godly as the thought of death were it not for a Resurrection but saith the Lord I will ransome them from the power of the grave I will redeem them from death O Death I will be thy Plague O Grave I will be thy destruction He will swallow up death in victory and the Lord will wipe away tears from all faces Hosea 13.14 Isa 25.8 2 Sam. 14.14 Heb. 2.14 From these Reasons and Scriptures and many more which might be added we may clearly see That the dead namely such as do now and shall sleep in the dust shall arise both good and bad and come to Judgment And now courteous Reader seeing it is so that the dead as before said must arise and come to Judgment be exhorted to take up that good resolution with the holy man Job 14.14 which saith If a man die shall he live again then all the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come giving thanks alwayes to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away Therefore gird up the lines of thy mind waiting for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ who will change our vile bodies and fashion them like unto his glorious body according to his promise and mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light To whom be praise and glory for ever and ever Amen 1 Pet. 1.3 Phil. 3.20 21. 2 Tim. 1.10 Secondly take this word of advice by way of Caution which is take heed and beware of giving heed to such as do deny the Resurrection of whom there is two sorts now in our dayes as there was in the Apostles dayes the one sort is like unto the Saduces Mat. 22.23 which deny that there is any Resurrection Angels or Spirits viz. God or Devil Heaven or Hell of that sort is the Ranter and his adherents and such like Athiestical Spirits And the other are like unto HYMENEVS and PHILETVS 2 Tim. 2.17 18. who say that the Resurrection is already past whose words eat as doth a canker and of this sort is the Quakers who doth affirm that he is already risen from the dead and in the Resurrection and so the Resurrection is past to him who denyeth iniquity in words in the history and yet heaps up iniquity upon iniquity in the mystery And these are the two sorts which may fitly be compared unto the Sect of the Saduces and to Hymeneus and Phyletus and I do not report the things whereof I write by hear-say but from their own mouths the more is the pitty and to be lamented These two sorts differ in manners or conversation but very little in Judgment in point of doctrine unless it be in that of conversation as before said the which if they had the conversation of Angels and yet so corrupt in principle the Scripture declares them to be in a cursed and miserable condition Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. Col. 2.18 19. Acts. 3.23 24. And indeed the conversation of many of them is bad enough although they disfigure their faces and seem unto men to fast from sin and to be more righteous then others yet they have been seen to want that special duty of prayer in their families and giving thanks in the presence of their Families for their food which God hath bestowed on them although Christ and the Apostle did not neglect to do their duty in that case to lead us an example but no more as to this I shall leave it until the day in the which God will try the wayes of the sons of men and discover all deceit and falsehood of what nature soever it be But as touching the opinion about Gods holy Ordinances by which he hath appointed to be worshipped in is sleighted and rejected by them as water-Baptisme and eating of Bread and drinking of Wine solemnly celebrated to set forth Christs death and a participation of the benefit thereof with the slightings of forms as they call them although God delight in nothing which is out of form and order as the host of Heaven and earth doth declare who when God found them without form and void did by his word put them in form and order and gave decrees to the Sea and ordinances unto the Sun Moon and Stars and they keep them so that God delights in form and order and also is a God of order in all the Churches of the Saints hence Saint Paul commended form Rom. 6.17 18. in these words But ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you being therefore made free from sin ye became the servants of Righteousness c. From whence you may see That those men which do slight and deny forms in our dayes have not received that Spirit which was in the Apostle but another Spirit even the Spirit of error although it strive to transform it self into an Angel of light that thereby it may deceive the hearts of the simple for men are got to this height of wickedness in the mystery as to think that they comprehend all things and so consequently are Gods but they shall die like men for their breath is in their nostrils yet talk of what you will almost it is in them as they say as the first Adam and the second and God and also the Serpent slain within them the tree of life and the tree of knowledg the judgment seat Heaven and Hell Mount Zion and the new Jerusalem the two witnesses and what not they have comprehended all these things as they say but alass they die and in the very same time their thoughts perish and they are chased and gone like a vision of the night Mark one peece of horrible pride of Spirit which is in them they will not allow the holy Scriptures to be called the word of the Lord neither do they exhort and press men to be diligent to read and keep the things contained therein but their fraughty books must some of them bear the Title of the word of the Lord to the world and earthly men and the like so that he that seeth but very little may see them to be the men before spoken of which shall deny all that is worshipped as God shewing themselves that they are God O horrible pride and yet pretended humility this is ungodliness in a mystery I shall not enter upon the particulars of their bottomless opinion first because it is not my task at this time and
the Greek Phrases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to this agreeth the saying of our blessed Saviour written by Saint John 3.16 17. in these words God so loved the WORLD mark the word WORLD that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life for God sent not his Son into the WORLD to condemn the WORLD but that the WORLD thorrow him might be saved To which add that which is written 1 John 2.1 2 3. in these words My little children these things I write unto you that ye sin not but if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation of our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD From these Scriptures with many more that might be added it doth evidently appear that Jesus Christ did die for every man and yet further to confirm this truth I shall prove it by sircumlocution or plain reasons drawn from the Scripture and the first is Reas 1. First Because God hath sworn by himself because he could swear by no greater that he desireth not the death of such as die or of the wicked but tels them that their destruction is of themselves as Ezek. 33.11 in these words Say unto them as I live saith the LORD GOD I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that he would turn from his wicked wayes and live turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes for why will ye die O house of Israel And wo be to thee Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean when shall it once be Thy destruction is of thy self thy wickedness hath procured it Jer. 13.22 27. From whence we may see that God is so far from decreeing any mans damnation simply of his own will unless in reference to their rejecting of grace tendered that he hath entred into an oath before the sons of men not to desire their ruin unless they resist his spirit in the tenders of grace which sheweth that he gave his Son to die for such as perish for without blood there is no remission of sins so then there cannot be a tender of the Gospel which is remission of sins to such for whom Christ dyed not but more of that anon I pass at present to the second Reason to prove that God gave Christ to die for all men to bring them to a Resurrection and glory as before said which is Reas 2. Secondly Because as God hath sworn not to take pleasure in the death of them that die so he hath also said that it is good and acceptable in his sight and well pleasing to him to have all men have Salvation and to that end Christ dyed as you may read 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3 4 5 6. in these words I exhort therefore first of all Supplications Prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for ALL MEN for Kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who would have ALL MEN to be saved and come to the knowledg of the truth For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransome for ALL to be testified in due time From whence we may see that first as God hath sworn by himself that he desireth not the death of the wicked Secondly that he also saith he would have all men saved and that they might be saved he saith that he gave Christ to be a ransome for all men so that from these two reasons you may see Gods love to all men extended and I pass to the third Reason which is Reas 3. Thirdly Because God hath commanded the Gospel to be declared to all men and condemneth such as believe it not and the Gospel is to be understood good news viz. remission of sins and salvation by Christs blood and commandeth men to believe it upon pain of eternal wrath But if Christ did not die for every man to whom the Gospel is commanded to be preached then a lye is commanded to be preached to the greatest part of men and they damned because they believe and receive it not the which to say were ridiculous and blasphemy But that you may see that this is true consider well that if there be a Command given to Christs Ministers to preach the Gospel to every man that is to say in plain english that Christ dyed for their sins and rose again for their Justification and yet Christ did not die for every man then this is to command a lye to be preached to the greatest part of men and they damned for not believing of it if Christ only dyed for a few as some say the which so to say is wickedness and then also those that are damned for not believing the Gospel are damned for not believing a lye and how wicked such an opinion is I shall leave all to Judge who know any thing of God And that you may see that the Gospel is to be preached to every creature and men to believe it upon penalty of condemnation read Mark 16.15 16. in these words And he said unto them go ye into ALL THE WORLD mark that and preach the Gospel to EVERY CREATVRE mark that he that believeth and is baptised shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned From whence we may see that the Gospel namely the good news of Salvation thorow Christs blood is to be preached to every man and whosoever doth not believe it namely that there is life and remission of sins for them thorow Christs blood are to be damned because they make God a lyar John 3. Chap. 8. 1 John 5.10 These well considered sheweth that God did give his Son the Lord Jesus to die for every man as before said and so I pass to the fourth Reason which is Reas 4. Fourthly Because it is very plain that so many as were made sinners by the first Adam so many were made righteous by the second Adam and it is evident that all were made sinners by the first Adam Ergo all are made righteous also by the second Adam for there is all set in oposition to all that is to say so many all as was made sinners by Adam so many all was made righteous by Christ and if so then it doth follow undenyably that God gave Christ to die for every man and that the premises are true read the words of Saint Paul Rom. 5.18 19. which saith Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many be made righteous From these words we may see All set in
men from the power of the grave and brought them under promise of life and then afterwards those that sin and forfeit their bliss yet if they believe in him and humble themselves before him he takes off that sin also by his mediator-ship under the law in types and now in substance Levit. 16.8 9 10. Heb. 9. Chap. 10. And so Christ is the Saviour of all men but without he dyed for all men he cannot be the Saviour of all for without blood there is no remission of sins which sheweth plainly that God gave Christ to die for all men And so I pass to the ninth Reason to prove that Christ dyed for all men which is Reas 9. Ninthly Because Christ is called the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world he is also said to give his life for the world and to bear the iniquities of all that all thorrow him might be saved which sheweth that God the father gave him to die for all men and also that he did die for all men and thus I pass to the tenth and last Reason to prove that Christ did die for all men which is Reas 10. Tenthly Because God will be clear of the blood of all men and prove to the Sons of men in the day of Judgment that their destruction will be of themselves so that every mouth shall be stopped and all tongues confess that their not considering in their day the things that did belong to their peace is the cause of their eternal ruin and that God did strive with them but they did resist him and say to God depart from us for we desire not the knowledg of thy wayes for we will walk every one in our own wayes and after the immagination of our own heart So then men perish not for want of the tenders of grace but because they reject Gods grace and counsel when it is tendered and will not come to him that they may have life so then God did send his Son to die for all men to bring them to a Resurrection and also to an eternal weight of glory if they sell it not by their personal sins for he did die for all that were dead 2 Cor. 5.14 15. Secondly he was Salvation to all that did accept of it to the end of the world Isa 42.1 2. Thirdly he was a ransome for all men 1 Tim. 2. Fourthly hath commanded that this good news shall be declared unto all men Mark 16.15 And finally all preachers do declare the same in their preaching at one time or another although they deny it in private conference but let God and his word be true and every man a lyer that he may be just when he Judgeth and thus I shall wind up all with this Use of Encouragement Is it so that Christ did die for all men to set open a door of Salvation to every man then let every one that shall read and hear this news be encouraged to come to Christ and learn of him to walk as he hath lead him an example and follow his steps and they shall find rest to their souls Mat. 11.28 For the Spirit and the Bride saith come and let him that heareth say come and let him that is a thirst come and whoever will let him take off the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 Peradventure some poor dejected soul may see and peruse these lines and say it is true God is gracious and slow to anger and great in kindness but it is to the righteous and I am a great sinner To thee O soul I say in the name and fear of the Lord that although God be of too pure eyes then to behold iniquity yet if thou now seeth thy sins to be thy burthen and doth with purpose of heart turn to the Lord there is a door of Salvation set open unto thee and mercy prepared for thee and let not the Devil take an advantage against thee and make ship-wrack of thee against any of these two Rocks as I may say error in the Sea namely that of Election and Reprobation by the which many a soul hath been destroyed as first by perswading some that although they go or in sin yet if they be elected God will have a time to call them out of it not knowing the manner of Gods call and so have took liberty to sin and thereby have been lead captive by the Devil at his pleasure adding sin unto sin until their iniquity hath been filled up to the full and become their ruin Secondly take heed of this rock that is to say let not Satan drive thee into desperation by perswading of thee that thou being a sinner and often sinned against God that thou art not an elect vessel and then although thou humble thy selfe never so much before God yet there is no means of Salvation for thee because Christ hath not dyed for thee and therefore no Salvation I say take heed of this rock for it is very dangerous for Satan hath driven some so hard upon it that in despairing Gods love and mercy have become their own executioners but be thou instructed and know that Christ hath dyed for every man and that there is a door of Salvation set open to all men that they may have life for God desireth not their death but willeth their life and Salvation therefore let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous man his thoughts and turn unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon for if there sins have been as scarlet yet he will make them as snow and if as chrimson he will make them as wool if they be willing and obedient but if they be obstinate and rebellious they shall be destroyed for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Isa 55.7 Chap. 1.15 16 17 18. So then for sinners that turn to God there is mercy and Christs death is the ground of the hope of mercy but such as turn aside to their crooked paths and wicked practises the Lord will lead them forth with the workers of iniquity but peace shall be unto all such as turn to the Lord in uprightness of heart Jer. 3.1 2 3. Chap. 1.2 3. Ezek. 33.11 12. Luke 15.6 7 8 9. Time being pretious with me so as that I cannot inlarge my self upon this Subject and Subjects of this nature by answering objections as otherwise I would do if I had time as God should assist me I shall in a brief method namely by question and answer answer the most material objections that I at present mind as touching this and such like Subjects and that briefly and so to the first Question 1. What do you think of the point of Predestination hath not God fore-appointed some to Salvation and others to Damnation Answ Yea God of old did appoint righteous men to Salvation and wicked men even such as turn the grace of God into wantonness for Damnation John 2.3 4. although
is death then shall Christ deliver up his Kingdome and authority into the hands of God the Father and then shall Christ and the Saints be in subjection to God for ever and shall remain with him in bliss in that everlasting station that heavenly Jerusalem the which the Lord grant it to be the portion of every serious Soul that seeketh after truth unto whose hands these lines may come and to all others which is the earnest desire of him that would fain have been larger in meditation writing but by reason of several occasions time suffereth him not Farewel The Good Ancient Laws and Statutes OF KING JESUS VINDICATED Wherein is proved by several Scriptures and several Grounds and Reasons drawn from Scriptures That all the Laws Statutes and Ordinances of King Jesus given forth in his last Will and Testament are practicable and to be practised by the Lords People in all Ages until the Worlds end or till the second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to Judgment Whereunto also is added an Answer to the most material Objections to this Point or proof for the Cessation of some of Christs Ordinances It being in Answer to a Book published by Mr. Simon Henden of Biddenden in Kent entituled A Glass of some new Discoveries Together with a brief Review of the Heads of a Conference between him and the Author before many witnesses June 3. 1658. By GEORGE HAMMON Pastor to the Church of Christ meeting in Biddenden in KENT I said dayes shall speak and multitude of years should teach wisdome But there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding Great men are not alwayes wise neither doth the aged understand judgment Therefore I said hearken unto me I also will shew thee mine opinion Job 32.7 8 9 10. Go ye therefore and Teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOV and loe I am with you ALWAYES EVEN to the END of the WORLD Amen Mat. 28.19 20. LONDON Printed by G. Dawson for the Author 1660. The Epistle Dedicatory TO Mr. Simon Henden and his Son John SIRS ACcording to my promise and the desire of many Friends I have taken in hand to give some further Account of the Conference that we had at your House in June the 3d. 1658. Together with an Examination and Tryal of some few Particulars published by you upon a more mature consideration But truly I must be very brief because the Press hath waited a long while for it by reason of my being so much from home and taken off upon other occasions for indeed part of my Book hath been printed long since the which part was far briefer than it was intended if time would have admitted and also if the man to whom I had Dedicated it in chief had been in England but he being far remote and also giving forth speeches that he would not meddle any more with me either in Disputation nor in the Press I did only intend to answer that which seemed most material unto me and to remove it from my door and also to shew my opinion upon some other Subjects which are material and worth examination as at this day at the end of which I did promise to speak somewhat in order to the reviving of our former Discourse upon which I did also peruse your Treatise intituled The Key of Scripture Prophesies or A Glass of some new Discoveries to the end that I might the better know your Judgment when I had seen it delivered by you upon deliberation with serious and mature thoughts and when I had read it and perused it I was very much astonished at the consideration thereof to think how much I was bereaved of my understanding if that Piece were worthy to be authorized by a man of your gravity and ingenuity but however I desire not to be too confident it may be of greater worth than it appears to me to be and therefore I shall reveiw some few particulars and in the words of Sobriety and Humility give my judgment of things as they appear to me in the plainness and simplicity thereof to the end that I may inform those who are out of the way and yet will ask and enquire for the good old way and to leave others who are wise in their own conceit to stand and fall unto their own Master without casting dirt or things of that nature upon them the which I find to be most profitable in reference to Godliness although most unpleasing unto the flesh But to wave these things and all kind of circumlocution my desire is that these Lines may not be mis-represented upon your spirits as though what I write here be the venting of any thing from a private prejudice but those things that I rather aim at is love and good will first to your selves and then to all those that possibly may be mis-led and be in that Babel that you suppose others are in therefore let the Scripture and sound Reason guide you I mean Scripture Reason and the Lord if it be his will give you a right understanding therein which is the desire of him which desires your eternal peace who is Your Servant and all mens for Christ and his Bodies sake which is the Church GEORGE HAMMON THE Epistle to the Reader Courteous Reader I Have here presented thee with as it were a Homer in a Nut shell much matter of concernment in a little compass or volumn and my desire is that as thou tendreth the good of thy eternal peace to peruse these lines with an impartial heart and an unbyassed affection that thou maist thereby find out the truth in the midst of the varieties of Opinions which are in our dayes and in order thereunto be very careful to try things well before thou receiveth it for a truth and believe not every spirit but try them whether they be of God for many false Prophets are entred into the world which endeavour privately to undermine the truth and to bring in another Gospel to oppose both the Ordinances and Kingdome of the Lord Jesus and to walk in such a way as God hath not cast up for his People to walk in therefore remember how thou hast heard and received and hold fast for the time of account draweth near and then blessed will such be who are sound doing all things that are written in the last Will and Testament of Christ Jesus and if thou find any man so insolent and bold as to say that some of the Laws Statutes or Ordinances of King Jesus be not to be observed but are ceased then examine where it is written that Christ hath said that any of his Laws is to cease or fall to the ground and not to be observed until he comes and puts an end unto them and know that in things of concernment God hath not spoken obscurely
sink and be loosed for their efficacy for a time Answ From what you say here I understand you do believe or at least admit of it that the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against the Church of Christ but that there shall be one in all ages only this Church is to loose her keyes as you think so as not to bind and loose open and shut that is as I understand not to receive in nor to cast out and how this Church shall come to loose her keyes I know not although I have well perused what you say concerning the star that fell from Heaven to Earth for God will not take away the keyes that I can find from the Church and Devils or wicked men cannot take them away for the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it how then shall these keys come to be loost I am a thinking what you might have said from Mat. 25. That while she slumbred and slept shee let them fail out of her hands but I suppose that if she had so done she would have took them up again when she was awake but you say that there was a star fell from Heaven to Earth that had the key of the bottomless pit viz. an evil Angel or Minister as I understand you which had usurped all Church power into his custody totally apostated from Heaven to Earth and becomes a meer earthly Angel by which the Church policy that before was a Kingdome of Heaven is become a bottomless pit and instead of the keyes of the celestial Kingdome was another contrary key of the same bottomless pit the key being the same with the Church Answ The particulars considerable are these as first there was an Angel that had usurped all Church power into his custody say you To which I say me thinks its very strange that an Angel should usurp all Church power into his custody sure it was not while he was in Heaven nay but I remember it was after he was fallen to Earth and then it was not the key of the Kingdome of Heaven viz. the power of the true Church corrupted but it was another key viz. another power ever the key and power of Darkness and indeed it cannot be rationally imagined as I think that an Angel that is to say or Minister should carry all the power and authority away of all the seven Churches of Asia which had seven Angels belonging unto them and not only those seven Churches but also many other Churches that were then extant upon earth so then if the Angel received his key after his fall the which he did read Revel 9.1 2 3 4. then it could not be the key of the Kingdome of Heaven CORRVPTED but another key given to him namely the key of the bottemless pit and what proof is this to prove that all Church power was lost when an Angel viz. or Minister fell away from Heavenly mindedness to earthly mindedness let the rational Reader Judge Secondly That the keyes spoken of Mat. 16.18 were to remain in the Churches hands for ever is very plainly proved in the Scripture as First From the words of our blessed Saviours own mouth Mat. 18.18 19 20. in these words Verily I say unto you that whatsoever ye viz. the Church shall blind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in HEAVEN from these words we may see that Christ hath given his Church power to deal with offenders and to bind them that is to exclude them from that Communion of Saints and that it is to be perpetuated is plain because it is annexed to vers 20. which is perpetuated as is most evident Thus we may see in the first place that Christ did once give his Church his power and never took it away again from them and the power and strength of Hell cannot do it For the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it and surely the falling of one Star from Heaven to Earth namely the fall of one Minister could not dispossess the whole body of Christ namely his Church in all places consisting of many particular Churches and Stars or Ministers of all their power that Christ gave unto his body the Church it being further considered that the Gates of Hell was not to prevail against it take this comparison Suppose the Constable of Benenden should lose his power as an Officer by reason of his rebellion doth it therefore follow that all the Constables in the seven hundreds or in that division have lost their power who have not rebelled and the several Parishes thereby lose their power so as they cannot execute the Law upon offenders which if so it is a Paradox unto me even so if one Minister of the Church or one Minister and Church should fall away and so lose their true power and in the room thereof take up the power of darkness doth it therefore follow that all the other Churches and Ministers which did not fall should lose their power also surely no there is no reason to be given to prove it but we find there was but one STAR in the singular number and not STARS in the plural number that fell and therefore to say because one Minister fell and lost his place and true power therefore there must needs be a sink of all Ministers and power is all one as if I should say that because Judas fell and lost his power and Apostle-ship therefore there was no Apostle-ship nor power upon Earth which to say would be rediculous and yet there is as good reason for the one as for the other but indeed no reason at all for neither so then the sum of what can be said from Revel 9.1 2 3. Is that there was a STAR that fell from Heaven to Earth and worked wickedness that is one Minister fell from Heaven that is to say from the Heavenly Church state to an Earthly Church state from the Oracles of God to the traditions of men and so it might be and was that one Minister amongst many might fall and yet the rest stand fast as it was with many in the primitive age and this is all which can be said from Revelations 9. And Secondly That Church power was perpetuated and to remain after these Apostles Death amongst the Churches is plain because the successive Ministers and Churches were to use the same practice of receiving and rejecting as we may read Tit. 3.10 2 Tim. 4.2 2 Thes 3.14 And your own principle alloweth of it for you do affirm that the practice of the Lords Supper is perpetuated and to remain in all ages and suppose you did do what you judge is your duty to do namely observe and keep the Lords Supper it must also of necessity be your own practice for suppose that one of your communicates that appeared to be a civil honest religious man but last Lords day and one which ye much delighted in but peradventures before the next Lords day
the which was practised by the Lord and the primitive Churches and left written for us to follow their examples and therefore wanted no new signs or miracles to confirm it it being already confirmed and that they only want new Signs and Miracles for confirmation that walk in new waies and Ordinances which have not as yet been confirmed but the waies and Ordinances which we walk in and contend for are the same which have been already confirmed as none can deny and therefore warrantable to be practised by all the Lords People and thus I leave this particular and come to the next thing considerable which is All the Apostles were dead at the end of the first or beginning of the second Century in a little time after Evangilists and Prophets you may from this place as well argue the constant abiding of Apostles Prophets and Evangelists as of Pastors and Teachers seeing the Spirit here speaks of a compleat full dispensation of Official Ministers consisting of all these together to bring this noble work to its perfection page 21. Answ Whereas you say all the Apostles were dead at the end of the first or the beginning of the second Century It 's a very hard matter for you to prove it unless by the word ALL you mean ALL the twelve Apostles and if so its very like that all they might be dead by that time but that either the Offices of Apostleship dyed then or that all the Apostles which were to be to the worlds end were then dead that I possitively deny because I find that in the time of the Roman Beast or Babylonias raign their shall be Apostles and Prophets who shall rejoyce at her down-fall who have been persecuted by her Revel 18.20 in these words Rejoyce over her thou Heavens and ye holy APOSTLES and PROPHETS for God hath avenged you on her The word Heaven is to be understood the Church and Apostles and Prophets is to be understood Messengers and such as have been fore-tellers of Babels destruction for so is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostolos Prophetas to be understood for the word Apostolos is to be understood a Messenger one sent in the Lords message to carry the good news of salvation unto the sons of men and the word Prophetas men fore-telling of things to come and such as speak to edification exhortation and comfort for so saith St. Paul Prophesie is a speaking to edification exhortion and comfort and such Apostles and Prophets they were that were to rejoyce at Babylons down-fall and such were before the second Century and since it and also such there will be at Babylons down-fall and till the end of the World so then Apostles and Prophets are to remain and as for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evangelists they are such as set forth carry or publish either with tongue or pen the joyful or sweet news or glad tydings of great joy which is to all men hence Matthew and John who were without all dispute Apostles yet were called by way of emphasis Evangelists because they published by way of writing the joyful news or glad tydings comprehended in the life and death of the Lord Jesus and so Paul writing to Timothy bids him do the work of an Evangelist make an full proof of thy Ministry 2 Tim. 4. So then an Evangelist I understand to be such an one that hath a great faculty or more properly a gift carrying him on to set forth both with tongue and pen the glad tydings of great joy Every one hath his proper gift from God and some have a gift much leading them to reprove for sin and exhort from sin I do not say that such cannot or do not preach glad tydings at any time but say they may at some times and yet their gift runs out or leads them forth most to reproof for sin and the like and so it is on the other hand some mens gift leads them forth to preach mostly upon comfortable things to the godly as the joyes of salvation and all such glad tydings and not reproof and terror and the like and I understand that it s not the OFFICE simply considered which is from the Lord but it is the gift qualifying for the OFFICE which is from the Lord and the OFFICE it self from the Church and the Text carryeth the gift to quallifie for the Office to be from God and not the OFFICE it self as you may read Ephes 4.8 Psal 68.18 in these words Wherefore when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave GIFTS to men compared with vers 11. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and some Teachers ver 12. For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ until we ALL come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto the perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ From whence we may learn that all those gifts spoken before are for the work of the Ministry and if the Ministry did remain in all the times of apostacy as you say it did then of necessity those gifts and offices did also remain for all these are comprehended in the Ministry and it is for the perfecting of the Saints till we all come into the unity of the faith now the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of a very large acceptation or signification as from the Lattin word CONSVMMATIO a full finishing or atchieving the total sum and ending of the work from whence I understand that from the word which saith for the PERFECTING of the Saints VNTIL we ALL that is all the Saints come into the unity of the faith to the measure and stature of Christ Is meant that these gifts offices are to remain until all the Saints even until the last which is to be born and brought forth gradually into the World is converted and united into the faith and made a perfect man in Christ Jesus So then all these official gifts are to remain and are unseperable in the Ministry for the gathering of the Saints and perfecting those that are thereby gathered until all be both gathered and perfected and thus I shall leave this as having more to say to it but want time and therefore pass to the next thing which is The Sealed number are not the natural seed of Abraham saith M. Henden but Gentile Israelites proved by these reasons First The Book of the Revelation was not sent to the Jews but to the Gentiles Secondly The main body of the vision was after the dayes of John Thirdly The four Angels stood upon the quarters of the Earth Fourthly The hurt was chiefly introduced by the Locust and by the Beast which can in no sense be applyed to the Jews Fifthly The Nations possessed the Court without which was the stand of the common
thing represented or the figure of the thing called by the name of the thing figured and hence we may see although I could say much more of things of this nature that both Christs words and also Johns were true Christ calling John Elias it s to be understood John was a figure of Elias or represented Elias not only coming in the power and spirit of Elias but he being a forerunner of Christ in his first day to perswade the Jews to obedience to Christ as Elias is to be a forerunner of Christ in his second day namely the Great Dreadful day of the Lord and to perswade and establish the Jews in their waiting for their King Jesus and their obedience unto him And secondly Johns words are true also where he saith I am not Elias that is he was not that Elias really or simply understood that they looked for although he was a type of him and might by Christ be called by his name as well as the bread which Christ brake might be called his body or the pictures of Cherubims called Cherubims and Christ called David and many such like things that borrow their name from the things which they represent and thus much briefly by way of Answer to the Objection and the reconciliation of the words of Christ and the words of John which seemingly contradicts each other but being understood accordingly as they were spoken they agree together so then still it remains that Elias is to come before the GREAT AND DREADFVL DAY of the Lord and that it is to be Elias really so understood I give these reasons which before have been mentioned in general in a short and brief method First John the Baptist was not the real Elias as I think all will confess for he was the Son of Zacharias and Zacharias had a commandement from the Lord to call the name of his Son not Elias but John Luke 1.13 But ELIAS is to come as hath been proved before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Secondly John the Baptist was not the forerunner simply so considered of the great and dreadful day of the Lord for that day that John was a forerunner of was the day of Christs sufferings and not the day of dread unto his enemies so as it will be in that day that the chief Captains and great and mighty men of the earth shall call to the Mountains to fall upon them and hide them from the presence of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come say they and who can stand but Elias is to be the forerunner of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Thirdly The hearts of the Fathers shall be turned unto the Children and the hearts of the Children to their Fathers in that day which yet are at a distance for Christ sake so that the parents hate their Children and Children shall betray their parents to death for Christs sake although it be not denyed that John in a measure was a type of Elias in that thing according to the saying of the Angel to Zacharias Luke 1.13 18. For all men did account John a Prophet and he preparing the way of the Lord all Judah and Jerusalem came out to him to be Baptized of him in Jordan and yet notwithstanding afterwards were at great variance about Christ some saying that he was a good man and others saying nay he hath a Devil and is mad and after that laid violent hands on him and crucified him and the distance was so great that many families even Parents and their Children have been and are at a distance about him and so will be until that day of the coming of Elias and then the hearts of the Fathers shall thorowly be turned unto their Children and the hearts of the Children unto their Fathers and envy shall depart from Ephraim as before said which brings me to the fourth last reason to prove Elias one of the two Witnesses which is Fourthly Because the same judgments which was brought upon the earth by Elias when he was upon earth shall be again brought upon the earth by the two Prophets or witnesses Revel 11.6 compared with James 5.17 1 Kinge 17.1 which bespeaks such a thing as though Elijah should be one of those two Witnesses if we also consider that these Witnesses must be slain and therefore must be such as never yet have tasted of death because it cannot be rationally imagined that those Prophets which are so to die are any of the Prophets which are dead and shall be raised from the dead and then be slain again I speak this because some have supposed Moses to be one of these two Prophets which in reason cannot be so neither do I find any Scripture warranting any such thing neither do I find any where in my most serious search of the Scriptures of any extraordinary Prophets namely such Prophets as is mentioned in Revel 11. to be borne in the last dayes when this prophesie is to be accomplished but Elijah never yet was slain but was caught up to Heaven in a whirle-wind and so at present I shall leave this and pass to the next thing which is to shew my opinion who it is that is the other Prophet because the Text saith that there is to be two Prophets or two Witnesses which are to prophesie in sack-cloth and as to the other Prophet I shall be very brief because I do not find any such Objection as I meet with against the fore mentioned Prophet namely against Elias and therefore I shall briefly shew my opinion and leave it Secondly As for the other Prophet which is to be a fellow companion with Elias I understand to be John that holy Apostle the beloved Disciple of Jesus which leaned upon his breast at Supper for as Elias was a man highly in the love and favour of God although hated by men and persecuted and banished even so was John dearly beloved of God although hated and banished from men yet the Lord Jesus dealt with him by manifesting of himself to him as God did to Elijah when he fled from the face of Ahab and Jessibel 1 Kings 17. and Chap. 18. but being in hast I pass many things which otherwise were necessary to be spake by way of parallel and come to shew the reasons why I understand John to be one of the two Witnesses spoken of in Revelations the 11. which are these First because when John writ the Gospel of Christ which was supposed to be thirty years after the ascention of Christ it was then reported amongst the Disciples that John was not to die John 21.23 and yet at that time they had the spirit of the Lord to teach them But if it should be objected and said that John saith not that Christ said he should not die but what if I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee fellow thou me signifying Peters death To which I answer and say that it is true