Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	word_n	world_n	worship_n	139	3	6.7207	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85462	Simplicities defence against seven-headed policy. Or, innocency vindicated, being unjustly accused, and sorely censured by that seven-headed church-government united in New-England: or, that servant so imperious in his masters absence revived, and now thus re-acting in Nevv-England. Or, the combate of the united colonies, not onely against some of the natives and subjects but against the authority also of the kingdom of England, ... Wherein is declared an act of a great people and country of the Indians in those parts, ... in their voluntary submission and subjection unto the protection and government of Old England ... Imprimatur, Aug. 3d. 1646. Diligently perused, approved, and licensed to the presse, according to order by publike authority.	Gorton, Samuel, 1592 or 3-1677.	1646 (1646)	Wing G1308; Thomason E360_16; ESTC R18590	106,374	127

immediately after these tribulations or immediately with these tribulations as the word wil also beare that is the preaching of the crosse and thse things are inseparable no marvell therefore that when ever the crosse is preached the champions of that man of sinne come out against it striving to retain their god for ●s it would be to nature in things of this life to see all chief powers and heavenly bodies so shaken as to remove them out of their place for ever the very thoughts whereof are dismal to the mind of man so infinitely more is it to the soul of a man to have the excellencies noble powers and dominions of God removed out of his heart where he placed them in the act of his first creation are so that the exellencies of Christ are ever shaking and ever removing out of their place in the wicked that the heig●● of their torment may ever appear and remain for these things are shaken and removed in them through the wisdom of the Serpent that those things that cannot be shaken namely the wrath and vengeance of God may remain even so it is in the godly their sins and miseries are ever shaking and removing out of their proper place that those things that cannot be shaken namely the grace and righteousnesse of Christ may rema●● for ever therefore the voice o● the Gospel shakes both heave● and earth in that place alluded unto in your letter Hebr. 12 ●6 27. alluding both to Mount Sinai and Mount Sion so th●● the word yet once more declares a double removall yea and that of things that are made for man was made in the image of God yet the wisdome of the Serpent removed this image that mans righteousnesse which is nothing but abomination in the sight of God might ever remain So also Christ was made sin but the wisdome of God removed this sin in the very act of his being made so that the righteousnesse of God might remain and abide for ever and then and then onely shall or doth appear the signe or the miracle or wonder of the sonne of man in h●aven in those clouds of witnesse or in that cloud of witnesses with power and great glory so as all earthly kindreds shall mourn and wail before him Even so Ame● Now the signe or wonder of the Son of man is this that God made him a wo●ld of life at the f●●st for he breathed into his face the breath of lifes as the word i● for the life of all the world was in him and yet thi● world of life is become nothing else but a world of death in ●●e wicked and no life of God found in them at all so is that son of man in the second Adam made a world of sinne and death and yet this world of sinne and death is become a world of righteousnesse and life unto the godly and no sin nor unrighteousnesse of man found in them for never was guile ●ound in his ●outh Even so Amen and this is the signe or miracle of the Son of man which the world knowes not of and therefore ●●th so many empty conj●ctures what it may be thought to be g●●i●g up into Heaven after it when as it is come down unto us and they know it not Rom 10. 7. 8. Thus have I given you my thoughts as brief as I could concerning what you propounded unto me and blesse the Lord that you ministred occasion to look into the text However we are set apart as a forlorn people in the eyes of by the world yet doubt I not but our God hath singled us out for other ends and uses who hath put us into the Isle of P●●mos or among the nation of the dead or deadly as the word signifies to reveal unto us the great mysteries of his Kingdome that we may declare unto those that now be h●re how to have their hope in God that it may be told unto our childrens children that noble work that he hath wrought for us in our Lord Christ who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Your loving husband in bonds and yet free Samuel Gorton A Post script DIvers Letters were written to friends in answer to questions and resolution of Scripture● which now are not at hand otherwi●e we are very free to publish them to be seen of ●●l that the wise hearted might iudge of what our spirits and practises rellish●d and how they were imployed in the time of our durance amongst these men that were so eagerly minded to make us blasphemers that so they might take away our lives as a part of the glory and beautification of their Religion Only we desire the Readers p●ins to take a view of one other Letter in answer to a friend who seemed to be troubled about that Scripture in Iohn 6. 53. verse what the meaning of it might be desiring resolution thereit since we arived in England The words are these Then Iesus said unto them verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood ye have no life in you IN these words consider first the occasion of them Secondly the summe of them and thirdly the parts First for the summe it is a divine sentence exclusive of all men from the life and spirit of God save only such as doe eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood Secondly the parts of them for order sake are foure First the occasion of this sentence in these words then Jesus said unto them secondly the confirmation of this sentence laid down in these words verily verily thirdly the manner of the sentence contained in these words I say unto you fourthly the sentence it selfe excluding all from the life of God such only excepted as doe eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood For the first which is the occasion of this divine sentence that is the reasonings within themselves which the Jewes had in the operations of their naturall hearts upon the delivering of this manner of doctrine unto them even by the sonne of God himselfe implyed in this word Then looking back upon the verse immediatly going before from which Christ takes occasion to utter this sentence whence we observe That the word of God takes occasion to utter and make it selfe manifest even from the naturall reasonings and argumentations framed in mens minds though they are not the cause yet they are the occasion of the manifestation of it even as the truth righteousnesse power and authority that is in God breedeth occasionally feare terrour jealousie and wrath in mens hearts and minds though these excellencies that are in God are no proper cause hereof but onely an occasion without which they would not be For if there were no Iudge the Malefactor would not have terrour even so the very naturall reasonings of mens hearts are the occasions of the manifestation of the word of God in us but no proper cause of

manifest declare the men of the world to sit in the shadow of death Though the mysterie of iniquity works not always in the same manner and firme nay seldome any long time together without taking a new face and using the art of transformation of it selfe into one an other shape and herein lies the policie of Sathan that when some time hath been spent yea it may be an age in hopes and expectation of glorious times of peace ease and exaltation from the mouths of lying Prophets who alwayes drive the peace power and principality of the Kingdome of God some certaine time before them or at the least before the common people as they call them as though they themselves were the onely men that for the present were admitted into the counsells and secrets of the Kingdome of God and the people to take it upon their report where and when the appearance of it shall be But when the world by due proof finds their praedictions to fail and sees troups of its ancestors go down to the grave not having the possession put into their hand it then works effectually for a transformation to cast its worship of God into another form wherin it hopes in shorter time for to attain him in which state it cannot rest to wait unlesse it hath the strongest partie according to the power of the arm of flesh on its side and therefore must of necessity labour diligently as for life to borrow a coercive power from the civil Magistrate to be transferred turned over and put into their hands whereby they may subdue others and compell them to follow their way and to acknowledge their worship to be onely divine yea the onely God of the world for there is but one divinitie which they have now made and set up unto themselves or else that the Civil Magistrate will be pleased to detain and keep his own power upon this condition ●inding him unto themselves that he shall not fail to bind the hands and tongues yea and hearts also if they can but search and know what is in them that none shall be permitted to intermeddle or any way to disturb them But that they may peaceably worship every man in his garden and under such a green tree as he shal choose unto himself being fearfull of trouble and disquiet not knowing better but that the crosse of Christ is terrible as though the Sonne of God had not taken away the terror and angry face of it putting no lesse disparagement upon him but as though the sting were in death still being ignorant of this how that by death he overcomes death even untill now The reason why the civil Magistrate is so sought after and as I may justly say troubled if not tortured in the depopulation of Kingdoms and losse of true-hearted Subjects by the church in her formalities and perfunctory worships is this a naturall heart conceives the condition of the Church of Christ to be like a common weal or Kingdome which cannot be well unlesse every individuall within such naturall and terrene confines agree in one for the well being and glory of each particular in the whole so that the humble submission of every Subject becomes one in that one heart and Spirit of the King who submits to the deniall of himself in any thing for the preservation of the whole and that one heart courage and magnanimity of the King is in every individuall of the Kingdome to go forth for the honour peace and preservation of that their one Lord and so it is in the true Church rightly considered in its relation with the King of Saints truly considered in Spirituall and not in terrene respects but that naturall spirit that works in a naturall changeable and vanishing Church judgeth of its peace according to the consent of all within the compasse of such naturall bounds and terrene confines as it self resides abides in and therefore the false prophet is said to be the ●ail because which way the honorable pe●son looks or the head of the place where he is according to man he alwayes stears the body of the people yea though it be but the body of the beast that way that he may have strength according to sence on his side not knowing how to live or wa●k according to the power of faith therefore must either have all if it be possible or at least the greatest both for authority and number on his side for he sees not the blessing of the Divine presence that goes with the ark of God though among many adversaries in a wildernesse therefore will he take up nothing but the Tabernacle of Molech or as the word is beare the booth of the King that is what manner of house soever authority and civil power erecteth for worship he is ready to take up and bear upon his shoulders so that Antichrist hath as may wayes of worship as there is or hath been formes of Religion in the world and in that the seed of the serpent crusheth the heel or as the word is the print of the foot-soal of Christ or seed of the woman for wherever the footsteps of our Lord have gone the wisdome of the serpent in reforming its religion casts it into a form and so denies the power of godlinesse tying the Lord Iesus to appeare in the very same print and character again whereas the Saints wait for his power in what way or form he pleaseth to make it known and manifest in and unto them therefore the visions and apparitions of God in the holy Scriptures are never twice in the same form all circumstances considered yea if our Saviour appear one time walking upon the Sea as though all things must of necessity bear up their Lord he appeares again under the hands of Herod Pontius Pilate and the Iews thrust down into the heart of the earth as Jonah into the midst of the sea as though all things conspired together to annihilate bring him to nought and in the one and the other appeares an aptitude even in the Disciples themselves to mistake and in this the world is altogether mistaken in that he walketh upon and raiseth himself up out of wayes they know not how such things can be to make manifest his power and authority to be that of the sonne of God who rules in the midst of his enemies and out of Egypt Babylon * Rahab Palestina Tyre and Ethiopia is brought forth so that it may be said this man was born there even as the truth of the Gospel hath been brought forth in those parts which our Iewish Reformers of religion by putting Christ to death could never have thought of or apprehended nor will they were it never so plainly told unto them believe it so that in this Treatise you may plainly see how the mystery of iniquity already works even in New England which thought it self the root of Reformation of all the world even as Babylon alwayes in the entrance of her

all the Country might take notice of it doubting they were not well informed how the Magistrates and Ministers had carryed themselves towards us nor upon what ground they had or did proceed against us But the chief of them taking the matter into consideration thought good to call an Assembly of Magistrates and Ministers to consult in way of a Synod what course to take uniting themselves together that what was done by any of them might be the act of them all and they perusing of our writings framed out of them 26 particulars or there abouts which they said were blasphemous changing of phrases altering of words and sense not in any one of them taking the true intent of our writings but if they spake our own words it was to such purpose as this as though a man would write the words of the Psalme and affirm there is no God such words he may find written therein but if he leave out this That the fool hath said in his heart so he spoils the sense and in such manner did they deal with our writings and those things they were free to divulge and make known amongst the people These things concluded to be heresies and blasphemies before ever they heard a word of what interpretation we could give of our meaning therein The Ministers did zealously preach unto the people the great danger of such things and the guilt such lay under that held them stirring the people up to labour to find such persons out and to execute death upon them making persons so execrable in the eyes of the people whom they intimated should hold such things yea some of them naming some of us in their Pulpits that the people that had not seen us thought us to be worse by far in any respect then those barbarous Indians are in the Country which some of the Ministers have rendred unto the people as Hittites Cananites and P●resites urging it as a duty unto the English to put them to death whereupon we heard a rumor that the Massachusets was sending out an Army of men to cut us off but when they perceived we were removed further into the Countrey and had left our Lands Houses and Labours where their pretended subjects by meanes of whom they sought for some temporall occasions against us lived they thought it not safe to come out against us having show of nothing against us but only our Religion therefore seeing themselvs disappointed in that designe wherein their Coadjutors had wrought to bring them in to make an inr●ad upon us they then wrought by these their Agents who traded for them with the Indians to insinuate themselves into two or three Indians amongst us to become subjects to the government of the Massachusets hereby with-drawing them from their lawfull and naturall Prince Myantonomy and the name of these his subjects who now became subjects to the Massachusets were Pumhom and Soccononocco and when this was accomplished then they againe sent forth their warrants unto us as formerly to command our appearance at their Courts in the Massachusets and that without any consideration or delay at the first time of their sending unto us after our removall the Court being then siting at Boston in the Massachusets Here followeth a true Copie of the first Warrant sent unto us by the Generall Court assembled at Boston in the Massachusets after our remove all unto and planting upon our Land at Shaw-omet verbatim the Warrant under their hand being still extant To our Neighbours Master Samuel Gorton Iohn Wickes Randall Houlden Robert Potter Francis Weston Richard Carder Iohn Warner and William Waddle WHereas we have received upon good ground into our Jurisdiction and Protection two Indian Sachims whose names are Pumham and Soccononoco who have lately complained unto us of some injurious and unjust dealing towards them by your selves and because we desire to doe equall right and justice to all and that all parties might be heard we have therefore thought good to write unto you to give you notice hereof that so you might make present answer in the Generall Court now assembled at Boston to their complaints who are now here with us to attend your comming And because some of you have been denyed the liberty of comming amongst us and it may be others are not willing in other respects personally to appeare we doe therefore hereby give and grant safe conduct for your free egresse regresse unto us whereby there may be no just excuse for with-holding you to give satisfaction in this particular Dated the 12th 7th Mo. 1643. Per cur general Incr. Nowell Secret This Warrant being delivered unto us by some of their forenamed Agents the English we presently returned them this answer by word of mouth by their Messenger telling them that we being so far out of their jurisdictions could not neither would we acknowledge subjection unto any in the place where we were but only the state and government of old England who only had right unto us and from whom we doubted not but in due season we should receive direction for the well ordering of us in all civill respects and in the meane time we lived peaceably together desiring and indevouring to doe wrong to no man neither English nor Indian ending all our differences in a neighbourly and loving way of Arbitrators mutually chosen amongst us They receiving our answer tooke it disdainfully as their intent was to take any we sent without our personall appearance being resolved what course to runne concerning us whereupon they sent us another Writing immediatly from the Court to informe us that they were resolved to come downe amongst us to exercise Justice there Here followeth a true Copie of the Writing which they sent unto us verbatim being still extant To Samuel Gorton Iohn Wickes Iohn Warner Iohn Green Randall Houlden Francis Weston Robert Potter Richard Waterman Richard Carder Sampson Shotton Nicholas Power and William Waddle WHereas upon occasion of divers injuries offered by you to us and the people under our jurisdiction both English and Indians we have sent to you to come to our Court and there make answer to the particulars charged upon you and safe conduct to that end To which you have returned us no other but contemptuous and disdainfull answers and now at the last that if we vvould send to your selves that the cause might be examined and heard among your owne Neighbours we should then have justice and satisfaction We have therefore that our moderation and justice may appeare to all men agreed to condescend herein to your owne desire and therefore intend shortly to send Commissioners into your parts to lay open the charges against you and to heare your Reasons and Allegations and thereupon to receive such satisfaction from you as shall appeare in justice to be due We give you also to understand that vve shall send a sufficient Guard with our Commissioners for their safety against any violence or injury for seeing you

usually present with them to assist in the worke they then questioned and examined us apart to the uttermost they could to get some matter against us from our owne mouths and also usually sending their Agents as Elders and Members of their Churches unto us in prison frequently putting questions unto us to get occasion against us thus continuing for the space of two or three weeks together during which time Master Wilson ordinarily in his Sermons pressed the Magistrates and the people to take away our lives from that text of the King of Israel letting Benhadad goe applying it unto them that if they let us escape with life their life should then goe for our life and their people for our people urging them from that of Samuel and Agag to hew and cut us in peeces Master Cotton also in his Sermons incouraged the people in the lawfulnesse of their dealings with us from that in the Revelations where it is said the Kingdoms of this world are the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Christs whence he observed that they being the Kingdom of Christ they were bound to goe out against all people to subdue all such unto themselves as are weaker then they otherwise they might stay at home within themselves and serve God with all their hearts but they could not serve him with all their might unlesse they went out to subdue others and so would be guilty of the breach of that command viz. Thou shalt serve the Lord thy God with all thy strength Now after our many consultations and debating of matters with the Magistrates and Ministers not only in the Court sometimes one of us answering and declaring of his mind only in matters of Religion a whole day together yea part by Candle-light besides all their more private conferences in the prison and at other houses where we vvere put apart in custody one from an another in the time of our examination at the last the Court sent for S. Gorton out of prison to appeare before them and when he came before them the Governour told him he heard there was exception taken that there should be a rumour that it was for some civill things they had so proceeded against us and yet no man appeared to object the least against us in any civill respect unto which the Governour himselfe gave ansvver not expecting an ansvver from Gorton that they had set their subjects the Indians in their own Land and that was all they looked after in that respect but they never questioned in publicke whether it was right or wrong to take it from us only had privately called one of us which was one of the Interpreters at the buying of it and the Indians their subjects together to see what could be said in it and found the Indians by their own confession to make things so clear on our behalfe that they thought it not fit to bring it into publick scanning of the matter The Governour then told Gorton he was now to answer some things that should be propounded unto him upon his life for it was upon his life that now he was to answer unto which Gorton made answer that he was to shew unto them all dutifull subjection that might be being under the government of their jurisdiction as he had done since his comming amongst them to give them their due honour and respect to the utmost which he could not doe but as he looked upon them with relation unto the State of old England by vertue of which power they sate there as executioners of justice unlesse he looked at them and carried himselfe towards them as they had respect unto that State from whom what power they had was derived else he could not give them their due honour and respect for it could no way appeare to be such but as it was derived from that noble State of old England and therefore however he had according to what they had demanded for the clearing of any thing been free to answer unto them So now if it was his life that they would now put him upon he did as freely and in the presence of them all appeale to the State of old England for his tryall in that point by vertue of which State only he conceived they sate there as Ministers of justice and therefore might not deny unto him his just appeale understanding that the deniall of an appeale must either presuppose a superiority in them that deny it or an equality at the least with the ●tate appealed unto unto which the Governour made answer as also Master Iohn Indicote deputy Governour and bad Gorton never dream or think of any such thing for no appeale should be granted unto him Now the Ministers and Magistrates having weighed better our Writings our Examinations in Court answers to questions more privately with any thing spoken in the prison amongst our selves which daily ear was lent unto or our carriage and demeanure in any respect they had now summed up and drawn all into four questions which were now to be answered in case of life and death The Questions were these that here follow not a word varying in any one of them 1. Q. Whether the Fathers who dyed before Christ was born of the Virgin Mary were justified and saved only by the blood which he shed and the death which he suffered after his incarnation 2. Q. Whether the only price of our Redemption were not the death of Christ upon the Crosse with the rest of his sufferings and obediences in the time of his life here after he was borne of the Virgin Mary 3. Q. Who is that God whom he thinks we serve 4. Q. What he means when he saith We worship the Star of our God Remphan Chion Molech To these four questions the Court told Gorton he must answer speedily upon life and death and that under his hand writing he told them he was not willing to answer in any thing but as before he had done they told him he must give in speedy answer under his hand writing he asked what time he must have for the answer of them they told him a quarter of an houre he told them he could answer them in so short a time but he knew not whether it could give them satisfaction for it was as much as for a man to describe Iesus Christ what he is and the way of Autichrist also which might be done in few words but not to be clear to every man for a man may describe the whole world in these words in the beginning God created heaven and earth and the earth was without forme and void and darkenesse was upon the face of the deep and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters all the whole worke of creation is in this masse or heape but to set out the glory and beauty that comes out of this needs many Phrases to expresse it even so it is in the description of the Son of God Iesus Christ

borne of the Virgin it may be done in few words but to lay out the nature benefit and glory of it no smalspeech or time can serve to expresse and therefore desired in word as before he had manifested his mind unto them so he might give that present answer which God gave unto him in this point also but they told him it must be done in writing and so commanded the Go●ler to convey him to an other room to dispatch the same but as he was going out from them they called unto him and told him he should have the liberty of halfe an hours time to performe i● in when he was come into an other room pen inke and paper being brought unto him as he was going to write word was sent from the Court that if it was brought in on the second day in the morning it should suffice for the Court considering of it that many of them had farre home and it being the day of Preparation for the Sabbath for it was now Saturday in the afternoon and they thought not fit to sit any longer so Gorton was conveyed againe into the Prison to the rest of his friends who continued cheerfully together all the Sabbath day as they had done before in the Prison only some part of those dayes they brought us forth unto their Congregations to hear their Sermons of occido and occidio which was ment not to be digested but only by the heart or stomacke of an Ostrich But upon the Munday morning Gorton tooke pen and inke and writ in answer to every one of the four questions given unto him as here followeth This is a true Copie of answers given to the Court of the Massachusets to the four questions which they required to be answered in writing upon life and death in case of Blasphemy which we were charged with and sentence so farre passed as to take away our lives by the sword in case of not disclayming of our Religion or erroneous opinions as they were pleased to call them the answers are truly set down verbatim TO the first question we answer affirmatively only assuming the l●berty of our explanation namely The Fathers who dyed before Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary were justified and saved only by the blood which he shed and the death which he suffered in and after his Incarnation that is on this wise that the guilt and stain of man is not but with respect unto the holy word of God the disobedience whereof by eating the forbidden fruit breeds an infinit distance between God and his owne worke without the least defect or blame to be found or imputed unto the Word of God but the sole defect and blame is in the creature even in man himselfe yet could he in no case be so miserable but with respect unto the holy Word even so the justification and salvation of the Fathers was by the holy word of God not but with respect and relation unto the seed of Abraham and the Son of David conceived and borne of the Virgin Mary in whom they were justified and saved and yet no vertue nor power arising out of any thing that is humane m●n therefore is a sinner of infinit guilt with respect unto that word which was before all time and no fault to be found in the Word at all the word of God is a Saviour of infinit value with respect unto the seed of the Virgin Mary borne suffering dying and rising againe in the fulnesse of time and yet no vertue in that seed at all unto whom all the Prophets bear witnesse having an eye unto him in all their holy Writings and the faith of the Fathers comprehending Christ both in the one and in the other respect were justified and saved by him alone his death being reall and actuall unto faith God having the same coexistance with the creature in all ages though the creature cannot have the same with him but in time To the second Question depending upon or rather involved in the former we answer Mans rejection of the Word of God being his sinne and separation from God is the only forfeiture of himselfe which could not be but with respect unto the word of eternity even so Gods Righteousnesse revealed by taking man into unitie with himselfe is the only price of our Redemption with respect unto the death of Christ upon the Crosse with the rest of his sufferings and obedience from the time of his Incarnation in the womb of the Virgin Mary to his ascention into Heaven without which there is no price of our Redemption To the third Question who we thinke that God is that men serve that are not of the faith above said we answer that all mens hearts are awed by the true God to bow in worship therefore when the Apostle looking upon the inscription upon the Altar at Athens it is said he beheld their devotion or as the word is the God which they worshipped though ignorantly yet it was he only that he declared unto them So the Apostle Iames thou beleevest that there is one God thou doest well the Devils also beleeve and tremble The fourth Question therfore is the explanation of the third namely what we mean by Molech and the Star of that God Remphan to which we answer that the Scripture alluded unto * makes difference between those Gain-sayers of the Fathers which fell in the Wildernesse and those of the true seed that gave faithfull Testimony unto the Oracle of God the Rebels of the sons of Levy would not take up nor beare the Arke of God as their duty was nor give the light and lustre of a Star in the Tabernacle when it was pitched for the seven Stars are the seven Angels But as they had the power of a worldly Ruler or Governour to defend them in their worke and to subdue all that were not of their mind under them therefore they tooke up the Tabernacle of Molech or bore the Booth of the King and gave the light of Remphan alluding unto Rapha who in Davids dayes had four sonnes were mighty Gyants warring only by the strength of the Arme of flesh so that they would not give Testimony unto the holy way of God but as they had a King set over them besides Moses to defend them when as a greater then Moses was there And in this they turned backe in their hearts unto Aegypt looking unto the way of Pharaoh that would subdue all that were not of his own way and be a defence unto his wise men in what ever they wrought but the faithfull seed of Abraham had the Tabernacle of witnesse or witnessed unto the Tabernacle even in the Wildernesse where there was no worldly Governour to defend them but all came out against them Ammon and Amaleck Balack Ogg and Sihon and the rest in the which condition Stephen perceived himselfe when he witnessed unto the word of truth in alleadging that place of the Prophet * Samuel Gorton

it for the cause is only in God himselfe but without such reasonings and Characteristicall impressions in mans mind the word of God could never have been implanted written or translated in us whereby we come to have the argumentations and conclusions of sonnes of God and not simply or meerly of creatures in our minds being once inlightned by him who is God and the Father of lights where ever it appeareth So that the soule of man is of farre greater sublimitie and naturall excellencie in its creation then any other creature under heaven ever had vouchsafed unto it So that there is an utter impossibility that any creature should receive the impressions of God but man alone This is a large field to walk in for according to the variety of the reasonings of the mind of man by nature which is set forth in all those wayes wherein men have walked and manifested themselves in this present world such it that wonderfull Epistle of Iesus Christ in the various writing and expression of it in the souls hearts and lives of the Saints that are in light through Iesus Christ instance in one for all the spirit of a naturall father reasons thus if my child ask bread to supply nature in the suppressing of hunger I cannot put a stone into his mouth that were cruelty but bread if so be that I have it or can procure it if the child ack fish the father cannot put a serpent into his bosome to bide and sting him but somewhat to cure and refresh him if he have it Now do but change this argument into the way of Christ and let God be the father and my self the child and then is God not man the father the bread heavenly and not from the earth the writing reasoning or argument divine and eternall not humane and temporary and so the reasnings and dictates of our spirits are translated into the arguments and dictates of the Spirit of God and the arguments and dictates of the Spirit of God are translated into a mind and spirit that speaks the very same things naturally in it self though onely in a way of death through its naturall ignorance that now it speaketh in that way of life through that light and knowledge that is in the Lord and thus Christ by sinne condemnes sin in the flesh for by those reasonings wherewith we justifie our selves naturally through that ignorance that naturally is in us by the very same arguments and reasonings we condemn our selves and justifie the Lord through that light and knowledge we have in him by Iesus Christ 2 The second thing to be observed is the certainty of this sentence laid down in the form o● an oath verily verily that is so it is or so it shall be as if he should say Amen Amen so it is and so it shall be without alteration or change and in that the word is doubled it is for the certainty of the thing as Ioseph said of Pharaohs dreame and of no lesse certainty is all true exposition and interpretation of holy Scripture whatever men may dream as Pharaoh did and knew not the meaning of it and speak at uncertainties not being resolved whether things may come to passe now or then or fall out to be thus or so in the things of God for the same spirit of truth and certainty that gives the Prophesie Proverbe Parable and advise that records the History or gives sentence divine must also interpret expound and declare the meaning thereof else is the Booke shut and sealed up unto us great folly therefore to conclude of certaintie of Scripture and of no infallibility in the interpretation thereof For no more then we know the truth of an interpretation no more doe we know the truth and certainty of any History Prophesie Proverbe or Parable which is propounded unto us but take things upon repo●t as we doe other Chronologies of this world having only the traditions of men for the ground of our worship of God The third thing is the manner of pronunciation of the sentence I say unto you or as the word is I say in you the word used here translated I say signifies such a saying as a Iudge speaks upon the Bench when he gives sentence in a cause upon due proofe and evidence which stands fast in Law being irrevocable such is the saying and speech of Christ the truth whereof can never be altered and whereas he saith I say unto you or as the word is I say in you it signifies that what ever the Saints utter in point of Religion it is and must be the voice of the Sonne of God and not of themselves so that as he suffereth in them else can hee have no death at all and then no Saviour even so he speaks in them or else hath no voice nor language at all and therefore without them no Revealer of the will of his Father for where Christ is silent there can be no Revelation therefore is he the word or expression of the Father and what he saith of him he saith it in them therefore he saith I say in you as in that very Epistle or writing wherein I expresse my selfe in the Father unto the world for my Father and I are one The fourth thing to be observed is the sentence it selfe excluding all from the life of God such only excepted at doe eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood wherein observe five things briefly first why he is called the Sonne o● man secondly what is meant by his flesh and blood in this place thirdly what we are to understand by eating and drinking fourthly what is meant by life in this place and fifthly how we are to understand that exception or limitation seeing That of our selves we are n●● able to thinke a good thought how can we then performe such a weighty worthy and unknown action that is no lesse then life it selfe in the doing of it For the first viz. why he is called the Sonne of man Answ Not only nor properly because he had a soule and a body as all men have which indeed was good in the creation and so man is called the sonne of God But he is called the son of man because he is so produced and brought forth as none can be but such as proceed of man alone Nor can he be a Saviour but in way of such production and son-ship for Christ in respect of his death with●ut which no Saviour is brought forth and produced no other way but only in and by man for there is no death to be heard of in God nor can he bring forth or produce of himselfe any thing that is deadly for he is that Fountaine of life yea life it selfe in the abstract nor can it be proper or competible ●o the Sonne of God to be brought forth in his death in any No nor in all other creatures in the world but only in man for as no other creature in the creation was

and wrong which could not appeare without parley nay some of their souldiers picked out to be at the parley professed to some of us when they came to visit us as we lay in bolts and irons amongst them comming in the night not daring to see us in the day professed in these words When we came first to the ground we were ma●● to ●ight and to fal upon you without speech or parley but after we saw you and heard you speake many of us had rather have been on your side then for the cause we came and the Captaine seeing some of us discouraged to fight would not permit us to discourse with any of Providence men ●est they should speake on your behalfe and this we know that some that did signifie unto them any small thing concerning the equity of our cause the Captaine seized on them for prisoners and kept them in bonds during the time of their aboad there and much adoe to release them that they had not taken them downe into the Massachusets to undergoe further punishments r Which was only words expressed in their paper formerly sent unto us ſ Fearing lest the true and naturall Prince of these their Indian subjects should shew them their folly in this their subjection and to win them again unto himselfe and thereby leave them without this colour and pretence to worke out their own ends upon us t Behold here their guilt in that they had unjustly drawn by insinuation the Indians from their lawfull Prince as also that subtill wrong they did to us suggesting secretly unto the people as though there were feare of some combination between the Indians and us to stir up souldiers by that means to come out against us u Behold how these men can evade all faire Propositions to prosecute and bring forth their own spirit yea even to the death of their countrey men if it be but by casting aspersions upon those that hold not just length and breadth in religion with them x Which they had promised to do as they came on the way towards us to incourage the Indians to come with them against us in the hearing of some of our friends x A great triumph for a whole countrey to carry away eleven men and that upon faire composition also if they had kept touch with us for one of us that is Sampson Shotton was dead before by hardship which some of their spirit had put him upon and but ten of us that handled arms y We thought he did it to imitate Melchisedeck comming out to blesse Abraham when he came from the slaughter of the Kings in the rescue of Lot he did it so gravelyand solemnly only the Captain wanted the spirit of Abraham for all his good successe yet we thought he was not uncapable to communicate in that prayer or blessing of the Governour for his errand to us was to utter and exerciss the spirit of the government in his Commission made manifest z Old M. Ward once Lecturer at S. Michael in Corne-hill London came to the prison window and called to him one of our society namely Richard Carder who had once lived near together in Essex Mr Ward seemed to be much affected being a man knows how to put himselfe into passion desired the said Richard that if he had done or said any thing that he could with good conscience renounce he desired him to recant it and he hoped the Cour would be very mercifull and saith he it shal be no disparagement unto you for here is our Reverend Elder Mr. Cotton who ordinarily preacheth that publickly one year that the next year he publickly repent of and shews himselfe very sorrowful for it to the Congregation so that saith he it wil be no disgrace for you to recant in such a case a Vsually comming to us into the prison many of them together As also when we were put apart in the time of our examination one of the Members of the Church of Boston telling some of us in his own house that he was perswaded that we did not worship the true God for saith he then he would not have permitted you to be brought down from your own Plantation amongst us for saith he I am perswaded that our Churches shal not be over-come by any people that should come out against them his wife standing by being an ingenuous woman made answer to our content before we could speak Husband saith she pray doe not b●ast before the victory be known it may be the Battle is not yet ended b Note that in this answer there is a word added to their question which was done of purpose knowing how they looked to regulate them it if were possible as it was declared unto them in the first reading of the answer how they fell short in it which they yeelded unto they say the death which he suffered after his incarnation the answer saith In and after his incarnation For to speake of the sufferings of Christ after his incarnation without respect unto that which was before we may as well spe●ke of his sufferings before his incarnation without respect to that which is after for the Crosse of Christ is not but with respect both to humane nature and divine and we cannot know the two natures in Christ what they are distinctly in themselves to give each its proper due and what they are joyntly united in one no otherwise but as they are considered in the very act of Incarnation in which appears the Sufferer and that which is suffered the Sufferer is the Son of God made man the creator becoms a creature the thing suffered is to be made a curse that is to be made such a thing as is in it selfe by nature accursed and so Christ was made a curse the sufferings of Christ then and the shedding of his blood as he is known after the spirit are properly in that one act of his incarnation which is the proper act of the humiliation of the Son of God so that to spe●k of his sufferings after ●is incarnation you may as well speake of his sufferings before his incarnation for it is no suffering of Christ but with respect both to the one and the other and only in the act of incarnation they are made one and to speake of the sufferings of Christ visibly in his humane nature in the dayes of Herod to be the proper sufferings of the Son of God any further but as a true doctrine as in all other holy Writ to teach what that suffering is in the act of his incarnation you may as well speak of sufferings of Christ invisibly before that act of his incarnation for the Crosse of Christ is not but with respect both to divine and humane nature nor can it be said to be in time no more then it may be said to be before al time for the humiliation of the Son of God admits not of any bounds or limi●s for then were it not of infinit