it but the peace and prosperity of Kingdomes and Magistrates who establish it and the life glory and happiness destruction and death of Kingdomes is wrapped in the Christians life or death they are the parts and Members of Christ the apple of his eye his Jewels his anointed his Prophets his Children As therefore ye look to be prospered by this Spirit of God as ye look for wisdom from this Spirit of God to govern this State as ye look for comfort from this Spirit of God in all your distresses as ye look for gifts from this Spirit of God in all the administrations as ye look for the sweet spirituall breathings and refreshment from this Spirit of God in all the severall changes of this creation love preserve Indulge this Spirit quench not oppose not oppress not this Spirit confine it not to one outward form or fellowship of men which are not that Catholick Church that Apostleship of infallibility and they that are spirituall live in that spirit truth which makes them free indeed and it is below that Spirit of God to Petition liberty of conscience in spirituals from any men or Magistrates in the World because God will make Ierusalem a cup of trembling to all Nations and a stone of astonishment and the spirituall Christians will rather hold forth such things to bear witness to the truth and to desire all to forbear persecution as much for their own sakes who persecute as for theirs who are persecuted And for that just power of Magistracy I acknowledge it a Power Ordained of God for administration of Iustice and righteousness in the societies of men and nations a Minister of God for good a terrour to evill works and that we are to be subjest to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake and for this cause we pay tribute to whom tribute honour to whom honour and all societies of Christians by no pretence of religion or liberty for the worship of God are to resist or disturb the civill administration of this power but as to that consideration all Christians are to suffer according to the will of God all lawfull ways for preservation of States and Kingdomes still excepted and all such Magistracy are to preserve their respective States by all wholesome lawfull cautionary Lawes and Ordinances in Peace so as while liberty or indulgency as to the tender consciences in Religion is spoken on yet no less security of the State no diminution to the just power of Magistracy no less preservation of the Peace of the Kingdom is desired by those that are truly spirituall And though many suffer under the name of Hereticks and Schismaticks before ye for not conforming to the present doctrine and discipline established Right Honourable consider whether this doth not call in question all the very present doctrine and discipline so established for by this very thing of judging all Inconformity to the present worship and form of things to be Heresie by the same all this present form of worship and confession of faith is judged Heresie and Schism to the late former government and doctrine established in the Church of England this present Synod of men being no more that visible Catholike Church and infallible Apostleship then the former were so as the changing the former Articles of the Church of England into a new confession of faith the Episcopacy into Presbytery and so altering both the fundamentals in religion and the discipline is equally new light and Heresie As to the former doctrine and discipline and if it be objected but this present Synod are men of more light and Piety then the former and so they establish more truth and bring in more Reformation if so why is there not more love more peaceableness more self-deniall more power of godliness then there was in the suffering Bishops and the Preaching Lay-Martyrs then who loved Christ in himself and in one another And now Noble Senators since very worthy things have been formerly done by ye unto this Nation let not your Sun set in a cloud nor your light shine upon those that have loved you as the Moon once upon the Water making it of the colour of Blood are ye not come to the Kingdome in Peace Are not the gleanings of Ephraim in the Vintage Did not David say shall any man be put to death this day in Israel The Lord enlighten ye if it be his will more and more in the knowledge of Iesus Christ and of the love of God and of all who have any thing of God in them and let you see those things which concerne your peace in this your day Your Honours humble Servant John Saltmarsh To all true Christians Friends THE only scope of this Book is to minde ye of an higher excellency than meer created things can afford ye of the truth as it is in Jesus or in Spirit And of that unity of Spirit which Christians should live in under their severall forms and attainments and I have not held forth any discovery of truth or of any higher dispensation so as to darken too much other dispensations in which Christians live or to lessen and undervalue their attainments but only to be faithfull in the power of God to his discoveries in my own spirit I desire we may all bear one anothers burdens and consider that God is in all his severall dispensations and measures and Christians are not to hasten out of any till the Lord himself say come up hither and the stronger are to bear the infirmities of the weak I am not against the Law nor repentance nor duties nor ordinances as some would say So as all these flow from their right principle to their right end I am not against the setling of Church-Government Prudentially as now so as all of another way be not persecuted Because I know God hath his people under severall attainments and measures and is to his people in all these in his meer grace and love as formerly to the Bishops and thousands of weak Christians in Queen Elizabeths and Queen Maries dayes of Martyrdom in their forms I am only against any form as it becomes an engine of persecution to all Christians differing from it I am not against the sitting of an Assembly or Synod at Westminster that are so perswaded because that is but to allow such liberty to others consciences as we desire our selves and surely if they would propound such things only as they have received or they are in conscience perswaded of to all the Kingdom and so leave it to the Spirit of God and their ministery to perswade and convince all others and not desire power from others to compell this were but to minister as they had received I have stated some things and truths as they are held in those very grounds the Spirit of God in the Reader may Judge truth without any determination of man I have spoken concerning the libertyof some that are spirituall
Sparkles of Glory OR Some Beams of the Morning-Star Wherein are many discoveries as to Truth and Peace TO The establishment and pure enlargement of a Christian in Spirit and Truth By JOHN SALTMARSH Preacher of the Gospell HOSEA 3. His coming is prepared as the morning London Printed for Giles Calvert and are to be sold at the Black-spred-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1647. To the High and Honourable Court of Parliament WHat others have done by the Law of your authority Presented before yee their advise in matters of Religion I shall from the law of love to your Iust authority present ye not my advise the Lord himself advise and counsell ye but some things which concern the Lord Iesus Christ and the peace and prosperity of your Kingdome and that I may not be disobedient to the heavenly vision or light of God revealed in me There are two Principles in the world which have these sad and dark conclusions attending them the two Principles are these 1. That such as conforme not to the Doctrine and discipline established and yet as to the State are good Subjects and peaceably affected shall be proceeded against by fines imprisonment c. 2. That such as shall speak upon the Scriptures or open them Publikely or in Private and are not ordained by the laying on of the hands of that present established ministery of a kingdome shall be proceeded against by fines imprisonments c. The sad and dark conclusions which follow are these 1. All the glorious discoveries of God above or beyond that Systeme or form of Doctrine c. shall be judged and sentenced as Heresie and Schisme and so God himself shall be judged by man which must needs be a sin bringing much desolation unless they that enact such Laws were that very infallible Apostleship for Interpretation of all Scriptures as the first Apostleship was for writing all Scriptures And is God a God of the Iewes only is he not a God of the Gentiles also that is is God limited to one sort of men Thou thoughtest saith God that I was altogether such a one as thy self that is a God meerly of one Image or figure behold the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him he dwelleth not in Temples made with hands and where is his habitation and who hath known the place of his rest That is what is man that he should conceive that God is only in a place or Temple or form of Worship or Systeme of Doctrine of his forme or making since the time is come that we do no longer worship in this Temple nor at Ierusalem but they that worship must worship in spirit and truth which truth is he only who is the truth 2. Many thousands of pretious Christians shall be under Delinquency as to fines imprisonment c. and under the scandall of Hereticks and Schismaticks because not seeing by that one light nor believing in that one Proportion of faith nor receiving such interpretations and Consequences of Scriptures for the very Scriptures themselves and by such persecution the civill power which is received from God shall be turned against God or against the more spirituall administration of God and so Gods Administrations dashed one against another Saul Saul why persecutest thou me touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm not as having dominion over the heritage orLordship over faith 3. That were to set up the Church Politie of the Iews amongst Christians and not according to Gods divine apointment but mans for God in that first Politie of the Iews Church under the Old-Testament joyned to the Kings and Magistracy then a Priesthood with Vrim and Thummim and Prophets anointed of God as a certain true infallible directive power for ordering that way of administration but this way of Christians now without any such warrant or appointment of God brings back again the same Church Politie under the New-Testament which was typicall as to Christ the King and Priest and Prophet and joyns to Kings Magistracy now a ministery less of God less certain less true not infallible so as all texts instances and examples brought from the Old-Testament of the Kings Princes and Magistrates of Israel compelling to the worship of God without proving the continuance of the same Church Politie under the New-Testament and the like Priesthood and Prophets accordingly sent of God to direct them is all invalid and of no effect as to such proceedings 4. The infinitely abounding spirit of God which blows when and where it listeth and ministers in Christians according to the gift and prophesies according to the will of the Almighty God pouring its self out upon all flesh giving out the word and making the company great who publish it even this Almighty all glorious infinitely abounding dispensing and revealing Spirit is made subject to the Laws Ordinances of men to the pleasures and wills to the measures and forms of men to outward ceremonies as Ordination c. God must not speak till man give him leave not teach nor Preach but whom man allows and approves ordains 5. This making laws for punishing all that conforme not to the doctrine and discipline established destroyes the true interests of all states and kingdomes excluding all societies of men but of one sort and forme though never so peaceably affected or obedient as men and Subjects respectively to the State and civill government thereof and was never found in any State or Church Politie by divine appointment but in that one nation of the Iews whose Politie as to such a form God himself peculiarly made owned and preserved and the Lord Iesus himself fulfilled and dissolved For Heresie and Schisme I know ye ought not to tolerate any but to let them bear their own judgement which is spirituall admonition Church-censure rejection excommunication which if effectuall as all true right spirituall censures have been and are is that just proportionable judgment for such Gospel-sins if not effectuall then the insuffiency weakness unprofitableness of such as assume such Church-power and censures will appear before ye And as to that point of the present Ordination which some have so pressed upon ye distinguishing to ye that their Ordination was from the Bishops as Ministers not as Bishops Right Honourable consider that distinction cannot be for there was no such thing as Ministers in the Church of Rome or of England as to this successively pretended Ordination but Priests and Bishops or Episcopacy and Priesthood and surely if Episcopacy doth not yet Priesthood doth altogether evacuate the essence of Ministery now under the New-Testament as by such Ordination and how much more rationall are their Arguments who hold their Ministry lawfull from the lawfulness of Episcopacy then those who deny Episcopacy c. and yet have no Ordination but from them For this Christian-liberty it is such as preserves not only the outward peace of Christians who enjoy
in outward things of worship and disciplinewithout sin yet of no other but as the wisdom of God shall direct to edification and with care of offence and Scriptures allow To the weak I became as weak to them that were under the Law as under the Law to them that were without Law as without Law though not without Law to God Now in this Scripture liberty to things of former institution by God and of no such institution 〈◊〉 discovered those words under the Law contain liberty to things once instituted and those words without Law to things noâ—instituted and therefore the Apostlesaith We know an Idol is nothing Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge and again To the pure all things are pure and that that goes into the man defiles not the man And yet I know this very truth as well as that of the grace of God and all other truths may be turned into wantonness and licentiousness and not pure Christian liberty I am for the knowledg of God in the Father Son and Spirit and for true Christianity as it is in life and Spirit and power of godliness and for love to all but to the sins of all We are circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the Flesh I have spoken of the true Christian under that more grosse form of Episcopacy not approving that form but in order to higher and more spirituall discoveries and this I do because I finde God in lower as well as higher in purer as well as more corrupt administrations and in tenderness and respect to many thousands in this Kingdom and many other Kingdomes who are not yet out of this form and yet God may be in them as in Germany Sweadland Denmark in England formerly and of late God having his more spirituall times for them as well as others I have spoken of things here sometimes very briefly because I finde less of man in writing the substance and truth of things so far as revealed in us then in tedious discourses and Paraphrases which are many times rather the works of reason and wit and art then of the Spirit of God and I have writ not in that common method of men because I received it not accordingly I finde two things which make some outward Ordinances so exceedingly and in divine right stood for the one is an opinion that there is a very modell in the Letter of Scriptures to be discovered which is to reduce Christians to bondage again and to a form without those very gifts which is not to be found in the word The other opinion is that the setting up such a form is an immediate way of fixing God and his Spirit upon it which indeed is a finer kinde of Idolatry to conceive that God enters into outward things and conveighs his all glorious and Almighty Spirit by them when as they are only signs figures and Images of more spirituall things enjoyed or to be enjoyed and that of Gods appearance and conveyance of himselfe in outward things according to this opinion is such as the Papists hold as to Images to things conferring grace Ex opere operato and all Idolaters accordingly conceiving that God immediatly informs glorifies and spiritualizes those formes and figures to the beholders as the Israelites when the Calf was made cryed these are they Gods O Israel I know Ordinances used in their true nature and as things that are the Parables figures and types of spirituall things are not to be rejected but many christians do sweetly partake of them in this their state of weakness and bondage wherein God makes heavenly things appear by earthly that men as Thomas may see and believe though blessed are they that have not seen and yet do believe All I have now to say to ye is this Something of a mysterie of God and something of a mysterie of Satan That of God is this that the Lord doth in much wisdome suffer the weaknesses of some spirituall men to come forth and by this he carries spirituall things in more mystery and manages the glory of his spirit through wayes and things which are an offence and scandall before the World by which some stumble and fall and are broken Christ was set up for the falling as well as rising of many in Israel That of Satan is this to observe how he fortifies corrupt nature against the spirit of God which spirit he knowes can only destroy his Kingdome and reveal the Kingdom of God and therefore counterfeits the spirit by false Revelations and appearances transforming himself into an Angell of light and then casting all this as a scandall upon the pure Spirit of God by reproaches viz. of praying by the spirit and preaching by the spirit and new Revelations and new Light thus making the world blaspheme and the weaker Saints afraid of the glory of the spirit lest it prove a delusion THE TABLE THE two Creations or Natures of Flesh and Spirit Pag. 1. The true Church 15. Antichrist within us 24. The Doctrine of Baptisms 26. The Baptisme of sufferings 27. The Baptisme of water or of John 29. The Baptisme of the Holy Ghost or gifts 33 The Baptisme of Christ 37 The diverse Ministery with the Ministery of Christ in his Saints 41 The passage from lower ministrations to higher 56. The Baptists 78. The spirit and life of outward Ordinances 84. The Christian under Prelacy Presbyterie Baptisme Independency c. 93. The Christian in truth 102. The Witnesses in Sackcloth what 105. Magistracy a power ordained of God 135. The discerning of Spirits 141. Principles of War and Peace 149. In order to Peace and Suffering and Love 1. The Will of God 154. 2. God changing dispensations 157. 3. The Law of nature and grace 159. 4. The Gospel method of victory 161. 5. How resistings in some are of the flesh and of the Law of nature in others 162. 6. The advantage Christians have of bondage 164. 7. upon what account the purest and freest outward liberty is 166. 8. A word concerning Heresie and Schisme 170. Heresie 173. Schisme 175. 9. Truth 177. The mysterie of true Christian liberty from God not from man or the power of man 182. A discovery of the highest attainments of the Protestants generally in the mysterie of salvation 185. Of Faith 189. A further discovery as to free-grace 190. A discoverie as to the generall point or Christ dying for all 196. The last discovery and as some say the highest and most glorious concerning the whole mysterie of God to men and this Creation 198. An additionall concerning Antichrist and the mysterie of iniquity 208. The severall attainments of the Common Protestant 218. The generall Redemptionist 219. The free Gratian 221. A discovery of prayer 223. A discovery of the Law 235. A discovery of duties and works 242. A discovery of outward Ordinances 244. A discovery of the Jewes and their
I left my adversary stil upon some account with me for passion and recrimination as all others do on all sides whom I see write therefore I rather made it my choice to enter into the chamber or retirement of Spirit and shut the door upon me till the indignation be over-past for we can set but letter to letter and Scripture to Scripture and argument to argument and interpretation to interpretation and nothing can be judged till the day or time of more revelation of truth till the Holy Ghost and fire sit upon each of us trying every mans work of what sort it is and burning up that in us which is hoy and stubble for writing book after book in such a line of Replies Rejoynders hath usually more of man then God in it and we seem to say with our lips we wil prevail our tongues are our own who is Lord over us I am not against contending for truth earnestly but that is in Spirit not in flesh nor passions and I know well that the Spirit of God is flowing in and is a fire in the bosome but still as a refiners fire trying and purifying not scorching nor burning up that which is pure and spiritual in one another and I know some allowance there must be on all sides to infirmities and darkness and several conceptions of truth in all which yet hath not been and I know not any of us that either preach or write on Scriptures in such a light of Spirit as the Apostles writ the Scriptures Heresie HEresie is a choice in the signification of the word and in the application of it in Scripture it is a choice of some other thing for truth then is truth by those who seemingly received truth though after they make another choice of that which is contrary to truth Heresie which was judged by the Apostles accordingly was a choice of some thing contrary to the faith and sound doctrine of Scriptures delivered by inspiration or in Spirit and Truth so as Heresie is something against the very Doctrine of Faith in the Word or Scriptures not against any interpretations doctrines conclusions glosses Comments or Preachings of men who speak not Scripture nor the word of truth originally nor infallibly as the Apostles did but so far as that is the very Scripture they speak and so far as they speak the truth in Jesus and in the Spirit of God else they teach for Doctrines the Traditions of men Schism SChism is a breaking off a renting or dividing from Christians who are in an outward profession of truth and in an outward fellowship of truth Now there may be Schism in visible Churches or fellowships of Saints upon this account but there can be none in the true body of Christ or the spiritual Church which is baptized by one spirit into one body for they that are joyned to the Lord are one Spirit and they are made perfect in one and so far as they are in that one Spirit cannot be divided nor can suffer any Schism so as the dividing from men meerly or the fellowships of men meerly or the errours of men or departing into higher attainments of truth while the rest of the visible fellowships sit still is no Schism for if so the Protestants were a Schism to Rome and Presbyterians to Bishops and all that go on from faith to faith from glory to glory to the rest whom they leave behind 9. Truth THere is but one Truth and that is Jesus Christ I am the way and the truth and he is Truth in the original or pattern and we see nor know no more Truth then we see and know in him this is called the truth as it is in Jesus For Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega of all things and comprehends all essence and form and life and Spirit of things in himselfe and all things of this Creation are but Shaddowes and Images of this Truth and the outward forms of that glory this Truth makes free that is the operation of it and therefore so much of Truth or of Christ any ones knows or receives so much freedom or liberty they receive and so much they are delivered into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty And therefore as Truth is in any so is spiritual liberty and the Spirit of bondage in them passes away and such are disburdened of the legal terrours fears of the lyes delusions false conceptions traditions under which they have lived as they grow up into Truth the Spirit of Truth only teaches and reveals this Truth and opens those treasures of wisdom and knowledg which are in Christ Truth though it be but one yet it shines forth in many streams of glory and opens like day in Jesus Christ this variety of truth appears that truth or glory or true brightness of God and all that truth of this Creation or forms of the world and all truth of Letter or Scripture or outward Ordinance is in its pure Essence and Spirit in Jesus Christ Truth gathers up men more into Christ from the flesh and loose vanity of the world and therefore we are said to have our loyns girt with truth the girdle of truth as it were binding us up and keeping close in Spirit to the Lord there is a fulness settlement establishment in truth and in things of this world there is a far more solid real enjoyment in the substance of things here then in their shadows counterfeits or pictures because there is a nature or Spirit and life in that thing to be enjoyed and answers the Spirit and life of him that enjoys by communicating something substantial solid and proportionable then images and shadows are So it is in the truth Jesus Christ in whom is life and more excellent glorious and spiritual form or life exceeding the nature of things here and communicating more true and solid glory then all things here which are but as shadows to that as other things are shadows to them therefore says David I shal behold thy face in righteousness I shal be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness as if the face or likeness of God which is Jesus Christ the image of the invisible God could only satisfie and the soul in such a prospect of light and glory is truly awakened til when it is but asleep and in dreams and visions of its own spirit all the life and discoveries of sense and reason being but dreams rather then true awakenings and therefore the more any one hath seen of truth in Jesus the more spiritually and highly they judg of all outward things being not satisfied in the meer letter or form of them but in the spirituallity of them and true life of them which is Jesus Christ The Mystery of true Christian liberty from God not from man or the power of men WE have hitherto filled much paper with Scriptures Reasons and