properties of the Precious stones and certainly Zion will be a beautifull scituation and the joy of the whole Earth And who will not in those dayes desire to have a right in them and highly prize them that are members of the Churches which make up this great and holy City the Jerusalem as Precious stones though now they are contemned and cursed by many and thought fit for the most furious and spurious foote of disdaine to trample upon Oh alas be they poore to look upon plaine simple in appearance many of them yet their worth is not known to men as yet but dogs do rent them and swine would trample them into the mire But then when the seven Vials are poured out they shall be no more reviled or vilipended there shall be no more death or sorrow or trouble or paine upon the Churches but they of a little one shall become a thousand and as Isay 60.5.6 and Isay 49.18.19 their destroyers and those that made them wast must be gone packing v. 7. and then saith the Lord lift up your eyes round about and behold all these gather themselves together and come to thee to be joyn'd and he sayes they shall be ornaments to the Church and all her waste desolate places shall be re-edified and yet too little to hold such a company of Zion-Citizens and Inhabitants insomuch as the Church shall say the place is too strait give me roome make way yee Kings Nobles Nations I must have more and more roome every year till this now very little stone grow greater and greater till it fill the whole earth looke for this hastily and be assured the Jewes will be admirable ornaments and excellent Church matter by 1666. and many before but of all the Tribes the Church must have matter as appears by the twelve stones which had the names of the twelve Tribes engraven though some apply them particularly one by one to the twelve Apostles Oh! that in the mean time every Church and every member would make one or other of these Precious stones and let them but study by the properties and excellencies of ev'ry stone how far the following Ages will exceed ours and Saints exceed us and Churches exceed ours who shall be more and more to be accounted of for their inward excellencies spirituall and divine vertues with varieties of them then they shall be for their outward appearances or professions or formes c. But thus for the matter fore-told which I chose to demonstrate from the signification of these Precious stones that I might not labour in vaine Thirdly The Prophecyes and Promises to be made good in the latter dayes are very full for the forme of the Church which we have sufficiently proved in many Chapters before and which appears Ezek. 37.19.21.22 Zeph. 3.9 so in Hosea 1.13 Isaiah 35.8.9 2 Cor. 6.17.18 and in a word all Churches shall admit her mâ—mbers one way therefore all the Gates through which men enter into this City are Pearles all the Gates of one Pearle i. e. Christ the Pearle of price in and by whom alone shall be entrance into all Churches and Pallaces of Sion Rev. 21.21 and no other way Act. 4.12 but something to this afterwards only this know that his fanne is in his hand now Mat. 3.12 to make separation betweene Wheat and Chaffe Saints and Hypocrites to the purpose ere long Fourthly the finall cause of the Church is also promised in the latter dayes at large what this finall cause is we have showne in 1 lib. which some make two-fold so Zanch. lib. 4. cap. 10. S. 39. 1. the glory of Christ to be thereby known as Jo. 17.10 I am glorified in them saith Christ now this is foretold Mat. 16.26 Act. 3.13 with 21. Mat. 24.30 Rev. 5.12 thou art worthy of all glory 2. the latitude of Gods love even to East West North and South as before Jer. 31.3 to gather the Elect from all corners of the Earth Mat. 24.31 Oh how this doth commend his love Rev. 5.8 Ezek. 16.6 Hosea 14.4 Rev. 1.5 Jer. 31.3 But in a word the general end promised and prophesied in the latter days is to set forth his glory and praise as Ephes. 2.21 so is it in Isay 65.17 as if he should say saies Brightman I will make to me a new people in whose Assemblies I will be praised and glorified so is it in Ier. 31.7 Rev. 21.11 Isay 66.18 to Isay 49.3 in whom in whose Churches of Israel I will be glorified Isay 43. 21. so 1 Pet. 1.7 1 Pet. 2.9 Rev. 15.2.3 this is especially a worke that will lye upon the latter dayes let the Churches look after it But the finall cause with reference to us is that God may dwell with us 2 cor 6.16 Rev. 21.3 let the Churches make these their end Fifthly the Vnity and Order of the Churches is prophesied and promised two to be excellent and spirituall in the latter dayes Jer. 24.7 Isay 54.13 Isay 56.6.7.8 Isay 60.21 worshipping him in spirit and in truth Jo. 4.23.24.25 Eph. 2.19.22 and 1 Pet. 2.5 then shall there be gold for brasse silver for iron brasse for wood c. Isay 60.17 spirit for forme truth for tradition life for letter power for appearance both in unity and order 1 cor 13.9 and that which is more perfect shall do away that which is more imperfect but I have spoke to this also at large before I shall conclude with Christs prayer John 17.21.22 which as appears in v. 20. does include us in these dayes as much concerned that the Saints and Churches may all be one as the Father is in Christ and Christ in the Father that is spiritually and in power mystery and in truth And for that end sayes Christ the glory which thou hast given me I have given them those Saints Churches that I pray for what glory is that see v. 5. i. e. with thine own selfe not with the worlds earthly pomp jollities or terrene enjoyments but with thine owne presence and divine being this glory saith Christ that thou hast given me I have given them that is of this divine phesence power grace and being communicated to them by the holy spirit why so that they may be one there is unity and order meant spiritually as we are one one with us one one with another by one and the same spirit this will be especially in these latter dayes because Sixthly the Promises and Prophesies are very pregnant and big-belly'd for the breaking out of his spirit upon his Saints and Churches in these latter dayes Ioel 2. so Isay 59.20 the Redeemer shall come to Zion and then v. 21. my spirit shall be upon thee and my words which I put in thy mouth shall never depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever
Christ p. 1â—7 c. 13 l. 1 Head is the highest over the body and the Excellency of the Body and gives influence to all the Body and governs the Body and sympathizes with it so Christ p. 37 148 149 c. 13 l. 1 Head and Member both is Christ p. 148 c. 13 l. 1 Headlesse body is a lifelesse body p. 148 c. 13 l. 1 In our Head Christ our Eyes Ears Tongue all should bee p. 150 c. 13 l. 1 Head well All is well p. 150 c. 13 l. 1 Head of Gold Christ how hee differs from Heads of Brasse 151 148 153 181 13 1 Harvest follows the seed time of sorrow p. 365 c. 6 l. 2 Heathens are Volunteers to their gods p. 126 c. 11 l. 1 Heaven in the Churches of Christ p. 86 c. 7 l. 1 Heaven in hell what p. 405 c. 6 l. 2 Hell was Christs and is our way to heaven p. 361 c. 6 l. 2 Hell how one may be in it how out again 394 447 448 398 403 c 6 2 Colonel A. Hewsons Experiences p. 395 412 c. 6 l. 2 Hermes visions of the Churches in these dayes p. 46 c. 4 l. 1 J. Heywards Experience p. 415 c. 6 l. 2 Hereticks as such not to bee put to death p. 177 178 c. 13 l. 1 Hereticks have put to death Saints for Hereticks p. 177 c. 13 l. 1 Hidden number who they be 14 Ep. Hierusalem vide Jerusalem E. Hoar's Experience p. 4 c. 6 l. 2 Hold fast the Head Christ p. 182 c. 13 l. 1 Hollanders how to be dealt with now 12 13 Ep. 1 Holy Ghost must fall upon men before they bee fitted to build the Lords house p. 192 c. 13 l. 1 Hopes of Churches Recovery how lost again p. 12 c. 2 l. 1 Honour and praise of God the End of Church-fellowship p. 60 c. 5 l. 1 House of God fitly framed how and who p. 84 c. 7 l. 1 Howâ—ing under sense of damnation p. 441 c. 6 l. 2 T. Huggins Experience p. 393 c. 6 l. 2 Humility taught by experience p. 379 380 c. 6 l. 2 Husband of the Churches is Christ p. 56 c. 5 l. 1 Husbandry of the Lord his Churches p. 31 c. 3 l. 1 Hyacinths or Jacinths who p. 519 c. 9 l. 2 Hypocrites so known kept out p. 57 c. 5 l. 1 Hypocrites not of though in Churches p. 64 ibid. Hypocrites hinder the Churches growth and will all be discovered ere long 65 67 ibid. Hypocrites soon made by compulsive powers 127 11 1 263 2 2 Hypocrites character and conditions p. 211 c. 15 l. 1 Hypocriâ—e what he is p. 373 c. 6 l. 2 Hypocrites puff'd up by experiences p. 379 ibid. Hypocrites warning-peice indeed p. 442 443 c. ibid. I. Jâ—spers precious stones who p. 510 512 c. 9 l. 2 Idleness not allowed in Paradise p. 541 ibid. Idols of brass must down presently p. 159 c. 13 l. 1 Idolizing water-baptism which was before by Papists Prelates and is now by Anabaptists p. 303 305 c. 4 l. 2 Idols made of forms hast their fall p. 343 c. 5 l. 2 Idols of forms several ways p. 345 ib. Idolatry in many professors p. 346 ib. Idolizing a Church-Covenanting p. 454 c. 7 l. 2 Jew every spiritual Saint p. 74 c. 6 l. 1 Jew and Gentile all one in Christ p. 392 c. 5 l. 2 J. Jecocks Experience p. 399 c. 6 l. 2 Jerusalem a type of the Church p. 527 c. 9 l. 2 Jews when precious Church-matter p. 54 ibid. Ignorance of Churches object hinders affection to them p. 118 c. 9 l. 9 Ignorance is the mother of false worship p. 241 c. 1 l. 2 Implicite faith not enough p. 244 ibid. Impartiality as to opinion necessary p. 247 ibid. Impudent whoredoms of Parish Churches Minister and People p. 550 551 c. 92 Independent Church every Church of Christ p. 100 c. 8 l. 1 Independency Prelatick as bad as any p. 105 ibid. Independents of long standing p. 113 ib. Independents walk by Rule i. e. the Word 122 10 1 113 8 1 Independents many called so that are not so but are persecutors of true Independents p. 115 ibid. The Independent Lord is Christ alone 144 13 1 Indifferent things what are and what not p. 313 c. 5 l. 2 Indifferent things all lawful in themselves p. 324 ibid. Indifferentâ— dangerous when and how p. 451 c. 7 l. 2 Inclosed number of Saints make Churches p. 42 c. 4 l. 1 Infant Baptism idolized how p. 300 c. 4 l. 2 Infant Baptism true for matter and form p. 299 ibid. Ingagement for and against Churches how in Epistle to Churches Injoyments highest to Saints in fellowship p. 202 c. 13 l. 1 Inlâ—v'ning and inlightning the spirits work p. 265 c. 2 l. 2 Inquiry of members to be admitted strict p. 288 289 c. 4 l. 2 Interest of Gospel polity differs from interest of carnal polity p. 7 c. 1 l. 1 Integrum what it is p. 482 c. 9 l. 2 Interests National and Antichristian fall backward 5 Ep. Intire Church every particular Church p. 483 c. 9 l. 2 Intruders into Churches are many p. 271 c. 3 l. 2 Inward truth must be in Church-members p. 69 c. 5 l. 1 Inward melancholly p. 429 c. 6 l. 2 Inward Baptism qualifies for Churches p. 300 c. 4 l. 2 Joynt-powers joynt-prayers and joynt-praises of Saints embodied fill Heaven and Earth p. 90 91 c. 7 l. 1 Joy at laying the foundation great p. 193 c. 14 l. 1 Joy if true follows sorrow p. 365 366 c. 6 l. 2 H. Johnsons Experience p. 408 c. 6 l. 2 Ioy to Christs Churches in his day which is nigh p. 25 c. 3 l. 1 Ireland warned of persecutors for forms p. 17 c. 2 l. 1 Ireland calls and incourages Ministers 28. Epist. Iron-hearted men set up the head of Iron p. 151 c. 13 l. 1 Israel a separate people p. 71 c. 6 l. 1 Israel afflicted by Egyptians how now p. 342 c. 5 l. 2 Ireland springing with variety of flowers p. 417 c. 6 l. 2 Judas in every Church he went out after the â—op at Dublin p. 66 c. 5 l. 1 Iubilee hard by p. 26 c. 3 l. 1 Iudge of Religion Christ alone in Commission p. 151 c. 13 l. 1 Iudges of Doctrine of Faith not Magistrates and why 173 175 ibid. Iudges shall be judged by Saints p. 177 ibid. Iudgement must be sound p. 242 c. 1 l. 2 Indicature in what Christ is Iudge p. 160 c. 13 l. 1 Iudgements or opinions in things indifferent of all sorts to be received p. 312 c. 5 l. 2 Iudgement of the Church is charitable upon the declaring of Experiencies p. 358 360 c. 6 l. 2 Justification how Presbyters and Papists agree in it p. 474 c. 9 l. 2 K. Key of Christs shoulders what it is p. 138 c. 13 l. 1 Keyes who pretend to them 58 Ep. T. Kelsals Experience second Experience 6 2 King and King alone Christ 19 20 21 22 23 Epist. King in his Beauty most in
names of dayes months c. Synops. We dissent Fulke Hierom. ☜ 4. They agree 1. That in the Churches God is most to be met with We differ Dr. Willet Proofes ☞ Origen ☞ Origen Witnessed by Martyrs Tindall ☜ 2. Too nigh one another about Churches as dedicated to Saints We differ Euseb. Lib. 4. devit Constant. Lambert ☞ Presbyterians 〈◊〉 truth out of dooâ—s Gospel-propagation by this means Churches how to be dedicated to Saints ☞ 6. Agree against us They alike do take advantages at our râ—nts differences schismes c. Bradford Latimer in epist. ad D. Baynton Hierome Cotton Austin ☞ Sim. Exhortation to unity to all the Churches Expos. Note ☜ How al Churches differing in forms are to be one vide chap. 5. Unity urged 1. Because all one body 2. One Head which is first in ordine Dell. Bullinger 3. Unity can stand well with variety 4. Unity is equality Zanchy 5. Each contented with their place 6. Sympathy 7. By the strings of love which one is drawn by to another 8 Unity is urg'd from the duty of one to another and to the whole Unity urged 1. That one spirits acts all 2. One spirit unites all things under different forms ☞ 3. Acts severally in all and yet but one and the same What breaks the peace of the Church and what not Zanchy Differing in circumstances in Austin's time Buccer For this vide ch 5. lib. 2. at large 3 Vnity urg'd for all that are in one faith ☜ Zanâ—h ☜ 4. Vnity because all alike in hope Zanch. ☜ 5 Because but one Lord 6. One Baptisme idest of the spirit ☞ The Welsh Curate his Rantisme in his Booke so stiled ☞ Sim. Caution to the Churches of that Church-destroying spirits for so they say of themselves 7 Vnity for that all have one God and Father alike of all Above all Through all In all The Churches â—it in unity is a great adâ—antage to Sathan Sim. Vt impâ—ret Dividâ—t is his 〈◊〉 In unity the greatest terrouâ— that can be to Christs enemies Sim. ☞ No feares if we want not in Vnity Sim. ☜ Sim. Three things expected â— an houre of Triall short but shaâ—pe to the Churches ☜ 1 Proph. The Churches more one then ever Sim. ☞ 2. Proph. The spirit poured out upon all Then unity most of all Expos. Sim. ☜ When ☜ 3. Proph. 3. The great dayâ— the Lord the nigher it is the more Churches will be united in every yeare ☜ This Gospel way is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. The great promise of these later dayes 1. Christ shal reign over all in these latter dayes ☞ Especially as Head in his Church or Churches Expos. ☜ Christ a King how and to whom And a Head how Zanch. Expos. A word to the Churches ☞ 2. The precious Saints the matter of these latter dayes Expos. Proph. Jaspers who Agates who Tremel Carbuncles who Most precious Stones ☜ Expos. ☜ A word to the Churches When they shall excell ☞ ☜ ☞ 1. Who are Jaspers In what properties they â—xcell 2. Who are Saphiâ—es In what properties they excell ☞ 3. Who are the Chalcedonie's In what pâ—operties they excell Zanch. In what properties they excell Ignatius 4. Who are the Emeralds In what properties they excell ☜ 5. Who are the Sardonyx Ainsw ☜ 6. Who are the Sardius Paraeus In what properties they excell ☞ ☞ 7. Who are Chrysolites In what properties they excell 8. Who are the Berylls In what properties they excell 9. Who are the Topaz In what properties they excell ☞ 10. Who are the Chrysoprasus In what properties they excell 11. Who are the Hyacinths or Jacinths In what properties they excell 12. Who are Amethists In what properties they excell A mystery of the excellency of Church-members in the later daies Precious stones Gathered out of all parts of the world Proph. ☞ Variety in their excellency ☜ When high-priz'd Propâ—◠☜ When Jewes expected to be most precious Church matter ☜ A word to Churches and members ☜ 3. The forme of the Church promised in these last days ☞ How all enter in 4. The end of it largely promised Zanch. Two-fold Brightman ☞ 5. Spiritual unity and order of Churches promised in last daies Expos. Christs prayer 6. The Spirit poured out on the Churches and Saints in a larger measure By six Heads appeare the Gospel-Ordâ—r in Churches is a great promise Expos. The foundation of all this is layd Comfort to us our day is comming ☞ ☜ Et redirâ— in principium 2. The Types promise the fall of false worship and he glorious rising of the true Gospell spirituall worship ☜ Antichrist â—â—yâ—â—fied by Aegypt Expos. ☜ Sodome ☜ Babylon Expos. Pro Antiochus Epiphanes a figure of the Pope ☞ Polanus Brightman ☞ Types of the Churches Palaces of Sion Tabernacles Particular Churches Dr. Sibs ☜ ☜ Jerusalem a Type The Sun Christ must rule the Dâ—y that comes though the Moon hath ruled the Night till now Solomons Temple a type of the whole Church when all Tabernacles shall bee joyn'd ☞ Vid. 5. Zanch. lib. 1. de Hom. creatione v. 15. Pâ—radise and Eden excellent full types of the Church of Christ in these last dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Churches â—ypified The Garden was Gods own plantation The excellency of it beiâ—g his work ☜ 2. His protection of them ☞ 3. The name of them which takes in of all languages Zanch. ☞ ☞ 4. The Seat of them in all the World where the Rivers run Pareus ☜ 5. The East of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suidas Lactantius ☜ The later days promise in the East whence the Sun shall rise to all the world Jo. 1.1.2 ☜ 2. The members and ordinances typified by trees of Paradise Odinances Church members trees how 1. Rooted 2. of the Lords making 3. The Lord causes them to grow and flourish ☞ ☜ 4. They are to bee the most fruitful of all the Earth ☜ 5. Lovely to the sight Colloquia congregationes gratiam spirent Bernard de Ecc. cap. 412. 6. Excellent to feed upon For all sorts and Senses ☞ ☞ 7. All sorts of trees that the Lord makes fruitfull must grow there 8. The â—râ—e of life in the midst of them Tree of life two wayes ☞ ☜ Diodate The two Sacraments within the Church kept And not to be carried out ☜ ☜ 9. The tree of life and other trees alike ☞ 3. The Spirit and Word typified by Rivers streams 1. From whence the Rivers came aborigine viz. from the East ☜ Two parts of the East 1. Knowne 2. Hidden but only the River runs from it ☜ ☜ 2. For Churches to what end ☞ 3. The River divided into foure heads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diodate Habes Paradi sum conclusuÌ„ Paradisum e mâ—ssum Beru de Serm. Cant. 35. To take in many Nations ☞ ☞ Where Gods great worke first begins as in the pouring out of the spirit The last discovery of the Type 1. No place for Beasts 2. It is not for meer naturall men For none but whom the Lord addes brings in These Churches must be purged ☜ 3. Of the greatest Use as Universities for others to resort unto and to learn in and to goe from to teach others ☞ Universities of what sort in the latter days 4. Such as are placed in this restored Paradise are under the strictest Lawes of the spirit The Law in love The Churches have their law from the Lord Oâ—hers from the Churches ☜ We have first Life and then Law first a Principle and then a Precept ☜ 5. Those therin are never to be idle but every day dressing and keeping it Zanch. What labours are accursed what not 6 Such as are sinners though in the Church must be cast out ☞ 7. Such as are therein may eat freely yea must of every tree ☜ Ripe fruits 8. Such forbid the Tree of Knowledge before the tree of Life ☞ ☞ Expos. An use of humane Wisdome Learning and knowledge in the Churches But not to be preferred first ☜ ☜ 9. The Serpent got in and tempted by the fruits of the tree of knowledge ☜ He tempts the weakest with Gifts Parts c. Churches beyond Universities Saints are the most and best learned ones ☞ 10. Man put in on the sixth day By the Lords own hand 11. Gods speciall presence there Justin Irenaeus Terâ—ullian Eusebius Ambrose alii in lec 3. The Churches of Christ distinct from all others And shal be so apparently to aâ—l Expos. Not Enemies Who Nor Bastardâ— Who ☜ Nor Ammon nor Moab shal enter in But the Edomits shall or the Jews ☜ Exhort To strive against Nationall and parochiall Churchâ—â— and why Expos. Zanch. A word to England Ireland and Scotland about Naâ—ionâ—ll and Pâ—rochiall Churches The standing impudence of Pâ—râ—sh Church Members ☞ Cawdrey p. 83. Sim. About the Sacraments They are guilty of Treason Felony and Whoredome ☜ ☜ ☜ How the Lord will strip them naked 1. Take away all their Ornaments and leave them naked 2. Show them in their blood and fâ—â—th 3. In their imbecillity 4. With a loud cry ☞ 5. Little 6. In utter darknesse Parish Churches the Children of the Whore shall fall without mercy ☞ Churches and Parishes differ much Flaccus Illiricus vide Bernardus Cant. Beda Serm. 14. Sim. But out of the Churches are great things to be done these latter dayes Sim. ☜ A good caution ☜ ☜ Sim. ☞ A Church is not so intire without Officers and Organs Psal. 48.12.13 The Authours resolve to go the rounds and to make a further and fuller search of Sion Peter
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ohel or Beth-shemesh A Tabernacle for the Sun OR IRENICVM EVANGELICVM An IDEA of Church-Discipline In the THEORICK and PRACTICK Parts Which come forth first into the World as Bridegroom and Bride hand in hand by whom you will have the totum essentiale of a true Gospel-Church state according to Christs Rules and Order left us when he Ascended In which you may finde the Hidden Mystery of whole Christ in Head Neck and Body Hidden in former Ages from the Sons of Men. Eph. 3.4 5. Published for the benefit of all Gathered Churches more especially in England Ireland and Scotland By JOHN ROGERS An unfeined Friend and Servant of the Bridegrooms and Brides and Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ late at Purleigh in Essex now at Tho. Apostles Lond. Declared for the most part in christ-Christ-Church Dublin in Ireland Imprimatur Joseph Caryl Psal. 19.4 5. Their line 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rule and structure is gone out thorough all the earth in them hath he set a Tabernacle for the Sun c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Heb. To the Sun in altissimo gradu In that day I will raise up the Tabernacle of David that is faln and build it as of old Amos 9.11 LONDON Printed for R. I. and G. and H. Eversden to be sold at the Grey-Hound in Pauls Church-yard 1653. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Channuccah A TABERNACLE For the SVN The first BOOK CHAP. I. That there is a visible Discipline or Politie of the Church under the Gospel ordained by Christ and what it is and how it differs from carnal Policy NOthing is more clear out of the word of God then that there is a Gospel-Discipline or Church-State for Saints of divine Institution and by divine instruction Prov. 1.3 To receive the instruction of Christ Wisdome Justice Judgement and Equity for Solomon who was a type of Christ teaches his Discipline in this Book of Proverbs which you have some call his Ethicks as relating to morall Precepts for Divinity is like some great Lady that is every day in a new dresse and Morality like to a handmaid that waiteth on her Christ the typified Solomon intends hereby to tell us of his Order and of the Discipline of Wisdomes house viz. his Church Prov. 8.1 2 3. and Chap. 9.1 2 3 4 5. he begins with this exhortation Prov. 1.8 My son hear the instruction or Discipline as many read it of thy Father viz. his spirituall documents and teachings and forsake not the Law of thy Mother that is of the Church Gal. 4.26 who bears and brings forth children to the Lord. So that it seems Christs Discipline which is of the Father and of the Mother consists in the Spirit and in the truth Joh. 4.23 24. not onely inwardly but it is also outwardly as to outward Orders Laws and Ordinances of the Church Thus the Lord opens the ear to Discipline sayes Elihu to Job chap. 36.10 and commands them from iniquity that is sayes Calvin he instructs them in his wayes and teaches them to amend This shews that Gods designe in giving us so good a Gospel-Discipline is thereby to make us good and Gospel Disciples both in knowledge and in practise and is therefore of great concernment to us in teaching us these three things 1 Subess◠2 Coesse 3 Praeesse First to be obedient to his Laws and Ordinances ut discipuli living together in Order Secondly to love one another and all Saints living together in unity ut socii Psal. 133.1 2. Thirdly to instruct one another and to strive together to excell in exhorting comforting and teaching to the edifying of one another 1 Cor. 14.12 ut Magistri as Masters of knowledge Psal. 119.98 99. and therefore it is that there is so great a need and notable a use of this good order and Gospel-Discipline amongst us which God hath of his goodnesse and in his wisdome provided for us So sayes old Bernard super Cant. Serm. 23. What abundant cause have we to blesse the Lord who was no wayes bound to us that of his free love should let down a Discipline out of his owne bosome as it was brought by Christ to us from the Father for us to dwell in because the School-men could say Disciplina non debetur ex debito quia inferiori non est aliquis obligatus in quantum est inferior Man is the inferiour therefore it is man that is obliged to the Lord his Superiour for making so much and so excellent soul-provision hence religio a religando Ma◠24 45. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who is a faithfull and wise servant whom his Lord hath made ruler over his houshold to give them meat in due season So we see the Lord takes care for us and makes provision for poor souls for he hath appointed constituit being a compound word is as much as to say cum aliis statuit whom the Lord hath appointed joyntly with others as an Overseer super familitium suum over a remnant of his family Now woe bee to them that reject this Discipline of Gospel-institution Psal. 50.16 17. a meer Moralist will tell you there is a necessity of Discipline See but Tull in 's Offices lib. 8. 9. de invent ante finem libri and a meer Formalist will tell you that there is a necessity of Church-Discipline which is a principle own'd by all for a truth except Atheists bee they no more then meer pretenders or professours As for this Church-Discipline we shall finde it in the word and fetch it from the Fountaine freely flowing forth through many more Scriptures then I shall mention both out of Old and New Testament First in the Old Testament we finde many Prophesies and Promises filled with this as Psal. 110.3 Thy people shall bee willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holinesse which must bee meant of this visible Gospel-Church-state wherein Saints having communion with Christ and one with another do worship the Lord as appears Psa. 29.2 Worship the Lord in the beauty of holines this is the Lords house here is his worship due unto his name out of this Sion goes forth the Law and it is beautifull for scituation So in Isa. 2.2 3. It shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountaine of the Lords house shall bee established in the top c. which foresees the singular fellowship of Saints in these last dayes wherein we live largely exalting Gods owne way of worship which he will bring forth with shoutings and withall an attractivum bonum a winning excellency will shew it selfe to the ravishing of the Saints and the re-edifying of their soules as in statu quo prius of old so that the very out-casts of Israel shall more fluminis by a spirituall instinct and from occult qualities flow freely and be fully satisfied unto
offenders or the like Et istâ—s vi coercere ac ferro punire potest but the Church-power is from above the weapons of her warfare are spirituall Non ferro sed verbo non vi armis sed vi efficacia she uses the two-edged-sword of the Spirit and Word against all her opposers and offenders neither are men compelled as by Politicall powers to obey but they are drawne of God and the Spirit constraineth them Job 32.18 2 Cor. 5.14 Eleventhly Polity is full of Tricks Arts Quilits and Aequivocations and lies ready at the catch according to a Judges or great mans interpretation or construction but this Gospel-way is full of plainenesse truth and simplicity 2 Cor. 1.12 and 2.17 and is not according to mans interpretation but the spirits Rom. 12.8 1 Cor. 5.8 Rom. 16.19 Twelfthly Polity consists most in the Forme and lives most in the out-ward show pomp and appearance but this way of Christ consists most of inward beauty pomp and excellency 2 Cor. 5.12 and 2 Cor. 10.7 Joh. 7.24 and lives most in the spirit and least in the forme Thirteenthly In Polity is the greatest respect of persons one higher then another making some Slaves and others Lords but in this Church-state of Christ it is an intolerable Tyranny and hath not the least allowance Mark 10.42 43. lest thereby we should have mens persons or opinions in admiration Jam. 2.1.3 1 Pet. 5.3 Fourteenthly Polity preferres men according to their outward parts fleshly habits of learning wit or prudence but Christs Church-state sets up Christ and his Spirit for Officers in chiefe and such who are ruled and filled with the Spirit of Christ under them so that not men but Christ rules Judas that had not this Spirit proved a Traitor so will others Fifteenthly Polity grows every day more and more rusty and the longer it lives the more it will be out of date and loathed at last and like a Potsheard be dashed a peeces but this way of Christ growes every day more and more glorious and will be the beauty of the whole earth Piety shall stand whilst Policy shall fall and the Church of Christ that little stone cut without hands shall crowd Policy out of doores and fill the whole earth Dan. 2.35 Rev. 11.15 Psal. 48.1 2. Isa. 62.4.7 In all these respects and many more might I not be too tedious I might easily demonstrate to all men the vast disproportion between this Gospel-Church-state and Policy whither in Church where it hath been set up instead of Piety or State so that I meane not in any such sense that there is an Ecclesiasticall Polity but as I have hinted before and in order to visibles Now who hath been more politick and subtill then that Beast that hath for so long usurped Christs Seat and what a many Romish Ornaments like unto the Aegyptian Jewels doe many men and Ministers yet retaine fitter for a Golden Calfe which is to be grownd to powder then to adorne the Temple or Tabernacles of God O that they were sent away from whence they came and that we would come in sincerity to the Lords worke before us which is the building of his house for his honour to dwell in But thus I have proved that there is a Gospel orderly Church Discipline and how farre it differs from Policy whether called Ecclesiasticall as some make it to consist altogether in formes and things carnall or civill Now the Lord lead us into his owne Spirituall Temple and Gospel-Church-state by his owne light for how sad a thing is it to see his flock so scattered among Wolves and the Saints in a confused darke corrupt Disciplinary way of walking without order rule and ordinances which so many Soules doe sit moaning for and in the want of them in this their Wildernesse-estate wherein they have been lost for many ages together and whilst they are sighing and sobbing in a strange Land they that have led them into this Babylonian Captivity doe call upon them to sing the Songs of Sion but alas their Harps are hung up upon the willowes and they as in a strange Land are silent which is the next thing I come unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnaraphel CHAP. II. We have had our abode a long time under Antichristian darknesse and Discipline and the Church was driven by the Dragon and drawne by the Beast into a Wilderness for many hundred yeares and ever since how miserably Soules have been blinded by bottomlesse smoake in a Popish Hierarchy and so have continued to these dayes IN the next place we are to shew how for many Ages together we have fallen foulely short of this holy and wholsome Discipline of Christs Church and have been abominably cheated with the rotten figgs and choaked with the thick Romish foggs and filthy infectious mists of Popish inventions so that thereby the Sunne and the Aire have been abundantly darkned The poore Church she was before cloathed with the Sunne encompassed round with purity of Religion with brightnesse of Discipline and in the clear light of Christ and Scriptures which were her rich ornaments in the twelve Apostles dayes yea and after that till Constantines time she wore this Crowne of the twelve Starres those glistring lights And not only were the Saints such as then lived above the Moone and all sublunary enjoyments but they had this borrowed light of the Word meanes and ordinances to guide them in their pathes and to direct them in their Discipline and Church state but alas as our Saviour foretold what would follow it fell out afterward that the red Dragon raged and watched to persecute the Church which was done very sorely in Domitians dayes and in Nero's at which time the Church was pure notwithstanding and as yet presented for a chast Virgin to Christ though tormented because she would not be deflowred and although then the Apostles being all dead fierce wolves met together by Flockes and false Teachers and Pseudo-Apostles rose up apace to oppose openly true Doctrine and Discipline This continued under the Emperours Verus and Severus and Valerianus O then how this red Dragon this bloudy Abaddon followed the Church foaming with flouds of indignation and yet for all that the poore and almost breathlesse Saints had a little respite under Galienus Anno 262. and till that time I finde the Church continued yet very chast but then presently after began Images to be set up and Monuments to be erected in Caesarea Philippi and other places and in Dionysius his dayes Bishop of Rome Anno 267. the Church began abominably to be deflowred and defiled so that the true Saints and Churches could not escape a most sad persecution under Dioclesian and most hot and heavie under Maximinus that matchlesse Tyrant till torments in his bowels moved his bowels against his will to mitigate the violence of the persecution
blamed but without any just blame might those Prelates be pictured out so half way in heaven for what they pretended and for the good they did but half in hel for what they intended and for the evill they did in afflicting the Saints accusing the brethren persecuting the Church and rendring the true Discipline of Gospel-fellowship odious and despicable to Magistrates Ministers people and all But furthermore the Antichristian Hierarchy and Discipline was so indulgently fostered up by Monarchy that King James could make it a maxime in which he proved a true Prophet No Bishop no King and it is clear to me out of many Scriptures Dan. 2.34 35. Rev. 17.12 and 18.3 that they both live and dye together like Hippocrates twins receiving both alike and at the same time power from and punishment with the Beast Wherefore let not the Prelates nor Papists thinke to hold long in any place for the day of the Lord his controversie for Zion shall finde them out neither need they to thinke their fall is by fortune for it is appointed of old and in these dayes wherein we are at suit with them let them not wonder if they all lose the day of us yea and the hot spirits violent Presbyterians too so called who agree too much with Popery and Prelacy as appears Ch. 9. lib. 2. at large and must meet with the like lamentable destiny and fate with you for as Mâ— Hooker sayes in his Preface before his Survey of Discipline There is no such thing as a Presbyteriall Church i.e. a Church made up of the Elders of many Congregations Classic-wise to govern c. in the New Testament wherefore let them not wonder if they also fall in the heat of this Suit seeing the Law and the Testimony is for us this Terme-time and therefore the Judge must be for us too and the day will be ours in despight of all the world because that yee have trusted to forged titles that will hold no water The Camel seeking hornes lost his ears and so have these Disciplinarians they will not heare what belongs to their peace In this Summers day of the Lord Jesus the Sun will shine hot and scorch yea melâ— violento aestu the waxen wings of all false-discipline and thereby throw down that Icarus-like loftinesse of High-Presbytery Popery and Prelacy in all Nations and then the whole bulke and massie body of Antichrist must beat his heels in the ayre and be found in the deeps and drowned in the Ocean of everlasting misery Rev. 19.19 they are already under the burnings of that day in the torrid horrid Zone and must shortly tumble into the tomb where the worme dyeth not This must bee for that they cannot bee converted into any other use for safety As the black cloath that will take no other Dye but must hold so and is most rotten uselesse and unserviceable for weare but the whit will take any other Dye so indeed will our Discipline of Gospel-institution which is in these latter dayes to bee restored into its Primitive purity as white precious spirituall Lilly-like and lovely this shall be capable of any Dye or administration and Dispensation to the end of the world any Dye it will take whereinto it is dipp'd by the hand of the Lord but the blacke base sooty and darke Discipline of Antichrist shall be but as a rotten ragge and good for nothing being in nothing capable of these latter dayes dyes which will be of divers sorts from one to another yeare after yeare and the best at last But furthermore the Dragon till these late dayes hath made use of earthly powers to oppose the Saints having no more place found for him in heaven but now it is that we heare the loud Voyce in heaven viz. his Church saying Now is come salvation strength and the Kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ for the Accuser of our Brethren is cast down And now shall the earth viz. earthly powers help the Woman and swallow up the Dragons indignation though the remnant of her Seed must yet meet with Warres Conflicts and oppositions for a time It remaines now O England Ireland and Scotland that yee kisse the Sonne lest he be angry and yee perish Psal. 2.12 and that yee cast away your Popish and foppish trash and trumperies and those wicked traditions formes and ordinances of men which have made yee Captives and for many hundred yeares have inbondaged and endungeoned ye up in darknesse and deceit for as we can cousen little ignorant Children by giving them Counters and taking away Gold and those Counters too are only to quiet them so how easily can Antichrist cheat you which he hath done in our ignorance and infancy by giving us Copper for Gold and counterfeit Brazen-fac'd ordinances and tooke away Christ's telling us that they were better which he gave us and so quieting us for a long time but now alasse we are older and we must be wiser and not be so basely cheated out of our Ordinances Orders Doctrine and Discipline which Christ hath left us when he went from us but let us hold our owne and keep our Gold and to encourage us he hath promised us ere long to make another change in the Churches and to give them gold for brasse Isa. 60.17 the precious for the vile c. Wherefore it is O Friends that this true Religion Discipline and Gospel-worship of Christ's owne Coyne and Mint having his owne Image of his most precious Gold is offered you againe and once againe which hath often before been rigidly repulst and put off with disdaine and direfull reproach yet notwithstanding it is presented to you the third time and comes crowned with the twelve Starres and cloathed with the Sunne I meane with Christ the Super-intendent and sole Independent Lord and Law-giver yea and alone Light-giver to the Church and Saints This is especially the Honour and Ornament of this Discipline or Gospel-Politie viz. to be cloathed with light having Christ alone the Lord. Indeed hitherto hath many a sad soule sate and sigh'd yea and the Church in the Wildernesse too bewayl'd with Mary weeping Joh. 20.13 Oh! They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him Alexander used to say of his two Friends viz. Craterus and Hephestion that Hephestion loved Alexander but Craterus loved the King and yet the King and Alexander were both but one man and so Certes I may say of some in these dayes who professe to be Christ's friends they all love him as Christ Jesus our Saviour for his sweetnesse and excellency and lovelinesse and love which is better then wine and for his usefulnesse c. but how few of them that love him as the King to be commanded by him that are obedient to his Lawes and Ordinances unlesse they be in the Congregationall orderly Courches and there indeed Christ
hath a few Friends and tryed Subjects but such Craterus's are rare too wherefore let all the faithfull friends of Christ of what judgement soever that are under his Command and Lordship come and enter into these Gospel-wayes of Worship into Christs order and path ordinance and Discipline for the Lord of the Mannour I meane the God of this world will take up all wefts and straies that are out of this way and empound them wherefore for shame friends make haste Hye out of Babylon flye into Sion into the Fellowship and Church-way of the Gospel wherein Christ is King and Lord and where this Sunne is highest brightest and swiftest in his ascendent motions wherein Christ appeares in his richest perfection and fulnesse For as Nature who hath drawne with her Pencill a perfect Grasse-greene in the Emerald as Pliny sayes a skie-colour in the Saphire a fire colour in the Carbuncle a sanguine in the Rubie and a starry in the Diamond hath also drawne all these together in one viz. the Ophal so hath Christ by his Spirit in his Church for there is one gift and grace in one Saint another gift in another and other graces in others and blessings in the Gospell and power in the Word and sweetnesse in the Ordinances and all in one viz. the Church Some excell in one thing some in another but the Church is the summary of all all excellencies are there in one viz. in one Christ who is in every Church the fulnesse and perfection of all Christ sayes Bernard De advent serm 2. is the Bee which flew into the City of Nazareth which is interpreted Flower and there he alighted on the sweetest flower of Virginity that ever the earth bore and so doth Christ now in the Churches finde sweet flowers who hath Et mel aculeum sayes Doctor Rawlinjon on 's Mercy to a Beast p. 13. both Mercy and Judgement yea he is both Love and Law in all his Churches yea the Law of Love and the Lord grant we may finde it so in these dayes Heare O Ireland heare the Lord run into his Courts live in his Sanctuary for in a special manner I speake to you from the Lord for whose sake I dare not bury these truthes as dead or in silence which doe so much concerne you and seeing I am now with you I wish from my soule that most of your Professors prove not Moone-sicke I meane Lunaticks that sometimes fall or plunge into the water and sometimes into the fire of persecuting the Saints that wil not over head and eares with them in the waters yee know what I meane for I shrewdly feare this wherefore I say forsake not Aegypt to fall into Babylon nor Babylon to fall into the forme againe and to make a Church of forme meerly and to drive in or draw in poore hearts through ignorance and folly into a formall Discipline by urging the forme or tying others to such a judgement with you for this is clearly against God's designe and Christs Gospel-Discipline which is to be in the Spirit and in truth and therefore I have many precious and pregnant truthes to hand forth and handle to you as they are hearted in me from the Fathers bosome of light in this ensuing Treatise especially in Lib. 2. but in the meane time make haste into Sion into a pure orderly Gospel Spirituall way of Worship and the Lord be with you and speed you But if before I have done some doe say Why then we shall be persecuted by Presbyterians or some call'd Independants or the bitter ones of the Anabaptists or the like as well as by Malignants and open enemies I say that they shall be but like Sampsons Foxes who were themselves burnt amongst the Corne which they fired but the Land brought Corne againe and the ground was made the better by it and the fruitfullâ—r but the Foxes came up no more so be yee sure that such will by their persecutions burne up themselves but better the true Churches though it may be some members may suffer in the fire first yet take us the Foxes the little Foxes saith the Lord Cant. 1. he will not suffer them to escape scot-free Phil. 1.28 for it is to them a token of perdition sayes Paul but to you of salvation the true Churches shall maugre all their might and malice appeare again and triumph the more and be yet the more glorious and fruitful but these persecuting Foxes can never come up againe but must lye buried in the field which they have fired and so be the Authours of their owne end Wherefore feare not my Friends their frownes nor crownes but as Alexander was wont to say to his Souldiers when they were in danger or went on any designe Sed habebis Alexandrum my brave Blades you shall have Alexander with you so say I you shall have Christ with you in the midst of you and engaged for you feare not and then you shall no more be termed desolate or forsaken but be called the Lord's Hephzibah and Beulah but thus for the second chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Midbar CHAP. III. That the Churches full deliverance drawes nigh and is upon entrance at first gradually her Discipline shall be restored as at first First proved by parallel from the Wildernesse wherein she hath been long lost as to true Discipline and Doctrine TO proceed the Call continues to hast us out of Babylon It is Historied of Darius's Generall that when he had Orders from Darius his King to revenge the wrongs done him by the Athenians that he commanded his Servants every day at every dish of meat they brought in to the Table to say Sir remember the Athenians Now Christ hath sent to us and calls upon us every foote to Remember the ruine of Babylon and the rising of Sion for Babylon must fall and Sion must fill and grow up apace to perfection-ward but although this is graduall at first yet the restauration shall be universall at last In the interim we heare how long and how lamentably the poore despised Church hath been in the Wildernesse wofully bewayling but now followes what hopes we finde of her deliverance now Mr. Brightman the brightest man of his age that I have met with lends his Light to this Age out of Revel 12.14 where we read the Church was to continue in the Wildernesse for a time times and halfe a time besides the thousand two hundred and threescore dayes in ver 6. which is all one with that in Rev. 11.2 of forty and two months for at thirty dayes to the moneth it comes to one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes which if we account from Christ's time was to begin one thousand sixe hundred and ten dayes viz. three hundred and fifty and one thousand two hundred and sixty and the thirty three yeares that Christ lived makes it one
embodied doe make up one Church of Christ or Kingdome of God Luke 10.11 Matth. 13.19 The Church is 6 Compared to Heaven also Matth. 13.11.24.31.33.44 45 47. Matth. 3.2 Matth. 11.11 12. Now the Saints which are to be high above the earth and the Throne of God and filled with his glory and decked up and enamelled with shining lights Stars of grace and spangles of glory most sweet and lovely the Sunne Christ moving in them and circularly round them and such as are seene plainly to bee what they are by a kinde of Vbiquity who ever they are in the Horizon or this Hemisphere I say such Saints united together in a body to make up one Church are one Kingdome of Heaven even as all the Firmaments Elements Stars Planets and Constellations together c. doe make up one visible Orbicular Heaven Mr. Jacob in his Treatise sayes A true Church is one Congregation so sayes Vrsin and others But thus much may serve to prove the Forme of Christs-Church which is to bee all one one body one building one City one Army one Kingdome one Heaven O how sweet is such a communion this Forme is the forma beauty of reason 1 all As the sweet cluster of grapes which gave taste of the Land of Canaan was bore betwixt two so in such communion we may finde and feed upon the fruits of Canaan But now to the Reasons First Why this is so requisite that Saints doe associate into one body of Beleevers is gathered from the Onenesse of all Saints For all have one Father Mal. 2.10 Jo. 8.41 all elect in one originall love Eph. 2.5 All are in one Covenant Hebr. 8.8 9 10 11. All have one Christ and Mediator 1 Tim. 2.5 and All hewn from one and the same Rocke Isa. 51.1 All beare one Image Rev. 15.1 Rev. 7.3 All lay in one wombe and have the same mother Gal. 4.26 All borne by the same seed 1 Pet. 1.23 1 Joh. 3.9 All are lead by one Spirit Rom. 8.14 Joh. 14.26 Eph. 4.4 1 Cor. 14.12.26 All called into one hope Eph. 4.4 All have of one joy 1 Cor. 12.25 26. Phil. 4.4 Joh. 15.11 and 16.22 and All eye and enjoy one and the same glory Eph. 3.21 1 Pet. 2.9 1 Cor. 10.31 2 Tim. 4.8 Hence it is that Christ praies so earnestly to his Father for this Onenesse to his Saints in communion in and with him Joh. 17.11 both for them that were present and to come to the worlds end in verse 20 21. Hence it is the Apostles tooke so much paines in all places to preach up this Church-way for Saints to live as in one Family together in unity 1 Cor. 1.9 10. c. And otherwise they will much degenerate from the principles of Saints Psal. 16.3 Besides for that unity and entity are convertibles and this is the meanes to keep up both in the bond of peace and love and perfection Col. 3.14 and Eph. 4.3 4. Act. 4.32 But Secondly Saints not separate from the multitude lose much of their lustre light and glory for the Forme makes reason 2 them faire as the Moon Cant. 6.10 but when the Saints are in one body then their beauty dazles the eyes of others as many beams of light together gathered into one or as many streams met into one runne with force and fiercely David sayes O how amiable are thy Tabernacles c. Psal. 84.1 So Christ Cant. 2.10 Rise up my love my faire one and come away So in verse 13. So Cant. 4.1 Behold thou art faire my love behold thou art faire So in verse 7. Thou art all faire my love there is no spot in thee but there may be on thee So in verse 8. Christ calls her to separate from the mountaines of the Leopards opened before in page 45 and then it followes Thou hast ravished my heart my sister my Spouse thou hast ravished my heart and how faire is thy love c. My garden enclosed c. So in Cant. 6.9 My deare my undefiled is one Saints so in one body united and then follows She is the onely one shee is the choise one the Daughters Professours saw her and blessed her and the Queens Sarahs true Churches and the Concubines Hagars false Churches admired at her comelinesse and beauty and praised her saying Who is this that looketh forth as the Aurora the Damaske red morning faire as the Moone clear as the Sunne terrible as an Army with banners Saints then thus embodied are embroidered with beauty but if they be not no wonder if the world nay good men many times will not owne them for excellent ones which otherwise they shall or be ashamed for the Forme is in a sense the life and lovelinesse of every thing what were a man without his Forme and if the Forme be misplaced that makes him a Monster What beauty doe yee behold in a Picture though the colours be laid on before the Forme be drawne Suppose peeces of Timber should be carved curiously and guilt gloriously for the builders use and also stones most artificially polished painted cut and carved yet they lose their lovelinesse with lying among the multitudes and heaps abroad and about but when they come to be put up orderly to be placed in the building there is a great deale of beauty in them and pleasant grace from them Thus will it bee and is it with Saints builded up and in body together according to Gospel-order quanto forma est nobilior tanto magis dominatur materiae say the School-men Thirdly Till thus in body they are but in confusion and disorders reason 3 among them without and trod on by every foule and fooles foot and as much wronged defaced and defiled as may be As polished stones that lye among the filhy rubbish so they wil aske much paines to picke and cleanse againe before they can be fitted for the Lords house but when they are embodied together as before they are in their order which others joy to behold Col. 2.5 and so as the members that are fitly placed in the body and properly employed doe appeare alwayes orderly decent and comely to the whole body and are helpfull one to another thereunto Rom. 15.2 1 Cor. 12.25 For as the Philosophers observe that there is a twofold motion in all naturall things one whereby they move to preserve themselves and the other to preserve the whole universe So must all Church-members have their twofold motion viz. 1. For themselves 2. For the whole Fourthly Saints unlesse thus in society fall fearfully reason 4 short of doing their duties to one another in love unity peace admonition exhortation tendernesse patience watching participating comforting edifying or brotherly reproving of one another So if a Brother offend to tell it to the Church and to strive to excell to the edifying of the Church c. Now
fellowship or injoynting into one The Devill hath set his black and fowle cloven-foot of divisions and dissensions in every Parish upon the earth yet the God of this world the Prince of Parishes hath blinded their eyes and they will not beleeve 2 Cor. 4.4 O what persecutions of the Saints oppositions of Christs ordinances Menaces against his Ministers what desperate Oathes devillish cursing horrible lying detestable libelling monstrous malice palpable cheating and unsufferable slanders yea and what not is in every Parish and what is the reason read what Christ saith Joh. 8.23 Yee are from beneath but I am and my wayes are and worship is from above yee are of this world but I am not of this world And as Rev. 9.1 2 3 4 c. out of the bottomlesse pit arose smoake as the smoake of a great furnace the Sun and Ayre were darkned by reason of the smoake and out of the smoake came Locusts and unto them was given power as the Scorpions of the earth have power and it was commanded them that they should not hurt any green thing a Saint in his viridity full of sap and in the spring neither any tree a flourishing Saint in his virility and well grown Psal. 1.3 Psal. 52.8 Psal. 92.12 Jer. 17.8 but only such men as have not the seale of God in their fore-heads These Locusts of Hell these Aegyptian plagues which have Scorpion-stings in their tayles ver 10. whilst the fairest out-side and faces of men ver 7. yet are ever running and ready for battle ver 7. ver 9. have seised upon the spirits of many men more ridged then religious and they doe eate them up See but what hot contentions Suits at Law Plots to doe mischiefe desires to persecute the people of God devices to make them odious among men Jer. 18.18 and what not came along with this Soule-comfortlesse bottomlesse-pit smoake when your Parishes were constituted and tell me then if Pharoahs leane ill-favoured Kine doe not eate up the fat Gen. 41. and if the withered wild blasted eares doe not devoure the full and faire eares See if as yet amongst many the Magicians rods doe not turne Serpents and seek to eate up Aarons though Aarons shal devoure theirs ere long and Truth shall triumph over errours Christ over Antichrist Faith over fallacies maugre all their malicious mischievous dispositions and oppositions and their water shal be turned into bloud speedily and all their Fish shall dye that swim now in their Elements and croaking Froggs shall cry in every place I meane them that give now and then a little leape and that is all upward and such will also dye and then their dust shall be turned into Lice and their pleasures to plagues then boyles and blaines their contagion and corruption shall appeare to all whilst the Lords owne Israel and Saints shall be safe and free This shall bee shortly but in the interim how Parishes swarme with Egyptian flyes let wise men judge whilst Serpents lye by the way-side Gen. 49.17 and bite us or rather backbite us before we are aware not openly in our sight but crookedly and craftily treacherously and behinde us Dublin hath the most of this Tribe of Dan that ever I met with Moreover many an Adullamite Gen. 38.20 might wee finde here in this City for if their occupations were but printed upon their foreheads as some of them have full foreheads wee should heare and see their trading and delight is to serve an ill-master and to runne upon ill arrands to cog to carry tales to dissemble lye and flatter and to have faire faces as of men but to sting as Serpents and Scorpions being bound to hurt the Innocent and harmelesse ones But I say no more only that such Parishes fal infinitly short of the true Forme of true Churches of Christ and I can confidently assert such Synagogues as I said matter-lesse and form-lesse or if some fit matter may bee found amongst them yet they are but as the Philosophers say of the earth when it was a Chaos and without forme materia prima informis sine formâ normâ the first matter which is without forme and order and which is semper passiva sayes Tho. Aquin. 1.54.3.3 to suffer another nature and workmanship Eph. 2.10 till then wee may say of them as in Zeph. 2.15 How are they become a desolation and a place for beasts to lye downe in And why so as Mayer sayes but because no difference is put betwixt the righteous and the wicked therefore it follows every one that passes by shall hisse and wag his hand and Zeph. 3.1 Woe to her that is filthy c. which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or provoking and disobedient such are your Parish-Churches And they put mee in minde of that place in the hot sands of Africa where wilde beasts of all sorts meet together to drinke and there are the strangest monsters got whence the Proverb is Africa aliquid apportat novi And so in Parish Churches all sorts meet and many monsters are made by reason of such who are not fit for civill society much lesse for Saints And a Heathen said Qui aequo animo malis immiscetur malus est he must needs be bad that likes and allows of such a mixture And I might also mention the saying of one That as often as he had been among such men hee returned home lesse a man then he was before Wherefore common rules of reason may dictate this doctrine to us The Lacedemonians would enquire of the carriage of their children by the condition of their Play-fellowes And as Socrates said to Alcibiades the Parragon of beauty I feare not thee but thy companions so may wee say to some honest men And indeed it is a sad thing for will the loyall wife still keep that company which her husband dislikes sheep lose wool that will keep in the wildernesse among the bushes so doe men be they ever so good lose much that will continue in Parish-Churches which are upon their destiny being too old to live longer for the Lord will discover their filthinesse their whoredomes their Idolatries and abominations even unto their Lovers and they shall loath them But the Bramble of Rome which hath brought so many unto obedience shall be burnt up and a strong voyce shall say Rev. 18.2 Babylon is fallen is fallen and is become an habitation of Devils and the hold of every foule spirit and a cage of every uncleane and hatefull bird and verse 9.11.16.18 And then the Kings and people and Merchants and Ship-masters that have traded with her from time to time and have had of her commodities to carry to other Nations and have brought away of her Trumperies and Traditions will hâ—wle and lament and yet stand a far off for fear of her torments verse 15. Wherefore come out of
Hence are so many godless hardned sinners subjects in his dominion but the head of gold is of such a principle that none will serve him nor will he that any should worship him but the precious separate from the vile the pure from impure and visibly unholy Jer. 15.19 Isa. 60.21 Fourthly This head of brass which is black within though it shines without accepts of a meer outside appearance and verbal confession of Christ let him be as black as Hell within so his words be good and he look like Heaven without it is enough to answer his principle But this head of gold who is better within then without would have all his like himself all glorious within Psal. 45. as the curtains of Solomon Cant. 1.5 being born of God for what is of flesh is flesh and what is of Spirit is Spirit Joh. 3. Fifthly This head of brass hath members and officers of mettal like himself and of no better principle if so good for some are iron and clay who act according to their own natural principles or points c. But the head of gold hath members and officers qualified with his own Spirit and excellencies and filled with his own fulness Eph. 1.23 and partaking of his own divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Christ and his Spirit are the Officers in Christs Church and none other any further then Christ and his Spirit dwells in them and acts them so that then it is not they but Christ rules orders directs disposes or dispenses c. Sixthly This head of brass hath an ill-savor Joel 2.20 and all his doctrines traditions and discipline sent strongly of himself so that whosoever handles them their hands will smell of the brazen head therefore beware of their leaven c. But this head of gold and all his ordinances doctrines laws and discipline are of a most sweet and pretious savor Cant. 1.3 2 Cor. 2.14 15. Eph. 5.2 c. As oyntment poured out Seventhly This head of brass seen and observed by himself makes a rich rare and amiable show to most men but when he comes to be compared to the head of gold he falls and then looks like himself viz. dull dead black earthly filthy and unfit for to be a head or foot in Christs Church Thus in these days his doctrine and devices traditions and trumperies being brought into the light and compared with the truth can no longer triumph but must fall before this head of gold who excels him as far as light darkness good evil and as Heaven excels Earth although before this he fetcht in many to him from far and sat in glory and majesty exalting himself above all that is called God 2 Thes. 2.4 But now he is to be destroyed by the bright appearance of this head of gold 2 Thes. 2.8 that is he is to be rendred useless and uneffectual as before in the Septuag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he shall weaken him or break his strength or glory he shall lessen his lustre and make him forlorn and loose his pride Nothinging him by his spiritual appearance and in the brightness of his presence Eighthly This head of brass is the work of mens hands and but of mans Creation and must be broken to shatters Psal. 29. this Image must fall Dan. 2.32 But for the head of gold the headship of Christ the gates of hell shall not prevail against him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the powers of hell the policies of hell the very strength and force of hell shall be set against him but to no purpose for of his government there shall be no end Thus I have cursorily set before you a vast difference between a false and true Church-state from the Heads the one being of mans make and the other of Gods appointment Psal. 2.6 All things are to be put under Christs feet and this head of gold shall wear a crown of gold for ever and ever Heb. 2.7 8. Therefore it is that Kings Crowns Kingdoms Councels Classes and Synods National Churches and States are shaken and shall be shaken that the Kingship of Christ which shall never be shaken Heb. 12.27 28. may remain for ever Thus you see how false Church-states are but the habitations of Antichrist built up by men but the true ones are built up by Christ Zach. 6.12 and the habitation for his presence and honor to dwell in Eph. 2.22 2 Cor. 6.16 Wherefore Friends beware beware of brazen faces that have the face to cry up that Head which you have heard of These are those that consult to cast Christ down from his excellency and delight in lies Psal. 62.4 Such brazen heads fall by thousands short yea by millions of myriades of the orders excellencies perfections plenitudes virtue of influence Government Sympathy health and soundness of this true Head of the Church viz. The head of gold But now who be such heads of brass First is that head of brass the brazen-faced Pope always brought up in Brazen-Nose Colledge he was the first that had the face to prefer himself general-master of the Church Lord Head and Law-giver There was no such thing from the beginning but by little and little and as ambition and base thirst of ruling began to rage the care of Christs Church began to asswage and then we shall finde first began to be given to one man the name of Bishop a name common to all Ministers of Christ Acts 20.28 who was chose by the rest of the Ministers and Elders to be as it were Consul in a Senate or as a speaker in the house and which was to be for the time being and present upon urgent occasions to sit as Chair-man And though he had the honor the name yet no more authority nor voice nor determination then any other he had no negative power or voice which all lordly spirits pretend unto The next step after this was by reason of the paucity and poorness of Ministers and Overseers and by reason of the rigor of hot persecutions the Church was neglected and Bishops so called or Ministers grew most ignorant and very few to be â—ound fit for Church-affairs as Overseers and of those very few most of them unlearned and very blinde and dumb and so idle that they regarded not the Church and let things go how they would Then began the care of one Church to be given up to one more then to any other and then did one take the most charge of Church-orders Ordinances and Discipline which occasioned him to hoise up his ambitious sails to be filled with honor And so it began to be a perpetual and continual course and office which was onely for a time at first and that upon necessity too in times of persecution conferred upon one and so all began to be guided and governed by one mans authority and no more by joynt consent concurrence and votes c. of the whole
Church and Brethren as was wont to be before Acts 15.22 23. And after all this the veil of ignorance grew thicker and darkness yea gross darkness over-spread the whole Canopy so that scarce an able understanding discerning Minister or sit Overseer was in a whole City Town or Province to be had or heard of and yet fearful Tyranny and troubles the Saints poor scattred scorned dispersed and despised people were then under Whereupon all the Churches that were in one whole Province were by those times brought under the subjection of one man and so called his Diocess and that man the Bishop of that Diocess and then he shook off the care and charge of one particular Congregation or Parish-Church pretending the over-sight of many So that ever since the office of a Bishop hath been by such left and their ambition hath been great to be great and to get honors Thus it came to pass the Authority of the whole Church and power by Christ committed to the whole body was usurped by one man who sat as a god in the Temple of God ruling and reigning as he list until of late in England these lords were laid in the dust which is eminently ominous to the Popes But ambition still growing bigger and bigger as a bladder which the devil had the blowing up of being filled with sulpherous breath and bottomless pit-smoak these Bishops climbed yet higher till there came to be Archbishops and Metropolitans and Primates to rule whole National Churches in the whole Nation After this the whole world or the Church as they called it all over the world in all Nations and Kingdoms on the Earth must be governed by a Quadrumvirat i. e. Four Patriarks who had the charge of all the world but yet not being high enough up gets the Pope by those stairs and saucily leaps upon Gods throne And so this Brazen-head or Brazen-faced Antichrist proudly came to sit in the Temple of the Lord as 2 Thes. 2.4 Here you have a true history of his rise I doubt not but ere long you shall have as true a history of his ruine He is already begun to fall here as he began to rise by Bishops Archbishops Primates c. And this is an honest Narration of the Church-confusion in times of persecution and of the crowding out of all other Church-officers and offices as I shall shew if the Lord please in the third Book and of the stating and starting up of Pope and Prelate upon Gods throne I shall refer you to 182. page of Cartwrights Eccles. Discipline Printed Anno 74. wherein you have the Story at large But after the Pope who called himself Christs Vicar ever since to this hour after I say him who taught the poor people Psapho-like to cry him up for a great god follows Secondly Next a General Councel or Synod who usurps the power and authority of Christ and his Church they set down Laws and laying injunctions upon the Saints they bid and forbid command and countermand as they pleased to make themselves Judges and Commanders over consciences and to determine approve and appoint what as they accounted was truth and what was not Thirdly But this head of brass became also too hard a Task-master and kept the people of God in grievous bondage Then after that starts up the Arch-Bishop and he Lords it over the Bishop the Bishop over the Deane the Dean over the Archdeacon the Archdeacon over the Parish-Minister and the Parish-Minister over the people and what a slavery were poore soules in then The Prelate sate then in his magnificentiall robes in pompe like a little God and petty-Pope in his High-commission-Court but as Hierom sayes in Tit. in Epist ad Evagium Non divina authoritate unum aliquem Presbyteriis esse Praelatum qui dicatur Episcopus c. sed humana consuetudine and this is not by divine right or authority but having a custom up they cannot or they will not let it goe downe but it grows higher and higher whereby the order and authority of Christ is cast by and their Lord-like and their tyrannical Ruledome set up and so it is they came to reigne This sayes Bullinger Blessed Jerome speaks not of the Roman Hierarchy as of every Bishop or any one whatsoever he bee that will take to himself power over any Church of Christ or that does domineer over any Congregation for ab antiquo a Minister and a Bishop a Preacher and a Prelate so called had one and the same honour dignity power and authority yet next to this proud Prelate Up starts an Assembly of Divines as a Councell did next the Pope to be Christs Vicar too and he is another head of brasse as bold as the former petty-Pope to impose Lawes and penalties these have usurped power over Christs Church too they deliver their dogmata and breath out their senses and sentences with wild-fires about their eares that swallow not their Judgements and Lawes by whole sale and in the lump Such Synods who have challenged to themselves a potestatem juridicam a Juridicall power over the Saints as to inflict punishments to binde up consciences to their Cannons Directories or Conclusions and by a Legislative Lordlinesse have laid down the Orders and Lawes under penalties and paines so that they have been too brazen-faced and bold There is no precept for Synods said Dr. Whittaker but for this I shall refer the Reader to Mr. Hookers Survey of Church Discipline upon this subject as also to the third book of his Treatise and to Lib. 2. wherein I hope all objections I meet with that pretend the necessity of this usurped power are answered but Another brazen-head that takes the same course in usurping Lordship is the Ruling-Classes O! what a Platonian Metempsuchosis we meet with these all breath by the Popes soule O mystery Mystery Mystery of Iniquity under a new name this is but the old head of brasse only furbished up in a better forme for appearance It was the Assemblies vote very like and good reason for it That it is lawfull and agreeable to Gods word that there bee a subordination of Congregational Classical Provincial and National Assemblies for the government of the Church c. but how prove they that from Mat. 18. Goe tell the Church c. very well proved then the Church is meant the Classes this is a Doctrine for Asses and is indeed agreeable to the Scottish word of God but not to our word of God This is proved saith Mr Dell as the Pope would prove himselfe to be above the Emperour out of Gen. 1. God made two great lights the Sunne to rule the day and the Moon the night the Sunne is above the Moone sayes he therefore the Pope is above the Emperour so doe the Assembly prove subordination very well for an Assembly but wee may say as Isa. 26.13 O Lord our
on his Saints Ordinances Worships Churches wee must give Christ his due there which is to be the alone Head and Law-giver amongst them But thus far for this Chapter CHAP. XIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsur That Christ is the onely Rocke and sure Foundation for his Church to be built upon All other Foundations being false sandy and such as will fail A House without a foundation cannot stand and to have an unsound sandy foundation is little better then none at all if not sometimes worse as being more deceitfull and dangerous Great is the fall of such an house Luke 6.49 Matth. 7.27 But this spirituall house hath a sure foundation if it be of Christs building which Christ hath laid with his owne hands as Zach. 4.9 Isa. 14.32 other places are founded by the arme of flesh but this by the Power and Spirit of the Lord. Palestina must fall but Zion i. e. sayes Sasbout the spirituall Zion meant Christs Church under the Gospel shall never fall for the Lord hath founded it upon a Rocke too so Mat. 7.25 Mat. 6.18 Luke 6.48 and this Rocke is Christ as 1 Cor. 10.4 2 Sam. 23.3 so that Christ is also the foundation of the Church which the Church is built upon Eph. 2.20 1 Cor. 3.14 Christ is not the Head of that Church whereof he is not the foundation sayes Cotton Christ is King Priest Prophet Head Master Lord and Lawgiver Advocate Husband Brother Builder and yet the Foundation of his Church what is hee not unto his people in any condition he is man and Minister to himselfe as God so that as he may be both the Prophet and the Word the Advocate and yet the Argument the Law-giver and yet the Law the Master and yet the member the Priest and yet the sacrifice even so may he be by the same rule and order the Founder and yet the foundation For as he preaches himselfe and this testimony was true as he pleads himselfe and this argument is full as he gives out himself and this Law is life as hee offers himselfe and this Sacrifice is precious and effectuall Even so he layes himselfe low to be our Foundation that wee might bee fitly built upon him and this Foundation will never faile for he is a Rockie foundation First Because the Rock is a sure and firme foundation which will not sinke nor shrinke per saxum foederis firmitatem notabant antiqui Venning but soft or sandy stones will give way and endanger the whole structure Now God in Christ is a sure and most firme foundation 1 Cor. 3.11 2 Tim. 2.19 which cannot faile us our Salvation lyes upon him he cannot deceive us The Church is like Mount Sion which abides for ever and is immoveable because founded upon the Rocke of ages Si nos ruemus ruet Christus una said that loud-tongued and liveli-spirited Luther If we fall Christ shall fall too and malo cum Christo ruere quam cum Caesare stare I had rather sayes another ruine with Christ then run with Caesar I had rather fall with Christ then stand with Caesar such can never fall 1 Pet. 2.6 as long as Christ the foundation stands Secondly A Rocke is high whence we have pleasant prospects and see far round the Horizon and Hemisphere whence wee look with delight and have the least hindrances Num. 23.9 Christ is such a high Rocke Psal. 61.2 and the Saints foundation lyes in him who is higher then all Rocks and mountaines Psal. 87.1 or places Isa. 57.15 Psal. 91.14 From this high Rock i. e. Christ the Saints see far and faire and have most eminent discoveries and the sweetest Survey of Heaven and happinesse all other things being below them And they have the least hindrance in their prospects either up or downe or round about being filled with loveliest liveliest richest highest and heavenliest soul-ravishing Discoveries Thirdly A Rocke is a place of refuge of great strength and security thither people run for refuge and safety Isa. 2.21 1 Sam. 13.6 and 23.25 a Castle in a Rocke is accounted impregnable and cannon proof Such a Rocke is Christ to the Church and his Saints Deut. 32.31 Psal. 18.2 Psal. 31.2 a strong Rocke and Castle of defence Hence it is Saints are so safe in Christ that they cannot bee stormed or taken Saints are secure in him when all Devils in hell let flye upon them For as Tertullian sayes the desperatest Bullets and Darts that men or Devils can shoo◠at this impregnable and impenetrable Rocke are either returned with a powder or bounded backe upon the heads of them that shot them or else are fallen down dead and blunted without any more mischiefe The Gates of Hell shall not prevaile against them that is neither the power nor policy of Hell combined together no not though the Devill doth by himselfe or others plot with his seven-heads or push with his ten-hornes neither can all the fraudulent plots practises malices machinations policies powers or engines that Earth or Hell can bring forth bee enough to ruine the Church who is seated sure and safe upon a Rocke that is higher and mightier then they It is true they may batter but cannot conquer they may reach to her heel and peradventure bruise her heele but they cannot reach to the Head but they will break themselves a peeces They cannot make a breach in true Religion or a battery in this Rocke no though the Devill should discharge the Popes Cannons or the greatest Ordinances hee hath at them say they were as big as those two cast by Alphonsus the Duke of Ferrara the one of which he called the Earthquake the other the Grandiabolo or the Great-devill neither Earth nor Hell the Earthquake nor the greatest Devils can remove the Church founded upon this Rocke they may shake her but not shame her disturb her but not destroy her who may challenge the Venetian Motto Nec fluctu nec flatu movetur as Mat. 7.25 and Psal. 62.2 Hee onely is my rocke and my SALVATION he is my DEFENCE I shall not be greatly moved so vers 6 7. But to make haste Fourthly A Rocke keeps his place removes not and thus doth Christ who is the same yesterday to day and for ever hee alters not nor removes from being the foundation of his peoples principles graces happinesse joyes enjoyments and all he is ever in this place and therefore he is in Zion a sure foundation Isa. 28.26 and cannot bee removed Hebr. 12.28 immobile saxum Fifthly A Rocke is very lasting an Heiroglyphick of permanency durability and perpetuity so is Christ who can never decay or decrease but of the increase of his Government and peace there shall be no end Isa. 9.7 Sixthly A Rocke yeelds severall and singular Benefits it is a shade from the scorching heat
Policie that he caused it to be written in so small a hand that none could read it or was the better for the setting of it open I will not apply it onely this what are wee the better for the Englishing the Law are not the Lawyers as compleat Knaves in plaine English as they are in their other language which like themselves is so full of Solecismes and Apocopies so that as long as this lasts the pleas which some make for Religion and the Gospel serve onely as Hacknies for their Lusts to ride and spur on in their way Nor yet is it that we would deal with the Law as the man in the Fable was dealt with by his two wives the old which he had married plucked out all his black-hairs out of his head the evidence of his youth and his young wife that he married after plucked out all his gray-hairs that no standards of Antiquity might remaine so that betwixt both they left him bald I say we would not that there should be no antiquity of the Law to remaine as some Levellers it may be would nor would we that there should be no Novelty of the Law as the wicked Lawyers it may be would But we say and affirm it in the sight of God and men That the Law must be purged to the purpose and the Lawyers too and a great deal of the old tyranny must out and much of new must be added for the libertiesâ—f â—f Saints and Subjects For the best of the Civil Forms are attended with abundance of corrupt yet close Interests that must down down to the ground For that Form and Custom is got up in the room of Reason and Right And this is the ground of our Controversie with the Law and Lawyers as they now are and God himself must be on our side For Laws were made by men and are themselves to be condemned so far as they fall short of pure and restored Reason I mean the Reason of the age wherein we live which is by degrees restored to perfection Now as Reason is purer in this age then in the last so the Laws must be and so they must be purer in the next age then in this But many of our Laws are nothing else but the results of the humors designs and corruptions of men to establish themselves and their mightinesses so I account corrupt Presentations in the hands of wicked enemies to Christ and the Gospel and so Fealties Homages Oaths c. with a hundred other things that I could name And Law in this sence is nothing else but Will Arbitrary Lust Power Custom Pride and is as corrupt as those that made them But the day of the Lord will deliver us But so may the Lawyers say Did the poor man say to the Pirate when he seized upon him and his ship and was plundring of it O! sayes the poor man at the last day ye will not know how to answer this Sayest thou so sayes the Pirate Nay if I shall stay so long before I answer it as to the last day I care not but now you shall go with me this day So the Brazen-headed oppressing Lawyers it is like will say Nay if we shall stay till that day it is well enough and so I have been answered Say ye so Will not the Rocks and Mountains stand still yet Though ye should say fall on us O fearful desperate boldness but know this day is hard by even at your doors and what will ye do now Now the Lord is coming to judge the Earth now those whom you have judged and oppressed shall be your judges For then that is shortly shall be the Resurrection of Principles and Power Equity and Conscience Reason and Right which is now gradually rising and standing upon their feet All Laws were made according to the light of the Reason that the men then had that made them Now as men grow up in purified and inlightned Reason in every age the Law is to be mended refined and purified accordingly So that the weak and imperfect Reason of former ages hath lest much to be added to and to be mended in the Law by the purer and perfected Reason of after ages But for want of this regulating and mending the Law Lust hath succeeded Reason and hath been by fair glosses and counterfeits of Reason enthroned in the room of it And Lust Custom Will Might and Form hath as yet the day of Reason and turns it out of doors and condemns it for an Offender a Law-breaker and a Traytor as to instance Let a Minister be in a living and preach there three quarters of a year and then another be put in a week or two before the Harvest he that comes for that week or two shall have all the Means by the abomination of the Law and he that preached there all before must have nothing sayes the Law and so said the foresaid Lawyers before the Lords Commissioners though Conscience cries out upon it and Reason condemns it and Equity would not suffer it yet against Equity Reason Justice Conscience and all Lust and Will Custom and Form will have it so and condemns Reason Conscience and all for Traytors and Disobedient and Rebellious When in very deed it is the Law as it stands that is an unconscionable oppressing humorous self-corrupted Form and Custom that is to be condemned as being against clear Right Equity Light Justice Reason and Understanding Now when this Principle comes to be restored and true Reason and Equity to be the Law as I doubt not but it will be within forty five years then wo be to the Lawyers and to all such Persons and Personal Interests the Form tumbles Custom falls Wills of men shall no longer be a Law nor shall the Law be as Lawyers say it then But I will avouch it that the Lawyers Judges and such as are so strict to the Form Lust and Letter of the Law shall be found the greatest Traytors Oppressors Prevaricators Rebels and Opposers of true Justice Equity Reason and Conscience yea to God and the States that are in the World In the mean time O that our Governors would make hast to reform according to their Light and the Reason of this Age If they will not the just Judge of all the Earth who is gone forth against all Nations for their unjust Laws and oppressions I say this great God will come of a sudden and regulate both the Law and them too The Paracelsian that promises to restore nature and health to a corrupt body doth soonest subvert and overthrow both health body and all together So will our Governors if they think to reform before they have well purged over and over the Law and Lawyers Till then neither Reason nor Religion can have orbe-room enough I hope none will think me their enemie for telling the truth and speaking my Conscience It is to set light
indifferent Quia Christi adventu lex ceremonialis obligare desiit Now such Ceremonies remained amongst the Jews as yet saith Paraeus upon the place in use because Christian liberty was not openly up and risen in their room Now with Christs death and resurrection they lost their life and gave up the ghost Col. 2.14 15. Quasi animam exhalarunt and breathed out their last but as yet they lay a while unburied and above ground which ought to have a religious and solemn sepulchre and which they had soon after in that solemn Church Assembly Acts 15. Where all such legal ritual observations were seriously and solemnly laid in their grave as being now but dead Corps and ready to stink and corrupt and too heavy to be longer borne above ground but before this their burial they were used as indifferent This Augustine declares in his 19. Ep. ad Hieron as Paraeus observes by an elegant similitude A mans friend dies he doth not so soon as breath is out of his body whilest his body is yet warm take him by the heels and drag him to the grave but he keeps him a while whilest he is yet sweet and wraps him up with fair cloaths and so with honor in due time accompanies him to his grave and thereby he avoides scandal suspition and contention which else might arise by giving sufficient content to all even to his best friends and mourners for him So it is here these Ceremonies were alive till Christ they died with Christ Now the Apostles did not presently drag them to the dunghil and cast them out ut faetida cadavera whilest they were yet warm no! but to avoid all scandal and doubt of their death they shew in the Acts that they were dead and to be buried which was done in a decent honorable maner as Acts 15.10 24. whilst they themselves accompanied them to the very grave Now that is the reason that Paul in this Chapter for so long a time did allow liberty to them as things indifferent but after they were buried their indifferency ceased and now they were absolutely forbidden Before their burial saith one they were mortuae dead but now after their burial they are mortiferae deadly and dangerous And now after this if a man raises them up again and rakes them out of the grave and digs them up again he endangers a many by their unwholsom stench Et non esset pius funeris deductor sed impius sepulturae violator Hence you read the reason of Pauls writing to the Church of Galatia Coloss and others against them now and after this burial of them he would not circumcise Titus though he did Timothy before but preaches their funeral Sermon and sayes it is dangerous to keep them above ground any longer Col. 2.20 21. and Gal. 5.2 4. tells them then Christ would profit them nothing and it would be to deny the effect of Christs death We shall finde Paul opposed Peter and that openly Gal. 2.11 to his face for urging these Ceremonies and pressing the Gentiles to Judaize But here in this Chapter the Apostle forbids the Gentiles to judge the Jews for their liberty in these things which might be used or not used as yet being things indifferent and left free which the Greeks call Adiaphora which things are to be considered either as they are in themselves and so they are said quoad substantiam operis to have an indifferency of doing or omitting as we said before or else as they are in the intention of that principle by which they are done or omitted and in that sense no action is said to bee indifferent taken with its circumstances but it is said to bee good or evill Prout ex mala vel bona intentione procedit for as much as it flowes from a principle intending good or evill hereby But thus I have done with the direction and rules and have opened the name and nature of things indifferent and do now reach the reasons which the Apostle renders to ratifie his and my assertion of accepting and receiving such as differ in judgement from us in things indifferent And first reason 1 The first Reason for God hath received him therefore you are to receive him and lovingly to take him in for God hath received him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is ut suus as his owne a member of Christ to grace an adopted one into his owne family how then darest thou deny him or despise him or not admit of him or the like for thus runs the Argument whom God hath received into his Family you ought not to despise or put by but him that eateth that is is of this opinion and him that eateth not that is is of that opinion God hath received therefore you ought not to put him by that is be he of this opinion or of that opinion but to receive him and admit of him as one that belongs to the Lord. This Reason runs a pari statu utriusque partis coram Deo from the common benefit of adoption which them of both opinions do equally partake of and as if he should say Such outward things as these do neither justifie nor unjustifie commend nor discommend before God they neither help to nor hinder from the Kingdome of God therefore they should neither helpe nor hinder any in the Church of God here below For such whom the Father receives the Son receives and who are admitted in heaven should be admitted in the earth but all Saints of all opinions are admitted in heaven and received of God ergo c. God regards here sayes one no more the manner time or such like circumstances then hee does the manner time or such like circumstances of eating drinking marrying c. being left to wisdome and discretion for order peace and unities sake without ties Now if thou seest one enlightened and livened by the Spirit of God thou seest enough sayes Calvin in loc Satis testimonii habes c. wherefore despise not contemn not refuse not condemne not one whom God hath received The second Reason or Argument is taken a jure gentium reason 2 from common right or equity which is that every man hath the rule and ordering of his owne family and none ought to be so polypragmatical as to meddle with other mens servants Who art thou that judgest another mans servant here is an objurgatory Apostrophe Who art thou how darest thou do it why for he is the Lords own servant whom thou thus puttest by for all his opinion as before the word is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a hired servant or a day-labourer but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a houshold servant one of the Lords owne Family who alwayes is waiting upon the Lord his Master in such services as are nearest his person and in his presence This makes the Apostle then whom none was more full of the bowels of love pitifull
Formes and Ordinances and impose things upon us which wee are not able to beare Seeing all Administrations and Formes must runne their race and fall And we finde not that a Forme was created for a standing rule but a temporary helpe to serve a turne for an age or so wherein it is once usefull and then veniente perfecto evacuatur imperfectum For as every man will dye in time when his radical moisture is spent and yet he may be said to dye before his time being anticipated in his course by intemperance or miscarriage and mischance and the like so every Forme will fall in time and naturally expire and yet as we say may be cut off in the midst and the fall of it hastened by the intemperance and miscarriages of such fondlings as abuse it and adore it As the Brazen-serpent was suddenly knocked downe when people began to give honour to it and to Idolize it for God is jealous of his honour and rather then his glory shall be given to the Form he will break it in peeces like a Potters vessel and grinde it to powder to bee no more seen nor set up againe as he did the golden Calfe wherefore how dare wee doat upon any Formâ— which must and shall passe away wee read that Austin An. 598. asked Gregory how it came to passe there should be so many forms and such diversity of customes and ceremonies in severall Churches and Countries seeing there was but one Faith all this while why saith he that you may choose out of all the best and picked out things out of all the Churches about here and there whether in Rome France or else where they being left to take which you best like and approve of in conscience to practise as most usefull and orderly So that we are not to be tyed up to any one Forme nor to have our consciences bound up to things left to liberty Now methinks the Church of Christ which is his body too and flesh as I may say now in his Saints doth appear much parallel with Christs fleshly appearance upon earth For Christ in his flesh when he was here and Christ in his Church now here to my judgement are said both to be his body in a parallel Forme For in this Church-forme every member or Christian brother therein is as it were an emblem representing Christ in one stage or other of his life some live in a crucified Christ some in an exalted and glorified Jesus some live in his life some in his death some are debased and abused some are honoured and owned some live in Christ after the flesh and forme others live in Christ after the Spirit and power And in this forme or appearance as it were in his flesh Christ does and suffers lives and dyes descends and ascends into a higher glory and the highest pitch of a Christian's life is Christ risen and sitting at the right hand of God In this forme hee silences the Doctors whips out buyers and sellers too out of the Temple turnes out mixed multitudes teaches in the Synagogues or Parishes yea and works miracles and yet for all that the Pharisees of the Synagogues do slander him and seek to crucifie him as we said before so that in a Forme he is capable of suffering too especially when his people are inslaved by an inforced uniformity for which Antichrist makes use of Secular powers But God hath in all ages powred his Vnction the Spirit upon some of his choisest servants to oppose Vniformity enforced and John Gerson Chancellor of Paris a hundred years before Luthers time layes about him hard to beat down this Antichristian doctrine of Vniformity or tying all to a Forme For in his Sermon before the King of France pro pace unione Graecorum in his seventh Consideration he sayes Men ought not to be bound up to beleeve and hold one and the same manner of Government in things that doe not immediately concerne the truth of faith and the Gospel of Christ and saith he were this well observed it would be the principal key to open a door of peace and love and union among all different brethren and Churches and now between the Greeks and Latines who differ in many actions and forms and rites and rules As for BAPTISME the Latines say I baptise thee but the Greeks say Let us this servant be baptized c. So for the SVPPER the Latines will have leavened bread the Greeks unleavened bread but sayes he Let every Province and Church be at liberty about in his owne sense and use his owne order and forme Our Fathers before the Flood lived and worshipped in one Form after the Flood in another before the Law in one and under it in another and after it under the Baptist in another under the ministration of Christ in the flesh in another under the Gospel in another under the dispensations of the Spirit another way c. as Heb. 1 1 2. divers wayes and in sundry manners Now all such Formes as Gerson speaks of and of such I speak why they are left free to use or not use as there is need of them without tyes wherefore no Forme should be so urged or pressed upon any brother or Saint as to despise judge cast him out or keep him off if he come not up to it and under it which is a yoke to him who is not free Now wee must willingly lay them aside rather then lay them on any as a burthen for even Gods owne Ceremonies Eph. 2.15 and Commandements were laid aside and put by to make peace and unity that there might not be any difference among brothers no not between Jew and Gentile so far off but that they might be one Much more must all our Formes for of such I speake all this while let none mistake me they must much rather be throwne aside then thrust on any Saint whatsoever Famous is the answer of Eleutherius Bishop of Rome to Lucius K. of Brittain as Hollinshed in his Description of Brittaine chap. 7 Anno 187. historifies when the Gospel began to be preached freely and Brittaine received the faith and without any impeachment impediment or Ceremonies at all yet King Lucius sends to Eleutherius for some model or forme of Church-government who had this answer That Christ hath left sufficient order in the Scriptures for the government of his Church you require saith he Our Forms and Laws but our Laws are faulty Gâ—ds Laws are never so take the Scriptures and look you out a government there and follow that So that this was rare even from a Bishop of Rome himselfe being the fourteenth after Platina's Arithmeticke but it seems in those dayes they were more modest then they were afterwards when they haled in and hoised up humane inventions and would make men submit to them or else censure them yea I may say then they are in these dayes that doe even
same for matter and substance made by all An Account of Faith as it was made and given in by word of Mouth on the Eighth day of the Eighth Moneth 1651. In a Publick Meeting-place at Dublin upon his entrance into Church-fellowship there By J. R. c. I Acknowledge and profess from my very heart before the Lord and you all here present That I do believe there is but one God who is omnipotent omniscient omni-present and an infinite and all-glorious Being and distinguished into three subsistences or if that word offend I will say into three personal proprieties and relations according to his several operations and administrations namely of the Father Son and Holy Ghost The Father is of himself the Son proceedeth from the Father and the Spirit from them both And although the Saints cannot take hold of God as God incomprehensible and inapprehensible yet they know him as a Father as a Son as a Spirit dwelling in them and so far as his several attributes makes him known to them First Concerning the first Person so called of the Trinity or God the Father that he is the great Creator and Governor of all things in Heaven and Earth eternally distinct as in himself from all Creatures as Creatures in his absolute Being and absolute Well-Being And that this God shall judge the World But Secondly Concerning the second in the Trinity the Son Jesus Christ of whom Moses the Prophets and the Apostles wrote and in whom all the Scriptures are and shall be fulfilled I believe him as he is both God and Man making a compleat Mediator and as God equal to the Father as Man of the tribe of Judah the line of David the seed of Abraham and born of Mary c. And as both the onely Mediator between God and Man And he was from everlasting and yet as Man from the Womb he was separated called appointed and anointed most fully with all gifts and graces necessary for all mankinde Concerning his Offices That he is King Priest and Prophet First As the Prophet he hath revealed his Fathers whole will so far as is necessary to Salvation in his Word and Ordinances and speaks it to his Church and Saints by his Word and Spirit Secondly As Priest being consecrated for us he hath appeared to put away sin and hath offered himself the sacrifice for the sins of the people once for all laying down his life for his sheep and he hath absolutely abolished all legal and Ceremonial rites and shadows and is now entred into the Holy of Holies and sits at the right hand of glory making intercession for us Thirdly As King in general all power is given him in Heaven and Earth and he doth exercise his power over men and Angels good and bad for the safety of his Saints and destruction of his enemies till he hath made them all his foot-stool In particular that Christ is King over his Church and shall reign on Earth spiritually in the hearts of his Saints and by his Word and Spirit he gathers all his peoples together from Idolatry Superstition Darkness c. into his own Spiritual way of worship and holiness and brings them to the Father and by his Spirit he makes them a peculiar people a royal Priesthood a holy generation and instructs and governs them by his Laws prepared for his Church and people Thirdly Concerning the Spirit the third of the Trinity that he is sent by the Father and the Son to make application of the whole work of Redemption to those whom the Father hath given to the Son by his decree and whom the Son hath brought to the Father by his blood according to the everlasting Covenant made between the Father and the Son which the Spirit carries on to us as the Covenant of Free-grace for our Salvation By the operation of this holy Spirit in me This Grace was begun first by and through the Law which awakned me so as that I saw I was lost and undone for ever and then by the Gospel whereby Christ was revealed to me and in me by his Spirit and his righteousness cleared up mine But of this hereafter This Spirit applyed Christ Jesus as far as I knew him manifested to and in me by which I was brought at length to close with Christ and that so unfainedly that I resolved to loose all before Christ. So such are First by Christs righteousness justified Secondly by his Spirit adopted sons Thirdly by his Grace sanctified and really changed to the piety and purity of Gods holy Image gradually and Fourthly Glorified and changed from misery to happiness which begins in the inward sence of Gods soul-melting love to them in Christ from whence is the hope of glory and assurance of salvation joy peace and happiness within c. Fifthly Concerning the Scriptures in Old and New Testament they are the Word of God as they were writ and indited by the holy Spirit and that they are the standing rule left us both for our knowledge and practise doctrine and Discipline here below Sixthly I believe that by the first Adams disobedience we all fell and that we are all by nature the children of wrath dead in sins and trespasses and that those who live and dye in their sins cannot be saved nor any without regeneration or new birth Seventhly Concerning the Church of Christ I know it is but one Body Universal and Catholick and that is of all Saints past present and to come invisible and visible yea spiritual and formal But this I also believe that God hath left a rule in his Word for Particular Congregational Churches here upon Earth as the visible to make up his one intire and universal Body Eighthly Now concerning Christs particular Churches I believe as I have preached and proved such a Church to be a Fellowship called out of the world and united to Christ As Members to the head and all one with another according to the Word for the worship of God and the edification one of another and that such must be separate from false ways worships Antichristian superstitions observancies c. and willingly joyn in Christian Communion and Covenant or resolution of cleaving close to the Lord in this his way with purpose of heart and by free confession of their Faith and subjection to the Gospel and therein especially I believe That the Ordinances of Christ are to be freely and frequently dispenced as preaching praying prophecying one by one Singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Sacraments Censures Offices and Officers and often and ordinary exercising of gifts And that there is a chusing of and setting apart Officers by the whole Body and that none doth orderly do the office of a Minister among them but such and besides to omit many other things and bring all up in this rear I do really believe that such orderly Churches have priviledges royal oracles and seals and
thing of it and this is that which I writ down as I remembred it that I present to you under my own hand The Dream of John Cooper the 4. of Jan. 1651. as it was given in under his own hand WHich was this I thought I was in the company of Mr. Rogers Col. Hewson and my Lord of Clogher and that we were all going together upon a fine green way and did all travel together a long time and then I thought Mr. Rogers turned backe to us and said Brethren you may see what a great comfort it is to walke in the pathes of Righteousness For for all wee have travelled so long yet we are not any thing a weary c. And Brethren be assured that I will lead you to a place of great joy and comfort before it be long if you will but follow mee So then me thought we went a little further and we came to a very large and spacious place wherein there was a great gate and there Mr. Rogers made a prayer and as soon as he had concluded the Gate was opened and we entred therein and then me thought wee went into a great Garden and there was a very large paire of stairs where we went up and there I saw mee thought a great many of dead peoples bones which appeared to Mr. Rogers in full and perfect shape as ever any were as I conceive for at those bones he made a stand and said unto us all Look brethren and take good notice of the handy work of our great God for here you may see that they are in as perfect shapes as they were in the lower world So then me thought we went up a little further and there Mr. Rogers made another stand and said unto us Brethren Now shall I see whether you be strong in faith or not So then mee thought wee came to a place where we must needs goe over and it was in the likenesse of a small Pike laid over a deep pit and then mee thought Mr. Rogers said Come Brethren our journey is in vain without wee goe over this Pike for they that will see the Habitation of the Lord must goe through many dangers and I will by the grace of God be your Leader And so then me thought he went over with as much safety and ease as if he had gone on the earth The next that went over the Pike aforesaid was Col. Hewson and he went with as much ease also and after my Lord of Clogher The next it came to my turne which I seeing so great a downfall and the Pike did so bend and shake that I could not set one foot over it was afraid so then me thought Mr. Rogers cryed out and said O friend friend you have walked in the pathes of unrighteousnesse So then me thought he made a prayer to Almighty God that he would admit me to goe over And so then me thought he bowed three or four times and cryed out with a loud voyce and said O thou great God how much I am bound unto thee for all thy loves and manifestations towards me So then me thought he took me by the hand and bid me Come over and not to fear and then I walked over with as much safety as the rest so then me thought we went a little further and we came to a very faire Room and there was not any in it as I could see but Mr. Rogers and Col. Hewson and the Lord of Cloghâ—r They saw and spake with God as I conceived for after they had done speaking they gave many bows and thanks and then me thought Mr. Rogers said Come we will sing prayses unto the Lord for all his Promises and great Gifts to us And then me thought wee began to sing and I heard a multitude of voyces with rare Musicke and I could not see any but our selves so when Mr. Rogers had done giving God his glory in singing of praises he did rise up and saluted us and said well Brethren I have but a short time to stay here with you and for the Time I have been amongst you I have endeavoured to bring you the Right way to worship God And for the time I doe stay with you I shall by the helpe of the Lord make knowne unto you Greater things then I have done yet So I desire you to follow my counsel and it shall bee for your owne profits and so I waked or else I might have knowne more After this his Dream he was much confirmed in this way wherein we walked and the effects of it were of such influence that he said he could not rest nor be satisfied untill he had shewed it to the Church and proposed himselfe to walke with them at the time he was admitted he said more though not much that he was called home to God taken off of sinne and the lusts of the world and that he had found in him a great change though he were not able to expresse himselfe in words and was now desirous to please God to walke in his way longing after Christ and communion with his people being long before wrought upon by the word preached and prayer and that now hee had given himselfe up to God with such like expressions comming very brokenly from him in much appearance of humility and holinesse A fuller Testimony as it was taken from Elizabeth Avery out of her own mouth and declared by her self to the whole Church IN this society I see much of God and have a great desire to be one with you From my childhood I have lived under good education my Father was a godly man I was always tender and consciencious but my conversion was wonderful On one Sabbath-day I was playing but I was soon and soundly checked for it in my spirit and went home but I was a great while troubled and lay under bondage all along And I was much distracted and confused for sin a long time till about sixteen years of age and then I began to be very strict and so retired in my life that many wondered at it I had an entire love to the preaching of the Gospel O how I longed after it but alas we had then no good Preaching-Ministery to be had or heard about us and yet my heart longed a long time after it till I came to be married But alas I was yet under the Law and Works until God called me out of Egypt and I could not tell how I was once wrapt up in a light and hearing something spoken of Free-grace then I melted Yet for all these I had great afflictions and amongst others by the loss of my children Gods rod was laid heavy upon me insomuch That he struck three of them together and one childe above all a most sweet childe and one that I least thought of them all would have died was very ill and we were talking I my Husband and some Friends together of comfortable things and amongst
recovery But this was not all yet that God intended to doe for his people this man was not discovered to the Church to be what he was all this while And though the Lord heard the Churches prayers to recover this man out of this condition yet the Lord cast him into another condition for the Churches good But by this time was the messenger come for the Pastor it being above a mile distant to come quickly to the said Osborne Thither he hasted and carried with him the Churches contribution when he came into the house the people within told him how suddenly those strange fits left him and now how he was altered and taken in another course crying out to speak with the said Pastor who went in where this Osborne lay in another posture then formerly upon his bed and seeing the Pastor begins to howle and roar crying out O I 'me damn'd I 'me damn'd I goe to hell I goe to hell repeating every sentence he said I think at least a dozen times with a most deplorable voice O I am rotten I am rotten at the heart Oh the heart with aboundance of such bitter language the Pastor wondred began to say one thing and another to apply for one aile and for another but all in vain for the more he sought to help he seemed to hurt and the more he sought to cure he seemed to kill and the more to fret the disease The Pastor retiring himselfe for a time into the next roome as desirous to seek to God and to bewail the mans woefull misery was there told by one or two that the same Osborne has formerly been suspected for adultery lying with one Right 's wife hard by and for some other misdemeanors which were never before known or imagined to be in the man by any of the Church as I know of or that any of the Church did speak of Well the Pastor returning thanks to the parties that acquainted him with this went out into the yard and then earnestly sought the Lord that this mans afflâ—ction might be usefull to the Church and that by his own mouth that might be discovered within him which none could see and few suspect by his outward deportment and profession and if he were so wicked and that such sinnes and basenesse were in him that it might be manifested openly to the terror of the wicked that as at the judgement of Ananias and Saphira Act. 5.11 fear might come upon all the Church and those that hear these things With his heart ful of such hot desires the Pastor returned in to the man much relying on God and as soon as ever the said Osborne saw him he cryed out alowd Oh I 'me damn'd I 'me damn'd I 'me rotten I 'me rotten ' Ime rotten The Pastor asked him why and like a floud his voice violently bursting forth for lying with such a woman naming her openly to all commers and continuing this his unsavory speech so long and in so much despair that the Pastor was constrained to leave him so he being uncapable of making use of what so ere was said to him though ere so urgently so that the said J. R. the Pastor hasted home being now dark night hoping to doe him more good by dealing with God for him then by any further dealing with him being much afflicted for the great sinfulnesse of the man and for that those without would take all he said up in the worst sense and with the most malicious construction they could so reporting it about the Countrey as it might reflect much upon the Church and that to the publique reproach of profession and the Gospel practise which afterwards as wee shall hear through the great grace of our God who turns light out of darknesse and good out of eviâ—â— made mightily for the Churches advantage and comfort The next day the Pastor praising the Lord for this large discovery made of the mans sinfulnesse and unsoundnesse who was condemned out of his owne mouth in his private study strongly sets upon God and by a holy violence beseecht and begged of him hard that hee would scourge him here severely by some visible signe and that to the purpose for others to take warning by and for the further manifestation of such as were unsound and rotten in the Church and for the fuller strengthening and establishment of his sincere and pretious onâ—s in the Faith and that his soul might be saved at the last day Thus continuing his undeniable requests for the space of two dayes all this while newes was brought that Osborne was now drawing on in his last sweat and senselesse and knowing no body but speech lesse and upon giving up the ghost onely now and then he raged and flung about But every one had given him up for a dead man and without remedy in their eyes After this the said Pastor did set afresh upon the Lord and lay hard that it might be enough what was done and to withdraw his anger if he pleased to be prevailed with through Christ and now to spare him and try him a little longer if he did heartily repent what was past and resolve against temptations in time to come and to walke up more closely to the rules of the Gospel upon his promise so to doe that he would try him now and be pleased to be pacified and shew him love c. The Pastor continued praying for him the space of a day or two more and this not onely in private but publiquely in whole body and society May 7. it being a day of speciall Communion On which day one member of the Fellowship being sent to see him he was asleep fast so as he was not seen to rest for a long time before being tyred under so many torments as he was in and so 't was hard to say whether he were dead or alive thus he slept a long time At last when he awakâ—d both himself and others by him being wonderfully amazed at so sudden a change as he seem'd to be in for as others knew not well whether he were dead or alive and all concluded hee was drawing on untill this sleep so himself as he affirmed to the Church after wondred he was alive and altogether thought that he had been dead and cast into Hell and was there enduring the torments for his sinnes not imagining himself upon the earth for these four or five dayes ere since the Pastor J.R. last left him in a despairing condition not capable of comforting being senselesse But suddenly hee awaking and wondring at himself he starts up off of his bed and by all means would be going to the Pastors house and to the Church and told the people that now he was beholding to his Master for so he called the Pastor indeed and for that his Master had done wonderful things for him and the Company asking why Oh! he answered that his Master had prayed to
world are no! but by intrinsicall life and spirit and inward principles not by being together in one body Churches City or society but by being of one spirit and of one spirituall body which is Christs The heads are these which are offered for unity by the Apostle First there is but one body i. e. not naturall nor politicall but spirituall viz. the Church compared to a naturall body Rom. 12.4 5. 1 Cor. 12.12 which takes in the Saints of all ages under all forms and statures seeing none could be left out to compleat the body but that there is need of Saints under lower as well as under higher forms to make up the body Whence unity is urged for that there is need of all to make up the body viz. of the weak as well as the strong of the lower as well as the higher 1 Cor. 12.18 20 23. 2. Vnity is pressed here for that this onenesse of body flowes from the onenesse of the Head which in corpore primas tenet c. saies Bullinger de unit eccles Dec. 5. Serm. 2. is the first of the body and is first and then the body of right for members do not unite first and then choose a Head saies Mr. Dell in 's way of peace p. 20.21 c. but first they are if true Churches united to Christ their head by faith Uniuntur primo capiti Christo per fidem ipsum caput conjungitur membris per gratiam spiritum Bull. in loc ibid. and then one to another by love Therefore all that have but one Head viz. Christ I say all Independents Anabaptists or whoever they be should be one 3. Vnity is urged in this word one body because unity of body stands well with variety of forms distinction of parts and differences of members 1 Cor. 12.23 which do not hinder but help to make up the body by a sweet symmetry harmony Rom. 12.6 Licet sint membra plurima omnium tamen est inter ipsa consâ—nsio pulcherrimâ— c. Bull. because what one member can't doe another can for the use and service of the Head 4. Vnity is called for for that in one body there is an equality of members all alike making up one body Not one more then another omnes authoritate dignitate pares sunt saies Zanchy de unit eccles cap. 3. etsi alter altero sit ditiâ—r c. So are all Churches equall in dignity and authority though some may be richer or bigger then others as was prov'd 〈◊〉 lib. 8. 5 Vnity is urged for that as each member is contented with its own place and office in the body so ought each particular society to be 1 Cor. 12.18 6. Vnity is called for from the sympathy and fellow-feeling which one member hath with another in the body 1 Cor. 12.26 and all for and with the whole mourning with them that mourn and rejoycing with them thaâ— rejoyce Congruunt conspirant inter sâ—omnia condolent sibiâ—iâ—icem juvant se mutuo Ergo afflict not one another 7 Vnity is urged from the Law of love and therefore of peace that is among the members one member doth not force another or compell another nor doth one member beat bite quarrel or fight with another neither doth one Church with another that is one in the spirit And then Lastly Vnity is urged for that every member is to serve another and to serve all and not himself only the eye is to see not for its self only but for the hand and for the foot and for the whole c. so the ear to hear c. and in serving the whole serves its self Thus it is among particular Churches there is no one meerly to serve himself but one lives to serve another and then all therefore the Apostle so earnestly presses unity for that they are one body and are to serve one another and all the body of Christ. Let no Church break this bond of love and peace then seeing all make but one body The 2. Head is one Spirit Hence unity is urged for that as one soul 1. quickens comprehends moves governs and acts every member of the body eye hand foot c. sicut per eandem animam multa membra unita sunt c. Zanch. de eccles c. 3. So one spirit all the members and every particular Church that makes up the body one Spirit quickens moves governs the Independent as well as the baptized ones c. Ergo unity 2. For that as one soul vivificates and unites many and divers kindes of members so one and the same spirit puts life into Churches under diversity and differency of forms and appearances and administrations One and the same Spirit of Christ unites those in earth and those in heaven those in the east and those in the west and though about severall works yet all by one and the same Spirit Rom. 12.6.7 Hos. 10.11 This then is an argument for unity And 3. Lastly as one and the same soul acts severally in every member and so as if every member had a soul to give it life c. yet 't is but one and the same soul in all So the Spirit is upon and in every particular Church of Christ as if every Church had the spirit solely in and to her self the 7. Spirits Rev. 5.6 for the 7. Churches of Asia and yet all but one and the same spirit though living in every one This should engage every particular Church to unity in the spirit not in the form that uniformity will never hold nor abide the day of his coming Mal. 3.2 't's diversity of spirits that breaks the peace not the diversity of formes for as Zanchy observes Non externarum ceremoniarum diversitas impedit veram essentialem unitatem ecclesiae it is not the difference of outward rites and forms that hinders the Churches unity for God hath left them to liberty for every Church to use or not use as it is most for order and edification as to time place number manner of meeting reading singing praying administring Sacraments and such like In Augustines time some broke bread every day some each of the day some thrice a week some twice some every first day some of the first day that as to time Then as to place sometimes in private sometimes in publick places sometimes from house to house yea as to number in Augustines time they broke bread sometimes twice a day morning and evening sometimes once only See Aug. Tom. 2. Epist. 118. ad Januar. As to the manner sometimes without prayer sometimes with prayer sometimes with many prayers Bucer contra Latomum 133. So there were many ceremonies and much difference about baptisme about prayers about Ministers and their ordination c. and yet was there unit as veritate saies Aug. Tom. 2. epist. 86. ad Casulanum though ceremoniarum
the Emerauld Smaragd or in Hebr. Bareketh of Barak which is Lightning Ezek. 1.13 is of a most pleasant lovely lively fresh green colour on this stone Levi was ingra ved it grows in Scithia it is a very soft stone and soon broke and is not to be forced It is said of a certain King of Hungaria that once when he lay with his Wife having this stone on his finger it flew in three pieces which may easily be by over-heating it therefore but few weare them It is a great enemy to Bacchus and Venus and cures many Diseases helps the Memory and is good for the sight and much expels dreams and fancies from men when they would sleep and certainly such Emeralds are those Saints that lively represent the Green Spring that is come the flowering and blossoming dayes that doe come that are fat and green Olives in the house of the Lord ye green figs that gives a good smell and such as are Priests and Levites in Christ that are very tender-hearted a little passion or pride or carnall heat of flesh c. makes them humble and soone breaks their hearts they can't endure sin no not appearances of evill or the least occasions to sin though there be but few of them they comfort many a soul cure many a disease help many a bad memory enlighten many a dark understanding and do much enable against doating dreams and foolish fancies that have no good bottomes These are excellent matter indeed but they will not endure to be forc'd but easily yield and are willing in the day of his power Fifthly the Sardonix the word seems to bee made up out of the Sardine and Onix stone named in Hebr. Jahalom says Ainsworth of smiting for it is a very hard stone and will bear banging blowes it is as Pliny notes lib. 37. c. 6. of a fleshly ruddy colour to be found among the Indians and Arabians and is excellent to make one modest and may mean such sort of Saints as are found and will suffer all sorts yea the violenâ—est knocks strokes stripes and calamities for Christs sake the Churches and Gospels sake and yet will hold out and nothing fear at all and yet such as are innocent as Doves very modest men full of humanity and curtesie to all stoutly disposed and very gratious Sixthly the Sardius called in Hebr. Odem of Adam red For it is a Bloud coloured stone the Chaldee calls it Samkan and Thargum Jerusalemi Samketha it is found among the Sardians whence it hath it's name it is of excellent use to cheare up the heart and as Paraeus further notes to drive away fears to cause boldnesse to stay the issue of bloud to put an edge upon the ingenuity c. It hath an attractive power over wood and drawes it to it selfe as the Loadstone drawes iron and it is excellent to receive a Seale or Image neither is it dull'd by the often using it such precious matter are meant by this who are of the second Adam the image of him who is of the heaven heavenly 1. Cor. 15. wash'd with his bloud and so presented to the Church such can comfort poor soules as they have been comforted 2. Cor. l. 4. and then cheer drooping hearts by declaring their own experiences these Christians and precious stones will not suffer feares to possesse them but by faith are above feares full of fortitude and courage for Christ and the truth and evermore emboldning others to stand to it to fight a good fight of faith being clothed with the whole armour of God and to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might putting an edge upon them to act and stir for the truth and never to be idle yea such as are attractive to draw the wood of Lebanon the Cedars of the Forrest and fit matter for the builders use into fellowship with them and such as have the image of God the likenesse of Christ admirably on them and the plaine seale of the spirit in them and such as are never weary with well doing nor dull'd with using these are precious ones indeed that shall bee found ere long in more plenty fit matter for the Church although as yet but few of them are gathered for they are somewhat obscure in outward appearance Seventhly the Chrysolite which in Hebr. is Tharshish the name of the Sea in Psa. 48.8 for it hath the name of a golden stone and is called in Chaldee Crum-jamma of the Seaâ—ole because that the glorious splendor of it is most splendent shining golden sea green it growes among the Indians and Arabians and fetched out of black earth oftentimes It is of excellent use to refrain from Venery and lust and layd under the tongue it doth admirably abate the thirsts of feavâ—rs or violent desires and it shines loveliest early horâ matutinâ by morning light such precious souls shal be found out too that shal be filled with the knowledge of the Lord which is to be as a mighty floud and as the Sea covers the Earth Sea-green i. e. having their colour and properties from this Sea and these waters Such as were fetched from the Blacks of darknesse into light out of the black Earth of the first man by the power of God although they will with the Chrysolite retaine some signes of that place from whence they are fetch'd by som black spots which wil appear viz. in their infirmities they are great enemies to the lusts of the flesh to carnall concupiscence having in them a restringent faculty to curb and keep back themselves from running out and they find a vertue in them that allayes all passionate and excessive thirstings after the world or things below and are means to coole this in others that have violent Feavorish humours and call and cry for those things to satisfie them and to quench their thirst which will but increase their thirst but these Saints have vertue from Christ the Sun that shines on them and makes them precious that they shall never thirst so more Jo. 4.14 and these precious ones will seek the Lord early as Mary Magdalen did early seek Christ Jo. 20.1 ev'n while it was yet dark they will lose no opportunity but take it betimes and they shine best earliest Such are the precious matter promised to make up the Church in these last ages Eighthly Beryll in Hebr. Shoham in Gr. Beryll the Chaldee is Burla Pliny saies it is an Indian-stone but Dionysius that it is found in Babylon also of a watrish sky-colour for the most part and somewhat dull to look on although they be of divers sorts and they having divers colours This is also of exceeding good Use against the humours of the Eyes and to suppresse sighes and to help the ill liver and set to the Sun to kindle a fire c. Such Saints are precious matter indeed who excell in these properties that
Isay 11.9 Hâ—bak 2.14 Zach. 12.18 Thus if we seriously perpend and weigh with the word of God these six Heads it will lye obvious to our understanding that the Church of Christ restored into Gospel-Primitive purity is the great promise of these later dayes as appears also in severall Prophesies wherein the Lord hath promised the repaire of Sion and to build up the desolate and waste places and Ierusalem that is broken down and such like Scriptures Ps. 102.15.16 that concern us in these latter dayes so is it in Ier. 31.4 I will build thee up again O Virgin of Israel ye that are holy and pure sanctified in Christ Iesus this Promise is made to you so in Ier. 33.7 I will build them as at first saith the Lord in order to this work is all the noise in the world for all the obstructions must be removed and the old must passe away as in the 2 Pet. 3.10 with a great noise see in Zach. 4.6.7 where the Prophesie which is for our dayes and from hence forward promises the removall of all lets to this work of the Lord though they be mountains that hinder yet he 'le make them all plains And also the Lord promises the progresse of his House and Temple viz. in these later dayes which he hath put into the hands of Christ the typified Zerubbabel v. 9. who hath already even in our dayes layd the foundation of it untill he hath finished it So that in order to this Church-worke and building up of Sion it will easily appeare that Gods designe in these latter daies is to throw downe mountains viz. the mightiest powers Princes Armies Monarchies or Kingdomes that oppose the Kingdome of Christ and hinder this work of the Lord in Zerubbabel's hands Job 9.45 Job 28.9 Isay 10.32.33 Isay 14 4.5.9.10 41.15.16 24.19.21.23 Hag. 2.6.7.21.22.23 he will throw them all into the dust that dare to appeare against Sion or the King of Sion Psal. 2.9 wo be to all the Powers Princes Nations on the Earth that take part with the Dragon or the Beast or Turk or Pope Rev. 19.19 God will make all these mounts be they never so great plaines by scattring them as dust Isay 41.16 Dan. 2.35 scourging them Isay 10.24.25.26 with furious blows Ezek. 25.16.17 by stilling them Exod. 15.16 Isay 11.6 Ps. 8.2 by ruining them Jer. 49.38 51.20 to the 27. Hag. 2.22 or else by converting of them Psal. 102.13.15 Isay 49.11.12 60.3.4 Rev. 21.24 O then let us not be afraid Luke 21.25.27.28 but lift up our heads for our day is nigh Psal. 46.2.3.4 but let all that would have Zion repaired rejoyce that the Mountains God is making Plaines the great work then of his Church is hard by for the head-stone i. e. the first Plantation stone according to the Primitive patterne and practise which Christ himselfe and after him his Apostles brought forth is already in some measure blessed be the Lord brought forth with shoutings crying grace grace unto it wherefore let us blesse God for that voyce of Rev. 19.17.18 which we have heard in our Land and thinke it not strange the world is an uproare for all this must be to make for Zion to make for the Gospel-order in Church-state before the Apostolicall primitive Church and order can be restored which is now hard by us and then the Churches shall flourish and rejoyce Isay 35.10 Joel 3.16.17 and remaine Heb. 12.27.28 Zach. 14.11 and their name shal be the Lord is there wherefore read in the Book of God when all this shal be Isay 34.16 The next part of this Consid. is that the glory of the Gospel Church is promised by many excellent Types ful Figures as the wise know the Old Test. testifies and not only the glory of Christs Church but the shame confusion and downfal or Antichrists Church in these latter dayes is by Types layd before us I might instance for the fall of false Churches under the Type of Aegypt Ezek. 31.18 Rev. 11.8 that kept Gods people in bondage and therefore must be plagued again and again Isay 10.26 after the manner of Aegypt and of Sodom too Rev. 11.8 whence the Lot's are calâ—'d out even into a little Zoar or handfull at first that they may be burnt up with brimstone Rev. 19.20 in the furious anger of the Lord Psal. 83.11.14 Isay 34.2.3 for their spirituall Whoredomes and Adulteries So also of Babylon whence all that can heare are called in our dayes for the voyce is now Rev. 18.4 to make haste out for Judgements are comming upon her the mother of Harlots Rev. 17.5 yea of a sudden in one houre Rev. 18.8.9.10 within these three years the smoake of her burning will begin to appeare and smell in the nostrils of the Churches and soon after Anno 1655. All that see it shall stand as far from her as they can for feare of her torments Rev. 18.10 though thousands that see it not will fall into it and feele it to their cost yet all the Saints Apostles Churches Prophets shall rejoyce for that Babylon shall be throwne downe with a mighty violence never to rise more Rev. 18.20.21 but to speak no more to this in a word he shall come to his end and none shall help him Dan. 11.45 and that this his ruine is nigh appears in the 44. verse because the tidings which he heares does already trouble him as the Expositors upon this place have foretold it to be fatally ominous and to foretell his eminent fall 1. For the signs are the falling away from him which will be more apparent within these three yeares as the Iewes did from Antiochus Epiphanes a picture of the Pope 2. His feare at the tydings of rumours abroad Dan. 11.44 the Iesuits Cardinals Pope yea Rome it selfe trembles to heare of England and at the troubles that are arising in all Europe 3. His passionate desire to do mischiefe and to Romanize as of old were he able all these fore-run his ruine as Polanus Brightman with many others noted now they tremble already as Antiochus the Type did a little before his end which End was with the plagues and judgements of God and after which neither he nor his Kingdome nor any of his posterity and temper did ever more rise but were extinct for ever and so will it be with the Pope Rome and all that take part with the beast Rev. 19.20 But to the Types that foretell the glory of Christs Church whieh are many and of long standing I might instance in the hill of Sion in Davids Tabernacles as they were Gods habitacles which were to be made after Gods appointment Exod. 25.9 and all that was brought to make them was to be Free-gift v. 2. and there was to be the Mercy-seat Arke and Testimony v. 21. and the Table with Shew-bread v. 30. none were to become there
more in and by the spirit of the Lord John 4.25.24 But God is very exact as appears by the strictnesse of the woâ—d to have his Saints the Churches and Members thereof subject to his Laws even in Paradise even in the best reformed restored dayes Heb. 8.10 Ezek. 43.11 and 44.5.24 Yea the Royal Law James 2.8 And Law of truth Mal. 2.6 Yea the Law to go forth out of Zion to others Mich. 4.2 And seale the Law among my Disciples Isay. 8.16 So that God especially looks for it from them for they have more reason to live under the Order and Law of God then any others for they are to be Examples to others as lights on a hill and as the Salt to season others that are without They have it first that are in Churches most excellently as from the Lord and others as from them Micah 4.2 Adam had the Law first in Paradise as from the Lord most excellently of all and Eve afterwards as from him Besides the Majesty Authority of God is promised hereby especially in the Churches as Paul said 1 Cor. 11.23 For I have received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you c. so it shal be especially in the last days as Micah 5.4 He Christ shall stand and feed and rule in the strength of the Lord in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God and they the Churches shall abide For now after this shall he Christ be great unto the end of the Earth But yet marke this that the Man was first made and then commanded he had first a Principle and then a Precept the first is to the adesse and then the other to the bene esse So that to the singular Comfort of Saints and all Church Members here is much promised that he will first create and then command that he will first give them a power to do it and then give them a Precept to do it And then they shall be upon the Chariots of Aminadab First he 'l write his Law in them and then receive his Law of them i. e. that which is written in them in these latter days so that the Churches Saints shal not be yea caÌ„not be without Law nor without liberty nor without the perfect Law of liberty Jam. 1.25 5. Man though in Paradise must not be idle therefore v. 15. God put him in to dresse it and to keep it viz. it Garden for the word is hortus which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Feminine Gender with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affixed and it is not without signification to all the Churches and Saints for as Zanchy sayes Paradisuâ— illa typus fuit Ecclesiae ergo qui in Ecclesiam positi sunt discaâ—t se non esse hîc positos ut otiosi vivant sed ut pro suâ quisque virili colat Ecclesiam camque custodiat Paradise was a Type of the Church and it concerns every Member of the Church to remember he must not be idle but up and about to work in the Vineyard to dresse and keep it for the manifestation of the spirit is given to every one to profit withall 1 Cor. 12.7 To doe something or other to the edifying of the Church 1 Cor. 14.12 Rom. 14.19 to instruct exhort build up and dresse it Ephes. 4.29 1 Thes. 5.11 Jude 20. Heb. 10.24.25 Yea and to keep it too from the Foxes of the Field and the Wild Bores of the Wood yea to keep out all Beasts and such as would hurt this Paradise and to keep in good Orders the Fences and Hedges the Lawes and Liberties of the Church Jude 3. Gal. 5.1 Heb. 12.3.4 Ephes. 4.3.4 Phil. 2.1.2.3 1 Cor. 1.10 2 Cor. 13.11 This Care lies upon all the Churches and Members thereof the Lord make them good Husband-men carefull and watchfull and painfull as he hath promised for the benefit of the Church and the good keeping of this Typified Paradise as Hosea 10.11.12 Obj. But Labour and Worke was poena peccati a Curse Gen. 3.17 and a Bondage Ans. Not every Labour and Worke but anxious vexatious grievous pains and labours but not to labour in Paradise in the Lords Garden or Vineyard to such as the Lord hath set therein his Yoke is easie and his Service is sweet to them Prov. 3.17 The Wayes of wisdome are pleasantnesse to their Souls they delight to be doing for the Lord for Christ for the edifying of his Church Psal. 1.2 and 16.3 and 40.8 Psal. 119.16.24.35.47.70.77.174 Duties are a Delight and Ordinances a Delight to them Cant. 2.3 Isay. 58.13.14 6. Man though in Paradise yet upon open Breach of Gods Law he was cast out and excommunicated Gen. 3.23.24 Therfore the Lord sent him out from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken and he drove out the man or expelled cast and shut him out which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a hard word and a clear Excommunication whilst the former word he sent out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but a kind of command to him to pack away but now he 's thrust out and banish'd Paradise for indeed his offence was the greater that it was in Paradise after he was so blessed and had tasted the fruits of it c. So must Offenders though Members of the Church 1 Cor. 5.45 be dealt with their sins are of the greater aggravation by how much the longer they have been Members and by how much the more they have tasted of the Fruits and found of the Benefits of being inclosed and in the Garden of the Lord viz. Church-fellowship wherefore let Members beware of the forbidden Fruits and they may live diu die long and happily in the Churches of Christ in these last dayes 7. Man in Paradise might eat of every tree v. 16. of every tree of the Garden thou mayest freely eat that is of the Fruit of every Tree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex quavis arbore except as v. 17. of the tree of knowledge thou must eat freely is an excellent Hebraisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eat and eat again yea comedendo comedes you may eat by eating there be some that say under these words lye a Command upon the Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he must eat of the Fruits of every Tree without making difference of clean and unclean c. This shows the great advantage and priviledges of Saints and Members of the Churches in these last dayes they feed upon the Fruits of every Tree in the Garden not out of the Garden of every Ordinance of every Administration of every Gift Grace of every Saint or Member not putting of Differences making Distinctions or having of the Faith with respect of Persons or Opinions Micah 4.5 And they shall sit every one under his own Vine and they shall walke every one in the name of his God c. Yea then as every Tree
shall be fruitfull Col. 1.10 Hosea 14.8 So every Saint and Member must eat of the Fruits of all out of all i. e. that grows out of every one yea of the least lowest darkest and most undershadow and meanest Member or Brother of the Church for every one shall bring in of his Fruits and none be hindred and every ones Fruits shall be in due season Ps. 1.2.3 and none before the time Mal. 3.11 but all ripened by the Sun and then every one will be desirous of them Micah 7.1 My soul desired the ripe fruits sayes the Prophet himselfe 8. Man in Paradise was forbidden the Tree of Knowledge v. 17. But of the tree of Knowledge thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye which words are full in Hebr. you shall not eat of it that is not eat out of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if the Lord should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poynt out with his finger the Tree he forbad if thou eatest thereof thou shalt not faile to dye thou shalt surely dye which is in Hebraisme too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moriendo merierie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt dye with dying thou shalt dye the death that is necessarily and unavoydably and most miserably thou shalt know 't is a fearfull thing to sin in Paradise so in Church-Fellowship therefore the command is interdicting and prohibiting the tree of Knowledg So are the Saints Members in the Churches forbid the tree of Knowledge that is humane Wisdom carnal Reason and Policy affectation of Word Gifts habituall Parts of Learning subtile Sophistry and all such forbidden fruits in Paradise so in the Churches Col. 2.8 That none spoyle you through Philosophy Arts and Sciences nor corrupt you with humane Wisdome 1 Cor. 1.20.21 2 Cor. 1.12 which Aegypt and Babylon did and yet do abound in but the Lord hath promised to destroy and bring this Wisdome to nought Isay. 29 14. And that the deafe shall hear and the blind see Isay. 29.18 The things and visions of the booke which the learned can't read in v. 11. Because 't is sealed to him but the spirit of the Lord shall reveale them to Babes And those that see not shall see whilst those that see shall be made blind Therefore let the Saints take heed of that Tree whose Fruits if they live upon them and prefer them for so Man did will be accursed to them Jer. 17.5.6 For cursed is the man that makes flesh his arm whose heart departeth from the Lord for he shall be like the heath in the desart and not see when good commeth This is a Curse indeed as full as the Fig-tree had and this dreadfull Curse is full of wrath for and to them that prefer and feed altogether on humane Parts habitual Gifts Wisdome Learning or the like for by these the Old Man who must fall gets to be enthroned and Christ and Truth justled out of doors not that we deny an use yea and sometimes a great use too that may be made of Parts Learning humane Knowledge habituall Gifts c. For if there were no use at all to be made of them then they were not to be there then this Tree of Knowledge should not have been set in Paradise at all much lesse in the midst of the Garden but this we say that though they may be suffered yea seen heard handled yet they must not be eaten fed on before the Tree of Life to live on or to be nourished by them O no! but feed on the Tree of Life Eate down the Fruits of the spirit the Graces Learning Wisdome of the spirit to live on to be quickned nourished comforted by and to have them consubstantiated into you So that the other fruits are not first to be feed on but to be looked on and to be used as Servants to the Tree of Life and by the bye therefore woe be to them that prefer the tree of knowledge before the tree of life it is that which is here forbid and is accursed with a most dreadfull sentence and doome upon it and they fall fowlest and most irrecoverably that fall by eating the fruits of the tree of knowledge viz. selfe-wisdome and parts c in preferring of these by Sathan's subtill insinuations before the tree of life Let all Churches and Members look to it then For they are under a desperate curse that do so and when they do Julian like Apostatize they are the most hurtfull unholy violent and unexecrable Enemies to Christ and his Gospel 9. The Serpent got even into Paradise it's selfe and presently pitcht upon the tree of knowledge to tempt the Woman and so the man with the fruits of that tree and the Woman seeing 't was to be desired to make one wise Gen. 3.16 Sayes the Text took it c. So Sathan that subtill Serpent creeps into the best Churches at some hole or other and appears in their Congregations as Job 1.6 where God sees him when men can't and so even in Judas in Christs little fellowship he crowded in and so in Jude 4 Gal. 2.4 and when they are at the best and busiâ—st duties he 'l be sure to teÌ„pt them that subtilly with wonderous art and cunning winding himselfe into the heart of one or other to tempt them to forbidden fruits and he usually gets up into the tree of knowledge i. e. by carnall reason humane wisdome c. to do it He oftentimes presents the fairest side of the fairest fruits of this Tree to tempt poor souls with And he sets upon the weakest vessels to seduce them with a supposition of Gifts Parts humane Wisdome Learning and the like that these will make them wise and as Gods c. O sad miserable sad souls that are so deceived by the fair shows of Gifts as to prefer them before graces Wherefore let all Members and Churches be warned hereby For Sathan is got in to tempt some of the weakest of them Therefore sayd Paul to the Church of Corinth 2 Epist. 11.3 I fear least by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety so your mindes should be corrupted by his cunning Acts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the plain simplicity that is in Christ Wherefore let us all beware and believe graces more then gifts the tree of life is better for food then the tree of knowledge the spirit is better then the flesh and Christ to be preferred before the Creature or creature-parts and appearances And know that none are wise but the Saints the Churches and Saints are able to out-see all the Vniversities of the Earth in altissimis causis rerum Christ is their Wisdome 1 Cor. 1.30 Et dignoscitiva directiva in him they are wise 1 Cor. 4.10 and learned the learned of God are brought up in the Universities of Christ the Schooles of the Prophets indeed excelling all in
Israel a separate people So every Saint is a spirituall Jew So are the Disciples of Christ. Sim. Who are therefore haâ—â—d Châ—ists commands 2 Those that partake of her sins partake of her sorrows 3 It publishes disobedience not to be such and a corrupt heart plenis faucibus Quest. Answ. 1 None ought to be without Callings 2 None must separate from their duties 3 Nor to separate from civill â—onverse What it is to separate 1 From all false wayes and worship 2 From familiarity with the adversaries of the truth Sim. Sim. Sim. Have nothing to doe with them Gods anger is against such as do keep company with them Sim. Sim. 3 No fellowship with them in their orders and ordinances out of Christs way Expos. As Paul separated from Iewish Churches Discipline orders and ordinances Vse Parishes have not this part of the Forme Which is twisted up of a threefold cord to draw us out of Parishes into Churches All men are separates from Christ or separates for Châ—ist and which is best Object What Separatists are Schismaticks and what not A sin not to separate from false Antichristian Church-States And parishes as Churches are such Learned men many times most enemies to Christ and his true Churches Sim. Parish-Churches no Churches Churches gathered out of Churches Parish churches are Sathans Synagogues No Parish-rule conveyes a Church-right Sim. Parishioners opposite to Churches Sim. Object Answ. Word preached is no indelible nor undeceivable note of a truâ—â— Church Sim. But a commen adjunct Sacraments must be of right dispensed as Christs Ordinances in Christs order i. e. no where but in the true Church Expos. A word to all friends to submit to Christ. ☞ ☞ Sim. Outward Ordinances out of Christs order may do more hurt then good Sim. Carnall reason keeps many off Church-fellowship Sim. Secondly 2. Part of the forme is after separation from the fals conjunction in the true way Forth with hast into the Churches Else we shall be lost in the wildernesse One reason many Professors formerly strict turne Familists Seekers Ranters and such like In the Answer godly eminent Ministers so accounted must be reproved in the Countries Hag. 1.2.4 The Lord expostulates with them Ministers most complaine who are most the cause of their owne complaines What answers some of them have given the Author when he hath pressed upon them Gospel practise Why many Ministers are against Independency as they call it Expos. Whom the forme is to be showne to What it is 1. One Body 2. One body Independent 1. Christ's Church is his Body how and why All Members make up one and but one body Expos. Sim. If one member be amisse it must be restored into use and order againe for the good of the whole body which cannot misse that one member Sim. That is candidly with all sweetnesse of brotherly-like spirit and christianity Every member is to be in an apt place c of the body Sim. 1 Cor. 12.21.22 and to be content therewith Vide Zanch. de Eccles. 2. Christ his Church is his building Expos. The forme of his building What it is Sim. Rightly ordered to make all one The Lords house fitly framed together Expos. All one in another and every one on and in Christ the foundation v. chap. 14. Expos. 3. Christ's Church is a City compact Sim. All streets houses peoples c. make but one City Saints Citizens Sim. The immunities Priviledges lawes of this City which belong to the Freemen thereof None admitted free-men of this City but by the Citizens consent Expos. Buxtorph and Shâ—indler 4 This Church is his Army All men companies colours Captaines make up one Army 5 Christ's Church is his Kingdome For all Cities Shires countries c. make up but one Kingdome 6 Christs Church called heaven And why All Elements Firmaments Orbes Stars c make but one heaven All Saints in one are so Mr Jacob. Mr. Ursin. Sim. Because they have All one Father All one originall Law All in one Covenant All hewn from one Rock All bear one Image All lay in one womb All of one Seed All lead by one Spirit All called into one hope All one joy All one glory Christ prayed for this onenesse Apostles tooke great paines to preach it Unity and Entity convertibles The beauty and loveliness of Saints embodyed Sim. His Tabernacles amiable His Spouse fair 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such embâ—dâ—ed excel in beauty Informitas materiae duplex vel excludeâ—s formam vel formositatem Th. Aq. 1.66.1 â— Sim. Without form deforme Sim. But in one body their excellency appears In great confusion and disorder till then Sim. But in body in order and proper place Sim. Sim. Till thus embodied they do not their duties one to another Mr. Bartlet The Author abused for him in Dublin Sim. Expos. The soule-sweet issues of such a Gospel-order Priviledges Promises The Lords delight there above all Sim. The united strength of Saints in such Gospel society Vis â—nita fortiâ—â— Such Saints are the surest and the most successefull Souldiers A terrour to the world Expos. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fire proceeds out of the mouthes of Churches to destroy Gog and Magog Expos. By the Spirit of the Lord. Sim. Unity unconquerable Sed informitas infirmitas Sim. Sim. Saints united in one too hard for the whole world Sim. Their joynt powers and joint prayers able to conquâ—r heaven and earth And joynt-praises fill heaven and earth Sim. One member can act by his owne power and by the virtuall power and influence of the whole body Vse Parishes no Churches of Christ in this point of forme For we proved before with the Schoolâ—men Ubi partes non habent rationem materiae ibi totum non habet rationem formae So that they are neither matter nor forme The Devils black cloven foote is set in the midst of them all over England Why Parishes so devoyd of matter form and so full of sinne Expos. In Parishes what plagues arose from their constitution The worse wicked ill-favoured Kine eate up and destroy the others of the Neighbours that are better Exod. 7.12 and errours and sins doe swallow up truths Proph. Aegyptian Plagues must come upon them as in Isa. 10.24 26. Although as yet many like Dan do bite us behind or backbite Many an Adullamite we meet with in Parishes Parishes a Chaos Sim. Sim. Materia informis Expos. Parishes are stalls for beasts to lye down in Sim. Sim. Sim. Parish-Churches have their fatall blow Ezek. 16.36 37 Judg 9.15 The Bramble shall be burnt up in the day that burneth like an oven Mal. 4.1 Sim. Babylon falling Thâ—se that traded with her bewail her Vse A call into Zion into the Churches of Christ. Out of Babylon and Parish Churches Christ beckens to thee ☞ In his Tabernacles and Churches are beauty power his presence safety deliverance pleasure and joyes plenty peace blessednesse salvation all powerfull motives Great hurt to the godly to continue in Parish Churches
his Church whereof hee is Head And none else but such as the Church is perswaded of upon Testimony given in to have such a relation to the Lord Christ and whom in the charity of her judgement and in the judgement of her charity shee freely accepts of for such and in whom they finde the graces of Christ and the gifts of his Spirit in some measure and from whom they have some answerable fruits whereby they may be able to judge charitably for to receive a member which hath not virtuall power and operation from the Head is against reason yea and that reference and correspondence of members with the head But hence it is that many hypocrites are taken in who seem to have high injoyments and large gifts to wit Ranters and such like c. No! It is not hence but thence I meane by running from these rules that so many Hypocrites creep in as Gal. 2.4 for it is not enough to have heightened conceptions quicke apprehensions admirable gifts excellent parts and thereby to plead union with Christ our Head from the influence of common graces and injoyment of great gifts as Ranters may have very ravishingly to make a man fit for such fellowship of Saints no not though he prayes preaches discourses c. like an Angel if the Church conceive him not a Saint-called by some evidence given in or other whereby the Church doth judge him in union with his Head Christ according to the Influences of soule-sanctifying and soule-saving graces Simon Magus I make no doubt but had many common-gifts and graces which had a holy face by which he passed by Philip and crept in but yet had his hypocrisie appeared and that they were but counterfeit Coin I am confident Philip would have dealt with him home and have given him his owne as well as afterward Peter did Acts 8.20 21 22. And so as Tertullian sayes even Judas was honest and eminent at first to see to so here be many Blazing-stars and dangerous Comets which doe shine brightest as to sight as Ranters Hypocrites c. but evermore portend and presage eminent and imminent evills to the Church they are in unlesse much mercy prevent a many such meteors may seem fixed stars for some time so long as they are aloof off and high and so cozen us till they come to fall and then wee finde they were but Deceivers made of earthly slimy fleshly matter Thus have I offered the third bundle of Reasons and reach to the 4 Reason which is taken from the ends for the which reason 4 this Gospel-order and Church-fellowship is instituted the which none but Saints at least so visibly are able to answer which are of sundry sorts some few of them I shall instance in but not insist on for I feare I am too large and then ten to one but some will say my Pen is long-winged and my preaching is long-winded which is accounted an ill-favoured and an impardonable fault in Dublin I am sure but to be briefe 1 The maine end of this Gospel-Discipline is to set forth the honour and praises of God as a peculiar people 1 Pet. 2.9 Heb. 2.12 Ephes. 3.21 now none but visible Saints are fit to answer such an end Others indeed would be a chosen and peculiar people to dishonour God to rob him of his glory to Crucifie Christ afresh to bring a reproach upon the truth and to scandalize the Gospel but for nothing else in Christ's Church 2 Another end of this Gospel-practise is to promote the true light and to let in more of that knowledge of Christ which it is eternall life to know now none but the Saints are said to reach this end Ephes. 5.8 and in 1. Jo. 1.6 7. If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darknesse we lye and doe not the truth But if we walke in the light as he is the light we have fellowship one with another Now prophane ones as Atheists scandalous persons and such like are fit for the promotion of darknesse and for the putting out of the true light but are not at all fit for fellowship upon this account A third thing to be shot at in Gospel-fellowship is the mutuall edification of one another and the building up of the body in Christ 1 Thes. 5.11 Ephes. 4.29 1 Cor. 14.26 now none but Saints doe hit this marke for wicked ones would serve to pull downe and destroy but not to build up in the most holy faith Jude 20. 4 Furthermore a maine thing we must not omit is an open-hearted Saint-like love by the same Spirit of love which Christ bare to us Joh. 15.12 Ephes. 5.2 1 Thes. 3.12 1 Jo. 3.22 c. now none but the Saints sit close to this duty and they hardly too in these dayes or that can live up to this end for indeed sinners so knowne will serve for nothing more and for little lâ—sse then to set at variance make breaches and rend the body being filled with unexorable yea unexuperable hatred and malice against the Saints by the same spirit which their Father the Devill was filled with against Christ. Many other ends might be mentioned for the which Saints are enchurched together according to the Gospel which I shall shew herafter in the last Book but neither to those nor these ends can any others but the Saints at least so visibly be said to live up This is no worke for them therefore there is no way in Christs-Church for Drunkards Swearers Sabbath-breakers Blasphemers Persecutors of Saints Scoffers or scandalous or such as may cause a Curse to pursue us and Gods wrath to be revealed against us by the with-drawment of his presence from us but for nothing more as I know of thus by all these reasons I have and by many more I might impregnably proved that only Saints visible so judged of by sufficient evidences given in to be such are competent Members of a true Church of Christ which ought to be a company of Saints called to be Christs Spouse and Temple of the Lord. Obj. Some may say with Master Rutherfurd as Cotton and Hooker notes but such termes are given to the Church of Christ as invisible Ans. 1. There is no such distinction in Scripture but Christs Church is so called whether visible or invisible 2 Paul stiles them such as a visible body if they will have it so 1 Cor. 3.16 2 Cor. 6.16 2 Cor. 11.2 saying Yee are the temple of God and what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols and I will walke in the midst of you but who will be further informed in this subject may see Mr. Hooker's Survey 1 Lib. 2 Chap. where they have the terme opened the question stated and the conclusion proved Well a word of use which is Vse 1. To reprove whilst I prove Parochiall Churches vse 1
Antichristian which I shal shâ—w in all the essentials of it for in this first we finde how foulely they fall short of being fit matter for the veriest ranting revelling and reviling Swines that swill upon the earth the most notorious Drunkards and vicious wretches that are are Members of such Churches and so held De jure but this is from beneath of their Father the Devill and of his bottomlesse-pit-smoak the constitution of which comes from the busie braines of men for about Constantines time this corruption began to be great and was brought on as it was in Dionysius his dayes before him Bishop of Rome who sent out his Edicts not to emparadise but to emparish the people which I have spoke to in Chap. 2. and in England Honorius Canterburiensis was the first that I finde pragmaticall to promote this confused this corrupt and Christ-crucifying Christ-slighting and Christ-destroying Church-state who desire to be more satisfied herein may be pleased to peruse either Selden de Decimis or Polydor. Virgil. lib. 4. c. 9. or else Mr. Hookers Polity or Mr. Jacobs Attestation or honest Paul Baines Diocesan Triall or else Mr. Burtons Vindication of the Independant Churches and they may receive it in full and write it in folio But a burning shame it is so much of the Whores fore-head should be still in some men as to maintaine them to be Churches and to call them such and Saint them to boot but blessed be the Lord that Christs Church of his owne institution can be built up amongst us here in Ireland and that the Honourable Commissioners of Parliament are carefull to keep up Christs and to keep downe Antichrists Institutions Object But say some All are not such in our Parish as you speake of viz. scandalous persons but we have many precious Christians and Saints Ans. 1. Are there any Scandalous and not Members of your Parish-Church Do not your Minister give the Sacrament and both Seales to all without putting difference between the holy and prophane this is contrary to Christs rules and order and most dangerous and detestable Obj. But our Minister is an honest man and does not so but puts a difference Ans. 2. Why does he not then call them that are godly out of that condition and Church-state which he seemes to separate them from in making the difference which till then is but mocking God and Christ c. 2 He gives as some do the Lords Supper as a right Ordinance but in a wrong order but to answer 2 Yet ye are not therefore a Church of Christs own order because yee have some many though they should bee most which is scarce in any Parish precious to God which should consist of none else for a little leven levens the whole lump so doth not a little sweet meale sweeten the whole of our lump and what taste hath a little spoonfull of honey in a vessell of vinegar Nay were there as much honey as vinegar yet the worst would taste most Here I know they would faine bring in the former objections which are fruitlesse and frustrate In the best Churches have been as bad men as in Corinth c. This before in page 52. c. but they were not known such when they were taken in nor were they tolerated when so knowne for they must all be true Professours and not prophane ones or such as have cut a Covenant with hell and death as the word signifieth in Isa. 28.15 which is taken from a Simile of such as were wont of old to cut asunder the beasts they sacrificed So doe Hypocrites and prophane ones their hearts for they divide their hearts into two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so sacrifice them in part to the service of sinne Satan and their owne lusts Gen. 15.17 Jer. 34.18 These have cut a Covenant with hell and death though sometimes they seem to cut a part for God and to allow him a small portion of their hearts Most of our Parish are great Puritans and old Professours Yet it is not enough so to be which was proved page 62. and which appears 2 Tim. 3.5 although it is enough so to bee for Parish-constitutions and National Churches yet not for Gospel-ordered Congregationall-Churches For although a mud-wall may be made up of any thing seeing it consists of all kindes of stuffe and trash though ere so mixed and base yet Pallaces must be built up with better materials and so must the true Churches of Christ which are his Pallaces But these come all to heare Gods word they keep his Sabbaths and have Christs Ordinances dispenced amongst them c. What of all that Christs Ordinances were amongst the Jewes and they heard Christ and his Disciples gladly and so 1 Cor. 14.23 24. Heathens and unbeleevers heare the word Herod heard John gladly and now in New-England the Indians doe diligently heare the word but alas alas it is living the Word and doing the Word is requisite in every member of Christs-Church But let us lay aside those and all other objections and all Parish-Churches too and put on apace for Sion let us face about and bid faire for Church-communion according to Christs owne Discipline and Doctrine for the which none are fit matter and allowable but living Saints so in appearance as to us and whom wee have no cleare cause otherwise to judge of which brings me to the second Vse Depart yee Depart yee saith the Lord Esa. 52.11 for as Mr. vse 2 Hooker concludes in his Survey lib. 1. chap. 2. Parish Precincts give not a man right nor make him fit matter for the true Church of Christ but this we shall presse by unanswerable argument afterwards in the interim this doth very much vindicate the Churches that are Christs for matter from the wide-mouthed malice of wicked-mouthed men though Hypocrites perhaps have crept in for as the Giant in Gath 2 Sam. 21.20 was a true man though deformed with superfluous fingers and toes And as Naaman was a true man though a Leaper so may the Church be a true Church that hath such as do deforme her in her and such may bee in her that are not of her but an Hypocrite is like a weâ— in the body which seemeth to belong to the whole but indeed doth take away the credit and steale away as a thiefe the comfort of the whole though it bee skinned over with the same outside which the true members of the body have So I say Hypocrites who pretend and appear outwardly one with the Church as submissive reverent and worshippers of God as any but within they are corrupt hard and swelling against the truth and Gospel these doe more hurt then good although as the Ivie about the Tree which seemeth to imbrace it with much affection whilst indeed it takes away and steales from it and doth
how can these rules requiring obedience bee practised but by such Saints as are embodied into a Church of Christ but this Mr. Bartlet I remember in his Model mentions a man I have made much use of and for whose sake I have sufficiently suffered from some in Dublin whom I feare fuller of heat then of Heaven having no more of his booke which the Lord will one day witnesse to their faces then I beare in my breast omnia mecum c. But to passe by such blowes and buffetings of Sathan I say the Saints so embodied are best provided for their duties one to another And as in a bundle of sticks one kindles another so doe they Comes facundus in via pro vehiculo est and as one helpe another so all together like Bees labour to bring in hony all into one hive So every one hath the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 12.6 to bring into the stocke or common banke or to profit withall O then how sweet are they to God and men who are as so many flowers bound together in one nose-gay But Fifthly The sweet soule-ravishing and enamouring reason 5 issues which are the infallible sequell of Saints so embodied O the excellent priviledges Cant. 2 3 4 5. Cant. 5.1 Cant. 6.2 3. Cant. 7.10 11 12. Psal. 92.12 13.14 their precious promises Hos. 14.6 Isa. 59.22 the singular delights which the Lord takes amongst Saints so embodied Rev. 2.1 Psal. 132.13 14. Psal. 26.8 2 Cor. 6.16.18 Cant. 8.13 above all others Ps. 87.2 The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more then all the other dwellings of Jacob More then all Now such as are not in body together are deprived of the life and excellency of these as I shall shew hereafter I hope convinceingly if the Lord please but onely this I adde That the speciall benefits which beleevers so embodied doe enjoy are laid like Tiles one over another every day till the whole roofe be covered and the raine kept out Sixtly Which I would not omit though I might more reason 6 fitly have found it before is hereby the Saints are abundantly better fortified both to defend and occasionally to offend for to instance against Enemies they have an united force and they need not to feare an Adversary no not an Army if they be but in one for they are indeed terrible then as an Army with Banners displayed Drums beating Trumpets blowing Guns playing and discharging and all in good order keeping Ranke and File Why they need not to feare for their enemies then must fall before them in Joel 2.7.8.10 They shall run like mighty men they shall climbe the wall like men of warre and they shall march every one on his wayes and they shall not breake their rankes neither shall one thrust against another the earth shall quake before them the Heavens shall tremble the Sunne and the Moone shall be darke and the Starres shall with-draw their shining thus are the Saints in their united strength a terrour to the world Well might the Queene of Scots say Shee feared more the prayers of that one man John Knox then shee did an Army of thirty thousand men For when Gog and Magog doe gather together to battle in Revel 20.8 9. as the sand of the Sea they compasse the Camp of the Saints about and the beloved City But what successe have they Why fire comes downe from God out of heaven and destroyes them or eates them up that is out of the Churches according to Rev. 11.5 If any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouthes and devoureth him If any man dare to wrong them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to deale injuriously or unjustly with them he must in this manner be killed Now all the Saints and so the Churches are such witnesses and out of their mouthes by their prayers and powerfull breathings which will admit of no deniall they can conquer and consume their greatest adversaries Besides the enemy hath not that like advantage against us when we are linked as when we are alone As it is said that Siculus being on his Death-bed bid his Sons bring a Quiver of Arrowes and being brought would have them breake them altogether in the Quiver but they could not conquer them though they all tried then he bids them breake them asunder one by one which was soone done So sayes he my Sons if yee 'le breake asunder yee 'le be broken easily and throwne aside but if yee unite none can conquer you as long as yee live together in one yee will be too hard for every one So also in a Faggot of Wood there is no breaking the whole together but to take out stick after stick that wil make it easie to get the mastery of the whole Thus the Saints united together into one will be too hard for all the world but otherwise the world will have the advantage and they may be easily broken and scattered about with stormes so when they carrie on Gods cause with one shoulder and by one consent according to Zeph. 3.9 it goes on in post and against all oppositions For as Mathematicians say the strait line is alwayes weakest but the circle is the strongest and holds so the Saints in Fellowship are strongest and hold best because one is injoynted into another and thus the Saints ought unanimously and joyntly to contest together for the truth Jude ver 3. and joyntly to labour together in and for the Gospel 2 Cor. 6.1 and joyntly to put forth together for the purity priviledges orders and ordinances of Jesus Christ Gal. 5.1 and joyntly to receive together reproaches and wrongs Heb. 10.33 Gal. 6.2 2 Cor. 12.26 2 Tim. 1.16 and joyntly to refuse subjection to any persons principles or practises contrary to the word of truth and thus by their joynt powers opposers will be repulsed to their shame and losse and by their joynt-prayers heaven is taken by violence and the Lord is overcome Acts 12.5 by their joynt-praises and shoutings of joy the Heavens and Earth filled with ravishing melody and Musick Rev 14.2 As the many beames of the Sunne contracted into a little Burning-glasse doe glow and burne with abundance more light life and strength so Saints united doe Yea moreover as one Member or the Arme can act not only by its owne but also by the strength of the whole body to which it is united according to the bodies ability even so a Saint embodied may wrastle with God and against a sinne c. by the strength of the whole besides his owne as hereafter will appeare But thus much for the reasons though I might have added more Vse By all that hath been penned upon this point it appeares plainly that parish-Parish-Churches have not the forme nor the face of a true Church of Christ according to Gospel-order for they have none of this union