saith he comfort one another with these words 1 Thes. 4. 18. Blessed and holy is he saith St. John that hath part in the first resurrection for hee alone is the man that lookes for his coming and hath comfort in his appearing the very same saith Daniel Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1335. dayes but go thou thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand in the Lot at the end of the dayes Dan. 12. 12 13. which number exceeds the former which comprehended the whole time of Antichrists raign and persecution 45. yeers thereby discovering a deep mystery of high understanding which none but the wise can possibly apprehend as the Prophet declareth vers. 10. which additionall number notes out unto us that little season that shall be between the totall destruction of Antichrist and the finall consummation of this world which our Lord himself signifieth by the word immediately thereby to set forth all the time between the dayes of tribulation and his own glorious appearing and St. John uses the word quickely to set forth all the time likewise between the wofull raign of Antichrist and the wofull ruine of all ungodly men in these words Rev. 11. The second wo is past and behold the third wo cometh quickely and as it is shewed to John that after the thousand yeers should be finished expired and fulfilled which is the whole time of Poperies cruelty and mysterie of Iniquity and the Dragon the Devils liberty which is exprest for the time to be a little season in which Satan shall move and stir up the nations of the four quarters of the earth even Gog and Magog those great and innumerable multitudes to desolate the Saints the Church even the beloved city of God as before I have touched till the very instant of time of the Sonne of mans coming in his white and glorious throne to judgement before whose face the earth and the heavens fled away and there was found no place for them Rev. 20. 7 8 9 10 11. and likewise the 45. additionall yeers of Daniels Chaldee reckoning to be the whole time in which God will accomplish the scattering of the powers of his holy people and between the ending of the time times and half a time and the generall resurrection to have all these things fulfilled and this is cleerly though briefly intimated wherefore I demand of all you learned Monarchists Judaists and Millenarists where in Gods Word you will find any time for the glory of the Churches prosperity in this world Well let a word be enough to the wise and therefore never preach nor print such doctrines hereafter The last thing is the place where the Scriptures speak that Christ and his kingdome shall be in for evermore and that is the earth saith the truth Blessed are the meek for they shall inherite the earth Mat. 5. 5. The kingdomes of this world are become the kingdomes of our Lord and his Christ and he shall raign for ever and ever Rev. 11. 15. even then when the Lord himself shall descend fâ—rom heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Archangel with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first and the Saints living changed before the kingdome be established 2 Thes. 4. 16. which St. John makes to be the voyce of the seventh and last Angel Rev. 10. 7. saying When he shall begin to sound the mystery of God shall be finished and that the earth at that time shall be made the place of Christ and his Churches habitation eternally glorified observe the cleare and unanimous consent of all Scriptures this is the new song of the 24. Elders Rev. 5. 9 10. which sung to the praise of the Lamb of God Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every tongue and people and nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and wee shall raign on the earth And David makes it the song of his delight in the often repetition of it Psal. 37. 9. Evill doers saith he shall be cut off but those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth For yet a little while and the wicked shall not be But the meek shall inherite the earth v. 10. 11. And again Such as are blessed of God shall inherite the earth and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off v. 22. yea the earth hath the Lord given to the children of men Psal. 115. 16. And again The spirituall sons of him that feareth the Lord shall inheritthe earth Psal. 25. 13. Wherefore great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God in the mountain of his holiness beautifull for situation the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion Psal. 48. 1 2. then shall it be that the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the Sea Isa. 11. 9. which cannot be understood here in this world but of the world to come not in this old corruptible heaven and earth but when the whole creation even every creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption Rom. 8. 19 20 21 22. in that time when none shall hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain saith the Lord even then when these heavens and earth that now are corruptible shall be dissolved and new heavens and new earth created in which dwelleth righteousnesse then even in the day of the Lords coming 2 Pet. 3. 11 12 13. Isa. 65. 17. and as the glorious Church of Christ shall remain for ever so shall the restitution of all things also Isa. 66. 22. Finally John was shewed the new heavens and the new earth and the renovation of all things Rev. 21. 1. when hee saw new Jerusalem the Church of God even the Lambs wife come down from heaven to the earth so that the Tabernacle of God was with men with whom hee will dwell for ever And this is the heavenly Countrey Church and City with foundations which Abraham Isaac Jacob and all the faithfull people of God have ever expected and looked after that better resurrection which as yet they possesse not for all these died in the faith and received not the promise meaning the hope that was set before them God providing some better things for us that they without us might not be perfect Heb. 11. 13 14. yet seeing the perfection afar off and imbraced it through faith and confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth for they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a Countrey a heavenly Canaan and Paradise of rest And as Gods children have chosen God and his promises for their portion and inheritance so the Lord himselfe hath chosen Sion for his habitation This is my rest for ever saith he here will I dwell for I have desired it Psal. 132. 13 14. Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Rev. 15. 3. The Lord loveth the gates of Sion Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God Psal. 87. 3. The Lord himselfe shall arise and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come Psal. 102. 13. Errata PAge 6. line 17. for same blood read Sons blood p. 9. l. 7. for a yeere r. and a yeere p. 12. l. 25. for N. H. 1. H. N. p. 49. l. 22. for elect r. the elect FINIS
in hand to take heed we do not mistake the meaning of Gods Word nor to give any other sense or exposition then that which is its own lest we be found such as fight against the Scriptures and by false and lying interpretations violate Gods Law and wage war to kill and slay the two witnesses the old and new Testaments the lamps and light of truth Rev. 11. 7 8. let us take heed of this brethren for the judgement against this sin is written and revealed already to adde or diminish from the Word of God to be a heavie inevitable dismall cursed sentence Deut. 4. 2. Prov. 30. 6. Rev. 22. 18. And if you had considered the Scriptures concerning the name of God and Lord you should have found even the Apostle himselfe to expound to the Church of Corinth what he meant by his speaking or writing to the Church of Ephesus One Lord c. for hee saith there be many Lords and many gods so call'd both in heaven and earth but to us saith he there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and wee in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and wee by him 1 Cor. 8. 5 6. there is but one such a Father and Lord and holy Spirit who is the giver the purchaser and worker of the grace by which we are called in the same one hope of our holy calling Eph. 4. 4. but in other respects the Heathens Idols and the Gentiles gracious Lords are called God and Lord for so did the Gentiles speak of Herod deifying him with a shout saying The voyce of God and not of man and Christian Emperors Kings States and Potentates in regard of authority and jurisdiction are called Lords and Gods in which they do represent God I have said you are gods saith the Scripture but you shall die like men Heres But wee have a plain word for our teaching and baptizing Matth. 28. 19. but you baptize infants for which you haue no word for and therefore it will be said at last Who hath required these things at your hands for indeed you do but continue the mark of the beast in all your babies baptizings Truth Whereas you say Christs words in the last of Matthew proves your preaching and baptizing you say more then you can make good or that I can believe from that Scripture and although there be no expresse words in the Scripture for the baptizing of Infants yet there is as sufficient warrant for it as for most things you practise your selves for what plain word have you for the time of publike assembling or generall meetings what word have you for your people to ordain their Minister what command doth authorize you your self to baptize what word have you when to receive the Lords Supper when to administer it and where who to provide the bread and wine and what bread and of what grain and the wine of what grape you have not a word for women to receive the Sacrament and abundance other particulars practised by you Will you therefore say you do that which you sin in doing so as you say we do I think not The truth is we need not a word for there are generall rules in the Scriptures that include particular practices and divers things under the Gospel being of the same nature under the Law the rules given under the Law serve under the Gospel so the Apostle proves to the Church of Corinth from the Law of Moses Deut. 25. 4. That Ministers of the Gospel should have maintenance that as they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers of the Altar even so hath the Lord ordained that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1 Cor. 9. 13 14. compared with Deut. 18. 1. So we may truly say it is ordained that as the children of believers before Christ both Jewes and Proselytes were to be circumcised Gen. 17. 11 12. Exod. 12. 48 49. so believers and their children since Christ are to be Baptized as St. Peter speaketh the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are a far of even as many as the Lord our God shall call I beseech you observe this place St. Peter here spake to the Jews the men of Judah and Jerusalem vers. 14. Yee men of Israel hear these words saith he vers. 22. so preacheth to them that Jesus was the Saviour of the world whom yee have taken by wicked hands and have killed and being dead was buried who was raised again and now sits at the right hand of the Father and is made the Lord and Christ the alone Saviour of the world and they that gladly receive this doctrine of salvation by Christ were baptized vers. 41. who before had been circumcised Now as the promise did onely belong to Abraham and his Spirituall Seed and yet all his naturall children and the children of believing strangers were to communicate of circumcision which was the outward signe of the Covenant of the righteousnesse by faith as before is proved So likewise under the Gospel the same covenant of life and salvation is made only to Gods chosen faithfull regenerated servants and their spirituall seed yet the naturall children of these faithfull Christians may partake of the outward baptisme which is the outward signification of the baptisme of the heart as circumcision in the flesh was a signe of the circumcision of the heart and according to this rule the place before mentioned and divers other Scriptures speak as Acts 16. 15. that Lydia and her houshold was baptized so the Jailor was baptized and all his that is his houshold and the Apostle Paul baptized the houshold of Stephanus 1 Cor. 1. 16. And our Lord Jesus laid his hands on little children and blessed them and rebuked his Disciples for forbidding them to come Luke 18. 16. and the Apostle is cleer in the resolution of this question to the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 7. 14. saith he the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife and the unbelieving wife by the believing husband else were your children unclean but now are they holy that is in respect they have right unto the outward covenant being born of one that believeth But some of you Anabaptists would have these words holy and unclean to mean bastards or unlawfully born which is such an exposition as was never heard nor read of before and this exposition admits of much absurdity for it nullifies the law of marriage amongst the Heathens who have as certain rules for marriage according to their manner and custome as Christians have for the Scripture prescribes no form Secondly this exposition makes Abraham himself and most of the Patriarchs wives to be bastards for they were the children of Heathens by father and mother as holy Sarah Rebecca Rachel and Josephs wife the mother of Ephraim and Manasses a bastard and that holy
any preparation to justifying faith for by Christs stripes we are healed from the beginning of the world And to prove this truth I argue thus First all the elect of God are justified before God but some of the elect of God doe not yet beleeve therefore some that doe not beleeve are justified before God Secondly he that is in Christ is justified But we must be in Christ before we can beleeve therefore we must be justified before we can beleeve Truth I answer the due observation of terms is the true preservation of proprieties and except you justly distinguish of the terms before God himselfe and Gods grace by which he doth justifie his elect you cannot understand truly but you must confound heaven and earth together and make God Man and Man God concluding such blasphemies as the Familists doe to whom hundreds of you are fallen within this two yeares who affirme of the Trinity that God the Father is the Minde the Sonne is the Word and the Spirit is the Word made knowne And under these termes mistaking the verity of the mystery of the Trinity conclude such gross blasphemies as these conclusions hereafter specified making God the Father the Mind God the Son the Word of that Minde God the holy Spirit the effect or revelation of the Word And as these are three so they are one as you say so it is and was at first in the creation God the Father was the Mind of God God the Son was the Word of that Mind and God the Spirit was the working meaning or manifestation of that Word so that in that which God said Let us make man and he spake and the Heavens and the Earth was made the Firmament the Sun Moon and Starres the Sea and the Fish therein the Aire and the Fowls therein the Earth and the Beasts Herbs and Trees therein as God spake the word and all these were created so that as they were made by the Word so they are the Word and as the Word and the Father are one and as the Father the Word and the revelation of it are one so whatsoever the Word made is one with the Father the Sonne and the Spirit And then the conclusion must be this The whole creation is God himselfe Now to avoid such blasphemous consequences we will distinguish of the terms and therein shew the fallacy of your Arguments and then I will discover and establish the truth against your doctrine which by this means will easily appeare to be false First for the terme that concernes God justified before God you say which if you meane as it concernes God in his infinitenesse it is so farre above our line or the capacity of the elect in point of reconciliation with God as the highest heavens are above the center of the earth for with God himselfe there is nothing before nor after For the Scripture speaks thus of God in this respect that he calleth those things that be not as though they were Rom. 4. 17. And again one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day 2 Pet. 3. 8. Thus you see Gods thoughts are not our thoughts nor his wayes as our wayes saith the Lord but as the heavens are higher then the earth so are his wayes and his thoughts higher then ours Isai. 55. 8 9. But when the Prophet comes to speak of Gods work in the creature to salvation then he speakes in the creatures language and capacitie so that except man obey the voyce of God he is left without excuse in these words Seek the Lord while he may be found call yee upon him while he is neere let the wicked forsake his was and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord God and he will have mercy upon him and abundantly pardon verse 6 7. Thus as the Prophet we must distinguish between Gods eternall purpose and decree which is a secret known to himself only towards his elect before all times and his calling and justifying of them in time which is the effect of his foreknowledge and predestination and that which makes known to the elect Gods secret purpose And although it be said Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect the Apostle there doth not understand the justification of the elect before time as you doe but the justification of his elect in time called and justified And although there can be nothing laid to such an elect justified to his condemnation yet many things may be laid to his charge in regard of his weaknesse and frailty If any brother be fallen through weaknesse you that are spirituall restore such a one by the spirit of meeknesse Thus Nathan charged David and David chargeth himselfe Against thee onely have I sinned So our Lord chargeth his faithfull servant Peter and Paul withstood him to his face and saith He was to be blamed And so that holy Apostle blameth himselfe also Oh wretched man that I am saith he And the Scripture saith There is not a righteous man that liveth and doth good and sinneth not And again If any man say he hath no sinne he deceiveth himselfe and the truth is not in him And the elect of God are renued again after sinning by repentance as the Church of Ephesus is admonished by Christ to repent and do her first works Rev. 2. 5. And however the Saints do daily sin after justification yet through Gods grace they are recovered again daily by repentance and maugre the malice and temptation of Satan the snares of the world and the concupiscence of their own natures yet the Lord that loved them once doth still love them for ever and doth wash off their filthinesse and ownes them so for his own that neither their sins nor any power or any creature whatsoever shall or can condemn them Secondly you say some of the elect of God do not believe and therefore they are justified before they believe I pray where did you finde or learn this Logick which is so contrary to the wisdome of God which teacheth thus by Christ all that believe are justified from all things Act. 13. 39. And again those that he calleth hee justifieth but your doctrine saith they are justified before they are called see in a word how directly your preaching is against truths doctrine And of the same nature with your former is your second Argument which runs thus he that is in Christ is justified but wee must be in Christ before we can believe therefore we must be justified before we believe which in the very terms is another doctrine then St. Paul teacheth us who saith plainly wee are justified by faith Rom. 3. 28. And he justifieth the ungodly but I question your knowledge of justifying faith which if you did truly know you durst not teach that men are justified before they believe it is true hee that is ingraffed into Christ is justified but it doth not follow therefore a man
subordinate is the salvation of the Saints the chosen ones of God from the beginning of the world And this is the faith that justifieth that comforteth that overcommeth that excelleth whose dignity and excellencie every where shineth throughout the Scriptures the ignorance of which this very age yea I say it again this very age of ours deserves all these present judgements and more also then lie upon us at this time we having had from God afforded us so great meanes to come to the knowledge of it which sort of faith whosoever hath shall never perish but men may partake of both the other sorts to their condemnation Other acceptations the terme Faith hath in the Scriptures also having reference sometimes to God himselfe and therein importing the stedfastnesse and unchangeable truth of his decree and promise And in other places it is to be understood of the doctrine of the Gospel and so also of their faithfull discharge of their office that are gifted to declare and preach the glad tidings of peace and salvation Of which office it is hard for an Antinomian holding such principles as he doth to come to understand wherefore repent in time lest at last you turn all Familists which you cannot avoid if you continue in your principles Her We have had the experience of this new found conceited light that such as have been dazled with it have been staggred in the truth and some have been so blinded therewithall that they have fallen from the faith But what say you to us We have the doctrine of the Gospel pure and cleare we hold faith and repentance to be the first works to life and salvation and that the Church of God are a company of holy beleevers and that now the time is come that the Church shall bee delivered from all her sufferings according to the testimony of the Prophets and Apostles the purity of Christs Ordinances shall be established Christ shall bee set up upon his Throne and his Church shall have the rule and preheminence in the world in greater power dignity and externall authority then all the Monarchs that ever have been in the world before And in this outward glory shall shee continue till her Lord come to translate her Truth You speak like those that maintaine that the Church of Christ shall now so flourish and prosper as that it shall extend its bounds and borders all Christendome over and most part of the world besides into a Monarchy and as formerly the temporall power in Christianity hath had the rule and greatnesse so now the Ecclesiasticall power shall take place and the Scepter of Christ in the censure of the Church shall be advanced and bear rule above all other government And that now already it is begun that God makes the kingdomes of this world our Lords and his Christs and that now it is come to passe that the godly shall rule over the wicked for now they are given to be captives to Gods people whose captives Gods people were before this time Wherefore I answer Great are the privileges and prerogatives that the Scriptures speak of Gods Church and people in the world to come after the resurrection is plain and evident in holy Writ but to apply those prophesies and promises to the Church in this present evill world it is not well considered of you for the Lord by his servants speaks of his Church in a double consideration as oppressed afflected and suffering here in this life and as delivered perfected and saved in the life to come then to rule but here to suffer then to bee advanced into Christs Throne but now and here to submit to the Crosse now his house is a house of mourning but then it shall be a palace of glory Jerusalem the Citie of the great King shall be set up the praise of the whole earth And in regard of his Churches present suffering her Lord himselfe thus speaketh to her Feare not little flocke and comforts her with the grace and favour of God for the time to come in these words For it is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdom And it is a truth concluded of by all if we follow Christ in the estate of regeneration we shall be made partakers of his glorification if wee suffer with him we shall reigne with him the one condition is here the other hereafter the one in this world the other in the world to come This is the testimony of our Lord and all his servants Matth. 19. 28. 2 Tim. 2. 12. And that short time or while of suffering Saint Peter speaks of is this present life and the time of making such sufferers perfect is the life to come 1 Pet. 5. 10. agreeing with his brother Paul who according to the wisdome of God given to him had cast up his accounts in these words I reckon saith he that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us Even then saith S. John when Christ which is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him then shall we be like him in his dignity as in this life we are like him in his ignominy 1 John 3. 2. And friend looke into the Scriptures and you shall find the Church the blessed assembly described now to suffer to mourn to bee hated to weep to be persecuted for righteousnesse sake and the contrary estate to be none of Gods Church or inheritance Woe be to yee that laugh and rejoyce that are full and enjoy greatnesse and prosperity those that are rich here have received their consolation those that are full in this life shall hunger in the life to come those that are merry laugh and want not here shall weep and waile when the day of redemption comes then shall be fulfilled to him that suffers not here these words Thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and to him that suffered here these words He his evill things therefore thou that sufferedst not art tormented but thou that didst suffer thou art comforted Matth. 5. Luke 6. and Luke 16. When Gods suffering people shall bee rewarded then such as have enjoyed their prosperity here shall be condemned I beseech you as you love the truth decline this doctrine of yours for by it you doe revive againe that old tenent of Popery For what ever you affirme in your confession they have maintained it with fire and sword execration and excommunication for they would prove that their Church by Christs appointment was to have supreme authority power and jurisdiction over all they place themselves above the starres of God And as in power so in title he must be called and stiled the Lord God the Pope And so he challenged worship also that Kings and Emperours must kisse his stinking feet and toes in token of their slavish subjection in honouring him with the power of heaven and earth to kill make alive to pardon and retain sins falsly
and perfection and the stone that smote the Image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth this is the mountain of Gods holinesse even the greatest power and soveraigne authority that ever was in the world before it And the Text notes out unto us three things the time when it shall be the place where it shall be and the manner how it shall be the manner hath a double consideration first the beginning and weaknesse of this powerfull kingdome expressed as before I have declared in her spirituall estate of renovation or regeneration in these words a stone was cut out without hands and in this first estate and condition of the Church it is said to live and reign to attain victory and overcome Rev. chap. 20. 12. but this victory is by faith this overcoming is by suffering they overcame him that is the Dragons pagancy by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death and at this battell the armies were great on both sides and the victory glorious on the Saints side Rev. 12. 7. 11. In the second consideration wee are to understand the Church in her glory and perfection and to as far exceed all the Monarchies Kingdoms and Powers that were before it as the body exceeds the shadow the person the picture the circumference the center The Babylonian Monarchy the head of gold was a great power Thou O King saith the Prophet art a King of kings for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdome strength power and glory and wheresoever the children of men dwell beasts of the field and fowles of the heaven hath hee given into thy hand and hath made thee ruler over them all yet all these bounds and dominations are but by way of comparison to the universe the heavens earth and sea which are the bounds of Christs and his Church rule and Lordship Secondly the nature and condition of the kingdomes of this world and the power and greatnesse of Majesty that Christs Kingdome shall have in the world to come differs beyond all comparison For the kingdomes of this world are finfull kingdomes powers and authorities yea this present evill world is corrupted and lies under the cursed condition by reason of sin and as long as this face of the covering is cast over all people and this evill is spread over all nations Isa. 25. 7. even so long death the King of feares the wages of that sin shall raign in it according to the Scriptures Gen. 3. 17. Rom. 5. 17 21. 1 Cor. 15. but when the Lord shall set up his Kingdome hee will create new heavens and a new earth Behold saith he I will do it and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind but be you glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create For behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy Isa. 65. 17 18. And the Apostle by the same Spirit of Prophecy saith that the heavens and the earth that are now with all these things shall be dissolved And according to Gods promise wee look that is all Gods Saints for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness 2 Pet. 3. And the Apostle John tells us Rev. 21. what this new heaven and new earth is even the holy Church of God the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and a voyce out of heaven expounds it to him Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and hee will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away And again saith the Lord Behold I make all things new write for these things are true and faithfull Once again observe the Prophet Daniel in these words and it became a great mountain of which our Saviour gives the meaning in these words The kingdome of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed which is the least of all seeds but when it is grown just as the Prophet it became so our Lord it is the greatest among herbs and became a tree c. both which places as one shews that although the Church be now so little that no man heeds or regards her yet her increase shall be from the least of all seeds to a tree with branches and from a small stone to a huge great mountain even so big as to fill the whole earth Which magnitude excellent glory greatnesse and soveraignty of the Church and Kingdome of God I shall in part discover by considering these eight particulars the King the Kingdome the Throne the Scepter the Lawes the Priviledges the Officers and the Subjects And for the King thereof thus saith the Prophet notwithstanding all the rage and opposition of the Heathens and the vain imaginations of the people Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion saith the Lord Psal. 2. 1. 5. and the title of his Crown is the title of his Cross This is the King of the Jewes Luke 23. 38. and himself testifying a good confession before Pilate saith Thou saist I am a King to this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world Joh. 18. 37. Secondly the Scriptures speake of the Kingdome of Christ above all comparison and calls it the kingdome of the Son of God and that there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome c. Dan. 7. 13 14. Now the consideration of these four things will briefly discover to us how this Church and Kingdome of Christ exceeds all other powers or kingdomes whatsoever First in the Majesty of it Secondly in its excellency Thirdly in its universality and Fourthly in its eternity The Majesty sets forth the magnitude and greatnesse of this kingdom the King is great and the Kingdom is great Behold saith the Angel to the Virgin he shall be great and he shall raign over the house of Jacob for ever Luke 1. 32. 33. And the Prophet Daniel describes this greatnesse and what this house of Jacob is in these words and the kingdome and dominion and the greatness of the kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdome and all dominions rulers and powers shall serve and obey him Dan. 7. 27. The excellency is set forth by the glory splendor and purity of it and in this respect it is in Scripture called the kingdome of God the kingdome of Christ a kingdome of Priests a kingdome of Saints the kingdome of our God the kingdome of glory heavenly countrey city inheritance possession reward all heavenly all glorious all holy there shall be nothing to hurt nor destroy in
coals thereof are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame and it contemns all manner of substance to purchase it it is no way to be attained but by the gift of God I will put my lawes in their inward parts and write them in their hearts saith the Lord Jer. 31. 33. This glorious kingdome are all such as are made of God Kings and Priests these are the Levits to whom God hath given the Law and Covenant of life to this commandement of peace and salvation Mal. 2. 4 5 6. which hath comforted his people here and for ever doth guide and regulate them in the perfection the glorious and everlasting kingdome of Christ hereafter Which Law of Gods kingdome is called in Scriptures a holy law a royall law a law of life a law of libertie a perfect law and such like James 1. 25. Chap. 2. 8. 12. The sixt thing considerable is the priviledges of this kingdome of glory which are so great and many that I shall rather obscure then discover them their priviledge of power and Authoritie is exceeding much and abundantly set forth in the Scriptures for when the Lord shall exalt Jerusalem this his own kingdome then shall the Lord breake the staffe of the wicked and the scepter of the rulers Isa. 14. 5. Behold saith the Lord I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Jewes and are not but doe lye Behold saith he the second time againe to his Church I will make them come to worship before thy feete and to know that I have loved thee Rev. 3. 9. This is such a dignitie and priviledge as the Lord himselfe with a twofold word of audience affirmeth to take them captives whose captives they were and to rule over their oppressors Isa. 14. 2. with the praises of God in their mouths and a two-edged sword in their hands to execute vengeance punishment upon heathenish people to binde their Kings with chaines their Nobles with fetters of iron this honour or priviledge have all the Saints Psal. 149. And so saith the Prophet The sonnes of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee and all that despised thee shall how themselves downe at the soles of thy feete and they shall call thee the Citie of the Lord the Sion of the holy One of Israel whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated so that no man went through thee or delighted in thy company I will make thee an eternall excellency a joy of many generations Isa. 60. 14 15. So also their priviledge of freedome and libertie doth set forth their glory Jerusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all Gal. 4. 26. They are all free-borne so begotten and born by the Word it selfe for all the whole Kingdome are children of the truth and the truth it was that which made them free Joh. 8. 32. Now the Word and the truth are the Sonne and those that the Sonne makes free are free indeed ver. 36. and from all manner of bondage free from sinne free from death free from sorrow free from the grave free from corruption free from oppression free from suffering inlarged and set at libertie for ever to injoy immortalitie these are the people that possesse and injoy the glorious libertie or freedome of the sonnes or children of God Rom. 8. 21. Also the company and associates that are in this heavenly kingdome doe exceedingly declare the glory of it to have and injoy the presence of God of Christ and the holy Ghost the company of all the holy Angels the company and societie of all the holy Patriarks Prophets and Saints with the comfortable delight and excellency of the restitution and perfection of all creatures both in the heavens the earth and the sea and all that is within them as shall be shewed hereafter in the point of universall subjection In Gods presence saith the Prophet is fulnesse of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal. 16. 11. You saith the Lord speaking to his Saints I appoint unto you a kingdome and yee shall eate and drinke with mee at my table in my kingdome Luk. 22. 30. And as the Angels are ministring spirits here in the Saints sufferings Heb. 1. 7. so in the world to come with the presence of God wee shall have the company presence of the Angels about the throne saith the text Rev. 7. 11. And there shall wee see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the holy Prophets in the kingdome of God and have heavenly sweet societie and company with them Luk. 13. 28. Now as the priviledges of the kingdome excell so also its Officers exceed all others I will saith the Lord make thy Officers peace and thine exactors righteousnesse violence shall no more be heard in thy land wasting and destruction within thy borders but thou shalt call thy walls salvation and thy gates praise Isa. 60. 18 19. Then shall mercy and truth meet together righteousnesse and peace shall kisse each other Psal. 85. 10. And this is the seventh consideration the eight followeth which are the subjects of this great King and Kingdome And the Apostle is so generall and universall in these that he excepts none neither in heaven nor in earth not sea nor under the earth even none that can be named but God the Father onely that subdued all under his Sons feet which is the King of this Kingdom for so saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 27. For he hath put all things under his feete for when he saith all things are put under him it is manifest that he is excepted who did put all things under him so then it is cleare that Angels and men and all other creatures are the subjects of this great Kingdome He hath put all things in subjection under his feete saith the Apostle Heb. 2. 8. And this is the Prophets witnesse I have sworne by my selfe saith the Lord the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse and shall not returne that unto me every knee shall how every tongue shall sweare Isa. 45. 23. And againe The nations and kingdomes that will not serve thee shall perish yea those nations shall be utterly wasted Chap. 60. 12. And of the Angels saith the Apostle Let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1. 6. And the Apostle expounds the Oath of the Lord for this universall subjection and saith It is written as I live saith the Lord every knee shall how to mee and every tongue shall confesse to God Rom. 14. 11. And againe he saith At the name of Jesus every knee shall how of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and every tongue shall confesse that Jesus is Lord and King to the glory of God the Father Phil. 2. 10 11. And yet the holy Ghost is more particular to prove that all things in all places are subject to Christ Rev. 5. 13. And every creature saith he which is
of God the Father descend from thence and now judge the world and all these things in a mysterie a Metaphor and Allegory You read say they of these things in the letter 1600. yeers ago but now they are in the newnesse of the Spirit and according to these principles expound all the Scriptures both of the old and new Testament Now say they is the wedding of Cana of Galilee fulfill'd in the spirit where righteousnesse is the Jesus the union between God the Father and the Son the Bride and the Bridegroom the mother of Jesus they say is the word of truth that brings to passe this holy marriage and the turning of water into wine is the oldnesse turned to newnesse flesh into spirit so that thereby the new man becomes co-deifi'd with God and God again co-hominifi'd with man and that now Christ whips out the buyers and sellers out of the Temple meaning by Christ righteousnesse and by the buyers and sellers sins and corruptions and by the Temple mens bodies expounding that Text Hebr. 1. 13. Sit on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool to be meant of their holy anointed ones and when Christ which is righteousnes is risen in them by regeneration then that saying is brought to passe that is written Hos. 13. 14. 1 Cor. 15. 54. Death is swallowed up in victory they say they are Moses and the children of Israel and all naturall men are Egyptians which by conversion become Israelites and that now Moses is contending with Pharaoh the Devill to bring the chosen of God through the red Sea and barren hard and desolate wildernesse into Canaan the land of rest the peace of conscience and favour of God and that now God calls Abraham out of Vr of the Chaldees making it the land of devills as the Hebrew word signifies to set forth to us every unregenerate mans dark and sinfull estate naturally and Gods calling of Abraham out of it to go to a land he would give him to signifie unto us the conversion of a sinner to God and Davids killing Vriah to signifie the quenching the Spirit the Apostle dehorts from and Reubens going up to his fathers bed the weaknesses of such as are babes in Christ as St. John speaks of calling them little children and young men 1 Joh. 2. 12 13. And that in this nonage this youth of theirs it is with their anointed ones as it was with Christ which signifies anointed Mat. 3. 4. who as soon as God testified to him from heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and when he had fasted and separated himself from his naturall wayes and sinfull affections forty dayes and forty nights as Moses was fortie dayes and fortie nights in the holy mount where hee received the covenant of perfection in a figure And the Text saith afterwards he was an hungred that is this new man hungred and thirsted after righteousnesse and as the Text saith The tempter came to him the meaning is say they the sinfull flesh the enemy to the Spirit said to him If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread but the new man answereth it is written the man Christ shall live by the truth the Word of God then the tempter uses other means to have him to be a self-justifier and account of himself as the holy Citie of God makes him to be advanced in his own thoughts as the highest of all as a pinacle is above the rest of the building and then to presume in his infancie as if he had the experience of old age and perfection it self and so the holy childe answers thou oughtst not to tempt but to wait patiently on thy Lord thy God His third and last temptation is the proffer of the whole world unto this young man in Christ but being now grown in strength in righteousnesse makes a speedy answer Get thee behind me Satan God is only to be worshipped and served so the tempter left him and the Angels ministred unto him in all passages of service till they brought the holy One from one degree to another to sit down at the right hand of the Father and to come to judge the world And of this spirituall estate do they understand all the Scriptures that speak of the resurrection of the body understanding it this spirituall body and this spirituall resurrection and that Christ is dead or alive in every man in the world dead in the naturall or sinfull estate and made alive and raised in the illuminated estate and the terms in Scripture of this present world to be the sinfull estate and the world to come the regenerated estate which they call perfection eternall life and the glory of the Father the world without end affirming there shall be no end of the heavens and of the earth the whole creation but that it shall continue for ever successively one generation after another and as man comes from God so he goes to God in matter and time infinitely These and a thousand grosse and blasphemous doctrines are the tenents of the Familists which are the very depths of Satan from which I wish thee to repent if it may be by any means obtained and learn to leave off your scorn and contempt of Scripture-learning and labour to be taught by the Spirit of truth in the true meaning of Gods Word Heres These doctrines which you call Familists are the tenents of N. H. that is Henry Nichols who lived in Germany and writ divers small books as The Gospel of the kingdom The Prophecy of the spirit of love The Glasse of righteousnesse and divers others but although he be a seducer and grosly deceived to the overthrow of the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in affirming holinesse and righteousnesse to be Christ the Lord now I am so far from his opinion that I think Jesus the Prophet of Nazareth to be only man that is meere man and not God and man and to partake of the Deity no more then any other naturall man doth Truth You expresse your selfe to be an Arrian for Arrius that proud Bishop whose time was above 200. yeeres after the Apostles and did then fall from the truth of the Scriptures as they clearly set forth our blessed Saviour in his divine nature as well as in his humane and invented and broacht divulged and published this heresie that Jesus Christ was only man and not God which heresie backt with his authority proved a great and cruell persecution against the faithfull and true Christians 150. yeers together as Ecclesiasticall Histories according with the plain and holy Word of God do declare as it appeares in the first of John compared with Genesis 1. and Prov. 8. 22 23 24. and John that beloved of the Lord Revelations the 9th chapter makes a full and plain description of the person of Arrius his power authority and the compleat time of his persecution and false doctrine where
he deciphers his person by the appellation and name of a star vers. 1. thereby signifying hee was a high and great light in the Church even in the rank and course of the Apostles for so are they compared and called Rev. 12. and that this star was great in the outward office of the Church is farther intimated in these words in saying hee fell from heaven that was from the purity of the doctrine of the Saints preached and planted by Christs faithfull Apostles and Evangelists and in that it is said hee fell unto the earth it sheweth that as he fell from the light of the truth so he fell into grosse corrupt hereticall darknesse apostatizing and as opposite to the sincerity of the truth he formerly professed as the cursed polluted earth is to the pure undefiled heavens and as it is said To him was given the key of the bottomless pit it shewes the permissive power that should be granted and given to him that as hee loved lies more then truth so he that is the God of truth should give him up to strong delusions to believe lies and having in himself an adulterous evill heart a fit receptacle for an error so abominable doth with as great a longing desire preach and publish it to corrupt others like himself by all wayes and means whatsoever as first his own thirstie deceit was not satisfied proved in these words vers. 2. And hee opened the bottomless pit and there arose a smoak out of the pit as the smoak of a great furnace declaring hereby the nature of their corrupt doctrines even such as smoak soot and filth compared to the pure air and wofull darknesse to the glorious Sun-light The truth of God whose shining purity was obscured and darkned as it followes in the next words by reason of the smoak of the pit and the Text saith vers. 3. And there came out of the smoak Locusts upon the earth which shewes the great successe and large increase of false doctrines which are no sooner conceived and borne but presently it brings forth abundantly a viperous and wicked brood good for nothing but destruction it self and their great power is to hurt as a Scorpion which is the most cruell and venimous of all creeping things vers. 5. And as they are cruel so they are cunning crafty and unavoidable by which being once bit or stung it is incurable of such dangerous nature was this heresie of Arrius see the cruelty vers. 6. their power cunning and deceit vers. 7 8 9 10 11. The Apostle also by divine inspiration sets down the full and compleat time of this Arrian persecution saying It shall be five moneths that is moneths of yeers accounting as before in the audit of Antichrist thirty dayes to a moneth which multiplied by five amounts in the totall to one hundred and fifty yeers prophetically reckoning a day for a yeere as Ezek. 4. 6. which heresie was grown to such a height of esteem and applause that the then Christian Emperour call'd a generall Councel of all the Bishops in Christendome to confirm and establish this abominable false doctrine by a canon or Ecclesiasticall decree to be an unquestionable verity from which conclusion not any one of the learned Doctors did dissent but only godly Athanasius who by his alone wisdome and great knowledge in the Scriptures did protest and declare against this dark and smoakie error and he managed and maintained the truth so clearly by the authoritie of holy Writ that as Christ was perfect man so hee was truly God God and man our alone Saviour through which his grave and solid arguments raised from the beginning of the Evangelists of St. John and other holy Scriptures he gained the most of the generall Councel to be of his side and judgement whereupon they prevailed with him to make and write that famous and excellent Creed call'd after his own name even the Creed of Athanasius which then and ever since hath been imbraced approved honoured confessed of all Christian Churches although it is now neglected as gold in the dust and pearles by the ignorant Cock in the dunghill and fables in comparison even husks preferred before the verity thereof through the blindnesse of this present generation Heres Although the Popes universall supremacie in and over all persons and causes Ecclesiasticall and civill be an error and also heresie to deny the humane nature of Christ as doth the Familists and as bad in Arrius to deny the divine nature of our Lord and Saviour for I am of Athanasius his mind That hee was God of the substance of the Father begotten before the world were made and man of the substance of the mother born in the world perfect God and perfect man for as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man so God and man is one Christ And also I believe and maintain that every man naturally hath free will to do good as well as free will to do evill and that a Christian mans standing in the grace and favour with God depends upon his obedience in keeping the commandments and that there is no more or other certainty of salvation then that man by his own free good will continues obedient to Gods Word so that a man may be the childe of God to day and the childe of the Devill to morrow Truth You that did last speak shew your self to be an Arminian for although you confesse many truths yet indeed you differ no more from a Papist then Arminius that wicked heretike did and in your false doctrines of free will and falling from grace you agree with the ancient Anabaptists also for you all three are but one in these two errors And first for your tenent of Freewill that all men naturally have as great freedome and power of will to do good as to do evill this is a grosse error and directly opposite to the clear and plain Scriptures for the Apostle saith It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. And the truth speaks thus 2 Cor. 3. 5. Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiencie is of God and this is the faith and confession of the whole Church of God Isa. 26. 12. Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us and for us The error of Free will is a carnall opinion and naturally men are inclined to it and the holy Apostle St. James reproves it in his dayes who writing to the scattered Tribes saith you ought to say if the Lord will and not to say as you have affirmed your faith to be Wee will go c. James 2. 13. 15. So that it is plain no man of himself hath freedome of will to do good but there is no question but every man hath freedome of will to do evill as saith the Prophet Jerem. 4. 22. Secondly your doctrine of the uncertainty
proving this his abomination and whorish power from Gods divine Oracles in these words To execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishment upon the people to bind their Kings with chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron This honour have all the Saints Psa. 149 8 9. avouching this Scripture to be fulfilled in the holy Church of Rome and that they were the Saints which by this prophesie were foretold of to depose and disthrone Kings and to cloak colour their covetousnesse which set all their trickes awork as Bulls and Pardons at all rates and prices whereby their coffers were filled with gold and silver from all countries and people And this hee affirmed was prophesied for his filthy holinesse maintenance and ungodly revenue in these words The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts yea all Kings shall fall down before him all nations shall serve him Psal. 72. 10. And notwithstanding their grosse abusing the Scriptures and false claims to Titles as Holy Father and holy Mother the Church time hath now proved him to be Antichrist the Man of sinne and capitall enemy to the truth of God And indeed this conceit that the Church of God should enjoy temporall peace and outward glory and authority hath been alwayes the opinion of carnall Christians and the Jewes to this day cannot see otherwise then when their still lookt-for Messiah should come that then they shall bee gathered to be a great people againe and made a worldly Monarchy to rule over all Nations as now all Nations rule over them But their groundlesse hope will prove but as the Spiders web and so it will be with all others of their mind for see how the Scripture resolves the question that the Saints the Church of God shall still suffer to the worlds end the question is made with a loud voyce saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth And the answer from heaven saith that they should rest yet a little season untill their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled Rev. 6. 10. And the clad and washed with the righteousnesse of Christ and the blood of the Lamb are those that goe through great tribulations Rev. 7. 13 14. Finally of this doctrine we have a double witnesse two brethren and Apostles whose praise is in all the Churches Acts 14. 22. who both as one man conclude this truth as a Decree for ever That such as continue in the faith must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdome of God which Kingdome is that which all the Prophets and Apostles in all times have spoken of which in its due place I shall briefly unfold Heresie I pray you give us leave to speak Have we not clear Scripture for the glorious reigne of Christ upon the earth and that all the Martyrs and holy Prophets shall rise from the dead and reigne with Christ a thousand yeares in all prosperity peace riches plenty wealth and glory with such supreme power and Majesty as never any Monarch in this world had before nor ever shall have after for when the thousand yeares are expired then comes the generall resurrection Rev. 20. Truth Your confession shewes you to be a Millenarian which error as it hath been ancient so of late as of many other errors there is a reviving of this amongst the rest And as you say the summe of it is that now or they know not when Christ shall descend personally from heaven and then cause all the bodies of the Saints that have suffered martyrdome from the beginning of the world to be raised and Christ and his Saints to live in this cursed earth and corruptible world in the enioyment of riches wealth power and authority majesty and Emporality as no heathen nor Christian Monarchy ever had in this world before and you ground your mistake on Rev. 20. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Now I answer that the whole position is directly against the Scripture you alledge rightly understood for the Apostle Peter affirmeth it plainly that the heavens must containe and receive Christ personally untill the time of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began Acts 2. 21. Here are such witnesses as cannot be excepted against even all his holy Prophets and then and not sooner shall the Lord Jesus come which before was preached unto you verse 20. And the place you instance Rev. 20. proves no more the Millenary fancie as you describe it then it proves a new world in the Moon or that men may plow the floods of the Sea to sow and plant on them And because the true understanding of that Scripture will overthrow this error at once wee will shew you that the resurrection there spoken of is the spirituall and first resurrection which our Saviour Christ clearly layes down both in nature and order John 5. 25. And because it is a mystery therefore his expression is more then ordinary Verily verily twice affirming it I say unto you the houre is comming and now is when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall live This is the spirituall resurrection from sin through the grace of regeneration and these are they only that live and reigne with Christ having sought and gained the Kingdome of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof Matth. 6. 33. And those only that are risen with Christ through regeneration are born of God and those that are born of God through faith are victors and overcome all opposition even the whole world and the Prince and King thereof 1 John 5. 4. and in this sense they reigne with Christ in their estate of temptation and regeneration who in their teares and sorrow are happy in the enjoyment of their Comforter who anointeth them with the unction of truth and teacheth and instructeth them so sufficiently that all the powers and thrones of Antichrist the subtilties crafts and deceits of him and all his learned Clerks who have endevoured and used all means possible to couzen and cheat the people of God for almost the space of this thousand two hundred and fourty yeares here expressed by the Millenary number onely because it shall not exceed more thousands then one in which cloudy and dark day the holy Ghost hath so led and guided the sonnes of truth that all the Jugglers at Rome and Babylon could not make them to mistake the mark of the Beast for the mark of the Lamb nor to worship the Beast and his image in stead of the Lord and his Christ yea rather then they would defile themselves with the adultery of the Whore they would die a thousand deaths for so saith the Text they lost their lives and their heads for the witnesse of Jesus for the pure worship
Earth and of the whole World cannot be understood of any but of him that writes himselfe God of Gods and King of Kings and Emperour of the Universe the whole world who giveth for his Ensigne the Moon the very Embleme of the world Observe how the Holy Ghost hath deciphered him for his reigne and residence the East for his religion the earth earthly and sensuall even the idle fancy and corrupt deceit of Mahomet himself mingled and composed of the parings out-side and offall of the profession of Christians Jewes and Heathens and lastly his unparalleld power and jurisdiction to be no lesse then the force and strength of the whole world Now me thinks the meaning of our Lords words doth agree with his servant Johns for by the term Sun our Lord doth mean himselfe the Sun of righteousnesse the truth of the Gospel and it must be a great power that must so oppose the doctrine of the Gospel in Christendome as to turn our light that is the light of men into the darknesse of Mahometisme and that that Egyptian darknesse that hath overspread the greatest part of the world where the Turk hath dominion should darken Christendome also that is the Land of Goshen if the true light should thus be made dark then the Moon that hath no light but from the Sun shall not give her light in our Saviours words and in his meaning also men that are inlightened by him as the Moon is by the Sun shall not give their light for how can they possibly when Christ which is their light is darkened and when the Sun and Moon thus fail then must needs the Stars whether Ministers or Professors all such as are not the faithfull indeed shall fall from heaven to the earth that is from the truth to Mahometisme and in this great storm the powers of Heaven elect and faithfull from which condition it is impossible they should fall yet saith the Text these shall be shaken with the terrible storm which compared with Rev. 6. 12. makes it more cleare for the Sun became as sackcloth of haire saith the Apostle and the Moon became as blood and the Stars of heaven fell unto the earth even as a Fig-tree casteth her untimely figs when shee is shaken with a mighty wind here the Apostle is cleare in understanding the Stars to be not true born Christians but untimely and as St. Jude speaks and calls them wandering stars to whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever vers. 13. But blessed be God for ever that hath bounded and limited this last and great storm that shall fall upon his Church so as the very powers thereof shall be shaken with these comfortable words immediately quickely it shall be over it shall continue but a little season Heres For the opinion of the Millenaries the truth is there is no shew of ground for it in the Scriptures but wee have of late gathered our selves into a Church communion and fellowship and walk together in that order that Christs Word holds out to us finding in our practice the Scriptures true that as Moses was faithfull in all his house as a servant so Christ as a son is faithfull in his house so that we order all things according to the Word and advance Christs Kingdom his Scepter and Law in the purity as the Scriptures do declare believing also that every congregation is independent and that none but Christ hath power to command each congregation and that none ought to be constrained or in the least measure opposed or punished as touching their consciences but every man ought and should live as the light of his conscience leads him Truth By what you express you should be an Independent as some call you and as some of your judgement call or term themselves wherefore I demand of you all that would have generall liberty for every mans opinion whom I mean by Independent where you find it written in Gods Word that you should gather or congregate your selves in that manner as you do you that have been Ministers to leave your pastorall charges and others to forsake their fellow-member-ship in each Congregation for as much as the Law of this Christian Church as touching matters for publike worship and meeting doth incorporate every Congregation or Parish and of many members makes them but one body and yet you from this body schisme and rent your selves and so of divers torn pieces remnants and broken members to patch up a body or congregation of your own invention contrary to the publike order the Statute lawes and ordinances of this Christian Church and against the meaning of the holy Scriptures also and when you your selves have made a body of your own making then to have peculiar priviledges to do what you please with the consent of your members and whatsoever you shall do to be beyond all power or magistracy whatsoever to either question you or punish you although by the rule of Gods Word there be cause and all that all of you have done yet is but outward and externall Now I demand if there be precept or president for any or all these things you do if there be then shew it if you can shew none for so I am sure you cannot then how can you clear your selves but that your practice is of your own inventions For this is your doctrine that those rules and orders which are prescribed by men for the publique worship and service of God being not plainly expressed in Gods Word such lawes and directions are Idolatry and yet will you devise rules and order 〈◊〉 practise them your selves of your own ordaining for which you can bring no expresse word nor true consequence I pray see the conclusion therefore your way of Religion is a wil-worship and therefore Idolatrous and aggravated because it is against the lawfull demands of Christian authority Here I would not be mistaken by what I have said to oppose the private spirituall communion of the Saints according to the Apostles practice and the Holy Ghosts direction Hebr. 10. 25. But you say this Text proves your Church-way Hebrews Chap. 3. Vers 1 2 3 4 5 6. the substance of which Scripture is this that as Moses was faithfull in all his house as a servant so Christ as a son is faithfull over his house you making Moses his faithfulnesse to consist in those prescripts and rules he gave for the Temple or Tabernacle in the form and structure for Priests and their habits for the time of incense sacrifices divine services in the Oracles and Ordinances of God even all the externall form and manner of Gods publike worship and you say that Christs faithfulnesse in his house under the Gospel is not inferiour to Moses under the Law in all externall lawes rules and directions in every particular for as much as Christ is the Son of his own house and as Moses had a word for every thing so Christ hath left a word for every thing It
in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them saith John heard I saying Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lambe for ever and ever And the Prophet David he foretold of this universall subjection of all creatures in the kingdome of Christ in the world to come saith the Author to the Hebrews and understood it in these words admiring at it What is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him thou hast made him a little lower then Angels and the Apostle gives the reason of that Thou hast crown'd him with glory and honour thou hast made him to have dominion over the work of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feete all sheep and oxen yea and the beasts of the feild the fowles of the aire and the fishes of the sea which makes the Prophet fall into a wonderment Oh God our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth Psal. 8. 4. Heb. 2. 6. Now I am come to the two last particulars the time when this glorious kingdome of Christ shall be set up and the place where it shall be continued for ever the time was thus foreshewed to the Prophet David that the time of Christs Churches persecution should not be till his second Appearing in these words When the Lord shall build up Sion he shall appeare in his glory Psal. 102. 16. And this time our Lord himselfe plainly teacheth us to be at the end of this world and not before which truth the Saints and people of God do fully and certainly beleeve although a thousand false Prophets should arise and preach the contrary under what shew or pretence of learning and religion soever they make The cleare and plaine Doctrine of our Lord is this Mat. 13. 39 40 41. The harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are the Angels as therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire so shall it be in the end of this world the Sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdome all scandalous things and all such as do offend them or which doe or worke iniquitie And when the question is made by the servants to the housholder Whether the tares the envious man sowed among the good seede should be pluckt up The Master answers Nay let them both grow together till the harvest and also giveth the reason and sheweth farther what shall be done then and not before both with the tares wheat also although many unwarily do affirm at this time amongst us the contrary yet thus saith the Lord and therefore I would wish all the contrary minded to take notice of it that at his glorious coming shall be the Kingdomes deliverance reigne and perfection and not before therefore saith her Lord and King When the Sonne of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall be sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another is a shepheard divideth his sheep from the goats and then he shall set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left and assigne and put in possession the one to eternall blisse but the other to a perditious eternall wofull cursed condition even binding them into bundles to be burned but the blessed to possesse the Lords own house and habitation for ever Mat. 25. 31 32. Chap. 13. 30. And because this truth hath exceedingly suffered of late by the literal learn'd of this generation who have befoul'd the beauty and purity of it with their dark smokie misty mistakes under pretence of pleading for the Lamb and his wife I shall therefore briefly discover the spirituall learning of the Apostles and Prophets mysterious expressions of this holy truth the holy Apostle John in the Revelations speaks with the same wisdome aid and guidance of the Spirit as the Angel taught Daniel in the same mysteries and their very expressions in many things are alike but more opened and revealed by the Apostle then by the Prophet they both agree in the computation of the time though one writ long before the other and each differing in the rule of reckoning as the manners of the countries in which they lived the one living among the Chaldeans the other among the Hebrews the one computing their times and yeeres according to the course of the Sun the other by the course of the Moon the Hebrews their reckoning is certain thirty dayes to a moneth and twelve moneths to a yeer the Chaldeans they reckon and compute according to the course and rule of the Moon which causes this seeming difference for Johns whole time for Antichrists raign is twelve hundred and sixty yeers in which the two witnesses shall prophesie in sackcloth which as it notes out unto us their spirituall low and humble condition so also their persecuted and suffering estate and condition Rev 11. 3. Now Daniel makes the same very time of the abomination of desolation to be twelve hundred and ninety yeers Dan. 12. 11. reckoning both of them dayes for yeers according as the Prophets did reckon and accompt as I have proved before now I shall make it appear unto you that these two holy men of God that were moved and led by the same Spirit both spake one and the same thing both for the power and mystery of Iniquity and for the full and compleat time of one and the self-same number of yeers for the continuance of it And I prove it thus as thirteen moons are thirteen moneths and these thirteen moneths make but one yeere of twelve moneths reckoning thirty dayes to a moneth and twelve moneths to a yeere by the same rule one thousand two hundred and ninety yeers by the Chaldee reckoning amount but to one thousand two hundred and threescore yeers according to the reckoning of the Hebrews And as they agree in this seeming difference so they do most sweetly consent and agree in the point in hand concerning the time of the beginning of the glorious kingdome of Jesus Christ one and the same Angel teacheth them one and the same truth and although there were neer 500. yeers distance between the times of their prophesying yet the Angels majesty both of doctrine and gesture is one and the same to both all which shewes this doctrine of the time of the Lords coming to restore all things to exalt his Church and Saints to be a most admirable and singular secret and mystery for the continuall comfort and supportation of all his suffering members in all their afflictions and this made the Apostle speaking to the Saints of Thessalonica of the day of the Lords coming his descending from heaven at the last trump and the resurrection of such as are dead in Christ wherefore