is risen up as an Enemy c. Oh the great Oppressor how the earth doth rejoyce at the ruine of that man who smote the peogle in wrath with a continuall stroke that ruled the Nations in anger nothing of love mercy and goodnesse to mankind or the poor appeared in him but he persecuteth and no man hineth saith the Prophet Isaiah 14.6 7 8. And as the whole Earth is merry at his fall so hell from beneath is moved for him to meet him at his coming it stirs up the dead even all the cheif ones of the earth and all the Kings of the Nations rise up from their Thrones they say art thou also weak as we art thou become like unto us verse 4.10 What are the people of God and Princes of Israel the holy Princes so prophane Is the prophane Prince of Israel so weak weak as the imperious whorish woman Ezek. 16.30 Art thou so weak as we weak in thy passions and pettish Spirit art thou become like unto us as one of the Kings of England or the Princes of Wales What man would think that the Church or People of God should ever come to this to oppresse both God and man good and bad at once But this is naturall to spirituall men in Church formes yea to the flesh of the best Christians 1 Cor. 3.3 Gal. 4.29 who may for a time be very fleshly and yet the children of God as Ishmael was Abrahams sonne after the flesh persecuting him that was born after the Spirit yea Saints by calling may be called carnall much more when they are become so wise after the flesh so mighty and so noble 1 Cor. 1.26 which must have an Almighty power of the Spirit to make them foolish and weak and base and nothing to bring to nought things that are the great things and Conquests here attained by the people of God was when they were nothing now being something they are overcome by all and by themselves When men doe adore the people of God and idolize them as the Gods of the earth Zeph. 2.11 then a thousand to one God does befoole and famish them and they fall to be proud and to oppress the world yea their own Brethren and their Father also even the most high God appearing in lowest Saints above them in grace and the knowledge of our Lord in simplicity in purenesse and peace and in patience also Well this is the thing that God will doe with his own he will undoe them either by the high discoveries of himself in them as the Prophet was Isaiah 6.1 who came to this that he saw himself though as good as the best yet as bad as the worst verse 3 5. Or else he will undoe them by discovering that without to the world which is within in the heart 1 King 8.38 Iam. 3.6 what a plague is in it what a sinke and sea of sin yea a hell is in the tongue this the Saints will not see but God does and men shall when he shall turn their inside out their hidden hypocrisie shall appear to all for they shall openly practise hypocrisie as men doe grosse prophaneness for the vile person shall be no more called liberall nor the Churle said to be bountifull c. Isaiah 32.5 6 7. see it Alas man Thou maist give all that thou hast to the poor yet have no love 1 Cor. 13.3 Tit. 3.4 1 Ioh. 4.16 Oh belye not the Spirit of God in thee for God is love and good to all mankind while thou art a murtherer in hating thy brother John 3.15 yea in not loving him so as to lay down thy life for him verse 16. much more in not laying out thy livelihood and this worlds good verse 17. not onely for the godly as they say but for any man that needs thee who is both thy brother and thine own flesh Isaiah 58.7 Nay t is not enough that thou art no Oppressor as I said before but to loose the bands of wickednesse Isai 58.6 to undoe the heavy burthens to let the Oppressed goe free and to break every yoak is the duty of love if there be power in thine bands to doe it But when the people of God are silent and sit still seeking onely self not sensible of the burthens of the oppressed of the Prisoners bands nor of poor families who cry for bread how dwelleth the love of God in them saith John Well want of love besides worldlinesse wrath and that oppressive power in the Churches Gen. 49.7 Isai 19.2 Ier. 51 49. is the cause why they are so divided among themselves yea God divides them as he did prophane them he sets Brother against Brother Ruler against Ruler one ruling Elder against another 'T is Rule and Government the Churches still aime at therefore they not onely dash one against another but are like to destroy that civill Government and the Governours they depend upon for since the Apostacy the Churches have ever had a dependance on worldly powers and undone the powers with themselves and therefore our present Governours are wise to beware of men But Men and Ministers and Churches as we see are divided this day like Babylon into three parts as we shall shew anon and so their destruction is of themselves I say they seek for rule and this ruines them Now there is a threefold kind of Government among men Monarchy Aristocracy and Democracy the first is as of the King the second is like that of the Parliament the present Government some compare to the third though it appears not yet but Parliament and Army have voted the Supream power to be in the people Well the Churches must have power and rule also the Prelatick Church was Monarchicall all were ruled by one by an Arch-Bishop the Kingly Power or Prerogative fell by that The Presbyterian Church is an Aristocracy the Elders or chief of these govern as 't were in a Parliament and Parliamentary priviledges was like to fall by them if not fallen already The Independent or baptized Churches both is one are a pure Democracy for not the ruling men or Ministers but all the Members have equall power to order and ordain as they professe and therefore called Independent I wish they were so but if they have a dependance on the Civill or Martiall power 't will be worse for both if both be not wiser than former times A word to the wise 't is my folly to use so many to understanding men as the Ministers are especiall Independents being men of parts power policy and of piety also many I shall fear none of them because I love them all and they me though wrath at present may appear in both as it doth among themselves 't was so once between God and his own people of old a perfect-hatred loathing and abhorring one another Well the Vials are yet full of the wrath of God when these are poured forth Love will appear that is the Lord himself in
and crucified became the living way Heb. 10.20 as with God I shall shew another time Fifthly that worthy man brings men to the way but not to the Truth and Life Now Christ was all First the way for no man cometh to the Father but by me Iohn 14.6 now 't is a vain thing to keep men still in the way to stand still in the way and not to goe on by Christ into the Father into the holiest and thus was Christ the Truth Iohn 14.3 also taking us into the Father with himself for as this was eternall life to know the Father to be the onely true God Ioh. 17.3 and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent so Christ was sent or God even the Father was manifest in his flesh that we might see God in us as he was in him Iohn 17.21 23 24. and our life with him in God Lastly thus Christ is the life and thus he that hath the Son hath life that is the Son being once revealed in us reveals the Father in us also God in our flesh as in his and we living with him in God alone Joh. 14.19 20. 1 Joh. 5.11 12. This is the knowledge of Christ in the Spirit and this is the fourth step which some have attained to holding forth Christ in the Spirit as Mr. Sedgwick Mr. Sterrie Mr. Sprig and others these with their fellows are neerest Zion yet are they not come into it for as every Prophet shall one day be ashamed of his vision Zach. 13.4 yea prophesie it self shall fail So it is manifest these men are of a dark and deeper speech then can be easily understood Isai 33.19 therefore it is not Zion when there shall be such a glorious appearance of God in men that all shall see and hear him in them and as they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion Isai 52.8 or bring forth himself cleerly in us who are now in captivity or he rather captive in our flesh so men shall hear God himself in us for so it is in the Hebrew Zach. 8.23 not we have heard that God is with you but we will go with you for we have heard God with you and in you Then man shall be nothing and God shall be all in all yet man shall be all in God and nothing but God shall appear in man This glorious appearance of the great God in man the three Shepherds the Pastors and Teachers doe indeed abhor they hate his appearance as I said and he abhors all their performances But who are these three Shepherds the Pastors of Churches What their cutting off is my former Letter shewed to suffer the curse of God and contempt of men How God cuts them off It is by unchurching them and by confounding or dividing them the Lord doth first unchurch them burns up the Church with fire Zachariah 11.1 there he calls Lebanon to open the doors that the fire may come in to burn up the tallest Cedars What 's Lebanon but the Temple for it was built with that Who are the Cedars but the tallest Members the principall of the flock What is the fire but the Spirit of the Lord as the Lord God calls upon Lebanon so he commands that the Church doors may be open for the fire to enter and the spirit to burn up all their chiefest members and Ministers for so it is vers 2. The mighty men or the gallants are spoiled yea there is a howling of the shepherds for their glory is spoiled v. 3. Their Church-fellowship and forms is that they glory in God spoils them and stains the pride of all their glory yea he burns it up How By fire The baptisme of the Spirit and of fire was the first Gospel-Ordinance Acts 1.4 5. or that which first set up the Church in a Gospel-order Fire will be the last that shall burn up the Churches who because they would not as the Primitive Saints did wait for the Spirit to build them the Spirit shall come to burn and consume them at last Secondly God cuts them off confounds and divides them he cuts them into three parts as we shall see by and by Thus then the three shepherds are the Pastors of all the Churches or whole Ministery of the Church Ezek. 16.30 Rev. 17.2 for as the Apostate Jewish Church was a Type of the Christian Church now under the Apostacie the whoredomes of Israel typifying the great whore whose fornications and the wine thereof in their forms of doctrine and false worships as we shall shew another time so Junius well notes the three Shepherds to signifie the whole teaching Ministery of the Jewish Church Vid. Junium in Zach. 11. for the Pharisees Sadduces and Essenes saith he were the onely Pastors or Teachers who did instruct the people in the Word of God as Prelates Presbyters and Independents are the whole Ministery of the Church of England this day These are divided not onely in Worship and Discipline but in doctrine also especially in three things 1. In the free grace of God which some call Antinomianism 2. In the free-will of man which otherscall Pelagianism 3. In the death of Christ or universal Redemption of mankind thereby which both Presbyters and Independants abhorre as Paganisme though nearest the Gospel indeed I shall not now shew the cause of all those divisions in Doctrine being engaged onely at present to prove their defilements in the worship of God and in their walking with men Yet this is one cause of their former difference and divisions in Doctrine Acts 2.42 because the Apostles Doctrine being before all Gospel-Ordinances is out of order in the Churches 1 Tim. 6.3 2. Tim. 1.13 who not content with that forme of sound words and wholsome Doctrine delivered by them doe follow the childish Dictates of Fathers the Decrees of Councels being a company of Bishops with such Creeds Confessions and Catechismes formed by them and reformed Churches whose conformities and fooleries in formes of worship though our Churches cannot chuse but see yet with a blind devotion they follow all their formes of doctrine not suffering a doubt or the least debate to passe upon their reason and judgement therein How injudicious this is with ingenuous men let all men judge Iohn 3.12 for if I tell you of earthly things saith Christ and yee beleeve not how will yee beleeve if I tell you of heavenly all outward worship is but an earthly thing Now if all Fathers and former Churches have erred in worship why not I pray you may they not erre in Doctrine in heavenly and hidden things in the high Mystery of God and of Christ especially seeing the Apostles did prophesie of such deceit to come in this by vain Philosophy Col. 2.8 and metaphysicall speculations of the Deity by the traditions and inventions of men the rudiments of the world the rudiments that is the A. B. C. or common Catechismes which
Jer. 49.11 Leave thy fatherlesse children and I will preserve them alive and let thy widdows trust in me my children are now fatherlesse and my wife a widdow but God will be a father to them and a husband to her yea her Physitian also according to promise Isai 58.6 7 8. But all men are my flesh also and because I would not hide my self from them Isai 58.7 I had it once in my thoughts to take this hundred pound at present and to give it as a publike stock for the poor of Cardiffe It was presently answered unto me Isai 61.8 I hate robbery for burnt offerings c. God will shortly provide for the poor though Man will not Yea men shall at last whether they will or no when God shall appear in them as fire to burn up all their fulnesse when the rust of their silver shall eat up their flesh as fire Iames 5.3 Isai 2.20 when they shall cast their Idols of silver and gold to the Moles and the Batts who lye now in the dust and flie in the dark Lastly In the day of wrath Ezek. 7.19 when they shall cast their silver in the Streets then God will find a way to feed the poor out of the bellies of the rich who shall not onely make restitution according to their substance but shall vomit up all that they have swallowed yea it is a wonder their children shall seek to please the poor and restore all their goods Job 20.10 15 18. compared I am waiting for the fulfilling of his Word which God will hasten this in his due time in mean while I can but pitie the poor and the rich also even the great Oppressor whose plague is coming I have no more to say but to assure you that I am in truth Sir Your much ingaged Friend and Servant in the Lord WILLIAM ERBERIE THE Sword Doubled To cut off both the RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED Drawn forth in two following Discourses By WILLIAM ERBERIE ISAIAâ— 31.4 Thus hath the Lord spoken unto me like as the Lyon and the young Lion roaring on his prey when a multitude of Shepherds is called forth against him he will not be afraid of their voyce nor abase himself for the noise of them So shall the Lord of Hosts come down to fight for mount Zion and for the bill-thereof LONDON Printed by G. D. for Giles Calvert and are to be sold at the Sign of the Black Spread-Eagle at the West End of Pauls 1652. To the Independent Pastors and Teachers in Wales and in England also THE great design that God hath to doe this day is to undoe man Zeph. 3.19 Hag. 2.22 and the mighty ones of the earth by dividing and destroying that oppressive power upon the states and spirits of men that the outward and inward man may have deliverance at last and perfect liberty to serve the Lord in holiness and righteousness before him without fear all the dayes of our life Luke 1.75 This was the end of Christs first coming in the flesh and of his second in the Spirit by which as the man of sin the great whore Babylon must be destroyed so divided into three parts as in the slaughter of Midian by the annointing by the Spirit of the Lord or God manifest in our flesh by whom all yokes and burthens are removed Isai 10.26 27. Now Babylon or the Assyrian being the great Oppressor in Church and Common wealth Rev. 17.3 in the Civill and Ecclesiastick estate for the Beast carries the Whore both must be broken as all the Prophets and John the last doth prophesie Babylon is fallen is fallen and a third fall wee shall see anon How hath the Oppresser fallen Isaiah 14.4 the golden citie the Lord hath broken the staffe of the wicked and the rod of the Rulers The rod of Oppression appears not to men but in the civil estate and the staffe of the wicked there but we shall find it more in the rulers or ruling Elders of Churches we lookt for the wicked onely in the world Ezek. 7.10 11 but since the rod is budded pride hath blossomed and wickednesse is grown up co a rod the wicked may be found in the Church in Israel it self The Church I call now the people of God in Church fellowship or not but as among my people saith God Ier. 5.26 are found wicked men who surpasse the deeds of the wicked so since God hath prophaned the Princes of the Sanctuary Isal 43.26 or the holy Princes as I said before there are principall men among the people of God for whom the Prophet must cry and howle because the Sword is drawn forth both against the righteous and the wicked Ezek. 21 3. And against all the Princes of Israel verse 12. Yea the Sword is doubled the third time the Sword of the great men which enters into their privy Chambers or closest Councels and the point of the Sword is set against their gates or Governments that their hearts may faint and their ruines be multiplied ah it is made bright and wrapt for slaughter verse 14 15. But among all the holy Princes there is one especially whom the Lord calls upon Thou prophane wicked Prince whose day is come when iniquity shall have an end verse 25. Remove the Diadem take off the Crown this shall not be the same c. As King and Lords had an end and twice the Sword hath been against the Prclatick and Presbyterian party so the Sword being doubled the third time will smite that prophane and wicked Prince whatever he be who is the Oppressor who is imperious proud peevish covetous cruell and cunning for bloud oh the Sword of the Lord will find him out for 't is wrapt for slaughter 't is wrapt I say and secretly 't will come forth to cut off the man that stands before God to oppose the appearance of God in men to oppresse the spirits of men and the Spirit of God in them the Sword of his mouth shall slay him 2 Thess 2.8 I shall not now meddle with matters of State nor of secular men though these also may come under the King of Babylon but our Lords spirituall are those here who are called the King of Babylon against whom thou shalt take up a Proverb or a taunt saying How hath the Oppressor ceased The golden City ceased Isai 14.4 The golden City is the most glorious Church state or the people of God in highest honour and glory this is the golden City or as the Geneva reads the Gold thirsting City the exactresse of Gold as the margin notes None doe more exact and more thirst after Silver and Gold this day then the people of God in spirituall power and therefore no wonder they doe so oppresse both the states of men and the spirits of men yea the Spirit of God as may be seen at large Micah 2.2 6 7. compared with 8 9 10. verses Even of late my people
us all who will bring forth light out of darknesse and love out of our divisions And as he in wrath remembers mercy so in much love I pray you remember Your WILLIAM ERBERIE A Scourge for the Assyrian the great OPPRESSOR ZACH 11.8 Three Shepherds I cut off in one moneth my soul loathed them and their soul abhorred me That is the glorious Appearance of the great God in men is most abhorred by seeming godly men and Ministers or three Shepherds whom God therefore loathes and hates all their performances as they hate his appearance the hatred of both is perfect for his soul loathes them and their soul abhorreth him AS Christ is the glory of the Father Heb. 1.1.3 Iohn 14.10 Ioh. 15.23 24 Isai 8.18 Hebr. 2.12 13 compared the appearance of God or God manifest in flesh so God in Christ the Father in him was that which was most hated by the Church of the Jews and Christ in us Iohn 14.11 Eph. 5.30 Heb. 2.11 compared Christ in the Church is abhorred by the Christian Churches who not knowing the Deity nor the humanity of Christ indeed will not acknowledge the Father to be the Godhead of Christ nor his brethren to be his humanitie in whom the fulnesse of the Godhead is so embodyed 1 Cor. 12.12 Eph. 4.13 compared that he being the head and they the members they and he make one perfect man in whom God appears to be all in all 1 Cor. 15.28 This Mysterie of God even the Father Col 2.2 and of Christ is therefore abhorred by the shepherds or Pastors of Churches Gal. 1.16 Eph. 1.17 Col. 1.27 compared because they knew not the Father in the Son nor the Son in the Saints nor the Spirit in both which would reveal this glory in them God in their Flesh that is Christ in us the hope of glory which now they hate and abher not having higher discoveries of God then what they have read in traditional forms of doctrine received Col. 2.8 1 Tim. 1.17 1 Ioh. 1.1 Rom. 9 1. Heb. 1.3.8 Col. 1.15.13 Col. 2.9 compared and invented by men For as the Father is the invisible God inhabiting eternitie so Christ is God visible the Image or out-goings of God the glory of the Father in flesh the appearance of God as I said or God manifest in flesh who in the spirit was from the beginning and will be to the end though this mystery of Christ was not manifested to men till the fulness of time Isai 9 6. Ioh. 5.19 20 30. Iohn 8.28 Iohn 14.10 compared 2 Cor. 13.4 1 Pet. 1.21 Psal 68.1 Psal 68.18 Eph. 4.10 Ioh. 16.28 Iohn 17.8 when the mighty God the everlasting Father appeared in flesh taken of a Virgin then the Son was born for God was brought forth in flesh and was manifest in flesh by mighty works and words which he spake and did while he lived in the dayes of his flesh but in his death God crucified that flesh to himself which afterward he raised to glory God rising or revealing himself gloriously therein then God ascended up on high that is God in flesh did ascend not onely to heaven but far above all heavens into his own eternall abisse and incomprehensible being and unaccessible light whence the brightnesse of his glory proceeded and came forth in flesh in the fulness of time as we said before But this Mysterie was not made known nor manfested to the Sons of men Eph. 3.5 till God who ascended up in flesh sent down the Spirit from on high Psal 68.18 Eph. 4.8 when he not onely received gifts for men or as Hebrew reads received gifts in the man but gave gifts unto men that is the same Spirit and power of God dwelling in the flesh of Christ appeared in the Church which is called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 because the Son was revealed or known in the Saints and they in the Son and both in the Father all perfect in one for which cause the Spirit is called the promise of the Father Acts 1.4 Rom. 8.25.17 and the Spirit of the Son in the Saints cryed Abba Father God being a Father to them as to him his God and theirs For though the Spirit be called the Spirit of the Son yet he received and sent it from the Father therefore the Spirit is said to proceed onely from the Father c. it is the promise of the Father the power of God from on high which the Saints received from and with the Son they being Sons and coheirs with him Joh. 15.26 This Mystery of Christ though once manifested to the Apostles and Primitive Saints by the Spirit and since shut up as a sealed book by the apostasie or spirit of Antichrist in the Churches yet the book will be open the mystery will be manifest again for the mystery of God shall be finished and fully known at last Rev. 10.7 Rev. 1.4 Rev. 2.8 But as Christ is the first and the last he who was is and is to come of Christ was vayled in the Law and is revelaed in the Gospel though but in part the full Revelation of Christ Jesus is to come Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever not Christ after the flesh for that was not till the fulness of time but Christ in the Spirit Heb. 13.8 God manifest in flesh was both yesterday under the Law and in the day of Gospel-dispensation and in the third dispensation now approaching he will abide for ever There was a change indeed from Law to Gospel when the Spirit of Christ first came into the Church the state of the Gospel changed also when the Spirit of Antichrist came in power and the Churches fell by the Apostasie when Christ shall come the second time in spirit and glory time shall be no more no more change of things shall be for all things and times shall appear in eternity which is the third dispensation as the first was yesterday the second to day Rev. 10 6 7. so the third is to be for ever I shall not now speak at large of this third dispensation onely as God is both Father Son and Spirit 1 Joh. 5.7 So God being manfest to his people in this threefold discovery of himself declares the third dispensation a third discoverie of himself unto them and in them God under the Law and to the Fathers before was known as the Father Deut. 32.6 Rom. 1.9 Rev. 22.17 In the Gospel God was known as the son or the knowledge of the Son was peculiar to the Gospel-dispensation The third will be pure Spirit when nothing but Spirit and power shall appear when God shall be all in all For although Gospel-believers were baptized into the name of Father Son and Spirit yet what they possessed was but the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8.23 there will be a full harvest flouds and Rivers of waters of life which no man can passe