Flock from the Mouth of such and set up One Shepherd who should feed them This one Shepherd is known and the Shepherds that mind the Fleece more than the Flock are turned from Ezek. 34. Daniel through the virtue and influence of the living Word was made a Prophet he fore-saw the Messiah and his Kingdom and how the Saints should take his Kingdom and of the â—â—ishing of Transgression and of the putting an End to Sin and of making Reconciliation for Iniquity and of bringing in Everlasting Righteousness Hosea was called of the Lord the Word of the Lord came unto him cap. 1.1 he bare Testimony against prophane Priests saying My People are destroyed for lack of Knowledge because thou hast rejected Knowledge I will also reject thee that thou shalt be no Priest unto me Hos 4. And as Troops of Robbers wait for a man so the Company of Priests Murder in the Way by Consent for they commit Lewdness Hos 6.9 Joel the Prophet was called of the Lord Joel 1.1 he prophesied of the Glory of the Evangelical Dispensation saying It shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh your Sons and your Daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dream Dreams your young men shall see Visions and upon the Servants and Hand-maids in those days I will pour out my Spirit Joel 2.28 29. So 't is the Spirit of the Lord that enables to Pray to Preach to Prophesie to bear a faithful Testimony for the Lord not acquired Heathen Arts Sciences and natural Tongues Amos a Herds-man and a Gatheres of Sicomore Fruit was called of the Lord to be a Prophet Amos 1.1 he rebuked Israel for that they would have had the Lords Prophets silent Amos 2.12 Amaziah said unto Amos O thou Seer flee into the Land of Judah there eat Bread and Prophesie there but Prophesie not any more aâ— Bethel for it is the Kings Chappel and it is the Kings Court Amos 7. Thus he who had the Letter without the Spirit would have limitted him that was in the Spirit the Key which opens and no man can shut And how man-made Ministers now and others in the Will of the Flesh have and do labour to stop the Testimony of Truth because not born by Artists Logicians Philosophers I need say little Obadiah was called of the Lord contrary to the Will of Man cap. 1.1 he prophesied That Saviours should come upon Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esau and the Kingdom should be the Lords vers 21. Jonah was called of the Lord the Word of the Lord came unto him That he should preach Repentance unto Nineveh but consulting with Flesh and blood he steared his course to Tarshish a great Fish swallowed him up through Repentance he was delivered and sent to preach Repentance to Nineveh Jonah 1 2 3. chap. Micah was called of the Lord cap. 1.1 he bare Testimony against such as came by the Will of man saying Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets that make my People Err and cry Peace Peace and he that puts not into their Mouthes they prepare War against him In the Living Word that came to Micah such Teachers are now seen preparing War against them that put not into their Mouthes that refuse to give them Tythe Easter-reckonings Midsummer-dues Martin-Mass-Calves Mortuaries Reek-pennies such they Sue recover Tribble Damages Imprison what spoil is made on this account very many Parishes in England affords Examples The Sun was gone down over such Prophets yea Night was upon them and they had no Vision nor Answer of God Micah 3.5 6 7. Now such as deny Revelation and Vision the Sun is gone down unto them Night is upon them Further saith Micah The Heads judge for Rewards and the Priests teach for Hire the Prophets divine for Money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among us Micah 3.11 In the same Spirit now revealed such are now seen Nahum was called of the Lord cap. 1.1 he spake of slumbering Shepherds cap. 3.18 In the Soul-quickning Life-restoring Word such Slumberers and Sleepers are now seen who are not kept waking to Righteousness nor vigilant for the good of their Flocks Habakkuk was called of the Lord cap. 1.1 he prophesied of a comfortable Dispensation of the scattering of the Exhalations of Darkness and Ignorance saying The Earth shall be filled with the Knowledge of the Glory of the Lord as Waters cover the Sea cap. 2.14 Zaphaniah was called of the Lord cap. 1.1 he testified That the Lord would cut off the Names of the Chemarims that is Black coats with the Priests Zeph. 1.4 He said of Jerusalem That her Prophets were Light and Treacherous Persons that her Priests had polluted the Sanctuary and had done Violence to the Law cap. 3.4 Such as have no Call but of man will be found guilty hereof Haggai was called of the Lord he cryed out saying Is it time for you to dwell in your Ceiled Houses and this House lie waste cap. 1. Such are in Transgression who dwell in their own who cover themselves with the black Curtain of Self and natural Endowments and neglect the Dispensation of God where the building of the true Temple is Zechariah was called of the Lord cap. 1.1 he bare Testimony against such as ran unsent saying Wo to the Idol Shepherd that leaveth the Flock the Sword shall be upon his Arm and upon his Right Eye his Arm shall be clean dryed up and his right Eye shall be utterly darkned cap. 11.17 Malachi was called of the Lord cap. 1.1 he reproved the Priests for neglecting the Covenant cap. 2.1 2. as man made Ministers now are justly reproveable for neglecting the new Covenant the Law written in the Heart the Spirit put in the inward Parts the great blessing of the Evangelical Dispensation John the Baptist was called of the Lord without recourse to Heathen Arts and Sciences spoiling Philosophy Luke 1.15 Luke 3.1 2. Christ Jesus the End of the Law the End of the Prophets in his prepared Body called not the Wise and Prudent Painted Oraters Subtil Sophisters Crafty Logicians and spoiling Philosophers but weak and contemptible Instruments as unlearned Fisher-men to preach the Everlasting Gospel that they might be in him what they were that they might be Work-men solely and wholely thorow his Power Virtue and Influence not thorow acquired Arts Parts and Sciences Mat. 4.18 c. Christ sent not Orators saith Augustin to work upon Fisher-men Andrew and others but by these Fisher-men he reduced Kings and Emperors to the saving Knowledge of the Truth Omnipotency being Agent faith one it matters nothing what like the Instrument be Of Fisher-men he made them Fishers of men they came to the Discipleship to learn of Christ before they came to the Apostleship to be Preachers of Christ they were taught and caught by him before they taught and caught others Unlearned Fishermen saith Jerom are sent to preach that the Faith of
Thus Israel was guilty of forsaking the Fountain of Life of Living Mercies and of having recourse to broken Cisterns The labour of the Apostles and their living concern was to bring People to Shilo the Store-house of heavenly Wisdom Knowledge and sound Understanding the Fountain of Life the Well-spring of pure Wisdom spiritual Treasures Virtue Peace Joy Consolation and Spiritual Refreshments in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells Bodily of whose plenitude that is fulness his receive Grace for Grace Now after the Apostles dayes the Star being fallen Smoke arisen Sun and Air darkned the Purity of the Primitive Church spoiled in a word upon the encroachment of the Apostacy the golden Cup of Abomination and Fornication was received by Christendom which became as Waters in this smoke evaporating out of the bottomless Pit the pure Fountain of Life was lost the truly impowering Call of the Lord of the Harvest was lost then in the Apostatized Roman Church Schools and Colledges were erected into which were received Heathen Poems Comedies Tragedies Fables spoiling Philosophy Heathen Metaphysicks and in and through learning of these Youth was qualified for the Gospel Ministry as they say and these Universities were called by the Apostatized Roman Church Well-springs of Divinity Fountains of the Gospel Ministry Thus the Fountain of Life being turned from broken Cisterns were entertained Luther on 2 Pet. 2.1 spake freely of Apostatized Popish Universities The whole World saith he is of this Opinion that these are Fountains or Well springs from which proceed such as ought to teach the People This is a horrible Error saith he forasmuch as nothing so detestable proceeds from any thing or place as from Universities c. The Roman Popish Religion being brought into this Nation by Austin the Monk and others in process of time Cambridge and Oxford came to be founded and made Universities and were called Well-springs of Divinity c. And though Protestantism and a great share of Reformation be pretended and professed yet the divine Call into the Ministry is denyed and altogether or in a high measure ascribed to Schools of Humane Learning yea and Cambridge and Oxford are still termed Well-springs of Divinity the two Fountains and the two Eyes of the Nation The Almighty is opening an Eye to see the Living Fountain the Well-spring of Life and to press after the same and to deny the Idolatrous use and abuses of Man made Well-springs and Fountains though Schools teaching the knowledge of the Creation of useful and necessary Accomplishments are to be contended for but out of their place Idolatrous as in setting them in the room of the Lord of the Harvest William Tindall in his Parable of the wicked Mammon saith Many are not ashamed to rail and blaspheme saying How should he understand the Scripture seeing he is no Philosopher hath never seen his Metaphysicks and how can he be a Divine who knows not what is Subjectum in Theologia Nevertheless as a man without the Spirit of Aristotle or Philosophy may by the Spirit of God understand Scriptures even so by the Spirit of God understands he that God is to be sought c. and yet knows not what meaneth Subjectum in Theologia that is the Subject in Divinity because it is a term of their own making Drawing to a Conclusion let me say that to confine the Ministry to Natural Tongues Arts and Sciences is contrary to the Lords Call in the Patriarchal Mosaical and in the Morning of the Evangelical Dispensation yea and contrary to the Call promised after the Apostacy after the three dayes and an half wherein the Beast and the Locusts Anti-christ and his apostatized Ministry should be bred fitted and qualified in the Smoke of the Pit earthly and fallen Wisdom Rev. 11.11 Besides this my Testimony take the Testimony of our Country-man Gell who said I do not here confine the Gifts of God unto mans Approbation or Ordination Surely saith he the Lord may fill whose Hand he will speak by whom he will In all Ages saith this Gell God raised up Priests and Prophets without the Authority yea against the Authority of Men Amos 3.8 Acts 4.18 19 20. 'T is unreasonable saith he to confine the Spirit of God unto certain Theses Articles Confessions and Opinions of mens making they seem to dare and provoke the wise God in that they cannot say that their Dictates proceed from an infallable Spirit yet would they limit and bound the infallable Spirit of the God of Truth by their presumtuous humane Spirit which as themselves confess is Fallable and subject to Error We stay so long saith Bishop Hall upon the Shell of Tongues that we can hardly have time to chew the sweet Kernel of Knowledge So may I say Natural Tongues Arts Sciences and Endowments are so doted upon and concluded to be the enabling qualification for the Gospel Ministry as that the heavenly Anointing the real ability for the Gospel Ministry is not waited for but by most of the Worldly wise Linguists and Sophisters derided CAP. III. Of the Original of Bishops in Gospel dayes and of the Identity that is Oneness and Sameness of Bishops and Elders in the Primitive Age. THe Apostles in the Power of the Lord laboured and were livingly concerned to turn the Jew from Judaism and the Gentile from Gentilism to Christ in whom Oneness and the new Creature is witnessed After visiting the Churches before gathered and in the Spirit of discerning observing a Care begot in some particular Members for the good prosperity growth and decent order of their fellow Members the oversight care and charge of particular Assemblies were commended to such and they were called Elders because chosen for the most part of the elder sort of People and the same were also called Bishops that is Overseers or Superintendents because of their Office of overseeing and taking care of the rest They were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Presbyters or Elders for that they were so in Age the Law having so provided that no man should be promoted to that Dignity till he was thirty five Years old or else because they ought to be such in Manners and circumspect Carriage saith Sr. Thomas Ridley in his view of the Civil and Eccleslastical Law Pope Boniface the First thought good that not any under thirty Years of Age should be ordained a Presbyter that is an Elder Afterward it was decreed by the Authority of the Lateran Council that one might be made an Elder at twenty five Years old Polydor. de Invent. lib. 4. But this limiting to a certain Year savours of the Will of Man not of the Spirit Now 't is my Judgment that the same Individuals particular Persons that in the Purity of the Primitive Age were sometimes called Elders they were also called Bishops that is Overseers as the same Person may be sometime called a Minister sometime a Teacher this Doctrine in the Beauty of the Primitive Church was not called Heretical but
1200. Upon the aforesaid Consideration this Innocent the third by his Decetal Epistle to the Bishop of Canterbury commanded him To enjoyn every man to pay his Temporal Goods to those that ministred Spiritual things to them and the same was enforced by Ecclesiastical Censures And this was the Rise Beginning and Original of General parochial Payment of Tythes in England This the Pope enjoyned notwithstanding any Custom to the contrary The Popes Decree is recorded by Cooke in the second part of his Institutes After this Innocent the third about the Year 1200. had restrained the Free and Voluntary Distribution of Tythes and settled a parochial Payment thereof in Pursuance and Confirmation thereof Gregory the tenth about the Year 1274. ordained That it should not be lawful for men to give their Tythes at their own Pleasure where they would as it had been but to pay all their Tythes to the Mother-Church this saith Cisterniensis Thus the Pope prevailed with People to pay their Tythes and after screwing a Peg higher limitted People to the Payment thereof according to his Appointment CAP. VI. Of the Rise of first Fruits in Christian Churches ACcording to the Mosaical Dispensation a portion of first ripe Fruits were offered unto the Lord and this did Sanctifie the Remainder of Fruits and by these the Jews were raised up into hopes of enjoying their whole Crop in due Season Exod. 22.29 This was a Type fulfilled in the Substance Christ Jesus the Glory of the Evangelical Dispensation Paul having received Christ the end of all the Jewish Types Figures Shadows Offerings first Fruits preached not up the Jewish first Fruits but Christ the end thereof who Sanctifies all that receive him and raises in them Hope and strong Confidence for the Fruition of the Crown of Life Now saith Paul Christ is risen from the dead and is become the first Fruits of them that slept 1 Cor. 15.20 Yea and the Saints in Christ are the Evangelical first Fruits taken out of the Residue of men as the Jewish first Fruits were taken out of the rest an Offering unto the Lord. Of his own Will begat he us saith James by the Word of Truth that we should be a kind of first Fruits of his Creatures Jam. 1.18 Yea and John called the Hundred Forty and Four Thousand who stood on Mount Sion with the Lamb The first Fruits unto God and to the Lamb Rev. 14.4 Thus in Gospel dayes the Jewish first Fruits were not preached up but Christ the End thereof the End of the first Covenant first Priesthood and its Typical Appurtenances even Christ the Evangelical first Fruits So who preach up the Figure the Substance being come such are Antichrists Now after the rising of the Smoke of the Pit darkning Sun and Air spoiling the Glory of the primitive Church the Beast that had long plunged in the Sea was rifen out of the Sea the Pope had gotten the Supremacy he by colour of the Jewish Laws which gave Tythes to the Levites gained an Universal Payment of Tythes to his Clergy he as Successor of the Jewish high-Priest claimed to himself first Fruits and Tenths denying thereby Christ Jesus to be come in the Flesh the End of Types Shadows and Figures First Fruits and Tenths are but a late Innovation claimed by the Pope as Successor to the Jewish high-Priest as Cooke in the third part of his Institutes testifies Though it was long e're the Pope brought to pass his Attempt of Tenths to himself from all his inferiour Priests in England yet at last it was effected Yea and the Laws of this Nation shew that there was no little strugling by Kings and Commons in Parliament against first Fruits calling the same An Horrible Mischief and a Damnable Custom Yet not so Horrible Mischievous or Damnable but the Pope would receive them and Man-made Ministers preach them up The Payment of first Fruits and Tenths were continued to the Pope as annexed to his Chair as Successor to the Jewish high-Priest Head of the Church till the days of Henry the 8th who then denyed the Popes Supremacy and assumed it to himself and by Act of Parliament got first Fruits and Tenths annexed to his Crown Thus the Aaronical Types and Figures were received from hand to hand entertained among the Professors of Christianity which thing being duely consider'd is Antichristian a Denyal of Christ to be come in the Flesh This being settled on King Henry and his Successors through want of Consideration and of a divine Understanding and being supposed a Due is continued among Protestants pretending to be high Sharers in Reformation CAP. VII Of the Rise of Mortuaries IN the Mid-night of Popery Priests begot in People a Belief that their Prayers Mass-Services Obits c. were wonderful effectual to bring the Souls of the deceased out of Purgatory So 't was appointed that the Relict the Wife of the Deceased was to pay ten Shillings more or less to the Priest and this was called a Mortuary And why must she pay so much to the Priest That the Priest might pray for the Soul of her Deceased Husband and that some of their Merits which they had in store might be shared out to him pretending They had a stock of Merits to sell to such as came with Money in their hands Selden mentions a Synod in Ireland wherein it appears that a man might have bequeathed his Burial to what Abbey he would and that the Abbot thereof should have his Apparel his Horse and his Cow for a Mortuary although he had before bestowed all he had upon another Abbot Now the Pope being denyed and a Reformation intended the Clergy concluded that it was gross and idolatrous to receive Mortuaries upon such a Consideration and yet unwilling to part with such a sweet Morsel devised a more plausible consideration and that was That Mortuaries should be given in Recompence of Tythes not duely paid in the Life-time not considering that in this very thing they condemn all their Hearers as Fraudulent and Deceitful so must have a Recompence for the Fraud Guile Unjust detaining of Church-dues in their Life-time The Apostles practised no such thing but bare Testimony That men should arise stained with Covetous Practises 'T is a shame that Protestants so called from protesting to renounce Popery should be so defiled and contaminated with such Covetous Practices In the dayes of Henry the 8th 't was enacted That the Bishops of Bangor Landaff and St Assaph and the Arch-Deacon of Chester should take Mortuaries of the Priests within their Jurisdictions as had been accustomed This Henry enacted That no Mortuary should be demanded where the Goods of the dead Person Debts deducted amount not to the value of ten Marks Nor above the Sum of three Shillings four Pence when they exceed not thirty pound Nor above six Shillings eight Pence when they exceed thirty Pound but under forty Nor above ten Shillings when they amount to forty Pound or above Thus after the primitive