forgetting of a mans Baptisme into Christ is the cause of all the divisions sects wars and mischieves that are in the world and of the damnation of so many thousands for he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that will not believe his baptisme into Christ shall be damned for he cannot believe he is in Christ or hath remission of sins or an everlasting righteousnesse for he that will not believe he is baptized into Christ and hath put on Christ shall be damned if he never will be baptized What Do you hold that Baptisme do conferre grace ex opere operato I answer no for then all the reprobate that are baptized should receive grace at it but Judas and Simon Magus did not But I believe that all the elect do ordinarily receive grace at baptisme as many Scriptures Fathers and Churches declare Acts 2. 38. Joh. 3. 5. Gal. 3. 27. Tit. 3. 5. And Cyprian Gregory Nazianzen Athanasius Chrysostom Basil Jerome Ambrose Augustine Luther Calvin Beza Bucer Zanche Mourton Marlorat Hooker the confession of Helvetia of Scotland Belgick France Argentine Augustan Saxon Wittenberg Palatine and our Church of England in all which ten Churches the grosse and damnable heresie of the Anabaptists is condemned and of all such as hold that grace is not given to the elect Infants at baptisme And here is the reason when the Jews are called they shall never scatter more into sundrie opinions and sects and fight one with another because they shall be so soundly grounded on the faith of their baptisme into Christ that they are in him that is true and so are members and children of God that they shall love one another so in Christ as they shall never fight one with another more and then shall the seventh Vial be powred out on the air which is the kingdome of the Devill for he shall never have any power to set them together by the ears as he doth now Heathens against Heathens Turks against Christians Papists against Protestants and Protestants one with another for herein consists the subtilty of the Devill and the Pope to set Christians together by the ears that he may get both for he gets more by their killing one another then by any other way but after that the seventh Vial be powred out on the kingdome of the Devill by the preaching of Baptisme and Faith that we are in him that is true the Devill shall never have any power to set them at variance any more for all the true Church shall by the faith of their baptisme into Christ believe they are members and love as brethren and then the Prophesie of Micah Mic. 4. 2 3. for the Law Thorah signifies in generall doctrine and so may be taken for Baptisme as Johns Baptisme was from heaven shall go forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem i. that men are clean by the word that Christ hath spoken in Baptisme And he shall judge among many people and rebuke mighty nations a far off of sin of righteousnesse and of judgement John 16. because they believe not in Christ that believe not their baptisme he shall bring them to it and then they shall break their swords into mattocks and their spears into sithes nation shall not lift up a sword against nation neither shall they learn to fight any more but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree and none shall make them afraid for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it i. between Jews and Gentiles which shall be truly graffed into Christ by Baptisme there shall be no dissention as there is now under the corrupt state of the Church for under that pure state of the Church they shall strive to shew all offices of love as they do now practices of hatred which is not so to be understood as if it were not lawfull now for Protestants to take up arms as the Anabaptists have held absurdly for so long as Antichrist fight against Christ they must defend themselves against him for the Church is terrible as an armie with banners she must fight But in the elect justified Church by baptisme into Christ and faith in the same among the right Olive branch Christians shall show such love peace and concord that they shall fight no more there is such love already to be seen among the white-raiment Christians that they had rather die then fight one against another And this is for the comfort of you the citizens of the new Jerusalem that are no Anabaptists nor Antinomians though the world may falsly call you by some grosse name for you hold the Law is to be preached in the killingest manner that can be and believe your baptisme in infancy and are sound in the faith of your baptisme you are the people that God will deliver in this bloody civill war For thus saith the Lord Jesus Because thou hast kept the word of my patience therefore I will deliver thee from the hour of temptation which will come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon earth Now the word of Christs patience is the true faith in our baptisme wherein we are baptized into Christ his death Rom. 6. 3. and buried with him and crucified with him and raised with him for the word of Christs patience is the faith of Christ crucified as Meyer dead and buried and risen again which are all included in the faith of our baptisme that we are in him crucified dead and buried to sin before God in him and risen again in him by baptisme which belongs not only to the Church of Philadelphia but to all other Churches that hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches I will deliver thee from the hour of temptation i. from the last persecution of Antichrist which is now come upon all the Christian world in these our dayes which is like to last till the Pope be destroyed Are we made good trees by putting on of Christ as a garment for if a man had such a garment as would make all his thoughts words and actions good it would make him a good tree Now Christ is such a garment of righteousness that is put on at baptism and by faith that it makes the tree good and the fruit good Behold Christ is come as a thief and the last persecution of Antichrist is begun blessed is he that keepeth his garments unto him i. which were put on at baptisme Gal. 2. 27. lest he walk naked and there see his filthinesse what an evill tree he is by Adam to bring forth sin before God in thoughts words and actions which should have been all covered if he had kept his garments that he put on at baptisme they are all cursed trees that keep not Christs garments Again are men made good trees by baptisme and faith because they are made to drink into one Spirit Then the way to bring all men to be of one Religion and to cease
you trusted in him vers. 3 O trust in the Lord Jesus for ever for in the Lord our righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. is strength for evermore vers. 4. for he will bring down them that dwell on high that fight against you the high city of Rome will he abase even unto the ground and bring it unto the dust v. 5. that your feeâ— shall tread it down and all doctrine of infidelity I call you White-rayment Christians if any ask my reasons they are these First because you are the few names in Laodicca of England as well as in Sardis that have not defiled your garments â— by a false faith or raigning sin therefore you shall walk with Christ in white for you are worthy Rev 3. 4. Secondly whosoever overcomes shall be cloâ—hed with white rayment saith Christ Rev. 3. 5. but you have overcome 1 John 4. 4. Ergo you shall be clothed with iâ— and therefore shall be white-rayment Christians for whomsoever Christ saith shall be clothed with white rayment I may truly call a white-rayment Christian but you overcommers are they that Chist saith shall be clothed with white rayment Eâ—go I may truly call you white-rayment Christians Thirdly whosoever have bought of Christ white rayment that he may be clothed that the shame of his nakednesse may not appear may be called a white-rayment Christian because he hath bought it Rev. â— 18. But you are they Ergo Again whosoever watcheth and keepeth Christs garments that are white as Rev 3. 18. lest hee walk naked and they see his shame is a blessed white-rayment Christian as Rev. 16. 15. But you are such Ergo you are blessed white-rayment Christians Also you are citizens of the new Jerusalem for on whomsoever Christ will write upon the name of the city of my God the new Jerusalem which cometh down from my God out of heaven Rev. 3. 12. shall rightly be called a citizen of the new Jerusalem but on you that have overcome Christ will write the name of the new Jerusalem Rev 3. 12. Ergo you shall be called citizens of the new Jerusalem This was spoken to Philadelphia not to us of Laodicea I answer whatsoever was spoken to any one of the seven Churches runs into the last for let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches Rev. 3. it saith it to you overcommers in Laodicea in England for what I say to you I say to all Marke 13. Now concerning the Philadelphians that were admonished by Christ to hold fast that they had that no man take their crown Rev. 3. 11. I gather the Philadelphians being admonished to hold it fast should lose it for if man must hold fast a crown he will lose it and that the Laâ—d ceans should take it from them for the white-rayment Christians that have overcome and taken Christs counsell Rev. 3. 18. shall take their crown from them to be called first citizens of the new Jerusalem And you shall take the crown from the Lutheranes because they defiled their garments and their works were not perfect before God Rev 3. 2 3. and shall be called first White rayment Christians Secondly whosoever is come to the celestiall Jerusalem and to be citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God are citizens of the new Jerusalem but by the blood of Christ in Baptisme and by faith Eph. 2. 13. Rev. 1. 5. you are come to the celestiall Jerusalem Heb 12. 22. and to be citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes. 2. 19. Ergo you are citizens of the mew Jerusalem therefore call your selves no more the Church of England or of the Luâ—herans or the like for they are shaken and shall be removed Heb. 12. 27. but call your selves White-rayment Christians and citizens of the new Jerusalem for you see God calls you so Now your city is of pure gold like cleer glasse Rev. 21. 18. for your city of the new Jerusalem is built of pure gold that Christ hath counselled you to buy of him Rev 3. 18. which is the lively faith in the meritâ— of Christs death in our baptisme for remission of sins Acts 2. 38. in the first love of Christ not of such as have taken a new baptisme and so forsaken their first love of Christ as the Church of Ephesus did and therefore the candlestick of the Church was removed out of their place Rev. 2. 5. because they tooke a second baptisme and forsook their first for which cause the Councel of Nice made it an Article of their Creed I believe one Baptisme for the remission of sins and it is like cleer glasse because through this golden glasse of your baptisme wherein you were washed sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6. 1â— you may see the face of God through it what a reconciled mercifull and loving Father he is to you that hath sealed a new Covenant to you to become your father and you his children and that your sins and iniquities shall be remembred no more Heb. 8. 12. and you may see through this glasse of your baptisme the face of Jesus what a blessed meek and loving Saviour he is to you that hath loved you and gave himself for you Gal. 2. 20. and washed you from your sins in his own blood and made you Kings and Priests to God his Father Ephes. 5. 25. Rev. 1. 5. and you may see as in a glasse 1 Cor. 13. 12 what a blessed holy and sweet Comforter you have that hath washed you in the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost Titus 3. 5. And the street of your city is of pure gold like to transparent glasse Rev. 21. 21. O walk in this golden street for it is transparent like perspective glasse for as he that hath a good perspective glasse may see far off so may you even your sins set as far as the East is from the West Psal. 103. 12. Peter complaineth of many that are blind and cannot see far off because they have forgotten their baptisme wherein they were washed from their old sins they have forgotten this transparent glasse But all you citizens of the new Jerusalem walk in this golden street of your baptisme it is a perspective glasse and as in a perspective glasse men look through two glasses so in this there are two glasses the first is made of the pure river of the water of life cleer as Crystall which is the pure water of baptisme Heb. 10. 23. the second is the blood of the Lamb both these meet in one look through them both together and anoint your eyes with eye-salve of the Spirit and you shall see far off even into heaven and behold Christ to be your wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. and your blessednesse happinesse holinesse eternall life everlasting glory immortality yea thou may see thy name
seditions that nation rise against nation and kingdome against kingdome Ergo there shall be great earth-quakes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i. in according to or through those places and famine and pestilence these are the beginnings of sorrows of which I have writ more fully in the Counsell of Christ to England Now as Moses when a pestilence was comming counselled the Israelites a way to escape the destroying Angel by sprinking the blood of a Lamb upon the two dore-posts and the upper dore-post of their houses that when God saw the blood he said he would passe over them and the plague shall not be upon you to destruction so â— counsell you the Israel of God buy one of them books for every house and sprinkle the faith of the blood of the Lamb upon your two dore-posts of your bodies and soules and the upper dore-post of your spirits that when the destroying pestilence shall come God may see the blood of the Lamb upon your consciences he may cause it to passe over your houses where the Israelite of a good conscience is within and whatsoever comes to your bodies yet your souls shall be safe for as the Angels of heaven went up and down on Jacobs ladder so they shall ascend and descend for your protection that believe your bodies were washed with pure water in Baptisme and your hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience by the blood of the Lamb you may keep your profession without wavering of deliverance Heb. 10. 22 23. For he that dwelleth in this secret of the Lord shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty Psal. 91. 1. and he shall give his Angels a charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes to beare thee in their arms that thou dash not thy foot against a stone v. 11. and peace shall be upon them that walk according to this rule of a new creature and upon the Israel of God Gal 6. 16. Thine in the Lord Jesus JOHN EACHARD JUDGEMENT Denounced against Unfruitfulnesse in grace MATTHEVV 3. 10. And now also is the ax put to the root of the tree therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewne down and cast into the fire IOHN the Baptist the forerunner of Christ was prophesied of by two famous Prophets Isaiah and Malachi For this is he of whom it is spoken by the Prophet Isaiah saying The voyce of him that cryeth in the Wildernesse Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths streight And Malachi calleth him the Prophet Eliah that should turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and of the children to their fathers He exhorteth them to prepare a way in their hearts for Christ that they may receive him for so many as receive him he gives them prerogative to become the sons of God That as Princes and great Kings have forerunners that prepare their wayes and foretell of a kings coming to prepare him lodging so did John prepare the way for the Lord by shewing their lost miserable and cursed condition by sin The Vallies are exalted when men escape out of the mire of sin and go to Christ the Mountains and Hils are brought low when men cast away all pride of their own righteousnesse and trust in their merits and imbrace Christs and then crooked things are made streight when men cast away hypocrisie and simulation and receive the Gospel sincerely And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children i. as Elias did when there was such a dissention in Religion that some fathers were for Baal and the children for God so on the contrary But Elias brought them all to acknowledge the true God So John the Baptist seeing the dissention of so many sects the fathers Sadduces and the children Pharisees or Esses he by a divine zeal thundring out the Law did convince them all of sin that they were great and damnable sinners and needed to be baptized and confessed their sins and were baptized in Jordan and was a true pointer for he pointed out Jesus Christ to be the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world that men should receive him and this he was fore-prophesied he should do lest the Lord should smite the earth with cursing i. to bring a destruction upon the whole land for their dissention for when one part of a Common-wealth opposeth another Ipsa Salus non potest talem Rempublicam conservare Salvation it self cannot preserve such a kingdome for a kingdome divided cannot stand God hath smitten our land with this cursing that the hearts of the fathers were not towards the children nor the hearts of the children towards their fathers in the true Religion Fathers are for an Episcopacie and children for another way fathers for one sect and children for another none of both for Christ O that the Lord would raise up some prophet or John the Baptist that might thunder out the Law and Judgments of God against all the sects and divisions both of Cavilleers and all others to shew them they are all cursed and damnable sinners the best of all but luke-warm Gospellers and therefore wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked that they may seek the remedie in Christ for their sins and buy of him gold tried in the fire that they may be rich which is the lively faith in the merits of Christs death received in baptisme which makes men rich members of Christ children of God and inheritors of the kingdome of Heaven which would make them leave fighting if they did believe it and white rayment that their filthy nakednesse might not appear they would then leave stripping one another of their garments and eye-salve that they might see how the Papists set them together by the eares and laugh at them when they kill one another they would then leave fightinng one with another and both sides fight only against them for murthering of their brethren in Ireland Now Christs testimony of John was this that he was that Elias that was to come and is come already and they knew him not but have done to him whatsoever they would Mat. 17. 12. i. many of the Jews knew not the Majesty and office of John the Baptist but said he had a devill Herod added this to his sins that he cast John into prison and beheaded him his birth was foretold by an Angel which appeared at the right hand of the Altar of incense saying Fear not Zacharias for thy prayer is beard signifying that he had prayed for a son for thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son and thou shalt call his name John which signifies the grace of God signifying he should be a Preacher of the free grace of God to wretched sinners pointing with the finger at the Lamb of God for whose sake we are received into free grace and favour of God And thou shalt have joy and gladnesse and
we are made members of his body of his flesh and of his bone i. spirituall members straitly coupled together unto him for seeing Christ hath loved his Church and sanctified it and cleansed it through the washing of the water through the Word Ephes. 5. 26. he so made us to himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blame vers. 27. and by that Baptisme are we made members of his body of his flesh and of his bones as vers. 30. And therefore Christ doth feed us with his body and blood by faith that we might dwell in Christ and Christ in us that we might be certain that we are incorporated into him by Baptisme Therefore he took flesh of the Virgine to testifie that he acknowledgeth us for his members for Christ may as truly say of his elect that are baptized into Christ and have put on Christ as Adam said of Evah when she was married to him She is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh so Christ may say of all the elect that are married to him by Baptisme They are members of my body of my flesh and of my bones And by this means i. by Baptisme and by faith is the heart made a good treasure for God said I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean from all your filthinesse and a new heart and a new spirit will I put within you I will take away the stony heart and give you an heart of flesh Ezek. 36. 25 26. and this heart is purified by faith Acts 15. 9. for when the heart is made pure it is made a good treasure for all things are pure to it so that as it is said on the one side of them that are not sanctified that the unbelieving and impure they are defiled Tit. 1. 15 16. But also as the Prophet Haggâ—i crieth out so are all the works of these peoples hands and that which they offer in the Temple is unclean Hag. 2. 15. signifying all comes from an unclean treasure So on the other side to the pure that is to them that are washed and sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of our God in Baptisme and their hearts purified from their sins by faith in the blood of the Lamb all things are pure and all the works of their hands what they offer in the Temple is made good fruit in the Spirit of God freely and thereby acceptable in the sight of God whom nothing can please but that which is pure and hereupon David giveth this answer to his own question Who shall dwell in the Tabernacle of the Lord and who shall rest in his holy hill even he that hath innocent hands which no man can have but by remission of sins in Baptisme wherein a mans hands are washed in Christs innocency and a pure heart which Christians obtain by faith in the blood of Christ Thus having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water we may keep our profession without wavering Heb. 10. 22 23. with innocent hands and a pure heart which shall see God Mat. 5. Men are made good trees by putting on Christs white rayment righteousnesse as a garment as Gal. 3. 27. Now if a man had such a garment that would make all his thoughts words and works good it would make him a good tree Adam you know hath so clothed all naturall men that he hath made all their thoughts words and actions evill shall we not grant as much to Christ to make the tree good and the fruit good If a man can bring a green tree to grow over a drie the green tree will make the drie green also and finde sap enough and make it bring forth much fruit as we have seen in a part of a tree being green growing over a dead and drie part it makes it fruitfull So Christ is a green tree and we drie as he saith If they have done thus to tâ—… green tree what shall be done to the drie Answ Truly if Christ do not grow over it and over the fruit of it it shall burne Men are made good trees by his Spirit for by one Spirit we are baptized into one body and made all to drink into one Spirit i. in Baptisme we are regenerate and new born of water and the Spirit that we might be one spirituall body whereof Christ is the head and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his Therefore in the Supper we drink the blood of Christ that we might be made partakers more and more of the Spirit of Christ to be all of one minde and spirit Now he that bringeth forth fruit before God in the Spirit of Christ shall be saved otherwise he is hewn down and cast into the fire What are none made good trees but those that are graffed and baptized into Christ to bring forth good fruit before God Was not Cornelius his prayer and almes good fruit before God which came up to God before Baptisme Acts 10. And what say you of Infants dying before Baptisme I answer that Cornelius did pray in faith that Christ was to come as the Jews did before his coming which brought forth some fruits of faith that Christ should come and take away their sins and they brought forth some bad fruits of transgression of the Law as David for which they sacrificed Now therefore Cornelius being an elect vessell that he might not stand in a twofold estate before God to bring forth some fruit good and some bad God sent an Angel from Heaven to him and bade him send for Peter and he shall shew thee what thou oughtest to do i. to be made a good tree to bring forth nothing but good fruit signifying he shall shew thee by faith in the death and resurrection of Christ and by baptisme into Christ the tree shall be made good and fruit good Matth. 12. 33. For by the Law they were under the heavy yoak that we nor our fathers were able to beare which bare some good fruits and some cursed as Jehosaphat 2 Chro. 19. 2. and Hezekiah 2 Chron. 23. 25. Now if a twofold estate had been good enough for Cornelius what needed an Angel be sent from Heaven to send for Peter to bring him into a better estate before God then he was in which shews that we have now a better estate before God by Baptisme into Christ then the Fathers had under the Law as the Apostle saith God providing a better thing for us Heb. 11. 40. we have a perfect remission of sins and no more sacrifice for sin are with one offering made perfect for ever that are sanctified and how is that by Baptisme Ephes. 5. 26. and by Faith Acts 26. 18. by Baptisme to the person and by faith to the conscience as Heb. 10.
22 23. And concerning Infants dying before Baptisme if either of the parents be faithfull they are said to be holy 1 Cor. 7. 14. that is within the holy covenant of Baptisme for Baptisme is the Antitype of the Ark that as Noah prepared the Ark not only to save himself but also his houshold so the same signe which now saveth us baptisme I mean the inward Baptisme is received to save a mans self and his houshold that die before they can come unto it as Peter and Paul told the Jaylor Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved and thy houshold Acts 16. which he could not do without baptisme and therefore it is said that when he was baptized he rejoyced that he and his houshold believed in God for no man can believe in Christ before he be baptized into him for if he should say he believes he is in Christ he should believe a lie for no man can truly say he is in Christ before he is baptized into him and this caused Paul to say Andronicus and Junius his cousins and fellow-prisoners that were notable among the Apostles and were in Christ before me i. they were baptized before me professors and believers before me they were ingraffed into Christ before me when I was without Christ Ephes. 2. 12. and a murtherer If all be done in Baptisme that men be made good trees to bring forth none but good fruit and have perfect remission of all sins and an everlasting righteousnesse freely what need men repent or mortifie sin or pray for remission I answer though God hath sealed such a free covenant with us on his part yet we cannot know it untill we repent and believe and mortifie sin and pray for remission for these are to us-ward signes that the covenant of Grace was sealed upon us in baptisme to God-ward as that we were made so to himself a glorious Church not having spot to be holy and without blame Ephes. 5. 26. And as Athanasius that Champion of the truth saith that as a woman with childe by the springing of the Babe in her womb knoweth for certainty that she hath conceived fruit so the soul of a true believer knowes by the springs of his heart and by the inward joyes that he received the Holy Ghost in Baptisme Mark the word springs in the heart they are repentance mortification praying for remission mourning hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse love to Christ these would never have come up if no seed had been sown in Baptisme therefore he that is born of God is said to have seed remain in him which comes up afterward What Are the elect justified in Baptisme before God and receive the Holy Ghost there and are made Temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in How can we believe this when we see many live loosly and walk in all kinde of sins a long time after I will not believe it except I could see some workings of the Holy Ghost in them I answer thou art a faithlesse Thomas that would not believe except he might see and feel did not Christ say to him and so to thee Be not faithlesse but believing blessed is he that believeth and hath not seen The Temple of Jerusalem was made you know for an holy house of prayer but if you had gone in Christs time you might have seen that they had brought in Oxen and Sheep and there was tables of the money-changers and seats of them that sold Doves and such a multitude of buyers and sellers that they had made the Temple of God a Den of thieves but they did not untemple it but it was a Temple still but Christ made a scourge of small cords and drove all the buyers and sellers out of the Temple So the elect by Baptisme are made the Temple of God for the Temple of God is holy which are ye 1 Cor. 3. 17. and they buy and sell Oxen and Sheep and Doves and bring in the tables of money-changers covetousnesse and usury and make the conscience a Den of thieves yet the man is not untempled therefore Christ will come to his Temple with a scourge of small cords of the Law and drive them sins out of the conscience and the Temple of God shall become a house of prayer that was made a Den of thieves therefore such Antinomians that will not have the Law preached will be wiser then Christ for Christ made a scourge of small cords i. of the Law for small sins saying thus He that is angry with his brother unadvisedly is culpable of judgement he hath broken the Law is accursed by the Lawâ— he is of the Devill that loves not his brother 1 John 3. 10. all the curses of the Law belong to him for he that breaketh the Law in one point is guilty of all James 2. A second cord but he that saith unto his brother Racâ—h i. gives a taunting speech to his brother in anger that is unadvised he is a greater sinner he is worthy to be condemned of a Councel he loves not his brother is of the Devill is cursed by the Law what will become of mockers and scoffers of their brethren A third small cord but he that saith unto his brother Thou fool is worthy to be punished with hell fire he is of Cain that hateth his brother and is a murtherer and you know that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him thou art a railer thou art cursed by the Law for not continuing in all things written in the Book of the Law to do the same Wo unto thee thou railer thou art shut out of the Kingdome of Heaven 1 Cor. 6. 10. What will become of you that practise railing against your brethren calling some Rogue Rascall Knave Villain Drab Puritain yea the most godly by one grosse name or other wo unto thee the Law tels thee thou art cursed and all crosses and calamities are punishments and plagues for thy sins Now if a spirituall murther be so great what is actuall killing A fourth small cord he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart or the woman on a man he hath broken the holy and pure Law of God is a damnable adulterer and accursed by the Law of God that saith Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the Law to do them Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Heb. 13. 4. But thou continuest not as thy conscience tells thee Ergo thou art cursed by the Law Let these whip sin out of thy conscience and whip thee to Christ A fifth small cord Thou hast been an usurer or a seller that hast defrauded or cozened thy brother of a peny he or his wife or some of his children or childrens children or childrens childrens children to the end of the world may want that peny and starve and die for want of a
knocking with judgements till they take his counsell Rev. 3. 18. if any man will heare my voyce saith he and open the dore I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me You see Christ raps loud with the sword and cannons and he will knock with an earth-quake and with pestilence Luke 21. 11. In England and Scotland where are Saints with the sword and pestilence but in Ireland where are most Idolaters with sword and famine reasons I give in a book to come out in Christs knock at the dores of England Now is it not good letting of Christ in to sup with us and we with him when hee knocks and calls to us to take his counsel to buy of him gold to make us rich in the lively faith of the merits of Christs death in baptisme for a perfect remission of sins for he likes not this lukewarm lame remission of sins to halfes which many professe and white-rayment justification to cloath us that the shame of our nakednesse may not appeare and eye-salve of the Spirit that takes of Jesus water and blood to witnesse to your spirits you are the children of God Rom. 8. 17. that thou mayst see Rev. 3. 18. Christ will not leave rebuking and chastising England and knocking till they heare and let him in Now therefore let the loynes of your minds be girt about with verity and your lamps of faith burning Luke 12. 35. and ye your selves like men that wait for their Master when he will return from the wedding that when he cometh and knocketh they may open unto him immediately Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find waking i. in the wedding garment Verily I say unto you he will gird himself about and will make them sit down at table and will come forth and serve them and if he come at the second watch or in the third watch and find them so blessed are those servants vers. 36 37. Now you blessed White-rayment Christians understand that Christ our Master is now returning from the wedding for I believe not any more Churches of the Gentiles before the marriage of the Lamb to the Iews shall be called and the third watch is come and the dawning of the day of the Iews is at hand and our Master now knocketh the dinner of the wedding of the Gentiles hath lasted about 1623. for the marriage of the Gentiles was called a dinner Mat. 22. 4. and the marriage dinner was furnished with guests of good and bad for all had not a wedding garment and therefore bad Now as noble Bridegrooms often times will bid a multitude to dinner but none but his speciall friends are bidden to supper So Christ the most noble Bridegroom hath bidden seven Churcheâ— of the Gentiles to the dinner of the marriage and now he is returning from the wedding of the Gentiles and he knocks and calls Rev. 3. 20. Blessed are you that let him in immediately for he calls for you his friends the White rayment Christians to come to supper Give me leave to shew you the friends of the Bridegroom why Christ now knocks and calls in England it is to call you to supper all that were bidden to the wedding-dinner were not blessed But now he saith write Blessed are they that are bidden to the marriage supper of the Lamb these are the true sayings of God Rev. 19. 9. The wedding-dinner is past and Christ is returning from the wedding as Luke 12. 36. and behold he standeth at the dore and knocks in England with the sword and pestilence let him in for it seems some have not let him yet say it is the voyce of my well beloved that knocks saying Open to me my sister my love my dove my undefiled for mine head is full of dew and my locks with the drops of the night Cant. 5. 2. for men that are let in use not to knock but those that are shut out Christ is about to marry his wife of the Iewes that shall make her self ready by baptisme and faith and he will grant to her to be clothed in fine linen bright and pure {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the justifications of the Saints Rev. 19. 8. And now Christ knocks at the dore in England to call his friends to go with him to the marriage-supper with his wife and will begin his supper in England he will sup with them Rev. 3. 20. The most rarest junkets are kept for the marriage-supper Now therefore heark hee sayes I will sup with him that lets me in and he with me see how Esdras prophesied of you 2 Esdras 2. 38. Arise and stand up and behold the number of those that are sealed for the feast of the Lord which are departed from the shadow of the world and have received glorious garments of the Lord Take thy number O Sion and shut up them that are clothed in white which have fulfilled the Law of the Lord Here you see he prophesied of you White-rayment Christians sealed for the feast as Christ doth Rev. 3. 4. 18. 16. 15. Now therefore all you that have put on Christ in infant-baptisme Gal. 3. 27. and made your long robes white in the blood of the Lamb as my Sermon of the blood of the Lamb declares prepare a supper for Christ the cheere must be prepared of hearts My son give me thy heart and it must be broken and contrite for he loves no stones that will not break for the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit A brâ—ken and a centrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Psal. 51. 17. Secondly these hearts must be served in at your supper in gold that he counselleth you to buy of him Rev. 3. 18. which is the lively faith in the merits of Christs death in one baptisme for remission of sins for thus Peter served in three thousand hearts that were pricked by the Law in baptisme in the name of the Lord Jesus for the remission of sins Acts 2. 38. Thirdly you must serve it in in the white-rayment justification wherein no shame of nakednesse do appeare for Christ cannot endure sin Fourthly you must buy eye-salve of the Holy Ghost to anoint your eyes that you may see Rev. 3. 18. For Christ will not sup with blind sinners Fifthly the marriage-chamber must be paved with the love of the daughters of Ierusalem Cant. 3. 10. i. with love to all the citizens of the new Ierusalem and now invite him saying Arise thou North-wind and come thou South and blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out let my well beloved come into his garden and eat of his pleasant fruits Cant. 4. Now Christ hath prepared a supper for you for thus he saith I am come into my garden my sister my spouse I have gathered my myrrbe with my spice I have eaten mine honey comb with mine honey I have drunk my wine with my milke eat O friends drink and make you
many shal rejoyce at his birth because he shall have a new birth for parents may have great joy and gladnesse at the new birth of their children for he shall be great before the Lord although the wicked world shall contemne him and say he hath a devil yet he shall be great for he shall be a Baptist They are the greatest before the Lord that preach most soundly of Baptisme Paul the greatest of the Apostles preached most of Baptisme Luther was famous for Baptisme and Calvin the fourth Angel and name any that ever was famous in the Church that was not sound in the faith of his baptisme for no Anabaptist nor any other shall be great before the Lord in his Church which is not sound in that point that do not thunder out the Law to men that may drive them to the faith of their Baptisme in Infancie He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost from his mothers womb which is not so to be understood that all the elect do now receive the Holy Ghost in their mothers womb but that all the elect should receive the Holy Ghost in their mothers womb of the Church which is baptisme in their Infancie when their godly parents i. all the true Church pray for the holy Spirit to be given to their Infants For why should not the Lord give his holy Spirit to Infants at baptisme as well as to John And as Peter told the Jews Be baptized and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost He shall drink neither wine nor strong drink i. he shall be no drunken Minister the Holy Ghost shall teach him sobriety And he shall convert many of the children of Israel unto the Lord God The Baptist and all that preach most soundly of Baptisme convert most to Christ I have observed that those men and that those Ministers that have preached the Law and Baptisme most soundly amongst men have converted most and the reason why so few are converted in these dayes because few preach the Law cleerly in the spirituall breach and Baptisme as Luther prophesied Baptisme after his time would be lost so there be few preach Baptisme cleerly to make the tree good and the fruit good for the tree is evill and the fruit evill by Adam And here is the rule to know all Sermons to be good or bad by converting or not if they make the tree good and the fruit good or the tree evill and the fruit evill as it is Christs own rule Mat. 12. 33. This is the first main ground of a faithfull Minister to prove all his Doctrine and Sermons by if he misse this ground he cast out his net on the wrong side and catch no fish convert no souls though he labour all his life This is the right side that Christ bad Peter cast out the net on i. the net of the Gospel to make the tree good and the fruit good or the tree evill and the fruit evill and this is the reason why hearers get no assurance of salvation because they do follow such Preachers that make neither the tree good nor the fruit good nor the tree evill nor the fruit evill but partly good and partly bad We must do something to make our selves good before God which is the greatest abomination that Antichrist can set up against God to affirm that we can make our selves righteous in whole or in part as the Homily of our Church for then Christ died in vain Now seeing John the Baptist was fore-prophesied of by so many Prophets and by so many Apostles and by Christ himself that a greater then John have not sprung up among them that have been born of women that he was a burning and a shining candle and thus testified by an Angel from heaven Let us believe his baptisme was from Heaven let us know that those that are Baptists that preach most of Baptisme their doctrine is most heavenly and they shall convert most to the Lord for they point most to the Lamb of God that hath taken away the sins of the world who drew all his obedient hearers by preaching the Law from the sundry sorts of sects 1. to Baptisme and then shewed them Christ the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the world Wherefore hearken to this Elias Repent and receive Christ the Lamb of God by Baptisme to take away your sins for so many as received him to them he hath given prerogative to become the sons of God so many as believe in his name which are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God So he that would draw all the sects and divisions of England into one he must first thunder out the Law and shew how cursed they are all because they have not taken Christs counsell Rev. 3. 18. Then he must bring them to the faith of their Baptisme he must teach them there is one God one Faith one Baptisme and he that does not gather with John and Christ too into Baptisme scatter and here is the cause of all the sects and divisions in all the Churches in Christendome for when men have lost Baptisme some will have justication from all eternity some from the crosse all born and unborn some in the womb some at faith some at conversion some at death and some after death and then they must go wash to get remission of sins Thus he that gathers not into Christ by Baptisme scattereth abroad for except I wash thee thou shalt have no part with me so except thou take thy part with Christ from thy Baptisme thou canst have no assurance of salvation John preached saying Repent for the kingdome of heaven is at hand this is not only to be understood that he preached nothing else but the summe of his doctrine was by the Law he shewed them what horrible sinners they were the generation of Vipers detest your sins and your own righteousnesse believe in the Messias he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire for all that are baptized into Christ have put on Christ for in our Baptisme we received remission of our sins in the death of Christ into which we were baptized and buried and in Christ we received everlasting righteousnesse in whom by baptisme we are raised and he preached the kingdome of heaven is hand because Baptisme was at hand for where Baptisme is truly preached there the kingdome of heaven is at hand Christ and his righteousnesse is at hand in Baptisme peace is at hand to them that believe their baptisme they have peace with God and assurance of salvation and all the sects and professors of England have no peace with God nor assurance of salvation but they that believe they have peace with God from their baptisme into Christ in infancy and joy in the Holy Ghost is at hand by Baptisme as the Eunuch found true and the Jaylor and
Christendome Christ is come as a thief by the judgement of a plundering robbing spoyling stealing pillaging civill war upon all sects Here is an Ark for you to be saved in come unto your baptisme what foolery have you professed Can you get a better remission of sins then Christ hath procured for you in his own blood in your baptisme If you should wash your selves an hundred yeers with all your tears and mortification and holy walking though these may give some satisfaction to the conscience yet you cannot wash your selves more clean from sin before God then Christ hath made you in baptisme and by his blood And seeing Christ hath made you everlastingly righteous in baptisme by putting on of Christ you cannot make your selves more righteous before God by all the works in the world then the wedding garment hath made you already and if you go about to make your selves more righteous by works before God you defile his garments you may make your selves more righteous before men but you cannot make your selves more righteous or more holy then Christ hath made you in baptisme and therefore all you sects come to your baptisme into this Ark and be saved from the blood of Gods wrath coming upon Christendome for the contempt of Christs counsell And all you Sadduces that are prophane and loose livers that believe not your resurrection for you purifie not your selves as he is pure 1 John 3. 3. Come home to believe your baptisme and you shall have your part in the first resurrection for blessed and holy is he which hath part in the first resurrection and the second death shall have no power over you The first resurrection before God is in baptisme as Col. 2. 12. though before men it be at conversion and faith Bring forth fruits worthy of amendment of life i. bring forth fruits in Christ believe you are in him that is true in that his Son Jesus Christ and let this faith cause you to bring forth fruits of piety and charity And think not to say we have Abraham to our father for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham He told them of their thoughts nourish not such proud thoughts as these that you have Abraham to your father you have a Church you have the Word and you have Sacraments you are the children of the martyrs for I tell you all you are cursed by the Law for not continuing in all things written in the book of the Law to do them and therefore come and believe your baptisme or else you are cursed for ever For God is able of these stones yea stony hearted people by baptisme to raise up children unto Abraham and give them faith to believe it Gal. 3. 9. and to take away the stony heart and give them hearts of flesh Ezek. 36. 26. For Now the ax is laid to the root of the trees every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into he fire Now Christ is come by baptisme and faith to make you good trees to bring forth none but good fruit every tree every church or sect or particular man that bringeth forth sin before God is hewn down and cast into the fire of Gods wrath Every man or church that will not believe his baptisme that by it he is baptized into Christ and ingraffed into him and made a good tree in Christ and bring forth good fruit before God he is hewn down by the Law and cast into the fire of Gods wrath for he believeth not that he hath the Son that he hath his blood that hath washed him from all his sins before God nor Christs righteousnesse to make him everlastingly righteous therfore the wrath of God abideth upon him John 3. vers. last What is meant by the Ax It is taken materially for anâ—…strument to cut down trees So Deut. 20. 19. Thou shalt not cut down the fruit trees with an ax when thou besiegest a city for thou mayest eat of them for the tree of the field is mans life but it is taken metaphorically for Gods Decree and Judgement as in this place Now is the decree of God come forth that every one that is not made a good tree by baptisme into Christ is hewn down and cast into wrath In the time of the Law there was sacrifice for wrath but now baptisme for men to get into Christ now no more sacrifice for wrath So Dan. 4. 11. 14. 21. Hew him down is the Decree of the most High So Zeph. 2. 1 2. Gather your selves together gather your selves together O nation not worthy to be beloved before the decree come forth for Gods decrees are never to be recalled The ax at the root is baptisme What is meant by trees Metaphorically by trees are meant men as is plain by Jothams Parable Judg. 9. 8. The trees went forth to anoint a king over them and they said to the Olive Come thou raigne over us but the Olive said Should I leave my fatnesse whereby by me they honour God and man and go to advance me above the trees No I am content with my estate to honour God in that estate I am created I will be content with my calling to honour God and man in that I must forsake my fatnesse and by taking of an higher calling of a King I may so dishonour God and man and the Fig-tree would not forsake his sweetnesse and good fruit to be a King nor the Vine would not forsake his wine whereby he cheered God and man to be King to which he was not called of God he should displease God and man but the Bramble would be King though most unfit for it that would do no good to them but scratch and fire them Also where the tree falleth there it lieth whether towards the South or the North Eccles. 11. 3. i. in what estate men die whether in a good estate or bad to heaven-ward or to hell so they lie So the persecutors of Jeremiah said Let us destroy the tree with the fruit i. let us destroy Jeremiah and his Prophesie Let us destroy the Preacher and his preaching but thou Lord God of Sabaoth that judgest right let me see thy vengeance upon them Jer. 11. 19. declaring the destiny of all such as plot to destroy a faithfull Pastor and the tree to be hewn down was Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. 21. So Jude 12. Corrupt trees whose fruit withereth twice dead and plucked up by the roots are men that are dead by originall sin and then dead by actuall sin Reprobates that cannot repent are cast into the fire of Gods wrath and then heap up wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the just judgement of God Rom. 2. 5. What is meant by hewn down i. They are cut down before God that refuse or will not believe baptisme by Gods Law and Decree for as Samuel hewed
Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal 1 Sam. 15. 33. so are all men that will not receive Christ by baptisme hewn down and cast into the fire of Gods wrath Joh. 3. 36. as Jews Turks and Heathens Sometimes it is taken for hewing by degrees as Exod. 31. 4. Hew thee two tables of stone Metaphorically it is taken for the preaching of the Law by the Prophets So Hos. 6. 5. Therefore I have hewn them by my Prophets and slain them with the words of my mouth by punishments and plagues and curses of the Law for their sins Therefore the Law and the Prophets indured untill John i. hewing them and slaying them as in Hosea for their sins and since that time the kingdome of Heaven is preached and every man presseth unto it How is the Kingdome of Heaven to be preached By faith and baptisme for remission of sins is preached by baptisme and the righteousnesse of Christ without which no kingdome of Heaven but by baptisme we come into the large heaven of remission of sins as Luther calls it in which we have remission of all sins past present and to come for the doctrine and work of Baptisme it came down from heaven as Christ posed the Pharisees The baptisme of John was it from heaven or of men intimating it was from Heaven But why did he call it the baptisme of John not the doctrine or ministery of John Answ To shew that his baptisme was the most heavenly thing For there was a man sent from God whose name was John Job 1. 6. And what was he sent to do Answ. To baptize He that sent me to baptize with water said unto me Vpon whom thou seest the Spirit of God come down and tarrying still upon him that is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost By all which you see that where baptisme is truly preached and administred there the Kingdome of Heaven is preached and is at hand and in it the Kingdome of Heaven is set open to all the elect and according to the established doctrine of the Church of England which all that have taken the Protestation are sworn to maintain that in my baptisme I was made a member of Christ a childe of God and an inheritor of the Kingdome of Heaven which is a heavenly point of doctrine that agrees with the reformed Churches and Scriptures for if any be made an inheritor of that Kingdome it must be by baptisme For Verily verily I sâ—y unto thee saith Christ Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot see the Kingdome of God Joh. 3. 5. For that which is born of the flesh is flesh and unclean and unfit for the Kingdome of heaven untill it be new born What is meant by good fruit All the fruit that man brings forth before God is sin or righteousnesse every evill man brings forth evill fruit of sin and every good man bringeth forth good fruits of righteousnesse A good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit neither can a bad tree bring forth good fruit namely before God Matth. 7. 17. So that every man Church or Nation that will not now receive baptisme or believe by baptisme into Christ he is made a good tree and brings forth nothing but good fruit before God through remission of sins and Christs righteousnesse he is hewn down and cast into the fire What is meant by fire By fire in this place is not meant hell fire though they shall go afterward into hell fire that do not escape but they are cast into the fire of Gods wrath signifying that every man that bringeth forth evill fruit of sin before God that believes not by baptisme his sins are all forgiven and that in Christ he bringeth forth fruit of righteousnesse before God he is hewn down and cast into the fire of Gods wrath as is plain Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth in the Son which none can do before he be baptized into him bath everlasting life he that obeyeth not the Son i. to let him wash him Joh. 13. 8. shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him For fire is kindled in my wrath and it shall burn to the bottome of hell and set on fire the foundation of the mountains Deut. 32 22. Now in that he saith Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit we gather that all men now baptisme is offered are good trees or bad there are none indifferent or partly good and partly bad This is proved Matth. 12. 33. Either make the tree good and his fruit good or the tree evill and the fruit evill Augustine saith he commanded the Jews that they should be good trees and to bring forth good fruit and in that he saith make the tree evill he admonisheth them that they should not be evill for the Pharisees declared themselves to be evill trees by their evill fruit Others take it that Christ spake of himself as of a tree Thus the tree is known by the fruit and the fruit is like the tree The casting out devills is a good fruit as you grant in your children therefore if you in your words and judgements make the fruit good then also make the tree good for an evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat. 7. 18. Say of him that cast out devils he is a good tree not the prince of devils but if you make the tree evill and say I am an evill man and have the devill Beelzebub do not attribute the casting out of devils which is good fruit to an evill tree for an evill tree as Beelzebub is cannot bring forth good fruit nor an evill man by Adam cannot bring forth good fruit before God This you may see Matth. 7. 17. So every good tree that is made good by baptisme into Christ bringeth forth good fruit before God and a corrupt tree by Adam as all are by generation bringeth forth evill fruit i. before God Calvin noteth that this was the opinion of the Pharisees that they were partly good trees and partly bad and that they brought forth some good fruit before God and some bad for which they did sacrifice as some say now they are partly flesh and partly spirit and therefore do bring forth some fruits good and some bad and this was the opinion of the old Pharisees for their fained sanctimony was such that the people perceived them not Now Christ puts away this vizird and uncaseth all Hypocrites and tels them that all men are good or bad before God a good tree bringeth nothing but good fruit before God and a bad tree nothing but bad as Matth. 7. 18. for there is nothing such an enemy to true Christianity as to counterfeit a man in a twofold estate before God but they do in vain think themselves righteous that are not made good trees by baptisme into Christ for such justifie themselves before men and think to make themselves righteous in whole or