not a fit Subject for Baptism for Baptism represents a Death and Burial of the old Man and a rising to Life in the new Man which cannot be represented by an Infants being sprinckled but by a Beleevers being baptized So then for as much as Baptism is a visible demonstration of a Covenant made between God and the Soul wherein the Soul promises to put on Christ and walk in him and God promising to give him his holy Spirit to assist him in his so walking which shews That the person thus Covenanting in Baptism must be a Beleever And so I pass to the 10. and last Reason that at present I shall represent unto you to prove that Beleevers are the only fit Subjects of Baptism which is Reas 10. Because without Faith it is unprofitable for any to appear before God in any Gospel Ordinance for without Faith they cannot please him in their so appearing before him Heb. 11.6 For he that cometh so to God must beleeve that he is a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him Hence the three thousand beleeving and gladly received the Word were baptized The Samaritans beleeving also were baptized Simon beleeving was baptized Act. 8. and the Eunuch also with the Jaylors houshould And without Faith or profession of Faith at the least none were admitted to Baptism although that they were in the first Covenant being Abrahams seed to whom was the Promise yet they came not to Johns Baptism without confession of sins and being instructed in the Messiah which was to come as you may read Mat. 3. and Luk. 3. at larg and thus of old was the practise of the Ministers of the Gospel to prepare a Temple for the Lord of sanctified stones built up a spiritual house a peculiar people to offer spiritual sacrifice to God 1 Pet. 1.9 Which clearly proveth That if the building of God in Gospel-times be a building through the Spirit Eph. 2.19.12 then spiritual Beleeving Men and Women are the persons which ought to be the subjects baptized and being such fit matter and so fitly joyned together groweth to be a holy Temple for the Lord for as the stones that Solomons Temple was built of were hewn in Hieroms Country before they were brought to Jerusalem and compacted as a Temple for God figuratively to dwell in even so now must the stones of the spiritual building be hewed and fitted before they be laid in that building Hence our blessed Saviour commanded his Disciples to go preach the Gospel so as to make Disciples by instructing of them and then to baptize them and such as did gladly receive the word were baptized and so the Lord added to his Church daily such as should be saved And this was the way of God of old and is the way and will for ever be found to be the right way of Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday to day and for ever therefore be not carried away with the inventions of men but walk as you have had Christ and the Apostles for an example doing all things according to the Primitive patern in the worship of God and as many as walk according to that rule peace shall be unto them and mercy upon all the Israel of God And so I leave this Subject and come to handle the second Position which is Position 2. That Infants as such are not fit Subjects of Baptism IN the Discourse of which I shall Answer my Antagonist in his aleaged Texts of Scripture with several more Objections of that nature which is not aleaged in his Book and now briefly to the Reasons which sheweth That Infants are not fit Subjects for to be Baptized And so to the first Reason which is Reas 1. Because God hath no where in Scripture appointed Infants to be Baptized either by Precept or by the Example of the Apostles whole steps we are to follow and therefore it 's an unlawful practise for whosoever adds to the Word of the Lord God will add the Plagues which are written And the Prophet that shall presume to speak a word in the Name of the Lord which he hath not commanded the same Prophet must die Deut. 18.20 Revel 22.18 Therefore add thou not unto his word lest he reprove thee and thou be found a lyar Prov. 30.6 But as for Gods wayes as in the time of the Law it was very plain and perfect as witness that Ordinance of Circumcision there was the manner of Circumcision and the Person which was to be Circumcised plainly discovered as the foreskin of the flesh and the Children of Abraham and the time when even at eight dayes old nay his Servants and Slaves were to be Circumcised and in a word no uncircumcised person must abide in that Land nor be accounted of Abrahams Family which sheweth That in a spiritual sense none can be accounted Abrahams seed but such as are Circumcised in heart viz. those that have the vayl of Ignorance and Unbelief taken away from off their hearts which causeth the Apostle to say That Abraham beleeved God and it was accounted unto him for Righteousness Know ye therefore saith he that they which are of Faith the same are the Children of Abraham So then Infants not having the vail of Ignorance and Unbelief taken from off their hearts cannot be accounted of Abrahams Family for he received Circumcision as a Seal of the righteousness of that Faith which he received before Circumcision that he might be the Father of all them which do beleeve Gal. 3.7 Rom. 4.11 So then Circumcision was a Seal of the Father-hood of the Faithful unto Abraham therefore the Faithful only are Abrahams seed which cannot be Infants because they have not Faith and that they have not Faith is clear because the Apostle saith That there is but one Faith and that one Faith is wrought in the Soul by Hearing the Word Preached the which Infants are not capable of as will be granted by all men as I think One word or two more about Abrahams Circumcision and so pass to the next Reason which is Abraham received it as a seal of the righteousness of Faith but none of his seed did receive it as a seal neither could do because they could not have the Father-hood of the Faithful sealed up unto them it was only Abrahams prerogative neither was it ever called a seal to any of Abrahams seed and much more I might say But I pass briefly to the second Reason to prove Children not fit subjects to be Baptized which is Reas 2. Because all that are Baptized may and ought to receive the Lords Supper unless they be scandalous in their Conversation after Baptism and that hinder them but Children may not receive the Lords Supper Ergo Reas 3. Thirdly Because Children are not in Gospel-Covenant because all that are in Gospel-Covenant need not to be taught to know the Lord for they all know him from the greatest to the least but children of seven or eight dayes old knows not the Lord
come to the next particular which is the seventh and eighth thing which I shall put together and make the seventh compleat with it to shew who are the two Prophets or Witnesses and where they are to prophesie and to whom Seventhly The two Prophets I understand to be two men appointed and set apart by the Lord for that work to prophesie before Nations and Kings to turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the hearts of the Children to the Fathers that the Lord may be one and his Name one upon the Mountains of Israel and these two persons or men as I understand them to be the one I understand to be Elijah or Elias which is one and the other John the Apostle and that Elijah is one read Mal. 4.5 which saith Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the Great and DREADFVL DAY of the Lord and he shall turn the hearts of the Fathers unto the Children and the hearts of the Children unto their Fathers left I come and smite the earth with a Curse From this Text we find that Elijah or Elias is to come before the GREAT and DREADFVL DAY of the Lord and Christs coming in the flesh when he was born of the Virgin was not the Great and Dreadful Day of the Lord for he came in such a mean way in that day that he was not dreadful to his enemies but they were bitter unto him as to whip him and smite him with their hands and crucifie him and indeed that day of his coming was so far from being the dreadful day or the notable day of the Lord that his coming in that day was prophesied on this wise Who hath believed our report or to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed for he is despised and rejected of men he was numbred with the transgressors and bare the sins of many and made intercession for the transgessors Isa 53.1 3 12. even so saith the Prophet Zachariah Chap. 9.9 Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion shout O daughter of Jerusalem the King cometh unto thee he is just and having salvation lowly and riding upon an Asse and upon a Colt the foal of an Asse All which sheweth with many more that might be added that the coming of the Lord in the day when he was born of the Virgin was not that notable or dreadful day of the Lord but a day little noted so as but few to believe his report And Secondly where it is said that the hearts of the Fathers in that day should be turned to the Children and the hearts of the Children unto the Fathers is clearly seen not to be meant the coming of the Lord in his first day of whom John the Baptist was a forerunner to prepare his way for in that day as was prophesied of him he came to set a man at variance against his Father Micah 7.6 Mat. 10.34 35 36. Luke 12.49 50 51 52. in these words Think not that I am come to send peace on earth I came not to send peace but a sword for I am come to set a man at variance against his Father and the daughter against her Mother and the daughter in law aguinst her Mother in law and a mans foes shall be they of his own houshold compared with Luke 12.53 which saith That the Father shall be divided against the Son and the Son against the Father the Mother against the Daughter and the Daughter against the Mother All which clearly sheweth that the coming of the Lord Jesus in his first day when hew was born of the Virgin was not that notable or dreadful day of the Lord of which Elias was to be a forerunner of but relates to another day in order to the reconciling of that great difference between the Parents and Children which difference and division was begat between the Parents and their Children by Christs first coming who came not as he saith himself to send peace upon the earth but a sword namely a house divided the Father against the Son the Son against the Father c. but because I shall hasten to the Conclusion I shall wave all long circumlocutions and in short say as beforesaid that Elijah or Elias is yet to come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord to turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children who is to be one of the two Prophets or Witnesses to establish the remnant of the Womans seed namely the Children of Israel which remain in the City after the Womans flight into the Wilderness Object But against this is objected from the words of Christ that Elias is already come which was John the Baptist Mat. 11.14 Mark 9.11 12 13. Luke 1.16 17. Answ That John the Baptist was a fore-runner of Christ in his first day is not denied and that he came in the power and spirit of Elias is as clear for as Elias shall and did bear witness to and for the Lord even so did John the Baptist and so was a lively type of the Elias which is to come for the type or figure of the thing is often called by the name of the thing it self and so we must understand Christs words here where he saith That Elias is already come meaning John the Baptist or otherwise we set Christs words and Johns words one to contradict another for the Scripture saith That John did no Miracle and yet all that he spake of him was true John 10.41 and John himself when the Jews sent Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to him saying Who art thou art thou Elias he said I am not Elias John 1.19 20 21 22. But him of whom the Prophet Isaiah spake of saying I am the voyce of one crying in the Wilderness c. So then from hence we may see that John was a true Prophet and spake the truth and yet when it was demanded of him whether he was the Elias which was to come he said I am not Elias From whence I conclude that although John came in the spirit of Elias and was a type or figure of him and so might be called by the Lord Elias he calling the figure of the thing by the name of the thing figured yet no more the Elias which was to come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord than the Bread and the Cup of the holy Supper of the Lord is the real Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and yet Christ himself saith Take EAT THIS IS MY BODY which is broken for you and yet it was but a figure of his Body to shew forth his death to keep us in remembrance thereof and also we see that there was pictures made with Gold out of the Mercy seat with wings to cover the Mercy seat and they were called Cherubims and yet were not real Cherubims but were a figure of the Cherubims or did only represent them So that we may see that the thing representing is called by the name of the
upon the earth Selah Then shall the earth yeeld her increase and God even our God shall bless us and all the ends of the earth shall fear him for the Lord shall be King over all the earth From these Scriptures we may see that the Lord is to dwell with men even to come down and dwell with them it is not said that man shall dwell with God implying a removing of their place but the Tabernacle of God to be with men and he to dwell with them implying that God will remove his habitation But peradventure some may say will the Lord come and dwell with us upon a corrupt carnal earth To which I answer and first Christ did dwell with his Disciples upon the earth and eat with them after his Resurrection what will that teach us weigh it well But secondly the earth then shall be more pure then the Heavens are now for the earth shall be clean in his sight and very good as he at first made them when the restorer shall have restored all things for then the curse will be taken away but as saith Eliphaz Job 15.15 The heavens are not clean in his sight I might speak of Gods dislike of it by reason of the Angels transgression But you will say there shall be a new heaven as well as a new earth I answer it is true where ever Gods seat is there is Heaven but Gods seat shall then be upon earth in Jerusalem where he was shadowed out of old and hence Jerusalem is called by the Prophet Isa 65.17 18 19. the new Heaven in these words Behold I create a new Heaven and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind but be you glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy and I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be heard no more in her nor the voyce of crying From these words we may see what is to be understood by the new Heaven and new Earth spoken of in the 21 Chapter of the Revel and what is to be understood of the Tabernacle of God being with men and he to dwell with them even the Lord of Hosts in his holy mountain at Jerusalem And Saviours shall come upon mount Zion viz. Saints to Judge the mount of Esau when the Kingdome shall be the Lords and so I pass to the seventh Reason to prove that Christ and the Saints shall receive a Kingdom and raign upon earth which is Reas 7. Seventhly Because Christ hath commanded us to pray for it even that his Kingdom might come that his will might be done in Earth as it is in Heaven For there is a time coming that it shall be so and the earth shall be full of the knowledg of the Lord as water covereth the Sea when the Law shall go forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem now till that day there will be weakness and imperfection amongst the godly that the will of God sometimes will be opposed and resisted but at that time there shall be no sin or disobedience amongst the godly for if they seek for sin in Judah there shall be none found for they shall defile themselves no more with any of their detestable things for all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto the Lord and all the kindreds of the Nations shall worship before thee for the Kingdoms is the Lords he is the governour amonst the Nations Psal 22.27 28. Ezekiel 37. Matth. 6.10 Micah 4. From hence we may see that Christ is to have a Kingdom and raign and govern the Nations upon the earth at which time his will shall be done upon earth as the Angels do it in Heaven and this Kingdom also is the Saints it being the good pleasure of the Father to give it unto them as saith Christ Luke 12.32 So then Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdom and raign upon earth And so I pass to the eighth reason to prove Christ and his Saints to raign upon earth which is Reas 8. Eightly Because the Scripture saith that God will raise up unto David a righteous branch viz. Christ who shall have the Government upon his shoulders and execute Judgment and Justice in the earth mark that and in his dayes Judah shall be saved which yet is not and Israel shall dwell safely and the Saints shall shout for joy and the wicked shall be as ashes under the soles of their feet for God will make Zion as a threshing of Iron having teeth which shall beat the mountains of oposition into dust and the little hills into powder And that there shall be such a righteous branch rise up to David who shall give his people rest and a Kingdom and dominion that they may raign with him upon earth read these Scriptures and peruse them well Jer. 23.5 6. in these words Behold the day cometh saith the Lord that I will raise up unto David a righteous branch and a King shall raign and prosper and shall execute Judgment and Justice in the EARTH in his day Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESSE From these words we see that the Son of David namely the Lord Christ our Righteousness is to be King and that over all the earth to execute Judgment and Justice therein and at that time or in the dayes of his raign Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely that is God will restore as before said their Judges as at the first viz. the Saints who will judge them in righteousness for the shield of the earth belongeth unto the Lord for so saith the Prophet Isa 9.6 7. in these words For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wounderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order it and to establish it with Judgment and with Justice from henceforth even for ever From whence we see that if Davids Kingdome was upon earth then Christ will have a Kingdom upon earth for it is to be upon the throne of his Father David and that is the sure mercies of David that he was never to want a man to sit upon his throne meaning that Christ was to sit there but more of that anon Hence you may see that Christ is to receive a Kingdom and raign upon earth and his Saints with him for they are joynt heirs that in suffering with him they may also be glorified together and raign with him according to the Scriptures Rom. 8.17 2 Tim. 2.12 And so I pass to the ninth Reason to prove that
sink and be loosed for their efficacy for a time Answ From what you say here I understand you do believe or at least admit of it that the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against the Church of Christ but that there shall be one in all ages only this Church is to loose her keyes as you think so as not to bind and loose open and shut that is as I understand not to receive in nor to cast out and how this Church shall come to loose her keyes I know not although I have well perused what you say concerning the star that fell from Heaven to Earth for God will not take away the keyes that I can find from the Church and Devils or wicked men cannot take them away for the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it how then shall these keys come to be loost I am a thinking what you might have said from Mat. 25. That while she slumbred and slept shee let them fail out of her hands but I suppose that if she had so done she would have took them up again when she was awake but you say that there was a star fell from Heaven to Earth that had the key of the bottomless pit viz. an evil Angel or Minister as I understand you which had usurped all Church power into his custody totally apostated from Heaven to Earth and becomes a meer earthly Angel by which the Church policy that before was a Kingdome of Heaven is become a bottomless pit and instead of the keyes of the celestial Kingdome was another contrary key of the same bottomless pit the key being the same with the Church Answ The particulars considerable are these as first there was an Angel that had usurped all Church power into his custody say you To which I say me thinks its very strange that an Angel should usurp all Church power into his custody sure it was not while he was in Heaven nay but I remember it was after he was fallen to Earth and then it was not the key of the Kingdome of Heaven viz. the power of the true Church corrupted but it was another key viz. another power ever the key and power of Darkness and indeed it cannot be rationally imagined as I think that an Angel that is to say or Minister should carry all the power and authority away of all the seven Churches of Asia which had seven Angels belonging unto them and not only those seven Churches but also many other Churches that were then extant upon earth so then if the Angel received his key after his fall the which he did read Revel 9.1 2 3 4. then it could not be the key of the Kingdome of Heaven CORRVPTED but another key given to him namely the key of the bottemless pit and what proof is this to prove that all Church power was lost when an Angel viz. or Minister fell away from Heavenly mindedness to earthly mindedness let the rational Reader Judge Secondly That the keyes spoken of Mat. 16.18 were to remain in the Churches hands for ever is very plainly proved in the Scripture as First From the words of our blessed Saviours own mouth Mat. 18.18 19 20. in these words Verily I say unto you that whatsoever ye viz. the Church shall blind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in HEAVEN from these words we may see that Christ hath given his Church power to deal with offenders and to bind them that is to exclude them from that Communion of Saints and that it is to be perpetuated is plain because it is annexed to vers 20. which is perpetuated as is most evident Thus we may see in the first place that Christ did once give his Church his power and never took it away again from them and the power and strength of Hell cannot do it For the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it and surely the falling of one Star from Heaven to Earth namely the fall of one Minister could not dispossess the whole body of Christ namely his Church in all places consisting of many particular Churches and Stars or Ministers of all their power that Christ gave unto his body the Church it being further considered that the Gates of Hell was not to prevail against it take this comparison Suppose the Constable of Benenden should lose his power as an Officer by reason of his rebellion doth it therefore follow that all the Constables in the seven hundreds or in that division have lost their power who have not rebelled and the several Parishes thereby lose their power so as they cannot execute the Law upon offenders which if so it is a Paradox unto me even so if one Minister of the Church or one Minister and Church should fall away and so lose their true power and in the room thereof take up the power of darkness doth it therefore follow that all the other Churches and Ministers which did not fall should lose their power also surely no there is no reason to be given to prove it but we find there was but one STAR in the singular number and not STARS in the plural number that fell and therefore to say because one Minister fell and lost his place and true power therefore there must needs be a sink of all Ministers and power is all one as if I should say that because Judas fell and lost his power and Apostle-ship therefore there was no Apostle-ship nor power upon Earth which to say would be rediculous and yet there is as good reason for the one as for the other but indeed no reason at all for neither so then the sum of what can be said from Revel 9.1 2 3. Is that there was a STAR that fell from Heaven to Earth and worked wickedness that is one Minister fell from Heaven that is to say from the Heavenly Church state to an Earthly Church state from the Oracles of God to the traditions of men and so it might be and was that one Minister amongst many might fall and yet the rest stand fast as it was with many in the primitive age and this is all which can be said from Revelations 9. And Secondly That Church power was perpetuated and to remain after these Apostles Death amongst the Churches is plain because the successive Ministers and Churches were to use the same practice of receiving and rejecting as we may read Tit. 3.10 2 Tim. 4.2 2 Thes 3.14 And your own principle alloweth of it for you do affirm that the practice of the Lords Supper is perpetuated and to remain in all ages and suppose you did do what you judge is your duty to do namely observe and keep the Lords Supper it must also of necessity be your own practice for suppose that one of your communicates that appeared to be a civil honest religious man but last Lords day and one which ye much delighted in but peradventures before the next Lords day
Gods Judgments upon the Earth that they may be spared when the seal of the living God is seen upon their fore-head for this to be after the Man-child is caught up to God and to his Throne at which time the Gentile Church which I conceive to be the Man-child is to be in the Ark of their safety being caught up to meet the Lord in the ayre and then the Jews that look for their Messiah it being the time that God hath promised that all Israel viz. the natural seed of Abraham shall be saved as it is written Rom. 11. They shall have the Seal of God or the name of God written in their foreheads to distingush them from the worshippers of the Beast who are to have the name of the Beast in their right hand or forehead Revel 13.16 upon whom the seven Angels are to pour out their vials upon the earth that the same persons who have received the mark of the Beast in their foreheads or hands may be tormented and then the executing Angels will pass by all those that have the Seal of God in their forehead so that they shall not be plagued with those Judgments that shall be executed upon the Beast and his worshippers and to this end the Angel of the East forbid the four Angels that had power to hurt the earth that they might not go forth to execute their office till the servants of God were Sealed in their foreheads Revel 7.2 And this agreeth with the manner of Gods dealing with his people when he executes his Judgments upon the earth as you may see Exod. 12.14 Ezek. 9.4 5 6. and to that end was these Israelites Sealed so that none of the plagues either of the four Angels or the seven Angels did them any hurt And thus much at present of the Sealed number who they are and the Cause of their being Sealed and afterwards was seen preserved as a Sealed number Revel 14.1 2 3 4. Chap. 15.2 3 4. And so I pass to give my opinion what the Temple and the outward Court and holy City is Only by the way I thus say that although I have read Mr. Hendens opinion of the outward Court yet I cannot believe it nor adhere to what he saith because I do not find that ecclesiastical order is in any one Text called the outward Court neither doth it hold parallel with the outward Court but rather to the inward Court even the holy of holies into which the Priest was to enter alone who had the ecclesiastical order put upon him by God but because I find not the Scripture warranting such a parable I leave it and now come to speak briefly to that Text Revel 11.1 2. and first I shall cite the Text it self which is thus read And there was given me a reed like unto a rod and the Angel stood saying rise and measure the Temple of God and the Altar and them that worship therein but the Court which is without the Temple leave out and measure it not for it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two moneths and I will give power to my two witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes cloated in sackcloth from this Text with many more we find that Jerusalem and the Temple is to be built again and the Jews are to worship their God according to the Law of Moses at which time they shall earnestly look for their King namely the Son of God according to the words of their Prophets for although they were blind and understood not his coming in the day of his poverty yet they do believe that they have a King viz. Son of God to come in glory and to ragin upon the Throne of David and when God shall give them opportunity to return out of their long captivity then shall they sit upon their building to redifie the City and Temple as I have formerly proved at large read my Zions redemption and that Jerusalem is to be built again which is called the holy City relating to Revel 11.1 2. read the words of the Prophets which saith They shall build the old wast places they shall raise up the former desolations and they shall repair the wast Cities and THE DESOLATIONS OF MANY GENERATIONS behold the day cometh saith the Lord that the City shall be built to the Lord from the Tower of Hanael unto the gate of the corner and the measuring line shall yet go forth over again compare Revel 11.1 2. upon the Hill Garib and shall compass about Goath it shall not be plucked up nor thrown down any more FOR EVER in that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruins and I will build it as in the dayes of old and I will plant them upon their Land and they shall be NO MORE plucked out of their Land which I have given them saith the Lord God And Ezekiels vision relates to this very thing where he saith In the vision of God brought he me into the Land of Israel and set me upon a very high Mountain by which was as it were the frame of a City on the South and he brought me thither and behold there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of brass with a line of flax in his hand and a measuring reed so he measured the length thereof twenty cubits and the breadth twenty cubits before the Temple and he said unto me this is the most holy place this is the Law of the house upon the Mountain and these are the measures of the Altar after the Rubites and the name of the City from that day shall be THE LORD IS THERE And that the Cities of Jerusalem is called a holy City read Isa 64.10 chap. 61.4 chap. 60.18 Jer. 30.18 chap. 31.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. chap. 33.12 13 14 15 16 17. Amos 9.14 15. Ezek. 40.3 chap. 3.13 chap. 41.4 chap. 48.35 From all that which hath been said this is the Sum in short that the City Jerusalem and the Temple is to be built again and inhabited and God there worshipped only there will be a stop in the work by the Antichrist before the outward Court is finished and therefore the measuring line is said not to pass over the outward Court or it not measured but that I may be plain and easily understood I shall divide the matter in short and brief particulars The first is the building of the City the which I have spoken already to And the second is of the Temple The third is the outward Court being given into the hands of the Gentiles and the holy City being trod under foot forty and two months And fourthly of the two Witnesses prophecying in Sackcloth one thousand two hundred and threescore dayes That the City and Temple is to be built you have heard somewhat
Mountains or the like and to this agreeth the Prophets that saith The glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together for he shall come in the clouds and every eye shall see him and they that pierced him and all the kindred shall waile because of him So in short I understand it is the personal coming of the Lord Jesus which is spoken of in that Text Mat 24. and not any spiritual coming for the same Jesus even the same blessed man which did once ascend in like manner shall again descend as I have proved in the former part of this Treatise intituled Truth and Innocency and thus much briefly of the coming of the Lord Jesus like lightening which lightening is to be seen from one end of Heaven to the other even from the East unto the West which light all men that have their natural eye-sight do see at once even so shall the personal appearance of Jesus Christ be that all men shall see his glory together when he shall appear in the Clouds of Heaven with all his holy Angels with him and this I am very confident was the mind of Christ in that place and thus I pass to speak somewhat to the Carkass and Eagles being gathered unto it which is Fourthly the fourth and last thing sheweth the taking up of the Saints to meet Jesus Christ the Carkass being understood Christ and the Eagles the Saints it s only a simily shewing that as the Eagles suddenly gather themselves tegether to the place where a Carkass is even so the Saints shall suddenly be gathered together to the place where Christ is agreeing with 1 Thes 4 14 15 16. and Mat. 24.40 the which I have before spoken of more at large therefore shall leave it at present with the Reader and pass all the other things very briefly because I find the things already spoken to is the whole grounds or master-pieces of your Book and those things that I shall now speak to I shall take them as they lie in order in your book and the first thing that I observe and shall speak to is Of the new pouring out of the Spirit and a new marriage after the former Page 5. Answ I find there was a Marriage between God and old Israel which is a Metaphor to wit the enjoyment of the inheritance and the marriage bed as I may so call it the presence of the Lord in Types dwelling amongst them in that holy Land or glorious Mountain Jerusalem which was a Type of the heavenly Jerusalem and the Tabernacle of God to be with men when they shall injoy the marriage bed to wit being present with Christ knowing him as we are known by him the which while we live in this Body we do not for we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 And that there shall be a marriage and a marriage Supper I grant but it s after Christ is come the second time read Luke 12.35 36 37. compared with Revel 19.7 8 9. with more that might be said but as to the first marriage spoken of by you which was say you in the primitime times in the first breathing of the Spirit I cannot see nor believe nor I am certain you cannot prove it for the Church of Corinth had as great breathings of the Spirit as any had coming behind in no gift and yet were in that time but in a Virgin estate and condition as you may read 2 Cor. 11.2 in these words But I am jealous over you with godly jealousie for I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you as a chaste VIRGINE to Christ From whence we may see that the primitive Church who lived under the breathings of the Spirit and had excellent gifts of working of Miracles and yet were but in a Virgine condition and so shall the Church be at the very time of the second coming of the Lord Jesus until he is come read Mat. 25.1 to the 11. And as to your cited text Mat. 22.1 2 3. it is a Parrable and it s also clear that the whole time of the preaching of the Gospel is the time of the inviting the Ghests and the Parrable holds not if all the Ghests be not invited before the day of the marriage supper and I am sure that all the Ghests are not yet invited nor born I could speak at large unto it but I study brevity and so shall pass to the next thing which is The Churches was in Babylon as appears saith Mr. Henden by her being called out Revel 18.4 it being a strange Land from the native Canon of a Gospel word where they were strangers under other Lords page 8. Answ I have read that the Israel of old was in Babel in Chaldea from whence they were to depart but I never yet read that the Elect Sealed Number were subject to other Lords in respect of order that is to say they submitted not to the Babylonish order neither was their order become Babel read Dan. 3. It 's true that the Jews had several Ordinances which were to be performed only at Jerusalem and hence it came to pass that they practised them not in Babylon and therefore they were far from being Babellish but the Gospel Ordinances are limitted to no one place more than other insomuch if there were a Church in Rome they might practise all Christs Ordinances if they could enjoy their Liberty so to do although it be the seat of the Pope and yet not be blamed but commended of by the Lord as was the Church of PARGAMVS Rev. 2.12 who lived where Satans seat was and yet did hold fast their profession even so it 's like there may be some in the City called Babylon Revel 18.4 which may own and practise the Truth although unknown to the Pope at the very time when the Lord will destroy it and so he may call them out as once he did call Lot out of Sodom but to suppose that God owns a People to be his People which are Babel in their order is but vain when we rightly understand how zealous God ever was of his order never admitting of his own people to mix it with the confused order of men or Babel for those that are partakers of her sins which they were not which were called out Revel 18.4 shall be partaker of her plagues but if Babels order were sin and the Church order which was in Babel was established then the Church must be partakers of her sins and so of her plagues which was not and so I pass this also and come to the next thing which is You may find all your new stated Churches saith Mr. Henden of a different Mettal from the true how near soever to the primitive they seem to be in the outward shell and yet in reallity do ground upon another foundation upon Believers not possessed with such a power sent down from heaven page 14. Answ They differ not in their Mettal
thing represented or the figure of the thing called by the name of the thing figured and hence we may see although I could say much more of things of this nature that both Christs words and also Johns were true Christ calling John Elias it s to be understood John was a figure of Elias or represented Elias not only coming in the power and spirit of Elias but he being a forerunner of Christ in his first day to perswade the Jews to obedience to Christ as Elias is to be a forerunner of Christ in his second day namely the Great Dreadful day of the Lord and to perswade and establish the Jews in their waiting for their King Jesus and their obedience unto him And secondly Johns words are true also where he saith I am not Elias that is he was not that Elias really or simply understood that they looked for although he was a type of him and might by Christ be called by his name as well as the bread which Christ brake might be called his body or the pictures of Cherubims called Cherubims and Christ called David and many such like things that borrow their name from the things which they represent and thus much briefly by way of Answer to the Objection and the reconciliation of the words of Christ and the words of John which seemingly contradicts each other but being understood accordingly as they were spoken they agree together so then still it remains that Elias is to come before the GREAT AND DREADFVL DAY of the Lord and that it is to be Elias really so understood I give these reasons which before have been mentioned in general in a short and brief method First John the Baptist was not the real Elias as I think all will confess for he was the Son of Zacharias and Zacharias had a commandement from the Lord to call the name of his Son not Elias but John Luke 1.13 But ELIAS is to come as hath been proved before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Secondly John the Baptist was not the forerunner simply so considered of the great and dreadful day of the Lord for that day that John was a forerunner of was the day of Christs sufferings and not the day of dread unto his enemies so as it will be in that day that the chief Captains and great and mighty men of the earth shall call to the Mountains to fall upon them and hide them from the presence of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come say they and who can stand but Elias is to be the forerunner of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Thirdly The hearts of the Fathers shall be turned unto the Children and the hearts of the Children to their Fathers in that day which yet are at a distance for Christ sake so that the parents hate their Children and Children shall betray their parents to death for Christs sake although it be not denyed that John in a measure was a type of Elias in that thing according to the saying of the Angel to Zacharias Luke 1.13 18. For all men did account John a Prophet and he preparing the way of the Lord all Judah and Jerusalem came out to him to be Baptized of him in Jordan and yet notwithstanding afterwards were at great variance about Christ some saying that he was a good man and others saying nay he hath a Devil and is mad and after that laid violent hands on him and crucified him and the distance was so great that many families even Parents and their Children have been and are at a distance about him and so will be until that day of the coming of Elias and then the hearts of the Fathers shall thorowly be turned unto their Children and the hearts of the Children unto their Fathers and envy shall depart from Ephraim as before said which brings me to the fourth last reason to prove Elias one of the two Witnesses which is Fourthly Because the same judgments which was brought upon the earth by Elias when he was upon earth shall be again brought upon the earth by the two Prophets or witnesses Revel 11.6 compared with James 5.17 1 Kinge 17.1 which bespeaks such a thing as though Elijah should be one of those two Witnesses if we also consider that these Witnesses must be slain and therefore must be such as never yet have tasted of death because it cannot be rationally imagined that those Prophets which are so to die are any of the Prophets which are dead and shall be raised from the dead and then be slain again I speak this because some have supposed Moses to be one of these two Prophets which in reason cannot be so neither do I find any Scripture warranting any such thing neither do I find any where in my most serious search of the Scriptures of any extraordinary Prophets namely such Prophets as is mentioned in Revel 11. to be borne in the last dayes when this prophesie is to be accomplished but Elijah never yet was slain but was caught up to Heaven in a whirle-wind and so at present I shall leave this and pass to the next thing which is to shew my opinion who it is that is the other Prophet because the Text saith that there is to be two Prophets or two Witnesses which are to prophesie in sack-cloth and as to the other Prophet I shall be very brief because I do not find any such Objection as I meet with against the fore mentioned Prophet namely against Elias and therefore I shall briefly shew my opinion and leave it Secondly As for the other Prophet which is to be a fellow companion with Elias I understand to be John that holy Apostle the beloved Disciple of Jesus which leaned upon his breast at Supper for as Elias was a man highly in the love and favour of God although hated by men and persecuted and banished even so was John dearly beloved of God although hated and banished from men yet the Lord Jesus dealt with him by manifesting of himself to him as God did to Elijah when he fled from the face of Ahab and Jessibel 1 Kings 17. and Chap. 18. but being in hast I pass many things which otherwise were necessary to be spake by way of parallel and come to shew the reasons why I understand John to be one of the two Witnesses spoken of in Revelations the 11. which are these First because when John writ the Gospel of Christ which was supposed to be thirty years after the ascention of Christ it was then reported amongst the Disciples that John was not to die John 21.23 and yet at that time they had the spirit of the Lord to teach them But if it should be objected and said that John saith not that Christ said he should not die but what if I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee fellow thou me signifying Peters death To which I answer and say that it is true
takes up his Cross and followeth him cannot be his Disciple So then Infants being not capable so to do cannot be Christs Disciples but such as are to be baptized must first be taught and made Disciples and then baptized as is to be understood in the word baptize THEM that is such as before have been taught and made Disciples from whence you may see that Disciples viz. beleeving Men and Women may and ought to be baptized it being the last Will and Testament of the great Law-giver who also saith That he that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16.15 16. And so I come to the Second Reason which is Reas 2. Because Disciples viz. Beleevers were the Subjects that Christ and the Apostles baptized and we are to follow their steps and now to prove that Christ and the Apostles did baptize such read John 4.1 When the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus MADE and baptized more Disciples than John though Jesus baptized not but his Disciples from whence we may see that Jesus MADE Disciples before he did baptize them and also we see it was the Apostles and Disciples practise so to do as Acts. 8.12 it s said That when the Samaritans did beleeve they were baptized Men and Women but no mention at all of Children so then Beleevers are the subjects who are to be baptized Reas 3. Thirdly Beleevers are the subjects because none are accounted as Members in the New Covenant so as to have right to Gospel administrations but such as know the Lord viz. beleeve in his Name for so saith the Scripture Heb. 8. For this is the Covenant that I make After those dayes saith the Lord they shall not teach every one his neighbor and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall know me from the least even to the greatest From whence we see that the least Member in the Gospel-Covenant must know the Lord but Children of seven or eight dayes old know him not and therefore have not right to Gospel-administrations only beleevers that know God for they shall all know him from the least to the greatest as saith the text And so I pass to the Fourth Reason which is Reas 4. Because those that have right to be Baptized may and ought to eat the Lords Supper the which is not meet for Children to do for it is a Feast that Beleevers only have a right to partake of but all baptized ones even such as have right to the New Covenant have right to the Supper and all other Covenant Priviledges for so saith the Scripture Acts 2.41 42. Then they that gladly received the Word were baptized and the same day was added to the Church about three thousand Souls and they continued stedfast in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and Prayer From whence we see that no more were baptized but those that gladly received the Word and they that were baptized continued in the Apostles Doctrine in Fellowship and in breaking of Bread viz. the Lords Supper and Prayer therefore beleeving Men and Women and not Children are the right subjects of Baptism and ought to be baptized they having a Command enjoyning them thereunto And so I pass to the Fifth Reason to prove that Disciples viz. beleeving Men and Woman are the only fit subjects of Baptism which is Reas 5. Because Christ was baptized when he came to be of years of discretion being about thirty years old as you may read Luk. 3. and Christ was given to be a leader to his People Isa 55.4 Now if Christ were not baptized before he came to be of years of discretion and he given to lead us an example then we ought not also to be baptized till we be of years of discretion and so follow his steps The former of these is true and the Consequence cannot in truth be denied And so I pass to the Sixth Reason to prove beleevers the only subjects of Baptism Reas 6. Because Repentance and Confession of sin is required of Persons before Baptism be administred unto them for such was the Baptism of John when he was to prepare a People for the Lord although the People which he baptized were the seed of Abraham and so in the Old Covenant yet they came to John and confessed their sins and were baptized and it was called the Baptism of Repentance and when they would have been baptized upon the account of being Abrahams seed and Children of the Covenant John did reprove them saying O generation of Vipers who hath forewarned you to flee from the Wrath to come Bring forth fruit worthy of amendment of life and do not begin to say ye have Abraham to your Father for God is able of these stones to raise up Children unto Abraham and now is the Ax laid to the root of the Trees and every Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down c. Peruse this diligently and you may see that there was no admission unto Baptism without Repentance and it is the very same Doctrine that Peter taught Acts 2.38 Repent and be baptized every one of you for remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Spirit Hence you see there was Repentance required of ever one that is Baptized and this is acknowledged by the Old Catechism and Book of Common Prayers and hence it came to pass that the old God-fathers and God-mothers as we were wont to call them did confess our sins for us it being a wicked deceiving invention of Pope Ignatius whereby thousands of poor souls were deceived the Pope invented it and the Priest readily received it and it being a custome the people loved to have it so the Priest was to ask the child Whether it would forsake the Devil and all his works and the God-father or Surety was to Answer in the behalf of the Child as though the Priest were a Juglor and had jugled the mans voice into the Child saying This is our or my desire and then ask if it would be Baptized And the Answer was returned again as it were in the person of the Child that it was its desire when it was far from desiring any such thing and so far were the Sureties themselves from forsaking the Devil and all his works and from being Beleevers that some were Drunkards some Swearers and some Whore-mongers and yet did dare by the means of the Pope his Clergy to tell God who is the searcher of all hearts that they did beleeve and forsake the Devil and all his works and yet were led captive by him at his Will Consider O ye blind Priests how you deceived the people and made them beleeve they did well and worshipt God when they told lyes in the face of the Congregation and so did worship the Devil Did you ever read of such a practise in the Primitive time No surely Gods Soul abhors you But courteous Reader hence thou mayest see that the
and therefore are to be taught to know him before they be admitted into that Covenant Again All that are Members of that Covenant have right to the Ordinances of that Covenant as my Antagonist saith but the Lords Supper is an Ordinance of the new Covenant and yet Infants prohibited from that Ordinance as you say O wise Priest where is your understanding got now surely it is brought to nought as God hath said 1 Cor. 1.19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. Reas 4. Again The Fourth Reason why Children may not be Baptized and so brought into Christs House or Vineyard is Because Infants are not capable to labour there and Christ hath none but Laborers there as you may read Matth. 20.1 2 3 4. And the Fifth Reason is Reas 5. Because Infants are not capable to be taught but such as are Baptized must be first taught as Matth. 28.18 19. Mark 16.15 16. Neither did John or Christ or his Apostles baptize any other but such as had been before taught which if they did I humbly crave my Antagonist or any of his Brethren to prove it And if he or they do prove it I do profess in the presence of Almighty God and men to renounce my Judgment in this particular and be of the same Judgment with them and walk in the same steps And so to the Sixth and last Reason to prove that Infants are not fit subjects to be baptized is Reas 6. Because they are not capable to confess their sins nor to know God nor to beleeve in his Name nor to witness a new Birth by shewing the fruits of Regeneration the which qualifications must appear more or less in all that are fit subjects of Baptism as I before have proved And in a word you my Antagonist nor any of your Brethren were never yet able to prove such a practise warrantable by the Word of God And so I pass to the Grounds and Reasons given by my Antagonist and others to prove That Infants are fit subjects to be baptized which is say they Object 1. If the Kingdom of Heaven do belong to Infants then the Ordinances of the Kingdom doth belong unto them but the Kingdom doth belong unto them Therefore the Ordinances of the Kingdom doth belong to them Answ To which I Answer and say That if the Ordinances of the Kingdom do belong to them as my Antagonist saith then is he and the rest of his Brethren in a great evil in denying them the Lords Supper which is as they say an Ordinance of the Kingdom and so they condemn themselves in the things which they know And as for the Kingdom of God it is taken for several things in Scripture it is compared to the preaching of the Gospel as a draw-Net as to Leven to a Merchant and to the Church sometimes though very seldom and to Righteousness and Joy in the holy Ghost and it is compared to the state of Glory or the state of Glory is called by the name of the kingdom of Heaven or the kingdom of God and that Infants as such have right to everlasting life and glory by the righteousness of Christ I never did deny but yet notwithstanding that they can be accounted of as Members of the Kingdom in the other sense that I deny as first They are not Members of the new Covenant and so consequently of the Church because as I have already shewed that none are Members therof but such as know the Lord from the least even unto the greatest and so need no teaching to know the Lord but Infants know not the Lord and therefore are not of the new Covenant or Church of Christ But if you should ask me then how are they saved and by what Covenant I should tell you by that gracious Promise made by God in Gen. 3. in these words the seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head and indeed had not man sinned since the Fall he then should have had no need of Baptism or any other act of obedience as a means of his everlasting peace for Salvation is a free gift of God but when we come to years of maturity and the knowledge of God and then like Adam transgress it we then have forfeited our happiness and hence it comes to pass that we have need of Repentance and Baptism to break off our sins that the forfeit which sin hath laid upon our heavenly inheritance might be removed and then Salvation be given over full into our lap as I may say as at the first namely as a free Gift and Repentance and Baptism is of no use to such as have not sinned against God manifest in Christ the which Infants have not done and therefore no need of Baptism as I in a former Treatise have already shewed more at large Object 2. Secondly The Children of Abraham were to be Circumcised at eight dayes old saith my Antagonist and therefore why may not the Children of Beleevers be baptized about that age Answ To which I Answer and say That God did command that the Children of Abraham should be Circumcised at eight dayes old but hath not commanded the Children of Beleevers to be Baptized at that age which if he hath shew the place of Scripture where it is so written and the Controversie will cease Secondly Remember that there was far greater reason that Infants should be Circumcised than Infants now Baptized because as the first Covenant was a Covenant appertaining to the flesh with carnal Ordinances so the seed that was to enjoy it was a fleshly seed and were to receive Circumcision upon a fleshly account namely that they might be inrighted to dwell in the Land of Canaan in their Fathers house the which without Circumcision they might not do but there is no such damage lyable to the seed of Beleevers being unbaptized so as to be cut off from the Nation or their Fathers house so that as there is not the like command for Beleevers to baptize their Children as there was for Circumcision neither is there the same Reason for it But that you may see this more at large read my Book intituled Dagons Downfal where it is discoursed more at large only this know That such as have Faith the same are accounted the Children of Abraham and the only fit subjects to be baptized for not to Abraham and his seed through the Law was the Promise made of the heavenly inheritance but to his seed that was by Faith For as saith the Apostle Rom. 9.8 The Children of the flesh are not the Children of God but in Isaac viz. Christ shall thy seed be called for ye are all the sons of God by beleeving in Christ Jesus for as many as have been baptized unto Christ have put on Christ and if ye are Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to Promise therefore plead not your right to Gospel or Heavenly Enjoyments by vertue of being the Child of a Beleever for if you were
Ignorance and unbelief being taken away doth entitle Persons as heirs of that heavenly Land And Secondly That Baptism came not in the room or place of Circumcision is plain Because it is impossible for one thing to be said to stand in the room and place of another until the first is taken away but Circumcision and Baptism was practised both together for several years and therefore one could not come in the room and place of the other And so I pass to the next false or supposed ground of Infants Baptism which is Object 8. There never was but one Covenant saith my Antagonist since the Fall and Children were in that Covenant and never cast out and therefore are to be baptized Answ And first that there was two Covenants made with Abraham is clear one in Gen. 12. and the other in Gen. 17. And that God might make it plain that he did make two several Covenants with Abraham he sets it forth by his Wife and Bond-woman and the two Seeds by their two Seeds as saith the Apostle Gal. 4.22 it is written That Abraham had two Sons one by a Bond-woman and the other by the Free-woman and saith the Apostle These are the TWO Covenants And also saith in vers 30. Cast out the Bond-woman and her Son From whence we take notice that one Covenant viz. the fleshly one and her seed was to be cast out to give place to the spiritual one and her Seed which sheweth That there is two Covenants And now that these are two in substance as well as in Administrations we may see the Apostle makes distinction between the Covenant and the Ordinances or the Administrations of the Covenant saying Verily the first Covenant had Ordinances of divine service and a worldly sanctuary c. And the Apostle further saith That the Administrations of the second Covenant was far better it being spiritual Administrations and the other carnal but because I have spoken before of this also I shall be brief saying That carnal administrations cannot be the administrations of a spiritual Covenant For as it is said in another sense a good Tree cannot bring forth evil fruit but the administrations of the Covenant was faulty and carnal by your own grant how then could it be a spiritual Covenant but that Covenant and Administrations and Seed was carnal and faulty and must be cast out is clear for the Scripture is plain Cast out the Bond-woman viz. the first Covenant and her Seed and touch not her Ordinances or Administrations for they are carnal and were but shadows of good things to come But saith my Antagonist I can prove that there is Five Covenants as well as you can prove that there is Two as one with Noah and one with Abraham and one with David and the like I Answer That was but a speaking over again or making known his Covenant to these several men but that I may try you I pray resolve where the Scripture is written that saith there is Five Covenants or Three the Scripture saith plainly that there is Two as a New and an Old Covenant a better and a worse a first and a second one faulty and one perfect but the Scripture no where saith that there is Five nay or Three so then you are seen and found to be at a loss And because I have shewed formerly what these Two Covenants are I pass only take notice of an Objection in this particular which is say you Object If the first Covenant was but an earthly one with earthly blessings what so great a hurt was it for the Jews to be cut off and we Gentiles to be grafted in and what is all our blessings temporal for we are grafted into that stock from whence they were cut off away say you Answ To which I Answer and say That methinks here you shew your self to be subtil or very simple which of them you are guilty of in this case I shall not determine but by your flourishing it appears to be simplicity for Solomon saith That a Fool rages and is confident But did you indeed dream that the stock from whence the Jews was cut was any of the Covenants no such thing surely but the stock was Abraham that is to say The Ax was laid to the root of the Trees to cut those off that had not Faith and to raise up another seed to Abraham as John the Baptist nay also as the Prophet before had said and so did of stones as it were viz. the Gentiles raise up Children to Abraham for he was the stock and not the Covenant as you blindly did conceive for as Ishmael was cut off from Abrahams house so was Hagar also and Isaac was placed with Sarah in her room for so soon as Sarah had brought forth Seed to Abraham then Ishmael and Hagar must go both packing together and Sarah and Isaac must only live with Abraham These are the Two Covenants go learn what it means that you may distinguish better between Stock and Covenant another time And so I pass to the next and last Objection which at present I shall make use of which is Object 9. Although there be no plain Precept or Example for Infants Baptism yet it is no where forbidden that Infants should be baptized say you And there is no Command nor Example for Womens eating of the Lords Supper and yet is lawful having good consequence leading thereunto Answ To which I Answer And first to the First Although it be not forbidden in so many words saying Thou shalt not Baptize thy Children yet it is vertually prohibited in the words written by St. Paul in Col. 2.21 22. and many other places it being an Invention of Man and not from an Appointment of God as I before have shewed For consider that there is many things that men practise pretending service to God which is no where forbidden in so many words and yet is mans Tradition and Vain I shall only mention Two or Three at present as your former practise viz. The sign of the Cross in Baptism and your Surplices and such vain Fangles And also the present Practises of the Church of Rome which Baptize their Books and Bells and use Cream Salt and Spittle and several such foolish Ceremonies in Baptism and in their other kinds of Worship such vain Traditions And will any wise man account this to be a warrantable Worship and Service to God although it be their antient practise surely no yet notwithstanding if you look into the Scriptures there is no Text that saith Thou shalt not sign with the Cross or use Surplices or baptize Books or Bells or use Cream or Salt or Spittle in baptism there 〈◊〉 no Text that saith in so many words thou shalt not do any of these things only a general prohibition which comprehendeth all these particulars and many more Touch not Taste not Handle not the Traditions of men the which either of these are as well as Infants Baptism and therefore
must not be meddled with The sum of all is this First That there is many things used amongst the Sons of Men pretending Worship to God which is abomination unto the Lord and yet no text of Scripture forbidding in so many words saying Thou shalt not do so And Secondly Whereas it hath been affirmed That there is no Example or Command for Women to Eat the Lords Supper It 's false for there is a plain Precept 1 Cor. 11.28 in these words Let a man examine himself and so let him eat which is Preceptory that is He must examine himself and so he must eat The word LET is preceptory Object But if it be Objected that the Text saith Let a Man Examine himself and let a Man eat Answ I Answer It is read in the Greek Let a Man or Woman examine themselves See 1 Cor. 11.28 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a Woman as well as a Man and thus the Woman is to be understood implyed in many places although not mentioned in our Translation as well as the man And so it is said Gen. 5.2 That God made them Male and Female and blessed them and called THEIR name Adam And thus you may see that God hath not left us to be guided by blind Consequences but hath left us a plain Rule And as many as walk according to it Peace be unto them and Mercy upon all the Israel of God So then there being many things practised pretending Worshipping of God and are vain and yet not forbidden in so many words Thou shalt not do it So that these may see themselves Answered which hopes that Infants Baptism may be lawful because the Scripture no where saith Thou shalt not Baptize thy Children neither is it any where Thou shalt not Baptize thy Books and Bells and yet to do it is to practise a Tradition of Man in the Service of God and unlawful And thus I pass from this Objection and also from this Subject of Discourse and come to the next which is that of Original Sin Some Objections ANSWERED TOUCHING Original Sinne. AS touching Original Sin there hath been a great Controversie Whether it made Adam and his Posterity guilty and liable to the Second Death or to the First only or to both And it being the main Controversie between me and my Antagonist I thought good to give my Opinion further upon it and to Answer such Objections as are offered by my Adversary and possibly some others as time will admit of and my Way or Method to make the Matter plain shall be by laying down this Position which is Position 1. That the Sin which Adam committed in Paradice did not make him and his guilty of and liable to the Second Death Which I shall prove by several plain and evident Reasons drawn from the Scriptures but before I speak unto it be informed what I mean by the second Death and that is the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which the Scripture calls the second Death Revel 20.14 for I do beleeve that the Wages of Sin is Death but as there is a twofold Covenant so there is a twofold death viz. a first and second Death And that sin in Paradice made Adam and his guilty of the first Death but sin against God manifest in Christ makes man guilty and liable to the second death And so I come to the Reasons to prove That Adams sin in Paradice did not make him and his guilty of and liable to the second Death And so to the First Reason which is Reas 1. Because God did neither threaten the second death neither did he pronounce a second death or any thing of that nature in the Sentence but the first death only with sorrow labor and such like things as the punishment due to that sin And first we may read the threatning Gen. 2.17 in these words But of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die or in dying thou shalt die Well for all this threatning Adam did eat and thereby did transgress Gods Law whereupon God goeth on to pass sentence upon Adam according to what he threatned to bring upon him if he did eat and transgress his Law and his sentence sheweth what death it was that he threatned which was the first death only and not so much as one tittle intimated of the second death in the sentence as you may read Chap. 3.17 18. in these words And unto Adam he said Because thou hast hearkned unto the voice of thy Wife and hast eat of the Tree whereof I commanded thee saying Thou shalt not eat of it Cursed is the ground for thy sake Thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth unto thee in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to the ground for out of it was thou taken Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return From whence we may see that there is not so much as a tittle of a second death but only the first death Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return that was to be the end of all Object But it is Objected and said That the death mentioned in the threatning must be understood a death of the Soul for ever or a second death because Adam died not in his body or the bodily death that day which he sinned but lived many dayes afterwards Answ In Answer to this Objection Consider these two things The First is That one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day 2 Pet. 3.8 And Adam lived not a thousand years nor no man ever did and therefore Adam upon Gods account died the same day which day in Gods account is a thousand years which no man as before said ever attained to and so died according to what God threatned within the compass or time of the Day In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die And Secondly God that seeth all things at once and calls things that shall be as if they were saw Adam dead the same hour that he sinned and he was as really dead in Gods account as Christ was a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world or as Abrabam Isaac and Jacob living in a state of Resurrection when God appeared to Moses in the bush Matth. 22.30 31 32. And thus much briefly to the first Objection the second is Object 2. What is meant by the Hebrew word saith my Antagonist in dying thou shalt die Answ To which I Answer and say That so soon as Adam had sinned he was mortalized and in a dying condition never continuing in one stay but in the midst of life subject to drop into the dust and so in being in a dying condition till he did return to dust it was said in dying he should die that is he should be dying till he was dead and this is meant by the word
from him for Christ hath destroyed him that had power over death which is the Devil and hath delivered us by Resurrection who by the reason of the fear of death were kept in slavery all our life long For nothing would be so troublesome to the godly as the thought of death were it not for a Resurrection but saith the Lord I will ransome them from the power of the grave I will redeem them from death O Death I will be thy Plague O Grave I will be thy destruction He will swallow up death in victory and the Lord will wipe away tears from all faces Hosea 13.14 Isa 25.8 2 Sam. 14.14 Heb. 2.14 From these Reasons and Scriptures and many more which might be added we may clearly see That the dead namely such as do now and shall sleep in the dust shall arise both good and bad and come to Judgment And now courteous Reader seeing it is so that the dead as before said must arise and come to Judgment be exhorted to take up that good resolution with the holy man Job 14.14 which saith If a man die shall he live again then all the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come giving thanks alwayes to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away Therefore gird up the lines of thy mind waiting for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ who will change our vile bodies and fashion them like unto his glorious body according to his promise and mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light To whom be praise and glory for ever and ever Amen 1 Pet. 1.3 Phil. 3.20 21. 2 Tim. 1.10 Secondly take this word of advice by way of Caution which is take heed and beware of giving heed to such as do deny the Resurrection of whom there is two sorts now in our dayes as there was in the Apostles dayes the one sort is like unto the Saduces Mat. 22.23 which deny that there is any Resurrection Angels or Spirits viz. God or Devil Heaven or Hell of that sort is the Ranter and his adherents and such like Athiestical Spirits And the other are like unto HYMENEVS and PHILETVS 2 Tim. 2.17 18. who say that the Resurrection is already past whose words eat as doth a canker and of this sort is the Quakers who doth affirm that he is already risen from the dead and in the Resurrection and so the Resurrection is past to him who denyeth iniquity in words in the history and yet heaps up iniquity upon iniquity in the mystery And these are the two sorts which may fitly be compared unto the Sect of the Saduces and to Hymeneus and Phyletus and I do not report the things whereof I write by hear-say but from their own mouths the more is the pitty and to be lamented These two sorts differ in manners or conversation but very little in Judgment in point of doctrine unless it be in that of conversation as before said the which if they had the conversation of Angels and yet so corrupt in principle the Scripture declares them to be in a cursed and miserable condition Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. Col. 2.18 19. Acts. 3.23 24. And indeed the conversation of many of them is bad enough although they disfigure their faces and seem unto men to fast from sin and to be more righteous then others yet they have been seen to want that special duty of prayer in their families and giving thanks in the presence of their Families for their food which God hath bestowed on them although Christ and the Apostle did not neglect to do their duty in that case to lead us an example but no more as to this I shall leave it until the day in the which God will try the wayes of the sons of men and discover all deceit and falsehood of what nature soever it be But as touching the opinion about Gods holy Ordinances by which he hath appointed to be worshipped in is sleighted and rejected by them as water-Baptisme and eating of Bread and drinking of Wine solemnly celebrated to set forth Christs death and a participation of the benefit thereof with the slightings of forms as they call them although God delight in nothing which is out of form and order as the host of Heaven and earth doth declare who when God found them without form and void did by his word put them in form and order and gave decrees to the Sea and ordinances unto the Sun Moon and Stars and they keep them so that God delights in form and order and also is a God of order in all the Churches of the Saints hence Saint Paul commended form Rom. 6.17 18. in these words But ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you being therefore made free from sin ye became the servants of Righteousness c. From whence you may see That those men which do slight and deny forms in our dayes have not received that Spirit which was in the Apostle but another Spirit even the Spirit of error although it strive to transform it self into an Angel of light that thereby it may deceive the hearts of the simple for men are got to this height of wickedness in the mystery as to think that they comprehend all things and so consequently are Gods but they shall die like men for their breath is in their nostrils yet talk of what you will almost it is in them as they say as the first Adam and the second and God and also the Serpent slain within them the tree of life and the tree of knowledg the judgment seat Heaven and Hell Mount Zion and the new Jerusalem the two witnesses and what not they have comprehended all these things as they say but alass they die and in the very same time their thoughts perish and they are chased and gone like a vision of the night Mark one peece of horrible pride of Spirit which is in them they will not allow the holy Scriptures to be called the word of the Lord neither do they exhort and press men to be diligent to read and keep the things contained therein but their fraughty books must some of them bear the Title of the word of the Lord to the world and earthly men and the like so that he that seeth but very little may see them to be the men before spoken of which shall deny all that is worshipped as God shewing themselves that they are God O horrible pride and yet pretended humility this is ungodliness in a mystery I shall not enter upon the particulars of their bottomless opinion first because it is not my task at this time and
oposition to All and Many in oposition to Many which proveth what hath been before said and thus it is undeniable that God did give his Son to die for all men Reas 5. Fifthly it further appears that God hath given Christ to die for all because that God did invite and exhort such to salvation which upon the rejecting of grace are appointed to reprobation as is evident Prov. 1.22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29. Mat. 23.37 in these words How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorner delight in scorning and fools hate knowledge turn ye at my reproofe behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you I will make known my mind unto you because I called and ye refused I stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at naught all my counsel and would have none of my reproofe I will also laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me for that they have hated knowledge and did not chuse the fear of the Lord. Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together as a Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings but ye would not Behold I leave unto you your houses desolate For the kingdome of heaven is like to a certain King which made a marriage for his son and sent sorth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding but they would not come Again he sent forth other servants saying tell them that are bidden behold all things are prepared come unto the marriage but they made light of it and went their wayes one to his farm and another to his Merchandise and the remnant took his servants and intreated them spitefully and killed them And when the King heard thereof he said none of those that were bidden shall taste of my supper but was wrath with them and sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burnt up their Cities Mat. 22.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. compared with Luke 14.24 From whence we may see that those that never shall partake of that rich benefit which is held forth in this Parable viz. glory because they rejected it yet notwithstanding it was once offered unto them and also intended them if they had not rejected it but thankfully received it for take notice God never yet offered that to any man which he intended him not if he would accept of it and receive it for God offereth nothing by way of complement but all his words and works are done in truth faithfulness and righteousness and therefore cannot offer more then he hath to give or more then he doth intend to give if persons do receive it when he offereth it which proveth that Christ did die for all men and hence all men have the tenders of grace and such only perish who reject grace and so I pass to the sixt Reason to prove that God gave Christ to die for all men that they might attain a Resurrection to life and glory if they like Adam or Esau sell it not by sin which is Reas 6. Sixtly Because those that are damned are charged with denying the Lord which bought them mark that and so heap upon themselves swift destruction 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. and if so then it is evident that Christ did die for all men to which I add this Argument That if Christ dyed for those that are saved and those that are damned then he dyed for all men But he dyed for those that are saved and those that are damned Ergo he did die for all men That he dyed for those that are saved none will deny and that he did die for those that are destroyed or damned is also proved in these words But there was false Prophets amongst the people even as there shall be false teachers amongst you who privily shall bring in DAMNABLE Heresies even DENYING THE LORD THAT BOVGHT THEM and BRING VPON THEMSELVES SWIFT DESTRVCTION From whence we may see plainly that some of them that the Lord hath bought or purchased shall be found in Damnable wayes so as to deny the Lord that purchased them or bought them and so heap unto themselves swift destruction and that this purchase is no other way then but with Christs blood read 1 Pet. 1.18 19 Heb. 10. And what punishment shall he be thought worthy of who treads under foot the Son of God and counts the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and doth despite to the Spirit of grace We ought to conclude that such are guilty of the body and blood of Christ by crucifiing him again afresh putting him to open shame so then there be some whom the Lord hath bought which will come to deny him and so perish which sheweth that Christ dyed for all men for such as are saved and such as perish and that mans destruction is of himself and Gods love great to all men And so I pass to the seventh Reason to prove that God gave his Son to die for all men as before said which is Reas 7. Seventhly Because men that perish are charged with the neglect of their Salvation but if Christ never dyed for them then there never was any means or way of Salvation and then it is an impossible thing to neglect it for it cannot be truly said that man can neglect the attaining of that by slothfulness which was impossible to be attained with all his diligence but if Christ did not die for all men then those whom he dyed not for could not either neglect put away or reject their own salvation but such as perish do neglect reject and put away their own salvation which sheweth that Christ did die for all men and that there is sufficient means of Salvation to accomplish the end thereof Heb. 2.12 13. Act. 13.46 And thus briefly I pass to the eighth Reason and also hasten to the conclusion Reas 8. Eightly Because God is no respector of persons Rom. 2.8 9 10. Act. 10.34 1 Pet. 1.17 18. And therefore it doth appear that God did give Christ to die for all men or otherwise God of necessity must be a respector of persons for all men were created happy alike in the lines of Adam or otherwise grievous obsurdities would follow and as all men were created alike happie in Adam so all men sinned alike in him and now if God had given Christ to dye but for a few of them then was God a respector of persons and then was not the free gift and satisfaction as large as the transgression then was not the Serpents head broken and if so then was Christ an imperfect Saviour which to say were blasphemy but Christ is the Saviour of all men and especially of such as do believe 1 Tim. 4.10 that is he hath saved all
Heavens shall be filled with the flesh and bloud of Captaines and great men of the earth For thus saith the Prophet Ezek. 39.17 18. And thou son of man thus saith the Lord God speak unto every feathered foul and to every beast of the field Assemble your selves and come gather your selves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel that ye may eat flesh and drink blood Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the Princes of the earth and ye shall eat fat till ye be full and drink blood till ye be drunken of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you And all the heathen shall see my Judgment that I have executed and my hand that I have laid upon them Revel 19.17 And I saw an Angel standing in the Sun and he cryed with a loud voyce saying to all the fouls that flie in the midst of Heaven come and gather your selves together unto the Supper of the great God That ye may eat the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captains and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all men small and great bond and free From these Scriptures you may see that there is to be a very great slaughter at the time when the Lord Christ shall take his Kingdome to Raign upon Earth and several Prophets also bear their testimony to this thing as Isa 34.5 6. Joel 2.1 2 3 4. But because of the want of time I pass to the reasons of the point Reason 1. Because the Scripture saith that God will give him viz. Christ the heathen for his inheritance and he shall bruise them like a potters vessel Psal 2. and we also see what the Psalmist saith of Christs victory over his enemies Psal 110.5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike thorow Kings in the day of his wrath he shall Judge amongst the heathen he shall fill the places with the dead bodies he shall wound the heads over many Countries for saith he I will tread them down in my anger and trample them in my fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments and I will stain all my rayment for the day of vengeance is in my heart and the year of my redeemed is come from whence we see that Christ is not only to take the Kingdomes of the whole World into his hands but also to trample the wicked as ashes under the soles of his feet and so I pass to the second reason Reason 2. Because the Lord hath said that the destruction of the Assyrian viz. the man of sin or Antichrist shall be like the slaughter of Midian at the Rock Orib Isa 10.24 25 26. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Hosts O my people that dwell in Zion be not afraid of the Assyrian he shall smite thee with a Rod and shall lift up his staff against thee after the manner of Egypt for yet a very little while and the indignation shall cease and mine anger in their destruction and the Lord of Hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the Rock Orib now that you may understand what that slaughter was you may read Judg. 7.22 Where we find that the Lord set every mans hand against his brother so that they destroyed each other with a very great slaughter and so it will be in the day of the Lord for when they see the great unavoydable judgments which shall overtake them and that the mountains will be too narrow a covering for them then will their indignation be kindled one against another so as to destroy each other as you may see from that type in the dayes of Gideon and also from the words of the Prophet Ezek. 38.18 19 20 21 22. which saith it shall come to pass at the same time when Gogg shall come up against the Land of Israel saith the Lord God that my fury shall come up in my face For in my jealousie and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken Surely in that day shall there be a great shaking in the Land of Israel So that the fish of the Sea and the fouls of the heaven and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creepeth upon the earth and all men that are upon the face of the earth shall shake at my presence and the mountains shall be thrown down and the steep places shall fall and every wall shall fall to the ground And I will call for a sword against him thorow all my mountains saith the Lord God every mans sword shall be against his brother And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood and I will rain upon him and upon his bands and upon the many people that are with him an overflowing rain and great hailstones fire and brimstome Thus will I magnifie wy self and so forth from these words with the Prophet Zach. 14.13 We may see that there will be a very great slaughter upon Gogg and his Army at the time when the Lord Christ shall dispossess him of his great power and authority and it will be like to that slaughter of Gideon which was called the sword of the Lord and the sword of Gideon Judg. 7.18 Reason 3. That there is to be such a great slaughter is clear because it is to be like the great slaughter of Jehoshaphat upon Moab Ammon and Mount Seir 2 Chron. 20.22 23 24. which was a very great slaughter as you may read in the fore cited text and that this slaughter was a type of the slaughter that shall be at the time when Christ shall take the Kingdome you may see what Joel saith to this Joel 3.1 12 13. For behold in those dayes and in that time when I shall bring again the Captivity of Judah and Jerusalem I will gather all Nations and will bring them down unto the valley of Jehoshaphat and will plead with them there let the heathen be awakned and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat for there will I sit to Judge the heathen round about proclaim ye amongst the Gentiles prepare war beat your Plowshears into swords and your pruning hooks into spears put you in the sickle for the harvest is ripe and the Angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God and the winepress was troden without the City and blood came out of the winepress even to the horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs Revel 14.19 20. From whence we may see that there is to be a very great slaughter in and amongst the Army of Gogg and Magog I could cite many such like texts only time suffereth me not but I pass to the fourth reason Reason 4. Because it is to
the Scriptures as you may read Isa 9.6 7. In these words For unto us a child is born unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the THRONE OF DAVID and upon HIS KINGDOME to order it and to establish it with Judgment and with Justice from henceforth even for ever the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform it then shall the Sun be ashamed and the Moon confounded when the Lord of hosts shall raign IN MOVNT ZION AND IN JERVSALEM before his ancients gloriously Isa 24.23 From these Scriptures you may see that Christs Throne is to be in Mount Zion in Jerusalem in the time of his raign as First because God himself hath declared it by the Spirit of prophesie in David Psal 2.6 7. Yet will I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion c. Secondly it is a Doctrine preached by the Angel to the Virgin Mary Luke 1.30.31 32. In these words And the Angel said unto her fear not Mary for thou hast found favour with God And beh 〈◊〉 ld thou shalt coceive in thy wombe and bring forth a Son and shalt call his name Jesus he shall be great and be called the Son of the highest and the Lord shall give unto him the THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID c. Thirdly Jerusalem is to be called the Throne of the Lord as faith the Prophet Jer. 3.17 Fourthly The Lord himself saith that he will dwell there Zach. 8.3 In these words Thus saith the Lord I am returned unto Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called a City of truth it is a Prophesie of the last times as is very clear from the Text. Fifthly The Lord saith that Zion and Jerusalem is his rest and dwelling place for ever speaking prophetically also by David Psal 132.13 and Isaiah saith Cry out and shout thou inhabitant of Zion for great is the holy one of Israel in the midst of thee Isa 12.6 A clear Prophesie of Christs Kingdome Again Lastly That Christs Seat is to be in Zion in Jerusalem is clear for Micah prophesying of the last dayes and of both the Houses of Israels return viz. Israel and Judahs return out of their last long captivity saith I will make of her that halteth a remnant and her that mas cast off a strong nation and the Lord shall raign over them IN MOVNT ZION henceforth even for ever for the Lord hath appeared of old unto thee saying I have loved thee with an everlasting love for there shall be a day that the watchmen upon the Mount Ephraim shall cry arise ye and let us go up to ZION VNTO THE LORD OVR GOD. For there shall the glorious Lord be unto thee a place of broad rivers for he shall roar out of Zion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem for the LORD DWELETH IN ZION Micah 4.2 3 4 5 6. Jer. 31.6 Amos 1.2 Isa 31.4 Chap. 33.2 From these and many more Scriptures and reasons that might be given we may see where Christs Throne shall be in the time of his Kingdome which is on Mount Zion in Jerusalem that Throne which was his Father Davids which he took from the Jebusites and Christ will also take it from the Antichrist and will possess it for ever that the everlasting covenant may be made good in him even the sure mercies of David not to want a man to sit upon his Throne but that of the fruit of his loynes according to the flesh he should raise up Christ to sit upon his Throne and so shall the word of the Lord be fulfilled in its time which speaks of Christs Kingdome according to the very letter of the word as it was fulfilled in the letter of the word about his sufferings and thus I pass this particular and come to the sixt and last which is how long Christ shall raign and the estate of the wicked in that time Sixthly As it hath been already proved that Christ and the Saints shal receive a kingdom raign upon earth now I shal proceed to resolve the matter as touching the time and that is also fore-told in the Scriptures to be a thousand yeares which time will contain ten generations it being preconsidered that persons shall live in that day to be an hundred years old according to the words of the Prophet Isa 65.20 which saith There shall be no more thence an infant of dayes nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes for the child shall die an hundred yeares old and the sinner being an hundred yeares old shall be accursed and that curse shall be the same spoken by the Prophet Zech. 14.12 and that the time will be a thousand years is plain from the words of the Lord to John Rev. 20.4 5 6 7. where the Lord shewed John that the godly were to live again after death and to raign with Christ a thousand yeares before the rest of the dead men viz. the wicked were to live again But if it should be demanded of me whether Christ and the Saints shall raign but one thousand yeares I should not say possitively that they are to raign no longer as just to limit the time yet I shall give my judgment as a man who have obtained favour of the Lord and say its like that a thousand yeares may be the set time first because we know that Christ is to give up the Mediator-ship and kingdome into the hands of the Father and then he is to be all in all as you may read 1 Cor. 15.24 and the Son then must be in subjection to the Father so that although Christ be to receive the Kindom and greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven and possess it and raign yet he is to leave it again at the time appointed of the Father which seems to be the time before mentioned viz. at the end of the thousand yeares but if it should be objected and said Object That that thousand years raign which you speak of may possibly be but the very time or day that Christ and the Saints shall pass sentence upon the wicked as Christ to judge the righteous to be said to judge as they acknowledg Christs judgement to be just so trample down the wicked because the Apostle saith that one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day 2 Pet. 3.8 Answ It cannot be so understood because Christ is to sit upon the Throne of his father David and to GOVERN IT in which time his dominion shall be from Sea to Sea and from the rivers unto the end of the world they that dwell in the Wilderness shall bow to him his enemies shall lick the dust the Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents
man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed From which words we plainly see it is of a very dangerous consequence for any man to bring any other Gospel save the very same which was preached by Saint Paul and the Apostles and that Gospel was a Gospel containing all the Laws Statutes and Ordinances of King Jesus as hath been already proved therefore let every man take heed of perverting the Gospel either by adding or detracting or wresting any part thereof to their vain corrupt ends and so I pass to the ninth ground or reason of the point saying If it should be objected that this text speaks of some that would have brought the believers back again to be justified by the law I answer breefly and say that let it be what particular it will this we learn in general that the very same Gospel with the very same Laws Statutes and Ordinances which Saint Paul and the rest of the Apostles preached and practised is the very same that we must preach and practise or else be accursed Reas 9. It further appears that all Christ Laws Statutes and Ordinances are perpetuated and to remain because when Christ left the world he put his house in order and appointed to every man his work Mark 13.34 and blessed is that servant that when his Lord comes he finds so doing as he left him in chrage and thus Christ goeth before leading his people an example and they follow his steps and at last receive that blessed sentence These are virgins these are they that followed the Lamb whithersoever he goeth here are they that keep the commandements of God and the faith of Jesus right blessed are such dead that dye in the Lord for they rest from their labour and their works follow them And again they only are Christs friends that do whatsoever he commandeth such shall never be put to shame that have a respect to all his commands and again blessed and thrice happy are they that do all his commandements they shall have right to the tree of life and enter in thorow the gates into the City Amen Reas 10. and lastly because I am called upon to hasten and must be very breif I lay down this as a ground and reason to prove that all the Laws Statutes and Ordinances of Christ given forth in his last will and Testament is practicable and to be practised by the Lords People because as it is proved that they are commanded by Christ and confirmed given out as Laws Statutes to all men even every creature to the end of the world even so they all stand firm and undeniable without disanulling or adding thereunto unless the Lord Jesus have repealed or disanulled any one of them for Devils or men cannot disanul or repeal any one nay not the very least of them for he that gave them and commanded them to be observed is greater than all hath all power both in heaven earth given unto him therefore no men nor devils can disanul or add unto them the least jot or little Mat. 21.18 19. Rev. 22.18 John 17.2 Acts 3.22 23. This tenth reason why all Christs Ordinances are to continue practicabe and to be practised by the Lords people is because as devils and men cannot cancel or disanul any one of them neither hath Christ either cancelled his will or disanulled any of his Laws Statutes or Ordinances therefore they are perpetuated and to remain practicable and to be practised by the Lords people in all ages according to their several abilities untill the second and glorious coming of Jesus Christ and thus being in much hast I leave these few grounds and reasons to prove the continuance of all Christs Ordinances practicable and to be practised by the Lords People in all ages according to their several abilities and in the next place I come to the examination of the grounds and reasons which are cited by Mr. Henden to prove That some of Christs Laws and Statutes were to cease and are ceased and shall leave the serious reader to judge when I have impartially offered them to thy view without any lessening the strength of any one of them for although I am neccessitated to gather up the strength of his reason in as few words as may be yet I will not willingly miss any one thing that is material or hath weight in it cited by him to prove the cessation of Christs Ordinances and withal shall endeavour as much plainness of speech as that the weakest capacity of them that are Godly may understand it when they read it that I may not be as a Barbarion unto them the which I find to be the way most profitable unto Edification And first I shall begin with the first thing considerable which is that which he calls or lays down as a sure Maxim page 2. which is saith he Every thing hath its beginning and continuance from the word of God now whatsoever in Gospel times is fore declared and promised in Scripture for abiding did not fall but was upheld by the power of the Word thorow all the times of Apostacy as the Ordinance of Ministry Prayer Praises Baptisme and the Communion 1 Thes 5.16 17 18. Rev. 9.13 Chap. 11.1 Heb. 13.15 Isa 55.13 Chap. 65.5 Mat. 28.19 20. 1 Cor. 11.26 and also a sealed elect number with the spiritual union Rev. 7.4 5 6 7 8. Chap. 9.4 Chap. 11.1 Chap. 14.1 Likewise the being and profession of faith duties of charity with all morall precepts 1 Cor. 13.13 Mat. 16.18 Rev. 11.3 Mat. 5.17.18 Heb. 13.1 with whatsoever else is promised to continue but that which is not so perpetuated in the Word as Confirmation Ordination Church censures with the primitive order or Church stating was corrupted and turned to confusion by the great Antichrist it wanting the same word and promise to uphold its abiding For proof whereof viz. The cessation of these last mentioned Ordinances we will begin with Isa 56.5 Even unto them viz the Eunuch will I give in my house and within my walles a place and a name better then of that of sons and of daughters I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off It was a prophesie of the primitive Gospel Church the ingrafting the Gentiles there into as appears verse 2. by the salvation coming and the righteousness the Gospel Ministry then revealed also the stranger then joyning to God and the Eunuch the dry tree before then taking hold of the Covenant must allude to the Gentiles who in time past was dead and the place within the walles being interpreted from the Hebrew word J A D which signifieth Hand alluding to Church power now Why should not the place be said to be everlasting as well as the name especially being before both joyned together if the spirit had not seen the fail and interruption of the change thereof Answ In order to the clear answer of these things
I shall branch them out in particulars as first Mr. Henden saith Every thing hath its beginning and continuance from the Word of God Answ It is very true hence we conclude that God having commanded in his Word that we should hear his Son in every thing whatsoever he shall say unto us and that the Son also hath commanded his Apostles to teach others to do every thing which he had commanded them to do which was the observation of all his Ordinances alwaies even to the end of the world Mat. 28.19 20. Mark 16.15 16. which sheweth for what I can yet see from your fore cited text Isa 56.5 that all Christs Ordinances are perpetuated and to remain Secondly you say and cite many texts to prove it that the Ministry Prayer Praises Baptisme and the Communion was upheld and did not fall in the greatest to Apostasie My answer in breif to it is this That if the fore mentioned Ordinances were upheld by the power of Gods Word in the greatest times of Apostasie practicable to be practised as a duty injoyned to the Godly then see your self that you condemn your self in the thing that you alow for you do alow and believe as you say that Baptisme and the Lords Supper was upheld by the power of Gods Word and did not cease but was practicable and tole practised by the Lords People thorowout all the times of Apostacy as in page 2. line the 25. compared page 17. Paragraph the first and if so then you are to be condemned out of your own mouth for to my best understanding of your practise you neither baptize and nor practise that Ordinance of the Lords Supper and then it 's to marvel if that God hath given you over to blindness of understanding and mind for it is just with God both to give an inlargement of understanding to him that faithfully practiseth that which he knoweth and also to take away the Talent from him that improveth it not and give him up to blindness of mind be wise to consider before the decree pass and there be no remedy Thirdly The third particular is That the Ordinance of Ordination with Church Censures and the like are ceased Your first cited Text is Isa 56.5 in these words Even to them will I give in my House and within my walls a place and name better than that of Sons and of Daughters I will give unto them an everlasting Name that shall not be cut off The Place say you is to be understood by interpretation from the Hebrew word J A D a Hard alluding to Church power and why should not the word Place within my House be everlasting as well as the Name especially they being both joyned together if the Spirit had not seen the fail and interruption of the change thereof Answ If this Text say that some of Christs Ordinances as Ordination or Church Censures or the like are to cease I have wholly lost my understanding in the Scriptures but yet give me leave to shew my opinion and then judge of it as the Lord shall guid your understanding There is these two things in chief that Mr. Henden gathereth from this Text the one is that it is a Prophesie of the primitive Gospel Church containing the Gentiles which at that time should turn unto the Lord. And secondly That the place within his House is to be understood a HAND alluding to Church power viz. outward Discipline as Ordination of Ministry and Government and Church Censure and the like To which I answer and say though it will be proved to be a Prophesie of the primitive Gospel Church I have not yet seen by what Mr. Henden hath said that there was Gentiles and Eunuchs proselyted and joyned unto the Lord under the Law is plain and that they were to keep the Sabbath from polluting is also as plain and that they should have a place and a name in Gods House by laying hold of the Covenant is plain hence the Eunuch came from a far Country to Jerusalem to Worship who was after converted by Philip and this Text speaks in order both to provoke the Jews to be zealous to observe the Law of Moses and also to encourage the Gentiles who were made Proselytes in their so doing that they should have a Place and a Name in his House as well as others even the Jews and that it speaks of that juncture of time and of those Ordinances under the Law and not of Gospel Ordinances read vers 7. where he saith that their burnt Offerings and their sacrifices should be acceptable upon his Altar the which if I well understand it relates to the Ordinances under the Law which were to be observed by the proselyted Gentiles as well as the Jews and not at all to Gospel Ordinances mark I do not deny but the Prophet Isaiah doth prophesie of the conversion of the Gentiles to Gospel Ordinances as in Chap. 42.1 2 3 4 5. and in many other places but not at all in that place And as for the word My salvation is near it may be understood their being saved from the hands of their enemies or many other wayes and not of Gospel Ordinances which the word Salvation will bear And the word I will gather others unto him which you seem to question is shewn to be the House of Israel as well as the House of Judah to wit the dispersed of Samaria and that this speaks of the other House as Judah and Israel are distinguished into two Houses namely the House of Israel read vers 8. and peruse it well and consider the two Sticks that are to become one in the Prophets hand and compare these together Ezek. 37.16 17 18 19 20 21 22. and you may find what is meant by the word I will gather others unto him But I pass this for brevity sake and come to the fourth and last Particular as an answer to the above-mentioned Maxime which is The Name and Place which saith Mr. Henden are joyned together in the Text and yet one perpetuated viz. the Name and the other to cease viz. the Place which by interpretation is a Hand alluding to Church Power To which I answer and say That although this Text cannot be proved a prophesie of the primitive Gospel Church as before said yet I shall speak to this to leave it without a cover And whereas Mr. Henden saith that the Hebrew Word J A D signifying a Hand alluding to Church Power it is known that the variety of acceptations both in the Hebrew and the Greek are so great and many that if men be of a corrupt opinion they may wrest and pervert the mind of the holy Spirit I could instance some places according to the small knowledge that I have in it but I suppose the Assertion will not be denied by you take heed of making the Scripture a nose of Wax to turn both this way and that way or as men please bear with my expression and
caution without offence but admit it were as you say which it is not so that is to say what if that should be as it is not a prophesie of the primitive Gospel Church and that also the word PLACE should signifie Hand alluding to Church Power Doth that Text imply that the word Place is not perpetual or everlasting as well as the Name I am sure that the Text doth not say that the Place viz. Hand as you call it is not perpetual or everlasting as well as the Name but if it be as you say that is that by PLACE is to be understood a Hand alluding to Church power then I will take your own argument and disprove you that is if I can prove the PLACE perpetuated and to remain as well as the Name then all that you have said here falls to the ground without remedy and that they are to remain in the PLACE viz. the Hand which is the Church power as you say see the words of the Prophet Nathan which is a prophesie of that House and Place and Name which Isaiah speaks of that the Gentiles as well as the Jews should have the priviledge to have a Place therein before ever the Place or Walls or House was built read 2 Sam. 7.10 1 Chron. 17.2 in these words Moreover I will appoint a PLACE for my people Israel and will plant them that they may dwell in a PLACE of their own and move NO MORE And that this Text holds correspendency with the fore-cited Text Isa 56. see vers 3. compared with vers 8. Chap. 57.13 which also agreeth with the words of the Psalmist Psal 69.35 36. which saith For God will save Zion and build the Cities of Judah that they may dwell there and have it in possession the seed also of his servants shall inherit it and they that love his Name shall dwell therein according to that Text Revel 3.12 which saith that they shall go no more out but I will write upon him the Name of my God c. and that is a better Name than of Sons and of Daughters So then the Place is as lasting as the Name But give me leave to speak a little like your self by conjectures and imaginations and probabilities and the like and if I be admitted I shall thus say that whereas you say that the word PLACE is to be understood Church Power I say that the word NAME is that which signifieth Church Power in Scripture and in reason more properly than the word PLACE for it is said that God gave Jesus a NAME above every NAME that at the NAME of Jesus every knee should bow both of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth Now if we simply understand it as a NAME there were other which were Named Jesus as well as the Lord Jesus But by NAME I understand signifieth Power that Christ had all Power in heaven and earth resigned up into his hands and so his NAME signifieth his Power and also it hath been a Proverb formerly We charge you in the Kings NAME meaning by his Power or Authority much more I could say but enough to prove the word NAME to signifie Power and if so then the power is to be an everlasting power and Throne viz. PLACE and so to remain to all generations I could peradventure alligorize the Scriptures and make them serve my own imaginations and carry a very fair face that wayes and thereby be like unto one hopping in the Clouds and lead other after me but these things I do protest against and endeavour nothing more if my heart deceive me not than to know and declare Christ Jesus and his Laws in the plainness and simplicity of them as they were delivered to and practised by the primitive Churches whose footsteps we ought to walk in agreeing with that Propesie Psal 78.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. in these words We will not hide them from their Children shewing to the generations to come the praise of the Lord for he hath established a Testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel which he commanded our Fathers that they should make them known to their Children that the generations to come might know them walk about Zion and go round about her tell the Towers thereof mark ye well her bull-works consider her Palaces that ye may tell it to the generations following FOR I have made a covenant with my chosen thy seed will I establish for ever and build up thy Throne to all generations wherefore Glory be to God in the Church by Christ Jesus through all ages World without end Amen Ephes 3. last Psal 89.3 4. Psal 48.12 13. And now I shall only sum up all in a few words and pass from this particular And the first is First That every thing hath its beginning and continuance from the word of God saith Mr. Henden and yet did say in the above mentioned Conference to Captain Tucker when he urged a Scripture command for to warrant the practice of Baptisme in our age said that a command to warrant the practice of it was not sufficient unless it were accompanied with the same power the which I conceive agreeth not together Secondly Mr. Henden saith that Baptisme and the Lords Supper did not cease in all the time of Apostacy BVT DID REMAIN practicable as a duty to be practised it having a word for its continuation and yet to my best understanding of his practice by information he practiseth neither of them and thereby condemns himself in the thing that he alloweth and therefore its just with God to give him up to blindness Again as for his cited place Isa 56.5 to prove some of the Ordinances to cease is answered as First by shewing it was not a prophesie of the primitive Gospel Church because the primitive Gospel Church was to offer no burnt offering and sacrifice upon the Altar as these were to do and to be accepted in so doing but these things were taken out of the way and not to be mentioned amongst a Gospel Church for so saith the Spirit sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings thou wouldst not neither hadst thou pleasure in them but a body hast thou prepared Again the Gentiles were then under those sacrifices joyned to God Again it s proved that the PLACE is as everlasting as the NAME and that NAME in Scripture signifieth power more properly than PLACE And thus I pass to the next proof or reason to prove the cessation of some of Christs Ordinances cited by Mr. Henden which is saith he Turn to Mat. 16.18 Where you may observe that to the profession of Peters faith and Christ the rock believed is fore-spoken that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it but vers 19. The keyes of binding and loosing opening and shutting are set after â—as having no such promise annexed to them and why should this be but to shew that these keyes in the Churches hand should have a
he appears to be an hypocrite even a drunkard or a fornicator or the like now will you admit of that man although formerly he had communion with you to have communion with you now when he appears both to you and all men that behold him to be a scandalous and prophane man I hope not and if another man of the great or little Bodies as you call them should proffer to have communion with you whom you judge godly would you not admit of him surely yea and if so consider at your leisure how much less this is than receiving and rejecting taking in and casting out binding and loosing consider well if yours were a congregation approved of by Christ the danger of such as ye reject and the benefit of such as ye admit of and indeed my opinion is that the great reason why ye do not practise that Ordinance is because if you did then you would be necessitated to receive in and cast out or otherwise you would have such a communion as the very worldlings would hisse at but now that you may shuffle a company together of all sorts and inlarge your Tents rather than you would let go some the which you would be ashamed of if yours were a communion of Saints you let go Christs Ordinance and so condemn your self in the things that you allow and indeed I do profess it seems very strange to me that any man that hath but a face of zeale in Religion and godliness that they will associate themselves with you in spiritual things for I do assure you that I should be very cautious how I had any communion with a man that liveth in the breach of that which he knoweth to be his duty to do fearing that he that makes but little conscience or indeed no conscience in one duty will make as little conscience in another provided it be inconsistant with his credit or reputation But to pass these things I shall give an argument to prove the continuation of receiving and rejecting binding and loosing which is If there be such a conjunction between keeping the Lords Supper and receiving and rejecting as that the Lords Supper cannot remain practicable and to be practised so as to be approved of God without it then receiving in and casting out is as perpetual as the Lords Supper But there is such a conjunction between the keeping of the Lords Supper and receiving and rejecting so that the Lords Supper cannot remain practicable and to be practised so as to be approved of by God without it Ergo the Ordinance of receiving and rejecting is as perpetual as the Lords Supper and one to attend the other The major is undeniable that is to say in short thus if receiving in and casting out be an Ordinance of such consequence as the Lords Supper cannot remain to be practised without it then it of necessity will follow that if one remain practicable so doth the other and Mr. Henden saith one doth remain namely the Lords Supper And the minor I shall prove that one cannot remain practicable without the other that is to say that without receiving into the Church and casting out of the Church the Ordinance of the Lords Supper cannot remain practicable and practised so as the Lord will approve of it and if so receiving into communion and casting out viz. binding and loosing is perpetuated and to remain as well as the Lords Supper but now to prove the minor namely that the Lords Supper cannot remain practised so as to be approved of by God without receiving in and casting out is first persons must have a time to be received into the visible Church of Christ one way or other unless persons are born members of Christs Church the which I think none will affirm because Christ saith that unless a man be borne again he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God for that which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of Spirit is Spirit marvel not that I say unto thee that thou must be borne again And that it was the practice of the primitive Churches to receive in her members is clear from these Scriptures and many more that might be added Rom. 15.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. 2 Cor. 7.2 Gal. 4.13 14. 3 John 10. So that if there be not a continual adding to the Church daily such as shall be saved then Christs House will be quickly empty Secondly If there be not also a casting out the Lords Supper cannot remain practised so as the Lord will accept of it for the Lord hath commanded that if any be a fornicator or covetous or extortioner or an idolator or a drunkard or a railor that the Church should not have communion with him no not with such an one to eat and that there hath been such in the Church of God and have been cast out when they have been discovered read 1 Cor. 5. from the first verse to the 12. and that it is so in our dayes is plainly seen that there be some that seem to walk a while as Christians and then who can deny them the Lords Supper and not long after do shew themselves wicked and prophane and then who dares to administer it unto them and who dares to eat with them because the Lord hath forbid it And therefore to say that the Churches may and ought to break bread viz. eat the Lords Supper at such a time as she hath lost her power to deal with the wicked and scandalous so far as to exclude them is no less than to say that Christ is a transgressor in building the things the which he hath destroyed and will not the Church then be a cage of all manner of unclean birds or is it not as frequently seen that there be apostates in our dayes as in the primitive age and in short take this maxime that take either a Common-wealth without its power in government namely power to bind and loose in Civils and a Family without its power in government and a Church of Christ without its power in government and you shall see that the best of it will be a lump of confusion and at the end come to destruction or be a desolation so then the sum of all is this in short that if the Ordinance of the Lords Supper be perpetuated and to ramain in the greatest times of apostacy then the power of the Church also did remain because it is impossible for persons to eat the Lords Supper so as for God to approve of it if the Church have not power to exclude offenders because with such the Church may not eat nor have no fellowship in Spiritual things 2 Cor. 6. And that such were and will be found in the visible Church till they be purged out the Scriptures and our experience witnesseth daily from whence we may see that if the Church have not lost that precious Ordinance of the Lords Supper neither hath she lost her keyes of binding and loosing
namely of receiving in or casting out although one Star fell from Heaven to Earth Revel 9. yet he carryed not away the heavenly keyes or power no more than the evil Angels when they fell could carry away the heavenly power and authority of the good Angels no they were so far from carrying away the power that the good Angels had that the power that the evil Angels had was taken away and given to the good Angels as the one Talent was taken and given to him that had ten so to him that hath shall be given and to him that hath not shall be taken away that which he hath so then the conclusion is that if one Star did fall it s nothing in comparison of many Stars which did not fall and that fallen Star did not carry away the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven namely the heavenly power but God took it away from him and the Devil gave him the keyes of drakness so it was not the keys of the Kingdome for they still remained with them that abode in the truth as hath been already proved and by your self in effect hath been granted and thus I pass to the next thing considerable which is The four Winds Revel 7.1 with its interpretation by Mr. Henden But by the way I take notice of what is said in the beginning of his 4. page from Zech. 4. which speaks concerning their building of Jerusalem and the Temple after the seventy years of captivity in Babylon the which he applies to be a Gospel Church and the Pipes there spoken of to be understood Ordinances and from the seven Pipes spoken of vers 2. is to be understood the practising of the full number of Ordinances in the Primitive time and the two Golden Pipes in vers 12. Is to be understood the least of numbers and that least of numbers relates to the time of the Churches being in Babylon that then the lesser number of Ordinances were practicable and to be practised This is the sum in short that I gather from that his discourse To which I answer briefly and first that the 4 Chapter of Zech. is a Prophesie of a Gospel Church I cannot as yet see nor believe it is clear that it was a prophesie of the redifying of Jerusalem and the Candelstick the Lamps and Pipes belonging to it is the same vessels that God appointed in the Temple as you may read Exod. 25. Lev. 24.4 Numb 4.9 the oyle vessels ministering unto it is to be understood the Pipes Chap. 8.2 2 Kings 4.10 1 Chron. 28.15 from these and many more Scriptures that might be added we may see that the Candlestick with the Lamps and Pipes viz. the ministering vessels unto the Lamps and Candelstick was the same that God shewed unto Moses in the pattern and appointed it to remain in the Temple and after that pattern it was made in Solomons time and the very same was to be after the seventy years of captivity and it is far more evident because if we observe the Prophesie of Haggai who speaks of one and the same thing he will tell us that Zerubbabel and Joshua according to Zechariahs words that he should lay the foundation and also finish it Hag. 1.14 Zech. 4.9 and that this prophesie relates to Jerusalem read Haggai and Zechariah at large I do not say that it relates only to the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple at the end of the seventy years captivity but in it is a Prophesie of the redifying of the City and Temple destroyed since by Titus Vespatian which is yet to be built again according to the Word of the Lord Rev. 11. but more of that anon but in a short sentence I further add this as a reason to prove that the Prophesie of Zechariah Chap. 4. most primely relates to the redifying of Jerusalem at their coming out of the seventy years of captivity because that both Haggai and Zechariah have the Word of the Lord coming to them both at that time as to Haggai the Word of the Lord came to him in the sixth seventh month in the second year of Darius Chap. 1.1 Chap. 2.1 and to Zechariah it came in the eighth month in the same year Zech. 1.1 and the work of both Prophets was to stir up the People to the work of building of the House of God for they being hindred by subtilty in the dayes of Cyrus because that Zerubbabel and Joshua and the rest of the chief of the Fathers would not let the people of the Land build with them as you may see at large in Ezra 4.1 2 3 4 5 6. that they at last out of custome grew careless and was content to live in their sealed houses and let the house of God lye waste Hag. 1.2 and hence the Word of the Lord stirred them up by the two fore mentioned Prophets namely Haggai and Zechariah that they might go on to finish the Work for Zerubbabel had begun it before and laid the Foundation in the daies of Cyrus and being stopped as before said he was to finish it in the daies of Darius which agreeth with the words of Zechariah Chap. 4.9 in these words The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house his hands also shall finish it compare Haggai with the four first Chapters of Zechariah and compare them both with Ezra 3.8.9 10. Chap. 4.1 2 3 4 5 6. and you may clearly see that what I have said is undeniably true and that is the thing that Zechariah speaks of in Chap. 4. which Mr. Henden would have to be a Gospel Church it 's clear that men may be carried away very strangely in the judgments and understandings if that they be guided by their own spirits or immaginations without searching the Scriptures and well comparing them together so as they may hold a correspondency together I am not willing to be nice in observing obsurdities the which if I were and had time I could observe many but at present I shall leave this thing saying that if the Pipes signifie the Ordinances of the Gospel and that they were lost from seven to two so that there is now but two Ordinances practicable and it 's a question to some whether Mr. Henden practise above one of them two what Ordinances they be which remain but you say that the two signifie the least of numbers and so I think that two is the least of numbers but that I may take you in the best sense I understand you mean that the Ordinances was devided in two numbers and the biggest number was to cease in Babylon as you call it and the lesser number to be perpetuated and remain the which if so cast up your account again and you will find upon your own account that the greater number is perpetuated and to remain as 1. Ministry 2. Prayer 3. Praises 4. Baptisme 5. the Lords Supper 6. the Sealed elect number 7. the Spiritual union 8. the beginning and profession of faith
9. the duties of charity all these are acknowledged by you to be perpetuated and to remain Secondly the other number as 1 Confirmation 2 Ordination 3 Church-Censure 4 Church-stating these are corrupted and are ceased as you say and which of these is the greatest number I leave the wise to judge from whence they may see that the two Pipes should not parallel with the perpetuated Ordinances and therefore shall leave them as excellent in their proper place and signification but altogether of an uncertain sound as they have been applyed not fit for persons to dance after and thus I leave this particular and come to speak somewhat to the four Winds Revel 7.1 The four Winds saith Mr. Henden Page 4. Is to be understood the Winds of the Spirit the begetting and preserving cause of these visible keyes before spoken of where by reason of the falling away were wholly with-held from their apparent blast and the cause failing the effects must also cease These four Angels we conceive to be evil Spirits working by their principal Ministers the four capital Patryarchs of the Christian World to wit the Bishop of Alexandria for the South of Antioch for the East of Constantinople for the North and Rome for the West who usurping all ecclesiastical government into their hands did by their contention and pride gradually detain the four Winds from breathing in the external regement till at the last the head-ship fell into Rome Page 29. Answ There is many things laid down the which I shall speak to in particular and that very briefly because I am much straitned for time and also I think there is so little coulour of truth in it that few will believe it whether I speak any thing to it yea or nay but because I would not willingly miss any thing that seems of weight in your eye I shall examine the particulars and first to the first which is The four Winds spoken of Revel 7.1 Is the Winds of the Spirit saith Mr. Henden In Answer to this I shall cite the Text and speak little to it but leave the Reader to Judge see the Text Revel 7.1 in these words And After these things I saw four Angels standing on the four corners of the Earth holding the four Winds of the EARTH that the Wind should not blow upon the Earth nor on the Sea nor on any green Tree From these words we may take notice that the four Winds are called the Winds of the EARTH mark that and wherever the Spirit of the Lord or the breathings forth of his Spirit is called by the name of the four Winds of the Earth I never yet read although I have examined Ezek. 1.4 5. chap. 37.9.14 Acts 2.2 The which none of the places run parallel with Revelations 7.1 They are not called the four Winds of the Earth as for Exekiels vision chap. the first Ezekiel saw the Heavens opened it was not the four Winds of the Earth no but a whirle-wind and a cloud from the OPEN HEAVENS North-ward in the which whirle-wind the Lord appeared to Ezekiel between the sour living creatures which were Cherubims and we know it is usual for the Lord to appear in a whirle-wind between the Cherubims that those living creatures spoken of in Ezek. 1.5 were Cherubims and that the Lord dwelleth between or amongst the Cherubims is clear from chap. 10. compared with 1 Sam. 4.4 2 Kings 19.15 Psal 80.1 and 99.1 And that which is spoken obscurely in the first chap. of Ezekiel is more plainly expounded in Chap 10. where the living creatures spoken of in Chap. 1. are called Cherubims in Chap. 10.20 in these words This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the River Chebar and I knew that they were Cherubims Time would fail me to open the matter contained in the vision and the end of it but enough to prove that it relates not at all to the four Winds spoken of in Revel 7. Secondly as to the Winds spoken of in Ezek. 37.9 I say that its only used by way of allusion because our lives are called wind Job 7.7 and Israel being in captivity and so as dead men the Lord sheweth the Prophet Ezekiel that he would revive them and recover them out of their captivity and bring them again into their own Land vers 21. and also we may observe that they must first have the breath of life and be brought out of their graves which breath of life to raise them from their graves was to come from the four Winds and then after this they were to be brought into their own Land and the Spirit of God was not to be poured out upon them while they were in captivity but after they were come into their own Land at a set time Zech. 12.9 10 11. which sheweth that Wind spoken of there was not that Spirit which you aim at which if it were yet it holds no agreement with the text cited by you Revel 7.1 because it is not called the Winds of the Earth for there is the Winds of the Earth and there is the Winds of Heaven Dan. 8.8 Chap. 11.4 Zech. 2.6 Mat. 24.31 Revel 7.1 Thirdly To the Text cited by you Acts 2.2 in these words And suddenly there came a sound FROM Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind c. from these words we may see that this Wind came from HEAVEN and so was not that Wind spoken of in Revel 7. Because that was the four Winds of the EARTH mark that Fourthly it doth not say that there came a Wind from Heaven and sate upon each of them but cloven tongues which sate upon each of them and the sound was like unto a mighty rushing Wind it doth not say it was a Wind that blew but there was heard a sound as it were a mighty rushing Wind so then the sound of it was as it were or like a Wind and every likeness is not the same but why need I keep such a stir about this Wind I remember Mr. Henden saith in his 28. Page and line 19 20. that the with-holding the Winds of the Spirit hurt not the elect his words are these all save the elect were hurt thereby and subverted From whence we now learn from what Mr. Henden saith in this place that it was from the reprobate that the Winds of the Spirit was with-held from blowing on them This is that I understand from his words if I understand him aright unless there be a third sort of men that is to say the elect and reprobate and another sort which is neither elect nor reprobate and if this be Mr. Hendens opinion viz. that the with-holding of the Winds of the Spirit did not hurt the elect but the reprobate then one of us have fought as it were with our own shadow for it was ever my judgment since I knew any thing of God that Gods holy Spirit was ever with-held from the reprobate they having no part or portion in
shall Michael stand up the GREAT PRINCE which standeth for the Children of THY people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation For Behold the day of the Lord cometh and thy spoil viz. Jerusalems shall be divided in the midst of thee and I will gather all Nations against JERVSALEM to battail and the CITY shall be taken and the Houses riffled and the Women ravished and half of the City shall go forth into Captivity and the residue of the people shall not be out off from the City this is the Woman that flyeth into the Wilderness and the remnant of her Seed which remains Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those Nations as when he fought in the day of battail and his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem And I said to the man cloathed in Linnen how long shall it be to the end of these wonders namely the troublesome time and the treading down of JERUSALEM underfoot And I heard the man cloathed in Linnen swear by him that liveth for ever and ever It shall be for a Time and Times and half a Time and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people all these things shall be finished From whence we may see that Jerusalem is to be trod under foot according to the saying of the Text Revel 11. and also the time how long which by Daniel is said to be a Time and Times and half a Time and in the Revelations Chap. 11.2 it is said to be Forty and two Months in these words But the Court which is without the Temple leave out and measure it not for it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two months All which time the Woman shall be fled into the Wilderness for she flyeth at the first of Jerusalems being taken so soon as she is delivered of the Man-child and it is the remnant of her seed which remaineth in Jerusalem over whom the Beast is to have power forty and two Months Revel 13.5 Zech. 14.1 2. Unto whom the two Witnesses is to prophesie and the time of the Womans flight into the Wilderness is the very same time in latitude with the scattering of the power of the holy people spoken by Daniel Chap. 12.7 And the holy City being trod under foot spoken of by St. John Rev. 11.2 And that you may see that the time of the Womans flight into the Wilderness is the very time of the scattering of the holy People namely the People of the Jews which Daniel frequently cals a holy People for then they shall all be holy unto the Lord and also the treading of the holy City underfoot read Revel 12.14 in these words And to the Woman was given two wings of a great Eagle that she might flee into the Wilderness into her place where she is nourished for a Time and Times and half a Time from the face of the Serpent From all which hath been said I gather this Conclusion which materially offereth it self which is That the Court without which is not to be measured is to be undestood that the Jews are to return and build their City and Temple and the Court without not measured but given unto the Gentiles is to be understood that the Families of the Gentiles above spoken of shall come to Jerusalem as to a Town of unwalled Villages before the outward Court and Walls is finished and take it and divide the spoil and the holy City being trod under foot is to be understood the spoil that will be made in Jerusalem for the space of forty and two Months in the which time the two Prophets or Witnesses shall prophesie unto that party of the Jews which do not flie into the Wilderness Zech. 14.1 2. Revel 11.3 Chap. 12.17 the which time of scattering of the holy People Dan. 12.7 for a Time and Times and half a Time and the holy City being trod under foot forty and two Months Revel 11.2 and the two Witnesses prophesying a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes and the Womans being nourished in the Wilderness from the face of the Serpent a Time and Times and half a Time agreeing with Daniel as before cited All these times though in several phrases is one and the same time for latitude in which time the Jews shall be scattered for as it is called by John Revel 11.2 forty and two Months and a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes yet to clear up what he means by that Time he also cals it a Time and Times and half a Time Revel 12.14 in the same phrase with Daniel 12.7 where he cals it a Time Times and a half which is just three Years and a half for a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes considering according to the Jews account thirty dayes to a Month is just forty and two Months and forty and two Months is also three Years and a half and hence it is called by Daniel and also by John a TIME and TIMES and half a TIME And that a Time is to be understood one Year and Times in the plural number is to be understood Years read Dan. 4 25. in these words And they shall drive thee from men and thy dwelling shall be with the Beasts of the field and seven TIMES shall pass over thee till thou know that the most High ruleth in the Kingdome of men c. From this Text we understand that the seven TIMES is understood the seven Years that Nebuchadnezzar was cast out into the open field to eat grass with the Oxen and to be wet with the dews of heaven until he had humbled himself and acknowledged the Lord So then by TIME in the singular number I understand one Year and by TIMES in the plural number although the least of numbers I understand two Years and by half a TIME I understand half a Year so then the TIME and TIMES and half a TIME is just three Years and a half which is also a thousand two hundred threescore dayes or forty two Months all which being considered with the premises sheweth That although a measuring Line be to pass over Jerusalem yet once again yet before it is finished to wit the Walls or outward Court there will be a stop by the Man of Sin or the great Army before mentioned and the City it self shall be taken and the Houses riffled and it trod under foot three Years and a half and then shall everlasting righteousness be broubt in namely Jesus Christ which shall take the Kindome Dominion greatness of the Kingdoms under the whole Heaven Dan. 7. and sit and raign upon the Throne of his Father David and this is that which I understand from Rev. 11.1 2 3 4. with the fore mentioned Scriptures and many that I could add if I had time the which is plainly signified from
secret Chamber and that we may come to understand it let us observe the text as it is written Mat. 24.4 5 23 24 25 26 27 28. in these words And Jesus said unto them viz. his Disciples Take heed that no man deceive you For many shall come in my name saying I AM CHRIST and deceive many Then if they shall say unto you Loe here is Christ or there beleeve it not For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great Signs and Wonders insomuch as if it were possible they should deceive the very elect Behold I have told you before Wherefore if they shall say unto you behold he is in the desart go not forth behold he is in the secret Chamber beleeve it not For as the lightening cometh out of the East and shineth into the West so shall also the coming of the Son of man be For wheresoever the carcasse is there will the Eagles be gathered together In Order to the opening of this Text I shall devide it into several parts and the first is the Caution that Christ giveth to his Disciples which is Take heed saith he that no man deceive you and the reason is because many shall come in my name and say I am Christ and deceive many the word Take heed that no man deceive you is not only to be understood the Disciples in that Age but in all Ages successively Secondly Observe the Word saying I am Christ Which relates to a Person and not to a Fabrick or a Model more especially because we know that Christ is to come as a single person as a Glorified man and therefore such as would feign him so as to make persons believe that they are Christ must come as a single Person although with attendance as he is to come And secondly because we know that it hath been the practise of some already who have given out of themselves that they were some great one even the Lord or he that is to be King of the Jews as BENCHOCAB and HACKIT as hath been already mentioned and more that might be mentioned besides in our dayes he that professed himself to be the great one or King of the Jews and drawed Disciples after him who lived in a Tent near Rochester known to be truth together with the late professed Christ neer Bristol who was adored in the streets as was creditably spoken of such as heard it with tho name HOSANNA BLESSED IS HE THAT COMETH IN THE NAME OF THE LORD Thirdly Because that the Scripture sheweth that it is to be a person and not a fabrick or model or form of worship false in its constitution as first from Dan 8.23 24 25. compared with 2 Thes 2.3 4 5 6 7 8 9. for the Antichrist denyeth saith St. John the Father and the Son and he is an Antichrist that so doth and St. Paul saith that HE shall deny all that is called God or worshipped as God And we know that Rome it self doth acknowledge God and worship him although in a false manner but the Antichrist shall deny both the Father and Son and will not admit that any shall be worshipped as God but himself shewing himself that he is God and to bring his design about he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand saith the Prophet Daniel which is a person coming with signs and lying wonders 2 Thes 2.3 4 5 6. compared with Revel 13.18 19 20 31. agreeing with the Text it self Mat. 24.24 which saith For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets not false constituted Churches and shall shew great signs and wonders c. From whence we may see that the Antichrist or false Christ is a person or persons and not a false worship Fourthly and Lastly it cannot be understood a form of worship or a people set down to worship God in a form because the Text saith if they say loe here is Christ or there believe it not implying thus much that Christ was not to be found here nor there that is no where in any form or worship in no Church whatsoever and if this be true then to be sure Christ is not to be found in Mr. Hendens form for Mr. Henden hath a form which he pretends he worships God in to wit a form of meeting together a form of preaching of praying of praising and a form of Baptisme and the Lords Supper if he were true to his principles which is either a form of worship or a lump of confusion for what is without form in point of visible worship is confusion And what if Mr. Hendens Judgment were true that is to say if the Church were in the Desart or Wilderness hath Christ left his Church there alone without his spiritual presense surely no he hath said and is faithful that he will never leave and forsake his Church so that wheresoever there be but two or three gathered together in his name he will be present with them and was he not with the Church in the Wilderness Acts 7.38 yea surely it is not rationally thought that Christ will not be found in his own worship by such as worship him in truth and righteousness of heart so then the Text cannot be interpreted as Mr. Henden interprets it because Christ is to be found here and there and indeed every where in his spiritual presense where two or three meet together in his name if it be in the Desart or Wilderness he will be there for he was with his Church in the Wilderness and is the same yesterday to day and for ever And therefore it cannot rationally be understood as Mr. Henden interprets it and thus I pass what hath been said to the Text by Mr. Henden and in the next place shall shew you my opinion briefly upon the Text which is In this Text I observe many things which were necessary to be spoken to if I had time because it holds correspondency with Daniel Joel Zechariah and the Revelations but I shall only meddle with the point in controversie namely First What may be understood by the false Christ and false Prophets and of their signs and wonders Secondly Of the Desart or secret chambers Thirdly Of the coming of the Son of man like lightning Fourthly and Lastly of the carkass and the Eagles being gathered unto it and these in order briefly and first to the first which is The false Christs and false Prophets I understand to be persons who will come before the coming of the Lord Jesus in the Clouds in power great glory will affirm that they are the Christ which was to come the which some have done already but that I conceive to be only the working of the mystery of iniquity which began in the Apostles dayes as St. Paul and St. John declares 2 Thes 2.7 8. 1 John 2.18 19. chap. 4.3 and that the height of that iniquity centereth in that Beast and false Prophet spoken of in Revel 13.4 5 to the sixteenth
the which was practised by the Lord and the primitive Churches and left written for us to follow their examples and therefore wanted no new signs or miracles to confirm it it being already confirmed and that they only want new Signs and Miracles for confirmation that walk in new waies and Ordinances which have not as yet been confirmed but the waies and Ordinances which we walk in and contend for are the same which have been already confirmed as none can deny and therefore warrantable to be practised by all the Lords People and thus I leave this particular and come to the next thing considerable which is All the Apostles were dead at the end of the first or beginning of the second Century in a little time after Evangilists and Prophets you may from this place as well argue the constant abiding of Apostles Prophets and Evangelists as of Pastors and Teachers seeing the Spirit here speaks of a compleat full dispensation of Official Ministers consisting of all these together to bring this noble work to its perfection page 21. Answ Whereas you say all the Apostles were dead at the end of the first or the beginning of the second Century It 's a very hard matter for you to prove it unless by the word ALL you mean ALL the twelve Apostles and if so its very like that all they might be dead by that time but that either the Offices of Apostleship dyed then or that all the Apostles which were to be to the worlds end were then dead that I possitively deny because I find that in the time of the Roman Beast or Babylonias raign their shall be Apostles and Prophets who shall rejoyce at her down-fall who have been persecuted by her Revel 18.20 in these words Rejoyce over her thou Heavens and ye holy APOSTLES and PROPHETS for God hath avenged you on her The word Heaven is to be understood the Church and Apostles and Prophets is to be understood Messengers and such as have been fore-tellers of Babels destruction for so is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostolos Prophetas to be understood for the word Apostolos is to be understood a Messenger one sent in the Lords message to carry the good news of salvation unto the sons of men and the word Prophetas men fore-telling of things to come and such as speak to edification exhortation and comfort for so saith St. Paul Prophesie is a speaking to edification exhortion and comfort and such Apostles and Prophets they were that were to rejoyce at Babylons down-fall and such were before the second Century and since it and also such there will be at Babylons down-fall and till the end of the World so then Apostles and Prophets are to remain and as for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evangelists they are such as set forth carry or publish either with tongue or pen the joyful or sweet news or glad tydings of great joy which is to all men hence Matthew and John who were without all dispute Apostles yet were called by way of emphasis Evangelists because they published by way of writing the joyful news or glad tydings comprehended in the life and death of the Lord Jesus and so Paul writing to Timothy bids him do the work of an Evangelist make an full proof of thy Ministry 2 Tim. 4. So then an Evangelist I understand to be such an one that hath a great faculty or more properly a gift carrying him on to set forth both with tongue and pen the glad tydings of great joy Every one hath his proper gift from God and some have a gift much leading them to reprove for sin and exhort from sin I do not say that such cannot or do not preach glad tydings at any time but say they may at some times and yet their gift runs out or leads them forth most to reproof for sin and the like and so it is on the other hand some mens gift leads them forth to preach mostly upon comfortable things to the godly as the joyes of salvation and all such glad tydings and not reproof and terror and the like and I understand that it s not the OFFICE simply considered which is from the Lord but it is the gift qualifying for the OFFICE which is from the Lord and the OFFICE it self from the Church and the Text carryeth the gift to quallifie for the Office to be from God and not the OFFICE it self as you may read Ephes 4.8 Psal 68.18 in these words Wherefore when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave GIFTS to men compared with vers 11. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and some Teachers ver 12. For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ until we ALL come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto the perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ From whence we may learn that all those gifts spoken before are for the work of the Ministry and if the Ministry did remain in all the times of apostacy as you say it did then of necessity those gifts and offices did also remain for all these are comprehended in the Ministry and it is for the perfecting of the Saints till we all come into the unity of the faith now the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of a very large acceptation or signification as from the Lattin word CONSVMMATIO a full finishing or atchieving the total sum and ending of the work from whence I understand that from the word which saith for the PERFECTING of the Saints VNTIL we ALL that is all the Saints come into the unity of the faith to the measure and stature of Christ Is meant that these gifts offices are to remain until all the Saints even until the last which is to be born and brought forth gradually into the World is converted and united into the faith and made a perfect man in Christ Jesus So then all these official gifts are to remain and are unseperable in the Ministry for the gathering of the Saints and perfecting those that are thereby gathered until all be both gathered and perfected and thus I shall leave this as having more to say to it but want time and therefore pass to the next thing which is The Sealed number are not the natural seed of Abraham saith M. Henden but Gentile Israelites proved by these reasons First The Book of the Revelation was not sent to the Jews but to the Gentiles Secondly The main body of the vision was after the dayes of John Thirdly The four Angels stood upon the quarters of the Earth Fourthly The hurt was chiefly introduced by the Locust and by the Beast which can in no sense be applyed to the Jews Fifthly The Nations possessed the Court without which was the stand of the common
Mr. Henden seems to reprove Mr. Elmestone in his 33. pag. for calling Babylon by way of argument Zion and yet in his 29. pag. he calls Mount-Zion Babylon himself so that I may take up St. Pauls words Rom. 2.22 which saith Thou that abhorrest Idols dost thou commit sacriledge but I pass to the conclusion which is saith Mr. Henden If the Romish and Antichristian defection be not decyphered by these figures but the Jews only then it is altogether omitted in this book then must all from thence to the end of the Revelations be peculiar to the Jews Answ These figures do not decypher the defection of the Romish Babylon and yet both her defection and judgment was shewn unto John as in Revel 17. chap. 18. and also somewhat shewn as a consequence of it chap. 1.5 chap. 6. but these things would be too large to speak to in particular at present considering my time is short I may have time to open these things more at large hereafter but at present I say in a few words that both the vision of Daniel and also of the Revelations speaks more properly of the change of the Monarchical Governours and Governments of the World than the defection of a Church to wit the Church of Rome for the fourth kingdome upon earth which was the Roman kingdome was begun before the vision was shewn unto John yea before Christ suffered for he suffered under the Roman power and therefore he speaks not much of that and the defection of a Church or false worshippers and the people of God suffering under them is no strange thing and therefore not so observeable when we consider how frequent apostates and false worshippers are in this world and for a Church to change its government into states pollicy is no great thing to be noted in Scripture but the alteration of Monarchical Government and Governors is of great note in the Prophesie of Daniel and also in the book of the Revelations because they are the things that shew forth the government of the great King Jesus upon Earth whose Kingdome shall break in pieces all other Kingdomes when their Kingdom cometh into the hands of the eight who also is of the seventh the which I have shewn how it is although in differing phrases before the which time and things approacheth very near for we doutless live in the latter end of the fourth Kingdom viz. the Roman Kingdome in the time of the feet and toes which was partly Iron and partly Clay which holds not together in its mixture which is the Cause of the great stir and strivings in our Nations and other places in the World at this day Dan. 2.31 32. to the 45. But I leave this and the reasons cited by Mr. Henden to prove that the Sealed number were Gentiles and leave the serious Reader to peruse Revel 7.4 5 6 7 8. which will better inform them who the Sealed number is and thus I pass to the next thing considerable which is The best of Saints saith Mr. Henden are not yet come to that height of righteousness requirable in a Gospel order in point of love and mutual fellowship page 70. Answ I had thought that you had said before in page 2. that their spiritual union and charity and all moral Precepts did remain according to their primitive institution and were not corrupted by the Beast in all the times of apostacy and now to say that the sealed elect number had lost their righteousness in point of love mutual fellowship is to say that the sealed elect number that were not hurt as you say were so hurt as they had not only their outward order corrupted but were also so corrupted within that the notable and theological grace of love and mutual fellowship was so defaced as they not fit to meddle with outward Ordinances and if they were not fit to meddle with them how were they fit to meddle as I may say with God in that Ordinance of Prayer and Praying and how could such eat the Lords Supper which signifieth mutual love and fellowship the which Ordinance you say was practicable and to be practised in all the times of apostacy and would not their defection in that point as well disable them from being an elect number as well as from outward Ordinances when we consider all other graces without that grace of love is nothing when they had lost that grace of love or so defaced in it as not fit for the out-side of things I mean the outward Ordinances which you speak of how then could they be fit for God and spiritual worship I know not mend it when you write again and when you have done all that you can do to it there will appear in my judgment more confusion contradiction in it than good reason but I leave it at present and shall speak somewhat to your sixth Reason against constituting as you call it of Churches in our times which is A further reason of the unwarrantableness of Church constitutions in our times is the divisions rents amongst the godly page 72. Answ The divisions amongst the godly is acknowledged not to be their strength but weakness not their vertue but rather their vice yet notwithstanding it may be and is a time now for the gathering of Saints and constituting them into congregations in the order of the Gospel for so we understand the word Church to be a congregation for there was divisions in the primitive time amongst the Churches and also amongst the Apostles so as that St. Paul and Barnabas rent or divided one from another and also there was great contentions amongst the Corinthians and the Philipians and others Acts 15.39 1 Cor. 1. 1. Phil. 1.16 which was not their vertue as before said and there are a people in our dayes even in our Nation I may say and speak safely consisting of thousands that are one in the faith fellowship and order of the Gospel many more are coming onwards according to their several abilities in the knowledge of God although there be some that are weak amongst professors yet that may not hinder those that are strong and able to work in their building of a house for the Lord but I pass these things and come to the next and last Objection which is to prove a seperation without Church stating cited by Mr. Henden which is saith he This return from mystical Babylon is not fully accomplished at one time but is traced by distinct steps and degrees Answ You would have done well to have shewn the steps that is to say how many there be and what time they require to be trod that we may know when we be at the journeyes end surely its a long journey for you have been almost ten years already in your journey for now it s almost 1660. and the fullfiling of the time of the captivity ended as you say in the year 1650. was Israel so long coming out of
Wilderness of Moab Sixthly The time of her abode in the Wilderness is three years a half Seventhly The people to whom the two Witnesses shall prophesie is the small number of the ten Tribes then in Jerusalem Eightly The two witnesses I understand to be John who saw the vision in the vayl of Patmose and Elijah these things I shall speak to in particular and give my reason why I thus believe and leave the Reader to judge hoping that if any judge me to be deceived in the matter they will rather make me an Object of their pitty rather than an Object of their scorn and shew me their judgment upon the thing in particular and their reason why they so believe and I hope that I shall not slight it but peruse it and weigh it in the ballance of the Sanctuary and if it hold weight to own it and receive it but passing this I come to the matter and first to the first wich is First The Woman that travaileth spoken of in Revel 12.1 2 3 4. I understand to be Zion and Zion I understand to be the two Tribes which was called the Church of Judah and first that Zion is to be understood the two Tribes even Judah and Benjamin which Jeremiah prophesied unto which was carried into Babylon spoken of in his Lamentations chap. 1.17 in these words Zion spread forth her hands and there was none to comfort her she is called Zion more than ten times over and she to wit Judah and Benjamin bears the name Zion in respect of her place and City that God had placed her in which is called Zion the City of David at large in the Scripture and I think none will deny it which makes me forbear citing the Scripture And that this also in the Lamentations is so plainly spoken of Judah and Benjamin called by the name Zion that I think none can deny it that they which went into captivity and are called Zion read Lam. 1.3 4 6 8 17. Chap. 2.10 are to be understood Judah and Benjamin read Ezra 4.1 compared with Lam. 1.3 is also as plain so then where the Prophets speaks of Zion they mean either the City Zion which was a Mounâ— in Jerusalem which David made his seat which was so called or otherwise it is to be understood the worshippers of God or people in that place namely Judah and Benjamin as aforesaid and now having premised these things I come to prove that this travelling Woman is this Zion or Jerusalem viz. Judah and Benjamin the two Tribes for so I would be understood when I speak of Zion and that she is the Woman which is to travail and afterwards to flie into the Wilderness read Micah 4.7 8 9 10. in these words I will make HER that HALTETH a Remnant and HER that WAS CAST OFF a strong Nation and the Lord shall raign over them in MOVNT ZION from henceforth and for ever And thou O Tower of the flock the strong hold of the Daughter of ZION unto thee shall it come even the first dominion the KINGDOME SHAL COME TO THE DAVGHTER OF JERVSALEM Now why dost thou cry out aloud is there no King in thee is thy Counsellors perished for pangs have taken thee as a Woman in travail Be in pain and labour to bring forth O daughter of Zion like a Woman in travail for now thou shalt go forth out of the City and thou shalt dwell in the field and thou shalt go even unto Babylon there shalt thou be delivered there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hands of thy enemies From these words we may understand that the Woman spoken of which was to travail and bring forth was the two Tribes as from these words for pains have taken hold on THEE as on a Woman in travail Who THEE even THEE Judah which halted pains hath taken hold of THEE Why so Because there is no King in Thee and thy Counsellors are perished yet shall the first dominions come unto the daughter JERVSALEM so then that these people which are called Zion and Jerusalem in this Text is clearly to be understood the two Tribes for these Reasons First Because she is called her that halted and her that was cast off which is usually to be understood the Jews and not the Gentiles which is not called a People halting or cast off Secondly Because it is called by name ZION and JERVSALEM which the Gentiles were not it 's a name proper to the Jews even the two Tribes and not to the Gentiles Thirdly Because the Text saith that then shall the Law go forth of ZION and the word of the Lord from JERVSALEM relating to the time of the fulfilling of the Prophets when the Lord Jesus shall raign upon the Throne of his Father David over the House of Jacob namely the Jews to establish order and govern it in Jerusalem from henceforth and for ever Fourthly It further appears that the travelling Woman is the Jews read Jer. 30.3 4 5 6. in these words For loe the day cometh saith the Lord that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah saith the Lord and I will cause them to return to the Land that I gave their Fathers and they shall possess it And these were the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah for thus saith the Lord we have heard a voyce of trembling of fear and not of peace wherefore do I see every man with his hands upon his loyns as a woman in travel it is even the time of Jacobs trouble but he shall be saved out of it From hence also we may see that the natural seed of Abraham viz. the Jews as a foresaid is the Woman that is to travel spoken of Revel 12. Fifthly It further appears that the travelling Woman is Zion viz. the Jews from the words of the Prophet Isa 66.6 7 8 9.10 which saith A voyce of noise from the City a voyce from the Temple a voyce of the Lord that rendreth recompence to his enemies before she TRAVELLED she brought forth before her pains came she was delivered of a MAN CHILD who hath heard of such a thing who hath seen such a thing shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day or shall a Nation be born at once for as soon as Zion travelled she brought forth her Children shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth saith the Lord shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb saith thy God Rejoyce ye with JERVSALEM and be glad with her all ye that love her so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted in JERVSALEM From this Text we may also clearly see that the travelling Woman is Zion namely the inhabitants of Jerusalem even the Jews as is above expressed for here is the very Woman and the Man-child mentioned which John spake of in Revel 12. and I do not find that the Scripture in any place else speaks of
these words I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be heard no more in her nor the voyce of crying there shall be no more thence an infant of dayes nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes for the child shall die an hundred years old and the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed c. From whence we may see that there will be some even the Jews who shall live in the flesh before their change and yet Christ shall be with them in Jerusalem And where it is said in Revel 21. That there shall be no more death that relates to the time when Christ shall have given up his Mediatorship into the hands of God the Father after the last Judgment spoken of in Revel 20. and I think it cannot be rationally imagined that Christ should raign over the House of David in Jerusalem a thousand years and no Generations to come into the world and pass out of it again yea it is certain that Christ shall dwell in Zion in Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited and abide for ever even from Generation to Generation so that there shall be coming into the world and going out of it again which is understood by the word from GENERATION TO GENERATION Isa 60.15 Joel 3.20 So then it is certain that some shall live in the flesh in the Kingdome of Christ yea even all the Jews that live to his coming and are not before converted unto Gospel obedience shall live in their flesh and not be changed at the present but shall be judged by the Gospel Saints and so pass in their Generations gradually as the Scripture declares the which I before have spoken of and thus I pass the first thing although more might be said to it but enough to prove that there shall be some living in the flesh even the Jews when Christ cometh and also in the time of his Kingdome And Secondly all the Gentile Saints shal be with Christ before he shal descend upon the Earth for they shall be caught up into the Clouds to meet him shall come with him descend with him that they shall all be caught up to meet him in the ayre and come with him is clear if we compare the words of Paul and the words of the Apostle Jude together which saith the dead in Christ shall rise first and we that are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the ayre and so shall we be for ever with the Lord For behold the Lord shall come with ten thousand of his Saints 1 Thes 4.17 Jude 14. yea saith Zech. 14.5 The Lord thy God shall come and ALL SAINTS with him from whence we may see that the Saints yea all the faithful Gentiles are to be caught up to God and to his Throne to meet Christ and yet the Jews to live and remain in their flesh and to have Christ their King raigning over them in Jerusalem from generation to generation which being truly weighed it amounts to this that the Woman flying into the Wilderness is the Jews and that the Man-child which before is caught up to God is the Christian Gentiles and thus much as to the third reason to prove that the Gentile Church is the Man-child spoken of in Revel 12. although I could speak more unto it if time would admit of it but time would faile me to speak to these things in particular because they be very large and as the thing it self is not so pleain and easie to be understood as some other subjects are even so the proof of Scriptures relating to it is more dubious and wants a larger explication than other Scriptures to other subjects want for there is to the proof of this thing much in Mich. 5. from the 3. verse to the end of the Chapter and many other places speak to this thing but what hath been said is sufficient to prove the Woman to be Zion namely Judah and the Man-child to be the Christian Gentiles for as the Woman is to travail and be in pain even so it is until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in Rom. 11. to bring forth the fulness of the Gentiles and also the restoring the other ten Tribes the remnant of his brethren into their former capacity and to a better estate than that of the first when the envie of Ephraim shall depart so as that Ephraim shall not envie Judah nor Judah vex Ephraim any more at all and the Man-child is clearly seen to be the faithful Gentiles because they are to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron as is promised to the Church of Thyatirah and as they are to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron even so they are to be caught or taken up to meet the Lord in the ayre and the other to be left behind for as they are to be Christs glorious army and seen in Heaven even so they shall descend with him and are called Prince decreeing judgment Isa 32. and Saviours coming on Mount-Zion judging the Mount of Esau when the Kingdoms shall be the Lords and they judging the twelve Tribes of Israel but I shall leave this and come to the opening of the other things before mentioned in the which I shall be very brief at present yet full enough to shew the truth of it and so I pass to the third thing in order which is the remnant of her seed Thirdly as touching the remnant of her seed we may observe the words as they lie which is thus read Revel 12.17 And the Dragon was wrath with the Woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed which kept the Commandements of God and have the Testimony of Jesus from whence we may take notice that there is not only a Man-child brought forth by the Woman that is to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron which is caught up unto God and to his Throne before the Woman flieth into the Wilderness but also there remaineth a remnant of her seed that the Dragon makes war withal when he seeth he cannot devour the Man-child nor carry away the Woman with the floud which he cast forth out of his mouth now the remnant of her seed is as well mentioned in Isa 66. as in Revel 12 17. for there is mention made of the Man-child saying Before she travailed she brought forth before her pains came she was delivered of a Man-child and with all saith Who hath heard of such a thing shall the earth be made to bring forth at one day or a Nation be born at once for as soon at Zion travailed she brought forth her Children Isa 66 8. So then as here is spoken of a Man-child even so here is spoken of Children which agreeth with Revel 12.17 where there is mention made of the remnant of her seed so then as the Christian Gentiles are the Man-child
for ever and ever Revel 11.11 12 13 14 15 16 17. But if it should be doubted whether the two witnesses should be slain in Ierusalem because it is said that their dead bodies shall lie in the streets of the great City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified Answ It is clearly seen to be Jerusalem because it is said where our Lord was crucified and it is called Sodom because of their uncleanness for as the men of Sodom gave themselves up to fornication and to follow strange flesh even so shall it then be in Jerusalem that the wicked and ungodly Gentiles viz. Goggs Army shall ravish the women in the streets Zech. 14.2 and give themselves up to uncleanness and hence it is called Sodom and secondly it is called Egypt because of the slavery of the Jews and their hardships which they suffer in that time under the Antichrist of which there bondage captivity under Pharaoh King of Egypt was a type and so in respect of cruelty slavery and bondage it might fitly be called Egypt and so it is called spiritually Sodom and Egypt and yet it was where our Lord was crucified if it should be supposed to be Rome because our Lord suffered under the Roman power it is denyed upon these two reasons the first is because it is not the power under which our Lord was crucified but the place where our Lord was crucified that the two Witnesses were slain and secondly Rome is to be destroyed before by the same ten Horns that are upon the Beast have given their power unto him even they shall hate the Whore viz. Rome and make her desolate and burn her with fire Revel 17.16 17 18. And thus I shall leave these things to thy serious perusal desiring thee courteous Reader to inlarge it in thy meditations for although I have been necessitated to be very brief yet by this little which hath been said thou maist understand the scope of it more at large because when thou readest the Prophets they will further instruct thee in these things when once thou hast the knowledg of it in thy mind if it be but in a small measure and thou maist see in short who the Woman is which is to flie into the Wilderness and what her Man-child is and who are the remnant of her seed what Wilderness she is to flie into and how long she shall abide there and who the two Witnesses are and of their Prophesying and to whom and how long and of their being slain and the place where And thus desiring the Lord to inlarge thy understanding in the knowledge of the Mysteries of Christ and to guide thy feet into the way of peace and to bring thee into his everlasting Kingdome thorow Jesus Christ to whom be ascribed as is due all Power Might Majesty Dominion and Praise now and for ever Amen EIGHTEEN QUERIES ANSWERED Being desired by a Letter from a Friend and Brother in London to answer some Queries propounded therein I shall in a brief way give my Answer unto them shewing my opinion concerning them Christian Friend and my dearly beloved Brother in the Lord I Shall answer thy desire in Answering of thy Queries although I know that all the Queries propounded are not such things as thou wants satisfaction in but I understand as thou in a measure hath signified to me by Letter that in some of them thou rather aimest at the satisfaction of some other person or persons but however it be whether thy self or others yet I shall at all times according to the measure of the gift of God unto me be willing to impart it unto others that I may be a good Steward of God not hiding my Talent in a Napkin And thus I come to the first Query which is Query 1. Whether the Man of Sin or the Antichrist shall arise before the Children of Israel return to build their City and Temple Answ The Mystery of Iniquity did work in the Apostles dayes and also doth in our dayes the which fits a People for that work 2 Thes 2.7 But it appears that he shall not be risen unto his height or Congregated together into a Body until the Jews are returned and have builded although not finished their Walls or outward Court Zech. 38.7 8 17. Dan. 7.8 23 24 25. Chap. 8.22 23. Revel 17.8 11 12 13. Joel 3.1 2 3 9 10 11 12 13 14. Time would much fail me to open these Scriptures and compare them together with others which relates to this thing but remember the little Horn or the eighth is of the seventh and to appear in the very latter dayes at the end of the fourth Kingdome and the fifth Kindome is the Kingdome of Christ and thus I pass to the second which is Quer. 2. Whether the Man of Sin shall be of the Assyrians Answ Yea it doth appear that the Man of Sin shall be an Assyrian from these Scriptures Isa 10.24 25. Chap. 14.24 25 26. Chap. 30.30 31. Micah 5.5 6. Time also would fail me to shew you how Salmonazer King of Assyria took the ten Tribes out of Samaria in the dayes of Hosea and of Senacharibs coming up against Judah in the fourteenth year of the raign of Hezekiah King of Judah and of the Angel of the Lord smiting the Camp of they Assyrians a type of their destruction in the latter dayes upon the Mountains of Israel and further observe that Ezekiel calls Gogg and his company which is to be understood the Man of Sin those of the North Quarters Ezek. 38.6 And that these are considered of and relating to Assyria it being called the North is clear from Zeph. 2.13 And thus I pass to the third which is Quer. 3. Whether the Jews shall return and build anew that City and Temple that Titus Vespatian demolished Answ That there is to be a City and Temple built I have before proved but thy Query lyeth in these words as I understand Whether it be the same that Titus demolished yea or nay To which I say that it appears to be the same that is to say the same both in respect of the form and place for it is to be built upon the old Basis and that it is to be understood the building or repairing of it demolished by Titus is clear because it is said They shall build the old WASTES they shall raise up the former desolations and they shall repair the waste Cities the desolations of MANY GENERATIONS Isa 61.4 Chap. 58.12 Jer. 30.18 19 20. And the Temple is to be built according to the old pattern Ezek. 40. to Chap. the last But if it should be objected that this Prophesie is already fulfilled I should desire to know when for here is mention of the ten Tribes to have their place in this City then as well as the two Tribes and that was not fulfilled when Judah came out of their captivity in Babylon but this Prophesie relates to the time