seemed to them as idle tales The first day was finished before they believed and so they could not have faith to do any such thing Answ The Scriptures speaks no such thing and tells us no such conceit that the Disciples did celebrate the first day to be the Sabbath but this is thine and your imaginations got up among you that owns not the body Christ that ends all signes types and shadows Christ who was before dayes was and who lives in him doth not celebrate dayes Pr. Thou saith John intends a single day it 's much like it was the Sabbath day and he speaks of the Lords day judgement-Iudgement-day and this he calls the day and this day he must shew unto John in the vision The ancient Christians who call it the Lords day did never terme it the Sabbath But religiously celebrated the 7th day with it Answ Iohn doth not call it the sabbath-Sabbath-day nor the Christians did not celebrate the Sabbath with it but said the old was signes and shadows the body of them was Christ But since the dayes of the Apostles and the Apostacy ye have wanted the body Christ and yee have fell into the dayes for Christ saw those as should come up and draw people into the dayes And the day of the Lord is light and in the day of the Lord was Iohn Pr. Thou saith Old things are passed away and all things are become new Answ Then the Sabbath was a thing and it must passe away and it was a rest and must have a new rest and the Sabbath was in the old time given as a signe and a command and given by God to be kept since the Fall Pr. Thou saith There remains therefore the celebrating the Sabbath to the people of God Answ But the Scripture the New Testament doth not say so The Apostle sayes there remains therefore a rest for the people of God such as come off the signes to Christ the body the soules rest there remains in him a rest for the people And such as celebrate the Sabbath rest in the shadow and doth not come to the body Christ and such are not the Believers that do enter into the rest Christ And such as rest in the signe and shadow and there remains celebrating the Sabbath come not into the body Christ the rest of Gods people Pr. Thou sayes Christ rested or ceased from his great worke and entered into his rest and this is laid down as a Gospel-reason why the Sabbath remains to the people of God And hee layes the Believer under a double engagement to sanctifie the seventh-day-sabbath Answ Christ speaks no such thing nor the Apostles neither that they should sanctifie the seventh day he speaks no such thing to the believers But the Apostle brings them off of the shadows off the signs and shews them the body of all and he doth not mention a double engagement and the Sabbath the Jewes was to rest on which was death if not kept was a figure of the redemption Christ Iesus the rest who was put to death on the sixth day Man was made on the sixth day and he was put to death on the sixth day and he was crucified through the means of them that had the shadows the outward day the outward rest from which day they should have come from the signes and shadows to the body Christ who was the rest and restauration of the Creation Pr. And thou saith To hold forth the passage over of that rest which prevented the women of the application of their spices that was the Sabbath and I am satisfied the seventh day is the Sabbath day Answ Now though the women did rest on the Sabbath-day and came with their Spices on the first day there was many of them did question whether this was the man that should redeem Israel and so that 's no ground at all to hold up the Jewes types and shadowes for Peter denyed him therefore that 's no ground But what did they do after the Holy Ghost was come to endue them with power from on high And what sayes Paul he brings them off from the signes and shadowes to Christ the body though there 's much more to be said to this for while the questioning stands the questioning part doth pertain to the shadow and types which the body ends and with that is felt and seen there 's no changing nor shadow nor variableness nor altering and that overthrows the questioner unbeliever stumbler The great stumbler was the Jewes that's resting in the shadows types and signes they stood against the body Christ Jesus Pr. Whereas thou saith The seventh-day-sabbath is one of the lively Oracles Israel received from Sinai given to us O Christian Remember it and love it in thy bosome A. Here thou wouldst bring the Children from her Mother above which is Jerusalem to Jerusalem below and Sinai and so to Hagar into the shadow and the Christians witnessed the end of the shadows and Sabbaths and witnessed the body Christ Jesus and Ierusalem that 's above and come to Christ the end of the Law and into God by him from whence the Law came and so Christians cannot put signes in their bosomes no type shadow or figure in their bosome that have Christ within them and cannot touch the Doctrine Commandements Ordinances of men which have a shew of wisdome in the Will-worship and that which the Jew the outward Jew had types shadows and figures the Jew inward witnessed the substance which is the true Christian the Law in their hearts and circumcision there and the end of the Law comes into and enters into the rest Christ Jesus that is not an outward seventh day but entered into his rest ceased from his works as God did from his which man enters into his rest and ceased from their own works the type the figure the seventh-day-Sabbath Do no worke thou nor strangers nor the Cattell and so the Sabbath was a rest from all This was a type and God gave them the Sabbath for a signe who hath ceased from his own works enters into his rest a figure of the restauration of the creation of Christ the rest the Restorer Redeemer and Saviour that brings peace on earth And so they that believe hath entered into him into the rest Christ the rest to all wearied soules and helps all creatures upon the earth man and beast and destroys the cause of all oppression and so many is come from Hagar And though the seventh day the Law was a rule among the Jewes a true type yet the Apostle that preaches Christ the end of the Law brings people to the body Christ Pr. Thou saith Circumcision nor Vncircumcision but keeping the commands of God viz. of sanctifying GODS Sabbath And thou saith The seventh Angel sounded forth the Ancient of glory the Lords Sabbath swearing that time should be no longer Answ Circumcision was a command of God and so was the Sabbath and they that love God keep his Commandements And did not the Apostle bring people off of circumcision and off of the signes and shadowes the Sabbath days and
of those who calls themselves ministers of Christ That would have you to slay to stone to stock to prison and to put to death them that be contrary to them Those be murtherers in Cains way man-slayers wrastlers against flesh and blood and not Ministers of the Gospell which saith love enemies and render to no man evil for evil Mat. 5.44 and this differs from the Scribes and Pharisees who loved their owne and persecuted others and stoned others and drew the Magistrates to doe it which saith the Ministers of Christ we wrestle not with flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places Eph. 6.12 Now those Ministers that would have the persons of men slain are like Cain and Jezabel the beast and false Prophets that slew Abel Gen. 4. 1 Kings 21. the persons of men stoned imprisoned and put to death are as the Jewes Priests and those Magistrates that executes their malice are as the Jewes Magistrates unchristian Magistrates And so those are they that are wrestling stoning striking and imprisoning against flesh and blood And in the mean time spirituall wickednesse rules among them And rulers of darkenesse in high places where flesh and blood are wrestled against so in this state both Ministry and Magistracy are blind that be out of the feare of God They turn their sword backward whilst they are executing the Priests malice and the Priests will strengthen the hands of evil doers and provoking to slay and against flesh and blood wrestling and doe not profit the people at all and stires up the multitude against the just That he may keep himselfe in his place for his own ends and admiring the Magistrates persons and mens because of advantage Iude 16. and respects their persons which shewes they be out of the faith Iam. 2. which gives victory over the world 1 Iohn 5.4 and out of the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles now the Magistrates is for the punishment of evill doers and for the praise of them that doe well which walkes in the life which he that doth evill goes from where the rulers of darknesse and spirituall wickednesses are and this Magistrate he can see he turnes not the sword backward he answeres that of God in every one and is for a praise to them that doe well 1 Pet. 2.14 so every evill doer acts contrary to that of God in them now a Minister of Christ wrestles not against flesh and blood but against spirituall wickednesses in high place so every one that doth evil acts contrary to that of God in him so the higher power goes above him Rom. 13.1 So the higher power is above him and before he was all power in heaven and in Earth is given to the Son of God Io. 5.22 above all the powers of the earth that lighteth every man that cometh into the world Io. 1.9 but they who does evill goes from the light and so the higher power goes against him The Magistrates that be in the power is a terror to the evil doers that acts contrary to the light wherewith every one that cometh into the world be enlightned The Magistrates be in that power which goes over him and is a prâ—ise to them that be in the light and the Ministers of God is to bring from under the occasion of the Magistrates sword George Weare being with his friend standing in the field neer Foord meeting house as they call it he neither speaking nor acting any thing against any man but standing in the fear of the Lord with his friend Wlliam Lowry and Iohn Hambleton called justices commited him to prison where they lay twenty and three daies and here is his innocency preached The originall righteousness was before the fall The originall of selfe righteousnesse was that which fell and is in the fall that transgressed And in the Catechism which is tollerated by the generall Assembly and in the Catechise of Scotland called a short Catechism They say that the word of God is contained in the scriptures Ans And the scriptures are writings and it saith God is the word Io. 1.1 1. Kings 8.27 Solomon saith the heaven of heavens cannot containe him you say he is containned in the scriptures with his writings you say there is three persons the scripture doth not speak of three persons the Jews had the scriptures knew not Christ the word of God Then ye tell people of an outward ordinary meanes by which Christ communicates the benefit of Redemption The word Sacraments the scripture doth not speak of three persons Sacraments they are Papists words of them ye have learned them the means of salvation is not ordinary or outward but Christ is the salvation who is eternall Heb. 5.9 and they that come to him come to the end of the outward Col. 1.27 ye say the Sacraments are the Effectuall meanes to salvation and ye say againe they are not as they are themselves so here is confusion but onely by the blessing of Christ his spirit in them How doe ye differ from the Papists for they say he is in them and ye say his spirit is in them and where his spirit is is not he Oh blind are ye found out goe ye home to your Mother the Papist where Christs Spirit is he is And ye say your two sacraments is Baptisme and the Lords Supper The scripture doth not call Baptism and the Lords supper two sacraments which names you and the Papists adore and worship which you have given to them againe you in your Catechize call the first day in the weeke the Sabbath day where did ever any of the Ministers of Christ or the Christians unapostatized call it so are not you come unto the breach and guilty of your own judgement of the third commandement when ye give another name to the scriptures then they give themselves in calling them the word calling Baptism and the Supper the Sacraments Exo. 20. Moses saith God spake all these words when he gave forth the commandements marke words and the words of Christ are spirit and life Io. 6.63 God is the word Jo. 1.1 and Christ is the word Rev. 19.13 and the word became flesh and dwelt among us Io. 1.14 And them that had the words of the scriptures which cannot be broken Io. 10.35 the Law and the prophets they knew not Christ the word before they be brought to the light that Christ hath inlightned them with and they be brought to the spirit Io 5 37. Io. 8.19 Can the whole world say the Lords prayer in truth or was it taught his Disciples or to the world doth not people draw nigh to God with their lips that say it Isai 20.13 and are not in the light which every man is lighted that cometh into the world withall can ye say the Lords prayer which is forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us without hypocrisy how do ye for give them when ye
sacrifices did type out Christ but the Sabbath did never type out Christ and therefore never to be abolished nor changed Answ Ezekiel saith the Sabbath should be for a sign which is spoken of among the Statutes Cha. 20. and the Apostle sayes let no man Judge you in meats or in drinks or in respect of an holy-day or of the new Moon or of the Sabbath day which are all shadowes mark of good things to come but the body is Christ Colos 2.16 17. Now they are called shadowes here the Sabbath called â— shadow the body is Christ and Ezekiel calls them signes and such as rest in those things in the shadow may beguile people in a voluntary humilitie and worshipâ—ing of Angels intruding themselves into those things that they never saw not holding the head and neglecting the body to the satisfying the flesh which would live in the signes and the shadowes for the Sabbath in the beginning it was not a command to men to keep it as to Adam and Evah you do not read it was a command given to them but in the transgression and fall when the children of Israel came out of Egypt then to them the Lord gave the Sabbath as a sign the Lord said unto Moses speak to the children of Israel and say nevertheless keep ye my Sabbath for a sign between me and you in all your generations Now in all the generations of the Jewes in the first Covenant here was a sign between them and the Lord and he that defiled it was to die the death Now the body is Christ the end of the sign and the shadow Christ the sanctification so he that goes from Christ goes from the rest from the sanctification and he dies for he that hath not him hath not life he shall die the death and shall be cut off from the people so when the children of Israel came out of Egypt then was the Sabbath given to them as a sign not commanded to Adam and Evah the Scripture doth not declare it before the fall but given to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt who received the Law added because of transgression upon the transgressors to such was given the Sabbath as a sign amongst them that had the offerings and such was to keep it and to sanctâ—fie it but before the fall when the Law and power was in man before the transgression there was no mention of a Sabbath to keep it Now Christ came which was the end of these offerings and the end of these Sabbaths which are the shaddowes for the Apostle sayes except any will dare tell him he lies he sayes the body is Christ and who are not Judged concerning such things in respect of Sabbaths and meats and drinks but are come to the body Christ which ends all those things and before those things were to him by whom all things was created and made Christ the sanctification and are come to him in whom there 's rest as the Jewes was to rest upon the seventh day is come into Christ the body the head the substance they are come into the rest the sanctification and the glorification who was glorified with the Father before the world began where no changing nor shadow nor variableness is need not have a shadow nor a sign or change who is come to the body Christ the substance now if thou sayes Christ was a sign yes but he ends the sign and shadowes to the unbelievers he was a sign as the people of God was signs formerly to such as stood in outward things so Christ the body the end of the shadow the head known and felt him that is Lord of the Sabbath Christ which is a mystery so they that be out of him be out of the life and dies as they died that went from the Sabbath so do they that turn from Christ the souls rest and peace and life and this Sabbath was to be observed in the Jews generation for an everlasting Covenant and he that did any work upon the Sabbath day was to dye the death now this Covenant which stood in shadows and types Christ came to take away The End and he that believes in Christ hath entered into his rest and ceased from his own works as God did from his And the Apostle said the first Covenant was to decay as in Heb. Pr. Thou saith Such as obstruct the Gospel-priviledge of Gods Sabbath rectified by the Son and observed by the Saints Answ But did ever Christ or the Apostles give a command to the Jewes that they should observe it strictly as it had been in the Law before the substance was come the body which was Christ Nay you read no where that among them the Apostles preached the Gospel that they laid any command upon the Saints that they should keep the Jewes Sabbath day but tâ—ld them they were shadows and the body was Christ and said Let no man judge one another in such things Now are you not come under the judgement of such things and so the Lord of the Sabbath that ends the types in him and in the Saints and so are come to him who is the substance the body and head Christ Jesus Read Colos 2. And so whereas thou speaks of changing of Lawes or Sabbaths this thou mightest have charged on the Apostles who told the Saints no where of keeping the Sabbath-day but told them they were shadows and told them such as was there was in their will-worships neglecting the body for the body and substance was Christ and such were intruders and so thou art comprehended to be one of the intruders into those things thou never saw which will puff up thy fleshly minde not holding the head and the Lord of the Sabbath The Son of man is come and the Saints go not about to blot out the name of the Sabbath for the pure Sabbath the sanctified day was a signe and a figure of the pure Christ the sanctification by whom the day was made and which day the people was to rest and the beasts which was to be sanctified the pure day the pure Christ who was before the day was the sanctification in which all the Lords people have rest who is Lord of the Sabbath before the day was made fulfills the type the shadow the signe the body is Christ the head is held So you that are running to observe dayes and times are them that the Apostle speaks of that he was afraid of that his labours he had bestowed in vain and so gone from the body into the shadow and the signe Neither do you keep it as you ought to do and professe a Sabbath your Horses and your Cattell is doing work drawing you to your worships your making fires through your Congregations your bearing burthens your gathering your meat on that day as you call your Sabbath Now to all people you are dissemblers to what you professe and pretenders to a thing to which you are not faithfull and so by
the Law according to your own judgement to be cut off and to dye as Sabbath-breakers for they were not to make a fire gather any meat beare any burthen Oxe or Asse man-servant or maid-servant or stranger but was to keep holy the Sabbath of the Lord if they did the Law took hold of them for sixe dayes they were to labour and do all they had to do Now the Law being received by the disposition of Angels So now the Law the first Covenant the shadows types and figures ye may run into those things from the body and so neglect the head and neglect the body and go into the Signes and so come into the will-worship and the worshipping of Angels intruding your selves into the things you never saw neglecting the body to satisfie the flesh by which your vain minds are puffed up Now the enemies of the Sabbath are such as neglect the body the substance he that 's Lord of the Sabbath Pr. And whereas thou sayst they had eaten the bread of Christ and they had turned the heel against Christ And thou sayes the Quakers some Notionists and others are against it Answ Our rest is in Christ â—he body that ends the shadow that ends the signes who is the substance of the shadows and signes and those Notionists are of thy selfe and so the Saints rest is in the substance Christ the end of the signes and shadows who was before the signe was the day was in him is rest Here all men rest from their works and every soule that believes hath entered into his rest and hath come from shadows signes and types into the body Christ that ends them and holds the head and out of the will-worship worshipping of Angels and satisfying the flesh for such are blinded as concerning the body and come to be judged about the dayes and they hold not the head But such as are come to the body and head Christ Jesus to whom all Angels bow for they that neglect the body will satisfie the flesh and live in signes and shadows and will-worship and intrude into those things they never saw and worshipping of Angels which come to be judged in respect of dayes which is but shadows and such as are in those things satisfie the flesh and keeps them from the body Christ and the head holds not and they that will rest in a shadow after the substance is come the Son of man the Lord of the Sabbath â—ill rest in that which decays and a false rest Pr. And whereas thou sayst A filthy shift of Gods Sabbath to say Christ is the Sabbath Answ This Sabbath was rest and they were to rest on that day and it was a signe and given as a signe and shadow and in the first Covenant But Christ the second Covenant the perpetuall and everlasting rest the soules rest of his people Come unto me and yee shall have rest and so he is the end the substance of the signe and the shadow who was as I said before before the day was in whom is a rest for the people of God for the Sabbath being given as a signe wherein all Strangers Servants Beasts Horses Oxen Asses and all Cattell whatsoever might rest upon the day it was given forth sanctified and given to be a signe for the whole Creation being burthened both horse man cattell servants and all things was burthened and man-kinde was oppressed by transgression So the Sabbath was a signe of rest yea to the stranger to all that was within the gates a figure of the restauration and the sanctifier Christ Jesus which destroys Death and the Devill and the power of Death and his works who is the cause and the Author of the burthen of the whole Creation and of mankind So the rest the Sabbath was a signe of its rest from their labours Christ the restorer and Redeemer and Deliverer of all the whole Creation and bringing it to unity and reconciliation again to God who is the rest both to man and beast and the Stranger should rest within the gates of the Sabbath within Christ And much more is to be said of these things which this is but a touch of that which is further in the words which might be declared Now as for the ten Commandements amongst which the Sabbath is spoken he that covets he that steals he that commits adultery and kills he that sets up graven Images he that covets his neighbours house wife or goods or any thing that is his or commits Adultery is from that principle of God in his own selfe so the Law was added upon him He that 's led with the spirit doth not transgresse nor doth not oppresse nor doth not covet nor steale nor beare false witnesse and so love fulfills the Law and his Commandements And he that believes comes to Christ the rest before the day was by whom they was made and so Christ telling them what was done in the old time for following the Oath the Lord he brings them now not to swear into himselfe the Covenant of God he brings them to the Covenant of God the oath of God and so into himselfe who is the Restorer before dayes was as I said before And the Apostle likewise brought them off from Circumcision without which was an everlasting Covenant as well as the Sabbath was a signe he brings them off of that to the Circumcision within and so to that that answers the power the life of God which hath been transgressed where love is felt in the heart that remains and so the thing comes inward for as it is said he that believes hath entered into his rest And so Christ came not to break the Law but to fulfill it every tittle who is the rest of his people yea and gives rest to to the Creation destroys the oppressor of it and the foundation of the oppressor and so he was the Lord of the Sabbath that fulfills it for the Sabbath was in the Law and Christ is the end of the Law to every one that believes he that is in Christ before dayes was profanes no day is in his rest and will give rest to his creatures will not oppresse any thing at all and comes in the wisdome of God by which they was created to order and use them to Gods glory And whereas thou sayes that Adam being in honour did not abide a night and brings Psalm for it which doth not mention Adam nor night nor day And I said before thou who art in the shadow art intruding into things thou never saw for thou never saw where Adam was before he fell and therefore art corrected and judged Pr. And thou sayes and confesses The Jewes Sabbath was given to the Jewes for a signe Answ The Apostle will tell thee that the body is Christ If the Sabbath be a signe to the children of Israel it was a signe of something to them for the other signes given were signes of something and so something those signes did signifie forth
which thing did end them Sabbath signifyeth rest for the earth shall enjoy her Sabbaths Pr. And thou saith That the inventions of mens hearts have blotted out the remembrance of the Sabbath day they first cast it out of Paradice and shut it out till Moses time And thou saith the Sabbath was not at all a type or ceremoniall Answ What is a shadow is a type and a shadow and type is ceremoniall when the substance comes it ends and in him is no shadow as in Iames the first who is the body before the dayes was and thou never read that the Sabbath was spoken of from Paradice untill Moses and then it was given unto him for a signe through the generations of the Congregations of the children of Israel not to gather meat make a fire bear burthens So who comes to Christ the body the end of the signe the rest who was before dayes was bears no burthens gathers not their meat makes not a fire Pr. Thou saith It 's an absurd confusion that we must offer sacrifices if we will keep a Sabbath Answ Thou shalt offer sacrifices made by fire of a sweet sacrifice unto the Lord on a Sabbath day Numb 28. Now offerings was a shadow of Christ the offering and the Sabbath was a shadow and so if yee will observe one you must observe the other and so deny the body the substance Christ the one Offering and so that is ceremonial And thou saith the Law justified the Disciples and brings Deut. 23. for plucking the ears of corn upon the Sabbath day which speaks nothing to the thing and doth not mention the Sabbath day And so Christ the end of the Law who comes to fulfill it who is the Lord of the Sabbath that the Disciples followed in whom they had rest saw over the day and the shadow to Christ the substance which forbade them not gathering the meat on that day the Sabbath the shadow that was the Law But Christ the end of the Law and shadows the substance the Disciples as was in him plucked the ears of corn on that day and so Christ did not break the Sabbath but came to fulfill the shadow and was the substance who was the end of it the Lord of it and therefore might do what he would being the Lord of the Sabbath what had any to do to question him Pr. And whereas thou saist the cripple carried his bed on the Sabbath day which the hypocrites speaks against our Saviour for Answ The Law sayes thou shalt not beare a burthen on the Sabbath day Now Christ the end of the Law and the end of the shadow that fulfills it and is rest often gives rest upon that day Yet not a breaker of the Sabbath but a fulfiller and convinces the gain-sayers with this Which of you having an Oxe or Asse fallen into a ditch would not pluck him out on that day And the Circumcision was to be on the eighth day on which Christ rose and on which the Saints met in the circumcision of the spirit in the spirit which circumcises which puts off the body of sinne which hath laden them in which spirit they have rest and are led withall up to God the Father of spirits and so comes to know the first day and him before it was made Pr. And thou sayes and brings the Apostles words Men esteeming one day above another and another esteeming every day alike Answ Now the Apostle here did not lay any burthen upon the Saints or tell the Saints of the Sabbath day nor burthen them concerning it that if they did not keep it they should dye as the Law sayes but that every man be fully perswaded in his owne minde and not to judge one another in such cases but that every man stand or fall to his own master Now these words were spoken among Saints who was leading from meats and drinks and dayes to the truth to the body Christ and so he judged that judgment as was judging one another about the dayes but brought every one to the truth in his own particular wherewith he should stand or fall to his own Master For about shadows and signes untill they come to see clearly there 's the weaknesse of the meats of the dayes before they come to see him which was before the dayes was the Lord of the Sabbath and the everlasting offering where ends the judgement in which they have peace Pr. Thou saith the Apostle sayes Ye observe meats and drinks and dayes and moneths and yeares And thou saith Will any be so bold as say hee doth reproach the Sabbath Answ The Apostle doth not tâ—ll the Galatians that was running into Circumcision and dayes that they was to keep the outward Sabbath for Circumcision was an everlasting Covenant as well as the Sabbath to the Jewes throughout all their generations So they that draw people to Circumcision without and to dayes they draw them from the body mark his judgement and the Apostle was not a reproacher and was out of the nature of a reproacher Pr. Thou saith Let no man judge you in meats and drinks and in respect of any Feast new Moons or Sabbaths which are shadows of things to come but the body is Christ But in this bold absurdity some will cast off the Sabbath the seventh day Answ The Apostle sayes the body was Christ and the Sabbath was a signe and a shadow of good things to come So then this fulfils Moses words the body is Christ the Sabbath a signe So the good things being come Christ it ends the shadow the the signe that is the substance and rose on the first day on which the Saints met and the Apostle doth not call that a Sabbath nor doth not establish the other Sabbath among the Christians nor bid them keep it that ye read of no where For if that had been observed as it was in the Law time the seventh which signifies perfection the Apostle would have spoken of it some where for those things that were observable was often spoken in Law and Gospell and this being no where spoken of nor to the Saints as that they should keep the seventh day as a Sabbath for offerings was on that day and offerings changed and the offerings being changed the Law also changed and the offering camâ— Christ Jesus and the Law came within and the Circumcision came within And Christ the rest who is the Lord of the Sabbath and the rest for the people of God and he that holds up Sabbaths Offerings holds up Circumcision and Works and so keeps people from the body and the head in the signes and shadows and so the works of the Law which the Law commands Pr. And thou saith Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and do all thy works of sin but the Sabbath day thou shalt not sin thou nor thy son thy daughter thy cattell and stranger within thy gates To keep thy Son Daughter and Stranger from sin as for the poor Cattell they are
from the body which is Christ and so brings them into dayes and shadows and types where the vaile is over their hearts and the false Christian may run into signes and dayes that be out of Christs life and the Apostles But who be in the life of Christ and the Apostles that be in the body out of the signes and shadows and offers up the spirituall sacrifices such be in the rest and have the High Priest the everlasting Priest Christ Now if ye have the Sabbath ye must have the offerings the Priest to offer and your Altars and to offer upon that day which the Christians that witnessed the body Christ Jesus the one offering comes in the volume of the Book to do the will of God this substance that the shadow and signes and figures gave forth ends them all and brings people to see to the end of the shadow to Perfection Christ Jesus Pr. Thou sayes We should not grudge to give God every first day as an addition to Gods seventh-day-sabbath Answ The Priests call it a Sabbath and you call it a first day and you would have a Sabbath besides Now this is your cover but the life takes away all your shadows 'T is true the Saints did meet together every first day on the week And the Saints do so though they do not say it was a command And so the Apostles that brought people off their observing of dayes and times and told them the body was Christ and the Sabbath was a shadow of good things to come Thou mayst say the Apostle was the little Horne that changed times we finde no where he commands the Saints to observe it but brings people as you may read in the Romans from the Law being justified by the Law for if they keep the Sabbath they were justified it not they were condemned So Christ the body the end of types figures signes and shadows is the Justification without the works of the Law and the Sanctification it selfe and sanctifies man to God and so the Christians no where as you may read through the Epistles did observe the dayes the shadowes that was believers in Christs that ownes the body Prin. Thou sayes since the blessed Creator celebrated the seventh day Man thinks to be wiser then his Maker in altering and disobeying pretending spiritual observances poor worm dust and ashes who in expounding his own Law sums up all in this be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect that is in quality not in quantitie Answ He that is perfect as his heavenly Father is perfect is perfect as he is perfect if thou or any have an ear to hear let them hear and lay away thy qualities and quantities and take the words as they are and all that are come into Christ are come into life from the dust and ashes and are the spiritual men But him that talkes of celebrating dayes and Sabbaths are celebrating signes and shadowes and be in their own works from the body of Christ and keeping others and such if they do not all the works contained in the Law are accursed Pr. And thou sayes Christ confirms the seventh day Sabbath and assures us it shall continue every jot and title and Paul sayes he established the Law which cannot be ceremonial therefore let such as slight the seventh day Sabbath take warning and make sure work that it be not broken in no point of the Law which every jot and title is established by Christ and his Apostles when the Lord of the Sabbath and the Saints endeavoured to observe every jot and title of it to the â—â—d of the world and our Redeemer particularly ownes the Sabbath above all other dayes by his works and Miracles and great wonders on that day and God forbid that Saints should side with evil seducers and reproach our Saviour for putting on his glory on that day but rather let that Sabbath be celebrated Answ Christ came not to break the Law the Apostle said the Law was good in its place and he established it yet the Apostle sayes that the Sabbath was shadowes and the body was Christ and he brings them to the Law in the heart in the mind and there he established it and Christ did not come to break one jot or title of it but Mark to fulfill it and he said not one jot or tittle of the Law should be broken until fulfilled and Christ which is the rest to the Jew which had the Sabbath day a sign of rest Christ the rest give the people rest on that day often that was bound that was burthened or that was wearied of that day and Christ that did give them rest on that day and the Apostle which establishes the Law which was good in its place neither of them doth bid keep the Sabbath day he doth not say the Sabbath day must be kept after him the Apostle no where commands it but sayes it was a shadow and the body was Christ and so them that came to the body Christ in the dayes of the Apostles was come to the end of the shadowes in that age in their dayes and for example thou may see it for some did observe a day and some did not and they was not to judge one another about those things and Christ giving rest on that which the people was to rest on was a figure of the everlasting rest and of the Restauration who did the work of God on that day and gave rest to the burthened on that day that signifies an inward rest that Christ was the rest and Lord of the Sabbath and of rest both to the people of God and them that celebrate the Sabbath day must celebrate a sign and live in the shadow and keep them from the body and so from the Church which Christ is the head of and who are celebrating Sabbaths must also bring their offerings and then they must have the first Priesthood to offer and deny the body that doth the will of God the everlasting Priesthood and the one offering and holds with the first Covenant that must decay in which those things stood and deny the everlasting Covenant and he that blotted out Ordinances and ends types and shadowes and so Christ is the end of the Law to every one that believes in every jot and title and print in it and signes and shadowes that was held up by the Law Christ is the end of that yet the life of the Law the power remaines though the outward changing shadowes and things end the body is that that ends them all Pr. Thou sayes the Sabbath was honoured with the conversion of souls on this day and the day before did they break bread together Ans Was that the Sabbath day that Christ and his Disciples brake bread together on did the Apostles and the Saints establish the Sabbath day when they said it was but a shadow and brought them to the body which is Christ Pr. Thou sayes the Sabbath is mentioned with new
Moones and sacrifices that the Actions Baptisme and breaking of bread are the signes of a Christian Sabbath its high presumption to alter the word of God in calling every day the Lords Sabbath and honouring any other day as the Sabbath So if we be followers of God as dear children and take the spirit to be our guide we must honour the Sabbath withall holy devotion Answ The Sabbath is mentioned with new Moons and sacrifices but the Apostle sayes they were shadowes of good things to come when this is come which was before the shadowes was which is the body Christ which was before dayes new Moons or sacrifices was the body who be in that ends them all and to that the Apostle brought people and not to the dayes now there was some brought them to observe dayes and he was afraid of them that did observe them and he brought them to the body Christ to whom all the Angels did bow for they as did observe the dayes new Moons and Sabbathes are worshipping of Angels neglect the body which is Christ and this was for the satisfying of the flesh and now what art thou satisfying which art teaching to observe dayes signes and shadowes which the Apostle brought people off to the body and to the head Christ Jesus and to worship God in spirit and brought them into that that ended all shadowes for the devil will lurk in a shadow or a type or a sign or figure and creeps into those things after the substance is come to keep people from the body and they will persecute such as will not bend to the shadow and come from the substance and breaking bread and baptisme is no sign of the Sabbath day of the Jewish Sabbath day the Sabbath was a figure of the rest and sanctification of the Creation and breaking of bread among the Saints was a figure of the bread Christ which the Saints eat and live for ever and the word of God cannot be altered and the word of God cannot change man may alter but the word of God cannot be altered but abides and lives for ever And the Saints which comes to the body Christ comes to honour him who ends the Sabbath which is a sign and a shadow and such honors God the Redeemer and Creator and Christ by whom all things was created and made and which are the dear children of God the Apostle speaks of he did not bring them into dayes and to observe Sabbaths and signes but brings them to the body Christ the Lord of the Sabbath and doth not set up that which thou cals devotion in holding up the Jewish Sabbath which was a sign on which they should rest the rest of the creation and the rest of all man kinde cattel and beasts that God would restore and redeem all things by Christ who is the word and gives rest and is the sanctification and gives rest to the whole creation Prin. Thou sayes this is the time of Gods worship observing the seventh day Christian look well to thy walkings see that thou make all things according to the pattern in the mount Answ They that worshipps God they come into Christ the truth the body which ends the sign and the shadow and the end of Moses who made a pattern which was a figure of that which was to come and he made it at the command of God and the Christians are not to make the pattern which was shewed to Moses in the mount for while Moses is read the vail is upon the hearts of Christians and all people whatsoever and the sign shadowes and figures the body is not seen nor come to which is Christ And Paul and the Saints the true Christians worshipped God in the spirit and in the truth who witnessed they was in the body that ended the shadowes and types and Moses the Law and the Prophets Christ Jesus him by whom the world was made before it was made and a pattern is not the thing there is the thing the pattern is of and that ends the pattern and lives in the thing and they need not have the pattern for the pattern was made of a thing that was to come Pr. Thou sayes if the Apostle of the Gentiles who was the rejecter of the ceremonies did constantly celebrate the seventh day Sabbath then much more them Apostles among the Jewes there 's not a plainer precept in all the Scripture then Pauls practice herein for the seventh day Sabbath if we tread in the steps of Paul he was but a man and sometimes a very angry man and he strictly requires all believers to follow his example as he followed Christ and certainly in observing the Sabbath and Paul reasoned with the Jewes on the Sabbath day and Christs custome and Pauls was to go into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and was there difference betwixt Christs preaching and Pauls and where is the difference between Christs observing the Sabbath and Pauls Answ The Apostle never taught the Christians Neither Jewes nor Gentiles to celebrate the seventh day nor never mentions it to them to keep it not in all the Epistles there 's not such a thing but tels them they were shadowes the body was Christ and Christs and the Apostles going into the Synagogues and temple on the Sabbath dayes was to fulfill and shew the fulfilling of the types and figures of him and brings to the substance of the signes types and shadowes not to hold up dayes times offerings but to bring them to the body Christ as Colos 2. and so Paul and Christ doth not disagree for he Preached Christ the end of the Law and the substance and though Paul went among the Jewes and circumcised and did several things went into the Temple yet thaâ— was not to hold up the Temple or to hold up the offerings types and shadowes but to bring them to the substance And mind what the anger was as Paul was in and Paul followed the substance and was more then a man there was more in him then a man Paul nor the Apostles no where commands the Saints to observe the Jewes Sabbath day though he went into the Jewes and consented to many things to the intent to bring them out of them not to keep them in them but to bring them to the substance and that was the end of Pauls going into the Jewes Synagogues and Temple to bring them out of the shadowes types and signes to the substance and the end of Christs going thither was to bring them to the substance of which was typed forth that people might believe in him who was the body which was before heaven or earth was who fulfils every jot and tittle of the Law and to him did the Apostle bring the people to this body which types signes and shadowes signed shadowed and typed forth which the body of them all is Christ and in thy principles thou art confused and so who followes the Apostle comes to the body out of the sign and the
types and figures and shadowes which as every believer followes comes to the body and from the observing of signes and shadowes Sabbath dayes to Christ the Son the end of them all Pr. Thou sayes fancy is no fewel for a Christian faith Answ Fancy and fewel is out of a Christian faith which thou art in that is got among the signes types and shadowes in the fancy and so from the body Christ Pr. And thou sayes if the Lord be thy God thou must observe the seventh day Sabbath And thou sayes its Antichrist that perswades to change the day And thou charges them to do no manner of work on that day And thou sayes it is not ceremonial but was before Jew or ceremony had a being Answ The Sabbath was not before Adam was and the Apostles served the Lord God that had the Law of God written in their hearts he was their God and they his people which witnessed the end of the first covenant which stood in ceremonies and so shadowes and signes are ceremonies and the Sabbath was spoken of before ceremonies was that 's true but not as a command then but when ceremonies came up in the dayes of Moses the Sabbath was given as a sign amongst the other signes and a shadow amongst the other shadowes and he tels you plainly if you will believâ— him the body of all is Christ and this Sabbath which was before ceremonies waâ— given among them that had the ceremonies a day of rest for cattel man and beast strangers and servants which the body of this shadow and sign is the rest that gives rest to all the Creation man and beast stranger and servant and so rest to the whole creation And the Apostle was not Antichrist that said the body was Christ the Sabbath was shadows and brought them off of days and off of signs types and ceremonies and the first Priest-hood first covenant and offerings and brought them to the body Christ that ended them all and takes off the vayl that 's upon the hearts of people while Moses was read Now they be the Antichrists that be setting up signes shadows and brings people from the body which is Christ the substance are keeping people in the observing of a day in which people should have rest for a day cattell rest for a day servants rest for a day not minding the substance the body of Christ who restores the creation into unity as it was in the beginning and gives rest to man and beast servant stranger and cattell and is rest to them all They that are come to the body knows the substance the end of the Sabbath days work But then again thou sayes in thy charge Ye may not do any worke on that day How is it then that ye make fires through all your congregations How is it you keep Markets on the Sabbath day which God commanded How is it that Oxe and Horse bear burthens on that day and you both How is it that you gather sticks and make fires on that day and gather your meat on that day in which meat was not to be gathered on that day and he that gathered sticks was stoned to death And how is it that ye professe a day and do not observe it according to the day are ye not all hypocrites in this professing that as ye do not practice for by thâ— Law ye should be stoned to death ye should dye all And how is it that you Professors likewise that professes the first day to be the Sabbath and yet will not go to your worships abundance of you except you be drawn with horses Why pollute you the Sabbath day ye are all polluters according to your own words And why gather ye your meat and make fires on that day Keep it according to the Law be not dissemblers and mockers of God and man If ye will keep a Sabbath go according to Scripture and the law of God And the poor creatures must bear a burthen to lug you to your worships and yet if a poor man be found but carrying a loaf of bread or a burden of sticks to make him a fire he shall it may be fined for it Now by the Law of God he should be stoned to death and your horses should do no work on that day And you will fine some for going to a Meeting of the Lords people yet you must have your Horses and Coaches and Coachmen and put them to labour to draw you to your worships and so here is your confusion And so are judging one another in dayes which was not the Saints work Nor the Apostles who witnessed the body was Christ and met together in him who was the end of dayes Prin. Whereas thou sayst The Sabbath is perpetuall and fenced above all other Lawes Answ If it had been perpetual the Apostle would not have said it was a signe and the body was Christ but the Jewes that had the types to them it was perpetuall it was highly to be observed but Christ that ends the Law ends that and the things that 's in the Law the shadow and signe that 's in the Law who was the body of it Pr. The Jewes received the lively Oracles from Mount-Sinai Whether was it given us to be broken or kept slighted or observed If to be kept and observed then we must either deny the seventh-day-sabbath to be one of Mount-Sinais lively Oracles or deny Stephens Doctrine delivered to the Jewes We must sanctifie this lively Oracle of the seventh-day-sabbath Answ Stephen he preaches Christ the end of the Law types figures and shadows the substance and shewed the Jewes that they had not kept the Law in which was the shadows of Christ and so Christ is the end of the Law and the Signes and the Similitudes and the Dayes And Stephen saw the end Hagar or Sinai is a Mount in Arabia and answers to Jerusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children Now read where you all are But Jerusalem above is free which is the mother of us all now mark us all who are come to the body Christ the end of the signes shadows and figures Jerusalem below had types had figures had shadows had signes when that resteth that is in bondage Hagar with her children and here you may come to know the Allegory of these two Covenants and so who is come to the Son to the body is come to the end of all shadows and before any shadows was And Stephen held not up the shadows but preached Christ the end of them onely he judged the Jewes that had not kept it which Christ is the end of it to every one that believes And Stephen was a believer and they accused him for speaking against the Law and Moses who witnessed the end of it Pr. Thou saith There is a conceit that the Disciples in assembling on the first day did celebrate the Sabbath And they were so far from believing as Christ was risen that it
told them the body was Christ And was not Offerings and Sacrifices the commands of God Now they that love God keep his commands and those are believers that have passed from death to life and hath come to the end of the Law and the Prophets And the Angell in the Revelations makes no mention of a Sabbath there but many are come to witnesse him to whom the Angels must bow down to and saw the end of time and the beginning of time and the supper of the Lord and the Rest and the Temple of God with them and heavenly Jerusalem come down from above Pr. Thou saist It cannot be but Gods people must bethink themselves of this Doctrine delivered by Stephen to the sanctification of the Lord of the Sabbath Answ Stephen no where mentions the Sabbath day in his Examination though he judged the Jewes for not keeping the Law vvhich they had received but persecuted the Just one so he preached the substance Christ the end of the Lavv and said they had not kept the Lavv but turned against the Just and persecuted him he did not establish the Jewes in their Ceremonies signes and types But Stephen brings them to the substance and so God that gave forth the Law vvith types and figures and shadovvs in it to the vveak capacity of people in their transgression sent his Son to redeem them from it and to end the types figures and shadovvs in the first Covenant vvho is in the nevv and living vvay vvhich is no changing and shadovvs no variablenesse nor altering no turning Pr. And thou sayes Sin is double on the Sabbath-day And thou saith I conceive a Sabbath dayes journey is so farre as a person may ride to go without toyl to a meeting So where there 's no law there 's no transgression and the extent is left to the conscience Answ Hovv novv must the Beast bear a burthen Where doth the Scripture say that thou vvas to ride upon the Sabbath day Do the Beasts vvork then He sayes Thou shalt do no manner of work But sixe dayes shalt thou labour and do all thou hast to do And you that make Sabbaths and set the up old Sabbaths and do not keep it according to the Law of God with the Law of God are you judged and condemned if ye do not fulfill it in every point and they that believe Christ is the end of the Law to them he is the body which is the end of the shadow Pr. Thou sayes That the Jewes that were not to make a fire on the Sabbath day this was mentioned of the Ceremoniall Law and so concerns not Christians and so not in danger of stoning The revealed will of God that we should not turne our foot to the defiling the Sabbath When the sixe dayes is done be sure thou do not turne thy foote to pollute the Sabbath A. And dost not thee confound thy selfe in this and turne thy foot to pollute it and sayes it is the Ceremonial Law that commands it and they that gathered sticks and made a fire were stoned to death Did not they pollute it And doth not thou say it doth not concern the Christians they was not in danger of stoning And so hast not thou taught them to break the Law and the Sabbath both and pollute it and so hath overthrown all thy doctrine in thy Book and confounded thy selfe And doth not he that goes out and gathers sticks and makes a fire turn his foot from the Sabbath For he that went out to gather sticks broke the Sabbath day and was cursed and stoned to death For no fire no meâ—t no burthens was to be borne on that day of rest a figure of the everlasting rest wherein no meat is gathered no fire is made no burthen is born and there is no turning the foot but all walking in rest and peace and so I finde thee neither in Law nor Gospel Pr. Thou sayst But to be sure the Law was made for Christs Disciples Whosoever boasts of a Light within and speaks against this Law of the Sabbath hath no light in him And thou saith Quakers will not admit of this Royall Law as a rule of righteousnesse but perverts the Scriptures which sayes The Law was not made for a righteous man Answ The Disciples of Christ the Law was not made for them that came to witnesse Christ the end of the Law for they said plainly the Law was not made for the righteous And Christ is the end of the Law to them that believe for righteousnesse sake And the Quakers witnesse Christ the end of the Law for their rule of righteousness and do not pervert the Scriptures but are the believers in him who ends the Law and before it was and is the body which ends types shadowes and figures and they that draw people under the Law and the types and shadowes and figures from the light within doth not know Law nor Gospel for the Law is light and the Gospel is the power of God and such as witness Christ the end of the Law witness the end of the Sabbath Pr. Thou sayes among all Gods Lawes none sets the soul more at liberty then the fourth lively Oracle Answ And yet thou sayes men may make a fire and not be stoned and so thou teaches to break it and thy Horse may bear a burden and so dost not thou pollute it here and destroy thy own soul by thy own Judgement but I tell thee Christ is the Bishop of the soul who ends the Law and brings the Law within into the mind and heart so now the soul being subject to the Higher power the power by which all the changeable things is held up by that power remaines when all the changeable fails and decayes and ends and the soul witnesses that and the body of Christ the power stands Pr. The Sabbath was intended to righteous Stephen and all his followers and is designed to all persons to whom the Supper is joyned the Sabbath is a precept ancient and universal both for Adam a publike person and for all his posteritie but none can sanctifie the Sabbath saving Christs disciples Answ Stephen suffered death for witnessing against the shadowes and witnessing the substance and the Apostle no where joyns the Sabbath with the Supper but Stephen saw Christ the body in whom was the rest in whom he entered and the Saints that come to sup with the Lord and is supping with him comes into the body which is the end of all types and shadowes and signes which are Sabbaths and hath seen them flee away and are come to the beginning before the world was made him who was before signes shadowes and types was The Sabbath was not given to Adam in the beginning who had the dominion over all creatures living but given to Adams posteritie in the fall a sign when they came to receive
houses but the papists have taught you it The Papists were persecutors so are you they haled out of Synagogues so do you they took tithes so do you they preached by the hour-glasse quenched the spirit so do you They preached for means gleab-lands so doe you They had the cross on the top of steeple houses so have you in many places they had Trinity Colledge Emanuel Colledge and Christs Colledge so have you They named the Saints daies so you follow them they called their houses by the name of Trinity Jesus Emanuel and their Masse-houses by Peter and Paul and Mary and so do you Is not this the papists game do not they called Quakers deny this game and you both and Christ thou art ignorant of who is come to reigne and rule and teach his people himselfe Pr. Ministers are spurring on the Magistrates to cast out the bad and scandalous Ministers Have not Lawyers and Phisitians an easier life and more honourable in the world then the Ministers and have not the ministers been the principall instruments to pluck downe Deanes and Chapters Bishops c We ministers breake our health and all our wordly interests for you And I had rather be a ploughman or the meanest tradesman but for the greatest necessity and the truths sake Ans Have not all you Ministers in this manifested your selves did ever the Apostles fly to the Magistrates or spur up them to cast out scandalous Ministers had not the Apostles authority and the spirit and power to cast out reprove and rebuke in the Church Had they not denyed their power if they had gone to the Magistrates and falen on the mountaines which is the papists game and not the Apostles was it not the soldiers that were the cause of pulling down your Railes and Surplices and your Deanes and Chapters and Bishops was it not the Magistrates work but have you had a hand in it have you killed and taken possession have you put out Bishops and got into their places who are in the Bishops Deanes and Chapters maintenance will you needs make your selves so foul and odious to all people were not many of you tradesmen and ploughmens sons poor men and yet now gotten up into great interests and takeing great sums of people of many whom you doe no worke for How can you for shame say you leave your wordly interest when you are but running into them when you come to be Priests and ministers who are the proudest people in the parish in the glories and vanities of the world and honor of it but the priest and his wife and his children Are not you worse then Lawyers and Phisitians taking the peoples money yet cannot make them perfect men but say they must not be perfect The Phisitian is to make one perfect doe they take money of people they do naught for are they not ashamed to doe so but you take money of them you doe no worke for are you not worse then the Lawyers who are bad doe you not take money of such people you do not worke for and sue them and cast them into prison Are you not the unreasonablest men upon the earth and this is the Devils game you are playing and doe you not live in more honour in the world greater gain and no worke done for it then any people in the Nation againe as the Goals in the Nation may witnesse your fruits Pr. All nations that are of the Christan world are for the ministers to this day and they that are not are the dry branches that are out from the Church Oh how have I besought the Lord that he would convert you to remember them that hath the rule over you they that hath spoken the word of God and rules well are worthy of double honour Ans You are apostatized from those Elders among the Apostles and from the Apostles in an usurped authority Ministers made by the will of men at schools and Colledges not by the will of God as the Apostles were so your honour must be defaced and you are the dry branches cut off from the true Church your Church and Ministery both wanting the vertue and life of God among you so broken into heapes and sects and names among your selves wanting the unity and bond of peace the nations have gotten the names of Christians but are dead are from the life and your prayers are as the Pharisees you being found in their steps as Matth. 23. read you all You say none must be perfect upon earth how then converted who are converted are converted into Christ who is perfect out of the first which is not perfect Pr. The enemies of the Ministers are the fore-runners of the heavy wrath of God and the Jewes were quite cut off from the Church and made vagabond upon the earth they mockt the the Messengers of God untill wrath came upon the people Ministers are either their Fathers or Nurses in the Lord their sins killed and grace is quickned by the ministers meanes Ans It was the forerunner of the wrath of God upon the Jews that they had Temples and Tithes and stood against the Ministers of Christ it is so to you as it was with them that saw not the substance that now stands against the light and fight against it And was not Railers envious men and persecutors alwaies the vagabonds and are not all you vagabonds from the life of the Apostles as the Jews were from the Law of God and are not you all on heaps about words and scriptures shewing you are without life and is not the wrath and plagues of God and over flowing scourge come upon you who are thus standing against his Ministers in this his day that are sent among you cages of unclean birds who the people comforts not their sins kills not their grace quickens not keeping the people in their sins telling them they must have the body of sin while they are upon Earth they are crept into houses before and since the Apostles decease dispersed over the Nations of the world Are not you mocking the messengers and ministers of Christ hath not the wrath come upon you many of the people stricken dead for so doing you that are out of Apostatized from the Church of the Apostles that are persecuting and mocking the Ministers of Christ which in scorn are called Quakers who are sent freely amongst you not for Gleab-lands Tithes Easter reckonings nor Midsomer dues nor like unto you that puts the Papists out of Gleab-land Tithes Easter recoknings and Midsumer dues and gets into them your selves that puts Papists out of their Masse-houses run into them your selves so in this you are not like the Ministers of Christ the Apostles who seeks not these but them but you are seeking these not them but are putting them out this causeth plagues to come upon you and so it is Papists and drunkards and them that are now called ministers which are
not the Apostles but rebuked such And so you are corrected by the Scriptures and you are judged with the life of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles and both Church and Ministers are departed from it The agreement and resolution of severall of the associated Ministers in the County of CORKE for the ordination of MINISTERS Their principles in it as followeth Pr. TO minister the spirit it is not promised to teach any thing but what Christ hath spoken John makes it an infallible tryall of spirits to convince gainsayers and stop their mouths Answ Many may have Christs words all that ever he hath spoken and if he hath not the spirit of Christ he is none of his And gainsayers may have Christs words that gainsays the spirit and the light that comes from them So the spirit tries spirits that gave forth Scriptures and lets men see whether they pervert Christs words for Christ saith the false Prophets would get the sheeps cloathing therefore could Antichrist and the false Prophets try spirits Nay they put them to death that were in the spirit they did that had the sheeps cloathing and the spirit of Christ who hath it can tell who wrongs Christs words And why did not the Ministers of Ireland which had Christs words Prophets Apostles stop the mouth of Edward Burrough and Francis Howgill but suffered them to be banished out of the Nation or caused them You looked upon them to be gainsayers which be the servants ot the Lord and yet you were not able to stop their mouths though you had all the sheeps cloathing neither were able to resist their spirit which shews your spirit And that you are not fit to send forth Ministers nor make Ministers nor try Ministers and the Apostle doth not say that the Letter is the onely rule or tryall but if people have not the spirit of Christ they are none of his and have not Christ in them they are reprobates And we do witnesse the spirit is come whereby we are Ministers of that not of the Letter For the spirit that once established Circumcision the same spirit ended it again Now the Jewes that tryed by the Letter judged the Apostle to be a deceiver And those that have the sheeps cloathing and have not the spirit of Christ Jesus they are crying loe he is here and loe he is there Pr. You tell us of a Sacrament and that the world lies in wickedness in grosse Aegyptian darknesse and false Apostles and Jezebel making her selfe a Prophetess to teach and seduce and men loving preheminence and to be called Masters Answ In this state you are called of men Masters loving preheminence Jezebel-like usurpt authority setting up your selves to teach keeping your fasts persecuting and banishing the righteous in the steps of the false Apostles spirituall Aegypt in grosse thick darknesse rejoycing with the world that lyes in wickednesse telling people of your Sacraments which you had from your Father the Pope and the false Apostles your fore-fathers who were got up before the Apostles decease and so you are judged with the life of the Apostles and Christ and them that be in it which shall answer the witnesse of God in you all And the wickednesse of the world declares your fruits that you have not profitted the people at all And your Iezebels doings hath declared it selfe and your loving preheminence being called of men masters which the Apostle judged and Christ cryed woe against These marks are found in your fore-heads that all may read you to be out of the life of Christ and the Apostles that can read Scripture Pr. Vnlesse some Preacher of righteousnesse be then living to warne the sinfull world of their wickednesse Answ Such as warne you and the sinfull world of their wickednesse who are the Preachers of righteousnes you banish there is your fruits Pr. The purest grain hath its chaffe the best needs a fan to cleanse them the best needs a Nathan all flesh is liable to flie-blows To runne without office and power argues presumption Ans The wheat that is gotten out of the chaffe hath not its chaffe that comes into his Garner And such as are cleansed need not the Fan to cleanse them Them that are borne of God they do not commit sinne for the seed of God remains in them that they cannot And all need not a Nathan all are not adulterers and the flesh of Christ is not fly-blown which sees not corruption And the Saints of Christ are of his flesh and his bone and you run without the power that the Apostles were in so you judge your selves to be the presumptuous ones Pr. The keep are apt to wander ordinary Ministers receive their Ministery from the Lord. Paul chosen immediately by God Stephen mediately Answ In the cloudy dark day the sheep wandered who were made a prey of by you who seek for the fleece Ezek. 34. But the Lord will seek them and gather them and feed them a top of the mountains And the sheep of Christ heares his voyce and follows him so saith Christ so they do not wander And they that receive their Ministery from the Lord are above all you ordinary Ministers of the world made by men And Paul was made immediately and all the Ministers of Christ and God that be in the spirit it makes them immediately But all you since the dayes of the Apostles that have got the sheeps cloathing and ravened from the spirit of God are mediate Pr. Such be in the selfe-conceit that are against Ordinances and Sabbaths Answ Every one that is in the spirit of Christ sees him who hath blotted out the hand writing of Ordinances and triumphed over them cannot touch them and such as are come to the body of Christ sees the end of new Moons and Sabbaths And such as be out of the body and doth not see that are crying up their Ordinances and Sabbath which the body of Christ comes to end who is the substance and end of them and before they were Now Antichrist cries up that which the Apostle preached down who be blinde and sees not the body and sets up Sabbaths of their own making and keeps Markets and Fayrs on that day which the Lord commanded and call it Saturns day which was the Iewes Sabbath which was given to them as a signe but the body is Christ Pr. Vice may be nourished with the milke of vertue the Gospell Ministers and we finde that the harvest is great and the labourers are few We conclude with a few words to the readers of our principles and intended practices Ans The Readers have viewed your practices and principles both and tell you that they are corrupt the milke of vertue doth not nourish vice This was not the Ministers of Christs language the milke of vertue nourisheth the babes and the Labourers that have been sent amongst you from the Lord God you have banished out of your Nation But if one come in his own name him you will
one another in this Church Papists and Protestants Lutherans and Calvinists so called how is it they are not of one body broken into so many heads now the baptisme of the spirit brings all into one body in which spirit is the fellowship and the unity which spirit is the bond of peace and Circumcision outwardly was a figure of Circumcision within and that it typed forth and baptisme without typed forth baptisme within and many may run into the outward water that doth decrease and doth not come to the body of Christ the light as you may read in the fifth of John for none are grafted into Christ the body but who comes to the light John bare witness of Pr. You say though Christ he in Heaven you on Earth and you are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone Answ And yet before you said your consciences accused you and your best works in this life were sinful imperfect and you could not keep the commands of God now this is confusion who are of the flesh and bone of Christ are with him and fits with him in Heavenly places for their conversation is in Heaven Pr. We are grafted into Christ by the Holy-Ghost now according to his humane nature on earth Answ Humane nature is from the ground this is old Adam but Christ who according to the flesh was of Abraham and of David the Scripture doth not tell us of humane nature for humane is from the ground but Christ is from above and though he were a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world yet his nature was not corrupted nor his flesh saw no corruption he that is made of the dust is humane he that is the Lord from heaven is not humane so you erre in your understandings that doth not distinguish Pr. Teaching the Gospel and Ecclesiastical discipline by which the heaven is opened to believers and shut against the unbelievers Ans Christ hath the key which opens to believers which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world that through it they might believe and they that do not believe in the light which Christ hath enlightned them withal heaven is shut to them light condemns them and they neglect the Gospel upon whom the wrath comes which Gospel is the power of God and as for the Ecclesiastical discipline it is got up since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostasie which shuts up the Kingdom of Heaven against men that which they should have believed in that is the light Christ hath enlightned them withall which is the key Pr. And such you say that be wicked men the Sacrament is to them forbidden and shut out of the Congregation Answ Do you not call baptisme Sacrament and hath he given them it and did not you say they are grafted into the Church by baptisme and cannot Judas take the sop but for the word Sacrament that you may look in the old Canon Book the Masse-Book and such as you like you give your Sacrament as covetous and proud and lovers of gold and surfetted with the cares of this life and drunk with it and such as are in superfluitie and yet such you will give it to and common outward drunkards you will keep it from now are not all those forbidden and out of the Church of God read and judge your selves and amend your lives and repent that you may come into the spirit that baptizeth into the body of Christ Pr. You say Christ hath redeemed you by his blood and renewed you by his spirit to his Image Ans And yet your works before were sinful and you brake the command of God now this shewes still that you have but the form and unrenewed in spirit unchanged unconverted and not in the Image of God and not in the thankfulness of God out of a pure heart Pr. To mortifie the old man is to be sorry for your sins Answ A man may be sorry for the sin he hath acted but that which puts off the body of sin is the spirit and purifies the heart is the faith and that that cleanseth from all sin is the blood of Jesus and that that blots out all sin and transgression is Christ the Covenant of God and Christ within manifest in the flesh condemns sin in the flesh so having him within the body is dead because of sin Pr. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image the likeness of any thing in Heaven above or in the earth beneath or worship them or bow down to them thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain c. and remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day for six dayes thou shalt labour and do all thou hast to do but on the Sabbath thou nor thy ox servant or stranger shall do no manner of work Answ Do you not make graven images and Pictures of things in Heaven and of things in the water and of things in the earth and so make similitudes and representations and adore them and set them up in your houses and is not this quite contrary to the commands of God and hath not the Papists been your examples for these things and not the Apostles and do ye not take the Lords name in vain dayly in your streets and markets in your buying and selling and take the Lords name in vain when you call upon him with your lips but your hearts be in your covetous practices and full of hatred envy pride voluptuousness ambition self-honour and deceit and this is taking the Lords Name in vain to call on God with your lips while your hearts be after this manner do your servants or strangers or cattel rest on the seventh day and do you not keep Markets and Fairs on that day the Lord gave to the children of Israel after the fall of Adam for a sign of the restoration of the Creation that neither man nor servant nor family nor ox nor Asse should work on that day but rest so it was a signe the Apostles saith the Sabbath day was a shadow of good things to come which was Christ the good thing who restores the Creation and giveth the liberty to Horse Asse Ox and all the Creation unto man and stranger and servant and Redeemes man up into the image of God and renewes it which hath been lost and so is restoring of the Creation and gives rest to his people and all the Creation and destroys the Devil death and all his works Christ who is the restorer gives rest to the Creation who was before dayes was by which all things was made Pr. You say Thou shalt not do no murther thou shalt not steal nor thou shalt not covet thy neighbours goods house or servant nor any thing that is his his wife or ox or Asse c. Ans Do you do no murther that was the Law without do you fulfill it in Christendom then you do not murther the just principle of God in your particulars do you not quench the spirit in
people and suffer it not to have liberty do you not do murther to the just of God in you in your own particulars and so then stop it in the general for opening its mouth with all your force and might and are you not murtherers there and do you not steal by Sea and Land and cozen and cheat and wrong one another nay do you not steal the words from your neighbour and the Prophets and the Apostles and Christ which you never came into the life of is not this called theft and robbery for you have not received it from the Lord God as Prophets as Apostles as his Son did and servants did so all your profession Church and Ministery stand in the robbery and have not received it as they did as the true Apostles and Prophets did and Ministers did ye all stand in the robbery and do not you covet your neighbours goods Oxen Cattel and servants and wife and one getting from another goods and getting servants one from another is not this out of the love in which the Commandment ends where there is serving one another in love and is not all covetous Idolaters out of the love shut in which the Commandment ends and hath not this been the practice in the whole Christendom coveting mens goods servants cattel and that which is not his is not that out of the Law and Gospel and out of a pure heart where the Commandment is done and known and that which it ends in is in Christ and love keepes the Commands of Christ they that love do not covet and they are not Idolaters Pr. We are not to make any images to be tollerated in the Churches and Chappels or figures of things made for it is not seemly for God will have his Church be taught by living Preaching Answ How is it that your Churches so called are so full of Pictures and images of Males and Females representing a figure of Adam and Eve the Apostles and Christ and your houses and signs of fish in the Sea and Lyons and others creatures upon the earth and of things as you imagine in heaven are not all these your inventions your works and inventions you have learned of the Papists and they from the heathen not from the Apostles and you have daubed your Churches and them flourished with your Pictures these things you call your Churches but the Church is in God which the gates of Hell cannot prevail against but a showre of rain or an earthquake or a great wind will prevail against your Church and the devil may come with his carnal weapons and throw it down but the Church of Christ the Pillar of truth is that the devil is out of Pr. You say a man may swear before a Magistrate and that this kind of swearing is ordained by Gods word therefore well used of the Saints and it is not lawful to swear by the Saints or other creatures Answ Here ye be out of the Doctrine of Christ who saith swear not at all and out of the Magistrates state the Apostle speaks of and out of Christs Doctrine and the Apostles and hath broken the commands of Christ and the Apostles Doctrine which saith swear not at all so you wrong Christ Jesus and the word of God you deny and though Abraham swear and Jacob and Joseph sware the Prophets and Moses swear David swore and the Angels swore and men in strife swear by the greater and the oath ended the strife and controversie amongst men yet Christ saith before Abraham was I am he reigns over the house of Joseph and Jacob he is the end of the Prophets he is the end of Moses he is the end of men of strife and brings peace on the earth the Angels must bow down to him that saith swear not at all who was before Abraham was and David called him Lord who was greater then Solomon and this is my beloved Son hear ye him now which of you hear him they said in the old time perform thy vows to the Lord this was the old time the day of Abraham David Prophets Moses Solomon but Christ who was before all time by whom all things was made the oath of God ends the time and saith swear not at all so doth his true Ministers and the Apostles above all things my brethren swear not at all neither by heaven nor by earth lest you fall into condemnation now here were true brethren that kept the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles and his commands which swearers break which are got up since the dayes of the Apostles which are the false brethren Apostatized from the true so now the fruits of false and true brethren are seen who keep the commands of Christ and walk in the Doctrine of the Apostles and who doth not Pr. You say That in the fourth Commandment God doth command that the Ministers of the Gospel and the Schools of Learning should be maintained and that on the Sabbath frequent studiously Divine Assembles hear the word diligently using the Sacraments Ans Your Schools your Sacraments your Sabbath your Studies by men you have made these since the Apostles your Ministers at your Schools and not by the Lord but among your selves Apostatized from his spirit for the Apostles had not Shools and the Apostles said let no man judge you in meats or drinks new Moons and Sabbath dayes c. for the body is Christ and he brought them off of these services to Christ the substance the body who ended the Sabbath days and the offerings upon them who was before dayes who is the rest for his people and did not bring people into dayes but into Christ by whom all things was made who was Lord of the Sabbath and such meet on the first day of the week and are taught of God and out-strip all your Teachers made in Schools and learnings of men and so not of man nor by man but the outward Schools are of men and by men Pr. You say The fifth Commandment injoyns you to yield obedience to the faithful commandments of them that be over you and the Catechisme Ans The fifth Commandment brings that men should obey the command of God not of men nor the Catechisme nor such stuff as is in this Catechisme but who are come to Christ the end of the Commandments the end of the Law him by whom the world was made and was before it was made is enjoyed Pr. You say The meaning of the seventh Commandment Is that you should live temperate modest and chaste and holy in Wedlock Answ Is this so have you not broken Wedlok both with God and man and lost the chaste Virgin state and so gotten up into intemperate immodest unchastness into uncleanness and filthiness and so shew by your fruits that you neither come to keep this Commandment nor to Christ the end of it Pr. You say The eighth Commandment doth not only forbid robbery but covetousness after other mens goods evil witchcraft devices to
freedome thou speakest of one sitting and an other standing to serve at meat and put yonr selves among the Pharisees and doth not Christ serve the children at the table who is the Master but in the world there is the Lord-ship and exercising authority and doth not know their own brethren as Paul to Philmon but Masters and servants as the Scriptures declares is owned thou speaks of Cains and Abels offerings you who are the persecuters and slayers and prisoners of the just offerers up of the Earth and are the City got up since the true woman went into the wildernesse but the City of the living God is known againe and you are judged and your false Church Thou speakest of salutations and saluting enemies how do you salute those that you imprison till death for your Tithes what a salutation is that and cause them to be whipped and imprisoned for speaking to you this is like Judas salutation to Christ when he betrayed him and not the salutation of the saints Thou speaks of calling daies by other names then the first second c. yes you and your mother the Papists Church and the heathens contrary to the Jewes and true Apostles and true Christians call them Moonsday and Sunsday and Friday after the name of the great Idol in England and Wensday and Saturnsday and this is contrary to the scripture and the form of sound words and contrary to the Law of God which Judges the heathen and every day is the Lords and many names you give to your Moneths which the heathen is fain teach you thou speaks of Interpreting the word and giving sence and meanings and thus with your Interpretations and sences and meanings you have brought whole Christendom in heapes your fâ—uits declare it to be out of the Scriptures to be out of the Spirit that gave it forth so your own spirits give the meaning in which lodges the Envy and serve your own bellies but it is the spirit that leads into all truth and not you thou speakest of singular and plural as though thou neither knew Scripture nor accidence thou speakest of the Ministers going without gold and silver brasse or purse or scrip c. yet you will not go without augmentations tythes and gleab-lands amongst them you call brethren your baptized People and thou speakest of taking a purse and scrip and sword and selling his garment to buy one Christ did so to fulfill the Law and bids them put it up again and said it was enough who ends it so are out of the faith and patience of the Saints thou speakest of good men and calling them good yes I say such as be full of the Holy Ghost and of faith but wicked men wolves and beasts would have this title persecutors warriers and devourers in sheepes cloathing therefore is that angry which is exalted above all that is called God who sits in the Temple of God that man of sin in you all who cannot have that given to him which is given to God by them that is in the deserning Thou goest about to prove the word Land-Lord and would thrust that in the Scripture which the Scripture speaks no such word but the Law of righteousness which comes from God which is equall and just and the Prophets to do as you would be done by thou art speaking of the Angels that said nay they would tarry all night in the street and yet went in the Angels are servants and their time is not come and they may say nay and yet after see their time they must go in thou speakest of perfect and yet in your Doctrine say none shall be perfect while they are upon the earth and hath denyed the work of the Ministry so Profits People not at all and thou sayst who can understand the error of his wayes and that which thou dost thou allowest not and sin remains in a man then there the Devil hath a habitation and there is death but he that believes is passed from death and so from the sin and that which gives a man to understand his error turns him from his sin such as comes to know the annointing within them that teaches them that continues in the Son of God and in the Father these knowes all things but such as be in the transgression not denying themselves know not the error of their wayes as you may see your selves what you have run into whose fruits are come to Publike view Pr. Thou speaks of Christ speaking in the Synagogue and false Christs and false teachers in corners and chambers and Ministers must prove by Scripture for with that they convince the Jewes Ans Christ went into the Synagogues and the Apostles to shew the fulfilling and he who was come to fulfill that which they had in the Synagogues and the Apostles shewed them out of the Prophets and the Law that Jesus was the Christ and the Apostle was not a false Christ nor a false Teacher who Preached in his own hired house nor the Saints that met in several houses which were come off of the Jewes and Synagogue but they are the false Teachers and false Christs that deny the light that doth enlighten every man that is come into the world which Christ hath enlightned them withall and they are them that draw People into corners and Chambers and deserts and say lo Christ is here lo Christ is there that are gone and ravened from the light in their own selves that Christ hath enlightned them withall and such are the corrupt trees that cumbers the earth whose fruits hath sufficiently declared themselves who are to be thrown down into the fire who will be condemned with the light which they have ravened from in their own particulars and to you that is the word of the Lord in the day of thy visitation the witness in thy conscience shall answer it and as for all the rest of thy stuff to the Papists who would make People believe thou wast not found among them and their errors in this book first come out of the Papists work before thou find fault with them and cry against them art not thou one of them that kills and takes possession but the time is come you are all comprehended you and the Papists found in one bond one cord one City against the elect but he is over you all set and the Judgement of the great whore is come which is got up since the true women fled into the wilderness and the man-childe caught up to God but now is the man childe come again to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron and the Lamb the bride the Lambs wife is known and the mystery of iniquity is discovered and the mystery of godliness is revealed and the Saints shall have victory the beast and the false Prophet shall be taken and cast alive into the lake of fire and the old Dragon and the everlasting Gospel shall be Preached to them that dwell upon the earth to all Nations and
the Temple who was to swear by the Lord and to performe the oath to him Which that oath Christ ended and brought men out of strife and the earth into peace with God to the beginning to the glory which was with the Father before the world was began who brings the peace on earth and good will towards men And do not you that swear by the Bible swear by all that 's contained in it like as the Jewes swore by the Temple and so hath not the Bible judged you Here Christs words and the Apostles that tells you ye should not sweare and yet you swear And if yee say the Prophets and Moses and Abraham and Jacob and Joseph and the Angels swore and men of Strife swore Doth not Christ and the Apostle tell you he is the end of the Prophets a greater then Solomon David called him Lord Before Abraham was reignes over the house of Jacob and Joseph to him the Angels bow sayes sweare not at all This is my beloved Son hear him is the end of the Law and the Prophets to him that believes which hears him But it seems you will not hear him that are the swearers and forswearers And the Apostle brings that concerning an oath is the end of controversie among men of strife and men swear by the greater Yet they sware by the Lord he brings the example not that men should swear but shewing how God could not finde a greater sware by himselfe concerning his Son who is the oath of God the end of Oaths and the true oath that men swear that ends the strife He brought peace on earth and good will towards men that ended that oath and brought men to unity to God and one another out of the Earth to the beginning Pr. That Oaths are to be performed if the Scriptures were silent The Law of Nature and Nations would speak loud in this point because of the particular miscarriages in humane Societies Therefore sayes the Lord Mine oaths ye despised and my covenant ye have broken It would be a great dishonour to the nature of an Oath if it should tye any man to disobey the commands of God Governours are ready to thinke it their great security to establish themselves by Oaths Answ The commands of Christ let the Law as ye call it of Nature and Nations cry never so loud for swearing who stablish themselves by sin and trangression in the earthly humane societies the commands of Christ forbids swearing And I know that the Law of Nations and the Nationall Laws have sworn by severall Heathen gods and Idols as the Jewes swore by the Temple and you by the Evangelists and Christ sayes swear not at all and his Apostles And here 's great out-cries for oaths but here is a cry from the Lord Christ sayes swear not at all And oaths was in the Covenant which Covenant was to change mark that Oaths despised and Covenant broken This was the first covenant in which were the oaths that was to change and decay which Christ came to end both Covenant and Oaths and bid them swear not at all and took away the first covenant that he might establish the second And so as the Jewes brake the first covenant and despised the Lords oath which was to swear by himself who is the greater and to him to perform it So you despise his covenant his Son the everlasting covenant that ends oaths and the first covenant that are teaching men to swear and so there is swearing and for-swearing The lamentable work and doings as you may see in your Courts how they will swear a man hath so much when he hath not halfe so much as the Writs and Indictments and all their bad stuff declares it And so you that swear do break the commands of Christ though it was the command of God in the old time to swear yet it is the command of Christ who makes all things new swear not at all And the Governours that are established by Oaths are out of the doctrine of Christ that establish themselves by that which Christ denies and so establish themselves out of the power command and authority and doth not hear the Son and are not the true christians but are apostatized from the true Church hath onely his name but are dead to the life Now Christ that takes away oaths and shewed the danger of them that went into oaths more then yea and nay in all their Communications bid them swear not at all and that they went into the evill that did he established a way by two or three witnesses every word is established So they that would have any more then yea and nay may take the order of Christ minde the order of Christ two or three witnesses that yee may establish every word And this is aâ— way for all Trades-men and Magistrates and all whatsoever that they may follow and practice the commands of Christ yea and nay in all their communications and if they will have any more two or three witnesses that every word may be established And such are the true Christians the true Brethren that abide in the Doctrine of Christ they are not transgressors but hath the Son and the Father which the other hath not and that 's a practice for all true Christians Cities Countries and Magistrates upon the earth Pr. Thou saith Those that be engaged take oaths and they must be circumspect in taking of it and this is the word thou adds And you my Lord Major and Sheriffs under the bond of an Oath shall execute your office Answ The command of Christ the doctrine of the Apostles engageth men they shall not swear and doth not engage any to swear nor Christ who is the end of the Law and the Prophets but you Ministers of unrighteousness and false Apostles teach men to disobey and transgresse the commands of Christ which are the false Prophets and Antichrists which Christ said should come John saw was come went forth from them the Apostles and since the world is gone after you and so you have taught the world to swear and men to swear and Christ and his Apostles teach them not to swear And so here 's the Land mourning because of oaths among boyes and girles it 's become common in your Streets Courts and Houses Swearing for-swearing and profane swearing and that which is out of the command of Christ is profane for they bewitch people that draw people from the command of God The Apostle instances Circumcision which Christ ended and what are they that draw people to those things which Christ forbids but such as would not have him to reigne but Antichrists which hath been from the Apostles And so you and the Papists are one here doing what you do by an oath and the Apostle saith which you are apostatized from Above all things swear not at all neither by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath Marke this was to the brethren true christians true believers such
would have them persecuted would have them stoned you that be teachers of the people how do ye love your neighbours as your selves and fulfill the Law and the prophets Mat. 7.12 to doe so as you would be done by To ye Presbyterians of Scotland I speake that be teachers whose principles is to stone chop off heads and persecute them that be contrary minded to you would ye have those that be contrary to your mindes stone you to death chop off your heads imrpison and banish you and persecute and excommunicate you This is the Law and the prophets to do as you would be done by as others should doe to you so doe unto them but Christ who is the end Of the Law and the prophets Rom. 10.4 saith his doctrine is to love enemies Mat. 5.44 and saith if men persecute you pray for them and blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that persecute you and despitefully use you you may be the children of your father which is in heaven who makes the Sun to shine upon the evill and the good and the raine to descend upon the just and the unjust if ye love them that love ye what reward have ye the Publicans and Pharisees doe so and the apostatized Christians who are got into the formes of words but out of the life of the Saints of Christ and the Apostles and there they are saluting their brethren onely but saith Christ be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect which you stand against so ye are they that have denied the one offering which hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 And makes the blood of Christ of none effect which cleanseth from all sin and the new Covenant which blots out all sin and transgression and all upon the earth professors and worshippers that call your selves Brethern and Christians and offerers of what sort soever that have but the name before thou offers be reconciled to thy brother goe leave the gift at the altar and be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Mat. 5.24 then will the Lord accept thy offering and all upon the earth that prayeth so that ye doe forgive others that trespasse against you as you would have the Lord forgive you your trespasses Oh how is the beauty of the Church of Presbyterians marred and diformed oh how are they become Cages of uncleane birds Synagogues of Sathan oh how are their Teachers become envyous men and murtherers of Caines stock in whom the eternall life is not abiding That would stay stone and chop off heads of strangers servants of the Lord God and Sons and Daughters and excommunicate and put out of their Synogogues these things have I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended Io. 16.2 they shall excomunicate you yea the time cometh that they that kill you shall think they doe God good service these things will they doe unto you because they neither knew the Father nor me These things have I told you before that when the time comes ye may remember that I told you of them Io. 16 4. so the sayings of Christ are fulfilled by you that excommunicate and put out of the Synagogues of the Jewes ye are like and these are their marks that they neither know the Father nor the Son of God These Temples Pulpits Priests that are set up since the daies of the Apostles are amongst the false prophets that Christ said should come Mat. 7. Mat. 24. and John saw was come 1 Io. 2.18.19 and 1 Jo. 4.1 2 3. which went forth from them which all the world went after Rev. 13.3 And these excomunications from you are that none should buy nor sell but such as worship the beast and receive his markes Rev. 13.14 And it was the Beast that would kill and destroy and the Dragon and the fall prophets them that kept the testimony of Jesus Rev. 12. here is the patience and faith of the Saints that by the blood of the Lamb that overcomes that have testimony of Jesus and kept the commands of God so the Jews excomunications which had the true Temple true Tithes and true Priests which had the figure the Type Christ being come the substance Heb. 10.34 the everlasting Priesthood Heb. 7. the everlasting Covenant and the one offering Heb. 10. so them that went from the priesthood went to Christ The Jewes did excommunicate them out of the Synagogues now they did not know the Son nor the Father that did excomunicate Jo. 16. though they had the figures and Types of the Son of God They held up their outward things and saw not the Son of God the substance when he was come so these knew not the Son of God nor the Father that excommunicated and put out of the Synagogues which Christ bad them that was to be put out of the Synagogues not be offended at those things he told them before they came to passe That when these things come to passe ye may remember that I told you Now those are they that Christ said should come and the Apostles saw was come that went forth from them which hath got up Tithes and Temples and Pulpits and priests and the Priests are excommunicating out of their synagogues and these must neither buy nor sell with them nor eat nor drink nor have nothing to do with them except they will worship the beast or his image and fall down to him and this is the worship of the Beast got up since the Apostles who apostatized from the true Church and went forth from them which all the world wondered after and worshipped and received his mark and his image They that buy and sell and will let others do so with them that are of them that make war against them that keep the testimony of Jesus and the commands of God and against the Saints and the Lamb but the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory But the Lamb of God the seed of God is risen the beast and the false Prophet is taken which hath long deceived the Nations Revelations 2. The old Dragon the Serpent the murderer the deceiver the devourer the Mother of Harlots Babylon which hath made all Nations drunk with her fornications which hath corrupted the earth Rev. 14. which the beasts and the false Prophets that deceives the Nations and the Antichrist the false Prophets say they are come but now These are deceivers of the Nations that say they come but now for Christ said they should come and John said they were come before his decease whereby he said he knew it was the last time and in the Revelations he said all the world went after them and all Nations have drunk of the wine of her fornications and the Kings of the earth have committed fornications with her Rev. 17.2 mark the word have and the false Prophets say they come but now and now is the last time And these are
it any other except such as the Pope gave to his ministers having your degrees in your schools and attaining from one art and office to another till at last you professe to be attained to the ministry but this is not Gods way of Commissionating but antichrists way and the Lord God is risen who will confound it for the Lord hath not spoken to you neither hath he revealed his glory to you you have neither seen his shape nor heard his voice neither is the tidings you bring effectual to convert sinners for you are climed up another way and enters not in at the door and the Ape is truly your figure for your deformity appeares to the saints and all the children of light does see you and your originall which came up in the falling away of the true Churches when anti-christ took the Throne and the man of sin got up into the temple which for many generations amongst you hath shewn himselfe to be God and hath been worshipped as God Pr. The complices of Corah Dathan and Abiram who usurps the Priests office were destroyed a warning-peece for such as usurp the ministerial function uncalled and unordained let them take heed when they persume to vent their illiterat rude incoherence and blasphemous stuff Ans This belongs to your selves ye men of unholy lives who hath usurped to the ministry uncalled and unordained of the Lord by his spirit and you may take warning at Chorahs destruction whom the Lord shall as surely destroy with the fire of his jealousie for while the beast hath had power over nations and the whore made Nations drunk all this time hath your authority been exalted by which you have been set up and your ministers without the life that the true ministers were in and without that call and ordination which they had for you are of man and by man and your effects not the worke of the true ministrie of Christ but are left desolate and are desolate of the presence of God being your selves unlearned in the doctrine of Christ venting your imaginations out of the truth and out of the power of God and there stands your ministrie Pr. Vnsanctified ministers may possibly convert to God Ans No he that is unsanctified is out of the power of God and the word of God abides not in him and he runs and is not sent and it is not possible that such can convert sinners who are themselves unconverted from their iniquities Pr. That some learned Christians have been able to squees the greatest mysteries of our Religion out of the writings of some Heathens Ans This is the sum of your principles you 15. Priests and here is the sum of your ignorance and wretchednesse discovered and the vanity of your Religion whose foundation is the writings of heathens and the heathens that knew not God out of their writings is your religion made up as you confesse this is the whores Religion that sits upon the beast that the world hath long wondred after and not the true religion which the Apostles and true Churches were in and they are no Christians no Saints nor true Christians that goes to the writings of Heathens to squees out mysteries they that do so are the Christians in the Apostacie who are falne from the life of righteousnesse such as you and thousands are at this day being without the spirit and without Christ therefore you run to the Heathen for knowledge and shames true Christianity and true Christians in reputing the heathen wiser then your selves who are faine to run to their writings to make up your mysteries and such is your religion deceit and vanity and the mysterie thereof studyed for out of the heathens writings this is Christianity in the Apostacie and the Religion apostatized from the life of true Christianity for the true Christian Religion the foundation thereof is Christ who is the mysterie of God and of life and salvation and the mysteries of our true Christian Religion which we live in that are come out of the Apostacie are revealed to us by the spirit of the father that dwells in us is in all that are in the true Christian Religion who denies the Heathens and your Apostatized Christians and are come into the mysteries of eternall salvation which is not squeesed by imaginations of men but revealed by the spirit of God the great mysterie Christ in us and the mysterie of the Kingdome all this is made manifest to us and to true Christians whose Religion stands in the power of God and not in the tradition of men nor fetched from the Heathens writings and this Religion will stand for ever but your Religion and mynistries and Church will the Lord confound the author of whom is the heathens writings and how then shall it stand it is out of the bottomlesse pit and ariseth out of that your Religion and mysteries and thither shall it be turned into the pit that hath no bottome oh how have you blinde leaders led the blind that have been professing to teach Christ this many years and faith in him and have you taken so much money of the Nations and do you now tell us that the greatest mysteries of your Religion are squeesed out of the heathens writings oh ye unrighteous men blind leaders the Lord God Almighty is now risen and the Nations can no longer be satisfied with this Religion but the Lord is a gathering out of your mouths and you must howl and lament all the Idols dumb shepherds and they shall be confounded and the soules delivered of which they have made a prey for the soules of men have been the merchandize of Babylons merchants they have bought and sold the souls of men they have blinded the eye of it and troden it downe and the immortall soule hath not been respected otherwise then to make merchandize thereof to get gaine thereby there has been many traffickers since the daies of the Apostles that have made merchandizes of souls but the judgement of the great Whore is come and of Babylon the Mother of Harlots and the Lord God and the Lamb will plead against her and the jawes of the wicked shall be broken and their hearts shall utterly faile in the midst of them and the Lord will reveal his righteousness from heaven and by his judgements shall he be known in the earth a mighty God and a dreadfull and his dread and terror shall take hold upon your consciences come down and sit in the dust for the Lords controversie is against you he will bruise you with an Iron rod hee 'l break you as a potters vessel and his hand ye shall not escape for ye are but like Bryers and thorns in battel before him and like the stubble in which the fire is kindled and you will be as the dross in time of purging and at reprobate silver the Lord God hath said it W. S. His Book called A Parsons guide concerning of Tythes and the Law of Tythes