many ten thousands of Believers as the Greek doth expresly affirm at Jerusalem tho the English Translation doth not so render it Act. 21. 17 20. And the more General Appellation of the Temple doth sometimes in some places include the Synagogues so was the Tabernacle called There were Synagogues in Damascus There were Churches in Judea and Galilee and Samaria There were several Preachers Prophets Teachers in Antioch a City of Syria too many to be confined only to one Congregation whom those of the Church in that City might hear as they most could profit especially was it thus in Jerusalem There were Synagogues at Salamis a City in Cyprus In every City of Judea they had their Synagogues where was Reading and Preaching every Sabbath Day There were Churches in Syria and in Cilicia At Corinth there was a Church and another at Cencrea which belonged to Corinth And this Church at Corinth the Believers and Saints in Church-fellowship there are highly commended by Paul for first giving up of themselves to the LORD Christ to be wholly his in all things to be ruled by his Will and Law and then under Him unto his faithful Ministers so far as these did guide them by the Scripture-Rule according to Christ's Will therein not only those Ministers of Christ who were more particularly related to some Church there not only to Apollos or some one or two more but also to Paul Cephas Barnabas Timothy Titus Sylvanus or any other such providentially teaching there they all doing the same work and being Workers together therein 1 Cor. 1. 12. 3. 4 9 22. 16. 10 11 12. 2 Cor. 6. 1. 5. 18 19 20. 8. 16 24. 12. 12 18. 2 Cor. 8. 5. There were more Ministers than one at Corinth is clear from 1 Cor. 14. 23-32 This with more of the like Collections from Scripture might be improved to great and good uses when the Churches shall be in a spirit and frame for it At present they thus argue from hence If Shem Acher and those with him have received into Church-fellowship this Sister according to the forementioned Precepts and Precedents by Scripture-Warrants and Rules Then neither She nor They c. But Shem Acher and those with him c. Therefore Thus have they made it appear by many solid Arguments that they have not done without great Causes and weighty Reasons what they have done in the Case of this Sister If any will be returning an Answer it is desired and expected that he would according to what he sees here before him first set down the Scriptures and then argue from those Scriptures They have brought in their Testimony for their LORD in this matter He having given Authority to his Officers for the Edification of his Churches and People and not for their Destruction They can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth They love the Truth and Peace they pursue Holiness and would have their All to be done in Love in that Love which is of God and is brotherly and unfeigned 2 Cor. 10. 8 10. 13. 8 11. Rom. 15. 4 7. Zech. 8. 19. Heb. 12. 14. 1 Cor. 16. 14. PAVL * 1 Tim. 1. 13 15. Act. 26. 9 10 11. 1 Tim. 14 15 16 17. Act. 9. chap. 22. chap. 26. Eph. 3. 7 8 9 10 17 18 19. 1 Cor. 15. 8 9 10. Consider well the History of the Acts of the Apostles and the several Epistles of Paul Eph. 3. 8. 2 Cor. 11. 12. chap. throughout 2 Cor. 4. 1 2. 1. 12. Heb. 13. 18. 1. Cor. 15. 10. 2. Cor. 12. 11 12. Phile. v. 9. Phil. 3. 7 21. 2 Tim. 4 6 7 8. He had sound good Evidences and Assurances of his happy State in saving sanctifying Grace Altho in the days of his Unregeneracy he had been one of the Prime of Sinners yet he lived to be one of the most eminent Exalters of free Grace and most serviceable Instruments in Christ's hand of any meer Man that ever lived yet he in great Humility acknowledged himself less than the least of all Saints O what a Name of Honour has he in Scripture-Records for his Doings and Sufferings for Christ How much did he commend himself to every Man's Conscience in the sight of God having this to be his rejoycing the Testimony of his own Conscience that in Simplicity and Sincerity according to God not in fleshly Wisdom but in the Grace of God he had had his Conversation in the World being confident that he had a good Conscience behaving himself well in all things Well nigh about one third part of the New Testament is an Historical Narration concerning him who tho he were so singularly eminent and so growingly excelling in edifying Gifts and in sanctifying Graces and in extraordinary usefulness even to old Age to the very last yet still forgetting those things that were behind he reached forth unto those things that were before pressing toward the Mark for the Price of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus having his Citizenship in Heaven calling upon others to be Followers together of him and to mark them who walk so as they had him for an ensample so far as he followed Christ who when he had fought a good Fight finished his Course and kept the Faith passed triumphingly into Glory being well assured that there was laid up for him a Crown of Righteousness which the LORD the righteous Judg would give him at that day SHEM ACHER If towards the close of this Narrative any serious Enquirer do desire to be satisfied concerning his Spiritual State that no trouble may remain upon their Heart and Mind to hinder their profiting under his Ministry the God of all Mercy of all Grace and of all Consolation has treasured up much in the Heart of Shem Acher as matter of self-emptying and of Soul-humbling yet withal of exalting of Jehovah Aelohim in Father Son and Holy Spirit of advancing of Christ that All-wonderful one God-Man How unsearchably rich has this Grace how admirably free has this Love been A Spiritual Discerner may gather much together by way of Evidence out of the foregoing History of Shem Acher's Life one more eminent Passage whereof he would here revive in the Memory because it has been one of the most eminent excelling Experiences of his whole Life when his more thorow Conversion by way of Spiritual Espousals had such clear full satisfactory self-Evidence in it as shines in his inner Man to this very hour altho he had somewhat of it before It is that shining Manifestation of those glorious Appearances of Father Son and Holy Spirit in the Heavenly Glory to Shem Acher's Spirit and of the LORD Jesus Christ as to his glorified Humanity and the seed of it in the North above this blew visible Expanse the opening of which Mystery may hold forth a Scripture-Light for the guiding of others in their turning to the LORD covenanting with him and being espousingly united to
he being honoured with an Imprisonment for Christ's sake for the Gospel sake for Righteousness sake for the Elect's sake he gathered a Church there in that place of Confinement towards the end of which Imprisonment upon a solemn Fasting day so far as their light in those matters did attain the Brethren and Sisters then present thankfully owned their profiting under his ministerial Labours and gave a large Testimony to his ministerial Office and Work only this must be remembred that at several times upon several occasions he in the hearing of several of them did always reserve to himself the liberty of answering of Christ's Call to any other Place or People for he was the LORD's having given up himself unto Him to be wholy and only at his dispose and not to be during Life staked down to any particular Place or People Once more since his coming to London he has been gathering of another People and that Church with whom he now walks did all such of them as were then actually in Fellowship upon a Solemn-Fast-assembling communicate their Experiences to one another how much the LORD had blessed his Labours upon their Hearts and towards the close of the work of that day not by Imposition of Hands or Ordination to the ministerial Office or any thing of that Nature which was openly so declared both by him and them One of them in the Name of the rest in Prayer to the LORD did by stretching out of his Hands as others also of them did commend him unto the LORD in a special Message to the Sabbath Churches in Wiltshire Hampshire Dorcetshire Glocestershire and Berkshire which was undertaken by him and prospered with desired Success the report whereof at his return caused Joy to all the Brethren and Sisters in Fellowship This is somewhat of that which he here brings in as an Argument unto Men who are urgent for such outward common ordinary Calls to this Office from Men. This was a choice piece of the Beauty of this Providence in this his age of growing-Light For let any one convinced of the Seventh-day-Sabbath have been of what Judgment soever yet still there had been a Receiver of him into Church-Fellowship whatsoever his Principle had been If after all this it be more deeply researched into and he be close and home put to it what he himself doth mainly and ultimately resolve his inward special more than ordinary Call into as to the ministerial Office and Work he desireth that so far as the Case will run Parallel with Paul's though he here as before gives the preheminence to Paul it may be in a Brotherly manner and Christian way admitted and received He was set apart to this Office from his Mother's Womb For his Father and Mother related to him when he grew up to some capacity for the taking of this in that if not whilst he was in the Womb in case he should prove a Male perfect Child yet at least upon his being born a Male Child with perfection of Limbs and of Parts by Vow or some religious Promise made to God they would give him up unto the LORD to whom they dedicated him for the Office and Work of the Ministry which has since been suggested to him by the Holy Spirit and confirmed by many Experiences according to the Word which he doth embrace with a thankful joyful Heart as a more than common Favour from that good Spirit His Parents as they had thus designed him to this special Course and honourable Calling so accordingly they were at the care and cost to train and breed him up in such Knowledg and Learning as the Principles and Attainments of that Age and Day directed them to As he grew up his strong Propensions and continued Inclinations were for this Calling as the only proper course of his Life intended for him tho by invitation thereunto by his Father and from others he has since discerned that he entered upon somewhat of it too soon and too unfurnished for the longer he doth live and the more spiritual discerning he hath still the more he sees and feels of his * 2 Cor. 2. 16 17. Insufficiency for so high honourable and great undertaking and would gladly sit at the Feet of others every way more accomplished and more †2 Chron. 24. 20. Margin clothed with the Holy Spirit for it and he is grieved at Heart and afflicted in Spirit to behold the over forwardness of so many in the present Age who undertake to be publick Teachers of others when divers of them do need to be catechizinglytaught themselves Since his more thorow passing into this Office the Holy Spirit who doth divide his Gifts to every Man severally as he will hath in some measure * Ps 68. 11. 18. Eph. 4. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. Gifted him for it which he would speak thankfully as acknowledging it to be meer Grace and special Favour for he ascribes nothing of the Spirituallity of it to his own former Philosophick Studies or self Acquirements or human Instructing but it was divine Teaching and Gifted infusing from Heaven so withal humbly with self-abasing that all this while he has made no further progress in a Fittedness and Ability for this Calling in the proper peculiar Endowments for it though this he can say through Grace that for these last seventeen years more especially for the last fourteen years he has had in the Strength and Supplies of the Holy Spirit an industrious mind to trade with his Talent received and there is seldom a day wherein somewhat more is not according to the †Mat. 25. 29. 1 Pet. 4. 10. Rom. 12. 3 6. 1 Cor. 12. 3 -11. Luke 19 12 26. 1 Cor. 7. 17. Promise given unto him and he remembers well that for about seventeen Years ago though he hâ—â— some knowledg of the Hebrew and Greek Tongues before yet this Meditation taking sensible hold of his Heart that when he went thorow the Bible and examined the Gifts of Ministers there he could not find any one Minister of Christ lawfully called by him to that Office who did not understand the Words of Jehovah Aelohim in their Original Language that which did so quicken him up to pray for and to endeavour after a more growing Skilfulness especially in the inner knowledg of the Hebrew Significations by the Holy Spirits Teachings that the serious Thoughts of and unexpressible Advantages by this Scripture Learning do abide with him to this Day and he doth judg it very requisite for those who concâ—rn themselves in this Calling to lay this more to Heart had not the Holy Spirit somewhat Gifted him for this employ he should still fear and doubt he had never called him to it The same Holy Spirit has in a measure Graced and Sanctifyed him for this Holy Function This also as before concerning Gifts he doth write with the same thankful humble Acknowledgments It is not every one who doth pretend and pride himself
understood by some Ministers and others two Ministers came to him in the Prison a little before the end of the sixth day with vehement earnest importunate desirings beseechings and entreatings and other arguings and charmings that he would forbear tho but one day the next day which was the seventh day to consult and consider of so weighty a matter in so great a change for one week Oh for one week longer His Answer was quick short full and resolved in the Strength of the LORD No he would not put it off one day more it was clear as the Light to him through the whole Scripture and if he should put away from him this Statute of Jehovah tho but for one day he knew not but that the Holy Spirits quicknings teachings and comfortings of him might withdraw and Convictions be darkened and deadned From this time tho Sufferings for Christ came on yet Consolations by Christ did abound and the Scriptures did look with a clearer Face such is also the Experience of many others who are upright-hearted walkers with Christ and thorow followers of Christ in this way of his Command The very next day therefore the seventh day he celebrated as the weekly Sabbath day openly witnessing to it and publickly declaring for it from the Word remembring * Joh. 18. 37. that of his LORD Christ To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the World that I should bear witness unto the Truth every one that is of the Truth heareth my Voice This was the saying of Christ himself a few hours before his Death Since that Shem never met with any Objection that could shake or stagger him but all wrought for his fuller Confirmation and Establishment In the next place his perfecting of Believers Baptism comes to be considered Convictions about this also did quickly spread in the Prison and from thence in other places Having no convenient Accommodations for Dipping under close Confinement he and two more took up Resolutions to pass under that Ordinance when the LORD should give his Prisoner Liberty when he was set free he and the other being at a time in London two Brethren and one Sister being throughly satisfied in each other took Boat and rowed down to Battersey near London and having discovered a convenient place of passing into the Thames River intended there to submit to this Appointment of their LORD the next Morning if not prevented or hindred There they kept Sabbath before the ending of which day somewhat providentially fell out by a difference in Judgment which did put a stop to that whole Action for that time Thus the LORD wisely ordered and graciously over-ruled this Affair for Good For he having before been wrought off from all other whatsoever to bring all entirely to an whole Christ and to his whole Word to Him and to it only had the fairer and fuller opportunity to consider before hand how it might be done in the purest way and to compare what he could meet with afterwards if it might tend to his clearer Inlightning or further Establishment that no one Mark of the Beast might be found upon him at Christ's coming to Glory Before he therefore writes downright to the Case for matter of Fact he will set down what both before and since he hath met with for an answer to this Question Who should be the Administrator and who is fittest for it There were divers of the Perswasion and Practice for Believers Baptism some who had been his Fellow Prisoners others of the same mind who gave him Christian Visits but his Spirit was not satisfied with any one of them For as for the Objection that has been made that a dead Man cannot bury himself as if therefore a Man could not baptize himself Such arguing from some Similitudes are often mistaken and misapplyed and recoil upon the Objecter As in this Case a grown Believer if in any circumstanced Case he have a sufficient Call to baptize himself yet is supposed to be not altogether dead but alive both in Nature and in Grace too and a living Person may do such an Action as may set out a dying burial and rising again Let a Swallow speak in this Case †See Swan's Spaeculum Mundi p. 408. History writes of this Bird that in the beginning of Autumn it gets among the Canes or Reeds where it sinks it self into the Waters thus dying and burying it self and at the beginning of the Spring it riseth up alive again Being in London and making enquiry there his disatisfaction grew on For upon search made concerning either a First-or-After-Administrator of this Ordinance he was informed either by printed Records or by credible Witnesses that the Administrator was Either a Self Baptizer such he knew not one lawfully authorized thereunto which yet he will not totally condemn especially if a Call can be cleared up thereunto from the LORD The Grounds and Reasons whereof are not fit to be brought in here particularly tho the discerning Reader may catch at Hints enough in what doth follow There are Hebrew words which do set out some such Washings that are in two Conjugations one of which Conjugations Hithpahel is always so and the other Passive in Niphal is often significantly * Such as Ruchatz and Hithrachatz Nibtal Nishtaph Shuttaph Heb. 9. 10. Lev. 15. 6 c. Gen. 17. 10 c. Rom. 4. 11. Col. 2. 1 2. In the Greek a Passive Verb has often an Active signification See for this Pasor's Greek Sacred Grammer of the New Testament p. 147 148 149. in many Scripture-Instances Thus also in the Latin there are divers Verbs which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as Passively do work Actively upon a Man's self See Danesius his Paralipomenae p. 78 79 80 81 82 83. In the Greek Words of the Middle Voice have often an Active signification sometimes a Passive now and then both 1 Cor. 10. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 Plur. aor 1 Med. They baptising themselves were baptized in the Cloud and in the Sea Thus it was iâ—â—he Types which Moses sanctifying by the Word and Prayer the Israelites went in and under of themselves Thus Act. 22. 16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aor 1. Imper. Mood baptizing thy self be thou baptized Shem Acher will not say there was nothing at all of this self-baptising by Christ's appointment upon himself tho he resolves it into the Act of another of Christ himself upon him he being the princiipal Baptizer of him Act. 22. 16. The deeper research that Shem Acher doth make into this Scripture the more Note-worthyness doth he see in it There are two Verbs in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both of them relating to one and the same thing that is to Baptismal Washing and they are both of them of the same middle Voice of the same Imperative Mood derived from the same first Aorist of the same Number of the same Gender and of
and others †1 Cor. 12. 28 29. Eph. 4. 11 12 13. Act. 13. 1. 1 Cor. 14. chap. Apostles and Prophets are expresly mentioned as established Officers set and appointed by Christ in his Church This was not confined only to Judea for in other parts of the inhabited Earth there was Job Eliphaz and others in the East who were eminent Leaders of Congregated Societies and there was a Balaam of Syria Mesopotamia who had a Prophetick Gift To distinguish of Prophets and of the several kinds of them and of the distinct parts of their Office is not my present work let it suffice at this time to shew that the LORD has not been wanting to his Church and People when he has been sought unto aright as to his gifting gracing calling and sending extraordinary Officers with a larger Commission than only to a small gathered handful of Disciples of Christ when the ordinary ones have been corrupted or negligent ignorant or unfaithful or upon some other special Occasions Shem in his own case tho altogether unworthy of the least and lowest place of Service ministerial in Christ's House yet for about these twenty years last past having been Christ's Servant to gather feed and rule a particular Church or particular Churches and to this day is so he has declared against his being staked or teddered down to any one Place or People he being Christ's Servant at his Masters dispose to do what publick work his LORD shall call him unto wheresoever to whomsoever it be having never as yet either singly by himself or jointly with others laid on his Hands upon any one as to an ordaining of him to the Ministerial Office This part of Shem's Narrative should put some dissenting Brethren upon more serious considering whether they have not been very short of their Duty who have cryed down and run down all gathered Churches and Church-Ministers because of some Antichristian and Unscriptural Principles and Practices corruptly crept in some for five others for ten some others for twenty othersome for thirty years together not seeing or not believing or not acknowledging or not promoting any extraordinary Ministry over gathered Curch or Churches set up by Christ in the room thereof And O! who will give that this seasonable Word might fall and abide with kindly in working Efficacy in the demonstration of the Spirit and with power upon prepared Hearts and unprejudiced Minds both as to non-Church ones and also as to the present Claimers of Ministry by Office whether National Classical Congregational pleading for a right in their Tenure whether by Succession Authority from the People or what else That one and another may yet be think themselves of a more Scriptural way for the informing setling satisfying healing and uniting of Christians As Scripture-History doth clear it up that so it hath been so Scripture-Prophecy and Scripture-Promise will fulfil and accomplish it that so it shall be in this latter-day-Glory even a Prophetick Apostolick Evangelick and otherways extraordinary Ministry as well as a Pastoral Teaching ordinary Ministry revived and advanced continued and blessed such special Administrators in Christ's House by whom resort shall be to the Mouth of Jehovah to ask Counsel at an Oracle of Aelohim who has in all Ages of his Church both before and since the Apostle's days sent some special Messenger or Messengers to witness for Himself and for the Truths of Christian Religion against the Corruptions of the Times and Age wherein they lived tho the number of such under many Providences has been but small and the true Ministry and Churches have not so shined forth with visible Pomp and outward Glory There may if Jehovah our Aelohim and Adonai do bring it forth by and in the Hand of his Providence shortly come abroad a Scripture-Directory concerning an House for the Sons of the Prophets for the training up of such whose Hearts the LORD shall make willing to study useful Arts and Sciences in the Book of Books the Holy Scriptures of Truth Inspired Gifts and Acquired Gifts where * 2 Tim. 3. 14 15 16 17. 1 Sam. 10. 5 13. 2 Kings 2. 3 5 7 16. 4. 38. both are sanctified how useful are they when employed for the Edification of the Church and People of Christ And who of us can tell but that the open declaring for both these by some Gentile-Christians and Believers and Ministers who express their Faith in Prophetick Scriptures that †Isa 32. 15. 44. 3 4. Ezek. 39 29. Joel 2. 28 32. Ezek. 47. 1 12. 1 Cor. 12 13 14. ch 2 Cor. 3. 17. 18. there are near at hand some further more immediate Inspirings from the Holy Spirit with extraordinary Charisms or edifying Gifts and those of working of Miracles and Gifts of Healings and of Tongues particularly For * 1 Cor. 1. 22 24. the Jews do to this day require a Sign and who withal do in the use of ordinary means wait upon the Holy Spirit for his inner Teachings and for his Blessings of their unwearied Endeavours and diligent Industry of their serious cryings after Scripture-Knowledg in the Original Language and giving their Voice for Understanding seeking her as Silver and searching for her as hid Treasures For the Greeks do still seek after Wisdom I say who knows but that both Jew and Gentile may fall in love with this Art of Arts and Science of Sciences if Jehovah will in either or in both these ways give Wisdom out of whose Mouth Knowledg and Understanding when Wisdom shall thus enter into Hearts Oh! how pleasant will Knowledg be to the Soul †Mar. 16. 15. Mat. 28. 18 19 20. Gal. 2. 7 8. Isa 40. 9. 52. 7 8. As the LORD here tofore honoured some of the Christianized Jews to be under him his Apostles for the converting of the Gentiles so in these later Days he may honour some of the Christianized Gentiles to be under him his Apostles for the converting of the Jews and Israelites * Zech. 2. 5. Isa 46. 13. then shall the LORD and his new created Ones be the mutual Glory of each other Oh! how glorious a Day will that Day of such Glory be PAVL †Acts 9. 15 20. 26. 16 20. 1 Cor. 15. 10. Paul being thus put by Christ into the Ministerial Office sets about the work wherein he laboured more abundantly than all the Apostles his Travels up and down with the Gospel as one Historian has computed them were ten thousand two hundred and seventy Miles from his first beginning until his being Prisoner in Rome and altho he might have required maintenance * 2 Cor. 11. 9 10 11 12. 12. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. 1 Cor. 9. thorow yet for the Gospel's sake he did forbear the demanding of it †2 Cor. 11. 21. and so to the end 4. 6 7 8 9 10. Gal. 6. 17. Rom. 3 8. His Sufferings were many and great his being reproached was
to promote a Reformation He dipped all his Children This Mr. Slado her Grandfather had a considerable Estate in England which he sold and purchased somewhat in Ireland he had a numerous Progeny and they most of them have prospered well in this World and divers of them fear the LORD several of them are still living Whilst he lived in the City of Limerick in Ireland the Lecturers were entertained at his House Two of his Daughters were there married to Ministers One Mr. Town who married Gnezri-jah's Mother Shem Acher has heard was a Doctor of Divinity having Preferments in Ireland worth Two hundred pounds by the year he kept seven or eight Servants and well bred up a fruitful Family Her Father according to the Light of that day was zealous against Popery often exposing his Life to danger in defence of the Protestant Religion once the bloody Papists attempted to bury him alive but the LORD delivered him In the Irish Rebellion about forty years ago this Doctor with all his Family were persecuted he left his Estate for the Cause of Christ and after many wonderful deliverances in Ireland and at Sea during that Rebellion several of his Family came for England where the LORD took care of them but now they are scattered into several Countries Yet notwithstanding this just Defence made as to Men some do still go on with their defamings both of Shem Acher and of Gnezri-jah about this Matter who leave their Cause with the righteous Judg who knows how they both for several years have much endeavoured to sweeten the Lives of others and to promote Peace and Purity in the Churches tho ill requited by many whose unkindness have contributed much towards the breaking down of her Constitution and the sore distressing of her Spirit so that it is a wonderful Power and Preservation that both her Husband and she are yet alive What careful Thoughts Shem Acher has had for the Churches of the Holy Separation according to his Capacity Opportunity and Ability is known to the searcher of Hearts and there are some Friends who have been acquainted therewith tho hitherto he has been but little encouraged and cannot effect much but some Testimony thereof he has brought in this way by a Treatise of his published in seventy seven called All in One c. by the Visits which he has given to Sabbath-Churches and that Epistle of Love which he this Year sent to them for a Meâ—ting in London by Messengers for the promoting of such good Work and great Ends as were well worthy for the greatest Princes and ablest Ministers to countenance and prosecute had it been entertained and improved according to its just due value Which Epistle of Love was as followeth Shem Acher a Servant and Minister of Jesus Christ and the Friends in Church-Fellowship with him in London To all the Churches of Seventh-day-Sabbath-Observers who keep the Commandments of God and the Faith and the Testimony of Jesus Sendeth a Christian Salutation of Brotherly Love Mercy Grace Love Peace and Blessing be multiplyed to you from God our Father and the LORD Jesus Christ WE give thanks to God and the Father of our LORD Jesus Christ who has made known to you and to us his Holy Sabbath and hath so far favoured and honoured us as to use and own our open Confessing and obedient Witnessing of this and of any other Truth and Duty of the present Age whereunto he hath called us forth in his Wisdom and Strength who are but Foolish and Weak in our selves and we earnestly desire you to help together by Prayer with us that both you and we may walk worthy of God who hath thus called us unto his Kingdom and Glory and who has made King Jesus to be Preciousness and Honour to us and his Kingly Law to be Honourable and Glorious in our Esteem Both the Old and New Testament towards the close of each putting us upon a more particular and especial remembrance of Him and of his Law and pronouncing those to be the Blessed Ones who doing his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City There being divers exceeding great and precious Prophecies and Promises relating more peculiarly unto the Revivers and Observers of the weekly Seventh-day-Sabbath which shall go a little before the Coming and Appearing of our LORD Jesus Christ in Glory when he will gather in the out-casts of Israel and do his other latter day-Glory-works For there shall be those of such Christian believing Sabbath-keepers who shall build all the old waste places who shall raise up the Foundations from Generation to Generation and who shall be called Menders of Breaches Restorers of Paths to Sabbatize in and the time drawing on Christ's Salvation being at hand to come and his Righteousness to be revealed so that we should look up and lift up our Heads because such our Redemption draweth near We therefore propound this unto your serious Consideration dear Brethren beloved in our LORD that by two or more Messengers from every such Church in England or by Letters and Messages from any of such Churches or of any particular Brethren in Holland New-England or elsewhere we may meet if our LORD will once or oftner upon weighty and urgent occasions and necessities every Year at London or elsewhere at such times as shall be agreed on to keep days of Fasting and of Thanksgiving together by the Prayers of Faith through the Mediation and Intercession of the great Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Jesus Christ to prevail with the Father for larger pourings out of his Spirit upon our selves and upon others for his special presence of Grace with us assisting and blessing of us in all Church-Administrations and at such a general Meeting by Messengers so as that thereby there may be begotten a better Understanding and a more unanimous Accord among our selves a more successful carrying on of Truth Love Peace and Holiness in our Churches a more exact bringing of all the Ordinances of Christ's New Spiritual House to the Laws and Orders of the Prophetical Pattern according to Scripture-Institution and that from cool considerate Conferences there may be given forth right statings of any other Questions that may come before us about which to give our advice mutually to one another by the Rules of the Word of God judging righteous Judgment according unto that without any lording it one over another but in all lowliness of Mind in Humility and Meekness being readily and thankfully made willing to receive further Scripture-Light from any whom our LORD shall use and honour to hold it forth before us and that then and there we may consult which way by a common stock to promote any good work for the maintenance of any Church-Officers for the training up of hopeful young or more aged Men sound and stedfast in the Faith in the Knowledg of the Original Tongue and of other
Scripture-Learning and for the procuring of a more exact literal Translation of the Old-and New-Testament into our Mother-Tongue and for the more religious educating of Children in Families and in Schools and for the relieving of the Poor and for such other good Works and to enquire what may be further a Duty upon us towards the two and the ten Tribes of Judah and of Israel to help forward their Conversion as also what the Spirit has to say more particularly and especially to our Churches and to other Churches in this great providential-Providential-day and such like publick-spirited Inquiries and all this for the promoting of the Honour of our LORD and of his Word Works and Cause the Purity and Peace of Churches and Salvation of Souls Thus through Grace and Mercy obtained from our LORD we discover and declare our readiness to joyn in with you in what is the work of our Day and Generation and so commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you and us up and to give us an Inheritance among all them who are Sanctified Shem Acher Now that Shem Acher's Ends towards the latter-day-Glory might be promoted and that Shem might prosecute so good a design in the use of all those lawful means which his Line could reach into in his place for the finishing of this part of his Testimony for Christ for the Word of Christ for the Law of his ten Words and the annexed Judicials and for the Seventh-day-Sabbath more especially whilst others were following of the King with Petition upon Petition subscribed with multitudes of Hands from Cities Towns and Counties By Shem's direction this following Address was put into the Hands of the King Honoured SIR THe Land doth tremble it is broken it shaketh the right Way and proper Method to heal its Breaches is plain and evident You have seen the Hand of the LORD stretched out against the Popish Plotters in a continued Discovery for many Months of their bloody Design If the LORD Jesus Christ who is the King of Kings would graciously give you a Heart for it and then put it into your Heart openly at the next Session of Parliament to declare that It is your full Purpose and firm Resolution in the Strength and Supplies of the Almighty God to set up the Laws of Christ in the Scriptures of Truth as the one and the only Rule of your Government for which you have their own Authority in express Words The Law of God is the Law of the Land Then will your Name be transmitted to Posterity in the English Chronicle with a Crown Royal upon it Those who honour Christ he will honour This from a mean Handmaid Elizabeth Hooker The Sabbath of my Mighty God make thou it Precious O my God of Deliverance A like Address was made by the same Advice and Hand to the King to the same Effect in answer to that loud awakening Call by that signal Blazing Star for the promoting of the same grand Design of exalting of Christ and of the Word of Christ And a third sometime after to the present Mayor of London for the like End As Paul's manner was accordingly Shem Acher in his place finding some Disciples of Christ at his first coming to live near London to do work for his LORD and for Souls they agreeing to desire him thereunto and expressing this desire to him that seeing they were a few scattered Sheep without a Shepherd not being fully then satisfied to join in Church Fellowship with any particular Church as so constituted and so walking in London they declaring their being satisfied in one another and in him that he would administer the LORD's Supper unto them which after Conference with them and divers of them having profited under his ministerial Labours and having been baptized by him accordingly he did at Bethgnal-Green in the year seventy four withal declaring both he and they that this was a providential Communion in all the Ordinances of Christ's new Spiritual House towards the latter-day-Glory so far as for the present according to our Scripture-Light they can regularly come at them and so long as the LORD should continue them somewhat near together in their Dwellings this was assented unto and agreed upon by those baptized Believers and Seventh-day-Sabbath-Observers A little after this some difference in Judgment arising amongst them which Shem Acher foresaw and told it unto some a remnant of them who were more of one Mind agreed at a meeting in seventy five to own the LORD Jesus Christ to be the one and only LORD and Lawgiver to their Souls and Consciences and the Holy Scriptures of Truth as the one and only Rule of Faith Worship and Life according to which they were to judg of all their Cases Then did they pass into a Church For at that meeting upon this Agreement without any particular Church-Covenant about controverted Matter they did firmly lay all their Churchbottoming and building upon this Rock and Foundation even upon Christ and upon his Word A little before their thus passing into this Church State and Relation the two Sabbath Churches in the City desired his Labours at sometimes with them in the use and exercise of his Gifts which he consented to upon their importunity the LORD assisting him and prospering of his Labours upon the Hearts of several whose longings still encreased to enjoy more of his Ministerial Labours after that he had gathered some Disciples of Christ and was in a Church-way with them and had a distinct Meeting-place in the same City where he met with the Church and others who gave their Attendance at that Assembly where his service was accepted of the Saints so that they were mutually refreshed whereby they had in much experience a savoury taste of the Spirits of one another divers of the Brethren and Sisters of one of those two other Churches of Sabbath-keepers imparting some of their inmost Cases unto Shem Acher who has here upon this occasion a weighty Case to propound As to the Matter of Fact which is attested to be true by the whole Church who knew what doth follow with whom he doth walk Shem Acher doth suppose a Sister of another Sabbath-Church in the same City imparted this Case of her Soul unto him reporting to him that for some years she had been muâ—h oppressed in Heart distressed in Spirit broken and distempered in her bodily Constitution for want of that Spiritual Life and Liberty Purity and Peace Sweet and Satisfaction which she enjoyed not where she sat before but since she came under the Ministry of Shem her communicated Experience is that she has met with that Presence of the Holy good Spirit and of Grace sealed upon her Heart here to her Edification Comfort and Healing whereupon she desired to be in full Communion with Shem Acher and with the Friends in Church-Fellowship with him he laying this Gase in the several Circumstances of it to Heart the particulars whereof he
Teacher of others who much needed to have been instructed himself though he had a great Name amongst Ministers and People The Forms of Prayer were gone the Fire had turned them into Ashes He had composed many of those Forms of his own upon several Cases with great variety most Hearers could scarce discern it to be a Form of humane composure but the LORD took him at his Word and he must now trust to the assistance and inworking of the Spirit of Grace and of Supplication who has not been thus far wanting when aright depended on About seventeen years since when the Act for Vniformity came forth and the Profession of Assent and Consent and Subscriptions were required the LORD soon stated the Case and resolved the Question upon Shem's Mind and Heart not so much as to touch that unclean Constitution of humanely invented Worship and so he has continued ever since a total thorow Nonconformist though Afflictions and Persecutions have abidden him from that time After this the LORD honoured him with somewhat of a Vision in the Spirit wherein two of the choicest Revelations were made manifest to him and in him For in a very dark evening whilst a Prisoner a little before his going to his Lodging he bowing his knees in Prayer was on a sudden taken up in his Spirit as if he had been actually in Heaven This was about fourteen years ago answering somewhat to that of Paul * 2 Cor. 12. 1 4. where he had a clear view of Christ in his Glorified Humanity by an Eye of Faith He sitting in the sides of the †Iob 23. 3 4 8 9. 26. 6 7. Psal 48. 1 2 3. 75. 6 7. Isa 14. 9 15. North which was as real to him as if he had conversed with Christ personally in the flesh and it is still so when he is in a right worshiping Frame being led to him as to the one Mediator and Advocate to carry on all his Affairs in the Court above The other was ‖ 2 Cor. 13. 14. 1 Joh. 1 3 7. Mat. 28. 19. John chap. 14 15 16 17. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Ps 11 7. Their Faces or His Faces His or their Aspects See Ainsworth in loc Numb 12. 8. Heb. 6. 19. 20. 10. 19 22. A Self-evidencing view of those Glorious Appearances of Father Son and holy Spirit and distinctness of Communion with each of these in their several subsistences shining forth in the Face of Jesus This sight covered his Spirit with such a shining Light and bright Glory that their faces viewing him was such an heavenly Manifestation of unveiled Aspects as dwells with him to this hour and is more or less in every solemn Duty of Instituted Worship a guiding of his Spirit into that within the Veil whither Jesus the Fore-runner is for him entred And this has been revealed to him to be his being baptised with the holy Spirit Mat. 3. 11. Act. 1. 5. 11. 16. This Object raised him into an higher way of Later-Day-Glory-hymnifying than his former way of singing by Mens Forms read out of a Book could reach unto And thus it is through continuance of special Favour with him to this day and will ever live with him for it espoused and somewhat married his whole Man Body Soul and Spirit to each of these Three in One Jehovah * Isa 54. 5. Psa 149. 2. Job 4. 17. 35. 10. Eccles 12. 1. as to his Husbands Creators and Makers To the Father as the Father to the Son as the Son to the holy Spirit as the holy Spirit Makers Husbands Creators PAVL * Act. 26. 16 17 18 19 20. Gal. 1. 1. Eph. 1. 1. 3. 7 8. Act. 9. 15. Ro. 11. 13. 1 Tim. 2. 7. Gal. 1. 16 17 18. He had such a Call to the Office and Work of the Ministry as was not common for he was an Apostle by the Will of God and not of Men neither by Men but by Jesus Christ neither was the Gospel which was preached of this Servant of Christ according to Man for he neither received it of Man neither was he taught but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ who at that very time when he so remarkably converted Paul called him hereunto saying to him Arise and stand upon thy feet for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose To make or ordain thee a Minister and a Witness both of those things which thou hast seen and of those things in which I will appear unto thee delivering thee from the People and from the Gentiles unto whom I now send thee To open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God That they may receive Forgiveness of Sins and an Inheritance amongst them who are sanctified by Faith that is in me Whereupon he was not disobedient unto the heavenly Vision but shewed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem and throughout all the Coasts of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God and do Works meet for Repentance This preaching Office he presently set about Immediatly he conferred not with Flesh and Blood neither went he up to Jerusalem to them that were Apostles before him being * 2 Cor. 11. 5. 12 11. Eph. 3 8. 1 Cor. 15. 8 9 10. 3. 5 6 7 22. nothing inferior to the chief of the Apostles yet calleth himself the least of the Apostles and an Abortive and pronounceth himself unworthy to be said to be an Apostle because he persecuted the Church of Christ He was but a Minister by whom many of the People believed yet appointed of God for those great Ends of bringing in of Sinners to Christ and of building them up in Christ that the LORD might have all the Glory for Paul was not any thing in and of himself The LORD wonderfully owning him and blessing of his Labours in such large-spreading and deep-rooted Conversions in planting of New-Testament-Churches and many other ways false Apostles and others envying and opposing of him do now call into * 1 Cor. 9. 1. 2 3. 2 Cor. 13. 3 4 5. question his Call to the Ministerial Office and Work whether it were lawful and right or not because it was not some way as theirs was which they would have imposed upon him to which he could not submit This puts him upon making of an †1 Cor 9. 3. Apology to defend and magnify his Office wherein if he were a Fool in glorying if any so thought or judged him it was chargeable on those who so compelled him thereunto that the Minds of young Converts might not be troubled nor the Work of the Gospel other ways hindred Those Arguments which among others he doth urge for the Proof of the Lawfulness of his Call were drawn from his being * Gal. 1. 15 16. So was Jeremiah ch 1. 5. So was John the Baptist Luk. 1. 15 16. So Christ and so Isaiah
at Mount Sinai where the very next step in his Travails he hears * Exod. 19 and 20 chap. particularly chap. 20. vers 8 9 10 11. the trumpeting promulgation of this Kingly Law of the Seventh day Sabbath sounding loud in his Ear and Heart and still the further he passed on in the after Writings of Moses and of the Prophets the more he is led along in the Seventh-day-Sabbath-way till he came full home to the close of the Old Testament with this Seal put upon this Scripture-Canon or Rule by Jehovah himself †Mal 4. 4. Remember ye the Law of Moses my Servant all and every both of the Commands for keeping holy of the weekly Sabbath day and of the Promises of Blessings and Sanctifyings of weekly Sabbath day to right Observers of it and also of the Threatnings denounced against Profaners of the weekly-Sabbath-day relating only to the seventh the last day of every week and to no other day of the week He was now in a short space of time the very same day of entering upon this enquiry got so far forwards in this way of the seventh-day Sabbath from that Light and Truth which Jehovah Aelohim sent forth from his word by his Holy Spirit that he forthwith concluded there was no either going back or stepping aside for him out of this Scripture-Path For if all the Old Testament were for it the New was not against it seeing if any had preached up the first or any other day except the seventh of the whole week at the beginning of the New Testament-dispensation of Grace those who were more * Acts 17. 1â—â— noble-raced Believers on and Disciples of Christ before the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles who searched the Scriptures they then had whether the first-day-pretended-Sabbath-Doctrine were true or not they could not find that written Word which they then enjoyed had any such Institution at all in it but the weekly Sabbath's †Exod. 25. 11 16 21 22. 1 Kings 8. 9. Jam 2. 8 9 10 11 12. crowning honour was all through visible and legible upon the head of the seventh day only However he narrowly examined and diligently compared the whole New Testament Writings by the Evangelists and Apostles and there he soon discovered that the LORD Jesus Christ whose * 1 Pet. 2. 21. 1 Cor. 11. 1. 1 Joh 2. 4 6. and 4. 17. Example he was to follow in all the Acts of Decalogical Obedience or Obedience to the Laws of the ten Words and whose exact perfect Holiness and Righteousness both of Nature Heart and Life was fully every way answering to all the demands of this Law which was to be both imputed to Believers for their Justification and conformed to by Believers in their Sanctification this Christ all his Life long in the weekly returns of the Sabbath kept the †Luk. 4. 16 31. 23 56. elsewhere seventh day Sabbath and no other day of the week as such to which the Gospels give abundant Testimony Now he begins to be more confirmed and wondereth how he could so much overlook so self-evidencing a Truth and Duty so long he converseth further with the Records of the Apostles whether their Doctrine and Practice did Harmonize and tune in the same Concord with this new * Ps 92. Title Jer. 6. 16. 17. 21 c. Song Psalm and Hymn of the true good old weekly seventh day Sabbath His only remaining work now left was to consult the Apostles Writings and therein he reads in plain legible Characters that as Christ's Custom Manner or constant practised Usage was so also was †Luke 4. 16. Acts 17. 2 3. 18. 4. Paul's the Expression is one and the same in the Greek to observe the seventh-day as the only weekly Sabbath day and that no other day in the whole week has both the Name and Nature of a weekly Sabbath-day given to it by the Holy Spirit but only the seventh day and that Obedience to these Laws of Christ is so often called for both * Mat. 5 6 7. chap. Joh. 14. 15. Luk. 10. 25 26 27 28. Rom. 4. 15. 5. 13. 13. 8 9 10. Jam. 2. 8 9 10 11 13. Heb. 5. 9. Rev. 12. 17. 14. 12. 22. 14 15 18 19. by Christ and his Apostles as an evidence of Love to Christ and of other Interest in him as a Saviour and that the new Testament Scripture was also closed up with Christ's Seal of Blessing to those who doing these his Commandments and of pronouncing a Sentence of Excommunication against any Man who should either add to or take from this written Word Will and Law of Christ The whole Scripture being thus profitable for this Doctrine and Duty of the weekly seventh day Sabbath Christ sate as one expecting an answer readily heartily whereupon Shem Acher was not disobedient to this heavenly Teaching by the Holy Spirit but resolves in the strength and supplies of the same good Spirit to set about the Practice of it and this State of the Question he sends to his enquiring Brother who also forthwith embraced the same Truth and reduced it to Practice And now lo a very formidable Sight stares him in the Face for he saw such an Army of Opposers not only profane but professing not only Foes but Friends all almost as one Man up in Arms against him as soon as it should take Air abroad for he was then the LORD's Prisoner and be known that it was his Principle †Ps 119. 165 and Practice He also foresaw that tho this was no * Stumbling-block at all to him neither any disturbance to his own great Peace yet many others would throw it as a Stone of Offence in their own and others ways to the troubling the Minds of young Ones In such Multitudes who promised so fairly and came on so towardly how many were likely to be much prejudiced against him and his former and after-Ministry And what was most terrible of all †Acts 28. 22. how evil tho injustly many were likely to speak against the Word and Ways of the LORD and to blaspheme Jehovah's fearful glorious and holy Name Christ still held him to former Terms of bringing All to an whole Christ and his whole Word and suitably the good Spirit framed his Heart to this holy Resolve Duty is mine the Issues and Successes of things are the LORD's and do belong to him He privately obsevred the seventh-day-Seventh-day-Sabbath for some time but with great Difficulties and sore Trials and distressing Hardships in the Prison He imparts the LORD's Teachings of him to one and then to another privately who gave place in them to this Word-Truth and Law and so unto some others as they were capable of receiving it And when four or five were hopefully gained over he could hold no longer and could not but speak the Truths and Things of Christ in a more open Declaration and publick Profession which being
best way where she according to her raised expectation has received more of the Holy Spirit and of influences from Christ as a living Member under this Church as the only Head and as the Supream Material Cause of the Church then neither she nor they are under Guilt so far in this Matter But Christ in all this c. Therefore This was drawn from the Material Cause of the Church Supream A further Argument shall be drawn †1 Cor. 6. 15 12. 27. Eph. 1. 22 23. 4 4 12. 5. 23. 30. Col. 1. 18 24. 2. 19. Joh. 10. 16. 1 Cor. 1. 2. and the Titles of Paul ' s other Epistles to the Churches Heb. 12. 23. Eph. 4. 16. from the inferior Material Cause of a Church of Christ which are the Elect Believers and Saints who are the Members and the Body of Christ and have mutual care of and for one another Communion with one another and are jointly helpful to each other and do faithfully and friendâ—â—y discharge the Gospel Duties of Church-Fellowship mutually towards one anotheâ— such as mutual considering of one another c. It is here thus argued If this Sister have joined her self there in Church-Fellowship with them amongst those whom she charitably hopes may be such living Fellow-Memberâ— in Christ with her more and better suited to her Spirit in such a Church-way of Spiritual Incorporation where she has more freedom and better agreement in her 〈…〉 an more Spiritual Communion more really expressed and acted helpfulness as to Spirituals more enjoyment of the Gospel-Duties of Church-Fellowship mutually towards one another than in that Society where she was before and all this as the Inferior Material Cause of the Church then neither she non they c. But this Sister c. Therefore Another is drawn from the Formal Cause of a Church of Christ The Formal Cause or Form or * Eph. 4. 3 4. Acts 2. 41 47. 4. 32. 9. 31. 1 Cor. 12. 12 13 27. 10 17. 1. 10 11. Phil. 2. 1 5. Eph. 1. 21 22 23. 3. 17. 2. 19. Rom. 8. 9. 1 Joh. 4. 13. Col. 1. 18. 2. 19. Eph. 5. 32. that which doth give a spirited Life Being and Motion is the uniting Spirit of the LORD enlivening the Church-Body and that Union of Believers in the Spirit with Christ as the Head and with and another as Fellow-Members of the same Mystical Body The Argument thus presenteth it self to be considered If the Spirit of this Sister in Experience according to the Word both were before Admission and hath been and still is since her Admission amongst such more knit and united by the Holy Spirit in Holy Spiritual Union to Christ and to these Fellow-Members where she has more of spirited Life Being and Motion than when amongst those with whom she walked in Society withal before which was broken off and taken away from her as to the quickness and comfort oâ— it as to the former Church in whose fellowship she could not any longer to any good satisfaction continue and where she had little or no expectation after much proof and long waiting to have it otherwise as the Case was circumstanced she being now made more sensible that her Spirit doth more close with and is more one in Union and Communion with the Spirit of that Church in this Church-way of Ordinances with whom she is joined and all this as the Formal Cause or Form or that which doth give a Spirited Life Being and Motion to a Church then neither she nor they c. But the Spirit of this Sister c. And therefore From the Final Cause a strong Argument may be drawn and its right words are forcible †Isa 43. 7 21. Jer. 13 11. 14. 21 Eph. 5. 26 27. 4. 11 12 13 15 16. 1 Cor. 12. 13. 10. 16 17. Luke 12. 32. 1 Cor. 14. 3 26 40. 10. 16 17. 2 Cor. 13. 10 The Final Cause or the great End or Ends for which Jehovah Aelohim has formed his Church and for which Christ gave and delivered up himself in respect of him is his Glory the Honour of his Name in the World that it may be as a Throne of his Glory the purging and cleansing of his Church and People their enjoyment of Spiritual Priviledges and Benefits purchased by the Blood of Christ their nourishing growing more up into and further perfecting in Christ their receiving more of all Spiritual Supplies from Christ their mutual Edification being built up more and more in their most holy Faith their possessing of signed sealed witnessed delivered free gracious Grants from the Father through his Son by his Spirit in the word of his Truth of Grace and at the last their everlasting Happiness in a clear sight and full enjoyment of the Heavenly Glory in his Eternal Kingdom in the better Country In the mean time the giving and receiving of Spiritual Alms Bread and Wine to hungry thirsting Souls as necessary Provision in their Voyage whilst here in the way The Argument is thus formed If this Sister after long Experience and much waiting and earnest Praying could not attain the forementioned Ends of Church-Fellowship in that way wherein she walked before whereas since she passed into Church Communion with others the LORD has graciously given her to enjoy in growing Measures much of these desired Ends and some good Beginnings as she hopes of the filling up of these in the Heavenly Country where she longeth and waiteth prayeth and prepareth to be with her LORD in the most pure and Glorious Church then neither she nor they c. But this Sister after long Experience c. Therefore Two other Arguments may be drawn from the just Right and due Property of this Sister * 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. Deut. 18. 6 7 8. The Gifts and Graces and Experiences of all the Faithful Ministers of Christ in the same City especially being one with Christ and his Word in the Faith and Order of the Gospel are a part of every Believers Portion there which they may use as their own especially when actually really more to their Ediâ—â—cation as Providence doth give opportunity From hence it is thus argued If this Sister in this have acted but as her just Right and due Property is to enjoy this part of her Spiritual Portion and if they have but done her Right in granting her what is her own as due unto her then neither she nor they c. But this Sister in this has acted c. Therefore Also from her lawful Liberty This Sister reserved a Liberty if she found in Experience that her continuing there were not to her Satisfaction and Edification that then it should be free to joyn her self to some other Church of the same Faith and Order in the main of 〈◊〉 Believers and Seventh-day-Sabbath-Observers where she might be more to her Soul-profiting â— and †Rom. 13. 7 8. Prov. 3. 27
being all private Brethren some private Brother or Brethren into the Ministerial Office and to send him or them forth to preach and to baptize neither could this quiet his thoughts or satisfy his spirit Or else some such one who however pretending to be called and sent forth by Men yet is not gifted graced and qualified according to the Requirements of Christ in his Word for such an honourable Office and weighty Work here also he was to seek and could not so acquiesce Or otherwise some such who say they were at their first passing under this Ordinance under an unavoidable necessity of doing somewhat this way beyond and besides the ordinary-stated-Scripture-Rule and Way which they hope the LORD did accept of they giving to him the best they had according to their then-understanding whereunto Shem Acher has only this to desire of such at present that they see well unto it their pleaded necessity be such an indispensible real urgent unavoidable necessity as the holy Scriptures do warrant and that they impose not that on him as a standing Rule to submit to and to walk by who is under other manner of Circumstances and doth derive all his Satisfaction from an higher and purer Spring And if that Necessity which they plead have led them into a private Path which is besides the ordinary beaten High-way of King Jesus in his Word they have need to bring forth somewhat extraordinary which may carry along with it true-and self-evidence What other way was there then yet left in this case but only this one to his satisfaction He having been before so quite taken off from all Men and all Creature-Authorities in these matters of Religion and having given up himself wholly and entirely to Christ as his one and only LORD and Lawgiver and to the Word of Christ as the one and only Rule of Faith Worship and Life and compleat Summary of all useful Arts and profitable Sciences and having had so many sealing Experiences of Christ's more immediate and extraordinary Teachings Callings Healings of Him by his holy Spirit from his Father in his Word and having passed before under a being baptized with the holy Spirit he with one more travelled from London to Salisbury where about the middle of the Day in the broad River of that City which runs with living water he received his being baptized as by the Hand of Christ himself in the Face of the Heavens and so passed under Waâ—er and baptized another and further also received Imposition †Act. 10. 41. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were before-chosen and ordained of God to this Office of being Witnesses of Christ's Resurrection by his lifting up stretching out laying on of Hands It was God's Hand who thus set them apart The compound Word is afterwards used for Ordination of Ministers to their Office Acts 14 23. or stretching out by laying on of Hands as from this God Man from Christ tho sitting in the higher Heaven in his glorified Humanity Christ being the Author of this both Water and Spirit-Baptism and stretching out and laying-on of Hands The Reader or Hearer of this Narrative is desired to make a little stand in his thoughts and here to ponder a while upon this weighty Considerable In two grand parts of this Historical Declaration the LORD has graciously given unto Shem Acher somewhat of * 1 Cor. 2. 9 16. 12. 10 11. a Spirit of Discerning whereby to discern Spirits for the present and to foresee some of those Prophesied Methods which he will use to set in order the Affairs of his House towards and in the latter-day-Glory whereby Shem is enabled to trust Christ for Afterwards or Afternesses or what shall hereafter come to pass The holy Spirit working and distributing what Gift he will to whom he will These two Parts are his more than ordinary both Call to the Ministerial Office and Work and way and manner of his Perfecting of Baptism Both which being more immediately derived from ‖ Eph. 1. 20 23 2. 19. 22. 4. 7 16. Christ that Head Officer of the Church he has the advantage and opportunity of holding forth before others this as one of the great Truths of the * 2 Pet. 1. 12. present Age the way and means of Jehovah's bringing his People †Ezek. 43. 10 11 12. chap 44. throughout Psal 74. 9. to measure all Administrations according to the Prophetical Paâ—tern and promised Platform will be by raising up by gifting graceing calling and sending forth some extraordinary Messenger as from Heaven to open interpret apply and promote this revealed Mystery relating to the aâ—proaching Glory of the latter days Do not now over-hastily conclude that this is a rare Artifice and a witty Invention for Shem hereby to point out himself to be this special Prophet by a new Name which he assumes to himself as if the foregoing Prophets did direct as with a Finger to him as that Elijah the Prophet or one in the Spirit of that Elijah who was to come and to restore all things and so to take this glorious honour unto himself For he doth not cry up himsâ—lf to be this very Messenger tho Jehovah Aelohim may use and employ whom he pleaseth in this honourable Work and Shem is somewhat prepared in Heart by the Holy God Spirit greatly to rejoice and to give all the Glory to the LORD might he live to see in his day and time such a Gentile-Minister or Ministers as an Angel or Angels from * Ps 12. 6. Isa 34. 16. Rev. 11. 19. Heaven to come forth with the pure Word of God altogether freed from all corrupt humane Mixtures whatsoever either the very Original it self or an exact Copy word for word and being clothed with the Spirit may preach it abroad with Power and Success tho Shem as to this more eminent Honour were laid aside and might be priviledged with sitting at the Feet of such a one to receive words as from Christ by such an extraordinary Messenger But this is that which he has further to say in this matter that he takes it for a special Favour freely bestowed upon him that the LORD has revealed this inner Secret to him and has so far made use of him as to assert and revive the Doctrine and somewhat to prepare the way for the coming of Jehovah Christ in the conspicuous Appearance of his Personal Presence before which time he will by Voice direct and call and send some peculiar Officer or Officers of his as * Isa 4â— 6 7 8 9. 42 4 16 21. 1 Pet. 1. 23 24 25. a publick Cryer with this Royal Proclamation That this Christ as King of Kings and LORD of Lords is about to come to crown his Kingly Law his written Word and revealed Will therein as the one and the only living abiding Rule for all Churches and States to walk and to measure All by let the Scriptures in the Margin be noted well
These Cryers and Proclaimers are publick Officers to give open notice of some State or Church-Affair whereof the supream King Priest and Prophet the LORD Jesus Christ thinks good to advertize his Subjects as by sound of trumpeting Voice that all and every one who are concerned may have the certain knowledg and timely warning thereof It must be with such a vehement sound as is heard at a far distance that no one may pretend or plead Ignorance when within hearing with the Voice of one crying calling by Name those he meets and by express Word gathering a Convocation and Assembly reading some part of the Book and Law and Will of God preaching some Evangelical Word unto them who give the hearing For this Voice in the 6 7 8 ver of the 40th chap. of Isaiah is distinct from the foregoing Voice in the 3 4 ver which was more fulfilled in and by the Ministry of †Mal. 3. 1. Mat. 3. 3. Mar. 1. 2 3. Luk. 3. 2 5. Isa 52. 7 8. 60. 5 10 16 61. 4 5 6 9. 62 6. 66. 12 19 20 21. John the Baptist John delivered his Message faithfully both as to his Ministerial and Baptismal Office at the enterance of the New-Testament-Administration of Grace when Christ was coming shortly after in his state of Humiliation But some other or others will be called and sent forth about this latter and toward the latter-day-Glory a little before Christ's coming in the Clouds in his state of Exaltation as the 9 10 11 ver of the formentioned Chapter will evidence to a discerning considerate Reader when the Sioners shall be Evangalized and gathered into Church-Flocks unto a purer way than ever yet When the Jews shall be in a preparedness for this great turn and thereby made ready for the LORD at that time * Song 8. 8 9 10. as at the beginning of the New-Testament-Dispensation of Grace some Ministers from among the Jews were employed in converting and baptizing of the Gentiles so now in these later days some of the Gentile-Ministers may have the honour to be Instruments under Christ of converting and baptizing of the Jews And where can that People find a meet Administrator if the LORD do not more immediately send them some Prophet who can prove his Mission and Commission to be from on High They still requiring a Sign 1 Cor. 1. 22. For as for those few of their Brethren in this day who by outward Profession and Confession do own Christ to be the true Messiah already come in the Flesh Shem Acher never yet met with any of them he has conferred with about five or six of such who come forth with any thing extraordinary visible mark and gift upon them as to a being clothed with the Spirit And that Baptism which they have received at least some of them if not all has been from corrupt hands in a corrupt way And Shem doth bear good will towards that People praying for Jerusalem's Peace and for Sion's Purity seeking the good of her Sons and Daughters and having experienced the Truth and Goodness of that Promise more ways than one that such shall prosper who love her Besides there may be divers of the Gentiles who a little before God's thus favouring of Sion may be brought more throughly into a perfecting of their Baptism from among the Seekers non-Church-Men and several others upon some of whose Spirits this doth lye with pressing weight whither shall we go to meet with a lawfully-called-Ministry and a lawfully-constituted Church where is there a well-warranted heavenly attested-Administrator Shem in this doth speak out some of the Thoughts of such dissatisfied ones and he is so far ready with an answer which he can give to those who ask him a word concerning his Ministry and Baptism Whence is thy Ministry and Bapâ—ism and from whom thy Ministry and Baptism as to the perfecting of both it is from Heaven not from Earth from Christ more immediately and not so from Men. Here in the way let it be remembred that the reviving of the Seventh-day-Sabbath doth make way for the later-day-Glory-Conversions and Ingatherings of the Outcasts of Israel Isa 56. 1 8. And that the Prophecies and Promises of building the old waste places and of raising up the Foundations of many Generations and of being called the Repairer of the Breach the Restorer and Paths to Sabbatize is made over to such Revivers of the Seventh-day-Sabbath This great useful Truth is therefore not only received in the Principle but also closed with in the Practice by Shem Acher wherein he doth sweetly acquiesce to his own satisfaction whilst others do dispute preach and print to defend and justify their various Calls to both by Arguments mostly drawn from Men tho running down to them in a very corrupt Channel and if his LORD should say to his Servant Shem as once to * Chap. 12. v. 13 Isa 58. 12 13 14. 66. 21 22 23. Daniel And thou Shem Acher Go to the end and thou shalt rest and shalt stand in thy lot to the end of those days let it suffice thee that Jehovah thy Aelohim hath revealed this in thee and done this for thee but the larger pourings out of the Spirit and more signal ownings are reserved for some others yet even this is a special honour and the Glory be to him It is well worthy of an observable Remark in Scripture that besides the stated Ministry the LORD has sent forth special Prophets and Apostles upon urgent occasions Some of these were of another Education and Profession such as †Amos 1. 1. 7. 14 15. Acts 7 42. 15. 15. Amos who had been no Prophet nor Prophets Son but an Herdsman and a Gatherer of Fruit. Thus also * Mat. 4. 18 19 20. the Apostles in Christ's time were some of them poor plain Fishermen Jehovah communicated Himself and his Will unto such in extraordinary Revelations and confirmed their Office by miraculous attests from Heaven In other Instances he has dignified some with such special singular Employs in a Ministry not common †Acts 7. 22. Dan. 1. 4 17. Acts 22. 3 2 Cor. 12. 11. 1 Cor. 14. 18. who were skilled in great variety of Arts and Sciences especially in Scripture-Knowledges in which latter he blessed their Studies and Labours and encouraged their Diligence and Industry So it was with Moses Daniel Paul and others * Jer. 28 8. Luke 1. 70. 11. 50. Act. 3. 21. Prophets there have been in all the Ages of the Church besides the standing Ministry Before Moses there were Adam Enoch Noah Abraham Isaac Jacob Joseph Afterwards there were Moses Joshuah Samuel David Solomon Nathan Gad Elijah Elisha Michajah Esaias Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Zecharias the Father of John the Baptist In the New Testament Simeon Agabus the good Apostles by Name particularly Peter John Paul
his sore Tryal particularly that * 1 Cor. 9. 5. for his leading about of a Sister a Wife †2 Cor. 11. 28. He had care of all the Churches * Act. 9. 26 27 28 29 30 31 38. 11. 26. 14. 22 28. 18. 23 27. 19. 1 9. 20. 1. 7. 21. 4 16. 1 Cor. 16. 10 11 12. 2 Cor. 8. 16 17 18. Deut. 18. 6 7 8. 1 Cor. 3. 21 22. Where he made or found thorow Disciples of Christ in any City Town or elsewhere he had and held actual Communion with them SHEM ACHER Since Christ's more thorow Calling of Shem Acher to this Office and Work of the Ministry the LORD has given him a willing and ready mind and heart gladly to spend and be spent in his Service and for Souls and although his Travels have not been comparable for Miles and for Countries with Paul's yet he has had a Desire that way if Christ had called and enabled him thereunto and he had this Honour put upon him to be one of the first who set up open Separate Meetings in two or three Counties And for his Diligence in Preaching it is well known to many of which he gave good Testimony through Grace to the God of which Grace he ascribes all the Honour especially for five years in a great Town in Dorcetshire and afterwards whilst above nine years the LORD's Prisoner towards the latter end of which part of his Confinement in Dorchester he did preach sixteen times a week for some weeks besides other occasional work and since his coming near or into the City of London he has not been idle As for filthy Lucre he has not greedily sought it Whilst he received Tithe-Maintenance in a private Parish which was near one Hundred pounds by the year it was spent amongst them in Hospitality in providing for the Poor in buying of Bibles and such like in setting the Poor on work for he suffered no Beggar knowingly of all the Parishioners and towards parting with them he laid out about three hundred pounds in building a new House which he left to such as should after succeed him to labour in the Word and Doctrine This Estate he freely left to answer a Call unto a Neighbour Town where was much Work and little Wages For the small Tithes belonging to the Vicarage were so inconsiderable that when one whole years Profits were given to the King upon the Benevolence-Act the Man who was to gather the Profits for the King had at the years end laid out about five shillings more for decimation and in collecting than he had received which he doth not mention to reflect it upon the Inhabitants of that Town some whereof were not backward in contributing but all that and fourscore pounds Annuity of his own setled upon him by his Father was spent upon the place except what was laid out in Books and such like He also freely restored Thirty pounds out of which himself took not one shilling which was procured by some of the Town and paid to an Assistant as an Augmentation which ran in Shem Acher's other-Name If any take himself to have been wronged or defrauded by him let such prove the Charge and he will make Restitution Numb 16. 15. 1 Sam. 12. 3 4 5. Luke 19. 8. 2 Cor. 7. 2. For seventeen years or thereabouts altho he hath refused many pounds yet he doth remember but one piece of Tithe that he received of any which was brought to him by a Fellow-Prisoner conscientiously as she declared which was a very little Pot of Honey the Tenth-part of some Hive-Honey which she had in a little Garden of hers in the Country which to satisfie her he did receive from her hands but he presently gave it back to her again and a shilling besides This he doth mention to wipe off that Slander of Self-seeking who during his Ten-days Tribulation lived upon his Annuity whilst a Prisoner and since his coming to London he has done the same Tho his Judgment be that Decimation is the Peoples Duty about which he hath drawn up several Arguments in another Paper reserved for such a season when such Doctrine is like to have a readier reception What his Sufferings have been are well known to some * Rev. 2. 10. in nine full years close and hard Imprisonment and the beginning of a tenth besides those continued Reproaches Slanders and other Opposings which have assaulted him for about these last seventeen years more especially both from declared Enemies and pretended Friends But blessed be Jehovah who has enabled him in any good measure †2 Cor. 6. 3. 10. to endeavour to give no just offence or occasion of falling in any thing that the Ministry might not be blamed but in all things has endeavoured to approve himself as a Minister of God in much Patience in Afflictions in Distresses in Imprisonments in Labours in some Watchings and Fastings by Pureness by Knowledge by Long-suffering by Kindness by the Holy Spirit by Love unfeigned by the Word of Truth by the Power of God by the Armour of Righteousness on the right hand and on the left by Honour and Dishonour by evil report and good report As a Deceiver and yet true as unknown to many and yet well acknowledged by some as dying and yet behold he lives as chastened and not killed as sorrowful yet always rejoicing He forbears to enlarge much more upon this as not knowing how that will be received which is already mentioned However he doth †Col. 1. 24. rejoice in his Sufferings for the LORD's People and by way of Correspondence and Conformity to Christ is filling up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ in his Flesh for his Bodies sake which is the Church * Act. 9. and in many other pâ—aces of the Acts of the Apostles Mat 3. 13 14 15 16 17. 4. 1 17. As it was with Paul and as it was with Christ so also with Shem Acher a flood of Temptations and Persecutions brake in upon him when he thus passed under perfecting the Ordinance of Baptism and into a more thorow discharge of his Ministerial Function As Paul was so also has Shem Acher been much slanderously misreported concerning his Authority and Power of leading about of a Sister a Wife in his travels Historians do differ in their Judgment about Paul whether he were actually married or not Eusebius Pamphilus nameth Clemens and Ignatius and some others there are wâ—o hold that he was married That which doth perswade Shem Acher that Paul was married besides somewhat else which he could produce that way is †1 Cor. 7. 7. that expression of Paul I would that all Men were even as I my self which being interpreted of abstaining from Marriage altogether were a very sinful wish in him For if simply and absolutely taken if such a Will and Desire had obtained all the Race of Mankind and the whole Church of
Christ in two Generations had been utterly extinct However the Case was with Paul Shem Acher has been very unkindly and injuriously dealt withal about his Marriage with Gnezri-jah When he with some other Ministers had the Honour to be so many years the LORD's Prisoner at Dorchester it came upon and into the Heart of Gnezri-jah from the time of his and their first Confinement to be as a common Stewardess and Nurse to make and bring in Provision of Food and of other outward Necessaries for them her Spirit and Soul being much drawn forth in Compassion towards the LORD's suffering Servants in fellow-feeling of their Hardships and with great longings after the daily enjoyment of Communion with Father Son and holy Spirit by the LORD's Blessing upon his and others Ministerial Labours at which time â—ho she then had an aged Mother to maintain she did pinch and straiten her self in diet and other-ways to serve and be helpful unto those Ministers which was afterwards understood by Shem Acher and considered by him After some time the other Ministers having obtained their Liberty Shem Acher's Imprisonment was continued for several years all which time this Gnezri-jah was a succourer of him and did continue friendly faithful to him in all his Temptations and was very useful not only to him but also to many other of the Prisoners in divers cases When he was set free his Heart was engaged to preach the Gospel abroad and having need of help Gnezri-jah sometimes travelled with him This being envied and maligned by some to prevent or remove any occasion of Scandal or offence he declared unto some of the Church that he was willing to take Gnezri-jah to him for a Wife according to the Word she being every way the fittest for him she being a Sister in the same way of Church-Fellowship and a Virgin modest and chast many ways look'd upon as excelling almost all of her Sex in the whole Town of Dorchester for Humility Patience Mortifiedness Diligence Faithfulness Zeal and such Commendablenesses as these in the Judgment of all spiritual Discerners who had any intimate acquaintance with her and she having undergone so many Hardships and Difficulties for him and after so many years experience of her fittedness for such a Yoke-fellowship Shem Acher married her When this was made known the Tempter bestirred himself and set some upon opening of their mouths both against him and her that he had married one who had been a kind of Servant to him one much beneath him for Birth a poor Maid without a Portion which was so odiously and unjustly aggravated and spread abroad by some who should have been more friendly both he and she before then and since having been friendly unto them that his Ministry was in a great measure rendred much useless and successless in those Parts which purpose of Marriage a little after compleated together with the Advice of several of the Friends in Fellowship with him to publish a Treatise in the Defence of the Cause of the Seventh-Day-Sabbath was somewhat of the occasion both of his coming to and continuing near and in the City of London Thus must any thing a little colourable serve for a Charge against Shem Acher who has met with a passage in Clarks Lives where he makes mention of a Commendable Act of one Minister of Christ who having bin helped by a mean Handmaid a Virgin during his sore Imprisonment for the Gospel's sake when he was set at Liberty thought he could no other way so requite her as by marrying of her This is recorded to the praise of that Minister but if Shem Acher do the same it must be look'd upon by many as a Scandal and Crime in him As for a Portion he prizeth Grace at a very low rate who doth not really in a case of competition esteem and prefer it above and beyond many Bags of Earthly Treasure And altho Shem Acher might possibly have had several Thousands with another Woman where there was not such a suitableness in other respects yet it was a sweet sensible Evidence upon his Heart in his Conscience about that time that being closely held to that †Psal 119. 72 127. Scripture-term he readily complied with it and conformed to it in the strength and supplies of the holy Spirit The Law of thy mouth O Jehovah is better unto me than Thousands of Gold and of Silver Therefore I love thy Commandments above Gold yea above fine Gold Shem Acher having an Annuity of Fourscore pounds by the year setled upon him during his Life This provided Food convenient and other outward Necessaries for him and out of the rest he was ready to distribute out of the Decimation and otherwise to the Necessities of others proportionably as far as it would go so that now after twenty years or more enjoyment of that Annuity he has not laid up one shilling out of that Means if he die before Gnezri-jah what he has to leave her is mostly his Study of Books and some Houshold-stuff They have not wanted Conveniencies since they came together neither shall either of them want when they are parted asunder by Death for they have Bonds by gracious Covenant under the Hand and Seal of the faithful God to be cared and provided for But Shem Acher not having an Estate to settle any Jointure upon a Wife if she survived he never had any considerable Proffer made him neither did ever meet with any pure Virgin so every way a meet help for him The common corrupt practice amongst many of the Gentry being to settle almost all their Estate upon their Eldest Son which has brought a Curse upon and has bin the Ruin of many Antient and Honorable wealthy Families the LORD in the way his Providence frowning upon such an unscriptural distribution He allowing a * Deut. 21. 17. double portion of their Father's Goods to the First-born whereas younger-Brothers are often put off with some small Allowance to keep them alive This Shem Acher doth mention not at all out of discontent at his Allotment for he doth write as he hath long experienced that his Annuity is the wisest and best Portion and Provision for him it bringing in unto him a Competency and discharging him from Worldly Cares and Earthly Incumbrances all his labour about this being once a Quarter to receive Twenty pounds and to give an Acquittance Only he brings in here this Testimony against the fore-mentioned common corrupt Practice As for Gnezri-jah's Family and Relations An ancient Justice of Peace did declare that her Grandfather was one of the First who appeared for a Reformation against the Superstitions and other Corruptions of the Times to the endangering of his Liberty and Life and that he and a Kinsman of his did lend one hundred pounds to Mr. White of Dorchester for his encouragement who was one of the first and foremost and forwardest of all the Puritane-Ministers in the West publickly by Preaching and otherwise