himself in John John was all in the spirit his flesh fell down as dead ver 17. as Isaiah and Daniel were both undone when they saw the Lord in glory appearing in them Isa 6. Dan. 10. But how comes the Lords day to be the first day of the week or the fourth Commandment speaking of the seventh day prove the sanctifying of the first day Who can prove the change of the day by Christ or that the Apostolick Churches kept holy the first day as God sanctified the seventh especially seeing the next succeeding Ages even the primitive Churches of the first 300 yeers kept the seventh day as the Sabbath yea celebrated the Lords day and Sabbath together for a long time for the Apostacie presently succeeded the Apostles departure Ignatius being but about 100 yeers after Christ sheweth the same After the Sabbath day saith he let every one that loveth Christ celebrate the Lords day the Queen of dayes for the Sabbath day was King or chief as one expounds Ignat. Epist ad Magnes The celebrating of the Lords day alone was first instituted by Constantine the Great Hosp cap. 9. pag. 27. anno 300. Afterward it was established by the Laodicean Councel an 364. commanding Christians not to Judaise in keeping the Sabbath but to work on that day and keep holy the Lords day Hosp Orig. Fest cap 9. pa. 27. In all this 't is observed that the Eastern Churches which were the most part of Christendom did celebrate the Sabbath as I said and the Lords day together Socrates cap. 8. lib. 6. and cap. 21. lib. 6. Mr. Brierwood on the Sabbath against Mr. Bifield pag. 77. Perk. 1 vol. on the fourth Commandment But the Romish or Western Churches would not have their Church-Assemblies on the Sabbath as in all other Churches of the world so the Centuries report Cent. 4. c. 6. p. 477. I am the more large in this that Independent Churches may see their Judaisme in their strict observance of an outward Sabbath their simplicity in sanctifying the first day of the week as the Lords day Their ignorance or connivance not cleering those things which are so certain Their conformity with Popish Churches Their carnal complying with the Protestant State Religion Their Laodicean condition thinking they are rich and have need of nothing that they need no Order nor Ordinance nor Officer whereas they are so poor blind and naked that they have no Gospel-Ordinances nor a Day at all but walking in the dark deceive themselves and others The observation of the Lords Day therefore depends much on Popish Churches and the command of Christian Princes to which the Independent Churches are as conformable as ever Prelates were What I conceive of the Sabbath I shall in a few words declare 1. That the fourth Commandment is mystical as wel as moral for there is a mystery in the four first commandments even the mystery of God is there manifest In the first Commandment God the One onely true God even the Father is acknowledged In the second Ephes 4.6 Col. 1.15 Heh 1.3 the same God and Father is known in the Son the expresse or graven image of his substance and no other graven image is to be made of God but the Man Christ In the third God even the Father so known in the Son cannot be acknowledged Ephes 2.18 nor worshiped in spirit and truth but by the Spirit without this whatever men think of God and Christ they take his name in vain The fourth Commandment holds forth mans spiritual rest in God alone so known in the Son by the Spirit And this indeed is the morality of the fourth Commandment the Ceremoniall part thereof being the sanctifying of the seventh day which was so commanded to the Jewish Church not as a law natural to all Nations as other commandments are written in every mans heart but as a positive law to that particular people now not a Sabbath or a seventh day but the Sabbath and the seventh day from the creation is that which the command speaks contrary to all our Protestant Interpreters who teach that the Christian Sabbath or Lords day is grounded on the fourth Commandment Now this Sabbath or the seventh day was meerly ceremonial as 't is called a signe between God and his people the Jewes that I the Lord sanctifie you and that you are a people sanctified and set apart onely for God Therefore that God is all in all to us and in us and that we are to rest in God onely and alone in the true mystery and morality of the Sabbath Prophets and Apostles witnesse The Prophet Isaiah speaking of the Sabbath saith thus Isa 58. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath doing thy pleasure on my holy day and shalt c all the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own wayes nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord c. Observe that the Sabbath indeed is nothing else but the Lord God rested on and rejoyced in by us when we turn away our foot from the Sabbath and turn to God onely else he had said rather If thou turn thy foot to the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy dâ—y but this last is not so read as we do from doing c. as if we were forbidden to do our pleasure on his holy day on the Sabbath Nay we are there commanded to do our pleasure as the words read For the Sabbath should be our delight the holy of the Lord honourable and we shall honour him For he himself is the Sabbath that is so honorable the holy day of the Lord is the Holy One the Lord himself only whom alone we are to honour in all our wayes workes and words for if God be all in all in us t is not our words that are spoken nor our workes that are done but as Christ saith The words that I speake I speak not of my self but the Father that dwelleth in me he does all the workes yea verily the sonne can do nothing of himself John 14.10 John 8.28 but as my Father hath taught me I speak these things this indeed is the sanctifying the Sabbath not to abstain from worldly thoughts and words and from working on the seventh day of the week but to sanctifie the Lord alone when he onely is our All when we are nothing but he is our Being and our being in Him when we do nothing but the Father dwelling in us doth all our works When we thus find not our own wayes nor speak our own words nor speak words as 't is in the Hebrew Man neither speaks nor does any thing indeed but God does all and is all in us This the Apostle holds forth to be the Rest or sabbath-keeping of the people of God Hebr. 4.9 not as if this were â—o rest to be entred into in this life ver 1. for we which
have believed do enter into rest ver 3. and what is this Rest When do we enter into this Rest when we cease from our own works as God did from his ver 10. Therefore 't is plain that the seventh day or Sabbath of the Lord was a signe or type of the Lord himself being our rest or Sabbath in truth ver 4. Yea as the Rest which Jesus or Joshua gave to the people in the Land of Canaan was another type of this Rest or Sabbath ver 8 So surely the Rest which Jesus Christ in truth did take in the Father in the Fathers dwelling in him and doing all in him was but a type of the same to us that we should be and abide â—n God and God in us all in all as in Him Ioh. 14.10 19 20. Iohn 4.15 But as Churches know not the mystery of Christ of Christ in us of the sonne revealed in us c. for they know not the mystery and morality of the sabbath For how simple is it what they say of the Lords day as if the eight or first day of the week were the morality of the severth or Jewish sabbath as if Christs appearing so oft after his resurrection on the eight day were a proof of his changing the Sabbath to that day as if that day were now to be kept holy when as Peter with the Apostles went out a fishing on that day Joh. 21.1 2 3. his appearing so oft on the eight or the first day of the week was rather to shew that the observation of the seventh was gone as the Aposties also meeting that day was no more For as their assembling in their Synagogues on the Sabbath day was onely to preach unto the Jewes meeting in most multi udes on that day so the Apostles usuall meeting on the first day of the week was meerly for order only to set in order something in the Churches and to performe some Ordinances among them in the Spirit 1 Cor. 16.2 as breaking of bread Act. 20.1 c. But we have preved and shall more abundantly with God that the present Churches are in no Order of the Gospel and have no Gospel Ordinance among them else they might meet that day indeed to break bread as another day of the week to preach a lecture And truly for love and peace sake I can rest and refrain from labour on that day not in conscience but in a civill respect that men might shew some kindnesse to the poor creature that in mercy the beast might have some rest and that labouring servants might have a day to rejoyce in therefore I will not trouble the State in this but intreat them to consider their own liberty and ours not to the flesh but in God alone There is a Scripture though not written in our Bibles but t is in the originall there being indeed no lesse then 15 severall greek Copies of the new Testament I say the originall copy reades thus Luk. 6. next to the 5 verse this followes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exemplur velustissimum in Italia ab amitiâ— collatum Complutens proximum Stephanns Gr. Test at large That is on the same day jesus seing a certaine man working on the Sabbath-day said unto him ô Man if thou didst know indeed what thou dost thou wert happy but if thou knowest not thou art cursed and a transgressor of the Law that is if men knew the liberty of the Gospel and their Christian Liberty in the Sabbath day indeed they were truly blessed but if men do they know not what and wilfully offend they obey neither law nor Gospel but are cursed in both T is plaine by all and has been proved from Scriptures That Church-fellowship the last great Ordinance indeed Act. 2.24 I say that the fellowship of Churches this day is the fornication of the great whore or wine of her fornication Rev. 17.2 Act. 2.13.15 16. verse Eph. 5.18 so as the Baptisme of the Spirit the Spirit poured forth in the manifold gifts was that new wine where with the primitive Church of Christ seemed drunk being filled with the Spirit for the present Church having not this fellowship of the Spirit must needs appear as the whore though seemingly the Spouse having saints in fellowship with them their formes and false worships the wine of her fornication All this was typified by the Whoredomes of Israel whose fornications and false worships are so often published by the Prophets of the Lord the Prophet Hoseas taking a whore to his Wife was a Type of this Hosea 3.1 The Prophet being a principall man and chief member of the Church joyned with a woman and adulteresse shewes forth the adulteryes of the whole Church in all her members and ministery who look after other Gods and love Flagons of wine that is false shews of the spirit But see what a poor whore the Prophet takes unto him I bought her to me for 15 pieces of silver for an homer of Barley and halfe an homer of Barley Exod. 21.32 ver 2. Fifteen pieces of silver was but halfe the price of a slave thus saints embondaged to fleshly formes value themselves at so low a rate that rather then they will be of no Church they will be of any Church or fellowship though never so poor and mean yea feed themselves with Ordinances though comming far short of the spirits presence or purest institution that 's also signifyed by an homer of Barley and halfe an homer of Barley or as t is in the Heb. Halfe of Barley Barley is not the best for bread and halfe an homer is but a pottle at the most a small measure besides the graine is not pure for t is but halfe of barley the other halfe of fetches of cockle or chaffe this is cleer the present Churches are content with the smallest measure of the Spirit how else dare they enter into fellowship before they have the fulnesse or Baptisme of the Spirit nay their Ordinances are not all the best for the Baptisme of the Spirit was the first Gospel Ordinance as Prophecy a Psalme a doctrine a Tongue a Revelation an Interpretation were all for the Edifying of the Church these the Churches have not at all and those Ordinances they have are but halfe of barley there is a mixture much of man halfe is of mans invention of mans tradition Therefore I said unto her thou shalt abide for me many dayes and thou shalt not play the harlot and thou shalt not be for another man so will I also be for thee ver 3. the Prophet here speakeâ— in the person of God to the whorish Church that was so much for man for the traditions and teaching of man and for humane additions to divine institutions or ordinances well saith God thou shalt abide for me many dayes and thou shalt not play the Harlot that is when the Law was to be abolished when the old state of the Legall Church was to vanish and a new
THE Great Earthquake REVEL 16.18 OR FALL Of all the CHURCHES Discovering the Apostasie of purest Churches not yet sensible of their spiritual Whoredoms Ezek. 43.9 10. OR The Great Whore made bare and naked before she be judged and her flesh burnt with fire Rev. 27.16 PROVING That none indeed deny the Ordinances of Christ but present Churches not being in a Gospel-order The Pastors are become brutish and have not sought the Lord therefore they shall not prosper and all their flocks shall be scattered Jer. 10.21 By William Erbery LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the black spread Eagle at-the West end of Pauls 1654. To the truly Christian Reader THe Author of this ensuing Discourse was a person raised up by the Lord to bear his testimony against all formal and traditional waies of Religion Ordinances and Government in the so called Christian world a designe though seemingly managed by him with some eagerness and severity of spirit if you abstract some passages in this and his other discourses yet in much love and oneness of spirit with the worshippers themselves that their persons might be saved but so as by fire 1 Cor. 3.15 The Doctrine of Persecution for Conscience sake though erronious was a stranger to his spirit and principles which owned no compulsion in matters of Religion but that Scriptural one viz. the energy and effectual working of the spirit of God overpowring the soul and leading it captive by an holy violence to those divine and heavenly discoveries which our Author bore witness to And indeed if we consider the judging and persecuting spirit we shall ordinarily find it to ascend i. The weak are most apt to judge the strong Rom. 13.3 though the strong hath another temptation before him viz. to despise the weak so he that is born after the flesh i. the weak legal Saint persecutes him that is born after the spirit Gal. 4.29 The reason I take to be this The higher a mans spirit is raised in the knowledg of God and of divine mysteries the more large and comprehensive it is as coming nearest to that state of love which beareth all things 1 Cor. 13.7 Hence it is that such men comprehend and embrace all weaker Saints though in different forms as to outward observations in one and the same spirit but on the other side when the spirit of a Christian is captivated to this or that particular rite as to a day meat c. in the narrowness of his heart secluding all others he is carried out with a zeal kindled from the outward letter to the censuring reproaching persecuting such Doctrines as he is not able to comprehend An experiment of this we have in Christ himself who coming forth in the glory of God and holding out higher discoveries then the Saints had formerly attained was opposed by none so much as the religious ones of his daies Scribes and Pharisees that sate in Moses Chair And as the Disciple is not above his Master so the Apostle Paul whose errand was to raise up the spirits of Saints to high and evangelical discoveries was thwarted by none so much as by devout women Acts 13.50 The same measure was meeted to this our Author who in simplicity of spirit and love to all the Saints bewailing the bondage of the whole creation did cast in his mite for the deliverance and relief thereof how was he scandalized by some professors of all sorts having various reproaches heaped upon him to render him the more unserviceable for the great work he was upon hence it is that we have heard the brand of a loose person or a Ranter an Apostate and Blasphemer an Antiscripturist Antiministrist an Antiordinancist an Antitrinitarian Vniversalist and what notinured upon him It will not be amiss for the removing of prejudices out of the minds of some and the renewing of the memory of this worthy labourer in the hearts of others to give a brief account of his spirit and Principles as to every one of the abovenamed particulars 1. He was no friend to loosness and prophaneness either in himself or others his own strict sober and Christian deportment in the whole course of his conversation is his sufficient compurgator against all the reproaches and calumnies of this rank and name yea he bore publique testimony against a licentious spirit in whatsoever appearance in several of his private and publique discourses 'T is true some weaker spirits misunderstanding the Doctrines of this Author concerning the restitution of all things the liberty of the creation and Saints oneness in Christ with God c. from these excellent premises drew forth such conclusions as were agreeable to their own private conceptions rather then the truth which conclusions being seconded by a practice agreable thereunto gave just occasion of offence to those without of bewailing and lamentation to them within amongst which this Author bore not the least share 'T is no new thing This when the Lord holds forth any eminent and remarkable truth which is likely to be of signal advantage to the people of God for Satan to raise up much dust about it to cloud its glory yea somtimes by spreading temptations before the pretenders to it unto personal infirmities to abate the edge of other mens spirits from entertaining that which seems accompanied with so horrid and hideous effects But such men would do well to consider whether such conclusions do necessarily follow from such principles or rather are not the principles wrested to what they never meant Have not other mens Doctrines of greatest affinity to the letter of the Scriptures been as much perverted and abused Was not the grace of God turned into wantonness even in the Apostles daies May not new Wine be put into old bottles even to the breaking distempering and overturning of mens spirits All which things do rather evince the world not ripe for such discoveries which our Author held forth then conclude against the discoveries themselves for when the Lord purposes an effectual manifestation of some eminent truth he adds also a ballanced spirit able to entertain it 2. He was rather a presser forward then an Apostate Forgetting those things that are behind c. 'T is true he was formerly as strict and zealous in all literal observations as any of his equals yea he might have boasted herein as the Apostle Paul if it had been worth his labour But it pleased God to raise him up from all fleshly rites to a more near and secret enjoyment which took him from some outward performances which many Christians please themselves in it were to be wished that such persons could give as good an account of their diligence in these things as he could of his omission of them And indeed the prayers of the Saints in the primitive times before the Apostasie began which even then was appearing seem to have been occasional only pro re nata and not limited to times hours or seasons either in their more publike meetings or
so the Saints under the Law had the spirit yea our Gospel Churches at this day come far short of the Legall Church 1 King 13.4 2 Kings 1. 2 King 2. c. for there were some gifts of the Spirit manifest as of prophecying and gifts of healing of signes and miracles but the Baptism of the Spirit was that manifestation or pouring forth of all the gifts of the Spirit not on every believer but on every Church of Christ that the Church came short in no gift 1 Cor. 1.7 This was the true constitution of a Gospel-Church the Baptism of the Spirit the manifestation of the Spirit in manifold gifts without which no Church can be in the order of the Gospel 1 Cor. 12.6 7 28. 〈◊〉 6.2 For as the doctrine of Baptisms not of water only but of the Spirit especially concerned the Church in her members so the next doctrine The laying on of Hands did concern the Ministery who received a gift by the laying on of Hands Independent Ministers make a meer ceremony of this never looking for any gift thereby as Papists and Prelates did but the Presbyterian Ministers of Scotland are a little wiser then ours for there being no Gift they lay aside the laying on of Hands altogether in ordaining their Elders Secondly The Breaking of Bread or Communion that was in the primitive Churches was not as 't is in the present Churches by taking a piece of Bread or tasting a sip of wine from the Ministers hands a meer popish superstition to put such pomp and reverence on sacramentall Bread and Wine but breaking of Bread was a full Meal for the word is so and The supper of the Lord shews the same to be a ful Meal or Feast of Love Jude 12. Acts 1.46 for both is one though old childish Fathers make a difference between the Feast of Love and Supper of the Lord so often used even daily that is every First day the Church meeting to break Bread Feast in Love to Feast on the Lord together on the Lord in them the Bread broken being the Communion of his Body 1 Cor. 12.22 Ephes 5.30 for the Church indeed was that body of the Lord the Church was Christ This the Church knows not nor confesses how fully the Godhead is embodyed in their flesh how perfectly one with the Father as Christ They are afraid of this therefore as if there were but a part of God and part of Christ in them they take a piece of Bread thus they discern not the Lords Body yea they doe not shew forth the Lords death that is dying to all things but to God as Christs purest flesh was crucified to the Father but this communion and mystery of Christ Hebr. 9.14 and of his death is not known nor taught by the Churches alass these are heavenly things too high for them who live in dead Forms nay they scarce know the earthly thing the Form of Breaking bread this being as I said a full Meal for they did break Bread from house to house Acts 2.46 eating their meat with singleness of heart praising God yea they drank also to the full for some drank too much or were drunk 1 Cor. 11.21 which could not be with a sip of wine the abuse that was in the Lords supper shews the use to be not to eat and drink to themselves for so they had Houses to eat in ver 22. but to tarry one for another till all being come together sate down in that spirituall Feast feasting on the Lords crucified body which the breaking of bread being a full Meal did signifie as we shall shew more fully hereafter Thirdly the next Ordinance was Church-prayers these being as peculiar and proper to the Church and for the Church alone as Breaking of Bread Acts 2.42 They continued together in the Apostles doctrine in fellowship breaking of Bread and Prayers The Churches of Christ could no more pray with the world then break Bread or have church-fellowship with the world Therefore neither Christ nor his Apostles did ever pray with preaching Christ prayed only in private or with his Disciples apart Luke 11.1 And the Apostles preaching to the world never prayed with the world for after Peter and John had been in the Temple at the houre of Prayer preaching to them in publique they returned to their own company in private to pray Acts 3.1 Acts 4.23 The Jews indeed had certain houres of prayer of publique prayer the Church being Nationall so there was a certain place appointed for preaching in the Synagogue or Temple just like our Churches now who are the Jewes indeed to be converted they have none but common prayers still houres of Preaching and houres of praying yea such Forms of Prayer praying before Sermon and after Sermon a meer popish custome with the Lords prayer after the first and a Priestly benediction after the second Prayer For Blessing the people last of all is both Popish and Priestly it being a legal Ordinance ending in Christ the great High-Priest Numb 6.23 Luke 24.50 who ceased this ceremony when he blest his Disciples and afterward came in Spirit to bless his people Acts 3.26 But the mysterie of Iniquity and Man of Sinn is not manifest in any thing more then in those Forms of prayer publique and private We know the whole power of popish Religion is in their much praying so Protestants could not be taken from it till their common Prayer was taken from them by force I cannot commend this Reformation for what are Men the better to be beaten from one Form of Prayer to another which is as bad if not worse then that before because seemingly more spirituall yet having not the power The Churches prayers how powerfull were they not full of words and fine expressions but there was a mighty power and appearance of God in their publique prayers see Acts 4.31 Acts 12.5 12. 1 Cor. 14.25 James 5.24 15. Besides that long praying which Ministers glory in is both legall and heathenish 2 Chron. 6. Nehem. 9. Dan. 9. Mat. 6 7. The Lords prayer the prayers of Christ and the Apostles prayers were very short succinct plain and to the purpose without such preambles abundance and vanity of words and vain-glorious enlargements Act. 1.24 25. Act. 4.24 The cause why the Churches err in all these after Ordinances is because they continue not in the First which is the chiefest Ordinance continuing in the Apostles Doctrine and holding forth the form of sound words Act. 2.42 2 Tim. 1.13 And this we shall prove another time that the Doctrine of the Apostate Church is not the Doctrine of the Apostles but the Doctrine of Devils and yet these Devils being not evill spirits but good Men great in Gifts are those Devils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as those heathenish Heroes of old were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 4.1 so our knowing men our Christian Heroes Yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes
experiments from outward providences from the writings of Poets and prophane Authors yea from all the Creation Therefore 't is plaine there is no preaching of the Gospell by any Independent-Church or preacher whatsoever But still our Ministers cry Do we not preach as the Apostles did not Paul and Peter hold forth Christ after flesh I answer againe The Apostles indeed did hold forth Christ after the the flesh 1 Because their Ministery was much in the Letter having but the first-fruits of the Spirit 2 They preacht much of Christ after the flesh to the Jewes proving him to be the Messias by Scriptures but to the Heathen who know no Scriptures nor expected the Messias thereby Christ after the flesh is never named to them by the Apostles but Christ only in Spirit God in mans flesh which they manifested yea God manifest in the flesh of the Creation as we said before for this is Christ in Spirit also 3. Though the Apostles did preach Christ after the flesh yet not as the end as the adequate or ultimate object of their ministry or of mens beleiving but Christ being the only way to the Father by him men were brought to God and by him did believe in God that all the Christian knowledg faith of men might tend end in God 1 Pet. 3.18 4. The Apostles were so much Ministers of the spirit yea could so minister the Spirit to men 1 Pet. 1.21 2 Cor. 3.6 Gal. 3.5 that in the man Christ Jesus they could manifest God even the Father in perfect union with Men as with Christ and so raise up beleevers from Christ after the flesh to Christ in spirit to God in their flesh as in his No Minister of the Churches this day has this ministry of the Spirit neither can they manifest the Mystery of Christ in us but carry their hearers no higher then Christ in flesh and there leave them in the flesh which profiteth nothing Joh. 6.63 though God in his free grace and love takes up all his to himself the quickening spirit living in them and revealing himself to men as he pleases Yet this we shall with God make good hereafter when we come to speak of Doctrines that the Churches know not the Doctrine of Christ nor yet so much as Christ after the flesh for what was the Man Christ Jesus but God in flesh the Saviour of men not the Man but God in that man was Jesus the Saviour For as God in Christ was the Reconciler c. 2 Cor. 5.29 so God in Christ was the Redeemer of the world God in him was the Head and Husband of the Church God even the Father was all in all in that flesh brought forth of a Virgin the hypostaticall Union so called being not between the person of the Son and humane Nature but the humane Nature united to God even the Father was the person of the Son The preaching of the Gospel was thus to manifest God in the flesh of men as in the man Christ and men in union with the Father as that Man that Man-God being in us Act. 10.38 Isa 8.8 10. because God was in him for as God was with him so God is with us and God with us is Christ Immanuel Without this knowledge taught of God men preach not Christ but they preach Man and themselves 5. A Psalm was the musick of Churches and the melody of the Gospel but the sound of the Gospel being not heard how we heare a Psalme sung in the Churches Indeed under the Law a Psalm was in ryme and meeter Secondly in tune and melody Thirdly the multitude altogether did sing but a Gospel Psalme was no such thing and the Churches of Christ had no such order women were forbid to speak in the Church much lesse to sing A Psalme then was a special gift of the spirit whereby some one filled with the Spirit and word of Christ did speake the praises of God with exceeding joy and full of Glory I say t was a special gift of the Spirit how is it brethren when you come together every one of you hath a Psalme hath a doctrine hath a tongue hath a Revelation hath an interpretation let all things be done to edifying 1 Cor. 14.26 The Apostle doth not there chide the Corinthians for their disorder as speaking together but he commends their order and decency ver 40. that every one spake that is none spake but according to the gift of the Spirit which each had some had a doctrine that is no common truth delivered but some speciall and glorious discovery of God Esa 29.24 again a tongue and interpretation were two other gifts of the Spirit and a Revelation or the manifesting of the Truth that was long hid from the Churches this was a gift so was a Psalme not which every one had no not all saints but some had a Psalme that is such a one who was filled with the Spirit and word of Christ or Gospel knowledge He could sing that is speak the prayses of God with exceeding joy men thinke they doe not sing unlesse they make a noise like a bird or tune their voice but to sing in the Gospel language is no more then to speak Speaking to your selves in Psalmes hymms and spiritual songs making melody in your hearts to the Lord there was no tune in the voice but in the heart no melody to men but to the Lord God for to sing was to speak his prayses as is plaine 1 Cor. 14 15 16 Ephes 5.20 Col. 3.17 not that every speaking or praysing God is singing but such as was with exceeding joy if any be afflicted let him pray if any be merry let him sing Psalmes Jam. 5. let him expresse his mirth the joy and melody of his heart in the prayses of God as those Re. 14.1 who had the Fathers name on their fore heads i.e. who had a full discovery of God in them were as the voice of Harpers harping with their Harps ver 2. none could sing that song but themselves ver 3. now all all can sing Davids Psalmes the Churches songs but those who sing the song of the Lambe have not Davids harp but the Harpes of God the joy of the Holy Spirit unspeakable and full of Glory Rev. 15.2 'T is too long at present to shew how the Churches as it was said of the Princes of Egypt do err in every work of their hand Isa 19.14 erring in all their Ordinances duties dayes of Fasting feasts of Thanksgiving conforming in all to the National Churches but especially in sanctifying the Lords Day There is nothing they are more dark in then in this whereas the Lords Day is no more then the Day of the Lord the Day of God when God shall reveal himself to men and in them cleerly as John saith of himself Revel 1.10 I was in the spirit on the Lords day that is the manifestation of God in flesh when God did fully reveal
state of a Gospel Church to be instituted the Apostles and Disciples were to waite for the Baptisme of the Spirit before they should sit downe in Church-fellowship or performe any Gospel Ordinances Act. 1.4 Act. 2.47 yet their abiding or waiting then was not many dayes hence But the Church being since fallen away and lying under the Apostacy having lost that Gospel glory and manifestation of the spirit in manifold gifts not appearing The saints are called upon to abide for God many dayes to wait with patience for the second coming of Christ and appearance of the Great God that was the Lord their God and David their King ver 5. For the children of Israel shall abide many dayes 400 yeers saith Junius without a King and without a Prince and without a sacrifice c. that is all the days that men finde themselves in the Apostacie they must abide for God without any Ordinance or sacrifice without any Church-Officer or King Yea but the discoveries of God in the Saints in the later dayes that 's the anoynting shall take off the yoke from off their neck and the burden from off their shoulders that Saints shall be no more embondaged to fleshly forms nor burdened with carnal Ordinances nor yoked to Church-fellowship any more What some Saints scoff at others and others say of themselves that they are above Ordinances I cannot judge nor condemn but for my part I do not profess my self above Ordinances but far below them in mine own feeling though I may be above in the favour and knowledg of God yet as far as I know I am below any Gospel Ordinance having not that manifestation of the spirit that was alwaies with them in the Churches nor that presence and power of the spirit appearing in me as was in them to carry me up from living in Ordinances to live in God alone nor yet that testimony of the spirit to tell me that in the use of Ordinances as they are I may be preserved pure from that uncleanness which sticks upon them through the Apostacy for if every thing in the Church is counted unclean by God which is not wholly according to his word the Independant purest Churches are not clean not being conformed to the first Churches of Christ in any Gospel-Ordinance nor Order but meer forms and confusion in all therefore it is that I am thus a non-conformist still and separate my self from the Churches and their Ordinances as unclean Common prayers and the prayers of Churchs are both alike to me the Prelates weekly Friday-Fasts and the Presbyters monthly Wednesday-Fasts yea the Independant Feastings and daies of thanksgiving are but as the holy daies of Bishops so is their Order Ordination and every Ordinance or work of their hands saith the Prophet it is unclean as we shall shew anon from Haggai 2.14 Truly 't was this that called upon me Depart depart touch no unclean thing For that life and peace which once I found in Ordinances is departed from me and my self dead unto them as I believe many others are though some Saints have still satisfaction and sweetness in them and God seems to accept their prayers yet this is no more then was before when in our ignorance we used common Prayers and mixt Communions c. How sweet and satisfactory was God then unto us though the use of those carnal Ordinances was as unclean as the high places were of old to the people of God God appeared to Solomon in Gibeon though that great high place was never appointed by God for his people to worship in but was contrary to his revealed will yet he appeared to Solomon as well in Gibeon as in the house of the Lord 1 King 9 2. Thus the Lord God and Father of mercies who is free in his grace abundant in goodness and truth being not bound up to means might appear for a time even comfortably to his people even in Gibeon in corruptest forms and fellowship not that he aprroves them but that in his good pleasure he may manifest his everlasting love the more to his people whose life is in their bloud as well as when they are washed and who look as beautifull before God when they are black as when white and ruddy yea the love of God is the same to the Saints however they are 't is not their best performances that please him but he is pleased and rests in his love yea that love may appear more to his people in lowest performances then in highest attainments And surely though God may bear awhile with this singing of Psalmes yet the time is come that he will say Tâ—ke away from me the noise of thy songs Mark it 't is but a noise that their singing makes and 't is the noise of Babel confusion of tongue in all their Psalms but God who hath silenced that Prelatick Pricksong and is now silencing Presbyterian plain-song will also cause the songs of Independant Churches to cease now indeed they have a jolly time of it here Fasts are turned into Feasts their tears into triumphs 't will be quite contrary when their songs shall be turned to lamentation their mirth to mourning their fulness to famin and their forms to fire to be consumed by the Spirit Now these are Babylons last Plagues Death Mourning Famin and Fire which all the people of God abiding in Babylon shall partake of and as death is the spirits absence from all their fellowships So the spirits presence at the second appearing of Christ shall torment their flesh and burn up all their forms as with fire but mourning and famin comes before First mourning when the joy of the holy Spirit unspeakable and full of glory shall not be heard in their habitations but a fleshly carnal joy built upon creaturely and worldly contents and complyances with worldly powers all which falling the Kings and Merchants of the earth shall cry alas alas that is the principal men and Ministers of Churches shall cry and mourn because Babylon the great City is fallen Again Famin shall follow their Feastings and daies of thanksgiving for these are the Whores delicacies Daies of Fasting was a courser fare fit for their times of persecution but now the Churches having rest and rejoycing together the Lord comes and disquiets the inhabitants of Babylon turning their joy into mourning their fatness into famin For this all the Prophets point at even an extream Famin to come upon all the Churches That 's the extremity of Famin when there is such a want of food that men will eat the flesh one of another Both these shall come to pass upon the Churches First they shall be in want of food that is the means of grace as thep call it shall not be any more their meat not give them any sustenance at all indeed they may as the Prophet saith feed on the wind and follow the Eastwind that is the most hurtfull wind for cotn they may as men in a dream think they
eat abundantly but when they awake their soul is hungry for indeed their best food is but ashes the fire of the spirit having consumed all that was substance strength and life in the means For behold the Lord the Lord of Hosts doth take away from Judah and from Jerusalem the Stay and the Staff the whole Staff of bread and the whole stay of water Esay 3.1 Judah and Jerusalem are all the Churches the purest of them bread and water are the least and lowest means of sustenance as breaking of bread and baptism of water hath been the best support of Churches the stay and the staff upholding their fellōwships and some food they have found formerly in those means though far short of their primitive institution but now the Lord even the Lord of Hosts God appearing in wrath as a man of war against them takes away all their provisions even the whole staff of bread and stay of water there shall be nothing in any means of grace to do them good or give them strength and not only the means but the men of strength men of parts and arts yea all the gods of the earth shall be famished the Lord takes away the mighty man and the man of war the Judge and the Prophet and the prudent and the Ancient and the Captain and the Counceller and the cunning Artificer and the eloquent Orator and the honourable all shall be so famished that neither gift nor grace shall appear nor gift to govern or rule others for they shall be babes and children in knowledg v. 4. nor grace to govern themselves for they shall be oppressers one of another v. 5. This is the extremity of Famin when men oppress and feed one upon anothers flesh when such want of food when mens gifts shall fail that they shall swear to be no Officers nor bear any rule nor take upon them ony place of preferment yea though they be sought unto yet shall they swear I will not be a healer make me not a ruler over his people for in mine house is neither bread nor cloathing 'T is much that men judged fit to rule and bear sway in the world should be so poor and naked as not to have bread nor cloathing This famin and scarcity may come in the letter upon those who are in highest places who are fullest fed and walk in Scarlet but sure 't will be in the spirit fulfilled on all the Churches and upon all their ruling Elders who knowing that all Authority and Power and Rule is going down at the coming of Christ yet contend still about Government the government of the Church is the onely controversie among the Churches not the great Mystery of Godliness God manifest in flesh no matters of Doctrine or worship are questioned by them but the Government of the Church whether the Church or Elders shall rule This the Independant Churches deny though their ruling and teaching Elders be as proud as Presbyters but sure the time is come that men who are so much for Government and Rule shall swear they will be no Rulers nor Ruling Elders any more for I have neither bread nor cloathing in mine house that is they shall confesse that they have scarce enough for themselves scarce so much knowledg and spiritual understanding as to satisfie and instruct themselves muchless to convince and teach others And as there is a famin on their gifts so in grace they are so famished that they fall to oppresse one another that is to eat each others flesh That 's the extremity of famin which comes upon the Churches as another Prophet phraseth it they shall eat every one the flesh of his brother Zaoh. 13. this is spoken of the whole Church and of all the Pastors or Shepherds v. who are called three Shepherds for that was the number of those that were eminent Teachers in the Jewish Church as Junius shews and these three the Prelatick Presbyterian and Independaut Ministers are the only men that have been Teachers in this Church and Kingdom now God will cut off all three in one moneth How By setting them one against another to oppresse and vex and eat the flesh one of another for as the Prelates have formerly eaten up the Priests and all that maintenance for the Popish Church which was in the Land so the Presbyters have eaten up all the livings and livelihoods of Prelates The Independant Ministry are now the third that feed on the flesh of Presbyters whose Preferment Places Priviledges and Parsonages is now become food for Independant Churches Yet the Famin is soarer for not only mothers eat the flesh of their tender babes but the Fathers eat their children and the children their parents Ezek. That the fathers eat the children is plain in the Churches for whereas the Apostle saith that the fathers ought to provide for their children as he himself would rather work and labour night and day with his hands then that the Gospel should be chargeable to the Saints especially the weak now not only the weak but the world must be at charge to provide for the Fathers of the Church for our Preachers of the Gospel But how the children can eat the flesh of their fathers is very strange seeing the flesh of elder men is wrinkled with age and watry humours and worse for food then the flesh of children But so it is though not in the Church yet in the Kingdom there are men counted children who eat up the flesh of fathers Divines Doctors Pastors Teachers and the flesh of Elders all their forms of Doctrine and worship with their professed holy walking is but food for babes and young beginners in the Lord to feed upon but to consume as fire which is fed with the fuel that it devours For indeed there is none whom the Lord feeds with understanding and knowledg there is scarce a knowing Christian this day that grows in knowledg though he be small simple yet he sees the vanity of Churches the emptinesse of their Ordinances then in the fall of their Officers their famin appears For as the Lord before takes away the whole staff of bread and stay of water so they eat their bread by weight and their water by measure This is much that water which is so common should be drank by measure and the measure so small but the sixh part of a hin a hin being no more then a pint Yea the Prophet himself the only Minister of the Church must eat his bread baked with mans dung which must needs make the bread unsavory and unclean v. 12 13. and though the Prophet complains of this to the Lord as a hard thing for him to undergoe to eat bread leavened with mans dung yet nothing is granted to him but this that instead of mans dung he might prepare and leaven his bread with the dung of a beast this was but little better All this shews thus much that the reprobate Churches eat their bread and drink their
Independant and baptized Ministers here the ministry changed as the moon yet God in his free grace was pleased in all the times of the Apostacy still to appear enlightning the world by the ministry of men in some dark discoveries of himself But when Christ shall appear the second time when the day of Christ shall dawn after the night of Apostacy is ended when the day of God shall be again and God shall appear the second time binding up the breath of his people and healing the wound that was made by that spirit of Antichrist prevailing in the church then the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun and the light of the sun shall be as the light of seven daies that is there will be a perfect light for God shall appear to be the light of men as Christ was ever indeed the light of the world and God in truth was the light of men from the beginning shining in darkness though the darkness did not comprehend it and though men did not know God in them to be their only light but as I said God shall appear in the last daies to be the light of men then men and ministers shall be no more the means of light the sun shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light and thy God thy glory Thy sun shall no more go down neither shall thy moon withdraw it self but the Lord shall be thine everlasting light and the daies of thy mourning shall be ended as mourning was Babylons plague the judgement of the great Whore so thou shalt never mourn for want of a minister for the Lord God in thee shall minister light unto thee men and ministers may go down yea the sun may set at noon-day and there may be a withdrawing of all light and all left in darkness but in darkness the Lord will be thy light as well as when thou art in clearest light when thy light shall be the Lord God in thee then God thy Sun shall not go down and God thy Moon shall not be withdrawn yea God shall appear not only thy light but the light of the world the light of every man and the light of every creature thou shalt then clearly see the invisible things of God even the eternal Power and Godhead in the whole creation ' and no more sun or moon shining in the heaven but God ' himself shining in both and his glory filling the earth also and every thing in heaven and earth as the appearance of God This is that fire that burns not only churches but every creature in heaven and earth God appearing in all This is the fire which all the Prophets and Apostles speak of to come in the last daies this fire came down at the first coming of Christ in spirit when the spirit when God in power first appeared in the Gospel-church then the church under the Law the Jewish church was burn up the sun was turned to darkness and the moon to bloud all the glory and light of the Law was darkned the Temple Priesthood Sacrifices and all their Ordinances were change and became as bloud So the same signes in heaven above and signes on the earth beneath shall be again in kingdoms and churches also bloud and vapour and smoak all this was in spirit then performed it shall again be so fulfilled with greater power when the appearance of the great God shall be this fire even God himself that consuming fire and everlasting burnings shall not only burn up churches and the flesh or the Whore but the purest flesh of men and pride of all glory when God our glory shal appear as the glory of heaven and his glory the fulness of the earth then all the works on the earth shall be burnt up with fire as all the works of man shall be burnt up in God that is as now we see the works of men and not God working all in all so now we see only the outward forms of the creation every creature being that form of God but when we shall see God all in all we shall never see no more forms of creatures or churches FINIS