voice that spake unto him when he was struck down unto the earth with the sight of a Vision said unto him Arise stand upon thy feet for I have appointed thee for this purpose to make thee a Minister and a Witness both of these things thou hast seen and of those things in the which I shall appear unto thee delivering thee from the People and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. And according to this the Apostle confessed himself when he mote to the Romans I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians both to the wise and the unwise so much as in me is I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek for therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith and the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men because that which may be known of God is manifested in them for God hath shewed it unto them And thus the Apostle goes on exhorting and teaching the Romans in the 1st and 2d. Chapters and telleth them That God will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patience continue in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality and eternal life but unto them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath For saith he there is no respect of persons with God for as many as have sinned without the Law shall perish without the Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law for not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified c. And in the 10th of the Romans where he is speaking of his hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel he tells them That Christ is the end of the Law to every one that believeth For saith he the righteousness of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thy heart who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring Christ up again from the dead but what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the Word of Faith which we preach And when he wrote to the Hebrews he rehearseth the New Covenant that the Prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah had prophesied of and saith This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them Heb. 10. These with many more places of Scripture might be instanced of the Apostles how they ministred both in Preaching and Writing And in the first Epistle of John he saith That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes and our hands have handled the word of Life This we declare unto you that ye may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Here was a right Minister of God that would have had those he wrote to to have been in fellowship with him who was in fellowship with the Father and with the Son and therefore he saith unto them These things I write unto you that your joy may be full This then is the message which we have heard from him and declared unto you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not the truth but if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin And again the same Apostle saith A new Commandment I write unto you which thing is true in him and in you because the darkness is past and the true Light now shineth Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall abide in you ye shall also continue in the Son and in the Father These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you but the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is the truth and is no lye even as he hath taught you ye shall abide in him for ye have an unction from the holy one and ye know all things 1 John 2. Here is sound firm and wholsome Teaching that these holy men of God taught those that they taught but contrary to their teaching have Inventions and Teachings of men been for many Ages and Generations in this dark Night of Apostacy in which the pure and holy and glorious Church of Christ hath been gone into the Wilderness where she hath had a place appointed her of God until the One thousand two hundred and threescore dayes were accomplished which John saw Rev. 12. But now she is coming forth again glory to the Highest for ever And the Man-child which hath been caught up to God and to his Throne is coming to Rule all Nations and now are these Ministers of darkness which have ministred in the night coming to be seen now that the day appears For God that hath commanded Light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts and hath given us the Light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ which is the Son of Righteousness by which we see and comprehend them all So to proceed to the particulars The first thing that I except against in matter and form of their Worship Viz. All sorts of Preachers and Teachers that are out of Christ and his Apostles Spirit Doctrine and Rule is the taking a part or portion of Scripture for a Text and adding thereto their own Inventions which they study out of their own brain and also bringing other Authors who have done the like many of them not Christians but Heathens and thus make an Image and set up and deceive poor peoples souls and keep them everlearning but never come to the knowledge of the Truth and are more ignorant of God than many Heathens that never professed Christ nor the Scriptures and so it is ordinary with them to bring the Heathens words in that which they prepare for them and stir them up and this is quite contrary to Christ and the Apostles practice It is true Christ took the Book when it was delivered unto him and he opened and lookt upon it and found a place
away from the Lord and turned unto Idolatry and Abomination and was in Rebellion against him then he complains of their Teachers That they speak a Divination of their own Brain and not from the Mouth of the Lord But the Lord saith That he will frustrate the Tokens of the Lyars and make the Diviners mad and turn the Wise men backward and make their knowledge foolish Isa 44. And again he complains of the Blind Watchmen and said They are all Ignorant they are all dumb Dogs they cannot bark sleeping lying down to slumber yea they are greedy Dogs which can never have enough and they are Shepherds that cannot understand they all look to their own way every one for his Gain from his Quarter Come ye say they and I will fetch Wine and we will fill our selves with Strong-drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant Isa 56. Again the Lord complains of them by his Prophet Jeremiah Jeremiahs heart was broken within him because of the Prophets and his bones did shake like a drunken man because of the Lord and the word of his Holiness For the Land saith he is full of adulteries for because of swearing the Land mourneth for Prophet and Priest are prophane yea in my house have I found their wickedness saith the Lord. Wherefore their wayes shall be unto them as slippery wayes in the darkness they shall be driven on and fall therein I will bring evil upon them even the year of their visitation saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Hearken not unto the words of the Prophets that prophesie unto you thy make you vain they speak a Vision of their own heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord. They say still unto them that despise me The Lord hath said ye shall have peace and they say unto every one that walketh after the Imaginations of his own heart No evil shall come upon you But behold the whirlwind of the Lord is come forth in fury and it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked the anger of the Lord shall not return till he have executed and till he hath performed the thoughts of his heart In the latter dayes he shall consider it perfectly I have not sent these Prophets I have not spoken unto them yet they prophesied I heard when the Prophet said that prophesied lies in my name which cause my people to forget my name as their Fathers have forgotten my name for Baal Is not my word like a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rocks in pieces therefore behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that steal my words every one from his neighbour behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that use their tongues and say He saith behold I am against them that prophesie false dreams and tell them and cause my people to erre through their lies and by their lightness and yet I sent them not nor commanded them therefore they shall not profit my people at all saith the Lord Jer. 23. And again the Lord said unto me The Prophets prophesie lies in my name I sent them not neither commanded I them neither spake I unto them yet they prophesied unto you a false Vision and a divination and a thing of nought and the deceit of their heart Chap. 14. Therefore hearken not ye to your Prophets nor to your Diviners nor to your Inchanters nor to your Sorcerers for I have not sent them yet they prophesie a lye in my name that I might drive you out and ye might perish Jer. 27. For thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Let not your Prophets nor your Diviners that be in the midst of you deceive you for they prophesie falsly unto you I have not sent them saith the Lord Jer. 29 And Ezekiel saith Her Prophets have daubed them with untempred morter seeing vanity divining lies unto them saying Thus saith the Lord when the Lord hath not spoken Ezek. 22. 28. And Zechariah saith The Idols have spoken vanity and Diviners have seen a lye and have told false dreams and have comforted in vain Zech. 10. 2. And Micah saith Then shall the Seers be ashamed and Diviners confounded yea they shall all cover their lips for there is no answer from God Micah 3. 7. After the children of Israel and Judah were fallen away from the Lord God and from his Worship and Service into Idolatry and worshiping of Baal then their Priests and Prophets and Teachers fell to divining and enchanting in the power of darkness and fell into all manner of wickedness and grosness and prophaness and drunkeness in so much that the Lord complaineth of their drinking wine in bowles Ye that put far the evil day and cause the seat of violence to come near that lie upon the beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon the Couches and eat the Lambs out of the Flock and the Calves out of the midst of the Stall that chant to the sound of the Vial and invent to themselves Instruments of Musick like David that drink wine in Bowls and anoint themselves with the chief oyntment but they are not grieved at the afflictions of Joseph therefore they shall go into captivity with the first Amos 6. Surely the Diviners and Inchanters of these last dayes in this night of Apostacy in which the Apostle John said that Antichrist should come have taken example by these false Prophets and false Teachers that were fallen away from the Lord and from the Ordinances of his Law that he gave out to those that were to minister at the Altar and were to minister in the Priests Office when they were fallen away into Idolatry they then fell into Divination and digging and diving into the darkness and imagination of their wicked hearts and so spake false Visions and false Dreams and false Prophesies and said the Lord saith when the Lord had never spoken to them So it hath been with our professed Christian Ministers in this time of Apostacy since the Apostles dayes they read the Prophets words and said Thus saith the Lord and they read Christ's words and the holy Apostles words who worshiped the only true God and spake in and by his holy Spirit And they themselves will confess the Lord never spake unto them neither do they ever expect to know revelation nor hear the voice of God as the Apostle did for they have preached to all people that that is ceased And though it is true that it hath been ceased among them in their dark night of Apostacy yet the holy Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ which spake in him and in all his holy Apostles is alive and lives for evermore which he sent and signified by his servant John Rev. 1. Who bare record of the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw Who when he saw him fell at his feet as dead and he laid his right
hand upon him saying Fear not I am the first and the last I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore and have the keyes of hell and death Write the things which thou hast seen and the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter And this Revelation which John saw of Jesus Christ will as surely be fulfilled as all the other Scriptures that prophesied formerly of his coming in the flesh who in the fulness of time came and fulfilled all that was written of him so certainly will he come and fulfil the Revelations that have been of him And of his power and great glory and of his coming in his Spirit and in his Revelation by which he reveals the Father as he said himself in the days of his flesh Hereafter I will not speak unto you in Proverbs but I will shew plainly of the Father John 17. Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all truth And this hath the Lord fulfilled and will fulfill in his day and time appointed For the times and seasons are in the Fathers hand although the night-owls who have been in the darkness have striven always to put this Light out when it would have shined in their time which was dark And therefore have they striven together and combined together to make their Mountain strong and set up Schooles of Learning as they call them and educated youth up in that darkness and kept them studying and divining in their braine till many have studied themselves out of their wits and so they might follow their Orders and Ordinations and Degrees one above another and one below another with such a rabble as is not worth mentioning and none might speak nor preach nor read no nor teach School but such as take Orders or Degrees or Licences from them and all this rabble is quite contrary to Scripture-Rule and Example It is true the Apostle exhorted the Thessalonians to study to be quiet and to do their own business and to work with their own hands 1 Thess 4. 11. And wrote to Timothy to study to be approved to God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth This was not studying in the power of darkness to be approved of men to study all their dayes to invent an hours talk to please men and so they take the Scriptures and garnish and adorn and flourish this dark muddy stuffe with it and when they have done sell it for money and so bear rule by the poor peoples means and the poor people are kept so in darkness and ignorance by them that the people love to have it so But as the Prophet Isaiah saith What will they do in the end thereof But surely the Lord is coming to gather his flock according as he spake by his Prophet Ezekiel which Prophesie is not yet fulfilled for it was to the Jewes As I live saith the Lord God because my flock is become a prey and because there is no Shepherd neither did the Shepherds search for my Flock but they fed themselves and not my Flock Behold I am against the Shepherds I will require my Flock at their hands neither shall the Shepherds feed themselves any more I will deliver my Flock from their mouthes As a Shepherd seeketh out his Flock in the day that he is among his Sheep so will I seek out my Sheep and will deliver them Ezek. 34. So the Lord will fulfill his faithful Word which changeth not however they promise themselves peace till sudden destruction come upon them For so Christ said when he was in his flesh when he spake of the coming of the Son of Man in his power and great glory be bad them watch and told them that the Son of Man would come as a thief in the night and he told them if the good man of the house knew at what hour the thief would come he would not have suffered his house to be robbed and he said Blessed is that servant that when his Lord cometh is found watching Thus you see that the Scriptures are utterly against the practises of those that have been in the Ministry and Teachers of People since the Apostles dayes in the Apostacy for they have neither President nor Example from the Ministers of the Lord neither under the Law nor under the Gospel as we shall prove more fully hereafter For when the Lord reproves Edom and Esau and their Priests and told them they had offered polluted bread upon his Altar and they had offered the blind for sacrifice and lame and sick and that from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same his name was polluted as ye may read at large in Mal. 1 2. chap. He told them that he would corrupt their seed and spread dung upon their faces even the dung of their solemn feasts yet he told them That his Covenant was with Levi even of life and peace and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me the Law of truth was in his mouth and Iniquity was not found in his lips he walked with me in peace and equity and did turn away many from iniquity for the Preists lips should preserve knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts but ye are turned away c. So these are none of the Priests of our dayes that come from the Universities and have their Orders and Degrees from thence for they confess themselves to be all polluted and filthy from the Crown of the Head to the Soal of the foot and they tell people they must never be free from sin and iniquity nor they must never look for Revelations So these are none of Levie's Tribe for he turned many from iniquity and the People were to seek the Law at his mouth because the Law of Truth was in his mouth And so by what hath been spoken before concerning their attaining to the Ministry as also their Principles what they hold you see that they are none of Gods Ministers under the Law neither did any that were ordained of God to be Ministers under the Law attain to it by such means or in such a manner as they have done to theirs viz. by School-learning Neither are they God's Ministers under the Gospel so that they are neither Gods Ministers under the Law nor Gospel As also Christ those that he chose to be Ministers you may read what sort of men they were When he was on the Coast of Zebulon and Naphthali he preached unto them Repentance And as Jesus was walking by the sea of Galilee he saw two brethren Peter and Andrew and he called them They were casting their nets into the sea for they were fishers and he saith unto them Follow me and I will make you fishers of men And straightway they followed him Matth. 4. Mark 1. And when he had gone a
little further thence he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother who also were in a ship mending their nets and straightway he called them And they left their Father in the ship with the servants and went after him Matthew was a Publican Simon a Canaanite Also when Christ sent forth the seventy Luke 10. there were no Universities provided for them nor had they Ordinations or Degrees from thence but ye may read they had their Command and Commission from him And again when he had wrought the Miracle on the man that was sick of the Palsie As he passed from thence he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the Receipt of Custom and he said unto him Follow me and he arose and followed him Matth. 9. 9. Also Jesus when he was going forth into Galilee findeth Philip and saith unto him Follow me Philip findeth Nathaniel and saith unto him We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and in the Prophets did write Jesus of Nazareth the Son of Joseph John 1. Also two of Johns Disciples when they had heard him speak and looked upon him followed Jesus and one of them which followed him was Andrew Simon Peters brother and he saith unto his brother We have found the Messiah which by interpretation is Christ John 1. And thus they had the testimony of Christ Jesus in their Consciences through which they gave up all and forsook all and followed him and he having all Power in Heaven and in Earth given unto him gave them power and authority over all Spirits insomuch that they said the Devils were subject unto them And when they came unto him and told him he said unto them Rejoyce not that the Devils are subject unto you but rather rejoyce that your Names are written in Heaven and this was their Power and the matter of their Joy that they had their Testimony and Commission from him their Lord and Master So here was no Ordinations of men nor Degrees taken from Universities nor no Nurturing up in Schools of Learning as hath been in these latter dayes for this hath all been since this Power and Spirit of the Lord Jesus hath been lost and gone from and rebelled against in this Night of Apostacy Also after this when the Apostle Paul was called to be a Minister he was called by Vision and by the Voice of God and sent forth by the Command of his Word and Power Acts 26. 16. and yet he confessed himself that he was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel and taught according to the perfect Law of the Fathers Acts 22. 3. Yet he desires his brethren to beware of Dogs beware of evil-workers beware of the Concision for we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh though I might also have a confidence in the flesh If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel c. But what things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ Yea doubtless I count all things but dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him Phil. 3. Here the Apostle clears himself concerning his choice and sees the Vanity of all transitory Things and this was a fit Minister of the Eternal Gospel of Christ who forsook and laid away all his humane Knowledge and Learning and filthy Wisdom and only chose the holy Spirit of the Lord God the Cross of Christ whereby he said he was crucified to the world and the world to him and this is quite contrary to the ministration of mens wisdom before mentioned And so this may suffice for the first particular of the Fifth Head which is their Practice to wit their way and means to attain to the Ministry The second particular of the Practice is the limiting and binding of People unto their way and worship by their Laws and Courts which they call Ecclesiastical with the several Degrees of Offices to get money from people and to bring them into bondage and keep them in awe and continual trouble in tying of them up to their Inventions and Laws which they make for their own gain and advantage not leaving poor people to the liberty of their Consciences and to the freedom of their Spirits but binde them to such things as pertain to their own advantage and superiority and in this lord it over poor peoples Estates Persons and Consciences and yet they call themselves Gospel-Ministers and in words profess Christ and Christianity but this is quite contrary to the practice and example of Christ and his Apostles and Ministers for those that he sent forth into whatsoever City they went they were to enquire who was worthy and there to abide till they went thence And when you come into one house salute it and if the house be worthy let your peace come upon it but if it be not worthy let your peace return to you and whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words when ye depart out of that House or City shake off the dust of your feet Matth. 10. Mark saith thus And whosoever shall not receive you nor hear you shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them verily I say unto you it shall be more tollerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment then for that City Mark 6. And again when he sent out the Seventy he said unto them Into whatsoever house ye enter first say Peace be to this house and if the Son of Peace be there your peace shall rest upon it if not it shall return to you again But into whatsoever City ye enter and they receive you not go your way into the streets of the same and say Even the dust of your City which cleaveth on us we do wipe off against you notwithstanding be sure of this that the Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you but I say unto you it shall be more tollerable in the day of Judgment c. Luke 10. And according to this Command of Christ Paul and Barnabas who were separated by the Holy Ghost for the work of the Ministry when they had preached the Gospel among the Jews and witnessed forth Christ Jesus and his Sufferings among the Jews who had Crucified him and also preached him unto the Gentiles and the Jews contradicting Pauls Ministry Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said they would turn to the Gentiles for say they so hath the Lood commanded us saying I will set thee for a Light unto the Gentiles that thou shouldest be my Salvation to the ends of the Earth but when the Jews heard this they stirred up the devout and honorable women and chief men of the City and raised
they bought no long Robes nor Surplices with this since that Christ Jesus had so often exhorted them to beware of them that went in such And again Peter saith unto those he wrote to Let your conversation be honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak of them as evil doers they may be put to silence by their good works and that they should be as free not using their Liberty for a Cloak of malitiousness but as the Servants of God And thus much for the seventh and last Head which is their Garb and Habit which all that reade the Scriptures may see that Christ nor his Apostles ever used such So now let the Reader as he readeth over this Treatise weigh and try by the Scriptures their wayes and actions for Christ hath left us a rule how we should know them by their fruits For saith he Beware of false Prophets which come unto you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly are ravening Wolves Ye shall know them by their fruit Do men gather grapes of thornes or figgs of thistles Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit but a corrupt tree bringeth forth corrupt fruit a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them Mat. 7. Luke 6. 43. So by this which hath been shewed and tried by the Scriptures comparing their Doctrine Practice and Worship with the Scriptures let the honest in heart judge whether this Gospel that they have preached and which hath been holden forth for many hundreds of years whether this Gospel be not another Gospel than that the Apostles preached and that which the Apostle feared is come to pass where he saith I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity which is in Christ For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus whom we have not preached or if ye receive another Spirit which we have not received or another Gospel which ye have not accepted I marvel ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ into another Gospel which is not another but there are some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As I said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed 1 Cor. 11. Gal. 1. And thus you may see that their Ministry hath been neither according to Law nor Gospel and let the Lord judge between these two And now a few Queries to the Bishops Ministry and Clergy of what sort soever whether Papists or Protestants that have been in this time of Apostacy First Whether that Light which John was sent to bear witness of John 1. 8 9. which is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world Whether this Light be not the same as it was and hath the same Power that hver it had since Christ saith I am the Light of the world John 8. 12. Secondly Whether the New Covenant which the Lord promised by this Prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah which was a Light of the Gentiles and was to be God's Salvation to the ends of the Earth Isa 42 and 49 Chapters Jer. 31 and 24 Chap. Which Prophesies Old Simeon saw fulfilled Luke 2. 30 31 32. VVhether this New Covenant which the Lord saith should be an Everlasting Covenant in the last dayes which Covenant the Apostle bears testimony of in Heb. 8. whether this Covenant which is the Law written in the heart be not the same as ever it was yea or nay Thirdly Whether the Word of Faith which the Apostle saith is nigh in the heart even the Word that he preached Rom. 10. VVhether this be not the same as ever since Christ saith Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my Word shall not pass away Mat. 24. 35. Mark 13. 31. Fourthly Whether the Ministration of the Spirit which the Apostle said was glorious and saith the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. Whether this Spirit hath not the same power and efficacy to work in the hearts of People as ever it had yea or nay Fifthly Whether the Revelation of Jesus Christ that was revealed to his Apostles by his Spirit Ephes 3. 5. 1 Cor. 2. 10. Whether this Spirit hath not the same power to reveal now as ever it had since Christ Jesus saith All things are delivered unto me of my Father and no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him Mat. 11. 27. John 3. 35. chap. 6. 46. Whether this Revelation of Christ Jesus be not of the same force and power as ever it was yea or nay Sixthly And if so that the Light of Christ which is the New Covenant and the Word of Faith which is nigh in the heart and the Spirit that he hath put in the inward parts by which the Revelation of Jesus Christ is known be the same as ever Then why is not the ministration of the Spirit and those that are inspired by the Almighty the Ministers that are allowed of and set up by the Powers of the Nation And why is such a Ministry set up and allowed of by the Powers of the Nation who deny Revelation and do not wait for Revelation but say it is ceased And why are such Ministers allowed of and set up by the Powers of the Nation who do not only deny Revelation and so deny Christ Jesus but they also stir up the Magistrates and those that have the Civil Power to Persecute to Imprison to Premunire and to Banish such as have the Revelation of Jesus Christ and are Inspired by the Almighty with the same Spirit and Power as the Apostles had Seventhly Why is not the Church of Christ now in God as the Church of the Thessalonians was 1 Thes 1. 1. 2 Thes 1. 1. And why is now a house made with Wood and Stone called the Church since Christ saith unto Peter when he confessed that he was the Christ the Son of the Living God Jesus said unto him Flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I build my Church But this Rock was not Peter as the Papists say but it was upon that Revelation which Christ said his heavenly Father had revealed unto Peter and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Mat. 16. 18. Eighthly Why is not the Worship of God performed in the Spirit and in the Truth according as Christ Jesus published and declared in the Mountain at Samaria unto the woman which Jesus confessed unto and said when she spake of the Messiah
A Touch-Stone OR A Perfect Tryal by the Scriptures of all the Priests Bishops and Ministers who have called themselves the Ministers of the Gospel whose Time and Day hath been in the last Ages past or rather in the Night of Apostacy they are tried and weighed by the Scriptures of Truth and are found out of the Life and Power of the Scriptures and out of the Spirit and Doctrine of them that gave them forth and quite contrary to their Principle and practice both Papists and Protestants Unto which is annexed Womens Speaking Justified c. Little Children it is the last time as you have heard that Antichrist should come even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time These things have I written unto you concerning those that seduce you but the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you 1 John 2. And I stood upon the sand of the Sea and saw a Beast rise out of the Sea having seven Heads and ten Horns and upon his Heads the names of Blasphemy and he opened his mouth in Blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven He that leadeth into Captivity must go into captivity he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword here is the faith and patience of the Saints Rev. 13. London Printed in the Year 1667. The Epistle to the READER Serious Reader LEt it enter into thy serious consideration the sad and perilous dayes that this Age is fallen into even into those last dayes that Christ and his Apostles fore-saw and fore-told of which are the last dayes as the Scriptures do plentifully declare and hold forth that were to come to pass before the coming of the day of the Lord and that there was to be a falling away from the Truth of the Lord God and that then the Man of Sin was to be revealed the Son of Perdition 2 Thes 2. 3 4. Also John in the Revelations when he stood upon the sand of the Sea saw the first Beast rise out of the Sea and the second out of the Earth which exercised the Authority of the first and the Dragon gave the power to the Beast and them that worshipped him Rev. 13. And John saw the War he made with the Lamb and with the Saints and overcame them for he was to continue 42 Months which is by the account of the Spirit of God according as it is recorded in the Scripture above 1200 Years which is fully compleated and finished with many years over since that great City Babylon had a foundation with whom the Kings of the Earth have committed fornication and the Inhabitants of the Earth have been made drunk with the Wine of her fornication But the Angel carried John into the Wilderness Rev. 16 where he saw the Judgements of this great Whore and this woman which hath been arrayed in Purple and Scarlet colour decked with Gold and Precious Stones and in her hand a golden Cup full of abominations and the Woman which thou sawest saith the Angel is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth But after this John saw another Angel and he cryed mightily with a strong voyce saying Babylon Babylon the great is fallen is fallen and become the habitation of Devils And John heard another voyce from Heaven saying Come out of her my People that ye he not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues for her sins have reached unto Heaven and God hath remembred her Iniquities Reward her even as she hath rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works in the Cup that she hath filled fill her double Rev. 18. Where ye may read the destruction and desolation of this great City Mystery of Babylon the great and Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth therefore rejoyce over her thou Heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you of her for after this John saw a mighty Angel take up a stone like a Mil-stone and cast it into the Sea saying Thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be cast down and shall be found no more at all Glory Glory to the Highest for evermore her day of destruction and calamity and desolation hastens on apace the darkness is past the night is over and the true Light now shineth the Resurrection of Jesus Christ the Righteous the Blessed Seed is rising in the hearts of People the Son of Man is coming to be lifted up from the Earth and will draw all men after him and in his power and in his great glory is coming to reign and to rule in the hearts and consciences of men and the Tabernacle of the Testimony is opened in Heaven and is with men and the Mystery of Godliness is manifested in the hearts of People and God is manifesting himself in them who hath said he will dwell in Men and walk in them and he is making their Bodies his Temples and he is coming to root out and race out of the hearts of Men and Women that Man of Sin that Son of Perdition that hath sitten in the Temple of God and hath been exalted above all that is called God and hath shewed himself as God and now the Lord is discovering him by the Resurrection of his Power and Spirit in the hearts of People which he is coming to pour upon all flesh according to his word and promise and that Mystery of Iniquity that hath wrought in a Mystery that Wickedness that hath possest the hearts of men and women now the Lords Power and Spirit is coming to cast him out and take him out of the way and throw him out And Christ Jesus that everlasting Fountain who said If any man be a thirst let him tome unto me and drink for I am come a Light into the World which world is in every mans heart And whosoever believes in Christ Jesus the Light they shall not perish but have the Light of Life And this Light of the Lord Jesus Christ being risen in the heart of every man and woman turning their minds thereunto it becomes their Teacher and this is that by which the Lord teacheth all his People who hath said by his Prophets They shall be all taught of God John 6. Every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me saith Christ who is that living Bread that endureth for ever And this is the Son of man which God the Father hath sealed that is come a Light and a Spirit which every one that believes in is sealed with therefore it is good for all People not to quench the Spirit of the Lord Jesus nor to grieve it by which they are sealed to the day of Redemption Ephes 4. 30. but that every one may turn to the Spirit of the Lord
Jesus that is within them which preacheth in a Mystery and preacheth righteousness very nigh in their hearts and will cleanse their inward parts and make their hearts clean from that mystery of Iniquity that hath been long lodged in them and held them Captive and led them into sin and transgression and wickedness Oh that all hearts and secret parts might be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ and that every one would walk in the Light abide in the Light as he is in the Light and here is the fellowship and unity of the Saints in Light Jesus Christ the Righteous ruling in their hearts and who lives in the Vnity and Spirit of the Lord Jesus they come to have fellowship with the Father and the Son as John had and these things he wrote unto them that their joy might be full and that they might partake of the same Light Life and Spirit and have Unity with him whose message is That God is Light and in him is no darkness at all And whosoever saith he knows God and abides in darkness is a lyar and the Truth is not in him 1 John 1. And this hath been the Condition and Doctrine that hath been holden forth for many hundred years they have walked in darkness and shewed as if they had fellowship with God and they have loved the world and the things of the world which the Apostle saith is not of the Father And if any love the World the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 2. And now Reader do but consider how these Teachers of the world live and after what manner and how they do oppress people for their maintenance and whether there is any sort of people more covetous of the world than they are and how they draw people from the Unction of the holy One that the Apostle here turned people to and desired them to take heed unto and to continue and abide in that which they had heard from the beginning and not to turn to those Antichrists that were then entering into the world but they were to abide in the Anointing which thy had received and it would teach them all things and it was truth and was no lie 1 John 2. But these Ministers of darkness that have been in this night of Apostacy all their indeavours have been to draw people from the Light and from the Vnction of the Holy One after them and after their Imaginations dark Studies and brain Divination and so have deceived poor people and have led them captive at their wills and as the Prophet said Have born rule by their means and the people have been so blind that they love to have it so And thus the Scriptures have been fulfilled and there hath been power given to the Beast and people generally have said in their hearts Who is able to make war with the Beast But glory to the highest Lord his time is over and the year of our Redeemer is come and the Spirit of the Lord is upon him and the Lord hath anointed him to preach good tydings to the meek liberty to the Captives and the opening the Prison doors to them that are bound and to proclaime the acceptable Year of the Lord and the day of Vengeance of our God Isa 61. 1 2. Oh Reader The time is short the day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night and all this long-suffering of the Lord that hath been past is because he is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance And seeing that all these things shall be dissolved oh what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for that blessed hope and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ that all may be found with him in peace without spot or blemish which is my desire And so read over this following Treatise and weigh in the seriousness of thy heart and consider the Scriptures of Truth by which thou mayest judge by the Light of the Lord Jesus Christ in thee how all the world have been befooled and blinded and led captive even at Satans will and how this Antichrist hath ruled in the hearts of People and sate in the Temple of God and hath been decked and covered over with the Scriptures and Saints words speaking them forth with unclean lips and from unclean hearts and so have deceived the hearts of the simple but this fine linnen and purple and scarlet that Babylon hath been decked with in one day shall be taken from her Amen even so Lord Jesus come quickly M. F. A Touch-Stone OR A Perfect Tryal by the Scriptures of all the Priests Bishops and Ministers c. ME thinks I hear the Bishops mutter murmur and contemn that I should publish it out to the world how I desired the King to beware of their Counsels therefore I do hereby give them my Reasons of the Cause why I did so which Reasons may satisfie them and the whole world except they can by as good or better overturn them In the first place I desired since it pleased the Lord to bring the King to his outward Right and Propriety of the Crown of his Ancestors that he might have done that whereby he might Prosper according to the words of the wise King Solomon who said It is the glory of God to conceal a thing but the honour of a King to search out a matter Take away the wicked from before the King and his Throne shall be established Prov. 25. And again he saith The thoughts of the Righteous are right but the counsel of the wicked is deceit the words of the wicked are to lye in wait for blood but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them the wicked are overthrown and are not but the house the righteous shall stand Prov. 12. Also it was my desire that he should follow the example of the good Kings of Israel whose way it was to ask counsel of the Lord or of his Prophets as King David enquired of the Lord whether he should go up against the Philistims and the Lord said Go up 2 Sam. 5. and again King David called Nathan the Prophet and told him that he would build a House for the Ark of God and the Lord sent word again to David by Nathan the Prophet 2 Sam. 7. And when there was three years of famine in the Land David enquired of the Lord and the Lord answered him it was for Saul and his bloody house 2 Sam. 21. Also King Solomon the Lord appeared unto him and bid him ask what he would have and Solomon asked of the Lord an understanding heart to judge his People that he might discern between good and bad for saith he Who is able to judge this thy so great a People And this speech pleased the Lord that Solomon asked such a thing 1 Kings 3. And again the Lord spake unto Solomon the second time concerning the House which he was building
If thou wilt walk in my Statutes saith the Lord and execute my Judgements and keep all my Commandments to walk in them then will I perform my word with thee which I spake unto David thy Father 1 Kings 6. And Hezekiah that good King of Judah when he was sent to from Sennacherib King of Assyria by Rabshekah and others with a great hoast who came up against Jerusalem who threatned the King and the whole City as you may read 2 Kings 18. And Hezekiah King of Judah sent Eliakim and Shebna and the Elders of the Priests covered with sackcloth to Isaiah the Son of Amos so the servants of Hezekiah came to Isaiah and Isaiah said unto them Thus shall ye say unto your Master thus saith the Lord Be not afraid of their words c. Chap. 19. And accordingly the Lord sent an Angel and cut off all the men of Valour and the Leaders and the Captains of the King of Assyria and the Lord saved Hezekiah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hands of the King of Assyria 2 Chron. 32. Also Josiah that good King when he heard the words of the Book of the Law read he rent his Cloathes and commanded Hilkiah the Priest and several of the Elders of the People saying Go ye and enquire of the Lord for me and for all the People of Judah concerning the words of this Book that is found for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us because our Fathers have not harkred to the words of this Book and they went and enquired of the Prophetess to Huldah as you may read 2 Kings 22. 2 Chron. 34. This you see was the practice of the four principal Kings of Israel and Judah Moreover I am clearly convinced and am assured that the Bishops as they are called and those of their Order and Coat or indeed any that have taken upon them that Function of the Clergy these many hundred of years that they are not according unto Christ Jesus nor unto his Disciples nor the Apostles and the Saints in the Primitive times but are gone quite contrary according to what the Scriptures of Truth hold forth and that in all these particular heads following First Their Titles Secondly Their Estate or Condition and Qualifications Thirdly Their Call Fourthly Their Doctrine and Worship Fifthly Their Practise in matters of Controversie Sixthly Their Maintenance Seventhly and lastly Their Garbe and Habit. All which we shall prove not only not according but quite opposite and contrary to Christ Jesus his Example and his Apostles and disciples Now they being men not only professing Christianity but also taking upon them to be Actors Leaders Teachers Preachers and Feeders of the Peoples Soules and that in and with Christianity there can be no sound reason to the contrary but that they should be men principled fitted and furnished yea and filled with the same Spirit as was in the Apostles whose words they take upon them to declare and to make a Trade of and to get their Living by since they make poor people believe that they have their souls in cure and so by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple and so keep them ever learning but they never come to the knowledge of the Truth But to proceed to the First viz. Their Titles This is clear contrary to the Doctrine of Christ for when the Mother of Zebedees Children came unto him concerning her two Sons that one might sit on his right hand and the other on his left Jesus answered and said ye know not what ye ask and when the other ten heard it they were moved with indignation against the two Brethren but Jesus called them unto him and said ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise Dominion over them and they that are great exercise Authority upon them but it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be great among you let him be your Minister and whosoever will be chief among you let him be your servant Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his Life a ransome for many Matth. 20. Likewise again when he told them That one of them should betray him they began to enquire among themselves which of them it was And there was also a strife among them which of them should be accounted the greatest mark that you great Lords And he said unto them the Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and those that exercise Authority on them are called Benefactors but ye shall not be so but he that is greatest among you let him be as the younger and he that is chief as he that doth serve c. And again when he said unto them Let these things sink into your eares the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of men And again they began to reason among themselves who should be the greatest And when he said unto them Behold we go up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man shall be delivered unto the chief Priests and unto the Scribes and they shall condemn him to death Even then did James and John come to desire to sit one on his right hand and the other on his left But Jesus again reproved them for it and said unto them Ye know that they that are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and their great ones exercise Authority upon them but it shall not be so with you c. Mar. 10. Nay he said unto his Disciples Be not ye called Rabbi for one is your Master even Christ and all ye are Brethren Neither be ye called Masters but he that is greatest among you let him be your servant and whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased and he that humbles himself shall be exalted Mat. 23. And I do not find that the Apostles either Timothy or Titus who were Bishops indeed were ever called Lord-Bishops but the Apostle when he writes to the Thessalonians saith Wherefore when we could no longer forbear we thought it good to be left at Athens alone and sent Timotheus our Brother and Minister of God and Fellow-Labourers in the Gospel of Christ to establish you and to comfort you concerning your Faith This was the Title that the Apostle gave them which was not Our Reverend Father in God Lord Bishop c. And the Apostle when he writes unto Timothy calls him His Son in the Faith 1 Tim. 1. And when he exhorts him he saith If thou put the Brethren in remembrance of these things thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ nourished up in the word of Faith and to good Doctrine whereunto thou hast attained Chap. 4. And in his second Epistle that he writes to Timothy he calleth him His dearly beloved Son and that he greatly desires to see him and he saith Thou my Son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus And he bids him endure
it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life loe we turn unto the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded us I have set thee to be a light to the Gentiles that thou shouldest be for salvation to the ends of the earth And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad Acts 13. Thus ye see how the Apostles opened unto them the mystery of the Resurrection of Christ as also Christ himself when he met with the Disciples after his Resurrection and they not knowing him told him what things had happened concerning Christ He said unto them O fools and slow of heart ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself Luke 24. And this is the matter and manner and method of all Christ's Ministers to preach the Resurrection of Christ Jesus in his Light and Spirit which is a mystery to all carnal men and carnal minds and this is not a deal of Imaginations and divinations of the brain and studyings of men who take one Verse of Scripture and add unto it what they please out of other old Authors Writings Heathen Philosophers or any thing that will make up an hours talk till their Glass be run which is quite contrary to the Apostles practice and that which they witnessed and exhorted against For he saith unto the Colossians As ye have received Christ Jesus so walk ye in him rooted and built in him established in the Faith as ye have been taught Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the Traditions of men after the Rudiments of the world and not after Christ Col. 2. Here is an express command laid upon them that they should not be deceived by the teachings of men who taught not after Christ And the Apostle saith also that Christ sent him not to preach the Gospel with wisdom of words For saith he It is written I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent Where is the Wise Where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer of this world Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe For the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom but we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling-block and unto the Greeks foolishness but unto them that are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God Because the foolishness of God is wiser then men and the weakness of God stronger then men For ye see your calling Brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base-things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought things which are that no flesh should glory in his presence but those that glory should glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. And the Apostle saith further And my speech and preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power that your Faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect yet not the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes of this world that come to nought but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world For we have not received the Spirit of the world but that Spirit that is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God which things we speak not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth but which the holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual Here the Apostle testifies clearly against the wisdom of mens teaching which is a clear testimony against the teachings that have been in these last Ages for that is all that hath been taught for many generations of Teachers since the Apostles dayes the wisdom of men and traditions of men and inventions and imaginations of men one quoting and rehearsing what another saith quite contrary to the Apostles practice We do not make our selves of the number or compare our selves with some that commend themselves and measuring themselves by themselves are not wise But we will not boast our selves above our measure but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us for we come as far as you also in preaching the Gospel of Christ not boasting of things without our measure of other mens labours nor to boast of another mans line made ready to our hands 2 Cor. 10. Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God who hath also made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life 2 Cor. 3. 6. In this Chapter the Apostle gives his Testimony that the Life of the Ministry is in the ministration of the Spirit As also in Rom. 7. But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in newness of Spirit and not in the oldness of the Leter which he calls the Ministration of Death in the afore-mentioned Chapter And when he writes to his Son Timothy who was a Bishop he saith thus I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own hearts lusts shall heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the Truth and shall be turned unto Fables 2 Tim. 4. Here the Apostle was a true Prophet and saw the Apostacy coming on and therefore he laid a hard charge upon Timothy For saith he watch thou in all things endure afflictions do the work of an Evangelist make full proof of thy Ministry for I am ready to be offered and the time of my departure draweth nigh 2 Tim. 4. As also when he writes to the Thessalonians of the Day of the Lord and of the Man of Sin the Son of Perdition and thanks God for them who had chosen them to Salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth whereunto he called you saith he by our Gospel to the
Spirit or else he would not have learned them to have prayed That the Will of God might be done on Earth as it was in Heaven Vain-bablers and Patterers over of many words do not the Will of God on Earth as it is in Heaven but this Prayer is abused by them all as many other places of Scripture are And this may serve for the second particular of their Worship which is Prayer The third is their Singing which indeed is more like may-gameing then worshipping of God playing and piping of Organs and setting a company of wilde ungodly light boyes to sing tunes to to them which is such a kind of Worship as no Christians in the Primitive times exercised It s true there was in Davids and Solomons dayes such as were appointed to minister in way of singing and giving thanks as David when he had brought the Ark of God and set it in the midst of his Tent which he had made for it he offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before God and he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the Ark of the Lord and to record thank and praise the Lord God of Israel Asaph the chief and next to him Zachariah Jaaziel Shemiramoth Jehiel Mattathiah Eliah Benaiah and Obed-Edom 1 Chron. 15. 16 and 27. and Jehiel with Psalteries and with Harps but Asaph made a sound with Cimbals Benaiah and also Eliezer the Priests with Trumpets continually before the Ark of the Covenant of God Then on that day David delivered first this Psalm to thank the Lord into the hands of Asaph and his brethren who were the Singers Give thanks unto the Lord call upon his Name c. Psal 105. This was upon a special occasion when the Ark of God was brought up among them And these that David committed this Psalm unto were such as were appointed of God for that Place and Office as Asaph and those that were called to that office Also Solomen had Singing-men and Singing-women Eccles 2. 8. and them of this order came with them again out of the Captivity in Babylon Ezra 2. 41. Neh. 7. 67. But these were all before Christ and why may not Christians as well imitate Circumcision Burnt-offerings and Sacrifices which were in the time of the Law as well as imitate Singing-Boyes And we do not find that any of the Apostles and Saints in the Primitive times did Sing David Psalms in Meeter and Rhime and turn his Lamentations and Groanings and Sufferings and Tears and Anguish of his Bones being burned like a Hearth and that he was as a Pelican in the Wilderness and like an Owl in the Desart when he cryed out that his heart was smitten and withered and his Prayers and Cries Psal 102. We do not find that the Apostles turned this state of weeping and lamentation of his into Rhime and Meeter and sang it But Christ and his Apostles and Christians and Saints when they sung they sang with the Spirit in prayses to the Lord and in the joy and rejoycing of the Spirit This was not to take another mans Sighs and Groanings and Lamentations and Tears and Cryes to turn this into a Song and sing it This is not the Truth neither is it the practice of the Spirit of Truth But when the Soul and the Spirit is joyful in the Lord and enjoyes his Presence and feels his Life then there is joy and honour and praises given to the Lord God in the Truth and in the Reality in his own Spirit and this glory and praises are acceptable to the Lord God And therefore doth the Apostle say I will Pray with the Spirit and with the Vnderstanding also I will Sing with the Spirit and with the Understanding also 2 Cor. 14. Yet the Apostle did not turn his praying into singing nor none that have the Spirit of the Lord Jesus to pray and sing with but when they pray they pray unto the Lord and when they sing they sing unto the Lord yet both by his own holy Spirit When Christ Jesus and his Disciples were at the Passover and that he had broken the Bread and given them the Cup of the New Testament he said unto them I will drink no more of the fruit of the Vine until the day that I drink it new in the Kingdom of God And when they had sung an Hymn they went out into the mount of Olives Mar. 14. 26. And according to this the Apostle in his Exhortation to the Ephesians among many other particulars he saith Be not drunk with Wine wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord giving thanks alwayes for all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Ephes 5. 19 20. And again in his Epistle to the Colossians he saith Let the Word of Christ dwell richly in you in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Likwise the Apostle James saith Is any among you afflicted let him pray is any merry let him sing Psalms Jam. 5. But he saith not sing those Psalms which David sung but the Apostles sung in the Spirit with grace in their hearts as before and said those that do glory and rejoyce let them do it in the Lord and in so doing they may worship and give thanks unto the Lord in rejoycing and singing as well as in other parts of worship in the Spirit of the Lord God But these are not wild wicked ungodly people and boyes who are imployed in this service in our dayes but the Lords holy Spirit where it dwels and rules and lives is the same as ever it was and can worshrp the Father in Spirit and in Truth who is a Spirit and his Worship is in his own Spirit and this Spirit speaking or praying or singing worships him More might be said concerning their Altars and bowing and cringing to Stocks and Stones and calling Wood and Stones set together by mens hands and adorned with Inventions A Church but all this trash and rubbish will fall together Since that Temple that Solomon built which God commanded Christ said should not be left one stone upon another of its building but it should be all thrown down surely these Popish Houses have no long reign And so this may serve for the finishing of the third particular and fourth Head which we except against which is their Worship The fifth is their Practice which is so large and indeed so contrary to all Scripture-Rule it is much to express the Heads of it except it be such as are practised in it for the body of darkness is deep and is such a puddle to rake in that it is fit for none but those whose garments are filthy and defiled to meddle with Yet for the Seed of God sake which is kept in Bondage and in Captivity in
without dissimulation abhor that which is evil cleave to that which is good And thus the Apostle goeth on with gracious Exhortations Rom. 12. to the end of the Chapter not preferring one before another but every one to abide and wait in their Gifts Also when he writeth unto the Ephesians he writeth thus I therefore the Prisoner of the Lord beseech you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with all lowliness and meekness with long-suffering forbearing one another in Love endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace There is one Body and one Spirit even as ye are called in one Hope of your Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and one Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Ephes 4. And in this Chapter he also goes on in opening of the manifestation of the Gift of the Spirit of God and in holy Admonitions even to the end of the Chapter Which Gift he saith is given for the Work of the Ministry for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the Body of Christ And this Doctrine and Ministry is contrary to those Ministers which have been of late that limit and bind under their Power which Power is contrary to the Power of God and his Spirit as they themselves will confess for they cannot say they have the same Power and Spirit that the Apostles had and yet they inflict Punishments and lay Oppressions and Burthens and Bondages by their Laws upon those that do not follow and obey their Doctrine and Practices which is quite contrary to Christ and his Apostles For there is but two Wayes Truth and Error Light and Darkness So let the wise and honest in heart judge what a condition the Saints of God are in while this Power of Darkness Ruleth And thus much for the Second Particular of their Practice which is Binding and Limiting and keeping in Bondage those that are under their Power The Third Particular of their Practice is That they upbold and carry on many of these Practices before-mentioned by causing People to Swear in their Courts or upon any other occasion what they like and preach up Swearing and allow of it and hold it up in all occasions whatsoever And in this they are absolute Breakers of the special Command of Jesus Christ and also out of the Doctrine and Practice of Christ and his Apostles and contrary to their Testimony For Christ Jesus when he was in his Sermon on the Mount and was rehearsing the Heads of the Law as we said before he mentioned this also again Ye have heard that it hath been said to them of old time Thou shalt not Forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oathes but I say unto you Swear not at all Matth. 5. Now Christ being the fulfilling of the Law and the end of the Law as the Apostle saith for Righteousness and being that one Offering that hath been offered up once for all in which he said Lo I come to do thy will O God he hath taken away the First that he might establish the Second and when he had offered one Sacrifice for Sin for ever he sat down at the right hand of God expecting his Enemies to become his Foot-stool And the same Apostle saith when he is speaking of his Priesthood And in as much as not without an Oath he was made a Priest For saith he those Priests to wit those that were under the Law were made without an Oath but this with an Oath by him that said unto him The Lord sware and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec c. Hebr. 7. So this is he that is the Oath of God and the Promise of God the Substance and Performance of all that God swore and promised unto Abraham and unto his Seed for ever this the Apostle makes very clear in the foregoing Chapter where he saith When God made a Promise to Abraham because he could Sware by no greater he Swore by Himself saying Surely in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thee And so after he had patiently endured be obtained the Promise Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of Promise the Immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to Lye we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the Hope set before us which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast which entereth into that within the Vail whither the Fore-runner is for us entered even Jesus made an High-Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec Hebr. 6. Surely all will confess that this is he whom God the Father promised unto Abraham by an Oath as also of whom David said The Lord hath sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec These are the two Immutable things which the Apostle saith here in which God shews the immutability of his Counsel which both here meet in Christ Jesus the Sum and Substance of all For surely he is the Seed which God promised to Abraham if we will believe the Apostle Gal. 3. 16. Also he is that Priest that is for ever that ever liveth to make intercession for us and this is he that the Apostle saith At his Name every Knee shall bow and every Tongue confess Then I say let all Mouthes be stopt in speaking against him and opposing of him who hath said But I say unto you Swear not at all he that is the Sum and the Substance and the Performance of all that God hath Sworn and hath put an end to the Law under which Oathes and Swearing was allowed he had full Power as well to put an end to Oaths as he had to put an end to the Sabbath For he said the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath which was one of the Ten Words and Swearing was none of them And surely those that disobey Christ Jesus his Commands who is the Sum and Substance of Gods Oaths and the fulfilling and end of the whole Law surely they blaspheme against that Holy One. For the Apostle said He that despise Moses Law died without Mercy under two ar three Witnesses how much more sorer punishment suppose ye shall be thought worthy for them who have trodden under foot the Son of God c. Hebr. 10. All those that are Fighters against God and Holders up of Swearing against Christs Command they will find It a fearfull thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God But they have three Objections First That God Swore Secondly That the Angel Swore Thirdly That the Apostle saith Men verily Swear by the Greater and an Oath for Confirmation is to them an end of all Strife In answer to these three First For what the Lord
hardness as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 2. And when he writes to Titus he saith To Titus mine own Son after the common Faith for this cause left I thee at Creet that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting Tit. 1. And again he saith to Timothy Let no man despise thy youth but be thou an Example of the Believers in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity Till I come give attendance to reading and to exhortation Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophesie with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery 1 Tim. 4. I would know which of the Bishops hath received such a Gift as this and whether by making proof of this Gift of Prophesie that is in them they have attained to these Titles of Lord-Bishops and Reverend Fathers in God But since we find the Scriptures so much contrary to these Titles it must needs follow that they have received their Titles from men But Timothy and Titus were made Overseers of the Church of God by the Holy Ghost but no Lord-Bishops and so was the Apostle Paul and the other Apostles And James the Apostle speaks expresly My Brethren have not the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of glory with respect of Persons For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold Ring or goodly Apparrel and there come also a poor man in vile Rayment and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay Cloathing and not to him that is Poor Are ye not partial in your selves c. But if ye have respect to persons ye commit sin and are convinced of the Law as transgressours Jam. 2. Here the Apostle gives perfect judgement against the respecting of mens persons which most men do because of advantage but with Christ Jesus and his holy Apostles you see it was not so and therefore those that take upon them the name of the Ministers of the Gospel of Christ should follow their examples and not go quite contrary And this I look upon to be sufficient for the proof of the first head which is their Titles The Second is their Qualifications State and Condition First Christ Jesus said to those he preached unto Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoak upon you learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Mat. 11. This is contrary to highness and haughtiness And when he preached his first Sermon in the Mountain and his Disciples came unto him He opened his mouth and taught them saying Blessed are the poor in Spirit Blessed are they that Mourn Blessed are the Meek as you may read Mat. 5. And likewise when he sent forth his Disciples he said Behold I send you as Lambs in the middest of Wolves be ye therefore wise as Serpents but harmless as Doves Mat. 10. And when he had sent out the seventy by two and by two he said unto them Go your wayes behold I send you forth as Lambs among Wolves Luke 10. This was one Quality of those that Christ sent forth they were Meek they were Harmless Secondly They were such as were to go into Sufferings as he said unto them in the next verse Beware of men for they will deliver you up to the Counsels and they will scourge you in their Synagogues and ye shall be brought before Governours and Kings for my Names sake for a Testimony against them and the Gentiles and ye shall be hated of all men for my Names sake Mat. 10. Mark 13. 9. And when Peter rebuked his Master when he told them that he was to go to Jerusalem to suffer He turned and said unto Peter Get thee behind me Satan c. Then said Jesus unto his Disciples If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Mat. 16. And when he told them that tho Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected of the Elders and Chief Priests and Scribes and be slain and raised again the third day and he said unto them all If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross daily and follow me Luke 9. Mark 8. And according to this the Apostles of Christ went through many hardships and sufferings as may be read at large throughout the Book of the Acts. And the Apostle Paul saith to the Corinthians And I brethren when I came to you came not with excellency of speech or wisdome declaring unto you the Mystery of God for I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him Crucified and I was with you in weakness and fear and in much trembling For Christ sent me not to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel not with wisdom of words least the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect for the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness 1 Cor. 1. and Chap. 2. It is many ages since those that took upon them the Preaching that which they have called the Gospel were in this state and condition for the Cross of Christ which is the Power of God which makes to tremble as the Apostles did hath been an offence unto them and is mocked and scoffed at by them to this day Thirdly They were also such as were to live in Love and of this Christ himself gave them an example when he took a Towel and girded himself and poured water into a Bason and began to wash the Disciples feet and said Ye call me Lord and Master and ye say well for so I am If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet ye ought also to wash one anothers feet And a new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you for I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another John 13. and Chap. 15. And the Apostle saith when he wrote to the Thessalonians but as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another and indeed ye do it towards all the Brethren But we beseech you that ye increase more and more 1 Thes 4. And the Apostle John saith He that saith he is in the Light and hateth his Brother is in darkness He that loveth his brother abideth in the Light 1 John 2. And again he saith This is the Message that ye have heard from the beginning that we love one another not as Cain that slew his brother and wherefore slew he him because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous But we know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren He that loveth not his brother abideth in death whosoever hateth his brother is
a murderer and ye know that no murtherer hath eternal Life abiding in him Hereby perceive we the love of God because he hath laid down his Life for us We ought also to lay down our lives for the Brethren Chap. 3. And so this is contrary to what hath been the practise of those that have taken upon them the function of the Ministers of Christ for many hundreds of years for though they have professed Christ and Christianity yet they have been killing and slaying and murdering one another as many examples might be instanced in ages past Those that call themselves Papists and those that call themselves Protestants one killing and slaying and murdering another and yet all professing and confessing themselves to be Christians and would profess the Scriptures Christ and the Apostles words and in doing thus one to another they have thought they have done God good service and so have fulfilled Christ's words who saith Yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God good service and these things will they do because they have not known the Father and me John 16. And this may suffice for the second head which is their Quallifications The third is their Call For Jesus when he came and spake unto his Disciples he said unto them All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you and loe I am with you alwayes even to the end of the world Mat. 28. And he said unto them Go ye into all the world and preaceh unto every creature he that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned And again he saith Behold I send the promise of my Father upon you but tarry ye in the City of Jerusalem till ye be endued with Power from on high and he blessed them and they worshipped him and they returned to Jerusalem Luke 26. Which is rehearsed again in the first of the Acts and fulfilled in the second Chapter and the Spirit was poured upon them plentifully and there were some then that mocked and said These men are full of new Wine but Peter stood up with the eleven and said These men are not drunken as ye suppose but this is that which was spoken of by the Prophet Joel It shall come to pass in the last days saith the Lord I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh and your Sons and Daughters shall prophesie and whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord in that day shall be saved This holy Spirit the Apostles received when they were met together also Paul the Apostle who was made an Apostle after them he also was separated for that work by the holy Ghost for as the Apostles were met together with the Church at Antioch as they ministred to the Lord and fasted the Holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost departed c. Act. 13. And so the Apostle writes himself when he wrote to the Romans Paul a servant of Jesus Christ called to be an Apostle separated unto the Gospel of God And again when he wrote to the Galatians he wrote thus Paul an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead and all the Brethren which are with me unto the Churches of Galatia And he saith further I certifie you brethren that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man for I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ But when it pleased God who separated me from my mothers womb and called me by his grace to reveal his Son in me that I might preach him among the Heathen immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood Gal. 1. And again when he wrote to the Ephesians when he was a Prisoner of Jesus Christ he wrote thus to the Gentiles Ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of the Gospel of God which is given me to you ward how that by Revelation he made known unto me the Mystery as I wrote unto you in a few words which in other Ages was not made known unto the Sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit Ephes 3. I do not know neither have I heard that the Ministers and such as take upon them to teach People neither those that are their Lords Bishops and Arch-Bishops that they have had their Calls after this Order for there have been other wayes and meanes used for many hundred of years together as Schooles and Colledges and Universities and Nurseries of Learning which they call their Mothers with a heap of Stuffe which are better known by them that exercise themselves in them than the Revelation of Jesus Christ is and the Ministers they make are by men and of men and they will have them Fitted and Ordained according to their Wayes and Orders But if any one have received the Revelation of Jesus Christ and his Holy Spirit if any such have a Word to speak from the Lord they must not be received nor admitted this is not according to their Order this they call an Heresie and a Sect any that speak and meet together and worship the Lord God in his Spirit and in his Truth such are taken notice of and are brought under the Whip and the Scourge and are apprehended and cast into Prision if they do but pretend the Teachings and Leadings of the Spirit of God and if they have not freedom in their spirits to pay them Tythes or to maintain their Steeple-houses presently they are brought into the Bishops Court and if they cannot for Conscience-sake swear and take an Oath then presently they are cast into Prison But of this more hereafter And thus it is truly manifested that the order of their Calling is not according unto Christ nor his Apostles for Christ saith expresly All things are delivered unto me of my Father and no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whom the Son revealeth him Mat. 11. And again Christ saith It is written in the Prophets They shall be all taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me not that any man hath seen the Father save he that is of God he hath seen the Father John 6. This may be sufficient to prove the Third head which is their Call which is contrary to the Apostles The fourth their Worship and the manner of it And first for the Worship it self Christ when he spake to the woman of Samaria and she told him That their Fathers worshipped in that Mountain of
where it was written in Isaiah 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovering of sight to the blind and set at liberty them that are bruised to preach the acceptable year of the Lord and he closed the Book and gave it again to the Minister and sate down and he began to say unto them This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears And all bear him witness and wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth And they said Is not this Josephs Son Luke 4. Now this was he that the Prophet Isaiah prophesied of and therefore when he began to preach he turned to this Scripture to let them see that this Prophesie was fulfilled and so closed the Book But when he preached among them and taught as ye may read through all the Evangelists as first in Mat. 5. and in Luke 6. He opened unto them the Law and also told them That whosoever did break one of the least Commandments should be called least in the Kingdom And taught the Disciples saying Let your Light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Think not that I come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill For verily I say unto you till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled For I say unto you except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of God This was the manner of his preaching and teaching And so he goes on and opens unto them the Law and tells them it had been said so in the old time Ye have heard it hath been said in the old time thou shalt not forswear thy self But I say unto you swear not at all And it hath been said unto you in the old time An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth but I say unto you resist not evil He that smites thee on the one cheek turn the other And thus he goes on in opening of the Law of which he was to fulfill every jot and tittle and also opening unto them the Mysteries of the Gospel which is Love even to Enemies and which the Apostle saith is the fulfilling of the whole Law And he told them that so they might be the Children of their Father which is in heaven for he maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sends Rain on the just and on the unjust Be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Here is the perfect Ministry indeed of the true Circumcision which makes the true Jew indeed inward which circumciseth the heart with his holy Spirit The Apostle saith Now I say unto you that Jesus Christ was a Minister of the Circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the Promises unto Abraham and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy and so the blessing of Abraham may be upon all Jews and Gentiles All that are in the Faith are blessed with faithful Abraham And this is he of whom the Apostle to the Hebrews saith We have such an High Priest who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in Heaven a Minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord hath pitched and not man Heb. 8. And as he was a Minister of the same Sanctuary which God hath pitched so also were his Apostles they preached by his holy Spirit For as God is true saith Paul the Apostle so our word to you-wards was not yea and nay for the Son of God Jesus Christ who was preached among you by us even by me and Sylvanus and Timotheus was not yea and nay but in him was yea for all the Promises of God are in him Yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1. And by this Spirit and Power of the Lord Jesus did Steven who was full of Faith and Power do great wonders and miracles among the People and when the false witnesses came to accuse him before the high Priest and those that sate in Council looking stedfastly on him saw his face as it had been the face of an Angel Then said the high Priest Are these things so And he said Men Brethren and Fathers hearken And he began at Abraham and he opened unto them the Royal and Holy Seed throughout the Scriptures until he came to Christ Jesus whom he said they had crucified and slain And he said Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do alwayes resist the holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye Which of the Prophets have not your Fathers Persecuted and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers When they heard these things they were cut to the heart and gnashed on him with their teeth but he being full of the holy Ghost looked stedfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and he said Behold I see heaven open and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God And they cryed with a loud voice and stopt their ears and ran upon him and cast him out of the City and stoned him and they stoned Steven calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit Acts 7. Also Paul when he came to Antioch and went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day after the reading of the Law and the Prophets the Rulers of the Synagogue sent to him and his company and said Men and Brethren if ye have any exhortation to the People say on Then Paul stood up and beckoned with his hand and said Men of Israel and ye that fear God give audience And he began to declare how God brought their Fathers out of Egypt with a high hand and how they were in the Wilderness and how he destroyed the Nations of the Land of Canaan and how they were governed from that time unto Christ and how that Christ care of the Seed of David and likewise how the Rulers of Jerusalem dealt with Christ and though they found no cause of death in him yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him they took him down from the Tree and laid him in a Sepulchre but God raised him from the dead and afterwards he preached unto them his Resurrection as may be read at large throughout Acts 13. and how the Gentiles also should partake of his-Resurrection but the Jews contradicted and blasphemed against their Doctrine Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said It was necessary that the word of God should first have been preached to you Jews but seeing ye put
obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ Therefore brethren stand fast and hold the Traditions which ye have been taught whether by Word or our Epistle 2 Thes 2. This Scripture the Papists and many others make a Cloak and a Covering for teaching their Traditions because the Apostle bids them hold fast the Traditions that they had taught them by their Gospel which in the words before he saith was to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ the which they had good reason to hold fast for if they let that go they were not like to attain to such another But there is no comparison between these and the Traditions of the Priests in the Apostacy either Papists or others for through their teaching of their Traditions they have done nothing but brought people into a body of darkness and into a heap of ignorance keeping them ignorant both of the Scriptures and all that is good For if people had but liberty to look into the Scriptures they would soon be wiser then their Teachers and see their gross darkness But they tell them they cannot understand them they must be expounded by learned men and so will not let the Light of Christ arise in Peoples hearts nor never direct their minds to it but keep them in darkness and make a Trade of the Scriptures for their own advantage and so deceive poor peoples souls And these Scriptures may serve to prove this Particular of the fourth Head which is concerning their Worship which is their matter and manner of Preaching The second particular of that head is their Prayer which is also contrary to Scripture-example they having Prayars formed and made by men as all their other Worship is and so read their Prayers in Books and set any fellow or school-boy to read it if he have but the name of Curate or Clark if he read but that in the Book they account it Praying And if any of the greater sort as Bishops Deans Vicars or Parsons if they pray they either pray in a Book or else they have a Prayer formed up and made and prepared before hand that they pray And many times they set wild and wanton Boyes with Priest and Clark and all the People to sing their Prayers and this they account and call Praying When Christ Jesus was in his Sermon in the Mount that he was teaching the People several things as was said before as concerning Alms and many other particulars in which he bad them not to do as the Pharisees did he also spake to them that they should not pray as they did for they prayed standing in the Synagogues And saith he When ye pray use not vain repetitions as the heathens do Be not ye therefore like unto them for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask After this manner therefore pray ye Our Father which art in Heaven c. And so he giveth them several particular heads what they should pray for and after he had done that he rehearseth these words again If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will forgive you but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses Mat. 6. And again he saith unto one of his Disciples who desired him to teach them to pray He said unto them When ye stand praying forgive if ye have ought against any that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses but if you do not forgive neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses Mark 11. 25. Now how the Bishops and all their Officers which they imploy under them forgive those that trespass against them is manifested by their Courts they keep as also all the Papists Bishops Priests and Jesuites that make this Prayer be said over so often by their People how they forgive those that trespass against them is also manifested by their Inquisitions Wracks and Tortures and yet this Prayer they make their ground for all their Forms and forming up of prayers which is quite contrary to the Apostle's practice and doctrine for he saith We are saved by hope but hope that is seen that is not hope but if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it Likewise the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered and he that searcheth the heart knoweth the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God Rom. 8. And this Spirit is he that knows the minde of Christ and the will of God and therefore the Apostle saith I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with understanding also 1 Cor. 14. For the Spirit saith he searcheth all things even the deep things of God for what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man that is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man save the Spirit of God for the natural man knoweth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him because they are spiritually discerned So how can these natural men that read a Prayer in a Book pray unto God that know not the things of God and what effect can such Prayers have Indeed David saith That the Prayers of the Righteous avail much if they be fervent But can their Prayers avail that are unrighteous and know not the things of God neither have any fervency in them But the Apostle saith We know the mind of Christ and therefore he saith Be kindly affectioned one towards another with brotherly love in honour preferring one another not slothful in business fervent in Spirit serving the Lord Rejoycing in hope patient in tribulation continuing instant in Prayer Rom. 12. 12. And again Peter saith As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God if any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God if any man minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth that God in all things may be glorified 1 Pet. 4. So here is a great difference between this sort of praying that the Apostle here mentions and that which is called the Common-Prayer which indeed is common and may be common to any that have eyes and can read it as also all the Paternosters and Ave-Maries of the Papists though they call that which Christ taught his Disciples the Paternoster but he did not call it so though they patter it over and teach all People to patter it over but he did not so with those he taught it but he told them they should not use vain Repetitions nor vain bablings and he taught them in the holy Spirit of the Lord and so directed them that they might learn it in that
and by this Power of Darkness that hath lodged in this â—ody of Teachers and Preachers who have called themselves Christians both Papists and Protestants in this Night of Apostacy that the True Church of God hath been in the Wilderness and the Witnesses prophesied in Sackcloth this hath been a Night of Darkness but the Day is Springing Glory to the Lord for ever I say for this Seeds sake we shall proceed to mention some particular Heads of their practice and try them by the Scriptures And the first is that which they call their Studying and their placing the very Foundation of their Call and all their practices in that Function in that which they call Learning which thing we never finde neither in the Old-Testament nor New that they who were called to the Office of the Priesthood that obtained it by such wayes and means as they use viz. That which they call their Studies and Fountains of Learning which is their Universities and in them so many several Orders and Degrees to ordain and appoint such as belong to that Function of the Ministry which we do not finde in the Old-Testament that either Aaron or his Sons or those that were of the Tribe of Levi were ordained after such a manner and by such Orders as they pretend to theirs for when the Lord spake unto Moses for the setting up of the Tabernacle and after what manner he should do all things about it he said Thou shalt set the Laver betwixt the Tent of the Congregation and the Altar and thou shalt put water therein and thou shalt bring Aaron and his Sons unto the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and wash them with water and thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy Garments and anoint him and sanctifie him that he may minister unto me in the Priests Office and thou shalt bring his Sons and cloath them with coats and thou shalt anoint them as thou didst their Father that they may minister unto me in the Priests Office for their Anointing shall surely be an everlasting Priesthood throughout their Generations Thus did Moses according to all that the Lord commanded him for he set the Laver between the Tent of the Congregation and the Altar and Moses and Aaron and his Sons washed their hands and their feet thereat as the Lord commanded Moses Exod. 28 29. chap. Levit. 8. Moreover the Lord said unto Moses Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them and thus shalt thou do unto them to cleanse them sprinkle water of purifying upon them and let them shave them all their flesh and let them wash their clothes and so make them clean then let them take a young Bullock with his meat offering even fine Flowre mingled with Oyle and another young Bullock thou shalt take for a sin offering and thou shalt bring the Levites before the Tabernacle of the Congregation and thou shalt gather the whole Assembly of the children of Israel together and thou shalt bring the Levites before the Lord and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord for an offering for the children of Israel that they may execute the service of the Lord and the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the Bullocks and thou shalt offer the one for a sin-offering and the other for a burnt-offering unto the Lord to make an atonement for the Levites and shalt set the Levites before Aaron and before his Sons and offer them for an offering to the Lord thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel and the Levites shall be mine and after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and thou shalt cleanse them and offer them for an offering for they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel instead of such as open every womb even instead of the First-born of all the children of Israel I have taken them unto me for all the first-born of the children of Israel are mine both man and beast in the day that I smote the first-born in the Land of Egypt I sanctified them for my self and I have taken the Levites for all the first-born of the Children of Israel and I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his Sons from among the children of Israel to do the service of the children of Israel in the Tabernacle of the Congregation to make an atonement for the children of Israel that there be no plague among them when they come nigh my Sanctuary And Moses and Aaron and the Congregati of Israel did unto the Levites according as the Lord commanded them and the Levites were Purified and they washed their Garments and Aaron offered them as an offering before the Lord and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them and after that the Levites went in to do their service in the Tabernacle of the Congregation before Aaron and before his Sons And the Lord spake unto Moses saying This is it that belongeth to the Levites from twenty years old and upwards they shall go in to wait upon the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof and shall serve no more but shall minister with their brethen in the Tabernacle of the Congregation to keep the charge and shall do no service thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge Numb 8. Now here is nothing of Studying or going to the Universities nor diving nor divinining into the Body of Darkness which defiles and polutes but here was Washing and Cleansing and Purifying and an Offering of two Bullocks one for a Sin-offering another for a Burnt-offering the Levites being offered with the Offerings and they laying their hands upon the heads of the Offerings and Moses making an Atonement for them to Cleanse them before they could be admitted into the Service and then they were to wait from twenty five years and upwards unto fifty years before they might cease waiting and then they were to minister with their Brethren in the Tabernacle but they did not wait at the Universities and at the Schools of Learning but they waited upon the Service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation for the Lord had called them for that end that they might make an Atonement for the Children of Israel that there might be no Plague among them So that it is strange that Ministers that profess Christianity and profess themselves to be Ministers of Christ and Ministers of the Gospel should run into such extravagances being that they profess the Scriptures and that they should not walk in by-paths but they go quite opposite to what the Scriptures of Truth hold forth concerning both the First and Second Priesthood It is true indeed the Lord complaineth by his Prophets when Israel was gone
persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their Coasts but they shoke of the dust of their feet against them and came unto Iconium Acts 13. This was that which the Ministers of Christ that he sent forth were to do against those that would not receive them not to hale them to Courts and punish their Bodies and Estates and make them give them money by their citing of them if they did not believe in their Doctrine they did not deliver them up to the Civil Magistrate to lay their Laws upon them and to Whip them and Scourge them as the Christians of these Ages have done both Papists and Protestants what they cannot do with their Inquisitions and Bishops Courts they can deliver them up to the Civil Magistrates to their Racks and Tortures and Hanging and Banishment and Imprisonment to Death and this is the way that the Christians of these late Ages have used with such as did not believe in their Doctrine of Darkness as many thousands of Witnesses might be instanced that have born their Testimony against them even to the loss of their Lives and Blood and in this they have been like unto the High-Priests and Scribes and Pharisees and manifested themselves to be of that Generation which Christ pronounced woe upon That upon them may come all the Righteous Blood shed upon the Earth from the Blood of Righteous Abel Matth. 23. But this was not the way that Christ taught his Disciples to do for he said unto them It is impossible but that Offences should come but woe be to them by whom they come it were better for him that a Milstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the Sea then that he should offend one of these little ones Take heed to your selves if thy brother trespass against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him and if he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day and turn again unto thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him And the Apostles said unto the Lord Increase our faith and the Lord said If ye had faith as a grain of Mustard-seed ye might say unto this Sycamore-tree Be thou plucked up by the roots and be thou planted into the Sea and it should be so Luke 17. Here is the power of their Ministry Planting and Watering in the Faith Moreover he saith If thy brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he will hear thee thou hast gained thy brother but if he will not hear thee take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established but if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen man and a Publican Here is no citing to the Bishops Court though he was to be brought to the Church it was but to instruct him and exhort him and to shew him his fault and if he would not hear let him be as an Heathen or as a Publican not to deliver him up to the Civil Magistrate or to be cast into Prison all his dayes or to be Tortured or Racked And when Peter heard these Exhortations of Christ he came unto his Master and said Lord how oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee till seven times but till seventy times seven therefore the Kingdom of God is likened unto a certain King which would take an account of his Servants c. Matth. 18. I desire the Masters and Upholders of the Courts and Inquisions Racks and Tortures Imprisoners and Persecutors to read the remaining part of this Chapter and see whether they be not the men that have owed much unto the Lord and sinned and transgressed against him and had need to crave his Pacience and Mercy though they have been cruel with their Fellow-Servants and have laid violent hands on them and have taken them by the Throat and said Pay me the Debt and would not have Patience but cast into Prison so that the Lord may well say unto them O ye wicked Servants I forgave you because ye desired me and should not ye have compassion on your Fellow-Servants surely the Lord is wrath for these things and will deliver you unto the Tormentors Here ye see to use Violence and Cruelty is absolutely contrary to the Doctrine and Command of Christ though some bring that Scripture where Christ saith Go into the High-wayes and Hedges and Compel them to come in this Christ spake when he was in the House of one of the chief Pharisees to eat Bread and he exhorted them in several particulars one of them was That when they made a Dinner or a Supper they should not invite their Friends Brethren and Kindred and Rich Neighbours but when they made a Feast they should invite the poor which could not recompense them again and when one of them that sate at meat heard these gracious words that proceeded from him he said unto him Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God and then he spake a Parable unto them and said A certain man made a great supper and invited many who made excuses and did not come as you may read in this 14th chapter of Luke And therefore it was that he sent into the High-wayes and Hedges because those that were bidden were not worthy to taste of his Supper neither went he about to compel them And there were great multitudes with him and he turned and said unto them If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple And whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple And this Scripture they abuse and make it a cover for their violence and cruelty but what is their Supper or Dinner that people can receive when they have compelled them Is it worthy of forsaking Father and Mother Wife and Children House and Lands and ones own Life I trow not But this is but like the Scribes and Pharisees when they came to Christ and said Why did his Disciples transgress the tradition of the Elders in eating with unwashen hands But he answered and said Why do ye transgress the Commandments of God by your Traditions In vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrine the Traditions of men Matth. 15. And this hath been the Doctrine of our Ages last past the Traditions of men and Imaginations and Inventions of men By this they have holden up the Superiority according as the Apostle saith having mens persons in Admiration because of advantage and so have Lorded over God's Heritage and so have kept his People under the weight of Oppression as the Scribes and Pharisees did binding heavy
burdens grievous to be born But this is contrary to Christ and his Apostles Doctrine and Example as hath been shewed already Moreover the Apostle Paul when he writeth his second Epistle to the Corinthins chap. 1. and relateth the sufferings and hardships that they had passed through how that they had the sentence of death in themselves he saith Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us in God who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts not that we have dominion over your Faith but are helpers of your joy for by Faith ye stand Here the Apostle did not bind them and limit them nor called them to Courts to keep them under oppression and penalty in those things that were contary to their Faith and Principles this was contrary to Pauls practice for when he called the Elders of the Church of Ephesus unto him he said unto them Ye know that from the first day that I came unto you after what manner I have been with you at all seasons serving the Lord with all humility of mind and with many tears and temptations which befel me and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you but have shewed you and have taught you publickly and from house to house testifying both to Jews and Greeks Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ And when he goes on mentioning his sufferings he saith None of these things move me neither count I my self dear unto my self so that I may finish my course with joy and the Ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the Gospel of the Grace of God for I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God Take heed therefore unto your selves and to the whole Flock of God whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers and feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Acts 20. Here the Apostle gives them no Commission to oppress or bondage those that they were Overseers over but to feed them and to watch over them For saith he after my departure shall grievous Wolves enter among you not sparing the Flock Also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things therefore watch and remember c. This hath been fulfilled and largly manifested Wolves and Devourers have had a large time since that day Also the Apostle Peter saith thus The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder and a Witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed Feed the Flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind neither as being Lords over Gods heritage but being examples to the Flock and when the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of glory that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5. Here is a perfect Example and Rule for all the Overseers of the Church of God Moreover when the Apostle writes unto his Son Timothy he saith That the end of the Commandment is Charity out of a Pure Heart and a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned Also he exhorts him First of all that supplications prayers and intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty and so he goes on exhorting this Bishop but never biddeth him set up Courts nor be a Lord over Gods Heritage for he saith This is a true saying If any man desireth the Office of a Bishop he desireth a good work a Bishop must be blameless the Husband of one Wife vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach I believe our Bishops are wanting here because they Hire and Imploy so many petty Teachers under them but he goes on Not given to wine no striker not greedy of filthy lucre but patient not a brawler not covetons now our Laws and Courts signifie the contrary of this not a Novice lest being lifted up with Pride he fall into reproach and the snare of the Devil Moreover he must have a good report of those that are without holding the mystery of Faith in a pure Conscience So the Apostle goeth on exhorting the Bishops and Deacons that they may know how to behave themselves in the House of God which is the Church of the Living God the Ground and Pillar of Truth 1 Tim. 2 3 chap. So he goes on exhorting them what to Teach and Preach and how to order the Church in the 4th and 5th chapters concerning the Elders Elder-men and Elder-women Younger-men and Younger-women as also Servants he directeth him how to go by way of Exhortation to them all and saith If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholsom words even the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to Godliness he is proud knowing nothing doting about Questions So he goeth on dehorting them from those things But thou O man of God saith he flee these things and follow after righteousness godliness faith love and patience meekness fight the good fight of Faith lay hold on Eternal Life whereunto thou art called and hast professed a good profession before many Witnesses I give thee charge in the sight of God who quickneth all things and before Christ Jesus who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that thou keep this Commandment without spot unrebukeable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ O Timothy keep that which is committed unto thy Trust chap. 6. Here is a weighty and a hard Charge laid upon Timothy the then Bishop and Overseer of the Church but here is nothing of making of Laws and setting up Courts and oppressing people and keeping them in Bondage and Slavery for when he writeth his Second Epistle to Timothy he saith My dearly beloved Son Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice and I am perswaded that in thee also Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the Gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands for God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound minde That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us This thou knowest that all they which were in Asia be turned away from me yet he doth not bid him Arraign them nor call them up to Courts nor Cite them nor Excommunicate them nor cast them into Prison but he exhorts him to be strong in the Grace that is in Christ Jesus and he layeth down how he should teach the people and commit
those things he hath heard of him unto faithfull men And thou therefore endure hardiness as good Souldier of Jesus Christ And if a man also strive for Mastery yet he is not Crowned except he strive Lawfully Consider what I say saith he and the Lord give thee an Understanding in all things Study to shew thy self Approved unto God a Workman that needeth not be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth but shun profane and vain bablings and so he goes on exhorting him saying Flee also youthfull Lusts but follow Righteousness Faith Charity and Peace with them that call on the Lord out of a Pure Heart But foolish and unlearned Questions avoid knowing that they gender to Strife and the Servant of the Lord must not Strive but be Gentle unto all Men apt to Teach Patient Instructing them that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth and that they may recover themselves out of the Snare of the Devil 2 Tim. 2. This is contrary to the Striving and Contention that hath been by our Bishops and Deacons that have professed these Scriptures both Papists and Protestants one Striving with Inquisitions and Racks and Tortures the other Striving and Terrifying poor people with their Courts and Chancellors and Prisons and Commissaries and Subordinate Officers not a few insomuch that there hath been such a Yoke of Bondage upon the Necks of the Poor and Innocent that Grievous Groans have ascended under it from them unto the Lord But of this the Apostle was a true Prophet to his Son Timothy the then Bishop and Overseer of the Churches of God This know also saith he that in the Last Dayes perillous Times shall come For men shall be Lovers of their own Selves Covetous Boasters Proud Blasphemers without natural Affection False Accusers Fierce Despisers of those that are Good Heady High-minded Lovers of Pleasures more then Lovers of God having a Form of Godliness but denying the Power thereof See here Is not this fulfiled But the Apostle saith unto Timothy From such turn away for of this sort are they which creep into Houses and lead Captive silly women laden with Sin and divers Lusts ever Learning and never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth And hath not this been our State and Condition in all this Night of Apostacy Have they not crept into Houses and called them Churches And have kept people ever Learning but they never brought them to the Knowledge of the True Church nor of the True God And the Apostle saith further unto him But thou hast known my Doctrine manner of Life Purpose Faith Long-Suffering Patience Charity Continue thou in the things that thou hast Learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them 2 Tim. 3. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ Preach the Word be instant in Season and out of Season Reprove Rebuke with all Long-suffering and Doctrine this is not to use Violence nor Compel as hath been used for many hundreds of years but he biddeth him Watch in all things endure Afflictions do the Work of an Evangelist make full proof of thy Ministry 2 Tim. 4. this was not the full proof of Gain and Advantage upon poor Peoples Estates and Livelihoods as hath been made of in these late Dayes for if that be it they have done it to the utmost Moreover when he writes unto Titus his own Son he saith For this cause left I thee at Crete that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I appointed thee If any man be Blameless the Husband of one Wife having Faithfull Children not accused of Riot or Unruly for a Bishop must be Blameless as the Steward of God not Self-willed not soon Angry not given to Wine no Striker not given to Filthy Lucre but a lover of Hospitality a lover of Good Men Sober Just Holy Temperate holding fast the Faithfull Word as he hath been taught that he may be able by Sound Doctrine both to exhort and convince the Gainsayers for there are many unruly and vain Talkers c. Tit. 1. But speak thou the things that become Sound Doctrine And so he directs him to exhort the Aged-men and Aged-women Young-men and Young-women and Servants how they ought to walk in their Places and Callings that they might all Adorn the Doctrine of God For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all men saith he teaching us that denying Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly and Godly in this present World looking for the blessed Hope and glorious appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and Purifie to himself a Peculiar People Zealous of good Works These things speak and exhort it 2. This is contrary to the Doctrine of the Bishops and Teachers of our Dayes for they do not turn people to the Grace of God that hath appeared to all men that teacheth to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts but they say we must never be redeemed from Iniquity nor never be purged nor purified from Sin while we are upon Earth and then how can we be Peculiar and Zealous of good Works for the worst of People are but Sinners but surely this which they Preach is another Gospel The Apostle goes on with his Exhortation to Titus and bids him Put them in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers and to obey Magistrates and to speak evil of no man to be no Brawlers but gentle shewing all Meekness unto all men For we our selves saith he were sometimes Foolish Disobedient serving divers Lusts and Pleasures living in Malice and Envy Hatefull and Hating one another But after that the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by Works of Righteousness that we have done but according to his Mercy he hath saved us by the washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour These things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be carefull to maintain Good Works these things are profitable unto men Tit. 3. Thus ye see that these Bishops Timothy and Titus are far different both in Doctrine Practice and Example from the Bishops that have been for several hundreds of years last past the Night hath been upon them and come over them so that they have erred from the Faith and Doctine of the Apostles neither have they received the Holy Ghost For Timothy who was a Bishop was a man that the Apostle had much confidence in and belief of as he expresseth in several of his Epistles for he saith to the Corinthians in his First Epistle Though ye have ten thousand Instructers in Christ yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel
the face of Jesus Christ For we have this Treasury in earthen Vessels that the excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us For we are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed always bearing about in our body the dying of our Lord Jesus Christ that the Life of Christ might be manifested in our body for we who live are alwayes delivered unto death for Jesus sake that the life of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh so that death worketh in us but life in you Thus the Apostles laboured in the work of the Ministry even under cruel sufferings which Gospel it may well be said hath been hid for the Gospel that hath been preached since the Apostacy hath laid Oppressions and Sufferings upon others and they themselves have Ruled and Lorded over Peoples Consciences but the Apostle Paul said I Paul am made a Minister of the Gospel that is preached to every Creature under heaven now rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his Bodies sake which is the Church whereof I am made a Minister according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfil the Word of God Col. 1. But this Ministry and Ministration hath been lost and the Church for which the Apostle suffered hath been in the Wilderness and if there was any small Appearance or Testimony of Jesus Christ in any such have suffered Oppressions and Hardships and much Detriment from such as were the Professed Ministry So these Scriptures with many more which might be mentioned shew the contrariety between the Ministers of the Gospel in the Apostles Dayes and the Professed Ministry that hath been since the Apostles Dayes in the Apostacy And as the Supremacy and Superiority hath been contrary to the Apostles Way and Manner and Order in laying Oppressions and Burthens upon the People so also they have been contrary and opposite to Christ and the Apostles Doctrine Practice and Example in not preaching Liberty and Freedom to the Spirits in Prison for Christ Jesus who is the Anointing of God Preacheth Glad Tidings to the Poor Liberty to Captives his Commission that he gave to his Disciples was to Preach the Gospel to all Nations to every Creature And he said to those that believed in him If ye continue in the Truth the Truth will make you free John 8. And the Apostle confesseth That the Law of the Spirit of Life had made him free from the Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8. And the Apostle saith when he was speaking of the Ministration of the Law and the Gospel When Moses is read the Vail is over the Heart Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord the Vail shall be taken away Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty 2 Cor. 3. And so this is that Substance the Apostle Preacheth from and Preached to the Spirit of the Lord that takes away the Vail and giveth Liberty and Redeemeth from under the Power of Darkness and from the Bondage of Corruption and therefore they did not set themselves to Rule over mens Faith or to lord over their Consciences but they endeavour still to be made manifest unto every ones Conscience in the sight of God But we have saith the Apostle Renounced the hidden things of Dishonesty not walking in Craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by Manifestation of the Truth commending our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4. Knowing therefore the Terrours of the Lord we perswade men but we are made manifest unto God and I trust also are made manifest in your Consciences So here the Apostle preached to Gods Witness in Peoples Consciences and that answered to them again and they were made manifest to that and therefore did the Apostle John say That they needed not any man to Teach them but as the same Anointing teacheth them which is Truth and is no Lye And so this is unlimited neither doth the Apostle limit this when they were gathered into the Eternal Spirit and all drank into one Spirit and all baptized into one Body by one Spirit he told them they might all prophesie one by one and that though they were many Members yet they were one Bread and one Body and every Member of the Body had its several Office the Head did not say to the Feet I have no need of you Now concerning Spiritual Gifts Brethren I would not have you ignorant there are diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit and there are differences of Administrations but the same Lord and there are diversities of Operations but the same God which worketh all in all but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal For to one is given by the same Spirit the Word of Wisdom to another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit to another Faith by the same Spirit to another the Gift of Healing by the same Spirit to another the working of Miracles by the same Spirit to another Prophesie to another Discerning of Spirits to another divers kinds of Tongues to another interpretation of Tongues But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will For as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body so also is Christ For by one Spirit we are all Baptised into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be Bond or Free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit for the Body is not one Member but many 1 Cor. 12. And so the Apostle goes on to the end of the Chapter discoursing of the several Gifts all given by one Spirit So here is no binding nor limiting nor Supremacy one over another not to sit Judges one of another but every one to wait in their several Gifts of the Spirit given unto them to profit withal For I say saith the Apostle through the Grace of God given unto me to every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly then he ought to think but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of Faith For as we are many Members in one Body and all Members have not the same Office so we being mary are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another Having then Gifts differing according to the Grace that is given us whether Prophesie let us prophesie according to the proportion of Faith or Ministy let us wait in our ministring or he that teacheth on Teaching or he that exhorteth on Exhortation he that giveth let him do it with simplicity he that ruleth with diligence he that sheweth Mercy with chearfulness let Love be be
hath Sworn concerning Christ it is already proved and fulfilled in Christ but it is said in Isa 45. where the Lord by his Prophet was speaking that Israel should be saved and he saith Look unto me and be saved all ye Ends of the Earth for I am God and there is none else I have Sworn by my self the Word is gone out of my Mouth in Righteousness that to me every Knee shall bow every Tongue shall swear Now the Apostle Paul rehearseth these words again when he writ unto the Philippians where he saith If there be any Consolation in Christ if any Comfort of Love if any Fellowship of the Spirit if any Bowels and Mercies fulfil ye my Joy and let the same mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the Form of God c. Where he rehearseth the Humility of Christ even to Death upon his Cross in which he became a Saviour as the Lord by his Prophet said Even to the Ends of the Earth Wherefore saith the Apostle God hath highly exalted him and given him a Name above every name That at the Name of Jesus that signifieth a Saviour every Knee shall bow of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the Earth and that every Tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of the Father Philip. 2. So here the Apostle hath omitted those words Every Tongue shall Swear and saith Every Tongue shall Confess as a Faithfull Witness and an Obedient Servant of Christ Jesus whom he saith is the Lord who hath said Swear not at all Now since that the Apostle as a Witness of Christianity and an Obeyer of Christs Commands hath left out the word Swear and hath put in Confess according to Christs own Words who said He that confesseth me before men him will I confess before my Father which is in Heaven Now since that Christ and his Apostles have left us this Example who saith not Swear before men but Confess before men who are they that dare Oppose and Gainsay Christ Jesus and his Apostles under a colour of what the Law saith and what the Prophet saith and that the Angel Swore But as the Apostle saith unto which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son Who said Swear not at all When he bringeth his First-begotten into the World he saith And let all the Angels worship him and of the Angels he saith Who maketh his Angels Spirits and his Ministers a Flame of Fire the Angels are his Messengers and Servants as may be read in the Revelations And what hath any one to do to bring that where the Angel Swore by him that liveth for ever and ever that Time should be no longer when he was upon his Message and Service which the Lord sent him about What is this to men that have the Command of the Son of God upon them who hath said Swear not at all Unto which of the Angels said he at any time Sit thou on my right hand until I make thine Enemies thy Foot-stool But unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever a Scepter of Righteousness is the Scepter of thy Kingdom Let all such as contend with the Almighty in this matter read Hebr. 1. and see how they can answer him there And as for that where the Apostle saith An Oath is for an end of Strife this he saith when he speaketh of the Assurance of the Oath of God he bringeth a Comparison of them that Swore when Swearing was lawful under the Law For men saith he Swear by the greater and an Oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife Now there is none have the reason of a man but they may see the Apostle speaketh of such as did use Swearing because he said An Oath for confirmation was to them an end of all strife and so it was under the Law but Oaths for ending of strife were never used among the Christians for Christ had commanded to the contrary and the Apostle manifested the contrary when he wrote to the Philippians as is proved before Moreover the Apostle James who wrote to the twelve Tribes scattered up and down who were they that had the Law that enjoyned Swearing and under which they practised swearing for a confirmation and an end of strife as the Apostle saith before even to them the Apostle James when he writes to them of the suffering of affliction that they should be as examples to endure he saith Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that he is very pittiful and tender of mercy but above all things saith he my Brethren Swear not neither by Heaven neither by Earth neither by any other Oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest ye fall into condemnation Jam. 5. And into this state of condemnation are the Teachers and Leaders of our Age fallen who are not only Swearers but Teachers Upholders and Forcers to Sware and preach it up for Doctrine to Swear and in this oppose and gain-say Christ Jesus and all his Apostles and all that bear testimony to his Name and Truth and Word and obey his Command such suffer by them and under them and if they bring them into their Courts for any thing because they cannot pay them Tythes or because they cannot pay them Steeple-house Dues and Easter Reckonings when they have sued them except they will Swear they cannot put in their Answers and then they get out Writs and cast them into Prison And thus they that profess themselves to be Ministers of Christ and the Gospel make havock of his Flock But surely he will come and seek his Sheep and search them out And thus much for the third Particular of their practice which is their causing People to Swear The fourth Particular that they practise without ground from Scripture is Sprinkling Infants with water upon their heads and faces and some plunge them all over which we do not find Christ or his Apostles did the like with Infants It is true there was brought unto Christ Little Children that he should put his hands on them and pray and he laid his hands on them but his Disciples rebuked them but Jesus said Suffer little Children and forbid them not to come to me for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 19. Now Mark saith That he took them up in his Armes and put his hands upon them and blessed them Mark 10. And Luke saith They brought unto him Infants that he might touch them but when his Disciples saw they rebuked them but Jesus was displeased with them and said Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God Verily I say unto you whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child shall in no wise enter therein Luke 18. Now by all these Scriptures it doth appear that
we are all partakers of that one Bread 1 Cor. 10. Here is no speaking of Remembrance but the real partaking of the one Bread this is the living Bread that is come down from Heaven Christ saith I am the living Bread that came down from Heaven if any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and the Bread that I give you is my Flesh that I will give for the Life of the World The Jews wondered at this and said Will this man give us his Flesh to eat Jesus said As the Living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father So he that eateth me shall live by me and except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you But this is not except you eat Bread and drink Wine ye have no Life in you for Christ saith My Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed John 6. These things said Jesus in the Synagogue as he Taught And many of his Disciples when they heard this said It was a hard saying who can hear it But Christ saith unto them It is the Spirit that quickeneth the Flesh profitteth nothing The Words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life And so it is the Spirit that is the Living Bread and those that live in the Spirit and feed in the Spirit and meet in the Spirit they eat the Flesh of Christ and drink his Blood and this Spiritual Bread was that which the Apostles broke and they that continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship in breaking of Bread and in Prayers it is said They continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house Acts 2. And this Bread was that living Bread that Christ said came down from Heaven And when the Disciples met together on the First day of the week to break Bread Paul preached unto them until midnight surely this was Living Bread else it could not have been the Communion of the Body of Christ 1 Cor. 10. And this was a Mystery which Swearers and Drunkards know not and therefore they set up that which is outward and temporal as the Apostle saith because they are blind of the Spiritual Eye and so as the Apostle saith That which can be seen is Temporal but that which cannot be seen is Eternal 1 Cor. 14. 18. But this is hid from their eyes and thus much for this Particular which they call the Sacrament of the Lords Supper They have also several other vain Practices which they have no Example in Scripture for as praying over the Dead and for the Dead which the Apostle exhorted from when he writ to the Thessalonians he saith But I would not have you ignorant Brethren concerning them which are asleep that ye sorrow not even as others which have not Hope for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again so they also that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 1 Thes 4. Here is nothing of praying for them nor over them after they are dead but they manifest by their prayers that they have not a true Hope nor Belief in Christ Jesus who is risen from the dead And become the First-fruits of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15. The like may be said also of their Churching women and Marrying people with Rings but it appeareth that the main end of these Practices are to get money of people for they have no Example in the Scriptures that the people were married with a Priest neither in the Old-Testament nor New ye do not read that Abraham and Sarah were married with a Priest and Isaac took Rebecca to wife and Laban gave Jacob Leah and Rachel but not by a Priest The Apostle saith Marriage is honorable and the bed undefiled but he doth not say that they should be married by a Priest or with a Ring But it is manifested that this Generation of Priests that have set up such Imaginations and Inventions as these are the same that the Apostle prophesied of unto his Son Timothy that good and true Bishop where he saith Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some should depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking Lyes in hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with a hot Iron forbidding to Marry and commanding to abstain from Meats 1 Tim. 4. Now let the Reader but seriously read this Chapter and consider whether these be not they both Papists and Protestants who marry people as before mentioned and yet forbid to marry all that will not marry according to their way and will though the Apostle saith They may marry whom they will only in the Lord 1 Cor. 7. 39. Yet if they be not married with a Priest and according to their way they account it no Marriage And thus they run themselves quite off from the Scriptures as bad as they that never heard of them for though they profess them in words they are utterly and quite out of them in their Practices And that they abstain from Meats and cause people so to do this is well known to be their common practice all which the Apostle saith Are the Doctrines of Devils and so here I have found them in their practice and I will leave them These with many more frivolous things which might be mentioned as their keeping of Idle dayes and causing people to do so but what hath been said before may give people a sight of their practices that they are quite contrary and opposite to the Rule of the Scriptures And thus much for the Fifth Head which is their Practice The Sixth is their Maintenance and this is as contrary to the Scriptures of Truth as any of the rest They profess themselves to be Christians and Gospel-Ministers and yet will not be content with Gospel-Maintenance but their Gospel is dead and so cold that they preach to People that it will not quicken them out of their dead and natural estate and therefore they dare not trust themselves upon their maintenance nor cast themselves upon the freedom or liberality of the people And so when the Power and Spirit of the Lord Jesus was lost and the Revelation of Jesus by which the Apostles preached then when the Apostacy came in those that got up into the Popes Chair took upon them to find out a way whereby they might compel people to maintain them however they maintained themselves and so they started back from Christs Rule and his Apostles and stept into the Imitation of some part of the Levitical Priesthood under the Law which best suited their own ends And that being made ready to their hands they soon goâ— it set up and established by a Law and then those that were Christians and stood to the Principles and Faith of Christianity who knew that the Priesthood was changed and the Law also and could not pay them Tythes then they were ready prepared for
power to eat and drink Who goeth a warfare at any time on his own charges Who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof Who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk thereof For it is written in the Law of Moses Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne. If we have sown unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we reap of your carnal things Do you not know that they that minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar Even so hath God ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel All this we would freely allow them and it would be joy and gladness to us to see them come to this upon the same tearms the Apostles did for first of all he saith Am I not an Apostle Am I not free Have I not seen Jesus Christ Are not you my work in the Lord If I be not an Apostle unto others yet doubtless I am to you for the seal of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord. If others are partakers of this power over you are not we rather Nevertheless we have not used this power but suffered all things lest we should hinder the Gospel of Christ. For we have used none of these things neither have I written these things that it should be done unto me for it were better for me to die than that in this any man should make my glorying void for though I preach the Gospel I have nothing to glory of for a necessity is laid upon me yea woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel For if I do this willingly I have a reward but if against my will a dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto me what is my reward then Verily that when I preach the Gospel I may make the Gospel of Christ without charge that I abuse not my power in the Gospel For though I be free from all men yet I made my self servant unto all that I might gain the more unto the Jew I became a Jew c. Here the Apostle maketh all clear so that if they would come to preach the Gospel in this Spirit and Power they need not set up their Courts of violence and lay such heavy oppression upon the Consciences of men and women For the Apostle saith Though we walk in the flesh we do not war after the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual and mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations of every high thought that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringeth into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ Here is no need of Courts or Prisons where the power of God is manifested in the Ministry of the Gospel they need not want means nor maintenance where every thought is brought down into the subjection and obedience of the Lord's Truth But as the Apostle saith Those that sow spiritual things ought to reap carnal things So he that planteth a Vineyard ought to eat of the fruit thereof and whosoever feedeth a flock ought to eat the milk thereof and whosoever treadeth out the corn ought not to have his mouth muzzeld according to the Law that so he that ploweth in hope and thresheth in hope should be partaker of their hope All this is just and equal and ought to be without force or constraint for the Apostle saith Nevertheless we have not used this power but suffer all things lest we should hinder the Gospel of Christ The Lord hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel but I have used none of these things Therefore he saith Have I committed an offence in abasing my self Because I have preached to you the Gospel of God freely And when I was present with you and wanted I was chargable to no man 2 Cor. 11. Also the Apostle saith I did not burden you Did I make a gain of you by any of them I sent unto you I desired Titus and with him I sent a Brother Did Titus make a gain of you Walked we not in the same Spirit Walked we not in the same steps Think ye that we excuse our selves unto you We speak before God in Christ that we do all things dearly beloved for your edifying Here the Apostle desireth their growth into grace that he preached to not his growth into their estates as ours do now in these dayes 2 Cor. 12. But this hath not served our late Gospel-Ministers they will not be contented where they have planted to eat of the fruit nor where they have fed the flock to eat of the milk nor where they have plowed or threshed to partake of their hope but they will be paid of all within the compass of their power and Lordships whethey feed them or no and where they never planted nor never plowed nor never sowed there they will make them to pay them and that by force and violence And this all people may see is contrary to the Apostles Doctrine Life and Practice Surely the Apostle saw these things coming on when he wrote unto his Son Timothy whom the Holy Ghost made Bishop and Overseer when he shewed him how he should behave himself in the House of God concerning Elders Fathers and Mothers and concerning Children and Servants saith he Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine for the Scripture saith Thou shalt not muzzle the Oxe that treadeth out the Corn. The Labourer is worthy of his reward I charge thee before God and our Lord Jesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another doing nothing by partiality laying hand suddenly on no man neither be partaker of other mens sins Keep thy self pure If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholsome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to godliness he is proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strife of words whereof cometh envy strife railings evil surmisings perverse disputeings of men of corrupt minds and destitute concerning the Truth supposing that gain is godliness from such withdraw thy self But godliness with contentment is great gain for we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out but having food and raiment let us therewith be content But they that will be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition For the love of money is the root of all evil which while some have coveted after they have erred from the Faith and pierced themselves thorow with many sorrows But thou O man of God fly these things 1 Tim. 5 6 Chapters All that read this may
see that the blessed Apostle foresaw the state and condition the Church was falling into and the time that hath been since hath manifested the truth of it And thus we see the good and wholesome Doctrine that the holy Apostle left with them that were Overseers in those dayes that had the Spirit of the Lord Jesus living and dwelling in their hearts but this Gospel hath been hid from them that have been lost And this may serve for the Sixth Head which is their Maintenance The seventh and last is their Garbe and Habit which they seem to place much in in matter of their Worship and they being Gospel-Ministers we know no ground nor Example they have from Christ or any of his Apostles to wear such Garments It is true Aaron when he was to minister in the Priests Office there were holy Garments to be made for him for beauty and for glory And these were the Garments which they were to make a Brest-plate an Ephod and a Robe a broidered Coat a Mitre and a Girdle and they were to take two Stones two Onix stones and grave on them the names of the Children of Israel and set them in four rows and Aaron shall bear the names of the Children of Israel in the Brest-plate of Judgment upon his heart when he goeth in into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually and thou shalt put in the Brest-plate of Judgment the Urim and the Thummim which is Lights and Perfections and they shall be upon Aarons heart when he goeth in before the Lord and Aaron shall bear the Judgment of the Children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually Exod. 28. Here was more than the long Gown and the Surplice the Tippet and the hood here was the Urim and the Thummim and the Judgement of the Children of Israel upon his heart Also Aaron had a Brest-plate of pure Gold and graven upon it like the engraving of a Signet Holiness to the Lord Vers 36. This is far beyond the long Robes of our dayes for there is little holiness graven upon them neither Lights nor Perfections and if they do take the long Robes and Surplices Hoods and Tippets from Aaron they miss the Garbe and Fashion of this for upon the Hemme of Aarons Garment there was Bells and Pomgranets of gold A golden Bell and a Pomegranet a golden Bell and a Pomegranet round about the hem and this was to be upon Aaron when he went to minister that his sound might be heard when he was to go in the Holy Place before the Lord. But they set Bells upon the top of their Steepls in stead of these to make People hear the sound when they go to their Worship And so in this as in all other things that have been shewed they differ far from Scripture-Rule Moreover the Lord said unto Moses Thus shall Aaron go into the holy place with a young Bullock for a sin-offering and a Ram for a burnt-offering and he shall put on the holy linnen Coat and he shall have the linnen Breeches upon his flesh and shall be girded with a linnen Girdle and with the linnen Mitre shall he be attired these are the holy Garments therefore shall he wash his flesh in water and so put them on Levit. 16. So here we see Aaron was to bring a Bullock and a Ram for a burnt-offering and a sin-offering and to wash his flesh before he put those Garments on It is to be feared that our Long-Robed and Surplice-Men miss it in this too except they offer a sin-offering and a burnt-offering and wash their flesh We do not hear they use this they calling themselves Ministers of Christ and of the Gospel but certainly they have not taken up the imitation of these things from hence from Aarons Garments but from the Scribes and Pharisees for from Christ and his Apostle they had none at all but the quite contrary For Christ Jesus when he spake to the Multitude and his Disciples said The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses Seat and that which they bid you observe and do observe but do not ye after their works for they say and do not and all their works they do to be seen of men They make broad their Philactaries or Fringes and enlarge the borders of their Garments and love the upermost rooms at Feasts and the chiefest seats in the Synagogues But he saith Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men for ye neither go in your selves nor suffer them that would Woe unto you for ye devour Widows houses and for a pretence make long prayers therefore ye shall receive the greater condemnation Matth. 23. And he saith unto them in Mark 12. in his Doctrine Beware of the Scribes which love to go in long cloathing and love salutations in the Market-places and the chief seats in the Synagogues and uppermost rooms at Feasts which devour Widows houses and for a pretence make long Prayers these shall receive greater damnation And Luke saith Chap. 20. That then in the audience of all the People he said unto his Disciples Beware of the Scribes which desire to walk in long Robes and love greetings in the Markets and the highest seats in the Synagogues and the chiefest rooms at Feasts which devour Widows houses and for a shew make long Prayers the same shall receive greater condemnation Surely the Disciples and Apostles after they had heard Christ thus often to testify against them that went after this manner certainly they would keep themselves clear for ever going in this garb Besides it is clearly manifested by their practices that they never went after this manner in long Robes and Surplices for that would have been a great charge to them that wrought with their hands and were not chargable to any except those that were raised up by the power of Almighty God by their preaching of the Gospel of Christ unto them the Lord might move their hearts to give them what they should stand in need of which they could not want if those had it that were one with them in the Spirit for so the Apostle holdeth forth to the Philippians where he saith But I rejoyce in the Lord greatly that now at last your care of me hath flourished again wherein ye were also careful but ye lacked opportunity not that I speak in respect of want for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content I know how to be abased and how to abound every where in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need notwithstanding ye have done well that ye did communicate with mine affliction for even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again to my necessity not because I desire a gift but I desire fruit that that may abound to your account But I have all and abound and am full Phil. 4. But surely
and of Christ I am he he said unto her That the hour cometh and now is that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for such the Father seeketh to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth John 4. And why is not this Spirit waited in and for in the Worship that is generally performed and allowed of in our Nation since that the Apostle saith We are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and have no confidence in the Flesh Phil. 3. 3. And why is the Worship which is generally performed among people and their Doctrines taught from and by the Commandments of men seeing they profess themselves to be Christians being Christ complained of this Worship And saith In vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrine the Traditions of men this people draweth near to me with their mouthes and honoureth me with their lips but their hearts are far from me And he said Let them alone they are Blind Leaders of the Blind and if the Blind lead the Blind both shall fall into the Ditch Matth. 15. 8 9 14. Ninthly And why is not the Worship of God performed among those that profess themselves to be Christians and Gospel Ministers in the Unity of the Spirit since the Apostle saith When he ascended up on high he led Captivity captive and gave Gifts unto men for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come into the Unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto the perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Ephes 4. 13. And why is there such Difference in Religion and Opinions as there hath been between Papists and Protestants and many others even to the Killing and Slaying one of another since that all profess themselves to be Christians and the Spirit of Christ is but one and the Apostle exhorts them here To endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit and the Bond of Peace And if they have received those Gifts from on High which are for the Work of the Ministry then why are there such Differences among them Tenthly Why is there not that Liberty and Order in their Meetings and Assemblies who profess themselves to be Christians as was in and among the Apostles and their Churches For the Apostle saith If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by let the first hold his peace for ye may all prophesie one by one that all may learn and all may be comforted And the Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets for God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace as in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14. So if this was the Order of the Churches of the Saints how is it that always one man is set up to Speak to all the rest of the People it may be for many years together since that the Apostle saith That there is diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit and there are differences of Administrations but the same Lord and there are diversities of Operations but the same God which worketh all in all but the Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 12. 4. Since that the Spirit is given to every man how is it that poor people have had one man set up to teach them it may be thirty or forty years together and whatsoever was revealed to him that sat by they were not permitted to speak but they might be haled before Magistrates and it may be stockt or whipt for doing that which the Scripture alloweth of and here are Christ words fulfilled where he saith Ye shall be haled before Magistrates and persecuted for my Name sake for a testimony against them and they that kill you think they do God good service John 16. 2. And these few Queries are for all the Clergy in the Christian World to answer whether they be Papists or Protestants Lancaster Castle the 7th moneth 1666. M. F. Post-script IT hath been an Old Proverb and Maxime among men No Bishop no King this is but a supposition that is got into the minds of people in these late times which hath proceeded and risen from among those of that Function and their Adherents being that their power standeth onely by the Kingly Power for it might rather be said No King no Bishop But to add to their Strength and Assistance they have added this and have got it into the minds of people that if there be No Bishop no King but it is otherwise for it is by experience known and that by Scripture Example For in the Reigns of all the Kings of Israel we do not read that there was a Bishops Power nor Ecclesiastical nor Spiritual Courts neither Nebuchadnezzar the great neither Cyrus unto whom the Lord said Thou art mine Anointed whose right hand I have upholden to subdue Nations I will loose the Loyns of Kings to open before thee the Leaved Gates I will give thee the Treasures of darkness and the hidden Riches of secret places that thou mayest know that I the Lord which calleth thee by thy name am the God of Israel Isa 45. Neither Darius who set over his Kingdom one hundred and thirty Princes and over these were three Presidents of whom Daniel was the first and by the voice and word of Daniel the man of God who was greatly beloved of God these Kingdoms of the Medes and Persians were swayed and governed by the Word of the Lord through Daniel as may be read in the Book of Daniel but we never heard of Bishops or Spiritual Courts among them It is true we read that among the Jews there was High-Priests and Chief-Priests that ruled and governed amongst them when their Kings were Heathens as Herod and Tiberius Cesar In the dayes of Herod Christ was born who sent his wise men to seek for the Child and made all the young Children be killed from two years old and under and the Angel made Jesus be carried into Egypt till Herod was dead Then there was Herod the Tetrarch of Galilee which beheaded John Baptist this Herod and Pilate were made Friends the same day that Christ was under Examination for before they had been at enmity And Ananias and Caiaphas being high Priests they sought how they might kill Jesus And the Band of Souldiers led Jesus away to Annas first for he was Father-in-law to Caiaphas which was the high Priest the same year Now Caiaphas was he which gave counsel to the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people John 18. 13 14. And when Pilate had called together the chief Priests and the Rulers and said unto them Ye brought this man unto me as one that perverted the people and I have examined him before you and have found no fault in him