A Word of Information To Them that need it Briefly opening some most weighty Passages of Gods Dispensations among the Sons of Men from the beginning And insisting a little upon the State and Condition of the Nations wherein they now stand and particularly of ENGLAND For this end That Men may remember themselves and turn unto the Lord and seek to be delivered from the Mysteries of Iniquity to walk with God in Fellowship and Communion To which as pertinent hereunto is annexed An ADDITION concerning LORD-BISHOPS and COMMON-PRAYER-BOOK With a Tender ADMONITION to those called PRIESTS or MINISTERS And also A Loving EXHORTATION to those that have SEPARATED from their SUPERSTITIONS By W. T. LONDON Printed for Robert Wilson at the sign of the Black-Spread-Eagle and Windmil in Martins Le Grand 1660. A Word of Information To Them that need it c. GOD made Man at the first Upright and Innocent and Pure and Holy walking with him in his pure Nature in perfect peace and in boldness before him having his Understanding filled with Light and Knowledge from the Lord and his spirit possessed with the Spirit of the Lord. And therein he walked before the Lord in great liberty only in one thing the Lord laid a Restraint upon him Thou shalt not eat saith he of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil neither shall ye touch it for in the day thou eatest thereof dying thou shalt dye Gen. 2.17 and 3.3 Now there was no way for that old enemy Satan to rob Man of this happy peaceable innocent Condition but by getting him out of the bounds where God had set him for where no Law was there could be no transgression and where no transgression was death could not enter for death came in upon Man by sin Rom. 5.12 Therefore Satan that old Serpent sets upon Man here to allure and entice him and flatter him into a tryal of that which God had forbidden him by presenting a pleasurableness and profitableness in it Man yeelding the bound was broken that kept Man with the Lord and kept out death and misery And now Sin entering that is transgressing of Gods will and pleasure here with Sin Death entered and another spirit than before had possession in man even the spirit of the Serpent that got in and became Ruler in the Disobedience And now Death came over all in Man and over all Men. The flourishing state of his soul in Righteousness and Innocency that dyed a spirit of shame and fear that covered him and he now fled from the presence of the Lord. And death also must now come upon his body as well as upon his soul for to dust that must return Thus dying Man dyed according to the Word of the Lord. Yet now the Lord's mercies were not clean shut up from his Creature which he had made so excellent and given dominion unto over all other Creatures upon the Earth Gen. 1.28 but he leaves a way open still for Mans return unto himself thorow a promised Seed which was contrary to the seed of the Serpent and should bruise the Serpents head that enticing spirit that leads to Disobedience Gen. 3.15 So then here 's no returning now for Man back again from Death to Life but through that Seed that breaks the head of the winding disobedient spirit Now in this faln state Man lives and begets Sons and Daughters and multiplies and replenishes the Earth Thus the Earth is filled with Men and Women begotten in the faln condition And so as Men encreased and multiplied Sin also that encreased until the Lord repented that he had made Man and so drowned every living Creature wherein was the breath of life that lived and moved upon the face of the Earth Gen. 6.5 6 7 17. Yet in this sinking dying condition a Seed there was from the beginning that served and obeyed the Lord whose hearts were after him to return again unto him who wrought works of Righteousness and walked with the Lord as righteous Abel and Seth and holy Enoch who was translated that he should not see death And besides these a Generation that called upon the Name of the Lord and so were called the Sons of God Gen. 4.26 Yet these also in process of time wore out after that they began to corrupt themselves mingling themselves with the Daughters of Men Gen. 6.2 So that in the dayes of Noah only Noah was found Righteous in his Generation Gen. 6.8 9. whom the Lord therefore with his family reserved from the Flood to plant the Earth with after he had drowned the old world of the ungodly Gen. 7.1 Then again after the Flood as Men began to multiply so they corrupted their wayes again before the Lord so that in Abraham the eleventh from Noah which was about three-hundred sixty seven years after the Flood God began to gather to himself a People again out of the rest of the world who should bear his Name and so he called Abraham out from his fathers house and out of his own Country to walk with him where he would appoinc him Gen. 12.1 When Abraham was come out then the Lord blessed him and promised him to make of him a great Nation and that he would blesse him that blessed Abraham and curse him that cursed Abraham And said furthermore to him In thee shall all families of the Earth be blessed Gen. 12.2 3. So his Posterity in Isaac and Jacob were counted for the Lords Inheritance and owned by him above all the World and called his Son his First-born And by that name he required them of Pharaoh when he sent to deliver them out of the house of bondage Exod. 4.22 23. Then when the Lord had delivered them by an out-stretched Arm from under Pharaohs Bondage to lead them into the Land of Canaan which he had promised to Abraham When he had separated them from Egypt and brought them into the Wilderness of Sinai There he gave them Statutes and Ordinances a Miuistration of Laws written in Tables of Stone Of this Ministration Moses was made the Mediator between God and them and it was confirmed by many mighty Signs and Wonders The Miracles done in Egypt by the hand of Moses their passing therow the Red-Sea as on dry land Moses his fasting forty dayes and forty nights The terrible and dreadful Presence of the Lord on the Mount besides his going before them in a Pillar of Cloud by Day and in a Pillar of Fire by Night And many other Signs and Wonders all confirmed this Ministry given in the hand of Moses Notwithstanding all this and many moe great Signs and Wonders which they saw yet this People rebelled against the Lord and did not walk with him with all their heart but grieved him continually as he complained of them by Moses and afterwards by all his Prophets So that in the fulness of time God sought out another People to bear his Name and turned over the Promises made to Abraham to a spiritual Seed Children
Mark can she not wipe off since many have perished in Prisons even of late years through her Persecution But if any will contend against it and defend her to be out from the Mystery of Iniquity and in the Truth walking in the Truth as a True Church of Christ We are able to prove to the contrary through the strength of the Lord even from her Teachers from her Ordinances and from your Lives and Conversations all which demonstrate you to be gone astray from the truth as it was delivered by Christ and his Holy Apostles and are in the Fornication of the great Whore are yet drunk with the Wine thereof and shall also drink of the wine of her wrath if you repent not Your Teachers teach for hire as the False Prophets did of old against which the True Prophets cryed out for so doing Your Ordinances none of them will abide the measuring line of the Scriptures and so are but the outward Court left out for the Gentiles who tread the holy City under foot Your lives are carnal Your Conversations earthly in the Lusts of the Flesh in the Lusts of the Eyes in the pride of life yea Your Solemnest Meetings are full of that sin for which God drowned the old VVorld Gen. 6.11 even full of Uiolence witnesse the violence done to any that come in to speak a sober word of truth among you and to inform you of your condition Oh sink down into your selves and think Is such a Company the Spouse of the Lamb Christ Jesus Is this his Church his Body the Pillar and Ground of Truth were such things abound Take this VVord home to your hearts and consider it well namely that you are not got out of this Mystery of Iniquity till that from whence it grew be dissolved That you may understand this saying take notice that the Mystery of Iniquity grew from hence even from the Earth unsubdued in Mans heart which covering it self with a Profession of Truth outwardly formed that Profession or Religion to its own Lust or Liberty that the Earth might still be saved alive in Man and live and he enjoy his Lusts therein And here in this state stood Balaam and in his way did the first Hereticks run in the Apostles times loving the wages of Balaam for reward and in his steps do they walk to this day and those that are one with them in the root and ground though differing in outward appearance For to this day its the same The Earth standing in Man's heart and a Religion or Profession raised up over that forms a Mystery of Iniquity and begets an Antichrist It forms a Mystery of Iniquity or a myst to hide Iniquity with it raises a smoke out of the Pit of Mans heart to blind the eyes of men with and begets an Antichrist a Spirit of Persecution seeking to blast the True Spirit with Reproaches which is Blasphemy And so under the name of Hereticks and such like to slay them to rid them out of the way because they strike at the root in which they live by their holy Conversation and by their chaste Mind to the Wisdom of the Lord abhorring the smoak and myst of mens devisings which arises out of mans heart More particularly to deal with you and to set before you your own state or standing let us compare you a little with the Primitive Times and see whether you answer to the Church then or to the World which hated it and persecuted it The Church of Christ then suffered by the World being distinct from the World called out of it and therefore hated by them of the World Ye suffered joyfully the spoyling of your goods saith Paul to the Church Heb. 10.32 33 34. 1 Thess 2.14 15 16. 2 Thess 1.4 So then in that time there was the Haters and the Hated the Spoilers and the Spoiled the Abusers and the Abused the VVolves devouring and the Sheep devoured Now compare your Church with them Are you the Sufferers or those that put others to Suffering for Righteousness sake Did not the people of tender Conscience who could not worship God after the Traditions of men suffer under your Church both formerly when the Antichristian Lording Bishops ruled it and so fled some to New-England and others to other Places And sinc they were put down still you have been the same What haling pulling pushing abusing of people hath been in your Congregations and by them of your Congregations what beating in your Synagogues stoning in your Streets stocking whipping imprisoning persecuting spoyling of goods c And nowthat those Antichristian Prelates are coming in again you are still the same and the same measure hath been met withall from some of you already If any say Those that did so or do so are but the Rude Rabble and are not to be counted for our Church I Answer These things have been done among you and by them that are of you unrestrained If by the Rude Rabble then behold the Rude Rabble are the strongest part of your Church if they do such things and you cannot restrain them from that violence If you say Yea we could have hindered them if we would but we did not because we look upon those they abused as Seducers Answ Then see you consented to their violence and so made your selves Partakers with them as Saul did when he consented to them that stoned Stephen But say you They were Seducers they were Hereticks that were abused and our Ministers spake against them I Answer So did they stone Steven as a Seducer and all the violence done to them that feared the Lord was in such like thoughts of them they thought they were Seducers and their Ministers spake against them But where did ever the true Church use violence even to Seducers and Hereticks Consider that They suffered violence themselves but never used violence to others So see your selves now on what part you stand For whatever they be that you use violence to for conscience sake whether they be in the Truth or be Seducers yet your violence to them declares you not to be the true Church but to be the World where the persecution is found You are on the Persecuters part not on the Persecuted You are not they that the VVorld hates but you are they that do hate others for Conscience sake such as Paul said they Themselves were before Conversion hatefull and hating one another Titus 3.3 and so others suffer under you for Conscience sake even those against whom you cannot justly complain for any wrong done to you by them and so they suffer innocently as to you although they should be Seducers So see your selves now That your Church resembles not the Church of Christ in the Primitive time but You fully resemble the World that then abused the Saints and Servants of the Lord. And for your counting and calling them Hereticks and Seducers that suffer under You and your Ministers This makes the Sufferers more resemble the true
Church to be called and counted Seducers by a violent Generation for so were the Saints accounted in the Primitive times by a like Generation as you are And whereas some may say It s but the rude Rable that use violence I answer It s manifestly proved by their Actions that not only they but their Teachers also are guilty of the same violence partly by stirring up the Rude People and encouraging them thereunto and partly also by exercising it with their own hands as some of them have done and partly also by unjust proceedings through Covetousnesse and Desire of filthy Lucre mingled with a wrathfull raging implacable cruel unjust and unmercifull Spirit having spoiled Families making a prey of their Goods Judg in your selves Is this like the Saints in the Primitive Times or like the World Is this like the Sheep or like the Wolves that devour Again your principal men in many of your Congregations have had a deep hand in these Actions of Violence even your JUSTICES and other OFFICERS among you who have sometimes encouraged the Rude Rabble in their Violence against the Innocent and oftentimes even themselves buffetted and abused and whipped and stocked and thrust out from among them those that harmed them not yea often have sent them to Prison and there most cruelly entreated them during their pleasure and that without any just crime or breach of any of their Lawes many times even thus have they dealt to such as have wronged no man but only sought to informe you of your dangerous state in which you stand as enemies to God and his Truth and wayes wading in Superstitious Inventions which will not profit you For this thing have you thus abused them and you are all guilty from top to toe from highest to lowest who have consented in your hearts to the violence done So see your state where you stand See by your Antipathy to such as fear the Lord and by your Agreement with the world where you are You are yet even of the world though you be counted a Church You have the Name but not the Thing You have not the Spirit and Life of the Saints And so we have good reason to separate from you and to come out from amongst you as we are commanded by the Lord 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Revel 18.4 For your Comparison holds better with the Synagogues of the Jews than with the Churches of Christ and yet you fall short of them also In them there was Haling Pulling Beating Thrusting forth Abusing using Violence as you may read in the Acts of the Apostles And so here is your pattern even the Synagogues of the Jews where the Servants of the Lord were abused for holding forth the Truth But herein you excel those Synagogues in Wickedness and fall short of them in Moderation In that they gave liberty to men to speak among them and to reason and dispute among them as you may read Act. 13.14 15. and Act. 17.1 2. and in many other places in that Book Where you may read what liberty they gave unto the Apostles and Saints in those times though they came with a new Doctrine to them which overturned all their former state of a Church yet did they not abuse or molest them until they heard Doctrine delivered which they accounted dangerous and erroneous But you with open mouth and violence are ready to swallow men up before they can well speak a sentence out to be understood yea though you your selves cannot deny the truth of that which is spoken So that you fall far short of the Jews Synagogues in moderation and sobriety even short of those whom you your selves count Persecuters of the true Church How should you then be the true Church Your Violence breaks out before you understand wherefore so did not theirs So you are worse than they And this is your state and condition So see your selves herein and see your Ministers what they are that encourage you herein The Old World which was destroyed by water and Sodom and Gomorrah which were destroyed by fire are revived in your Streets and Assemblies yea in your solemn Assemblies in the point of Violence which was a principal thing topping up all their wickedness for which they were destroyed The Old World was full of Violence Gen. 6.11 and so was Sodom unto strangers And so are your Streets and Synagogues and therefore spiritually you are more like Sodom and Egypt where our Lord is crucified than to the Church of Christ Therefore take not your selves any longer to be that you are not nor blaspheme the Name of Christ any longer by calling your selves his Church while you live in such wickedness but rather fear his Indigation lest that or some like judgment come upon you which came upon those who lived in Violence as you do The Church of Christ is pure And whoever gets the name and yet lives in impurity shall be kept out from entring into the New Jerusalem which is now coming down from God out of Heaven not seen with outward eyes nor known to carnal hearts nor entred into by the unclean and yet her gates stand open day and night But to keep lower to your capacity In the Primitive times the Church was patient under their sufferings 2 Thess 1.4 Are you so Or are not they rather found such who suffer by you Do not ye cast out hard speeches with your Violence against them that are found in the like patient suffering with the Saints in the Primitive times So see and judge impartially Is it you that resemble the Church of Christ or is it those that you rage against that resembles it Again Is not your Church made up of such persons as fear not God ungodly men and women Sweaters Drunkards Cursed speakers Revilers of those that are good Proud and haughty and high-minded Persons glorying in Apparrel and gay clothing other than what the Apostles of our Lord approved of conceited persons yet dark and ignorant in the things of God men that take pleasure in Wantonness and Vanity and Pastimes as they call them who count foolish talking and jesting an ornament to their speech and grace to their behaviour being past feeling in themselves of the things that displease God and quench the Spirit men that savour not the things of God nor have any pleasure and delight in Holiness and Righteousness to whom it 's a burden even to hear of things spiritual that belong to the Kingdom of God out of whose communication spiritual things are banished so that it 's uncouth and distastful to them to confer of the things of the Kingdom of God before them and especially when they are feeding themselves without fear upon the good creatures of God Others are carnally minded worldly minded having their spirits eaten up with the Thoughts of the world and Cares of the world and Love of the world and Honour of the world and Lusts of the world Covetous persons who dare lie one to another
by steps as they have been able to bear Who have tryed their wayes by the Word of Truth and tryed also the false deceivable wayes of mens Traditions and Inventions Take heed I say of speaking evil of the things thou understands not and if thou hast been guilty hereof formerly repent of that wickednesse and pray to the Lord to forgive the thoughts of thine heart and the hard speeches of thy mouth uttered against the wayes of Truth in the time of thy Ignorance And rest not until thou hast got out of those Mists which have risen out of the bottomless Pit and which have darkened the Sun in the firmament that is the pure shining of the Light into the Conscience Haste haste out of that which the Wrath and Indignation of the Lord must come upon and fly to him in the humility of thy soul repenting of thy errour and blindness and hypocrisie and evil state and course of life thou hast been in and come down to be guided and led of that pure Light which leads to Eternal Life and so to come to the Covenant of God the New Covenant which all are in that are owned by him For this is my Covenant saith the Lord In those dayes I will write my Laws in their minds and put them in their hearts And whosoever is not come into this Covenant he is not owned of God For all his from the least to the greatest shall all be taught of God by his Spirit And therefore saith the Apostle plainly Rom. 8. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Now this is that which The ANTICHRIST by the Mystery of Iniquity hath held you off from for his working hath been against the New Covenant which we now clearly see and by what means he doth it eternal praises be given to our heavenly Father who hath made known his wiles and deceivings For it hath been with a golden Cup that the Anti-Anointing or Anti-Christ hath deceived the Naitons even a fine spun outward Form of Religion of some kind or other So keeping their minds still outward from that New Covenant keeping them busie with this Form or that Form outward that they might never come to mind God in the way of his Covenant For whereas the New Covenant comprehends all the Worship of God inwardly in it self Circumcision inward Baptism inward viz. the answer of a good Conscience to God which is that that saves Temple inward House of Prayer inward Worship inward in Spirit and in Truth Contrariwise The Mystery of Iniquity hath kept mens minds still outward and pleased the carnal spirit with abundance of Outward Observations thereby resting it in them by blessing them in their diligent Observation thereof So that they have not been stirred up to seek after the knowledge of God in themselves and to feel the Communion and Fellowship inwardly with him in the way of his New Covenant in the Spirit which CHRIST was made the Mediator of And so about these Outward Forms and Ordinances so called they fight and quarrel and seek to kill and destroy and so still are kept in the murdering spirit And so lot this be A Sign unto you to let you know in what State that Spirit holds you that makes you zealous for outward formes Is it not in the murthering State where Cain was and yet you see not his wiles for he that murthers is the same from the beginning In the New Covenant it s otherwise for there 's a Spirit that delights to seek and save that which is lost and that is of God and conformable to the Image of his Son To whom be Glory and Honour for ever Amen An ADDITION concerning LORD-BISHOPS Let the Light in every ones Conscience who have any acquaintance with the Scriptures judge Whether Our Lord Jesus Christ allowed of that Lordship and Dominion which those called Lord-Bishops take upon them or exercise when as he reproved the very first appearance of such a thing among his Disciples read Matth. 20.25 26. Mark 10.42 43. Luke 22.25 26. saith he 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 minde that 's the thing he reproves whosoever will be great let him be your Minister that is servant and then he repeats it over again in other words And whosoever will be chief among you let him be your Servant And in Luke it s thus exprest Let him be as a younger As if he should say carry quite contrary to such a one in the thing that he would have Whereas he affects Greatness carry to him as a Servant and as a Younger give him not the honour of an Elder Now where 's their Obedience to Christ who dare take upon them such a thing which he hath so plainly forbidden Yea and forbidden others also to receive them as such if any will be so bold as to exalt themselves among them and become great For faith our Lord If any will get up and be great among you let him be your servant and as a younger Wherein the words of Christ is implyed That Dominion and Greatnesse cannot grow up among them except they concurre with him that seeks it and give it to him Therefore as laying a charge of keeping down such a spirit upon the rest of his Disciples he bids them not to concurre and consent to such a thing nor to give that greatnesse to any of his Disciples among them if they should seek it but to carry to such as to a Younger and not as to an Elder and to let him be as one that serves and not as one to Lord it and Rule and have Dominion And so to keep down that spirit that it may not be among You as it is among the Gentiles that know not me to be the one Lord. Honour is in him that gives it If you give it not they cannot have it To open the thing a little further for the simplicity's sake that is in some who think That because there is the name Bishop in Scripture that therefore such Bishops as have the Name now in these dayes have their Authority from Scripture To such I say Minde but the Scriptures well and you will find that the Name Bishop was not given to one that Lorded it over the rest but to the several Pastors or Teachers or feeders of the Flock of Christ read Act. 20.17 and so on to the 28 and 35. The place is so translated that it may be you will discern little in the bare reading of it I shall therefore open it a little plainly according to the Letter of it not by giving you another meaning or Interpretation then what it sayes but by letting you see what it sayes In the 17 Verse its said that Paul sent from Miletus to Ephesus to call the Elders of the Church of Ephesus When they were come he puts
them in minde after what manner he had been among them at all seasons serving the Lord in all humility of minde c. And so sets his own Holy Conversation in which he had lived among them as an Example fresh before their eyes to have it in remembrance and tells them that they should see his face no more And so exhorts them saying Take heed to your selves and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you OVERSEERS to feed the Church of Christ which he hath purchased with his own blood That Word that may yet keep the thing a little dark to you is the word OVERSEERS which should be translated BISHOPS if that word be to be used at all in Scripture For its the same here which is in other places of Scripture where you read the word Bishop namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 EPISCOPOS Bishops And why it should be translated OVERSEERS here and BISHOPS in other places I know not except to keep the people in ignorance For translare it Bishops here and then too great a light might they think would be let in to the people to fee what ones the Bishops formerly were For here the people might see There were many of them in one Tongregation or at least more then one here in this Congregation at Ephesus which was but a City and the Flock or Congregation in which the Holy Ghost set them Bishops was but a Company of people gathered out from the rest of that City as you may read in the 19. Ch. where you may see the very beginning of this Church And yet was there severall Bishops in that Company 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take heed to your selves saith the Apostle and to all the flock in which the holy Ghost hath set you Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to feed the Church of God or in plain English to feed the call'd out Flock of God which he hath obtained by his own blood For so was the Church It was a Flock call'd out from among the World and so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sounds So then in this Church at Ephesus which was but one Company or Flock lately gathered out of the world In this one Flock were set Bishops more then one and there they were set to feed them and watch over them which were therefore call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Watchers over which is here translated OVERSEERS but in other places of Scripture its translated BISHOPS Now if you will have the word OVERSEERS here used as it is in the Translation then do but use the same word in all other places of Scripture where you find the word Bishop as it is the same in the Greek which you call the originall and then not so much as the Word BISHOP would be found in the Scriptures Or if you had rather retain the word Bishop then use it in this place namely Act. 20.28 as well as in other Places And then you may plainly see that they were no Lords but were Pastors and Feeders of the Flock and severall of them were set in this one Congregation at Ephesus not as Strangers meeting there for a season but set in it by the Holy Ghost to feed them and have a care over them to keep them walking in the simplicity of the Truth and pure Life of Righteousnesse and hence from their Vigilancy over them were they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Watchers over or Overseers And this is that which is called Bishop in our English Translation of Scripture Or if we look upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop as taking its rise from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are soon put together then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying in among over before and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Meta ad quam Sagittarii collimant A Mark to have in ones eye to aim at then I say the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop imports as much as A Mark or example set before one to have in ones eye one eminent and worthy to be followed But I stick not upon curious Derivation of Words whencesoever the Word is derived yet the thing understood by that Word contains that in it And thus CHRIST the alone Arch-Bishop * The word Arch-Bishop stgnifies Chief-Bishop and its all one with Chief-Shepheard and is proper to Christ alone Therefore the Apostles gave it only to him calling him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Chief-shepheard 1 Pet. 5.4 And Christ Jesus absolutely forbade this preheminence to all his Disciples it being proper only to himself So that he that usurps the Title of Arch-Bishop or Chief-Bishop to himself is a Robber of Christs honour and stands in direct Rebellion against him in that thing who said It shall not be so among you But whosoever will be chief among you let him be your Servant Matth. 20.16 17. was a Mark or Example to aim at above all Examples Learn of me saith he for I am meek and lowly in heart And next unto him the Holy Apostles propounded their own innocent unblamable Conversation as an Example or Mark to look at and follow Follow us saith the Apostle for our Conversation is in Heaven Phil. 3.17 20. And they required this still of all others who were received as Bishops among the Saints that they should be men without blame A Bishop saith he must be blamelesse 1 Tim. 3.2 That so they might be as living Examples before the rest Not Lords over Gods Heritage but being Examples to the Flock 1 Pet. 5.3 And so Paul bids Timothy be an Example to the Flock 1 Tim. 4.12 And thus they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leaders or Captains by example and by going before the rest in a Holy Life not by a Lordly Power for that was excluded plainly and forbidden both by Christ and by his Apostles but I say by Example And therefore they were to be unblameable men or else they were not to be received as Bishops because they could not be Ensamples to the Flock if their Life was blamable Now such as these who walked before the Flock in a Holy Life feeding them with the Word of Truth and leading them in the same Steps by their Example these were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ductores Leaders which is translated Rulers Heb. 13.7.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Remember them that have he Rule over you and Vers 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you which Expressions they that are out of the feeling of the Life of Truth are ready to apply to the upholding of an Antichristian Power But take but the words together and compare spiritual things with spiritual and you will see who they were the Apostle speaks of when he names those that have the rule over the flock They were such Leaders of the Flock by their unblameable Example and pure Faith Minde his Words Ver. 7. Remember saith he your Leaders for so the VVords
mindes Only take heed of those things that caused many to fall in the way and be not discouraged though Pharaoh seem to pursue you with an Hoste For the Egyptians may be hardened to pursue to their own destruction and to prosecute the Seed as if they would swallow them up Look to him that led you out and hold on your way follow the Pillar of smoke and of fire the Power and presence of God that his wing may be over you and take heed of murmuring at the difficulty of the way as some murmured and perished for Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto Life Take heed of unbelief for that enters not into the Promise It 's Faith that overcomes In that go on and make war with the enemies of your souls that are in the way spare none suffer no secret lust to remain alive in your hearts but let the sword of the Spirit come over them to mortifie and slay them and do not satisfie your selves because you have got into this or that Forme for What will that avail you if you go no further It 's the life and power that the Kingdom of God consists in See that you sit not down short of that Are you come to Truth and Faithfulnesse in your hearts so that the world finding your honest plain faithfull Conversation dare trust you and commit any thing they have to you in assurance that they shall not be defrauded or deceived by you If you be not but live in Covetousnesse and Deceit it s neither your departing from Egypt nor sitting down under any Form whatsoever that will do you any good For you are not yet come to the Kingdome of God which is in Righteousnesse and Truth Are you come to an unblamable conversation before men so that they have nothing justly to charge you with and to a good conscience before God which answers to the Light of the Lord in you and so accuses not Are you come to Mercy and to a tender compassionate heart that delights in it and seeks to save your fellow-creature and not to destroy the life of any but only to deliver it from that which would destroy If not the nature of the Saviour is not yet formed in you Are you come to the Light which lets you see your hearts and all the secret thoughts and intents and purposes of them and to love it and turn to it and follow it Are you come to the New-Covenant to receive the Law of God in the Spirit from Christ the Mediator thereof who is the Lord that Spirit that ministers it and so to hear the word that 's nigh you in the mouth and in the heart Are you come to feel the Anointing abiding in you which keeps you abiding in Christ as you are taught thereby and which discovers to you Seducings and Delusions of that spirit of Antichrist that works to lead you from it Are you come to that inward fellowship and communion with God which the Apostles of the Lamb enjoyed and sought to bring the babes of Christ unto Are you come to feel the vvorking of that Spirit of truth in you vvhich mortifies the deeds of the flesh which would hinder your communion with God Are you come to that spirit that renewes and sanctifies and changes your hearts and casts out the old man with his deeds and brings forth love instead of hatred patience instead of frowardnesse and hastinesse lovvlinesse of minde instead of loftinesse harmlesnesse instead of hurting pitty instead of hard-heartednesse gentlenesse instead of roughnesse faith instead of fear and distrust faithfulnesse instead of guile and deceitfulnesse temperance and sobriety instead of excesse and such like wholsom fruits as these instead of the contrary Are you come to that which thus strikes at Iniquity when it would appear in you and cuts it down and brings forth the contrary Are you come I say to that spirit vvhich is the Root from whence all good fruits do spring which is that good Land which flowes with milk and hony that Promised Land that true Resting-place If you be not come to these things How can you think your selves at a period How can you think that you are come to Canaan spirituall where such fruits as these grow How can you sit down as if you were already got into the good Land Come gird up the loyns of your minde and go forvvard vvith us Let us presse on to perfection having our faces still forward in that Kingdome the Treasures of which have no end And clogg not your selves with the love of this present evill world for that will presse you down and keep you back and be a weight to you Minde the one thing needfull and presse toward the mark of the high-Calling of God in Christ Jesus Will it satisfie you to break off from Egypt if you perish in the Wildernesse and fall short of the promised Land the Land of Peace and Rest even the Promise of the Father The Spirit of Truth the Comforter which leads into all truth and into that righteousness the work of which is peace and the effect of which is quietnesse and assurance for ever Isa 32.17 Will you make that a Possession for ever where you had but a Lodging place as it were for a night or two while the Pillar of smoke and fire stood over it Will you stay behinde the cloudy pillar when it is lifted up and gone forward Will you not go along with the power in which the Kingdom of God stands Doth not the Apostle call out of the Form when the Power is gone Come Let us go forward together not looking back again to Sodom as Lots Wife did who was therefore turned into a Pillar of Salt nor as they did who said Come let us make a Captain and turn back to Egypt whose carcasses therefore fell in the Wildernesse Remember Caleb and Joshua who followed the Lord fully with all their heart whom the Lord therefore set into the Land of Promise who pressed still forward when others began to hang back through fear of the lofty Giants whose Faith follow And take heed of lusting after evill things as they lusted who fell by the way Come down out of all Exaltation from any Form that you are got into be it what it will and come into meeknesse lowlinesse of heart humblenesse of mind gentlenesse in the fear of the Lord and become as Little Chidren for in plainnesse of Speech this is the way that our Captain is gone before us and hath left word for us to follow him in Take my Yoke upon you and learn of me saith he for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall finde rest for your soules for my yoak is easie and my burthen is light Bear with me in my pleading thus with you For we would not have you lost who have borne the abuses of the world and the fury of a wicked and untoward Generation for Conscience sake Be not weary nor faint in your mindes nor say in your hearts Where is the Promise of his coming for one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day In his time he will come and not fail Happy is he that endures to the end waiting for him He shall reap that faints not My Affections are towards you who have seen the great Whores Cup of Fornication and have through sufferings broke off from her with us If you be low enough for our Company we would not lose you Is it not the same God that we presse after Is it not the same fellowship with him inwardly in the soul Is it not the same bread that comes down from Heaven which you would feed upon to the inward satisfaction and content of your souls which is the strength of our hearts and which we feed upon every one in his measure And do you finde it in your Form where you stick If not minde the footsteps of the Flock and which way God hath led them and where he feeds his Lambs and minde that which leads them and must lead you into the fresh Pastures where they finde food which satisfies Let go your partition Walls so as not to bear up your selves in your thoughts above others thereby as the Pharisees did and come into the unity of the Spirit where the everlasting Unity stands and which knits all the members of the body together and even from the highest to the lowest though scattered in many appearances So that our bounds lye not in form but in the spirit and where we feel the life If the Kingdome which you seek be not of this world but of another that 's invisible if it be within not without then you must come to that inward guide to lead you into that inward and invisible Kingdom which leads out of the things that unite you to the world namely the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life and him must you follow out of these things into the Kingdom Call that Guide by what name you will Wisdom as Solomon did or the Light which enlightens every man that comes into the world or the Spirit or what other name soever it is named by in the Scriptures That you must obey and follow out of that which defiles and corrupts into that which is pure and holy and eternal For without holinesse no man shall see God nor come to have fellowship with him THE END