Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A26638
|
False prophets and false teachers described, 1652
|
Aldam, Thomas, d. 1660.
|
1652
(1652)
|
Wing A894BA; ESTC R22761
|
6,172
|
10
|
False Prophets and false Teachers described 1652. ALL the holy men of God they spoke forth freely and when any spoke for Hire it was a filthie and a horrible thing and the Lord did abhor it and sent forth his true Prophets to crie out against them Isaiah 55.1 2 3. Isaiah spoke freely and he was sent to crie out against them that did not speak forth freely without Hire Isa 56.10 11 12. His watchmen saith he are blinde and cannot see they are dumb doggs yea greedy doggs that can never have enough every one looks for his gain from his quarter They did so then and do they not so now every one looks for his gain from his Quarter where he is and for great Means those that have eyes to see may see and the Lord abhorrs it Ieremiah he spoke freely and was sent to crie out against them that did it for Hire Jerem 5. A horrible and a filthie thing is committed in the Land the Prophets prophesie false things and the Priests bear rule by their Means and the people love to have it so It was so then but is it not so now do not the Priests bear rule by their Means over you and do not you love to have it so O foolish people that have eyes to see and cannot see ears to hear and cannot hear hearts and cannot understand but what will you do in the end saith the Lord All people see if you hold not up this filthie thing which God sent his true Prophets to crie against Ezechiel he spoke freely and spoke against them that spoke for the Fleece see Chap. 34. see if your Shepherds do not teach for the Fleece But saith the Lord I will take them out of their hands they shall no more be meat for them neither shall they feed themselves any more of the Flock but saith the Lord I will take them out of their Hands and I will feed them my self and be their Teachers Now the Lord is comming to teach all his freely and there is no Teacher like him and they that are taught of the Lord deny all teaching without if you would be taught of the Lord cease from your Hirelings Micah spoke freely and was sent to cry against them that did not Chapter 3. saith he The Prophets divine for money and the Priests preach for Hire and they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us They did so then and do they not so now But saith the Lord they ran but I did not send them therefore they shall not profit this people at all See Jeremiah 23. the Lord will not have his gifts to be bought and sold they are worse then Simon Magus for he would have bought the Spirit but these Buy and Sell the Letter for carnall ends and acts as in Stage-Playes for money but the Lord abhorrs it therefore hold it not up Hosea 6.9 he spoke freely and spoke against them then and said As a troop of Robbers wait for a man so the company of Priests they murther in the way by consent Micah saith in the 3. Chapter Put into their mouthes and they cry peace peace but if you put not into their mouthes they prepare warr against you Try your Priests and let the Scriptures be sulfilled see if they will not go to Law with you and if they doe you shall see that they were never taught of Christ for he saith if any man sue thee at the Law and take away thy Coat let him have thy Cloak also Now if they were sent of Christ they would abide in his Doctrine for he that abideth not in the doctrine of Christ is a Devid Matth. 5.40 and Christ when he sent forth his he bad them take neither Bagg nor Scrip but saith he freely ye have received freely give and if they were taught of him they would obey him and keep his sayings but those that buy their Wares they must either set them forth at a greater rate or else lose by them and then they would lose their Masterie which they have got by their Learning and their Mâ—aâ—s All the Teachers of the world they are Masters by their Learning and their Benefits those that were taught of Jesus Christ they were not so see Mat. 23. but he taught them to deny it and they abode in his Doctrine You do not read in all the Holy Scriptures that any of the Holy men of God were Cambridge or Oxford Schollers or Universitie men or called Masters but on the contrary they were plain men and laboured with their hands and taught freely as they had received it freely from the Lord read the Scriptures and you may see what sort of men they were which taught the People Abeâ— he was a Shepheard Gen. 4.2 Jacob a Keeper of Sheep Gen. 30.31 Moses a Shepheard Exodus 3.1 Elisha a Ploughman 1 King 19.19 20. Amos a Herds-man Amos 7.4 Paul a Tentmaker Acts 18.3 Simon and Andrew were Fishermen Mark 1.16 Matthew was taken from the receipt of Custome Mark 2.14 they were not wise and learned men as the Scribes and Pharisees were which Christ cried wo against saith he Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites ye binde heavie burthens and grievous to be born and lay them upon the poor and your selves will not touch them with one of your fingers You may say the Scribes and Pharisees did so who were the enemies of Jesus Christ but do not the Priests so now is not the poor burthened by them and oppressed by them and they are Rulers and Lords over them Do they not sit in the same Seats that the Scribes and Pharisees had they had the chiefest places in Assemblies have not your Priests so now they had the uppermost rooms at Feasts have not your Priests so now they went in long Robes do not your Priests so they were called of men Masters are not your Priests so now do not they hold the same things that they did and yet say they are sent of Christ they are worse then the Scribes and Pharisees for they sat in Moses Seat pretending to do justice but did not for Moses was a just and faithfull servant set over the people a man fearing God and hating covetousnesse but they were covetous and laid heavie burthens upon the people and were Masters whereas Moses was but a servant And Jesus Christ himself said VVo unto you Scribes and Pharisees and Hypocrites They knew much and said fair but they did not act accordingly their words and works were not one therefore it was Hypocrisie and it is the same now that it was then with those that say one thing and do another it is not the hearers but the doers that shall be justified Now Christ is come to set free from these heavie burthens and to ease the people of them his Ministery is free and not burthensome those that are sent of him are to be as be was but the Priests that professe to be sent of him are not
so they are got into a Seat above the Scribes and Pharisees they sit but in Moses Seat pretending to do justice but they did not as they said so the professed Ministers are got up in the Seat of Christ to take off oppression but they are Oppressors for the Ministery of Christ is to feed the hungry and to cloath the naked and let the oppressed go free and to throw down those abominations which the Lord hath sent his true Prophets to crie out against as Pride and covetousnesse and drunkennesse and lying and swearing and oppression but it is held up and contended for by them for they are the Kings of Pride in Towns where they are and their Wives go in their Hoods Vails and Rings which are odious to the Lord and poor people are burthened by them instead of setting free they keep in bondage Where is the hungry fed by them Where is the naked cloathed Where is the oppressed set free Christ saith unto his Be not ye called Masters but they do not obey him that professeth to be sent of him and Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever Jesus Christ said there should come salse Prophets in Sheeps cloathing but saith he inwardly they are ravening Wolves making fair shews and professing God and Christ in words but in wâ—rks deny him having fine words fair pretences green and flourishing in profession high in Notion having a form of godlinesse in words but deny it in life and conversation inwardly â—â—ey are râ—vening Wolves full of wrath anger and envy and maliciousnesse pride and covetousnesse but saith Jesus Christ By their fruits ye shall know them for every Tree is known by its fruits and saith he They will say and do not See what Paul speaketh in 2 Timoth. 3. vers 1 2 3 4.5 6. he seeing false Teachers going forth gave a description how they might be knowne Of this sort are they saith he proud covetous self-lovers boasters heady high-minded railers false-accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those which are good lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a form of godlinesse but denying the power thereof from such turn away First look at the Trees and then at the fruits and see if this sort of men be not such now and have been so a long time but the Lord is risen in the hearts of the people and hath opened their eyes that were blinde and causes them to see clearly and bids them let their light shine forth to others that sit in darknesse But he is comming to take away the Vail that is spread over all Nations and then shall they see clearly but those that have eyes may see that this sort of men preach now and that for Hire which is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ Do not proud men preach Do not covetous men preach Do not self-lovers preach Do not heady high-minded men preach Do not railing men Preach Do not false-accusing men Preach Do not men that are despisers of those that are good Preach Do not men that live in pleasures Preach and all those sorts of men Preach and Hirelings too oppressing and burthening the Creation Those that have eyes may plainly see that these were never sent of God the Ministers of Christ were what they spoke they walked answerable to their Ministery that it might not be blamed and that the Ministery of Christ might not be burdensom they walked as Examples to others Can a proud man lead off from pride he may speak against it but if he speak against it and live in it he is an Hypocrite Can a covetous man lead off from covetousnesse or can a drunken man lead off from Drunkennesse or can a malicious man lead off from maliciousnesse Can an Oppressor lead off from oppression Can a man that follows pleasures lead off from pleasures and wantonnesse or a man that follows the wayes of unrighteousnesse can he lead off from them he may speak against them but if he speak against them and live in them or any of them he is an Hypocrite and one that Jesus Christs speaketh of that sayes and does not and so is an evill example a pattern to follow the wayes of ungodlinesse The Ministers of Jesus Christ were examples for others to walk by see Titus 1. They were blamelesse as they Stewards of God not self-willed not soon angry not given to wine no strikers not given to fifthy lucre where is your example among all your profest Ministers they were lovers of hospitalitie they were lovers of good men they were holy they were just they were tempâ—rate where is your example they were what they spoke Paul laboured night and day that he might not make the Gospel of Chrâ—st burthensome but on the contrary that he might be an example to them that followed him where is your example See what Paul saith to the Thessalonians saith he in 2 Thess 3.7 8. he was an example and not he but the rest also and the people were taught by their godly conversation to walk accordingly for saith he your selves know ye ought to follow us for we behaved not our selves disorderly among you neither did we eat any mans bread for nought but wrought with labour and travell night and day that we might not be chargeable to any but to make our selves examples unto thâ—m that follow us where is your example see 1 Thes 2.5 for saith he we use not flattering words as ye know he called them to witnesse it neither a cloak of covetousnesse God is witnesse they were so free from covetousnesse that they called God to witnesse it who searches the Hearts Nor of men sought they glory neither of them the Thessalonians nor of others when they might have been burthensome but were willing not onely to impart the Gospell of Christ unto them but their own souls also they were so dear unto them Verse 9. The love of God is so where it is made manifest in realitie They laboured night and day because they would not be chargeable to any of them and preached the Gospell freely as they had received it from the Lord Ye are witnesses and God also say they how holily and justly and unblamedly we behaved our selves among you Where is your example for freenesse for holinesse for blamelesnesse and they both exhorted and comforted them as a Father his Children The Ministers of Christ did so but the Ministers of the world they are without among the false Prophets all Preaching for Hire and making the Gospell of Christ burdensom which is contrary to Jesus Christ He that saith he is in Christ ought to walk as he walked did ever he Preach for Money or did he give forth command for his to take Hire how dare any of you Hirelings say you are sent of Christ did he say one thing and do another was he not what he spoke in all things were not his Ministers examples for others to walk by and exhorted others to minde their conversation saith Paul Be ye followers of â—e as dear Children even as I am a followor of Christ and Christ saith Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Now those that were his true Ministers they followed his example and they exhorted others to follow them and he that is taught of Christ now abideth in his Doctrine but he that abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ is a Devill and he that saith he is in Christ ought to walk as he walked in all holy conversation Then you that pâ—ofesse your selves to be his Ministers and to be sent forth from him where did you receive a Commission of him to be taskmastâ—rs or to take Hire or to be proud or covetous or to live in pâ—easures or to live in Hypocrisie to say that you are not They â—â—t were sent forth by him were sent freely and to undo the heavie buâ—dens and to be examples for others to walk by Where did you receive your Masterie Christ saith Let him that is greatest among yoâ— be your servant and Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever Where did Christ make use of outward means to back him but he denied it and was persecuted by it Where did he envie and haâ—e and oppresse any Walk according to him if you be sent of hâ—â— and do not persecute and hate and envie and go to Law foâ— neither he nor his did and if you be sent of him make proof of your Ministerie as they did that he sent forth and cause not the Gospell of Christ to be burdensome and blamed by you The true Ministers gave no occasion of offence in any thing that their Ministerie should not be blamed see 2 Cor. 6. vers 3 4 5 6 7 8 9.10 But in all things approved themselves as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in prisons in tumults in labours by watchings by fastings by puritie by knowledge by long suffering by kindnesse by the Holy Gâ—ost by love unfeigned by the Word of truth by the Power of God by the armour of righteousnesse on the left hand and on the right by honour and dishonour by evill report and good report as deceivers and yet true as unknown and yet well known as dying and behold we live as chastened and not killed as sorrowfull yet alway rejoycing as poor and yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things See where such examples as these are to be found now amongst your professed Ministerie His Ministers were persecuted of the world because they were to declare against the vanitie of the world but the Ministers that the world sets up live in the vanitie of the world and are persecutors vain light and prophane in their lives and conversations and so are patterns of ungodlinesse walking on in Hypocrisie and persecuting the Saints of the most hâ—gh God whom the Lord hath redeemed from the vain conversatâ—on of the world His Ministers were never persecutors VVo to he Idol-Shepheards wo unto them for they have gone in the way of Can and have runn greedâ—â— after the errour of Balaam for reward 〈◊〉 perished in the gainâ—â—ing and so shall them except they repâ—â—t Thomas Aldam Elisabeth Hooton William Pears Benjamin Nichalson Jane Holmes and Mary Fisher Prisoners of the Lord at York Castle 1652. FINIS