blind by this he kils and quickens by this he saves and damns and all that ever he doth in this Kingdom he doth by his word and without this he doth nothing of all that he doth Christ doth all in his Kingdom by the word only but Antichrist doth all things without the word even by the Decrees and Constitutions of men Now as Christ doth all other things in the Church by the word so he reforms too Now are yee clean through the word that I have spoken to you All the powers in the world cannot reform the Church as the word of God can do for this is quick and powerfull and sharper then a two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and doth change and renew and reform all and therefore Christ when hee comes to reform the Church comes with no worldly power or weapons but onely with the word in his mouth yea though God set him King upon his holy hill of Sion yet he reforms not by outward power but by preaching saying I will publish the decree whereof the Lord hath said unto me Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And again The Spirit of the Lord is upon mee for he hath annointed mee to preach the Gospel And again The Redeemer shall come to Sion and then follows the Covenant of God with the Redeemer My word shall never depart out of thy mouth Isa. 59. 10. and in Psalm 45. the Church saith by the Spirit to Christ Ride on prosperously on the word of truth meeknesse and righteousnesse which is the word of the Gospel And so Christ when the time of Reformation was come went up and down preaching the word And thus he brought to passe the glorious Reformation of the New Testament by preaching the Gospel of the Kingdome and nothing else And when hee was to leave the world hee sent his Disciples to carry on the work of Reformation as hee himselfe had begun it as hee saith As my Father sent mee so send I you not with the power of the world but with the power of the word and so hee bid them goe teach all Nations and preach the Gospel to every creature and by teaching and preaching to the world to reforme the world and so accordingly they did Mark 16. ver. 20. They went forth and preached every where the Lord working with them So that Christ sent them not forth with any power of swords or guns or prisons to reforme the world or with any power of States or Armies but sent forth poor illiterate mechanick men and only armed them with the power of the word and behold what wonders they wrought by that power alone They turned the world upside downe they changed the manners customes religion worship lives and natures of men they carried all oppositions and difficulties before them they won many in most Kingdoms unto Christ and brought them into willing subjection and obedience to him and all this they did I say not with any earthly or secular power but by the ministery of the Gospel alone Christs great and onely Instrument for the conquering subduing and reforming of the Nations And so the power appeared to be Gods onely and not the creatures And thus you see how the word is one means Christ useth for Reformation And this word only works a right Reformation For this reforms truly and indeed all other power reforms but in appearance So that there is no true reformation of any thing but what is wrought by the word but what ever evill is reformed and not by the power of the word it is not truly reformed it is onely reformed in the flesh and not in the spirit it is only suspended in the outward operation of it but the seed and nature of it still remaines in the heart to grow up and work again as opportunity serves And therefore what-ever evill or corruption is reformed in thee see it be reformed by the power of the word if the word hath killed it in thee it is killed indeed if not it is alive in thee though it seeme to be dead The outward power of the world may set up an image of Reformation but it is the word onely can work true Reformation And therefore let us learn to rely on the word for the Reformation of the Church For this is much for the honour of the word which God hath magnified above all his Name when wee can neglect the power of the world and leave the whole work of Reformation to the power working and efficacy of the word alone which is almighty and able to bring off the heart from all things to God As on the contrary it is a great dishonor to God and his word when men dare not relie on the word alone to reform the Church though it be stronger then men and Angels and all the creatures but will needs be calling in the power of the world and rest and rely on that for this work as if the power of the word were not sufficient But let such men know that if the power of the word will not reform men all the power of the world will never do it And therefore well said Luther Praedicare annuntiare scribers volo neminem autem vi adigam I will preach and teach and write but I will constrain no body Oh therefore that our civill and Ecclesiasticall powers would so much honour Christs Word as to trust the reformation of his Kingdome with it and that as it is sufficient to reform the Church so you would be pleased to think it sufficient and thus shall you give Christ and his Word due honour as well as declare your own faith And if you would commit this work to the power of the word to which onely it belongs you should soon see what the Word would do There is no such glorious sight under heaven as to see the Word in the spirit and power of it come in to an unreformed world and to observe the changes and alterations it makes there And thus you see that one means that Christ useth for the Reformation of his Church is the Word But here I must further declare to you that this Word by which Christ reforms the Church is not the Word of the Law for the Law made nothing perfect but the Word of the Gospel This this is the onely Word that works Reformation For first 1. This Word works faith and therefore it is called the word of faith because faith comes by hearing of this Word Rom. 10. ver. 8. and v. 17. Now as the Word workes faith so faith apprehends the Word even that Word that was with God and was God this living and eternall Word dwels in our heart by faith as the Apostle saith That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith And this Word dwelling in us by faith changeth us into its
Right Reformation OR The Reformation of the CHURCH of the NEW TESTAMENT Represented in GOSPEL-LJGHT In a Sermon preached to the Honourable House of COMMONS on Wednesday November 25. 1646. Together with a REPLY to the chief Contradictions of Master LOVE'S Sermon preached the same day All published for the good of the Faithfull at their desire By WILLIAM DELL Minister of the Gospel attending on his Excellency Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX Iohn 7. 12. And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him for some said He is a good man others said nay but He deceiveth the people Iohn 16. 3. And these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor Me Credo me Theologum esse Christianum in regno veritatis vivere ideo me debitorem esse non modo affirmandae veritatis sedetiam asserendae defendendae seu per sanguinem seu per mortem Luther LONDON Printed by R. White for Giles Calvert at the Black-spred-Eagle near the West end of Pauls 1646. TO THE HONOVRABLE THE COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT Honourable and Worthy AS the LORD represented these truths to you before in the Ministery of the Word so now again He offers them to your second consideration in this Printed Book because he hath a minde you should take notice of them And I must needs say it is the LORD's voyce to you and I hope he will move your hearts to regard it though Satan hath mightily bestirr'd himself by casting an ill Vizzard upon the Truth to make you dislike it But if you like CHRIST the worse for a Face spit on and buffeted you may want a SAVIOUR And if you like the truth of CHRIST the worse for a scratcht Face you may make your dwelling place with Errour Humane Doctrines wch are all one Micaiah had no sooner delivered the truth of GOD but there was a False Prophet to smite him on the face the LORD no sooner prepares Instruments to reveale his truth but Satan hath his instruments ready to turn the truth of GOD into a lye And this GOD suffers to be done to exercise your skill and wisdome that you might learn not to be offended at the truth with the World but to receive and love the truth notwithstanding all the indignities and reproaches of men When you reade what you have heard you must needs acknowledge it to be the minde of GOD if you received the anointing of the Spirit and the truth herein contained shall prevaile with all that belong to GOD For my part I am not carefull touching the successe of it I can trust GOD with that whose Word it is For as the Doctrine of the World hath the weak power of the World to carry on that so the Doctrine of Iesus Christ hath the mighty power of GOD to carry on that and the power of GOD in the World shall as soon be made void as the true Doctrine of the Gospel though called Errour Heresie Schisme and have all the misguises of Hell put upon it The truth you then heard delivered and may here reade again shall carry all opposition and opposers before it and none shall be able to stand against it that ingage against it And of this both your selves and this generation shall be Witnesses If any think that I gave too much power to CHRIST in the Reforming of the Church his own Body let them consider again that too much cannot be given to CHRIST in GODS kingdome seeing he is all in all in it Neither is that exaltation the Gospel gives to CHRIST in this Businesse any diminution to your selves neither by making CHRIST all in the Kingdome of GOD are you made ever the lesse in the Kingdomes of this World But what ever power the Word of GOD hath given you I will deny you none of it nay I will be among the first that shall attribute it to you And do desire you would no more any of you be displeased for attributing the Reformation of the Church to CHRIST alone then the Redemption Iustification Sanctification or Glorification of it to CHRIST alone The former being every whit as great and glorious a work of CHRIST as the latter I do most willingly allow you your Thrones in the Kingdoms of this World but only desire to reserve to Christ his own Throne in the Kingdome of GOD There are those indeed that would lift you up to this Throne not because they would have you sit there but place them there they would ascribe to you the power only due to the Sonne of GOD not because they would have you use it but would use it themselves they would derive power from you to do that which they say you cannot do and the power they attribute to you in the things of GOD they say is not well in your hands but in theirs And here I would desire you to take notice of the working of the Mysterie of Iniquity from the Head to the very Little-toes of the Man of Sinne At first you know the Pope interested himself in the Emperour and Powers of the World for his own advantage and support no doubt rather then for theirs after the Prelates successively said to worldly Kings Lend us your power and we will lend you ours Let our spiritual power deale in temporal things and your temporal power shall deale in spirituall things and still the Clergy-power which call'd it self spiritual so linkt it self with the temporal that the power that was not of God might be upheld by the power that was of God and having got this advantage they cried Destroy one Destroy both and so the Prelates were wont to say No Bishop no King And their successors in the Kingdome of Antichrist still cry No Minister no Magistrate and so still mingle interests and powers with the civil Magistrate that under the Magistrate the power of GOD they might cunningly shrowd that power that is not of GOD And thus they still under the name of the Magistrate seek themselves and the drawing of that power that is only his from him to themselves to whom it doth not belong Being in the mean time really against Magistracy further then it is serviceable to their own ends Whereas we reckon Magistracy not lesse Magistracy no lesse the Ordinance of GOD though we suffer under it and by it This Clergie-Antichristian power where ever it is will still sit upon the power of the Nation the power of Antichrist so domineering over the powers of the World that none but the power of CHRIST can cast it off That will still be uppermost what power soever is supream Besides all the experience of former Ages which is the greatest wonder in the World that men consider not GOD gives you sparklings enough of it in this Age some preaching That the government of the Church which they make outward and visible and over mens estates bodies and lives belongs not to King nor Parliament but to the Ministers and their
Elders and better it is there should be no government at all say they then not in their hands by whom it should be And here lyes the Mysterie of Iniquity in this That they make the whole Kingdome a Church and then require a power authority and jurisdiction in their Church-Kingdome which the Magistrate is not to deale withall but themselves Whereas we acknowledge the whole power of the Kingdome to belong to the Magistrate and onely give unto CHRIST the power of his own Kingdome which is not of the World but spirituall and heavenly And here also fully to deliver my selfe from misapprehensions I understand not by the Church of CHRIST any company of men whatsoever who under the notion of a Church or Saints or any other title may pleade priviledge or exemption of their lives liberties or estates from the power of the Civil Magistrate for that were to justifie the Papal Prelatical or any other government of a newer name which under pretence of Ius Divinum shall set up and exercise an outward and visible power and jurisdiction free and exempted from the authority and power of the civil Magistrate which I utterly both deny and detest as Antichristian And therefore I humbly represent how prejudiciall this may prove to you in the end to suffer a Generation of men in the Kingdome under the name either of Church or Clergie whose power preferment and interest is different and excentricall from the power welfare and interest of the Kingdome and what a ballance they may prove against the State where they live in turning and tumultuous times as they themselves know so I hope you clearly perceive it as well as they How they already dare lift up the Head against you who sees not How do they manifest their discontents against you in Pamphlets and Pulpits in their Sermons and Prayers because you have not setled the Government they have studied out for you as Ius Divinum and the certain and unchangeable minde of GOD though they can neither make it out to your selves nor to any body else by the Word that it is so And how do they labour to instill into the people their own discontents perswading them you have done nothing at all because you have not done all that ever they would have you do though you can see neither Scripture nor reason for it And for this cause rendering you every where odious to the people Many other things besides do they scramble up and use against you which they conceive may make for your disadvantage and dis-interest in the people because they think they shall never get much higher except they make you a little lower for they must according to the law of Antichrist set their feet on your power to get up to their own Some discoveries of this spirit you might see in Mr. Loves Sermon telling you before your faces and before the people That some call'd you a Mungrell Parliament Indeed the King as I understand call'd the Parliament at Oxford so but Mr. Love was the first for ought I can learne that ever named you so and I wish he may be the last but any Doctrine is Orthodox out of a mans mouth of his Order farther threatning you with a discerning people to look into your actions and to spy out your boundlesse priviledges as if you must do justice not out of the love of Righteousnesse but out of fear of Mr. Loves discerning people Telling you also The Clergie had done as much service for you in their Pulpits as your Regiments in the Field that by this means he might minde you what they can do against you as well as for you if you be not servants to their designes for they that have heretofore been for you can if they please turn to others against you who shall be more for themselves And in many other things flying out against your worthy Commanders in the Army upon suspitions of his own and against the Articles at Oxford c. For it is no proper Presbyterial Doctrine that does not at least meddle with the affairs of the State which in time they may hopefully come to order In these and divers other things he took his full swinge all of them no doubt deeply appertaining to the mysterie of the Gospel The other things he spake to the disadvantage of the ignorant and weak and neither to the Truths disadvantage nor mine I shall clear in a short Reply set after the Discourse and so shall trouble you no farther with any such stuffe but only with a smart expression from one it seems of some note in the Assembly who said If the Parliament approved Mr. Dells Sermon it were no blasphemy to say They were no Parliament So that it seems you shall be no longer a Parliament then you approve what the Assembly approves but the Kingdome hopes you are built upon a better foundation And to him who hath been so bold with you I shall only crave leave to Reply in your presence If the Assembly which I hope they will not should condemne that Doctrine of the Gospel for the substance of it delivered then by Mr. Dell it will be no blasphemy to say They are the enemies of the truth of Christ And I hope the last prop of Antichrist in the Kingdome For your selves Honourable and Worthy I beseech you consider that GOD is wonderfull in counsel and excellent in working and that all power is given to CHRIST in Heaven and in Earth that he might give free passage to the Gospel And therefore take heed after GOD hath blest your Power and Forces in the field and subdued that Malignant power that was against you and hath given you a little peace and quietnesse in the Kingdome you do not now begin your affaires with discountenancing disrelishing much lesse condemning the faithfull and true Word of GOD witnessed in the Scriptures and confest to by the faithfull and Martyrs of Christ in all Ages and with the setting off from you that Ministery that hath most of the Spirit in it lest the Lord withdraw his presence from you and your latter end be not answerable to your beginnings It might be easily shewed unto you how many great and wise Kings and Magistrates acting according to humane wisdom and prudence and despising or neglecting the wisdome of the Word have with all their own wisdome prudence and designes destroyed themselves and their Kingdomes For it is written He takes the wise in their own craftinesse And again The Lord knowes the thoughts of men that they are but vaine And therefore renounce the wisdom of the world with all its fleshly Counsels and cleave close to the true faithfull and sincere Doctrine of the Gospel and then though you have many enemies and Kingdomes against you you shall not be moved but GOD will yet establish you in all the shakings of the World and your Enemies shall be as a thing of nought I shall no longer detaine you but only desire this
Constitutions by the sacred power or Clergy for externall conformity in outward duties of outward worship and government and to have these confirmed by civill sanction and inforced upon men by secular power when in the mean time all that inward corruption and sin they brought with them into the world remains in their hearts and natures as it did before After this manner the old Prelates reformed who were wont to say to the Kings Wee will studie out the faith and you shall maintain it and the faith they studied and brought to the Kings the Kings must maintain and not question but that it was Jure Divino And thus you see in generall what Gospel Reformation is and that it is a cleer different thing from Civil-Ecclesiasticall Reformation 2. Now in the next place let us see how this Gospel Reformation is qualified whereby the difference between this and the other will appear yet more cleerly First then it is a spirituall Reformation For as the Kingdome of Christ is a spirituall Kingdome so all the things that belong to it are spirituall things and so the Reformation of it A carnall Reformation is not sutable to a spirituall Kingdom And spirituall it is because it proceeds from the Spirit and stands in spirituall things as you shall see more fully anon But now the Reformation of the Civill and Ecclesiasticall State is but a carnall Reformation wrought by the power of flesh and blood and stands in outward and fleshly things as you shall presently see Secondly It is an inward Reformation For as the Kingdome of God is an inward Kingdome the kingdome of God is within you so the Reformation that belongs to it is an inward Reformation This true Gospel Reformation layes hold upon the heart and soul and inner man and changes and alters and renews and reforms that and when the heart is reformed all is reformed And therefore this Gospel Reformation doth not much busie and trouble it selfe about outward forms or externall conformity but onely minds the reforming of the heart and when the heart is right with God the outward form cannot be amisse And therefore saith Christ touching the worship of the New Testament God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth but speaks not one word of any outward form So that God in this Gospel Reformation aims at nothing but the heart according to the tenour of the new covenant Jer. 31. 33. This shall be the covenant that I will make with them after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts so that they shall not onely have the word of the letter in their books but the living word of God in their hearts and God intending to reform the Church begins with their hearts and intending to reform their hearts puts his word there and that living word put into the heart reforms it indeed But now Civil-Ecclesiasticall Reformation is onely outward and busies st selfe in reforming the outward man in outward things and so is very industrious and elaborate about outward forms and outward orders and outward government and outward confession and outward practice and thinks if these be put into some handsomâ—nesse and conformity they have brought about an excellent Reformation though the heart in the mean time remain as sinfull vile and corrupt as ever and so altogether unreformed And so this Reformation is like that Reformation of the Scribes and Pharisees notorious hypocrites who made clean onely the outside of the cup or platter leaving them all filthy and unclean within and whited over sepulchres to make them beautifull outwardly when inwardly they were full of rottennesse and corruption So Civill-Ecclesiasticall Reformation makes a man clean outwardly with an outward Confession of faith when inwardly hee is all filthy through unbelief and whites him over with a few handsome forms of worship when inwardly hee is full of ignorance of God and Atheism Obj. Now if any ask But must there be no change of outward things in the Reformation of the Gospel Answ. I answer Yes an outward change that flows from an inward but not an outward change without an inward much lesse an outward change to enforce an inward 3. It is a thorow Reformation for it reforms the whole man it reforms not the soul onely but the body too and the very spirit of the mind the spirit as it animates and quickens and acts the body is called the soule as it is in it selfe in its owne nature and essence so it is called the spirit of the mind and this Gospel Reformation reforms all that is both inward and outward and outward and inward man yea the inwardest of the inward man and not only the operations of the soul in the body but of the soul in its selfe But Civill-Ecclesiasticall Reformation reforms by halfs it reaches the body and orders that but attains not to the soul much lesse to the spirit of the mind Again Gospel Reformation reforms sin wholly aswell as the man it reforms all sin whatsoever I will turn my hand upon thee saith God by this Gospel Reformation and will purely purge away thy drosse and take away all thy tinne It reforms a man not only of outward sins but of inward It reforms him of those sins that seldome come forth into the view of the world as Atheisme ignorance of God pride vain-glory self-seeking hypocrisie carnall mindednesse and all the evill desires of the flesh and of the minde Yea it doth not only reform all evill things in us but all imperfect things 〈◊〉 doing away imperfect things by the coming of perfect things doing away our own strength by the coming in of Gods strength and our own wisdome and righteousnesse by the coming in of Gods wisdome and righteousnesse But now Civill-Ecclesiasticall Reformation reforms sin by the halfs aswell as the man and so only reforms outward and grosse sins such as run into the eyes of the world which are the least by a thousand times of the evils that a man hath and acts but the greatest part of sin it still leaves within as it was Fourthly It is a powerfull and mighty Reformation It is wrought in a man by the very power of God even by the right hand of his Righteousnesse And so no sin lust corruption though never so mighty is able to refist this work of God by the Gospel but it makes the whole body of sin and the whole kingdome of the Divell fly in pieces before it The power of God in creating and redeeming the elect may as well be resisted as the power of God in reforming them for it is a power above all power that God puts forth in this work and so is not to be made void by any creature In every stroke of this work the power of the Lord God Almighty is put forth as every rightly reformed Christian knows
own likenesse as fire changeth the Iron into its own likenesse and takes us up into all its own vertues And so the word dwelling in the flesh reforms the flesh and it dwels in us through faith and faith is wrought by the Gospel So that the Word whereby Christ reforms is not the Word without us as the Word of the Law is but the Word within us as it is written The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart and this is the word of Faith If thou live under the Word many years and if it come not into thy Heart it wil never change thee nor reform thee And therefore the reforming Word is the Word within us and the Word within us is the Word of faith 2. The Gospel reformes because it doth not only reveal Christs righteousnesse as it is written The righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith but also it communicates it to us And therefore it is called the Word of righteousnesse because it works righteousnesse So that Christ the righteousnesse of God is conveyed to us through this Word of righteousnesse And when the righteousnesse of God revealed in the Gospel comes and dwels in us what Reformation of sin doth this work all sin perisheth at the rebuke of his countenance for the righteousnesse of God will endure no sin in us And so the Gospel reformes by working righteousnesse in us 3. The Gospel reformes because it shews us Christ and by shewing us him it changeth us into his Image the more we see Christ in the Gospel the more are we made like unto him that as we have born the Image of the earthly so we may bear the Image of the Heavenly Adam 2. Yea the Gospel shews us God in Christ in all his glory and changeth us into that glory of God which is shewn us we all saith Paul with open face beholding as in a glasse and this glasse is the Gospel the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord so that the Gospell by shewing us God changing us into the Image of God and God through the Gospel ariseth on us till his glory be seen upon us And thus you see the grounds of the Gospels Reformation So that now the Word of the Gospel is the only Reforming Word and if there be never so much preaching if it be but Legal it wil reform no body aright because there can be no working Faith nor communicating righteousnesse nor changing men into Gods Image and so there can be no true Reformation And thus much for the first Means of Reformation which Christ useth which is the Word and this Word the Gospel 2. Means the Spirit For the Spirit accompanies the Word in the Ministry of the Gospel and therefore the Gospel is called the Ministration of the Spirit that is the Word and Spirit in union and operation In the Law there was the Letter without the Spirit and so that could do nothing but in the Gospel the Word and the Spirit are alwayes joyned and therefore saith Christ The words that I speak are spirit and Life that is they come from the spirit and carry spirit with them And this Spirit that is present in the word of the Gospel and works in it and is given by it reforms mightily and therefore it is called the spirit of judgement and burning And the Lord looking to this time of reformation promised long before to pour out his Spirit upon all flesh and so to reform all flesh Now the Spirit poured forth upon the flesh reforms it two wayes 1. By taking away all evils out of the flesh 2. By changing the flesh into its own likenesse 1. The Spirit poured forth upon the flesh reforms it all by taking all evil out of the flesh As first all Sin and Corruption saith Paul If you mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit yee shal live the deeds of the flesh are not to be mortified by any power but by the Spirit all pride and envy and lust and covetousnesse and carnal mindedness and all other evils of the flesh are reformed by the presence of the Spirit in it and no other way 2. The Spirit reforms not only all Sins in the Church but all Errors and Heresies and false doctrines as is evident by that of Paul 1 Cor. 1. 12. If any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble every mans work shal be made manifest for the day shal declare it because it shal be revealed by fire and the fire shal try every mans work of what sort it is c So that a man may lay Christ for a foundation and yet build wood hay and stubble upon him that is humane doctrines and the inventions of men and false and wicked opinions 2. The destruction of this hay wood and stubble error herefie and humane doctrines in the Church of God that is the people built on Christ shal not be by Laws of States or Constitutions of Councels but by the Holy Ghost which is as fire The Spirit shal come into the Saints and burn up all that corrupt and false doctrine that wil not indure the Spirit and error shal never be destroyed but by the Spirit of truth So that the Spirit reforms all error as wel as all corruptions in the faithful 2. The Spirit doth not only reform the flesh by taking away all evil out of it whether corruptions or errors but also it changeth the flesh into its own likenesse For the Spirit is as fire that changeth every thing into its self and so doth the Spirit in the flesh make the flesh spirituall like heavenly fire it changeth men into its own likenesse and makes them spiritual heavenly holy meek good loving c. And thus the Spirit reforms indeed When the Spirit is poured forth upon a man how wonderfully doth it reform him this works a change in him in goodearnest and no man is ever truly reformed til he receive the Spirit And thus you see the means that Christ useth to work this Reformation and these are the only Means Object Yea but I hope you wil allow secular power too May not the Spiritual Church of Christ be Reformed with worldly and secular power Ans. I answer by no means and that for these Causes 1. Forceable Reformation is unbeseeming the Gospel for the Gospel is the Gospel of peace and not of force and fury Civil-Ecclesiasticall reformation reforms by breathing out threatnings punishments prisons fire and death but the Gospel by preaching peace And therefore it is most unbeseeming the gospell to do any thing rashly and violently for the advancement thereof for the gospell of peace is not to be advanced by violence and therefore violent Reformers live in contradiction to the Gospel of Peace and cannot be truely reckoned Christians but enemies to Christianity sith
the assemblings of the Saints both publikely and privately as occasion serves seeing this can be no prejudice to the State but a great advantage in as much as they meet peaceably and make no tumults and in their assembling pray for the peace and welfare of this divided and distracted Kingdome And also that you take heed of scattering those Churches that meet in the Name and Spirit of Iesus Christ which are Christs own gathering togâ—ther least Christ so scatter you abroad that you never be gathered together again 5. That you take heed you do nothing to the prejudice of the faithfull Gods own people as he hath warned you by the Spirit saying Touch not mine anoynted and do my prophets no harm This place hath been miserably mistaken for the Kings of the earth and the Clergie have shared it between themselves whereas indeed it belongs to neither for Gods anoynted are the faithfull that are anoynted with the Spirit the oyle of God and so are anoynted as Christ was anoynted And these anoynted ones are the Lords Prophets and the Lord hath no Prophets but such as are anoynted with the Spirit Thus Christ was made the Lords Prophet The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he hath anointed me to preach the Gospell and thus are all his Brethren made Prophets being fellows with him in his Unction And therefore take heed how you meddle with the Lords anoynted ones and with the Lords Prophets for as it is said He suffered no man to do them wrong yea he even reproved Kings for their sakes saying Touch not c. So the Lord hath still the same care of the same people and will suffer no man to do them wrong but will reprove Kings and Parliaments and Kingdomes and Cities and Counties and Committees he will reproove them all for their sakes and say Touth not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm for they rhat are anoynted with the Spirit are the flesh of Christ and the Prophets of God and therefore touch them and harm them aâ— your own perill It grieves me to see the rest of the Kingdome touching these anoynted ones of God and doing harm to these his Prophets abusing and spoyling and imprisoning them It would grâ—â—ve me much more if I should see you doing the same for this would bring you as well as the Kingdome under Gods own reproofe and the reproofe of God who can indure Sixthly and lastly Takeheed you do not hinder the free passage of the Gospell When God hath put his Spirit into the hearts of men take heed how you resist the Word in those mens mouthes for the Word of God in the meanest instrument can never be resisted but will carry all before it The Honour Power Dignity Authority Nobility Magistracy of the Kingdome if they should once stand up to hinder the Word of God the Word of God would carry them all before it And therefore it grieves me to see how the City Country Country Towns Villages do all rise up for the most part against the ministration of the Spirit for this is a certain signe of the undoing of them all God will suffer and indure any sin long but onely the contempt and opposition of the Gospel but when men once rise up against the Gospel in the Spirit and Power of it they are sure to be undone by it and to be shattered all in peeces for this brings swift Vengeance And therefore when I see the generality of the people of of all sorts rise up against the Ministration of the Spirit which God hath now in these dayes of ours set up even in every County for salvation to his people but for a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to the rest I am then exceedingly distressed and pained at the very heart for thee O England and for all thy Cities and Towns and inhabitants for thou that dashest against the Spirit in the Gospell how shalt thou be dashed in peeces thy selfe and there shall be no healing for thee I could hope for Peace again and good dayes suddenly in this Kingdome but for this sin of the contempt and opposing the Gospel and this makes my hopes even at an end and the day of my feare is come forth upon me But oh you honourable and beloved Christians let not your soul enter into those mens secrets neither yet walk in their open and publike wayes for ruin and destruction are in their pathes and the way of peace they shall never knnw seeing God is about to enter into controversie withall flesh for their rising up against the Ministration of the Spirit And therefore be Wise here I beseech you that in the shattering of the Nation if there be no remedy you may be kept together as a blessed remnant and a hopefull seed of the following geneation To Conclude Honourable and Worthy we will be willingly contented to do and suffer all things with you we will cheerfully run through honour and dishonour with you fame and infamy gaine and losse trouble and quietnesse War and Peace life and death and do desire to reserve nothing to our selves Nisi unicum verbum domini but onely the Word of God in its own purity and liberty to preach it and to publish it and to professe it and practise it for the glory of God and his only begotten Son and for the good of his Kingdome and this Kingdome And thus much unto you from the Lord A REPLY To Mr. LOVE'S Contradictions Sir BEcause I would not wrong you in any measure in what you said I went to one who took your Notes in short-hand and hee gave mee what I here set down for yours which I well remember are the things you then spake for the substance of them To which I give you this following Reply Mr. LOVE Cast your eyes upon the begun Reformation though peradventure cried down with Confidence No such thing as the Reformation of the Church c. Reply I taught indeed That the Kingdome of Christ is a spirituall kingdome and the Reformation of it is answerable and that Christ himselfe who is the Lord the Spirit is the Reformer of this spirituall kingdome by his word and Spirit but little thought that any man would have been so blind or worse as to have affirmed the preaching of this spirituall and glorious Reformation was to preach against all reformation Is the Reformation of Jesus Christ which hee works by his word and Spirit in all the faithfull and in all the Churches of the saints no Reformation at all How durst you affirm this Mr. Love Mr. LOVE As if all were encompassed within the narrow heart of man Reply Yet I said plainly enough When the heart is reformed all is reformed and Gospel Reformation though it begins in the inward man ends in the outward Did you Sir accuse mee rightly then or no Mr. LOVE If this be so Race out the first Article of the Covenant Reply I had rather the whole Covenant were
done Mr. LOVE Reformation is no forcing Conscience it meddles not with Conscience it restrains Practice If a Iesuite come from Rome to kill a great Person he does it in Conscience but I meddle not with his Conscience I restrain his Practice Reply Does not your Reformation meddle with Conscience Mr. LOVE Did you speak this of your self at randome as the rest or is this the sense of your Brethren And doth your Reformation only restrain outward Practice Then to tye up mad Dogs and Beares and Tygers is your most excellent Reformation You that will not meddle with the Consciences of men it is no wonder you are making so many iron yoaks for their necks and so many snares and fetters to hamper the outward man the proper subject it seems of your Reformation And thus taking upon your selves the Reformation of the outward man you do indeed put the Magistrates work to an end And then the Assembly may serve in the place of the House of Commons and Sion-Colledge in the place of the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common-Councel See you not yet Oh ye Powers of the World how the Ecclesiastical Powers would â—aâ— you out And for your Iesuite Did you ever hear me say or hint That the Magistrate should not restrain and punish outward wickednesse I wish therefore you would unriddle your selves and tell truly if you dare how far you would limit the Magistrate and inlarge your selves upon the outward man But certainly if the Magistrates power hath under it the whole outward man as indeed it hath And if Christs power have under it the whole inward man as indeed it hath what place then I pray is there left for your Ecclesiastical power when the outward and the inward man are disposed of before Sure when the Magistrate takes his own proper power to himself and Christ his own proper power to himself your power will be found to have no place either in the Worlds Kingdom or GODS but you must find out some third place for it for I will assigne you none left you prove too angry Mr. LOVE The Church of Thyatira might thinke shee had new light and yet God saith I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest the woman Jezabel c. Reply Truly Sir when God shall make you a New Creature you will be glad of New light for behold saith God I make all things New even the light as well as the creature the Old light will serve the Old man wel enough And for the Spirits reproving the Angel of the Church for suffering false and erroneous Teachers doth this prove as you undertake that the Angel of the Church had or exercised civil and secular power in the Church of Christ You erre not understanding the Scriptures for then any thing is suffered in the Church when it is not reproved and condemned by the Word the Word of truth taught and published in the Church will suffer no errour there but you understand this suffering of outward and violent power Do you not remember that I said at the beginning that the carnal Church understands the whole Scriptures carnally Mr. LOVE And now to hear such Sermons preached and Books printed if it had been at Amsterdam it had been no marveil But at London and at Westminster c. Reply Truly such a Sermon as mine might have been preached at Amsterdam or anywhere else where the Gospel hath free passage and such a Sermon as yours might have been preached at Rome or anywhere else where the precious Word of GOD is under restraint and Ecclesiastical power exalts it self both above the power of the Word and the power of the Nation Your Sermon savours as ill to the Faithfull as mine to the World Many other weak passionate inconsiderate erronious things fell from Mr. LOVE neither worth the troubling the Reader with nor my self and so they may perish and rot in their own grave if they will for they shall never receive a Resurrection from me And now at the close of all I desire the Reader to observe the difference between our Enemies and our selves in this great point of Authority and Iurisdiction which is this That We exalt Iesus Christ alone in the spiritual Church and attribute to the Magistrate his full power in the world But they exalt themselves in Christs stead in the Church and set under their feet the Magistrates power in the world And this is so evident that there is some apcration of Satan more or lesse upon him that sees it not FINIS Praesens malejudicat aetas Iudicium melius Posteritatis erit Rev. 3. 11 12. Antichrists Kingdome set up by the carnall understanding of the Scriptures The Reformation of the Church understood carnally The imperfection of the worship of the old Law No outward law can make men perfect as pertaining to the conscience and so the Gospel abolishes all such outward laws imposed on conscience as well now as heretofore Doctr. Gospel Reformation 1. What it is Christ Judgement Christ Righteousnesse Gospel Reformation is 1. Spirituall 2. Inward Matth. 23. 25. 3. Thorows Isa. 1. 25. 4. Powerfull 5. Constant Christ the Reformer Note 1. The care of the Church given to Christ 2. Christ takes it 1. Out of obedience 2 Love 3 The work of Reformation only sutable to Christ 4. Christ only able for the work of Reformation 1. The Word The Gospell Reformes 1. Works faith 2. Communicates Righteousnesse 3. Shews Christ 2. The second meanes Christ useth to reform the Chureh withall 2. All errours Object Answ 1. Unbeseeming the Gospel Though the truth carry its evidence in it self and the Word of God is greater then all the testimonies of men yet for their sakes that are weak I have inserted the judgments of some godly men as I have accidentally met with them who have spoken of these things in the spirit that so you may see the truth though it hath but few followers yet it hath some Melancton on Psal. 110. v. 3. habebis populum non coactum gladio sed verbo collectum laeto corde amplectentem evangelium te sponte celebrantem Discernit igitur ecclesiam ab imperiis mundanis externam servitutem a cultibus cordis accensis voce evangelii a spiritu sancto Ag. Religio cogi non vult doceri expetit Immunitate non stabilitur sed evertitur Polan This Charls to whom Leo gave the title of the most Christian King was a great conquerer and overcame many Nations with the sword and as the Turk compelleth to his faith so he compelled with Violence to the faith of Christ but alas the true faith of Christ whereunto the Holy Ghost draws mens hearts through preaching the Word of truth he knew not c. Tindal Fides sua sponte non coacte agere vult Luth. Christus non voluitâ—vi igne cogere homines ad fidem Luth. Haereticos comburere est contra voluntatem spiritus Luth. He hath given in the Church the sword of the spirit to inforce with and not the sword of the Magistrate Prorsus diversa ratio est regni Christi mundi Mundani Magistratus quae volunt imperant subditi coguntur obedientiam praestare At in Regno Christi quod non est mundana aut pontificia Dominatio sed spirituale regnum nihil simile geritur sed quivis alterius judex quilibet alteri subjectus est At tyranni animicidae illi nihil morantes vocem Christi regnum meum non est de hoc mundo ex Ecclesia Politiam civilem seu potius pontificium imperium constituerunt â—uth Quare ipsam sedem Bestiae nego nihil moratus sit ne bonus vel malus qui in ea se det Sedes inquam quae sit super omnes sedes nulla est in Ecclesia super terram jure divino sed omnes sunt aequales quia una fides unum baptisma unus Christus c. Luth. Where there is no worldly superiority over one another there is no worldly compulsion of one another In the naturall body there is no convocation of many members to govern one or of more members to govern fewer but the foot performes its office without being under the authoritative power of the hands yea each member performs its office aright without being in subordination to another by the guidance of that head to which it is united and of that Spirit that dwels in it each member having an immediate influence of the head upon it self though it may outwardly seem to be further from the head then another member And thus it is in Beleevers and Congregations Quid autem vi coactione opus vobis est qui hujusmodi certamen decertatis in quo cogi nemo debet Ulrichus ab Hutten to the Councel of Priests What need you the power of the Magistrate to defend the truth who have so many Scriptures to defend it the truth of God being to be defended by the Word of God and not by the power of men Idem I could produce many more Testimonies but these are sufficient to shew that I am not alon in this point against Forcible reformation but have the Armory of David to defend it withall on which there hange a thousand bucklers all shields of mighty men 2. Unsutable to Christs Kingdome Isa. 11. 9. Isai. 60. 18. 3. A willing people Psal. 110. 3. 3. Humane institution is set up 4. It brings men into blind obedience 5. It makes Hypocrites 6. Causes Disturbances 7. Christ useth no such outward force 2. Neither commanded his Apostles 1. Object 2. Object Answ 3 b ject Answ 4. Object Answ 5. Obj. Answ 6. Obj. Ans. 7. Obj. Answ Psal. 72. 12. 2. Gods Kingdome