of the Elects called and sanctified estate in Christ by regeneration shewes plainly you do not know what it is to be a Christian indeed and truly for if you did you would know this truth undoubtedly that they that trust in the Lord are as mount Sion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever as testifieth the Prophet Psal. 135. 1. and the Apostle gives the reason of it because the chief corner stone thereof is Christ that holy chosen and precious One and whosoever he be that believeth on him shall not be confounded 1 Pet. 2. 6. And this doctrine is that which our Lord himself hath taught us Vpon this rock saith he I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Mat. 16. 18. Marke what greater contrary power can there be then the gates of hell and yet that even the strength of all the powers of the Devill shall not be able to do that which you affirm they shall and the reason thereof our Lord himself gives Joh. 10. 27 28 29. My sheep heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand my father which gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to pluck them out of my fathers hand I and my Father are one And that great experienced man of the love of God even above the rest of his fellowes speaking of the blessed estate of the regenerated Elect 1 Pet. 1. 2 3 4 5. saith They were elected according to the fore-knowledge of God begotten again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to a glorious undefiled inheritance of which it is impossible we should fail of who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation and those sweet words of our Lord are of efficacy to gain the most contrary heart to the belief of this truth Joh. 17. 11. Holy Father keep through thy holy name those that thou hast given mee that they may be one as we are one Now Arminius see the sure and certain estate of a regenerated Christian so sure as God is sure and unchangeable as Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever eternall as the Holy Ghost even so are they that are made one with God who truly have fellowship with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1. 3. For he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one as brethren are one Heb. 2. 11. and as the tree and the branches are one Joh. 15. 5. even so is Christ and the regenerated man Oh happy are the people that are in such a case Heres At the first I thought what we should find of you but now I have ready a multitude of Scriptures to shew to you that which I maintain to be truth and by them I shall discover you I hope to be untruth The first place is Ezek. 18. 24. When the righteous man turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and dyeth in them he shall die for the iniquity he hath done again our Lord himself saith Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He that is God taketh away that is cutteth off from the Vine Joh. 15. 2. And many of Christs Disciples were offended at the truth of his doctrine and turned away or went backe that is left him for ever Joh. 6. 66. others received the Word gladly and indured for a while believers but when tribulation and persecution did arise because of the Word they were offended and fell away Mat. 13. 21. Lake 8. 13. yea the Apostle is more particular Hebr. 6. 4 5 6. for he speaks of such as were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and had tasted of the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come and yet notwithstanding all this to fall away as not to be renewed again by repentance yea the same Apostle sheweth farther Heb. 10. 29. that a man may be sanctified by the blood of the Testament and afterwards tread under foot the Son of God and count the same blood as an unholy thing and despite the Spirit of Grace And St. Peter 2 Pet. 18. 19 20. speaks of some that were clean escaped from the corruptions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and yet after this to be intangled and overcome again whose latter end is worse then their beginning these and many more are the ground of my doctrine Truth And secondly I answer these Scriptures rightly understood make nothing at all for the maintenance of your error but in truth it teacheth us that we ought heedfully to observe the distinction in one and the same terme which must be generally and really observed throughout the Scriptures which hereafter I shall more fully discover when any of the Anabaptists shall speak and in the mean while I pray consider of the terms in those Scriptures you have alledged as the term faith to believe the Word the affection of joy and gladnesse in the knowledge of it a relish and taste of the sweetnesse and goodnesse in it for the present with some apprehension of the glorious things of the world to come and through the operations of its working in those that received it as that it is said they were washed and sanctified and yet afterwards never the better for all this nay worse at last then at first for it shall aggravate their condemnation this shewes plainly that the new and living way of life is set open unto all by the generall and particular administration of the Gospel and that men by the common gifts of the Spirit may attain to many excellent graces even beginnings to the peculiar and speciall gifts to which whosoever attaineth shall never fall and perish which differing effect of the Gospel is cleerly set forth unto us in the foure grounds mentioned by our Lord the Seeds-man was one and the same and the seed it self was so also and yet took not the same effect in all although it was sowne and cast into them all The high-way side were hard hearted ignorant men whose hearts had not earth to cover the seed and the wicked one came and stole it away in the thorny and stony ground it sprung up into a blade in the one it fail'd because it could not take root for stones in the other because the thornes choakt it the good ground never failed because the seed took deep root the hard way was broken up and ploughed so that the seed was covered that the fowls of the air could not find it to steel it the stones could not hinder the taking root downwards for they were cast out by repentance nor the thornes choake it in springing upwards for the pleasures of this world and the cares of unrighteous riches are both forsaken so that the happy successe and prosperity of it
in hand to take heed we do not mistake the meaning of Gods Word nor to give any other sense or exposition then that which is its own lest we be found such as fight against the Scriptures and by false and lying interpretations violate Gods Law and wage war to kill and slay the two witnesses the old and new Testaments the lamps and light of truth Rev. 11. 7 8. let us take heed of this brethren for the judgement against this sin is written and revealed already to adde or diminish from the Word of God to be a heavie inevitable dismall cursed sentence Deut. 4. 2. Prov. 30. 6. Rev. 22. 18. And if you had considered the Scriptures concerning the name of God and Lord you should have found even the Apostle himselfe to expound to the Church of Corinth what he meant by his speaking or writing to the Church of Ephesus One Lord c. for hee saith there be many Lords and many gods so call'd both in heaven and earth but to us saith he there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and wee in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and wee by him 1 Cor. 8. 5 6. there is but one such a Father and Lord and holy Spirit who is the giver the purchaser and worker of the grace by which we are called in the same one hope of our holy calling Eph. 4. 4. but in other respects the Heathens Idols and the Gentiles gracious Lords are called God and Lord for so did the Gentiles speak of Herod deifying him with a shout saying The voyce of God and not of man and Christian Emperors Kings States and Potentates in regard of authority and jurisdiction are called Lords and Gods in which they do represent God I have said you are gods saith the Scripture but you shall die like men Heres But wee have a plain word for our teaching and baptizing Matth. 28. 19. but you baptize infants for which you haue no word for and therefore it will be said at last Who hath required these things at your hands for indeed you do but continue the mark of the beast in all your babies baptizings Truth Whereas you say Christs words in the last of Matthew proves your preaching and baptizing you say more then you can make good or that I can believe from that Scripture and although there be no expresse words in the Scripture for the baptizing of Infants yet there is as sufficient warrant for it as for most things you practise your selves for what plain word have you for the time of publike assembling or generall meetings what word have you for your people to ordain their Minister what command doth authorize you your self to baptize what word have you when to receive the Lords Supper when to administer it and where who to provide the bread and wine and what bread and of what grain and the wine of what grape you have not a word for women to receive the Sacrament and abundance other particulars practised by you Will you therefore say you do that which you sin in doing so as you say we do I think not The truth is we need not a word for there are generall rules in the Scriptures that include particular practices and divers things under the Gospel being of the same nature under the Law the rules given under the Law serve under the Gospel so the Apostle proves to the Church of Corinth from the Law of Moses Deut. 25. 4. That Ministers of the Gospel should have maintenance that as they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers of the Altar even so hath the Lord ordained that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1 Cor. 9. 13 14. compared with Deut. 18. 1. So we may truly say it is ordained that as the children of believers before Christ both Jewes and Proselytes were to be circumcised Gen. 17. 11 12. Exod. 12. 48 49. so believers and their children since Christ are to be Baptized as St. Peter speaketh the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are a far of even as many as the Lord our God shall call I beseech you observe this place St. Peter here spake to the Jews the men of Judah and Jerusalem vers. 14. Yee men of Israel hear these words saith he vers. 22. so preacheth to them that Jesus was the Saviour of the world whom yee have taken by wicked hands and have killed and being dead was buried who was raised again and now sits at the right hand of the Father and is made the Lord and Christ the alone Saviour of the world and they that gladly receive this doctrine of salvation by Christ were baptized vers. 41. who before had been circumcised Now as the promise did onely belong to Abraham and his Spirituall Seed and yet all his naturall children and the children of believing strangers were to communicate of circumcision which was the outward signe of the Covenant of the righteousnesse by faith as before is proved So likewise under the Gospel the same covenant of life and salvation is made only to Gods chosen faithfull regenerated servants and their spirituall seed yet the naturall children of these faithfull Christians may partake of the outward baptisme which is the outward signification of the baptisme of the heart as circumcision in the flesh was a signe of the circumcision of the heart and according to this rule the place before mentioned and divers other Scriptures speak as Acts 16. 15. that Lydia and her houshold was baptized so the Jailor was baptized and all his that is his houshold and the Apostle Paul baptized the houshold of Stephanus 1 Cor. 1. 16. And our Lord Jesus laid his hands on little children and blessed them and rebuked his Disciples for forbidding them to come Luke 18. 16. and the Apostle is cleer in the resolution of this question to the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 7. 14. saith he the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife and the unbelieving wife by the believing husband else were your children unclean but now are they holy that is in respect they have right unto the outward covenant being born of one that believeth But some of you Anabaptists would have these words holy and unclean to mean bastards or unlawfully born which is such an exposition as was never heard nor read of before and this exposition admits of much absurdity for it nullifies the law of marriage amongst the Heathens who have as certain rules for marriage according to their manner and custome as Christians have for the Scripture prescribes no form Secondly this exposition makes Abraham himself and most of the Patriarchs wives to be bastards for they were the children of Heathens by father and mother as holy Sarah Rebecca Rachel and Josephs wife the mother of Ephraim and Manasses a bastard and that holy
Earth and of the whole World cannot be understood of any but of him that writes himselfe God of Gods and King of Kings and Emperour of the Universe the whole world who giveth for his Ensigne the Moon the very Embleme of the world Observe how the Holy Ghost hath deciphered him for his reigne and residence the East for his religion the earth earthly and sensuall even the idle fancy and corrupt deceit of Mahomet himself mingled and composed of the parings out-side and offall of the profession of Christians Jewes and Heathens and lastly his unparalleld power and jurisdiction to be no lesse then the force and strength of the whole world Now me thinks the meaning of our Lords words doth agree with his servant Johns for by the term Sun our Lord doth mean himselfe the Sun of righteousnesse the truth of the Gospel and it must be a great power that must so oppose the doctrine of the Gospel in Christendome as to turn our light that is the light of men into the darknesse of Mahometisme and that that Egyptian darknesse that hath overspread the greatest part of the world where the Turk hath dominion should darken Christendome also that is the Land of Goshen if the true light should thus be made dark then the Moon that hath no light but from the Sun shall not give her light in our Saviours words and in his meaning also men that are inlightened by him as the Moon is by the Sun shall not give their light for how can they possibly when Christ which is their light is darkened and when the Sun and Moon thus fail then must needs the Stars whether Ministers or Professors all such as are not the faithfull indeed shall fall from heaven to the earth that is from the truth to Mahometisme and in this great storm the powers of Heaven elect and faithfull from which condition it is impossible they should fall yet saith the Text these shall be shaken with the terrible storm which compared with Rev. 6. 12. makes it more cleare for the Sun became as sackcloth of haire saith the Apostle and the Moon became as blood and the Stars of heaven fell unto the earth even as a Fig-tree casteth her untimely figs when shee is shaken with a mighty wind here the Apostle is cleare in understanding the Stars to be not true born Christians but untimely and as St. Jude speaks and calls them wandering stars to whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever vers. 13. But blessed be God for ever that hath bounded and limited this last and great storm that shall fall upon his Church so as the very powers thereof shall be shaken with these comfortable words immediately quickely it shall be over it shall continue but a little season Heres For the opinion of the Millenaries the truth is there is no shew of ground for it in the Scriptures but wee have of late gathered our selves into a Church communion and fellowship and walk together in that order that Christs Word holds out to us finding in our practice the Scriptures true that as Moses was faithfull in all his house as a servant so Christ as a son is faithfull in his house so that we order all things according to the Word and advance Christs Kingdom his Scepter and Law in the purity as the Scriptures do declare believing also that every congregation is independent and that none but Christ hath power to command each congregation and that none ought to be constrained or in the least measure opposed or punished as touching their consciences but every man ought and should live as the light of his conscience leads him Truth By what you express you should be an Independent as some call you and as some of your judgement call or term themselves wherefore I demand of you all that would have generall liberty for every mans opinion whom I mean by Independent where you find it written in Gods Word that you should gather or congregate your selves in that manner as you do you that have been Ministers to leave your pastorall charges and others to forsake their fellow-member-ship in each Congregation for as much as the Law of this Christian Church as touching matters for publike worship and meeting doth incorporate every Congregation or Parish and of many members makes them but one body and yet you from this body schisme and rent your selves and so of divers torn pieces remnants and broken members to patch up a body or congregation of your own invention contrary to the publike order the Statute lawes and ordinances of this Christian Church and against the meaning of the holy Scriptures also and when you your selves have made a body of your own making then to have peculiar priviledges to do what you please with the consent of your members and whatsoever you shall do to be beyond all power or magistracy whatsoever to either question you or punish you although by the rule of Gods Word there be cause and all that all of you have done yet is but outward and externall Now I demand if there be precept or president for any or all these things you do if there be then shew it if you can shew none for so I am sure you cannot then how can you clear your selves but that your practice is of your own inventions For this is your doctrine that those rules and orders which are prescribed by men for the publique worship and service of God being not plainly expressed in Gods Word such lawes and directions are Idolatry and yet will you devise rules and order 〈◊〉 practise them your selves of your own ordaining for which you can bring no expresse word nor true consequence I pray see the conclusion therefore your way of Religion is a wil-worship and therefore Idolatrous and aggravated because it is against the lawfull demands of Christian authority Here I would not be mistaken by what I have said to oppose the private spirituall communion of the Saints according to the Apostles practice and the Holy Ghosts direction Hebr. 10. 25. But you say this Text proves your Church-way Hebrews Chap. 3. Vers 1 2 3 4 5 6. the substance of which Scripture is this that as Moses was faithfull in all his house as a servant so Christ as a son is faithfull over his house you making Moses his faithfulnesse to consist in those prescripts and rules he gave for the Temple or Tabernacle in the form and structure for Priests and their habits for the time of incense sacrifices divine services in the Oracles and Ordinances of God even all the externall form and manner of Gods publike worship and you say that Christs faithfulnesse in his house under the Gospel is not inferiour to Moses under the Law in all externall lawes rules and directions in every particular for as much as Christ is the Son of his own house and as Moses had a word for every thing so Christ hath left a word for every thing It
in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them saith John heard I saying Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lambe for ever and ever And the Prophet David he foretold of this universall subjection of all creatures in the kingdome of Christ in the world to come saith the Author to the Hebrews and understood it in these words admiring at it What is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him thou hast made him a little lower then Angels and the Apostle gives the reason of that Thou hast crown'd him with glory and honour thou hast made him to have dominion over the work of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feete all sheep and oxen yea and the beasts of the feild the fowles of the aire and the fishes of the sea which makes the Prophet fall into a wonderment Oh God our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth Psal. 8. 4. Heb. 2. 6. Now I am come to the two last particulars the time when this glorious kingdome of Christ shall be set up and the place where it shall be continued for ever the time was thus foreshewed to the Prophet David that the time of Christs Churches persecution should not be till his second Appearing in these words When the Lord shall build up Sion he shall appeare in his glory Psal. 102. 16. And this time our Lord himselfe plainly teacheth us to be at the end of this world and not before which truth the Saints and people of God do fully and certainly beleeve although a thousand false Prophets should arise and preach the contrary under what shew or pretence of learning and religion soever they make The cleare and plaine Doctrine of our Lord is this Mat. 13. 39 40 41. The harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are the Angels as therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire so shall it be in the end of this world the Sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdome all scandalous things and all such as do offend them or which doe or worke iniquitie And when the question is made by the servants to the housholder Whether the tares the envious man sowed among the good seede should be pluckt up The Master answers Nay let them both grow together till the harvest and also giveth the reason and sheweth farther what shall be done then and not before both with the tares wheat also although many unwarily do affirm at this time amongst us the contrary yet thus saith the Lord and therefore I would wish all the contrary minded to take notice of it that at his glorious coming shall be the Kingdomes deliverance reigne and perfection and not before therefore saith her Lord and King When the Sonne of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall be sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another is a shepheard divideth his sheep from the goats and then he shall set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left and assigne and put in possession the one to eternall blisse but the other to a perditious eternall wofull cursed condition even binding them into bundles to be burned but the blessed to possesse the Lords own house and habitation for ever Mat. 25. 31 32. Chap. 13. 30. And because this truth hath exceedingly suffered of late by the literal learn'd of this generation who have befoul'd the beauty and purity of it with their dark smokie misty mistakes under pretence of pleading for the Lamb and his wife I shall therefore briefly discover the spirituall learning of the Apostles and Prophets mysterious expressions of this holy truth the holy Apostle John in the Revelations speaks with the same wisdome aid and guidance of the Spirit as the Angel taught Daniel in the same mysteries and their very expressions in many things are alike but more opened and revealed by the Apostle then by the Prophet they both agree in the computation of the time though one writ long before the other and each differing in the rule of reckoning as the manners of the countries in which they lived the one living among the Chaldeans the other among the Hebrews the one computing their times and yeeres according to the course of the Sun the other by the course of the Moon the Hebrews their reckoning is certain thirty dayes to a moneth and twelve moneths to a yeer the Chaldeans they reckon and compute according to the course and rule of the Moon which causes this seeming difference for Johns whole time for Antichrists raign is twelve hundred and sixty yeers in which the two witnesses shall prophesie in sackcloth which as it notes out unto us their spirituall low and humble condition so also their persecuted and suffering estate and condition Rev 11. 3. Now Daniel makes the same very time of the abomination of desolation to be twelve hundred and ninety yeers Dan. 12. 11. reckoning both of them dayes for yeers according as the Prophets did reckon and accompt as I have proved before now I shall make it appear unto you that these two holy men of God that were moved and led by the same Spirit both spake one and the same thing both for the power and mystery of Iniquity and for the full and compleat time of one and the self-same number of yeers for the continuance of it And I prove it thus as thirteen moons are thirteen moneths and these thirteen moneths make but one yeere of twelve moneths reckoning thirty dayes to a moneth and twelve moneths to a yeere by the same rule one thousand two hundred and ninety yeers by the Chaldee reckoning amount but to one thousand two hundred and threescore yeers according to the reckoning of the Hebrews And as they agree in this seeming difference so they do most sweetly consent and agree in the point in hand concerning the time of the beginning of the glorious kingdome of Jesus Christ one and the same Angel teacheth them one and the same truth and although there were neer 500. yeers distance between the times of their prophesying yet the Angels majesty both of doctrine and gesture is one and the same to both all which shewes this doctrine of the time of the Lords coming to restore all things to exalt his Church and Saints to be a most admirable and singular secret and mystery for the continuall comfort and supportation of all his suffering members in all their afflictions and this made the Apostle speaking to the Saints of Thessalonica of the day of the Lords coming his descending from heaven at the last trump and the resurrection of such as are dead in Christ wherefore
And lastly for the space of this long season neer unto the time of seventeen hundred yeers that great and huge Monarchy of the Romans our universall and mighty oppressors have dealt very cruelly with us even worse then all that were before them for their sword hath had a double edge called Force and Deceit cunning and cruelty and for power worse then all that were before them as Iron is the basest for value and hardest for strength for it breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things as one of my deare sons affirmeth Dan. 2. 40. which I and mine have found by dolefull experience all their tedious wofull and odious raign of the Iron legs and durtie toes how dolefull was it in the dayes of our blessed Saviour that that holy Prophet John the Baptist that takes his name from his office the harbenger the forerunner and preparer of the Lords own way that he should be killed and our innocent Lord grievously abuseded wounded crucified also and how was I and my children havocked and cruelly destroyed and wasted presently after the resurrection and ascension of our Lord in those numerous and unparalleld ten persecutions and all wrought and prosecuted against us by those legs of Iron all which power and authority of the legs are now gone and past as a storme that 's over and a tale that 's told and as a great fire that 's quenched excepting only the feet and toes consisting of Iron and Clay matter of two contrary natures in them the solidness and strength of Iron and the weaknesse or bricklenesse of Clay and yet such a powerfull enemy whose cunning craftinesse is managed by deceit and policy in which time iniquity hath and doth abound under the pretence of verity this fourth Monarchy from the first to the last in all the parts of it is deciphered by a strange beast diverse from all the beasts that were before it dreadfull terrible and exceeding in the greatnesse of power and strength it had Iron teeth saith the Prophet and they were great ones to tear and kill by and it devoured saith the Text and brake in pieces and stamped the residue with the feet of it and it had ten horns Dan. 7. 7. Heres But let us prove if his words be true for what is the Babylonian Assyrian Grecian or Roman Monarch to us for we have been and are the spirituall seed of Abraham by faith wee are Christians who have believed are baptized and communicate in all the Ordinances of God we are warranted in the Scriptures for our Church-discipline and government and wee walke in a Church state and Church way in constituting our Congregations in ordaining our Ministers our Pastors our Deacons and Elders Widowes Eunuches and divers holy orders as that of Jesus and John the Baptist Mary Magdalene and abundance more orders of men women and Angels and all these by authoritie of Scriptures and yet will you rank us amongst the Heathens and compare us to the four Ethnick Monarchs long ago past we doubt not but upon further discovery to prove your self to be untruth Truth What ever you are whether Papists Familists Arrians Arminians Anabaptists Brownists Antinomians Millinarists or Monarchists of all sorts and although all and every one of you of each sort gird and bind your selves with the new found common With of Independency yet my self and my little children are able to prove against you all even against the oldest and strongest of you and therefore observe and take notice of it even of the charge it self that so many of you that are not born of sorrow and comfort and have not your parts in mourning and rejoycing of water and the Holy Ghost as the Scripture speaketh I tell you plainly notwithstanding all your outward names and distinctions your affirmed Christianity your Church-way and state your participation in the Word and Sacraments your ordinations and orders and what discipline you are of or any kinde or manner however except I say you be separated or dissevered from naturall men by the vail of regeneration as the Temple of God the Altar and them that worship therein were separated by a vail from the outward and common court erected for the multitude of the house of Israel to offer and sacrifice yea again because the matter I speak of is of such great concernment I speak it the third time except you are by true repentance and assurance of mercy made capable spiritually to eat Christs flesh and to drink his blood thereby to have eternall life in you except you be thus gracious and made spiritually living by regeneration Gods Word I say and the Spirit of truth denominates you reckons and accounts you all among the Heathens and Gentiles Rev. 11. 1 2. and notwithstanding all your outside and overcast Christianity the whole wicked cursed defiled and unregenerate world and you make but one cast-away part one flock of goats for ever to be excluded from the sheep of Christ their sweet and pleasant pastor that flock and fold also Heres This fellow condemnes us all wee are esteemed of him as counterfeits or false coyne he abstaineth from our wayes as from filthinesse yet we marvell how he can prove that we that are Christians are a part of those Monarchs whose severall times and powers are wholly expired consummated and gone Truth As I have in generall proved it already in shewing that all the wicked party in the world make but one fort one cursed side on the left hand so also I prove it further by our Saviour Christs words to the Pharisees in his dayes Matth. 23. 35 That upon you saith hee may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias whom yee slew between the Temple and the Altar Here our Lord layes the murther of Abel and Zacharias to the Scribes and Pharisees charge although the personall actors were dead many yeers before saying to them present whom ye slew and the reason is because all murtherers from the beginning of the world to the end thereof make but one generation all of them even one generation of Vipers persecutors and destroyers Secondly as yet the whole Monarch of the Romans is not expired and past but still in being the feet that were partly iron and partly clay are not wholly consumed nor the mixt matter is not yet abolished for yet craft policy doth prosper in wicked practices to destroy the mighty the people of the holy One by standing up and opposing the Prince of princes who notwithstanding shortly shall be destroyed without hands Dan. 8. 24 25 even that man of sin that son of perdition even that opposer and exalter of himself above all that is called God and as God sitteth in the Temple of God whom the Lord that he opposeth shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and destroy with the brightnesse of his coming notwithstanding all his serpentine working his
power his signs and lying wonders with all deceivablenesse and unrighteousness of them that perish not yet ended 2 Tehs 2. And although this part of the Image have already continued from the 406 yeers of salvation 1238 yeers and shall remain and live yet 22. yeers more to fill up and accomplish his determined compleat number of 1666 Rev. 13. 18. then even then a stone saith the truth that was cut out without hands smote the Image upon his feet that were of Iron and Clay and brake them to pieces together saith the Text and they became like chaffe of the summer threshing floors and the wind carryed them away that no place was found for them and the stone that smote the Image became a greet mountain and filled the whole earth of which great mountain we shall speak further in its due place according to the Prophets understanding it Dan. 2. 34 35. 41 42 43 44 45. And all the false Christs and false Prophets false Apostles and false teachers who shall privily bring in damnable heresies deceitfull workers Matth. 24. 29. Mark 13. 22. 2 Pet. 2. 1. 2 Cor. 11. 13. 1 Joh. 4. 1 are all denominated by the name of Antichrists as the Apostle saith 1 Joh. 2. 18. Little children it is the last time and as you have heard that Antichrist shall come even so now are there many Antichrists whereby wee know it is the last time and this Apostle was well acquainted with these Antichrists these teachers of errors and calls the Antichrist himself the false Prophet Rev. 16. 13. and with him all his wicked Clergie and lying Priests Rev. 19. 20. and as the false teachers of the Synagogue of Rome and by their cunning corrupt doctrine have deceived multitudes and if it were possible would deceive even the very elect so all false teachers before Popery was and such as are now and shall be after it are of the same company the same Church the same Synagogue with them of what sect order or name soever they be as before is touched for as Rome is spiritually called Babylon which by interpretation is confusion so are all the Congregations and Churches amongst us that are gathered built and covenanted by men and according to their own invention and the vision of their own hearts and so are not purchased by the same blood gathered by the Spirits power and built by Gods own hand they are all even all of them spiritually as Rome is even Sodom and Egypt Rev. 11. 8. where also our Lord was crucified Rev. 18. 24. Heres You are very plain and exceeding round with us take heed you be not too wise nor over bold Truth Plainnesse and roundnesse is Truths badge or note of distinction from others so Jacob my son my chosen one is said to be a a plain man Gen. 25. 27. and all my works are perfect round that is without any error as David saith hee hath made the round world Psal. 89. 11. which shewes the globe of the earth to be round and so saith the Prophet Isa. Chap. 40. 22. it is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth that is the round of the earth Prov. 8. 27. Heres But why do you rank us of the Church of Rome amongst the Heresies and new doctrines of late devised and nominated for wee can reckon our antiquity from the Apostles and that wee are descended from them we have and continue still the very forme of the Church of Christ and his Apostles for we have the Pope Peters successor Christs Vice-gerent here on earth and answerable to the twelve Apostles wee have twelve Cardinalls wee continue the imposition of hands the washing the Saints feet the holy Unction auricular confession and spirituall absolution we have the Word and Sacraments discipline and execration and therefore we are the Church of Christ and not an Antichristian Church Truth You speak like a Papist and for the maintenance of the Romish Church for the Church of God or Kingdome of heaven stands not in outward observation Luke 17. 20. there's as much difference between the Church of Christ and the church of Rome as there is between outward shew and inward truth and as St. Paul in Rom. 14. 17. sheweth us what the Church is not so hee sheweth us what it is namely Righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost and as it followes For hee that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men that is spirituall men A man may be in the outward place and office of the Church an Apostle as Judas an Evangelist as Demas a Disciple as Simon Magus and yet not of the true Church such men may be amongst them and yet not of them as St. John speakes and the outward forme and manner of true Christian Churches are not alwayes the same for the Primitive Church was as true a Church before they had Deacons and ordained Elders in every city or Church as it was afterwards and for your great ones chief of Cardinalls except they be least in humility the most vile in their own eyes for this is a Paradox a mysterie a riddle to the world that the lowest is the highest the least the greatest the humblest the most honourable and this is quite contrary to the fashion of your Cardinalls which our Lord laies down for an eternall truth Luke 22. 25 26 Chap. 9. 49. hee that is least among you all the same shall be great chief or a Cardinall as the word signifieth Your Pope you say is Peters successor in what respect I pray in lordship and supreme authority when you prove that Peter ever had such jurisdiction then you say something but till then you say nothing The truth is Peter succeeded our Lord Christ in the love of the truth and faithfull obedience of his gracious Word and in denying himself and taking up his crosse and suffering for the Gospel the joyfull voyce and so all faithfull and true Christians do succeed Peter and the rest of the faithfull Apostles and this law is unrepealable it cannot be altered but shall stand firm to all the Saints for ever for unto you it is given saith the Apostle in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake Phil. 1. 29. and he makes it a full resolution to Timothy yea saith he and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3. 12. so then those that truly succeed Peter are those and such as succeed him in spirituall things as in his repentance and faith his love to Christ and his truth and his faithfull suffering for it even till death 2 Pet. 1. 14. And this was it when our Lord saith thus unto him Mat. 16 17 18. and thou art Peter that is thou are a living stone of my spirituall Temple blessed of my Father from above to this purpose and upon this rock will I build my Church c. that is the
of God the Father descend from thence and now judge the world and all these things in a mysterie a Metaphor and Allegory You read say they of these things in the letter 1600. yeers ago but now they are in the newnesse of the Spirit and according to these principles expound all the Scriptures both of the old and new Testament Now say they is the wedding of Cana of Galilee fulfill'd in the spirit where righteousnesse is the Jesus the union between God the Father and the Son the Bride and the Bridegroom the mother of Jesus they say is the word of truth that brings to passe this holy marriage and the turning of water into wine is the oldnesse turned to newnesse flesh into spirit so that thereby the new man becomes co-deifi'd with God and God again co-hominifi'd with man and that now Christ whips out the buyers and sellers out of the Temple meaning by Christ righteousnesse and by the buyers and sellers sins and corruptions and by the Temple mens bodies expounding that Text Hebr. 1. 13. Sit on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool to be meant of their holy anointed ones and when Christ which is righteousnes is risen in them by regeneration then that saying is brought to passe that is written Hos. 13. 14. 1 Cor. 15. 54. Death is swallowed up in victory they say they are Moses and the children of Israel and all naturall men are Egyptians which by conversion become Israelites and that now Moses is contending with Pharaoh the Devill to bring the chosen of God through the red Sea and barren hard and desolate wildernesse into Canaan the land of rest the peace of conscience and favour of God and that now God calls Abraham out of Vr of the Chaldees making it the land of devills as the Hebrew word signifies to set forth to us every unregenerate mans dark and sinfull estate naturally and Gods calling of Abraham out of it to go to a land he would give him to signifie unto us the conversion of a sinner to God and Davids killing Vriah to signifie the quenching the Spirit the Apostle dehorts from and Reubens going up to his fathers bed the weaknesses of such as are babes in Christ as St. John speaks of calling them little children and young men 1 Joh. 2. 12 13. And that in this nonage this youth of theirs it is with their anointed ones as it was with Christ which signifies anointed Mat. 3. 4. who as soon as God testified to him from heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and when he had fasted and separated himself from his naturall wayes and sinfull affections forty dayes and forty nights as Moses was fortie dayes and fortie nights in the holy mount where hee received the covenant of perfection in a figure And the Text saith afterwards he was an hungred that is this new man hungred and thirsted after righteousnesse and as the Text saith The tempter came to him the meaning is say they the sinfull flesh the enemy to the Spirit said to him If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread but the new man answereth it is written the man Christ shall live by the truth the Word of God then the tempter uses other means to have him to be a self-justifier and account of himself as the holy Citie of God makes him to be advanced in his own thoughts as the highest of all as a pinacle is above the rest of the building and then to presume in his infancie as if he had the experience of old age and perfection it self and so the holy childe answers thou oughtst not to tempt but to wait patiently on thy Lord thy God His third and last temptation is the proffer of the whole world unto this young man in Christ but being now grown in strength in righteousnesse makes a speedy answer Get thee behind me Satan God is only to be worshipped and served so the tempter left him and the Angels ministred unto him in all passages of service till they brought the holy One from one degree to another to sit down at the right hand of the Father and to come to judge the world And of this spirituall estate do they understand all the Scriptures that speak of the resurrection of the body understanding it this spirituall body and this spirituall resurrection and that Christ is dead or alive in every man in the world dead in the naturall or sinfull estate and made alive and raised in the illuminated estate and the terms in Scripture of this present world to be the sinfull estate and the world to come the regenerated estate which they call perfection eternall life and the glory of the Father the world without end affirming there shall be no end of the heavens and of the earth the whole creation but that it shall continue for ever successively one generation after another and as man comes from God so he goes to God in matter and time infinitely These and a thousand grosse and blasphemous doctrines are the tenents of the Familists which are the very depths of Satan from which I wish thee to repent if it may be by any means obtained and learn to leave off your scorn and contempt of Scripture-learning and labour to be taught by the Spirit of truth in the true meaning of Gods Word Heres These doctrines which you call Familists are the tenents of N. H. that is Henry Nichols who lived in Germany and writ divers small books as The Gospel of the kingdom The Prophecy of the spirit of love The Glasse of righteousnesse and divers others but although he be a seducer and grosly deceived to the overthrow of the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in affirming holinesse and righteousnesse to be Christ the Lord now I am so far from his opinion that I think Jesus the Prophet of Nazareth to be only man that is meere man and not God and man and to partake of the Deity no more then any other naturall man doth Truth You expresse your selfe to be an Arrian for Arrius that proud Bishop whose time was above 200. yeeres after the Apostles and did then fall from the truth of the Scriptures as they clearly set forth our blessed Saviour in his divine nature as well as in his humane and invented and broacht divulged and published this heresie that Jesus Christ was only man and not God which heresie backt with his authority proved a great and cruell persecution against the faithfull and true Christians 150. yeers together as Ecclesiasticall Histories according with the plain and holy Word of God do declare as it appeares in the first of John compared with Genesis 1. and Prov. 8. 22 23 24. and John that beloved of the Lord Revelations the 9th chapter makes a full and plain description of the person of Arrius his power authority and the compleat time of his persecution and false doctrine where
Christian Church the washing with water or dipping in water is the doing away the filth of the flesh which saveth not for this a man may have and perish as those Disciples that fell away from Christ and walked no more with him Joh. 6. 66. but the washing or baptisme that saveth 1 Pet. 3. 21. is the answer of a good conscience unto God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ not the washing of the flesh but the purifying of the heart by faith and this spirituall baptisme or washing it is that works that full assurance of faith having our hearts strinkled from an evill conscience by the blood of Christ and our bodies washed with pure water Heb. 10. 22. that water that Christ giveth his Disciples Joh. 4. 14. and washeth his Apostles with John 13. and this is that which maketh the truly faithfull Jew by vertue of the circumcision of the heart and the truly faithfull Christian by vertue of the baptisme of the heart all one as the holy Apostle saith and that God did beare witnesse with him also to the truth of it that there is no difference between us and them that is us Jewes and them Gentiles purifying their hearts by faith Acts 15. 8 9. and the Scriptures shew that the Jewes did well know that when the Messiah should come that then baptisme or washing should be the distinction of Christians from others as circumcision by Gods own ordinance was the distinction the Jewes had from all the people of the whole world and therefore it is written that when the Jewes sent Priests and Levites of the Pharisees from Jerusalem to John the Baptist to Bethabara beyond Jordan where John was baptizing the messengers askt him whether he were the Christ or Elias or the Prophet and upon his answer no that he was not they then asked him why hee did baptize then hereby cleerly shewing that they understood by the Scriptures that when Elias Messiah and the Prophet foretold of should come that then baptisme should be in use in the Church and accordingly it was so practised by John the Baptist Christ and his Apostles and ever since continued and of the very same use to Christians both outwardly and inwardly as circumcision was to the Jewes And the Apostle to the Church of Colosse useth both the terms baptisme and circumcision to set forth and teach unto us one and the same thing in Jesus Christ Col. 2. 10 11 12. You are compleat saith he in Christ which is the head of all principalities and power in whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ buried with him in baptisme wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God c. Mark now friend Anabaptist the truth of this doctrine of the cleer distinction the Holy Ghost makes of baptisme and circumcision and in both double and two-fold as in circumcision the one outward the other inward so in baptisme both in the flesh and both in the heart both made by hands and both without hands a man may partake of both in one distinction and perish but whosoever doth receive one or both in the speciall sense hee shall be saved and as the terms in the meaning do agree so they do both agree in their administration for as Abraham received the sign of circumcision a seal or signe of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had before be was circumcised in the flesh Rom. 4. 11. so the regenerate and faithfull servants of God Nathaniel in whom was no guile the Eunuch Lydia and Cornelius of whom the Holy Ghost bears witnesse that they were true worshipers of God these all as Abraham had the inward baptisme of the blood of Christ through faith in the promise before they received the outward baptisme the washing their bodies with water a lively representation of the washing their hearts by the blood of the Lamb Christ And for the generall use of Baptisme as in the Jewes Church all that believed the Law of God were to be circumcised and so admitted into the Congregation and communion of all the holy ordinances of Gods worship and service so now who ever believes that Christ is come in the flesh and acknowledgeth the glad tidings of the Gospel the Ministery and Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles to be the truth they upon this generall or historicall faith ought to be baptized and to be admitted to communion in the Word and Sacraments as Simon Magus Demas the faulty Christians in the Church of Corinth and a thousand more had as the Scriptures shew so that now you see Gods Word forces you to distinguish of baptisme and so also of the terme Faith and the name Lord and yet but one baptisme one faith and one Lord to salvation Now the Scriptures plainly set forth unto us a three-fold faith which may be truly distinguished by these termes historicall miraculous or justifying faith and all these a full assurance and are to be believed with all the heart of the two first sorts wicked men devils may partake of them as well as the Saints yea sometimes exceed therein for Judas wrought miracles among the twelve but John the Baptist did no miracle saith the Text so many are called to believe the truth to work in the Vineyard but few are chosen unto salvation and rewarded with eternall life that is the speciall peculiar faith Joh. 7. 38. that whosoever believeth shall not perish but have eternall life And there is a great deal of difference between him that by faith eateth Christs flesh and drinketh his blood to eternall life Joh. 6. 54. and their faith by which they are baptized preach and communicate in the other ordinances and boldly pray and call upon the name of Christ and yet notwithstanding are not acknowledged by him but shut out and excluded from eternall life and assign'd and sentenced to everlasting destruction and to be rewarded as the workers of iniquity Mat. 7. 22 23. Now considering how cleare the Scriptures are in distinguishing between faith and faith I did admire when I was in company with you to see you all so earnest as in baptisme so in faith to maintaine but one sort under either term wherefore I would here make the severall definitions of faith thereby to make the distinctions the more clear but that I shall do hereafter when I come to speak of the Antinomians mistakes in these things also and I much marvell at your ignorance in Scripture distinctions for as much as you all professe you read them much in which except you distinguish rightly you can understand no truth cleerly nor fully for the letter of the Scriptures are but the body or corps but it is the intention and meaning of the Holy Ghost by the words of the Text which is the spirit and life of them therefore it doth behove us and stands us
of the Ministery for the building or edifying the body of Christ Ephes. 4. 11 12. 1 Cor. 3. 10. for as the Spirit of God by the ministery of his servants prepares and sanctifies them so he unites and cements them to have communion one with another in spirituall fellowship and this workmanship in the Lord is called in Gods Word the Church of Christ his House his Tabernacle his Body his Spouse his Temple the pillar and ground of truth the place of his dwelling purchased cleansed purified and sanctified by his own precious blood called and gathered by the power of his Word made to live by the spirit of his mouth having communion and fellowship by the Holy Ghost growing up together in holinesse as branches in one stock or root being members of one and the same body of which Christ is head as truly and really in a spirituall sense as the head of a man is naturally the head of the whole body confisting of many members Now notwithstanding all this that hath been said of the true Church and ten times more that might be spoke yet these false-ignorant carnall and fleshly builders those dirt-daubers have at all times taken upon them with all boldnesse without any blushing to affirm their wooden dirty filthy building to be Gods House and their rotten straw and stubble to be the work and building of Christ boasting and crying out of themselves by way of self-justifying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Jer. 7. 4. where to their eternall reproof the Prophet to their very faces saith plainly notwithstanding all their vain confidence The Temple of the Lord Are these such as truly amend their wayes and their doings such as truly and throughly execute judgement between man and his neighbour such as oppresse not strangers nor the fatherlesse nor widow nor shed innocent blood nor walk after other gods vers. 5. 6. And as these false Christians robbers and oppressors take upon them my Names and Titles so also they assume my authority and peculiar priviledges to excommunicate mee and cast me out with these holy words in their mouths Let the Lord be glorified Isa. 56. 5. but he shall appeare to my joy and then they shall be ashamed this hath been alwayes the bitter cup they have made mee and mine to drink in anger and great cruelty but patience hath ever assisted us and enabled us to indure a thousand such injuries They say I am a widow desolate and forsaken and lay the contempt of barrennesse upon mee but that word of life supports us In patience possesse your souls and again Rejoyce thou barren that bearest not break forth into singing thou that travellest not for the desolate hath many more children then shee that hath an husband Gal. 4. 27. Isa. 54. 1. Now what have you said more for your Church and members thereof then the Papists can say for themselves or any other Antichristian Congregation you call your members to an account of their conversion as you call it so much the Scribes and Pharisees can say which compassed Sea and land to make a Proselyte and in so doing made him more the childe of the Devill then he was before Mat. 23. 15. even worse by two degrees a wofull act to return and not to return to mee saith the Lord Hos. 7. 16. Jer. 4. 1. Again you say of your selves you have joyn'd your selves in Church-covenant and you have set up Christs ordinances and you have cast away all superstition and abomination whereas the Saints and Church of God ascribe all to him thou hast washed us thou hast called us thou hast sanctified us thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests c. And for your covenant it is a meere humane invention and your people ordaining their Ministers both of the same nature of Popish unwritten verities which as they are not to be found in the Scriptures so labour to forget to practise preach or think of them any more for ever Heres You esteem too meanly of us and our doctrine what will you dare to speak against the Church of Christ take heed what you do for wee walk in a Church-way and communicate in the purity of all Gods ordinances as preaching praying fasting baptisme breaking bread and the like and we have separated our selves from all mens inventions and unlawfull Antichristian Assemblies Truth You know there are such as say and do not the Whore of Rome doth make greater brags then the virgin Spouse and so did their predecessors before them the Pharisees yet all of both their bostings are but false and counterfeit compared with the prayers tears fastings communicatings sacrifices oblations and worships of the Saints And for your separation from other Christians look to it for except it be with such caution which I perceive you know not of it may prove as Achans forbidden wedge of gold and Babylonish garment destruction to your selves for the Pharisees who justified themselves and condemned others were your fore-teachers in this manner of separation for they separated from Christ and John the Baptist calling our Lord a sinner and his servant a devill accounting them nor any one of those penitent humble little ones whom they had converted to the truth worthy their company witnesse the Pharises exception against that holy woman whose tears and love testifies to the truth where and in what nation the Gospell is preached to the worlds end for a memoriall of her Mark 14. 9. compared with Luke 7. 39. and this way of separation the Prophet from Gods own mouth calls an evill and wicked way to walk in Isa. 65. 25. which people say Stand by thy self come not neer to me for I am holier then thou these saith the Lord are a smoak in my nose a fire that burneth all the day for the truth is in no case are trut believers to separate from other Christians in communion but in such cases that they cannot communicate with them but they must sin with them as it was with that Apostate and Idolatrous Church of Rome who made such wicked and opposite lawes to the truth that a true Christian could not partake with them in any of the ordinances of God but hee must be defiled with their abominations one way or other for they caused the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the beast Rev. 13. 12. whom whosoever doth worship shall never have rest but shall be tormented with the wrath of God day and night for evermore Rev. 14. 10. 11. in such cases as these the Scripture is cleare Come out of her my people lest you partake of her sins and be made partakers of her plagues 2 Cor. 6. 17. Rev. 18. 4. And in this case did the Church of England separate from the Church of Rome in which Church of England you now are in whose lawes decrees and ordinances are all against the abominations errors and superstitions of Babylon and all ordered and directed according to
the rule of Gods Word by expresse words or necessary consequence and therefore your separation from us is groundlesse and not warranted in the Scriptures for consider how the rule of truth would direct you and observe how it was with those that were effectually called by the ministery of John Baptist and our Lord himself and truly converted unto God from amongst the Jews in such times when those in the outward state of the Church were most corrupt for they preached for doctrine the commandments of men nor would not receive the truth themselves nor suffer such as would receive it against which doctrine our Lord exhorts his hearers to take heed and beware of the leven of the Pharisees but never taught the Disciples to separate from the Church of the Jewes nor to enter into a formed covenant among themselves as you do but on the contrarary hee commanded them to continue hearers and doers The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses chair or seat whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do c. Mat. 23. 2 3. And himself as his Disciples continued still repairing to the Temple and Synagogue and participated in the service and publike worship of God making no separation for when our Lord gave his account to the high Priest of his Disciples and doctrine Joh. 18. 19 20. he saith I ever taught in the Synagogue and in the Temple whither the Jewes alwayes resort and in secret have I said nothing And for the Apostles practice in many Churches mentioned in the Acts both in Judea and among the Gentiles therein is no separation in your sense spoken of although many things were reprovable and admonished against both in doctrine and practice the truth is the good seed in the field are the Saints the Church of Christ the tares the wicked but both must grow together in the same field till the harvest Matth. 13. 30. As the lilly growes amongst the thornes so the chaffe lies in the same floor with the wheat the Goats feed in the same pasture with the sheep and the crafty Wolves among the harmlesse lambs and cannot be separated till our Lord comes to judge and part them never again to participate afterwards together Heres I pray heare mee all those that have already spoke are old like their doctrine and it is high time their errors should be thus discovered but I pray take notice of mee for I have received a new cleare light of heavenly doctrine a light of free grace and justification in and by Christ from all eternity so that the elect cannot properly be said at any time to be unrighteous ungodly or unholy for they are justified before they beleeve even before the foundations of the world even then when God elected them Truth Free grace rightly understood as the Scriptures declare it is a heavenly and comfortable Doctrine but me thinkes by your confession you should be an Antinomian who speake very much of free grace but doe not at all understand it for they say the free grace of God towards his elect that are justified before the world was is like unto the Sun-beames in the morning when she rises that enlightens the dark earth in which there is no preparation to the enlightning so the Lord shines into the hearts of his elected justified ones in the very time of their wickedest workes of darknesse And then in the midst of their sinnes as in the very acts of adultery and murther even then God lifts up the light of his countenance upon them and gives them peace the effect of their justification with God from all eternity These slight and contemne repentance and call it a worke of the Law and the preparation to justifying faith they call a munkish Popish doctrine and their own fancie or presumptuous conceit they call that justifying faith or free grace by which say they the justified before God come to understand and know their justification from all eternity Oh what a grosse seducement and delusion is this even a generall mistake of the whole Gospel in every part of it Therefore now I will first shew you what free grace is which the Scripture sets forth to us And then shew you how clearly and fully Gods word declares the justifying the elect by faith in Jesus Christ Now this is a written and a certain truth that God loves his Israel his chosen freely Hosea 14. 4 5 6. I will heale their back-slidings saith the Lord I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him I will be as the dew unto Israel he shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth his root as Lebanon Also it is written Ezek. 16. 6. When I saw thee polluted in thy own blood I said unto thee Live when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live and have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field Observe how abundantly the free grace of God is manifested to his elect that of themselves are quite contrary to deserving for they are polluted with the most abominable pollution and that is with blood and not a little but extreamly in the third degree blood three times repeated by the holy Ghost And that this threefold uncleannesse should bee washed and made pure and that this exceeding deadnesse should be made to live and so to live as the bud of the field to multiply and increase and bring forth fruit unto God and man even holy grapes to refresh the hearts of both this shewes the wonderfull freenesse of Gods grace so to love as there is none like it nor to be compared to it Now because you have spoken of this free grace in a fancy I shall endevour to shew it you in reality And that we may know the things that are freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. that is of his own will free grace and goodnesse and eternall love Let us consider it in these foure particulars which onely and alone are peculiar to the Saints and Church of God that is their election and predestination before all times their effectuall calling and justification in time and their eternal glorification for ever in the world to come which world shall be endlesse deathlesse and sinlesse for evermore And all these in all the causes the free grace of God And therefore it is said by S. Peter that the Saints and Church of God are elect according to the foreknowledg of God the Father 1 Pet. 1. 2. And S. Paul saith According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world Ephes. 1. 4. And the Apostle to the Church of Thessalonica testifies that God had from the beginning chosen them to salvation 2 Thess. 2. 13. so then it is cleare that the electare chosen in Christ to salvation Which secret purpose and foreknowledge of God towards his elect before all time is made good and effected in and upon his elect in all times being called
any preparation to justifying faith for by Christs stripes we are healed from the beginning of the world And to prove this truth I argue thus First all the elect of God are justified before God but some of the elect of God doe not yet beleeve therefore some that doe not beleeve are justified before God Secondly he that is in Christ is justified But we must be in Christ before we can beleeve therefore we must be justified before we can beleeve Truth I answer the due observation of terms is the true preservation of proprieties and except you justly distinguish of the terms before God himselfe and Gods grace by which he doth justifie his elect you cannot understand truly but you must confound heaven and earth together and make God Man and Man God concluding such blasphemies as the Familists doe to whom hundreds of you are fallen within this two yeares who affirme of the Trinity that God the Father is the Minde the Sonne is the Word and the Spirit is the Word made knowne And under these termes mistaking the verity of the mystery of the Trinity conclude such gross blasphemies as these conclusions hereafter specified making God the Father the Mind God the Son the Word of that Minde God the holy Spirit the effect or revelation of the Word And as these are three so they are one as you say so it is and was at first in the creation God the Father was the Mind of God God the Son was the Word of that Mind and God the Spirit was the working meaning or manifestation of that Word so that in that which God said Let us make man and he spake and the Heavens and the Earth was made the Firmament the Sun Moon and Starres the Sea and the Fish therein the Aire and the Fowls therein the Earth and the Beasts Herbs and Trees therein as God spake the word and all these were created so that as they were made by the Word so they are the Word and as the Word and the Father are one and as the Father the Word and the revelation of it are one so whatsoever the Word made is one with the Father the Sonne and the Spirit And then the conclusion must be this The whole creation is God himselfe Now to avoid such blasphemous consequences we will distinguish of the terms and therein shew the fallacy of your Arguments and then I will discover and establish the truth against your doctrine which by this means will easily appeare to be false First for the terme that concernes God justified before God you say which if you meane as it concernes God in his infinitenesse it is so farre above our line or the capacity of the elect in point of reconciliation with God as the highest heavens are above the center of the earth for with God himselfe there is nothing before nor after For the Scripture speaks thus of God in this respect that he calleth those things that be not as though they were Rom. 4. 17. And again one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day 2 Pet. 3. 8. Thus you see Gods thoughts are not our thoughts nor his wayes as our wayes saith the Lord but as the heavens are higher then the earth so are his wayes and his thoughts higher then ours Isai. 55. 8 9. But when the Prophet comes to speak of Gods work in the creature to salvation then he speakes in the creatures language and capacitie so that except man obey the voyce of God he is left without excuse in these words Seek the Lord while he may be found call yee upon him while he is neere let the wicked forsake his was and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord God and he will have mercy upon him and abundantly pardon verse 6 7. Thus as the Prophet we must distinguish between Gods eternall purpose and decree which is a secret known to himself only towards his elect before all times and his calling and justifying of them in time which is the effect of his foreknowledge and predestination and that which makes known to the elect Gods secret purpose And although it be said Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect the Apostle there doth not understand the justification of the elect before time as you doe but the justification of his elect in time called and justified And although there can be nothing laid to such an elect justified to his condemnation yet many things may be laid to his charge in regard of his weaknesse and frailty If any brother be fallen through weaknesse you that are spirituall restore such a one by the spirit of meeknesse Thus Nathan charged David and David chargeth himselfe Against thee onely have I sinned So our Lord chargeth his faithfull servant Peter and Paul withstood him to his face and saith He was to be blamed And so that holy Apostle blameth himselfe also Oh wretched man that I am saith he And the Scripture saith There is not a righteous man that liveth and doth good and sinneth not And again If any man say he hath no sinne he deceiveth himselfe and the truth is not in him And the elect of God are renued again after sinning by repentance as the Church of Ephesus is admonished by Christ to repent and do her first works Rev. 2. 5. And however the Saints do daily sin after justification yet through Gods grace they are recovered again daily by repentance and maugre the malice and temptation of Satan the snares of the world and the concupiscence of their own natures yet the Lord that loved them once doth still love them for ever and doth wash off their filthinesse and ownes them so for his own that neither their sins nor any power or any creature whatsoever shall or can condemn them Secondly you say some of the elect of God do not believe and therefore they are justified before they believe I pray where did you finde or learn this Logick which is so contrary to the wisdome of God which teacheth thus by Christ all that believe are justified from all things Act. 13. 39. And again those that he calleth hee justifieth but your doctrine saith they are justified before they are called see in a word how directly your preaching is against truths doctrine And of the same nature with your former is your second Argument which runs thus he that is in Christ is justified but wee must be in Christ before we can believe therefore we must be justified before we believe which in the very terms is another doctrine then St. Paul teacheth us who saith plainly wee are justified by faith Rom. 3. 28. And he justifieth the ungodly but I question your knowledge of justifying faith which if you did truly know you durst not teach that men are justified before they believe it is true hee that is ingraffed into Christ is justified but it doth not follow therefore a man
of God contained in his word Rev. 20. 4. and in this spirituall sense they lived and reigned with Christ the whole time meant by the thousand yeares And lest the inconsiderate Reader should mistake this spiritual resurrection for a corporall as the Millenarians doe the holy Ghost gives marks and bounds to his Disciples as evident distinctions between the one and the other in these words Marvell not at this John 5. 28. for the houre is coming hee doth not say as before and now is in which all that are in the graves shall heare his voyce which all contains every one good and bad at the general resurrection and therefore your doctrine is contrary to the truth the Scriptures hold out to us for the Thrones and they that sate upon them which you expound to be Christ and his Saints the holy Ghost discovers the quite contrary even to bee the power and authority of Antichrist himselfe who had a Charter granted him of God and under his own hand for the whole time limited to desolate and consume the Saints who for their sinnes sake the Lord doth often give them up to the pleasure and rage of such heathenish murtherers and persecuters for a season to enter into the Sanctuary and spoyle the heritage of the Lord Jerem. 9. 16. Lam. 1. 10. And if you had but lookt upon the Text with cleane eyes washed â—ith the water of repentance and had learnd the song of sorrow of the mourner you would not have been so blear-eyed as to have taken the abomination forespoken of by Daniel the Prophet to be the Kingdome of Christ that all Gods servants witnesse to and give testimony of And that if it may be possible for you to apprehend the meaning of this Scripture wash your eyes with teares and wipe them with the love of the truth and look upon the Text once again and compare the 20 chapter verse 2. with the 12. chapter verse 3. and you shall see the same Dragon in the one place in the Ethnick Heathenish power of the Roman Emperour with all fiercenesse and unbridled cruelty to havock destroy and kill the Saints and children of God exercised in a tenfold persecution to obliterate wipe out of the earth the name of Christ the woman his Spouse and her first and primitive fruit which was born to reign with Christ for ever which power and authority the Devill instigated and stirred up with all their malice and hatred as with a flood caused as it were by the breach of the Sea so that the wife of the Lord had no way to escape drowning and devouring but to flie into the wildernesse there to preserve her selfe and so many of her children as she had preserved from death where she was assigned to stay an houre a month a day and a yeare Rev. 9. 15. The same Dragon in the 20. Chapter you find to be bound and yet in all and every day of his religation to kill and destroy the Saints just as he did before onely differing in the manner for now it is with a restraint secretly and cunningly by guile and craft pretending Christianity and taking on him the name of a Christian and never the lesse Devill then hee was before onely a pretence makes the difference for ever since the great battell that he fought and lost the field for Michael and his Angels prevailed then against the Drágon and his Angels so that ever since all along Popery the Devill hath turned Christian and herein by a bounded and restrained way effected his enmity to the full as he did before in the Heathens in an open professed opposition to Christ and Christianity And it is to bee observed that when the Devill turned to be a Christian then hee put on Jupiters coat upon Christs back and made the modell and platforme of Christian Religion just after the fashion of the Idoll Gods of the Heathen and like a Juggler and deceiver playes the same game divers and several wayes sometimes amongst men sometimes amongst the Angels of light sometimes on horseback sometimes on foot he rides on a red horse with a great sword among the Heathens in the Imperiall persecution and took outward peace from the primitive Christians as well as from the earth it selfe In the time of Papacie among carnall Christians he rides on a pale horse where the Devillish Dragon his rider is called death it selfe and hell followed with him Rev. 6. 4. 8. So then let him have liberty freèdome or bind and restraine him in all conditions he effecteth his work of envie hatred and malice against the Church of God Now there is one thing more in the Text and when I have spoke a word or two of the meaning thereof I hope then you will see this Scripture proves not your error And thus it followes After that he must be loosed a little season And in the seventh verse And when the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his prison which words sound as if the Devill should become the great red Dragon again after the reigne of Antichrist and fall to act his first part the second time to deny the Lord Jesus whom all this while he hath confessed and to set himselfe to doe the utmost he can to oppose the very name of Christ and Christians and in this sense doth the holy Ghost clearly expound these words in other Scriptures as our Lord himselfe Matth. 24. doth clearly describe and discover the whole time of Antichrists abomination and persecution as Daniel did prophesie of it which is the whole and every part and season of the bound and restrained condition of the Dragon before mentioned And immediatly saith our Lord after the tribulation of those dayes shall the Sunne be darkned the Moon shall not give her light and the Starres shall fall from heaven and the powers of heaven shall be shaken vers. 29 In all which termes our Lord speakes figuratively and that another power after the end of Antichrists tyranny shall arise and fulfill these sayings of his which things were prophesied of before by the Prophet Ezekiel chap. 38. 2. 39. 1. and afterwards so understood by the Apostle John Rev. 20. 8 9 10. which Gog and Magog Saint John understands to bee the Kings of the East and the whole world Rev. 16. 12 13 14. where in a vision he saw the Devill come out of the mouth of the Dragon that is he left the Ethnick Imperiall power and also the power of the Beast and beastly Clergy he will deceive by that false Prophet no longer but as he left all his old instruments so he goes on to make use of a new one these spirits of Devils goe forth unto the Kings of the earth that is they goe unto them that are of the greatest power at this time even the Kings of the whole world to gather them to the battell of the great day of God Almighty which Kings of the East and of the
is true Moses is said to be faithfull to make and do every thing according to the plat-form and pattern which he saw that was shewed him in the Mount and his work was to make a temporall resemblance of the eternall Tabernacle which in a vision was shewed him and therefore he made the Tabernacle or moving Temple and every particular that concerned the materiall things both for substance and circumstance which were all figures and shadowes of that to come and will you make that to come the Apostle speaks of outward materiall externall things and circumstances and the Church of Christ under the Gospel answerable in outward materiall externall things and circumstances prescribed to the Jewes by the Law of Moses then you must have a word for the form and matter of Churches or houses of meeting a word to direct us who and how shall be Ministers who for what sort of men and how they shal be ordained and a word for the bels for calling the congregation together a word for the Ministers actions in the administration of all holy services a rule for dismissing the assembly with a blessing a word for childrens baptisme as for circumcision a word for the time matter of the Lords Supper as which of all grapes for wine and which of all grains for bread and for the manner and gesture for communication as for the Passeover and the severall other circumstances about Gods publike worship which Moses by a plain word prescribed to the people Now if Christ by himself or his Apostles have left no such particular word or direction for the externall manner of his Churches publique services and order as before are exprest then by your argument Christ the Lord is not so faithfull as Moses the servant which is blasphemy in any one so to speak Wherefore it appeares plainly you do not understand the Apostles meaning And that you may consider the Text look again and it will teach you which saith this man was counted worthy of more glory then Moses in as much as he who hath builded the house hath more honour then the house and again Christ is faithfull as a son over his own house to purchase and redeem to call to make to blesse to sanctifie and save it eternally and this spirituall house this heavenly Tabernacle is that which the Apostle proves Christ to exceed Moses in even in the substance it self which all Moses work did but witnesse to and figure forth and therefore the Apostle makes the Sons house to be the Saints the called and justified of God whose house are wee c. that is all Gods elect regenerated ones wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith To day saith he if you will hear his voyce harden not your hearts that is repent that your sins may be done away this is Christs way and method to build his House his Church to make them spirituall by regeneration and of these spirituall sons to build his everlasting Tabernacle and thus Christ the Lord the Son the great Master-builder is the high Priest and Minister of the holy sanctuary the true Tabernacle which God doth build or pitch and not man Heb. 8. 2. and in this sense every where doth the Holy Ghost understand the Sons House or Church of Christ the Temple of God is holy saith the Apostle which Temple yee are 1 Cor. 3. 17. and again Yee are the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which you have of God and not of man 1 Cor. 6. 19. and in the 20th verse that it is the purchase of Christs blood and the faithfulnesse of the son of the House and again saith hee Christ loveth the Church and gave himself for it that hee might wash it and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word Ephes. 5. 25 26. this is the body that is of Christ which the whole ceremoniall law of Moses were but shadowes of and the faithfulnesse of Christ in his house consisting of such spirituall substances as hath been before described take heed how you affect outward externall forms rules and order for we find in Scripture that such as have been of your mind to promote and advance resting and glorying in the outward observation and common things of the Church that they have been the worst of Christians and the persecutors of the Saints wherefore take heed of popularity and externall dignity for the outward state of the Church of the Jewes killed the prophets and stoned them that were sent unto them and yet their outward state was of Gods ordinance and yours of your own inventions like the case of the Scribes and Pharisees in our Saviour Christs time whose fair speeches pretences and colourable shewes were high in esteem amongst men yet an abomination before the Lord Luke 16. 15. And the Prophet Jeremiah saith the Pastors that should have gathered and fed Christs sheep did destroy and scatter the sheep of Gods pasture and tread down the faithfull like the dirt of the street Isa. 51. 23. Prophesie against the Shepherds saith the Lord to the Prophet Son of man prophesie against the Shepherds of Israel and say unto them Wo be to the Shepherds of Israel who feed themselves and not the flock c. the diseased have they not strengthened neither have they healed that which was sick neither have they bound up that which was broken nor brought that which was driven away nor sought that which was lost but with force and with cruelty have you ruled them Ezek. 34. 2 3 4. How many of you Independents is there that deny the food of life to the Lambs of Christ and will neither preach to them the Word nor deliver to them the Sacraments except they submit to your devised fancied covenant and yeeld to such a confession of your own devising or else to be excluded your Church and communion in Gods ordinances which God himself freely offers to all that receive the common faith this new Independency is but old Popery who laid as fair claims to the name Riches and Treasurie of Christs Church as you can do by what ever I have found published by any of your leaders and your humane church constitution no better then that of Babylon wherefore omit not to procure oil for your Lamps while the market lasteth lest your indeavour be too late when you cannot purchase it You that talk so much of Gods Word and understand so little of it I pray you tell me where the name that most of you call your selves by is to be found in the Scriptures I am sure the term Independency is not once mentioned in all the Churches of the Saints yea of and by them the quite contrary is affirmed For saith the Apostle the eye cannot say to the hand I have no need of thee nor again the head to the feet I have no need of you for as the body is one and hath in my members and all the members of that one body being many are one
and perfection and the stone that smote the Image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth this is the mountain of Gods holinesse even the greatest power and soveraigne authority that ever was in the world before it And the Text notes out unto us three things the time when it shall be the place where it shall be and the manner how it shall be the manner hath a double consideration first the beginning and weaknesse of this powerfull kingdome expressed as before I have declared in her spirituall estate of renovation or regeneration in these words a stone was cut out without hands and in this first estate and condition of the Church it is said to live and reign to attain victory and overcome Rev. chap. 20. 12. but this victory is by faith this overcoming is by suffering they overcame him that is the Dragons pagancy by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death and at this battell the armies were great on both sides and the victory glorious on the Saints side Rev. 12. 7. 11. In the second consideration wee are to understand the Church in her glory and perfection and to as far exceed all the Monarchies Kingdoms and Powers that were before it as the body exceeds the shadow the person the picture the circumference the center The Babylonian Monarchy the head of gold was a great power Thou O King saith the Prophet art a King of kings for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdome strength power and glory and wheresoever the children of men dwell beasts of the field and fowles of the heaven hath hee given into thy hand and hath made thee ruler over them all yet all these bounds and dominations are but by way of comparison to the universe the heavens earth and sea which are the bounds of Christs and his Church rule and Lordship Secondly the nature and condition of the kingdomes of this world and the power and greatnesse of Majesty that Christs Kingdome shall have in the world to come differs beyond all comparison For the kingdomes of this world are finfull kingdomes powers and authorities yea this present evill world is corrupted and lies under the cursed condition by reason of sin and as long as this face of the covering is cast over all people and this evill is spread over all nations Isa. 25. 7. even so long death the King of feares the wages of that sin shall raign in it according to the Scriptures Gen. 3. 17. Rom. 5. 17 21. 1 Cor. 15. but when the Lord shall set up his Kingdome hee will create new heavens and a new earth Behold saith he I will do it and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind but be you glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create For behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy Isa. 65. 17 18. And the Apostle by the same Spirit of Prophecy saith that the heavens and the earth that are now with all these things shall be dissolved And according to Gods promise wee look that is all Gods Saints for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness 2 Pet. 3. And the Apostle John tells us Rev. 21. what this new heaven and new earth is even the holy Church of God the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and a voyce out of heaven expounds it to him Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and hee will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away And again saith the Lord Behold I make all things new write for these things are true and faithfull Once again observe the Prophet Daniel in these words and it became a great mountain of which our Saviour gives the meaning in these words The kingdome of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed which is the least of all seeds but when it is grown just as the Prophet it became so our Lord it is the greatest among herbs and became a tree c. both which places as one shews that although the Church be now so little that no man heeds or regards her yet her increase shall be from the least of all seeds to a tree with branches and from a small stone to a huge great mountain even so big as to fill the whole earth Which magnitude excellent glory greatnesse and soveraignty of the Church and Kingdome of God I shall in part discover by considering these eight particulars the King the Kingdome the Throne the Scepter the Lawes the Priviledges the Officers and the Subjects And for the King thereof thus saith the Prophet notwithstanding all the rage and opposition of the Heathens and the vain imaginations of the people Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion saith the Lord Psal. 2. 1. 5. and the title of his Crown is the title of his Cross This is the King of the Jewes Luke 23. 38. and himself testifying a good confession before Pilate saith Thou saist I am a King to this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world Joh. 18. 37. Secondly the Scriptures speake of the Kingdome of Christ above all comparison and calls it the kingdome of the Son of God and that there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome c. Dan. 7. 13 14. Now the consideration of these four things will briefly discover to us how this Church and Kingdome of Christ exceeds all other powers or kingdomes whatsoever First in the Majesty of it Secondly in its excellency Thirdly in its universality and Fourthly in its eternity The Majesty sets forth the magnitude and greatnesse of this kingdom the King is great and the Kingdom is great Behold saith the Angel to the Virgin he shall be great and he shall raign over the house of Jacob for ever Luke 1. 32. 33. And the Prophet Daniel describes this greatnesse and what this house of Jacob is in these words and the kingdome and dominion and the greatness of the kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdome and all dominions rulers and powers shall serve and obey him Dan. 7. 27. The excellency is set forth by the glory splendor and purity of it and in this respect it is in Scripture called the kingdome of God the kingdome of Christ a kingdome of Priests a kingdome of Saints the kingdome of our God the kingdome of glory heavenly countrey city inheritance possession reward all heavenly all glorious all holy there shall be nothing to hurt nor destroy in