Psalms and in the Song of Solomon and other places of holy Scripture for by the living Word of God as they come freshly and newly or immediately from the mouth or spirit of God the Souls of God's Children are quickned and kept alive as Christ said The words that he did speak unto his Disciples were Spirit and Life and man liveth not by Bread alone but by every Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God And David waited for the coming of the Word of God to quicken him to wit that God might speak unto him and he said I will hear what the Lord will speak for he will speak Peace to his Saints and to his People So here is God's Promise to all his Saints and People to speak Peace unto them and as he promised to his Israel in Hosea Chap. 14. I will allure or perswade her and bring her into the Wilderness or a solitary place and there I will speak comfortably unto her or as the Hebrew hath it I will speak to her Heart And this is an inward Speech And the Scripture Promises when God is pleased by his Spirit to apply them to the Souls of his Children is as real and proper an inward Voice and Speaking of God unto them as he spoke to the Prophets of old 5. And therefore the Scripture doth not contain either all the Word or Words of God as some say but many thousands of Words of God have been livingly spoke and utter'd by the Spirit of God to the inward Ears of his dear Children since the writing of the Scripture and daily are and will be to the end of the World And as it was said in the Apostles days the Word of the Lord grew and multiplied Acts 12.24 and 19 20. so ever since the Apostles and writing of the Scriptures the Word of God hath grown and multiplied and still shall and must to the end of the World and yet no new Doctrin or Gospel to be Preached but the same which the Prophets and Christ and the Apostles have already Preached 6. And as Christ and the Apostles expounded the Scriptures of the old Testament by divine Inspiration and Revelation of the same Spirit without propounding any new Doctrin or object of Faith unto People so why may it not be so now yea it is so that some at this day by the same Spirit do expound and open places of Scripture both of the old and new Testament and yet bring no new Doctrin And it is a far better way to have such Preachers and Expounders who open and expound the Scriptures by the Inspiration and Revelation of the Holy Spirit as the Apostles did than for men to presume to open and expound them without all new Revelation or Inspiration and who plainly confess They neither Preach nor Write by any Infallible Spirit And such mens Exposition who declare they have no infallible Spirit can neither be the word or words of God which are infallible but only the fallible word and words of man and human Imaginations 7. And as for the term Word the Greek of it being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I find it variously used and translated in the new Testament as first to signifie Christ Joh. 1.1 2dly to signifie Treatise Acts 1.1 3dly Communication Mat. 3.7 4thly Vtterance 1 Cor. 1.5 2 Cor. 8.7 Ephes 6.19 Col. 4.3 5thly Word of Talk or Discourse 1 Thes 1.5 6thly Reason 2 Pet. 3.15 Acts 18.14 7thly Preaching or Doctrin 1 Cor. 1.18 8thly Account or Business as to have to do Heb. 4.13 and 9thly the Hebrew word in the old Testament is translated Order Psal 110.4 10thly Matter Psal 45.1 11thly Speech Psal 19.2 and 12thly the same Greek word is used by Paul to signifie the empty and dead preaching of false Teachers 1 Cor. 4.19 And therefore whether the Scriptures may be called or are called the Word in Scripture rarely or improperly is not the proper state of the Question for it cannot be denyed and is not denyed but that rarely and improperly the word is used to signifie Scripture or Scripture Words either written or spoken and sometimes the words of evil men are rendred by the same Greek word in Scripture as Ephes 4.29 and 2 Tim. 2. â—7 But the true state of the Question is Whethâ—r first the Scripture doth contain all the Word or Words of God And this I justly deny for the reasons already given and indeed as the Word and Words of God are compared in Scripture Deut. 32.2 to the Dew and Rain that falleth upon the dry ground to refresh it and make it fruitful and the drops of the Dew and Rain are so many that they cannot be numbred which God hath been pleased to speak to the Souls of his People and still doth so nor can the Words of God be numbred by Men and therefore they are of a greater extent than all these set down in Scripture which may be numbred and also they are compared in Scripture to Bread that is eaten as Jeremiah said cap. 15.16 Thy words were found and I did eat them and as none can number the small grains of flower that make up a Cake of Loaf of Bread so none can number the words of God Secondly Whether the Scriptures only as they are outwardly written or spoken by the mouths of natural Men or heard by the outward ears or conceived only by the bare natural thoughts and understanding be properly and without all figure the Word or Words of God I say nay for the words of God are spiritual and of an inward nature as God himself is for the words of God are first and properly spoke to the mind and spirit of man and the outward words whether spoke or writ are but the signs of them as all outward words are but the signs of the inward thoughts of the mind which are the words of the mind or heart of man within it self Thirdly VVhether he who only talketh Scripture words and hath not the true sense of them doth truly and properly speak the VVord of God And whether he that only heareth them from man and hath not received the true sense of them hath properly heard the VVord of God I say Nay for it is not the bare Letter without the sense that is the Word of God properly understood Nevertheless the Letter of the Scripture in a figurative sense may be called the VVord as the Map of England is called England Moses his Books are called Moses and Isaiah his Book is called his Vision and John his Book is called his Revelation CHAP. II. Concerning new divine Revelations and Inspirations 1. THe places of Scripture which they commonly bring against all new divine Revelations and Inspirations of the Spirit of God prove no such thing as will easily appear to any that are impartial and unbyassed in their understanding if they will but read and consider them which places are these following as they are alledged and quoted by them called
and Religion but this doth not prove the ceasing of new divine Revelation but rather indeed establisheth it for the Prophets and Apostles who had divine Revelation were profited taught and edified by their Fellow-Prophets and Apostles and especially the latter Prophets were much helped by the Words and Writings of the fore-going Prophets as Daniel confessed he understood by Books to wit by Jeremiah his Prophecy the number of the years of the Captivity Dan. 9.2 And Christ opened the understanding of the Apostles to understand the Scriptures of the Old Testament what they did declare of him and Paul freely confesseth that the Scriptures of the Prophets were writ for his Learning as well as of other Men and yet he had great plenty of divine Revelation beyond what many of them had and David said he had more knowledge than his Teachers and yet no doubt profited by them and especially by the Prophet Samuel and others that lived with him and before him Next as to the sensible and intuitive knowledge of God it can be and oft is without all Words either outwardly heard or inwardly conceived I mean words consisting of Letters or Syllables such as are not the things but signs of things even as we have a sensible and intuitive knowledge of a Land by seeing it and eating the Fruit of it and drinking the good Wine or Milk of it tho' we are not hearing or reading of it nor thinking of any words that ever we read or heard of it And so often the Souls of God's people enjoy a sweet sight taste and repast of him in a deep inward quiet and stillness of mind having no words of any sort that can be expressed in Letters or Syllables so much as in their present thoughts or remembrance and this is the most excellent degree of Knowledge and as far excelleth and transcendeth the other sort as the sight taste and feeling of a thing doth the report or hear-say of it It is also acknowledged that oft it pleaseth God to joyn of his Life to Scripture words as Promises Prophecies or any others as we hear read or meditate on them and make them as Conduits Pipes or Cisterns or as Cups and Flaggons to convey the divine Influences of his Life and living Spirit of Life and love to our Souls but then they hinder not our Revelation to be real and true and proper Revelation as well objective as subjective for as in drinking of outward Wine in a Glass or Cup we not only see the Glass or Cup that revealeth the Wine but also the Wine it self and the Wine is the most desirable and pleasant and acceptable object of both our sight and taste and feeling so that we regard the Glass or Cup little or nothing for it self but for its use and service to us and if there be no Wine or other refreshing Liquor in the Cup we care not to use it it hath no taste unto us nor service but as the Wine is in it And thus it is with the living Soul that thirsts after the living God and to drink of his Spirit that quickens and refresheth the Soul when it seeth or perceiveth any divine Vertue or Life as God is pleased when how or by whom to joyn of the same to it in Scripture words either preached read or meditated it is very glad and most gladly maketh use of them and giveth God thanks for his great mercy but without Life be joyned unto them it is no more wisdom nor discretion to use them than for a Man to put an empty Flaggon or Cup to his Mouth to drink at it 8. But if they say There is no sensible or intuitive knowledge of God in this Life at least since the Apostles days as indeed it is most yea altogether most agreeable to their Doctrin who say All new Revelation of the Spirit is ceased then I say unto them they are miserable Comforters yea miserable and sad Gospellers to poor Sion they bring not glad but sad tydings they cannot say Behold O Sion thy King cometh unto thee they cannot say Taste and see that God is good they cannot say The Life was manifested and we have seen it and declare it unto you that ye may have fellowship with us they cannot declare the great kindness and love that Christ the Soul's Husband and Bridegroom hath to his Bride but rather their Doctrin preacheth him to be most unkind and unnatural never to let his Bride see him once all her Life here in this World nor yet once to hear himself or taste or touch or handle him or be embraced by him They preach altogether an absent Christ as some of them say Christ is not really and properly in his People or if present a Christ altogether either dumb or silent that being so near to the Soul as to be in it never speaketh one word in it and always hideth his Face and never giveth to the Soul one glance or shine of his Countenance But if they be ashamed of this Doctrin which yet is the very purport of it who deny all inward nèw Revelation and new Visitations of the Lord's love unto the Souls of his People then let them be ashamed to preach teach or write that there is no new Revelation of God and Christ nor no immediate or inward teaching no inward and immediate calling or sending to the Ministry and let them be ashamed to own themselves to be the Successors of the ancient Protestants who did acknowledge immediate Teaching and calling unto the Ministry and the Spirit of Prophecy and some of them had it as George Wishard and others whose Prophecies Fox in his Book of Martyrs hath recorded 9. And whereas these Faith-publishers at Westminster one while deny all new Revelation another while seem only to deny extraordinary Revelation as they term it cap. 18. section 3. is another piece of Non-sense or Contradiction for if all new Revelation be ceased as they expresly affirm cap. 1. sect 1. and 6. then there is neither ordinary nor extraordinary Revelation remaining according unto their Doctrin But the distinction of ordinary and extraordinary Revelation may in a true sense be well admitted by them who believe that divine inward Revelation is not ceased for among the Prophets Numb 12.6 7 8. Moses's Revelation far exceeded the Revelation of the other Prophets as is clear from Scripture and in that respect was extraordinary And we now plead for new divine Revelation we mean not extraordinary beyond what God was pleased to give to his Saints and Children in an ordinary and usual way from the beginning of the World more or less nor do we compare our Revelations with either the Prophets or Apostles by way of equality either in degree or in all the various manners and ways which they had then But we say in that one way and manner which was by God's inward appearance and speaking in their Hearts in the divine Seed and Birth we do plead for divine Revelation
shall finally perish not simply as men nor yet simply as sinners either for Adam's sin or other sins that they have formerly committed before that great sin of final Vnbelief and Impenitency but it doth regard and consider them as having a day of Visitation and a Call to Repent and a tender of Grace Love and Mercy from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and as having resisted and rejected the same and hardning their hearts against it and that finally until the Day of their Visitation be over whereby they declare themselves unworthy of eternal Life and that they are none of Christ's Sheep but Goats to be put at the left Hand and if any say If these Men were not Elected before the Foundation of the World it will follow that they were Reprobated before it I answer it doth not follow for Elected and Reprobated are not contradictory terms being both positive and Election signifieth a Preference of some before others but that doth not argue a total Reprobation of others when God did elect some But at the End of the World and in the Conclusion it is granted that all who are not elected are but Reprobates to wit when all God's elect Seed every where are gathered out selected and separated from others as so many Grains of pure Gold from all the Dross Tin and Lead that they have been mingled with for a time here in this World that then nothing will remain but that which is Reprobate and which the Scripture calleth reprobate Silver the pure being wholly separated and selected from the impure the Gold and Silver from the Dross the Wheat from the Tares the Sheep from the Goats and the good Fish from the bad and the Children of the Kingdom from the Children of the wicked One he who hath Ears to hear let him hear and the wise in heart let them understand for unto them it is given but unto others as Christ said in Parables that seeing they may not see and hearing that they may not hear nor understand And also it is readily granted that there is a special and peculiar and singularly gracious Care and Providence of God towards all that shall be saved from the beginning of the world to the end and the number of them is most infallibly known unto God and every one of that number shall certainly be saved and none of them shall finally perish but in the proper season and time shall be graciously visited called converted justified sanctified and last of all glorified and this without any Violence done to their rational Faculties or Free-will for God doth well know how to gain and prevail upon the Understanding and Will and Inclinations of his People by such gentle and yet prevalent and overcoming Perswasions and Allurements and Motions of his holy Spirit of Grace of Light and Life as shall infallibly gather them unto himself And it is also granted that as God hath provided that Grace whereby some shall certainly be saved so by the same all are put under a capacity or possibility of Salvation And therefore that any are not saved in this World is not because of any want or defect in the sufficiency or efficacy in the Grace in its own Nature but because of them whom God in his infinite Justice and Counsel permits finally to resist it even as in the Parable of the Sower the Seed was one and the same in all the four Grounds but the Grounds differed one from another and that one Ground was good was of God but that others were bad was of themselves and the word Election doth properly enough signifie selection seperating and setting a part or refining as when Gold or Silver is separated in the Furnace from the Dross And this separation hath had its various degrees and progress from first to last as when Gold or Silver is purified or purged in the sire seven times and then in the seventh time it hath no mixture but is all pure or as when Liquor is poured from Vessel to Vessel several times or as Wheat is winnowed again and again until all the Chaff be separated And in this sense we find the word Election used in Scripture divers times Isa 14.1 For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob and will yet chuse Israel And Isa 49.7 And he shall chuse thee And Zach. 1.17 And the Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet chuse Jerusalem And Zach. 2.12 He shall chuse Jerusalem again And Isa 48.10 I have chosen thee in the Furnace of Affliction And in this sense of the Word as it signifieth a selecting or separating the pure from the impure Election doth go before Reprobation and is not Co-evous with it But whether that Election in Christ before the Foundation of the world doth in some sort signifie a selection or setting apart in Christ the Head who was before the Foundation of the world and is said to be the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World as some mystick Writers affirm it is not my present business to determine neither is it necessary at this present occasion 6. But the place of Scripture which they mainly abuse and wrest to prove this reprobate Doctrin of theirs of an absolute Reprobation of the greatest part of mankind even before they are born and that not only Babes and Sucklings on the Mothers Breasts but in the Womb are absolute Reprobates and cast-aways and that some yea many Infants die in a state of Reprobation and perish eternally only for Adams sin imputed unto them as they say without any knowledge or eonsent of theirs and corrupt Nature derived into them and that all such Reprobates never had or ever shall have any opportunity of saving Grace whereby it was possible to them at any time to be saved The place of Scripture I say they mainly abuse and wrest to favour this evil and pernicious Doctrin is that in Rom. 9.11 12 13. But for the opening and vindicating of this place of Scripture let it be considered that here is only a preference mentioned of Jacob before Esau how that the Elder shall serve the Younger but this saith nothing of Esau his being absolutely reprobated The great design of the Apostle Paul being to shew that God had chosen the Line of Jacob before the Line of Esau and given unto that Line and Posterity of Jacob a Preference and Dignity over the Line and Posterity of Esau and that the reason of this Preference was not any Works that they had done but for some other cause hid in the secret counsel of God and this Preference did appear first in chusing the Line and Posterity of Jacob to be his Church in that peculiar Dispensation of the Mosaical Law and giving them many Prophets and other excellent Men to be raised up among them and honouring them with many great and signal Appearances Signs and Wonders whereas the Posterity of Esau was not so highly favoured and yet they had a divine Dispensation among
is this righteous Law but in their Hearts And this righteous Law cannot be any natural Faculty of fallen Man which they confess is wholly defiled and corrupted and unholy and unrighteous 3 dly they confess That it is sufficient to leave men unexcusable sect 1. cap. 1. And therefore it is also sufficient to make men excusable who are diligent to frame their Life according to it and to say the contrary is to contradict the very instinct of common Justice that God hath put into mens Hearts 4 thly the Scripture saith that some of the Gentiles their Thoughts did excuse them in well doing as it did accuse them in evil doing Rom. 2.15 5 thly The Apostle Paul doth plainly distinguish it from the Conscience Rom. 2.15 the true Translation being Their Conscience co-witnessing or bearing a joynt Witness with that righteous Law or Principle 6 thly He calleth it the Truth and that which may be known of God which God hath shewed unto them which gave them the Knowledge of God and shewed them the goodness of God that leadeth to Repentance and also gave them to know the Judgment of God and revealed the Wrath of God from Heaven against them And because that many of them who knew God did not glorifie him as God nor were thankful therefore God gave them over to a reprobate mind and therefore they were not Reprobates from the beginning far less from all Eternity as these men alledg And therefore any Light or Illumination that these Gentiles had in them or that any men have in them is a new Gift and Grace of God and gracious Visitation of God unto them as the Apostle calleth it Rom. 5.18 Moreover that God himself doth inwardly speak to men generally in their Hearts both in good men and bad and is their Teacher and doth warn them yea and fore-warn them of Evil and Wrath to come and doth reprove and convince them of Sin is the Testimony of the holy Scripture in many places see Psal 94.10 Psal 50.1 16 to 22. Amos 4.13 Micah 6.8 Prov. 8.1 2 3 4. Job 28.28 Chap. 24.13 and 21.14 And it is a place greatly worth noticing Luke 12.20 God said unto him Thou Fool this Night thy Soul shall be required of thee And where did God say thus to him but in his Heart And therefore it hath been the way of God and ever will be to speak to men in their Hearts to call them and warn and fore-warn them of evil and danger and to perswade and incline them to that which is good And they who deny this as they belye God and say It is not the Lord that speaketh and calleth to men in their Hearts so they do a great injury and wrong unto men who instead of turning them to God's Teachings in their Hearts turn them away from them and they do ill deserve so great Wages of the People so to turn away the Ears of the People from God's inward teachings in their Hearts and from the Word of his Grace which is able to save their Souls And to conclude although the dispensations of the divine Grace be various and may be variously distinguished into a more or less number yet God and Christ and the holy Spirit are one and the one Author of all these various Dispensations and who-ever is faithful unto God in any of them is accepted in Christ and for Christ's sake and not otherwise And though the last which is the pure and perfect Christian and Gospel Dispensation is far more excellent and far surpassing either that among the Gentiles who had not the outward Law or that among the Jews and People of Israel who had the outward Law and the Prophets yet every one of them had their Glory in their day and that inward divine Dispensation that is now among the Gentiles who have not Christ as yet outwardly preached unto them hath its Glory and great Service and Blessing to them who are faithful to God in it and such who continue faithful therein to the end shall never perish and though it be not purely and throughly Christian and Evangelical but rather more Legal yet it is also partly Christian and Evangelical and the pure Gospel Dispensation is hid within it as a Wheel within a Wheel or as the most holy place was hid within the outer Court and there to wit in that first Dispensation Christ as it were lieth as in swadling Cloathes and though the Jews do not know him as he is there yet such as the Wise men from the East do both know and honour him as the King of the Jews yea as King and Lord both of Heaven and Earth who is in all and through all and over all blessed forever Amen CHAP. VII Concerning Justification and the Nature of true Faith whether Assurance is of the Nature of it 1. WHen the Scripture saith God justifieth the Vngodly Rom. 4.5 It is not to be understood that he doth justifie them in their Ungodliness but from it as the like manner of Speech is used Acts 13.39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses For seeing according to the Law of God He that justifieth the Wicked is an Abomination to the Lord Prov. 17.15 God himself can do no such thing as to justifie a wicked or ungodly man in his Ungodliness 2. As it is only the true believer who hath Faith in Christ Jesus whom God justifieth so it is only he who is truly sanctified and regenerated or born again of the Spirit of God whom God doth justifie who are called the Seed of Israel Isa 45.25 In the Lord shall all the Seed of Israel be justified and shall glory For as a Rich Man when he dyeth by his Will or Testament leaveth his Goods or Riches not to Strangers but to his own Kindred as his Brethern or Children and to his Wife so our Lord Jesus Christ hath left by his Will and Testament when he dyed his Spiritual Goods to wit Remission of Sin Justification Adoption and Eternal Life only to his true spiritual Kindred to wit his Brethren who are born from Above and spiritually related unto him who are the true Children of God by spiritual Regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost and who are his true Church and Body and of his Flesh and Bones according to Ephes 5.30 3. And therefore not only Faith but true inward Sanctification and a thorow inward renewing into the Image of God and Conformity of the whole man unto the Image of the Son of God is a Condition and Qualification necessarily required in order unto mens being perfectly justified in the sight of God and as no man is justified but who is sanctified so no man is any more or further justified than he is sanctified 4. According unto which God doth justifie men not only by Faith in Christ but by a real inward Righteousness or Holiness which he doth beget in
just Man and perfect in his Generation and Noah walked with God Another place they cite Rom. 3.9 Answ This place is as impertinently alledged as the former for it is plain that Paul there describeth the condition of Men both Jews and Gentiles as they are generally under the Law and before they have Faith in Christ as is clear from Verse 19. Now we know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law But no where can it be found in Scripture that there are none of these who are under Grace that are righteous Men and made free from Sin but the contrary is manifest which expresly testifieth of many righteous and perfect Men in their Generation both before and after Christ came in the Flesh who pleased God and were Men of good Hearts and good Lives and especially Enoch is recorded to have walked with God by Faith of whom nothing blame worthy is mentioned in any one particular And Christ speaking of good men saith A good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit and a good Man out of the good Treasure of his Heart bringeth forth good things But to apply these words Rom. 3.9 and the following words to the Saints generally as these Faith publishers do sutes more with Ranters than sober Christians see and well consider the words from Verse 10. to Verse 19. There is none Righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God they are gone out of the way they are together become unprofitable there is none that dâ—th good no not one Their Throat is an open Sepulchre with their Tongues they have used Deceit the poyson of Asps is under their Lips whose Mouth is full of Cursing and Bitterness their Feet are swift to shed Blood Destruction and Misery are in their ways and the way of Peace they have not known there is no Fear of God before their Eyes O ye Presbyterian and Independent Teachers of New-England and Old How are ye not ashamed to apply these words to all God's true Saints Yea to the best that ever lived in the best state and to bring them as a proof against the possibility of the Saints perfection in this Life For if these Words do hold forth the best condition of the Saints that ever they were in upon Earth ye may as well say all Men yea the worst of Men are Saints or the Saints are the worst of Men and there is no difference of Men at all but all are equally wicked equally ungodly unholy unrighteous which is indeed the plain and express Language of Ranters Libertines Atheists some of whom to the wounding and loathing of my Soul I have heard so affirm But we cannot grant unto you that any of God's Saints are in that state and condition described by Paul in that place Rom. 3. from verse 9. to verse 19 and 20. which Words he citeth out of some of the Psalms of David describing the state of Men as they are in the fallen state and before the new Birth and spiritual Regeneration in Christ But thus to confound these so differing states is to confound Heaven and Earth yea rather Heaven and Hell and to soppose a concord betwixt Light and Darkness God and Belial Christ and Antichrist But let it be known unto you we can allow none of God's true Saints to be such as are there described by Paul Rom. 3. from verse 9. to 19. But it doth too much sute and quadrate with many of your supposed New-England Saints who have most bitterly and falsly accused God's Servants called in scorn Quakers and most cruelly whipped imprisoned and robed many of them and hanged some of them It may be well enough said of them indeed Their Throat is an open Sepulchre with their Tongues they have used Deceit the poyson of Asps is under their Lips whose Mouth is full of Cursing and Bitterness their Feet are swift to shed Blood destruction and misery are in their ways c. Take this home to you and blame not me for the Application seeing ye make it your selves and judge it to be your own condition 5. And that the said Doctrin viz. The best of the Saints by the greatest Grace of God given in this Life cannot perfectly keep the Commandments of God but doth daily break them in Thought Word and Deed and cannot be free from Sin for term of Life but must sin so long as they live and are only set free from sinning after Death as they expresly word it in answer to Quest 89. larger Catechism is not only warranted by any place of Scripture but is most expresly contrary to Scripture in many places and is quite opposite to the very Nature of the New Covenant and Gospel Dispensation and highly injurious to the Lord Jesus Christ tending to make void and of none effect the very end of his coming and to frustrate his exceeding rich Grace and also it is most wofully injurious to Mens Souls not only discouraging Men to press after Perfection in Holiness and Freedom from Sin but tending to encourage them in sloath and neglect to live and die in their Sins and yet for all this be Saints and immediately go to Heaven although they both live and die in their Sins And first That the said Doctrin is expresly contrary to Scripture see Rom. 6.18 Being then made free from Sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness And Chap. 8.2 3 4 5. and Verse 9. and Chap. 6.6 7 8. John 8.32 33 34 35 36. Ephes 4.13 Coloss 1.28 Heb. 7.19 Next God did promise in the New Covenant That he would pour clean Water upon his People and they should be clean from all their Filthiness Ezek. 36.25 c. and he would write his Law in their Hearts Jer. 31.33 and put his Spirit in their inward parts and give them a Heart of Flesh and a new Heart and a new Spirit and put his Fear in their Hearts that they shall not depart from him And surely all this doth plainly hold forth a freedom from a total sinning and that daily in Thought Word and Deed. Thirdly The very end of Christ's coming was to save his People from their Sins and not in their Sins to put an end to Sin and to finish Transgression and bring in everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 and to do or effect that which the Law could not do viz. to destroy Sin and him who hath the power of Death to wit the Devil that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.4 And the Lord said unto Paul 2 Cor. 12.9 My Grace is sufficient for thee But if it cannot preserve any Soul one day or hour or moment from sinning actually in Thought Word and Deed it cannot be understood to be sufficient and Paul said Where Sin did abound Grace hath much more abounded and he was able through Christ that strengthened him to do
so a Church or Assembly of People only professing the true Religion but having nothing of the true Life and Spirit of Christ and whose outward and bodily Services and Works have no inward and spiritual Virtue and Life in them which is that Salt that maketh them savoury and doth recommend them unto God so that he savoureth a sweet savour in them cannot be truly and justly accounted a true Church of Christ For we no where find in Scripture any Society or company of People called the Church of Christ who had nothing but the Profession of the true Religion and although Hypocrites and meer Formalists did outwardly at times mingle or mix with sincere Christians and did assume the same outward Profession with them in former Ages as such were among the Churches of Corinth and Gulatia c. Yet these Hypocrites and meer Formalists who had only the Form but had nothing of the Power and Life of true Religion were no part of the true Church no more than Chaff or Tares that are mixed with Wheat are any part of the Wheat or Dross that is mixed with Silver is any part of the Silver or old Leaven that is mixed with the new Dough is any part of it And therefore it ought to be the work of all the true Members of the true Church to purge out the old Leaven and to be a separate People from all these that have only a Form and Profession of Religion but have nothing of the Power of it 3. The Church of Christ is called his Body frequently in Scripture and every Member thereof is called a Member of Christ and his Body is a living Body and every Member a living Member and that which maketh both the whole Body and every Member thereof living is Christ Jesus the Life living and indwelling in every Member and together with Christ both the Father and the holy Spirit do dwell in every Member of the true Church even as Christ promised it should be John 14.23 If a Man love me he will keep my Words and my Father will love him and We will come unto him and make our abode with him And this WE is the Father the Son and the holy Spirit who are three and one indwelling in every true Member of the Church of Christ and according to this Paul said to the believing Corinthians Know ye not that your Bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost which dwelleth in you And the holy Ghost which dwelt in them together with the Father and the Son did work every good Work in them and move them in all holy and religious Services and Performances whether to Preach Pray or give Thanks or to meditate and wait upon the Lord in silence And they knew by the inward Teaching and Revelation of God's holy Spirit the proper and fit times when to speak and when to be silent when to preach and when to pray and when to begin and when to make an end they had no Hour-glass to measure out the Time unto them nor an outward Bell hanging in a Steeple to call them together but the Gospel-Bell did ring and sound in their Hearts and this gathered them together in a living way and manner and of this the outward Bells Ex. 28 34 35 that did hang at the High-Priest's Garment with the Pomegranats were Types And this is the living Word even Christ whose inward Voice and Call in the Soul and Heart giveth a joyful sound to that Ear which is opened to hear it and of such it is written Blessed are they that know the joyful sound they shall walk O Lord in the Light of thy Countenance Psal 89.15 4. Moreover the true Church and every Member thereof is said to be of Christ's Flesh and of his Bones and they two are one Flesh Ephes 5.30 31. And they are one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 For Christ he is both the Head and Life of the Church which is his Body from whom the whole Body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every Joynt supplyeth according to the effectual working the Greek hath it Energia in the measure of every part maketh increase of the Body unto the edifying of it self in Love Ephes 4.16 And that which thus knitteth all the Members both unto Christ the Head and one unto another is the Spirit and the Unity of the Spirit is the Bond of Peace for by one Spirit they are all baptized into one Body and do all drink into one Spirit And this is the true gathering of a Church or Churches of Christ that is far beyond all Profession of true Religion or outward Signs or Ceremonies as that of water Baptism which Presbyterians and others use to Initiate or enter People into their Church or outward Covenants and Contracts or Bonds which these called Independents use to initiate or enter People into their Church all which outward things are but Mens Inventions as they are now used whereby to gather and make up Churches And all this is but Mans gathering and work made Things Likenesses and graven Images of heavenly things which the Lord hath forbidden saying Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing in Heaven above c. Exod. 20. For whatever Men make or set up whether it be Church Ordinance or Service without the Spirit and Power of God inwardly moving assisting teaching leading guiding and ordering them so to do is but Man's work a thing of Man's making and all such made Things made Faiths made Churches made Worships made Ordinances without the Spirit and Power of God inwardly revealed are to be abolished shaken and removed and the Voice of God will do it whose Voice of Old did shake Mount Sinai and the Lord hath said Yet once more I shake not the Earth only but the Heavens also And this Voice of the Lord uttered from Heaven hath both shaken abolished and removed many things of Mens making already and in the Lords due time will remove them all and every Plant that is not of the Father's planting he will pluck it up and throw it away And this is a warning unto you O ye Churches and People of New-England altho' Babylon like ye sit as a Queen or have at least so sate some few Years ago and did say in your Heart ye shall see no Widdowhood and have preached it as Doctrin that the sounding of God's Voice from Heaven is althogeter ceased in these days Let this be told unto you it hath not ceased to sound but still doth and shall and the sound of it shall not only shake but utterly remove undo and destroy all your Babylonish buildings And this the Lord will do not by Might nor Power viz. of man but by his own Spirit and the time hastneth and blessed shall he be who receiveth warning and hearkneth unto the counsel of the Lord he who hath Ears to hear let him hear 5. And the true Church is in God the Father and in
Lord is a strong Tower Thy Name is as Ointment poured forth c. And whereas they object first That the Apostles could not baptize with the spiritual Baptism I answer yea they could Instrumentally and Ministerially as well as they could convert and beget Sons and Daughters unto God for they were Ministers of the Spirit and did minister of the Spirit both in Preaching and Prayer and laying on of Hands although God only was the principal worker and Author Next they object That Peter and Paul and some others baptized some with Water and that Christ was baptized with Water But none of these prove what they intend for Christ was baptized by John and also he was circumcised according to the Law and Paul circumcised Timothy and the Apostles generally in that day thought fit both to use and tolerate the use of Water-Baptism that belonged to John and divers other things of the Law which by permission for a time and not by any Gospel standing Commission otherwise Paul would never have said he was not sent to baptize but to preach the Gospel nor would he have thanked God that he had baptized so few For it were strange to think that Paul would thank God that he did not so fully obey a Gospel precept In short if these who are so zealous for Water-Baptism were cordially zealous for the inward and spiritual Baptism they might be the more born with as Men bear with Children that use Likenesses and Figures of things that sute most with the age and state of Children and Charity might be allowed them in that case to be as Children or Babes in Christ if they did hunger and thirst after Righteousness and did wait for the inward appearance and coming of Christ's Kingdom and the Revelation of it in their Hearts as some such there may be But these who altogether are for the outward Baptism and Supper and deny wholly the inward and spiritual Baptism and Supper of Christ which is only known and received by the holy Spirit 's inward Revelation no Charity can be allowed unto them to judge them true Christians in any degree not so much as Babes but altogether for the time Hypocrites and Formalists 4. Next concerning the Supper We grant that Christ had an outward Supper with his Disciples when he did eat the Pascal Lamb with them and this was a real Supper and not like that which ye now use that is neither substantial Supper nor Dinner being only a little crumb of Bread scarce so big as a Nut and a spoonful of Wine or two which hath little outward Substance and no inward and spiritual Signification unto you as ye use it while ye altogether deny that the Saints are partakers of the substance of Christ or that Christ really and substantially dwelleth in his Saints and while ye also deny all inward Revelation of him in these latter Ages Your Supper is a meer shadow and none of Christ's Supper nor of his Institution For when Christ did sup with his Disciples in the Night wherein he was betrayed he began with the Cup and blessed or gave thanks and said Take this and divide it among your selves And next he took Bread and blessed or gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying This is my Body this do in Remembrance of me Likewise after Supper he took the Cup saying This Cup is the New-Testament in my Blood drink ye all of it Luke 22.14 to 20. So we see he used the Cup twice and began and ended with it but so do not ye and though ye seem greatly to blame the Church of Rome for not giving the Cup to the People but only the Bread and charge them with mutilating or dismembring the Institution if so do not ye the same in part Seeing ye use the Cup but once and Christ used it twice and began with it but so do not ye And seeing ye say Ye have not that infallible Spirit that Christ had and gave to the Apostles and that we find you wholly ignorant of Christ's Body and that ye have no discerning of it nor no taste and savour of his Flesh which is Meat indeed nor of his Blood which is Drink indeed and know not the inward and spiritual supping with Christ we cannot believe nor acknowledge that ye Presbyterian and Independent Teachers have any power to bless either the Bread or the Cup as Christ did or to minister or give of his Body and Blood to any People which true Ministers of Christ have done and do at this day to my certain knowledge and joy and to the certain knowledge and joy of many thousands with me and that often in the use of outward eating and drinking being sanctified and blessed by the Word of God and Prayer as we have sat down together whether many or a few we have truly witnessed the fulfilling of that saying Luke 24.35 And they told what things were done in the way and how he was known of them in breaking of Bread And as it is Verse 30 31. And it came to pass as he sate at Meat with them he took Bread and blessed it and brake and gave to them and their Eyes were opened Note even as Jonathan's Eyes were opened or lightned when he did eat the Honey and as Isaac blessed Jacob when he did eat what he had prepared of savoury Meat for him and as the Angel blessed Abraham when he did eat of the Calf and the Cakes that were set before him and as Melchizedeck blessed Abraham when he brought him Bread and Wine and divers other the like examples and they knew him c. Even so can many say at this day to God's praise in the outward Eating and Drinking together as they have sate together and waited in true silence until God has been pleased to move some one or other of his faithful Servants and Ministers of his Word of Life and of his Flesh and Blood which is spiritual to pray unto the Lord or give Thanks their outward eating and drinking hath been so blessed unto them that at one and the same time they have eat both the outward Bread with the bodily Mouth and the inward Bread which is spiritual with the inward spiritual Mouth and they have also drunk outwardly the outward Cup and inwardly the inward and spiritual And so at the same time they have fed at a two-fold Table and have been both inwardly and outwardly refreshed nourished and strengthned and this also oftentimes in the use only of inward Prayer and Thanksgiving as well as of both inward and outward and yet we neither do nor can limit the spiritual and inward eating of Christ's Body and drinking of his Blood to any outward eating or drinking whatsoever As neither did the ancient Christians who said That all true Believers eat Christ's Flesh and drink his Blood daily and hourly and so we believe And no doubt Christ did really give his Body and Blood unto his Disciples at that
Works were finished from the Foundation of the World and therefore that seventh day doth signifie Christ Jesus the first and the last who is the alone true Rest and Sabbath of all the Faithful as he invited saying Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you Rest And concerning this spiritual and divine Sabbath or Sabbatism it is said in Heb. 4.9 10. Therefore there doth remain a Rest unto the People of God for he that is entred into his Rest he also hath ceased from his own Works as God did from his let us labour therefore to enter into that Rest c. And Verse 3. We which have believed do enter into Rest By all which it doth plainly appear that the New-Testament understandeth the Christian Sabbath not of any outward Day but of Christ which the outward Sabbaths of the Jews did by way of Allegory signifie and hold forth And lastly as to Matth. 5.17 where Christ saith he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it It is not to be understood that he came to keep up and perpetuate the Types and Figures of the Law but to put an end to them and in the room and place thereof to fulfil all the Righteousness Equity and Justice that they did signifie or hold forth which is as the Kernal Otherwise ye might argue as much for upholding the outward Circumcision as the outward Sabbath and that outward Sabbath was not the first day but the seventh day And whereas some plead that the 4th Commandment is altogether Moral as well as the other nine that were given forth immediately by the Mouth of the Lord unto the People and writ by his Finger on the Tables of Stone and therefore is perpetual and never to be abrogated If all this be granted it doth not prove that the first day of the Week is there commanded as these called Presbyterians and Independents would have it Nor can they who plead for the keeping of the seventh day of the Week for the Sabbath prove that the said fourth Commandment did enjoyn to the Jews the keeping of any outward or natural seventh day of the Week for their keeping the outward seventh day of the Week was enjoyned to them among the other Ceremonial Laws and Precepts as is clear from Exod. 16.23 and Chap. 31.13 14. where it is called a Sign to wit of that spiritual moral and perpetual Sabbath And therefore if it be granted that the fourth Commandment is altogether moral and perpetual it doth not follow that the seventh day therein mentioned is any outward day or that it enjoyneth any outward day for it can all be spiritually understood very well as the tenth Commandment Thou shalt not covet doth not enjoyn any outward thing but reacheth to the Heart and inward part only and is altogether Spiritual And as the last Commandment of the second Table is altogether spiritual so why may it not be said that the last Commandment of the first Table is altogether spiritual And even the mystick Writers among the Jews do acknowledge that not only the seventh day mentioned in the fourth Commandment but all the six days signifie spiritual Days and Mysteries as well as the seventh of which I shall not particularly enlarge at present A Call and Warning from the Lord to the People of Boston and New-England to Repent c. THE Burden of the Word of the Lord that came unto me on the twenty first day of the fourth Month 1688. in the Town of Boston in New-England to declare it unto Boston its Inhabitants and to the Inhabitants of New-England who have been or are concerned in opposing and hardning their Hearts against the inward appearance of God and of his Son Christ Jesus in the Hearts of his Servants and in the Living Testimonies they have born unto you to call you to believe in the Light of his Son Christ Jesus who hath enlightned you all and every one of you and to turn you from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God Oh! Repent Repent for your great Sins and Transgressions of all sorts that ye have committed against the Lord and against his holy and divine Light and Gift in all your Hearts and especially Repent of your great Hypocrisie all Teachers and People of Boston and New-England every where who call your selves Christians and have a Name to live but are dead who draw near unto God with your Mouths and honour him with your Lips but have removed your Hearts far away from him and who have the Name of Christ oft in your Mouths and think to cover you with his imputed Righteousness while ye are ignorant of his Life and holy Power Spirit and divine Nature in your Hearts and while ye are daily crucifying the Lord of Glory afresh and putting him to open shame and treading under Foot the Blood of the Covenant as the holy Scripture declareth concerning some that professed Christ Jesus in former Ages And this is the state of many of you yea of the generality of you both Teachers and People of Boston and New-England of all sorts a few Names excepted whom the Lord doth honour and they shall walk with him in White although ye have sought to dishonour them And this I have seen from the Lord in that pure Light of his that maketh all things manifest and before which all things are naked and bare which Light ye generally despise and reject and blaspheme calling it A meer natural Light and insufficient to lead unto God and the Children of it ye have hated reproached and mocked with cruel Mockings whereby ye have sufficiently declared your selves to be born after the Flesh and not after the Spirit Oh ye Blasphemers against God and his Temple which is his Light and them that dwell therein Repent repent of your Blasphemies and hard Speeches and hard Thoughts against Gods inward appearance by his holy Word Light and Spirit in all your Hearts And Repent of all your Pride Vanity Folly Excess in Meats Drinks and Apparel who though ye profess your selves to be more pure and more purely reformed than other Churches so called yet in the sight of God ye are nothing better but many of you worse and the Sin of Sodom which was Pride and Excess and fulness of Bread is the Sin of many of you especially of the richer sort Oh unthankful Nation Do ye thus requite the Lord who are Jesurun like that since ye waxed fat have kicked against the Lord and are gone from that Tenderness Sobriety and Simplicity that was among you and your Fathers sometime ago Oh! how quickly have ye degenerated and departed from the Lord of whom ye have made and still are making a great Profession The anger of the Lord is ready to break out against you yet more than formerly unless ye Repent And though his Hand hath been manifestly stretched out against you in manifest Judgments and especially in
Blastings and unfruitful Seasons and other Judgments and Plagues and Strokes upon you yet ye have not seen nor regarded it many of you yea most of you but ye are like unto them concerning whom the Prophet Isaiah testified saying Lord when thy Hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed for their Envy at the People And this is the Word of the Lord unto you all Teachers and People of all sorts of Boston and New-England all such of you who are Unbelievers and have not Faith in the Light of God and Christ within you but place all your Confidence Faith and Reliance upon the imputed Righteousness of Christ without you and what he did and suffered for you unto Justification while in the mean time ye know not Christ within you and so are in the state of Reprobation or rejection as such and while ye there remain opposing Christ without to Christ within professing to own him without but denying him within and the Revelation of him within in mens Hearts and crucifying him by your daily great Sins and Iniquities of all sorts But is Christ divided Or can any have a right and sincere Faith in Christ as he came and suffered Death in the Flesh and rose again and ascended into Glory unless they believe in him and own and witness him revealed in them their King Priest and Prophet Lord Judge and Lawgiver their Head and Foundation laid in them Christ in them the hope of Glory And all who sincerely own him within them have the benefit and comfort of his Death and Sufferings and Righteousness that he accomplished without them when he came in the Flesh and none others and this is unto you all the Word of the Lord whether ye will hear or forbear And oh Repent Repent of all your Self-Righteousness and Self-willings and Self-runnings and actings of all sorts in that ye call your Duties and Performances wherein ye are daily exercising your selves without the Lord 's holy Spirit and Power and Life inwardly revealed to which ye are Strangers and many of you wilfully ignorant hating and refusing to be informed or instructed even many or most of you And all ye who have made light of the cruel Sufferings of the Lord's Servants called in derision Quakers and some of whom have been put to Death at Boston by a most unrighteous and inhuman Law wherein they who either made or executed the same have shewed themselves more inhuman cruel and barbarous than many or most of all sorts of mankind Oh! mourn before the Lord for this great Sin and for shedding the Blood of the Innoccent wherewith your Land is still defiled and the Iniquity of it is not yet done away nor shall nor indeed can but by deep Repentance Mourning and Contrition of Soul and Godly Sorrow and unfeigned Repentance and turning unto the Lord and let it not be an excuse unto you that many of you were not the actors in that great Sin but ye have not mourned for it before the Lord many yea most of you and therefore it lieth upon you and this is the Word of the Lord unto you G.K. A Copy of this was set up in the most publick place in the Town of Boston the 21 st of the 4 th Month 1688. Boston the 12th of the 5th Month 1688. To James Allen Joshua Moody Samuel Willard Cotten Mather Preachers in the Town of Boston in New-England Friends and Neighbours I being well assured both by the Spirit of God in my Heart and the Testimony of the holy Scriptures that the Doctrin ye preach to the People is false and pernicious to the Souls of People in many things do earnestly desire and entreat you and every one of you the Preachers in the Town of Boston to give me a fair and publick hearing or meeting with you either in one of your publick Meeting-Houses or in any other convenient place where all who are desirous to come may have liberty and let the time be as soon as may as either to day in the Afternoon or to morrow in the Fore-noon but rather than fail if ye will give me any assurance to have a meeting with you I will attend your leasure for two or three days to come providing once this day you send me your positive answer and if ye give me a meeting with you I profer in true love and good-will by the divine assistance to shew and inform you that ye teach and preach unto the People many false and unsound Principles contrary to the Doctrin of Christ sufficiently declared in the holy Scriptures your Doctrin being according to the Catechism and Confession of Faith of the Church of Boston and New-England which I have diligently examined and find it to be the same with that published by the assembly of Presbyterians and Independents at Westminster in Old England about forty Years ago excepting some few small things wherein some of you may differ in Church Government and Discipline and if ye cannot receive my Information I profer to debate these things fairly with you which I call false Doctrin and to vindicate our Principles who in scorn are called Quakers whom ye have falsly charged for which some of our worthy Friends have suffered death at Boston and let the Scriptures Testimony be the only external Rule Test and Touch-stone of our said debate And the particular things I charge on you as being false Doctrin and contrary to the Doctrin of the holy Scripture beside many others that I could mention are these following 1. That God hath committed his Counsel wholly to Writing even since the Apostles days the former ways of God's revealing his mind to his People being ceased 2. That God hath fore-ordained what-ever cometh to pass 3. That God hath not afforded or provided sufficiency of Grace and means of Salvation unto all mankind whereby they may be saved 4. That there are reprobate Infants that die in Infancy and perish eternally only for Adam 's Sin imputed unto them and derived into them 5. That the Light that is in every Man that convinceth them of their Sins and calleth them to leave and forsake them is only natural and no ways sufficient to enable any Man to do any work acceptable unto God 6. That Christ hath not dyed for all Men. 7. That Justification is only by Christ's Righteousness without us imputed unto us and received by Faith alone and not by any Righteousness of God or Christ infused into us or wrought in us 8. That beginnings of true Sanctification cannot be fallen from totally 9. That no Man in this Life by any Grace of God given him or to be given him can perfectly keep the Commandments of God but doth daily break them in Thought Word and Deed. 10. That no Man ever since the Apostles days are assisted by any infallible Spirit to Preach Pray or Write and that to speak and pray by the moving of the holy Ghost as the Prophets