Law of his is the ground of all worship even of that worship that he requires and it inforceth the same and perfectly bindes even all that will by the word of God manifest themselves to be the people of God to keep close to it and not to meddle with any other state ordinance or worship whatsoever as the tennour of this Law rightly discerned doth manifest as also the tennour of the New Testament doth plainly shew namely that the Lord Iesus Christ hath removed the Candlestick from the Jews and given it to the Gentiles Rom. 9. and 11. Chapters as also Mat. 22.2.7 and so forward Mat. 21.43 This state or Kingdome hath diverse names in the New Testament as the stocke of a Vine Joh. 15. it hath the name of an Olive stocke Rom. 11.24 the name of a Kingdome Mat 21.43 Mat. 22.2 the name Temple Rev. 11.1 City Mount Sion Ierusalem the house of God Heb. 12.22 a Golden Candlesticke Rev. 2.1 This state so diversly named and set forth is the proper seate or being of all Gods publike ordinances and worship as the Temple of old was so is this as the 1 Cor. 10. doth shew and as all the Primitive examples doth plainly prove So that the ordinances of worship as they be placed and seated there so they cannot be lawfully used any where else so that as Israel of old was tyed to the worship and sacrifices and feasts of all kinds that did belong to Gods publick worship so they were strictly tyed as to the worship it selfe so to the place that he had chosen out of all the Tribes to put his Name in Deut. 12.11 1 Kin. 8. chap. compared with the 9.2 3. thither to resort at the time appointed there to worship and serve the Lord as also to rejoyce before him and in his presence Therfore if there were in any a refusall or omission it was a forsaking of him and did procure his wrath as in the 2 Chro. 29.6 7 8 9. So the Apostle exhorts to take heed that there be not in any an evill heart in departing from the living God Heb. 3.12 but to keep close to the way of his Commandements Therfore seeing the Lord hath so placed his ordinances that they cannot be lawfully removed out of his own house and that all those that will manifest themselves to be the Lords people by their obedience to his will must thither repaire for the food of their soules and not to wander in the way of the strange woman seeing Wisdome hath a house pollished her table furnished with dainties the command and call of God to come thither Pro. 9.1 2 3 4 5 6. Mat. 22.3 Cant. 1.6 and the right use of them with the promise of blessing on them 1 Cor. 10.16 and all the appurtenances that belong to them as this 1 Cor. 10. doth shew Therfore as all persons in matters of Religion are straitly forbidden to worship any other God but the true God so also to worship him by any other rules then what he hath layd down so after no other manner then he hath prescribed as the Scriptures do joyntly drive at and may be seen in this 10. Cor. The which that we may a little the better understand for this end we must consider that we speak of Gods publick worship and not otherwise so we must oppose such acts of Religion as are done in a publike state so that the sequell of my reasoning is not only to prove the administring and receiving of the seales in a false State to be unlawfull but all other actions as the preaching and hearing of the word or of what nature soever they be being done by that Diabollicall opposite power to Christs as also by opposite persons to Christs subjects of Christs Kingdome these persons being powred and authorized not by Christ but by his adversary so that they are functioned and officiated by the enemy of Christ though for some causes to God and themselves they prophanely theevishly and usurpedly intermeddle with some ordinances of God for which sin they may justly feare that he will shortly come in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them for that their wickednesse that though they preach his word yet doe not know him as his servants know him and also for detayning the truth in unrighteousnesse 2 Thess 1.18 Rom. 1.18 So in the second place I will shew that whatsoever power Ecclesiasticall and state Ecclesiasticall is opposite to Christs power and state that that is a whore and is by the rule of Gods word to be fled from and none of the servants of God to be found therein For the Lord calls all his elect ones from them as from the place where the life of grace cannot breath in and as from the Cage that is so uncleane that there can be no building or abiding there for the Lords cleane Fowles for that 's the hold of every unclean and hatefull Bird Rev. 18.2 3 4. Therfore seeing the good word of God which is holy in it selfe yet it comes to be uncleane in the use of it in false states so that instead of nourishing the soules of them that use it there it undoes them and is a two edged sword to slay them in the true and right sence of it So that those vaine and frothy flourishes which are made by the Subjects of Antichrists Kingdome of those glorious things they have and possesse in these dayes are by the Lord reproved in his truth aswell as the Idols Temple whose indeed they be and not the Lords So that this is it that I would prove First that God hath given a Kingdome and State Ecclesiasticall to his Servants Secondly that this Kingdome and State is compleat with Laws and Ordinances with Officers and Administrations for the execution of the holy things of God Thirdly that as all that by rule would be judged to be the Lords people are commanded of God to seek the place where he hath put his name there to seek rest for their soules so also they must manifest themselves to be the Lords by their obedience to the truth in cleaving to that old and good way that leadeth to eternall life Fourthly that no publike worship can be performed to God out of this Kingdome and state and that I conceive is clearly manifested out of this 10. Corinht by the example of Israel of old Secondly in that the faithfull in time of the Gospell is in an estate more glorious then they were Heb. 10.28 29-12 22 Therfore when the Saints come into any other state or are under another institution performing Religious actions therin they be by the voyce of God pronounced to be Idolaters as this 10. Cor. 7. doth shew Fiftly that the Ordinances of Gods house must not be removed out their place which is their own state for as the vessels of the Sanctuary were prophaned by polluted persons so also in the use of them in any other place then where the Lord had commanded them to be used
nullifier Act. 6.14 yet hearing of the word preached from any false Officer whatsoever is absolutely unlawfull because it is a sinfull communicating and partaking in his Administration Office or Institution Mat. 23.19 20 21 22. compared with 1 Cor. 10.18 Mat. 10.40 Luk. 10.16 compared with Reve. 13.2.4 1 Cor. 10.14.20 21. 1 Joh. 5.21 Hos 9.4 for he that partakes in any administration in a State whether true or false partakes in the State it selfe Therfore though the naked truth of God in the purity of it were taught by false Officers in false Assemblies yet it is as unlawfull for Gods people now to goe thither to pertake in hearing of it or to eat any spirituall meat there as it was for the Israelites to goe to the Philistims when the Arke of God was in the house of Dagon there to seek Gods presence or for the Corinths to goe to the Idols Temple to eat of their sacrifices there though eating in it selfe be as morall as hearing is yet the Corinths going thither to eat of their set apart or instituted meat made them to have communion with Devils who were the instituters of their institutions and state 1 Cor. 10.20 21. and as lawfull was it for the Israelites to goe to Dan Bethel or Gilgall there to sacrifice and doe worship unto God as it is for us to goe to heare the word of God in false Assemblies unto which places the Lord peremtorily commands them they shall not goe Hos 4.15 9.15 Amos 5.5 seeing the Lord had tyed all his worship and service to the Temple at Ierusalem and there onely promised his presence and acceptance of their service and worship Deut. 12.11 1 Kin. 8. compared with Chap. 9.2 3. And that the Lord now under the Gospell hath as strictly tyed all his worship and service to be offered up and performed in that heavenly State City or Kingdome before spoken of which is called the * Revel 21. new Ierusalem coming down from heaven the name of which City is ‡ Ezek. 〈◊〉 The Lord is there And therfore out of it to worship the Lord may we not goe lest we sin as the Jews did who left the Temple and went to sacifice under every green Tree which though their sacrifice which they offered up there was true sacrifice yet it comes under a sharpe reproof as a grosse and remarkable sin because they brought it not to the true State and Altar where onely the Lord had commanded them to offer their sacrifice Even so though persons goe to heare the word of God in a false state and think they may lawfully so do yet they come under the same reproof with the Jews being guilty of the same sin there being a true paralell betwixt the Jews offering up of sacrifice under the Law which was part of their worship and of our hearing of the word preached which is part of our worship under the Gospell the materiall Temple at Ierusalem being the type and our spirituall Ierusalem or heavenly State is the substance of it in the which onely and alone and no where else his people are to tender all their worship and service to him seeing he hath not declared nor promised that he will own any service whatsoever but only that which is offered up unto him within this heavenly State or holy City his dwelling and abiding place of which glorious and excellent things in Scripture ‡ Psal 87.3 Isay 60.19.20 Rev. 21. 22. Chapters are spoken of And that betwixt morrall things and institutions there is this difference Morrall things are therfore good because they are so in themselves Institutions are therfore good because the instituter hath set them apart for a holy use and ordayned them so to be as the Tree in Paradice and the Tabernacle and Temple and all the things thereunto belonging and all the institutions under the Gospell as the Temple Altar and worshipers all of which are institutions and therfore holy That that Learning of Curious Arts and Sciences which men attain unto at the Schooles is but Humane and not of God the attaining unto which is no way necessary to the making of a man fit to beare office in the Church of * See for this A late printed Booke called The Sufficiency of the Spirits Teaching without Humane-Learning By Sam. How Christ but that man that wants them may be every way as fit as he that hath them For they puffe men up with pride and worldly wisdome which is § 1 Cor. 1.19.20 27.28 2.1.4.6.13 3.19.20 foolishnesse and enmity against God And therfore those that have these humane Arts and earthly learning are not more unfit then others that want them to be chosen by the Church of God officially to officiate therin but Because they cannot easily be tryed according to those rules which the Apostle Paul layes down to Timothy for that end For without grace they will and do cheat cousen and deceive the Saints many times with their Arts by making that seem to be a spirituall guift from God which is nothing else but a humane Art But that learning which chiefly makes the Saints fit to beare office in and take care of the Church of God is divine and spirituall learning of which God is the * 1 Cor. 12.6.7 8.9.10.11 Author without which none are truly able to know and interpret the holy ‡ 1 Cor. 2.10.11.14 Scripture Therfore wo wo. to all those that follow and are guided and led by Antichrists ignorant and spirituall drunken Priests whose soules are so infatuated and besotted with the abominable fornications of the Scarlet whore that they are not able rightly to know the will of God and therfore do they feed you with ashes froth and scumme and these you take for famous truths their hearts being so exceedingly deceived that they are not able to deliver their soules from their grosse abominable Idolatry and wickednes nor say is there not a lye in our right hand for as the Prophet ‡ Isay 44.18 Esay speaks they have no knowledge nor heavenly understanding for God hath shut their eyes that they cannot see their hearts that they cannot understand Answer these 9. Propositions O all ye Non-conformists or Reformists if your much boasted of abilities have any reality or substance in them besides windie and cowardly brags who think you are separated away frow Babilon and Antichrist and yet you are in midst of it and have communion with him and by Gods assistance you shall be punctually replyed unto But look to it if you goe to your cowardly fugitive and run-away Priests to get them to answere it that you charge them not to stuffe their Books full with citations of their rotten putrified and empty Fathers and Authors and Heathenish Poets and Phylosophers which usually they do giving us three of them for one well applyed place of Scripture But if now they thus doe of their Authority I shall no
more esteem then of the dirt in the kennell The most of whose Books are fit for no other use or place then to be burnt in the fire as the Books of those that used curious Arts in the § Act. 19.19 Apostles time were and so shall the word of God grow flourish and prevaile as then it did Neither let their answere be with tricks and quillets by the cunning of their deceivable humane Arts with which they can make blacke seem white just Jugler like Nor yet with their rotten and false Scholasticall distinctions as hearing the word of God from an officer and yet they doe not heare him as an Officer which is but a Sophisticall distinction serving to no purpose And all these humane devises I esteem of no more use in matters of controversie to find out the naked truth of God then pitch rosen and flax is to quench fire which will much more increase and aggravate it even so will they though things now should be very darke yet the making use of them to make them more obvious and cleare will make them more misty and obscure Therfore I desire him whosoever he be that answers me to weigh things in the ballance of the sanctuary I mean the unerring word of God and to go to the Law and the Testimony and speak according to that otherwise I shall tell him and that in the words of the Spirit of God * Isay 8.20 there is no light of truth in him Therfore let it be answered by the Authority of the Scripture for it is that which testifies of ‡ Ioh. 5.39 Christ And the want of the true knowledge of this is the ground of all errour and ‡ Mat. 22.29 ignorance which your Priests by their rotten filthy Diabolicall arts and inventions do obscure darken and ecclipse Therfore I doe verily think and beleeve that for this cause God will never honour them to doe him any speciall or singuler piece of service for he taketh the wise in their own craftinesse and disappointeth the devises of the crafty and sets up on high those that below § Ioh. 5.11.12 and maketh the wise men to perish †Isay 29.14 and frustrateth the tokens of lyars as they are and maketh diviners mad and turneth wise men backward and maketh their knowledge foolish which by dayly and large experience we see manifested and made good nor never make use of them for principall instruments to pull down and destroy the filthy black Soddomitist Babilonian Kingdome of Antichrist for as fast as any of them by the word of God doe labour to pull it down with one hand they by making use of their humane arts and learning build it up with both hands and more stregthen the enemy with these their wicked weapons then they weaken him with any other they can make use of Therfore let all Gods people that desire with all their might to pull down the whore and make her desolate and naked cry down all these wicked Arts and human-learning and all worldly wisdome to the pit of hell from whence they came and only make use of the two-edged sword of Gods word as the very chief weapon to pierce and run through the very heart of the scarlet whore and her upholders for this will pierce even to the dividing asunder of the soule and Spirit * Heb. 4.12 and of the joynts and marrow For the word of God is that two-edged sword that comes out of the mouth of the Lamb our Captain Christ Jesus who sits upon the white Horse who in righteousnesse and truth doth judge and make war and with this he goes forth conquering and to conquer and to smite the Nations and people that doe not nor will not obey his truth for he treadeth the winepresse of the fiercenes of the wrath of ‡ Rev. 19. ◠Almighty God And with this spirituall overcoming unresistable conquering weapon are we his Souldiers or Armies that are in heaven or stand upon Mount Sion that is in the true Church or state of God ready to do our Fathers will and pleasure to fight couragiously against our spirituall Babilonian enemies in following the Lamb whither soever he goeth and to do him what service soever he pleaseth to call us to and not to love our lives unto the death seeing he hath redeemed us from among men and made us Kings and Priests unto God our Father Therfore O my Brethren be exhorted to courage and zeale for the Lord and his truth for this is it wherin he shall be glorified by us therfore shake off all base and carnall feare and be not afraid of the greatnes of our enemies but let us publikely in an united bond professe the purity of his truth in sincerity for we are sure by the word of his ‡ Rev. 12.12 Testimony to overcome all that do oppose us For the Lord ere long by the spirit of his mouth and the brightnes of his coming in this his glorious Kingdome before spoken of will destroy the man of sin that so long hath trampled this his holy City under foot for the prosperity and flourishing of which we are bound in duty to strain for and hazard all we have Therfore if I forget thee ô Ierusalem let my right hand forget her cunning and if I doe not remember thee ô Sion let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth yea if I prefer not § Psal 137.6 7. Ierusalem above my chief joy For my soule longs yea exceedingly with earnest desires to see Ierusalem become as I am sure when Antichrist is destroyed she shall be the prayse of the whole earth Therfore all ye choice Speare-men of the Lord be as valiant for your God now in the dayes of Babels tottering as †2 Sam. 23.16 17. Davids worthies was for him and stoutly break through the Hoasts of the Babilonians those spirituall Phylistims and fetch and take the water of life from out of their polluted hands which they theevishly have stolen and usurpedly make use of that the Lords weake ones may freely drink of it without feare of being poysoned and let us all yea every one of us that stand upon Mount Sion with our Fathers name written in our “ Iere. 50. 51. Reve. 18. foreheads according to our duty Let us put our selvs in array against Babilon round about and call together the Lords valiant Spearmen and Archers against her Therfore all ye that bend the Bow Camp against her round about and let none that belong unto her escape but recompence her according to her worke according to all that she hath done let us do unto her for she hath been proud against the Lord even against the holy one of Israel Therfore let us cause her young men to fall in the streets and all her men of war let us as much as we are able cut off Now her choice men of war are her officers whose offices is that great River
INFORMATION FOR THE IGNORANT OR THE APPLICATORY PART OF A LATE PRINTED BOOK CALLED A LIGHT FOR THE IGNORANT containing a few Observations upon the 1 Cor. 10. which doe strongly prove it to be absolutely sinfull to heare the word Preached in any False State or Assembly whatsoever Also a Postscript containing a Challenge layd down in 9. Propositions to all the Non-Conformists in Old and New England and Holland Made by N. E. JER 15.19 20. Therfore thus saith the Lord if thou return then will I bring thee againe and thou shalt stand before me and if thou take forth the precious from the vile thou shalt be as my mouth let them return unto thee but return not thou unto them Printed in the Yeare of God 1640. A FEVV OBSERVATIONS OUT OF THE 1. CORINTHIANS 10. THE First thing to be observed is this That God having committed a Kingdome or Kingly state Ecclesiasticall to Christ our Mediatour who is the King of it that those that he doth bequeath or commit this Kingly state unto they are by actuall receiving of it Incorporared into him This the Scripture calls an ingrafting into Christ Joh. 15.1 Rom. 11.24 it is called a marriage Reve. 19.7 8 9. and divers other phrases it hath to set it forth Secondly that this is Simbole-wise set forth by example of Israel the act that the faithfull doe comparing it with theirs and Moses with Christ and the Mosaicall state and worship with the Euangelicall state and worship Thirdly that this state and worship it being Gods they were only bound to it and to no other but straitly charged to observe whatsoever he had given them in charge and to walke uprightly in this state and in all the ordinances of the Kingdome So that to this state must men flow unto and to no other and here to abide and not to depart The straying of the faithfull in matter of Religion in publick affaires is called Idolatry the which the servants of God must flee from vers 14. The faithfull must not break the first Table no more then the second The Second Observation is this That as the faithfull are incorporated into Christ that is tyed and knit to him so that Christ and his appurtenances goe together I meane the priviledges of the Mediatourship the priviledges of marriage state and all the appurtenances thereunto belonging vers 16. and this food is for all the faithfull so that as they have the true and glorious state of Christ so they have it fill'd and adorned with rich and glorious priviledges and ornaments and that as they be spirituall so they be precious in nature and use Here is the seate habitation and dwelling of the ordinances of God these and none other are the things commanded to be observed and kept these and none else-have the promises belonging to them these and none other have juyce and life in them in this state And as here be all the ordinances of Gods publicke worship so here is the appurtenances belonging to them as State Lawes Offices and administrations with their glory or blessing on them First therfore here be the ordinances of Christ Secondly they be here in their proper place Thirdly they be here in their right use Fourthly they stand here in their beauty with the blessing on them with all their attendances and with the lively use of them The Third Observation is in verse 17. because the faithfull are one body or bread or cake they be vnited and knit together by a spirituall bond or tye even their corporation This one-nes is such that admits not a division in religious acts they be a religious society or body it is spiritually one This respecteth chiefly those that be a body or Church yet it is largely to be understood for there is no permission given to any to walke contrary to this rule To this one state of Christ and ordinances and priviledges with their own appurtenances thereto appertaining belongs one people or body or Church with their adherent matter adhering thereunto So this one body is partaker of one bread or meanes of spirituall nourishment which is spirituall feeding upon the ordinances So that as the body is one that is one in compactnesse or knitting one in Charter one in Laws one in ordinances one in offices and one in administrations so it must be one in communion and one in feeding on this bread or meanes of spirituall nourishment They being baptized into one Christ by one Spirit partakes of one calling and of one faith and hope as Ephes 4.4 5 6. so partakes of one fellowship 1 Cor. 1.9 So that here is the open house that God doth keep that whosoever is hungry must come to for satisfie their hunger and not seek spirituall food any where else but in this state The Fouth Observation is out of Verse the 18. where the Apostle layes it down example-wise that so as in a Table or Glasse they might see the poynt in hand and the ground that the Apostle layeth against them to disprove and condemne their judgement and so their practise in eating of the Idols instituted meats if any did so this Verse shews that the aforesaid state and ordinances and all things pertaining to them they be unseparable so that those that partake of the ordinances in a state partakes of that state or power and authority by vertue of which they are administred So that as every ordinance of that state hath an authour or institutor so they cannot partake of the ordinance but they must partake of the Altar that sanctifieth the Ordinance to the receiver By Altar in the New Testament of Christ is to be understood not any materiall Altar as that of old but some spirituall thing or things as is cleare in the Testament of Christ Now that there is an Altar in the time of the Gospell aswell as in the time of the Law is cleare by a multitude of places of Scripture Ezek. 43.14 Heb. 13.13 Reve. 8.3 That this Altar is not Christ himselfe is cleare to me from this 8. Chapter and 3. Verse where he is the High Priest that offers up the incense with the prayers of the Saints And that is not in the heavens properly but in the heavenly state appeares by the 1 2 3 4 5. Chapters with the whole Revelation What this Altar is we may gather out of Reve. 11.1 where the Temple and the Altar and the worshipers are distinct The Temple I conceive to be the state for that compriseth all within it as the Altar the severall institutions therein the worshippers the people and this appeareth in the text That this is no wordly Temple but spirituall is plain For as the Altar is so is the Temple to wit spirituall therfore the oblations and sacrifices be spirituall the which being offered to God in and upon this his own institutions or Altar they become acceptable as Heb. 10.19 20 21 22. And as it is in this true state so it is in all