man about thirteen years agoe who worked much upon me I heard Sermons and followed Ministers much after that I was wont to hear in London Mr. Cradock and Mr. Simpson Mr. Cradock wrought much upon me being upon that saying in Isa. Woe is me I am an unclean creature c. And truly I could finde it in me as if he had spoken to me onely what he said so that I was thereby wrought upon I was much afflicted for a time and gave my selfe much to prayer and did love the truth and all the Saints and so I continue now and I have found and doe yet those things true in me which were spoken by Mr. Rogers of that onenesse of love and unity of the Spirit which ought to be among all Saints which hath much wrought upon me and affected me I have seen my sad condition by nature and now I shall see it in grace and now O! how I love the wayes of God and holinesse and duties and means of grace which before I did not but such things of God as before I loathed I now love and long after Jesus Christ alone Experience of Edward Hoar Captain I Shall declare something of God upon my spirit It is some twelve years since before which I understood not the happinesse of enjoying Christ that I began to say What shall I doe to be saved I followed the Ministers frequented the means and did too much depend upon my doings and rest on works and what I heard from the Ministers I tooke for granted truths because they said so without searching or examining the Scriptures and the minde of God I tryed the Scriptures by men not men by the Scriptures but at last I saw them to be subject to errors as well or worse as others and then I saw that humane Learning could not get beyond humane And what Peter said in 2 Pet. 3 16. Which they that are unlearned wrest as they doe also the other Scriptures to their own destruction could not be meant of humane Learning Peter himselfe not being so but of Spiritual So that ever since I could not looke on men as infallible and thence forward I beleeved not things to be so because they said so but because God sayd so and his Word But now I live in Christ and I can positively say I have faith and am sure in Christ to be saved and looke upon none else and I was darknesse yet now I am light in the Lord. And so I propose my selfe to you I had opportunity in other places before now to have been of a society but I was not free in my spirit for that I found them to live too much in formes and not in the Spirit but hearing of so much love and freedome of the Spirit in this Society I desire to be one with you in the Lord and one with another Experience of John Spilman Captaine BEing a member of the Church at Yarmouth in England of which Mr. Bridges is Pastor I have given there an account of my faith and life onely shall say thus much more that once in a carnall condition as I was I did slight the Ministers of Christ especially your long Preachers and could not abide that any should preach long but at last I was catched by one and hee was on Heb. 8.8.10 the new Covenant made in Christ which was applied to me very home and touched me to the heart and made me to inquire into my condition hearing the danger of being out of that Covenant as it was to bee out of Noah's Arke and I asked my heart about it whither I belonged to it or no! but alas I lay long in great affliction and had no satisfaction nor assurance so that I knew not what to doe being under many temptations sometimes I would heare and sometimes affected the Ordinances and sometimes not and so I continued a while untill those promises comforted me much in Hosea 14 4. I will heal their back-slidings and love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him And Heb. 8.12 For I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more And that in Rom. 5.6 In due time Christ dyed for the ungodly And verse 8. While we were yet sinners And some other places besides but yet I questioned whether he dyed for me or no and that was answered yes for me for I was one of the number of sinners and ungodly that needed Christ but being in fears I went to Mr. Bridges told him how I was and indeed he satisfied me very much for the time but I fell into great trouble after all this and had a sentence of death within me and thought I was damned and utterly lost for all this still wanting faith and looking upon my owne actings and graces till the Lord laid these sayings of Paul to Corinth home close to my heart Covet the best things and I tell you yet a more excellent way and I thought there was yet a better way but I was a great while troubled for I was well enough untill I had some sweet enjoyments of Jesus Christ and then I discovered the most excellent way which is Christ and nothing but Christ and then I grew confident and full of courage and assurance and loved Christ in all and all that was Christs and Christ more then all Experience of William Walker I Have much reason to know a great worke of God upon my heart in delivering me wonderfully from severall destroying sinnes which once I thought â—leight but so great that I can scarce utter them I was very extravagant even here in Ireland but was brought very low in body and minde together and then was sensible of disobeying my Parents from what the Word sayes of men they shall be lovers of themselves heady and disobeying parents which cast me down afflicted my conscience and troubled me so that I cannot utter it and I lay thus a long time till I heard once Christ freely offered even to the worst of sinners and then I began to looke up a little with hopes of comfort and applied these offers to me as needing him and so I began to be satisfied with peace and rest and I followed the Word and rejoyced in it and loved the godly to have company with them and yet for all this I was under much temptation and too much I was given to drinking till Mr. Strong told me Brother I hear strange things of you that you are given to drinking c. which so smit me with the abuses I received abroad by the prophane sort who said O this is one of Fowlers followers that I was wounded in my spirit a long time that I should bring such a scandal upon the Gospel and a blemish For two months I was tormented in my minde till the Lord recovered me and gave me resolution and power against the sin which
seen my sins and been much troubled and have earnestly sought pardon and I am by the Spirit of Christ confident of it and I trust in Christ that I shall be established and do beleive it and I doe finde dayly a great change in me and now I long to hear of Christ and I love the Word and Ordinances of Christ and am sure that Christ hath paid the ransome for my sins and I am resolved in the power of the Lord to walk in his his wayes and to doe his will 35. Experience of Sarah Barn-well IT hath pleased God to exercise me with much afflictions and his love was all which drew me to himself and nothing else but first I lay long under a legall sorrow and grief for sin and I was then put upon works and duties hard for heaven but I saw I could not get it that way and in this great Plague-time in this City I was carried further from the notion to the Power and to spirituall holinesse and higher into Christ yet I used the means much as praying preaching reading meditating c. and by the Word I was struck home when Mr. Dunstable teached on the sad condition of some even Professors that were in Hell howling Oh! this sad doctrine struck deep to the heart and I lay long wounded in my spirit upon it But it hath pleased God to work upon me in divers wayes and by his Spirit he hath set me free from this bondage which mercy I obtained first from the consideration of Gods great love in Christ and hereby I was brought to this assurance which I have 36. Experience of Jeremy Heyward THE Lord hath opened my eyes to see sin and showne me my self and I lay under his wrath half a year and so long as I sought to make out my own righteousnesse I lay thus and yet this while I followed the meanes heard the Word and I saw at length nothing but Christ would serve me and till then I could have no comfort wherefore one first day of the week I fell to prayer I prayed thrice and at the third time I heard him say Loe my grace is sufficient for thee whereby I was much satisfied ere since rowling my self on Christ and living in him alone and I finde so great a change that I can say whereas I was blinde now I am sure I see 37. Experience of John Megson I Have often been in danger yea of losing my life and then have desired to live and to amend in many great afflictions I have been in in my youth time I was very ignâ—rant but now I am earnest for more light that I may be in the wayes of God That Scripture of Christ in Revel 3.20 Standing at the doore and knocking did work upon me and then I understood Christ must come in and all evill be put out and then I did desire Christ and seek out after him and so I doe yet and shall doe though I dare not presume of any thing of my owne but all on Christ and therefore I desire to be of this Church for God shall adde such as shall be saved 38. Experience of Ann Megson I Have been long time troubled in minde but yet I dare not despair for Come unto me and I will ease you saith the Lord. The Lord did let me be long where there was but small goodnesse to be learnt But at London-stone I heard a good man out of Isay 53.6 like sheep we have gone astray and he showed how the Shepheard had a Dog when any run out of the flock to fetch him in again and so the Lord did by his Word fetch in us that went astray and thus the Lord wrought upon me and made me see my sins and my self and I was long afflicted and I thought if I were the Lords I should not be in this trouble but then I remembred that Daniel was in the Den and Jeremy and Hezekiah were afflicted and these were the Lords and that the Lord delivered them and so that he would me in due time and I bless God he did deliver me out of them all O that he would give me the heart to praise him I was lewd but now am changed by his grace and goodnesse and I love the Lord and I wish there were such an heart in me that I may ever live for his honor and glory I doe long after Jesus Christ and love to be here in the wayes of Christ and I praise my God that he hath brought us so much out of darknesse as now to see his wayes Many more experiences I might insert but being of the same nature with these I have omitted them and shall keep them by me for another occasion There were others in Dublin that did declare many excellent passages of Gods workings in them and upon them as Captain Jones since Major whose being imperfect I purposely let alone lest he should take offence and William Holme Giles Mee Randall Lester William Fanshaw Elizabeth Holm Anne Bell Joice Latherd Elinor Meeke Robert Barnwell Elizabeth Gardner Robert Glover with many others And I doe earnestly desire pardon where offence is thought to be given especially of such dear friends whose testimonies I have brought into publique view to bear witnesse to the world of the workings of Gods Spirit in these dayes to the facilitating of which I doe to all the world call God who is righteous to bear me witnesse herein That 1. In the first place I have aimed herein at the honor and glory of God in the setting out his rich love to the lost sons of men and declaring the variety of his dispensations in grace and the sundry wayes of working both ordinarily and extraordinarily yea in these days to the fulfilling of his promises made us 2. I have dealt faithfully with all as I finde them in my Notes as near as I can to a tittle taken out of their owne mouths without respect of persons excepting some of the most ordinary sort which I have taken summarily as I promised at the first 3. I think I have done my duty herein and wish it might incite others to doe thus viz. to gather out the flowers of their garden to present to the Saints in other places and though some appear in their weaknesse as wel as in strength this doth the more magnifie free grace and all those variety of notes concur to make up the tune of the song of the Lamb that one song of Moses and of the Lamb So that the variety of the flowers and of the colors and of the natures and of the formalities of them gathered together into one give a glorious lustre and like the Rain-bow of many colours signifie fair weather for Ireland And I am in good hopes no good man can have the heart to blame me for my good will and worke before any take offence let him
this continued to the time of Constantine and Licinius and although the red Dragon could not have his wil do what he could with these his heads and hornes with which he used to push at and if he could to have pushed out the memory of the Saints that the name of a Christian might not be left yet the Church liv'd and thriv'd till she was in those dayes driven into the Wildernesse which was worse then all the Persecutions of the Dragon before and this was not mulatione loci sed amissione ornatus by loosing her former light life liberty excellency purity and lovelinesse her bright Discipline for darknesse of devotion and devotion of darknesse her truthes for traditions and Doctrines of Christ for inventions of men and all this by her pretended friends at home for now the Dragon had dragg'd the third part of the Starres after him viz. Meteors and wandring Starres made up of earthy matter but not fixed in the Globe of Heaven them he hath cast downe with his tayle i. e. by his Serpentine subtilties insinuations strength policy and poysonous infections Oh sad what Superstitions Idolaâ—ry and will-worship began in those dayes to be inthron'd and owned yea in such a manner as is to be lamented at this day for then started up the solemne celebration up-setting dedication and adoring of Houses of Bricke and Clay Lime and Stone and Consecrating such kinde of places for the Temples of the Lord calling them Catholicke and Christning them Churches yea then the superstitious Mother of Constantine viz. Helena went a Pilgrimage to Jerusalem to finde out Reliques and Monuments and then began Crosses to be set up and Consecrated and Christ's Nailes and Reliques to be kept and ador'd and Miracles pretended to be wrought by them as they that loved Superstition and Idolatry did and doe report to this day Thus and many other wayes was the poor woman the Church forced into a fruitlesse comfortlesse dangerous barren Desart-like condition whilst Monkes and Popish Priests sprung up apace and whilst the glistring glory of the former true Discipline Doctrine and Ordinances did dye apace and began to lye buried and unregarded in the dust But ah blessed Lord how excellently doth her deliverance draw nigh and that it is hard by will appeare in the following Chapters In the meane time let all discerning men judge to whom I appeale what a miserable state hath the poore Church visible been in to this day for many hundred yeares and how thicke and three-fold her miseries grew in upon her in the absence of that bright Discipline and Doctrine which she had in the Primitive times and also by the pride and presence of a cunning and curious counterfeit thereof which hath crowded out the true and continued amongst us to this day The proud Popish and Prelatick Discipline quickly grew drunke and was soone swallowed up and swimming in the bloud of the precious Saints The Moone was indeed then turn'd to bloud as well as the Sunne to darknesse and most Romanizing outragious Massacres of Saints and bloudy unsupportable Butchâ—â—ies of Gods people were made to maintaine the Doctrine and Discipline of those dayes so that the Saints were accounted as sheep for the Shambles and were killed all the day long yet a little respite was allowed them and liberty given to them through God's goodnesse in King Henry the eights time and then the true Discipline which seem'd to lye for lost and dead a long time which Christ hath left us in his Church would faine have lived and breathed a little and so in Edward the sixth's dayes and viriditie very great hopes there was of her recovery and she began to wax warme and to sneeze out some good signeâ— towards it but alas they were soone lost againe and how lamentably did she lye againe at the Graves brinke in cruell and accursed Queene Maries dayes and then she was given over indeed even by her Phisitians for lost and past recovery untill it pleased the Lord to raise her up againe and almost miraculously in Queen Elizabeths dayes and then we did verily expect her full recovery and restauration according to the Primitive patterne and practise but well-a-day how were we deceiv'd for what by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crafty cunning of the seducing Serpent which deceived Eve and what by the insinuating subtilties of the Popish Prelates and Mitre-mongers in those dayes her Mothers Children were angry with her and under pretence of Treasons Rebellions and robbing of the Magistrates of their right and the like wrongfull accusations those her enemies inveigh'd against this Discipline of Christ's Institution accusing it to the Queen they called it a Schisme a Faction Sedition and Heresie and with this they charged the true Children of the Church and impeached the precious ones as the Presidents did that conspired against Daniel Chap. 6. accusing him for the breach of the Kings command because he kept his conscience upright and as the Adversaries that would have hindred the building up of Gods house in Ezra's dayes chap. 4.13.16 they charged them for rebellious and for such as would rob the Magistrate of his right and revenews so did these in Q. Eliz. dayes most cruelly doe the Accuser of the brethren's office against the Saints branding and abusing them for seditious factious persons and charging them for Innovators Hereticks erroneous ones calling them Puritans Brownists Donatists Anabaptists Sectaries and such like saying they would be the Destroyers of the Nation and what not so that by this meanes the Church did seem black and odious to the world being Sun-burnt and set to be the keeper of other Antichristian strange vineyards whiles her owne was neglected Cant. 1.6 For it is in and by the name of Christs own Church and Discipline that such a Popish Hierarchy and Prelacy was canonized and consecrated which carried a faire face but a foule heart and which was taken out of humane traditions and inventions of the Papists coyne and 〈…〉 Conclave and Canons as will amply appeare by the beams of the Sun in this ensuing Tract And certainly the Prelates and Papists did agree and look very like one another in their Discpline and in their opposing the Saints and Christs true Church and Discipline We might have said of them as Aristotle once said of the Milesians that the Milesians were not fools yet they did just the same things that fooles doe so these Protestants and Prelates were not Papists no by no means and yet they did just as Papists doe but they were indeed Mungrels and meer Hermaphrodites in Religion Nec vere viros nec vere mulieres sed vere Histriones neither Papists nor Protestants but both or neither or either or any thing for their owne ends A Roman Cardinal caused his Painter to draw out K. Solomon halfe in heaven and halfe in hell for which he was justly to be
blamed but without any just blame might those Prelates be pictured out so half way in heaven for what they pretended and for the good they did but half in hel for what they intended and for the evill they did in afflicting the Saints accusing the brethren persecuting the Church and rendring the true Discipline of Gospel-fellowship odious and despicable to Magistrates Ministers people and all But furthermore the Antichristian Hierarchy and Discipline was so indulgently fostered up by Monarchy that King James could make it a maxime in which he proved a true Prophet No Bishop no King and it is clear to me out of many Scriptures Dan. 2.34 35. Rev. 17.12 and 18.3 that they both live and dye together like Hippocrates twins receiving both alike and at the same time power from and punishment with the Beast Wherefore let not the Prelates nor Papists thinke to hold long in any place for the day of the Lord his controversie for Zion shall finde them out neither need they to thinke their fall is by fortune for it is appointed of old and in these dayes wherein we are at suit with them let them not wonder if they all lose the day of us yea and the hot spirits violent Presbyterians too so called who agree too much with Popery and Prelacy as appears Ch. 9. lib. 2. at large and must meet with the like lamentable destiny and fate with you for as Mâ— Hooker sayes in his Preface before his Survey of Discipline There is no such thing as a Presbyteriall Church i.e. a Church made up of the Elders of many Congregations Classic-wise to govern c. in the New Testament wherefore let them not wonder if they also fall in the heat of this Suit seeing the Law and the Testimony is for us this Terme-time and therefore the Judge must be for us too and the day will be ours in despight of all the world because that yee have trusted to forged titles that will hold no water The Camel seeking hornes lost his ears and so have these Disciplinarians they will not heare what belongs to their peace In this Summers day of the Lord Jesus the Sun will shine hot and scorch yea melâ— violento aestu the waxen wings of all false-discipline and thereby throw down that Icarus-like loftinesse of High-Presbytery Popery and Prelacy in all Nations and then the whole bulke and massie body of Antichrist must beat his heels in the ayre and be found in the deeps and drowned in the Ocean of everlasting misery Rev. 19.19 they are already under the burnings of that day in the torrid horrid Zone and must shortly tumble into the tomb where the worme dyeth not This must bee for that they cannot bee converted into any other use for safety As the black cloath that will take no other Dye but must hold so and is most rotten uselesse and unserviceable for weare but the whit will take any other Dye so indeed will our Discipline of Gospel-institution which is in these latter dayes to bee restored into its Primitive purity as white precious spirituall Lilly-like and lovely this shall be capable of any Dye or administration and Dispensation to the end of the world any Dye it will take whereinto it is dipp'd by the hand of the Lord but the blacke base sooty and darke Discipline of Antichrist shall be but as a rotten ragge and good for nothing being in nothing capable of these latter dayes dyes which will be of divers sorts from one to another yeare after yeare and the best at last But furthermore the Dragon till these late dayes hath made use of earthly powers to oppose the Saints having no more place found for him in heaven but now it is that we heare the loud Voyce in heaven viz. his Church saying Now is come salvation strength and the Kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ for the Accuser of our Brethren is cast down And now shall the earth viz. earthly powers help the Woman and swallow up the Dragons indignation though the remnant of her Seed must yet meet with Warres Conflicts and oppositions for a time It remaines now O England Ireland and Scotland that yee kisse the Sonne lest he be angry and yee perish Psal. 2.12 and that yee cast away your Popish and foppish trash and trumperies and those wicked traditions formes and ordinances of men which have made yee Captives and for many hundred yeares have inbondaged and endungeoned ye up in darknesse and deceit for as we can cousen little ignorant Children by giving them Counters and taking away Gold and those Counters too are only to quiet them so how easily can Antichrist cheat you which he hath done in our ignorance and infancy by giving us Copper for Gold and counterfeit Brazen-fac'd ordinances and tooke away Christ's telling us that they were better which he gave us and so quieting us for a long time but now alasse we are older and we must be wiser and not be so basely cheated out of our Ordinances Orders Doctrine and Discipline which Christ hath left us when he went from us but let us hold our owne and keep our Gold and to encourage us he hath promised us ere long to make another change in the Churches and to give them gold for brasse Isa. 60.17 the precious for the vile c. Wherefore it is O Friends that this true Religion Discipline and Gospel-worship of Christ's owne Coyne and Mint having his owne Image of his most precious Gold is offered you againe and once againe which hath often before been rigidly repulst and put off with disdaine and direfull reproach yet notwithstanding it is presented to you the third time and comes crowned with the twelve Starres and cloathed with the Sunne I meane with Christ the Super-intendent and sole Independent Lord and Law-giver yea and alone Light-giver to the Church and Saints This is especially the Honour and Ornament of this Discipline or Gospel-Politie viz. to be cloathed with light having Christ alone the Lord. Indeed hitherto hath many a sad soule sate and sigh'd yea and the Church in the Wildernesse too bewayl'd with Mary weeping Joh. 20.13 Oh! They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him Alexander used to say of his two Friends viz. Craterus and Hephestion that Hephestion loved Alexander but Craterus loved the King and yet the King and Alexander were both but one man and so Certes I may say of some in these dayes who professe to be Christ's friends they all love him as Christ Jesus our Saviour for his sweetnesse and excellency and lovelinesse and love which is better then wine and for his usefulnesse c. but how few of them that love him as the King to be commanded by him that are obedient to his Lawes and Ordinances unlesse they be in the Congregationall orderly Courches and there indeed Christ
thousand six hundred forty three about which time her Deliverance and Freedome came running in and the Congregationall Churches got upon their feete and began to looke forth as the morning Cant. 6.10 though many black Clouds and Mists were cast upon them some ten yeares agoe to grieve them and to feare them with the threates of a foule day following and to render them unlovely and unlikely to hold so that for my owne part I am possess'd with this opinion as to the yeare of her Deliverance beginning gradually and as to us about ten years agoe But Master Brightmans judgement is to have it begin one thousand six hundred and fifty from that also of Dan. 12.7 it shall be for time times and halfe a time with vers 12. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to one thousand three hundred thirty five dayes a day being often in Scripture for a yeare as Numb 14.34 Ezek. 4.5 6. and a time he takes for an hundred yeares and so times for two hundred and halfe a time for halfe a hundred or fifty that is three hundred and fifty yeares which with one thousand three hundred makes one thousand six hundred and fifty in which yeare he fore-told the true Discipline of the Church should begin to be restored unto her primitive face and fairnesse and how truly he hath fore-told this let the times we live in testifie for him for indeed the eminent passages and evident appearances of Gods presence with us and power for us for the liberty and deliverance of true Discipline will easily allow of his Exposition as passing authentick and Orthodox But whereas it may be objected out of Dan. 12.12 thirty five remaine I answer 'T is true indeed and there is great need of thirty five yeares for warres and troubles against the Lambe and 's followers Christ and 's Churches whose Deliverance and brightnesse of Discipline is but by little and little and ariseth gradually and lives most gloriously in these parts of Europe for thirty and five yeares and after that followes her full deliverance and recovery out of the Wildernesse universally in all Nations but for thirty five yeares she comes only gradually out of the Wilnesse leaning on her Beloved but especially in these parts of the earth where the worke is already begun and mountaines made plaines which shall within these thirty five yeares be all levell'd and laid in the dust before Zerubbabel who hath already laid the foundation of that worke the Lords house which his hands shall after thirty five yeares finish when all the enemies of God and his Gospel shall by his glorious out-goings and the brightnesse of his coming be nothing'd into nothing Thus you have his and my poore judgement offered under correction But I meet with two more computations of times which are set for the Churches rising and Christ's reigning out of the same Chapter of Dan. 12.11 From the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety dayes ver 12 13. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to one thousand three hundred thirty five dayes but goe thou thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand in the lot at the end of the dayes Some compute this from the time of Constantine the Great the first Christian Emperour converted to the Faith about the three hundred and twelfth yeare after Christ now the ten hot Persecutions by the Dragon as I told you in the chapter before were ended and the Church was now cloathed with enough of outward beauty riches greatnesse and ornaments were in abundance which bewitched many from the Truth and which proved the most irresistible temptations that could be to corrupt Magistrates Ministers People Ordinances and all her worship as I told you in the former Chapter and to bewildernesse her then was there a voyce heard out of Heaven to say This day is poyson pour'd forth into the Church and then indeed was the daily sacrifice taken away as some say viz. the death of Christ our only Sacrifice became voyd and neither regarded nor remembred but the abomination viz. Superstition Idolatry Will-worship c. that maketh desolate was set up So we heare how the Church was in the Wildernesse as before but now after these two notes of the time viz. 1. Toe taking away the daily Sacrifice and then 2. The setting up the abomination that maketh desolate it followes there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety dayes i. e. yeares as we proved before from Constantines time to which adde the three hundred and twelve yeares from Christ's time to Constantine's and then it amounts to one thousand six hundred and two and in this yeare came King Iames to the Crowne of England But in vers 12 13. the blessednesse of all is to such as waite till one thousand three hundred thirty five dayes that is forty five dayes i. e. yeares longer then the former number of one thousand two hundred and ninety and then it seemes the reckoning reaches to one thousand six hundred forty seven for the time of the Churches blessednesse to begin more visibly then ever before for then the abomination of Popery Prelacy Superstition Idolatry and Formality which hath made desolate and brought the Church into the Wildernesse is to be unsetled sorely shaken and broken downe that the Kingdome of Christ which shall never be shaken may remaine in Heb. 12.27 28. that Christ's Church may be delivered his Discipline restored and his Kingdome exalted above all the mountaines of prey The second computation of time out of the same Scripture is taken from Julian the Apostate in whose dayes the Temple which he caused to be re-edified at Jerusalem as all the Learned know the Seate of the daily Sacrifice was rent up and tore apeeces even the earth place foundation and all by a most terrible Tempest from heaven for that Julian the most malicious Apostate pretended Christ a false Prophet and in contradiction to Christ's prediction in Matth. 24.2 hee would have had the Temple built up againe but God would not suffer it but now as God would have it the Prophecy was more fully fulfill'd hereby for not one stone was left upon another but foundation and all was turn'd torne and taken away and Judaisme rent up by the very rootes But this made a concave for the Conclave of Rome that Antichrist might come in with his abomination which maketh desolate and this came to passe about Anno three hundred sixty two and from thence reckoning the one thousand two hundred and ninety as in Dan. 12.11 the number comes out the last yeare and this Deliverance is to begin by 1652. for then is Christ to begin his glory and to reigne in the Temple viz. his Churches more eminently then ever before and then the
CHAP. V. Christs Garden or Gospel-Church-State which is to bee defended is to bee defined first from the materiall cause or persons who are visible Saints that are fitly qualified for members HAving hitherto demonstrated by some proofes and sure Prophesies the sad condition and wildernesse-estate of Christs-Church in the want of true Doctrine and Discipline to this day and what in these dayes we are to expect of her recovery and restitution c. It follows that wee fetch out what hath lay so long hid all the time of our Babylonian captivity as the fire that was hid in an hollow place of old the Servants of God after they had their liberty given them to build up the Lords Temple sent to fetch it from thence where it lay so long hid Even so are we sent at this day for this purpose to bring forth what we can finde though hid for so many hundred years but in case we cannot doe what we would we will doe what we can in this case as Neemias did to gather what as yet lyes in the dust and in darknesse and so to endeavour to discover unto you in what is discovered to us and what I say we can of Christs owne Discipline and Gospel-order which ought to be in the Church of Christ. Wherefore first I shall begin to gather the wood together or the matter that the Church is to be made up of and after that the water being sprinckled I hope the Sunne that hath been for so many Ages set or hid in a Cloud will so breake out and brightly shine in and upon us with his lustre and life heate and light as that we shall become a great fire kindled so that all men may marvell at it and make much of this holy fire for future Ages which shall never more be quite out or extinguished For as honest old Latimer said to Ridley as they were going to suffer Come Brother this day we shall give a light and warme all England so faine would I be one that might enlighten others now I am litt by fire from heaven and be as a Torch in the entry to such as are in the darke Et claritate paritate hilaritate the Lord grant it in whose light as I see light I shall shew it and so I come to tell you what 's the matter To begin with the Materials we lay downe this Position that no persons are fit for such a purpose but visible Saints or right matter to make up this typified Chariot of Salomon but the wood of Lebanon Cant. 3.9 this Chariot is his publick seat where he is to be seen of all in Hebrew Apirion and in Greek Phoreion a Throne say some a Bed say others a Palace say others and a Chamber of presence say most but that this Church is all these to Christ and his Saints say I and so all yea and as Sol. Jarchi sayes beside the secret Chamber here on this floore and under this roofe for the Bride and Bridegroom to meet in and to make much of each other in but I had rather read and render it from the word a place much like a Couch carried about and abroad being open above exceeding faire glorious and richly beset with beauty within and in the which Salomon sate with much ease and in much honour and state from whence he delivered his Lawes for his Subjects and thus Christ doth answer the Type to his Saints whilst he sits in great grace and Majesty in this his Chariot and in great glory and triumph he governs and gives out his Lawes to his Subjects Now for the matter that this his Chariot is made up of it must be of Lebanon elect trees Deut. 20.19 Ezek. 47.12 Isa. 60.13 14. The glory of Lebanon shall come to thee I meane such trees as are the tallest heaven-ward such Cedars as are the soundest and will not rot such Cypresses as are the fairest Eccles. 8.1 Psal. 119.80 2 Tim. 1.7 Jer. 5.28 and such Olives as are the fattest Psal. 52.8 128.3 and such trees as are the most upright and the least crooked or crabbed the best and most beauteous ones Psal. 7.10 Psal. 64.10 112.4 Cant. 1.4 Psal. 15.2 and for strength such as nothing can overthrow being well rooted and united Psal. 73.2.6 Zach. 10.12 Isa. 8.8.10 11. but which will stand steddy in all stormes and against all plots and practises and powers which no force can conquer which no Age can decay but they are renewed like an Eagle which no fire can burne up but purifie which no wormes can eate or enter into but who are all wayes and at all times and in all places a sweet savour 2 Cor. 2.15 to them within and to them without These are the Saints indeed and none but the visible Saints and that are so judged upon pregnant proofes and strong presumptions are De Jure of right to be Members of this Church of Christ hence are they called the Churches of Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 and Saints called 2 Cor. 11. and sanctified in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 1 2. otherwise the types of the Mysticall Temple viz. of the Body of Christ the temple of his God-head to this day Jo. 2.21 would not be answered which ought to be by the typified for rough unhewen stones were not laid up into the building of the Old-Testament Temple till they first were fitted polished and prepared for the builders use much lesse may this Spirituall house of the Lord be built up of any other then holy and hewen the liveliest and loveliest stones 1 Pet. 2.5 besides all that entered into the Temple of old were to be holy and cleane and all the vessels within holy 1 Chron. 22.19 and all the treasures dedicated unto God 2 Chro. 5.1 c. and all the materials were the most choyse and pure so ought it to be in this Temple for a greater then Salomons is here and the glory of this house must be greater then the former wherefore it must be made up of the most choyse and precious materials and of such as are dedicated and given up unto the Lord by his Spirit Ephes. 2.22 Moreover Mr Cotton notes that the vigilant and laborious attendance of the Porters was typicall too in 2 Chron. 23.19 who were to suffer none that were uncleane to enter into the Temple which sayes he does typifie the duty of the Church-Officers to prevent and keep out as much as they can vicious vile knowne uncleane persons from polluting the Temple of the Lord which would be by their admittance into the midst of us c. yet if I may not be so strict and curious I am content to say this reaches to the thing now in hand viz. That the Porters and the people by informing the Porters are bound in duty to put by as much as they may persons sinfull and uncircumcised which were not to
evils that are taught in them Now judge sayes he whose cause is most suspicious and surreptitious ours who would have even the adversaries doctrines published in our Churches that we may overthrow them by the word or yours who reproach our doctrine before the simple people as hereticall yet by your good will neither suffering them to read it nor understand it nor yet so much as offering to overthrow it by the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God Thus we see how secular powers are excluded from medling with matters that are spirituall or mentall and that the Word and Spirit are the Instruments appointed by God for the overthrow of errours and suppressing of heresies and blasphemies Object We finde the Reformers of the Church in the Old Testament that looked after the worship of God that they used their materiall sword and Civill powers as Kings and Rulers to cut off the Idolatrous Priests 2 King 16 5.20 and false Prophets c. Ans. 1 Such as were types of Christ both King Priest and Prophet did many things by extraordinary warrants and answer 1 many things they did in the letter which were to figurate the administrations of the Spirit which were to answer thereto as Num. 9.13 and 5.2 Levit. 10.2 Exod. 32.24.27 But these were in extraordinary cases such were the extraordinary persons of Eliah Samuel David Daniel c. who exercised both offices and as I may say both swords but this was extraordinary and for extraordinary ends Now Secondly Loe we may prove Priests and Prophets did execute in Civill offices too as Phineas in putting to death Zimri and Cosby Num. 25.7 8. Psal. 106.30 but our case being not the same proves no more that Civill Magistracy belongs to Ecclesiasticall men so called then that Ecclesiastical power and offices belong to Civil Magistrates as such But besides Thirdly It lyes evidently before us in the Old Testament that Ecclesiasticall Powers so called were ever distinguished from Magistraticall For the Priests and Levites had their distinct proper acts and places both in respect of order and jurisdiction so had Moses and Aaron one having charge of the State the other of the Church and not the one confounded with the other or confined by the other Yea theâ— stood at such a distance that as none of the Priesthood could meddle with State-matters or take that government upon him so none of the Royall-stocke or blood could meddle with the Priesthood Nor durst any as I know of by ordinary warrant untill King Vzziah puffed up with conceit and pride 2 Chron. 26.16 but he escaped not scot-free and it hangs upon record as a scare-crow to cautionate others of his temper neither doe we read of any Priest unlesse by extraordinary warrant as is said before that durst meddle with Civill-matters till Aristobulus most rashly after their returne from Babylon joyned and jumbled the Kingdome and Priesthood Mitre and Crowne together so sayes Euseb. 8. lib. of his Preparation to the Gospel And the New Testament and Gospel are as cleare against it as can be Christ the High-priest ever kept within his compasse refused to meddle with Caesars matters as to divide the heritage Luke 12. yea and to be a King Jo. 6.15 being a thing Civil and out of his sphere and so he forbids his Apostles over and over medling with such matters Mat. 20.26 and Mark 10.42 Luke 22.25 he tels them that though it befitted Kings Courts and Gentiles yet not them they being called into other and better offices and distinct from them the Apostles themselves disclaime it also 2 Cor. 1. ult yea they refused to meddle any longer with the charge of the Poore seeing there was no such necessity of it but bid them choose Deacons Act. 6. Much lesse would they meddle with matters meerly civill and worldly to take them off their Ministry and duty 1 Tim. 2.4 1 Cor. 24.25.26 Rom. 12.3 and yet ah how how ambitious have many been in all ages not content with their calling but still aspiring and usurping I find Mr. Cartwright in his Eccles. Discipline p. 80. speaking of the pride and ambition of Bishops complaining much of their meddling with Civill matters which sayes hee is contrary to their owne Cannons and to the old Cannons called the Apostles Cannons in 80. and 82. p. and contr Concil Carthag 3. Cannon 18 19 20. and which sayes he is most bitterly inveighed against by the Ancient Fathers but this came in at first he tels us thus When things were in controversie and estates lay at variance between parties there were not those hot and eager suits at Law then nor that fatting or feeding of English locusts I meane Lawyers as now is those things that were in controversie were wont by consent mutually from both parties to be given up to a Bishop or Bishops trusting to their consciences and looking upon them as more then other men for piety and conscience for they conceived this the best means and issue to end all controversies and so came in Lands called Bishops-lands in part Since which Kings and Princes partly out of good minds and out of earnest desires to adorne them and the Church though they were not wary enough in what they did and partly because they were themselves so continued in wars abroad which required their own persons therefore they in their owne absence and by reason of such like hindrances gave authority to Bishops to correct such with Civil censures mulcts and punishments as disturbed or troubled the Church which in little time they tooke so much likeing unto and were so ambitious of that no honourable office in Civil-state but they got into their hands by book or crook becomming Lords Treasurers Keepers Chiefe-Justices and of the Privy-Councel and upper house of Parliament and what not who desire a fuller account hereof may finde it in Dr. Willets Synopsis 5. Gen. Controv. 9.3 p 278. How at first the Priviledges and immunities were inlarged by the munificâ—nce of civill powers and Princes and with divine authority and so Marsilius Patavinus asserts it ex gratuita c. Praefat in Concil Senonens And that the revenues and lands of Bishopricks were some of them given by devout and religious persons Princes c. Cod. lib. 8. tit 54. l. 54. Justinian And their titles of honour being created Barons and made Lords of the Parliament house here in England were bestowed upon them by the bounty of Kings about foure hundred and twenty yeares agone Cod. lib. 2 tit 7. leg 14. but never by the word and warrant of God that they got these Civil honours places and imployments But wee shall finde many Lawes that were made to invest them into honour and pomp As Cod lib. 1. tit 6. leg 28. Anthemius made this Law that if a stranger dyed and left no Executor the Bishop of the place
of Religion though they be the fundamental as we say principles of our Christian faith O what an errour is this sayes John Husse to his Adversaries to deliver poore people up to secular powers to put to death c O cruell accursed invention Mr. Hooper also in a letter of his out of prison to a precious friend Anno one thousand five hundred fifty five tels him how thi◠tyranny extremity and force hath been the onely argument which sayes he you must grant to maintaine the Pope And what they cannot doe by the convincing word they will endeavour to doe by delivering us up to worldly compulsive powers to be tormented This was also good Bradfords sense as he sayes to the then Lord Chancellor I have been said he now a yeare and almost three quarters in a stinking prison and yet of all this time you never questioned me for my opinions before this time or for any thing else when I might have freely spoke my conscience without peril but now now that you have a Law to hang and put men to death if a man answer freely and not to your minds so now you come to ask me this question about Christ really present in the Sacrament Ah! my Lord my Lord Christ used not this way to bring men to the faith Bernardus writ to this purpose an Epistle to the Pope Eugenius who condemned many and delivered them up to secular Powers to be put to death sayes he Apostolos lego stetisse judicandos sedisse judicantes non lego hoc erit illud fuit I read that the Apostles stood to be judged but I never read that they sate as Judges to sentence any But this shall be for the Saints shall judge the world and judge their Judges that now deliver them up to bee murdered and massacred This wee shall finde long agone the Saints were well acquainted with A good woman Mistress Askew Martyr in King Henry the eighths dayes said to Wrisley the Lord Chancellor I have searched the Scriptures all over but I cannot finde that ever Christ or any of his Apostles put any to death though Hereticks or delivered them up to any others to put them to death Marlinus that eminent French-Bishop upon this very account withdrew communion from his fellow-brethren Bishops and would have nothing to doe with them because they consented and gave way to Maximus the Emperour to cut off by the sentence of death the Priscilianists as known Hereticks as ever lived yet said he wee have no power to put them to death nor to deliver them up to the Emperour Christ was put to death but put none to death though Hereticks neither hath hee given power to any to doe it but hath denyed it Luke 9.56 Nay I will fetch a Gray-Friar that was Philips Confessor Alphonaeus by name in his Sermon before Philip and Q. Mary February the tenth one thousand five hundred fifty and five hee bitterly cryes out of those bloody Bishops for burning men saying plainly That they learned it not in Scripture to burne any for his conscience but the contrary viz. that such a one should live and be converted and many things to the same purport And deare Lord shall we then be of a more rigid judgement against one another against tender consciences against erroneous persons then the Friar It is very remarkable how Edward the sixth declined this devillish doctrine Mr. Cranmer had never more to doe in all his life then to perswade and beg of him but his hand to be set to the Warrant for delivering up Joan Butcher to the Magistrates power to burne her All his great Councels with their Arguments could not prevaile with that Christian-hearted young King to set his hand to it sayes he what Will you have mee to send her soule quick to Hell you say her errour will damne her should I then be so cruel to send her presently to the devill in this errour O no! let her live to repent it may be to the saving of her soule to give her longer life and liberty to repent which the murthering of her will not doe I hold it more holy sayes he that she should live to be converted c. that this sweet bird chirps and this young man manifested his dislike of such secular powers and punishments for errors though grievous but O! how few such Saint-like Caesars are to be found now I might heap up many eminent testimonies yea I thinke fetched from all ages against this bloody tenet and opinion of giving up Hereticks or any other erroneous persons into the hands of Magistrates to punish them Many blessed Martyrs have breathed out flames against this Antichristian custom which have lent us light into it to this age I have read I do well remember when a flaming faggot was brought to Ridley his feet to set all the rest on fire Ha! sayes Mr. Latimer to his Brother Ridley Come be of good comfort Brother play the man We shall this day light such a candle in England as I trust shall never be put out I hope so too for sure I am by that light we may see that putting to death is none of Christs Ordinance and that fire and faggots are no good Reformers Were a man a Turk Saracen Jew Heretick or what you will whilst he lives quietly and peaceably in the State I know not who nor why he can be put to death besides he is verily perswaded he believes aright and enough much less can I see how a Church dare warrantably to deliver up any one to secular powers purposely to be punished by them This hath been Antichrists advantage to this day and the weapons of his warfare in all ages But blessed be God it is clear to thousands now as the Sun that shines that spiritual evils must have spiritual remedies answerable to the nature of these evils 2 Cor. 10.4 5. And that the cutting off of mens heads is no proper remedy of cutting off mens Errors but of cutting off men in their Errors Let all means spiritual be used for the recovery of such whose diseases are spiritual and mental 2 Tim. 2.25 For we must not sweep up Christs house with Antichrists broom nor fight with his hands Christs battles nor with his weapons our warfare Quaere What must Magistrates do then Answ. All they can to encourage and countenance the servants and service of Christ by giving them liberty though ever so few or contemptible declaring against all known and apparent gross Errors and Heresies so as that they do not allow of them or the like For what Bilson sayes serves us Commissio est à Christo permissio à Magistratu Christ commands and Caesar demands Christ gives the Law and Magistrates the Liberty But let not Magistrates take too much liberty as is said before Christ allows of and approves of Magistrates Government Magistrates must allow and
and keeps from being Sun-burnt so doth Christ Isa. 32.2 and he keeps from being sin-burnt and hell-burnt and from the wrath of God a Rocke affords precious stones and Jewels such a Rocke is Christ who is the Mine and Treasury of all precious things hid in him Col. 3.2 and fetched from him Prov. 8.10 11.18 Rev. 3.17.18 Rev. 5.12 Prov. 3.15 the Rock yeelds honey so doth Christ Deut. 32.13 Psal. 81.16 his words are drops of honey Psal. 19.10 and his lips and doctrine drop sweet smelling myrrh Cant. 5.13 The Rocke yeelds oyle Deut. 32.13 Job 29.6 and so Christ doth the unction from on High the oyle of grace 1 Jo. 2 20. and Rev. 3.17 the Rock affords wholesome hearbs and sallets so doth Christ whose cheeks are as a bed of spices Cant. 5.13 besides from the Rock flowes the most rich pure pleasant sweet Christall streams Deut. 8.15 Job 28.10 so the most springs and best streams of water of life flow from Christ the Rocke whereby his Church is refreshed as 1 Cor. 10.4 Psal. 46.4 Isa. 33.21 Joh. 4.13 14. Joh. 7.38 Seventhly A Rocke is so hard that a Foundation in it will cost much sweat and labour and continuall paines c. so much meanes must be used and much paines must be taken and much care and continuall vigilancy must bee had to bee well-bottomed upon Jesus Christ Phil. 2.12 therefore saith Peter 2 Epist. 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. endeavour sedulously and study it diligently and if so yee do yee shall not fall therefore learne saith Solomon Prov. 30.26 of the Conies poore little things yet they with labour worke out holes and burrowes in the roots of the Rocks by this we are to learne diligence and bee sure to get in force enough and to dig deep into this Rocke which is Christ. Eighthly A Rocke if it proves a stumbling stone is most dangerous of all to bruise and breake thee and batter thee a peeces so is Christ to such as by their carelessenesse or selfe-conceit doe fall at him and on him O! hee is to them a rough Rocke of offence 1 Pet. 2.8 Rom. 9.32 that will not obey him and yeeld to him but that stumble at him and reject him they that fall upon this stone are bruised and broken and those that this stone falls upon are grown'd to powder Luke 20.18 Thus is Christ the Rocke and this Rocke the Foundation of the Church and this saith Augustine upon Mat. 16. Christ meant when he said Vpon this Rocke I will build my Church Tu quidem Petrus es cognominatus a me qui sum petra atque super hanc Petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam And thus saith Peter Martyr in 1 Epist. ad Cor. 3.11 CHRIST is said to be the FOVNDATION of this heavenly FABRICKE of his Church because it hath its BEGINNING from ABOVE and this FOVNDATION hath the TITLE of a ROCKE because CHRIST is the SVREST FOVNDATION Christus in summo loco situs est c. and he is the highest But the Reasons why the Church hath Christ to be her Rocke and why this Rocke for her Foundation are divers I shall trouble you with but one or two as first is for safeties sake First For safeties sake the Church must meet with multitude reason 1 of tempests and stormes winds and waves Mat. 7.25 whence Bolton calls her the Tossed-ship she meets with a continuall succession of miseries and molestations one on the necke of another like Jobs Messengers and as Clouds rack Eccl. 12.2 Fluctus fluctum trudit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The skies are overcast sometimes they fall in lesser and lighter crosses as the smaller raine but sometimes in sharpe stinging and piercing Calamities like stormes of haile the raine falls the floods arise the winds blow the waves beat and all to try the building which like Noahs-Arke is pitched within and without and holds out being upon a sure foundation and cannot faile utterly though she may be battered and will be tryed day by day and that to the purpose therefore shee had need to be founded upon the Rocke We must sit downe and consider and cast up what it will cost us to be Christians how much we must suffer and then be sure that wee bee upon a good foundation that will not sinke under us nor shrinke away from us for we shall have many trials reason 2 Secondly Why the Church is built upon this Rocke is for orders sake that whosoever will venture to build may begin at this foundation first 1 Cor. 3.10 and bee sure he goe wisely to worke as I said before in the last Chapter so also that whosoever will enter into this house of the Lord may first get up the Rocke which will be with much difficulty to flesh and blood and from thence to goe into the house Gods Church built upon the Rocke many have been wrong that thought first to get into the Church and then into Christ no! no! but they must bee first in Christ and have a right to Christ and communion and closenesse with Christ and from thence enter into communion with Saints c. 1 Jo. 1.3 Eph. 2.2.20 First on the foundation Jesus Christ and then verse 22. into the building where this order is omitted and not minded they build but upon a false foundation and will never stand the sturdy storms And truly I am possessed with some jealousie that most of our gathered Churches or rather members in them are built amisse and are to be amended in reason 3 this point of order or else they will not stand Thirdly It is for Reasons sake to keep up the building to support the body which the foundation is to doe Therefore is Christ the foundation to be first laid and all the superstructure to be built upon him who beares up all by his power Heb. 1.3 for the which no other FOVNDATION could be laid to build upon 1 Cor. 3.11.12 in whom in which foundation all the building for every bit and parcel must have a dependance upon him and an abiding in him as being fastned and nailed to him all being fitly ordered together doe joyntly and unanimously grow higher and higher and are more and more built up in Christ still a holy Temple to the Lord Eph. 2.20 21 22. through his Spirit But First Wee must bee sure then wee have a foundation and that that be laid first to be built upon all wise builders doâ— vse 1 thus and in Heb. 11.10 Abraham the representative of Bâ—leevers is said to look for a City which hath foundations i. e. in opposition to the Tents he set up to live in being but a passenger which were without foundations laid and could easily bee pulled down and laid in the dust I dare be bold to say it that some of our gathered Churches built in a trice are but such Tents without foundations
art subject to wandrings now and may be runnest in a full career without stop or stay warning or check besides you have not here without in your Parishes the benefit of many ordinances as exercising of gifts prophesying one by one and frequent communication and conference in the things of God Mal. 3.16 And such-like pretious benefits as are in this Church-way to be had at large for your edification 4. And lastly it is just with the Lord to leave thee to thy lusts to swear in his wrath thou shalt never enter into his rest never to make one motion more at thy soul by his spirit to enter into this way or once to encline thine heart thereunto If now now I say after so many clear calls thou doest resist the Holy Ghost Wherefore as Heb. 3 10 11 12 13. harden not your hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which comes of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to dry up or wither do not snib or nip off those buds or blast those blooms which are in you and like to set so fair for fruit nor by the hardness of your hearts and unkindness and cruelties to the conceptions of Christ within you do not dry up those sweet sappy motions which are made in your heart by his spirit if you do you will prove but a barren branch a withered sear stick to be cut up for the fire John 15.16 Heb. 6.8 they are nigh the curse that do so in the deceitfulness of sin i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex à privat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drawn out of the way of Christ by some fallacy or other who ever refuseth this way of Christ runs a desperater hazard then he is aware off wherefore then let him take heed take heed And let Ministers so called look about them too and beware for a greater alteration is yet to come and to befal them then ever hath been before O then Sirs that they would be busie about the Lords house and no longer delay it or do it by halves Numb 14.24 or by haltings between too Do they yet know what was the meaning of the last lightning and thunder the last year which grew so angry at their Morter-Churches and Parish-Temples what houses were burnt or beaten down to the ground but those Churches and on that day of worship too and in several Counties too and which is not without a Mystery but it shall be plain and made an History ere long in the interim it were well that Ministers and all would take warning and sin no more by dishonoring God in idolizing forms and humane inventions or in worshipping of Christ in Anti-christian ways and traditions least a worse thing happen unto them Was there ever any that hardned his heart against the Lord and prospered at last Job 9.4 But some it may be will say Sir You forget your self and so I would whilest you urge so much your Form of Discipline For we look for Zion more spiritually and for spiritual worshippers Answ. 1. It is not so much the Form as the Faith that I would urge I mean obedience to Christs positive commands as I told you before although some soar too high into the air that account the Practical Part of Worship a meer Form 2. I urge it not so much to be Church-members as Christs-members but first to have fellowship with the Son and then with the Saints as I said before but I say both these are enjoyned to be enjoyed Yet I say further whilest in the Form out of the Form and whilest under it yet above it and so are all Saints in the Church spiritual worshippers of God John 4.23 yea in spirit and in truth together Wherefore let none be so censorious as to say We are all for the form of Discipline when indeed we are least for it and would have all our Brethren to live above it in their Spirits with God and with Christ in the Temple and the Light of the New Jerusalem We live in them as Abraham lived in Tents and David in Tabernacles 3. We also look for Sion more spiritually but this is in order thereunto Before we can get into the City which is all glorious within we must pass through the gates as appears Psal. 87.2 3. His foundation is in the holy mountains The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more then all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God! There is first the foundation laid by the Lord himself and then secondly the particular Churches or the gates of Zion which the Lord so loves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And then thirdly the City its self which is so glorious But I say before we can come into the City we must enter through the gates which are these Churches gathered So that this is in the way to that City where Salvation is placed Isa. 46.13 This is the way to Zion as Jer. 50.5 They shall ask the way to Sion with their faces thitherward saying Come let us joyn our selves together c. We must ask first the way i. e. the Churches and when we are in the way then for Zion And thus the Saints come to Sion Jer. 3.14 Isa. 51.11 35.10 i. e. By this way and through these gates we must first live in Tents and then in the City Heb. 11.9.10 First in Tabernacles then in the Temple and that those that would live in Sion in her glory and full effusion of the Spirit must be in the Churches in order thereunto which appears plainly in Chap. 9. lib. 2. For the Lord will be known in her Gates Towers and Palaces Psal. 48.3 44.12 Quaere How we should groundedly know we are fitted for this Communion of Saints in Church-society as hath been pressed answer 1 Answ. 1. There must be clear satisfaction to your judgement and full perswasion in your brest Rom. 14. the whole Chapter especially Vers. 1 2 4 14. Acts 2. 19. 8. Saints ever first believed and were fully perswaded and then they entered 2. You must be exceedingly longing and desirous after it and then make ready for it be freely willing to it by the Spirit of Christ in you Psal. 110.3 Jer. 50.4 5. For all in Christs Kingdom are voluntiers 1 Thes. 1.6 7. Acts 4.32 2 Cor. 8.3 5. 3. Such are made free to follow Christ any where soever Revel 14.4 And as they come at his call Mark 1.18 so they are prepared to leave all and to take up the cross Mat. 19.27 accounting before hand what it will cost them so that they pass not a pin for storms and afflictions which they expect before hand as 1 Thes. 3.3 Phil. 1.27 28. but they will hold out to the end 4. What is the object ye look on in these overtures of your affections It is the King in his beauty O the sweet Soul-ravishing presence of
up my accounts Heb. 13.17 and say Lord I have preached prayed catechized expounded conferred for above this five years at Purleigh to such a people and they have not beleeved nor obeyed thy word but many of them are as ignorant arrogant bitter prophane still ungodly and opposers of Christ and his Gospel still as ever O sad what comfort can I have of this Is not the thriving of the flocke the glory of the Shepherd and their losse his griefe Blessed bee God whom I serve that some of you are my joy and my crowne which I shall wear with me to heaven Phil. 4.1 But yet the most of you with much griefe of heart I must say it have rejected the Gospel and the tenders of love and the warme bowels and â—eeking blood of Jesus Christ and oh heavy shal I say the Day of your salvation O deare souls precious hearts for whom I weep in secret what will yee doe in the day of the Lord where will you hide your selves from the wrath of the Lamb O O! how is it that you bring forth nothing but briars and thorns what are yee accursed ground Heb. 6.7 10.28 Hos. 6.5 Matth. 12.41 Ier. 11.6 Ezek. 34.13.33 c. Let me aske you Is it not lamentable to see a poor father wringing his hands and weeping over a stubborn childe wishing he had never been borne saying I have tryed him so many weeks and months and yeers and yet he is worse and worse would you not pity the poor man and say of this stubborne wretch Well you have a good father God will never blesse you you cannot thrive you will come to nothing Oh! so is it grievous to my heart as it was to Ieremiah and Elijah to complaine to God of the stubbornnesse of the people Ah! it is too notoriously knowne that I have taken much pains to little purpose amongst you And yet O! what plottings and conspiracies there were against me what lies and libels were invented what scandals raised what scoffes and scornes I continually met with what huge taxes and troubles you cast upon me what backbitings and railings every day what variety of designes were hatched in the midst of you to afflict me yea with plotted and premeditated malice menacings to undo me what work you made to render me contemptible to all the Country before Magistrates Ministers people all yea the children and servants set upon mee to abuse me yea to stone me yea to swear to take away my life from me all which forced me to bee much absent from you And oh friends do ye think God will not visit you for these things have yee not suffered your servants and children to laugh and sport in the publick places openly in the sight of all the people whilst the word hath been preaching and when I have mildly reproved them to make mowes and mocks at me in the open Church yea to lay dog-whips and what not on the Pulpit cushion when I was to preach What kinde of injury and abuses have you not returned to me for all my love and pains and care and continual prayers for you hath there one poor soule of us in Church-communion escap'd your malice and menacing and your diligence to raise ill-reports and to cause wrongs to befall them have yee not vowed not to leave us til you had rooted all of us from you and not left a Round-head or Independent to dwell nigh you have yee not consulted with all the Malignants about how to bring to passe these designs yet in the midst of all these troubles and every day new trials and wrongs from some or other of you yet the Lord will one day witnesse what a care I had of you when I could not be with you or durst not how I provided for you and how ye were the travel as well as the trouble of my soul. Yet when you had not worried mee away with all this how often did many of you designe to starve me from you And though like a Bird kept in a Cage without meat yet I must doe my duty and sing though the thorne were ever at my breast Still I followed you with love patience pity to your poor miserable soules O that yee knew it and with sweat and swinke praying preaching and expounding in season and out of season But as I have heard of the Seminary in Lancashire riding disguised that lost his glove one that found it rode gallopping after him to restore it but the Seminary fearing he was a Pursevant put spurs to horse and flew from him as fast as he could and for fear he should be overtaken hee makes his horse take a hedge and suddenly skipping over fell full into a desperate deep pit wherein he was drowned presently O! so Sirs the faster I have followed you to doe good to recover you to help to save you why alas the faster you fled away into sinne after sinne rejecting all offers and opportunities almost refusing to come to hear the word on the week-day and many of you not coming above once on the Lords-day Oh alas for the Lords sake hear make not such post-haste in sin to the ruine of your soule body and all but O remember the Pit is but on the other side yee may soon be in it but have a care lest you perish Have I not spent out my owne bowels and like a candle consumed my selfe even out to give you light have I thought my life too deare for your souls O no! but you would not regard it some pretended I was young to keep them off but alas this was but a colour did not young Solomon give good counsel young Daniel discerne much young Joseph fill the Granary with plenty and excell all the Grandees and Gravities in Pharoahs Court for wisdome and judgement Did not young Christ put the Doctors to silence and young Timothy preach the Gospel powerfully and profitably But indeed the maine offence you know was my zeal for God for silence is the basest tenure a Minister can hold his living by I could not be silent but tell Israel of his sins and Jacob of his transgressions Though many feed their Ministers as the Theef doth his Dog porrigit panem ut sileat he gives him bread to be quiet and not to bark lest he discover him but the truth is benevolence could not tongue-tye the truth and 't will bee sad for you to have a Minister who can suffer you and see you live in sinne and yet let you alone the City is in danger when the Alarm-bell is tyed up and so is the Parish I have read of a Law made in a certain Town that none should bring a Rumor of the enemies coming upon pain of death this was because they had before some false Alarms but alas at last the enemy came suddenly and destroyed them all so that it was a Proverb Here stands a Town destroyed by silence God grant it be not true of
you must admit and receive and raâ—her abstaine from those things then as to him then render offence or cause him to stumble for though thou bevest this or that may be yet have thy faith to thy self Vers. 22. and not for another Thus you have the scope of the whole Chapter to ratifie this undeniable assertion laid downe at first for receiving of such as are weake though differing in opinion and this point lyes cleare in many other Scriptures besides both Prophesies and Precepts and practise of primitive Churches You have it prâ—phesied in Micah 4.5 This Chapter begins with the promised happinesse and eminency of the Church of Christ foretold these latter dayes and amongst other things this is one Promise made foretelling her eminency thereby and her exceeding glory above the glory of former ages for that all Nations shall come that is not meant sayes Gualter All of all Nations but many peoples of many languages under many wayes formes orders and dispensations shall come in to the Church of Christ Jew and Gentile bond and free of all sorts and opinions that are the Lords under the reigne of Christ shall come in though Jew and Gentile are at as much variance and distance for their different judgements one from another as may bee yet they must be one in one For there is but one Body of all beleevers of all judgements Eph. 4 4 5 6. in all ages under all forms of all degrees and measures of light and life Eph. 2.15 Col. 3.15 having all the same faith for quality in the same Christ and all live on Christ by faith not by forme Thus all of us will walke every one in the name of his God and we will walke also in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever Every one according to his light and measure obeying God constantly and then saith the Lord I will assemble her that halteth between God and Baal 1 King 18 two opinions and make even her a remnant and a Congregation over whom I will reigne in Zion Besides Ezek. 36.37 38. you have the richest blessings reserved for the last dayes when Paradise shal be restored and the Church shall become the Lords Eden in vers 35. I will increase them saith the Lord with men like a flocke how is that i. e. thus in a flocke alluding to a shepherds flocke there be old and young Lambs and Ews Isa. 40.11 of several sorts sizes colours complexions yet all make but one flocke and it is not the difference of the fleece of the colour or outward appearance or tone or bleat or going or weaknesse or leannesse or raggednesse that makes it none of the flocke so long as it is a sheep still as long as none of these differences are such as make it no sheep So the Church of Christ shall consist of Saints though they differ in opinions so long as those opinions cannot make them no Saints that are under variety of dispensations administrations forms opinions and severall measures of grace and spirit And yet the Lords flocke a holy flocke Verse 38. all having one Master-Shepherd serving one and the same God as Zeph. 3.9 I will turne the peoples of all Nations to a pure language i. e. of the Spirit and then all under all formes orders languages whatsoever all shall serve the Lord with one consent all shall agree in one and consent in that to serve the Lord and to draw together with one shoulder as the simile runs from a yoake of Oxen drawing together yea the Leopard and the Kid the Lion and the Lamb shall lye down together See this also foretold by Zach. 2.11 Many Nations shall be joyned together and Zach. 8.23 of all languages shall take hold of him that is a Jew saying We will goe with you for we have heard that God is with you that is Men enlightned that have found the Lord as in verses before and are united to him they shall now enter into the Church of Christ where the Lord is with them Though they be of all Languages Nations habits forms and appearances so they be but holy and seekers and servants of the Lord as before they must be received though there be as large a difference in things outward and formal as between other Nations and the Jews yet they must be all one and brought into one body God will gather all his people into one and every year he is hastning this designe to bring all into one But for further proofes see Phil. 3.15 16. If any be of another minde what then not put him by no but walk with him for God shall in time reveal it to him Neverthelesse whereunto we have already attained and are all of one minde and judgement let us all walke together as Phil. 1.27 and Phil. 2.1 2. by the same rule of Christ let us minde the same things that is of God the honour and glory of God the worship and service of God thus much to me lyes under the Commission Christ gave in Mat. 28. Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep them charily whatsoever commanded and commended to them in Discipline and Doctrine now this was one in Mat. 19.14 to admit even of Infants in Christ of such who are as weake simple innocent and as unable as little ones to speak or expresse themselves c. yet such are to be by Christs Disciples Christs-Church received and admitted as well as others that are of a more manly growne and strong stature in Christ for of such as these little ones as well as of strong ones consists the Kingdome of heaven Moreover we might muster many Authors together to beare testimony to this truth but besides what was said before we shall finde the examples of all Churches in primitive times to take in all Saints though of different opinions if holy and beleevers in Corinth Rome Galatia Antioch c. where were Jews and Gentiles circumcised and uncircumcised and such as did exceedingly differ in opinions thus Rom. 14. Gal. 2.11 and 5.1 and Act. 15.1 2. and 1 Cor. 12 13. for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body whether Jews or Gentiles bond or free so after the Apostles dayes as appears by Ecclesiastical Writers all that were godly in Christ Jesus without respect of persons or opinions were received their faith in Christ and love to all Saints was looked upon as necessary and enough as Mr. Fox observes till the hot contest between the Asians and the Romans about the observation of dayes An. 157. and then in Antoninus Pius's reigne was Polycarpus faine to goe to Rome to Anicetus then Bishop of Rome and though they two differed in opinion yet were they one in most sweet kinde and Christian communion and both avoided the breach of unity or peace
their honor as well as for Christs then if they had sat still for Moses had more honour by his veyl then by his face The Scriptures are very full of this we find Mat. 25.37 the righteous there had learned it and so have all the Saints as you see by their experiences that they have nothing to boast of of themselves but of the Lord and his love all the day long Psal. 44.8 Rom. 2.17 and the more they tell reason 3 of him they are humbled before him Thirdly Why we should declare them because by them we are best taught the worth and excellency of the love of God in Christ as the Queen of Sheba said of Solomon It was true all the report that she heard of him 1 King 10.6.7 Howbeit she beleeved not the words till she came and saw with her eyes what she heard with her ears and then she said Behold the halfe was not told me Now behold a greater then Solomon is here and such as have left all to follow him and are gone out of their owne Country Psal. 45.11 by self-denial to prove this spiritual Solomon with questions petitions cases c. hard to be answered and have received satisfaction from him must needs say Although they have heard much of Christ by his Ministers Servants Scriptures Ordinances of his worth and excellency above all and more then they have beleeved yet now they have experienced him they beleeve more then they have heard and the halfe of his worth wisdome beauty fulnesse c. cannot be told no not by the very Angels of heaven O then they see it a happinesse to bee his servants to dwell in his house to sit at his table to enjoy his presence indeed when once they have had experience of him and of the fulnesse of his grace As in some precious stone or Pearle is some occult qualities and excellencies which make it of more worth and none can tell it but those that finde it by wearing it so in Christ this precious pearle there be many hidden vertues and properties and excellencies that men and Angels cannot express that the world knows not of that neither word nor letter nor language is able to utter and they are best knowne by enjoying him those that have experience of the worth of Christ can say it is not possible for all the ablest Ministers alive to set forth halfe so much of Christs excellency and worth as their soules finde by experience And as I remember I have read of Dyonisius a Stoick who wrote a book that paine was nothing but a fancy and an imagination but falling fearfully ill of the stone not long after and feeling the torture of it then he roars out Oh! all that he had written was false all was false for now he found paine more then a fancy and so surely experience teaches ingenuously and truly And such as know Christ and the love of God by experience can say their former conceptions and apprehensions of him as an aâ—steer Master to please exacting duties and a severe Judge hasty to condemn and that he damns thousands c. I say they will say these were all false and foul conceptions and aspersions and that God is gracious merciful ready to forgive slow to wrath passing by iniquity transgression and sins c. that his bowels are open to embrace and receive even the worst of sinners of whom we are chief and that all the Ministers Ordinances Books Scriptures that ever were or will be cannot tell or utter half of his love grace pity and good will in Christ c. but onely the back-parts of his glory not the face or fore-side Now as a Physitian findes those secrets and oftentimes excellent things by his practise and experience which hee could never attain unto by all his reading or search or study out of books or out of others mouth so I say many sweet Christians by experience finde and feed on that sweetnesse and excellency of the love of God in Christ which the greatest Rabbies or learnedst alive cannot acquire or attaine by reading books Scriptures or the like so that experience teaches more and better then all A blinde man though from his birth he hath heard the Theory of the Sunne read to him yet he can never conceive of halfe of its glory and beauty or take the hundreth part of that sweet delight in it which they doe that see it nor can any thing we heare of Christ worke halfe so much as what we have of him and of the promises c. And one that hath tasted honey and fed on it knowes better the sweetnesse of it then one that never tasted it but onely can tell it is sweet by reading not by eating and so I say such precious soules must needs better know the sweetnesse of free-grace the worth of Gods love the excellency of a warme Christ in their soules and the use of his most precious blood brought hot to their hearts then such as never enjoyed him nor tasted how gracious the Lord is 1 Pet. 2.3 notwithstanding they may have read much many Books all the Scriptures and heard the most precious Ministers that are or ever were though Apostles every day for they cannot teach so much in a yeare of sweet Jesus as spiritual experience will in a day nay an houre sometimes to some Saints But so much for the third Reason Fourthly Experiences embolden them that have them and reason 4 others too and strengthen them for the future as the Experience which David had of deliverance from and destroying of the Lyon and the Bear he makes a running and round argument against the uncircumcised Philistim 1 Sam. 17.36 and when Saul questioned him in Verse 23. for his audacity and presumption expecting it to be no work for him telling him he was but a boy and came but now from keeping sheep not having any experience of warfare as yet and that this great Goliah was a stout Champion and valiant Souldier from his youth Ah but sayes David for all that I shall tell thee my experience which makes me so confident and couragious at this time it is but tother day since I killed a Lion and a Beare and saved but a poor Lamb by it and shall I not finde now as full a power as fresh an experience and kill this proud Philocompos of Gath goe to fear not I shall save now more then a Lamb even Israel from this Lyon this day for the Lord will deliver him to me Now it is true a fresh-water Souldier as Dr. Tailor sayes Ps. 32. p. â—67 is afraid of a Gun looks aside the danger and the noise is a terror to him he fears it will cost him his life alas poor heart but now an experienced Souldier fears no colors looks full face on danger frights his foes with frownâ— and every perillous opposition and
others of David when he said of his childe dead I shall go to it it shall not return to me Ay sayes one that is to the grave which word wounded me and I went into the Garden to wail and moan my self but soon after my Husband came and told me my childe was dying at which I was left in an horror as if I were in Hell none could comfort me nothing could satisfie me no Friends nothing then it was sad indeed to me a Hell indeed I sent for the Doctor and others but to no purpose Yet after this the Lord wrought on me much and one a Minister of Christ that had power from God to do me good gave me much satisfaction by a Letter of his And after that me thoughts I was content to part with all and to let all go then God tryed me and took away another childe from me and I could bear it very well and was not troubled but rather did rejoyce within me to be thus tryed No cross nor loss could trouble me then and I continued in this strength I praise God pretty long But after this I was like to have died and then to adde to my great sorrow the good Minister that did me so much good left the place and went away and my friends slighted me and one thing added to another made me begin to despair again but then I know not how God quieted me again which I wondered at and was much comforted and confident that God would do me good and I hoped and looked for it And the very next morning as I was at prayer God wonderfully appeared and then was it that Christ was manifested to my spirit and I was as in a trance for a while but after I awaked full of joy and yet for all this I was somewhat under bondage me thoughts but the Word and Means of Grace did confirm me and comfort me In the times of the Wars in England I was brought out of Egypt into the Wilderness O! I was much refreshed by the Lord two or three years and was much contented and had his teachings within me yea and many times without his outward instruments for I had his Spirit his voice speaking within me and God alone was with me and no strange god But when the wars began to cease my greatest trouble and that at which I took offence was That we were so without the means and without able Ministers for now I could not be satisfied but even doted on them and could not wait with patience for I had forgot now how God had taught me within before and without them Yet I followed and hunted after my lovers having mens persons in admiration and thus God suffered me for a while to go on after them A while after this Colonel Lambert desired me to go to Oxford and when I was to go I made ready my self packt up my cloaths and all and rid away most with desire for communion with godly people there for as yet I could see no further I heard their disputes between Master Kiffith and others very hot but saw nothing of God there and was troubled at it and could not after that hear him or others but I went into a Garden alone my self mourning and sat so a while under a Wall and by and by came three men to me passing that way and wondered to see me so they asked me many questions But a little after I recovered my self out of that passion and went and told Colonel Lambert how it was with me but he told me I should not onely be taken off of Ordinances but off of believing too within a while at which I was troubled and went away unsatisfied I was troubled to hear any Preach and being once got to go to the publick place I was so tormented that I could not bear it for I could not joyn with them nor hear nor pray nor had no rest no comfort nor ease nor could I eat or drink but went as I was wont to bewail in a Garden where I was moaning when there came one unto me and presently told me That I was under the opening of the fifth seal and very near the sixth in the condition which I was in and should be in Being thus afflicted I desired to go home again from Oxford and writ to my Husbaâ—d but the Letter was burnt but I was in such a condition to see Gods wrath in every thing against me as is not to be expressed I was left in all kindes of troubles as it were at once but here was all the comfort that was left me and it was my Heaven in my Hell that God would be glorified by my destruction And so long I found some ease and content me thought and it did joy me at my heart to think That all things should go well with the Saints and they should be happy though I had no share with them yet these things did me good And indeed I dare boldly say when my faith was gone and hope gone and all gone and flew from me and could not be seen in me that I had any yet love remained and might be seen and was not gone noe though I were to be cast presently into Hell yet I could love God and was glad he was to be glorified though I were to be ruined and so I was glad at the welfare of Gods people Thus I was three quarters of a year and did not now care for my self what became of me for the reasons I said before but it appeared my deliverance was near at hand though as yet I had no assurance of salvation yet at last I was carried out with a great confidence that light was near at hand And yet I met with terrible shakings for all that which lit altogether upon the flesh for the spirit was free So that some three years agone God came in upon my spirit and gave me full assurance and I heard a voice say And sorrow thou shalt see no more Then I writ down what God had done for me and writ about to my friends but yet I was struck in the flesh again which I wonder at and then I heard the voice again say It was sin that was suffering in me and the flesh as the punishment of sin and so I found it was for the destruction of the flesh and ever after that I found Christ in me ruling and reigning and taking all power to himself and he hath caught the man-childe up to God which I brought forth i. e. The flesh by his incarnation and I have found in me and do yet his judgement-seat sâ—t to judge and sentence sin and lust and corruption and his throne is there for himself to sit and to rule by his own Laws And thus it continues with me at this day and the Lord leads me on higher and higher in himself and for that
us but now to double our diligence and redeem the time we have lost by making more hast taking more care and pains or else we should be lost for ever O! I was sufficiently wounded and fell a weeping I could not hold and after Sermon I went home where I boarded and sate alone crying and complaining that I had lost my time and at that time I took up a purpose never to sleep at Church more and made a covenant with it which I think to this day I observed ever since and when I began as at first I was often tempted to be drowsie I would alwaies stand and hold on nothing and cast my eyes about to open them more But after this I was not content with my former customary duties for now I must double them and do more then before wherefore I resolved to write down as well as I could every Sermon I heard and to get them by heart and to say every night one Sermon and to learn out of a book for I knew no better yet another prayer for morning and another for night and sometimes for noon too especially on the Lords daies so that my task was now doubled So I began to write down the Sermons which for a time was very little having no skill to write fast nor orderly but I ever observed the Doctrine and would write down the Reasons and the heads of the Vses and when I came at home I would get it by heart at noon that which I heard in the fore-noon and at night that which I heard in the after-noon and this course which I took made me more ready at night when my Father repeated the Sermons or the Landlord where I boarded for they both did it being very godly this made me readier to answer when we were asked what we could remember or what the Doctrine or Reason or Vse was then any other and this course I took customarily for nine or ten years together long after I came from Cambridge every night to repeat Sermons to my self alone or rather to say them by heart as duly as I went to bed the Lords-day night that Sermon which I heard in the forenoon the Munday night so called that which I heard on the last Lords day in the afternoon the Tuesday night Wednesday night Thursday night alwaies left to say by heart Sermons I heard a month 2. months 12. months and so as I encreased in years for 2 or 3 or 4 5 or 10. years before and I would usually get up the oldest and of longest standing and such as I had almost forgot or not lately recovered my memory with so that by this means I could remember many Sermons and such as were long agone preached perfectly Now on Friday nights I repeated as I did on the Lords day nights alwaies and on Saturday nights and Munday nights alwaies alike But you must observe if Sermons fell out in the week daies as on fasts or otherwise then I was wont to pick out Tuesday nights Wednesday or Thursday nights and so kept on the order and was fit for fresh Sermons on the Lords day and the Lord lead me on into this orderly way I know not how by himself without any creatures direction on the earth so much did I plot out for salvation by such means as these and to redeem my time Yet you must know having so much to do every night I sometimes began to my self whilst I sâ—te in the Chimney corner before supper and usually left nothing but my Sermon to repeat for my bed and my prayers by my bed-side morning and evening but this I must say from this form I learnt much of God and goodnesse for what I did at first for fear of hell I did at last out of love to heaven and of late to God and Christ as if it were without heaven and hereby I was not only able to tell many mens Sermons together and it may be ten years after they were preached but also able though chiefly by higher means as I may shew afterward to preach at 18 or 19 years of age as I did in Huntington-shire if not sooner to the amazement of many but to the table talk of more Well thus you hear how formall I was and yet as I may say I was but feared not loved into this strictnesse of religion and I remember then I should have been glad if any occasion hapned that there were no Sermons on the Lords daies or if I heard them not which I dare not but do notwithstanding if I were well for it was more ease to me I thought or else the Devill in me to repeat the old then to get in nâ—w But not long after this that I had heard Mr. Marshall as before I was further awakened by my Father afterward who preaching upon the good Samaritan and shewing his compassion to wounded ones yet in reproof to sinners shew how they were more guilty then the hard hearted Jewes that crucified Christ afresh now and have no compassion on him now he is in glory but spit on him and made him suffer and how his bloud would rise against them and if Abels a meer mans did so much more his and if David prayed from bloud-guiltinesse how much more from this guiltinesse of the precious bloud of Christ c. which he preached and pressed so powerfully that I was thrown into a trembling as lying under the guilt of Christs bloud and was long perplexed about it but after all this there is another remarkable passage that I must never forget which I met with or rather met with me to the purpose about 1637. as I take it at Messing in Essex I was playing with children my fittest companions then and running round about the house we lived in through two or three little gates in sport and idlenesse as I was running with the rest I know not how nor upon what occasion I threw out vain words and crying O Lord which we were not suffered to do my heart was suddenly smitten upon it and I was suddenly set a running as if I had been possessed by I know not what power or spirit not having any strength to stay my self were it upon my life untill I was headlong carried through a little gate-way where as plainly to my thinking and in my appearance as ever I saw any thing by the Sun-shine there was set a naked sword glistering with a fearfull edge I thought and which took up the whole space of the gate from one post to another with a broad blade most keen and cruell at which sad sight so fraught with frights I gastly screeched and yet had not the least power to stay or stop my precipitant course but I was quickly carryed quite unto it so as that the edge of the cruell blade meeting with my body it seemed to me impossible I should escape death and I made no other account but
sweet unity love and harmony was among the Puritans and Professors when they were under persecution how they priz'd one another and so it will be again and much more Secondly This Vnity of the Churches will be honoured from Heaven with a large effusion and powring out of the spirit upon them for in that day they shall know the Lord to be their God and as one people they shall acknowledge and never be ashamed and then shall it come to passe that he wil powr out of his spirit upon all Joel 2.27.28 And by this they will bee yet more one then ever before as appears Act. 2.17 and 4.31.32 when those that were filled with the holy Ghost were of one heart and one mind and of one soule neither sayd any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own and then great Grace was upon them all Great grace then indeed Having favour with all people Act. 2.47 This blessed day is hard by us when Jerusalem shall be a praise in the whole Earth round about us but we must be purged first In Ezek. 37.7 as the bones there came together by the shaking bone to bone so will the Churches by the shaking before mentioned in the time of triall cling and come up closer together then ever before Church to Church and all as one Though they were before as the bones scattered so in their affections and far asunder they shall bee shaked together beleeve it and then they shall receive life and breath from God more then ever before v. 9.10 Yea they shall not only be shaked together but tied together with sinewes and cords and lawes of Love that shall never break and this is to be before the full winde from all 4. parts blow upon them and fill them with breath and life So I am assured from the Lord and the Churches shall find it that they must be united together with strong ties and lawes of Love even with the liveliest sinews and strength of affections before they shall enjoy that great and notable effusion of the spirit which is the winde that blowes where it lists in such a measure as from all parts in all gifts graces and admirable administrations as from all quarters to enliven them and multiply them for in that day they will be as an exceeding great army Eze. 37.10 Lastly consider the great and notable day of the Lord is then the next that comes upon us Ioel 2.31 and Zion shall be glorious In the mean time as the lines of a circumference the nigher they come to the center the more they are united and the nigher they are one to another So for certain Sirs the nigher we are to that time the more we are united and the nigher we are one to another So that we shall see every yeare the Churches more and more united and that in the spirit untill the dispensation of the fulnesse of times when all things shall be in one Ephes. 110. The Lord hasten these happy daies I was pressed in my spirit to acquaint the Churches thus much and to call upon them to unity that the enemies might not have such advantages against us as they doe take for our defect in this duty and that our unity consist not in formes but in the spirit as for practicall rules heerto I shall refer the Reader to the following book But thus I have shewn wherein the Presbyterians and Papists agree and are alike in Discipline Doctrine Ordinances and Practises In Discipline for the Church Catholike Head of the Church matter of it force of it foundation of it and in laying their foundation and about the Keyes and Synods and in Officers to all which we have declared our dissent and abhorrance and so for Doctrine and Practises in all in neere fifty particulars wherein I have clearly instanced the Lord make his people in England wise enough to avoyd such Popish tenets and doctrines and give our Brethren that power and will to cry Down with Antichrist Down with Babylon as we do that hear the voice lest pertaking of her sins they pertake of her plagues Rev 18.4 And let them not think me their enemy for telling them the Truth Gal. 4.16 But to the 3. Consid. The 3 Consideration to come to a Conclusion is that the consideration 3 Gospel Order in the Congregationall Church-way which wee have treated of restored to its primitive purity and beauty is one of the great promises of these latter dayes and the spirituall glory of it sparkles in sight of the saints out of many promises prophesies and varietie of the richest types and is to stand apparently distinct by its selfe from all other orders wayes worships or Churches whatsoever as the visible Kingdome of Jesus Christ for his subjects to walk in That it is one of the great promises to bee accomplished in these latter dayes appears Isa. 2.2.3 Micah 4.1 Isa. 35.1 8 9.10 Isa. 30.21 Psal. 110.3 Ps. 46.2.3.4.5 and 48. P. 3. Malach. 3.17.18 Isa. 51.3.4 Dan. 2.32.33.34 Act. 3.21 Dan. 8.3 The higher is last the best wine at last and the glory of the latter house shall be greater then the former Hag. 2.6.7.9.21.22.23 For further Explication though I have beene full in former Chapters yet to conclude this I shall name these 6. speciall Heads which ensue to prove this Generall Assertions without exception The Prophesies and mproises are full for Christs reigne as Head and alone Ruler in his Church especially and most visibly in these latter dayes He alone shall reign over them in Zion and for ever Micah 2 17. Psal. 99.1.2 Isai 9.2.7 and 22.23 Psa. 2.6 And is set up King in Sion He will be greatest in Zion· Rev. 2.26 Yea and rule the nations to Rev. 11.15.17.18 Zach. 14.9 Therefore all power is given him in heaven and earth Church and State Mat. 28.18 to rule all as being more excellent then the mountains of prey Ps. 76.4 till all be under him 1. Cor. 15.25 Thus he â—ides in our dayes conquering and to conquer But to speak to his Headship In his Zion his most speciall habitation and Kingdome Hee is the alone Head of whom all members aptly joyned receive life and growth And this he is to us as he is one with the Father Jo. 17.21 From whom we have life and grace In especiall maner hee is to bee manifested such a Head in these dayes of restauration Hosea 1.11 the children of Judah and Israel though they differ as to form as Independents and Anabaptists c. shall be gathered together and appoint to themselves one Head and come up out of the Land for great shall be the day of Jezreel So the Churches of Christ shall be all one as we said before in Vnity under one Head viz. Jesus Christ. For although the Churches have stood off hitherto one from another as the 10. Tribes did from Iudah and
names of dayes months c. Synops. We dissent Fulke Hierom. ☜ 4. They agree 1. That in the Churches God is most to be met with We differ Dr. Willet Proofes ☞ Origen ☞ Origen Witnessed by Martyrs Tindall ☜ 2. Too nigh one another about Churches as dedicated to Saints We differ Euseb. Lib. 4. devit Constant. Lambert ☞ Presbyterians 〈◊〉 truth out of dooâ—s Gospel-propagation by this means Churches how to be dedicated to Saints ☞ 6. Agree against us They alike do take advantages at our râ—nts differences schismes c. Bradford Latimer in epist. ad D. Baynton Hierome Cotton Austin ☞ Sim. Exhortation to unity to all the Churches Expos. Note ☜ How al Churches differing in forms are to be one vide chap. 5. Unity urged 1. Because all one body 2. One Head which is first in ordine Dell. Bullinger 3. Unity can stand well with variety 4. Unity is equality Zanchy 5. Each contented with their place 6. Sympathy 7. By the strings of love which one is drawn by to another 8 Unity is urg'd from the duty of one to another and to the whole Unity urged 1. That one spirits acts all 2. One spirit unites all things under different forms ☞ 3. Acts severally in all and yet but one and the same What breaks the peace of the Church and what not Zanchy Differing in circumstances in Austin's time Buccer For this vide ch 5. lib. 2. at large 3 Vnity urg'd for all that are in one faith ☜ Zanâ—h ☜ 4. Vnity because all alike in hope Zanch. ☜ 5 Because but one Lord 6. One Baptisme idest of the spirit ☞ The Welsh Curate his Rantisme in his Booke so stiled ☞ Sim. Caution to the Churches of that Church-destroying spirits for so they say of themselves 7 Vnity for that all have one God and Father alike of all Above all Through all In all The Churches â—it in unity is a great adâ—antage to Sathan Sim. Vt impâ—ret Dividâ—t is his 〈◊〉 In unity the greatest terrouâ— that can be to Christs enemies Sim. ☞ No feares if we want not in Vnity Sim. ☜ Sim. Three things expected â— an houre of Triall short but shaâ—pe to the Churches ☜ 1 Proph. The Churches more one then ever Sim. ☞ 2. Proph. The spirit poured out upon all Then unity most of all Expos. Sim. ☜ When ☜ 3. Proph. 3. The great dayâ— the Lord the nigher it is the more Churches will be united in every yeare ☜ This Gospel way is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. The great promise of these later dayes 1. Christ shal reign over all in these latter dayes ☞ Especially as Head in his Church or Churches Expos. ☜ Christ a King how and to whom And a Head how Zanch. Expos. A word to the Churches ☞ 2. The precious Saints the matter of these latter dayes Expos. Proph. Jaspers who Agates who Tremel Carbuncles who Most precious Stones ☜ Expos. ☜ A word to the Churches When they shall excell ☞ ☜ ☞ 1. Who are Jaspers In what properties they â—xcell 2. Who are Saphiâ—es In what properties they excell ☞ 3. Who are the Chalcedonie's In what pâ—operties they excell Zanch. In what properties they excell Ignatius 4. Who are the Emeralds In what properties they excell ☜ 5. Who are the Sardonyx Ainsw ☜ 6. Who are the Sardius Paraeus In what properties they excell ☞ ☞ 7. Who are Chrysolites In what properties they excell 8. Who are the Berylls In what properties they excell 9. Who are the Topaz In what properties they excell ☞ 10. Who are the Chrysoprasus In what properties they excell 11. Who are the Hyacinths or Jacinths In what properties they excell 12. Who are Amethists In what properties they excell A mystery of the excellency of Church-members in the later daies Precious stones Gathered out of all parts of the world Proph. ☞ Variety in their excellency ☜ When high-priz'd Propâ—◠☜ When Jewes expected to be most precious Church matter ☜ A word to Churches and members ☜ 3. The forme of the Church promised in these last days ☞ How all enter in 4. The end of it largely promised Zanch. Two-fold Brightman ☞ 5. Spiritual unity and order of Churches promised in last daies Expos. Christs prayer 6. The Spirit poured out on the Churches and Saints in a larger measure By six Heads appeare the Gospel-Ordâ—r in Churches is a great promise Expos. The foundation of all this is layd Comfort to us our day is comming ☞ ☜ Et redirâ— in principium 2. The Types promise the fall of false worship and he glorious rising of the true Gospell spirituall worship ☜ Antichrist â—â—yâ—â—fied by Aegypt Expos. ☜ Sodome ☜ Babylon Expos. Pro Antiochus Epiphanes a figure of the Pope ☞ Polanus Brightman ☞ Types of the Churches Palaces of Sion Tabernacles Particular Churches Dr. Sibs ☜ ☜ Jerusalem a Type The Sun Christ must rule the Dâ—y that comes though the Moon hath ruled the Night till now Solomons Temple a type of the whole Church when all Tabernacles shall bee joyn'd ☞ Vid. 5. Zanch. lib. 1. de Hom. creatione v. 15. Pâ—radise and Eden excellent full types of the Church of Christ in these last dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Churches â—ypified The Garden was Gods own plantation The excellency of it beiâ—g his work ☜ 2. His protection of them ☞ 3. The name of them which takes in of all languages Zanch. ☞ ☞ 4. The Seat of them in all the World where the Rivers run Pareus ☜ 5. The East of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suidas Lactantius ☜ The later days promise in the East whence the Sun shall rise to all the world Jo. 1.1.2 ☜ 2. The members and ordinances typified by trees of Paradise Odinances Church members trees how 1. Rooted 2. of the Lords making 3. The Lord causes them to grow and flourish ☞ ☜ 4. They are to bee the most fruitful of all the Earth ☜ 5. Lovely to the sight Colloquia congregationes gratiam spirent Bernard de Ecc. cap. 412. 6. Excellent to feed upon For all sorts and Senses ☞ ☞ 7. All sorts of trees that the Lord makes fruitfull must grow there 8. The â—râ—e of life in the midst of them Tree of life two wayes ☞ ☜ Diodate The two Sacraments within the Church kept And not to be carried out ☜ ☜ 9. The tree of life and other trees alike ☞ 3. The Spirit and Word typified by Rivers streams 1. From whence the Rivers came aborigine viz. from the East ☜ Two parts of the East 1. Knowne 2. Hidden but only the River runs from it ☜ ☜ 2. For Churches to what end ☞ 3. The River divided into foure heads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diodate Habes Paradi sum conclusuÌ„ Paradisum e mâ—ssum Beru de Serm. Cant. 35. To take in many Nations ☞ ☞ Where Gods great worke first begins as in the pouring out of the spirit The last discovery of the Type 1. No place for Beasts 2. It is not for meer naturall men For none but whom the Lord addes brings in These Churches must be purged ☜ 3. Of the greatest Use as Universities for others to resort unto and to learn in and to goe from to teach others ☞ Universities of what sort in the latter days 4. Such as are placed in this restored Paradise are under the strictest Lawes of the spirit The Law in love The Churches have their law from the Lord Oâ—hers from the Churches ☜ We have first Life and then Law first a Principle and then a Precept ☜ 5. Those therin are never to be idle but every day dressing and keeping it Zanch. What labours are accursed what not 6 Such as are sinners though in the Church must be cast out ☞ 7. Such as are therein may eat freely yea must of every tree ☜ Ripe fruits 8. Such forbid the Tree of Knowledge before the tree of Life ☞ ☞ Expos. An use of humane Wisdome Learning and knowledge in the Churches But not to be preferred first ☜ ☜ 9. The Serpent got in and tempted by the fruits of the tree of knowledge ☜ He tempts the weakest with Gifts Parts c. Churches beyond Universities Saints are the most and best learned ones ☞ 10. Man put in on the sixth day By the Lords own hand 11. Gods speciall presence there Justin Irenaeus Terâ—ullian Eusebius Ambrose alii in lec 3. The Churches of Christ distinct from all others And shal be so apparently to aâ—l Expos. Not Enemies Who Nor Bastardâ— Who ☜ Nor Ammon nor Moab shal enter in But the Edomits shall or the Jews ☜ Exhort To strive against Nationall and parochiall Churchâ—â— and why Expos. Zanch. A word to England Ireland and Scotland about Naâ—ionâ—ll and Pâ—rochiall Churches The standing impudence of Pâ—râ—sh Church Members ☞ Cawdrey p. 83. Sim. About the Sacraments They are guilty of Treason Felony and Whoredome ☜ ☜ ☜ How the Lord will strip them naked 1. Take away all their Ornaments and leave them naked 2. Show them in their blood and fâ—â—th 3. In their imbecillity 4. With a loud cry ☞ 5. Little 6. In utter darknesse Parish Churches the Children of the Whore shall fall without mercy ☞ Churches and Parishes differ much Flaccus Illiricus vide Bernardus Cant. Beda Serm. 14. Sim. But out of the Churches are great things to be done these latter dayes Sim. ☜ A good caution ☜ ☜ Sim. ☞ A Church is not so intire without Officers and Organs Psal. 48.12.13 The Authours resolve to go the rounds and to make a further and fuller search of Sion Peter
upon a hill let none be offended but if they be I pass not a pin For as Theodorus of Cyrene answered Lysimachus when he threatned to crucifie him O Sir said he Let your Courtiers and Favorites fear that for I had as lieve rot in the air as on the Earth I could I hope willingly save men an inquisition after me in such a case and say to them I come of my own accord Here I am What will ye for I remember the Duke of Burgundy who was sirnamed Carolus Audax was son to that Duke who was sirnamed Bonus for Conscience and Confidence are near a kin Wherefore of whom should I be afraid Psal. 27.1 2. for the Lord is my light and my salvation c. I must be as ready to write print preach and pray against the sins of great men as of the meanest and I will make no more on it though I suffer for it Or though they deal with this as the old Senate did that burned up Numa his Books for mentioning the secrets of their Religion I have heard that if the Crocodiles which besiege the banks of Nilus and way-lay the Travellers into Egypt were but pricked with the quill of the Bird Ibis they will be so weak and stupified therewith that they will not be able to stir or hurt any more O that this course were taken with our English Crocodiles Those wicked Lawyers that way-lay oppress tear and torment so many persons and families of this Nation Did every one arm himself with a quill and make it a good pen with a hard nib and write but as long as that would last what they know of them i. e. and touch them therewith but to the quick as well as they were able I am certain we should finde them stupified and stingless and unable to way-lay us hurt us and oppress us as they do But I shall say no more of them here expecting a more perfect Character of them ere long in a Book by it self The next thing Reader that this Treatise most of all intends is the Description of the Church wherein I expect Antagonists tag and rag of the ridged ones of all judgements especially of the Presbyterians and Anabaptists but I hope to be armed for them with the armor of light The frothy agitations of some unquiet heads and busie brains may cast away cost and twist straws I mean their labor may be worth a pound but their matter or stuffe not worth a penny But before hand I shall pray them to forbear passion and the pride of a Prelate For a foolish sentence dropped upon Paper will set pride and folly upon a Hill Memnon the General of Darius his Army hearing a mercenary Soldier with vile language revile Alexander and exclaim against him he struck him with a Lance saying He hired him to fight against him not to rail upon him Clamors against a very Enemy requires rather reproof then praise and I think there was no man much commended but much condemned that poor empty wide-mouthed Libeller of Garlick-hithe for his Pamphlet he put out lately whereby he hath brought himself into the report and reproof of all that hear his name which may be eminently up and famous ere long in London as it is in Cheshire and other places I had I confess a full Character of him indeed by Master Manwaring one that knew him well in Cheshire at my Lord Bradshawes Table lately whilest Sir William Brereton with an eminent Minister that knows him highly too was by and gave so good account of him That I cannot but wonder how he could end in one lying impudent Pamphlet and like a Squib too dry it seems flash all out at once But if he or any other will leave railing and fall to writing what tends to edification I shall be for him and heartily embrace both it and them so far as I finde a Christian Spirit with them And indeed as the Athenians dashed out of their Calender a day in May when Neptune and Minerva were at oddes and in a bitter fray So from my heart I wish all our bitter frayes may be ended and their dayes blotted out And O! that the Lord would pour out his Spirit according to his promise in these latter dayes upon all flesh which will make us all one in love and holiness and power of godliness and equal worship To conclude Christian Reader if thou comest to drink of the pure streams sweep away the froth for that is mine with thy hand of faith and take up of what is spiritual and pretious for that is the Lords and make not too much stir least you raise the mud for that will make it worst of all Caius Lucillius a Learned man was wont to say That he wished the things that he had written might neither be read of the altogether unlearned nor yet of the highly Learned For that the one would understand nothing and the others would understand more then himself But I wish the quite contrary for that the unlearned might learn something of me and the more learned might teach something to me So that I hope this will stir up some to read and some to write which will be the worse for the Worms and may hap to keep their Libraries from being eat up But I wish they be the Learned of the Father for such learning is the Golden Shield which defends the truth But when Golden Shields were gone Rehoboam was fain to do the deed with Brazen Shields So I know where this true Learning is wanting some Wilde Heads will supply the room with rage boldness and impudence I shall keep thee no longer good Reader in the outward Court or Common Chamber but I pray thee go further and enter into his Chamber of Presence where put up one Petition for him who desires to live and die the Lords And yours And all in Christ and nothing in himself But JOHN ROGERS From my Study at Thomas Apostles 1. Moneth 25. 1653. An Epistle to the Parish of Purleigh in ESSEX nigh Malden wherein the Author was setled Minister till of late Dear Friends I Call you dear not onely that I found you at a dear rate but I am forced to leave you so yet some of you are very dear to me and in my heart and whom I can freely bear in my bosom to the Father But because the Death or departure of a Minister from his people should be his last Sermon I must therefore say in general to you this That my greatest grief for most of you is That like the Cypresse the more you were watered the more you withered Would it not grieve you Husbandmen to see your good seed every year to be lost and to lie and rot under huge hard clods and never to bring forth fruits or to come up So how can it but be my complaints before my Lord and Master when I give
poor man did still doe all hee could to comfort me and to incourage me and told me that God would not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax and that I was in the way to have Christ a full satisfaction and bid me be of good comfort but I continued in these troubles and temptations as if Sathan had been let loose upon me yet this did something comfort me that other of Gods people were in the like condition with me but yet I was thus till I met with Mr. Bolton by whom I had much comfort and by other means together I became fully satisfied and assured of Gods love to me in Christ. Experience of Dorothy Emett MR. Owen was the first man by whose means and Ministry I became sensible of my condition I was much cast down and could have no rest within me and so I continued till his going away from us and at his going he bid me beleeve in Christ and be fervent in prayer but I said how should I do to beleeve I lay a long time in this trouble of minde untill in my sleep one night came to me a voyce I thought that said I am the Fountain of living water and when I awaked I was much refreshed for I had great thirstings after Christ and yet I was under some doubts untill I heard one at Cork-house upon that subject Rom. 8. The Spirit witnesseth with our spirits that we are the sons of God So that God satisfied me very much and I have had ever since a full assurance of Gods love to me in Christ. Experience of Anne Bishop I Have tasted much of God upon my spirit the first Sermon that I heard here so wrought upon me that for a year or two I was much tormented and could have no comfort at all or confidence to take Christ when he was offered for I had this objection continually that I was not fit to receive Christ but afterward bearing Christ freely offered without any fitnesse or qualification in us before-hand without any such conditions of worthinesse but with hungrings and thirstings and that hee must be taken thus barely as it were as from us and willingly so as to part with Father and Mother and all for him I was at last wrought upon to take him on these termes and yet I had abundance of temptations and trials both inward and outward which I hope to have time to tell hereafter but I durst not do any duty nor so much as pray before any apprehending that I was an hypocrite and once I sate down in great perplexities when it pleased God to come upon my spirit and to reveal to me that I must beleeve in him and cast my self upon him yet I was troubled and bid the Lord do what he would with me so I might but have him All this was before he made himselfe so known to me as he did afterwards for he made me first to see my selfe nothing and although before I rested on my workes and duties and so I did long yet now I could finde no rest there but thought all my former hopes were gone and Christ to be lost and I was destitute and comfortlesse but since I have found Christ to be mine and that I am his and the Lord hath appeared to be my righteousnesse and hath fully satisfied me so that I live barely upon him Experience of Tabitha Kelsall I Was determined once to have life by my owne actings and thus I was a long time in England I was of Paul Hobsons society and ere long all the Ordinances grew dead unto me and I knew not what to do I lay long under a sad condition and so as I could not read nor pray nor hear but found all unprofitable to me many wayes did God shake me sore and I lay under many trials and shakings long till the Lord came in by himselfe and setled that in my minde which is in Heb. 12.26 Yet once more I will shake not the earth onely but also heaven that those things which cannot be shaken may remaine For the Lord by his voice did thus comfort me that although heaven as wel as earth inward and outward man my spirit as well my flesh and all my works and righteousnesses were shaken yet it was to make way for what could never be shaken and yet after this I was lifted up to much by knowledge and withdrew from Ordinances but seeing how some that did so and denied Ordinances did live disorderly and walke wickedly I was much troubled at it and yet left in the Wildernesse a long time after untill God did discover by his word to me and declare clearly that I must not withdraw from the Ordinances nor deny communion with his people and then I made a Covenant with the Lord that I would not and that I would part with all for one smile and was glad at my heart that I was received again and brought under the means of grace and Ordinances of Christ Jesus Experience of Andr. Manwaring Major I Was brought up well by Parents accounted Puritans till about sixteen years of age after that I was Apprentice in London but ill company drew me away and I took but ill courses untill the three and twentieth or four and twentieth year of my age then I came into Ireland in the beginning of the Rebellion in the North of Ireland I passed through great dangers and many deaths as I may say for there my Father was killed my Wife was wounded and I my selfe with much danger escaped from the bloody Rebels after that at Tredah-fight I was when it was delivered and being laid in the field among the dead with fifteen wounds I was given up for one of the dead but after that recovering I went into Engl. and then returned into Ireland again at which time I began to looke about me to follow the Word to hear good men being sensible of my sinnes and former forgetfulnesse of God and goodnesse I heard one Mr. Owen here who did me much good and made me to see my misery in the want of Christ and so I continued till Mr. Rogers was sent over to us by whom I have received great comforts and assurance of Christ and now I doe verily beleeve I have fellowship with the Father and his Sonne Jesus Christ and finde a great change in me and I abhor ill company and courses and desire to walke in all well-pleasing to God and though I meet with temptations and hindrances yet I blesse God he carries me on in goodnesse and I can now pray and that by the Spirit and I love the Word and Ordinances and do earnestly long to have fellowship with the people of God to watch over me for I am yet weake Blessed be God for his free grace in Christ Jesus before I had any knowledge in Christ the Lord spoke to me by the means of an honest