thereunto by the Gospel vers. 15. Now the Gospel as I touched before consists of two parts repentance and remission of sinnes Luke 24. 47. which comprehends the two next particulars our effectuall calling by the work of repentance and whose sinnes whosoever is remitted that soule is justified in the Apostles meaning and both these effected by the Gospel and covenant of life and therefore called in Scripture the grace of God the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the Gospel of the grace of God Acts 20. 24. the word of his grace verse 32. the word speaking peace by Jesus Christ Acts 1. the word of the Gospel Acts 15. 7. And these two effects which the Spirit of God works by his word in his elect to life and salvation are called in Scripture regeneration conversion a renewing a birth from above a new making and such like not in a naturall but a spirituall sense not as the first birth of our parents which procreated and produced us out of their bowels but by way of similitude and likenesse that as by nature we are born carnall unclean and children of wrath so by this spirituall birth we are born of God from above holy spirituall free even the sons of God as the Scripture saith for as that which is of the flesh is flesh so that which is of the spirit is spirit Now as by Adam came the offence and by Moses came the Law through which the offence abounded Rom. 5. 19 20. to mans greater misery so grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1. 17. Adam was the authour of sin to his posteritie Moses was the Minister of the Law that condemned that sin but the grace and mercy of God the means of salvation both from sin and death that is only by Jesus Christ blessed for ever Now the manner and order the Holy Ghost taketh in working this grace in the hearts of Gods elect is plainly laid down in Scripture for him that is Christ saith St. Peter with the rest of the Apostles hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sins Act. 5. 31. And these two parts of the Gospel which is the free grace of God to man-kinde are plainly and generally observed and preached by all the Prophets and Apostles and our Lord himself I will take from you saith the Lord your stony heart and give you a heart of flesh there 's the first part and in that new heart that I shall give you saith the Lord I will write my Law that is his Statute and love mercy and forgivenesse even a new and holy Spirit and that 's the second part of the Gospel Ezek. 11. 19. Chap. 26. 36. The baptisme of John that 's the first and the baptisme of Christ that 's the second part and both parts our Lord joynes together Joh. 3. 3. Except a man be born again of water and the Spirit hee cannot see the Kingdome of God neither to mourn with the Bridegrooms friends nor rejoyce with the Bridegroom himself and for as much as these making parts of a Christian are not of our selves but both the gifts of God it doth abundantly set forth unto us this excellent doctrine of Gods free Grace as the Apostle St. James saith who of his own will begat us with the word of trub Jam. 1. 18. And the grace of God saith holy Titus that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men and teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lnsts c. Tit. 2. 11 12. Yea it is Gods free Grace and abundant compassionate goodnesse to finde out this new and living way to happinesse through Christ Jesus for hee himself is the way the truth and the life and God so loved the world that hee gave his Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternall life Joh. 3. 16. and none can so believe but hee that is regenerate John 1. 12 13. And the Lord is the spirituall bread that every one must eat of that shall be saved but none can so eat his flesh and drink his blood but by faith and none can believe but to whom it is given and it is given to comfort none but to the broken hearted and none are made penitent and humble thirsting and desiring Christians but to such as God gives repentance for this is the nature and method of this free Grace of God which the Scriptures set forth to us even that free Grace that Christ gives to him that is athirst freely to drink of Rev. 21. 7. hee gives the thirst and hee freely gives the water of life that so quenches that whosoever drinketh shall never thirst again Joh. 7. 37 38. And the Lord saith Come and drink but this coming is by repentance and this drinking is by faith Whosoever saith the Lord believeth in mee as the Scripture saith out of his belly shall flow rivers of the water of life yea to set forth the excellency of this doctrine of free Grace the Spirit of God takes upon him the office of a cryer in a court of Records Ho every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters come yee buy and eat yea the third time he cries come buy wine and milk without money and without price Isa. 55. 1. Heare now you Antinomians if any of you have an eare to heare the wisdome of God in the truth of the free Grace purchased and preached by Jesus Christ that it is not phantasticall as you have exprest it but that reall and substantiall grace that gives being to the new and spirituall man the very regeneration of the elect of God and as they are born of the Spirit so they are taught led and guided anointed and sanctified by the Holy Ghost who dwelleth in none of the bodies of the elected ones but where he hath wrought this heavenly work of grace there he dwells there he witnesseth there is but three that bear witnesse for God to the truth in the whole world and the Apostle tells us 1 Joh. 5. 8. it is the Spirit that 's the Spirit of God water that 's his first work and beginning of regeneration and blood that 's the finishing and accomplishing the new birth the sanctifying the binding up the broken heart by faith wherefore blush and be ashamed of your blasphemy against the truth in calling repentance a work of the Law and the preparation to faith a Popish doctrine and for ever hereafter take notice that the way of Christs free Grace is by water and blood 1 Joh. 5. 6. And that repentance is the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Mark 1. 1 2. Now I should have spoke of the fourth particular of free Grace which is glorification but of that hereafter Heresie I beare you witnesse you have a zeale but it is not according to knowledge for if you did understand that excellent doctrine of justification before beleeving you would not speak so much of
any preparation to justifying faith for by Christs stripes we are healed from the beginning of the world And to prove this truth I argue thus First all the elect of God are justified before God but some of the elect of God doe not yet beleeve therefore some that doe not beleeve are justified before God Secondly he that is in Christ is justified But we must be in Christ before we can beleeve therefore we must be justified before we can beleeve Truth I answer the due observation of terms is the true preservation of proprieties and except you justly distinguish of the terms before God himselfe and Gods grace by which he doth justifie his elect you cannot understand truly but you must confound heaven and earth together and make God Man and Man God concluding such blasphemies as the Familists doe to whom hundreds of you are fallen within this two yeares who affirme of the Trinity that God the Father is the Minde the Sonne is the Word and the Spirit is the Word made knowne And under these termes mistaking the verity of the mystery of the Trinity conclude such gross blasphemies as these conclusions hereafter specified making God the Father the Mind God the Son the Word of that Minde God the holy Spirit the effect or revelation of the Word And as these are three so they are one as you say so it is and was at first in the creation God the Father was the Mind of God God the Son was the Word of that Mind and God the Spirit was the working meaning or manifestation of that Word so that in that which God said Let us make man and he spake and the Heavens and the Earth was made the Firmament the Sun Moon and Starres the Sea and the Fish therein the Aire and the Fowls therein the Earth and the Beasts Herbs and Trees therein as God spake the word and all these were created so that as they were made by the Word so they are the Word and as the Word and the Father are one and as the Father the Word and the revelation of it are one so whatsoever the Word made is one with the Father the Sonne and the Spirit And then the conclusion must be this The whole creation is God himselfe Now to avoid such blasphemous consequences we will distinguish of the terms and therein shew the fallacy of your Arguments and then I will discover and establish the truth against your doctrine which by this means will easily appeare to be false First for the terme that concernes God justified before God you say which if you meane as it concernes God in his infinitenesse it is so farre above our line or the capacity of the elect in point of reconciliation with God as the highest heavens are above the center of the earth for with God himselfe there is nothing before nor after For the Scripture speaks thus of God in this respect that he calleth those things that be not as though they were Rom. 4. 17. And again one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day 2 Pet. 3. 8. Thus you see Gods thoughts are not our thoughts nor his wayes as our wayes saith the Lord but as the heavens are higher then the earth so are his wayes and his thoughts higher then ours Isai. 55. 8 9. But when the Prophet comes to speak of Gods work in the creature to salvation then he speakes in the creatures language and capacitie so that except man obey the voyce of God he is left without excuse in these words Seek the Lord while he may be found call yee upon him while he is neere let the wicked forsake his was and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord God and he will have mercy upon him and abundantly pardon verse 6 7. Thus as the Prophet we must distinguish between Gods eternall purpose and decree which is a secret known to himself only towards his elect before all times and his calling and justifying of them in time which is the effect of his foreknowledge and predestination and that which makes known to the elect Gods secret purpose And although it be said Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect the Apostle there doth not understand the justification of the elect before time as you doe but the justification of his elect in time called and justified And although there can be nothing laid to such an elect justified to his condemnation yet many things may be laid to his charge in regard of his weaknesse and frailty If any brother be fallen through weaknesse you that are spirituall restore such a one by the spirit of meeknesse Thus Nathan charged David and David chargeth himselfe Against thee onely have I sinned So our Lord chargeth his faithfull servant Peter and Paul withstood him to his face and saith He was to be blamed And so that holy Apostle blameth himselfe also Oh wretched man that I am saith he And the Scripture saith There is not a righteous man that liveth and doth good and sinneth not And again If any man say he hath no sinne he deceiveth himselfe and the truth is not in him And the elect of God are renued again after sinning by repentance as the Church of Ephesus is admonished by Christ to repent and do her first works Rev. 2. 5. And however the Saints do daily sin after justification yet through Gods grace they are recovered again daily by repentance and maugre the malice and temptation of Satan the snares of the world and the concupiscence of their own natures yet the Lord that loved them once doth still love them for ever and doth wash off their filthinesse and ownes them so for his own that neither their sins nor any power or any creature whatsoever shall or can condemn them Secondly you say some of the elect of God do not believe and therefore they are justified before they believe I pray where did you finde or learn this Logick which is so contrary to the wisdome of God which teacheth thus by Christ all that believe are justified from all things Act. 13. 39. And again those that he calleth hee justifieth but your doctrine saith they are justified before they are called see in a word how directly your preaching is against truths doctrine And of the same nature with your former is your second Argument which runs thus he that is in Christ is justified but wee must be in Christ before we can believe therefore we must be justified before we believe which in the very terms is another doctrine then St. Paul teacheth us who saith plainly wee are justified by faith Rom. 3. 28. And he justifieth the ungodly but I question your knowledge of justifying faith which if you did truly know you durst not teach that men are justified before they believe it is true hee that is ingraffed into Christ is justified but it doth not follow therefore a man
body so is Christ 1 Cor. 12. 21. and again by one Spirit wee are baptized into one body vers. 12 13. that is the whole Church whether we be Jews or Gentiles So then to follow the Apostles argument if there can be no Independency of the members of or in one body then no particular Congregation or Church can be independent from the rest and the reason is beyond answering because all particular Churches make but one which is the body of Christ and this is the Apostles inference and so also is Christ vers. 5. so we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another so then see the membership and Church-way of Gods Church in a spirituall and supernaturall respect and not in a humane voluntary covenant of which the Scripture saith they confederate but not by me saith the Lord therefore acknowledge not a confederacy to all them to whom this people saith the Lord shall say a confederacy Isa. 8. 12. For the confederacy or people convenanted together by God the Apostle calls all the suffering Saints these are the body of Christ in these words for his body sake which is his Church Col. 1 24. Wherefore now see in a word how by mistaking Gods Word you mistake the Scriptures and the meaning of Christs faithfulness in his house as a son in comparison of Moses faithfulness as a servant Heresie In this his saying hee reproaches us all for his speech against the externall and outward gathering of Churches whether Authority allow of it or no is against us all in particular for we all agree in that and in the freedome and liberty of our consciences without question or any controul of any power authority or magistracie whatsoever Truth Indeed this is the doctrine you all teach and cry out for with one voyce or consent for which cause I term'd you all at first all one enemy bound together wich the new-found common With of Independency which under a fair pretence as under the pleasant object of green grasse lies the Snake or Serpent to destroy the very truth of God and how ever you endeavour to bind Sampson the holy childe of God as Dalilah the Harlot did yet the With of your own invention which you call Independency can the child and mother of Truth break in sunder like a straw of Rye and grasse of the field to be burned with fire never again to be reckoned amongst the matter of Gods building and that we may discover this straw and stubble more cleerly let us consider what you say in that you all agree in the freedome and liberty of conscience c. whereby the term Conscience without due distinction you put upon us most grosse and absurd conclusions For what do you say in the generall you all say as much for Popery Familisme Arrianisme Arminianisme and all the rest of the Heresies in particular as for your selves Wherefore to cleere the question by the rule of truth note and observe that the Scripture speaks of the term conscience in a manifold distinction first generally of two sorts good and bad secondly apart and of both particularly and First for the good which is to be considered in a double respect a strong conscience and a weak conscience so distinguished because some are strong through experience of the truth and a great measure of knowledge others through want thereof are weak which weak conscience ought not to be forc'd but born withall and supported as 1 Thes. 5. 14. 1 Cor. 8. 7 9 10. 11. and chap. 9. 22. both which consciences the Scripture calls good pure washed and purged 1 Tim. 1. 5. 1 Pet. 3. 21. 2 Tim. 1. 3. Heb. 9. 14. and 13. 18. Again in the generall sense the bad or evill conscience that ought not to be born with and supported in no respect whatsoever which conscience hath a twofold distinction also for every man by nature the elect as well as the reprobate hath an evill conscience and therefore the Apostle speaking in the person of the regenerate elect Heb. 10. 22. saith thus Having our hearts sprinckled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water cleerly shewing hereby that the consciences of the elect themselves are wicked and evill by nature before regeneration And in the second place the Apostle to Timothy and to the Church of Thessalonica speaks of a higher degree of an evill conscience even of such as had known the truth and yet had not received the love of the truth for which cause God sends such strong delusions that they should believe lies 2 Thes. 2. And as such do not love the truth so they depart from the true faith and in stead thereof give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils speaking and preaching lies in hypocrisie having their consciences seared with a hot iron 1 Tim. 4. 1 2. And the Spirit of God speaks expresly of the latter times in which last dayes of the world wee now live in which dayes and times wee by experience find to be perillous and dangerous and by reason of the crafty cunning devillish doctrines that are invented and sown amongst us that wee find our Lords words true If it were possible they should deceive the very elect for under fair speeches and religious pretences they broach and sow dangerous doctrines one cries out for Popery and all the abominations thereof another with his pretended new light doth even darken the true light of men others say the Spirit of adoption is in all men a shining and burning light in the regenerate and in the naturall obscured and covered over with corruptions as the fire is rak'd up in ashes others say a man hath no more soule then a horse and that the resurrection shall be alike between men and beasts others say there is neither Angel nor Spirit neither heaven nor hell neither resurrection nor perfection others say they are Christ the prophesied Messiah others affirm of themselves they are the two Witnesses the two Olive-trees the two Prophets and the two Candlesticks others blasphemously say that our Lord Jesus Christ was a deceiver and so was the Apostles they also speak sleighly of the Scriptures and say of themselves that they can write as good scripture as any of those wee have others are meere Atheists and say all things come by nature and that they know not nor hope for any better condition then the present and will say these words and such like Let us eat and drink and be merry for to morrow wee shall die these and a thousand such blasphemies are maintained amongst us and will every one of them plead it is their conscience so to believe which by your doctrine should all be suffered without opposition and punishment for shame never plead any longer for Baal but search the Scriptures the Word of God and it will teach you that the mouths of such Heretiques and blasphemers must be stopped 1 Tim. 1. 11. and St. Paul is as
in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them saith John heard I saying Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lambe for ever and ever And the Prophet David he foretold of this universall subjection of all creatures in the kingdome of Christ in the world to come saith the Author to the Hebrews and understood it in these words admiring at it What is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him thou hast made him a little lower then Angels and the Apostle gives the reason of that Thou hast crown'd him with glory and honour thou hast made him to have dominion over the work of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feete all sheep and oxen yea and the beasts of the feild the fowles of the aire and the fishes of the sea which makes the Prophet fall into a wonderment Oh God our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth Psal. 8. 4. Heb. 2. 6. Now I am come to the two last particulars the time when this glorious kingdome of Christ shall be set up and the place where it shall be continued for ever the time was thus foreshewed to the Prophet David that the time of Christs Churches persecution should not be till his second Appearing in these words When the Lord shall build up Sion he shall appeare in his glory Psal. 102. 16. And this time our Lord himselfe plainly teacheth us to be at the end of this world and not before which truth the Saints and people of God do fully and certainly beleeve although a thousand false Prophets should arise and preach the contrary under what shew or pretence of learning and religion soever they make The cleare and plaine Doctrine of our Lord is this Mat. 13. 39 40 41. The harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are the Angels as therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire so shall it be in the end of this world the Sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdome all scandalous things and all such as do offend them or which doe or worke iniquitie And when the question is made by the servants to the housholder Whether the tares the envious man sowed among the good seede should be pluckt up The Master answers Nay let them both grow together till the harvest and also giveth the reason and sheweth farther what shall be done then and not before both with the tares wheat also although many unwarily do affirm at this time amongst us the contrary yet thus saith the Lord and therefore I would wish all the contrary minded to take notice of it that at his glorious coming shall be the Kingdomes deliverance reigne and perfection and not before therefore saith her Lord and King When the Sonne of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall be sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another is a shepheard divideth his sheep from the goats and then he shall set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left and assigne and put in possession the one to eternall blisse but the other to a perditious eternall wofull cursed condition even binding them into bundles to be burned but the blessed to possesse the Lords own house and habitation for ever Mat. 25. 31 32. Chap. 13. 30. And because this truth hath exceedingly suffered of late by the literal learn'd of this generation who have befoul'd the beauty and purity of it with their dark smokie misty mistakes under pretence of pleading for the Lamb and his wife I shall therefore briefly discover the spirituall learning of the Apostles and Prophets mysterious expressions of this holy truth the holy Apostle John in the Revelations speaks with the same wisdome aid and guidance of the Spirit as the Angel taught Daniel in the same mysteries and their very expressions in many things are alike but more opened and revealed by the Apostle then by the Prophet they both agree in the computation of the time though one writ long before the other and each differing in the rule of reckoning as the manners of the countries in which they lived the one living among the Chaldeans the other among the Hebrews the one computing their times and yeeres according to the course of the Sun the other by the course of the Moon the Hebrews their reckoning is certain thirty dayes to a moneth and twelve moneths to a yeer the Chaldeans they reckon and compute according to the course and rule of the Moon which causes this seeming difference for Johns whole time for Antichrists raign is twelve hundred and sixty yeers in which the two witnesses shall prophesie in sackcloth which as it notes out unto us their spirituall low and humble condition so also their persecuted and suffering estate and condition Rev 11. 3. Now Daniel makes the same very time of the abomination of desolation to be twelve hundred and ninety yeers Dan. 12. 11. reckoning both of them dayes for yeers according as the Prophets did reckon and accompt as I have proved before now I shall make it appear unto you that these two holy men of God that were moved and led by the same Spirit both spake one and the same thing both for the power and mystery of Iniquity and for the full and compleat time of one and the self-same number of yeers for the continuance of it And I prove it thus as thirteen moons are thirteen moneths and these thirteen moneths make but one yeere of twelve moneths reckoning thirty dayes to a moneth and twelve moneths to a yeere by the same rule one thousand two hundred and ninety yeers by the Chaldee reckoning amount but to one thousand two hundred and threescore yeers according to the reckoning of the Hebrews And as they agree in this seeming difference so they do most sweetly consent and agree in the point in hand concerning the time of the beginning of the glorious kingdome of Jesus Christ one and the same Angel teacheth them one and the same truth and although there were neer 500. yeers distance between the times of their prophesying yet the Angels majesty both of doctrine and gesture is one and the same to both all which shewes this doctrine of the time of the Lords coming to restore all things to exalt his Church and Saints to be a most admirable and singular secret and mystery for the continuall comfort and supportation of all his suffering members in all their afflictions and this made the Apostle speaking to the Saints of Thessalonica of the day of the Lords coming his descending from heaven at the last trump and the resurrection of such as are dead in Christ wherefore
of God the Father descend from thence and now judge the world and all these things in a mysterie a Metaphor and Allegory You read say they of these things in the letter 1600. yeers ago but now they are in the newnesse of the Spirit and according to these principles expound all the Scriptures both of the old and new Testament Now say they is the wedding of Cana of Galilee fulfill'd in the spirit where righteousnesse is the Jesus the union between God the Father and the Son the Bride and the Bridegroom the mother of Jesus they say is the word of truth that brings to passe this holy marriage and the turning of water into wine is the oldnesse turned to newnesse flesh into spirit so that thereby the new man becomes co-deifi'd with God and God again co-hominifi'd with man and that now Christ whips out the buyers and sellers out of the Temple meaning by Christ righteousnesse and by the buyers and sellers sins and corruptions and by the Temple mens bodies expounding that Text Hebr. 1. 13. Sit on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool to be meant of their holy anointed ones and when Christ which is righteousnes is risen in them by regeneration then that saying is brought to passe that is written Hos. 13. 14. 1 Cor. 15. 54. Death is swallowed up in victory they say they are Moses and the children of Israel and all naturall men are Egyptians which by conversion become Israelites and that now Moses is contending with Pharaoh the Devill to bring the chosen of God through the red Sea and barren hard and desolate wildernesse into Canaan the land of rest the peace of conscience and favour of God and that now God calls Abraham out of Vr of the Chaldees making it the land of devills as the Hebrew word signifies to set forth to us every unregenerate mans dark and sinfull estate naturally and Gods calling of Abraham out of it to go to a land he would give him to signifie unto us the conversion of a sinner to God and Davids killing Vriah to signifie the quenching the Spirit the Apostle dehorts from and Reubens going up to his fathers bed the weaknesses of such as are babes in Christ as St. John speaks of calling them little children and young men 1 Joh. 2. 12 13. And that in this nonage this youth of theirs it is with their anointed ones as it was with Christ which signifies anointed Mat. 3. 4. who as soon as God testified to him from heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and when he had fasted and separated himself from his naturall wayes and sinfull affections forty dayes and forty nights as Moses was fortie dayes and fortie nights in the holy mount where hee received the covenant of perfection in a figure And the Text saith afterwards he was an hungred that is this new man hungred and thirsted after righteousnesse and as the Text saith The tempter came to him the meaning is say they the sinfull flesh the enemy to the Spirit said to him If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread but the new man answereth it is written the man Christ shall live by the truth the Word of God then the tempter uses other means to have him to be a self-justifier and account of himself as the holy Citie of God makes him to be advanced in his own thoughts as the highest of all as a pinacle is above the rest of the building and then to presume in his infancie as if he had the experience of old age and perfection it self and so the holy childe answers thou oughtst not to tempt but to wait patiently on thy Lord thy God His third and last temptation is the proffer of the whole world unto this young man in Christ but being now grown in strength in righteousnesse makes a speedy answer Get thee behind me Satan God is only to be worshipped and served so the tempter left him and the Angels ministred unto him in all passages of service till they brought the holy One from one degree to another to sit down at the right hand of the Father and to come to judge the world And of this spirituall estate do they understand all the Scriptures that speak of the resurrection of the body understanding it this spirituall body and this spirituall resurrection and that Christ is dead or alive in every man in the world dead in the naturall or sinfull estate and made alive and raised in the illuminated estate and the terms in Scripture of this present world to be the sinfull estate and the world to come the regenerated estate which they call perfection eternall life and the glory of the Father the world without end affirming there shall be no end of the heavens and of the earth the whole creation but that it shall continue for ever successively one generation after another and as man comes from God so he goes to God in matter and time infinitely These and a thousand grosse and blasphemous doctrines are the tenents of the Familists which are the very depths of Satan from which I wish thee to repent if it may be by any means obtained and learn to leave off your scorn and contempt of Scripture-learning and labour to be taught by the Spirit of truth in the true meaning of Gods Word Heres These doctrines which you call Familists are the tenents of N. H. that is Henry Nichols who lived in Germany and writ divers small books as The Gospel of the kingdom The Prophecy of the spirit of love The Glasse of righteousnesse and divers others but although he be a seducer and grosly deceived to the overthrow of the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in affirming holinesse and righteousnesse to be Christ the Lord now I am so far from his opinion that I think Jesus the Prophet of Nazareth to be only man that is meere man and not God and man and to partake of the Deity no more then any other naturall man doth Truth You expresse your selfe to be an Arrian for Arrius that proud Bishop whose time was above 200. yeeres after the Apostles and did then fall from the truth of the Scriptures as they clearly set forth our blessed Saviour in his divine nature as well as in his humane and invented and broacht divulged and published this heresie that Jesus Christ was only man and not God which heresie backt with his authority proved a great and cruell persecution against the faithfull and true Christians 150. yeers together as Ecclesiasticall Histories according with the plain and holy Word of God do declare as it appeares in the first of John compared with Genesis 1. and Prov. 8. 22 23 24. and John that beloved of the Lord Revelations the 9th chapter makes a full and plain description of the person of Arrius his power authority and the compleat time of his persecution and false doctrine where
of the Elects called and sanctified estate in Christ by regeneration shewes plainly you do not know what it is to be a Christian indeed and truly for if you did you would know this truth undoubtedly that they that trust in the Lord are as mount Sion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever as testifieth the Prophet Psal. 135. 1. and the Apostle gives the reason of it because the chief corner stone thereof is Christ that holy chosen and precious One and whosoever he be that believeth on him shall not be confounded 1 Pet. 2. 6. And this doctrine is that which our Lord himself hath taught us Vpon this rock saith he I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Mat. 16. 18. Marke what greater contrary power can there be then the gates of hell and yet that even the strength of all the powers of the Devill shall not be able to do that which you affirm they shall and the reason thereof our Lord himself gives Joh. 10. 27 28 29. My sheep heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand my father which gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to pluck them out of my fathers hand I and my Father are one And that great experienced man of the love of God even above the rest of his fellowes speaking of the blessed estate of the regenerated Elect 1 Pet. 1. 2 3 4 5. saith They were elected according to the fore-knowledge of God begotten again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to a glorious undefiled inheritance of which it is impossible we should fail of who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation and those sweet words of our Lord are of efficacy to gain the most contrary heart to the belief of this truth Joh. 17. 11. Holy Father keep through thy holy name those that thou hast given mee that they may be one as we are one Now Arminius see the sure and certain estate of a regenerated Christian so sure as God is sure and unchangeable as Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever eternall as the Holy Ghost even so are they that are made one with God who truly have fellowship with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1. 3. For he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one as brethren are one Heb. 2. 11. and as the tree and the branches are one Joh. 15. 5. even so is Christ and the regenerated man Oh happy are the people that are in such a case Heres At the first I thought what we should find of you but now I have ready a multitude of Scriptures to shew to you that which I maintain to be truth and by them I shall discover you I hope to be untruth The first place is Ezek. 18. 24. When the righteous man turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and dyeth in them he shall die for the iniquity he hath done again our Lord himself saith Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He that is God taketh away that is cutteth off from the Vine Joh. 15. 2. And many of Christs Disciples were offended at the truth of his doctrine and turned away or went backe that is left him for ever Joh. 6. 66. others received the Word gladly and indured for a while believers but when tribulation and persecution did arise because of the Word they were offended and fell away Mat. 13. 21. Lake 8. 13. yea the Apostle is more particular Hebr. 6. 4 5 6. for he speaks of such as were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and had tasted of the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come and yet notwithstanding all this to fall away as not to be renewed again by repentance yea the same Apostle sheweth farther Heb. 10. 29. that a man may be sanctified by the blood of the Testament and afterwards tread under foot the Son of God and count the same blood as an unholy thing and despite the Spirit of Grace And St. Peter 2 Pet. 18. 19 20. speaks of some that were clean escaped from the corruptions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and yet after this to be intangled and overcome again whose latter end is worse then their beginning these and many more are the ground of my doctrine Truth And secondly I answer these Scriptures rightly understood make nothing at all for the maintenance of your error but in truth it teacheth us that we ought heedfully to observe the distinction in one and the same terme which must be generally and really observed throughout the Scriptures which hereafter I shall more fully discover when any of the Anabaptists shall speak and in the mean while I pray consider of the terms in those Scriptures you have alledged as the term faith to believe the Word the affection of joy and gladnesse in the knowledge of it a relish and taste of the sweetnesse and goodnesse in it for the present with some apprehension of the glorious things of the world to come and through the operations of its working in those that received it as that it is said they were washed and sanctified and yet afterwards never the better for all this nay worse at last then at first for it shall aggravate their condemnation this shewes plainly that the new and living way of life is set open unto all by the generall and particular administration of the Gospel and that men by the common gifts of the Spirit may attain to many excellent graces even beginnings to the peculiar and speciall gifts to which whosoever attaineth shall never fall and perish which differing effect of the Gospel is cleerly set forth unto us in the foure grounds mentioned by our Lord the Seeds-man was one and the same and the seed it self was so also and yet took not the same effect in all although it was sowne and cast into them all The high-way side were hard hearted ignorant men whose hearts had not earth to cover the seed and the wicked one came and stole it away in the thorny and stony ground it sprung up into a blade in the one it fail'd because it could not take root for stones in the other because the thornes choakt it the good ground never failed because the seed took deep root the hard way was broken up and ploughed so that the seed was covered that the fowls of the air could not find it to steel it the stones could not hinder the taking root downwards for they were cast out by repentance nor the thornes choake it in springing upwards for the pleasures of this world and the cares of unrighteous riches are both forsaken so that the happy successe and prosperity of it
of the Ministery for the building or edifying the body of Christ Ephes. 4. 11 12. 1 Cor. 3. 10. for as the Spirit of God by the ministery of his servants prepares and sanctifies them so he unites and cements them to have communion one with another in spirituall fellowship and this workmanship in the Lord is called in Gods Word the Church of Christ his House his Tabernacle his Body his Spouse his Temple the pillar and ground of truth the place of his dwelling purchased cleansed purified and sanctified by his own precious blood called and gathered by the power of his Word made to live by the spirit of his mouth having communion and fellowship by the Holy Ghost growing up together in holinesse as branches in one stock or root being members of one and the same body of which Christ is head as truly and really in a spirituall sense as the head of a man is naturally the head of the whole body confisting of many members Now notwithstanding all this that hath been said of the true Church and ten times more that might be spoke yet these false-ignorant carnall and fleshly builders those dirt-daubers have at all times taken upon them with all boldnesse without any blushing to affirm their wooden dirty filthy building to be Gods House and their rotten straw and stubble to be the work and building of Christ boasting and crying out of themselves by way of self-justifying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Jer. 7. 4. where to their eternall reproof the Prophet to their very faces saith plainly notwithstanding all their vain confidence The Temple of the Lord Are these such as truly amend their wayes and their doings such as truly and throughly execute judgement between man and his neighbour such as oppresse not strangers nor the fatherlesse nor widow nor shed innocent blood nor walk after other gods vers. 5. 6. And as these false Christians robbers and oppressors take upon them my Names and Titles so also they assume my authority and peculiar priviledges to excommunicate mee and cast me out with these holy words in their mouths Let the Lord be glorified Isa. 56. 5. but he shall appeare to my joy and then they shall be ashamed this hath been alwayes the bitter cup they have made mee and mine to drink in anger and great cruelty but patience hath ever assisted us and enabled us to indure a thousand such injuries They say I am a widow desolate and forsaken and lay the contempt of barrennesse upon mee but that word of life supports us In patience possesse your souls and again Rejoyce thou barren that bearest not break forth into singing thou that travellest not for the desolate hath many more children then shee that hath an husband Gal. 4. 27. Isa. 54. 1. Now what have you said more for your Church and members thereof then the Papists can say for themselves or any other Antichristian Congregation you call your members to an account of their conversion as you call it so much the Scribes and Pharisees can say which compassed Sea and land to make a Proselyte and in so doing made him more the childe of the Devill then he was before Mat. 23. 15. even worse by two degrees a wofull act to return and not to return to mee saith the Lord Hos. 7. 16. Jer. 4. 1. Again you say of your selves you have joyn'd your selves in Church-covenant and you have set up Christs ordinances and you have cast away all superstition and abomination whereas the Saints and Church of God ascribe all to him thou hast washed us thou hast called us thou hast sanctified us thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests c. And for your covenant it is a meere humane invention and your people ordaining their Ministers both of the same nature of Popish unwritten verities which as they are not to be found in the Scriptures so labour to forget to practise preach or think of them any more for ever Heres You esteem too meanly of us and our doctrine what will you dare to speak against the Church of Christ take heed what you do for wee walk in a Church-way and communicate in the purity of all Gods ordinances as preaching praying fasting baptisme breaking bread and the like and we have separated our selves from all mens inventions and unlawfull Antichristian Assemblies Truth You know there are such as say and do not the Whore of Rome doth make greater brags then the virgin Spouse and so did their predecessors before them the Pharisees yet all of both their bostings are but false and counterfeit compared with the prayers tears fastings communicatings sacrifices oblations and worships of the Saints And for your separation from other Christians look to it for except it be with such caution which I perceive you know not of it may prove as Achans forbidden wedge of gold and Babylonish garment destruction to your selves for the Pharisees who justified themselves and condemned others were your fore-teachers in this manner of separation for they separated from Christ and John the Baptist calling our Lord a sinner and his servant a devill accounting them nor any one of those penitent humble little ones whom they had converted to the truth worthy their company witnesse the Pharises exception against that holy woman whose tears and love testifies to the truth where and in what nation the Gospell is preached to the worlds end for a memoriall of her Mark 14. 9. compared with Luke 7. 39. and this way of separation the Prophet from Gods own mouth calls an evill and wicked way to walk in Isa. 65. 25. which people say Stand by thy self come not neer to me for I am holier then thou these saith the Lord are a smoak in my nose a fire that burneth all the day for the truth is in no case are trut believers to separate from other Christians in communion but in such cases that they cannot communicate with them but they must sin with them as it was with that Apostate and Idolatrous Church of Rome who made such wicked and opposite lawes to the truth that a true Christian could not partake with them in any of the ordinances of God but hee must be defiled with their abominations one way or other for they caused the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the beast Rev. 13. 12. whom whosoever doth worship shall never have rest but shall be tormented with the wrath of God day and night for evermore Rev. 14. 10. 11. in such cases as these the Scripture is cleare Come out of her my people lest you partake of her sins and be made partakers of her plagues 2 Cor. 6. 17. Rev. 18. 4. And in this case did the Church of England separate from the Church of Rome in which Church of England you now are in whose lawes decrees and ordinances are all against the abominations errors and superstitions of Babylon and all ordered and directed according to
and perfection and the stone that smote the Image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth this is the mountain of Gods holinesse even the greatest power and soveraigne authority that ever was in the world before it And the Text notes out unto us three things the time when it shall be the place where it shall be and the manner how it shall be the manner hath a double consideration first the beginning and weaknesse of this powerfull kingdome expressed as before I have declared in her spirituall estate of renovation or regeneration in these words a stone was cut out without hands and in this first estate and condition of the Church it is said to live and reign to attain victory and overcome Rev. chap. 20. 12. but this victory is by faith this overcoming is by suffering they overcame him that is the Dragons pagancy by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death and at this battell the armies were great on both sides and the victory glorious on the Saints side Rev. 12. 7. 11. In the second consideration wee are to understand the Church in her glory and perfection and to as far exceed all the Monarchies Kingdoms and Powers that were before it as the body exceeds the shadow the person the picture the circumference the center The Babylonian Monarchy the head of gold was a great power Thou O King saith the Prophet art a King of kings for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdome strength power and glory and wheresoever the children of men dwell beasts of the field and fowles of the heaven hath hee given into thy hand and hath made thee ruler over them all yet all these bounds and dominations are but by way of comparison to the universe the heavens earth and sea which are the bounds of Christs and his Church rule and Lordship Secondly the nature and condition of the kingdomes of this world and the power and greatnesse of Majesty that Christs Kingdome shall have in the world to come differs beyond all comparison For the kingdomes of this world are finfull kingdomes powers and authorities yea this present evill world is corrupted and lies under the cursed condition by reason of sin and as long as this face of the covering is cast over all people and this evill is spread over all nations Isa. 25. 7. even so long death the King of feares the wages of that sin shall raign in it according to the Scriptures Gen. 3. 17. Rom. 5. 17 21. 1 Cor. 15. but when the Lord shall set up his Kingdome hee will create new heavens and a new earth Behold saith he I will do it and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind but be you glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create For behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy Isa. 65. 17 18. And the Apostle by the same Spirit of Prophecy saith that the heavens and the earth that are now with all these things shall be dissolved And according to Gods promise wee look that is all Gods Saints for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness 2 Pet. 3. And the Apostle John tells us Rev. 21. what this new heaven and new earth is even the holy Church of God the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and a voyce out of heaven expounds it to him Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and hee will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away And again saith the Lord Behold I make all things new write for these things are true and faithfull Once again observe the Prophet Daniel in these words and it became a great mountain of which our Saviour gives the meaning in these words The kingdome of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed which is the least of all seeds but when it is grown just as the Prophet it became so our Lord it is the greatest among herbs and became a tree c. both which places as one shews that although the Church be now so little that no man heeds or regards her yet her increase shall be from the least of all seeds to a tree with branches and from a small stone to a huge great mountain even so big as to fill the whole earth Which magnitude excellent glory greatnesse and soveraignty of the Church and Kingdome of God I shall in part discover by considering these eight particulars the King the Kingdome the Throne the Scepter the Lawes the Priviledges the Officers and the Subjects And for the King thereof thus saith the Prophet notwithstanding all the rage and opposition of the Heathens and the vain imaginations of the people Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion saith the Lord Psal. 2. 1. 5. and the title of his Crown is the title of his Cross This is the King of the Jewes Luke 23. 38. and himself testifying a good confession before Pilate saith Thou saist I am a King to this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world Joh. 18. 37. Secondly the Scriptures speake of the Kingdome of Christ above all comparison and calls it the kingdome of the Son of God and that there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome c. Dan. 7. 13 14. Now the consideration of these four things will briefly discover to us how this Church and Kingdome of Christ exceeds all other powers or kingdomes whatsoever First in the Majesty of it Secondly in its excellency Thirdly in its universality and Fourthly in its eternity The Majesty sets forth the magnitude and greatnesse of this kingdom the King is great and the Kingdom is great Behold saith the Angel to the Virgin he shall be great and he shall raign over the house of Jacob for ever Luke 1. 32. 33. And the Prophet Daniel describes this greatnesse and what this house of Jacob is in these words and the kingdome and dominion and the greatness of the kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdome and all dominions rulers and powers shall serve and obey him Dan. 7. 27. The excellency is set forth by the glory splendor and purity of it and in this respect it is in Scripture called the kingdome of God the kingdome of Christ a kingdome of Priests a kingdome of Saints the kingdome of our God the kingdome of glory heavenly countrey city inheritance possession reward all heavenly all glorious all holy there shall be nothing to hurt nor destroy in
Christian Church the washing with water or dipping in water is the doing away the filth of the flesh which saveth not for this a man may have and perish as those Disciples that fell away from Christ and walked no more with him Joh. 6. 66. but the washing or baptisme that saveth 1 Pet. 3. 21. is the answer of a good conscience unto God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ not the washing of the flesh but the purifying of the heart by faith and this spirituall baptisme or washing it is that works that full assurance of faith having our hearts strinkled from an evill conscience by the blood of Christ and our bodies washed with pure water Heb. 10. 22. that water that Christ giveth his Disciples Joh. 4. 14. and washeth his Apostles with John 13. and this is that which maketh the truly faithfull Jew by vertue of the circumcision of the heart and the truly faithfull Christian by vertue of the baptisme of the heart all one as the holy Apostle saith and that God did beare witnesse with him also to the truth of it that there is no difference between us and them that is us Jewes and them Gentiles purifying their hearts by faith Acts 15. 8 9. and the Scriptures shew that the Jewes did well know that when the Messiah should come that then baptisme or washing should be the distinction of Christians from others as circumcision by Gods own ordinance was the distinction the Jewes had from all the people of the whole world and therefore it is written that when the Jewes sent Priests and Levites of the Pharisees from Jerusalem to John the Baptist to Bethabara beyond Jordan where John was baptizing the messengers askt him whether he were the Christ or Elias or the Prophet and upon his answer no that he was not they then asked him why hee did baptize then hereby cleerly shewing that they understood by the Scriptures that when Elias Messiah and the Prophet foretold of should come that then baptisme should be in use in the Church and accordingly it was so practised by John the Baptist Christ and his Apostles and ever since continued and of the very same use to Christians both outwardly and inwardly as circumcision was to the Jewes And the Apostle to the Church of Colosse useth both the terms baptisme and circumcision to set forth and teach unto us one and the same thing in Jesus Christ Col. 2. 10 11 12. You are compleat saith he in Christ which is the head of all principalities and power in whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ buried with him in baptisme wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God c. Mark now friend Anabaptist the truth of this doctrine of the cleer distinction the Holy Ghost makes of baptisme and circumcision and in both double and two-fold as in circumcision the one outward the other inward so in baptisme both in the flesh and both in the heart both made by hands and both without hands a man may partake of both in one distinction and perish but whosoever doth receive one or both in the speciall sense hee shall be saved and as the terms in the meaning do agree so they do both agree in their administration for as Abraham received the sign of circumcision a seal or signe of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had before be was circumcised in the flesh Rom. 4. 11. so the regenerate and faithfull servants of God Nathaniel in whom was no guile the Eunuch Lydia and Cornelius of whom the Holy Ghost bears witnesse that they were true worshipers of God these all as Abraham had the inward baptisme of the blood of Christ through faith in the promise before they received the outward baptisme the washing their bodies with water a lively representation of the washing their hearts by the blood of the Lamb Christ And for the generall use of Baptisme as in the Jewes Church all that believed the Law of God were to be circumcised and so admitted into the Congregation and communion of all the holy ordinances of Gods worship and service so now who ever believes that Christ is come in the flesh and acknowledgeth the glad tidings of the Gospel the Ministery and Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles to be the truth they upon this generall or historicall faith ought to be baptized and to be admitted to communion in the Word and Sacraments as Simon Magus Demas the faulty Christians in the Church of Corinth and a thousand more had as the Scriptures shew so that now you see Gods Word forces you to distinguish of baptisme and so also of the terme Faith and the name Lord and yet but one baptisme one faith and one Lord to salvation Now the Scriptures plainly set forth unto us a three-fold faith which may be truly distinguished by these termes historicall miraculous or justifying faith and all these a full assurance and are to be believed with all the heart of the two first sorts wicked men devils may partake of them as well as the Saints yea sometimes exceed therein for Judas wrought miracles among the twelve but John the Baptist did no miracle saith the Text so many are called to believe the truth to work in the Vineyard but few are chosen unto salvation and rewarded with eternall life that is the speciall peculiar faith Joh. 7. 38. that whosoever believeth shall not perish but have eternall life And there is a great deal of difference between him that by faith eateth Christs flesh and drinketh his blood to eternall life Joh. 6. 54. and their faith by which they are baptized preach and communicate in the other ordinances and boldly pray and call upon the name of Christ and yet notwithstanding are not acknowledged by him but shut out and excluded from eternall life and assign'd and sentenced to everlasting destruction and to be rewarded as the workers of iniquity Mat. 7. 22 23. Now considering how cleare the Scriptures are in distinguishing between faith and faith I did admire when I was in company with you to see you all so earnest as in baptisme so in faith to maintaine but one sort under either term wherefore I would here make the severall definitions of faith thereby to make the distinctions the more clear but that I shall do hereafter when I come to speak of the Antinomians mistakes in these things also and I much marvell at your ignorance in Scripture distinctions for as much as you all professe you read them much in which except you distinguish rightly you can understand no truth cleerly nor fully for the letter of the Scriptures are but the body or corps but it is the intention and meaning of the Holy Ghost by the words of the Text which is the spirit and life of them therefore it doth behove us and stands us
in hand to take heed we do not mistake the meaning of Gods Word nor to give any other sense or exposition then that which is its own lest we be found such as fight against the Scriptures and by false and lying interpretations violate Gods Law and wage war to kill and slay the two witnesses the old and new Testaments the lamps and light of truth Rev. 11. 7 8. let us take heed of this brethren for the judgement against this sin is written and revealed already to adde or diminish from the Word of God to be a heavie inevitable dismall cursed sentence Deut. 4. 2. Prov. 30. 6. Rev. 22. 18. And if you had considered the Scriptures concerning the name of God and Lord you should have found even the Apostle himselfe to expound to the Church of Corinth what he meant by his speaking or writing to the Church of Ephesus One Lord c. for hee saith there be many Lords and many gods so call'd both in heaven and earth but to us saith he there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and wee in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and wee by him 1 Cor. 8. 5 6. there is but one such a Father and Lord and holy Spirit who is the giver the purchaser and worker of the grace by which we are called in the same one hope of our holy calling Eph. 4. 4. but in other respects the Heathens Idols and the Gentiles gracious Lords are called God and Lord for so did the Gentiles speak of Herod deifying him with a shout saying The voyce of God and not of man and Christian Emperors Kings States and Potentates in regard of authority and jurisdiction are called Lords and Gods in which they do represent God I have said you are gods saith the Scripture but you shall die like men Heres But wee have a plain word for our teaching and baptizing Matth. 28. 19. but you baptize infants for which you haue no word for and therefore it will be said at last Who hath required these things at your hands for indeed you do but continue the mark of the beast in all your babies baptizings Truth Whereas you say Christs words in the last of Matthew proves your preaching and baptizing you say more then you can make good or that I can believe from that Scripture and although there be no expresse words in the Scripture for the baptizing of Infants yet there is as sufficient warrant for it as for most things you practise your selves for what plain word have you for the time of publike assembling or generall meetings what word have you for your people to ordain their Minister what command doth authorize you your self to baptize what word have you when to receive the Lords Supper when to administer it and where who to provide the bread and wine and what bread and of what grain and the wine of what grape you have not a word for women to receive the Sacrament and abundance other particulars practised by you Will you therefore say you do that which you sin in doing so as you say we do I think not The truth is we need not a word for there are generall rules in the Scriptures that include particular practices and divers things under the Gospel being of the same nature under the Law the rules given under the Law serve under the Gospel so the Apostle proves to the Church of Corinth from the Law of Moses Deut. 25. 4. That Ministers of the Gospel should have maintenance that as they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers of the Altar even so hath the Lord ordained that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1 Cor. 9. 13 14. compared with Deut. 18. 1. So we may truly say it is ordained that as the children of believers before Christ both Jewes and Proselytes were to be circumcised Gen. 17. 11 12. Exod. 12. 48 49. so believers and their children since Christ are to be Baptized as St. Peter speaketh the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are a far of even as many as the Lord our God shall call I beseech you observe this place St. Peter here spake to the Jews the men of Judah and Jerusalem vers. 14. Yee men of Israel hear these words saith he vers. 22. so preacheth to them that Jesus was the Saviour of the world whom yee have taken by wicked hands and have killed and being dead was buried who was raised again and now sits at the right hand of the Father and is made the Lord and Christ the alone Saviour of the world and they that gladly receive this doctrine of salvation by Christ were baptized vers. 41. who before had been circumcised Now as the promise did onely belong to Abraham and his Spirituall Seed and yet all his naturall children and the children of believing strangers were to communicate of circumcision which was the outward signe of the Covenant of the righteousnesse by faith as before is proved So likewise under the Gospel the same covenant of life and salvation is made only to Gods chosen faithfull regenerated servants and their spirituall seed yet the naturall children of these faithfull Christians may partake of the outward baptisme which is the outward signification of the baptisme of the heart as circumcision in the flesh was a signe of the circumcision of the heart and according to this rule the place before mentioned and divers other Scriptures speak as Acts 16. 15. that Lydia and her houshold was baptized so the Jailor was baptized and all his that is his houshold and the Apostle Paul baptized the houshold of Stephanus 1 Cor. 1. 16. And our Lord Jesus laid his hands on little children and blessed them and rebuked his Disciples for forbidding them to come Luke 18. 16. and the Apostle is cleer in the resolution of this question to the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 7. 14. saith he the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife and the unbelieving wife by the believing husband else were your children unclean but now are they holy that is in respect they have right unto the outward covenant being born of one that believeth But some of you Anabaptists would have these words holy and unclean to mean bastards or unlawfully born which is such an exposition as was never heard nor read of before and this exposition admits of much absurdity for it nullifies the law of marriage amongst the Heathens who have as certain rules for marriage according to their manner and custome as Christians have for the Scripture prescribes no form Secondly this exposition makes Abraham himself and most of the Patriarchs wives to be bastards for they were the children of Heathens by father and mother as holy Sarah Rebecca Rachel and Josephs wife the mother of Ephraim and Manasses a bastard and that holy
and great Prophet Moses took a bastard to his wife for Zipporah was an Idolaters daughter her father being a Priest of Midian Exod. 2. 16. but this conceit is so ridiculous that it strangles it self in the birth And to return to our argument the Apostle doth understand these terms not of bastardy but of fellowship and communion in the Ordinances of Gods worship Act. 10. 28. Wherefore I demand upon these premisses what ground you have to deny believers children baptisme under the Gospel seeing it is proved to be the same thing that by Gods command believers children were to partake of under the law Take heed you do not deny them that which Gods Word allowes And for the mark of the beast when you can shew mee by Scripture what it is then I will prove to you that it is not the baptizing of the Infants of believing parents And for you to make outward baptisme and common or historicall faith to be the matter of your Church you do no lesse then tell me plainly you do not know what the Church of Christ is wherefore repent and turn from your errors Heres All these that you have made answer to already are either Idolatrous blasphemous superstitious ridiculous or erroneous but we are such as have separated our selves from the wicked in the world and wee have joyned our selves in Church-covenant and Church-fellowship and have set up the Ordinances of Christ in the purity of them wee have cast off all the abominations of Antichrist in his superstitious ordinations ceremonies and false doctrines of all sorts our congregations call and ordain our Pastors Elders and so we walk according to the rule that Christ hath left in his Church untill his coming and we admit none to have communion with us but such as are visible Saints and can give an account of their conversion Truth Your position is fram'd like theirs that are commonly known by the name of Brownists or Separatists and it consists of two parts first that you are in Church-covenant and walk in Church-fellowship in the injoyment of Christs Ordinances as you say and secondly that you separate your selves from all other congregations this is the summe of your speech by which you do manifest to mee such a strange voyce as doth not agree with the expression of Gods Word for your words are in terms of your own acts and doings favouring carnally of humanity whereas holy Writ speaks of the Church of Christ in a spirituall sense that is a spirituall building a house a Temple not gathered joyned and builded by men but by God himself the whole matter of his Church every stone thereof being made living stones by regeneration as St. Peter speaks 1 Pet. 2. 2 4. Which are built up together saith he a spirituall house a holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifices so that as themselves are spirituall so is their worship and sacrifice offered up unto God and this was the matter of Gods Church alwayes for when the Prophets came to build and plant Gods Church they call to the people to repent and turn to God Jer. 1. to Chap. 4. 1. which is the first part of our regeneration And thus they cry for it Break up the fallow ground of your hearts circumcise your selves to the Lord wash you make you clean c. Isa. 1. 16. Jer. 4. 4. The place of Gods rest and habitation is a poore and contrite spirit in vain are all the houses that are built for God but this that hee builds himself Isa. 66. 1 2. And as this was the Prophets way to build Gods Church so even after the same manner did John the Baptist He came in the power and spirit of Elias to turn men to God the disobedient to the wisdome of the just Luk. 1. 17. so prepared he the Lords way by the ministery of water or repentance the preparation or first principle humbling the lofty bending the crooked streight and breaking the hard hearted and our Lord himself he works and builds his Church after the same manner and with the same matter Repent saith he for the kingdome of heaven is at hand Mat. 4. 17. And except a man be born again hee cannot see the kingdome of God Joh. 3. 3. and except yee repent yee shall all perish and accordingly is his command to all that hee sends into this work that they should preach in his Name repentance and remission of sins Luke 24. 47. the one ministration bruises breaks the other binds up and heals the one baptisme prepares the other sanctifies the one makes poor the other enriches the one makes naked the other cloaths the one discovers our folly the other indues us with wisdome through the one wee are made mourners through the other we are comforted and made to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory and by this laver of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. wee are washed clean and made of sinners Saints of naturall dead men living men and this is Gods building whose matter is gold and silver and precious stones Now as the true builders build Gods Church so there are false builders likewise which build too and they call their workmanship a Church also but the materials of their building is but hay wood and stubble the morter they daub withall is untempered morter They seduce my people saith the Lord Ezek. 13 10 11 c. the false Prophets matter with which they build is compounded of vanity and lying visions Chap. 22. 28. they have brick made of earth and straw in stead of stone and slime in stead of morter and so they build the tower of Babell the Synagogue of confusion Gen. 11. 3. These builders take upon them to heal the wounds and breaches like Gods builders but it is to no purpose for they heal the bruise or breach of my people saith the Lord sleightly saying Peace when there is no peace Jer. 6. 14. and yet such a high esteem and opinion have they of their spirituall building as they call it that they contemn the truly spirituall matter that Christ and the Apostles build with and therefore it is said The builders refused Jesus Christ which is the very foundation that the true builders work with and build upon yea the false builders reject him Psal. 118. 22. they set him at nought and disallow of him Mat. 21. 24 Acts 4. 11. 1 Pet. 2. 7. and if they do thus despise and so basely account of Jesus Christ which is the chief corner stone of his own Church what a kinde or manner of Church is that which these builders build of themselves as they say And notwithstanding my Lord and foundation my rock and preservation be not regarded of such carnall builders yet hee is chosen of God and precious and hee himself makes all his faithfull Apostles Prophets and Evangelists Pastors and Teachers wise master-workmen or builders for the gathering and perfecting his Saints for the work