Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	body_n	member_n	soul_n	7,274	5	5.4826	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85551	Truths victory against heresie; all sorts comprehended under these ten mentioned: 1. Papists, 2. Familists, 3. Arrians, 4. Arminians, 5. Anabaptists, 6. Separatists, 7. Antinomists, 8. Monarchists. 9. Millenarists, 10. Independents. As also a description of the truth, the Church of Christ, her present suffering estate for a short time yet to come; and the glory that followeth at the generall resurrection. / By I.G. a faithfull lover and obeyer of the truth. Imprimatur, John Downame.	Graunt, John, of Bucklersbury.	1645 (1645)	Wing G1597; Thomason E277_7; ESTC R200005	70,586	79

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

Christian Church the washing with water or dipping in water is the doing away the filth of the flesh which saveth not for this a man may have and perish as those Disciples that fell away from Christ and walked no more with him Joh. 6. 66. but the washing or baptisme that saveth 1 Pet. 3. 21. is the answer of a good conscience unto God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ not the washing of the flesh but the purifying of the heart by faith and this spirituall baptisme or washing it is that works that full assurance of faith having our hearts strinkled from an evill conscience by the blood of Christ and our bodies washed with pure water Heb. 10. 22. that water that Christ giveth his Disciples Joh. 4. 14. and washeth his Apostles with John 13. and this is that which maketh the truly faithfull Jew by vertue of the circumcision of the heart and the truly faithfull Christian by vertue of the baptisme of the heart all one as the holy Apostle saith and that God did beare witnesse with him also to the truth of it that there is no difference between us and them that is us Jewes and them Gentiles purifying their hearts by faith Acts 15. 8 9. and the Scriptures shew that the Jewes did well know that when the Messiah should come that then baptisme or washing should be the distinction of Christians from others as circumcision by Gods own ordinance was the distinction the Jewes had from all the people of the whole world and therefore it is written that when the Jewes sent Priests and Levites of the Pharisees from Jerusalem to John the Baptist to Bethabara beyond Jordan where John was baptizing the messengers askt him whether he were the Christ or Elias or the Prophet and upon his answer no that he was not they then asked him why hee did baptize then hereby cleerly shewing that they understood by the Scriptures that when Elias Messiah and the Prophet foretold of should come that then baptisme should be in use in the Church and accordingly it was so practised by John the Baptist Christ and his Apostles and ever since continued and of the very same use to Christians both outwardly and inwardly as circumcision was to the Jewes And the Apostle to the Church of Colosse useth both the terms baptisme and circumcision to set forth and teach unto us one and the same thing in Jesus Christ Col. 2. 10 11 12. You are compleat saith he in Christ which is the head of all principalities and power in whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ buried with him in baptisme wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God c. Mark now friend Anabaptist the truth of this doctrine of the cleer distinction the Holy Ghost makes of baptisme and circumcision and in both double and two-fold as in circumcision the one outward the other inward so in baptisme both in the flesh and both in the heart both made by hands and both without hands a man may partake of both in one distinction and perish but whosoever doth receive one or both in the speciall sense hee shall be saved and as the terms in the meaning do agree so they do both agree in their administration for as Abraham received the sign of circumcision a seal or signe of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had before be was circumcised in the flesh Rom. 4. 11. so the regenerate and faithfull servants of God Nathaniel in whom was no guile the Eunuch Lydia and Cornelius of whom the Holy Ghost bears witnesse that they were true worshipers of God these all as Abraham had the inward baptisme of the blood of Christ through faith in the promise before they received the outward baptisme the washing their bodies with water a lively representation of the washing their hearts by the blood of the Lamb Christ And for the generall use of Baptisme as in the Jewes Church all that believed the Law of God were to be circumcised and so admitted into the Congregation and communion of all the holy ordinances of Gods worship and service so now who ever believes that Christ is come in the flesh and acknowledgeth the glad tidings of the Gospel the Ministery and Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles to be the truth they upon this generall or historicall faith ought to be baptized and to be admitted to communion in the Word and Sacraments as Simon Magus Demas the faulty Christians in the Church of Corinth and a thousand more had as the Scriptures shew so that now you see Gods Word forces you to distinguish of baptisme and so also of the terme Faith and the name Lord and yet but one baptisme one faith and one Lord to salvation Now the Scriptures plainly set forth unto us a three-fold faith which may be truly distinguished by these termes historicall miraculous or justifying faith and all these a full assurance and are to be believed with all the heart of the two first sorts wicked men devils may partake of them as well as the Saints yea sometimes exceed therein for Judas wrought miracles among the twelve but John the Baptist did no miracle saith the Text so many are called to believe the truth to work in the Vineyard but few are chosen unto salvation and rewarded with eternall life that is the speciall peculiar faith Joh. 7. 38. that whosoever believeth shall not perish but have eternall life And there is a great deal of difference between him that by faith eateth Christs flesh and drinketh his blood to eternall life Joh. 6. 54. and their faith by which they are baptized preach and communicate in the other ordinances and boldly pray and call upon the name of Christ and yet notwithstanding are not acknowledged by him but shut out and excluded from eternall life and assign'd and sentenced to everlasting destruction and to be rewarded as the workers of iniquity Mat. 7. 22 23. Now considering how cleare the Scriptures are in distinguishing between faith and faith I did admire when I was in company with you to see you all so earnest as in baptisme so in faith to maintaine but one sort under either term wherefore I would here make the severall definitions of faith thereby to make the distinctions the more clear but that I shall do hereafter when I come to speak of the Antinomians mistakes in these things also and I much marvell at your ignorance in Scripture distinctions for as much as you all professe you read them much in which except you distinguish rightly you can understand no truth cleerly nor fully for the letter of the Scriptures are but the body or corps but it is the intention and meaning of the Holy Ghost by the words of the Text which is the spirit and life of them therefore it doth behove us and stands us

of the Ministery for the building or edifying the body of Christ Ephes. 4. 11 12. 1 Cor. 3. 10. for as the Spirit of God by the ministery of his servants prepares and sanctifies them so he unites and cements them to have communion one with another in spirituall fellowship and this workmanship in the Lord is called in Gods Word the Church of Christ his House his Tabernacle his Body his Spouse his Temple the pillar and ground of truth the place of his dwelling purchased cleansed purified and sanctified by his own precious blood called and gathered by the power of his Word made to live by the spirit of his mouth having communion and fellowship by the Holy Ghost growing up together in holinesse as branches in one stock or root being members of one and the same body of which Christ is head as truly and really in a spirituall sense as the head of a man is naturally the head of the whole body confisting of many members Now notwithstanding all this that hath been said of the true Church and ten times more that might be spoke yet these false-ignorant carnall and fleshly builders those dirt-daubers have at all times taken upon them with all boldnesse without any blushing to affirm their wooden dirty filthy building to be Gods House and their rotten straw and stubble to be the work and building of Christ boasting and crying out of themselves by way of self-justifying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Jer. 7. 4. where to their eternall reproof the Prophet to their very faces saith plainly notwithstanding all their vain confidence The Temple of the Lord Are these such as truly amend their wayes and their doings such as truly and throughly execute judgement between man and his neighbour such as oppresse not strangers nor the fatherlesse nor widow nor shed innocent blood nor walk after other gods vers. 5. 6. And as these false Christians robbers and oppressors take upon them my Names and Titles so also they assume my authority and peculiar priviledges to excommunicate mee and cast me out with these holy words in their mouths Let the Lord be glorified Isa. 56. 5. but he shall appeare to my joy and then they shall be ashamed this hath been alwayes the bitter cup they have made mee and mine to drink in anger and great cruelty but patience hath ever assisted us and enabled us to indure a thousand such injuries They say I am a widow desolate and forsaken and lay the contempt of barrennesse upon mee but that word of life supports us In patience possesse your souls and again Rejoyce thou barren that bearest not break forth into singing thou that travellest not for the desolate hath many more children then shee that hath an husband Gal. 4. 27. Isa. 54. 1. Now what have you said more for your Church and members thereof then the Papists can say for themselves or any other Antichristian Congregation you call your members to an account of their conversion as you call it so much the Scribes and Pharisees can say which compassed Sea and land to make a Proselyte and in so doing made him more the childe of the Devill then he was before Mat. 23. 15. even worse by two degrees a wofull act to return and not to return to mee saith the Lord Hos. 7. 16. Jer. 4. 1. Again you say of your selves you have joyn'd your selves in Church-covenant and you have set up Christs ordinances and you have cast away all superstition and abomination whereas the Saints and Church of God ascribe all to him thou hast washed us thou hast called us thou hast sanctified us thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests c. And for your covenant it is a meere humane invention and your people ordaining their Ministers both of the same nature of Popish unwritten verities which as they are not to be found in the Scriptures so labour to forget to practise preach or think of them any more for ever Heres You esteem too meanly of us and our doctrine what will you dare to speak against the Church of Christ take heed what you do for wee walk in a Church-way and communicate in the purity of all Gods ordinances as preaching praying fasting baptisme breaking bread and the like and we have separated our selves from all mens inventions and unlawfull Antichristian Assemblies Truth You know there are such as say and do not the Whore of Rome doth make greater brags then the virgin Spouse and so did their predecessors before them the Pharisees yet all of both their bostings are but false and counterfeit compared with the prayers tears fastings communicatings sacrifices oblations and worships of the Saints And for your separation from other Christians look to it for except it be with such caution which I perceive you know not of it may prove as Achans forbidden wedge of gold and Babylonish garment destruction to your selves for the Pharisees who justified themselves and condemned others were your fore-teachers in this manner of separation for they separated from Christ and John the Baptist calling our Lord a sinner and his servant a devill accounting them nor any one of those penitent humble little ones whom they had converted to the truth worthy their company witnesse the Pharises exception against that holy woman whose tears and love testifies to the truth where and in what nation the Gospell is preached to the worlds end for a memoriall of her Mark 14. 9. compared with Luke 7. 39. and this way of separation the Prophet from Gods own mouth calls an evill and wicked way to walk in Isa. 65. 25. which people say Stand by thy self come not neer to me for I am holier then thou these saith the Lord are a smoak in my nose a fire that burneth all the day for the truth is in no case are trut believers to separate from other Christians in communion but in such cases that they cannot communicate with them but they must sin with them as it was with that Apostate and Idolatrous Church of Rome who made such wicked and opposite lawes to the truth that a true Christian could not partake with them in any of the ordinances of God but hee must be defiled with their abominations one way or other for they caused the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the beast Rev. 13. 12. whom whosoever doth worship shall never have rest but shall be tormented with the wrath of God day and night for evermore Rev. 14. 10. 11. in such cases as these the Scripture is cleare Come out of her my people lest you partake of her sins and be made partakers of her plagues 2 Cor. 6. 17. Rev. 18. 4. And in this case did the Church of England separate from the Church of Rome in which Church of England you now are in whose lawes decrees and ordinances are all against the abominations errors and superstitions of Babylon and all ordered and directed according to

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

is true Moses is said to be faithfull to make and do every thing according to the plat-form and pattern which he saw that was shewed him in the Mount and his work was to make a temporall resemblance of the eternall Tabernacle which in a vision was shewed him and therefore he made the Tabernacle or moving Temple and every particular that concerned the materiall things both for substance and circumstance which were all figures and shadowes of that to come and will you make that to come the Apostle speaks of outward materiall externall things and circumstances and the Church of Christ under the Gospel answerable in outward materiall externall things and circumstances prescribed to the Jewes by the Law of Moses then you must have a word for the form and matter of Churches or houses of meeting a word to direct us who and how shall be Ministers who for what sort of men and how they shal be ordained and a word for the bels for calling the congregation together a word for the Ministers actions in the administration of all holy services a rule for dismissing the assembly with a blessing a word for childrens baptisme as for circumcision a word for the time matter of the Lords Supper as which of all grapes for wine and which of all grains for bread and for the manner and gesture for communication as for the Passeover and the severall other circumstances about Gods publike worship which Moses by a plain word prescribed to the people Now if Christ by himself or his Apostles have left no such particular word or direction for the externall manner of his Churches publique services and order as before are exprest then by your argument Christ the Lord is not so faithfull as Moses the servant which is blasphemy in any one so to speak Wherefore it appeares plainly you do not understand the Apostles meaning And that you may consider the Text look again and it will teach you which saith this man was counted worthy of more glory then Moses in as much as he who hath builded the house hath more honour then the house and again Christ is faithfull as a son over his own house to purchase and redeem to call to make to blesse to sanctifie and save it eternally and this spirituall house this heavenly Tabernacle is that which the Apostle proves Christ to exceed Moses in even in the substance it self which all Moses work did but witnesse to and figure forth and therefore the Apostle makes the Sons house to be the Saints the called and justified of God whose house are wee c. that is all Gods elect regenerated ones wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith To day saith he if you will hear his voyce harden not your hearts that is repent that your sins may be done away this is Christs way and method to build his House his Church to make them spirituall by regeneration and of these spirituall sons to build his everlasting Tabernacle and thus Christ the Lord the Son the great Master-builder is the high Priest and Minister of the holy sanctuary the true Tabernacle which God doth build or pitch and not man Heb. 8. 2. and in this sense every where doth the Holy Ghost understand the Sons House or Church of Christ the Temple of God is holy saith the Apostle which Temple yee are 1 Cor. 3. 17. and again Yee are the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which you have of God and not of man 1 Cor. 6. 19. and in the 20th verse that it is the purchase of Christs blood and the faithfulnesse of the son of the House and again saith hee Christ loveth the Church and gave himself for it that hee might wash it and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word Ephes. 5. 25 26. this is the body that is of Christ which the whole ceremoniall law of Moses were but shadowes of and the faithfulnesse of Christ in his house consisting of such spirituall substances as hath been before described take heed how you affect outward externall forms rules and order for we find in Scripture that such as have been of your mind to promote and advance resting and glorying in the outward observation and common things of the Church that they have been the worst of Christians and the persecutors of the Saints wherefore take heed of popularity and externall dignity for the outward state of the Church of the Jewes killed the prophets and stoned them that were sent unto them and yet their outward state was of Gods ordinance and yours of your own inventions like the case of the Scribes and Pharisees in our Saviour Christs time whose fair speeches pretences and colourable shewes were high in esteem amongst men yet an abomination before the Lord Luke 16. 15. And the Prophet Jeremiah saith the Pastors that should have gathered and fed Christs sheep did destroy and scatter the sheep of Gods pasture and tread down the faithfull like the dirt of the street Isa. 51. 23. Prophesie against the Shepherds saith the Lord to the Prophet Son of man prophesie against the Shepherds of Israel and say unto them Wo be to the Shepherds of Israel who feed themselves and not the flock c. the diseased have they not strengthened neither have they healed that which was sick neither have they bound up that which was broken nor brought that which was driven away nor sought that which was lost but with force and with cruelty have you ruled them Ezek. 34. 2 3 4. How many of you Independents is there that deny the food of life to the Lambs of Christ and will neither preach to them the Word nor deliver to them the Sacraments except they submit to your devised fancied covenant and yeeld to such a confession of your own devising or else to be excluded your Church and communion in Gods ordinances which God himself freely offers to all that receive the common faith this new Independency is but old Popery who laid as fair claims to the name Riches and Treasurie of Christs Church as you can do by what ever I have found published by any of your leaders and your humane church constitution no better then that of Babylon wherefore omit not to procure oil for your Lamps while the market lasteth lest your indeavour be too late when you cannot purchase it You that talk so much of Gods Word and understand so little of it I pray you tell me where the name that most of you call your selves by is to be found in the Scriptures I am sure the term Independency is not once mentioned in all the Churches of the Saints yea of and by them the quite contrary is affirmed For saith the Apostle the eye cannot say to the hand I have no need of thee nor again the head to the feet I have no need of you for as the body is one and hath in my members and all the members of that one body being many are one