that is dead having now neither strength nor desire to act toward his own good That he had no will appears by this when God called for him he ran away and hid himself and also when the Lord reasoned out the matter in a gentle and peaceable way he began to excuse himself and shift off the business to another but had no mind to cry guilty And to shew that it was altogether impossible for him to attain the love and favour of God which is life by any power of his own or by any meanes he could devise There was placed between him and life irresistable power and unavoidable danger Cherubims and a flaming Sword turning every way to keep the way of the Tree of Life Q. Seeing mans condition was at first every way so happy and blessed how could it be possible that by one offence he should become thus extreamly and unavoidably miserable A. Mans felicity did not altogether consist in that he was made happy by vertue of his Creation but in that he was in the love and favour of God that being the main Pillar whereon his blessedness his joy his comfort yea and his very life depended but when he would leave the Counsel and Command of God and hearken to Satan the utter enemy of God and follow his counsel and obey his command he deprived himself and that justly of all that blessed and comfortable enjoyment of Gods love and favour and not onely so but was now become the Bond-slave of Satan and led captive of him at his will Q Is there then such danger in sin A. The nature of sin is exceeding dangerous it deprived man of all comfort joy and happiness both in his soul and in his outward condition also and exposed him to all miseries in his soul and outward estate And not onely so but it is also very poysonous Satan that foul spirit being now possessed of mans heart hath tainted and corrupted his whole Nature soul and body in all the powers and parts thereof so that now he was not able of himself to think act or speak any thing that is good or of God but altogether that which is evil and of the Devil Q. Man being now wholly corrupted and abominable in his actions and being joyned also with Satan against God how then came it to pass that God who is infinite in justice could forbear and not execute upon him that penalty which he at first denounced against him in case he disobeyed A. That infinite and over-flowing fulness of love which is in God or rather which is God could now no longer be kept in for now he begins to act like a Father whose Bowels yearn after his Children and though he carryed the matter strange a while yet notwithstanding love breaks forth and acts like it self and instead of proceeding to execution he begins to comfort him revealing to him his purpose in the mysterie of Christ and out of the bottomless depth of Wisdom declaring that he could be just in justifying the ungodly condemning the sin in the second Adam who was to arise of the Seed of the woman and though the Devil had been too hard for them and spoiled them of their present happiness yet at length the womans Seed should overcome the Devil and ransom them and redeem them from his slavery and put them into a safer condition than they had lost Q. Was Adam fully restored by vertue of this Promise unto that happy condition which at first he enjoyed A. Mans condition was at first happy in that he could act righteousness and so keep himself in the love of God but when he by sin had disabled himself and could act nothing but unrighteousness he lost the favour of God and so became miserable Nevertheless by this promise he was much repaired not that he could now act but that he was enabled to believe on him who should act righteousness for him for according to the manifestations of God to him so he could believe and according to his faith or the measure thereof so was his comfort and happiness But he was not yet fully restored for although Satan was cast out yet he was not wholly overcome but waited his opportunity to re-enter continually labouring by his subtile suggestions and insinuations to make that bitter Root and spawn of sin which remained in him to grow increase and break forth into act that so he might at least deprive him of his comfort Q. Did the guilt of this sin and the punishment due to the same lye and remain onely upon Adam or did it extend also to his Posterity A. Sin is of such a filthy and defiling nature that it taints and pollutes every thing that touches it or comes near it and though Adam or the first man was alone as touching the act of it yet notwithstanding he being wholly corrupted and all men being then in his loynes they must of necessity be tainted and polluted with the same Q. This me thinks seems very strange that Adam sinning in his own person his Posterity should be defiled therewith and it being a point not easily digested of all therefore how do you further prove it A. Adam in his innocency was Holy and Righteous and therein he was like unto God but now having sinned and corrupted himself he no longer retains the Image of God but is become like Satan and is a sinner and in this condition he could not beget a son in the Image of God that is holy and righteous but in his own image that is a sinner like himself no man being able to bring forth pure streams out of an impure and filthy Fountain Q. But how could God justly punish and that so severely the Posterity of Adam for his sin A. God who is infinitely Holy and Righteous though he might have justly condemned and destroyed all Adam's Posterity they being all born the Children of wrath and under the curse yet notwithstanding doth not proceed to the condemnation of any until they have made Adam's sin their own by acting sin in their own persons Q. All men being become thus sinful and abominable in their doings what means doth God use and what course doth he take for their redemption and salvation A. The promise which God made to Adam concerning the Seed of the woman must in the fulness of time be fulfilled God who is rich in mercy for his infinite love wherewith he loved Man-kind doth marvellously condescend and comes forth in the name and nature of a Son works powerfully in the Womb of a Virgin causeth a wonderful Conception brings forth an excellent creature a second Adam altogether without sin pure and holy calls him his Son names him a Saviour manifests his great love and the exceeding riches of his grace in him he being Immanuel or God made one
to them through sanctification of the Spirit that thereby they might believe or be obedient and be sprinkled with the bloud of Jesus Now what can be added to good things or how can good things believe or be sprinkled with the bloud of Jesus or have remission of sins Againe if gods anger be not against the persons of men as well as against sin in the person then why did he so severely avenge himself upon sin in the person of Christ Was it sin or Christ that cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And for that Jacob and Esau are brought in to be a type of this great mistery being both in the wombe of one Rebecca it makes nothing to this purpose that God should elect the good things in a man and not the man Jacob and Esau were men and both of the seed of Abraham and both of them the sonnes of Isaac and both in Rebeccas womb at one and the same time and yet one of them elected and the other rejected to shew that the purpose of God in election was not out of any fleshly or carnal respects But meerly according to his own good pleasure For all are not Israel that are of Israel neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all Children True it is that there is flesh and Spirit both in the Saints yet that is no ground to conclude that God will destroy the flesh and save the Spirit and not the person but rather that God will save the the Saint or person and destroy the flesh And whereas it is said that the persons of men are but outward formes and act not but are acted and therefore salvation and damnation belongs not to them I hope then that if it be made to appeare that mens persons do act then it will be also granted that salvation and damnation belongs to them And for the word person or man it is all one and that by person or man is meant the whole man and so to be understood is already shewed Now that sin is acted by the whole man is very clear in Scripture In the third of Genesis 1 2 3 4. It is there declared at large how the Serpent begiuled the woman First he is dealing with her understanding and the thing must needs have passage through her eares for the devill was yet without doors Next she looked upon it with her eyes for she saw the fruit that it was good Then her affections were wrought upon And she desired it At length the will consented and she took it with her hand and did eat yea and gave her husband and he did eat Who doth not see here an act of the whole man And it is just so in every actual sin for though Satan be gotten within yet he can force no man to sin but is dealing with the understanding to deceive that and the understanding being deceived cannot force the Will noâ— the will the outward man For though the body cannot act in good or evill without the soul yet those very actions of the soul performed by the outward man are accounted actions of the body both in good and evill things And though mens persons be acted either by a good or evill Spirit the good Spirit is God and the evill Spirit is the Devil and neither of these do force the person of a man For man being a reasonable creature even that good Spirit or God deales with him according to reason and though it be said that the love of God constraineth us Yet it is not meant of using violence to any mans person but such a constraining as Lydia used towards Paul even a perswading or intreating for so saith the Apostle God doth beseech you by us And we pray you in Christs stead c. Again every man is transformed into the same nature of that spirit which bears rule in him They in whom Satan bears sway they partake of his Image and nature and it is as natural yea as delightful unto them even the whole man to obey Satans commands in committing of sinne as to performe any natural actions which are civilly good And is it not then just with God to render to every man according to his workes Q. But Christ is Gods elect and he in whom his soul delighteth and it is said Eph. 1. 10. That he will gather together all things in Christ And Col. 1. 16 17. All things were made by him and for him and by him all things consist and in him dwels all fulnesse Christ shall come forth as a refiner and purifier of silver and shall purifie the sonnes of Levi and purge them as gold c. And the light of Israel shall be for a fire and his holy one for a flame and shall burn up his briars and thorns in one day c. And if any mans work burn he shall suffer losse yet he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire From all which Scriptures it is manifest that Christ will come forth in all men and destroy and consume all sin and wickednesse and unbelief and gather all the good and the believeing part which is himself into himself God is the fountaine from whence all things proceed and into the same fountaine shall all things return God will come forth in consuming fire and separate between the precious and the vile and gather the good into himself and destroy the evill For Christ and the Saints make but one elect and God by electing of Christ elects all that is good and by saving of Christ saves all that is good for he is the chief good and sin is the chief evill and he onely is elected and sin destroyed thus election and salvation meet in one Christ who is the onely elect and relate not to mens persons for how can it be that God should be so unjust as to make man and afterward damne him first to love him and afterward to hate him A. That Christ is the elect of God and he in whom his soul delighteth cannot be denied But how is Christ Gods elect As touching his deity or divine nature so he is the mighty God the everlasting Father who of his rich and infinite grace and love doth elect and choose to salvation Then surely as he did partake of our nature and our flesh so he was Gods elect and as he was thus Gods elect so all the Saints are elected in him he being the first fruits of election in him the whole lump even all the Saints are sanctified to God and so presented by him Christ was elected of God but not that one person or man in whom the God-head did so wonderfully appear and shine forth should be saved But that all the Saints in all ages and in all nations in whom the divine nature or Christ should appear and shâ—ne forth according to their several measures should be brought home to
is he but mark what followes not withst anding he that is least in the kingdome of heaven is greater than he meaning that he that is indeed a Preacher of the Gospel though never so mean and contemptible in the eyes of men should doe greater workes than John did Q. But there are other baptismes spoken of in Scripture as well as Johns for the Disciples of Christ did baptize and Christ at his ascension sent them to baptize all Nations Is not water-baptisme then an Ordinance of the Gospel A. True indeed Christs Disciples did baptize while he was with them in the flesh But it was with John's Baptism and so the Scripture calls it For indeed the preaching of John and his Baptism was the same with the preaching and Baptism of Christs Disciples For John preached saying The Kingdom of heaven is at hand Christs Disciples preached saying The Kingdome of heaven is at hand Both John and Christs Disciples by their Baptism which was in cold water could but wash mens bodies and call upon them to repent and to expect remission of sins onely in Christ Jesus who was to wash away the filth of their souls even with a Spiritual water or Baptism of his Spirit So that although the Disciples of Christ did baptize yet their Baptism was the same with John's Baptism and to continue but for a season for so John confesseth I must decrease but he meaning Christ must increase And for Christs Commission to his Apostles to Baptize all Nations that is not to be understood of Water-Baptism as appeareth by his own words Acts 1. 5. when being risen from the Dead and now ready to ascend into his Glory acquaints them with the work whereto he is now sending them commands them not to depart from Jerusalem until they had received the Promise of the Father that is the Spirit for saith he John truly Baptized with water as if he had said it hath been the Fathers good pleasure to appear in Types and significations and to vail himself a while under dark Administrations But now the time is full come in which he will shew himself clearly in his abundant love and goodness for ye shall be Baptized with the Holy Ghost which is the Spirit or Comforter not many dayes hence and then ye shall receive power to know what ye ought to do and be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem c. And when ye are thus impowred or Baptized your selves Then go and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father c. Where by Name of the Father and of the Son c he doth not mean that they should wash them in water using that form of words but by Name is to be understood the Power of the Father c. As Christ saith Mark 16. 17. In my Name they shall cast out Devils that is by my Power And so in this business All Power saith Christ in heaven and in earth is given to me Go ye therefore and Teach and Baptize the Nations in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost As if he had said All Power is given to me of the Father and by this power I will come into you and into your ministry and ye shall go forth in this power unto all nations and by the same ye shall be enabled to make them know and believe That I am the wisdome of God and the power of God to salvation to the Gentile as well as to the Jew and that whosoever believes in me indeed or is baptized with the Spirit which is all one shall never perish but have everlasting life And this was done effectually for in one day there was added three thousand soules And in another place all that were ordained to eternall life believed Q. But if it was not the command of Christ that they should baptize with Water why then did they they use it after his ascension and if Water-Baptisme was to cease and have an end at that time why then do not the Scriptures declare the same A. As for the Apostles baptizing with Water after Christs ascension it was not from any command of Christ as one of them doth testifie The Baptisme of Water or Johns Baptisme was very famous and of great note in that time and therefore could not at present be very easily laid down as likewise very many other Legall observations And again it is not to be questioned but that the Apostles themselves were ignorant of many things after they had received the Spirit abundantly for Peter was ignorant that he might eat with the Gentiles or that God had a purpose by Jesus to bring in the Gentiles Paul must goe to Jerusalem to be resolved about Circumcision and there were thousands of Jewes which did believe and yet they were all zealous of legall rites God did not reveal himself all at once but by degrees Again the Apostles used water-baptisme as they used Circumcision to avoid contention among the Saints and further they used it sometimes when it was desired and to stoop to the weaknesse of many young believers they became all things to all men that they might not offend any but save all if it were possible And for the Scriptures to declare against water-baptisme to be used in the dayes of the Gospel there be many Scriptures that speak much to that purpose as 1 Cor. 1. 17. Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles utterly disclaimes it for Christ saith he sent me not to baptize but to preach Again Ephes 4. 5. One Lord one Faith one Baptisme now water-baptisme is not the same with the Baptisme of the Spirit for they are two distinct things one is Johns and the other is Christs and if they were both one then they that have the one must also have the other and they that cannot have the one of water neither can they have the other Again it is not water-baptisme that can make us one with Christ or give us a new name or make us partake of the divine nature c. and therefore water-baptisme is not that one Baptisme nor left us in command in the dayes of the Gospel Q The baptisme of water hath been used in all the Churches of Christ from the very time of the Apostles and that with warant from Scripture for Infants were circumcised under the Law and Circumcision was a seal of the Covenant which God made with Abraham and the Covenant is the same now as it was then and Baptisme is come in the room of Circumcision and is a seal of the Gospel-Covenant and therefore Infants may be baptized and the Apostle tells the Corinthians that their fathers were all baptized in the Cloud and in the Sea And Saint Peter saith that Baptisme doth now save us how can it then be denied that Baptisme even of water doth not stand us in great stead even in the dayes
it is also as plain in our daily experience how that the Saints in whom Christ dwels and who are united to him and made one with God in him that they are carried forth in the strength of his quickning spirit to shew forth the prayses of him who hath called them out of darknesse into his marvelous Light But on the contrary we see worldly wicked men live many of them more like bruite beasts than reasonable creatures pampering and feeding themselves without fear swilling and wallowing themselves in their own vomit like filthy swine sporting and delighting themselves in their own lusts and windy fancies and deceivings belching out the rottennesse of their own hearts by cursed oathes and blasphemies making a continual â—â—ade of mocking backbiting standering fighting and quarrelling ranting and roaring in a word living in all ungodlinesse and dying without repentance And thus it is plain in experience that there be many yea too too many who are so farre from living in God and God living in them by Jesus Christ that they are rather possest of Satan who lives in them and leads them captive at his own pleasure Thus both Scripture and Experience do clearly witnesse that God is not in all men in a way of life and salvation which is by Christ Jesus But in a common spirit or common and outward providences so he acts rules and orders all men Neither can God be said to be in the Saints in his fulnesse for the fulnesse of the Godhead dwels onely in Christ and the Saints receive of that fulnesse which is in him For though they partake of the same spirit or divine nature with him yet it is still in that measure or degree as he is pleased to let out or to manifest him self by Christ is the head and the Saints are the body or members now all the members as they have several offices so they have several capacities for God hath set all the members in the body every one in due place and office that it might be compleated in the head which is Christ And from Christ or the head the whole body being fitly joynted together receiveth nourishment to every part a measure even to encrease and edifie it self in love Neither is this to divide God for as he cannot be devided so neither can he be comprehended for he fills all things and so he fills the Saints yet while they walk in flesh they are not able to comprehend him in his fullnesse But they are all so filled according to their several measures to advance the good of the whole And that God may be in men in his love in Jesus Christ and ever lie hid and not appear is contrary to Scripture and right reason For God is light and with him is no darknesse at all And where God comes in this Light which is Christ there he expels darknesse The Saints indeed while they are in the state of nature are in darknesse because they want the manifestation of God or revelation of Jesus Christ All this while they are in the love of God but this Love is not yet shed abroad in their hearts the seed was sown but it was not yet quickned up to life But when the appointed time is come that Christ will say come forth and I say unto thee arise Then appeares first the blade then the eare then the full corne in the eare But this is not in all men without exception but onely in the Saints who are elected in Christ Jesus in the purpose of of God before the world began that they should be thus conformed unto the Image of his Sonne and so be holy and without blame before him in love Q. But election doth not relate to persons but to the things in the persons for Gods love hatred is not toward the persons of men but toward the good or evill in the persons and this is Typed out in Jacob and Esau which as good and evill dwell in every man as they were in the womb of one Rebecca for the persons of men are but outward formes in which good and evill is acted and these outward bedies can act nothing but are acted themselves either by a good or an evill spirit How then can God be said to elect or not to elect to save or not to save the person of a man which is nothing and shall be nothing when the spirit ceases to act in it A. That election doth not relate to mens persons but to the good things acted in the persons is a meer fancy and quite contrary to the mind of God revealed in the Scripture First we must consider what the person of man is and what makes him a man or person and then secondly prove that election relates to the person For the first in short a man and every man consists of two main parts The body and the soul without the soul or spirit the body is but a dead carcass and without the body the soul hath no residence or place to act in and cannot act at all Therefore it must be concluded that if either be wanting there is not a man or a person A man then is a person consisting of a reasonable soul and humane body Now that election doth relate to a person thus considered and not to the good things acted in the person is easily made good in Scripture The Apostle in the Ephesians chap 1. vers 4. 5. 6. 7. telleth the Saints or rather blesseth God on their behalf for that he had chosen them in Christ before the foundation of the world that they should be holy and without blame before him in love And that he had adopted them to be Children by Jesus Christ meerly of his free grace even his own good pleasure And that they were accepted in the beloved for no other end but for the praise of his glorious grace And not onely so but also through the riches of his grace wherein he abounded towards them they were redeemed from Sinne and Satan Hell and Death their sins being forgiven them through his bloud From whence it is plain that persons and not things are here intended For it is not said that God had chosen holinesse or unblamablnesse in them but them to be holy and unblamable Neither is it said that God had predestinated the good things in them to the adoption of Children But them to the adoption of Children Again if election relate not to persons but to things I wonder what redemption remission of sins mean in this place and many others what can good things be redeemed from and how can good things stand in need of remission of sins And the Apostle Peter in his first Epistle 1. Chapter 1. 2. Tells the strangers that were scattered that they were elect according to the fore-knowledge of God and not the good things in them And that this election is assured
in their severall conditions both in their creation and in their fall Now God thus beholding mans severall conditions at one and the same instant for there is neither first nor last with God did purpose in his eternal counsel to make man an upright creature And did also at the same instant fore-know and fore-see that men by sin would undoe themselves And was pleased also in the very same instant and according to this fore-knowledge out of the abundant riches of his love in Jesus Christ to choose out some poor miserable fallen wretches and to make known to them the exceeding and super-abundant treasures of his grace and favour in him in their severall generations and so to unite them to himself in Christ that they should be to the praise of his glorious grace And also to let others alone in their sinnes by leaving them to their own hearts lust unbelief hardnesse and impenitency delighting themselves in sin and all ungodlinesse and becoming one with Satan and willingly obeying his commands he might then declare himself infinitely glorious in justice in rendering to every man according to his work And in this respect it is said Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus For he hath mercy namely in restoring men to grace and favour in Jesus Christ on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth or leaves them in their sinnes Thus God did not elect and afterward reject neither doth he love and afterward hate for whosoever God loves indeed with an especial love a love to eternal life he loves them in Christ and he loves none in Christ but whom he hath elected and chosen in him and those whom he thus elects he cannot hate for he loves them in Christ and as Christ God indeed loves all his creatures as they be his creatures and in this respect hates none of them for he hates nothing but that which is contrary to his holinesse which is sin but when the creature is corrupted by sin and is become one with the devill in sin then it is just with God to hate the creature as he hates the devill and sin and to punish them together Neither did God make man to damne him but he made man yea all men for his own glory Now if men wilfully disobey God and willingly dishonour him by living in actuall rebellion against him all their dayes and so bring upon themselves destruction and damnation Is God unrighteous that taketh vengeance God forbid God will have his honour from all men yea the most wicked and ungodly wretches that live in following greedily their own base lusts doe many times help forward Gods designes and justly perish in so doing But the Saints even those whom he hath elected and manifested himself unto in Jesus Christ as they glorifie him in their lives for his glory shines forth in their conversations so he doth glorifie them here with great glory and will eternally glorifie them with himself as the resurrection of the just Q. What mean you by resurrection if you mean a resurrection of the body What resurrection can be of that which is nothing and comes to nothing earth it is and to earth it must return and there is no difference between them and beasts as one dies so dies the other all goe to one place and there is no more resurrection of the one than of the other but the resurrection is Christ and Christ is the resurrection God hath given him all things and he will raise up all the good things which are himself into himself to a more full and glorious discovery of it self in him in one body for every man is a grave to himself wherein lies dead and buried all his comforts life and joyes but when Christ calls from above by his power and rises from below even in our hearts then are we raisedup with him and in him and so make up a glorious union in one person so that the great and generall resurrection and judgement is nothing else but the raising and heightening of all things in man to a perfect state of light and darknesse pleasure and pain For what other resurrection or judgement can there be But a bringing again of all good things in man to a full discovery of glory and the casting away of all evill things into a discovery of darknesse or a heightening of both good and evill to a full end and period of life and death salvation and damnation A. That there is a resurrection even of the body is plain in Scripture although Salomon in that place makes such a comparison between men and beasts yet he intends it between beasts and men in a natural estate For what great advantage have meer natural and carnal men above a beast The one eates and drinks and sports So doth the other The one dies and sees corruption so doth the other The one knowes not what shall be after him so neither doth the other And what if carnal men be rulers and so in the place of Judgement where they ought to do Righteousnesse Then they turne oppressors and do much wickednesse I said in my heart saith he Oh that God would manifest himself to them and make them see that they be but beasts in the likenesse of men c. Here is no great strength in all this against the resurrection of the body For the bodies of wicked men shall be raised as well as their souls to give an account for things done in them 2 Cor. 5. 10. And our Saviour saith all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth They that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done evill to the resurrection of damnation And that he intends here a resurrection of the body is plain For he had spoken of a spiritual resurrection in the 25. Verse where he saith the hour is comming and now is that the dead shall hear his voyce and they that hear shall live Meaning the dead in sinne whom he would quicken by his power to newnesse of life For although the Saints dye and depart out of this life yet they doe not perish as to their bodies for they are but fallen asleep and they sleep in Christ and this is in respect of their bodies for their soules or spirits cannot be said to sleep And Christ will raise them up at the last day The Apostle met with some among the Corinthians that denied the resurrection of the body 1 Cor. 15. with whom he seemes thus to reason The resurrection of Christ hath been preached among you and you cannot but believe it because it was not onely foretold by Scripture but was witnessed also by many who had seen him after he was risen Now if this be a truth how then say
A LITTLE STARRE Giving some light into the counsels and purposes of God revealed in the Scriptures OR A CATECHISME Wherein these ensuing principles 1. What God is and how he manifests himselfe 2. Why he made the world and man 3. Mans condition what 1. By creation 2. By his fall 3. By being restored by Jesus Christ 4. The uses and ends of the Law 5. What the Gospell is 6. Justification what it is 7. Sanctification what and how it is wrought 8. What repentance is 9. The use and ends of the Scriptures 10. What true prayer is 11. Baptisme and the Lords Supper why and how used 12. Generall redemption what and how to be adjudgedof 13. Resurrection and Judgement what 14. Heaven and Hell what in truth and misterie All which are briefly by way of Question and Answer opened and explained By VVilliam Mason That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1. 3. London Printed by G. D. for Giles Calvert at the Black Spread-Eagle neer the West end of Pauls TO ALL THE SAINTS Scattered particularly throughout Oxford-shire Warwick-shire and Northampton-shire and more generally throughout England especially they under lower dispensations Grace and Peace be multiplyed DEARE BRETHREN IT is a sad thing to consider how the Saints who are united and made one with and in Jesus Christ by partaking of his Spirit or divine nature should yet be so disunited and broken off one from another by yielding to much to that spirit of the world or rather to that principle of envy and malice which Sathan the God of this world labours to throw in amongst them Is it not cause of much sadness and grief to see that a little difference in opinion produceth great breaches and much estrangedness in affection and yet this difference being weighed in the ballance of true Judgement will be found no difference amongst them who are truly Saints Indeed There are some who say they are Jewes and are not but doe lie and these are some of them high in notion but altogether without life and power of godliness and the difference between the Saints and such in point of sound doctrine is very great But the Saints who are truly so indeed they all indeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace They all know and profess that there is but one body whereof they are members and that there is but one Spirit by which they are united and made one in this body and that their hope whereof they are not ashamed is one and the same being effectually called thereunto they all profess and acknowledge one Lord in whom they do believe and one faith by which they believe and one baptisme through which they are not onely made conformable to Christ in his death but also are made like unto him in his glorious resurrection unto newnesse of life And are also annointed with him to hold forth the same to others they all professe one God who is the Father the Fountain the Originall of all good who is above all in respect of his glorious power and through whose infinite love and goodness they all obtaine life and happiness and who is in them all to act and carry them on unto eternall glory Thus the Saints who are so indeed hold correspondencie one with another in the substance of religion and the difference between them is but a seeming difference a difference in regard of manifestation for to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ The Lord dispenseth not alike to all but to every one a measure as he will and yet they may be all of one and the same Judgement though some of a higher and some of a lower degree Moses had high and glorious manifestations and yet he was of the same judgement w th the meanest of his Saints in that generation Paul was taken up into the third Heavens in respect of those glorious revelations and high discoveries of God made known unto him and yet he was as the Saints were that so he might perswade them to be as he was yea he submitted to the weakness of the Saints that he might thereby bring them up into strength Al the differences among the Saints at this day is onely about externall and outward formes and observations I which are all terminated in Christ when they once come to know him and are taught by him as the truth is in him then they cannot look for him at any distance for he is in them the hope of glory It is a great fault among children to begrudge one another of their fathers gifts there be severall attainments among Saints or severall degrees of manifestations there be some babes and some strong men and there is milk for the one and strong meat for the other they that be strong were once weake and they who are weak as yet will in time grow strong my deare Friends let us leave judging and censuring one another for who art thou that iudgest another mans servant let us indeavour unity peace and concord let us walk in love oh if we could love one another with a pure heart fevently with what sweet imbraces should we receive and injoy each other how would our heavenly Father be glorified how would truth be advanced and appear like it selfe and how would errors heresies lyes and falshoods run into holes to hide themselves yea how soon might we expect to see our dread Soveraign the Lord Jesus comming forth gloriously and riding on prosperously conquering and to conquer and bringing the wheele over sin and flesh and all sinners and ungodly men who hold the truth in unrighteousness and proclaiming that joyfull Jubile to all his who are yet kept under by poverty debt c. Sin ignorance unbelief weakness clouds forms observations Friends rest not in shadows let your souls inherit substance Christs kingdome is spirituall it is within and it is above all outward observations it is not meat and drink but it is righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost This little Starre if it please the Father of Lights may lead you toward this King or this little Catcchisme may instruct you in the way to this Kingdom It presents you with no new thing but cleers up old truths and distinguisheth them from new errors It comes not busling forth stuft full of humane testimony but it comes forward gently and meekly attended with divine evidence and witness Dear Friends first read and then judge but be not rash in censuring if any thing seem difficult weigh the Scriptures in the margent and yet if difficulties and doubts still arise wait upon God by prayer and supplication of the Spirit
prophecies and types which made mention of him and therefore they were enabled extraordinarily to declare both in word and writing the whole will and counsell of God and the word so spoken and written being a revelation of Christ through the Spirit was written and spoken for our instruction Christ now reveales himself to us also by the same Spirit and to the same ends and purposes but not in the same manner nor in the same degree Christ by revelation enabled them to speak and write a mystery and by revelation he enables us to know and understand that mystery which was spoken and written by them They were inspired by the Spirit immediately to write and speak the mind of God perfectly To us it is given to understand and believe the will of God in the mystery of Christ by attending upon reading exhortation and doctrine even by the same Spirit The Apostles were sent to preach the Gospel and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word preached Paul was an Apostle a teacher of the Gentiles and unto him was this grace given that he should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ c. The Gospel must be preached but every preaching is not the preaching of the Gospel for some men preach neither Law nor Gospel but their own fancies others preach justification by the duties of the Law knowing neither what they say nor whereof they affirm and others jumble Law and Gospel together saying that men must believe in Jesus Christ and yet they must walk in a strict performance of the duties of the Law or else they cannot be saved But the Gospel where it is purely preached is not with wisdome of words to exercise or set forth mens humane arts and acquired abilities but in the evidence and power of the Spirit to perswade men to believe the preaching of the Gospel is not to chide or revile men for not believing but to beseech men to be reconciled to God The preaching of the Gospel is not to threaten wrath and vengeance against sin and sinners but to offer termes of peace reconciliation and salvation through Christ Jesus to the worst of sinners Moreover the Lord hath in much wisdome and goodnesse manifested his will in a written word for he very well knew what was in man many Prophets of old did run before they were sent but because they spake not according to the Law and the Testimony their written word their was no light in them There were also false Apostles in the Primitive Churches but because they spake not according to the word of faith revealed in the true Apostles they were soon discovered to the Saints The Mystery of iniquity in that man of sin came into the world after the working of Satan with signes and lying wonders and men were deluded by them because they did not receive or believe the truth as it was revealed in the written word but Christ hath already in part and is daily destroying more and more that mystery and kingdome of the devill by his appearing and the brightnesse of his coming according to this written word And there be many also that boast and brag of visions and revelations and despise and deride the Scriptures but because they resist or put away the truth therefore they shall not be able to proceed much further for their folly shall be made manifest to all men by the power of truth revealed in the Scriptures Neither is the Scripture contrary to it self or any the least contradiction in it for as no part of it was written by the private motion of mans own Spirit so neither is it of any private interpretation nor to be drawn or stretcht to any mans private purpose for we are not to use the Scriptures for our own self ends or so much of them as will serve our turnes but to weigh and consider the whole Scripture and labour to reconcile seeming differences for though there may appear some small seeming jarrs in the letter yet being compared with other Scriptures and weighed with a Spirit of love and meeknesse there will be found a sweet harmony in the sence and meaning and where any thing is hard and difficult and not easie to be understood there we are not rashly to determine but by prayer and supplication to wait upon God who is a revealer of secrets and to whom interpretations doe belong and in due time we shall reap if we faint not Q. What is Prayer A. Prayer is much spoken of and much used among men but it is not very well understood for many people can and doe utter words and sentences which the Saints in Scripture have used in prayer and yet they doe not pray prayer is not every lifting up of the voice to God nor every lifting up of the heart to God for the most wicked man may pray and that earnestly and that for life and salvation and yet not pray aright yea a believer and one that is in Christ may be very fervent in prayer and yet not being rightly catechized and instructed in the nature of true prayer may not be accepted but offend in praying Prayer is not a work of wit or memory or of any other common gift of the Spirit but true and right prayer as it goes up to God through Christ so it comes down first from God by Christ and is indeed the intercession of Christ in the soul for no man knowes how or what to pray for as he ought yea the Saints themselves are compassed with many infirmities and many of them lie under many outward crosses c. by reason whereof they may and doe now and then use prayer in a carnal manner now it is the Spirit which removeth or helpeth against these infirmities when the Spirit prevailes as it doth for the most part in the Saints then it assures them of the love of God and overcomes all feares and doubts and carries them up to God with free accesse making them to know that God is not delighted with eloquent words and speeches or sentences finely framed and artificially drawn into a method But that he is well pleased with Christ and delights in nothing but Christ and if he be in the soul though at present they cannot utter many words or outward expressions nay if they can but groan in spirit he knowes the meaning thereof for he knowes the heart and understands the mind of the spirit If prayer proceed from a mans own spirit then it is alwayes for self ends but if it be the intercession of Christ in the soul then it is alwayes agreeable to the will of God for he even Christ maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God Q. If prayer be the intercession of Christ in the soul then how is it said that he is at the right hand of God and maketh intercession
truth which is to be perfected by degrees in this life though not fully untill the life to come Neither is there any outward ordinance or observation that can hold proportion or correspondence with this Spiritual Kingdome it being exalted above all the Hills and infinitely above all significations Now Water-Baptisme can no way shew forth our union with Christ for that is a Spiritual union and Water-Baptisme is a Carnall ordinance and holds no proportion with the former Againe we are not made one with Christ as we are one flesh with him but as we are one Spirit with him Christ by taking our flesh became Immanuel or God one with us in the flesh but now the Lord who is that Spirit takes us into the same Spirit and so we are made one Spirit with him To this very end the glorious God did abase himself and clothed himself with our flesh and took it into union with himself that so by this meanes he might also receive all them that do truely believe in him into union with himself by the same Spirit So that it is not the Baptisme of Water that can ingraft us into Christ or make us one with him But by the Baptisme of the eternall Spirit are all the Saints united to him and partake of the same Divine nature with him And further Water-Baptisme can give us no true fellowship with the Saints for where the Saints have true fellowship one with another they have this fellowship together in Christ So that this fellowship consists not in being of the same opinion or forme one with another But in partaking of the same Spirit are united into one body together in Christ For by one Spirit are we all Baptized into one Body whether we be Jewes or Gentils So that it is not water-baptisme that can give any true fellowship with the Saints but onely a carnall admission into an outward fellowship with men of the same form which may hold for a time and afterward come to nothing Ananias and Saphira may have for a time an outward fellowship with the Apostles and Simon Magus with Phillip and the rest of the Saints in Samaria Q. What say you then of the Lords Supper is not that an Ordinance of Christ to be used now in the time of the Gospel A. That our Saviour Christ did give Bread and Wine unto his Disciples in remembrance of his death which he was now suddenly to accomplish is not denied but that he left it with them as an ordinance to be performed by all believers in the dayes of the Gospel is to be enquired into Our blessed Lord a little before his suffering told his Disciples that he had a great desire to eat one Passeover more with them before his death and being come into the house as they were eating together he tells them plain that one of them should betray him into the hands of the chief Priests and Elders c. and that he was to undergoe great sufferings yea and death also and that all this was no more than what was written of him though they were ignorant of it and that they must now enjoy his company but a very little while for as he came forth from the Father into the world so he must now leave the world and goe to the Father upon this heavy and sad and indeed unexpected newes his poor weak Disciples who looked for better things from their Master at least in their own conceits were so presently filled with sorrow that they knew not what to say much lesse what to doe whereupon our Saviour seeing them take the matter so to heart and knowing that his death was of so great advantage unto them takes occasion to instruct them in the knowledge and ends of the same that as his departure from them was cause of great grief and sorrow unto them so the remembrance of the great benefits which should redound unto them thereby might a little stay and comfort their hearts untill he did appear to them more fully To this end he took bread and brake it saying This is my body which is given for you as if he had said as I break this bread and give it unto you so my body is given and must be broken for you even for your sinnes And taking the cup he saith drink yee all of it for it is the New Testament in my bloud or a signification of the bloud of the New Covenant which is my bloud that must be shed for you and many others also or else yee cannot have remission of sinnes And for a help to their weak faith and comfort in their sad condition he said also unto them doe this in remembrance of me as if he had said I know that for the present you are almost overwhelmed with grief and sorrow because I say such things to you yet let this be a little comfort to you make use of Bread and Wine in-remembrance that my death is of great advantage to you and though I goe away in the flesh yet it shall not be long ere I see you again in the Spirit for I will not leave you comfortlesse but will come to you in the comforter which is the Spirit of truth and then your hearts shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man be able to take from you so that from hence it may appear that this action of Christ and likewise his command was rather to comfort and stay the hearts of his poor sorrowrowfull fainting then Disciples than to be a standing Ordinance for all believers afterwards Q But it is not said in many places in the Acts of the Apostles that this Ordinance was in use even among the Apostles themselves and many other Saints after the Ascension of Christ and sending down of the holy Ghost A. The Apostles indeed are said to break bread and that from house to house but every breaking of bread there spoken of cannot be said to be the Lords Supper for it is said that they did eat their meat with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart whereby it may appear that by breaking of bread in that place is rather meant the Saints mutuall love in receiving and entertaining one another into their houses with feasting and rejoycing than eating the Lords Supper for it is said that the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul neither said any man that the things which he possessed were his own but they had all things common The preaching of the Apostles was of such power and efficacy that it wrought great effects there was none that lacked they that were poor were provided for out of the goods of them that were rich But if by breaking of bread in this or other places be meant the eating the Lords Supper yet it was used as a thing indifferent and of christian liberty rather than a binding Ordinance for the Apostles
any man as he is a man as he is a Jew nor as he is a Gentile as he is rich or as he is poor bond or free but as he is in Christ and Christ in him In this sence the Lord doth accept persons for he accepts of these in Christ and as for others who are not in Christ he regards them not be they Jew or Gentile high or low noble or base he accepts of none but in whom he appeares and manifests himself by Jesus Christ Q. But is not God in all men Is not he one and the same and doth not he infinitely comprehend all things in himself All come from his fulnesse and he dwells in all and every one in his fulnesse for he cannot be divided a piece in one and a piece in another but he is all and in all and to all onely there is not the same manifestations in some he lies hid and in others he shines forth and we are said to be the off spring of God and to live move and have our being in him How then can it be but that all must be saved seeing God is in all and all are in him A. That God doth infinitely comprehend all things in himself and that all things even the whole creation proceeded from his fullnesse is a truth yea that God is in all men in some sence or respect is also granted Man being created in the Image of God was thereby able to act according to God but having by sinne defaced this Image he was now become more like Satan than God And though he had lost all his wisdome and strength to act according to the will of God in things spiritual yet there remained so much of the light of nature in him namely his natural understanding and reason which served him and whereby he was enabled to act in moral and civill things and to leave him without excuse For without understanding and reason he could not be able to glorify God as God in the outward creation Now this natural understanding and reason as it is purely natural so God ownes it as a sparke of his Image but as it is corrupted and defiled with sinne so he disowns it and this is that which doth accuse or excuse When naturall men led on by the light of nature did act according to reason or judgement then their conscience did excuse them But when they acted contrary to reason even from corrupt and carnal principles then their naturall conscience was against them and accused them And this naturall principle hath many names even in Scripture somtimes it is called a knowing of God or a knowledge of God Sometimes mans righteousnesse Rom. 10. 3. And sometimes mans wisdome and the spirit of the World c. And by this spirit or principle of nature God is in all and acts in all rationall men yet in some in a higher and in others in a lower degree For it is by this spirit or principle that all natural and civill men act lawfully in all natural and civil things For there is not any action in the world that is naturally and civilly good but in this respect it is of God Neither can God ly hid in this respect in the most wicked or carnal men For even they many times do act things in themselves that are naturally and civilly good And thus all men may be said to be the off-spring of God not onely because they all came from him as their original but also as they are acted by him through a spirit or principle of nature to walk honestly and civilly in things of outward concernment But now there is a more special and spiritual in-dwelling of God in the Saints namely the eternal in-dwelling of his love in Jesus Christ wherely he hath from all eternity chosen them and made them one with himself in Christ And in due time in their several generations hath manifested and doth manifest and reveal this love which is Christ in their hearts which doth assure them of their adoption and of their union with him And whereby they are carried forth to live up to him yea to live in him being transformed more and more into his own glorious Image even by his spirit dwelling in them Now that God is not thus in all men namely in his love in Jesus Christ is clear both from Scripture and common experience The Apostle in the eighth Chapter of the Romanes and the first Verse layes this down as a firme conclusion That there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus But who are they Such as walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Now to walk after the spirit is to be led forth by the same to mortifie the deeds of the body that henceforth they might not serve sin For Jesus Christ who is in them a law of the Spirit which is a law of Life doth free them first from sinne and then from death But there are some that walk after the flesh and mind or are led onely by a naturall principle and this tends onely to death because this spirit or carnal principle is at enmity against God and neither is nor can be subject or obedient to Christ who is the Law of life or power of God to salvation in all that do believe but is full of self-righteousnesse acting by legall and fleshly performances for life and happiness And being thus earnal in their minds cannot please God because partaking not of Christ or of that spirit wherewith he is annointed they are not nor cannot be any of his But walk in the vanity of their own minds having nothing but darknesse in their understandings and by reason of that ignorance are estranged from the glorious Light and Life of God even Jesus Christ and being hardned by continual custome in sinne become at length insensible and give themselves over unto lasciviousness and wantonness to act all manner of uncleannesse and that with greedinesse But the Saints have better learned Christ for they being annointed with and receiving of his Spirit do therefore mind the things thereof and are led forth thereby into all well pleasing actions Christ who is the Life being risen in their hearts the old man or body of sinne is destroyed mortified and put off by little and little even as he is pleased to manifest himself But the wicked even the children of disobedience or unbeliefe they have no fellowship in Christs Kingdome which is Spiritual nor no inheritance in the Kingdome of God which is in glory eternal though they deceive themselves For the wrath of God cometh and abideth on them And thus it is clear from Scripture that God is not in all men in his love in Jesus Christ for he is where he comes in Christ both Light and Life and where he is thus he acts like himself And
God and saved For so saith the Prophetverse the 6. I the Lord have called thee in righteousnesse and will strengthen thine hand and preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people a light of the Gentiles To what purpose To open blind eyes to bring thâ— prisoners out of prison and them that sit in darknesse out of the prison-house Again The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and he hath annointed me to preach glad tidings to the meek to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound c. The Saints though they were in the state of election in the purpose of God yet for the present being fallen under sin were in a condition of darknesse and death and were in slavery to sin and Satan And being no way able to free or deliver themselves therefore was Christ Gods elect or his righteous servant that he by undertaking for them in the flesh and by raising and quickning them in the spirit might bring them out of prison and captivity make them free men and present them to the Father in himself without rebuke And so also meanes the Apostle when he tells the Ephesians that now it is Gods design in the dispensation of the fullnesse of times to gather into one sweet agreement or holy fellowship all the Saints that are elected in Christ or which are in Christ in his purpose which is all one which are in heaven and in earth whether they be Jewes or Gentiles circumcised or uncircumcised bond or free even in him as the Saints are in Christ by vertue of Gods election So God will gather them together and so raise them by Christ that they shall now know and believe their union with God in Christ and their union one with another even in him And to this end all things were made by him and for his glory and still consist to help forward his great designes for in him dwells the fulnesse of the Godhead and the Saints are compleat in him Yea Christ fits in the Saints as a refiner and purifier of silver and by the spirit of judgement and burning which is himself doth purifie the sonnes of Levi even them which he hath brought near to himself and burnes up all their drosse the briars and the thornes their sinnes and corruptions that they may come forth a vessell for the refiner and fit for the Masters use That they may offer to the Lord in righteousnesse or give up themselves wholly to him in Christ and whosoever of the Saints rest or build upon any formes or ordinances below Christ the fire of Christs Spirit shall consume these works yet they being built upon or interested in Christ shall be saved by him yet so as to be purified by fire And thus God will come forth and is already come in the Saints not in all men destroying and consuming all sin and unbelief and doth daily gather them together into one body in Jesus and will by Jesus bring them into himself their originall and fountain after he hath first separated between the pretious and the vile between the Saints and their beloved lusts Christ came not to save the good or the believing part of men for there was no good nor believing part at all in man for man was quite and clean lost and undone and Christ came to save that which was lost namely poor men and women and to save them from their sinnes The good things and believing part in the Saints is Christ and he was never lost and the Saints partaking of him are united to him and so are saved in and by him True indeed Christ and the Saints make but one elect for they make but one compleat Christ he is the head and they the members and indeed God in electing of Christ did in him elect all his members and in saving of Christ saves whole Christ even all the body and that the bodies of the Saints are the members of Christ the Apostle shall inform us 1 Cor. 6. 15 16 17. where he seems to deal with some that thought fornication to be no sin because it was outward in the body I wish there be not many such in these dayes to whom he replies that though it be in the belly yet it ought not to be because the body is not for fornication but for the Lord. Yea saith he know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ and the temples of the holy Ghost and that they ought to glorifie God in their bodies as well as in their spirits seeing they are both Gods And that this may not seem strange he tells us that Christ is already by his Spirit quickening our mortall bodies more and more to holiness and will in the end change them and make them like his glorious body even by his mighty power And that election and salvation relate to mens persons let one Scripture more declare Acts 13. 48. Paul and Barnabas preaching at Antioch the Jews contradict and blaspheme they turn themselves to the Gentiles the Gentiles they are glad and they receive the Word with joy and all that were ordained to eternal life believed Now whether faith or any good things in these Gentiles were ordained to eternal life or the persons of these Gentiles who did believe and to whom Christ appeared in the preaching of the Apostles let all men well consider and then judge But there is a sort of people that live after the flesh unbelievers sorcerers whoremongers murtherers Idolaters c. who are without to whom Christ will say Depart from me yee cursed and these are not things namely sin unbelief muthers c. but persons also in and by whom these sinnes were committed who loved cursing or the cursed wayes of sin therefore it namely the curse shall come upon them and who delighteth not in blessing or the undefiled way of God even Jesus Christ and therefore the blessed enjoyment of God shall be farre from them for whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever and who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the prsence of the Lord c. Neither is God unjust but most righteous in rewarding every man according to his workes for God is so infinitely holy and righteous that he cannot doe any unjust act Nay he neither doth nor will doe any thing but wherein he will appear most perfectly just and righteous For God did not elect man and afterward reject him or damne him love him and afterward hate him But the Lord who is infinite in wisdome did see and behold all things before any thing was created for all things were in him although they were not brought forth or manifested And in his fore-knowledge and in himself he beheld all men when as yet there was none of them yea even then he beheld them