Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	call_v	young_a	youth_n	88	3	8.4224	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

of God the Father descend from thence and now judge the world and all these things in a mysterie a Metaphor and Allegory You read say they of these things in the letter 1600. yeers ago but now they are in the newnesse of the Spirit and according to these principles expound all the Scriptures both of the old and new Testament Now say they is the wedding of Cana of Galilee fulfill'd in the spirit where righteousnesse is the Jesus the union between God the Father and the Son the Bride and the Bridegroom the mother of Jesus they say is the word of truth that brings to passe this holy marriage and the turning of water into wine is the oldnesse turned to newnesse flesh into spirit so that thereby the new man becomes co-deifi'd with God and God again co-hominifi'd with man and that now Christ whips out the buyers and sellers out of the Temple meaning by Christ righteousnesse and by the buyers and sellers sins and corruptions and by the Temple mens bodies expounding that Text Hebr. 1. 13. Sit on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool to be meant of their holy anointed ones and when Christ which is righteousnes is risen in them by regeneration then that saying is brought to passe that is written Hos. 13. 14. 1 Cor. 15. 54. Death is swallowed up in victory they say they are Moses and the children of Israel and all naturall men are Egyptians which by conversion become Israelites and that now Moses is contending with Pharaoh the Devill to bring the chosen of God through the red Sea and barren hard and desolate wildernesse into Canaan the land of rest the peace of conscience and favour of God and that now God calls Abraham out of Vr of the Chaldees making it the land of devills as the Hebrew word signifies to set forth to us every unregenerate mans dark and sinfull estate naturally and Gods calling of Abraham out of it to go to a land he would give him to signifie unto us the conversion of a sinner to God and Davids killing Vriah to signifie the quenching the Spirit the Apostle dehorts from and Reubens going up to his fathers bed the weaknesses of such as are babes in Christ as St. John speaks of calling them little children and young men 1 Joh. 2. 12 13. And that in this nonage this youth of theirs it is with their anointed ones as it was with Christ which signifies anointed Mat. 3. 4. who as soon as God testified to him from heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and when he had fasted and separated himself from his naturall wayes and sinfull affections forty dayes and forty nights as Moses was fortie dayes and fortie nights in the holy mount where hee received the covenant of perfection in a figure And the Text saith afterwards he was an hungred that is this new man hungred and thirsted after righteousnesse and as the Text saith The tempter came to him the meaning is say they the sinfull flesh the enemy to the Spirit said to him If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread but the new man answereth it is written the man Christ shall live by the truth the Word of God then the tempter uses other means to have him to be a self-justifier and account of himself as the holy Citie of God makes him to be advanced in his own thoughts as the highest of all as a pinacle is above the rest of the building and then to presume in his infancie as if he had the experience of old age and perfection it self and so the holy childe answers thou oughtst not to tempt but to wait patiently on thy Lord thy God His third and last temptation is the proffer of the whole world unto this young man in Christ but being now grown in strength in righteousnesse makes a speedy answer Get thee behind me Satan God is only to be worshipped and served so the tempter left him and the Angels ministred unto him in all passages of service till they brought the holy One from one degree to another to sit down at the right hand of the Father and to come to judge the world And of this spirituall estate do they understand all the Scriptures that speak of the resurrection of the body understanding it this spirituall body and this spirituall resurrection and that Christ is dead or alive in every man in the world dead in the naturall or sinfull estate and made alive and raised in the illuminated estate and the terms in Scripture of this present world to be the sinfull estate and the world to come the regenerated estate which they call perfection eternall life and the glory of the Father the world without end affirming there shall be no end of the heavens and of the earth the whole creation but that it shall continue for ever successively one generation after another and as man comes from God so he goes to God in matter and time infinitely These and a thousand grosse and blasphemous doctrines are the tenents of the Familists which are the very depths of Satan from which I wish thee to repent if it may be by any means obtained and learn to leave off your scorn and contempt of Scripture-learning and labour to be taught by the Spirit of truth in the true meaning of Gods Word Heres These doctrines which you call Familists are the tenents of N. H. that is Henry Nichols who lived in Germany and writ divers small books as The Gospel of the kingdom The Prophecy of the spirit of love The Glasse of righteousnesse and divers others but although he be a seducer and grosly deceived to the overthrow of the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in affirming holinesse and righteousnesse to be Christ the Lord now I am so far from his opinion that I think Jesus the Prophet of Nazareth to be only man that is meere man and not God and man and to partake of the Deity no more then any other naturall man doth Truth You expresse your selfe to be an Arrian for Arrius that proud Bishop whose time was above 200. yeeres after the Apostles and did then fall from the truth of the Scriptures as they clearly set forth our blessed Saviour in his divine nature as well as in his humane and invented and broacht divulged and published this heresie that Jesus Christ was only man and not God which heresie backt with his authority proved a great and cruell persecution against the faithfull and true Christians 150. yeers together as Ecclesiasticall Histories according with the plain and holy Word of God do declare as it appeares in the first of John compared with Genesis 1. and Prov. 8. 22 23 24. and John that beloved of the Lord Revelations the 9th chapter makes a full and plain description of the person of Arrius his power authority and the compleat time of his persecution and false doctrine where

And lastly for the space of this long season neer unto the time of seventeen hundred yeers that great and huge Monarchy of the Romans our universall and mighty oppressors have dealt very cruelly with us even worse then all that were before them for their sword hath had a double edge called Force and Deceit cunning and cruelty and for power worse then all that were before them as Iron is the basest for value and hardest for strength for it breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things as one of my deare sons affirmeth Dan. 2. 40. which I and mine have found by dolefull experience all their tedious wofull and odious raign of the Iron legs and durtie toes how dolefull was it in the dayes of our blessed Saviour that that holy Prophet John the Baptist that takes his name from his office the harbenger the forerunner and preparer of the Lords own way that he should be killed and our innocent Lord grievously abuseded wounded crucified also and how was I and my children havocked and cruelly destroyed and wasted presently after the resurrection and ascension of our Lord in those numerous and unparalleld ten persecutions and all wrought and prosecuted against us by those legs of Iron all which power and authority of the legs are now gone and past as a storme that 's over and a tale that 's told and as a great fire that 's quenched excepting only the feet and toes consisting of Iron and Clay matter of two contrary natures in them the solidness and strength of Iron and the weaknesse or bricklenesse of Clay and yet such a powerfull enemy whose cunning craftinesse is managed by deceit and policy in which time iniquity hath and doth abound under the pretence of verity this fourth Monarchy from the first to the last in all the parts of it is deciphered by a strange beast diverse from all the beasts that were before it dreadfull terrible and exceeding in the greatnesse of power and strength it had Iron teeth saith the Prophet and they were great ones to tear and kill by and it devoured saith the Text and brake in pieces and stamped the residue with the feet of it and it had ten horns Dan. 7. 7. Heres But let us prove if his words be true for what is the Babylonian Assyrian Grecian or Roman Monarch to us for we have been and are the spirituall seed of Abraham by faith wee are Christians who have believed are baptized and communicate in all the Ordinances of God we are warranted in the Scriptures for our Church-discipline and government and wee walke in a Church state and Church way in constituting our Congregations in ordaining our Ministers our Pastors our Deacons and Elders Widowes Eunuches and divers holy orders as that of Jesus and John the Baptist Mary Magdalene and abundance more orders of men women and Angels and all these by authoritie of Scriptures and yet will you rank us amongst the Heathens and compare us to the four Ethnick Monarchs long ago past we doubt not but upon further discovery to prove your self to be untruth Truth What ever you are whether Papists Familists Arrians Arminians Anabaptists Brownists Antinomians Millinarists or Monarchists of all sorts and although all and every one of you of each sort gird and bind your selves with the new found common With of Independency yet my self and my little children are able to prove against you all even against the oldest and strongest of you and therefore observe and take notice of it even of the charge it self that so many of you that are not born of sorrow and comfort and have not your parts in mourning and rejoycing of water and the Holy Ghost as the Scripture speaketh I tell you plainly notwithstanding all your outward names and distinctions your affirmed Christianity your Church-way and state your participation in the Word and Sacraments your ordinations and orders and what discipline you are of or any kinde or manner however except I say you be separated or dissevered from naturall men by the vail of regeneration as the Temple of God the Altar and them that worship therein were separated by a vail from the outward and common court erected for the multitude of the house of Israel to offer and sacrifice yea again because the matter I speak of is of such great concernment I speak it the third time except you are by true repentance and assurance of mercy made capable spiritually to eat Christs flesh and to drink his blood thereby to have eternall life in you except you be thus gracious and made spiritually living by regeneration Gods Word I say and the Spirit of truth denominates you reckons and accounts you all among the Heathens and Gentiles Rev. 11. 1 2. and notwithstanding all your outside and overcast Christianity the whole wicked cursed defiled and unregenerate world and you make but one cast-away part one flock of goats for ever to be excluded from the sheep of Christ their sweet and pleasant pastor that flock and fold also Heres This fellow condemnes us all wee are esteemed of him as counterfeits or false coyne he abstaineth from our wayes as from filthinesse yet we marvell how he can prove that we that are Christians are a part of those Monarchs whose severall times and powers are wholly expired consummated and gone Truth As I have in generall proved it already in shewing that all the wicked party in the world make but one fort one cursed side on the left hand so also I prove it further by our Saviour Christs words to the Pharisees in his dayes Matth. 23. 35 That upon you saith hee may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias whom yee slew between the Temple and the Altar Here our Lord layes the murther of Abel and Zacharias to the Scribes and Pharisees charge although the personall actors were dead many yeers before saying to them present whom ye slew and the reason is because all murtherers from the beginning of the world to the end thereof make but one generation all of them even one generation of Vipers persecutors and destroyers Secondly as yet the whole Monarch of the Romans is not expired and past but still in being the feet that were partly iron and partly clay are not wholly consumed nor the mixt matter is not yet abolished for yet craft policy doth prosper in wicked practices to destroy the mighty the people of the holy One by standing up and opposing the Prince of princes who notwithstanding shortly shall be destroyed without hands Dan. 8. 24 25 even that man of sin that son of perdition even that opposer and exalter of himself above all that is called God and as God sitteth in the Temple of God whom the Lord that he opposeth shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and destroy with the brightnesse of his coming notwithstanding all his serpentine working his

power his signs and lying wonders with all deceivablenesse and unrighteousness of them that perish not yet ended 2 Tehs 2. And although this part of the Image have already continued from the 406 yeers of salvation 1238 yeers and shall remain and live yet 22. yeers more to fill up and accomplish his determined compleat number of 1666 Rev. 13. 18. then even then a stone saith the truth that was cut out without hands smote the Image upon his feet that were of Iron and Clay and brake them to pieces together saith the Text and they became like chaffe of the summer threshing floors and the wind carryed them away that no place was found for them and the stone that smote the Image became a greet mountain and filled the whole earth of which great mountain we shall speak further in its due place according to the Prophets understanding it Dan. 2. 34 35. 41 42 43 44 45. And all the false Christs and false Prophets false Apostles and false teachers who shall privily bring in damnable heresies deceitfull workers Matth. 24. 29. Mark 13. 22. 2 Pet. 2. 1. 2 Cor. 11. 13. 1 Joh. 4. 1 are all denominated by the name of Antichrists as the Apostle saith 1 Joh. 2. 18. Little children it is the last time and as you have heard that Antichrist shall come even so now are there many Antichrists whereby wee know it is the last time and this Apostle was well acquainted with these Antichrists these teachers of errors and calls the Antichrist himself the false Prophet Rev. 16. 13. and with him all his wicked Clergie and lying Priests Rev. 19. 20. and as the false teachers of the Synagogue of Rome and by their cunning corrupt doctrine have deceived multitudes and if it were possible would deceive even the very elect so all false teachers before Popery was and such as are now and shall be after it are of the same company the same Church the same Synagogue with them of what sect order or name soever they be as before is touched for as Rome is spiritually called Babylon which by interpretation is confusion so are all the Congregations and Churches amongst us that are gathered built and covenanted by men and according to their own invention and the vision of their own hearts and so are not purchased by the same blood gathered by the Spirits power and built by Gods own hand they are all even all of them spiritually as Rome is even Sodom and Egypt Rev. 11. 8. where also our Lord was crucified Rev. 18. 24. Heres You are very plain and exceeding round with us take heed you be not too wise nor over bold Truth Plainnesse and roundnesse is Truths badge or note of distinction from others so Jacob my son my chosen one is said to be a a plain man Gen. 25. 27. and all my works are perfect round that is without any error as David saith hee hath made the round world Psal. 89. 11. which shewes the globe of the earth to be round and so saith the Prophet Isa. Chap. 40. 22. it is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth that is the round of the earth Prov. 8. 27. Heres But why do you rank us of the Church of Rome amongst the Heresies and new doctrines of late devised and nominated for wee can reckon our antiquity from the Apostles and that wee are descended from them we have and continue still the very forme of the Church of Christ and his Apostles for we have the Pope Peters successor Christs Vice-gerent here on earth and answerable to the twelve Apostles wee have twelve Cardinalls wee continue the imposition of hands the washing the Saints feet the holy Unction auricular confession and spirituall absolution we have the Word and Sacraments discipline and execration and therefore we are the Church of Christ and not an Antichristian Church Truth You speak like a Papist and for the maintenance of the Romish Church for the Church of God or Kingdome of heaven stands not in outward observation Luke 17. 20. there's as much difference between the Church of Christ and the church of Rome as there is between outward shew and inward truth and as St. Paul in Rom. 14. 17. sheweth us what the Church is not so hee sheweth us what it is namely Righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost and as it followes For hee that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men that is spirituall men A man may be in the outward place and office of the Church an Apostle as Judas an Evangelist as Demas a Disciple as Simon Magus and yet not of the true Church such men may be amongst them and yet not of them as St. John speakes and the outward forme and manner of true Christian Churches are not alwayes the same for the Primitive Church was as true a Church before they had Deacons and ordained Elders in every city or Church as it was afterwards and for your great ones chief of Cardinalls except they be least in humility the most vile in their own eyes for this is a Paradox a mysterie a riddle to the world that the lowest is the highest the least the greatest the humblest the most honourable and this is quite contrary to the fashion of your Cardinalls which our Lord laies down for an eternall truth Luke 22. 25 26 Chap. 9. 49. hee that is least among you all the same shall be great chief or a Cardinall as the word signifieth Your Pope you say is Peters successor in what respect I pray in lordship and supreme authority when you prove that Peter ever had such jurisdiction then you say something but till then you say nothing The truth is Peter succeeded our Lord Christ in the love of the truth and faithfull obedience of his gracious Word and in denying himself and taking up his crosse and suffering for the Gospel the joyfull voyce and so all faithfull and true Christians do succeed Peter and the rest of the faithfull Apostles and this law is unrepealable it cannot be altered but shall stand firm to all the Saints for ever for unto you it is given saith the Apostle in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake Phil. 1. 29. and he makes it a full resolution to Timothy yea saith he and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3. 12. so then those that truly succeed Peter are those and such as succeed him in spirituall things as in his repentance and faith his love to Christ and his truth and his faithfull suffering for it even till death 2 Pet. 1. 14. And this was it when our Lord saith thus unto him Mat. 16 17 18. and thou art Peter that is thou are a living stone of my spirituall Temple blessed of my Father from above to this purpose and upon this rock will I build my Church c. that is the

was not hindred nor prevented but the broken penitent heart understands retains and keeps the Word and bringeth forth fruit with patience Luke 8. 15. when as the other three sorts of grounds brought nothing to perfection vers. 14. Now these severall grounds briefly shew us how all your mentioned Scriptures are to be understood even as the Parable sets forth unto us the differing estate of men under the means of the Gospel and so also doth the branch in Christ that is fruitfull which God purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit and the fruitlesse branch in the Vine Christ which God cutteth off to be burned in this distinction doth the Prophet Ezekiel speak calling that man righteous in the Scripture you first mentioned who was so made righteous by the common gifts of the Spirit as the three bad grounds and in this distinction we are to understand that a man may become sanctified by the blood of Christ and yet afterwards tread it under foot as Judas when he was a preacher and yet afterwards fell to be a Traitor to kill the Lord that formerly in some respect he served and differenc'd from other men by his holy imploiment of his Apostolicall office as hee was that took the Plough by the hand and afterwards looked back thereby making himself uncapable of that estate in which before hee stood in Luke 9. 62. and the Apostle makes this clear to the Corinthians speaking that the Gospel to some is the savour of life unto life and to others the savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. not that it is so of it self but occasionally as the Sun in the Firmament that is one and the same in it self yet through accidents in the subject it softens ice and hardens clay so likewise is the administration of the Gospel salvation to them that receive and obey it and damnation to those that neglect and contemn it as in prophane Esaus case and the blessednesse of Jacob both sons of Isaac the one selling his birth-right for a mess of pottage the other seeking and striving for it with prayers and tears so that it appeares plainly that the Scriptures rightly understood are against your erroneous opinion and all of them affirm that truth of God which before I have proved to you that whosoever believeth and is baptized shall be saved as hereafter I shall open more at large for hee is the wise Christian that heareth and doth build on a rock of a deep foundation so that it stood still notwithstanding the great billowes of the flouds the huge storms of the winds and showers when the foolish Christian the fine built house was overthrown thereby having no foundation and great was the fall of it Mat. 7. 25 27. Heres Of late through the knowledge of the Scriptures men have come to see and understand the superstition of Popery the blasphemy of Familists the grosse errors and absurdities of Arrius and Arminius and that they are all seduced and deceived But we have found a rule of truth in Gods Word plainly directing us to the making matter of the Church of Christ and none but such as are quallified by faith are fit subjects for baptisme which faith is wrought by teaching and then baptisme or dipping admits and gives entrance unto such believers to have communion in Church-fellowship with us in all the other holy ordinances of God which Church and ordinances are not understood but neglected and contemned of all the Heretikes you have named and conferred with before therefore we are the true Church for we professe but one Lord one Faith and one baptisme Ephes. 4. 5. Truth Sir I perceive you are an Anabaptist and therefore I shall speedily make good my late promise and indeed some thirty yeers since Mr. Morton a Teacher of a Church of the Anabaptists in Newgate then his confession comprehended all the errors of the Arminians which now of late many that go under your name in and about London dissent from as it seems you do And therefore in Answer to you I say that the terme baptisme in Scriptures as well as faith and Lord hath divers significations sometimes to signifie sufferings as Matth. 22. at other times outward baptisme as John baptizing our Saviour a holy subject Mat. 3. 16. and Simon also believed and was baptized Acts 8. 13. which was an evill unregenerate man and yet admitted and continued in the common fellowship of the Church with Philip so also by baptisme we are to understand inward baptisme sometimes repentance and sometimes remission of sins for so faith the Baptist himself Matth. 3. 11. I baptize you with water unto repentance by which indeed he wrought repentance in them but he that comes after me c. he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire that is hee should pardon the penitent which two speciall administrations are the two parts of regeneration according to that in Luke 24. 47. That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in the name of Christ so likewise by baptisme we are to understand both the parts of regeneration together where the Apostle saith as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3. 27. and in this sense it is called the laver of regeneration or the washing of regeneration Tit. 2. 5. These differing significations being plain I marvelled to find some of your company to maintain the contrary of purpose I suppose to avoid the distinction that so clearly discovers your error You affirm you have found a rule in the Scriptures plainly directing how the matter of the Church is made and that is say you by teaching and baptizing and yet you not distinguishing of either say nothing truly in neither or both for a man may be taught and baptized and thereby be made a Disciple in the outward profession of the truth as the high-way stony and thorny ground as Simon Magus Demas Hymineus Philetus Ananias and Saphira the incestuous person in the Church of Corinth and such whose belly was their God in the Church of Philippi who notwithstanding they were all taught and baptized yet not any one of them any part or portion of the Church of Christ against which the gates of Hell shall not prevail therefore the ground and foundation of your Church is sand and that will fail you and it is very false and contrary to the matter of the true Church for the Scripture saith Though Israel be as numerous as the sand of the sea yet but a remnant shall repent and be saved Rom. 9. 27. and yet they are called the people of God Isa. 10. 22 23. and so all taught and all circumcised and the same distinction the Scriptures make of baptisme the very same is said of circumcision for the self-same operation that circumcision had in the Church of the Jewes outward carnally in the flesh and inward spiritually in the heart of the same distinction and operation is baptisme in the

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

any preparation to justifying faith for by Christs stripes we are healed from the beginning of the world And to prove this truth I argue thus First all the elect of God are justified before God but some of the elect of God doe not yet beleeve therefore some that doe not beleeve are justified before God Secondly he that is in Christ is justified But we must be in Christ before we can beleeve therefore we must be justified before we can beleeve Truth I answer the due observation of terms is the true preservation of proprieties and except you justly distinguish of the terms before God himselfe and Gods grace by which he doth justifie his elect you cannot understand truly but you must confound heaven and earth together and make God Man and Man God concluding such blasphemies as the Familists doe to whom hundreds of you are fallen within this two yeares who affirme of the Trinity that God the Father is the Minde the Sonne is the Word and the Spirit is the Word made knowne And under these termes mistaking the verity of the mystery of the Trinity conclude such gross blasphemies as these conclusions hereafter specified making God the Father the Mind God the Son the Word of that Minde God the holy Spirit the effect or revelation of the Word And as these are three so they are one as you say so it is and was at first in the creation God the Father was the Mind of God God the Son was the Word of that Mind and God the Spirit was the working meaning or manifestation of that Word so that in that which God said Let us make man and he spake and the Heavens and the Earth was made the Firmament the Sun Moon and Starres the Sea and the Fish therein the Aire and the Fowls therein the Earth and the Beasts Herbs and Trees therein as God spake the word and all these were created so that as they were made by the Word so they are the Word and as the Word and the Father are one and as the Father the Word and the revelation of it are one so whatsoever the Word made is one with the Father the Sonne and the Spirit And then the conclusion must be this The whole creation is God himselfe Now to avoid such blasphemous consequences we will distinguish of the terms and therein shew the fallacy of your Arguments and then I will discover and establish the truth against your doctrine which by this means will easily appeare to be false First for the terme that concernes God justified before God you say which if you meane as it concernes God in his infinitenesse it is so farre above our line or the capacity of the elect in point of reconciliation with God as the highest heavens are above the center of the earth for with God himselfe there is nothing before nor after For the Scripture speaks thus of God in this respect that he calleth those things that be not as though they were Rom. 4. 17. And again one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day 2 Pet. 3. 8. Thus you see Gods thoughts are not our thoughts nor his wayes as our wayes saith the Lord but as the heavens are higher then the earth so are his wayes and his thoughts higher then ours Isai. 55. 8 9. But when the Prophet comes to speak of Gods work in the creature to salvation then he speakes in the creatures language and capacitie so that except man obey the voyce of God he is left without excuse in these words Seek the Lord while he may be found call yee upon him while he is neere let the wicked forsake his was and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord God and he will have mercy upon him and abundantly pardon verse 6 7. Thus as the Prophet we must distinguish between Gods eternall purpose and decree which is a secret known to himself only towards his elect before all times and his calling and justifying of them in time which is the effect of his foreknowledge and predestination and that which makes known to the elect Gods secret purpose And although it be said Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect the Apostle there doth not understand the justification of the elect before time as you doe but the justification of his elect in time called and justified And although there can be nothing laid to such an elect justified to his condemnation yet many things may be laid to his charge in regard of his weaknesse and frailty If any brother be fallen through weaknesse you that are spirituall restore such a one by the spirit of meeknesse Thus Nathan charged David and David chargeth himselfe Against thee onely have I sinned So our Lord chargeth his faithfull servant Peter and Paul withstood him to his face and saith He was to be blamed And so that holy Apostle blameth himselfe also Oh wretched man that I am saith he And the Scripture saith There is not a righteous man that liveth and doth good and sinneth not And again If any man say he hath no sinne he deceiveth himselfe and the truth is not in him And the elect of God are renued again after sinning by repentance as the Church of Ephesus is admonished by Christ to repent and do her first works Rev. 2. 5. And however the Saints do daily sin after justification yet through Gods grace they are recovered again daily by repentance and maugre the malice and temptation of Satan the snares of the world and the concupiscence of their own natures yet the Lord that loved them once doth still love them for ever and doth wash off their filthinesse and ownes them so for his own that neither their sins nor any power or any creature whatsoever shall or can condemn them Secondly you say some of the elect of God do not believe and therefore they are justified before they believe I pray where did you finde or learn this Logick which is so contrary to the wisdome of God which teacheth thus by Christ all that believe are justified from all things Act. 13. 39. And again those that he calleth hee justifieth but your doctrine saith they are justified before they are called see in a word how directly your preaching is against truths doctrine And of the same nature with your former is your second Argument which runs thus he that is in Christ is justified but wee must be in Christ before we can believe therefore we must be justified before we believe which in the very terms is another doctrine then St. Paul teacheth us who saith plainly wee are justified by faith Rom. 3. 28. And he justifieth the ungodly but I question your knowledge of justifying faith which if you did truly know you durst not teach that men are justified before they believe it is true hee that is ingraffed into Christ is justified but it doth not follow therefore a man