to be led out of a lesser Bondage or Captivity into a greater and so that small distinct Number of the immaculate Lambs of Christ had been a more certain as well as a more delicious Morsell for that devouring Wolf of Rome Bath I understand perfectly whereabout Philotheus would be namely That Divine Providence made choice of such Instruments by an externall Instigation as who left to themselves in many things to cut out their own way would fall into such Opinions and Expressions as would be most effectual for the rending or tearing of huge massie pieces from the Church of Rome that in these great Lumps the Gold might be safe amongst the Dross and that in his mixt Numerosity there might be a more safe Protection of the Godly against the bloudy Persecutions and barbarous Tyrannies of the Papal Power Philoth. XXXIII The true means of unity in the Church again glanced at You understand me aright Bathynous But now I say after the Stone was thus cut off again from the great Mountain and safely disjoyned therefrom it was not still to have ly'n unpolished or Moss-begrown for want of Art or Industry in the Master-builders but all of us ought to have become by this time living stones pure and well-polished and through the Unity of the Spirit to have been joyn'd together into one holy Temple of God Which Unity of Spirit Bathynous can never be without Unity of Life For in the Life is the Spirit as I suggested before Nor can this Unity of Life ever be without a through Purification of the Church from Sin and Corruption nor can this Purification be without Faith in the Power of God and the Assistence of Iesus Christ to refine us from all our Dross For he that believes no possibility of any such thing will neither pray for it nor attempt it nor any way go about it Wherefore this general Indulgence to our Corruptions keeping us from the Unity of Spirit and sameness of Judgement in matters of Religion and making us destitute of that healing Vertue of brotherly Love and Charity we are left like so many wilde Beasts and grizly Monsters to grin and spit fire at one another but can never attain to Peace before we attain to a due measure of Righteousness For Christ in the Church must first be Melchizedek Hebr. 7.2 and introduce his Righteousness amongst us before he can be King of Salem in this sense Isa. 9.6 a Prince of Peace Nor can we have this Spirit of Righteousness communicated to us before we be embued with that Faith in the Power of Christ for the vanquishing of Sin as has been said over and over again Bath Wherefore Philotheus so far as I see this Faith in the Power of Christ for the vanquishing of Sin especially accompanied with Charity may stand in balance against the Romish implicit Faith that they would urge for the suppressing of Schism as if nothing would so well assure the Peace of the Church as for men to have either a perfect upright Conscience or else no Conscience at all But this latter being so hideously detestable we see the greater necessity of exhorting all men with all diligence to make after the former Philoth. Which without this Faith in the Power of Christ for the conquering our Corruptions they will never endeavour after much less successfully attain thereunto Bath So I have said already Philotheus I think or at least intended to say so Philoth. But being full of Faith XXXIV The marvellous Efficacy of Faith in the Power of the Spirit of Christ for the vanquishing of Sin and perfectly persuaded that Christ by his Spirit both can and will assist to the utter vanquishing of all manner of Sin and Corruption in us such I mean as Pride and Covetousness and Uncleanness and all Hypocrisie and Selfishness and the like what is there of all that that disturbs the World and distracts humane affairs that will not flie before so invincible a force If this Faith were once implanted in the hearts of men and they read in the Prophets the lively and lovely descriptions of that excellent state of the Church which is to come what quick approches were they able to make in virtue hereof while they look upon that glorious Pattern and through Faith and holy Imitation be daily changed by the Spirit of the Lord from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3.17 18. Philop. The more I consider it Philotheus the more I am satisfied of what infinite importance this Doctrine of Faith in the omnipotent Spirit of Christ is both for the present welfare of the Church and also for the bringing on that future Happiness predicted by the Prophets what searching Physick it is to cleanse the Soul and what a mighty Cordial to revive her So far as I see this kinde of Faith is the Primum mobile or the first Spring of all Motion that can tend effectually towards the Renovation of the World in Righteousness and the bringing on those glorious Times of the Church which you did so graphically describe out of the Visions of the Prophets Sophr. XXXV An Answer to an Objection touching this Doctrine of Faith And I can scarce forbear to cast in my suffrage too Philopolis were it not for this one Scruple That this so high Doctrine of Faith in the omnipotent Spirit for the utter Extirpation of Sin might as well scare people out of the Reformed Churches as have hindred them at first from coming in to the Reformation The truth of the Doctrine rightly understood I do not much question but onely the discretion of professing it Philoth. This is a material Consideration of yours O Sophron. But you are to understand that this Doctrine rightly interpreted does not at all clash with any of those due Comforts that accrue to us from that other of Justification by Faith and of free Remission of sin in the bloud of Christ. These things I write 1 Joh. 2â— 2. saith S t. Iohn that ye sin not But if any one sin we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous And he is a propitiation for our sins All that is aimed at is a chearfull and sincere endeavour of not sinning at all as we pray in our Liturgy every Morning Which constant endeavour if it be used no man ought to be dejected for his Failings till God give more strength but chearfully to rouse himself with a greater indignation and resolution against Sin not at all despairing of forgiveness having so potent an Advocate with him whom he has offended But if any one is content to sin without any endeavour of Resistence or belief of ever being able to overcome and subdue his Corruptions and would forsake the Communion of the Reformed Church for the rubbing up his Conscience with a more wholesome and searching Doctrine and so seek Teachers elsewhere after his own heart's lusts all that I can say is this 2 Thess. 2.11 12. That for
and also have declared the steddy efficacy of his yesterday's discourse For though I was highly exalted through the sense and power of his Reason yet I do not now flag again as the day before but having a full and comprehensive view of things I finde in my self a permanent assent to Truth as well now I am cool and calm as then when I was most transported and which is a wonderful accession to all this this firm and full satisfaction I have thus unexpectedly received touching the Existence of God and the unexceptionableness of his Providence draws in along with it a more hearty and settled belief of all the fundamental Points of Christian Religion so far forth as the Scripture has declared them So that that of Christianity which hung more loosely and exteriourly in my mind before methinks I have now imbibed into the very centre of my heart and soul and do without all hesitancy close with the truth thereof Whence I hope I shall be the more idoneous Auditour of this higher Discourse of yours O Philotheus touching the Kingdome of God Philoth. I am exceeding glad O Hylobares that my former Discourses have had this excellent effect upon you though it be no more then I hoped for and have often experimented in others and most feelingly in my self who could never doubt of Christianity when I had once satisfied my self of the truth of those Points you profess your self now at length so fully satisfied in Which I must confess makes me prone to think that those that either slight or misbelieve Christianity so far forth as the Scripture has declared the same do not seriously or settledly believe there is a God or a Divine Providence but are of a light Sceptical confounded and heedless spirit and take more pleasure to seem able to talk then to find themselves of any determinate judgement though in things of the greatest moment Cuph. The greatest Wits of the World have been such persons as you seem so freely to perstringe III The folly of Scepticism perstringed O Philotheus that is to say Sceptical or Aporetical Witness not onely the whole Sect of the Academici but that Miracle for wit and eloquence Plato himself Diog. Laert in vita Platon that sweetly-singing Swan as Socrates had him represented to him in a dream Is there any thing more pleasant then his mellifluous Dialogues and yet ordinarily nothing concluded but is a mere Sceptical or Aporetical chace of wit a game wherein nothing is taken or aimed at but mere ingenious pastime Philoth. Such wilde-goose chaces in matters of less moment O Cuphophron may be more plausible or tolerable but in Points of greater consequence to speak eloquently on both sides and then to be able to conclude nothing nor it may be so much as desirous thereof is not so much like the famed melody of the Swan's voice as like the clapping of her wings one against another and so making a fluttering noise for a time but after casting both behind her back not at all regarding whether the right or left wing were stronger Hyl. A flourish O Cuphophron that every Goose can make as well as a Swan But for my part Philotheus I desire nothing more then a settledness of mind in matters of the highest consequence such as the Existence of God the Immortality of the Soul the benignity of Providence and the like and therefore I think my self infinitely happy in that full satisfaction I have received from your excellent Reasonings I find them so firm and permanent Philoth. And I wish they may long so abide Hylobares Hyl. Why what can dissettle them Philotheus Philoth. Nothing IV That there is a Divine temper of Body requisite for the easilier receiving and more firmly retaining Divine Truth with the method of obtaining it unless dissettledness of Life If you fix in the Divine Life which is fixable no-where but in the Divine Body then the reasons of Divine Truth will take root in this ground and so prove permanent indeed But if they grow not up from this ground they will be but as a Flower in your hand or a Feather in your cap and having no vital Cognation with the Subject they are in they will easily be blown away or wither Hyl. I had thought the Soul had been so Divine a thing of it self that the Cognation betwixt it and the reasons of Divine Truth had been sufficient if once received firmly to retain them Philoth. O no Hylobares The Soul by sympathizing too much with this earthly and brutish Body becomes brutish her self and loses her Divinity else all would be alike capable of Divine Truth But the recuperation of the Divine Body by virtue of her true and real Regeneration is also the recovery of her Divinity Hyl. But what do you mean by this Divine Body O Philotheus Philoth. The same which the Pythagoreans mean by their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is also called Ethereal or Heavenly Euist. That is no wonder that the Heavenly Body and the Divine should be all one De Coelo lib. 2. c. 3. whenas Aristotle himself calls Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divine body Hyl. But how shall we be able to attain to this Divine Body O Philotheus in which so far as I see is the Root and Substance of Truth forasmuch as the Life is in it Philoth. Reason without this is but a dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or umbratile Imagination a faint and ineffectual thing evanid fugitive and flitting but Reasons flourishing out of this stock are the immarcescible Flowers of the Paradise of God Hyl. Wherefore Philotheus I am the more desirous to know how we may come by this Divine or Paradisiacal Body Philoth. By a firm and lively Faith in the Power and Spirit of the Lord Iesus whereby he is able to mortifie and subdue all sin in us and extinguish all Selfishness so that we become utterly dead to our selves and as little concerned for our selves in any externall gratification of worldly Honour carnal Pleasure mundane Power or any thing that is grateful to the mere Animal Life as if we were not at all in being If we stand firm in this Faith and second it with constant and sincere Devotion and inward breathings toward the prize set before us adding thereto a due and discreet Temperance and circumspection in all our externall deportments that we neither act nor speak any thing from the promptings of the Selfish Principle or any way to gratifie our corrupt Animality this method will in due time bring us to a perfect state of Self-deadness which death being finished there does most certainly succeed a spiritual Resurrection from the dead into the Life which is truly Divine and which is not found but in the Divine Body So that by our sincere Devotions and breathings toward God we imbibe both the Divine Life and the Divine Body at once which is the true spiritual Birth of Christ Joh. 1.12 whom as
many as receive they become the sons of God as being born 2 Cor. 4.16 not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh but of God And this also is that inward man of which Paul professes that though the outward perish is yet in the true Saints of God renewed day by day Wherefore he that is arrived to this Substantiality of life will be fixt in all useful Divine Truths and the Reasons that grow on such a Root will be found solid and permanent by him that has the Root but where they are merely verbal and imaginarie and float onely in the Brain the Heart being animal and brutish they may easily prove very weak fugitive and vanishing Not that they are so in themselves but may appear so to those who have onely the Picture of the Flower in their Brain not the Root in their Heart in which is the Pavilion of Life and inmost Tabernacle of God in the Soul He that lives in this dispensation of life O Hylobares can never be dissettled in his thoughts touching the Existence of God and his Providence or the Immortality of the Soul For he cannot be prone to suspect the Soul's capacity of living separate from the Body whiles he perceives her to live at that distance and defiance with the Body already while she is in it nor at all doubt of the Existence of God whose power spirit impulse and energie he so distinctly perceives in his own Soul For such is the nature of the Divine Life that none that feels it but must confess it not to belong to any creature as such but to be the very Power and Spirit of God actuating the Soul How can he then doubt of Him whose power and presence he so sensibly feels Wherefore this Dispensation of Life Hylobares is all in all to him that desires to philosophize with steddiness and solidity Hyl. These are great and magnificent things which you declare O Philotheus but yet such as seem to me neither incredible nor unimitable And therefore God willing I shall endeavour as well as I can to steer my course according to the Rules you have intimated and make it my main scope to attain to that state which you call the Dispensation of Life For I see all is very vain and shadowy without it But in the mean time I must crave pardon of Philopolis that I have occasioned Philotheus to mis-spend so much of that time that he thought too little for his own design and for the present purpose in hand Philop. Philotheus speaks so favourly and edifyingly of every subject he is put upon that it is ever pitty to interrupt him But sith he has now desisted of himself if he please at length to enter upon the Subject I first of all propounded it will very much gratifie my desires Hyl. It is therefore now Philopolis very seasonable to propound your Quere's to him Philop. My First Quere V Philopolis his Quere's touching the Kingdome of God O Philotheus was What the Kingdome of God is the Second When it began and where it has been or is now to be found the Third What progress it has hitherto made in the world the Fourth and last What success it is likely to have to the end of all things These are the Quere's Philotheus which I at first propounded concerning which if you please to instruct us plainly and intelligibly though not so accurately and scholastically we shall think our selves eternally obliged to you for your pains Philoth. I shall doe my best I can to serve you herein Philopolis and that as briefly and perspicuously as I can with all plainness of speech and without any affectation of Scholastick Scrupulosities being desirous onely to be understood and to convince And the God of Heaven assist us in this our discourse of his heavenly Kingdome that we may so understand the Mysteries of it as that we may faithfully endeavour the promoting the Interest thereof both in our selves and in all men to the Glory of God and Salvation of the World Amen Philop. Amen I pray God Philoth. VI What the Kingdome of God is in the general Nation thereof with a defence of the truth of the Nation Your first Quere O Philopolis though it be very short yet is exceeding comprehensive and by reason of the multisarious signification of the terms involves much matter in it at once which yet I shall endeavour to comprise and take in as well as I can by this brief Definition of the Kingdome of God in general The Kingdome of God is the Power of God enjoyning exciting commissioning or permitting his creatures to act according to certain Laws which considering all circumstances or upon the compute of the whole are for the best Philop. I partly understand you Philotheus and conceive you intend such a Definition of the Kingdome of God as takes in the Kingdome of Nature also and respects those Laws whereby both the brute Animals are guided and the senseless Plants and dead Meteors and Elements according to the extent of your defence hitherto of Divine Providence running from the highest and most Intellectual Order of things even to those Material Beings which are framed and actuated by the Spirit of Nature or Seminal Soul of the World Sophr. Why that is no more then the Scripture it self will warrant him to doe Philopolis The Psalmist is very frequent in such expressions The Lord has prepared his throne in Heaven Psalm 103.19 21 22 and his Kingdome ruleth over all Bless ye the Lord all his Hosts ye Ministers of his that doe his pleasure Bless the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion Bless the Lord O my Soul This in the 103. Psalm And in the 148. Psalm he makes all the several degrees of the Creation from Heaven to Earth from Angels to Brutes Plants and Meteors the Hosts of God and exhorts them all to praise the name of the Lord For he spake the word and they were made he commanded and they were created he hath made them fast for ever and ever he hath given them a Law which shall not be broken And again in the 119. Psalm O Lord thy word endureth for ever in Heaven thy Truth also remaineth from one generation to another Thou hast laid the foundation of the Earth and it abideth they continue this day according to thy ordinance for all things serve thee Whence it is plain that the Dominion of God and his Kingdome reaches as far as the whole comprehension of the Creation Cuph. Why then in some places O Sophron the Kingdome of God will be coincident with the Kingdome of the Devil Bath Why Cuphophron what greater inconvenience is there in that then that the Kingdome of Nature and the Kingdome of God should be coincident which you seem not to gainsay Cuph. Methinks it sounds very odly and besides we may conceive a subordination betwixt the Kingdome of God and the Kingdome of Nature but the
I perceive that it cannot proceed from any vain curiosity but from a sincere desire of entring into life and holiness The most effectual means in the general is intimated up and down in the Gospels by our Blessed Saviour As where he compares the Kingdome of Heaven to a Treasure hid in the field Matt. 13.44 45. and to a single Pearl of great price for which one sells all that he has to purchase it and where he tells us that the Kingdome of God suffers violence Matt. 11.12 and that the violent take it by force and again where he declares that he that lays his hand to the plough Luk. 9.62 and looketh back is not fit for the Kingdome of God and in like passages For all these signifie thus much to us That whosoever would acquire so excellent a state of the Soul as this which we call the Kingdome of God he must forthwith quit all things else whatsoever that stand in competition with it That he must with all imaginable earnestness of spirit and with a kind of holy violence reach at it and endeavour the taking of it through all dangers hardships and resistences whatsoever as he that would scale the walls of a City to obtain the Crown and lastly That this pursuit be without any intermissions or lazy relapses into the power of the World or the Flesh again but that it be peremptory constant and continued till we have wone the prize and finde all that fulfilled in us which we desired or expected which is the perfect subduing of all our corruptions and the establishing of the Reign of the true Melchizedek in us the living Righteousness of God and the replenishing of our hearts with purity peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Philop. This is excellently good in the general O Philotheus But have you no farther directions more particularly to recommend to us Philoth. Truth lies in a little room especially that of it that is most usefull O Philopolis And therefore I will trouble you with no farther instructions then what are comprized in these few Principles As first That we have a firm and unshaken Faith in the Power of God and in the assistence of the Spirit of the Lord Iesus for the subduing all Envy Pride Lust all Worldliness and Selfishness and what-ever is contrary to the Kingdome of God in us that we may have a comfortable conquest over these and all like corruptions through him that strengthens us This is the first necessary Principle we ought to be imbued with if we mean seriously to set our selves to the atchieving so great and weighty an enterprise This I say is the first necessary Principle namely A full and firm belief that the Atchievement is possible The second is That we believe it to be our duty to arrive to this blessed state and not to satisfie our selves with any condition on this side of it much less out of any Antinomian Sophistrie or Witchcraft to phansie our selves released from all obligation to any real and living Righteousness in us but to be entirely obedient to the voice of Wisedome and Truth Matt. 5.48 Be ye perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect and to remember that it was the end of Christ's coming into the world Matt. 15.13 to pluck up every plant that was not of his Father's planting and to raise such a seed upon earth as have neither spot nor wrinkle Ephes. 5.27 nor any such thing but are holy and without blemish If either of these two Principles be wanting the defect will be notorious in the success For who can with any courage attempt such difficulties as he thinks either impossible to be overmastered or not his duty to grapple with Wherefore being sound in these Philopolis he must adde Meditation Circumspection and Devotion Meditation in private especially Circumspection in his dealing with externall objects whether men or things that he be not carried away unawares against those rules and resolutions he made to himself in private but ever stand upon his guard and if he be assaulted with any temptation to call to Heaven for succour and to trust in the strength of God against the surprize Which I think is the true meaning of praying continually But in a more particular manner to adde to your private Meditation the fervency of Devotion and earnestly to beg of God that he would every day more and more discover to you the ugliness of Sin and the amiableness of Righteousness and that your hatred may be more keenly edged against the one and your love more highly inflamed towards the other that the work of the Heart may go on and not those umbratile skirmishes of the Brain in Phancie and exteriour Reason but that we may effectually feel the difference of the contrary actings of the Powers of the Kingdome of Light and the Kingdome of Darkness charging one another in the field Life against life and Substance against substance till Hell and Death be absorpt into victory and the evil Nature be quite consumed into a glorious flame of Love and Triumph These all are the Mysteries of the Heart O Philopolis not of the Head which in comparison is but an outward Shop of Phancies and fine Pictures but the transactions of substantial life and Reality are in that other part which is the secret Tabernacle of God and hidden Temple for most effectual Prayer For the Heart is the proper Pavilion of either the spirit of the World or the Spirit of God which kindles there the holy desire and thirst after Righteousness Which vehement sincere and cordial desire the true gift and fruit of the Spirit is the very soul and substance of Prayer and a certain Divine Magick that draws all the heavenly Powers into the centre of our Souls imbibing the comfortable dews of Paradise to the ineffable refreshing of the Garden of God Through this sluce is let in all the nourishment to the new Birth and it is the seat of the first living seed thereof Whence the Centre of our Soul in the Heart requires more diligent observation then that more peculiar one in the Head For though this seems more peculiarly ours yet the other joyns us with that which is more to us then we are to our selves whether it be the spirit of the world or of God and makes us feelingly communicate with Life and Substance whenas the other without this would onely lead us into a field of Shadows and Dreams Wherefore O Philopolis he that is a Candidate for the Kingdome of God let him above all things cultivate the Heart for through this onely is the Inlet into the Kingdome of Light Matt. 5.6 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied I stretch forth my hands unto thee Psalm 143.6 my Soul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty Land where no water is Psalm 84.5 6
future state of the Church out of the Apocalypse Philopolis What you can recall to minde I pray you propound Philop. More comes to my minde then is needfull I will omit therefore those passages which import but the same things you observed out of the old Prophets The Righteousness and Purity of that Holy City there described implied in the exclusion of every thing that defileth and figured out by those precious Stones and pure transparent Gold and in that all tears are said to be wiped from their eyes Apoc. 21.4 it is an intimation of Peace and security from Persecution And all the whole description of it is so full of Glory and Light and Joy that no man can miss of that character But I would ask you Philotheus the meaning of other passages as Why this Holy City is called the new Ierusalem Ver. 2. Why said to come from Heaven Why said to have twelve Gates with the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel thereon Ver. 12. and why the Wall of the City to have twelve Foundations Ver. 14. and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb Why the City is said to be measured with a golden Reed Ver. 15. and why found to be twelve thousand Furlongs Ver. 16 17 and the Wall an hundred forty four Cubits What also is the meaning of that saying Ver. 3. Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and yet that there was seen no Temple there Ver. 22. because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it and again What the genuine sense of that sixth verse And he that sate upon the Throne said It is done I am Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely And lastly of the last verse And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a Lie but they that are written in the Lamb's Book of Life Philoth. You have congested a number of things together Philopolis but however I shall return answer to them as orderly and as briefly as I can I conceive therefore to begin with the first that the City which Iohn saw is called the new Ierusalem in counterdistinction to that old Ierusalem where our Lord was crucified Apoc. 11.8 whether understood literally or typically as also because its Citizens have put on the new man Eph. 4.24 which is framed according to Righteousness and true Holiness because they are the sons of the new Birth or new Creation of God But it is said to come down from Heaven in such a sense as the Doctrine of Iohn is said to be from Heaven Matt. 21.25 and agreeably to that passage in the Apostle that the Ierusalem that is above is free Gal. 4.26 which is the Mother of us all That actual City of God consisting of Saints and Angels in Heaven this new Ierusalem which S t. Iohn describes being so like to them in Purity and Holiness it is therefore said to descend from Heaven as being a Copy or Transcript of that Heavenly Perfection To all which you may adde that what the Prophets have seen in Heavenly Visions touching this City it being thus at last accomplished upon Earth it is therefore said to be a City descended from Heaven And this is that very City Ezekiel saw Ezek. 48.31 of which he says And the Gates of the City shall be after the names of the Tribes of Israel three gates Northward one gate of Reuben one gate of Iudah one gate of Levi and so of the rest three gates of a side in all twelve gates as it is said in S t. Iohn's Vision that the City had twelve Gates and the names of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel written thereon This among other things intimates that Ezekiel's City and this of the Apocalypse is all one City And in that the Apostles Names are said to be writ on the twelve Foundations of the Wall that shews jointly considered with the other that Ezekiel's Prophecy must have its completion in the Iews Conversion to Christianity viz. when Iew and Gentile are gathered together under one Head Christ Iesus and become of one Faith and one Church which is this Holy City But the Apostles Names are said to be in the Foundations of the Wall because their Doctrine is the Foundation of the Church into which the Iews are to be graffed and through that Mercy that is communicated to the Christians may also finde mercy at that day This comparing the Church to a Building is very usual in Scripture S t. Peter tells the Believers 1 Pet. 2.5 that they as living stones are built up a spiritual House And S t. Paul to the Ephesians Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreiners Eph. 2.19 c. but fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into an holy Temple in the Lord In whom you are also builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit And in this is that expression fulfilled Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men And the name of Ezekiel's City is also Iehovah shammah Ezek. 48.35 The Lord is there And yet there is no material Tabernacle nor Temple where he might be conceived to rest him and toward which the people should worship But the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple thereof that is to say In this new Ierusalem there will be no visible Fabrick toward which men will affect to worship but with bended knees and pure hearts and hands and eyes lift up to Heaven where Christ sits at the right hand of God shall men worship the Father in spirit and in truth Joh. 4.23 Philop. And yet God says to Ezekiel before that accurate description of the Temple and City and all the Iudaicall Ordinances Ezek. 43.10 Thou son of man shew the House to the house of Israel that they may be ashamed of their iniquities and let them measure the Pattern This seems to be quite contrary to this new Ierusalem described by S t. Iohn Philoth. The summarie sense of that accurate description of the Iudaicall Oeconomie in Ezekiel is onely this interpreted plainly by S t. Iohn That when all the glory and exactness of the Iudaicall Dispensation is set off to the utmost the measuring of the Pattern the matching and fulfilling of it is that state of Christianity which will appear after the effusion of the seven Vials when Iew and Gentile become one Church one holy Temple and City of God Which spiritual meaning betrays it self even in Ezekiel's own description of things For what other sense then a Mysticall one can be made of the holy
waters issuing out of the Sanctuarie in Ezek. 47.1 12. the form of a mighty River and of the Trees bringing forth fruit according to their months the fruit whereof should be for meat and the leaves for medicine Is not this perfectly answering to that River of Water of life Apoc. 22.1 2. clear as crystall proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb and to the Tree of life on either side of the River yielding her fruit every month whose leaves also are said to be for the healing of the Nations Philop. I must confess it is exceeding probable Philoth. Now they being one and the same Vision as to the Object of their Prediction the new Ierusalem and the River and the Trees being mystically to be understood Ezekiel's Vision also is to be mystically understood Philop. As for S t. Iohn's Vision methinks it is a marvellous childish conceit to expound it literally as if there should be a City made of diaphanous Gold the Wall of precious Stones and the Gates of Pearl Philoth. And yet methinks this is more marvellous That the City should be as a Cube Apoc. 21.16 as high as it is broad or long And yet it is so declared and twelve thousand furlongs is the Cubical measure thereof Philop. What then is the meaning of that passage I pray you Philotheus Philoth. I think two things are hinted thereby The one I have noted already That this City cannot be understood literally The other is what was intimated before by the names of the Apostles This solid Cube twelve thousand signifies that this City will be wholly and entirely Apostolicall in Life and Doctrine and Discipline The square Root also of the measure of the Wall 144 Cubits intimating the same Apostolicalness of Dispensation For the saying a hundred forty four Cubits is the measure of the Wall Apoc. 21.17 implies that it is 12 cubits high and 12 cubits broad nor could the intimation reach any farther speaking suitably to the nature of a City wall For what kinde of City must that be the compass of whose Wall is but 144 Cubits Philop. Some say Philotheus that the Root of that Cube you mentioned being extracted and so the Perimeter of this City S. Iohn describes discovered it is found to be the same in a manner with the Perimeter of that City Ezekiel describes Ezek. 48.35 What does that signifie think you Philoth. I know not what else it should signifie but that these two Visions aim at the same thing and that the meaning of that also in Ezekiel is spiritual and that those Prophetick Figures that strike the phancy and the flesh are to be fulfilled in the dispensation of the Spirit which the whole Iudaicall Oeconomy seals to as a Type to the thing typified And from hence is to be interpreted that sixth verse And he that sate on the Throne said It is done All is finished now Now we are come to the Dispensation of the Spirit all is fulfilled I am Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End I began with that Mosaicall Oeconomie which consists most-what in Figures and carnal Formalities which was in a manner revived again in an exteriour Christianity but this oldness of the Letter is to be done away and all shall be ended and accomplished in the dispensation of the Spirit and by the real Renovation of the humane nature into the new Creature the living Image of God according as it is written And he that sate on the Throne said Behold I make all things new These are the days in which the Lord has promised that he will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah Jer. 31.31 33 34 namely that he will put his Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts so that they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord For they shall know me from the least of them to the greatest Apoc. 22.4 For as S. Iohn saith they shall see his face and his Name shall be in their foreheads According as our Saviour has foretold Matt. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God All which denotes the Dispensation of the Spirit According as Ezekiel also witnesses of these Times Neither will I hide my face any more from them Ezek. 39.29 for I have poured out my Spirit on the house of Israel saith the Lord. This therefore is the meaning of that passage in the sixth verse Apoc. 21.6 And I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of Life freely viz. I will freely communicate unto him the power of my Spirit According as Isay likewise has foretold Isa. 44.3 For I will pour water on him that is thirsty and flouds upon the dry ground and I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thy off-spring Whence I should interpret the crystalline River S. Iohn mentions of externall Prosperity also Apoc. 22.1 the Joy and Peace and Security of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To all which you may adde that our Saviour compares the Spirit to living waters John 7.38 Philop. I remember it very well Philoth. And now for that last verse Philopolis I see little difficulty in it Abomination 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it usully signifies an Idol And the sense I conceive is That all Idolaters and Impostours or Liars in any sense will be excluded the Holy City nothing being admitted there but Truth and Simplicity of Life onely those that are written in the Book of Life of the Lamb. Philop. I what 's the meaning of that Philotheus Philoth. Onely the Elect of God Bath It is much that such an innumerable company of Souls should be all of the number of the Elect such as of whom it is said Jer. 1.5 I sanctified thee from the womb and knew thee before thou wast born Philoth. I call all Elect that upon the privilege of their new Birth or the retaining of the Divine Life have their names enrolled as Citizens of the new Ierusalem in the Book of Life of the Lamb. Philop. A sober Interpretation And now Philotheus I warrant you you think you have run through all the Particulars I proposed Philoth. Why have I omitted any of them Philopolis Philop. IX The Angel's measuring the City with a golden Reed what the meaning thereof Onely one but that a main one I think viz. Why the Angel is said to measure the City here with a golden Reed whenas S. Iohn is said to measure the Temple of God and the Altar and them that worship therein simply with a Reed Philoth. This is well recovered Philopolis For it is in my apprehension a notable testimony of the transcendent condition of the new Ierusalem even above those Times of the Church which were accounted symmetral viz. the first four hundred years or
the spirit of Love does expresly promise his Followers the possession of the whole Earth that all Nations will submit unto them For though they will admit that the Service of Christ in the Belief is the Holy of the true Tabernacle yet they boast that the Holy of Holies is their Service of the Love which therefore ought to take place above all Bath In my judgement Euistor this fear of Sophron's is but a groundless fear For besides the many gross impossible and ridiculous Interpretations of Scripture upon which notwithstanding this Prophet would build himself the obvious Evidence from his Writings that he was a mere Sadducee and held neither Angel nor Spirit nor the Immortality of the Soul is a palpable assurance that in so great a Light as God has and is raising in the World this man's Dictates and Doctrines will never pass into any National Religion but it will appear to all that he was a mistaken Enthusiast Methinks it is infinitely more improbable that the World should take him for a true Prophet then that the plain Apostolicall Faith and Doctrine which has such convincing and miraculous Attestations to it and is so suitable to moral Goodness and Reason should not overrun all Euist. This gross Errour of Sadducism might indeed disenable this Prophet from doing any great injurie to the Personal Offices of Christ which he seems to undermine and beat down But the Reign of the Spirit in opposition to the personal Sceptre of the Lord Iesus has fallen into more refined hands that do expresly acknowledge the Immortality of the Soul and consequently the present Subsistency of Christ and his Personality and yet are altogether for the Spirit and Christ within them as if that part of Christianity that respects Christ without us were quite antiquated You know whose Motto that was Our Salvation in the life of Iesus Christ in us Bath Yes I do Euistor It was the Teutonick Philosopher's And do not you know who said That the Mystery hid from Ages and from Generations but then made manifest to the Saints was Christ in us the hope of glory Euist. You say true Bathynous S. Paul writes so to the Colossians Col. 1.26 Bath And therefore Euistor it was Iesus the Son of Mary with his Apostles that first conducted men into the Holy of Holies not H. Nicolas nor I. Behmen Sophr. A very pertinent Observation Bath But admit that I. Behmen drives all inward in his Writings as if he had forgot that Christ without him who suffered at Ierusalem whom yet I am sure he did not forget on his death-bed when he cried out Thou crucified Lord Iesus have mercy on me and take me into thy Kingdome and withall that he has healed Familism of that unsoundness and rottenness of corrupt Sadducism yet for all that the invincible Obscurity of his Writings will prevent his being over-popular and his mistakes in his pretended Inspirations in matters of Philosophy ruine his Authority amongst the more knowing and sagacious sort of persons In a Philosophicall Age they that pretend to Philosophicall Inspirations and have them not must needs be taken tripping Which if they be in any thing their credit falls flat in all and nothing will be believed merely for their saying it is true and inspired Euist. If this were indeed the Teutonick's case there were very little fear of his doing any great harm in that way Sophron's Jealousies did so sadly presage Sophr. It 's likely Bathynous would not speak thus unless he had some certain grounds for it I pray you what are they Bathynous Bath Do not you think XVI J. Behmen 's marvellous pretense to the knowledge of the Language of Nature O Sophron that it is a superlative strain of Melancholy for a man to conceit that he has the knowledge of the Language of Nature communicated to him Sophr. I suppose the skill of the Signatures of Plants and the Presages of Meteors and other such like Phaenomena of Nature Bath No to tell you syllabatim in the words of any Language what they naturally signifie As suppose he would take the word Tetragrammaton to task he would tell you what all the Syllables signifie from Te to Ton. Sophr. That 's marvellous pretty that even the Terminations of words should have their signification also Bath Nay the very Letters as in Tincture and others Sophr. This decides that ancient Controversie amongst Philosophers whether the Imposition of Names be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A. Gell. Noct. Attic lib. 10. cap. 4. Bath Well Sophron you may jest at it as you please But this Philosophick Illumination has taught the Teutonick that the Names of the seven Planets are plainly derived out of the Language of Nature Sophr. Does he mean the Latin Greek or Hebrew Names or Dutch or French or Spanish Bath I suppose he either means all or high-Dutch onely as being his natural Tongue in which alone he was skilled Sophr. It was a great omission that he did not explain himself in that point But I pray you Bathynous why does he think that the Ancients gave Names to the seven Planets from the Language of Nature Bath Because their Names are according to the Properties of Nature viz. Astriction Compunction Anguish Fire Light Sound Body which answer to Saturn Mercury Mars Sol Venus Iupiter Luna Sophr. These are Mysteries above my capacity Nor do I see how the Names of the Planets signifie those Qualities But what does he drive at Bathynous Bath At a Philosophicall account of every Day 's Creation with a respect to the Name of the Day from the Planet which is said to rule the first Hour thereof and which corresponds with such a property of Nature As for example The Ancients called the first day of the week Sunday because God then moved the Sun-property in the Creation the second day Monday because he moved the Moon-property c. And thus the Explication of the six Days-works in Moses is made upon the Astrologicall Names of the Days of the Week Sophr. Is it possible Bathynous I had alwaies thought that the Planetary Names of the Days of the Week had proceeded from the orderly reckoning of the Planets from Saturn downward and so giving every one of them the dominion of an hour one after another through the four and twenty every first hour of the day will have a new Planet and that necessarily in such an order as the Names of the Days of the Week import As suppose let Saturn have the first hour of the Day From Saturn to Luna thrice inclusively there is twenty one hours Then say Saturn twenty two Iupiter twenty three Mars twenty four the next hour which is the first of the day following is Sol. Then again from Sol to Mars thrice is twenty one Then say Sol twenty two Venus twenty three Mercurie twenty four and the next hour which is the first of the day following is Luna And so quite
so a very learned Authour declares for the Appearance of Eliah before his second coming also Philoth. And for ought I know Philopolis that Opinion may be true if rightly understood that is to say neither of Elias the Thisbite nor of Iohn the Baptist personally nor of any one Person exclusively but according to the Prophetick style of the Spirit of Elias in a Company or Succession of persons In this sober sense I know not but this expectation of the coming of Elias first may not be vain Philop. What do you understand then by the Spirit of Elias O Philotheus that we may know where and when he doth appear Philoth. As touching that Philopolis we are not to excogitate what Character we please but casting our eyes upon History and Prophecy we are impartially to gather the true Character of that Spirit out of the Scripture Philop. How I beseech you Philotheus Philoth. XX The Character of this Elias gathered out of Prophecy As first out of Prophecy Admitting the Prophecies to have a double Completion as our Saviour seems plainly to imply a double coming of Elias forasmuch as when the Baptist was beheaded yet he said that Elias will indeed come and restore all things the description of the Messenger of the Covenant in Malachi is an admirable lively description of the Spirit of Elias Mal. 3.1 2 3. Behold I send the Messenger of the Covenant which ye delight in by whom the Hebrew Writers understand Elias behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts But who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a Refiner's fire and like Fuller's soap And he shall sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering of Righteousness Therefore the Doctrine of casting away all Corruption Insincerity and Hypocrisy is one Note of the Spirit of Elias Again in the Prophet Isay Isa. 40.3 4 5. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the Desert an high-way for our God Every Valley shall be exalted and every Mountain and Hill shall be made low and crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places plain And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Philop. What Note do you gather out of that Philotheus Philoth. A Doctrine or declaration against the Distortion or perversion of the Simplicity of Christian Truth by proud and politick persons who have made Religion a Labyrinth for men to lose themselves in that they may the more easily take them up as a prize and booty The anfractuous serpentine windings of a false Church-policy that has so monstrously corrupted Religion in Doctrine and Practice is here declared against The Voice in the Wilderness bids take it away that the glory of the Gospel may be manifested to all flesh in the genuine purity and simplicity thereof and so all Nations be brought under the Sceptre of Christ. Philop. That meaning is marvellous easie and natural Philoth. A third Character of this Spirit is remarkable in the last of Malachi Behold Mal. 4.5 I will send you Eliah the Prophet before the great and dreadful Day of the Lord that is to say before the Battel of the great Day of God Almighty under the last Vial Apoc. 16.16 And he shall turn the heart of the Fathers unto the Children and the heart of the Children to their Fathers lest I come and smite the Earth with a curse That is to say This Spirit will be no Sectarian spirit to rend and tear but a reconciling spirit to soder together the affections of Magistrate and Subject in the Kingdome of God to prevent the Miseries of this earthly life that arise out of Dissension Tumult and War Philop. This is an excellent Spirit of Elias indeed I pray God hasten his coming Philoth. There is also another very remarkable Character of the Elias to come intimated by our Saviour himself in his discourse with his Disciples after his Transfiguration on the Mount before which time notwithstanding as I told you before the Baptist was beheaded Matt. 17.10 11. yet he being asked by his Disciples touching the Opinion of the Scribes That Elias must first come he answers Elias truly shall first come and restore all things Which effect however to accommodate to Iohn the Baptist I believe would be very hard Philop. Well but what Character Philotheus do you gather out of this Prediction Philoth. That the Spirit of Elias will neither abrogate what is authentick nor introduce what is new but be a Restorer onely of what useful Truths or Practices may seem to have been lost in the long delapse of Ages For the Decursion of Time is like that of a River which if there be not great care taken will bring down straws leaves and sticks but sink what is most solid to the bottome Philop. This consideration of Knowledge Philotheus puts me in minde of that Proverbial Prediction of the Iews touching their expected Elias Elias cùm venerit solvet omnia It seems then he will be a great Promoter of Wisedome and Learning will he not Philotheus Philoth. Such you do not mean Philopolis as the finding out the Quadrature of the Circle or a perpetual Motion Philop. To tell you the truth Philotheus I do not know what I mean I pray you what do you think of it Philoth. I told you before he will be a Restorer of usefull Truth and it may be of such clear and plain Principles as may solve the most concerning Difficulties that Humane Reason is subject to be entangled withall But I do not believe that he will be an Abettour of any useless Subtilties or of any Knowledge that promotes not Vertue and the common good He is that Voice in the Wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord and make his paths straight His wisedome respects onely the Promotion and Interest of the Kingdom of Christ. XXI His Character taken out of History But now for the Characters taken out of the History of Iohn the Baptist and Elias First it is observable in both their Persons how much sequestred they were from the World what haunters of Wildernesses and Deserts And more particularly of Eliah how his abodes were by Brooks and under solitary Trees 1 Kings 19.8 9 c. in Caves and Mountains as on Mount Horeb where God talked with him after there had passed before him the strong Winde the Earthquake and the Fire Philop. Shall then all that partake of the Spirit of Eliah be Eremites Philoth. That 's not the meaning of it Philopolis but that they shall be of a spirit separate from the World and untainted and unsophisticated by the unwholesome Converse of men that their
Judgements shall not be blinded by beholding the frequent and accustomary practice of authentick wickedness Philop. And what I pray you is meant by the Raiment of Camel's hair and leathern girdle about John the Baptist's loyns Matt. 3.4 And the very body of Elias is so described 2 King 1.8 that he was an hairy man Philoth. That 's very obvious O Philopolis to spell out It signifies how rough and unpolish'd how rude and sylvatick the spirit of Elias will appear to the World because it will so freely and impartially reprehend the World To declare truth in all plainness and simplicity of heart though otherwise with all civility imaginable assure your self Philopolis will appear to the World a great piece of roughness rudeness and uncourtliness So tender and so rotten is the heart of the wicked But there are also in the Story other Characters of the Spirit of Elias that are less symbolicall As an holy boldness and undauntedness of courage to witness to the Truth though to the utmost perill of one's person Which was conspicuous both in the Baptist and in Elias The instructing every one in their Duty as Iohn did the People Luk. 3.10 the Publicans and the Souldiers The raising men out of a false Security from external or carnal respects as he did the Sadducees and Pharisees Matt. 3.8 9. Bring forth fruits meet for Repentance And say not within your selves We have Abraham to our Father or that we are the Successours of Peter and the rest of the Apostles For God is able of these Stones you tread upon to raise up Successours unto Peter This also is a notable Character of the Spirit of Elias 1 King 19.10 a vehement Iealousie in the behalf of the purity of God's Worship against all Polytheism and Idolatry Philop. Yes that was very conspicuous indeed in Elias the Thisbite But what is meant by his bringing down fire from Heaven upon the Captains and their Fifties 2 King 1.10 Philoth. That indeed is again symbolicall Philopolis and signifies that the Elias to come will use onely the power of the Spirit from on high to oppose all weapons of any carnal warfare against him Philop. There is but one passage more Philotheus and I think we shall then have Characters enough of the Eliah to come viz. The Thisbite's Contest with the Priests of Baal where he seems to try the Truth of Religion by this Touchstone The God that answers by fire 1 King 18.24 let him be God Philoth. The Elias to come will make the same appeal to the people Ye worship you know not what John 4.22 as our Saviour said of the Samaritans that did not worship God in spirit and in truth The God that answers by fire let him be God Philop. I but what 's the meaning of that Philotheus Philoth. Does God care for the oblation of a Bullock Philopolis The Beast which we are to offer to be consumed in a Burnt-sacrifice are the Beastly Affections in us The God that answers by fire that is to say by his Spirit to the consumption of these let him be God But he that worships not this living God that by the working of his Spirit cleanses us from our Corruptions let him be deemed as the worshipper of an Idol Philop. This is a good useful sense Philotheus Nor have you I think omitted any Character of the Elias to come unless it be that Severeness and Austerity observable in the Baptist and the sharpness and tartness of his Reprehensions Philoth. That was partly glanced at before in the roughness and hairiness of their Persons and Garbs I mean of both the Thisbite and the Baptist. Which Dispensation though it may seem harsh yet it will stand in a seasonable opposition to the Vanity and Levity to the Prophaneness and Frivolousness of the Age it appears in Cuph. I think both Philopolis and Philotheus are so sadly and severely set on it that they have on purpose declined the mentioning of as notorious an Example of Elias his carriage of himself as any occurrs in his whole Story Philop. I pray you Cuphophron what 's that Cuph. The deriding the Priests of Baal so sarcastically Philoth. That was left for Cuphophron to glean up it fits his humour so well Hyl. And I dare say he catched at it with great greediness Philotheus hoping for his other-day's tart jears and satyrical Derisions of the known miscarriages of the civilized World under pretence of playing Advocate-General for the Paynim that he may deserve if computation of time will permit to be deemed no small limb of that great Elias that is spoken of Cuph. Who I Hylobares I would not for all the world be so much as the little finger of so hairy rough and hispid a body Nay I thank my God I am of a more smooth civil and compleasant temper then so Philop. And let him be so XXII The time of Elias his coming if he will Hylobares In the mean time Philotheus since I am pretty well satisfied touching the Characters I beseech you tell me when the time of the coming of Elias is Philoth. Within the first Thunder Philop. That I knew before Philotheus for you told me it would be before the effusion of the last Vial. But under what Vial will it be Philoth. About the fourth or fifth nor may I define more precisely About that time is the appearance of Elias in the Spirit Philop. Is that then the beginning of that Regnum Spiritûs the Cabbalists speak of Philoth. No Philopolis not properly the Beginning of it but rather a Preparation to it according as it is written Mal. 3.1 Behold I send my Messenger and he shall prepare the way before me And then the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple Philop. What Temple 's that Philotheus Philoth. Ezekiel's Temple in the new Ierusalem I above told you of That is the Temple meant in this second Completion of the Prophecy And you know there are several Periods of their Completion as in Ezekiel's Vision there was a wheel in a wheel Ezek. 1.16 Philop. But it is said of that new Ierusalem Apoc. 21.22 that there is no Temple there Philoth. There is and there is not There is no material Temple but yet there is a Mysticall one For God Almighty and the Lamb is the Temple thereof God Almighty is the Object of our Worship and the Lamb that is stylo Prophetico the Body of Christ his Church for * 1 Cor. 12.12 Gal. 3.16 Christ sometimes signifies so in Scripture in which he rules and dwells by his Spirit is the Temple according to that of the Apostle For the Temple of God is holy 1 Cor. 3.17 which Temple ye are This is the Temple which the Lord Christ is in a more peculiar manner to come into after the Ministry of Elias the Messenger of the Covenant who is to be as a Refiner's fire and as Fuller's soap
a wonder to me if men acting and living thus Apostolically as you describe can be in the state of Damnation Philop. Wherefore we see plainly that there is no Inconvenience to the Reformed Churches in declaring the Roman Church to be the Kingdome of Antichrist accordingly as our first Reformers generally held but every way an unspeakable Advantage as any one may easily discern that will consider And therefore we being clear in this point I pray you proceed to the next Philotheus Philoth. The next Document as you call it Philopolis is this That seeing we are so well assured that the Papacy is the Kingdome of Antichrist or that City of Babylon wherein the People of God were held captive we should leave no string nor tassel of our ancient Captivity upon us such I mean as whereby they may take hold on us and pull us back again into our former Bondage but look upon our selves as absolutely free from any tie to them more then in endeavouring their Conversion and Salvation Which we knowing so experimentally not to be compassed by needless Symbolizings with them in any thing I conceive our best policy is studiously to imitate them in nothing but for all indifferent things to think rather the worse of them for their using them As no person of honour would willingly goe in the known garb of any leud and infamous persons Whatsoever we court them in they do but turn it to our scorn and contempt and are the more hardened in their own wickedness Wherefore seeing that needless Symbolizing with them does them no good but hurt we should account our selves in all things indifferent perfectly free to please and satisfie in the most universal manner we can those of our own Party not caring what Opinions or Customes or outward Formalities the Romanists and others have or may have had from the first Degeneracy of the Church Which we ought to account the more hideously soiled for the Romanists using of them but supporting our selves upon plain Scripture and solid Reason to use and profess such things as will be most universally agreeable to us all and make most for the safety and welfare of the true Kingdome of Christ. For this undoubtedly O Philopolis is the most firm and solid Interest of any Protestant Church or State whatsoever Philop. I am fully of your minde Philotheus and this freedome is no more I think then the Protestant Churches generally profess and particularly the Church of England in the Book of Articles and in the Homilies Artic. 20 34. In the Homily of Fasting But would you not have them to keep pretty strictly to a Conformity to those Ages of the Church which are called symmetrall and the people in the mean time to yield a peaceable obedience to such Institutes as are not altogether of so antique a character provided they be indifferent during the pleasure of their Superiours Philoth. I am very really and cordially for that peaceable Compliance O Philopolis and must also acknowledge that there is a special Reverence due to those Ages you speak of But you must remember that the holy Oracles have predicted and promised us better Times then those I mean then some of them especially Those were the times of the measure of the Reed these we expect of the golden Reed Things in their own nature immutable are indispensable but things indifferent are mutable And Opinion is ranged amongst those mutable things But Faith is as the Rock of Ages What is commensurable to the golden Reed must not be cast out but what is combustible will perish by the Word and by the Spirit which is Fire Philop. XXVIII Of the Use of the Word and of the Spirit in counterdistinction to dry Reason The first Reformers talked much of the Word and of the Spirit but this present Age are great Challengers into the field of Reason to duell it there And their Adversaries seem to like the way of Combate What is the matter with them Philotheus Philoth. That is not Philopolis because they can think their Cause more rational then ours but because the vulgar are commonly bad judges of such Combates and as ill users of that weapon They cannot so easily defend themselves therewith against the Sophisters of the Kingdome of Darkness nor well tell upon this account when these Sophisters are overcome by others unless they would confess themselves vanquish'd when they really are so which their Policy and Haughtiness will never permit them to doe Insomuch as there is never any end of such Contests And therefore though such Combates may doe well enough among the Learned yet I think it for the Interest of the Kingdome of Christ by no means to let go the use of those weapons our first Reformers found so available in the Recovery of it The Fourth Principle Let no man quit the assurance of the Spirit and of the Word taking refuge in dry Reason for the maintaining the truth of his Religion And this shall be the Fourth Document Philop. The Word both sides are agreed upon But why do you bring the judgement of the Spirit in stead of the exercise of our Reason upon the Scripture Philoth. I do not exclude the exercise of Reason but of dry Reason unassisted by the Spirit Philop. What then do you mean by the Spirit Philotheus For this seems to open a gap to all Wildness and Fanaticism Philoth. As you may understand it Philopolis it may But as I understand it it is the onely way I know to Sobriety For I understand by the Spirit not a blind unaccountable Impression or Impulse a Lift or an Huff of an heated Brain but the Spirit of Life in the new Birth which is a discerning Spirit and makes a man of a quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. Isa. 11.2 3. This is the anointing of our Head and true High-priest the Lord Iesus in the first place in a supereminent manner but flows down to the very meanest and lowest of his Members In the guidance of this Spirit a man shall either immediately feel and smell out by an holy Sagacity what is right and true and what false and perverse or at least he shall use his Reason aright to discover it Philop. XXIX How a man shall know that he has the Spirit Such a Spirit as this indeed Philotheus is no Fanatick spirit but a sure Guide in all things But how shall a man know that he has this Spirit Philoth. John 3.6 By the fruits of it That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit He that is born of God sinneth not 1 John 3.9 because his seed that is the Spirit remaineth in him If we have cast off the deeds of the flesh mortifying them through the Spirit it is a sign the Spirit of Christ dwelleth in us Now the works of the flesh are manifest Gal. 5.19 c. such as are
the Spirit This is surely the Vnity of the Spirit which all good Christians are exhorted to But how shall we attain to it Philotheus Philoth. This I conceive would confer much thereto if all Opinions and Practices in Religion that either hinder or do not promote the Life of God in the world were universally undervalued by the Church of God For in this Life of God is his Spirit And by this means all opportunity and pretense of any one's shewing himself to be religious but wherein true Religion doth consist being quite cut off men that would be thought at all religious must endeavour the imitation of that Life we speak of to approve themselves such Which they will do very lamely without the presence of the Spirit And all occasions of squabbling and contention about the Shadows and Coverings of Opinions and Forms being thus removed and taken out of the way it will be far easier to perform what the Apostle exhorts to Ephes. 4.3 namely To keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace For no man then shall be able to bustle with any credit unless it be in the behalf of what tends to the good of the people of God and of all mankinde But of those externall Coverings hear what the Prophet Isay denounceth Wo to the rebellious children Isa. 30.1 saith the Lord that take counsell but not of me and that cover with a Covering but not of my Spirit that they may add sin to sin This is the false Covering of Opinions and Formalities heaped together by the Ignorance or Hypocrisie of men whereby they would hide themselves as Adam from the eyes of their Maker But God has foretold that those of Mount Sion the Souldiers of the Lamb Isa. 25.7 shall destroy the face of the Covering cast over all people and the Veil that is spread over all Nations And then they must either be cloathed with the Covering of the Spirit Apoc. 16.15 or be found stark naked to their open shame as they are forewarned in the last Vial. Thus should we approch nearer to that Type of the best state of the Church figured out in the form of the Cherubims or the four Beasts where the Eagle is conceived to have the foot of an Oxe Isa. 55.2 none of them labour for that which is not bread Wherefore the number of Formalities and Opinions being lessened according to their uselesness and consequently being but few and profitable all the Church will easily understand their importance and truth As all the four Beasts are said to be full of eyes in opposition to that blinde Obedience cried up in the Roman Church and so throughly discerning the same Object and therewithall passing the same judgement upon it are also carried with one joint motion and affection For even their wings are full of eyes as denoting they move not out of any blinde Principle but from a Principle of certain Knowledge Which therefore Philopolis I would in opposition to the Church of Rome who cry up Ignorance as the mother of Devotion make the Seventh Document of holy Policy The Seventh Principle viz. To instruct the People throughly and convincingly of all the Fundamental mysteries of Truth and Interest appertaining to the Kingdome of God They that obtrude Falshood for their own advantage upon the People it is their Interest to keep them in Ignorance But they that are the Assertours of the Truth it is their Interest to have it as fully and fundamentally understood as may be and made clear out of Reason or Scripture And I conceive all Truth that is needfull to Life and Godliness may be in such manner cleared to the unprejudiced Whence it will be a very hard tug to seduce any from the Church to Romanism Infidelity or Atheism Philop. XXXI How the mind of man may arrive to a state of Unprejudicateness I am clearly of your minde Philotheus but all the difficulty is to get to that state of Vnprejudicateness Philoth. If the Son make you free then are you free indeed Sophr. That is not spoken Philotheus of freedome from Prejudice but of freedome from Sin so far as humane Nature can be free * John 8.34 35. Whosoever committeth sin saith our Saviour is the servant of sin And the servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Son abideth ever Then follows Ver. 36. If the Son therefore make you free then are you free indeed Philoth. And a little before he saith If ye continue in my word Ver. 31 32. then are ye my Disciples indeed that is to say If ye keep my Commandments And ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free Whereupon the Iews expostulate with our Saviour We be Abraham's seed Ver. 33. say they and were never in bondage to any how saiest thou then Ye shall be made free Whereupon in that passage O Sophron which you cited he charges them with being servants to sin implying that that was the Prejudice and impediment to their attaining to the Truth in that they lived in sin So that freedome from sin I think in our Saviour's own judgement does infer also freedome from Prejudice that hinders the knowledge of the Truth Wherefore O Philopolis in the Eighth and last place for I will not discourse so now as if I despaired of ever having the opportunity of conferring with you again I shall propose this one Document more not onely very serviceable for the Unity of the Church but the most effectual I know and the most necessary for the bringing on those excellent Times your desire is so carried after Philop. I long to hear it Philotheus Philoth. It is Faith in the Power of God and the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ The Eighth and last Principle which he has promised to all Believers that by this assistence we may get the conquest over all our Sins and Corruptions and perfect Holiness in the fear of God This Doctrine That we are not onely obliged to an higher pitch of Morality then either Paganism or Judaism did pretend to or could boast of but also that through the Spirit of Christ inhabiting in us we are able to be reduced to that Rectitude of Life and Spirit which our Saviour sets out in his Sermon upon the Mount and elsewhere in his Discourses in the Gospels It is this Doctrine I say that must renew the world in righteousness and bring on those glorious Times that so many good men believe and desire This Philopolis is a necessary preparation thereto For what Doctrine but this can reach the Hypocrisie of mens hearts who under colour of not being able to be rid of all their Sins will set themselves against none or but the least considerable or will be sure to spare their darling-sins and perpetually decline that Self-resignation which is indispensably required of every true Christian Nay they will quit none of them under pretence we must
necessarily retain a gradual Imperfection throughout And they will be sure to pitch on that Degree that is most for their own ease and the satisfaction of their own Lusts. Sophr. This is a very searching Doctrine indeed Philotheus But what do you drive at an absolute perfection quoad partes quoad gradus as the Schools phrase it Philoth. I drive at an absolute Sincerity by this Doctrine O Sophron that a man should not allow himself in any known Wickedness whatsoever but keep an upright Conscience before God and before men Forasmuch as his own Conscience tells him by virtue of this Doctrine that if he be not wanting to himself God is both able and willing by the Assistence of his Spirit to free him from all his Corruptions And the Scripture plainly declares that this is the end of Christ's coming namely Tit. 2.12 That denying all ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world Ver. 13. looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity according to that exhortation of S t. Peter Wherefore gird up the loins of your minde 1 Pet. 1.13 c. be sober and of a perfect hope in the grace that is brought to you through the Revelation of Iesus Christ As obedient children not fashioning your selves according to former Lusts in your ignorance But as he that has called you is holy so be ye holy in your whole Conversation in every thing you doe Because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy And our Blessed Saviour in his Sermon on the Mount Matt. 5.48 Be ye perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect And S t. Paul to the Ephesians witnesses for our Saviour that this was the end of his giving himself as a Ransome or of dying for his Church Eph. 5.26 27. namely That he might sanctifie it and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish like the Lamb's Wife in the Revelation which is the new Ierusalem Sophr. I must confess Philotheus these places sound at an high pitch of Sanctity which Christians are called to and yet fall so infinitely short of Philoth. That is for want of this Faith I plead for a Faith in the Power of God and in the Spirit of the Lord Iesus for the purging away all our Corruptions For the New Birth is the Son of the Promise and is that Isaac the Joy of the whole Earth But he is conceived by Faith in the omnipotent Spirit of God who from the four winds blew upon the slain in the Valley of dead mens bones Ezek. 37.9 and made them stand up a numerous Armie who gave the promised Seed to Abraham Rom 4.18 c. who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of many Nations For he considered not his own body now dead nor the deadness of Sarah's wombe he staggered not at the Promise of God through unbelief but was strong in Faith giving glory to God being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform This Faith therefore in the Promise of the Assistence of the Spirit of Christ in the new Birth is that which must renew the World into the living Image of God and make all the Nations of the Earth blessed which must bring the new Ierusalem from Heaven and will call down God himself to pitch his Tabernacle amongst men Phil. 4.13 I can doe all things through Christ that strengthens me Euist. Even wonders of wonders I think But this Faith Philotheus in the Power of God and in the Assistence of his Spirit to enable us to extirpate and mortifie all our Corruptions to an happy Resurrection to Life and Righteousness was not the Faith that our first Reformers were so zealous in How was it then I pray you that they should miss of so useful a Truth Philoth. They did not wholly miss of it XXXII The Doctrine of Faith in the Power of God's Spirit for the ridding us of Sin why not so much insisted on at the beginning of the Reformation Euistor in that they did zealously call to men to relinquish humane Tradition and to betake themselves to the pure Word and to the Belief and faith of the Gospel according to that more infallible Rule Wherefore that Faith which they preached having for its Object the pure Gospel of Christ the Doctrines according to Scripture this Doctrine of Faith in the omnipotent Spirit for the vanquishing of Sin being also contained in Scripture must be part of the Object of the Faith which they preached Euist. That is I acknowledge O Philotheus in some sense true But their zeal ran mainly out in declaring and crying up that part of Faith which respects onely Iustification in the bloud of Christ and free Remission of our sins Philoth. And it was very seasonably cry'd up as being a very plain Gospel Truth and such as was trode down under foot in the Church of Rome for the more absolutely enslaving the people of God and holding them under an hard Bondage in that Mysticall Babylon or Land of Egypt they laying many heavy burthens of Superstition upon them onely to advance the King of Egypt's Interest and so to extinguish the Light and Comfort of the Gospel Wherefore that Truth of Iustification by Faith being so accommodated to shake off the Roman Yoke it is no wonder it was so zealously insisted upon and so generally inculcated by the first Reformers Sophr. But this was not all Philotheus For severall things passed from some of them who were otherwise very successful Instruments in the Reformation that seem not onely to favour humane Infirmities and to dishearten men from attempting any such Conquests over our Lusts and Corruptions as your Doctrine animates us to but also on the contrary to savour much of rank Antinomianism as ill a disease as can seise on the Church of Christ. Philoth. I acknowledge O Sophron that Divine Providence might permit such misinterpretable Expressions in some of the first Reformers But you know Luther himself who is most suspected yet wrote against the Antinomians and the Harmonie of Confessions of all the Protestant Churches adjoyns the Doctrine of Sanctification or a Good life to that of Justification by Faith But that such a pitch of Holiness as we now treat of should have been exacted so zealously by the first Reformers from their Followers seems not congruous nor seasonable for those Times The over-severe Inculcation of such Doctrine in opposition to the false Righteousness of Romanism would have drawn away but few Auditours from that Church whose Sanctity was onely carnal They would have thought they had been
deface Teach us our Lusts to mortify In virtue of thy precious Death That while to sin all-dead we lie Thou maist infuse thy Heav'nly breath To Righteousness our Spirits raise And quick'n us with thy Life and Love That we may walk here to thy Praise And after live in Heav'n above Grant we in Glory may appear Clad with our Resurrection-Vest When thou shalt lead thy Flock most dear Up to the Mansions of the Blest An HYMN Upon CHRIST's Ascension The Historicall Narration GOd is ascended up on high With merry noise of Trumpet 's sound And Princely seated in the Sky Rules over all the World around The Tabernacle did of old His Presence to the Jews restrain But after in our Flesh enfold A larger Empire he did gain For suffering in Humane Flesh For all he rich Redemption wrought And will with lasting Life refresh His Heritage so dearly bought Sing Praises then sing Praises loud Unto our Universal King * Act. 1.9 He who ascended on a Cloud To him all Laud and Praises sing Captivity he captive led Triumphing o're the Powers of Hell And struck their eyes with glory dread Who in the Airy Regions dwell In Humane Flesh and Shape he went Adorned with his Passion-Scars Which in Heav'n's sight he did present More glorious then the glittering Stars O happy Pledge of Pardon sure The Application to the Emprovement of Life And of an endless blissful State Since Humane Nature once made pure For Heav'n becomes so fit a Mate Lord raise our sinking Minds therefore Up to our proper Country dear And purifie us evermore To fit us for those Regions clear Let our Converse be still above Where Christ at thy right hand doth sit And quench in us all worldly Love That with thy self our Souls may knit Make us all Earthly things despise And freely part with this World 's good That we may win that Heav'nly prize Which Christ has purchas'd with his Bloud That when He shall return again In * Act. 1.11 Clouds of Glory as he went Our Souls no foulness may retain But be found pure and innocent And so may mount to his bright Hosts On Eagle's wings up to the Sky And be conducted to the Coasts Of everlasting Bliss and Ioy. An HYMN Upon the Descent of the Holy Ghost at the day of Pentecost The Narration WHen Christ his Body up had born To Heav'n from his Disciples sight Then they like Orphans all forlorn Spent their sad days in mournfull plight But he ascended up on high More Sacred Gifts for to receive And freely showr them from the Sky On those which he behind did leave He for the Presence of his Flesh To them the Holy Spirit imparts And doth with living Springs refresh Their thirsty Souls and fainting Hearts While with one minde and in one place Devoutly they themselves retire In rushing Wind the promis'd Grace Descends and cloven Tongues of Fire The house th' Amighty's Spirit fills Which doth the feeble Fabrick shake But on their Tongue such power instills Acts 2. That makes th' amazed Hearer quake The Spirit of holy Zeal and Love The Application And of Discerning give us Lord The Spirit of Power from above Of Unity and good Accord The Spirit of convincing Speech Such as will every Conscience smite Act. 2.37 And to the Heart of each man reach And Sin and Errour put to flight The Spirit of refining Fire Searching the inmost of the mind To purge all foul and fell desire And kindle Life more pure and kinde The Spirit of Faith in this thy Day Of Power against the force of Sin That through this Faith we ever may Against our Lusts the Conquests win Pour down thy Spirit of inward Life Which in our Hearts thy Laws may write That without any pain or strife We naturally may doe what 's right On all the Earth thy Spirit pour In Righteousness it to renew That Satan's Kingdome 't may o'repow'r And to Christ's Sceptre all subdue Like mighty Winde or Torrent fierce Let it Withstanders all o'rerun And every wicked Law reverse That Faith and Love may make all one Let Peace and Ioy in each place spring And Righteousness the Spirit 's fruits With Meekness Friendship and each thing That with the Christian spirit suits Grant this O holy God and true Who th' ancient Prophets didst inspire Haste to perform thy Promise due As all thy Servants thee desire An HYMN Upon the Creation of the World WHen God the first Foundations laid The Narration Of the well-framed Universe And through the darksome Chaos ray'd The Angels did his Praise rehearse The Sons of God then sweetly sung Job 38.7 At first appearance of his Light When the Creation-Morning sprung To deck the World with Beauty bright Within six Days he finish'd all What-ere Heav'n Earth or Sea contain And sanctify'd the Seventh withall To celebrate his Holy Name Then with the Sons of God let 's sing Our bountifull Creatour's Praise Who out of nothing all did bring And by his Word the World did raise O Holy God how wonderfull Art thou in all thy Works of might Astonishing our Senses dull With what thou daily bringst in sight The fit returns of Night and Day The gratefull Seasons of the Year Which constantly man's pains repay With wholesome fruit his Heart to chear The shape and number of the Stars The Moon 's set course thou dost define And Matter 's wilde distracting Iars Composest by thy Word Divine The Parts of th' Earth thou holdest close Together by this sweet Constraint Thou round'st the Drops that do disclose The Rain-bow in his glorious Paint Thy Clouds drop fatness on the Earth Thou mak'st the Grass and Flow'rs to spring Thou cloath'st the Woods wherein with mirth The chearfull Birds do sit and sing Thou fill'st the Fields with Beasts and Sheep Thy Rivers run along the Plains With scaly Fish thou stor'st the Deep Thy Bounty all the World maintains The Application All these and all things else th' hast made Subject to Man by thy Decree That thou by Man might'st be obey'd As duely subject unto thee Wherefore O Lord in us create Clean hearts and a right spirit renew That we regaining that just state May ever pay thee what is due That as we wholly from thee are Both Gifts of Minde and Bodie 's frame So by them both we may declare The Glory of thy Holy Name An HYMN Upon the Redemption of the World through CHRIST in his Re-introduction of the New Creature THe Lord both Heav'n Earth hath made The Narration His Word did all things frame And Laws to every Creature gave Who still observe the same The faithfull Sun doth still return The Seasons of the Year And at just times the various Moon Now round now horn'd appears The Plants retain their Virtue still Their Verdure and their Form Nor do the Birds or Beasts their guize Once change or shape transform 'T is