Glorie Luke 24. 7. 26. that was the day of his exaltation Ephes 1. 20. Then became he the head stone of the corner Psal 118. 22. The head of the Church Ephes 1. 22. and 5. 23. Gaue gifts to men Ephes 4. 8. as on a chiefe Festiuall Day Nehem. 8. 12. Esth. 9. 22. prooued his Resurrection Luke 24. 39. preached his ascension Iohn 20. 17. Gaue the Holy Ghost Iohn 20. 22 and authoritie to the Apostles to binde and to loose to remit and retaine sinnes Verse 23. Opened their vnderstandings to vnderstand the holy Scriptures Luke 24. 45. Powred out more abundantly the gifts of the Holy Ghost Act. 2. 1 2 3 4. Gaue Peter power to conuert so many thousands Verse 37. 41. All were on that Day baptized Verse 41. The Church established and manifestly distinguished Ver. 44. The Disciples met on this day at breaking of Bread Act. 20. 7. This Daies Festiuitie was instituted in the Churches of Corinth and Galatia as appeares by the Almes appropriate thereto 1. Cor. 16. 1 2. The Reuelation opened to Iohn in Patmos Reuel 1. 10. It was knowne to the seuen Churches of Asia by its owne name as a peculiar Day Thus to the Law all daies are now alike yet to the Lord a Day yea a Sabbath Day one of the seuen is to bee obserued alike to the Law for that to the Law we are all dead and a dead man keepes all daies alike yet wee who are raised againe from the dead Ephes 5. 14. wee that liue no more the life of the flesh but by the power of the Spirit not according to the flesh but to the Spirit doe set apart weekly one day of seuen for the Lords Seruice which very day as is prooued Paul writing to the Hebrewes according to his wont endeuouring to speake to their vnderstanding calleth a Sabbatisme Heb. 4. 9. And to the Gentiles a day to the Lord Rom. 14. 5 6. And Iohn expresly the Lords Day Reuel 1. 10. This is then the Day which the Lord hath made and if any be contentious for that other day with the Iewes or deny any Sabbath Day and so would leaue it as a bare Ordinance of man with the Libertines or haue both daies obserued with the Ebionites wee answere them all Wee haue no such custome nor the Churches of God 1. Cor. 11. 16. Obiect As for that Law of difference of things for food Leuit. 11. Deut. 14. if any say such a Law hath beene euer and precisely obserued by Israels Common-wealth while that Iewish Politie stood and that all sorts of transgressors are terribly threatned and for it the Israelites were chiefly reiected Ans The answere is It is true that a difference was put euen in Paradise between things for food and after mans expulsion therefrom a difference held betweene things for Sacrifice and say for food yet was that difference taken away when Noah had free libertie to eate of euery moouing liuing thing as of the greene herbe before he had eaten Gen. 9. 3. And albeit after that againe another limitation was made to one peculiar people when God began to distinguish betweene the Nations and chose to himselfe one peculiar Nation to be his owne people Leuit 20. 24 25. yet was that difference of wholesome Creatures no longer continued then all Mankind remained seuered by that partition wall Ephes 2. 14. Acts 10. 28. But when once the fulnesse of time was come and by the bloud of Iesus all things were reconciled to God Col. 1. 20. which were before in bondage and seuered for mans transgression Rom. 8 20. 21. then God also declared to Peter by a Vision that such obseruations put no longer difference betweene men and men But as hee himselfe had mixed all sorts of Creatures in one Sheet and none of them might any more bee termed vncleane seeing out of Heauen they came and into Heauen were againe receiued so Peter by that learned to esteeme no man from thenceforth vncleane for any want of legall clensing or by reason of the practice of that Lawes transgression Act. 10. 11 16 28. And hath now taken out this Lesson That it is Faith in Christ Iesus that is required of euery man for his acceptance with God Heb. 11. 6. For so Peter after confesseth in the face of a Councell that God put no difference betweene himselfe and the Gentiles after their hearts were purified by faith Act. 15. 9. And by this it may appeare that this Law ceased and had its period by that Cornelius a Gentile and not obseruing the Law but onely exercised in those powerfull Duties of Fasting Prayer and Almes-deeds was by Faith accepted as well as Peter who till that time not onely beleeued as now Cornelius did but also was able with boldnesse to protest before God that no common or vncleane thing had euer entred into his mouth so the Churches of Iudea were all zealous of the Law Act. 21. The Churches of the Gentiles obserued no such things Gal. 2. And these accepted and as famous Churches as any of those and Paul speaking expresly of daies and meates legall concludes thus I know and am perswaded by the Lord Iesus that there is nothing common or vncleane of it selfe Rom. 14. 14. That is if mens hearts bee purified by Faith Titus 1. 15 16. Then all things are pure to them That is all such things as that Law made vncleane for food Those things which some through weakenesse giuing heed to Iewish Fables esteemed vncleane As for that threat to the Gentiles which seemes so terrible to such as vnderstand it not aright it is nothing else but a powerfull application of the Prophets speech to the present hypocriticall Iewes who stood so much on their Prerogatiues and Priuiledges and their segregation from other Nations and yet by their secret abominable practises did breake downe that partition wall with which for the present they were seuered from others by doing the same things or as vile which they so much abhorred in the Gentiles practise To them the Prophet saith in effect that when the Gentiles Church shall be come in and all promises accomplished euen to that nation and people of the Iewes that then shall follow a day of vengeance wherein God shall come with fire and sword in terrible indignation against all that haue abused his long suffering and patience whether Iews or Gentiles and at that day those present hypocrites to whom he then spake shall share in torments with the whole world of damned men Isa 66. 12 13 16 17. Neither is it any prophecie at all of any caters of Swines flesh at this day but at that time for so speaketh the Text in the present tense Sanctificanâ—â—s or Qui sanctificant They that doe sanctifie themselues and not in the future tense they that shall And if any say we are commanded to touch no vncleane thing at this day Let the occasion of that precept be but duely considered and it is cleare that there
And whosoeeuer is not free from the Lawes rigour must needes be subiect to sinnes tyranny Free then we are from the Law as it is wraths Minister as it can doe vs no good as it is weake through the flesh Rom. 8. 4. Neither doth it at all auaile vs to iustification though for obedience it still serueth to curbe our old man and to quicken the new man though the flesh bee now become so contrarie to it as it is not nor can euer bee subiect thereto Rom. 8. 7. And Christ in vs doth the will of God for vs in truth and without vs hath satisfied Gods wrath for vs and also performed that formall obedience which God requireth so that within and without all our perfection is nothing else but the perfection of Christ himselfe If then wee are free from the morall Law in respect of Iustification how much more from that Law of Commandements contayned in Ordinances Ephes 2. 15. called also the hand-writing of Ordinances Col. 2. 14. which was against vs and contrarie to vs being a middle wall of partition to keepe vs that are Gentiles in the flesh from any fellowship with Israels Common-wealth and from all participation in their glorious priuiledges Ephes 2. 14. The bond-woman that Law and her Sonne the flesh is now cast out and quite expelled by true Beleeuers and the free-woman the Promise with her Sonne the Spirit is onely to bee respected for that the inheritance is now by promise The Law as Hagar was added after the promise was made And as Abraham after the Promise that he should haue a Sonne tooke Hagar Gen. 16. and of her begat Ismael who was not the Seed who must inherit so also long after the free Promise of Saluation made to Mankinde through Christ alone and that onely by Faith in him Abrahams Seed tooke the Law and by the works thereof sought to inherit but found the Law not it by which any inheritance could bee obtayned From all this learne we not to burden our selues beyond our power nor to hold fellowship with one that is mightier and richer then our selues for that the Earthen Pot and the Kettle agree not together nor our outward man the flesh with the spirituall Law and for vs in the point of Iustification to seeke to bring our old man the Lawes obedience is to bring drosse to fire to put a weake Infant or a liuelesse Carrion to the Combate with a mightie Giant yea to bring the Lawes workes to the corrupt mans practice is to set a new piece in an old Garment to put new Wine into old Bottels neither can such an earthen Pot as is our olde man and the Kettle the Law bee smitten one against another without the Pots danger for as the euent of these would bee the greater rent of the garment so fondly patched the bursting of the Bottels so ignorantly filled and the dashing of the earthen Pot in pieces so all that euer indeuour to yeeld that Law-obedience as to seeke to be righteous therby with this dead body though a delight they may haue in the inward man and a desire and indeuour so to doe with the outward man yet the good they would they shall neuer perfectly effect and the euill they would not that shall they performe Rom. 7. This was that made Paul cry out for our example to bee deliuered or set free from so dead a bodie And concludes also that from it hee is freed by CHRISTS owne death God hath deliuered him from his dead bodie by Iesus Christ and so from the Law from sin and consequently from Hell and this is that Liberty of which we are possessors of this onely this it may be said If the Sonne hath made you free you shall bee free indeed If then the flesh be crucified the Law is satisfied If the flesh haue obeyed the Law is fulfilled And this is done euen in our owne whole nature and that as it is said by Iesus Christ wee liue now no more the life of the flesh For that all such as so liue are all their life time subiect to bondage and in feare of death and damnation And yet that this Libertie may the better appeare we may consider in the next place the persons set free And they are all such as are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor yet of the will of man but of GOD Iohn 1. 12. For that which is borne of the flesh is flesh Iohn 3. 6. And flesh and bloud can neuer enter the Kingdome of GOD neither may corruption inherit incorruption 1. Cor. 15. 50. And wee haue learned that all flesh is as grasse and all the glorie of man as the flower of grasse the grasse must wither and the flower fall away but the Word of the Lord indureth for euer Isa 40. 1. Pet. 1. 24 25. And wee are borne againe not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of GOD which liueth and abideth for euer So that the free men and such as are set at Libertie are not such as are borne of men but those that are borne of God they onely know this Libertie and are truely acquainted with the priuiledges thereof they are such as doe now finde in them the power of the Spirit of Life they doe mind heauenly and spirituall things are quickened in their dead bodies Col. 2. 13. in part to yeeld true and sound obedience to the spirituall Law They haue the Spirit of the Sonne inabling them with boldnesse to call God Father and the same Spirit witnesseth to their spirits that they are the children of GOD Rom. 8. 15 16. They can deny themselues groaning in themselues to be set free in body as they are in spirit from the bondage of corruption and yet can wait patiently for that full Redemption they haue the spirit of Prayer and Prayse and are conformable in a great measure to Christ himselfe These are called to Liberty and entred into the glorious Liberty of the sonnes of GOD Rom. 8. 21. Neither are such free men Lawlesse or at all fruitlesse for as sinne that is serue sinne they can neuer as they haue formerly done Rom. 6. 1. Iohn 3. 9. So are they exercised in the spirits fruites and in them they abound Loue Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentlenesse Goodnes Faith Meeknesse Temperance they can now declare Gal. 5. 22 23. These enuy not vaunt not themselues are not puffed vp behaue not themselues vnseemly seeke not their owne are not easily prouoked thinke no euill reioyce not ininiquitie but reioyce in the Truth beare all things beleeue all things hope all things and indure all things And if this be lawlessenesse such lawlesse persons are wee become yet are we sure that such are not without Law to God but in the Law to Christ It is the royall and perfect Law of Libertie which these haue attayned and in it they walke That is their mirror and continuall glasse in which they behold
3. 9 10. If then thy state be not yet so desperate but that thou canst plead ignorance before God of any such due conuiction beware now of selfe-loue and desire of singularity leane not ouer much to thine owne iudgement shew thy true humilitie by esteeming others better then thy selfe Withstand not Gods grace oppose him not any longer be not like the deafe Adder which stoppeth her eares and will not bee charmed Despise not thy mother the holy Church in which thou hast receiued all the good thou hast if any at all Consider how she gaue thee entertainement at first by Baptisme hath since that called thee by the voice of her Teachers powerfull ministers of the Word and Sacraments doth daily stretch out her hand to afford the bread of life and water of life offers thee the holy Scriptures with their true interpretation and doth now wait for thy returne to her vnitie with many a grieuous groane and salt teare being readie euerie moment to receiue thee in the lap of her mercie and to dandle thee on the knees of her loue Bee not then the Author of thine owne woe plunge thee not wilfully into needlesse miserie Blame not thy Mistresse for giuing thee some correction for thy pride Heare the Angel speaking to thee in Hagars person Whence camest thou And whither wilt thou goe Returne to thy Mistresse and humble thy selfe vnder her hands Gen. 16. 8 9. How long I say wilt thou loue simplicitie take thy pleasure in scorning hate sound knowledge And vnlesse thou canst proue that thy calling is extraordinarie and that by the ceasing of all ordinarie sending and calling and canst cleare it either to be of God himselfe or of some extraordinarie person or by extraordinarie motion of Gods holy Spirit as Moses Aaron and Phineas and canst confirme it by that thou teacheth no other doctrine then what hath beene taught by former holy men by that thy life is beyond all other mens in the glorie of an humble meeke bold patient quiet and discreet conuersation by the furniture of admirable guifts beyond all of that time without any exception and by the manifest attendance of Gods immediate power in thy protection and aide as Ieremie Iohn Baptist Paul and all extraordinarie men If not I doe testifie vnto thee that thou shalt rue thy obstinacie and bewaile thy stubbornnesse here to Gods glorie in thy blessed change or else be ruined by thy folly and howle for euermore without any remedie Then shalt thou say in the anguish of thy soule and bitternesse of thy Spirit How haue I hated instruction and my heart despised reproofe and haue not obeyed the voyce of my teachers nor inclined mine eare to them that instructed mee Suspect thy selfe then in time while it is yet called to day feare thine estate in respect of thy being alone Thou knowest the Prouerbe Woe to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to helpe him vp First thou separatest and then thou sallest and who shall thenceforth lend thee his hand Consider that the holy Scriptures are not left to euerie priuate mans interpretation 2. Pet. 1. But when the same holy Spirit interprets them by whose holy motion they were first spoken and penned men indued with the same holy Spirit shall not oppose that interpretation Dost thou thinke that thou onely and such as thou art haue the Spirit of God I hope thou art not so absurd and if others haue the same Spirit of God why doe they not assent at all vnto you And let mee mind thee of that Euangelicall proclamation of the Church her peace through the true knowledge of God so that the Wolfe the Lambe the Leopard the Kid the Calfe the yong Lion and the fatling shall dwell and lye downe together and a little child shall lead them Isa 11. And the Church Officers shall be Peace and her exactors Righteousnesse Isa 60. yea and Peace shall be extended to her like a Riuer Isa 66. The perfect worke of Righteousnesse shall be Peace Isa 32. and Righteousnesse and Peace are inseparable companions And let me wish Mercy and Peace to all the Israel of God and aduise you all to liue in peace and if it be possible as much as in you lyeth liue peaceably with all men Rom. 12. that the God of loue and peace may bee with vs and abide with vs for euermore And let me say to all that liue yet in the bosome of Gods Church We are Brethren why should there be any strife amongst vs What is the reason we are so deuided in affection why doe we bite and deuoure one another why are there any inclinations to Sects and Schismes Diuisions and Tumults and so great Wrath Is not Ignorance the cause of all Whence is Contention but from Pride and where resteth Pride but in the bosome of Fooles As then we desire to approue our selues wise and well instructed in the wayes of peace Let vs submit one to another in the feare of God according to that decent order and comelinesse in which wee are set Let vs in giuing honour preferre one another let vs first make sure at home cast the beames out of our owne eyes proue our selues to be in the Faith This being done we shall soone take notice where it is effected and so come to the true knowledge and due acknowledgement of the Church whose worke we are No member would then exalt it selfe against the bodie but rather shew it selfe to bee of God who is not the author of confusion but peace And for my part I haue resolued for time to come to leaue Kingdomes to the guidance of Kings themselues and Churches to the gouernment of Chiefe Church-men And I know that in indifferent things there is such a thing as Mos populi Dei to be regarded The Church her custome was of some credit in Pauls time 1. Cor. 11. 16. And I acknowledge that in doubtful things controuerted in the Church totum est parte maius Vniuersality may beare it when onely bare Consequences are vrged that may bee paralleld with like Consequences by the greater part And I say that Turpis pars omnis toti non congrua That part is deformed which agrees not with the whole and in all things not to bee decided by euident Scriptures I doe also say with those Fathers of the first Nicene Councell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mos antiquus obtineat Let old Customes carrie it And if any say I doe hereby vilifie my selfe I answer I will be yet more vile if humble submission to my holy Mothers Authoritie be to be esteemed basenesse And I doe heartily desire all that beare good will to Sion to pray feruently for mee that as I am now happily returned to the vnitie of Gods Church so I may continue stedfastly in the valiant and constant defence of the peace thereof that so my last fruits may be more then the first and my last workes better then the first that if euer I suffer againe as I am most readie it may bee for the Church and not in the least shew against it and for no trifles but for the Truth and power of Godlinesse And that as I haue beene stout for Moses and Christ together so I may bee as resolute for Christ alone That I may neuer separate what God hath ioyned nor ioyne what he hath seuered And the same doe I wish to all my Countrimen that all quarrels may bee ended for such outward things as are not of the essence of true Religion and that all our strife may bee to out-strip one another in the power of sound Loue that being alreadie fellowes of one Family sonnes of one Father children of one Mother liuely stones of one buildings branches of one Vine Sheep of one Fold members of one body yea one bodie and one spirit so wee may discouer the truth of this by remaining of one minde and the same iudgement and the rather because we liue in the last times wherein the day hasteneth and is euen at hand wherein we shall be all tryed whether wee be Gold or Drosse Wheate or Chaffe precious Stones or Stubble Now neuer did God rise earlier to send his Seruants vnto vs then hee doth at this day Let vs all striue to make a right vse of this precious time while it is yet called to day Let all clense themselues from all manner of troublesome and contentious thoughts that we may declare our selues to bee at true peace with God with all his people and to keepe a true Sabbath within vs. That the God of peace may dwell in our Tabernacles and the Graces of his Spirit not bee quenched in vs which God grant vnto vs all euen for Iesus CHRISTS sake To whom with the blessed Spirit bee ascribed all Glory Honour Dominion Power Maiestie and heartie Thansgiuing now and for euermore Amen Non est graue cadere luctantem sed iacere deiectum Non est perniciosum in praelio vulnerari sed post vulnus acceptum desperatione curandi medelam vulneri denegare Saepe etiam athletas videmus post frequentes lapsus deiectiones plurimas coronatos militem scimus post multas fugas virum fortem fuisse vicisse victores Gloriae cedant cuncta diuinae FINIS