first born which are written in heaven This is the Church to which Jesus Christ is all and in all filling all the Apostle to thisChurch the Prophet Pastor and Teacher preaching to it prophesying in it feeding it and watching over it and teachingit so as all are taught ofGod This is the Church against which the gates of hel cannot prevail having Iesus Christits rock and foundation This is the Church to which all the promises of Spirit life and glory are made to the beleevers and members that are in this Fellowship and of this Church And into this Church all are admitted through the Spirit of Christ and all are discerned members in the same Spirit and tryed by the Spirit And this Church of Christ being thus baptized by Spirit into one body is not to be divided by any outward things which are of this Creation which are visible outward and perishing or by any fellowship and ordinances below the glory of the Spirit which are part of the first Tabernacle nor are the members of this spiritual Church to be divided by any schism or division procured or effected by any principle less or less excellent then the Spirit of God And therefore whatsoever fellowship in pretence of Church-notion or Baptismnotion or Presbyterial-notion shal cast it self into any model of the letter which allows not communion with other beleevers in Spirit in whom the power of the Spirit and of Christ cannot be denyed but to be visible and apparent though not in the practice of some particular ordinance such fellowship wil in the day of the Lord Iesus or clearer revelation of Christ see how they have offended many little ones whom in these outward things they ought to have pleased to edification the law of love and spirit or life being more royal and excellent then any worldly rudiment whatsoever The true Personal Raign of Christ as it is Spiritual The Lord Jesus is entered into his glory having crucified flesh and sits at the right hand of God or in the choycest glory of the Father where he is the Lord that Spirit and the Lord of glory The Lord Iesus must reign til he hath put all his enemies under his feet he fils all administrations of Dominion Iudgement Power and Magistracy in the world which is part of his Kingdom here all judgement and power in heaven and earth being committed unto him yet this is not his spiritual reign though administred by him who is in Spirit The Lord Jesus hath a kingdom inward and spiritual the kingdom of God is within you the kingdom of God is righteousness peace and joy the kingdom of God is in power The Lord Jesus denyed his kingdom to be of this world or to come with observation as lo here or lo there as the glory of the world and the kingdoms of the world is in its appearance The Lord Jesus his coming is as lightning from East to West filling heaven lightning is a glory without figure so shal Christs coming and revelation in Spirit be for as the lightning lighteth from one end of heaven to the other so shal the coming of the Son of man be The Lord Jesus his coming is in Spirit and glory in revelation in his Saints he shal come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that beleeve The Lord Jesus reigns already all things are put in subjection under him death and hel and sin and Antichrist and the wicked only we see not all yet put under him Jesus Christ reigns inSpirit only his reign appears not yet now are we the Sons of God but it doth not appear what we shal be but when he shal appear we shal be like him All the prophesies and promises of glory and a kingdome of Antichrist to be destroyed of the great Battels of the Thrones of the new Ierusalem of him on the white horse the Lord of Lords and King of Kings are most glorious in Spirit and most suitable to Christ in the glory of his Father and for any other figure of Christs reign or kingdom in any fleshly glory political or monarchical kingdom according to any pattern upon earth these conceptions or notions are occasioned by the Allegories and Allusions and Parables the Spirit speaks which they that are weak and carnal as some Disciples and Pharisees were take more in the Letter then in the Spirit Antichrist within us THat Antichristian mystery which seems to be working in so many figures and shapes without in the world and makes up the truth of those Scriptures of the beast and the whore and the false prophet c. flows only from the Antichrist within us or the mystery of iniquity which lies in the flesh or old man or man of sin the Son of perdition as in the root seed or principle and in us you may finde all the delusions and deceivableness of unrighteousness with all the severall figures it appears in in the Revelation and Epistle to the Thessalonians and the Spirit of that Naturall man in us acts all that wickedness in us which in the World comes forth onely in Images more Visible and fleshly and to the destruction of this Antichrist we should look and lay the Axe to the root of the tree carnall wisdome self-righteousness high imaginations fleshly apprehensions of God and Christ changing the truth of God into a lye with all the false testimonies of our own spirits for the Spirit of God the counterfeit sealings and assurances of our carnall hearts the deceiveableness of carnall reason with all other actings of the flesh The Doctrine of Baptisms THe Doctrine of Baptisms is such a doctrine as cleerly and spiritually understood and opened will establish the Spirits of many Christians who are much in the dark in these not distinguishing nor discerning the Baptisms as they are in their own Nature and in Spirit or as the truth is in Jesus The Baptism of Sufferings THe Baptism of Sufferings is that Passion Crucifying and death which the Body or flesh of Christ was to be Baptized or washed in Can ye be Baptized with the Baptism that I am Baptized with The Baptism of Sufferings is that in which the Lord Jesus was to be perfected according to the flesh it behooved him to make the Captain of our Salvation perfect through sufferings The Baptism of Sufferings is that Jordan that stream or flood of Passions which all the Spirituall Israelites were to pass through this was that River of Brimstone which is kindled from the breath of the Lord Jesus himself through the flowings of which he was able to conduct all his and Land them safely upon the shore or land of Promise or on the other side Jordan I have a Baptism to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished This Baptism of sufferings is that in which all the whole
Prophets even partakers of all his offices in Spirit he being the spiritual head of all his who are the spiritual body his Church The Christian under Episcopacy Prelacy Presbytery Baptism Independency c. THe whole world was divided into Jew and Gentile the Jew was that only visible Church of God to whom pertained the glory and the adoption and the Covenants and yet this Jewish Church was exceedingly faln from its glory and purity both of Priesthood and Worship and Administrations when Christ came So as now the Prophesy seemed to be fulfilled they were now without a King and without a Priest and without a Sacrifice and an Ephod and a Seraphim and were corrupted with many traditions and doctrines of men teaching for doctrines the traditions of men Thus was the Jew and their Church The Gentile had changed the truth of God into a lye and had worshiped the creature more then the Creator and had changed the glory of the incorruptible God and were given up to a reprobate mind and were therefore called sinners of the Gentiles alienated from the life of God strangers to the Covenants of Promise thus were the Gentiles full of Idols and Idol-temples sacrificing to devils and that way of the knowledg of God which was both in the law written in their hearts accusing or excusing and in the whole Creation where the eternal Power and Godhead was clearly seen even in the things that did appear even that way of the knowledg of God in them was darkned and they became vain in their imagination and their foolish hearts were darkned Now when Jew and Gentile were both thus yet God had his people amongst both amongst the Jew where Zacharias the Priest Elizabeth and Mary and Joseph and Simeon and Nicodemus a Ruler of the Pharises and Joseph of Arimathea with many such were like so many Starrs in a dark night Among the Gentile there was a Iob a Queen of Sheba a woman of Canaan the wise men that came to Ierusalem the Greeks that came to see Iesus Cornelius the Centurion so as in every Nation he that serveth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him and God is no accepter of persons When Iohn came who was a burning and a shining light he preached to and baptized all Iudea who went out to the Baptism of Iohn and taught his Disciples by formes of Prayer and such rudiments to their weakness and God had his people here that were under no more knowledge of Christ not higher revelation then this washing to Repentance and to him that should come after him and this low way of communion with God in forms or rules of Prayer given out by Iohn for so John taught Disciples When Christ came preaching the Gospel of the kingdom and teaching in Parables and Mysteries he had a People and Disciples who knew little of his sufferings that he should dye and rise again as Peter and the rest and knew little of that glorious doctrine and truth which he spake and preached to them till he took them alone and expounded to them those Mysteries and his Disciples were under a form and rule of Prayer as Iohns were Lord teach us to pray as Iohn taught his Disciples They saw little more of him then his fleshly presence and miracles they loved him and clave to him and followed him but had very few discoveries of him in Spirit except some few of them Iames and Peter and Iohn before whom he was transfigured in the Mount which was but figurative and typical of a more spiritual revelation And when the Spirit of Christ was come and the Apostles were sent forth in clearer evidences and demonstrations of Truth then some were under Iohns Baptism and knew not of any Holy Ghost some were under the law and zealous of the Law and Circumcision some regarded a day some eat herbs some were eating such things as were sacrificed to Idols So as here Gods people were found some in a corrupted Church as that of the Jews some under false worship and traditions some under Legall rites under formes or rules of prayer some under Johns Baptism under bondage of dayes and times and other outward things under the ignorance of Christs death and resurrection and of the holy Ghost So as all these things considered there will spring these Conclusions That the Nations commonly called Christians who are under the account of others as fals in their Church-constitution worship forms and order yet these things are not exclusive to the true Christian in Spirit or one born of God but in these commonly called Christians though under Episcopacy or Prelacy or Presbytery yet there may be such as have the true seed of God in them partakers of Jesus Christ true Disciples of Iesus Christ respectively to regeneration or the new birth if they wait in the encreasings of Christ and revelation of righteousnes from faith to faith That there are true and spiritual Disciples of Iesus Christ under forms of Prayer who have little more communion with God then in those formes as of Common-Prayer Book-prayers outward rules of worship so as they wait in these to come up into higher revelations of Spirit when discovered to them That there are such who are Christians anointed by the Spirit of God under observations of days times meats drinks several opinions of Christ of the Holy Ghost of the resurrection of Church order of Baptism of Water which is Iohns Baptism called Anabaptists so as they all in these several measures pass on from faith to faith and glory to glory The Christian in truth THat which forms essentiates or constitutes the true Christian is the Spirit of Jesus Christ that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit so as a man is a Christian from birth as he is born a man so he is born a Christian both are from birth and seed the one of flesh the other of Spirit The Christian is one who is of the second Adam as all men are of the first and the second man is the quickning spirit the Lord from heaven and so are they that are heavenly The Christian is one in whom Christ is formed or figured as the Greek word implies one that bears the image of the heavenly man who is the Image of Iesus Christ as Jesus Christ is the Image of the invisible God The Christian is one who hath the incorruptible seed in him or the word which liveth and abideth for ever which word is the Lord Jesus Christ who quickens the Saint and is the life of the Saint you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins The Christian is one who is in fellowship and conformity with Jesus Christ in his crucifyings death and resurrection in whom the flesh and life of the flesh must dye as it did in him and the Christian as Christ did must live in Spirit to God The Christian is one who is the new creature or new man for
in outward things of worship and disciplinewithout sin yet of no other but as the wisdom of God shall direct to edification and with care of offence and Scriptures allow To the weak I became as weak to them that were under the Law as under the Law to them that were without Law as without Law though not without Law to God Now in this Scripture liberty to things of former institution by God and of no such institution 〈◊〉 discovered those words under the Law contain liberty to things once instituted and those words without Law to things noâ—instituted and therefore the Apostlesaith We know an Idol is nothing Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge and again To the pure all things are pure and that that goes into the man defiles not the man And yet I know this very truth as well as that of the grace of God and all other truths may be turned into wantonness and licentiousness and not pure Christian liberty I am for the knowledg of God in the Father Son and Spirit and for true Christianity as it is in life and Spirit and power of godliness and for love to all but to the sins of all We are circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the Flesh I have spoken of the true Christian under that more grosse form of Episcopacy not approving that form but in order to higher and more spirituall discoveries and this I do because I finde God in lower as well as higher in purer as well as more corrupt administrations and in tenderness and respect to many thousands in this Kingdom and many other Kingdomes who are not yet out of this form and yet God may be in them as in Germany Sweadland Denmark in England formerly and of late God having his more spirituall times for them as well as others I have spoken of things here sometimes very briefly because I finde less of man in writing the substance and truth of things so far as revealed in us then in tedious discourses and Paraphrases which are many times rather the works of reason and wit and art then of the Spirit of God and I have writ not in that common method of men because I received it not accordingly I finde two things which make some outward Ordinances so exceedingly and in divine right stood for the one is an opinion that there is a very modell in the Letter of Scriptures to be discovered which is to reduce Christians to bondage again and to a form without those very gifts which is not to be found in the word The other opinion is that the setting up such a form is an immediate way of fixing God and his Spirit upon it which indeed is a finer kinde of Idolatry to conceive that God enters into outward things and conveighs his all glorious and Almighty Spirit by them when as they are only signs figures and Images of more spirituall things enjoyed or to be enjoyed and that of Gods appearance and conveyance of himselfe in outward things according to this opinion is such as the Papists hold as to Images to things conferring grace Ex opere operato and all Idolaters accordingly conceiving that God immediatly informs glorifies and spiritualizes those formes and figures to the beholders as the Israelites when the Calf was made cryed these are they Gods O Israel I know Ordinances used in their true nature and as things that are the Parables figures and types of spirituall things are not to be rejected but many christians do sweetly partake of them in this their state of weakness and bondage wherein God makes heavenly things appear by earthly that men as Thomas may see and believe though blessed are they that have not seen and yet do believe All I have now to say to ye is this Something of a mysterie of God and something of a mysterie of Satan That of God is this that the Lord doth in much wisdome suffer the weaknesses of some spirituall men to come forth and by this he carries spirituall things in more mystery and manages the glory of his spirit through wayes and things which are an offence and scandall before the World by which some stumble and fall and are broken Christ was set up for the falling as well as rising of many in Israel That of Satan is this to observe how he fortifies corrupt nature against the spirit of God which spirit he knowes can only destroy his Kingdome and reveal the Kingdom of God and therefore counterfeits the spirit by false Revelations and appearances transforming himself into an Angell of light and then casting all this as a scandall upon the pure Spirit of God by reproaches viz. of praying by the spirit and preaching by the spirit and new Revelations and new Light thus making the world blaspheme and the weaker Saints afraid of the glory of the spirit lest it prove a delusion THE TABLE THE two Creations or Natures of Flesh and Spirit Pag. 1. The true Church 15. Antichrist within us 24. The Doctrine of Baptisms 26. The Baptisme of sufferings 27. The Baptisme of water or of John 29. The Baptisme of the Holy Ghost or gifts 33 The Baptisme of Christ 37 The diverse Ministery with the Ministery of Christ in his Saints 41 The passage from lower ministrations to higher 56. The Baptists 78. The spirit and life of outward Ordinances 84. The Christian under Prelacy Presbyterie Baptisme Independency c. 93. The Christian in truth 102. The Witnesses in Sackcloth what 105. Magistracy a power ordained of God 135. The discerning of Spirits 141. Principles of War and Peace 149. In order to Peace and Suffering and Love 1. The Will of God 154. 2. God changing dispensations 157. 3. The Law of nature and grace 159. 4. The Gospel method of victory 161. 5. How resistings in some are of the flesh and of the Law of nature in others 162. 6. The advantage Christians have of bondage 164. 7. upon what account the purest and freest outward liberty is 166. 8. A word concerning Heresie and Schisme 170. Heresie 173. Schisme 175. 9. Truth 177. The mysterie of true Christian liberty from God not from man or the power of man 182. A discovery of the highest attainments of the Protestants generally in the mysterie of salvation 185. Of Faith 189. A further discovery as to free-grace 190. A discoverie as to the generall point or Christ dying for all 196. The last discovery and as some say the highest and most glorious concerning the whole mysterie of God to men and this Creation 198. An additionall concerning Antichrist and the mysterie of iniquity 208. The severall attainments of the Common Protestant 218. The generall Redemptionist 219. The free Gratian 221. A discovery of prayer 223. A discovery of the Law 235. A discovery of duties and works 242. A discovery of outward Ordinances 244. A discovery of the Jewes and their
flesh of Christ is to be Baptized all which flesh is not that onely which Christ appeared in but that of his body or members With the baptism that I am baptized with shall ye be baptized That I may fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the Church The Baptism of water or of John THe Baptism of water is Johns Ministry unto Christ I indeed Baptize yee with water unto Repentance the Baptism of water was a Legall washing and therefore reckoned amongst things that are Legall The first Tabernacle stood in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnall Ordinances which divers washings are called Baptisms in the Greek The Baptism of Water was therefore in its Ministry administred by Iohn who was a Prophet nearer the more cleer Revelation of Jesus Christ then the rest for a greater Prophet then Iohn hath not risen and therefore this Ministration was administred by him who was a Prophet or one rather upon the account of the Law then the Gospel for he that was least in the Kingdome of God is greater then he The Baptism of Water was not given in Christs Ministery to his Disciples or Apostles who when he sent them out to preach first to the Iews gave them not one word to Baptize the Lord Iesus was Baptized by Iohn the Minister of Water to fulfill righteousness for his the Righteousness of washing which was Legall as Circumcision therefore we are said to be Circumcised with him in Baptism the Baptism of Water was performed by the Disciples and Apostles of Christ in the Name of the Lord Iesus as all other Legall Ordinances were for Circumcision and all was to Christ who was the end of the Law but Iesus Christ himself never Baptized any never was an administrator of it in his own person he Baptized none but his Disciples so as his Disciples Baptized none as his onely Ministration but as from Iohn and as in his Ministration unto the Lord Iesus and as a Ministration which was begun by one who was so eminent a Prophet and so acceptable to Disciples that were weak and Legall The Baptism of Water was more used by those Apostles or Disciples which were Jewish and to the Jews as Peter who had the Apostle-ship of Circumcision and so did Judaize more then by the Apostle who was less a Iew and had not seen Christ in the flesh but in the Spirit and was an Apostle to the Uncircumcision and professed he was not sent to Baptize but to preach the Gospel This Baptism of Water was called a Baptism of Repentance and of Manifestation to Israel because that comming of Christ in the flesh was the first opening of the Mystery of Christ in flesh to those who were under sin and bondage as the Iews and the Gentiles were The Baptism of the holy Ghost or gifts THe Baptism of the holy Ghost or Gifts is that Baptism which is said to be more properly Christs ministration He shall baptize yee with the holy Ghost and with fire The Baptism of the Holy Ghost or Gifts was that Baptism which the Lord Jesus promised his Disciples to fulfill upon them and upon their Ministration Go teach and Baptize all Nations in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and lo I am with you c. or I Disciple those Nations and Baptize them with the Holy Ghost in your ministration for we all know that Apostles and Disciples could not disciple or baptize any who is Paul or who is Apollos and this Ministration of the Holy Ghost or Gifts was to last that Age for so is the Greek not for ever and ever or to the end of the world as is commonly read but to the Age or during the time or for the fulfilling of that ministration The Baptism of Gifts or the Holy Ghost was administred from Christ in the Disciples ministration be Baptized and ye shall receive the gifts of the holy Ghost for the promise is to you and to your children c. which promise is that of gifts or the holy Ghost which was that thing promised by Iohn upon Christs Ministery he shall Baptize with the holy Ghost and was promised by Jesus Christ himself Ye shall be Baptized with the holy Ghost c. and Paul laid his hands on them and they received the holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost fell on them this was a promise in the Prophets too The Baptism of the Holy Ghost or Gifts and fire was in figure Gifts held forth the flowing of a more spirituall Nature or of the Spirit upon those who were true spirituall Disciples and fire was a sign or figure of the power of the Spirit in the Spirituall Disciples burning up and destroying flesh and the body of sin in them even this first creation upon which it fell for it sate upon each of them in fire signifying by its resting upon their flesh what part was designed to loss and purification The fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is if any mans work be burnt he shall suffer loss but he himself shal be saved yet so as by fire The Baptism of Christ THe Baptism of Christ which is his own proper and Spirituall and onely ministration is that by which all true Christians are Baptized into fellowship with him and oneness with him and so becomes wholly washed in the New creature or New man or Baptized into the very Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost of which that Baptism administred in gifts or the Holy Ghost by the Apostles more visibly was a sign The Baptism of Christ who is the Lord that Spirit the Image of the invisible God the quickning Spirit is that one Baptism spoken on in Ephes. 4. One Lord one faith one Baptism for Jesus Christ administring in himself and his own Spirituall Nature can onely make us thus one with himself and with his own body The Baptism of Christ thus Administred in his own Spirituall Nature upon his is that very Baptism by which we are in the fellowship of his sufferings and of his death as many as are baptized into Christ are Baptized into his death and as many as are baptized into Christ have put on Christ so as this Baptism by which we are all Baptized into Christ and put on Christ and his death is spirituall for Christ can not be truely put on nor any thing of his his sufferings death or resurrection but in Spirit and Truth whereby we are truely crucified and dead with him to our selves and the world and alive with him in one spirit the same Spirit that raised up Iesus Christ shall also quicken our mortall bodies The Baptism of Jesus Christ is that whereby we are baptized into his body now
the glory of those Baptists that did undertake to administer which in the Scripture method is sufficient for all others of whom the Scripture is silent And for that of Christs Disciples both in Iohns time and Christs and after his Resurrection in the Acts of the Apostles baptizing by water we finde this That the Lord Jesus himself baptized none but his Disciples nor did he in his first sending them forth give them any power to baptize as in his Ministery but they Baptized upon Iohns account that of water being his ministration who Baptized unto Christ as well as they though not in that cleerness of ministration and Doctrine as they did and therefore Paul did tell the Corinthians he was not sent to Baptize and did it according to his spirituall liberty he was a Iew to the Iew c. and Peter and the rest did it upon the like account though I beleeve they were under more bondage to these outward things as washing for Peter was an Apostle to the Circumcision and Ananias who baptized Paul was a Jewish Disciple And further I beleeve that as the Lord did suffer the Law of Ceremonies to dye out by degrees and to be worn out by the ministration of the Gospel so he did that part of Johns Ministery of washing by the Baptism of Christ of his Spirit I must decrease but he must increase which surely was spoken not according to the persons of John and Christ but according to their ministration which is the great thing the Scripture takes notice on The Spirit and life of outward Ordinances THe second Man or Adam in whom we all live is a quickning spirit and the Lord from heaven and is at the right hand of God viz. in the choicest glory of the Father That by which the people of God or all true Christians are born is the seed of God or Word of God or the divine nature of Jesus Christ or the Spirit of God which is called sanctification regeneration That the true spirituall Christian is that new creature that sanctified one or regenerate one who is thus born and hath Christ formed on him and this new creature is fed by the Spirituall life of Christ That the new creature or spiritual man is one who receives all his growth and encreasings in the power seed and Principle of the Spirit of God or Jesus Christ That the Ministry or Ministration by which he grows up to that fulness of stature in Iesus Christ is a Ministry or ministration of glory spirit That the true and spiritual Baptism by which every Christian is baptized into Christs death is the Baptism of Blood which is the righteousness spirit or life of Christ That the due and spiritual Sacrament of the Lords Supper is the very body and blood of Christ in the Spirit or that pure spirituall nature of Iesus Christ quickning and feeding up the Christian into a spirituall life and vnion with God That the true spirituall Minister is Iesus Christ who is called a Minister of the Sanctuary which the Lord pitched and not men That Iesus Christ is the true Spiritual Apostle sent out from God to reveal the Father and is so called by the Spirit of God in Scriptures the Apostle and high-priest of our profession That Iesus Christ is the true spirituall Prophet that teaches his people so as they are all taught of God and is so called in Sccriptures a Prophet which the Lord God raised up in stead of Moses That the true Spirituall Pastor is Iesus Christ who is that one Shepherd prophesied on who can lead his people onely into green Pastures or places of life That the Spirits of just men made perfect or the true Christian in spirit are those true spirituall Elders in the New Testament That the true Church of Christ is that spirituall company whom Christ hath washed in his blood cloathed in his righteousness sanctified in his spirit espoused to himself this is the City of the living God the heavenly Ierusalem the generall Assembly and Church of the first-born the House and Temple and Kingdome of God That the true spiritual keyes of the Kingdom of God is the very Spirit of God the very Spiritual power of Jesus Christ upon beleevers and unbeleevers who hath the keyes of David and opens and no man shuts and shuts and no man opens That true spiritual excommunication is Jesus Christ who is mighty in Spirit and Power in all his pronouncing an anathema maranatha or curse upon all flesh and delivering the body or sinful flesh over to Sathan or the power of darkness whereby flesh and every fleshly member is cast out from all communion with God and Jesus Christ and from those who are indeed born of God and are the true Spirituall Church of God which is no more then that true difference and distinction which Jesus Christ puts betwixt the pretious and the vile The true Spirituall Gospel-Order which the Apostle rejoyced to behold is that spirituall distinction and variety in the body of Christ wherein one Member differs from another in measure of Spirit and Glory and Power and yet all compleat and make perfect that body of Christ in the Spirit for he being a spiritual head must have a spirituall body The true Spiritual government is Christ reigning in the Saints in Spirit ordering them in thought word and deed holding forth his power and scepter which is a scepter of righteousness against flesh and blood Principalities and Powers spirituall wickedness in high places The true Spiritual Covenant is the New Covenant which God makes with us in Christ and wherein he is manifested to be their God and they his people to teach them and write his law in their hearts The true Spirituall Ordination is the hand of Jesus Christ stretched out or laid on upon the Spirits of such Christians as preach or Prophesy of the Ministery of the Gospel that is such are rightly and purely ordained and sent out who are sent out from the power of the Lord Iesus to whom all power in heaven and earth is given and are annointed of him to preach the Gospel and sent of him who ascended to give gifts unto men some Apostles some Evangelists some Prophets some Pastors some teachers The true spirituall tryall or examination of the gifts of any is then when the Spirit of the Prophets is onely subject to the Prophets that is when the gift by which any one speaks of Jesus Christ is manifested in the hearts and spirits of the Saints when they see the truths they minister as they are in Jesus and in themselves and in them that are spiritual and truly anointed by the same Spirit and so are all Prophets according to the measure given or as they are all baptized into one spirit and body and have all received of his fulness who is that great Prophet raised up of our brethren like unto Moses and are redeemed to be Kings and Priests and
state and persecution of the Lord Iesus in Spirit and the time of the womans being in the wilderness all things in this time seeming as a wast and barren dispensation about her not inhabited by the Spirit of God and she in a retirement of Spirit dweling with God out of the power of the Dragon who casts only his flood after her but not upon her So as here is no more in this time of Antichrists ragin in the Flesh and the World but only the Churches oppression in Spirit and the crucifying the Lord in Spirit And all these appearances of the Lord Iesus in many glorious Saints who in particular ages appeared were but appearances of him who is that Faithfull and true witness against this power of the man of sin and were but drops of the vialls Soundings of the Trumpets openings of the Seales before the Battle of the great Day when fire shall come down from God out of heaven and devour them the Lord Iesus being revealed in flames of Spirit and glory against all Flesh So as there is not any word appearing in all the Scripture that the first ministry by gifts and ordinances shall in any measure be continued though in part or in reservation to the restored as if this were the great work the Lord intended to bring to pass viz. the setting up a purer ministery of gifts to teach his people or restoring some legal ordinances as Baptism of water the church way or Presbyterie of Elders and all the glory of the last times or ages should be only the bringing in these and taking them out of the hands of Antichrist all which arise from a mistake of the type of the Iewish Apostacy and captivity which figured out the Spirituall Church or new Ierusalem in Babylon or Captivity to the flesh or man of sin in all his deceivableness and Power and the restoring of all shall be only the appearance of the Lord Iesus who shall destroy Antichrist with the brightness of his coming and the two edged Sword of his mouth his Spirit And there is not a word spoken in all the Scriptures of these things to be restored as gifts and ordinances but the glory of the Lord in Spirit and therefore the Reformation or Restauration that the Lord Iesus brings with him for Moses Ioshua and all the reforming Kings of Iudah were but types of him the last and most excellent and glorious Reformer King of Kings and Lord of Lords that Reformation I say that he brings with him is the revelation of himself in Spirit he and his Father being the light and Temple of his people for there shall be no other there This shal be a glory without Sun or Moon or Stars or any such low or faint appearance as gift or ordinance but the Lord God shall be the everlasting light and God the glory and light shal cover the earth as the waters cover the sea light shal not Sparkle or be in bright beams as in a gift or an ordinance but it shal flow out from the Lord himself even cover the earth swallowing up or overflowing all earthly administrations And it shal be as much â—â—stacy in the Saints to go back to that first ministry of the Gospel-times which was the ministery to the first discovery of that mystery hid from ages as it would have been in them to have gone back to Iewish Temple and Preisthood c. And have taken the setting up of those to have been the great and only Reformation of Christ come in the flesh and as the Lord Iesus himself did in his coming in the flesh fulfill all these and destroy nothing save only as to the outward and perishing nature of those ordinances and Rudiments of the law So in this his last glory to be revealed in the saints here he shall not destroy any of the first ministry of the Gospel by gifts and ordinances but shal fulfil it It being but a type of his glory to be revealed in the Saints and the former ministery is only destroyed as to that outward Perishing part of it And this destruction of Antichrist and the glory to be revealed is the Prophesie of the Prophets and John in the Revelation and is the sum and substance of all types and ministrations wch were before So as all the pretended Reformations by gifts and Ordinances which tends to a reducing us to that first ministery of the Apostles times which that of Presbytery of Independency and baptism-way endeavors is but a building up such things as the Lord wold have destroyed it being an administration which he would use no longer therfore suffered Antichrist to prevail upon it and the man of sin to overcome it and as God to sit in the Temple or in all that outward form and worship figured out in that word the Temple as God or as God himself used to do when he was pleased to appeare there And therefore all that ministery and Pastourship and teaching is not at all upon the account of the first Gospel-ministration according to that very glory of the gifts and pure anointing by which they did minister as the oracles of God and very truthes of God as they did then so farre as they Spake or did any thing in the holy Ghost but they now I mean the Pastours and ministers do Speak and minister doubtfully darkly uncertainly more in the flesh then the Spirit not at all in any thing of unction or annointing exceeding any private Christian or distinct according to any gift of the holy Ghost but so farr only as they exceed others in parts wit or learning which are upon a lower account of the Spirit then the firsts gifts upon that of Arts and sciences And therefore if Pastours ministers and Christians who cannot now minister as the oracles of God nor according to the very gifts of the holy Ghost then wil be content to Prophesie as Christ wil only allow his Witnesses to do even all that bear Witness of him in Sackcloth according to that poor low and legal account and humble condition they are in it being yet the time of Antichrists raign not of Christs and not assume to themselves the names Offices Preheminence glory obedience very administrations which were then in power and in the holy Ghost both in Pastour and Churches and not walk as full and rich and wanting nothing when as they are poor miserable and naked The Church of Laodicea being a figure of all such for my part I then shal look on all such as in the Spirit and walking humbly with God and prophesying in sackcloth and waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus nor do deny but Christians in these wayes and administrations have enjoyed God sweetly though they be not such ways as God approves on though he suffer as many of the Godly Bishops and Martyrs did enjoy Iesus Christ in their times of Ceremonies and Forms of Prayer God stil appearing to
and a rain-bow round about the Throne which rain-bow is a glory of many colours or a figure of the glory of Jesus Christ in many appearances of things below 3. The law of nature and grace THe Christian is one who should live in an higher region then flesh or nature and when God saith come up hither he shal live there even in Spirit with him so as though grace destroys not nature yet it perfects and glorifies nature and leads it out into higher and more excellent attainments then it can find in it self nature lives by this law preserve thy self thy life thy lands thy rights and priviledges avenge thy self an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and love only thy neighbor Grace lives by this law deny thy self forsake lands life houses take up the Cross if he take thy cloak let him have thy coat also love thy enemies bless them that curse thee when thou art reviled revile not again when thou suffer'st threaten not 4. The Gospel method of victory SUfferings are ways of victory in another method and form he that conquers under persecution receives in the enmity wrath and opposition of his enemies into himself and there quenches it and destroys it in Spirit for the Christian being one with the Lord Jesus flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone is partaker of that power and glory which was in Christ and through him who hath overcome the world we are more then conquerors and this is our victory even our faith and the strength and life of Christ is shed abroad through all his People so as death hath no sting for them and the grave no victory over them the violence of fire is quenched mouthes of lyons stopped kingdoms subdued 5. How Resistings in some are of flesh and of the law of nature in others REsistings are ever from want of conformity to the will of God and though God order and dispose all the ways of man and act them to his own purpose and glory yet the weakness and self-ish courses of man are no way excusable because of that for man acts from a principle of his own and of flesh contrary to that revealed and manifested providence that God held forth to him and in that he originally and naturally departs from God and becomes a god unto himself judging good and evil for himself which is the tasting of the forbidden tree and seeks out many inventions Thus it is in some yet in others it is from that very law of nature and self-preservation under which they live and are acted 6. The advantage Christians have of bondage THere are times of bondage which God hath for his and through which they must pass into more spiritual liberty and enjoyments of Jesus Christ for God hath this design to encrease his Gospel by scattering such as profess it amongst other people that the earth may be filled with knowledge and to make his own fulness the portion of his people and to carry them through some conformity to the flesh of Iesus Christ even the fellowship of his sufferings and death which is most spiritual as it is most inward and in Spirit or sinful flesh but as it is more outward and carnal as in persecution so it is a figure or image of the more spiritual and further the bondage of Gods people according to this account I speak on is in the type of the Iews bondage when the Caldeans were to take Ierusalem Ieremiah told them he that goeth forth to the Caldeans shal live and shal have his life for a prey and go forth says he to the King of Babylons Princes and live but if ye stay in the City ye shal be consumed which is a figure or shadow of abiding longer in any dispensation or way then God is clearly in it and his presence appears upon it 7. Vpon what account the purest and freest outward liberty is THe People of God shal receive their best and purest outward liberty upon another account then their own strength design and activity and that is by these wayes The glory of Christ and the light of God shining more in their faces and outward man the nations shal bring their glory unto them and shal take hold of the Skirt of him that is a Jew and say we heare that God is in you The meekness peace love and righteousness that shall appear from them as beams from the Sun shall much prevail upon the world which are those only graces that the world can love and be enamoured on in Gods people for they are graces that go out to the blessing and prosperity and preservation of the world and in such a dispensation as this it is that all men love God because he appears to them in things of their own nature his Sun shining upon the unjust and his rain upon the wicked and in such a dispensation it is that men shall love the people of God while they shine upon them in such things as they can bear and love though stil according to another Revelation of them or manifestation of God in them they shall be hated as they do God himself And the other way for liberty is the power of God upon the hearts of Princes and nations of which Cyrus and Darius were figures and the King of Babylon lifting up the head of Iehoiakin And that other way is the Spirituallity of Gods people raising them from the love of worldly Interests and Ingagements save only for righteousness sake and the good of nations in administration of judgment and peace and when Christians appear to the world more disingageed from the love of power Dominion Riches earthly glory and the nations find them not in their own ways nor desiring to live with them in their borders and fruitfull plains nor seeking their vineyards nor plucking apples from their trees their jelousy revenge enmity in part and persecution shal cease towards them the other way is God shal make Ierusalem a burthensom stone and a cup of trembling to all nations they shall be weary of afflicting them because of the affliction that shal come upon them where they are carried away captive and the Philistines were a type of this when they found the Ark of God plaguing them with Emrods and they were to send it away with an offering 8. A word concerning Heresie and Schism SOme books have been writ against me and I have been silent and was rather willing to sit under the shadow of anothers contradiction and reproach then to reply till God by his Spirit in the hearts of such as did oppose might bring forth my righteousness as the noon day and then we who had been enemies through the several measures of light we see by and judging each other rather in flesh then Spirit might rejoyce and embrace as brethren in the unity of the same faith and I saw further that in books of controversie
of the children of the bondwoman and of the Christians under the Apostacy or in meer letter and corrupted forms of worship and as the Jew was reckoned before to be the people of meer Ordinances and of the worship of God according to the letter of Scriptures to whom the Oracles of God were committed and to whom pertained c. so the Christians generally who are now the people of the New Testament as to letter and of all the worship according to the scriptures in the letter are that Jew under the new Testament answering to the Jew under the old there being two seeds according to the flesh and according to promise though they by promise or faith are counted for the seed The calling of the Jews is the bringing up the Christians from letter to Spirit and according to this mystery the Jews shal be called and converted dayly and are for in the whole Nations of Christians as of Italy Germany Poland Denmark Spain France Scotland England c. the Lord shal call in many by his own Spirit into himself and shal be revealed in them in power not in form That the Jews who are by nature Jews or according to fleshly generation shal be no otherwise called but as the other Jew of which they are a figure and thus they interpret the call of the Iews and not in any such outward observation as men commonly suppose not remembring that the kingdom of God comes not with observation as to the world and that the day of the Lord shal come as a snare upon all the earth All false worships ways practised in Conscience or in Liberty will be destroyed in Christ's day GOD hath a time before Christ come in Spirit as he had before Christ came in the flesh a time wherein he suffered long and was patient and was revealed to his people though dwelling in much Gentilism Judaism and ignorance and therefore Gods appearance or communion with his people from the time of the falling away or of the man of sin being revealed hath bin in grace and long suffering and hath patiently born his being crucified in spirituall Sodome or Egypt and therefore he hath been with his people under Popery under Episcopacy and is at this day not in approbation of their forme but in his own meer love grace and long-suffering and is at this day accordingly with the people in Independency Presbytery Baptism c. and all other male-administrations The Lord Jesus hath a day and time to be revealed in which is his coming in the Saints when he will judge the World and then shall Antichrist be consumed and the flesh of the whore or Babylon in all her administrations shall be tormented and burnt with fire and not a little one of Babylon shall be spared but dashed against the stones not the purest Idols she hath even Idols of gold and silver with all her merchandise pearls and pretious stones and cynamons and odours and frankincense all things of false worship c. and administration though very sweet and pretious in the judgement of flesh and blood and then shal all the saints Indulgencies cease to all these things under which they are now walking some in Conscience some in Liberty even then when Gods indulgency ceases A discovery of Christ in us SOme say it is no other but habits of grace in us and such a work of sanctification mortification wrought by the graces of the Spirit and this they say is Christ formed in us the image of Christ the conformity to Christ this the Protestant generally Others say Christ in us is when we are made the anointed of God which is the Christ or the whole entire Christ as one spiritual new man And that the image of Christ in us is Christ manifested in our flesh as to sufferings and death whereby the flesh is crucified in the power of God and of the Spirit and the outward man or the Flesh is dying and perishing even day by day and is then dead when the very life of the Flesh is slain and we live no more unto our selves but God or Christ liveth in us it being no more we that live and manifested as in resurrection or in the life of the Spirit wherein we who were dead in sins and trespasses are risen with Christ who is the resurrection and the life I am the resurrection and the life The Fiery Tryall THere is a State and condition of Christians scarce known and it is the fiery Tryall or that power of God put forth upon the administrations that Christians are under and so passing out of them into higher discoveries of God and the fiery tryall is the Spirit of God burning up or destroying such an administration to a Christian as when a Christian passes from a meer legall state into a state lesse legall or more Gospell receiving some more precious and sweet appearances of God in Grace and free promises in this passage there is a Fiery Tryall upon that first Administration that was Legall whereby mans own righteousness is consumed and crucified to a more excellent discovery of God and even in that more Gospel-State of a Christian whereby he enjoyes God in that ministration of graces gifts and Ordinances there will be a fiery Tryall in a Christians passage into more glorious manifestations of God and there will be a burning and torment even in that ministration of his graces and gifts c. And this State is Prophesied of in that Scripture the sun shall be turned into darkness the moon into blood before that great and notable day that is not only the Lord Iesus the Sun as some say wil be as darkness to the world c. but all that which was the glory and light of a Christian and his way of communion with God his Sun and Moon and Stars shal be darkned and become as blood before that notable day or that more excellent revelation of God and that of Peter but the day of the Lord will come c. in the which the heavens shal pass away with a great noise and the elements shal melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up which is not only a Prophecy of the last judgment but of the particular judgment upon former administrations in a Christian which is figured out in the heavens and earth and elements which are those more or less glorious administrations and the fire is that trial by the Spirit of God which as fire burns and destroys This is accordingly figured out in that to the Corinthians The fire shal try every mans work of what sort it is If any mans work shal be burnt he shal suffer loss which work is those several administrations of gold silver pretious stones wood hay stubble which pass under the revelation of the day or glory of Christ or fire of the spirit This is
it but the peace and prosperity of Kingdomes and Magistrates who establish it and the life glory and happiness destruction and death of Kingdomes is wrapped in the Christians life or death they are the parts and Members of Christ the apple of his eye his Jewels his anointed his Prophets his Children As therefore ye look to be prospered by this Spirit of God as ye look for wisdom from this Spirit of God to govern this State as ye look for comfort from this Spirit of God in all your distresses as ye look for gifts from this Spirit of God in all the administrations as ye look for the sweet spirituall breathings and refreshment from this Spirit of God in all the severall changes of this creation love preserve Indulge this Spirit quench not oppose not oppress not this Spirit confine it not to one outward form or fellowship of men which are not that Catholick Church that Apostleship of infallibility and they that are spirituall live in that spirit truth which makes them free indeed and it is below that Spirit of God to Petition liberty of conscience in spirituals from any men or Magistrates in the World because God will make Ierusalem a cup of trembling to all Nations and a stone of astonishment and the spirituall Christians will rather hold forth such things to bear witness to the truth and to desire all to forbear persecution as much for their own sakes who persecute as for theirs who are persecuted And for that just power of Magistracy I acknowledge it a Power Ordained of God for administration of Iustice and righteousness in the societies of men and nations a Minister of God for good a terrour to evill works and that we are to be subjest to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake and for this cause we pay tribute to whom tribute honour to whom honour and all societies of Christians by no pretence of religion or liberty for the worship of God are to resist or disturb the civill administration of this power but as to that consideration all Christians are to suffer according to the will of God all lawfull ways for preservation of States and Kingdomes still excepted and all such Magistracy are to preserve their respective States by all wholesome lawfull cautionary Lawes and Ordinances in Peace so as while liberty or indulgency as to the tender consciences in Religion is spoken on yet no less security of the State no diminution to the just power of Magistracy no less preservation of the Peace of the Kingdom is desired by those that are truly spirituall And though many suffer under the name of Hereticks and Schismaticks before ye for not conforming to the present doctrine and discipline established Right Honourable consider whether this doth not call in question all the very present doctrine and discipline so established for by this very thing of judging all Inconformity to the present worship and form of things to be Heresie by the same all this present form of worship and confession of faith is judged Heresie and Schism to the late former government and doctrine established in the Church of England this present Synod of men being no more that visible Catholike Church and infallible Apostleship then the former were so as the changing the former Articles of the Church of England into a new confession of faith the Episcopacy into Presbytery and so altering both the fundamentals in religion and the discipline is equally new light and Heresie As to the former doctrine and discipline and if it be objected but this present Synod are men of more light and Piety then the former and so they establish more truth and bring in more Reformation if so why is there not more love more peaceableness more self-deniall more power of godliness then there was in the suffering Bishops and the Preaching Lay-Martyrs then who loved Christ in himself and in one another And now Noble Senators since very worthy things have been formerly done by ye unto this Nation let not your Sun set in a cloud nor your light shine upon those that have loved you as the Moon once upon the Water making it of the colour of Blood are ye not come to the Kingdome in Peace Are not the gleanings of Ephraim in the Vintage Did not David say shall any man be put to death this day in Israel The Lord enlighten ye if it be his will more and more in the knowledge of Iesus Christ and of the love of God and of all who have any thing of God in them and let you see those things which concerne your peace in this your day Your Honours humble Servant John Saltmarsh To all true Christians Friends THE only scope of this Book is to minde ye of an higher excellency than meer created things can afford ye of the truth as it is in Jesus or in Spirit And of that unity of Spirit which Christians should live in under their severall forms and attainments and I have not held forth any discovery of truth or of any higher dispensation so as to darken too much other dispensations in which Christians live or to lessen and undervalue their attainments but only to be faithfull in the power of God to his discoveries in my own spirit I desire we may all bear one anothers burdens and consider that God is in all his severall dispensations and measures and Christians are not to hasten out of any till the Lord himself say come up hither and the stronger are to bear the infirmities of the weak I am not against the Law nor repentance nor duties nor ordinances as some would say So as all these flow from their right principle to their right end I am not against the setling of Church-Government Prudentially as now so as all of another way be not persecuted Because I know God hath his people under severall attainments and measures and is to his people in all these in his meer grace and love as formerly to the Bishops and thousands of weak Christians in Queen Elizabeths and Queen Maries dayes of Martyrdom in their forms I am only against any form as it becomes an engine of persecution to all Christians differing from it I am not against the sitting of an Assembly or Synod at Westminster that are so perswaded because that is but to allow such liberty to others consciences as we desire our selves and surely if they would propound such things only as they have received or they are in conscience perswaded of to all the Kingdom and so leave it to the Spirit of God and their ministery to perswade and convince all others and not desire power from others to compell this were but to minister as they had received I have stated some things and truths as they are held in those very grounds the Spirit of God in the Reader may Judge truth without any determination of man I have spoken concerning the libertyof some that are spirituall
Creation which is created according to God in righteousnesse and true holinesse which righteousnesse is called the righteousnesse of God and true holinesse which is an holinesse more glorious then the holinesse of the first Creation an holiness which is of God not of man and therefore true holinesse or holiness in truth This Jesus or second Adamas he is Spirit is called theImage of the invisible God the brightnesse of his glory andexpresse Image of his Person is the life manifested the Word of God he that is alive for evermore the Alpha and Omega the beginning and theending this is he who is the wisdom mind or understandingof God and was in God and is the Immanuel or Godwith us or God making hisTabernacle with men This Jesus Christ is that glory of God in which the Father is revealed and so none knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son wil reveal him This is he who being in the bosome of God declares him to the sons of men and so rejoyces in the habitable parts of the earth This Jesus Christ is therevelation of God even theFather this is the glasse orchrystal of God in whom we with open face behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord and are changed from glory toglory The Sons of men taken into this glory of the Son of God are that new or second Creation that new Ierusalem which came down from God the city of the living God the Spirits of just men made perfect the new creature the heavenly men as is the Lord from heaven so are they that are heavenly the spirituall men of him who is the quickning Spirit So as Jesus Christ is made unto us the wisdom power righteousnesse sanctification and redemption of God This Iesus Christ is the root seed principle or original of all this new and heavenly life glory and spirit to the Sons of men wherein they enter within the vail or flesh which is the first Creation beyond which is this glory and light The vail of this first Temple or Creation being rent by him who crucified all flesh through the eternal Spirit and entered into his glory and is now passed into the holiest through whom we have access to God even the Father through the blood of the everlasting Covenant which blood was the first Creation and Excellency crucified to the very life and blood of it this was the seal or mark of the New Testament in his blood This Son of God is he who came to restore the first Creation from its enmity to God and so in that Ministry of his flesh became the word of reconciliation by which the world was reconciled unto him and in this Creation wherein man had sinned and departed from God living in his own life the Son of God was manifested in this Creation to condemn sin in the flesh and to take away sin and to fulfil the righteousnesse of the Law in the flesh of this first Creation the law being weak through the flesh and thus he was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him not only righteousnesse according to the law Christ being the end of the law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth but the righteousness of God a righteousness of more glory and excellency The Son of God did not only fulfil this bringing home this first Creation or man to God according to his first excellency and communion with God but in this appearance in the flesh he was a figure of God whose design is to make his Saints his Temple his Tabernacle his Body his new Creation his new creatures his habitation or house And God thus manifested in flesh was a figure of that mystery of godlinesse in us or God becoming an Immanuel or God with us And in his crucifying all this first glory in which hee appeared revealed that old design of God that mystery hid from ages and now made manifest to the Saints nayling all the flesh of his Saints to the same Crosse and being lifted up draws all men unto him which is the Mystery of the Gospel or Christ crucified all the life or excellency of this first Creation being crucified in the Saints as in Christ whereby they enter into their glory as he did into his and are in the same glory of God made one as he and the Father are one This is that fellowship of Christs death sufferings and resurrection spoken of by Paul into which the Christian is received And now all things of this new or second Creation as they are spiritual and heavenly are only in and through the same Spirit and discerned in the same Spirit And the whole Christ or Son of God is head and body he and his who shal enjoy and live with God in one Spirit when God shal be all in all and the fulnesse of the stature of Christ grown up to be the body of him who filleth al in al And Jesus Christ in this consideration of the whole man nature or body in which God is revealed is the beginning of the Creation of God the first born of every creature in whom all things subsist The true Church THat is the Church or body of Christ which is baptized by one Spirit into oneness and unity of Spirit a unity or incorporation with Christ being made perfect in one even one as thou Father art in me and I in thee This body is that wherein all the members live and arequickned in one and the sameSpirit with Christ and in this unity if one member suffer all the members suffer with it All the members of this body have the same care one of another This body is spiritual and al the members of it spiritual because Christ is the head of it and he is a quickning Spirit and the Lord that Spirit That is the true Church which is the Temple of God where God dwels ye are the Temples of the holy Ghost Jesus Christ is the chief corner stone of this Temple elect and precious this is the Temple which the Angel measures with a golden reed and the Altar thereof or the eternal Spirit upon which all the first creation is offered in the Saints as it was offered in Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himself leaving out the outward court or the flesh and first Creation and all outward administrations which are given to the Gentiles to tread down The Tabernacle and Temple were figures of this wherein God and the glory of God appeared and all gatherings Communions or Fellowships called Churches in the Gospel were clearer types of this This is the Church which is the pillar and ground of truth the generall Assembly and Church of the
his body is a Spirituall one and fashioning like his glorious one by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body The Baptism of Christ is that whereby we are compleat in him now we are compleat in him onely by being one with him in Spirit and Nature He being made unto us Righteousness and Sanctification c. and thus we are said to be circumcised with the circumcision made without hands and buried with him in baptism wherein also we are risen with him through faith or Spirit so as we are Baptized in him as we are Circumcised in him that is we are all in him and as the Circumcision is without hands so is the Baptism it being the Apostles whole business in this Chapter to take us and the Colossians up higher then rudiments which perish with using The Baptism of Christ is that true spirituall washing and clensing wherein all his are baptized not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ and this is the Baptism which is said in this place to save us as Noahs Ark did those eight persons in figure therefore saith the Apostle the like figure whereunto Baptism doth now save us The Divers Ministery with the Ministery of Christ in his Saints UNder the Law there was a Priest-hood the administration of the Law and Sacrifices being gathered up into one Tribe that of Levi none was to take this Office but he that was called of God as was Aaron Under the Law there were Prophets as Moses Samuel Elijah Isaiah Ezekiel c. the Interpretation of the Law and the more spirituall Revelation of the Will of God were administred by the Prophets or some few to whom the Word of the Lord came Both Priests and Prophets were Types and Figures of Jesus Christ to come the the great high Priest and Prophet of his people as well as in ministery to the people In the more cleer Revelation of the Gospell the administration of Christ was committed to a few or certain Disciples in distinction of Gifts and Office twelve of whom were called Apostles and seventy Disciples When Jesus Christ went out of flesh into spirit or ascended he confirmed and setled this ministration by powring out gifts of Spirit for the more glorious and visible quickning and spiritualizing this Ministration he ascended up on high and gave gifts unto men he gave some Apostles some Evangelists some Prophets some Pastors some Teachers for the work of the Ministery c. During the Ministration of Iesus Christ in the Church in this distinction and diversity of gifts there were such as were spiritually visibly gifted accordingly so as the Apostles and Evangelists and Prophets and Pastors were known to be such both by the Saints or people of God to whom they did according to their gifts administer and to themselves they administring in the knowledge of such gifts of Spirit as were in them During this Ministration of Iesus Christ by Apostles Evangelists Prophets Pastors c. the Disciples that were not in the distinction or number of such but were onely called Disciples yet did Preach and administer as they had received Antichrist or the Mystery of Iniquity came in upon this Ministration by gifts and Ordinances and the glory of the Spirit and power of gifts went off from the visible Church as the glory of God from the Temple to the threshold til it was wholy departed this was the falling away prophesied on by Paul and by Iohn in his Epistles and in the Revelation in the vision of the Churches of Asia and of the Beast and false Prophet All things in the visible Churches of the Nations were and are in the absence of the Spirit and of gifts administred by Arts and Sciences Grammatical knowledge of tongues and languages and according to some spiritual measure received in some to whom these things are in some degree sanctified and spiritualized All knowledge and understanding of the Original all Interpretation of Scriptures is according to the outward and inward administration of both through Arts Sciences and tongues acquired and through such a measure of spirituall understanding as each have received There is no restauration of these gifts of Spirit which were in the first ministration of the Church as of Apostles Evangelists Prophets Pastors Teachers according to the first institution that is so as the gifts of all these Offices are cleerly to be seen and discerned in Spirit to be the very unction and gift either of Prophet or Pastor or Teacher as in the first Ministration which will more cleerly appear in singling that pure gift of Spirit that is in each from the habits of Arts and Sciences and Languages acquired and from that Spirituall understanding which is in all the Saints according to that work of the Spirit or regenerate part in them which is one and the same for nature and substance of regeneration with all so as no super-added or proper or distinguishing gifts appear upon any other account but either a naturall or artificiall or purely Spirituall account not upon any account of distinction of gifts and Office as at first when the Spirit was poured out and this will appear yet more in comparing times and persons and gifts our times with the first our Pastors even of all Churches with the first and the gifts of al now with the gifts then then the Spirit of God was poured out in gifts and the Disciples were taught of God and Prophesied and Preached from the meer gift and spirit received but now Prophets and Pastors are taught from another account viz. upon a more Artificial and industrious and humane account and their regenerate Nature then they ministred and spake as the Oracles of God then they spake as the Spirit onely gave them utterance The Ministery that is raised up to destroy Antichrist or the man of sin which prevailed against the first ministry and gifts is to be more glorious and powerful and mighty as the Ministry of gifts was more excellent then that of the Law and so destroyed that power of Apostacy that had prevailed upon the Priesthood and Law then so the Ministry that is to destroy that mystery of iniquity which prevailed upon the Gospel Ministry of gifts must be more excellent and glorious and powerful then that and this is Jesus Christ himself called the Prophet whom we are to hear and that GOD of whom we shal all be taught Ye shal be all taught of God and he that shal destroy Antichrist by the brightness of his coming and that Angel with the everlasting Gospel prophesied on by John preaching and enlightning the earth with his glory this is the day of Iesus Christ whose coming is prepared as the morning The Ministry of Iesus Christ this Angel of the Covenant is through his
he that sits upon the Throne in his Spirit saith behold I make all things all new old things in him as corruptions and lusts do pass away The Ministry that hath been since Antichrist or the mystery of iniquity reigned without or in the worship of God in all Societies of Christians called Churches whether in Presbytery Independency or Baptism is not the same with that first Ministry of the Gospel in pure gifts and is no other then the witnesses in sackcloth THe Lord Jesus ascendedup on high out of flesh into Spirit and gavegifts unto men he gave some Apostles some Evangelists some Prophets some Pastors some Teachers In this administration of gifts the mystery of Iesus Christ or the Gospel was revealed and carryed on till the time Prophesied on by the Spirit of God wherein the mystery of iniquity should prevail and the falling away should be and the man of sin should be revealed and perillous times should come and this mystery of iniquity did so darken and overcast all this administration of the Gospel in gifts and ordinances or outward administrations as there was a visible Apostacy respectively to those very pure gifts of the Spirit and pure administrations respectively to the first institution and this is no more then the experience of our own age and the times before so far as any History can make apparent doth clearly demonstrate so as that administration of Spirit or Ordinances which hath been in several times since the first pure Gospel-day or time wherein the Spirit did minister in truth and demonstration hath been but in some faint and smal discoveries of the Spirit and Letter as in those of Huss Luther Wickcliff Calvin Peter Martyr and Bede with all the rest of our many Martyrs in the kingdom who were glorious lights respectively to the darkness of that generation yet if compared with the pure glory of the first Gospel-administration in gifts and ordinances were far below and in darkness and weakness to that so as I look upon all Gods ways of the administration of his Gospel to hold some proportion one with another the Tabernacle and Temple and Laws of outward administration were such ways and means God did appear in and so in the Priests and Prophets God at sundry times and in divers manners speaking to our fathers and afterward God took up our very flesh to administer in and so came and spoke to us by his Son and after all these the Lord went out from these after his usage of them and appearance in them and then they were no more an ordinance or way to God as they formerly were nor did ever the Lord enjoyn the restitution or reassuming of them again when the Temple was once rent the vail of it the Lord was no more in it nor in their Priesthood and Sacrifices c. nor when once the Lord Iesus had ended his administration in the flesh upon the Cross did he ever restore it in that very way again or intend it according to that first appearance but in a more glorified state And so in all reformations respectively to these former administrations they never returned back or reassumed the same again after once God had refused it and laid it by When Christ came in the flesh he did not make it his work to settle the Priesthood again but to lead them into the spirituall glory and fulfilling of all those legal dispensations and carry them on into more Gospel-administrations and that which was more excellent and perfect So it is in that first Gospel-administration of gifts and ordinances after Christ ascended there were such pure operations of Spirit as in gifts and some outward institutions and Church-administrations but these were only the Ministration for that age as the Tabernacle was for its age and the Temple Priesthood and Sacrifices for their age and the flesh of Christ for its age or time so as the falling away is no more but the Lord gathering up or taking in the out-goings operations or gifts of his Spirit in such a way of ministration and till this was done there was a withholding of the mystery of iniquity from being revealed therefore saith the Apostle to the Saints Ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time and he who letteth will let till he be taken out of the way and truly that mystery did not work freely nor powerfully till the Lord had removed the glory of his Spirit from the Churches the presence of which did exceedingly prevent and withhold and put an hinderance to the revelation and dominion of that man of sin And the Spirit of God foreseeing God about to leave this ministration of Gospel-glory to the world and bring a night upon all that day and brightness of his Son prophesied of the times to come and to succeed that glory viz in the last dayes perillous times shal come men shal be lovers of themselves covetous proud boasters c despisers of those that are good high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying the Power thereof But there were false Prophets among the People even as there shal be false Teachers amongst you who privily shal bring in damnable Heresies c. and many shal follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of truth shal he evil spoken off and through covetousness shal they make merchandize of you Beloved remember ye thewords which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Iesus Christ how that they told you there should be mockers in the last times these be they Seperating themselveshaving not the Spirit Little children it is the last time and as ye have heard that Antichrist should come even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time So as from all these places of the Apostles we may see their Prophesies of the Antichristian times which are the times of the flesh and of the Spirit of iniquity raigning amongst the Saints or in the Christian world the Lord of Glory Iesus Christ in Spirit being all this time crucified in Spirituall Sodome Aegipt or Babylon which is the Kingdom of the Flesh and the Powers of Darkness and this is the State and condition of the Church of Christ or those who are the Spiritual vessells or Golden cups of the Lords Temple and carried away captive and live under the Power of Flesh and of Spirituall wickednesses So as all the time of the raign and Preuailing of this mystery which mystery is in a threefold Principallity or eminency viz. of the beast the false Prophet the devil all which three work as well without unto the world as within in the flesh of every Saint all the time of this raign or prevailing is not a time of any restitution or restauration of the first ministry or gifts or ordinances as was in the Apostles times but is the
doth all to sinners in meer grace that no sin is imputed to sinners but they are pure only by imputation and so no beleevers are punished for sin but from sin and all works of grace in a beleever is because they are saved or pardoned not that they may be saved or pardoned and all they are to do is from love not from bondage or from a meer outward Commandment and the Gospel or grace of God in Christ is free and in free promises and so to be preached to sinners as sinners They commonly called Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists c. hold all points of doctrine as to justification sanctification faith c. the ministry of the word and Sacraments which they call means of salvation all these hold alike with the common Protestant this being the summ of the Articles of the Church of England made by the Bishops and confirmed by Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charls and there hath been uo Reformation further nor any higher attainment in these things then the Bishops made and the Synod in England formerly And all the Reformation that hath been endeavoured hath been only in some outward things as Discipline or Church-government and some outward ordinances of Baptism and the Supper not any purer or more glorious discoveries of God or the Spirit or Jesus Christ or our union with the Spirit or glory as to spiritual things or Christ risen but as to Christ in the flesh or under the law of which these ordinances were a sign A Discovery as to the general point or Christ dying for all THey say the Scriptures hold forth all sinning and Christ dying for all and the promises of Christ generally to all upon condition and exhortations to all to repent beleeve and come to Christ and therefore conclude the Lord Iesus or second man was given from the Father to give a price of redemption for all those who fell in the first man and those they say were all mankind and with Christ a Ministry of reconciliation and graces to all that will not wilfully reject or refuse or put by the offers of grace and salvation so tendered but remain passive and so far as in them lies not oppose the Spirit and means of grace though they acknowledg they can do nothing of themselves to obtain faith or any other work of salvation but all that is meerly of the Spirit of God working in those who are called and upon these general terms of grace they affirm also the election of some which they conclude from that work of God in them who are called of God through the means of grace they not resisting that call or present offer of grace And this they say is the Gospel of salvation preached to all which all may receive if they resist not The last discovery and as some say the highest and most glorious concerning the whole mystery of God to men and this Creation GOD being infinitely one yet in a three-fold manifestation to us of Father Son and Spirit would make out himself in an image in this Creation or nature and therefore he takes to himself one part of it into union to himself according to one way of manifestation called in Scripture light love grace salvation father bridegroom glory and that part of nature which enjoys God in this manifestation of grace or salvation is called the Angels the Saints the Elect the Son the Tabernacle of God the new Jerusalem the Temple the Spouse He takes to himself the other part of the Creation and there he is present but not in this way of grace and light but of another manifestation called law justice wrath everlasting burnings and these are called devils wickedmen flesh which live in God and subsist in him as creatures in their being but not in his grace and glory not in that manifestation of his the light shining in darkness but the darkness comprehending it not This is the mystery God is in as to this Creation and the brighter part of it as to Angels Saints and to the darker part of it as to devils and wicked men and All that God doth here below under the Sun is to preach this in several ways or ministrations as in the appearances of this Creation in light and darkness and in the Scriptures The Scriptures are no other then a way or ministration by letter of this mystery and all the passages there from the first man to the second from the Old Testament to the New with those two very appearances of the two men or Adams were but a ministry or way of God to signifie or figure this mystery and so all the rest we read of as of Cain and Abel Isaac and Ishmael Iacob and Esau Israel and Iudah Saul and David Iudas and the Eleven Christ and Antichrist and thus these set forth and figure this mystery They say Adam was a way by which God preached first to man and was not the first man in whom all stood fel but a way by which this mystery of God was made to appear first to the Creation Adam held forth nature or a part of this Creation in communion with God as to grace and love while he stood and another part of the Creation or nature out of communion with God as to love and grace but in communion or union to God as to law and justice or wrath and thus they interpret those Scriptures of mans first glory and fall less in the very letter and more in the mystery and according to Adam in this two-fold state were all the rest Cain and Abel c. They say that God in the Old Testament preached this mystery though more darkly and in shadows as in the law and sacrifices and in the children of the bond-woman and of the free of Israels walking with God and apostating And that the Gospel or fulness of time of the clearer discovery of this mystery was the Lord Jesus himself or God manifest in the flesh or as in one man a figure of the whole mystery as to grace and love or God in flesh or in his or of God in that other part of his Creation his Church or Saints And all that God did in this single and particular manifestation in flesh as in one man was only a more full clearer excellent and full and spiritual Ministry of the mystery of salvation therefore Christ is called a Minister one sent an Apostle And all that Christ did from his childhood to his crucifying death and cross was a discovery of God by this figure in the whole mystery how God is in all his and how he works and hath his times of law of graces and Gospel of crucifying and offering up all to death through the eternal Spirit which is the blood of the everlasting Covenant or Seal whereby God witnesses to
his people that he is their God and they his people by killing all the strength and life and power of the first Creation and carrying it up into a more excellent and glorious life his own Spirit And so all Christs birth growing submitting to ordinances crucifying death burial resurrection ascention were so many discoveries as to us in the flesh of the whole mystery of God in the Saints made our in these parts and degrees and several ages and conditions to shew how God weakens and brings to nothing the life of nature or of this Creation in which he wil dwel and make his Tabernacle and carry it up into an higher and more excellent life even himself and his own glory So as they say all that is spoken of Christ as in that person that was born of a Virgin who was circumcised baptized crucified dead and buried risen and ascended is spoken in figure of the whole nature into which God enters or is born into the world and so takes our nature along with him through several administrations into glory So as the summ of all is this that the Lord takes our nature or this whole Creation into union with himself and is present with it in two ways of manifestation of grace and salvation of Law and Iustice and thus God is present with the Angels and Saints with Devils and wicked men and Adam and Christ are the two eminent and principal administrations of this mystery and all the rest from Cain and Abel through all the other several persons ordinances and ministries as of Prophets Apostles Antichrist are but divers administrations or discoveries of this and all ordinances gifts and graces of the Spirit are but weaker appearances of this mystery and such ministrations as the Spirit of God administers in our nature till it be glorified in a higher glory when that which is perfect is come that which is in part shal be done away God shal be unto us broad rivers and streams where shal go no ship with sailes nor gally with oars An additional concerning Antichrist and the mystery of iniquity THese Scriptures hold forth a description of Antichrist There shal arise false Christs and false Prophets and shal shew great signes and wonders Except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped So that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God Whose coming is after the working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness And as ye have heard that Antichrist shal come even now there are many Antichrists And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth c. And he doth great wonders so that he maketh fire come down from heaven And deceiveth them that dwel on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do And he causeth all both smal and great c. to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads The great whore that sitteth upon many waters I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-coloured beast full of names of Blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns and the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and upon her head written mystery Babylon the great And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the Saints And every spirit that confesseth not Iesus Christ coming in flesh is that spirit of Antichrist From all the Scriptures and the revelation of the Spirit of God concerning the mystery of iniquity these things wil arise That the mystery of iniquity or Antichrist is a false Christ or false anointed one that is when any other thing but the Lord himself is in the place or office of Christ unto us either our own righteousness as our Priest and Sacrifice or our own wisdom wit or reason as our Prophet and Teacher and Interpreter of spiritual things And this mystery of iniquity or Antichrist is from a falling away first that is from a departure from God and the life and light of God and dependency or subsistence in God that is when man or the spirit of man wil subsist of it self live in its self and be wise of its self and worship of its self and be righteous of its self this is the man of sin or son of perdition or flesh which God wil destroy and this Spirit of Antichrist or man faln thus from God sits in the Temple of God as God that is is in all forms of worship and there lives and raigns and rules the whole man into a fleshly obedience and his coming or appearances are as Sathan that is in spiritual wickedness transforming himself into an Angel of light teaching interpreting revealing the mysteries of God in carnal reason and wisdom by natural parts and arts not in the pure Spirit and anointing of God and so performing all things in order to God and his worship and communion with him by lying signes and wonders and all deceiveableness of unrighteousness for while the spirit of man in its own wisdom and power acts in the pretence of God and to God and in the mighty working and power of Sathan it doth bring forth signes and wonders even things wonderful in the eyes of the natural man and such things as are very signes very images and shadowes of Spirituall things though not the things themselves And the appearances of this man of sin are many and divers therefore called many Antichrists and as this man of sin opposes the Lord Iesus in spirit and light he is called the beast that ascends out of the earth or the lowest part of the Creation the flesh and by the fire or fleshly counterfeitings of the Spirit which he works in the sight of them that dwel on the earth or of those that are in the flesh he deceives And yet such is the power of this beast or this spirit of flesh as it constrains men and compels them and overcomes them wholy to its own power making such in whom it reigns to receive a mark in their hand and foreheads that is to own and profess this fleshly wisdom and actings and to practise and put forth the power of it against Christ in Spirit And this is that whore too for when the spirit of man is departed from God and the life of God it is become an adulteress having left its first love or husband which was the Lord himself and sits upon a beast even upon the flesh a beast of scarlet colour that is bloody and persecuting the precious and spiritual appearances of the Lord Iesus and this is a beast of seven heads and ten horns which heads and horns are but figures of carnal wisdom and power
Moses it being first delivered or preached by the Ministry of Angels or dispensation of Angels the Lord Jesus himself and the Apostles were clearer and more spiritual Ministers of it The Law as it is in letter and in the Ministry of Moses and the Prophets and Christ c. is a witness and image to the more excellent Law that of the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ The Law in meer letter and legal ministry works bondage and brings forth the spirit of bondage in those who are under the Law working convictions and testimonies of good and evil whereby the law of nature is awakened and strengthned to accuse sinful flesh The Law as it is a figure or shadow or image of Spirit or spiritual righteousness may be a Ministry of preparation or witness as John was prepare ye the way and the Baptism of water to an outward purification or washing as the letter or Ministry of the Law is and this is a Ministry of Gods first appearance to a sinner Men may work very high as to God and duties and works by the Ministry of the law or letter without and the law within and the letter of Scriptures interpreted by no higher a light then that of the law and yet all such righteousness is but to bondage compared with the higher law or Spirit of life The Law curâ—eth all unrighteousnessas to the fleshor man sinning and it is thatstanding condemnation offlesh or sin the Law was revealed because of transgression and cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Law All the repentance and reformation which the Law or meer ministry of the letter works is not spiritual but legal and yet if in order to a more spiritual or to Christ in Spirit it is of the nature of Johns Ministry a preparatory and figure of more glory and truth in substance The spiritual man who lives in the Spirit is not under the meer law of the letter but it is according to its spirituality the principle and spirituall life of him so as such are not under the Law but under Grace and not in bondage and feare but love perfect love casting out feare They that are true spirituall comprehensive Christians know in what order and subserviency to place the law as it is in a ministery of letter when as the Infant Christian in the first discovery of Christ or Free Grace looks upon all Ministrations below him as legall and so is carried out to oppose them too disorderly A Discovery of duties and works SOme say that duties and works are fruits of faith and of the habits of grace in us and are the conformity of a Christian to the Commandments and Laws of God revealed in Scriptures and that duties are to be done because commanded and that they are such ways and means as God hath appointed a Christian to walk in to salvation and that according as these are performed more or less strictly a Christian ought to judge himself or approve himself and that Christians are to wait upon God in duties for the Spirit and for all other discoveries of himself thus the Protestant in general Others say that the duties and works of a Christian flow from the Spirit of God of love and of adoption else they are but the performances and obedience of servants not of sons and such as are born of God That the meer Commandments or letter of Scripture is not a law to a Christian why he should walk in duties but the law written in our hearts the law of life and this is the difference of duties and performances under the meer Old-Testament-dispensation and the New or pure Gospel or new Covenant the one or that of Moses was a Ministery from without that of Christ from within and that duties in the letter are but Images and figures of what the spirituall man doth act from that life of Christ in him not as things commanded him nor in relation to heaven and hell because such obedience and actings are of service and acted as first from without and mercenary or of price and for salvation A Discovery of outward Ordinances SOme say outward Ordinances are Commands of Christ and therefore to be done because they are Commands and that they are sanctified by God and his Spirit and that we are to waite on God in the use of means and that spirituall things are conveighed by Ordinances into the souls of men thus says the Protestant generally Others say That outward Ordinances as in the letter are the Old Testament Ministration or a Legal ministration of Johns ministry or Christ under the Law or in flesh and that such Ordinances as the Lord Jesus commanded while he was in the Ministery of the Law made under the Law a minister of circumcision and not commands of Christ as in meer glory and spirit nor a ministration of his as in that more excellent condition and the not distinguishing Christ as in flesh and so teaching and commanding and as in Spirit and so ministring in pure spiritual light and glory is the reason of all such legal doctrine and use of ordinances in bondage as is this day in the letter Other of Baptism c. or Church-fellowship c. That the new Covenant or God revealed in his and teaching his is not by any outward way or ministry or means but by the inward or unction and anointing ye are all taught of God no man shal teach his neighbor or brother any more saying know the Lord and all conference and discoveries in letter or speech is but meer witnessing to the Lord and the discoveries of God of what we are taught not any ministry as formerly for teaching No outward ordinance or ministration of the creature or of letter can convey or confer or bring in pure spiritual things there is a great mistake in that and they are but signs and shadows of spiritual things and they are to the Spirit in the New Testament as the shadows of the Old were to the flesh of Christ figures and perishing things and to be fulfilled in Spirit and in the coming of Spirit They are that which are called the beholding God as in a glass the seeing darkly and in part the heavens and earth which are to be rolled up as a garment A discovery of the Jews and their conversion SOme say they are those who are of the seed of Abraham and have Abraham to their Father and are Jews by fleshly birth and such as live yet in the Old Testament Laws and Priviledges as circumcision and have the vail upon their hearts un-taken away opposing Christ come in the flesh and expecting the Messiah yet in a more carnall glory they shall be converted and called in before the coming of Christ in Judgement Others say That the Jews were but a figure
Testament before Christ came in the flesh and now in the New Testament since his coming and this is said to be as in a glass 6. By Gods own light evenhimself revealed and this is that pure increated divine immediate glory flowingfrom himself or himself FATHER saith Christ glorifie me with thy self or the glory that I had with thee and the glory that thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one as we are one Now let us consider who knows God according to himself or his own light glory None saith God can see me and live so as they that see God do not live they do not live or that thing called themselves doe not live that which is called a mans self is his own reason his wisdome his righteousness his desires or wil his imaginations his affections his lusts now if these live God was never yet seen none can see God live for when any see God it shall be no more they that live but Christ or God that liveth in them now who is there that hath seen God that doth not live in whom nothing of self lives And that we may see how God revealed wil annihilate and bring to nothing all flesh consider the appearances of Angels graces c. How was Daniel smote into astonishment no spirit was left in him how was Isaiah Wo is me I am undone I have seen the Lord how was John when he fell at the Angels feet how have many left the world and worldly contents relations and all other creature comforts as many Anchorites and contemplative souls who are carried no higher then by Angel discoveries Oh! how doth the pure appearance of God pour shame upon all flesh fleshly glory and excellency upon all the visions and dreams that man hath had of God either by pure reason his image or by creature-imagery or outward administration and notion by letter or by graces c. for when that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall be done away The day of the Lord wil be upon all our Cedars and Oaks and pleasant pictures and Idols of gold and silver even our richest and most spiritual Idolatry and judgment shal be upon all the merchandise of Babylon the pearls and pretious stones the Cinamon and odours and frankincense upon all deceiveableness of unrighteousness and all false worship c. A further discovery of the mystery of Salvation in the Gospel-administration and its own glory THe Gospel-administration wherein the mystery of salvation is first discovered is in the Scriptures of the New Testament held forth in these following particulars 1. In repentance which they say is a sorrow for sin wrought by the Spirit of God and the Law flowing from Christ who gives repentance to Israel and the Spirit of grace which mourns over him c. and is that godly sorrow for sin the new-man grieving over the old 2. In faith which they say is an act of the regenerate soul upon Christ resting and beleeving in him for justification righteousness or as some say a grace from Christ or righteousness 3 In conversion or calling which is the work of the spirit of God turning or sanctifying or perswading the soul of the Christian from his sinfull and unregenerate estate to God in Christ 4. In justification which is Gods pardoning the sins of a beleever or not imputing sins unto him and imputing the righteousness of Christ unto him whereby he stands justified and forgiven and righteous in the sight of God freely and of Gods grace through faith instrumentally which as the hand receives Christ as some say without faith as others say Thus the scripturs in the letter hold forth the first revelation of the mystery of God in such words and expressions as these and such as these are as prayer good works duties ordinances which are very suitable and proportionable to the first appearance of God in us or the mystery of salvation working in its infancy and first creation in the Christian and thus the infirmity of Christians is fitted with a manifestation of the mystery in words and forms and all the Christian Churches of the world generally draw out all their Systemes and models of divinity into articles of faith and Confessions of faith according to this very letter of Scriptures which is no other but a revelation of the mystery of Salvation as to mans infirmity and say some they call it their fundamentals and the highest attainment of Christianity Others say the mystery of salvation is no other then Immanuel or God with us or God in flesh not only in that man Christ but in the whole Christ Christ being no more but an annointed one and that annointed one is our nature or weakness annointed with the Spirit even God himself who is strength and this mystery of great and exceeding glory is revealed in pieces and parts and after the manner of men according to the infirmity of our flesh within the Christian in graces c. and in the Scriptures or expressions and forms without the Christian The SEEKERS their Attainment With a Discovery of a more Spiritual Way THey finde that the former Christians of the first or of the Apostles times according to Institutions then and the administration of Ordinances then were more visibly and spiritually endowed with power from on high or with gifts of the Spirit and so were able to make cleer and evident demonstrations of God amongst them as in the Churches of all the Christians then in Corinth Ephesus c. And that all who administred in any outward Office as to spiritual things were visibly gifted there was then an Apostle Evangelist Prophet Pastor Teacher Gifts of Healing Gifts of Miracles of Tongues c. And all was administred in the anointing or unction of Spirit clearly certainly infallibly they ministred as the Oracles of God But now in this time of the Apostacie of the Churches they finde no such gifts and so dare not meddle with any outward Administrations dare not preach baptize or teach c. or have any Church-fellowship because they finde no attainment yet in any Churches or Church-ways or administration of Ordinances according to the first patern in the New Testament they finde nothing but the outward Ceremony of all Administrations as of bare water in Baptism of bare Imposition of hands in Ordination of bare Election of Officers as Pastors Teachers c. of bare Church-censures without the visible power of gifts of Spirit which were before Therefore they wait in this time of the Apostacie of the Christian Churches as the Jews did in the time of their Apostacie and as the Apostles and Disciples at Jerusalem till they were endued with power from on high finding no practice for Worship but according to the first patern They wait onely in Prayer and Conference pretending to no certain determination of
plainly and clearly in the letter not so much in spirit as the letter of the New Testament And therefore the Magistracie now having no such special reference to a Church-Politiâ— nor any such Ministery infallibly directive joyned to them cannot proceed so to reform nor compel nor punish 3. The Magistrates under the New Testament are Ministers as to good and evil not as to Truth and Heresie and this good and evil is such good and evil as falls under the Law of their cognizance that is the Law of Nature by which they make Laws and judge the breach of them which Law of Nature or right Reason is the Law or principle for administration of Justice and Righteousnesse in all Societies of Men and Nations And thus the Magistrate bears not the sword in vain But this is not as to Heresie and Schism of which the higher Law is judge viz. the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Jesus Christ not the Law of Nature or this Creation 4. In that Prophecie Kings shall be thy fathers and Queens thy nursing mothers is not in its own Scripture or any other interpreted to be any other thing then the indulgency and favour of States and Kingdoms to the people of God which is far from bearing witnesse to any destructivenesse or persecution of them 5. That Peter smote Ananias and his wife Sapphira with death for lying is onely a witnesse of Gods power and holinesse put forth in an act of Miracle upon the sin of Hypocrisie for convincing unbelievers and confirming believers and is no way exemplary to any Magistrate being a power by miracle or by an extraordinary act and Magistracie in its administration is ordinary and it was in an Apostle not a Magistrate by a spiritual not a carnal weapon 6. Pauls wishing that such were cut off that troubled them holds forth no other cutting off then by Church-censure or Excommunication which was a visible dividing them from that visibly spiritual body the Church called a delivering up to Sathan c. 7. The Church of Thyatira was reproved for suffering Jezebel to teach and to seduce but this is not the Magistracie of Thyatira which was to forbid her teaching by punishment but the Angel or Ministery of that Church as all agree who was rebuked because they or he put not forth that spiritual power they had of Admonition Rejection Excommunication 8. The father and mother of him that begat the false Prophet and was to thrust him thorow that prophesied lyes in the name of the Lord was a Prophesie respectively to the Law of the Jews which was amongst them against false Prophets and had a true Priesthood and infallible Prophets with a special Law to try them by and condemn them And more spiritually was this By the false Prophet is meant the spirit of Antichrist by the father and mother that begat him they who made him a Prophet or begat cried him up into the reputation of a Prophet and then thrusting him thorow for the lyes he prophesied is their spiritual smiting that Antichristian working with the Sword of the Spirit through some new enlightnings from God received or brightnesse of Christs glory which shall stay and kill all appearances deceiveablenes of the man of sin or false Prophet and not suffer him to live 9. That there will be no settlement of Peace Order or Truth in the Church if the Magistrates do not punish for Heresie is upon mistaken false grounds supposing three things which are not First that the Church-politie of the Jews by Magistrate and Priesthood is to be used by Christians which is not it being fulfilled in Christ the true King and Priest and Christians having no such infallible Priesthood to joyn to Magistracie Secondly that Civil power can establish any thing of an higher glory law and principle then it self as all spiritual truths and discoveries of Jesus Christ are Thirdly the mistake of true spiritual settlement peace order and truth which receive all their being propagation and establishment from the Spirit of God and the Scriptures and such spiritual Laws as God hath revealed for ordering the outward man of the Christian by respectively to the Society or fellowship of other Christians called Church-censures c. Christians being under a twofold Politie that of the Kingdome of Christ as Christians that of the Kingdom of this world as men or such as are subject to the Laws of civil Government And likewise supposing all peace and order to be grounded upon Uniformity not upon Unity of spirit and preservation of the civil Peace of the State 10. That States and Kingdoms do to this day practise punishing Heresie by the power of Magistrates and that Councels and Synods do allow it all such practice of what States soever in this kinde doth shew onely what they do not what they ought to do And the kingdoms of the world are prophesied on to give their Kingdoms and strength from themselves to the false Church And for Councels and Synods they are such as have erred in other things and why not in this it being their great Interest to establish themselves c. by the Magistrates power Whatsoever is not of faith is sin So as all who are compelled in things of Worship to do any thing of which they are not perswaded do sin Gospel-sins or sins against an higher law or light then that of Nature and Reason which is the onely sphere for Civil Government to move in is to be judged and punished by a law and light proportionable and more spiritual then any power of Magistracy as the Spirit of God going out in Gospel-Judgement Admonition Rejection Excommunication c. The danger and hazard of Persecution of the members of Christ which is a sin bringing much judgement because judged and punished by such a light and law viz. by Synods and Councels of men who are not infallible in their decrees and judgements of truth and heresie By force and compulsion men who are weak in the faith are made hypocrites in their outward man conforming to the laws of men in fear and bondage All such power of compulsion in States and Kingdoms principled with any light and liberty except Spain France c. shall destroy the true Interests of all such States and Kingdoms oppressing all Societies and fellowships of men as to spiritual things though never so peaceably affected as men and subjects A Mystery OR The Christian following the appearances of God thorow all created things THat which is the pure spiritual comprehensive principle of a Christian is this That all outward administrations whether as to Religion or to natural civil and moral things are onely the visible appearances of God as to the world or in this creation or the clothing of God being such forms and dispensations as God puts on amongst men to appear to them in this is the garment the Son of God was clothed with
down to the feet or to his lowest appearance And God doth not fix himself upon any one form or outward dispensation but at his own will and pleasure comes forth in such and such an administration and goes out of it and leaves it and takes up another And this is clear in all Gods proceedings with the world both in the Jewish Church and State and Christians now And when God is gone out hath left such or such an administration of what kinde soever it is be it religious moral or civil such an administration is a desolate house a temple whose vail is rent a sun whose light is darkened and to worship it then is to worship an Idol an Image a form without God or any manifestation of God in it save to him who as Paul saith knows an Idoll to be nothing The pure spiritual comprehensive Christian is one who grows up with God from administration to administration and so walks with God in all his removes and spiritual encreasings and flowings and such are weak and in the flesh who tarry behinde worshipping that form or administration out of which God is departed A Postscript to Master GATAKER Authour of a Book called Shadows without Substance writ against me SIR THe Reasons why I did not answer you were these I mean your last Book called Shadows without Substance c. I found that Replies and Rejoynders did exceedingly confound and perplex the plainnesse and simplicity and glory of Truth and had much of self and passion and recrimination which I am confident the Lord will shew you in much of what you have writ For I am assured that God will reveal and convince you powerfully and mightily in many passages which your self writ and not the Spirit of God Lay your hand upon your heart and consider sadly if the advantage of the times the glory of reputation the passion of man in you and the multitude of yeers and fame of learning not willing to be convinced by days or months did not write most of your last Book What you wrote in the sincerity of Spirit and in that measure of Truth you received I rejoyce in and what you wrote in the artifice of your parts your wit and your other humane advantages or devices of flesh and blood whereby you laid on colours to make your own Arguments fair and comely to a man judging no higher then Reason or in your own measure of Truth and whereby you laid on your darker and more shadowish stuff upon me your adversary rendering me to the Reader both in your Title-page and thorowout your Book as one that denied the Apostles Doctrine and Christ's because I denied your conclusions and deductions to be that very Doctrine and the minde of those very Scriptures of Christ and the Apostles This I say must passe under the fiery trial and you must suffer losse so as by fire Surely to deny what Master Gataker or some Synods of men say is not to deny what Christ and the Apostles say unlesse the Spirit of God reveal in them one and the same Truth and that they all speak by one and the same Spirit in one and the same language Nor did I see that you in all your Writings had done any thing against the truth declared by me but had onely defended your self and your own measure of truth with rejection and reproaches of mine and all this in the form onely of argumentation and confutation not in the power so as I did rest without replying knowing that the substance of what truth I had writ was as I had received then and would abide because he who is the patern of all truth Jesus Christ abides the same yesterday and to day and for ever And for any expressions of mine or form of words which may make truth appear to some not one and the same I onely can as yet speak truth in the language given me when I can speak more tongues or the languages of several Christians of which the gifts of tongues were a signe then I you shall be better understood by our selves others Sir I have spoken one particular more clearly which you some others spake on in my Book And thus I take my leave of you desiring to love any appearance of God in you and to forgive any infirmities in you which are of man as I desire my self to be loved or forgiven of others And truely I do not expound that of contending earnestly for the Truth to be in reproaches and passions in Replies and Rejoynders and many Books but in Spirit and spiritual affection and pure manifestation of the same Truth SIR Your friend JOHN SALTMARSH A pretended Heresie THat which is pretended or at least believed by some to be Heresie in my Book of Grace is this which I desire to explain more fully that it may appear more clearly to be Truth That Christ hath believed perfectly repented perfectly mortified sin perfectly for us First That Christ hath done all for us is truth he hath fulfilled all righteousnes both that righteousnesse which is of the Law and that which is of the Gospel in graces c. and upon this account he is made unto us righteousnesse c. Secondly Faith Repentance mortification were all in Christ originally primarily as in their nature theirfountain their root or seed and therefore he is said to give repentance to Israel and he is the authour and finisher of our faith and it is called the faith of the Sâ—n of God and of his fulnesse have all we received and grace for grace for everygrace in him a grace inus And to say Christ hath done all these for us first in himself and then in us through himself I hope is such an Heresie as we all believe It may be my want of clearer explanation made it be taken for Heresie which I hope will now be judged more candidly to be a Truth Nor can this That Christ hath all graces and perfection in himself prove that we stand in need of none in us no Faith nor Repentance in us nor mortification of sin in us no more then Pauls Doctrine of Grace and Faith and the Christian to be under Grace destroy the Law or make void Faith or cause men to sin that Grace may abound I never yet denied the Graces and Fruits of the Spirit of God which appear in Faith Repentance new Obedience Mortification of sin as may be seen in all things I have writ It may be I may speak Truth in such a notion or conception or measure of light as I have received it in and not in anothers The Christian as the English or French can onely speak in his own Tongue or Language till the Lord be one and his Name one amongst us and in the mean time let us judge Heresie by the Truth in Scripture and in the Spirit not as it seems to us so or appears so perhaps not for want