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A85548 The shipwrack of all false churches: and the immutable safety and stability of the true Church of Christ. Occasioned: by Doctour Chamberlen his mistake of her, and the holy scriptures also, by syllogising words, to find out spirituall meanings, when in such cases it is the definition, not the name, by which things are truly knowne. Graunt, John, of Bucklersbury. 1652 (1652) Wing G1594; Thomason E674_21; ESTC R207205 29,575 28

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Righteousnesse is her Mantle her cloathing It is a metaphoricall speech often used in the Scripture thereby declaring the Righteousnesse of Christ by being cloathed in sine linnen by a wedding Garment and a white stone and very apt is the resemblance for as a stole or Garment covers and adornes the naturall body so the righteousnesse of Christ covers and cloaths adorns and beautifies the poverty and brokenness of the peninent souls of his Elect. And this Garment is of that nature and quality as that it warms and sustains the feeble and thirsty soule with the assurance of the mercy and favour of God in Christ Jesus for ever And the Holy Ghost giveth testimony also of the fruits of her lively justifying faith in declaring her newnesse of life in her detestation of sin and true love to her Lord in this figurative expression And the Moon under her feet declaring thereby her mortification and death too and of her sinfull corruption and worldly naturall affection and also her vivification and daily renewed mind to a heavenly conversation delighting and meditating day and night in the Holy Law and Word of God being no more carnally but spiritually minded The next externall yet spirituall description is the Ornament of her head wherein shee took most pleasure saying Shee wore on her head a Crowne not with gold and silver beset with precious stones for the excellent matter thereof it exceeded all these for it was made of the holy and pure Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles which testimonies and verities of theirs are the Lords lights and torches to guide and direct sinners when they are benighted and darkned with their sins and for this cause are called by the name of stars And lastly the Holy Ghost declares the effects and operation of Gods spirit and word in her for by the heavenly truth which was by her ears received her heart spiritually conceived and shee was greatly filled with a deep sence of her owne vilenesse and unworthinesse with bemoaning and mournfully lamenting her sad forlorn condition travelling and labouring under great oppression by reason of sin in restlesse desire of reconciliation to God which paines and anguish of her mourning heart and contrite spirit the Apostle most truly compareth to the throwes and paines of a woman in travell of Child-birth of which spirituall pains and labour shee could not possible by any means be eased or releived untill her Lord were formed in her even untill her tender heart were sanctified by faith for nothing could cure the wound but the assurance of mercy nor nothing satisfie her restlesse desire but the love of God insured her in Christ her Lord and written in the fleshy Tables of her heart according to his everlasting Covenant Thus you see both the definition and description of the true Church of Christ that she is holy and spirituall within and without also distinguished and disevered from all other Churches by Regeneration as the outward Court and the Temple were parted by a vaile and described by such perfect fruits of righteousnesse as no Pharisaicall Congregations can bring forth And herein I have made good my promise to you in this first particular The second thing I promised was to make known unto you the divine Ordinances of this holy Church and they are many but we will briefly and that truly discover such as are most materiall to our purpose Now as shee her selfe is spirituall and their communions one with another so also is every part of her worship spirituall likewise and yet we must ever remember that most Ordinances consist of two parts the one carnall and outward the other spirituall and inward Now the common and carnall Christians are most busied about the carnall part as fleshly washings corporall eatings litterall Expositions and verball supplications like the Pharisees that were strict to tyth mint and the meanest externall things but wholly omitted the weightiest and greatest that which was internall as true Repentance c. diligently washed the outside but minded not at all to cleanse inwardly the heart in all which Mr Doctour you spent most of your labour and very few words or none about the spirituall part And one Reason was because all your Disputes tended but to a carnall Church for a Congregation of carnall Christians make no better then a carnall Church and carnall Arguments and actions doe manifest the hearts of such to be carnall But I desire your Repentance of these things and hasten to the discovery of the truth that may make you a Child thereof indeed and therefore we will returne to a further discovery of the true Churches spirituall Worship in the Heavenly part of Gods Ordinances in which shee and her Children are most conversant for they are alwayes mindfull of the Holy Covenant of their Lord in the heavenly parts of it they mourne and weep and suffer together in their patience possesse their souls and passe through the Valley of Tears participating each with other knowing they are thereunto called of God not only to beleeve but to suffer for his sake the assured hope they have of the great portion inheritance and salvation they are born unto by the spirit doth so support them that they rejoyce in tribulation the Holy Ghost bearing them witnesse That if they suffer with him they shall also reign with him Know you not saith the Apostle as if he had said in other words you know assuredly that as many of us as are Baptized into Jesus Christ were Baptized into his death therefore we are buried with him by Baptisme into death Mark the tearms Baptized or Buried with him into death which sheweth if men be Members of his body then if our head suffer the Members must suffer also and as sure as the Head is raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also his Members are raised in our mind and affections to newnesse of life And in the same sence he saith again For if we have been planted together in the likenesse and similitude of his death we shall be also in the likenesse of his Resurrection And these broken melting hearted Saints that at first in their Regeneration were thus humbled and made low and poor in Spirit yielding inclining and bowing to the will and pleasure of Almighty God This heavenly grace which the Lord calls water in a spirituall meaning abides in and with them alwayes throughout their whole life and by it they are enabled to be Baptized with sufferings as they were born or begotten of water which is Repentance So likewise at the Lords Supper they sometimes and that with much comfort eat and drink corporally the Elements of Bread and Wine and therein declare the Lords death till his comming but they alwayes by faith communicate of his body and blood the Spirit of Adoption that dwells in them still bearing witnesse of the Lords everlasting kindnesse with the refreshings of the light of his countenance affording them more comfort then
any other title to the Doctours purpose In the second place he continues his speech to his persecuting enemies which I hope upon second thoughts he doth not understand to be his Church In the third place he graciously informs and confirms his faithfull servant Phillip in the Mystery of his Divinity as of his Humanity and that his words are the works of God but not a word in the Doctours meaning And in the 24. verse as he speaks of them that love him so he speaks of them that hate him whom to affirme to be his Church is to blaspheme her And in the last place John 5. 19 30. the Lord speaks of himselfe as distinguishable from the Father and also declareth the hypostaticall union of both Natures Humane and Divine The true meaning of these Scriptures being thus considered shewes plainly that his doctrine and their intention were at a vast distance for it is far from their meaning that the Church of Christ may play the Harlot and of pure become base and unclean because they testifie that she is so long to last and continue holy even every member of her his body as Jesus Christ her head is to be Christ who was yesterday and to day and for ever And s●ving your learning Sir this doctrine sheweth that you are still tainted with the old leaven of corrupt Popery and Arminianisme which will be more manifested when I come to shew what the true Church of Christ is indeed discovering thereby your fancie more particulerly and exactly Another conclusion that he would teach the people was That his Church was a Baptized Church and had the true marks of a true Church which is the true Preaching the Word and the true administration of the Sacraments as he calls them Here the Gentleman is at a losse also and beats the air as before and that which he saith is to as little purpose his terms not being cleared to what sense he means from their various ac●eptations But the truth is his owne meaning by Baptisme is but that which is outward that any man may bear witnesse to that is present as he affirms in page 23. So then his Baptisme is of the same nature as his Church is both carnall the inside foule as Simon Magus his heart was not right in the sight of God his estate naturall and miserable in the Gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity yet washt and cleansed without Where doe you read in the Scriptures that the Churches of God true spirituall Christians did ever brag and boast of the fleshly and carnall parts of the Ordinances of the Gospel as you have done No they see those are shaddows elementary representations and say that it is not Baptism in the flesh that saves not but the Baptism of the heart the heart sprinkled from an evil conscience and the body washed with pure water by this spirituall Baptisme men are saved So also they affirm that 's not Circumcision that is in the flesh but that is Circumcision that is of the heart in the spirit and not in the Letter inward spirituall and heavenly Baptisme And this Circumcision is that which Gods Church glories in and not the outward that Divells may participate of as well as Saints But the Doctour fears not to avouch that the washing with the Old Ford or Thames water and the like places is that Baptisme which the Scripture in a speciall sense speaks of by which men are regenerated because he maketh it the true mark of the rue Church Indeed this is the opinion of the stupid obdurat hard-hearted Jews and Papists and of most carnall Protestants in which they are all alike But as the true Church of Christ is spirituall so is her Baptisme and so are her fruits and manifestations her marks and seals by which she is distinguished from all other Churches that are false as when I come to establish the truth shall be cleared But the Doctour further affirmeth that their Baptized Churches have the true Preaching of the Word and he thinks himselfe to be none of the meanest amongst the rest and therefore in the first place and in the behalf of all the Baptized Churches as he calls them we will examine his owne true Preaching of the word as he affirms in page 24. That his Church and all other Baptized Churches baptize such as shall be saved according to Mark 16. 16. because as he saith they are beleivers and repenters Again saith he they that Baptize such as confesse with their mouth the Lord Jesus and beleeve in their hearts that God hath raised him from the dead Rom. 10. baptizeth such as shall be saved But baptized Churches baptize such as confesse with their mouth the Lord Jesus and beleeve with their hearts that God raised him from the dead therefore baptized Churches baptize such as shall be saved This professed workman for want of true understanding to divide the word aright hath from his own mouth eternalized his own shame for want of a clear and true distinction in the same terms that have divers meanings And that his folly may the more be manifested we will ingeniously consider the Scriptures the first we read thus He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved Now to find out the true meaning hereof two terms of necessity must be opened for one and the same term admitting of divers meanings in Scripture that sense must be distinguished from all others of like nature that is properly and only intended in that place Now for the term Faith it hath divers significations in the Scripture somtimes it is referred unto God somtimes unto men when unto God then it implyeth or intendeth nothing else but the sure and certain unalterablenesse of his promise and decree If unto men then it signifieth and intendeth either the doctrine of the Gospel it selfe or their faithfulnes that declare it or else some speciall gifts which the Spirit of God indueth his servants with now of such gifts there are but three sorts that bear the name of faith Somtimes the knowledge and certain understanding of the truth of Gods word is called Faith which for distinction sake may be called and that truly The Faith of knowledge or Historicall Faith which Faith although all the Saints under the Scriptures administration of the Gospel have yet it is not peculiar to them alone but common to all perishing Christians such as the Doctours Church consisteth of and may abundantly exceed in yea even Sathan himselfe The second gift of the holy Ghost is that by which any one miraculously doth such things as causeth admiration in the beholders exceeding naturall effects and is often in holy Writ called by the name of Faith and so may be denominated Miraculous Faith But with this gift the unholy may more excell then the holy men of God for John the Baptist did no Miracle but Iudas the Traytour did many in which gift of Faith the Priests and Juglers of Rome were famous as
holy Writ came by the power parts and gifts of any man in nature so also he affirms By whom God makes knowne his word will and Prophesies that is by spirituall men in these plain words But holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Now Doctour see that which yet you never saw the Church of Christ her Preachers and Prophets of the Lord are not carnall but spirituall men and their motion and enablement thereunto is not by any humane spirit but through the movings and ability of the holy Ghost Where is now therefore the multitude of your Arguments and Syllogismes of men and Trades men and gifted men not taking into consideration there are men and men and gifts and gifts which for want of Scripture distinction all the pains you have taken to spin so many curious threads to make a carnall webb of no sooner is it toucht by the Divine finger of the spirituall meaning of the word of God but your glorious shew of humane and of carnall or private men falls all into filthy dust for although carnall men may litterally preach as Judas and others have done yet none but holy men can Preach spiritually And in this distinction the other tearms are to be understood also of Ordination and Trades-men both Divine the one in person the other in approbation and mission for holy men of God The Messengers and Ministers of Christ are sent appointed and Ordained by the Lord himselfe and justified and approved of by the Saints And their Preachings and Declarations are not their own visions and though●s as the Doctours are but the truth word and mind of the Lord the same spirit in them enables them to open the Scriptures now which wrote them by the hands of his holy Prophets and servants which shall be more fully cleared when I come to the truths confirmation Now this brief discovery of the Doctours large mistakes shall suffice for this time some other things there are which we shall have occasion to reprove as we find them to hinder us in the way of truth And therefore according to my promise in the first place I shall make a clear and plain description of the true Church of Christ and so follow the Doctour the same way he goes But who is sufficient for these things as the Apostle speaks But wee are not as many which corrupt or deceitfully deal with the Word of God but as of sincerily but as of God in the sight or in the powerfull presence of God speak we in Christ although the Doctour despise us Be it known unto him therefore and all the world that the true Church of Jesus Christ is of a holy and pure nature every part and member of her for he that sanctifieth her and they that are sanctified are all of one that is of the one Holy Spirit so then as in her new nature she is Holy and Divine so she is heavenly and spirituall spirituall Children which make a spirituall Family or Houshold spirituall Trees which make a spirituall fruitfull fragrant Garden spirituall Stones built up a spirituall House Temple Tabernacle a repose an habitation for the heavenly God the Father of Spirits to abide to delight to dwell and reside in Yea more yet she is a spirituall body consisting of none but of spirituall members knit and joyned together with spirituall sinews supplyed with spirituall grace from the Fountaine the Head the spirituall Head Jesus Christ from which all the joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together groweth or increaseth with the increase of God from the Head I say conveyeth all over the body to the least Member with spirituall veins through which an everlasting supplying grace is continued For as she is the building and workmanship of God the Children and Houshold of God the Plantation and Garden of the Lord so she is kept by the power of God unto salvation And he that keepeth this his Israel his chosen called and sanctified ones doth neither slumber nor sleep but ever watcheth And he their Holy Shepheard is mighty and stronger then all so that no opposite power and strength is able to take them out of his hand Now forasmuch as the faithfull servant and Apostle of Christ writing unto the holy and blessed Church at Ephesus affirms them to be Saints and faithfull and that they are in Christ Jesus Now all that are in Christ Jesus are holy and faithfull for they are justified by faith and sanctified by the Holy Ghost and as the Root is holy so are the branches also yet the Apostle saith to these holy ones You were the Children of wrath as well as others And to another Church he saith And such were some of you speaking before of wicked and unholy men But yee saith he meaning now are washed but yee are sanctified but yee are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God That is through the power of Christ by the operation of the Spirit Therefore to know the way and method which God takes in the conversion of his servants that are his Church the discovery and opening thereof will make not onely the Description of the Church of Christ more clear and manifest but give us a definition also of her supernaturall making parts For as since the creation propagation or birth gives being to all men naturally so heavenly and spirituall birth since the fall of man is ordained and appointed of God to give spirituall being to all his Saints and Children which are the Church of God as it is written That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit so it is spirituall birth that gives being to spirituall men But forasmuch as this one Scripture doth fully prove the assertion in both parts thereof that is that birth taken in a two fold meaning is the production both of naturall men and spirituall men And the due consideration of the wisdome of the Holy Ghost by declaring that which is heavenly by that which is naturall teacheth us that there is much resemblance of the births in the manner although not in the nature In the naturall birth there is a conception in the beginning and a reception in the continuance till bringing forth or accomplishment And all these distinctions with their concomitants may be comprehended in the tearm birth now that which doth accompany conception is compunction in nature in sorrow shalt thou conceive and in the reception all the while till the deliverance and in the deliverance pain sorrow labour pangs throwes intollerable dollorous till the Child is born and then comes ease comfort and rejoycing even so it is in the spirituall birth in a likenesse and resemblance for the manner of it but in the nature no similitude at all for the the one is from below the other from above as it is written Except a man be born again from above of water and the Spirit
he cannot see the Kingdome of God In which words there are four parts and the tearms therein to be distinctly considered of The first is Of whom our Lord speaks by the name man and by it he means a naturall man And secondly That this man is to be born again his meaning is not as Nicodemus at that time understood him to enter into that place of nature from whence he came forth but to be born from above by a supernaturall force power vertue and operation of the Spirit of God In the third place He speaks of the matter of the Birth and that hath two parts The first is heavenly and spirituall water meaning thereby the grace and gift of God which the holy Ghost often in the Scriptures calls by the name of water which is the Baptisme of Repentance a true turning to God The second part consisteth of another more excellent work of the Spirit which is here called the Holy Ghost but in other places by metaphoricall tearms blood and fire by which is meant the Baptisme of the Holy Ghost or Remission of sins The first part is full of spirituall grief and disconsolation the last full of heavenly comfort and consolation And lastly By seeing the Kingdome of God he means the knowing and being a member of his Church in the state of Regeneration receiving the Spirit of Adoption through which he is made the Child of God and if Children then Heirs of the everlasting Kingdome the World to come the inheritance of the Saints so then from this Scripture thus opened we are taught that Gods method and way to convert men from nature to grace to make them members of his Church is to Turne them from darknesse to light from the power of Satan to be reconciled unto God To deliver us from the power of darknesse and translate us into the Kingdome of the Son of his love And by this way and means the Lord made and constituted the true Church of Christ at Collosse as he doth all other Churches of his which were Saints and faithfull brethren in Christ And so did he likewise that famous Church at Ephesus Yee were somtimes darknesse saith the Apostle but now are yee light in the Lord walk as Children of light Mark I pray you he calls this Church these Saints these Faithfull in Christ Jesus Children of light and how came they to be so but by being Borne of God of his own will begat he them being born again of incorruptible seed the Word of God which is the Word of his Grace the New Covenant the Word of Promise the Covenant of Life the making us partakers thereof is the taking away the stony heart and in the place thereof to give his Elect a heart of flesh that is a soft tender and humble heart and in it to write his everlasting love mercy and kindnesse never to be obliterated or revoked as before is shewed For those whom he thus loves once he loves unto the end And these Children of God are those little ones the Scripture speaks of those humble ones the Lord teacheth those contrite and penitent ones that the Lord comforteth refresheth and reviveth this is his Sion his little City his desired Habitation his delightfull dwelling his Holy Mountaine And where two or three of these are gathered together in his Name where by Name we are to understand Spirit there is he in the midst of them that is it that is it that makes them his Church even his holy presence that is it that makes them his House his Tabernacle to doe his great pleasure in Earth by his Spirit as the everlasting Father and the Son doth in Heaven whose voyce not to regard is as much as not to regard the voyce of God himselfe Oh Doctour for you to compare your hay wood and stubble with the purity and excellency of this Churches mettle which is Gods building it will even so eclipse your rush light and split your hulk and shipwrack your bark for ever as never to recover and your sandy foundation will shortly cause such a fall of your foolish Church building as never to be built again And that you may repent of your ignorance of the true Church of Christ I will give you another discovery of her excellency by her pure estate and glorious condition which the Propheticall Apostle Iohn saw in a Vision and writ it for posterity in these words And a great signe appeared in Heaven a Woman cloathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet and on her head a Crown of twelve stars And being great with Child shee cryed travelling and labouring to be delivered In which Scripture there are many things considerable 1. A matter of wonderment and admiration for the great excellency of it 2. The place where it appeared and that was in Heaven 3. What it was that appeared and that was a woman 4. Then her cloathing and apparell all over her body 5. As also what she was crown'd with on her head 6. What she trod under her feet and not only denominating all things without her but 7. what was within her also And being great with Child she cryed travelling and labouring to be delivered This precious Virgin Spouse the Lords Bride being in her condition spirituall did shine forth in her primitive estate not in any outward pomp and humane carnall glory as now in any externall forme or soft Rayment after the fashion of the multitude of gathered Churches in these dayes but in her heavenly gifts and holy vertues her chast and prudent conversation the shining of her faith love patience and moderation in all things she was such as she was the light of the world to the wonderment and admiration of all the Children that had eyes to behold her And whereas it is said She appeared in Heaven the meaning is the places where the Gospel was beleeved the truth of God and way to salvation professed as in Iudea Italy Macedonia Asia and divers other places Cities and Countries in which sense the Apostle speaks to the Church of Thessalonica For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not onely in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad c. And that the Church of Christ is signified by the appellation and title of a Woman that is usuall and often the expression of the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures as The Kings Daughter The Daughter of Sion The Spouse of Christ The Lambs Wife The Mother of all the Saints c. And there is great reason for the Female Sex resembles the Church of Christ in many respects as for their fruitfulnesse for their beauty for their subjection and passivenesse and tender bowels of compassion And that she may want nothing that may tend to her full description in her whole attire to make her all glorious without as the Prophet saith The Kings Daughter is all glorious within The son of Righteousnesse even his own
all the abundance of earthly things or shaddows of that which is spirituall the witnesse and evidence of the Spirit of God exceeds all testimonies and assurances and fills the soul with satisfaction Now in this condition they know the truth of their Lords words by blessed experience My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed living bread that came downe from heaven and they that eat thereof eat everlasting life It is immortall food this body and blood is the resurrection and the life for they that eat this flesh and drink this blood dwell in Christ and Christ in them This food causeth union co-habitation one-nesse of mind and likenesse of affection between Christ and his Members This is the fatted Calfe that fed the prodigall this is the Childrens bread provided of God himselfe for his servant Iacob those excellent dainties sweet and fat things full of marrow the wine and milk the honey-comb with the honey with which the Lord feeds his friends his beloved and chosen ones which food doth not only cheare delight and comfort but it confirms and seals with assurance even that gold Ring that sealed the Fathers favour to his lost Son the best Robe of all the Wardrobe for there is none like it in Heaven nor in Earth for it is the Righteousnesse of the Saints it covers all nakednesse it defends from all dangers and it ever finds acceptance with their heavenly Father in all services and sacrifices for these worshippers have their hearts purged from an evill conscience and their Garments dipt in blood for the Lamb is in them and they in him And thus spirituall are their prayers also this sacrifice likewise is a broken heart and as it is the spirits habitation and dwelling so it is his place of acting and working and although the Saints themselves cannot tell how to pray as they ought yet the Spirit their continuall comforter guider and directer helpeth them and secretly prompteth them with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered with the Organ of the Tongue so inward faithfull and fervent are the spirits requests to God that only knowes the meaning thereof and for their matter they are faithfull supplications they ask in faith in the name of their Lord that is in the powerfull assistance of Christs Spirit And this is the confidence we have in him say the Saints if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us and if we know that he hears us that is if the Spirit do so witnesse to us we know then that we have the Petitions that we desired of him for number they are but few for place private for practice and performance often and frequent Pray continually saith the Apostle And shall the Elect cry day and night unto God their Father against their Enemies oppressions and shall not he avenge them yea he will avenge them and that speedily In all their spirituall warfare this is the last and principall piece of Armour Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance This Servant of our Lords had very well learned his Masters Lesson Watch and pray least yee enter into temptation and this part of their worship is spirituall as the worshippers themselves are spirituall Again their understanding the Scripture is not only litterall but spirituall and that it may the more clearly appear we must remember to make use of this distinction that the Scriptures may be spoken of as of a Body and a Spirit in the letter and the meaning thereof Now all carnall Gospellers and false Expositors as they understand no further then the letter or common gifts declared therein by the sense which such give of the Scriptures they kill Gods Witnesses the two holy Testaments Priests whose Visions are darknesse doe violate wrong and injure all the holy Writings of Gods faithfull servants and witnesses of which company a●e the Learned Clerks of Rome and all other fleshly Preachers for that Church co●sisting of the fat Beasts of the field did kill havock and slay them in such a barbarous manner in that great City of Rome which in a spirituall wicked meaning is called Sodome and Aegypt for their uncleannesse and malice against the true intent of the Scriptures that notwithstanding they had the letter and Corps amongst them yet they did deny the life and soule the mind and will of God therein revealed to be buried or inter'd in their proper Monuments the hearts of men and as they then so the same things doe all carnall Churches now that are of her old nature although of a new frame by their like lying and false Expositions and interpretations even take the life from the body and separate the soule from the corps of these two Witnesses two Prophets two Candlesticks two Testimonies two Olive Trees and two Covenants which two in all and each appellation are but one thing in the true meaning and so they shall continue to doe the remainder of the 42 months till 14 years of the whole number to come be expired In the mean while the voyce of the Church of Christ is heard from out of the Wildernesse and wholly tends to the vindication resurrection and restoration of the true meaning of the Word of God as it is written And after three dayes and a halfe the Spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet And Gods Church fears not to speak although she cares not to be known she being indewed with the spirit of life from God and in her reading the Scriptures you shall find her full of consideration and understanding as our Lord directs her Let him that readeth consider For they that read and hear the words of this Prophecy and keep those things that are written therein and are blessed in so doing must needs truly understand them and indeed it is Sion Gods Church only that understandeth and declareth the Gospel truly by the Scriptures administration For by the Church saith the Apostle is made knowne the manifold wisdome of God which shall be more manifested in the next particular in declaring what the Ministers of the Church of Christ are And it is an undenyable truth that they are Regenerated spirituall men for if every Member of their Church be so and all their Ordinances and Sacr●fices their Communions and administrations then of necessity their Ministry must be so also and therefore in Scripture they are called Holy men of God and Holy Apostles and Prophets and are thereby distinguished from all others that are vaine and ungodly 1. They are holy personally 2. They are holy giftedly And as God hath joyned them together so I shall not seperate them in their description A Scribe instructed unto the Kingdome of Heaven is like unto a good Housholder that brings forth of his Treasury things new and old Now in that our Lord saith He is taught unto the Kingdome of Heaven it is all one as if he had