and civill which tend to his extraordinary good or hurt in respect of the nature of the things themselves and stands him upon to be most exact in the reall discovery of them 2 Is to lead us in fullest discovery and best distinction of things what they are in themselves to shun or enjoy them in their use with most care and tendernesse correspondent to their natures and institution given forth by God himself The truth of both these common reason amongst good dispositions in meer naturals in humane creatures confirmeth and so Gods Word in the greatest case of mans welfare expressed in 1 Tim. 3.16 in relation to Christs personall state and in Colos 4.3 to this politique and visible kingdom the like also ye have of the opposite conditions 1 Joh. 3.7 to ver 13.2 Thes 2.7 Revel 17.5 It being declared wherein a Mystery doth consist the reason and the use of it in both respects the result and chief benefit thereof is to help us in distinction between good and bad in the creatures and their use especially in those of greatest concernment to the welfare of mankind both temporall and spirituall and the contrary in both kinds For ever since the curse man is liable to both and most disposed to what is evill as no reasonable man will deny for brevities sake I shall wholly omit to meddle with that of Artificials Vegitables and Animals which if men buy with experience and losse it reflects onely upon estate which being high or lowe commendeth not to God but in the right use of both they are approved of him And shall touch upon humane nature and the Civill Pollcie thereof but chiefly addresse my self to spend my talent of time and strength received in the distinction of Divinity and Divillishnesse in the State personall and politicall and that principally of Policie In the distinction of humane nature which since the fall in generation is extreamly corrupted it is naturally discerned with reason concluded that that man whose naturall constitution or composition of Elements is most equall and freest from violent predomination of either particular is naturally most healthfull and comfortable and in humane reason hopefully lasting this no Naturalist will denie the opposite hereof must needs be the contrary in every respect In the distinction of Civill Policie which was and is a State God since the fall approveth of where he formerly gave no religious Institution as amongst the Gentiles neither yet doth or will injoyn any but as spiritually received from his Son and Disciples all rationall Naturallists and Disciples of Christ hold that to be safest whose constitution and contrivance in State is most free for justice in matters between man and man And is least incident to wayes of oppression through unruly and destructive pride and covetousnesse it s not intended by this expression to question what is in present being and stir up contention about it I wish the chief persons in it for Government were but so free to do Justice as the way is open for it but evill men and oppressors have done do and will abuse all wayes of Equitie and goodnesse In the distinction of truly Spiritual and Divine Nature in a particular or personall way all the holy men of God from Adam to this day in the effects thereof do declare in the measure of wisdome power and love received to be endeavouring of the most good obtainable towards mankind and the generall well-being of all things for its use this is most perfectly expressed in Jesus Christ the perfect pattern of Equity and kindnesse answerable to the Angels Proclamation at his coming Glory to God c. on earth peace good will towards men all the records of Doctrine and Discipline of the way of Redemption and salvation the Actions also and sufferings of Christ fully declare the same sutable to his divine spirituall nature he instituted a visible politique State without the least prejudice to the Civill as the Scripture holdeth forth at large in his own and his peoples sufferings by it without any trespasse against it In the distinction of the true Ecclesiasticall State or Divine Policie you shall find it hath its pattern in the nature of Christs personall being according to that is the Spirit of his Policie not snaring humane nature but saving it not imposing carnall ordinances or spirituall bonds upon any whether within or without the State but incouraging and approving the innocent in their wayes with freedome of spirit both perfect not extinguish humane nature in its proper use this hath no works of violence in the way of offence or defence worketh not upon any but with the word and counsell of the Spirit of truth t is alwayes suffering not doing wrong to any within or without it its free to give not to receive to serve not to be served In short its most clear that all that is of God and Christ in any spirituall way in personall and particular respects or in the politique and publique is in spirit and truth one and the same with him Every Truth discovereth its opposite in the nature thereof whether in things naturall or spirituall And so in the distinction of falsely spirituall or inhumane divillish nature in a particular or personall way All the wicked men from Adam to this day in the effects thereof declare in the measure of deceit pride and envie received from the devill to be endeavouring the most mischief or evill that can be laid upon mankind and upon all things provided for its use This is most perfectly expressed in the cursed nature thereof transported out of it self and subjected under the disposition of the most false and divellish nature of spirit which runneth out in ful streame in the expression of a false way Religion or in the abuse and perversion of any institution of Gods the truth hereof is proved in Cain in the Jews and in all false spirited persons likewise since those times and most magnificently in these last times in the spirit and policie of Antichrist wherein the very way of living is denied to those that submit not under the power thereof in this personall way from whence springeth the policie thereof The holy Ghost giveth the same distinction in 1 Joh. 3.10,11,12 in the distinction of the policie whereof the nature of the spirit of the divell and his off-spring brought forth in the cursed nature of man are most publiquely and palbably manifested and discovered In the distinction of the Mystery of Iniquitie in the publique or politique part thereof it will appear to be the same with the personall in disposition or nature of spirit not saving but snaring mankind with all the wayes of sin and miserie that the strength and violence of pride deceit and envie can make and do as t was Abels portion under Cain the Jews under Aegypt and Babylon Christs under Jews and Gentiles so t is his Churches under a spirituall Aegypt and Babylon the great cathedrall State
that compels all high and lowe rich and poore bond and free to be subject or to perish by deprivation of humane rights or by infliction of undue sufferings here in false Church-government in the Seat and Throne of matters of conscience which belongeth to Christ alone the spirit of the devill through delusion with all lying signes and wonders ruleth therein with unnaturall violence an higher way then ever was allowed or used by Christ or his followers 2 Thes 2,3,4 Revel 13. gulleth the Earth under guilded conformitie and uniformitie with forced hypocrisie in a way of Religion the most unnaturall and divillish bondage in the world which in the height of its operation transports humane nature in to the most implacable murtherous spirit of hell which is pleased with no thing more then the utmost ruine of mankind By this very spirit doth the holy Ghost discover the Beast the false Church State Revel 13.7 to the 18. And thus in shortest manner I could I have given you what I have received of the Discovery of the Mystery of Iniquitie both in the personall or particular and the publique or politicall part of it which shunned and avoided helps to gain and preserve the welfare of man in generall Now that this is a way agreeable to reason and confirmed by Scripture judge all rationall people what is from the devill in nature and policie must needs be all one and produce the same effects and fruits by which saith Christ of his speciall instruments false Prophets ye shall know them Matth. 7.16 1 Thes 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good 1 Joh. 4. read that Chapter and to verse 3. of the next Chapter where you shall find the same way or means of distinction by trying the spirits c. The former Treatises touching the discovery of Policies and Natures help to clear up this and so doth this following concerning false holinesse to which I refer you A brief Treatise discovering thâ— holinesse of Nations in their Church Institution and what relates thereunto to be false and not of God VVHich in short is proved by considering 1 What holinesse is or what is meant by the Word 2 How many sorts there be The meaning and drift of the Word is to set forth the pure nature or use of any thing whereby the excellence thereof is expressed and so the word is used in Old and New Testament as is commonly known to set forth God himself and all belonging to the Divine nature and the state and use of all Gods institutions The sorts of it are two 1 Is invisible inherent and unchangeable relating to the spirituall substance expressed as an attribute of the same 2 Is visible imposed temproary and pervertable according to all Institutions relating also to mens professions and callings Laws and Ordinances stinted by ordination and limitation in respect of people way of worship time and place as hath been publickly and tipically expressed in the Church of the Jews in each particular and is now refined in the Christian Church sutable to the more substantiall and spirituall worship and lesse subject to abuse but by grosse and foule delusion guilding or counterfeiting the substantiall or circumstantiall parts of any Institution wherein onely may false holinesse visibly and possibly cousist as is most apparant and will so remain in farther examination thereof For counterfeit or false holinesse or things seemingly holy which in truth and proof are the absolute contrary have their rise or means of being in humane nature and things subjected to the use therof for what commands that in spirit is perfectly and unalterably in its self and nature good or evill holy or unholy which needs no proof in beholding the fountains thereof All things subjected to the use of man and man himself is under or rather capable of a twofold Institution which God injoyneth and approveth of to wit Divine and Civill government which the morall Law in the two Tables plainly sheweth the state of the Jews and Gentiles before Christs personal coming and the state of Christs Church in and since his time different both from Jews and the common way of the Gentiles politiquely and personally also most eminently hold forth Civil Government is or ought to be that by which all men good and bad except exceeding and inconsistent therewith have a being and preservation wherein the wheat and tares grow together till the harvest freed from the unnaturall and unjust violence of cursed humane nature which Christ himself approveth of in Cesars time and his Apostles also both doctrinally and practically This state except it be delusively transported out of it self for the ends of divillish pride deceit and envie is like the Sun-shine and rain upon the good and bad the just and unjust yea all creatures receive good thereby and in its proper centure is not easily perverted to cut off the innocent from the earth as common equity informeth And hath no relation to distinguishing of mens spirits or their uses in any Divine Institution which God hath given onely to his own Son since the time of types and refining wherein their being and use sutable to the beauty of his own love is made more saving and comfortable to the sons of men Divine government which in truth is that wherein Christians or Saints have politique and visible fellowship with their spirituall head Christ and God the Father the fountain of all mercie and goodnesse and is of an higher not contrary nature to Civility wherein people are led forth in the disposition of their Saviour more by love and forgivenesse and doing good yea for evill then by principles of equity and returning like for like in cases of injury and wrong done and received This I need not stand to prove from Abels time of opposition to this day of Antichrists reigne wherein the innocent have plentifully gone to the wall as the weakest parties use to do and will till the brightnesse of innocencie delivers them This being of higher nature and use then humane nature and sense did before the fall and much lesse since the curse incline to either to look into or affect it but in pride and forgetfull disobedience to God is become like the forbidden fruit by Gods permission through the Serpents delusion and perversion even the greatest means of destruction to mankind with the greatest pretence of holinesse which is truth and realty is altogether contrary thereunto This false holinesse or abuse of Divine Government and Gods holy Institutions whether in respect of the Church or the Laws and Ordinances thereof will be manifestly discovered in confidering The constitution of the body according to Christs approved institution wherein observe 1 The nature of the power and life thereof by which it hath all due motion 2 The nature of the materiall part or members incorporated in that body The nature of the power properly by which it is and moveth is no other in kind then that by which Christ gave it