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
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
his as they are in Christ not in such or such an outward way or form There remaineth two or three choice Scriptures to open concerning this and they are these And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and some Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith c. And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers after that miracles then gifts of healing helps governments diversities of tongues Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you to the end of the world From all these Scriptures these Conclusions are made 1. That there is a Ministry of gifts of teaching and ordinances 2. That this is for the perfecting of the Saints 3. That this is to last to the end of the world Now these Scriptures are much mistaken according to such results and conclusions The Scripture to the Ephesians Eph. 4. shews only that there was such a Ministry of gifts and offices but not any such continuance of them to the end of the world For where it is said for the perfecting of the Saints c. till we all come c. that hath relation to the tenth verse or to Christ ascended that he might fill all things and this of the perfecting of the Saints c. is only an exposition or clearer interpretation of that tenth verse how he fills all things viz. by perfecting his Saints in the work of the Ministry or that glorious and spiritual administration of himself upon his to bring them all into the unity of the faith so as he may be one in them and they in him the Lord one and his name one which is that unity of the faith Nor can this Scripture intend any other thing then this viz. to shew first how the Lord fills all things as in verse the tenth and how he set up a ministration of gifts in the first discovery of Gospel-glory he gave some Apostles and how he himself perfects the saints by being their fulness and so edifies or builds up his body and brings forth that unity of the faith or one glorious evidence and revelation of himself in the whole body Nor can any other thing bear the weight of such expressions but Christ himself Who can perfect the Saints but Christ Who can edifie the body or build it up but Christ Who can bring forth unity of faith but Christ For no gifts either of Apostle or Prophet or c. can perfect the saints Though I have the gift of Prophesie and understand all mysteries and all knowledg and though I have all faith and have not love or Christ who is the love of the Father it profiteth me nothing But suppose it were so that the Ministration of gifts and offices there spoken on were for the perfecting of the saints till the unity of the faith be what doth this prove to the present Ministration of gifts and offices now or since the falling away amongst us for we have none of them in the pure gifts of the Holy Ghost or Unction and we must either have all or none there is no taking these gifts and offices in pieces and parts as they do generally distinguishing them into extraordinary and ordiary the extraordinary they say are Apostles Evangelists Prophets and these they say are ceased but Pastors and Teachers they say are ordinary and remain But where is this distinction to be found in the Word are not all gifts of the same spirit Doth not the Scripture reckon them all equally necessary in the Church Doth it anywhere speak of Apostles Evangelists Prophets only for the first Age and Pastors and Teachers for the Ages after Doth not the Scripture say expresly he hath set some in his Church 1 Cor. 12. 28. and so reckons according to some order in the excellency of gifts and office not according to the expiration of some and the life and continuance of the rest saying Apostles Evangelists Prophets are to cease only Pastors and Teachers remain but he saith plainly he hath set all these in his Church not excepting one sort more then another nay a Pastor or Teacher in the true and proper gift and office was as spiritual as the other viz. of the pure anointing or the holy Ghost but Pastor and Teacher hath been considered in a lower capacity and industry art natural parts and learning have been taken in in after times to the composition of a Pastor and Teacher and upon this account those offices have been thought ordinary which were upon the meer and pure account of the holy Ghost so as if they will have Pastors and Teachers only remain where is the Scripture for excepting the rest and where are the very same gifts And pure anointing of Spirit for watching feeding and teaching And if they will have these Scriptures to hold forth such a continued Ministry of necessity to the perfecting of the Saints where are all the rest viz. Apostles Evangelists c. for all are reckoned both in Eph. 4. â— Co. 12. 28. and where are those very gifts of pure anointing And why so many hundred years without these What hath become of the Saints since the first great falling away How have they been perfected If all these were for that very work and yet not visibly extant for so many years Nay the pure gifts of the anointing of the Holy Ghost not appearing in any of the most glorious Reformers as Luther who had much darkness as in that of Consubstantiation and in his passions to King Henry and in many other particulars of his c. and so of the rest save only they shone forth in the more glory because of the darknesse of that Generation For that other Scripture in Mathew 28. Go teach and baptize and lo I am with you it is only as I take it and meerly in application to the Apostles and Disciples of that Age and Ministration whom the Lord bid go and teach what he had commanded them and baptize into the name or mystery of God which word baptize is a figure Christ uses to express the depth of a spiritual mystery as in that can ye be baptized with the Baptism that I am baptized with And he shal baptize you with the Holy Ghost c. And that phrase to the end of the world is if more clearly translated to the finishing of the Age or that Age of Ministration Some of these things are scatteringly spoken on in other places of my Book but here more perfectly and clearly Magistracy a Power ordained of God THe Magistrate is a power ordained of God an Image of
I left my adversary stil upon some account with me for passion and recrimination as all others do on all sides whom I see write therefore I rather made it my choice to enter into the chamber or retirement of Spirit and shut the door upon me till the indignation be over-past for we can set but letter to letter and Scripture to Scripture and argument to argument and interpretation to interpretation and nothing can be judged till the day or time of more revelation of truth till the Holy Ghost and fire sit upon each of us trying every mans work of what sort it is and burning up that in us which is hoy and stubble for writing book after book in such a line of Replies Rejoynders hath usually more of man then God in it and we seem to say with our lips we wil prevail our tongues are our own who is Lord over us I am not against contending for truth earnestly but that is in Spirit not in flesh nor passions and I know well that the Spirit of God is flowing in and is a fire in the bosome but still as a refiners fire trying and purifying not scorching nor burning up that which is pure and spiritual in one another and I know some allowance there must be on all sides to infirmities and darkness and several conceptions of truth in all which yet hath not been and I know not any of us that either preach or write on Scriptures in such a light of Spirit as the Apostles writ the Scriptures Heresie HEresie is a choice in the signification of the word and in the application of it in Scripture it is a choice of some other thing for truth then is truth by those who seemingly received truth though after they make another choice of that which is contrary to truth Heresie which was judged by the Apostles accordingly was a choice of some thing contrary to the faith and sound doctrine of Scriptures delivered by inspiration or in Spirit and Truth so as Heresie is something against the very Doctrine of Faith in the Word or Scriptures not against any interpretations doctrines conclusions glosses Comments or Preachings of men who speak not Scripture nor the word of truth originally nor infallibly as the Apostles did but so far as that is the very Scripture they speak and so far as they speak the truth in Jesus and in the Spirit of God else they teach for Doctrines the Traditions of men Schism SChism is a breaking off a renting or dividing from Christians who are in an outward profession of truth and in an outward fellowship of truth Now there may be Schism in visible Churches or fellowships of Saints upon this account but there can be none in the true body of Christ or the spiritual Church which is baptized by one spirit into one body for they that are joyned to the Lord are one Spirit and they are made perfect in one and so far as they are in that one Spirit cannot be divided nor can suffer any Schism so as the dividing from men meerly or the fellowships of men meerly or the errours of men or departing into higher attainments of truth while the rest of the visible fellowships sit still is no Schism for if so the Protestants were a Schism to Rome and Presbyterians to Bishops and all that go on from faith to faith from glory to glory to the rest whom they leave behind 9. Truth THere is but one Truth and that is Jesus Christ I am the way and the truth and he is Truth in the original or pattern and we see nor know no more Truth then we see and know in him this is called the truth as it is in Jesus For Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega of all things and comprehends all essence and form and life and Spirit of things in himselfe and all things of this Creation are but Shaddowes and Images of this Truth and the outward forms of that glory this Truth makes free that is the operation of it and therefore so much of Truth or of Christ any ones knows or receives so much freedom or liberty they receive and so much they are delivered into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty And therefore as Truth is in any so is spiritual liberty and the Spirit of bondage in them passes away and such are disburdened of the legal terrours fears of the lyes delusions false conceptions traditions under which they have lived as they grow up into Truth the Spirit of Truth only teaches and reveals this Truth and opens those treasures of wisdom and knowledg which are in Christ Truth though it be but one yet it shines forth in many streams of glory and opens like day in Jesus Christ this variety of truth appears that truth or glory or true brightness of God and all that truth of this Creation or forms of the world and all truth of Letter or Scripture or outward Ordinance is in its pure Essence and Spirit in Jesus Christ Truth gathers up men more into Christ from the flesh and loose vanity of the world and therefore we are said to have our loyns girt with truth the girdle of truth as it were binding us up and keeping close in Spirit to the Lord there is a fulness settlement establishment in truth and in things of this world there is a far more solid real enjoyment in the substance of things here then in their shadows counterfeits or pictures because there is a nature or Spirit and life in that thing to be enjoyed and answers the Spirit and life of him that enjoys by communicating something substantial solid and proportionable then images and shadows are So it is in the truth Jesus Christ in whom is life and more excellent glorious and spiritual form or life exceeding the nature of things here and communicating more true and solid glory then all things here which are but as shadows to that as other things are shadows to them therefore says David I shal behold thy face in righteousness I shal be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness as if the face or likeness of God which is Jesus Christ the image of the invisible God could only satisfie and the soul in such a prospect of light and glory is truly awakened til when it is but asleep and in dreams and visions of its own spirit all the life and discoveries of sense and reason being but dreams rather then true awakenings and therefore the more any one hath seen of truth in Jesus the more spiritually and highly they judg of all outward things being not satisfied in the meer letter or form of them but in the spirituallity of them and true life of them which is Jesus Christ The Mystery of true Christian liberty from God not from man or the power of men WE have hitherto filled much paper with Scriptures Reasons and
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
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
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
of true light in what is writ but more light to what is already writ to make it more clearly appear true light To Master KNOLLS The Authour of a Book called The shining of a flaming fire c. writ against me as to the point of Baptism Dear Brother I Have been long silent not because what you writ had prevailed in me to believe the Ordinance of Baptism by water so practised of that necessity or of that pure Apostolike practise in these times since the outward Court given to the Gentiles hath been troden down and the gifts of Spirit which was the glory and life of those visible administrations then now taken away But I was not very hastie because I know it is not man that teacheth Truth but God Ye shall be all taught of God There are three things I propound to ye with many other 1. That all that baptize now by the power of teaching Go teach and baptize do teach in the same gift the disciples that baptized formerly did teach that is as the oâ—acles of God in the pure manifestation of the Spirit of God else that Command Go teach and baptize belongs not to disciples of lesse pure lesse certain and lesse infallible teaching as all dâ—sciples now in mystical Babylon or the flesh are but to disciples of the first anointing or first fruits of the Spirit such as the Apostles were and such as Philip and Ananias and the brethren with Peter c. 2. That the Baptism of water is Christs Baptism or his administration but it is Johns and his Ministery I come baptizing with water but he shall baptize ye with the holy Ghost And therefore Christ never gave it to his disciples in their first Commission to preach to the Jews nor baptized he any himself that can be found nor doth it appear that this in Matth. 28. is meant of baptizing by water but by the Spirit or baptism of gifts which Christ baptized with in their administration saying Lo I am with you or in you c. 3. That the disciples of Christ baptized onely by water as in Johns Ministery though into Christ as all legal administrations were viz. to Christ and did it partly in honour to Johns Ministery for a greater prophet then John hath not risen and to the believers weaknesse as in that To the weak I was weak To them under the Law as under the Law c. yet saith he I was not sent to baptize It was no part of his Commission but of his spiritual liberty and to edification of the weak for he circumcised And there is another thing which hath caused much mistake and confidâ—nce in this point of Baptism by water and that is The not distinguishing the doctrine of Baptisms but interpreting the words of Baptism used in the Epistles which appear to be words of mystery and spiritual immersion as to the mysteries of God and of being made by one Spirit one with Christ one in his death buried with him by Baptism c. to be of a meer literal elementary signification and to be meant of water onely and from this pressing it as necessary c. And further there is no little mistake of that in the Hebrews where the doctrine of Baptisms is reckoned amongst the first principles of the doctrine of Christ whereas those first principles are reckoned in the Hebrews not as if all of them were things to be for ever the principles of every Christian but of the doctrine of Christ in some of those things as to that age those things being first brought forth in that ministration of Christ then for if it were otherwise and all they of necessity as the first principles then where is the other Baptism of gifts there mentioned in the Word For the word is Baptisms not Baptism And further the Apostle rather calls Christians up higher more into Spirit Wherefore leaving saith he the doctrine of Christ let us go on to perfection or to that which is perfect which is Christ himself As if he should say Let us be no more weak Christians but such as seek higher and more excellent things I refer you to the Doctrine of Baptisms here in my Book where I have not controversially written but in meeknesse and plain distinction of things Nor am I against Baptism by water if administred according to the measure of light ye are under and not in an Apostolical necessity and pressure and as a dividing Ordinance to the unity of the Spirit of God in Christians Dear Sir I love and tender those true appearances of God that are in you and rejoyce with you in beholding that glory by which we are all changed from glory to glory c. and am Your Friend and Brother in the Lord JOHN SALTMARSH {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Act. 26. 19 Rom. 3. 29. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Psal. 51. Psal. 51. Psal. Joh. 4. Joh. 14. Act. 9. Psal. Joh. 3. 8. Rom. 12. 6. Act. 2. 18. Psal. 68. 11. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Tit. 3. 10. 1 Cor. 5. 5. 2 Thes. 3. 15. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} See Mason Fox booke of Martyrs Beda Ephes. 5. 30. Act. 9. 4. Mal. 3. Psal. 105. 15. Thse 1. 5 19. Act. 7. 51. Ephes. 4. 30. Joh. 8. 32 36. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Rom. 13. 1 2 3. Rom. 13. 4 5. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2 Sam. 19. 22. 1 Cor. 9. 22. 1 Cor. 8. 4 7. Matth. Phil. 3. 3. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Eph. 4. 22 23. 1 Cor. 15. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Eph. 4. 22 23. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Rev. 21. â— {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Rom 5. 14. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Gen. 1. 26 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Heb. 1. 3. Psal. 36. 9. Gen. 1. 26 Ephes. 4. 23. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Zac. 4. 12. 1 Cor. 17. 47. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Rom. 1. 20 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Gen. 3. 2 Thes. 2. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} abolitionis Gen 4. 1. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Gal. 4. 23. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Rev 19. Eph. 4. 24. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Col. 1. 15. 1 Ioh. 1. 2. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Joh. 1. 1. Rev. 1. 18. Prov. 8. Mat. 1. Rev. 21. Ioh. 1. 18. Ioh. 1. Prov. 8. 1 Cor. 3. 18. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Rev. 21. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Heb. 12. 2 Cor. 15. 1 Cor. 2. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Heb. 9. 14. Luk.
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
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
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
Spirit shining and discerning in those that judg the works of their faith who are judged And thus we may see how Synods and Councels of men and visible Churches have erred in their judgments and discernings of all others judging all higher attainments of light and glory heresie and schism and by this sentencing the Lord himself and confining him only to their own measures and degrees which is that very spirit of Antichrist sitting in the Temple of God and judging as God nay judging God himself according to his other manifestations which they see not nor receive unless they pretend to be that only select Apostleship for interpretation and revelation of Scripture as the Apostles who were the first Preachers of Scripture and this they must do upon their ways and grounds of discerning but what shal be done to these that judge before the time and the day or more full revelation of Jesus Christ the false Prophet shal be taken and cast into the lake that burns with fire and these that judg God in their brethren according to such manifestations as are not in themselves shal be judged of God their Judg even of the Lord Iesus the Iudg of quick and dead Cain was an image of all such judging his brothers sacrifice and for that was sentenced of God Principles of Warr and Peace 1. WAr is the more natural work of the Nations of the World who shal according to Christs Prophesie be dashing one another in pieces till the last appearance of Iesus Christ there shal be Wars and rumours of Wars Nation shal rise against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom 2. War is from the Law and Principles of nature according to which the Nations of the world live and are acted having no higher a law to raise them and carry them up into more glorious dispensations For the Law or Principles of nature dictate thus preserve thy self thy life thy lands thy rights an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth 3. The true Christian so far as he is in nature and under this law he is acted according to the world and to the meer Principles of nature and law and therefore it is that the Christians to this day are found at the same work with the world and two are grinding at one mill two are in one field two in one bed that is the true Christian and the meer natural man are together in one work at one plough in one bed or way of Peace and worldly rest till the Lord Jesus be more manifested in Spirit or in his coming and revelation and the one or true Christian be taken and the other left the one taken up higher into more Spirit and more of Christ the other left in their meer nature and legal principles and worldly doings 4. The Jews were not only a type of the true spiritual Church but of the Christians under the lowest dispensation and in the model of their armed Tribes and Generals as of Moses and Joshua were a figure of the Christian under pupillage and bondage to nature and the laws of nature and so they were led out against the Nations who were a figure of worldly Tyranny and oppression to recover their land of rest or such worldly priviledges as they had in promise and donation from God 5. Under the Gospel the Lord suffered the same figure in Peter who walked about with Christ in his fleshly appearance with his sword girt about him and attended his Person till Christ bid him put it up again into his sheath because he was now going out of that dispensation of flesh into more glory into the same glory that he had with God before the world was and was accordingly providing a more spiritual dispensation for them even the Comforter or Spirit of truth all which were a figure of all the Disciples of Peters fellowship and weakness whom the Lord would suffer in an armed and defensive Posture till he provided a more spiritual Ministration for them and a way of more spirit light and glory In order to Peace and Suffering and Love 1. The Will of God A Christian is most perfected in the Will of God in laying himself down to rest in the bosome of such providence as the Lord opens to him for nothing creates perplexity and disquietness of Spirit but when the will of man is in complying and in a motion distinct from the will of God when the Spirit of man moves in its own fleshly course and circuit and so runs out into a dispensation further then the law of present providence will fairly allow it and in this way men study plot desire lust are passionate inordinate unquiet unstable and like the troubled sea foam out themselves upon this account men lust and have not they kill and desire to have and cannot obtain they fight and war yet they have not are with child and bring forth winde and work no deliverance they say the bricks are faln down but we will build with hewen stones the Sicamores are cut down but we will change them into Cedars The Lord Jesus held forth another pattern and figure Lo I come to do thy will O God not my will but thine be done it is my meat and drink to do the will of my Father the Apostle answers this as in water face answers face I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content I can be abased and I can abound the reason of all is from the spiritual anointing they receive by which their understandings are enlightned to see all the various workings and contrary contextures of providence meeting in one point or line the will of God so as all things work together for good to those that love God 2. God changing dispensations THe Christian is most at peace when he is willing to be gathered up by God from such ways and ministrations below as he hath lived in formerly if he see God clearly in it for God hath his times of letting out and winding up of using such or such a ministration and then breaking it and laying it by and appearing in other and we must not limit the holy one of Israel nor fix him always upon the same point of dispensation he went out from his Tabernacle into his Temple from thence into the flesh of Christ and so into ordinances and gifts and graces and Spirit with the Jews he was in war in peace in captivity in deliverance or return and in this exchange of dispensation God reveals and shines forth his wisdom glory and power upon his and upon the world which wisdom power and glory being in that fulness and infiniteness in himself cannot appear in one globe and ball of glory below upon this Creation but as in parts and scattered beams and divers workings and therefore John saw the Lord in a vision like a Jasper upon a Throne
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
and the seven and ten figures of perfection and compleatness as to the man of sin for the number of the beast is the number of a man and yet his number is but 666. that is is but a number of weakness and imperfection and work or bondage not the number of God or of seven which is perfection and rest And the whore is adorned with gold and pearl which are those excellencies of nature and forms of wâ—rship and Scriptures with which she decks her self and is adorned as a counterfeit spouse of Christ and upon her head is mystery that is all this appearance of hers even her highest and choicest her head is mystery to all who are made drunken with the cup of her fornications or spiritual whoredoms and idolatries they discerning none of these but all being in mystery to them And this Antichrist is one who denies Christ coming in flesh or God in his people who is coming and coming that is ever flowing out in fresh and glorious discoveries and manifestations of himselfe forbidding all beyond them as new lights and false revelations and fixing God and his appearances in their Conceptions Votes and Results and Councels and Consequences and Conclusions and Laws of worship This Antichrist thus described is found in man or the spirit of meer man in al his departure or falling away from God in al his lying signs or counterfeitings of the spirit in his sitting as God in his being a beast or opposing the Spirit in his scarlet colour or his crucifyings of Christ in us in his denying the Lords coming or further manifestations of his light and Spirit in us and thus quenching the Spirit And from hence he flows out and spreads himself in the world in all Idolatrous forms of worship in all false interpretations of God and of the truth as it is in Jesus These are the several attainments The Common Protestant THe common Protestant as to doctrine and fundamentals are so far in a discovery of the mystery of salvation as to behold a state of condemnation in sin and a way of salvation by Jesus Christ and faith in him yet some take this way to be but a knowledg of Christ after the flesh and of Christ as one single person or figure of a man and the first glympse of the love of God and but meerly a discovery beyond the law and all but a fleshly spirituality The generall Redemptionist THey that are for general redemption through Christ in the free offers of grace to all and his dying for all some say attain no higher in this then Christ after the flesh and fall into the same consequence with those that hold the particular election and reprobation of some and though there be in this a more general ministration of Christ held forth according to the letter yet they say it goes not so high as the mystery of Christ in Spirit and in pure glory and truth but of Christ in glorified flesh and as in one single person or figure of a man and all end but in a fleshly spirituality and in an attainment as to the meer letter of Scripture The Free-Gratian THey that have discovered up into free-grace or the mystery of salvation singled out from conditions qualifications and works some say attain no higher in that then a discovery meerly beyond the common Protestant both going no higher then a justification by imputation and through Christ after the flesh as in one single person or figure of a man glorified in flesh or the body without and in a local glory or a circumscribed nature and putting all the righteousness upon a meer account in God and all the taking away of sin or sinful flesh upon a non-imputation or not-accounting in the crucifying death or fiery trial of the flesh and the pure spiritual incorruptible seed of God within Christ in us the hope of glory And their highest attainment as to duties and works is only as some say to the nature and manner of their production or flowing forth they counting the nature and original of all no higher then an habit of grace or quality and their proceeding as immediately in the nature of that which they say is love all they do being from love and in love not in bondage Conclusion ANd these attainments are not such as are therefore condemned because no higher or more spiritual but are only considered as not the highest but in order to the mystery of salvation and several measures and ages of attainment and seeing darkly as in a glass till that which is perfect is come A Discovery of Prayer THat which hath been discovered concerning Prayer is this First That they who could not pray in the Spirit might use a form of prayer as John taught his Disciples and the Lord Jesus his in that of Our Father c. and David in Psalms and the Apostles and Christ himself are found in the same form and expressions of prayer very often he went away and prayed the same things again Moses prayed arise Lord c. and again arise Lord this is the first discovery and is truth though truth in weakness infancy A further discovery is that prayer is rather a work of the Spirit then of any form and that no set form ought to be puâ— upon the Spirit of God out what it freely breathes and speaks and all constant speakings to God in this as they call a conceived way or impremeditate or ex-temporary way is taken commonly amongst Christians for prayer in the Spirit and for that spiritual way of prayer which the Disciples of Christ used in the Gospel who were grown up from the infancy and childishness of forms or words taught them which is but a meer natural or outward thing as they say which any may performe by strength of natural parts as wit and memory and affections The furthest discovery as some say is this That Prayer is no other but the revelation of the will of God or mind of God as to such and such particulars either spiritual or temporal and is an immediate proper and spiritual act of the Spirit of God in the Saints and that all such speakings as are not from the very manifestation of the Spirit of God in us are but such prayers and petitions as natural reason and memory and affections may form and dictate and doth usually and that there is no difference betwixt such kind of praying and forms of prayer though it may be ex-temporary or conceived as some who can pray upon this account three or four hours and nothing more frequent now nay this kind of prayer is far worse by how much it transforms its self more into an Angel of light and is not sitting in the Temple of God as God or pretending its self to be the Spirit of God and is not being more properly the flowings and breathings of reason and the strength of mans wit and memory and affections and is constantly performed in publick and
private and thus fire is fetched down from heaven in the sight of men that dwel upon the earth or such as are yet more below then above or in heaven and Spirit and thus the people of Israel prayed whose prayers were an abomination thus the Pharisees made long prayers c. So as Prayer then according to this discovery is the Spirit of God only revealing and speaking in the people of God we know not what to pray for as we ought that is we as we are our selves know not And therefore all that we pray and not the Spirit of God in us not that Spirit of Prayer spoken on in Scripture is but the Spirit of man praying which is but the cry of the creature or a natural complaining for what we want as the Ninivites and the children and beasts of that City all cryed unto the Lord But in pure prayer the Spirit helpeth our infirmities the Spirit of God which makes intercession with groanings which cannot be uttered that is the speakings or manifestations of the Spirit of God or not so utterable by the flesh or voice of man and the Spirit maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God or according to God as in the Greek that is Prayer is God speaking in us his mind and will And therefore the Lord Jesus taught this in that form and doctrine of his thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven wherein he set forth that more spirituall and perfect Prayer which was only according to God and which the Saints should pray afterwards when the Spirit was more revealed And this is prayer in Spirit and to pray thus is to pray in some evidence and demonstration of God and in faith or beleeving the will of God as to this or this thing at this or this time whatsoever ye ask in prayer beleeving c. And all other asking or seekings of God which are not thus in Spirit and in the will or mind of God in some evidence or pure work of Spirit or raising of Spirit is but the askings of creatures as creatures and thus all meer natural and carnal people pray and are heard and answered many times in the mercy and goodness of God who makes his Sun to shine upon the just and unjust All exhortations in Scripture to this duty of prayer as seek ye my face pray continually watch and pray be fervent in prayer ask and ye shal have c. are only then rightly effectually and properly applied and obeyed when the Spirit of God doth it in the Christian when the Spirit of God breaths in and reveals the will of God and acts in the duty or expressions and the Christian speaks in himself or in presence of others that mind of God and so this Spirit of God clothes its self in flesh or letter or expressions as to the outward man and they who say Amen in the Spirit as the Apostle saith say Amen in the same Spirit or else they are not in prayer in a pure spiritual closure or unity of Spirit Prayer is the workings and weaker or fainter manifestations of the Spirit of God in the Christian while he is in bondage that is while God is not the fulness the light and glory and all in all unto him for where there is any asking or seeking or desiring there is not perfect rest enjoyment alsufficiency and fulness And therefore while Christians are in bondage and not yet brought into the glorious liberty of the sons of God they are under the Ministration of Prayer to God or of asking as children are to a father in non-age and pupillage All Scriptures of Prayer or concerning Prayer and the prayers of the Saints in the vial are considerable respectively to the state of weakness and bondage the Saints are in praying not in the Spirit of God but in weakness or the flesh according to their own wils hath been usuall with Saints formerly as Paul who prayed thrice to remove the buffeting and was answered my grace is sufficient for thee or is it not enough that I have grace for thee in all my dealings and dispensations towards thee live thou upon that and the Lord Jesus himself prayed Father if it be thy will let this cup pass yet afterwards he was more the manifestation of God Father not as I wil that is not as I or that of man in me but as thou will and many Christians wanting the clear and glorious revelation of the will of God pray for such and such things for the obtaining such and such mercies and removal of such and such miseries being all this while in the dark to the will and mind of the Lord when as if the will of the Lord were seen or discovered they would rejoyce and be at rest in such conditions and learn how to want as wel as to abound that is to want such or such things as the Lord takes from them and to abound in the Lord without those things or with those things which is the sweet state of the Christian and a rest or peace in figure to that glory and fulness to be revealed in us and those Christians as are in some measure in this light or glimpse of the fulness of God are entred upon the borders of Canaan and are feeding upon some bunches of the grapes of the promised land A discovery of the Law SOme say the Law is obligatory and binding to all Christians because moral and so perpetual and that it was revealed because of transgressions And that the Law is of no less efficacy now then before to reveal sin and convince of sin and that Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it that the ministery of the Law ought to precede and go before the Gospel because none ought to have Christ offered to them in a promise but such as the Law hath humbled and prepared that God doth sanctifie the Ministry of the Law to conversion and sanctification of his people and such as preach it are not legal thus the Protestant in general Others say that a further discovery of the Law is this That the Law was a discovery or appearance of Gods righteousness and mans according to the nature of both as in the first Creation God is revealed in the Law to be one God and only to be worshiped and no other Gods but one and man is revealed in his first created righteousness love thy neighbour as thy self The Law is in every one by nature accusing and excusing and Gods transcribing it into tables of stone was to set before man a testimony or witness in the letter of what Law he had inwardly the Law is spiritual and to bear witness to his Apostacy and falling away and to all his sins transgressions and enormities committed Moses and the Prophets were Ministers of it in the letter the Law was given by
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
further revealed in Revelations 2. 9. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty c. and ye shall have tribulation for ten dayes this was written to the Church of Smyrna or to all Christians under the figure of that Church which was tribulation prison or bondage and poverty that is while Christians are in their former administrations as in bondage prison poverty looking at all they have as nothing and all former things they were rich in as nothing and now as bondage to a more excellent enjoyment of God This is likewise in the mystery of it the cross of Christ or the fellowship of Christs sufferings crucifyings and death for as Christ crucified all that glorious administration in which he was in the flesh and it all died to a more glorious life even the glory of God the father so every Christian is to take up this cross and to bring his highest and choycest administration to this cross and to have them all crucified to higher discoveries of God this is the knowledge of Christ Crucified or self-denial Many Christians who are sadded darkned in much tribulation as to the administrations they are under and take them for desertions and withdrawings of God when as they are the presence of God upon such administrations making them dark and wither and consume and the bringing in of a richer and fuller glory God in heaven or in a place of distance as to our infirmity MAny Christians in theirconceptions of God andprayings or addresses to Godconsider him as in a local glory and so change theglory of the incorruptibleGod into an image made like to corruptible man God is infinite and all in all and whither shal I go saith the Psalmist from thy spirit or whither shal I fly from thy presence and where is the place of his rest And say not in thy heart who shal ascend into heaven to bring Christ down from above The word is nigh even in thy heart the word saith the Apostle that we preach which word was Christ the eternal Word which was with God and was God And thus the Lord is said to be at hand the Lord is at hand The spiritual Christian knows that all figures of place as of Gods residence as heaven and all such discoveries of God as to place or distance are only as to man and to the infirmities of man and therefore prays not and speaks not to God nor of God as to Place or distance but as if he were in him and about him his right hand embracing him and his left hand under him and in such discovery of God as he hath by faith c. or any such graces and other administrations he worships not God nor considers God as that or that discovery because then he should worship something for God which is not God and as Iohn fall down at the feet of the Angel or some glorious ministration and worship there The carnall and weak christian worships prayes c. and thinks of God as to form figure and place and distance and discoveries of him by graces gifts c. Whereas God is only to be enjoyed in those as in a glass darkly for we have not seen his shape nor heard his voice The Spirituall Sabboth THis Mystery of God was held forth first in the Creation in that of the seventh day which God was said to sanctifie which was no other then the enjoyment of God in the Revelation of himself who is perfect rest and sabboth in his own glory the six dayes being accordingly a figure of the Christian in bondage or under active and working administrations as those of the Law and Gospel are as all forms of worship duties graces prayer Ordinances c. This Sabboth was a sign to the people of God in bondage or under the law and the Lord Jesus in his Active and fulfilling Administration while he was in the flesh was the Antitipe of the six dayes and his entring into glory was that very Sabboth and rest which was the bosome of the Father from whence he came and where he returned and this is the scope of that fourth chap. to the Hebrews and the bosome of the Father is that Sabboth or Rest there remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God and he that hath entred into his rest hath ceased from his works as God did from his that is the Lord Jesus having fulfilled his dayes work as to the law entred into his glory or rest so Christ in that held forth the true Christian Sabboth which was the father as Philip shew us the Father and it sufficeth us there is fulness rest sabboth and sufficiency in the Father or Revelation of God in the Christian So as the Spirituall Christian in the true discovery of God his fulness lives in an eternall every-day sabboth while some live in little more than the bare sign or one day in the week The Gospel as in its own glory and as in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament THe Gospel is everlasting for it is the tydings and Revelation of God in love grace or mercy to his or God manifested in flesh or making his Tabernacle with men This Gospel which is no other then the mystery of Salvation revealed or declared in Spirit to men is cloathed in several administrations as that of the Old Testament and the New the Scriptures of both being the Revelation of heavenly things by earthly or created things or by naturall forms and expressions so as the letter is a parable figure or allegory by which spirituall things are spoken and brought forth amongst men they are they which testifie of Christ hitherto I have spoken to you in Proverbs c. The Scriptures or writings of the everlasting Gospel are the true scriptures as they are the very Image and letter of the mystery of Salvation or of Spiritual things or the mind of God or as they are in that pure and spiritual Order and form of words to truth its self not as they are meerly in their grammaticall construction and sense or common reading which any that understand the Hebrew or Greek may receive and therefore the Scriptures according to such or such interpretations consequences of men are not to be imposed as meer things of faith and fundamentals but so far as the spirit of God reveals them to be that very truth and minde of God in those who receive them else they are received and acknowledged for the Authority and reputation of men not of God therefore Christ told the Pharisees they erred not knowing the Scriptures and yet they had the Scriptures and read them and understood them in the letter but not in the Spirit The Gospel being thus distinguished into the spiritual nature of it and into the administration with which it is cloathed nothing is pure spirituall divine Gospell but that which is light life glory spirit or God revealed whatsoever is of meer
letter form Ordinance is of the administration or Gospel-cloathing and appearance as to men and as in the flesh things that are seen are temporal things that are not seen are eternal So as that distinction used concerning Ordinances when they are called Gospel-Ordinances Gospel-Commandments in contradistinction to the legal Ordinances is a great mistake and an advancing and Exalting outward things into spirituall and putting an Image of Christ and divinity upon them which they will not bear in such an opposition or contradistinction to the Ordinances under the law for al the Ordinances under the law or of the Old Testament were Gospell Ordinances or Ordinances holding forth Christ and figuring Christ and so the Ordinances of the New Testament and are all alike letter outward and visible and of things that perish with using which was the nature of the Administrations of the Law and therefore saith the Apostle they did all eate the same spirituall meat and they did all drink the same spiritual drink and they drank of that rock that followed them and that rock was Christ that is the Ordinances of the Law or Old Testament were as much spiritual as those of the New Testament that is such things as signified Christ in the flesh which those of the New Testament as Baptisme and the last Supper but he concludes be not ye Idolaters as were some of them they sate down to eate and drink and rose up to play that is they did Idolize those outward administrations as their manna water out of the rock and passeover which they eate and drank and rose up to play that is lived in the meer refreshments of such formal participations and communion with meere outward things and Ordinances and were cheared and contented with such created enjoyments of God thus they rose up to play after their Idolatry with those Administrations as many weak Christians now who having sate down to eate and drink in the Administrations of the New Testament as these in the Old rise up to play go away sed up with created refreshments rather than spirituall manifestations of God Assurance of Salvation THe pure spirituall and glorious assurance of salvation comes from the knowledge of God or the pure manifestation of the Spirit of God bearing witness and giving testimony that we are the children of God this is pure spirituall assurance this is called the white stone with a new name written which none know but those that have it this is the unction whereby we know all things this is that Spirit by which we know things freely given to us of God So as all Demonstrations of Salvation which are made to the soul by any rationall perswasive or Argumentative way and not in the meer evidence of the pure light or spirit of God is but moral or humane and traditional and will fail and all applications of Gospel promises and all Conclusions from the meer letter of Scriptures which are not the pure image or Figure without answering the very evidence demonstration of Spirit and of God within is but a literall and formal assurance and will fail All counterfeit or resembled testimonies either by sathan who can transform himself into an Angell of Light or by the meer perswasion of Nature or the carnall conscience whereby Nature doth willingly deceive and flatter perswade its self being usually unwilling to perish and beleeve its own destruction will fail But there are many waies of assurance of Salvation though more dim and faint besides that more inward and purely spirituall and that meerly of God which is enjoyed very rarely and I know not by whom excepting those only to whom the Kingdome of God is revealed in spirit and God is seen face to face and first assurance is wrought by the knowledge of God according to such enjoyment as the soul is under in its Administration to God as First there are these waies of knowing God 1. By reason or the meer light of nature and works of this creation and here there is a law accusing and excusing as the Apostle saith and how God is revealed in this as to salvation in al those Nations where the Gospel is not heard as in its outward letter and Administration or elsewhere and how far God may administer Christ in this as formerly to Job and Cornelius I dare not judg nor condemn nor conclude but sure there is no Salvation out of Christ and how far God may use this light of nature or reason to administer Christ in as he makes use of others more low and visible administrations not so excellent I know not 2 There is a knowledge of God by graces and gifts or fruits of the Spirit as faith love self-deniall repentance c. and by the letter or promises outward Ordinances and Duties and as Gods manifestation is in these so is the assurance of salvation through these and such assurance is of no higher and clearer and more glorious certainty then God through these doth afford that is as the Apostle saith darkly as in a glass and as these are shadowed and clouded so is the assurance and that is the reason why so many are cast down and afflicted as to this thing of assurance and pine and consume because the testimonies of their Salvation are no brighter nor clearer then such Administration will admit and here they are to waite The reason why assurances of salvation are no more glorious nor pure are because the spiritual Church or Saints are in Babylon in the flesh compassed about with the mystery of iniquity and of Antichrist in our selves and enjoy not God in that sweet and pure vision as they shal do when they return to Jerusalem the new Jerusalem the City of the living God They that speak of the assurances in pure revelation of Spirit not comprehending al the several administrations measures wherein God appears to his do much mistake and it will appear from that knowledge of God which is amongst men in all its severall dispensations as here follows The knowledg of God according to the various dispensations of himself GOd is known in the light of nature or reason and works of this creation the eternal power and God-head being seen by things that do appear and man being made after the Image of God and having a law within him accusing or excusing 2. By the meer letter or scriptures and light of nature or reason which is a rational dispensation heightned from such Images and appearances of God as it meets with there or in letter 3. By outward Ordinances or signs and Images and things that do appear and thus God is seen still as in the creation or increated things 4. By the ministery of Angels or a more high and Seraphical though still creature-ministrations of God 5. By graces or appearances of the Spirit as faith repentance love self-denial humility c. which was the ministration of the first Gospel-times under the Old
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