that the Holy Scriptures were true and that their Redeemer that was revealed in them ever liveth and did make satisfaction and intercession to God the Father for them Ay and he was with them and in them at the Gibbet and in the very Flames as he was with the three Worthies of old in the fiery Furnace Dan. 3.25 He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the son of God. I hope by this time you are not only persuaded that the Scriptures that we Protestants do profess and own were not the invention of Man but also you are satisfied of the veracity or truth of them That they are not invented by men of any sort but are indeed and in truth the Holy Word of God. But lest you should be yet staggering or stumbling for further corroboration I will add Eight Arguments and I will draw a parallel between our Scripture which we Protestants do profess and believe to be the Word of God and the Scriptures of Antichrist 1. First of all my first Argument shall be this If the Holy Bible does not give the least indulgence or countenance to any kind of Sin and Iniquity whatsoever then the Scriptures must be the revealed Will and Word of God But the Holy 〈…〉 we Protestants of all sorts do own and believe to be the Word of God does not give the least Indulgence or Countenance unto any kind of Sin or Iniquity Therefore the Holy Scriptures must be the Word of God and not the Invention of men Secondly If the Scriptures were not made by bad men nor invented by Good men then it must be infallibly the word of the true and living God. But you see clearly proved that the Scriptures were not made by bad men nor invented by good men therefore they must be the Word of the living and true God and made by him without the help of man. 3. Thirdly If the Scriptures do not in the least degree discourage and discountenance Grace and Holiness but is the promoter of it then the Scriptures must be the Holy Word of God. But the Scriptures do not in the least degree discourage or discountenance Grace and Holiness but do promote it in the hearts of Believers Therefore the Holy Scriptures must be the infallible Word of God not the word of Man nor of Mans making or inventing 4. Fourthly If the Scriptures teach all Goodness and Virtue Moral and Divine both for Body and Soul and Detect and Condemn all manner of Evil which is hurtful to Body and Soul both temporal and spiritual Evils and gives righteous Rules to Men to walk by and shews them what is Good and how they should demean themselves in every Relation Station and Condition from the Prince upon the Throne unto him that grindeth at the Mill and teacheth the Prince how to Rule and Govern in Righteousness and Peace and teacheth the People how to be governed in the fear of the Lord and to obey them that have the Rule over them not for Wrath but for Conscience-sake and all for the Good and Weal both of Prince and People Then surely the Scriptures must be the Word of God and not the Word of Men. But the Holy Scriptures which we Protestants do own and believe to be the word of God do teach all Goodness and Virtue Moral and Divine both for Body and Soul and Detect and Condemn all manner of Evil which is hurtful to Body and Soul both temporal and spiritual Evils and gives righteous Rules to Men to live and walk by and shews them what is Good and how they should demean themselves in every Relation Station and Condition from the Prince upon the Throne unto him that grindeth at the Mill and teacheth the Prince how to Rule and Govern in Righteousness and Peace and teacheth the People how to be governed in the fear of the Lord and to obey them which have the Rule over them not for Wrath but for Conscience-sake and all for the Good and Weal both 〈…〉 which we Protestants of all sorts do profess and believe must be the Word of God and not the Word of Men nor of Mens Invention 5. Fifthly If the Scriptures had been invented by any sort of sinful men whatsoever then certainly that sinful man would have made provision for the flesh and given Indulgence to his own sin and lusts for it is natural for every one to be kind to themselves and to cherish that which they love But the Holy Scriptures do no not give the least Indulgence or Countenance unto any one particular Sin or Immorality in the whole Book of God from the first of Genesis unto the last of Revelations but the whole Current of the Scriptures is bent against it Therefore the Scriptures were not the Invention of man but must be the Word of God. 6. Sixthly If the Scriptures in all Ages have been the Object of wicked and ungodly mens rage and malice which have caused them to persecute those persons to the very Death that have been the strictest Professors of it then it could not be wicked men that made and invented the Scriptures But the Holy Scriptures in all Ages have been the Object of wicked and ungodly mens Rage and Malice which have caused them to persecute those persons to the very Death that have been the strictest Professors of it Therefore it could not be wicked and ungodly men that made or invented the Holy Scriptures But it must be the Word of God. 7. Seventhly If wicked men had made and invented the Scriptures Satan having the Government and Conduct of them and they being acted and influenced and led by his Spirit as a Good man is acted and influenced and led by the Holy Ghost for Satan ruleth in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience for he is their Father John 8.44 Ye are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your father ye will do he was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a lyar and the father of it Now I say if the Children of the Devil had made the Scriptures they would have been tender and favourable unto their Father's Kingdom and Interest and have given some Countenance unto it and not have made the whole bent and stream of the Scriptures against it and afford no manner of Indulgence to themselves who are the Devil's Subjects or Vassals or rather his Bond-slaves indeed nor no manner of Relief or Support to his Kingdom But are made against all Heresie and all other Iniquity which is that wherein the strength of the Devil's Kingdom lieth then surely the Holy Scriptures must be the Word of God and not 〈…〉 But the Holy Scriptures which we Protestants do own and believe to be the Word of God are against all Heresie and all other Iniquity whatsoever
as well as he is the Infallible Head of the Church for who can give a better interpretation or Exposition of the Law than the Law-maker can therefore no person can understand or give a right Interpretation of the Holy Scriptures but them to whom Christ gives this gift and that is to many thousands to some more and some less some have a higher measure than others it is given to every believer which is a spiritual man to know the mystery of Gods will in the Salvation of poor sinners for saith Christ It is given to you to know the mystery of the Kingdom but unto them it is not God hides these things from the wise and prudent and revealeth them unto babes saith Christ 1 Cor. 2.14 15. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned But he that is spiritual judgeth all things Here you see who is the chief Judg of the Scriptures and who are Missionaries or whom he has Commissionated so â—o do not any one single person above the rest But â—o return to what we are upon Joh. 3.3 4. Jesus â—nswered and said unto him Verily verily I say unto â—â—ee Except a man be born again he cannot see the â—â—ingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him How can 〈◊〉 man be born again when he is old can he enter the second time into his mothers womb and be born This is â—â—st as the unbelieving Jews that said How can this â—â—an give us his flesh to eat And old Nicodemus notwithstanding he was a great Rabbi and Ruler in Israel yet he had like to have gone away under as â—â—eat a mistake about the Doctrine of Regeneration 〈◊〉 you Romanist have done of this mystical saying of â—â—r Saviour Christ's in that he hath said Take Eat â—â—is is my Body and of giving his flesh to eat and â—â—s blood to drink Now pray observe how nearly alike our Saviour Christ interprets and expounds this Doctrine of Reâ—â—neration unto Nicodemus in the 5th and 6th verses â—â—sus answered Verily verily I say unto thee Except man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enâ—â— into the Kingdom of God that which is born of the 〈◊〉 is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit â—â—w see the 6. Joh. 63. and compare them togeâ—â—r It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth â—â—hing the words that I speak unto you they are spirit 〈◊〉 they are life Here you see all the carnal fleshly â—â—â—eption or Transubstantiated fancy utterly overâ—â—wn and knockt in the head in these words of â—â—aviour Christ as well as that also of Nicodemus's â—â—al conception of the Doctrine of Regeneration 〈…〉 understood mystically and Spiriâ—â—◠〈…〉 eaten by faith in every Ordinance of God in Religious worship and especially in the Ordinance of the Lords-Supper for faith is the mouth of the new creature the great grace of faith is the souls Nurse but it feeds upon Christ and lives upon Christ which is this spiritual Bread which came down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die And so likewise our Saviour gives the like interpretation of the graces of the Spirit in the Believer much after the same manner which are compared to rivers of living water in Joh. 7.37 38 39. In the last day that great day of the Feast Jesus stood and cried saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink And pray mind what the drink is that Christ giveth him He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But pray mind what Exposition our Blessed Redeemer gives in the following verses But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive You see this drinking here is by faith in Christ and the liquor which they drink is spiritual liquor it is the water of life Now if these Scriptures are to be understood literally and properly then you must understand the Contexts and the Coherence of them literally and properly also for Christ does not as I remember speak a whole sentence wherein one part wholly contains spiritual matter and the other part wholly contains a literal and proper meaning in it tho one whole sentence may have both a mystical and literal meaning in it Now pray mind in Joh. 6.35 50. And Jesus said unto them I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth in me shall never thirst Now is not here the very same reason to believe that we shall never be corporally a hungry nor a thirst again as there is for us to believe that that is material bread or flesh that Christ spake of in the same verse Again this is the bread which cometh down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die Now is not here as much reason to believe and understand this literally and properly as there is for any of the other to be understood so and if the rest be to be understood so then they that eat Christ's flesh and drink his blood shall never die a natural death Again if this Doctrine in Joh. 6. be to be understood literally and properly then must the Doctrine of Regeneration be understood so in Joh. 3. And if so then none should ever see the Kingdom of God nor enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and be saved but them and them only that crept into their mothers womb and were born again literally and properly as old Nicodemus ignorantly imagined There is every whit as much reason to believe this as there is to believe your Doctrine of Transubstantiation Pray mind the Interrogation of Nicodemus and that of the Jews how like they are the one to the other 〈…〉 is old c. Secondly the Jews they said How can this man give us his flesh to eat Now if these Scriptures in Joh. 3. and in Joh. 6. are to be taken and the sense of them expounded literally in the plain letter of the word then must this of Joh. 7.38 be understood so in like manner where it is said that rivers of living water shall flow out of the Believers belly and we might as rationally expect that Scullers should ply the Ferry at every believers belly in these rivers of living water and also that every believer has crept into his mothers womb and been born again as to believe that the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper after Consecration is Transubstantiated into the Body Soul and Divinity of our Saviour Christ which is into his very person But what will become of all those poor souls whose mothers are dead before they are or were converted that have never a mothers womb to creep into for I will assure you that the one is as true as the other let who will deny or contradict it And thus you do
preached and if ye receive another Spirit which ye have not received or another Gospel which ye have not accepted ye might well bear with him Here the Apostle Prophesied of another Jesus that is of a false transubstantiated Christ as I humbly conceive which he saw by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost would come into the Gospel Church or Temple of God which caused God to turn it into a Desart And these are the same false Christs which our Saviour does forewarn us and commands us not to go out after them That is that we should not believe in them Matt. 24.23 24 25 26. And there was Signs and Wonders to attend these false Christs which our Saviour spake of insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect But they are but lying Wonders and false Signs as the Apostle declares they are made up of deceit But here the Apostle Paul spake of another Spirit which St. John calleth the spirit of Antichrist 1 John 4.3 Rev. 16.13 14. This is the same spirit by which they do work their pretended Miracles Signs and Lying Wonders and this is another Gospel which is their Canons and Councils Decrees and Prescriptions and unscriptural Traditions of old Fathers and so they did cast off the true and pure Gospel of God and do not adhere unto it to this day and place these Scriptures of their own invention in the room of it and cry them up to be Canonical and Infallible And this is that another Gospel namely A false Antichristian Gospel stuffed with nothing but Errors and Heresie And pray observe what the Apostle saith by way of caution concerning this kind of Gospel and them that Teach it Gal. 1.8 9. But tho we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed The Apostle spake by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost prophetically and clearly of what was to come into the Temple of God when the Man of Sin should be revealed And in the 13 14 15. verses of that 2 Cor. 11. he gives a clear character of those persons that should be guilty in assisting to bring in and preach up another Jesus and another Spirit and another Gospel into the Temple of God viz. such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light therefore it is no great thing if his Miâ—â—◠〈…〉 righteousness whose end shall be according to the works they are for works of Merits and in 〈◊〉 end they shall have as much salvation as they have earned by them these you see are the Devils Minsters and they are acted and influenced by his spirit Rev. 16.13 14. And I saw three unclean spirit like Frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon and oâ— of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet for they are the spirits of Devils working miracles which go forth unto the kings of the earth Acts 20.28 29 30. Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over the which the holy Ghost have made you overseers to feed the Church of God which 〈◊〉 hath purchased with his own blood For I know thâ—â— that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter 〈◊〉 among you not sparing the flock Also of your oâ—â— selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. Noâ— the spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils speaking lies in hypocrisies having their consciences seared with a hot iron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth Now what Sect or sort of persons are there to be found among Christians that do forbid Men that are in spiritual Orders to Marry or if they are Married that do forbid them to take that Office or Place upon them And these are the person here intended by the Holy Ghost which sent the Apostle an express from Heaven with the foreknowledg of it The Apostle Peter who some call the Prince of the Apostles was a married man for we read 〈◊〉 a miracle that our Saviour Christ wrought to cuâ— his wives mother of a Fever Mat. 8.14 15. aâ—â— several of the other Apostles were married meâ— 1 Cor. 9.5 And the same Apostle namely Paul saâ—â— in the 1 Cor. 7.9 It is better to marry than to burâ— viz. than to burn in lusts here and in Hell he after to all Eterniy for Fornication and Adultery it is better for them to be married seven times to â—ven wives successively in Gods way and holy Ordnance than it is for them to borrow or make be with their neighbours wife once And then as for commanding to abstain frâ—â— Meats at certain times and seasons that is univerâ—â— and reacheth to all and the same Apostle saiâ— That we may eat whatsoever is sold in the Shambles â—ing no questions for conscience sake 1 Cor. 10.25 〈◊〉 does not say eat whatsoever is sold in the Fish-marâ— tho he did not prohibit that and all those amâ—â— Christians that are thus guilty which are foâ—â—â—â—der this Character are those thâ—◠〈…〉 Man of Sin the 〈…〉 theirs from Christ their Head for tho they confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh in words yet in works they deny it Again the Turk never professed the Christian Religion nor owned the true Gospel of God and the pure Instituted Worship of Jesus Christ and afterwards Apostatized from it and rejected and despised the Faith and Truth of the Gospel and fit in the Temple of God and usurp a power over all Christian Kings and Princes and Rulers and over all Worship and Worshippers and sit in the room of Christ in his Temple and give Laws to mens Consciences as this Man of Sin doth and as the many Antichrists do Nor did the Turk broach nor bring in strange and monstrous Doctrines of Devils into the Church or Temple of God for mind the Apostle Act. 20.30 Also of your own selves shall men arise this could not be Turks for they were Christians and what shall these do speaking perversethings to draw away Disciples after them 1 Tim. 4.1 2. Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed â—o sedning spirits and Doctrines of Devils c. Now can you think this to be meant of the Turks It is spoken of persons that profess the name of Christ that do call themselves Christians Here we see was Prophesied that in the latter times that is in the time of Antichrist's power
which is that wherein the strength of their father's Dominion lieth and doth afford no manner of relief nor support to the Devils Kingdom nor no kind of countenance to his subjects or children But the whole bent and stream of the Scripture is against his Kingdom subjects and children therefore the Holy Scriptures could not be invented or made by any of them but it must be the infallible true word of the everlasting God who cannot lie nor deny himself and it was indicted by his Holy Spirit and written by holy men of God as they were moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost Eighthly and Lastly If it be not in the Power of a Good Man to give the Reward that cometh by Grace of Eternal Life and Salvation which is the full Fruition and Enjoyment of God for ever in Glory which is promised in Scripture unto all them who believe and obey it Nor to execute the threatnings of Hell and Damnation by punishing all those with eternal torment which the Holy Scriptures have denounced against all them that transgress by their disobedience unto it because it would be to promise that which he was no way in the least measure or degree capable to perform or make good and threaten that which he hath not a power to execute Then it could not be a good man that made or invented the Scriptures But it is not in the power of a good man to give the reward that cometh by Grace of Eternal Life and Salvation Tit. 1.2 which is the full fruition and enjoyment of God for ever in Gloty which is promised in Scripture unto all them who believe and obey it nor to execute the threatnings of Hell and Damnation by punishing all those with eternal torment which the Holy Scriptures hath denounced against all them that transgress by their disobedience unto it 1 Pet. 4.17 18. Because it would be to promise that which he knew in his own Conscience that he was no way in the least measure or degree capable to perform or make good and to threaten to inflict that punishment which was not in his power to execute and so he would have been a liar and an impostor which is quite contrary to the Principle of a good man and it is utterly inconsistent with his Goodness Therefore it could not be a good man that made or invented the Sacred Scriptures because this power is peculiar and wholly in the hands of God and therefore it must be the word of God. The Apostle St. Paul saith But I certifie you brethren that the Gospel which was preached by me is not after man for I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ Thus you see clearly proved That the Holy Scriptures were not made nor invented by either good men or bad men Therefore it must be undoubtedly the Infallible Word of the True and Ever-living God and not a humane Invention Now I shall close up this Discourse in drawing a Parallel between some part of the Holy Scriptures of Christ and the Scriptures of Antichrist which is that another Gospel as the Apostle called it in 2 Cor. 11.4 and Gal. 18.9 And I shall Answer another Objection with Three Arguments and so finish the whole 1. First the Gospel of Christ teacheth Love Peace Meekness Humility and lowliness of mind Col. 3.15 2 Tim. 2.24 25. But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth men Hatred Variance Pride Malice and Haughtiness of Spirit 2. Secondly The Gospel of Christ teacheth men to do good for evil But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth men to do evil for good for if they know that a man doth but endeavour to convince them of their Errors and Heresie which is the greatest and best good that any man can do for a Person they will Burn or Hang him or clap him up in the Inquisition for a Heretick if it lieth in their Power which is to do the greatest evil for the greatest good 3. Thirdly The Gospel of Christ teacheth men to do to others as they would be done by themselves Matth. 12. But the Scripture of Antichrist teacheth men to do by others as they would not be done by themselves 4. Fourthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth men to pray for their Enemies that persecute them Matth. 5.44 But the Gospel of Anrichrist teacheth them account them their Enemies that pray for them and 〈◊〉 persecute them 5. Fifthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth 〈◊〉 to love our neighbours as our selves But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth them 〈◊〉 betray and murder their neighbours for Hereticks if they be not of their Perswasion 6. Sixthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth 〈◊〉 Ministers of Jesus Christ to compel people to conâ—â—â— unto Christ and believe in him for Life and Salvation by peaceable suasive Arguments drawn and deduced from the Holy Scriptures But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth his Ministers to compel Persons to come unto him a 〈◊〉 embrace his Religion and Worship by the forcible Arguments of Dragoons and Inquisitions 7. Seventhly The Gospel of Christ teacheth 〈◊〉 That God is a spirit and they that worship him 〈◊〉 worship him in spirit and in truth John 〈…〉 But Antichrist's Gospel teacheth That God is an Old Man sitting in Heaven and must be worshipâ—ed carnally and falsely by Images c. 8. Eighthly The Gospel of God teacheth Men Wisdom and Understanding 2 Tim. 3.15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus Psal 119.130 The entrance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding to the â—imple But the Gospel of Antichrist maketh men of Understanding simple and teacheth that Ignorance â—s the mother of Devotion but I will assure you it â—s not fatherless for it has a Father too for if Ignorance be the Mother of it then the Devil must be the Father of it John 8.44 9. Ninthly the Gospel of Christ teacheth men and women to be better than their own natural Dispositions and corrupt Inclinations which is the great Doctrine of Christianity nameiy Self-denial which is the Excellency of the Christian Religion above all other pretended Religions in the world if performed in a right manner and to a right end it is this that maketh a man more excellent than his neighbour for it teacheth a man to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously 〈◊〉 teacheth a man to deny sinful-self and righteous-self too which is a higher Attainment than the denying of sinful-self for many Persons can â—eny sinful-self that cannot deny righteous-self for it is one of the hardest duties that is incumbent upon a Christian to deny righteous-self which is â—o do good works and discharge every Duty as carefully and as consciously as if he should be justified and saved by and for so doing and when he has done all to cast them behind his back as if he had done nothing
Ages from Adam to the end of the World are the purchase of Christ Acts 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over the which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Job 19.25 For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth This was spoken about One thousand six hundred years befor ever Christ was born or took flesh upon him Thus you see that Christ is the only Sacrifice that is sufficient and propitiatory for the sins of all true Believers both under the Law and under the Gospel for they are all of them purchased at the price of his precious Blood alone And none else beside him is the Sacrifice for sin and his Blood is the only Purgatory for sinners and no other for we are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Now dear Sir Pray be pleased to take the Candle of the Lord and look about all Christendom and see and consider well with your self who there be and what Sect or sort of persons are there to be found among them that are called Christians or do but own the name of Christ that do make a Sacrifice of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper and they are the persons that are here intended by the Holy Apostle who spake as he was moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost for he could see by the Infallible Spirit of God even in that day That a certain Sect or sort of people would come up upon the Stage of Christendom or into the Temple of God that would forbid Marriage to pretended Religious Orders of Men and Women tho the Holy Scripture saith plainly and literally that it is better to Marry than to Burn. And the same Apostle saw by the same Spirit That the same sort of people that forbid Marriage would further reject the Scripture by commanding all persons whatsoever to abstain from Flesh The Apostle had an Expres◠sent him from 〈…〉 tidings 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. But the Apostle tells us we may eat whatsoever is sold in the Shambles to wit Butchers meat asking no questions for Conscience sake And the Apostle did see by the same Infallible Spirit clearly and spontaneously that a sort of Idolatrous Gentiles which are only nominal Christians would come into the Church or Temple of God that would make a Sacrifice of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper in that Scripture which I quoted before to wit 1 Cor. 10.20 21. But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice unto devils and not unto God and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's Table and of the Table of Devils Now Sir the Protestants do not make a Sacrifice of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper they do not look upon the Elements of Bread and Wine to be Transubstantiated into the real person of Christ namely of Body Soul and Divinity after their Blessing or Consecrating of them and so offer him up as a Sacrifice as you of the Roman Community do own and pretend to believe and that the Elements are miraculously turned into the real substantial Body of Christ viz. Body Soul and Divinity and then offer him up as a Sacrifice sufficient and propitiatory for the sins of the living and the dead But here will appear two Sacrifices you will see by and by in this one The Apostle saith that it is a Sacrificing unto Devils and not to God and they that are guilty of this practice have fellowship with Devils in it and not with God for saith he Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils ye cannot be partaker of the Lord's Table and of the table of Devils Thus you do hear what the Apostle saith it is not my word but his which he spake by Divine Inspiration They offer up sacrifices unto Devils But here I say are two Sacrifices as you may observe in this one The first is this whereas the Priest doth pretend to offer up a Sacrifice sufficient and propitiatory for the sins of the living and the dead why here the Apostle telleth us plainly that this is to offer a Sacrifice unto the Devil and not unto God So that it is clear that they do offer a Sacrifice unto the Devil under a specious pretence of sacrificing unto God. And the second Sacrifice that springs out of this one Sacrifice is this viz. The poor Lay-people do really offer up their Senses Reason Understanding and Faith and all that should be dear unto them both as Christians and Men in Sacrifice to the Priest and they are no longer Masters of their own Senses Reason Understanding Soul and Conscience for 〈…〉 another They have eyes and see not they have cars and hear not they are fallen under that heavy Judgment which the Gospel Prophet predicted and also our Saviour Christ himself Isa 29.10 11 12. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep and hath closed your eyes the prophets and your rulers the seers hath he covered And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed which men deliver to one that is learned saying Read this I pray thee and he saith I cannot for it is sealed And the book is delivered to him that is not learned saying Read this I pray thee and he saith I am not learned Matt. 13.14 15. And in them is fulfilled the prophesie of Esaias which saith By hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive For this peoples heart is waxed gross and their cars are dull of hearing and their eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them I do believe that this Prophesie does principally refer to the Jews and took place upon them first for rejecting and disbelieving Christ the true Messiah but those Christians that have contracted the same guilt as they did to reject the Gospel of Christ they do make themselves guilty of the same sin with the Jews and by that means have lain themselves in the bed of unbelief with them and are both Sacrificers now in Gospel times which is to deny that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh so they lay themselves under the same Judgment with the Jews for one and the same cause produceth one and the same effects at one time as well as at another without preventing Mercy But the Apostle Paul speaks clearly of a sort of Christians that would cast off and reject the Gospel of God for which God did bring the like judgment upon them in 2
Thess 2.11 12. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness God punisheth them by their own very sins and makes it a judgment unto them as he did by the Jews and they are under much what the same judgment with the Jews for the first did chuse Delusions and Lies and then God gave them up unto them just as God gave the Jews to a hard heart and a blind mind and they are all laid in the grave of unbelief and prejudice against Christ the true Messiah and therefore they are Sacrificing and Sacrificing still now under the Gospel Why so God has given up these sacrificing Christians and so these Apostates or Backsliders in heart come to be filled with their own ways And you must certainly give your selves up to strong Delusions or else you would never abuse and disbelieve the Holy Scriptures as you do which is the revealed Will of 〈…〉 and walk by so that the people have no more use of the Gospel than the Jews that do not believe that Christ is yet come in the flesh so that you are as ignorant with a respect to any saving experiemental knowledg of Christ's being come in the flesh as the very Jews are for while you profess to know him in word you deny him in works namely in sacrifices and other carnal Ordinances and were not your Consciences seared with a hot Iron you would never disbelieve your own senses and reason and understandings as you do for you must not believe your own eyes that tell you that the Bread or Wafer after Consecration as it 's called is still Bread and the Wine is Wine still without any alteration Nor you must not believe your own hands that give the same account of it unto you nor you must not believe your own mouth that telleth you that it is Bread and not Flesh But the Priest by what authority I know not will not suffer the Lay-peoples mouths to make a judgment upon the Wine whether it be Wine or Blood tho Christ hath given a particular and an express command for it as in them words of our Saviour's Drink ye all of it Mat. 26.27 Mark 14.23 And they all drank of it But this is your misery you must believe as the Church believes or as the Priest commands ye to believe you must not believe Christ nor his Apostles nor his Gospel nor your own sences reason and understanding none of these are to be believed but all is fast lockt up in unbelief and the Priest carrieth the Key of your Knowledg at his Girdle and thus you do see clearly and spontaneously proved that you are the persons which the Apostle Paul prophesied of that do make a Sacrifice of the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper when as there is no material Sacrifices of this kind to be offered up in this manner for Christ at his coming and dying and rising again put an end to all that kind of worship Col. 2.14 15 16 18 20 21 22 23. Heb. 9.9 10 11 12. But yet notwithstanding give me leave to tell ye that we have our Gospel-Sacrifices but they are all Spiritual viz. The sacrifice of a broken heart and of an humble contrite spirit and the sacrifice of prayer and of thanksgiving and every part of holy worshipping of God in spirit and in truth these are the Sacrifices that are accepted and well-pleasing unto God when we offer up our selves in them when all is offered up unto God upon the Golden Altar the Lord Jesus Christ and mixed with his Merits and both the person and the offering covered with his Robe of Righteousness the only Garment of Salvation Rev. 8.3 4. And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a Golden Censer and there was given to him much Incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar 〈…〉 cense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand This is the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus Christ who presents our persons and petitions unto God the Father for us if they be indicted in us by God the Holy Ghost Rom. 8.26 27. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God. And the person must be clothed with Christ's Robe of Righteousness Isa 61.10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation he hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness as a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with her Jewels This is the Wedding-garment that every soul hath on that is married to Christ and hence you may observe floweth all the Saints joy and comfort from their being justified by the righteousness of Christ But if this be so as you see clearly proved that it is then what a miserable condition must all these poor souls be in that hope for and expect Eternal life and Salvation upon no better ground nor foundation than their own meritorious works of righteousness and boast of their works of Supererogation which will all prove Physitians of no value and will prove miserable Comforters in the End they are but sparks of their own kindling Isa 50.11 Behold all ye that kindle a fire that compass your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lie down in sorrow Thus you do see what a vast difference there is between your Sacrifices and the Protestants Gospel-Sacrifices the one is an abomination and abhorred by the Lord The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight And the true Gospel-sacrifices are accepted with the Lord in and through Christ if offered up upon the Golden Altar of his Righteousness and Merits then they are God's delight Now in the next place I shall offer unto you a few modest and solid Reasons together with some Arguments to confute this gross error and strong delusion that you poor souls are involved in In the first place if this Doctrine of yours be true why then so far it renders Faith useless and destroys it for if our Saviour Christ be personally and substantially come again and is thus present with his people why then the use of that part o◠Faith is at an end As for instance before our Saviour Christ came in the flesh it was the duty of a 〈◊〉 God's 〈…〉 come in the flesh because God had
the Holy Scriptures is a total denial of them 2. Secondly if any sort of persons who call themselves Christians under the dispensation of the Gospel do set up allow and maintain the Order of Priesthood Material Altars and also Material Sacrifices then those sort of Christian do deny that that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and so they deny the whole Gospel of God and are turned back to the Mosaical Law therefore no such person or persons that are of this Principle can or ought to be Judges and Interpreters of the Holy Scriptures 1 Cor. 2.14 15 16. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned But he that is spiritual judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord that he man 〈…〉 Christ There is no more reason for such a Man that is of Antichristian Principles not excepting Antichrist himself to be Judge of the Holy Scriptures than there is for a Thief or a Murderer to be his own Judge But there are a sort of persons which call themselves Christians now under the dispensation of the Gospel that do set up allow and maintain the Order of Priesthood material Altars and also material Sacrifices therefore these sort of Christians do deny that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and so they deny the whole Gospel of God and are turned back to the Mosaical Ceremonial Law and are not competent Judges nor Infallible Interpreters of the Holy Scriptures but he that is spiritual judgeth all things 3. Thirdly and lastly If any pretended Religion or Principle does teach men and women to be worse than their natural dispositions and corrupt inclinations then that Religion or Principle must be both false and dangerous to themselves and others and is of the Devil But the pretended Religion and Principles of Antichrist doth teach men and women to be worse than their natural dispositions and corrupt inclinations therefore that Religion or Principle must be both false and dangerous unto themselves and others and Satan is the founder of that Opinion and Principle It may be that you will say that our Scriptures are not rightly translated and especially that passage of Job's Wife where it is said that she said Curse God and die I will not say that every Iota of it is rightly Translated but yet this I will say That all the fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Faith which contain matter of Eternal Life and Salvation by the Righteousness and Merits of Jesus Christ alone are rightly Translated and every true Believer that hath the Grace of God in him can set to his Seal and bear witness unto the Truth of it There may be some things that are not rightly Translated that do not contain matters of Salvation in them as for instance in that of Job's Wife it is no matter of Salvation to know certainly whether she said Curse God and die or Bless God and die for as she might speak it it might be much at one as many of the Learned do understand it no doubt but that she spoke it Ironically and so consequently Atheistically or else Job would not have replied Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh for if she haâ— spoken sincerely then Job had been to blame tâ— have given her such a tart reproof as to call oâ— count her a Fool for if she had given him this advice cordially and sincerely to Bless God and diâ— he ought not to have rejected it for it is a great Duty as well as a great Mercy for people to diâ— blessing of God as well as to live so Now whether Job's Wife was a good Woman or no that is 〈◊〉 question for if she were a good Woman she waâ— in a very carnal frame of heart even as St. Petâ—â— was when he denied his Lord and Master or else she would never have spoke after that manner Thus I hope I have by God's assistance sufficiently proved the Holy Scriptures which we Protestants of all sorts do own and believe to be oâ— Divine Authority by the power and strength oâ— Arguments drawn and deduced from Reason only And all other Scriptures of mens inventing to be false and preposterous and of Antichrist And 〈◊〉 hope I have said enough if not to reclaim some oâ— those poor Souls that are fallen into their Snare yet I hope it will be of use to deter others from following their pernicious Example And I hope now I have done you of this Principle will begin to consider not how to be avenged upon the Author do not count me your enemy for telling you the truth for I do neither wish nor mean any hurt unto you in the least no more than I do to my own Soul I will assure you but do heartily wish and desire that all men might come up to the true knowledg of Christ and be saved and to love the Truth as it is in Jesus I humbly beg and beseech you for Christ his sake and for your own precious immortal Souls sake seriously to consider oâ— these things so as to exercise your Senses Reason and Understanding also upon what I have here iâ— faithfulness to your Souls declared unto you especially that are insnared in these false Antichristian Doctrines for it is a dreadful Judgment for aâ—â— poor Soul to be led away with false Teachers Isa â— 16 and also to be led away with fundament Errors in Judgment about Spiritual things where the Soul is concerned it is as much as your Soâ—â— are worth And what has a Man more to lâ—â— than his Soul For when that is gone all is goâ—â— as our Saviour Christ hath said What shall it prâ— a man if he should gain the whole world and 〈◊〉 his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for a soul POSTSCRIPT NOw Beloved Protestant Friends of all sorts I would not have any person so uncharitable as to destroy or knock any of those persons on the head that are of this corrupt Principle merely for the sake of their Principle who do believe this Doctrine of Transubstantiation nor abuse them in the least but let the Tares grow with the Wheat until the great Harvest I would both advise and desire all good Christians to pity and pray for them nay it is my Lord and Master's command that we should do so Matt. 5.44 But I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you O! Sirs Let us carry it with all Christian sweetness of Spirit and tenderness of Affection towards them so that if possible we may win them by Christian love Let us heap Coals of fire upon their heads and melt them down into oneness of spirit with us And on the other hand I would never be willing nor consent to have it in their power to make a â—est of this Doctrine to Burn Protestants for Hereticks who cannot by any means come up to that degree of this kind of Faith as to believe such a complicated pack of Asurdities before they believe the Word of God or their own Sense and Reason Now I do here in the last place humbly yet boldly Challenge by the Power and in the Name of that God by whose Word and Spirit I have written this Any or all of those persons that teach this Doctrine of Transubstantiation and other the like Doctrines sutable to it that find themselves aggrieved or offended at this Christian friendly Discourse to give a fair ample and satisfactory Answer unto it But if they cannot Answer it then if I might advise them it should be this viz. That they would desist and leave off Preaching up any such kind of Doctrine among us which they â—an neither prove nor maintain either by Scripture or Rational Arguments FINIS ERRATA PAge 7. Col. 2. l. 21. r. of me p. 8. col 2. l. 43. r. and p. 9. col 1. l. 43. for without r. with p. 11. col 1. dele and Ibid. col 2. l. 19. r. is p. 12. col 2. l. 33. r. being come p. 13. l. 44. col 2. dele yet p. 15. col 2. l. 54. r. also but it is p. 17. col 2. l. 49. r. broacht Ibid. col 1. l. 29. dele with and to it Ibid. l. 32. r. bow p. 20. col 1. l. 13. r. jo now Ibid. col 2. l. 14. add it was not Ibid. l. 17. r. could not p. 21. col 2. l. 4. r. Heb. 1.7 Ibid. l. 51. dele yet p. 22. col 2. l. 8. for and Sacrifices r. and therefore Sacrifices Ibid. l. 43. r. after p. 23. 〈…〉 p. 24. col 2. l. 44. r. they p. 29. col 2. l. 31. add that p. 31. col 2. l. 27. r. Sacrament p. 37. ADVERTISEMENT THis Book is to be Sold at Randall Taylors and most Booksellers in the City Price Sticht 6 d. which is very necessary to be fixed in your Families and to be Read often unto your Children and Servants that they may acquire the principal Arguments by heart which will enable them to confute those who creep up and down to pervert the Truth and to vindicate the veracity of the Holy Bible in which the Universal or Catholick Apostolick Gospel-Church is founded under Christ