do ye not tremble when you consider it to think that you should so frequently practice so grosse an imposture as openly to pray unto God that your eronious doubtfull uncertain conceptions for what other are your Sermons shall be heard and received as the word of the ever living God what greater impiety nay blasphemy then to call mans word Gods word to counterfeit a Preacher an Evangelist an Ambassadour of Christs and to deliver a Word a Message a Gospel mixt and made up of opinions and conjectures as if it were the true reall word of the ever living God What is this but even to debase belye and offer despite to the spirit of God himself for advancing your own false Honour and repute amongst men Consider this serioussy all ye that are captivated with the charmings of these Sophisters that are intangled in their formes of godlinesse that are drawn into their imaginary Churches that are deluded into an opinion that they are pastors feeders preachers of the word of God and be so true to God whose honour lyes at stake to your selves whose peace and comfort lyes at stake and to your Neighbours whose good name lye at stake also as to make a clear examination whether these pretended pastors Churches are taught immediately by the spirit of God or not as they pretend try them by the word they preach And you shall find however they have prepossest you to the contrary that neither they nor your selves have any understanding at all of such divine or heavenly things as bring peace of Conscience and joy in the Holy-ghost by any other way or meanes but only and solely by the Scriptures and that neither they nor your selves are taught by the spirit as they have long perswaded you and whereby chiefly they delude you into a belief that they are true pastors and your Churches true Churches of Christ For Judge you had they the spirit of God as they pretend would they need as they do when they have resolved to speak to you from a Text of Scripture to go sit in their Studies three or four dayes together turning over those authors that have written thereupon and beating their own braines to find out the meaning and true intent thereof no certainly had they the spirit of God it could in an instant in the twinkling of an eye inform them the meaning of his own writings they would not need to be studying seven ten or twenty years to understand the truth of the Gospel and when they have done so too be as farre to seeke as they were at first for any expresse certainty therein for do but observe that when they have for some years preacht up a Doctrine they are many times forst to preach it down again as ye well know most of them have done and that in very materiall points As for instance are they not one while zealous for the baptizing of Infants another while for the baptizing of Beleevers only and then again for no Baptisme at all for want of a true Ministry do not the Pastors differ amongst themselves and contentions arise not only between Church and Church but in every Church within it self are there not some that for many years have preacht up election and reprobation and afterwards have as much preacht it down and cryed up generall redemption and that man hath free will or a negative voice in his salvation and this in a Church gathered and taught by the spirit as they would make the world believe and those who by praying and preaching ex tempore would be thought to have yet a more immediate teaching of the spirit how extreamly are they to seeke in the ready understanding of the Scriptures what weake and indisgested matter issueth from them is too easily discerned yea what contradictions they huddle one in the neck of another though through confidence in the speaker and superstition in the hearer all passeth for currant truth But consider can it be of the true spirit to produce uncertain Doctrines if the Trumpet give an uncertain sound who can prepare himself to the battle so if the preacher preach uncertainly how can he affirm his word to be the word of God or how from such doubtfulnesse can true faith be begotten in the hearts of the hearers is not a Church founded upon such uncertainty founded upon the sand and built up with hay stubble not able to stand the least blast of a reasonable opposition and will ye that have Consciences towards God any longer be instrumented in this mocking of him and by your countenance thereof partake with them in this strong delusion What doth the Pope and his Clergy more then belye themselves and blaspheam God in saying they have the true spirit of God which leads them into all truth whilst by their lying miracles by their art and sophistry they lead the poor deluded people in the greatest errors for maintenance of their own pride covetousnesse and luxury The Bishops they come and by pretence of the true spirit discover abundance of faults in the Pope and his Clergy and make shew of great reformation but advance only themselves and their uncertain Doctrines for their own ambitious ends only without any regard to the glory of God or good of men then comes the Presbyters and they cry out against Common-Prayer that was faulty enough and studied Sermons as stinters and suppressors of the true Spirit of God in them and they are no sooner in the Chaire and their Prayers preachings examined but they also are found to differ one with another to contradict themselves to mind only their own honour and profit and to be possessed as both the former with a persecuting Spirit which is abhorred of God of Christ and of all his true Ministers and Apostles Then comes the Independents and pretend to erect a holy pure and undefiled worship according to the pattern shewed unto them by the true Spirit indeed pleading for generall liberty of conscience void of all compulsion or restriction and professing the meeknes of the very Lambs of Christ and humility towards all men who now could have suspected what since hath been discovered Namely that they as the rest belyed the Spirit of God pardon the harshnes of the expression it s for Gods cause and must be spoken they being no more infallibly certain of the truth they raise from Scriptures then any of those whom they so much condemn they as the rest pray preach and do all for mony and without it they do nothing taking mony for that which is not bread but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sand mixt together that di◠〈◊〉 â—eople swallow it whole without 〈…〉 mination it would be as gravell between their teeth and they would 〈◊〉 it out of their mouths And since they are increased in numberâ— and have as it were scumm'd the Parish Congregations of most of their wealthy and zealous members Do they not fully discover a serpentine disposition hankering after persecution Do
they not dayly 〈◊〉 their venom privatly and publickly against any that either seperate from them or joyne not with the◠and that in as foul aspertions as ever the 〈◊〉 uttered against Luther the Bishops against 〈◊〉 Puritan or the Presbyter against the Independents are they not high and skillfull in rayling making whom they please Atheists Anti-scripturists Autinomians Anti-magistrats Polligamists Seekers or what they will and can these proceed from the true Spirit of God or from the Spirit of Antichrist Judge impartially Yee that are yet untainted in your consciences going on in this Church-way as deceived and not deceivers whether yee can offer more dispite to the Spirit of Grace then by your presence and society to justifie this delusion or to uphold this new Idoll this Apple of Sodome seeming onely faire to the eye but touch it and it falls to powder to the very earth being nought but earth like Dagon before the Arke having neither hands nor feet but to discerning eyes is a meere uselesse lump an Idoll which as the Apostle saith is nothing in the world and therefore let none who minde the things that are of God uphold it any longer It being hardly to be beleeved the infinite evils which comes to the world by this false supposition and assumption of these Churches of having the Spirit of God or being taught immediatly thereby for by occasion thereof no sooner doth any one embrace any opinion pretending to Religion and beginnes to be fortified therein and that after frequent hearing prayer fasting or humiliation he continues to be of the same minde but presently he thinks himselfe bound to declare to all the world what the Spirit of God as he calles his owne imagination hath made knowne unto him And hence it is that at present the World abounds with such variety of opinions concerning life and salvation that many a sincere heatt seeking for peace and rest therein is kept in perpetuall suspence and doubtfullnesse whereby their lives become a very burthen to them and many sad and wofull effects follow thereupon Some by their confidence and extreamity of zeale and diligence get their opinions how contrary to Scripture soever they are into halfe the people of a Towne Village and Parish and then there is nothing but wrangling envy malice and back-biting one another to the extreme prejudice and unquietnesse of the place Some of them crying up their owne experiences and the teachings of God within them affirming that they speak not from Books or Scriptures written in Inke and Paper and in Letters and Sillables but from the inward suggestion of the Spirit induce multitudes to neglect the Scriptures and to give credit onely to their wilde Notions and Opinions and though they have no foundation in the plaine expression of the Scripture or be contrary thereunto yet are they satisfied that they onely are in the truth and all other Christians in errour not examining their opinions by the Text but urging that the Text is to be interpreted by their Opinions and experiences And hence it is that in the esteeme of some the Scriptures are of as small value as the Service Book and to speak of a Christ crucified at Jerusalem is carnall Hence it is that some and those not a few maintaine there is no sin no evill no difference of things that all things are good are one and that all things are God and that to see or judge any otherwise is for want of the teaching of the Spirit and this though it quite contradict the whole tenour and plaine open scope of the Scriptures from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation yet passeth it for currant and gets ground in all places Hence it is that some men will neither stir nor undertake any thing of any nature Civill or Naturall but as they are prompted thereunto as they imagine by the Spirit or as some phrase it by the drawings forth of the Father taken all their inclinations likings or dislikings to be immediatly from God whereby grosse neglects and failings to say no more come to be excused and not onely so but expresly put upon Gods score Hence it is that some after extreame fasting and continuance in prayer beyond what their bodies could beare extent of minde and intention of apprehension have really beleeved they have seen Christ standing by them and heard him vocally speake unto them that they have seene a light waving about their beds all the night long at other times a black darkness intermixt and in these extasies as they call them but indeed fevourish distempers they have been bid as they thought to doe such things as the holy Scriptures abhorre and yet could never rest till they had done them And hence it is that some presume to be so Goded with God and Christed with Christ as they affirme they are in heaven and upon the earth that they are ever well and that paine is not pain that all things are nothing and nothing all things and glory that they are contradictions Prophesie of things to come as the day of Judgement name the time the very day see it false and yet profess it true in a sence and are beleeved write bookes of the Germans madde mans Divinity of the occurrences and successe of the present distractions in such unheatd off expressions concerning King Parliament and all Parties that to a man that gives good heed to the Scriptures nothing appeares more irreligious yet through the generall supposition of the immediate teaching of the Spirit the authors please not onely themseves but others and none speaks against it or writes or preaches against it to any purpose least they should break the golden chaine of their own honour or profit for whoever assumes or maintaines himselfe to be taught by or to have the Spirits mediate teaching is lyable to hold any thing his Fancy presents to his Imagination and dares not condemne the false assumption of Gods holy Spirit in another least he should thereby condemne himselfe since they both have but their owne bare affirmations for their foundation neither being able to manifest by any thing extraordinary the reall possession thereof To this sad condition are men in these times brought by this fals presence of a Spirit which once taken up insisted on their credit becomes so ingag'd and they are so exceedingly delighted and lifted up in being thought the darlings of God that it is the hardest thing in the world to make them see their mistake offer but once to bring them into a doubt or but desire them to examine how amidst so many contradictory Opinionists all affirming the Spirit of God for their leader in each any one of them comes to know himselfe to be in the right and they turne the head of one side single and condemn you as not enlightned and pray not to trouble them yet if you enquire what at any time the Spirit immediatly hath made known unto them they cannot tell one
therefore and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased whilst we have time and oppertunity let us do good unto all men Let us all strive to go on before another in love and let there be no other strife at all amongst us we wish with all our soules that all reproach despites and envyings amongst men might for ever cease and that difference in judgment may no longer occasion difference in affection there being in our apprehension no cause at all but that all men going in their severall wayes of serving God whether publique or private may neverthelesse be free to communicate in all civill Offices of love and true friendship and cordially joyne with any for a publique good but if notwithstanding all that hath been endeavoured or hath been said this Generation of congregationall men shall continue to puffe and swell through pride of heart to lift themselves up into the Chayre of the scornfull and as the man in Peters Chayre assume a power of life and death over all opinions and wayes not owned by them as if they were infallible judges of all controversies making no scruple of blasting mens good names and reputations or of undoing of whose Families thereby they must then expect to be told their own and be made appear to the world as they are not as they would be esteemed It being evident by what hath been said that although they have boasted themselvs to be rich and increased with goods and to have need of nothing yet they are as the luke-warm Church of Laodicea miserable wretched and poore and blind and naked and for all their bigg and swelling conceipts of parts of gifts of Saint-ship of the Spirit in effect pharisaically crying out Lord we thank thee we are not as other men nor as those poore Publicans that receive all their knowledge of Divine things from the Scriptures onely and are taught onely thereby Notwithstanding these bigg swelling words their Peacocks feathers being thus pluckt off you see and they will they nill they must also see that they must be content at last to shake hands even with those poore Publicans and acknowledge that they have no other infallible Teacher of Divine things but the Scriptures and that they partake no more of the Spirit then what that blessed Word of the Spirit planteth in them And if their consciences are awakened will be enforced to forsake their falling Churches unlesse for politique ends they shall stifle the power of these Truths within them chusing rather to perish in the rubbish then to seem to have bin so exceedingly mistaen which will prove an unpardonable error For however the best of men may erre yet they are the worst of men that persist in error after the discovery And therefore if there be any whose consciences shall be fully informed of the vanity of these Churches and yet for any ends shall continue to support the reputation of them let all such know that those who dare be so impious as to stop the continuall cry of their consciences must necessarily desire in their hearts there were no God whose Uicegerent Conscience is which is the most sad and dangerous conditon that man can fall into in this life And certainly they will find it far better to forsake their tottering immaginary structures confess their emptines sinfull imitation taking shame unto themselves and giving glory unto God whose name and power they have much diminished hy affirming those to be Churches which are not those Pastors and Preachers which are not those Saints which are not his blessed Word to be but a dead Letter that to be his Word which is but conjecturall Sermons and in censuring those to be erronious and carnall Christians who have more warrant for what they do then themselves And then by a more considerate ingenious and Christian-like carriage to make amends for the future which would very much rejoyce the herrts of all that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity whose Truth and Glory will be advanced by the Scriptures when all the roving wild and wandring immaginations of mens spirits shall vanish and come to nought FINIS Feb. 23. 1648-49 Imprimatur THEODORE JENNINGS
sillable but recite some place of Scripture which by serious intention hath imprinted it selfe in their minds If you demand a reall Demonstration of the Spirit they can give you none but peradventure will tell you that you must awaite Gods time and he will enlighten you That their Spirit is as the white Stone in the Revelation the name whereof no body knew but he that received it making use of false darke and misterious Scriptures intended for another end to prove that they are unable by any sound argument or sensible demonstration to manifest Whereas were they really endowed therewith they could not conceale it nor we be unconvinced of its devine and supernaturall Power but must needs bend our knees and hearts in acknowledgement thereof If we urge the Scriptures against them they tell us the Letter killeth abusing and that so grosly that place of Scripture to the upholding their own vain imagination nothing being more evident then that by Letter in that place of the Romanes is to be understood the Law and by Spirit the Gospel And if men did not too much Idolize their owne fancies it would soone appear That now in our times we have no Preacher of the Gospel but the Scriptures which being the infallible Word of God the Word of Truth Eph. 1. 13. not the word of man but as it is in truth the Word of God 1 Thes 2. ver 13. which was not yea and nay but yea 2 Cor. 1. ver 18 19. 20. The Word of God that abideth for ever Is it not strange that our pretended Preachers of all sorts should so far prevaile upon the minds of men as to draw them from giving eare to what this Word of truth plainly and evidently holdeth forth for the peace of their minds and direction of their lives and take up their time and thoughts wholly or principally with their uncertain fallible Sermons making them in effect forsake these living fountains and digg to themselves broken Cisterns that can hold no water Nay a wonderfull thing it is that it should be received for a currant truth That this the greatest blessing the World knows this word of the ever living God should now come to be esteemed but as a dead Letter this sword of the Spirit that forceth it self into our dead naturall understandings plants it self there makes us one with it and forms us new this regenerating word this immortall seed should be so undervalued as to passe but as a dead Letter Time was that it was otherwise in England when our fore-Fathers would have given any thing in the world yea many of them gave up their lives rather then they would part with the smalest part of this precious Word translated into English by the first sincere professors of true Christian doctrins but then Godlinesse was esteemed the greatest gain and the iniquity of Learning was not arived to so much impudence as to make a gain of Godlynesse to make a trade of Religion and to become rich by pretended preaching Nor weaned they the people from the Scriptures to give eare to their notions and opinions telling them they had the Spirit and that the Scriptures were but a dead letter but invited and perswaded all men to a diligent consideration of the true scope and intent of them Neither did they preferr the understanding of men with difficult points or obscure doctrins but as Luther insisted altogether upon the Doctrin of free Justification by Christ alone and in way of thankfulnes for so great a benefit invited all men to live righteously Godly and soberly in this present world therein following the example of the Apostles and the very end scope and main design of the Scriptures which is that unum necessarium and which if people did rightly and seriously mind they would not so easily be drawn to follow such Teachers or to give eare to such Sermons whereby they are alwaies learning but never come to the knowledge of this one necessary truth For how long work soever Ministers and pretended Preachers make of it to maintaine themselves and families in wealth plenty and honour necessary Doctrins are not at all hard to be understood nor require long time to learne them and if it did not concerne their livelihood and profession to make men beleeve they were people would soone understand sufficiently for their establishment and comfort and would fall to practice that so they might become an honour to their profession of Christianity for the Scriptures or word of God having once planted this truth in the understanding viz. That it is the bloud of Christ which cleanseth us from all sinne this Evangelicall truth of its own nature would instantly set man on work to do the will of him that hath so loved him and constrain him to walk in love as Christ hath loved so that after this all the care would be how to advance the Gospel by making our light to shine forth before men that others seeing our good works may glorifie our Father which is in Heaven But this is no profitable way for any of our pretended Preachers this Doctrin is to soone learned for if men once come to know that this short lesson is sufficient what will they regard either printed discourses or Sermons and if once they find them also full of uncertainty contradiction and unnecessary things they 'le not part with their mony for such trash when they may go to the two breasts of Christ himself freely at all times to the Scriptures and buy this sweet milk and hony without mony and without price and if men and women come once to understand this they will not comber themselves with many things but possessing this unvalluable truth will ever worship God in Spirit and in Truth and declare unto others this blessed one necessary comfortable way and that not by preaching or long set speeches which are apt to deceive but by conferences and mutuall debates one with another the best way for attaining a right understanding far excelling that which is called preaching But then how shall Demetrius and the Crafts-men live even by some lawfull calling this being the most palpably delusive of any in the world and it is very strange that all men do not discerne and avoid it It is so as cunningly as it is carryed as high in repute as it is hath long time been having no foundation but in the weake credulity of men for if men but once consider it their Sermons will appear to be but as common discourses full of mistakes errors and at the least altogether uncertaine and that all their preachings and prayings are only for mony and that their greatest skill and labour is to hold men ever in suspence and upon pretence of truth to give them a bastard Scholastick knowledge which only serve to make men proud wrangling Sophisters and Disputers vain boasters talkers busie-bodies censurers Pharisees wise in their own eyes and despising others void of all true piety
or reall Christian vertue and no marvaile For such as the tree is such ever will be the fruit they boast to have the Spirit of God you see it is but boasting or their own imagination only and in the mean time take the Scriptures for a dead Letter and either reject them or make them speak according to the spirit of their own Imaginations and so instead of being reall are at best but fantastick Christians uncertain if not false Teachers and such are their fruits The greatest part of their time wherein they should be imployed to feed the hungry cloath the naked or in visiting the fatherlesse widdow or in delivering the Captive and setting the oppressed free all which are workes so fully and plainly set forth in Scripture as most pleasing to God being spent in talking upon some hard texts of Scripture such are their Sermons or in disputes contests upon some nice difficult questions And this exercising themselvs there in week after week and day after day and in fastings and repetitions and in writing of these doubtfull Sermons is by them called a Religious exercise and those who can but attain to so much boldnesse and utterance as to speak and pray an howre two or three together take upon them and are reputed guifted Christians and principall religious persons when as many of them get good estates by so doing good benefices and others who make not a trade of it as many devout pastors do yet gaine so much credit thereby as doth much increase their Trades and advance their Custom and dealing in the world and now and then helps to a good round Office And whilst any of this strain of Christians may live in this kind of devotion twenty years preached for twenty or forty shillings a year and have the repute of a most religious knowing Christian from the testimony of the most grave learned and solemn pastors of all Congregations if but a part of their religious disbursments be spent upon them it is not to be wondered at that so few are found to serve God sincerely in the way of pure and undefiled Religion which would plume their Peacocks feathers and cost them more in one year then all their lip-service and Church-devotion doth many of them in their whole life-time Nay so impudent are many of these proud boasting Churches who glory to follow precisely the pattern shewed in the mount that contrary to all example of the Apostles and first Christians they can content themselves to be known usurers and those that are not such themselves can allow it in their fellow Members their Pastors Elders and Deacons can tolerate it and why not as well as for their pastors to take monies from such as are of lesse abilitie then themselves nay do not many of them spend the greatest part of their time either in making buying and selling of baubles and toyes such as serve only to furnish out the pride suxury and fantasticallnesse of the world yea view them well in their apparell from head to foote consider them in their dyet and usuall feastings in their furniture for their houses even in these sad and miserable times and then say whether their silks their fine and delicate linnen their Laces Beavers Plushes their Fancies Plate Rings and Jewells do not demonstrat from what roote they are that they are meere worldlings indeed and Christians only in name and tongue and not that neither if they are well observed For there are many amongst them for slandering and back-biting for circumvention and an hipocriticall carriage shall vie and compare with any sort of men in the world they can play the part of Spies Intelligencers plot and betray upon pretence of intimacy of endeared friendship and familiarity eat drink be merry with you day after day week after week for months yea for many years and after al professe boldly openly confidently before their Church to Neighbors friends or strangers that all this intimacy friendship familiarity was only and meerely to deceive and to discover what might be to mischief the parties with whom they held it shall we aske which of the Apostles was a slanderer a spy an Intelligencer a betrayer certainly none but Judas and the followers of Judas let them henceforth professe themselves at least let all that know them so account them unles they manifest their speedy true repentance for bringing such reproach â—o the profession of Christianity But what will such men stick at as have once dared to dissemble before God to call themselves Preachers and are not to gather Churches and to joyn and continue in the fellowship of meere mock-Churches that dare attempt the Ordinances with prophane hands without and before Commission given from above that dare pretend Commission and yet can shew no seale no letters of credit from Heaven that dare affirm their own opinions and Sermons to be the word of God and all this after admonition from such persons too as out of Conscience have seperated from them against whom also they persist to shoote their most sharp and poysoned Arrowes even bitter words false invectives lyes and slanders O therefore consider this all ye whose Consciences are yet sound amongst them or but a little taynted and see into what a wretched condition ye may be led before ye are aware there is no stop in wickednesse but a progresse from one degree of evill to another unlesse at first therefore stop in time and come out from amongst them least ye soone partake with them in their sinnes and neither approve nor connive at what you see and know to be against the judgment of your Consciences least in time you become as the worst and vilest of them Study the Scriptures that word of truth blesse God for them forsake them not for the vain traditions of men for the uncertain notions Doctrines and comments of pretended Preachers and be certain of this that you may as soone as they themselves come to a good and right understanding therein and that you may do so Read them with these Considerations That although whatsoever is written is written for our learning and that we have great cause to be thankfull to God for vouchsaffing us the knowledge of the severall wayes of his dispensations to man according to the severall times and ages which were from Adam which was the first unto the time of the descending of the holy spirit which was the last yet are we seriously to know that this last dispensation of the holy spirit is that which principally concerneth us rightly to understand and to apply to our selves both for our comfort and rule of life for unto this time and depensation doth our blessed Saviour himself referre us saying I will send you another Comforter he shall lead you into all truth he shall bring to remembrance the things that I have told you and he performed his promise effectually to the Apostles whose writings we have containing what the same spirit
taught unto them the truth whereof they were enabled and did confirm with miracles so as it might be as truly said of them as it was of Christ our Lord that they taught as men having authority and not as the Scribes nor as the uncertain pharisaicall teachers of these times Unto which word of theirs we are principally to give heed but therein also we are chiefly to discover and to mind what that Doctrine was which they by the spirit were ordained to preach because that being understood and believed doth give the beleever thereof the name and being of a Christian how plain and brief soever it be for we must note that there are many things written by the Apostles upon occasions that concerned only or chiefly the times wherein they wrote and the places and persons to whom they wrote which is the true cause that many things are too hard for us to understand but there was one universall Doctrine which they were to preach to all Nations where with all their writings do abound and which is very plain and easie to be understood And this is it namely that the same Jesus whom the Jewes crucified was Lord and Christ That he is the propitiation for our sins and not only for ours but for the sins of the whole world That it is the bloud of Christ which cleanseth us from all sinne That his love is so exceeding towards us that even when we were enemies Christ dyed for us This was the Doctrine which begot people unto the faith and made them Beleevers and they used no other inducement unto Beleevers to walk as becometh this Gospel or glad tydings of peace and reconciliation between God and us but this ye are bought with a price therefore honour God both in your bodies and in your spirits their strongest Argument to perswade being this and the like That the love of God which bringeth salvation unto all men hath appeared teaching us to deny all ungodlinesse unrighteousnes of men and to live righteously godly and soberly in this present world that we should love as Christ hath loved who gave himself an Offering and a Sacrifice for us so that if we would try each others Faith we are to consider each others love so much faith so much love so much love so much pure and undefiled Religion extending it self to the fatherles and to the Widdow to the hungry the naked sick and imprisoned it being evident that he who hath this worlds goods and suffereth his brother to lack hath not the love of God in him yea though he have never so great parts of knowledg zeale tongues miracles yet being void of love he is nothing plainly manifesting that all other Religions are but as defiled and impure in comparison of this And these are the Doctrines which make good the rejoyning of the Angels bringing glory to God in the highest in earth peace good will towards men These are sufficient and in these do all sorts of Christians agree and never had disagreed but for false Teachers Wolves in sheepes Clothing who crept in to devoure the flock causing divers strifes and contentions about genealogies and about the Law which made the Apostle abundance of trouble crying out O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you telling them plainly if righteousnesse came by the Law then Christ dyed in vain others it should seem fell to observe Dayes and Times Sabaoths and Weeks justifying themselves and censuring others provoking the Apostle to tell them he was afraid of them that he had bestowed labor in vain upon them earnestly desiring them to let no man deceive them in respect of an holy day or of the new Moon or of the Sabaoth c. The truth is and upon experience it will be foudn a truth that once exceed these plain indisputable Doctrines and you will be ever to seeke for though it be a kind of happinesse to read in Genesis the proceedings of God towards our first Parents to Abel Cayne Enoch to Noah and the world that perished in the floud to see his mighty power at the Confusion of Babell his love to Abraham and Sarah to Isaac Jacob and the twelve Patriarks to see their way of worship to observe his mighty wonders in Egypt in the Wildernesse and in the promised Land under the Judges Saul and David Solomon and the rest of the Kings of Judah and Israel To know with what power he spake by his holy Prophets in all times even to John the Baptist Yet when we have done all we must acknowledge that very many things exceed our understandings and that we draw no comfort like unto this that unto Christ do all these beare witnesse and though we have great cause to blesse God for those wonderfull things we read of the life of Christ of his wisdom goodnesse and power by which he beat down the wisdom craft and policy of the Scribes and Pharices of the high Priest and great ones of the world and whereby he made it manifest that he was indeed the Christ yet draw we no comfort like unto that which the Apostles publish't by the power of the holy spirit the comforter promised by Christ before his Assention because by this dispensation of God only do we come to know the benefits of Christs death and that he is the end of the Law for righteousnesse and the propitiation for our sinnes whereby we have peace of Conscience and joy in the Holy-Ghost We Read with thankfulnesse to God the Acts of the Apostles all the Epistles of Paul of Peter James Jude and the Epistles of John the Revelat. to St. John But we must still acknowledge that there are very many things in them all which wee apprehend not fully We Read of Apostles Eâ—angelists Prophets Pastors and Teachers and of the ordering and regulating of Churches and of gifts given to all these from on high but not so plainly exprest as to leave the Conscientious without dispute and difference thereupon nor so collected into any one Book as to convince that God now under the Gospel so exactly enjoyned Church Government as he did under the Law where Moses was expressely commanded to write particularly all that was required not leaving out so much as Candlesticks Snuffers or Besomes And when we come to compare the Churches or their Pastors and their abilities of our times with those we read of or the infallible power by which they spake with the uncertaine Doctrines of ours alas we must lay our hands upon our mouths and hide our faces as children use to doe when they are discovered by people of understanding at their childish immitations of Christnings and Feastings where in a low and miserable weake forme they counterfeit things reall so that if we shall deale plainely with our selves we must confesse wee are at a losse in these things and that hence onely is our rejoycing That wee undoubtedly know Jesus Christ and him Crucified and knowing him accompt all things as losse and
before their eyes nor untill the mocke Churches are overturned and laid flat For so long as men flatter themselves in those vaine waies and puffe themselves up with vaine thoughts that they are in a way well pleasing to God because they are in a Church way as they call it or because they are able to speak long together which they call preaching they are for the most part regardles of storing their minds with truths reall Christian virtue little or nothing careing either for publick Justice Peace or freedom amongst men but spend their time in endlesse disputes in condemning and censuring those that are contrary minded whereby nothing but heats and discontents are ingendred backbiting and snarling at all that oppose them will neither buy nor sell with them if they can chuse nor give them so much as a good looke but on all occasions are ready to Censure one to be carnall another erronious one an Atheist another an Heretick a Sectary Scismatick a Blasphemer a man not worthy to live though they have nothing whereof to accuse him which in the true Scripture sence will beare the title of an offence but are stirred in their spirits against him because happily he speaketh against their Church-way and frequently sheweth the vanity and emptinesse of those things wherein they glory and by which they distinguish themselves from other men So that it were much better for the Common-wealth that all mens mindes were set at Liberty from these entanglements that so there might be an end of wrangling about shaddows for if men were once free from this Church-bondage they would by reading the Scriptures with such like considerations as are before expressed soone come to be able to understand the intent substantiall scope thereof and become substantiall Christians full fraught with true Christian virtue and reall godlinesse which would incline them to a tendernesse of spirit towards all those they saw in any errour make them to compassionate mens failings and infirmities and be ready to help the distressed and any waies afflicted it would enlarge their hearts toward all men making them like unto our heavenly Father who causeth his Sun to shine on the just and unjust that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth no man Certainely were we all busied onely in those short necessary truths we should soon become practicall Christians and take more pleasure in Feeding the hungry Cloathing the naked visiting and comforting of the sicke releeving the aged weake and impotent in delivering of Prisoners supporting of poore families or in freeing a Common wealth from all Tyrants oppressors and deceivers the authors and promoters of all corruption and superstion thereby manifesting our universal love to all mankind without respect of persons Opinions Societies or Churches doubtlesse there were no way like unto this to adorne the Gospell of Christ men and women so exercising themselves and persevering therein might possibly deserve the name of Saints but for men to assume that title for being a Presbyter an Independent Brownist Anabaptist or for being of this or that opinion or of this or that forme of Worship or for being able to Pray and Preach as they call it three or foure houres together venting their own uncertain notions and conjectures or for looking more sadly and solemnly then other people or for dressing themselves after a peculiar manner or for pretending to have the Spirit of God though they are ever to seeke about the meaning of the Scriptures or for sucking in and sighing out reproaches and slanders against their neighbours proceeds from meer pride and vanity of mind when as the best of these put altogether amount not to so much towards the making of a true Saint as one mercifull tender hearted compassionate act for Christs sake doth And therefore those who would truly honour God let them not think that he will be flattered with words or be served with lip service with that which costeth little or nothing but let them resolve that he expecteth to be served with no lesse then with all our heart withall our might and with all our strength to be honoured both in our bodies and in our spirits for they are his It is most certain that men are first to know and understand before they can become practicall Christians and though the Scriptures are very plain aud full as to necessary knowledge yet the errors of weake and perverse teachers do so abound that it is a difficult thing to escape them and to fall into a profitable method of reading and meditation of the word of God wherein may the considerations aforementioned prove as profitable as they are conscionably intended but doubtlesse the best way to perfect knowledge is and will be by endeavouring after meetings of people to conferre and discourse together in a discreet quiet and well ordered way upon necessary points only the way of preaching or long set speeches being subject to abundance of error and inconvenience and therefore it would be happy that all wel-meaning people would seriously set themselves to procure frequent and full meetings for increase of knowledg in all sorts of people and no longer to depend either on the publique or congregationall Sermons for information of their understandings it being evident that they serve rather to dignifie the Speakers and to sway the hearers into what they please then to any just or necessary end And as every one increaseth in knowledge let them know that God hath not vouchsafed his word unto us to make us talkers or discoursers only as the manner of many knowing people is who as soone as they arive to a good measure of understanding and are thereby freed from the burthens and oppressions which error and superstition had brought into their Consciences instead of being thankfull to God for the same by dilligence in the wayes of doing good they become carelesse turning the goodnesse and truth of God manifested in his word to Idlenesse if not to wantonnesse not caring what becommeth of the miseries of the times or other mens sufferings but ever after live as in a pleasing dream these who ever they are are to be looked upon as the most unworthy of men because the most ungratefull the most opposite to the end of their being the vilest of Creatures because sloathfull Christians the best things being the worst if once corrupted And therefore it will be very good for every one to stir up the knowledg of God that is in him and to keep it alive by continuall practice upon all occasions practice in good and just and charitable things being that wherein the Conscience is most delighted so that if any propose to themselves any happines here in this life it is to be found only in doing of good the more good the better contented and the greater the happinesse man being in nothing like unto God but in doing good nothing is more acceptable to God nothing is more pleasant to Conscience his vicegerent in us to do good