Treatise be ended to shew as considerable from Scripture as for any Doctrine in Christianity A FULL ENQUIRY INTO THE Power of Faith the Nature of Prophecy the Translation of Enoch and Elias and the Resurrection of Christ Of the Kingdom of God in general WHEN Christ entred upon his Office of Preaching the Gospel his first Lesson was Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Mat. 4.17 So when he sent out his Apostles his charge to them was after they had healed the Sick to tell them That the Kingdom of GOD was come nigh them Luke 10.9 as if he would purposely insinuate something extraordinary approaching them besides his Doctrine and their freedom from their Diseases upon his conversing with them instructing and healing them I have taken the freedom therefore in this case to examine by the rest of the Scriptures what might be the meaning of so weighty an Expression I hope I shall not err by running into an Enthusiastick Method in it for I have resolv'd never to let my Faith run counter to my Reason or over-reach it and on the other side if in the search of the Matter considerable and deep matters of Faith appear not hitherto sufficiently regarded I hope a modest Recommendation of the same will offend no Man To explain therefore to thee the scope of what I have discovered and what thou mayest expect from me upon this Subject I shall tell thee first what my apprehension of the words is and after that descending more particularly into the several parts and branches of my Discourse upon it I shall endeavour both to answer from Scripture and Reason all manner of Objections and Difficulties that may be raised against my sense of them As to the first thing thou wilt find I have laid it down from hence as a certain Rule that all Men I mean of all Religions and Perswasions whatever have the means in their hands if they improve them of reaching to and attaining this Kingdom of GOD not only of the lower measures of Grace I mean but the highest pitches of Glory that is not only of the common assistances of the Spirit but of Prophecy and Miracles nay and even of Translation also and this I apprehend was that great Doctrine of the Kingdom that Christ came to instruct us in and that was the full and true scope both of those his words and the Gospel And this is that Kingdom which if I mistake not he mentions in that his most excellent Form of Prayer saying Thy Kingdom come this is that Kingdom wherein the Millenarists expect Christ's Reign on the Earth and this is that Kingdom whereby Christ will destroy Antichrist with the very Glory of his Coming in truth this is that Kingdom that the Apostle makes the very Crown and Perfection of our Faith Heb. 11.5 And though there seems a possibility that with Enoch and Elias we might attain this Kingdom without such the Instruction of Christ Yet since GOD has added a further help to the Law of Moses and our Natural Light through him that was to be a Sacrifice for the World shall we contemptuously set aside this newer Light that has added the most lively Instructions as well as his Example to this bare Possibility and Idea of the Kingdom of GOD only Nor need it discourage us in this case that the Apostles of Christ wrote not much of this Doctrine unless in repeating his words as it was what neither they nor the World could then bear just as Elijah knew nothing of his Translation till the day came though he were a Prophet before 1 Kings 19.4 and as the Spirit reveals it self altogether to our occasions but now in the latter Ages of the World what hinders but that GOD may reveal it more manifestly in comfort to his Church and to draw the Reformists or his new Israel from the Bonds of Spiritual Egypt or Popery and to unite and draw into one Fold all the Elect in the several Churches of the World when the Fulness of Time is come can we think GOD will want proper means to execute his Will when we see rather than fail that he could make even a wicked High-Priest to Prophecy that 't was necessary that Christ should dye for the People If therefore by this little Essay I shall be able to shew this Doctrine not only consonant to the highest Reason but the most genuine Scripture I mean of the Old as well as New Testament I hope no one will condemn me only for illustrating and clearing the Rays of so great a truth nor be afraid therefore Reader to receive freely what I write in it I pretend to nothing but a plain and sincere Reasoning and Exposition of Scripture by it and I hope no way tending to beguile thee But if on the other side the state of our Faith be really such as I have represented it to thee I know not why we should any longer slight so great a truth should we not rather couragiously reflect that we have a better Country as I have proposed thee Here we are lyable to Wrongs Wounds and all manner of Accidents and had we not better then seek for the Spiritual Canaan and Pray to enter the Kingdom of GOD where neither Vipers will be able to hurt us Lions devour us nor Fiery Furnaces consume us where the Sun will be forced to stand still and Mountains to move at our Commands and whether Judgments threaten the World either by Fire or Water yet at least like Noah Jonas and Lot we shall be saved I know at present to believe the truth of this Doctrine is to seem contumeliously to accuse the World of Corruption and a Man must expect a Censure and Treatment for it accordingly and yet methinks for all these difficulties I cannot for my part but believe it it seems so entirely agreeable to Scripture and Reason that I could as soon not be a Christian as not assent to it And as for the Corruption of the World if St. Paul could say of his Times There is none righteous no not one Rom. 3.10 it may be no difficulty to say so now for surely there were as ood Men in the Apostles Age as ours But alas what good will Apologies do one in this matter We that have such an Infidel Generation amongst us that 't is even ridiculous to talk or write of either a Spiritual Kingdom or Faith amongst them can one expect that either Sense or Reason can convince them or reconcile them to an Hypothesis of this Nature the Resurrection of the Dead at least must and can be the only real Foundation either of Christianity or any other Religion for what would Precepts avail without their Reward I hope to God that even that does not pass to slighty by way of Figure and Allegory amongst us also Nor shall I wonder in this case that Men endeavour to stifle this Kingdom neither is not this that Kingdom that Satan has endeavoured all along to
also I have full as good a Warrant in obeying an upright Conscience as the best of Prophets can have in following his Revelation Further by what has been wrote also we may see what Authority and Regard we are to pay even the Scriptures themselves Of Scripture Thus in whatever words the Prophets or Apostles wrote as they had them from some Vision or Revelation or from Christ we ought to pay them an absolute regard as coming immediately from the Spirit of GOD himself but whatever Truths they delivered prudentially and as from their own Reasoning we ought to take them as such and wherein we have the Advice of the most Holy and Sincere Men and as the Apostle St. Paul himself acquaints us And hence also we see plainly that the Apostles not only advised to study 1 Tim. 4.13 and understood Christ's words by degrees as the Spirit occasionally operating with their own Reasoning explained them but even in their Citations out of the Old Testament they both trusted their Memories and rather regarded sense than words and hence St. Matthew cites Jeremiah for Zechariah and hence St. Luke is so modest that in the very beginning of his Gospel he rather shews you that he writes to be credited as a fair Witness than one that in every word would Command you by an Infallible Inspiration Not that I would insinuate hereby by any means neither as the Judicious Lowth in this case has very well observed as if the Inspiration of Holy Writ were imperfect or that the Scriptures were not a most perfect Rule of Faith Surely he 's mad that once believes the History of the Apostles Miracles can ever think their Doctrines were not thereby confirmed by God But whether such Testimony of God must argue their Inspiration Verbatim or their Instruction of us to a literal Infallibility as he likewise observes let the Reader judge Nay and besides I may add for the Holy Ghost to have made the Prophets and Evangelists his Secretaries Verbatim would not only have done violence to their Tryals but were to no purpose neither For what needed he to have shewn-those things by Revelation that Reason could find out So also if he had dictated to them Verbatim as Truth is one and Wisdom is one in Perfection so it were impossible that there should be a letter varying in what they wrote nay and if he had why should we think of them that they should rather only Historically deliver the Precepts of Christ then than dispose them in order and as from themselves had not they thought that his Authority in giving them was greater than their own And so what but this Fallibility was it may I say made the Apostles meet together to dispute in Council had they like the Prophets in their particular Messages gotten GOD's immediate Instructions in all things One had spoke the Mind of all and there could never have been any occasion to assemble to dispute since they could never vary in Judgment but like our Saviour who had the Spirit without measure they would have proceeded on in Eternal paths of Love Truth and Unity Nor is their Credit even as thus and from their very Sincerity little as it is as a Heathen reflected when he read their Morals I wish all the World had believed them So indeed they have such an Integrity that they cannot but command a Respect where ever they come And as for their Errors and mutual lesser Variances they rather benefit than injure them for where there is a fallible Integrity that varies in Trifles and agrees in the Main it even lustres Truth by cutting off the very grounds of all Suspicion and Confederacy We ought therefore always to remember as well in the Writings of the Apostles as Prophets rather to follow their sincere sense and purport than their Grammatical and forced Expositions for not only the Apostles as I have shewn you have cited the Old Testament by their Memories but even the Prophets also as Luther observes in his Table-talk p. 362. had none of their Revelations Verbatim but when they delivered their Visions did it in their own way and their own stile and words thus one as a Noble and another as a Husbandman and if they had any Expressions immediately from God 't was very rarely And hence also you see that the Prophets were so far from an absolute Inspiration or a perfect Freedom with GOD that very often they could scarce understand the dark and Hieroglyphical Prophesies they received themselves and whether they did at all in some cases I will not determine for though all Prophesies can have but one clear sincere rational and coherent meaning as Truth especially in the Fountain is not doubtful and as so they were dictated by GOD to be understood one time or other yet it does not follow therefore that they must understand them for surely he may justly reserve their Interpretation to what Time or Season he shall think best Nor is this an inconsiderable Lesson that we may learn from a due consideration in this matter for surely it must make no small tendency to the Progress of the true Gospel-Precepts and Piety to cut off all occasion of little Capricio's and Criticism the great and main Lesson of Christ and his Apostles and what was truly confirmed from God by Miracles is too well and securely delivered to be injured by little Cavils or the variance of Copies But to return as to what may be more particularly said relating to the state of Prophecy we may add that The State of Prophecy as I have before observed Adam was to stand a while e're he became translated and if so since the degradation of our Fall we may well expect even to stand a further Tryal also e're we become Prophets thus Christ was near Thirty e're he entred his first Stage and Enoch and Elijah not young when they were translated and can we expect otherwise then Nor need we to be dismay'd though we have no notice of our being either to be Prophets or Translated had Adam either such notice in Paradise or Elijah almost to the very day Nor is it unworthy Observation in this case how like and parallel the course of Moses Christ and Elijah has been Say the Scriptures Moses is not a Prophet in dark Dreams and Visions only but God spoke clearly and Face to Face to him and did he not so to Christ and Elijah also So how exactly likewise Moses and Christ agreed in their Transfiguration and Christ and Elijah in their Miracles one raised the Dead and so did the other the one multiplyed and fed with Bread miraculously and so did the other the one was translated and the other ascended into Heaven within a very few days after his Death nor had he dyed had it not been fore-ordered Nor could they that would have imitated these Patterns have failed had they taken more care to have purified themselves and to have been more curious in that
wonderfully more lively and vigorous than now nay and of an Eternal Duration our Spirits there will never flag with Satiety and repetition of Fruition nor ever be moved with Curiosity of change but move on in a continued and wise Constancy in long and endless Enjoyments GOD himself at first and as by a new Creation will then wipe away all Tears with their causes and instead of them will Present us with an Unchangeable and Eternal Consort of Joy with Songs of his Wisdom Justice and Mercy we shall Pray without ceasing and Praise without tyring and stand eternally enflamed and ravished with admiring the Glories Beauties yea and Wonders of the Power Justice and Mercy of GOD. There no racking Curiosity for Wisdom will torment us we shall know at least as much as we shall see we ought to know There no Tenderness for our Friends in this World will disturb us our Earthly Relations will vanish we shall put them off with our Bodies and they only will be regarded there by us as our Father and Brother our Sister and Mother who have truly obeyed the Commands of our GOD our only real Father And to compleat all GOD himself will place his Throne amongst us and though in reality he be every where yet for our Comfort he will make his most Glorious appearance amongst us whilst Rings of Angels and Principalities in Perfection of Order and Address glorifie their great and wonderful Maker even dazling them with his Glory from his Throne in the midst of them But O! what are the Miseries that the Damned are to feel instead of this for their Disobedience and Wickedness And what then are these things thus Nay is there a GOD And is not our Sabbath our one day in seven that we bestow on Religion Of Preparing our selves flung away in vain amongst us Or is Religion really a serious Duty If it is let us learn to regard these things that are so evidently true and that so nearly concern us in earnest and not like mean and base Hypocrites seem to regard them when we really esteem them to be but as a Jest or Tritle Let us therefore in earnest begin to Purifie our selves and prepare us for so great a Kingdom Let us walk always as in the sight of GOD let us avoid even all appearance of Evil nay and let us take care to work out our Salvations with Fear and Trembling and not fall through a Presumption of our own Strength but rather trust wholly on GOD. And lastly we must add to all this Sincerity Sincerity is the only great and solid Foundation to build on and remember withal that we must actually endeavour through GOD's Grace to render our selves pure and not barely expect GOD's Assistance for that he never bestows upon the sluggish Nor are or can be the Pangs of this New Birth or Regeneration easie to a Worldly Mind for as it must be entire so we ought to be always ready and that even precisely lest the Bridegroom should knock and surprize us at unawares And hence also even to keep all the Commandments from our Youth up is not enough if we refuse to sell all where the Glory of GOD requires it Luke 9.62 we fall back from the Crisis that GOD is leading us to And so also as I have observed before the self-denyal even of a common Martyrdom is not enough for the lowest degree of these Glories here is required an entire resignation and without we are even born again we cannot enter into the Kingdom of GOD John 3.3 And as many mens Lusts are dearer unto them than their Lives so Life alone is not Sacrifice enough to perfect a compleat new Birth Thus Abraham in Faith was forced to leave his Father's Country e're he had the Promise of another and thus we see also that we with Christ must learn to be able to despise this World if ever we design for a better and yet not I say neither that thou shouldst tempt GOD in Health or Food or sell all to give to the Poor till thou art called thereto Further if thou seekest this Kingdom in Curiosity and not in Duty and as a Servant of all know GOD will never encourage thee in thy Lusts and whereas if thou Address him with an humble constant and diligent Application thou wilt even wonder to see how GOD will purifie thee by degrees to Perfection Take care therefore that thou be not like the Seed sown in stony Ground that will sprout up fast at first but dye away in Affliction for want of Root and Consideration So remember also that Moderation is to be thy Fountain-Vertue indeed the very Basis supporting all And withal take care that thou get Wisdom also that thou mayest be the perfecter for the Service of GOD if there be not Light in the Understanding there cannot well be Heat in the Affections And lastly to all these thou must add Patience for as GOD hazards not our Tryals at a push so we must expect to be made Perfect by Constancy Patience and Long-suffering Or if you had rather I shall prescribe your Preparation in the Apostle's own words thus 1 Thess 5.16 17. Rejoyce evermore pray without ceasing in every thing give thanks for this is the will of GOD in Christ Jesus concerning you Quench not the Spirit despise not Prophecyings prove all things hold fast that which is good abstain from all appearance of evil In truth does not Christ reckon the Evil to his little Ones as to himself Matth. 25.40 So in St. James's Epistles Cap. 4. Ver. 6 7 8. God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble Submit your selves therefore to GOD resist the Devil and he will flee from you draw nigh to GOD and he will draw nigh to you Cleanse your hands you sinners and purifie your hearts you double-minded So also Phil. 4.8 says the Apostle Finally Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise think on these things So in 2 Cor. 12.9 St. Paul to encourage us tells us from his Example that we should glory in our Infirmities as GOD's Grace is sufficient for us So in Cap. 4. ver 7 8. of the same Epistle he tells us that though we are troubled we ought not to despair that the Glory of GOD might shine the brighter in us as Earthen Vessels nor need we fear for we have a most Solemn Promise that we shall not be tempted beyond our strength Let us search our selves therefore like Achan we all harbour the accursed thing and that it is that keeps us from the Kingdom of GOD Indeed were we entirely wicked his Justice would not let us subsist and as we are luke-warm if in time we do not mend we must expect him to spew us out How long therefore shall we follow our dead
the better to proceed in this matter I shall range my following Discourse under these Five Heads I. In shewing the Methods proper for such a Unity II. In shewing the Duty of the State towards it III. In refuting Modern Pleas for Divisions IV. In proposing an Accommodation between them V. In Answering Difficulties remaining General Methods to Unity in Publick Worship 1. That in States Sister-Churches ought as near as possible to walk hand in hand with each other whilst all Private Men according to the Example of St. Austin Conscientiously conform to the present Church they are under be it where or what it will indeed otherwise to expect the End without the Means is as endless as impertinent and if trifling Variances and Errors may cause Schisms and Divisions with us we have no means left to be at Unity 2. As in Building a material House we are forced to hew Stones to the Wall so in the immaterial Temple of God's Church also how can we expect any Structure to be made if there be not a mutual bearing between the fallibility of our own Judgments and the Church but especially where the Church professes her self fallible 3. That this bearing with Errors and Variances therefore in Churches extends to all manner of Faults whatever provided the Church be Christian and not Idolatrous in truth all faults else whether great by number or aggravation are alike to be born with or else Church-Community must and ever will be but a Chymera for what Church is ever was or will be without Errors in variety And what Age has wanted wicked Men enough to aggravate them to Divisions if the World be not wiser than to follow them 4. That though this Charity may look like a Cowardly trimming especially in such a Factious Age as this when there are almost as many Churches as Men yet undoubtedly whoever will look on Church-Unity as a Practical Duty and embrace it as such with other Reasons than meer Partying must do it on these grounds or none I am sure by the same Reasons we divide the Church now we may divide it infinitely and 't is almost a wonder there is any Communion at all left amongst us 5. And lastly but that nothing herein excuse Men in defiling themselves with Personal Tests wherein we ought to dye rather than deny the least Truth and that though in Complement to the best of Churches And surely in this case the difference is clear enough an Algier's Slavery in Religion is what cannot but offend every good Man but a mutual bearing of Evils and Errors irremediable in Publick Communions certainly is a Duty and Charity necessary or nothing in Christiany is to be minded The Duty of the State towards Catholick Communion 1. That as the State knows that God did not give Man his Reason only to be wilfully blind with it or his Eyes to put them out to see as the Church of Rome would seem to say by ordering an Obedience of setting Trees with their Roots uppermost if commanded So it is the particular Duty of the State as to be supposed wiser than their Subjects rather to let the Waves of Opinions have their full Channel in their largely extended Arms of Charity like the Sadduces and Pharisee of Old in the Church of the Jews than by becoming of any particular Party to drive away all the Opposites from her 2. And thus what though a Man believes Transubstantiation or Purgatory They are absurd Doctrines with hard Names it may be but are we sure that even we our selves don 't hold Opinions full as foolish of another kind though not nick-nam'd So what though a Man 's a Socinian Cannot an Arch-Bishop hear a Socinian and a Trinitarian dispute as well as an High-Priest could a Sadducee and Pharisee of Old Or what may'nt I Worship with a Socinian that at least makes Christ the greatest Prophet When both Christ and his Apostles after him could Worship even with those very Jews that decryed him as an Impostor 3. And that on this Account also all those unaccountable Mysteries and Niceties and fondness of Words that have hitherto corrupted Christianity so far from its Primitive Simplicity as to make it even too sine and burthensom either for our Wit Memory or Understanding whether they be true or false be all equally laid aside without we have a mind by our Canting Jure Divino's and Infallibility in new-coin'd Doctrines never to let the World have Peace for us 4. And lastly Therefore since Innovators in no Authority are to be regarded and as it is both the particular Command and Example of Christ in such cases rather to fear God than Man so every State should rather study to become a tender bearing Father and a Nursing Mother in the Church to ease feeble Minds than if possible to hazard their Ruines be it but with the appearance of dangerous Tests and Offences Modern Pleas for Schisms answered 1. You say that Gal. 4.14 makes you angry at Holy days I pray if it does do not keep them then no more than Christ observed Corban with the Jews But must that make you leave the Church for Sundays therefore when the Corban could not make him leave the Temple 2. You say Gal. 4.10 makes you angry at Surplices too and why not at formal Bands and singular Cloaks as well Nay Socrates Schol. Lib. 6. Cap. 20. tells us of some that were angry that the Ministers wore black since Christ himself wore white But bless me if the Church may'nt be left Master of all such Indifferencies for Decency we may agree when we can So 3. You think that Godfathers too commonly take an Idle Oath in Baptism and what then The Oath is good in it self and was of use under the Primitive Persecutions and at present is any obliged to be Gossip against his will 4. But you are offended at Prayer by Form you say Bless me that Men can be so sick of Whimsies if a Man Prays Extempore 't is at least a Form to the Congregation it seems then that 't is the Priest only that must have none for the People must have one all one and too often none of the best neither So 5. You have the Spirit you say and more Truth than others and you are the fitter Member in the Catholick Church to shew your Zeal in mending it then what did the Prophets of Old go to set up other Churches and make Partyings only through their being holier than other Men No we don't hear so much as of one Sect that they made indeed they were for Correcting the Old not confounding us with New Foundations 6. The Quaker also is angry at our gayety and vanity in fine Cloaths ay and so was Isaya with the Jews of Old too but would Isaya therefore ran out of the Church for it Pray God I say their Spirit prove as good as his I am sure it does not seem so by this and their late Quarrels of Christ within and Christ