never taught by man Oh happy therefore are they who are come to the Everlasting Covenant of God and to know the inward Teachings and Leadings of his Holy Spirit in their Heart to Lead them into all Truth according to Promise Joh. 16. without being beholding to Vain Man's Help for whereof is he to be accounted as is manifest even as a Thing of naught is the best of them out of the Truth For O! How Ignorant of the Ministry of God and Christ and the Holy Spirit 's Inspiration sufficient Teaching is this Baxter who is not content to sit among the Parish Teachers as a Fellow but even takes upon him to be a Teacher of the Teachers Yea so Ignorant and Unbelieving is he concerning the Spirit 's Power and Sufficiency in these dayes that without an outward Miracle he will not believe any such Thing Nay he would not have People believe for themselves that God teacheth their own Hearts unless it come in man's Way and by Humane study Labour and natural Means Therefore the Lord saw good for his own Glory and for the Vindication of his own Honourable and Everlasting Truth which the Hirelings had made void by their Traditions and for the absolute necessity of his own beloved Seed to restore unto us the Ancient Doctrine of the Holy Spirit 's Sufficiency in all the Work of bringing man out of the Fall to God that the Lord the Spirit might be the first and the last yea all in all in their Salvation without man's Help for he is worthy who as he created all things by his own alone Power and according to his Good Will so he restores all things according to the Counsel of his own Will and not of Flesh nor of Blood nor of the Will of Man as the Apostle also speaks Joh. 1.13 but Oh How unlike is this Doctrine of the Apostle's to Baxter's for when the Apostle had said To them that received Christ to them he gave Power to become the Sons of God left any should think as this Baxter doth that it was either by man's Labour or Study or Humane endeavour or Art or Parts or any natural Abilities or Helps whatsoever he saith It was not of Flesh nor of Blood nor of the Will of Man but of God And of his own Will begat he us by the Word of Truth saith that other Apostle Jam. 1.17 18. and he bids not err as this Baxter doth to set up another Fountain or Root and that this Word of Truth is not any outward Writing Voice or any Creature John in his first Chapter tells us That in the beginning was this Word and the Word was with God and is God and his Name is called the Word of God Revel 19.13 so this Word though it works according to the witness of the Scripture which it gave forth freely and as it self pleaseth in the Children of men yet it is not the Scripture For search the Scriptures or ye do search the Scriptures saith Christ That witness of me but you will not come to me that you may have Life and these were they that Paul said He bore them record that they had a Zeal for God and Scripture but not according to knowledge for they being Ignorant of God's Righteousness went about to Establish their own Righteousness and submitted not to God's And so even so this Baxter and many such like have a blind Zeal and a great Talk of the Scriptures without and of the Spirit 's Teaching by the Letter and Humane Helps and the like but will not come to Christ to know him in them that they may have Life and Wisdom and Righteousness But would Establish their own which is meer Emptiness and Vanity in the sight of God and all truly Spiritual men 2 Cor. 13.5 Rom. 10.3 And how far this Baxter's Language in those other words where he saith That if any will pretend to a good Understanding of the Scriptures without learning the Languages which they are written in and the Customs of those Times Countries or without much reading and long study of the scriptures themselves and the Writings of them that 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 them had need of some Miracle or sounding 〈…〉 to perswade themselves or others that they are not deceived How far I say is this Doctrine and language in this 〈◊〉 from the Language of the holy men of God that writ Scripture let the Spiritual Man who best understands all things judge for the holy Apostles Magnified the free Grace and the free Teachings of the Spirit of Grace and debased man and all Humane Helps as is said before and as the Scripture every where witnesseth But this Baxter tyeth the Wait and main stress of all upon Humane Learning natural Parts knowledge of Customs and Countries much reading long study and the like insomuch that without them man must not look that any should believe him Nay nor he must not own God's Teaching in his own Heart without these unlest seconded by some Miracle or the like But Oh the Misery therefore of such poor Souls as follow such wretched Teachers and their damnable Doctrine as I may well And Oh forever Blessed are they who are brought from off such Barren Mountains into the good Fold where all the Lambs of Christ lie down in the good Pasture of the Spirit 's fulness and walk up and down in the Light of the Lord under the hand of the good Shepherd Christ Jesus where none can come to make afraid nor deceive for in the Light of our God we see all these false Teachers and their devouring Doctrines and by the holy Power of God are delivered from them and made able in the overcoming Spirit of Truth to declare against them Glory to God forever Amen Again Let us revew and consider in particular a little of those words of his before set down where he saith as an Argument to perswade his young Ones and Dissenters to his falsly called Humility Especially saith he If you know your advantages for knowledge have been less then other mens that you are younger or that it is but a few Years since you entred upon the Study of the Scripture or that you have not any stronger natural Parts then other men or that you have not had that Measure of learning which might further your knowledge of the holy Scripture But that others that differ from you have had much more of all these Helps and Means then you and have Prayed more and Meditated more c. To which I Answer That by these words it is easily seen what manner of knowledge it is that this Baxter trades in and would have all Slaves unto and what are his Means for obtaining it to wit a meer natural Knowledge which by meer Worldly Helps and Advantages may be attained for a meer Heathen accompanied with many Years and much Humane Learning and strong Natural Parts that can but talk much of the Scripture especially having on him a Form of Prayer and the
freely given for the edifying and building up of the Body of Christ till we all come to a perfect man to the measure and feature of the fulness of Christ no more then the Apostle did Ephes. 4.11 c. but that which we cry down is that Antichristian spirit in R. B. and all such men as by seting up self and flesh would draw from Christ and his Teachings in Spirit to look at them and their painted words and love killing Doctrines who are this day Goliah like come forth to defie the Armies of the Living God but the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands shall dash them and their Images all to peices Glory to the Lord for Ever And though they with their Humane or Earthly spirit and Sorceries withstand the Truth and Spirit thereof as Jamnes and Jambres withstood Moses when he was about to call Israel out of Egypt yet as their Folly was soon seen so are these and they shall not proceed far but Israel out of Egypt shall go and those Faithful ones that are escaped shall they not with all their Inchantment bring back again into Egypt Glory to the Lord for Ever Amen But wouldst thou indeed know Oh vain man R.B. for what the Apostles who had Ability to preach without mans help were sent forth then thou mayst know it was to reprove such as thee that would limit God to vain man's Help and to call his People from amongst you who lay heavy Burdens on mens Shoulders but will not touch them with one of your Fingers it is even so But whereas thou addest and say'st Those are taught of God who are taught by those who are sent of God to be their Teachers It plainly shews the numerous Company thou boasts of who believe thee are not taught of God for thy Doctrine already mentioned shews most plainly that thou wast never sent of God for never did any whom God sent set themselves against the free and Gratious Teaching and Gifts of God's Spirit to Establish Humane Helps as thou doest But as if that which thou hast said were nothing thou addest Pag. 8. Advise with the experience of all the World Who was the man that ever you knew able to Expound one Chapter in the Bible by the inward Teachings of the Spirit alone without any Labour of his own or Help from others by Voice or Writting Where dwelleth the man who by meer Inspiration can turn one Chapter out of the Hebrew or Greek into the vulgar Tongue and where is the man that can solidly unfold any Doctrine of Divinity which he never read or heard of or can Teach that Truth and deny that Religion which he was never taught by man And afterwards in his Second Direction and Pag. 16. having led his wretched Disciples into a Laborinth or Mist of words about their uncertainties in their Matters of Knowledge and having advised them to humility as he calls it or not to think too highly of their own knowledge he there adds and sayes in that 16th Page especially If you know your advantages for knowledge have been less then other mens that you are young or that it is but a few Years since you entred upon the study of the Scriptures or that you have not any stronger natural Parts then other men that you have not had that Measure of Learning which might further your knowledge of the Holy Scriptures but that others that differ from you have had much more of all these Helps and Means then you and have Prayed more and Meditated more c. And in Pag. 17. in his Answer to an Objection which is That the Learnedst men are not always the wisest in the matters of Religion he saith many men are learned in the Languages and Sciences who are not learned in the Scripture because they applyed not their Studies that way and many men are learned in the Scriptures and Sacred Languages who yet live in sin though they are able to Teach the Truth for others here by the way all may take notice what a False Teacher this Baxter is who is not ashamed to say That man that lives in sin may Teach the Truth for others for such as live in sin neither know the Truth which is Christ nor have seen him as John's first Epist. Chap. 3. expresly saith but this Baxter goeth on and saith But those that well understand the Scriptures without learning the Languages which they are written in and the Customs of those Times and Countries or without much reading and long study of the Scriptures themselves and the Writings of them that better understand them are so few if any at all that if you will pretend to be one of them you had need of some Miracle or somthing like a Miracle to make your selves or others believe that you are not deceived I Might here add his other false Doctrines immediately following these in that his Book as his Answer to an Objection there set down against singularity or so the Objection is this The greater Number are not alwayes in the Right therefore why should my singulary discourage me But because his Answer hath pretty many words in it I refer it to another place and to what he hath already said do answer and say in brief thus First That as by his other words so also by these it is most manifest from what Fountain this Baxter's knowledge hath proceeded to wit not from the Inspiration of the Eternal Spirit which gave forth Scripture but from his own Earthly or Natural spirit and Humane Industery and Studies and trading in Books and Letters without him from which Earthly or Humane Spirit and Wisdom hath not come nor possible ever can come to any the right meaning and understanding of Holy Scripture as such as he would have it for the natural man as the Apostle saith Perceiveth not the things that be of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 But all false Visions and lying Divinations have ever come from that Earthly spirit and all the cruel wrestings of the Holy Scriptures from the beginning to this day have proceeded from it to the miserable and wofull undoing of the Generallity of that People called Christendom as also the Blood-sheds and all the cruel usage of Spiritual Minded Men for their pure Conscience sake have issued from that Fountain of the Earthly spirit and the false Births thereof from the beginning and that great Whore found Guilty of all for in her was found the Blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth Râ—â—â— 18.24 for what Spiritual man did ever ask such a Question or rather affirm for in him his question is an affirmation to wit That no man is able by the inward Teachings of the Spirit alone to Expound one Chapter in the Bible And that there is none can solidly Unfold any Doctrine of Divinity which he never read or heard of or can teach the Truth or defend that Religion which he was
profess And praised be God for ever who through his Grace gives our Souls the Victory but as for this Baxter and his Followers who are so full of that earthly faln wisdom which receives honour of men and judges of things according to the Flesh I say for them to seek God's Honour and glorifie him in such low contemptible things as this is is at present far from them but to put off the Hat in honour to proud Flesh And to love greetings in the Markets and to go in long Robes as the old Pharisees did and to be called of men Master and the like which gets praise and applause of the World though Christ forbid it never so much I say these things they like better the more is the pitty see Mat. 23. and so it appears who are in the Selfishness Pride and Hypocrisie and who are not and so is the Scripture fulfilled which saith In that day it shall be seen who are they that fear God and who not Glory to God for his unspeakable Gift and not unto us but to thy Name be the Praise O Lord. What would this Baxter if he had been in those dayes have said of Christ of whom it was said That he taught the Way of God truely and regarded not the Persons of Men then surely he put not off his Hat in honour to proud Flesh as ye do I say would not this Baxter have called him some odd conceited singular proud Fellow as his Predecessors the Pharisees of those dayes Who received Honour one of another did no question but he would for if he do thus to us his Servants What would he have done to him our Lord and Master but happy are all they in this day who chuse rather to suffer the Affliction and Reproach with Christ and his People then to enjoy the Pleasures of sin which are but for a Season so be it ALso because this R. Baxter in pag. 27. of his Preface saith That People are far more averse that is contrary or against to Communion or Concord with the Parish Churches then the conforming Ministers are and yet he seems in his Epistle to Bryan's Book to be unwilling that People should think he hath conformed though he hath pleaded for it and against separaing from the Parish Assemblies and Worships as now manag'd and also seeing that Bryan as he saith is or was silenced for non-conformity himself I desire all that reads these Lines to take notice of what a strange uneven and unrighteous Spirit these men are of in their creeping and twisting and twining to and fro yet the Eye of the Lord and his Blessed Spirit in his Children this day doth easily spy them out Sometimes they are all for Conformity and against Separation by any means and plead the Common-Prayer-Peoples Cause with all their might as it were and yet presently they are all on a fire against any that shall think they are Conformists Nay says Baxter How can any judge him to be a Conformists who is silenced for Nonconformity But if this Baxter sometime a Head to those called Presbyterians at and about Kidderminster and Bryan of the same nature sometimes a Teacher at Coventry be not conformed or be not yet Conformists as well as others of their Brethren who have long since licked up their Vomit the old Common-Prayer Service which they vomited up in Oliver's time because it hindred them then from swallowing the Peoples Labours and seeing they plead so shamelesly for it and also seeing this Baxter in express words confesseth That they are not so much against Conformity with the Common-Prayer Service as the People are What may be the Reason of this strange thing to wit That they do not in all things conform to wit in Deed and Practice as well as in words save only as is plain to me this to wit because they judge that their Admirers are not yet sufficiently wearied out with keeping off nor sufficiently moulded and fitted in their Minds for coming in and therefore they have lingred and may do yet linger a while longer before they do openly and before all appear Conformists desiring if possible to see the People in before them for these two chief Presbyterian Priests so called are wholly already in the Parish Stuff in their Judgement and with their Minds and Hearts already or at lest would be thought so to be by the wicked World of whom they are Lovers Yet they see not how to vend their flattering Doctrines if their Admirers conform not and come not in with them or rather be not in the Pit before them so weak and wretched a thing is man yea the best seeming of the Sons of Men out of the Truth oh how truely fulfilled by these men are those words of the Apostle where he speaking of the false hypocritical out-side-Teachers of that Time saith With good words and fair speeches they deceive the Hearts of the Simple Therefore ever praised be Christ who hath opened our Eyes to see and perswaded our Hearts to avoid such Wolves in Sheeps-clothing as this Baxter and Bryan are For what finer and higher Talk or Skin or Clothing can the Wolf get then to make Sermons of dwelling with God and the like as this Bryan doth when it s manifest he neither knows God nor his Way nor his dwelling-Place but is inwardly ravened from that good and Blessed Spirit of Truth and Honesty which should commend him to God The Wolves nature in R. Baxter is already in this Writing set down and manifest and now I come in the Light of the Lord to make manifest some of his Brother Bryan's And first shall set down that blasphemous Passage of his in p. 291. and 292. of his sixth Sermon in that Book of his intituled dwelling with God c. where he saith I am not ignorant that many of you whose Habitation I question not but the Lord is who have your Habitation in several Countries of this Kingdom have drunk a deep Prejudice against all the Parochial Congregations whereof you are legal Members and where all you were baptized and thereby were made the Members of Christ the Children of God and Heirs of his Kingdom I fear some of you will startle at these expressions found in the Common-Prayer But if you consult the Holy Scriptures you will find them warranted in a sacramental Sence and your prejudice hath so far wrought upon you that you have forsaken the assembling of your selves together with your Neigbours in the publick Meeting-places thus far this Bryan Answer But ever praised be the Lord who hath delivered us from the mouthes of such manifest Wolves as these are who in times past were hidden but are now fully seen who though his Brother Baxter sayes his Mouth was stopt or silenced for not conforming yet here it seems it is wide open still according to his and their custom to manifest his folly and wicked-inside against the Truth and for deceit that the Simple-hearted might forever be
God and which Things we Preach or Speak not in the words which man 's or Humane Wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual 1 Cor. 2. But this R.B. comparing Spiritual things with Carnal is not wise who because old men and long Students in Arts and worldly Sciences are most Wise or likely to be so therefore they that labour and study most in Books of Divinity so call'd get most of the Spirit 's teaching O sad That ever the minds of the Children of Men should be so cover'd with darkness and yet read the Scripture of Truth which witnesses to no one thing more then to the Free Teachings of the Spirit of God without humane Helps For all the Help that is humane or that man who is ab humo that is from the Earth can afford is but natural and of this World which comes to nought therefore is it said That none of the Princes that is the chief men of this World knew the Mystery of Christ and his Kingdom then which made them so band against him see the 2d Psalm And the Natural Man with all his natural means discerns not the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discern'd So every one that would know the Mind of the Spirit of God must come to feel through the Most Holy Faith a measure of it in themselves For after ye believ'd ye were seal'd with the Spirit of Promise saith Paul And the Word is nigh thee even in thy Heart and Mouth O thou that hast an Ear to hear hear what the Spirit speaks even the Word of Faith which we Preach Therefore go not forth from the Anointing of God in thy Heart to hear the frothy and false Doctrine of such as R.B. who have run and set up themselves by their humane Helps in the place of Teachers and God never sent them and therefore they cannot profit the People at all but lead them about like silly Women laden with divers Sins and Lusts yea in their Prayers and best Performances as is manifest and so not being sent and enabled by God's Spirit they can never lead you to it but from it as is manifest Also R. B. in pag. 6. before mention'd saith The Objection hath much Confusion in it and how proves he that but by saying 1. It confoundeth the Spirit 's teaching us by inditing the Scripture with the Spirit 's teaching us the meaning of the Scriptures 2. And it confoundeth the common Knowledge of Divinity with the saving Knowledge of it No man cometh to a common Knowledge fit for a Teacher of others without the Spirit 's teaching by the Scriptures for that was the first part of the Spirits teaching us to inspire the Prophets and Apostles to deliver a Teaching Word to the Churches by which we might all be taught of God through all Generations But many men have excellent common Knowledge by this Word and by the common help of the Spirit without that special Help which begetteth saving Knowledg And all Knowledge requireth Time and Labour to obtain it though the Spirit giveth it and though it may be sanctified to us in a little time but that may be a means of saving others which saveth not the man that hath it And in pag. 114. farther saith Take them not for no Ministers that want Grace totally and marvel not that Gifts are more necessary to the validity of Ministration then Grace is he may perform the Office of a Minister to the benefit of the Church that hath no Saving Grace at all Thus for Rich Baxter O! What Sorcery and Egyptian-Darkness is here to make void the New Covenant and Free Gratious Teachings of the Spirit of God in these dayes and to establish the Letter in the room and stead thereof which only witnesses to it and is a Declaration concerning what the Spirit of God did in them and in the World before Christ's coming in the Flesh and what was done during his being in it and what the Spirit would do in the Believing Souls and in the World after that time But this the Hirelings do that they by their trading with and giving their false meanings upon the Scriptures they may keep the people in Blindness and so from the Anointing and Teaching and Enjoyment of that Spirit that was in them that gave forth Scriptures that they may not see their deceitful Doctrines and Merchandizes lest they should buy no more of them For no man that knows the Badness of Babylon will buy them any more and then will the Merchants of Souls Mourn For they that know the Lord and his Spirit 's Teaching in them which is the Good Old Way yea and the ever New Fresh Profitable and Living WAY will follow no more such men as would bring in and establish a Graceless Ministry as this Baxter doth here to his everlasting Shame But such Graceless Priests the Lord will have none of nor his People neither For my Sheep hear my Voice saith Christ and a Stranger they will not hear Surely a Graceless Man is this Stranger They to wit graceless men saith John 1 Epist. 4. are of the World and the World hear them we are of God Stewards of the manifold Grace of God 1 Pet 4 10 And they that are of God hear us And so ever Bless'd and Prais'd be the Great and Glorious Name of the Lord Jesus who hath restor'd to them that obey him the Glorious Doctrine of the Spirit 's Teaching as was in the Apostles dayes according to his true Promise where all in the Truth of which we the People of God in scorn call'd Quakers are Members where all I say is done in and by the Holy Spirit prais'd be God and nothing own'd among'st us but what is so done Here is Praying in and by the Spirit and Preaching in and by the Spirit and Singing in and by the Spirit of our Holy Lord God and so the Head being Spiritual and the Members of the Body every one Spiritual for we are all Baptiz'd by one Holy Spirit into the one Heavenly Body our Food is also Spiritual Heavenly Bread and Heavenly Wine and the Water Spiritual that Sanctifies us and makes us clean to God in all our Sacrifices and Services for Christ gave himself for his Church which is his Body that he might wash it and present it spotless to himself and without all Deformity by the washing of Water even the Water of Life in the Word of Life the creating Word of the everlasting Father which is Spirit and Life the Resurrection and the Life in every believing Soul for we are redeemed from Death thereby that we might forever hereafter serve God in the newness of his own Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter as all such do as know no other teaching Word but the Letter as this Baxter doth and so they having gotten a little Brain-knowledge by their humane helps and not by the Spirit of Truth
like must needs go for a better knowing Christian with him then the dearest Child of God especially if he be young in Years and want those natural Helps and outward appearances Oh what havock hath such Doctrine as this of Baxter's made amongst his deluded Hearers and Admirers in this Nation so that now let the Man of God come to one of them in the purest Evidence and most powerful demonstration of the Spirit of Truth if he appear not to them cloathed and accompanied with these Natural and Worldly Abilities and Indowments they are fenced against the Lord's Messenger with such Arguments as these You are but young you have but studied a while you are of slender and mean Natural Parts and little or no Schollar-ship and have Prayed but little c. in comparison of our Grave and Learned Divines and the like So that as Christ said so we find now true That Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdom of God before such and now what a Curer of Church-divisions this Baxter is like to prove is easily seen and therefore that charge which his self-condemned Heart fear'd would come upon him may justly be brought upon him here which in his Preface to his Book he sets down thus They will affirm saith he That I have clawed with one party and have girded at the other and have sought to make them odious by bringing them under the Reproach of separation of censuring and avoiding the Ungodly and that being luke-warm my self and a Complier with sin I would have others to do so too And that these Reconcilers are neither Flesh nor Fish and attempt impossibilities even to reconcile Light and Darkness Christ and Belial and that for the sake of peace we would sell the Truth and would let in Church Corruptions out of an over eager desire of agreement and when they have all done neither Parties will regard them These are this Baxter's words in that Preface of his to that Book which is justly come upon him And indeed He may as well go about to reconcile Light and Darkness as bring the Children of Light whom God hath delivered our of the Darkness of and filthiness of Egypt and Sodom spiritual into Unity with them again for there is Enmity put between the two Seeds and those words of Christ in John 17.21 22. c. which he deceitfully puts in the Title Page of his Book are only proper to the living Members of the Spiritual Body of Christ which he calls mystical and not to any of the Worlds Churches or visible mixt Congregations of People whatsoever the words of the Apostle in John 17.21 c. are weightier then any Hypocrite can bear and they are these That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that thou also may be one in us that the World may believe that thou hast sent me and the Glory which thou hast given me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the World may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me God is arisen to drive Hypocrites from under all such shelter of words as they would hide themselves under for now is the City and Kingdom truly manifested and witnessed into which no Uncircumcised or Unclean shall enter but only the Redeemed born Babes and living Members of Christ. And now to the knowledge and experience not of the Evil World but of all that know God do I appeal to judge whether this R. Baxter or any of like spirit with him can be said to know any thing of the Oneness betwixt the Father and Son the Members of his holy Heavenly Body much less can be any of them who are not afraid to affirm That such are not to be disallowed from being Ministers of the Gospel though they want Grace totally And that Gifts are more necessary to the validity of Ministration then Grace is and that he may perform the Office of a Minister to the benefit of the Church that hath no saving Grace at all as Pag. 114. of his Book aforementioned and that there is no man alive that Worshippeth God without some sin and adds Do you ever pray your selves in secret or in your Families with out sin as in Pag. 19.5 And in Pag. 30. of his Preface to that Book That there is no Person Church on Worship on Earth faultless and with out Corruption and saith there further I justifie not the faults of my own daily Prayers and yet I never pray without them And in Pag. 34. c. That Cain was the first born Member in the Church of Adam's Family and cursed Cham was of the Church of Noah and reckons Lot's two Sons in law and Esau yea and the ten Tribes in their Apostacy to be of the Church And so having reckoned up and raked together all the Faults of the Blessed Seed of Abraham before Christ's coming in the Flesh and of all those called Christians after that mentioned in Scripture he most wickedly and imprudently sayes Pag. 44. That no one Member is in all these Scriptures or any other commanded to come out and separate from any one of all these Churches as if their Communion in Worship were Unlawful Directly contrary to 2 Cor. 5.11 Revel 18.4 5 6. c. Come out of Mystery Babylon the false Church saith God to his People Oh the Blasphemy of such mens Hearts that dare Intitle wicked men for a bear Profession sake of Religion to the Glory of the benefit of this Prayer of Christ's who prayes and his Prayers were alwayes heard That his might be one as he and the Father were and are one the Father in Christ and Christ in them and so made fellow Heirs and Pertakers of the Glory of Christ by free Gift But neither R. Baxter nor any graceless Minister nor sinful praying People whom he pleads for can ever be one as the Father and Son are one Therefore I may safely say to you all Who desires the good of your Souls and the Glory of God Come out from amongst them and joyn not with them No not in their Worship Actions as he calls them nor be ye Partakers in any of their sins or sinful Worship lese ye partake of their Plagues for the Temple of God is Holy and the Worship of God is Holy And so R. Baxter with all his own Corruptions and all his heaps of Lyes and false Accusations of the Brethren of Christ are for the Lake It is so And so I return to set down Baxter's Unchristian Answer to that former Objection against the singularity of separation the Objection is as before The greater Number are not alwayes in the right therefore why should my singularity discourage me Now to this Baxter answers Pag. 17.18 The greater Number saith he through the World are not in the right about Christianity for they
Reformation Separation Revelation or any thing that may manifest People to have a care of their Souls But Oh the misery the misery the unspeakable misery of such as are not yet redeemed from under the slavery and Egyptian Bondage of such men But the Lord will break the Rod of the Oppressor as in times of old as in the days of Midian and Egypt where both Jannes and Jambres who withstood the Lord's Servant Moses in his calling Israel out of Egypt were made manifest and their Folly by all clearly seen as this Baxter's is by every open Eye Praised be the Lord for his Infinite Love in all things But the Hearts of the Righteous whom God delights to comfort he doth all he can to make sad by perswading the dark cruel World that the cause of all the miseries of the late years yea and at present in these Islands is much what if not mostly occasioned by those who in tenderness of Conscience to God could not nor cannot joyn with nor uphold the Popish Customs and Antichristian imposition in Matters relating to Religion and the Soul which is more pretious to them that know it then all the World And in the Truth we may say that if we should come amongst the Steeple-house Worshippers or any other Company who are only separated from them in form and not in Life and Power and their exercise or Gift and heavenly holy Worship and Service to the Lord Jesus Christ our God we should even sacrifice the Abomination of the Egyptians before their Eyes and would you not Stone us or Imprison us or otherwise evil intreat us even as you do and ever have done yea yea and as they dealt with the Prophet Isaiah for saying Chap. 66.3 He that killeth an Ox is as if he flew a man he that sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a Dogs Neck c. and Chap. 1.11 c. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me saith the Lord I am full of them and who hath required it at your hands to tread my Courts bring no more vain Oblations c. for which it is said they slew him so they would deal with us And what measure have the dear Servants of God in New-England met withal not long since for the like witness against those Hypocrites but Death and cruel Whippings and Banishment and in old England lately but most savage and cruel usage And would this Baxter yet have us yea and those he counts his Brethren and of his Flock who have any tenderness in them to communicate with such whose Hands are full of Blood if he were as the mouth of God he would put a difference between the Clean and Unclean But he being of an other spirit is for leading People back again into Egypt not for bringing them out of Egypt into the Promised Land and so his Work and endeavour is accursed of God and abhorred of all that know God who are escaped out of Sodom and Egypt and Babylon spiritual where our Lord was crucified And to us the Lord hath said Let them return to you ye saved People but return not you to them for their Pastors are become bruitish and have not sought the Lord therefore they shall not prosper and all their Flocks shall be scattered Jer. 10.21 He that hath Ears let him hear and he that readeth let him understand for the time is at hand for the Lord is arisen to plead with all the false Worshippers upon Earth and with him is no respect of persons And now is the Lord God of ever blessed Power and love appeared in the Earth after the long Night of Apostacy to restore all things and now are the Virgins called upon through the whole World to trim their Lamps for behold the Bridegroom is come and coming and now the foollish Virgins who have been long sleeping and slumbering in a dead Profession of Christ and the Scriptures are found wanting in their Faith Holiness Love and all other Christian Vertues and so in their Unholiness shut out yea and though they run to the Hirelings that set all things to sale to buy yet still before they come the Door is shut for whilst the Lord stood waiting upon them with his pure free and full Grace and Spirit they would have none of it but rather chosed to go their own Ways of Carnal endeavours and man commanded Religion and so like the Jewes of old going about to Establish their own Righteousness have not submitted to the Righteousness of God which is by Faith in Christ Jesus But the wise Virgins who are of an honest Heart to fear God and wait for the Lord Jesus Christ to appear in their spirits to set up his heavenly and everlasting Kingdom in them they receive daily of his fulness which filleth all in all where the true Oyl of the Kingdom is found in their holy Lamps to the praise of the Glory of the unspeakable Love and free Grace of the Almighty Father so be it Again to that part of this Baxter's former Answer where he saith That in all Ages God giveth to some few men more excellent natural Parts then others and he engageth some in deeper and more laborious Studies and he blesseth some mens Studies more then other and therefore there are still some few who know more then the rest of the Country or Mankind and it were well for the rest if they knew these and would learn of them Quer. But how may one know these hard and laborious Studiers as he calls them Oh saith this Baxter They are such as give proof of their knowledge they pretend to and they are such to imploy their knowledge to the preserving of the Peace and Concord of Believers and do not proudly make a stir with it to set up their own Names though thereby they set the World on fire To which I answer and say it is still more and more manifest that this Baxter layes all the weight and stress upon natural Parts and hard Studies as though the Kingdom of God were not at all come nor the Promise of God concerning the free Gifts and plentifull pouring forth of the Spirit not yet fulfilled and so a necessity of learning at the feet of Gamaliel and earthly Doctors still But now that the Spirit of Truth according to God's blessed Promise is come and witnessed amongst us that believe praised be God we cannot go to such as this Baxter with all their natural Parts and hard Studies for the Spirit of Truth leads us and all that obey it into all Truth but this Baxter and such as he leads are in all Error as is manifest for they are of those that lead about a Company of poor Souls silly as Women leaden with divers Sins and Lusts ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth which sets free from sin for that and nothing else is the Truth which sets free from sin for saith Christ If ye
know the Truth the Truth shall set you free indeed But this Baxter and all such teach it for Doctrine That they are so far from being free from sin that their very prayers and best performances are not free from sin but sin is in them all Oh sad that ever they should dare to pretend to the Ministry of the Gospel who preach such a Doctrine as make nothing perfect but leaves them in sin all their lives long And no wonder that they and their Doctrine should be void of all good Fruit for saith God They have run and I have not sent them therefore they shall not profit the People at all And yet they would gladly have People know them and learn of them though they can do them no good at all and this is that sorry and bad Proof that the Hirelings make of their great knowledge they pretend unto which they have gotten with their natural Parts and hard Studies and so thy own words shall witness against thee Oh Baxter and thy Brethren who have given no good proof of your knowledge to this day nor have thereby preserved Peace and Concord amongst Believers but done what you can to break it for that Doctrine that makes not men free from sin leaves all the seeds of Discord and Dissention still in Peoples Minds for as sin separated man from God at first so doth it to this day keep them asunder and so keeps them from Love for God is Love and none live or dwell in Love but such as live and dwell in God But such as live in sin and never pray without it are out of God as the Apostle said of People in unbelief They were without God in the World It is not any outward Conformity that will or can make them to be at peace with or love one another for if it were possible to bring Papist Athist and Carnal Protestants and Professors of all sorts into one Form of outward Worship as for Time Place Words or the like Yet there would be neither Love Peace nor Concord amongst them for want of Unity with God and his good Spirit the onely true Ground and Foundation of all true Love Peace and Concord And so Oh R. Baxter we have known thee this many years to be a great Enemy of God and therefore we may not learn of thee nor any such but of Christ do we learn ever praised be his Name who teaches his People to profit and so it s onely the poor deluded Multitude that knowâ— thee not who learn of thee and suck in such poysoned Doctrine as makes them most uncapable of the pure Word of Life and Doctrine of Salvation so that Publicans and Harlots who make little or no Profession enter into the Kingdom of God before you And as for making a stir with thy knowledg and striving to set up thy own Name thereby though thou set the whole World on fire by it who more notorious then thy self in this R. Baxter as witness all thy lying frothy words Books and Pamphlets which thou hast spoken and written against the appearance of Christ and his Truth in these late years but thy Studies and thy Works God hath cursed for no Child of Light will ever buy any of thy Merchandize nor the deceitfull Wares of any other Merchants of Babylon for evermore Blessed be God for his unspeakable Gift Amen But the end of these words of setting the World on fire set down here by this Baxter is easily seen to be this to wit to perswade People that those who are zealous for God in these days in publishing his everlasting Gospel upon the Earth in a cross to the World are such as set up themselves and would set the World on fire And so he is manifest to be one of the old evil Generation of Priests who accused Christ for a mover of Sedition and Paul for a pestilent Fellow Oh it was that good stirring Spirit of the Lord Jesus in himself and his Followers which did so trouble the World the combustible World in all Ages that made and doth make the Hrieling Priests and their deluded Followers so rage and cry out but as for setting the World on fire in a goodsence Christ Jesus saith That he came to set Fire in the Earth But for setting the World on fire in Baxter's sence that is sowing discord and dissention amongst People this is the work and ever was the work of the Hireling Priests who loved to be called of men Masters as this R Baxter is as is said before witness not onely our own Age but the holy Scripture and the Histories of all Times and Ages as those that read may understand And yet these proud Masterly and false Teachers were ever the first and for wardst that cryed against Christ and his Followers for disturbing the World's Peace when as this Doctrine of Christ's Spirit though it did alwayes disturb the Devil's yet it did alwayes tend to the working of the hearts and Souls of the People into God's Peace and did ever and doth at this day work this glorious and blessed Effect in all that believe Whereof we are Witnesses praised be God though for the Testimony of Christ we are troubled on every side by the wicked World So that even now when the Wicked have no peace for there is no peace to the Wicked we whom the World mock stone and persecute under the Nick-Name of Quakers or so have peace in all our Dwellings And within Egypt is full of Darkness that one may feel it yet in our Goshen is plenty of Light ever praised be God And when the World of false Christians are learning War and preparing Weapons we are ceasing from War and not to learn it any more as the Lord hath said And therefore Oh ye Inhabitants of the Earth if ye knew us ye would not hate us and persecute us but love us with your Hearts because of the good will of our Hearts towards you for our Weapons are not Carnal but Spiritual Not for pulling down or Destroying of you but your Enemies your sins which wars against your Souls And the Reason why we cannot joyn with you in your Liturgyes and Worship-actions is not because we hate you but because we Love God and your Souls for if we should joyn with you in your defiled Worship as your selves confess they are we should strengthen you in an evil Way But by our separating from you because of the unholiness of your Sacrifices occasion may be ministred to you to question your State and so some of you in time may come out of your Darkness into the marvellous Light of the Lord Jesus with us and praise the Lord in the Land of the Living so be it Another of this Baxter's Follies and false Doctrines I may here mention as one may read it in that Book of his that I have under hand to wit in Pag. 114. are these words It may be unlawfull saith he in a Ruler to command
Imprison you deny you civil Liberties and Privileges and count you unworthy to be suffered in the Land yet all this by Baxter's Doctrine is far less then you do to us Jews for you think us so bad that you avoid Communion with us and deny us Church Liberty and Privileges yea and think us unworthy to be suffered in the Churches Come Baxter Would this have been good and true reasoning by the Jews against the Christians or by the Papists against the Protestants then if it would not as no sober man can say it would then forever stop thy mouth and let shame cover thy face for ever speaking any more of things pertaining to Christian or Christ's Religion for an Enemy to Christ and his People thou art here manifest to be And lest thou shouldst want any thing to make thee compleat in wickedness thou goest on and in answer to an Objection which is to this purpose That the Persecutors separated from are bad and prophane and he that separates saith he charges them truely but he is not Schismatical or Heretical but they accuse him falsly To this I say this Baxter with a Whores fore-head on the behalf of the Persecutors answers and saith You to wit you that separate say so and they to wit the Persecutors say the same of you They say you are Schismatical but they are not Prophane Now how shall a Stander by know saith Baxter which of you are in the Right doubtess by the Witnesses and Evidences saith he they try you in some Court or before some Magistrate before they punish you saith he You never try them nor hear then speak for themselves nor examine any Witness publickly against them nor allow them any Church Justice but avoid their Communion upon Reports or pretence of private knowledge They judge you Personally one by one You condemn whole Parishes in the lump unheard They condemn you as for a positive Crime but you condemn them without charging any one Crime upon them c. To which I answer for the Lord and his Truth in this day of Israel's trouble and tryals and say The Lord rebuke thee thou lying spirit in this R. Baxter was there ever heard such notorious Falshoods and Abominations come from one professing the Gospel yea professing himself to be a Minister of the Gospel yea and taking upon him to be a Teacher of the Teachers as is here from this R. B. Oh the Envy Oh the Malice the deep rooted Iniquity of this man against them that depart from Iniquity in these Islands and cannot joyn with the People of this wicked World in their bloody Offerings Oh the Patience and long suffering of God towards such though they continue long in their Wickedness but the Lord will certainly plead with thee O Baxter and all his Adversaries for your great envy to his People and Work in these dayes But come let us see again if these Lyes of Baxter's would not have suted as well for the Persecuting Jews against the first Christians or the persecuting Papists against the Protestants as it doth for the Persecutors in these dayes against those that in obedience to God are separated from them For what it Tertullus or any Jewish lying Orator had stood up in behalf of the Jews against the Christians and said The Jews try you in some Court or before some Magistrate before they punish you but you Christians never try them nor hear them speak for themselves nor examine any Witnesses publickly against them nor allow them any Church Justice but avoid their Communion upon report or pretence of private knowledge and so condemn them by the lump yea a whole Nation together c. And so if the Papist against the Protestants had used the like reasoning would it have been any thing but gross untruth and falshood in either of their Mouthes Or were either the first Christians or first Protestants any more to be blamed for their separation because of such Lyars Nay nay neither are the People of God in these dayes any worss to be thought of for separating from the Wicked notwithstanding all these gross lyes of Baxter or any of his spirit I say they are most gross Lyes if they be said of us the People of God whom the World in scorn calls Quakers that we have not Tryed them c. For we have Tryed them and heard them often what they can say for themselves and we have by the Spirit of the Lord found them wanting of the Life and Power of Godliness like the Heathen who profess not Christ and publick Witnesses there are of it not onely their own works which are daily manifest in the face of the Sun but also their own words and confessions when they meet to worship for they say they have left undone what God commands and done what he forbids and so have no spiritual Health in them which signifies plainly they have denied Christ come in the Flesh for whosoever receives him receives God's saving Health and are saved People Spiritually healthful they have condemned themselves by their unbelief and evil Deeds from the Common-wealth and Inheritance of Israel And so not onely the Spirit of the Lord in us but even the Witness of God in their own Consciences charges not onely one but even many great and greivous Crimes upon them And so Baxter with all his Lyes and evil Inventions is for the Lake and if ever he be saved it must be through fiery terrible Judgment which will consume the Adversary For Oh! how hath Satan blinded his Eye that he should thus rise up against the People and Work of God in these dayes to his hurt And when it is objected that of all men living no man think that a Persecutor is godly and fit for Church Communion he doth not like a Christian Confess to the truth there 〈◊〉 but after his accustomed manner Heathen-like he invents his sorry shifts to avoid the force of the Truth by saying Did all the Ministers and common People persecute you and then asking a Question concerning the doings of the Souldiers under Oliver and the like which are meer shifts For what is the doings of any Men to make void the Truth by it for whatsoever any in their Ignorance of the Truth have done against the Truth serves nothing to the making void of this to wit That a Persecutor of the Godly is not godly nor fit for Church Communion but instead of giving Glory to God by confessing to truth this Baxter after he hath wearied himself with his words of what was done in Oliver's time or so he sums up his devilish Doctrine of pleading for the Persecutors and against those whom God hath separated from them saying to the same wicked purpose as before It is but one and the same sin in Persecutors and the Separates which causeth the one to smite their Brethren and the other to Excommunicate them the one to cast them into Prison as Schismaticks and the other to cast them
out of the Church as prophane c. And so for this thy suming up and concluding God hath concluded thee with the wicked Persecutors for the Judgement of his great Day O Baxter But hold Baxter thou that art thus hot and without all fear in pleading for the Devil's Kingdom I say when the Lord bids us and we obey him in separating from the Wicked is this all one with the Sin of Persecution Oh thou unjust man the Lord will be terrible to thee in the day of his Wrath which is nigh at hand to come upon thee for all thy Villany against him and for all thy daubing deceitful words in the beginning and end of this Direction the Lord sees thee to be a Fighter against him and thy Reward will be according to thy Works as he hath said and all the Rocks and Mountains of the wicked World for whom thou pleadest shall not hide thee from his strook As testifies the good Spirit of the Lord Jesus in his Servant Some more of the bad and strange sayings of this Baxter in his Book Pag. 219. GOdly men are much liker to be in the right then Ungodly men Answ. This shows what a Stranger he is to the certainty of Godliness Pag. 220. Sometimes the worser sort of men may hold fast the Truth Answ. This is a gross Lye for the bad cannot hold fast the good unless in Prison or so If any better Persons deny Infant Baptism the worser Sort of People would be all against them and yet be in the right Answ. Thus sprinkling of Infants for which there is no Scripture must needs be wrong whosoever hold it and the corruption of it appears so much the more because the worser Sort are so much for it Many do take a Form of Prayer or Liturgy to be unlawful meerly because the most of the worser Sort are for it Answ. What deceit is this If thy Hearers so badly taught by thee do such things yet those that are taught of God deny things because they know them to be evil in themselves but what Form or Liturgy is that which the most of the worser Sort of the People are for even that which speaks peace to the Wicked by telling them they were Regenerated by sprinkling a little Water on their Faces or the like when Infants And that they shall be saved though they continue in sin all their lives long but the Hour cometh and now is that neither in the invented Forms of the Hypocrite's long Prayers nor in the short invented Forms and Liturgies of the Prophane but in Spirit and Truth as the Lord Jesus enables them will God be worshipped and served by his People for the Day is dawned and Shaddows 〈◊〉 and as the Day doth more and more arise in its Glory with all the things of vain Men pass away so be it Pag. 221. The some of his 44. Direction by his own setting down runs thus Ye take the Examples of religious Men to be one of your most perilous Temptations and therefore labour to discover especially what are the sins of Professors in the Age that you live in that you may especially watch and fortifie your Souls against them And adds That sometimes the strictest Sort run in a Gang after one Opinion and sometimes after another Answ. Here I appeal to that of God in all that fear his Name and are alive to Truth whether this do not wholly tend to the hardening of Pharaoh's Heart against the People of God in these dayes who are in the Truth it self and not in Opinions as the Hypocrites are for though such as are begotten into Forms of Religion without the Truth by the Hirelings do never cease from erring yet the truely Religious who are begotten to God by Christ walk in the Way undefiled which the Fools who are upright in Heart cannot err in But this his telling of running in a gang is a filthy and reproachful Speech wholly of Ashdod and the Lord will judge thee O Enemy for thy work R. B. and therefore let all that fear God take heed of this Baxter's Soul-defiling and Heart-hardning Doctrine for out of the dark and wicked Kingdom wherein he and all such live is the Lord calling his People And to conclude If any would see this Harlot in its fine dress and the crooked Serpent in its glittering colour on the Head which must be bruised and yet with his Sting in his Tail which is full of Venom let them consider that 44. Direction which runs thus Desire the highest Degree of Holiness and to be free from the corruptions of the Times but affect not to be odd and singular from ordinary Christians in lawful things for instance If it were to go in a meaner Garb then others and as the Quakers not to put off the Hat or with the Friars to go bare Foot or in a distinguishing Habit that all men may see and say This is a singular Person in Religion it is easie to see how this gratifieth Pride Answ. But now that the Lord is arisen according to his Promise Isa. 27.1 which saith In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong Sword shall punish Leviathan the peircing Serpent even Leviathan that crooked Serpent and he shall slay the Dragon that is in the Sea Therefore I say it is that the Dragon is so wrathful to pour forth his Floods of Persecution after the heavenly Woman and her Man-child and therefore it is that the crooked Serpent in such men as this Baxter is is so at work every way seeking with their cunning and crafty deceitful Doctrines to peirce the Heart the Life of Truth by their Darts and so with their fair colourable words as the Apostle speaks To deceive the hearts of the Simple and Ignorant People but the Lord taketh the Wily in their own craftiness and the Pit they digg for others themselves fall into and the Lord 's Spiritual Sword of Truth pierces through all their lives and dead in the great Sea and Puddle of their own Iniquities before the Lord and his Saints this day they lie Glory to his Name the mighty God over all who is worthy For what more glistering and fair seeming words can the Serpent give then to say Desire the highest Degree of Holiness and to be free from the corruptions of the Time But that this Baxter intends no such thing no nor believes that any shall ever attain to any such thing whilst on the Earth is most manifest by the whole current of his Doctrine for not onely in his former Books where he hath publickly declared That sinless Perfecttion is the Doctrine of the Devil hatch'd in Hell c. But even in this very Book it fully appears what an Enemy he is not onely to the highest Degree but even to Holiness it self where amongst his other Unholy Doctrines he saith as is before mentioned from pag. 195. That there is no man alive that worshippeth God without some sin and
warned from following such any more for who would have thought that ever him called Doctor Bryan of Coventry and Richard called Mr. Baxter of Kidderminster who were so promoted in Oliver's time for conformity to Oliver's Laws and Religion in opposition to the Prelates and their Common-Prayers should now with a little blast of mens Breath be silenced as Baxter's Epistle to his Book saith for a time and so shattered and confounded with the fall that when they awaked and got a litle Breath that they should for fear of men be so transformed into other shapes as not to be ashamed to get into their Mouthes blasphemous words of making People Members of Christ Children of God and Heirs of his Kingdom by having a little Water sprinkled on their Faces by a manmade-Priest when they were Infants and understood nothing then which passage there is not any passage in the Liturgy or Common-Service-Book nay nor in any Book in the World whatsoever more contrary to the Scriptures of Truth as all sober Minded People well understand yea and this Bryan himself knows in his own Conscience that they are not sound words though he most notoriously and falsely say to please the present Evil World with all that the holy Scriptures warrant them in a sacramental Sence But I desire that all People who fear the Lord would take heed of such dangerous Heresies for the Scriptures of Truth do not allow of Falshood in any Sence at all for its absolutely false in the sight of God and to all good Men that Infants by any such outward sprinkling or doing as they call Baptism are made the Children of God Members of Christ Heirs of his Kingdom seeing the Scripture no where commands any such thing but saith That except People be born from above they cannot see the Kingdom of God But the Day is dawned that makes all things manifest praises to God And therefore People consider what a wretchedness those are under who follow such blind Guides as turn and change with every Time and can be any thing or nothing in appearance so that they can but keep up their Name amongst men What was the Common-Prayers and such things so odious and damnable a thing in the Eyes of these Priests in Oliver's Time And is it now yea the worst part of it became such an Idol in their Eyes as that those that dwell in God must be condemned of deep prejudice for not conformity to it What will not that spirit that climbs over the Door and never was sent of God to preach the Gospel say or unsay so as it can but please the present Times But Oh thou blasphemous Bryan the Accuser of the Brethren can those that dwell with God deny to conform to that Worship or Service which is of God And therefore it is safely and truely concluded that the Parish-Service thou pleads for is not of God because for conscience to God with whom they dwell they cannot conform to it but Oh how the Serpent creeps upon his Belly to do mischief by seeking to perswade the consciencious People That by their not joyning with the Parish Worships and Assemblies they open their Mouthes wide to cast a Scandal upon their Persons as prophane and upon the strict Profession of walking precisely according to the written Word which they think sayes this Bryan in that pag. 292. of his Book gives you no warrant for your Separation c. And then down upon his Belly he goes saying My humble and earnest request to you is to lay aside your prejudice and examine by the good Word whether your separation be not sinful Answ. To which I answer in the Word of the Lord Blessed for ever that we who for the Work and Word of the Lord in our Hearts and Mouthes are by the sinful Parishes of England and elsewhere disdained and scornfully called Quakers are not separated from them because of any prejudice or the like against them but God who by his Everlasting Light of Truth hath shewed us the Evil of their Doings and of our own when we worshipped we knew not what amongst them he I say hath separated us from them and joyned us to himself in Christ Jesus where with him our Dwelling is indeed though Bryan think not so praised be the Name of our most holy Lord God for evermore And so we are not yet to examine whether our separation be sinful or nay for that is done and we do know it to be good according to the good Word from the beginning most certainly And so the offence which the Parish-worshippers take is offence without all cause on our parts given and so it is no other then the Unbelievers took in all Generations against them that feared God as the Jews were offended at Christ and his Apostles yea and all Christians in those dayes because they could not worship with their Neigbours in their Superstitions as this Bryan would have us and not onely so but they killed Christ and his Apostles and grievously persecuted the Christians for their separation then as they do us at this day and so the reproach of Christ is to us great Riches and the Persecutors God will examine and judge And as Moses did chuse rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God then to enjoy Egypt's Glory for a Season so blessed are all that with us are perswaded in their Hearts to follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes not heeding what the Wicked say or judge of them but as the Apostle exhorts looking at Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the Shame and so through all the Tryals and Persecutions of this World enter into God's Glory where none can come to make afraid But if there be any who through prejudice as this Bryan speaks and not by the Spirit of the Lord are separated from the Parish-Worship it is necessary for such to see to themselves and consider lest their return be as shameful as their separation was sinful like this Bryan and Baxter who it seems all this while have been no real and true Separatists to God but have been onely in the self-separation according to the will and force of Times For though the poor deceived Followers of such men be at present more averse from joyning with the Superstitions of the Times then your Hearers are as Baxter sayes yet if you grow not out of their rotten Root into the Root Christ Jesus you will be weary and faint in your Way before the end but let all know that these self-separatists who have not their Birth of God are no real Dwellers with God though this Bryan its like had an Eye especially to such in his words and to whom its like in a special manner he applies his fawning flattering words and desires But what 's the Reason may we say again that these non-conforming Ministers by Baxter's report are not so much against the
Time But by all these unfound unchristian and ignorant sayings it fully appears that this Bryan is one of them who have neither seen nor known Christ seeing he would bring in the Heathen into the Temple without the Word and so who is more ignorant and prophane then this Priest Bryan himself as also his Brother Baxter who is not ashamed to make such a one a Tutor or Father of Ministers who is ignorant of the very Door and entrance into the Church and of Christ's second coming nay who is ignorant of his first appearance which was for Judgment even to whip the Buyers and Sellers and all prophane Ones out of his House as he said himself For Judgment come I into this World And so What Pastors or Teachers can such Tutor as are so ignorant of Christ's Kingdom and so admit the Ignorant and Prophane into their Church or Cage of unclean Birds for the Church of Christ which is visibly seen and known by the Spiritual Eye to be his Body is holy and â—nto it can no unclean thing enter as saith Scripture Revel â—1 27 but into the Worldâ—s-Church may both ignorant and prophane enter and dwell but at such dishonest Gain as is gotten by such Doctrines as this of Bryan and Baxter hath the Lord long shaken his Hand Is this your Ware that you sell to the People at so dear a rate Is this your Straw and Stubble that you feed them with But no man of any understanding in venly matters will buy any more of your Merchandize forever For God is come to teach his People himself and the Spirit of God is felt and witnessed amongst us praised be God yea and in our very Hearts to teach us and by which we feel Christ come again the second Time without sin to Salvation according to his holy Promises and by whose all powerful Word of Faith and heavenly Presence in us are we joyned together unto him in one holy Body glory to his Name over all for he is worthy so be it And for that saying That Christian Princes have not less Power to abolish Idolatry and by Law and Penalties to compel their Subjects in matters of Religion where there is a parity of reason then the Jewish Kings under that Law had I Answer and say That all are not Christians who are so called and this crying up the Worldly Magistrates Power in matters Spiritual is the onely in let into Persecution of the tender Hearted People of God who cannot bow to every thing the World sets up yea though it come under the name or shew of Christian Religion and if the Image be of Gold never so goodly yet wanting Life and Power they cannot bow to it I say they who preach up the wordly Princes under what Name soever to have power over the Consciences of People in matters purely Spiritual as the whole Body of Christian Religion is are Antichristian and the great Enemies of that Liberty which Christ hath purchased for his People and which the Apostles sealed unto with their Blood saying in such cases Let every man be fully perswaded in his own Heart And who art thou that judges much less forceâ— and compellest as Bryan and Baxter's Doctrine would have it another to his own Master 10 wit God the Judge of all he standeth or falleth see Rom. 14th at large but what account will these Daubers give to the Lord for all the Innocent Blood they have caused to be shed these many hundred Years is sad to consider For though such Magistrates as are evil inclined are not free yet the false Teachers who by their Lyes stir up yea and bring forth that evil inclination into real actings against the good shall receive the greater Condemnation and yet notwithstanding all the evil both in the one and in the other the Lord will certainly carry on his great Work to his own praise which he hath begun glory to his Name for ever And the Beast Whore and false Prophet shall alive together be cast into the Lake prepared for them and into the Pit which they had digged for others so be it Also whereas he saith That it sufficeth that we have examples in the old Testament for the Magistrates Power in Church matters though none in the new Testament or so I say it is no more true then if we should reason for an outward worldly Temple and Sacrifices and Circumcision now because there is examples of these things in the old Testament and for revenge and retaliation now because it is mentioned in the old just contrary to Christ For though it hath been said of old saith Christ an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth yet I say to you my Disciples under the New Covenant If any Man smite you on the one Cheek turn to him the other and the Apostle saith Dearly beloved avenge not your selves but if thy Enemy hunger feed him c. and so Christ being come and all Power in Heaven and Earth given him Is not he in these Spiritual matters relating to the very Soul and Conscience the onely Lord Law-giver and King and Supream and ought of right to rule in his own House and Temple which is in Man and those that will not that he should rule must bow before him and be ashamed before his Face as saith Scripture 2 Thes. 2. So that now the Son of God being come and seated by right of Inheritance the true King and Heir upon David's Throne to rule in Righteousness forever in the Hearts of his Children he commands the true Seed of Israel to obey his heavenly Voice Law and Doctrine spoken and written within as those outward and typical Kings did command the fleshly Seed of Abraham to keep Moses's Law written without and as those that obeyed not that outward Law of Moses were lyable to the punishment of that Law so they nâ—w that obey not Christ's Spiritual Law written in the Heart and Conscience by his holy Power are lyable to the Eternal Judgment of Jesus Christ the Judge of Quick and Dead as he saith The Father judges no Man but hath committed all Judgment to the Son and as for the worldly Magistrate he is to rule in outward things betwixt man and man to see that every one as to the Body and outward Estate be well beheaved one towards another and not to bear the Sword in vain as hath been too much in use even amongst them called Christian-Magistrates as well as others from whence it hath come to pass that for the sake of the Poor whom the worldly Powers have oppressed as well in Temporals as Spirituals the Lord hath overturned them one Sort after another as they were found in the abuse of that Power and Trust which was put into their Hands for the protection of and encouragement and praise of the Good and punishment of the Evil-Doers but not the contrary according to that of the Prophet I will overturn overturn overturn till he come whose Right it is And so until Truth Righteousness Goodness Equity and Justice rule both in the Hearts and Lives of the Children of Men there will neither be Peace nor Establishment of any thing but as a Wheel will the whole Earth be from Generation to Generation saith the Spirit who is the sweet Orderer in all things for the holy Seed's sake glory to his Name forever And so in the Love and Kindness of the Lord God have I been thus enabled for the Truth and the poor People's sake to lay open something of the Deceits and gross Hypocrisie of these two Men called Baxter and Bryan who have long under a Cover or Vizard of Holiness deceived the unstable Souls of many but now the Covering being rent off their Wolfish nature is fully manifest glory to the Lord the good Work-man over all forever so be it T. T. THE END