discovered thine Iniquities to turn away thy Captivity but have seen for thee false Burdens and causes of Banishment Oh that Protestants would lay these things to Heart considering the many signs of God's displeasure shewed against this Nation of a Captivity threatned for these Sins Witness the Spanish Invasion in 1588 then the Powder Plot in 1605 the late Dreadful Plague and Fires and lastly this Cursed Popish Plot. Now consider according to the Law of Nations If a Ship at Sea meeteth with another which ought to strike to her and she refuseth then a warning Piece is sent to her if that make her not submit there is lot slie at her two or three Ordnance if then she will not do her duty there is poured into her a Broadside which possibly sinketh her and all that 's in her Even so if no Judgment nor Warning will make us submit in all things Spiritual to the Royal Scepter of the Lord Jesus in his Church to serve God in his Worship by the directions in his holy Testament then may we expect unavoidably that he will pour in on us Iris Murdering Places the Turks and Papists who like the Armies of ‖ Rev. 20. 9 Gog and Magog compass the Tents of the Saints about bringing great * Luke 21. 25. distress of Nations until Fire come down from Heaven even at that day when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming †2 Thess 1. 8. Fire who shall reap the Harvest of the Earth in taking Vengeance on them that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be destroyed from the glory of his Power when the Remnant of the Faithful as in the days of Noah shall be preserved and caught up to meet the Lord in the Air so shall they ‖ 1 Thess chap. 4. ever be with the Lord. The sum of all is Seeing God hath said He will do nothing concerning Mercy or Judgment to his People but he revealeth * Amos 3. 7. Rom. 15. 5. his Secrets to his Servants the Prophets written in the holy Scriptures for all Christians Admonition◠which we have here laid before this present Age. The chief Causes why God brought his Judgments in Ages past were for Errors in Faith and Corruptions in Worship Seeing then there is but †Eph. 4. 5. one Faith and proper Object thereof even the Evangelical Promise * Rom. 1. 16. of Grace in Christ from the days of Adam called the Faith of Jesus †Rev. 14. 12. once given to the Saints * Jude 3. therefore called the Faith of God's Elect †Tit. 1. 1. which Faith in God's Elect either more or less is built upon the * Ephes 2. 20. Foundation or Doctrine both of the Apostles and Prophets So that whatsoever Article of any Christian's Faith agreeth not to the Law and Testimony that is to the figures of Christ in the Law the Schoolmaster leading to Christ for fulfilling of the same in the New Testament with applying the Promises to the right Subjects †Acts 2. 39. they belong unto with all the benefits thereof to be enjoyed in God's 〈◊〉 is not the faith of God's Elect but a falned Faith which saveth not So that whatsoever Faith is not thus proved as it is written * 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves c. know ye not how that Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Forasmuch as Christ is said to dwell †Ephes 3. 17. in the heart by Faith that is by true belief And hereupon it is written * Mark 16. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned How needful is it then that every ones Faith be right seeing it is a matter that concerns their Salvation Secondly As touching Worship It hath been proved that whatsoever Ministry or Ordinance God is served with or by after the Commandment and Doctrine of Men is * Col. 2. 22 23. Will-worship which all are to perish with the using Because the true Worship is to serve or worship God in †John 4. 24. Spirit and in Truth that is by Faith in Christ according to the word of Truth as Christ the only Law-giver in Worship hath commanded Thirdly And for as much as God is a God of Order * 1 Cor. 14. 40. therefore true Faith and Order in the performance of every Ordinance in the Worship of God must go †Col. 2. 5. together Every Officer is to keep within the Order God hath placed him and every Member within the bounds of their Places set in the * 1 Cor. 12. 18. Body For the clear distinguishing of every Officer and Member's place and duty in Worship as Members in the Body see the Book fore-named Ancient Truth Revived For the breach of these things God's Anger was still kindled against his People for which cause the Lord is now searching Jerusalem †Zeph. 1. 12. with Candles and will punish the Luke-warm Carnal Professors that are settled on their Lees who make Worldly Gain and Pleasure their Religion and Godliness Who say in their Hearts * Ezek. 9. 9. either the Lord hath forsaken the Earth or He will not do good neither will he do evil Thus as in the days of Noah is a state of Security seized on Professors saying Soul take thy ease Let 's build plant Marry Eat Drink joyn House to House Field to Field till there be no more place in the Earth The Harp the Viol and Pipe †Isa 5. 8 12 13. and Wine are in their Feasts but regard not the Works of the Lord neither consider the Operation of his Hands Therefore on such both Famine and Captivity will come so that their Goods shall become * Zeph. 1. 13 17. a Booty and their Houses a Desolation Even as Christ hath said Distress †Luke 21. 26. of Nations Mens hearts failing them for fear and looking after those things which for the Sins aforesaid are coming on the Earth The evident signs of the foregoing * Mat. 24. 15 21 24. Type of Jerusalem's destruction sheweth that the time is near of Christ's coming to Judgment true Faith so greatly decayeth among Men as it is written When the Son of Man cometh shall he find †Luk. 18. 8 Faith on Earth Oh! that open * Pro. 27. 6 Rebuke may be in this Day better than secret Love and the Wounds of a Friend better than the Kisses of an Enemy And to give to any †Job 32. 22. flattering Titles I know not for in so doing my Maker will soon take me away But have herein sought the good of every Soul yea the very * Mat. 5. 44. Enemies of all true Protestants the Papists and desire their Conversion that the Lord upon their true Repentance may have mercy on them Now to conclude by way of an healing Medicine both to the King 's most Excellent Majesty and
all degrees saw how they had been deceived but also Kings by the Light of the Gospel saw how their Senses were stupified and made Drunk with the Wine of the Whores Fornication so that not only in other Nations but in this Nation also the Kings who had long given their Power to the Beast until the Words of God should be fulfilled Rev. 18. 17. began to hate the Romish Whore and the Beast that carried her so that a part of the Beast's power out of this Land was destroyed when the Cardinals Jesuits and others aforenamed were Abolished By which means the power of the Beast was abated and more of the Lord's Servants came boldly forth * Rev. 7. 14. out of great Tribulations all signified by an Angel flying through the midst of Heaven to Preach the Everlasting †Rev. 14. 6. Gospel unto them that dwell on the Earth So that by this time the Temple of God was opened in Heaven ‖ Rev. 11. 19. and the Ark of the Testament meaning God's Law clearly seen in the truth thereof as was signified by the Lightnings and Voices and Thunderings which wrought such an Earthquake among the Antichristian Professors that the tenth * Rev. 11. 13. part of the City fell meaning the great City the Romish Church that Reigned over the Kings of the Earth to the number of God's Elect in Israel 7000 of which number of Faithful Elect Precious Living Stones were many famous Churches established in England Scotland France Germany Holland and other parts to the great joy of Christendom And thus according to the Mystery signified to Zechariah by a Man with a †Zach. 2. 1 2. Ezek. 40. 2 3 5. Measuring-Line in his Hand signifying that Jerusalem should be built the second Temple in it and God's true Worship restored as was done in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah Even so according to the Figure was it shewed to * Rev. 11. 1. John by a Reed given him to measure the Temple of God the Altar and Worshippers that God's Temple of living Stones and holy Truth and Order of Worship should be restored by a Call of the Lord's People out of the Spiritual Babylon in these latter Days as aforesaid So that as Judah their Figure must separate themselves from all the †Ezra 6. 21. filthiness of the old Babylonians in Worship in so much that they admitted no Man to the work of the Priesthood but such as could prove their * Neh. 7. 64. Chronology according to God's Law neither suffer any Priest that had fallen down before an Idol never †Ezek. 44. 12 13. more to Administer in the Priests Office because they were Figures of Christ our High Priest in his Office Even so the forenamed Christian Protestants by the number 7000 would not take a Stone of Babylon for a Corner * Jer. 5. 26. or for a Foundation that is any one to be their Minister by virtue of Romes Ordination because the Ministers under the Gospel that enter not into their Ministry by the Door of Christ's Ordination as afore shewed are accounted by Christ but Thieves and Robbers So that as Virgins not defiled with Women or the devices of false Churches Rev. 14. 1 4. Heb 12. 22 ought all those to be that follow the Lamb Christ Jesus on Mount Sion no more bearing the Beast's * Rev. 13. mark in serving God by Mens devices but the †Isa 42. 4. Mat. 12. 21. Name or Law of Christ in their Fore-heads serving the Lord in Worship by the Appointment of the Lord Jesus only As it is written This is my beloved Son hear him Luke 9. 35. Moreover dear Protestants note that in the Earthquake aforesaid there were besides the 7000 aforesaid a Remnant * Rev. 11. 13. who seeing and hearing the powerful Doctrine of true Faith in Christ Temperance and Judgment to come like Felix ‖ Act. 24 25 trembled or as the Scripture saith were affrighted to see the great Power of God in the work of Conversion Of 7000 with Caleb and †Num. 14. Joshuah following the Lord fully gave Glory to the God of Heaven as some in Acts 5. 13. but durst not joyn themselves with them yet by the small glimps of the Light they saw they began to take their Journey towards Sion after the fore-named Christians But in the Wilderness †Rev. 12. 14. Ezek. 20. 35. Gal. 1. 16. of this World meeting with some Crosses and Troubles in the Flesh for Christ's sake began to reason with Flesh and Blood like some Israelites whether God were able to furnish a Table in the ‖ Numb 11. 4. Wilderness So these having received the Seed of God's Word on a Rock had no root * Luke 8. 13. that is having no more Love to Christ than to any Worldly Joy or Pleasure in time of Temptation fell away So that they would go no farther than the King and the most went in that Day not willing to suffer any more for Christ's sake were content to go so far as to have the Pope's Supremacy Lord Abbots Cardinals Jesuits Monks and Friars expelled the Land but staid there and sat down in the mid-way between Sion and †Rev. 18. 4 Babylon or * Rev. 11. 8 Egypt under a part of the Romish Ministry and Service-Book some of the grossest things being wiped out And this was the state of many Protestant Congregations as may be seen at this day as is also confirmed by Mr. Fox in the Acts and Monuments of those Times some of which Report is as followeth Acts and Monuments Edit 5. pag. 1180 1181 1184. The Priests and Clergy that yielded to the King's Laws were suffered to keep their Places and Livings After this the King appointed the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with other Bishops to make one convenient and meek Order Rite and fashion of Common-Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments who did so Then in the next Parliament following it was agreed that all Ministers in the Realm should be bound to say and use the Mattines Even-Song Celebration of the Lord's Supper in such Order and Form as was contained in the said Book and not otherwise Now because some small Alteration was made Complaint was made how * Ibid. 1186. by the cloaked Contempt and wilful Winking and stubborn disobedience of the Bishops and old Popish Curates the Book of Common-Prayer was long after the publishing of the same either not known at all or else very irreverently used through many places of the Realm Yet was there no great cause why the People should so despise it for as the King answered the Rebels in Devonsh †Ibid. 1189. If the Service was good in Latin it remained good in English for nothing was altered but to speak with Knowledg that which was spoken in Ignorance And thus we see that these Protestants did not separate themselves fully in coming out of Babylon so as
First In the Wilderness figuring our Spiritual Warfare over Sin the World and the Devil and then by Joshua as they were led into Canaan the figure of * Heb. 11. 13 14 15. Heaven So the Saints in the Wilderness †Rev. 12. 6. Exod. 13. 14. chap. Ezek. 20. 35. of this World through many Tribulations ‖ Acts 14. 22. under the conduct of the true Joshua Christ Jesus enter into the glorious Rest even the Haven of Eternal Happiness And hereupon it is written in praise of Christ's Called Chosen and Faithful * Rev. 17. 14. That all the thousand Years Reign of the Beast aforesaid they lived and reigned †Rev. 20. with Christ and they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their Testimony and that in the Wilderness and this World and the same is still the Saints ‖ 1 John 5. 4. Victory even our Faith by which we overcome the World Now as touching Election that most Heavenly Doctrine of Comfort to God's Children for the help of them deceived about it note That Election is a Work of God the * Eph. 1. 4. Father Redemption †Rev. 5. 9. a Work of God the Son and Sanctification ‖ 1 Cor. 6. 11. the Work of the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son So that the very nature of the word Election meaneth not all Men but God foreseeing before all Time in respect of Creation whatsoever would come to pass in time did make choice of a Remnant * Rom. 11. 5. out of the Lump of Mankind to be Heirs of Glory through Christ and left the rest in their fallen Estate And who shall call God to account †Rom 9. in these his Matters So that whomsoever the Father Elected he gave ‖ John 17. 12. unto his Son to Redeem And hereupon it is written in praise of God in Christ Thou hast Redeemed us * Rev. 5. 9. out of all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People So not all Nations because he was given a Ransom for many So that these ‖ Mat. 26. 28. as many as were †Acts 13. 48. ordained to life believed For * Jo. 6 44. no Man can come to Christ but those the Father draweth Now if all had been Redeemed the Altar under the Law and Priests that served at the same all Figures of Christ in the Work of Mans Redemption would have signified so much in Christ the true Altar and High Priest and Sacrifices offered thereon So that if he had Redeemed all would he not at the Golden Altar have offered up his Prayer for all But as Christ redeemed only the Elect or whole †Rom. 4. 1 Joh. 2. 2. World Abraham was Heir of so he appeared at the Golden Altar to offer Prayers for no other but ‖ Rev. 8. 3 4. Saints as it is written I pray not for the World * John 17. 9 20. but those the Father had given him in the †Ezek. 16. 8. Cant. 2 16 Covenant of Grace out of the World And thus all all that is Truth will agree to the Law to wit of Figures and Testimony of the Gospel of Salvation And that those Elected ones by God the Father and Redeemed by Christ cannot totally fall away because none can pluck them out of his Father's Hands ‖ John 10. 29. who has put his fear into their Hearts that they shall not depart * Jer. 32. 40. Prov. 14. 26 27. from him So are they kept by the Power †1 Pet. 1 5. John 17. 12. of God through Faith unto Salvation that they cannot possibly saith Christ be totally deceived Mat. 24. 24. Now some will object If the Elect cannot fall away how came so many as Demas and the like to fall from the Faith they professed Answer The Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a ‖ Mat. 13. 47 48. Draw-Net which gathereth into it both good and bad as in the Figurative Building among the Materials came * 1 Kings 10. 22. Apes and Peacocks So among the Elect Living Stones the Materials of the Spiritual Building came Hypocrites who like Apes imitate for a time what the Saints do These are at the Feast but want the Wedding * Mat. 22. 11. Garment of Christ's Righteousness put on by Faith having only Lamps of External †Mat. 25. 3. profession or form of Godliness and not the ‖ 2 Tim. 3. 5. Power or Life thereof the Oyl of God's Grace so having received the Seed of God's Word on a Rock wanting Root * Luke 8. 13. Faith that worketh by Love so were in the Church saith the †1 John 2. 19. Scripture but not of it for had they been of it no doubt they would have continued in it Therefore like Peacocks through Pride fell away not from Grace but from that Grace they seemed ‖ Luke 8. 18. to have their * 2 Pet. 2. 22. Swinish nature being never changed turn again to wallow in the mire of open Filthiness as a Dog to their Vomit As touching Free-will in Man in his fallen Estate to repent and turn from Sin to God is a gross mistake First Because if Adam the Root had not this Power how came his Children to have it For cover †Job 31. 33. his Sin he did but repent he could not because it is not a virtue in Nature As it is written If God perad venture will give them Repentance ‖ 2 Tim. 2. 25. to the acknowledgment of the Truth who only works in his Elect both to will * Phil. 2. 13. and to do of his good Pleasure Therefore when Esau sought Repentance with Tears he found it not because true Repentance is a change †Heb. 12. 17. of the Mind which only belongeth to God to do As by the gift of Faith he opened the * Acts 16. 14. Heart of Lydia to believe and obey the Truth as it is in Jesus Ephes 4. 21. Some will object If all Men have not power to believe and obey why is it required of all Men Answ As Belief is a point of Obedience to God our Creator upon the Covenanted Estate Angels and Men made with God before the Fall it is still applied unto all as the word of their Condemnation And hereupon Noah by his Preaching condemneth †Heb. 11. 7. the old World as it is still the savour of Death unto Death in them that perish * 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. Else Christ would not have said to the fallen Angel It is written Thou shalt worship †Mat. 4. 10. the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve So that as this was spoken to Satan being what the Law required of him yet it doth not therefore follow that he had power to repent and believe so can no Man Though the same * Deut. 6. 13. Law requireth Obedience
of all yet none can believe and obey but the Elect whom God giveth †2 Tim. 2. 25. Repentance to and to them only the Word is the savour of Life unto them that are saved by Faith in Christ Jesus Yet the Preacher knowing not who are the Elect doth apply the Word as generally calling all Persons to believe and obey in his Message As saith the Lord to Paul when he sent him to Corinth I have much People in this City So Act. 18. 10. John 10. 20. not all for they could not all believe because they were not all Christ's Sheep as it is written All Men have not Faith 2 Thess 3. 2. For these and the like errors in Faith and corruption in Worship which were too tedious here to refute about the state of Infant-Baptism and the Seventh-day Sabbath of the gross mistake in them that deny the one and keep the other largely handled by me not long since printed in a Book intituled Ancient Truth Revived Wherein is also in 22 Articles every true Protestant's Faith inserted the State of a true Church and how every Ordinance and by whom and in what Order they were performed in the Primitive Churches containing six Sheets of Paper unto which I refer the Reader is one cause why God hath not before this destroyed the false Ecclesiastical power of the Romish Babylon because as the Sins of God's People of old were the cause why old Babylon was not sooner destroyed even so is it See and read Jer. 25. now That as then God did first give his own People a Cup to drink and then Shishack did drink after them So Judgment must first begin at the House * 1 Pet. 4. 17. of God unless there be a speedy Repentance Else surely the time is come as that Servant of God Mr. Beal hath noted on Rev. 20. in his Book called The Image of both Churches That when the 1000 Years of the Beast's Raign was expired Satan the common Adversary of Man shall be loosed out of his dark Prison and set at large by the sufferance of God Mans wickedness deserving no other strongly deluding the Unbelievers for their unbelief-sake to deceive the Universal People of the World through the operation of Errors He shall cause them to give credance to Lyes that they may be damned for refusing the Truth So that the abomination of Desolation shall be set up in the holy Place meaning in the Heart where Christ by faith should dwell to the utter destruction of Faith Which People of him thus deluded is called in a mystery Gog and Magog that is as much as to say Covered and Off-covered For both the grand Captains of them depending doth these two words comprehend the one covering the Devil with many false Religions meaning Loe here is Christ and loe there is Christ the other in his sort following the same wicked consent these two Tyrants the Romish Pope and Mahomet with the whole generation of like Spirits with them mark that have gathered themselves together against God and his Christ to destroy the whole face of Christianity Now the woful experience of the beginning of these things is seen among us so that our Condition looketh too like the state of the Jews When Titus Vespasian the Roman Emperor came and besieged Jerusalem the Jews by reason of their many Errors were divided into sundry * Mark 12. 13 18. Sects and their dividing in Faith divided them in Heart that they destroyed one another So the words of Christ were fulfilled on them that despised his Counsel as it is written Every Kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation Mat. 12. 25. How then doth it behove all Protestants to be by Christ's Words warned with speed to examine whether they be in the Faith of God's Elect * Tit. 1. 1. Heb. 11. and worship God by Christ's †Rev. 14. directions only that there be no dividing in Judgment and so not in Heart considering what * In his Book called the Card and Compass of Life presented to Prince Charles the first one hath noted That the Jews affirm the first Blood split in the World was by reason of the differences in Judgment among Brethren for so all that bear the name of Protestants ought to be in these words Cain was so possessed with Covetousness that he believed there was no Life after this But Abel believed there was after this Life a reward for the Good and punishment for the VVicked in which Contention Cain slew Abel So that Cain was of the Wicked one For to Persecute Imprison or kill any one for Conscience sake is a work †1 John 3. 12. Rev. 2. 10. of the Devil and a Wo is pronounced against them As it is written Wo to them that follow the way of * Jude ver 11. Cain they shall perish So that Protestants may be ashamed to own that evil Spirit to force Men to believe when it is written That it is God shall †Gen. 9. 27. perswade Japhat to dwell in the Tents of Shem. Therefore to force Men to believe or practise in things Divine before God giveth them Faith is but to make a Church of Hypocrites whose Sacrifice is * Prov. 15. 8. Abomination to the Lord as their Father Cain's was Now if any Protestant should be offended like * Amos chap 7. Amaziah the Priest of Bethel with this Christian Warning-piece as he was with the Prophet Amos's Warning to King Jeroboam and his People and say The Land cannot bear these words against the Inventions of Men in the Worship of God charge me as Amaziah did Amos the Prophet with Conspiracy against the King when but for declaring the only means then from the immediate Mouth of the Lord to preserve the King and the Nation as this is from the mediate written Word of God to preserve our King and the Nations from the Judgments threatned I say if we like them will regard no Christan Counsel all Scripture being written for our Admonition then in all likelihood the Judgments threatned on them will fall upon us that God will darken * Amos chap. 8. the Earth in a clear day by sending a Famine in the Land not of Bread nor thirst for Water but of hearing the Words of the Lord. For by reason of so many false Teachers in Judah their Silver became †Isa 1 22. dross their Wine was mixt with Water and they were fed with * Jer. 23. 28. Chaff instead of Wheat As is now seen by woful experience whilst God's Word is not truly Taught but corrupted with Errors under the colour of Christianity with Lo here is Christ and lo there as they said of old The Temple of the ‖ Jer. 7. 4. Lord the Temple of the Lord are these Nevertheless they were told Thy Prophets †Lam. 2. 14. have seen vain and foolish things for thee for they have not