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A25343 Ancient truth revived, or, A True state of the antient, suffering Church of Christ, commonly (but falsly) called Brownists, living in London, and other places of this nation wherein I. Is shewed (in the preface) the state of the gospel-church, from the time of Christ's ascension, to the end of the world, gathered out of the book of Revelations, II. The confession of our faith, grounded on the doctrine of the apostles and prophets, III. By vvhom the gospel vvas first preached in this island, IV. Our practice in the worship of God, according to the practice of the primitive church, with an explanation of every ordinance, and vvho have right to administer the same, V. The first day of the week proved to be the gospel-sabbath. 1677 (1677) Wing A3076; ESTC R40283 61,216 57

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Ancient Truth REVIVED OR A true State of the Antient Suffering Church of Christ commonly but falsly called BROWNISTS living in London and other Places of this Nation WHEREIN I. Is shewed in the Preface the State of the Gospel-Church from the Time of Christ's Ascension to the End of the World gathered out of the Book of the Revelations II. The Confession of our Faith grounded on the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets III. By vvhom the Gospel vvas first preached in this Island IV. Our Practice in the Worship of God according to the Practice of the Primitive Church with an Explanation of every Ordinance and vvho have right to administer the same V. The First Day of the Week proved to be the Gospel-Sabbath LONDON Printed in the Year 1677. A Table of some particular Things in this Treatise OF the Articles or Confession of our Faith from pag. 1 to 9. By whom the Gospel-Church was first planted in this Island pag. 10. A true Church of Christ described with her Right and Priviledges and how she is beautified with Titles and all the Promises in Christ confirmed to her pag. 11 12. That every Ordinance in the Church of Christ ought to be sanctified by Prayer and that Singing of Psalms in holy Scriptures is a Gospel-Ordinance pag. 13. The Pastors and Teachers Duty in the Ordinance of Reading and Doctrine pag. 14. Of the Ordinance of Prophecy in the Church by Men Membbers not in office and how it is Gods way and order for to fit Men for the Work of his Ministry pag. 15 16. Of the Deacons Office in the Ordinance of Contribution and that it is the Duty of the Flock according to their abilities to distribute in that Ordinance for their Ministers maintenance and relief of the poor Saints pag. 17. Of Christs spiritual Government in his Church sitting on the Throne of his Father David both Priest and King whose Kingdom is not of this World but distinguished from the Civil Government in Nations with the opening of many mistakes of Men concerning the same from pag. 18. to 24. Of the Ordinance of Water-Baptism Who is the true Administrator of it Where it ought to be performed And the Subjects thereof proved to be Men VVomen and Children with the Housholds the Apostles baptized proved to be Children from pag. 25. to 30. The Word Baptism opened in three several Baptisms and how presumptuous it is to limit the Word Baptism to one sence by comparing it to like Words in Scripture of like signification from pag. 31 to 34. Of the Difference between the Work of the Apostles and ordinary Pasters of Churches p 35. Who began Baptism by way of Dipping among the English People that call themselves Baptists viz. by one John Smith who baptized himself proved by several Testimonies And that Baptism came in the place of Circumcision and as none were circumcised that returned out of Apostacy so ought none to be rebaptized when they return out of Apostacy being baptized before How the Ministers and Members in a true Church are by the Wisdom of God in holy Order serviceable to the Body pag. 36. How to know a true Minister from a false pag. 37. How the Primitive Churches did in order performe very Ordinance on the first Day one after another And that the Covenant and not Water-Baptism is the Form of every true Church pag. 38. The first Day of the Week proved by Scripture and Reason deduced from the same to be the Gospel-Sabbath from pag. 39. to 46. And lastly the many counterfeit shews which the false Church uses to counterfeit the true pag. 47 48. A common Objection against Infant-Baptism answered taken from Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned From hence they conclude because Infants have not Faith that is actually to believe therefore they ought not to be baptized If it were true that Infants have not Faith how false is their Doctrine that say all Infants shall be saved when without Faith none can please God for by Mark 16.6 He that believeth not shall be damned Again if Mark 16.16 denieth VVater-Baptism to Infants because they cannot actually believe it also denieth their salvation because they cannot believe Again if it were true as these men further say that Profession of Faith only giveth right to VVater-Baptism then the Right is no more of Grace by Christ according to the Covenant of Grace handled in pag. 29 31. but of Debt merited by an actual Profession And so the Gospel by these mens Doctrine is made a secondary Law of VVorks Do this and live as is the Popish Faith concerning VVater-Baptism as the Fathers have decreed in the Council of Trent that if any shall say grace is not conferred by the work done let him be accursed Concil Trident. Sess de Sacr. in Gen. Can. 8. To the Reader GOD who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his a Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he made the Worlds who after he had finished the Work of Redemption for the whole b World of his Elect that Abraham was Heir of that should in due time partake of the Faith of Abraham and so become the Children of c Christ of which number were his Churches established by the Doctrine of the Apostles The Covenant of Grace made with Abraham called the d Kingdom of God the Jews rejected which the believing Jews with the believing Gentiles were Possessors of unto whom Christ the King of his Church had given his Laws to observe with his Ordinances Ministry Time and Maintenance till his second Coming to Judgment He was pleased in his Mercy and Love to his Children to signify to John by his Angel to acquaint the Churches what should befall them and the Enemies of the same from the Time of his Ascension unto the End of the World in that heavenly Book of the Revelations As 1. in chap. 4. is shewed the happy Estate of his Church compared to the Figure of Moses's Tabernacle whilst Christ's glorious Throne was in the midst of the twenty four Elders according to the number of the twenty four Divisions of the Priests and Levites by f David now made a Royal g Priesthood by Christ enlightned with the h Lamps of God's Spirit The Book that is sealed to the i World to wit God's secret Counsel is opened to this Church by the k Lyon of the Tribe of Juda who only hath revealed our of the l Bosom of his Father all things fitting and needful for his Church to know m in this Life In which Book the Words and Phrases are generally taken out of the Prophets and applied to the Prophecies in this heavenly Book unto which we must have respect in the right understanding of the same a Heb. 1.1 2. b Rom. 4.13 2. Cor. 5.19 c Gal. 3.4
Vespasian and his Souldiers destroyed not so many of them in the Siege as the Sects in the City destroyed one another who remain in dispersion to this day yet we believe God will call his Elect among them by what means in his Wisdom he knoweth best A fair warning for the Gentile Churches when God will have his Controversie with them for their Errors in Faith and Disorder in Worship for if God spared not his ancient People but punished them for their sins as aforesaid how shall the Gentile Churches living in their sins think to escape the Judgments of God which hang over them in this and other Nations for their declining from the Lord's Truth since the last Reformation a Ezek. 34.26 b John 14.21 c Mat. 22.37 e Jer. 23. f Luke 7.9 g John 2.14 h Mat. 15.6 i Mat. 5.6 7. k Psal 83. l John 6.60 66. m Luke 21.20 24. While some deny that heavenly Doctrine of Election taught by the Apostles as a special Comfort to the hearts of God's Children others teach the Elect may totally fall from their * Election God's † Preservation of them Some teach that the everlasting Covenant of Grace in Christ made with Abraham and his Children to wit that God would be a God to him and his Seed was but a carnal Covenant Some also teach that Christ shall come from Heaven and reign a thousand years on Earth as an earthly Prince with the temporal Sword Some hold and practise that Men not in office of Pastor or Teacher may administer the ordinance of Water-Baptism the visible Sign or Seal of God's Covenant in Christ Some believe that the Infants of Believers have not now as of old right to the Sign or Seal of the Covenant and that all Infants in the World to wit of Believers Jews Turks and Pagans are in respect of the Promises of Life and Salvation in an equal State Some believe that the Soul is mortal and dieth with the Body contrary to these Scriptures Eccles 12.7 Gen. 35.18 Psal 146.4 1 Kings 17.21 22. Luke 23.43 Some deny the Ordinance of Singing of Psalms in holy Scriptures in the time of God's Worship though given to the Church of God in express Command by the hand of the Prophet even to sing the Words of Asaph and David 2 Chron 29.25 30. and never yet repealed but commended to the Church of Christ under the Gospel Others deny the holy Order of making and ordaining Ministers by the consent of the Flock they are Members of and over whom they must take care to watch for their Souls And also some deny that Ordinance of Prophesying in the Church by those of the Brethren upon whom the Lord hath bestowed his Gifts and Graces though not in Office Others deny the first Day of the Week to be the Gospel-Sabbath Others hold it lawful in their Congregations that if a Brother be deluded in his understanding to deny his Baptism in Infancy and though he be informed by them that there is no warrant for rebaptizing any Person that was baptized before into the Name of Jesus than there was for re-circumcising those circumcised in Apostacy yet they yield to his Fancy rather than Faith that he may be baptized again and by one which calleth himself a Baptist in their disorderly Way And now this Brother being again baptized in his own Judgment and by his Practice doth say that the Congregation he was of are all unbaptized Persons and that Person new baptized is made by his Baptism no more a Member of their Church seeing they hold that Persons are made Members of true Churches by Covenant and not by Baptism as the rebaptized say Yet for all this the Congregation that allowed this Brother to be baptized do still receive him into their Communion in the Lords Supper though they with him are all condemned in themselves in that they have allowed Rom. 14.22 Two such contrary Seeds or Beliefs which in figure was forbidden to be sowed together Deut. 22.9 in the Lords Vineyard Esay 5.7 the Church of God and contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel as it is written Now I beseech you Brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus that ye all speak the same things and that there be no division among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment 1 Cor. 1.10 So that it appears though Differences did arise in the Churches by reason of Hypocrites that did creep in among them Jude 4. in the Apostles days yet they were not suffered to abide unless they renounced their erroneous perswasion See John 2.9 10 11. 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5. Tit. 3.10 11. Rom. 16.17 18. 2 Tim. 2.16 17 18. 1 Tim. 1.19 20. Gal. 5.7 8 9. * 1 Pet. 1.2 Eph. 1.4 5. Rom. 8.29 to 34. 1 Thess 1.3 4. 2 Pet. 1.10 11. Mat. 24.24 Acts 3 48. † John 10.28 Jer 32.40 Rom. 11.29 1 John 3.9 Psal 37.24 Mat. 24.24 And again what blind Watchmen have these Congregations that see this evil of Judgment arising and sound not the Trumpet against it See Ezek. 3.1 to 6. but yield that the Evil shall be accomplished Unto such a Church saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 11.19 20. Ye suffer Fools gladly for ye suffer if a man bring you into bondage Wo to such blind Guides that look more after the Fleece or Gain from their Flock than after the Souls whom they shall account for before God to suffer the Church to be mixed in the Lords Plough Deut. 22.10 with a Ox or an Ass together for two such contrary Judgments cannot be both clean Yet more abominations do we see in these last and perillous days among the Ancients in Israel Ezek. 8 that are ashamed of their hoary Heads Lev. 19.32 Prov. 20.29 and shave off all their Beards which God forbiddeth Lev. 19.27 because it is one sign in Nature to distinguish Man from Woman 2 Sam. 10.4 5. Psal 133 2. So that the Beard is an honour to the Man and long hair a glory to the VVoman before her fall which since she must cover as we have handled in a particular Treatise about Hair not long since set forth so many as we have left in our hands shall be put at the end of this Treatise to which we refer the Reader But what Ministers have we in this last Age of the VVorld that as aforesaid shave not only all the gray hairs of their Beards but also shave their Heads and wear Perriwigs made of VVomans hair are these Men Ministers or Rev. 9.8 Monsters let Nature be Judg as it is written Doth not even Nature it self teach you that it is a shame for a Man to wear long hair 1 Cor. 11.4 Are such as these spiritual men that are ignorant what is the shame of Nature Surely then they would not walk so to be judged of man that is condemned in Nature Man being in honour and understandeth not is like the Beast that perisheth Psal 49.20 and
so unfit to plow in the Lords Vineyard Deut. 22.10 Neither are such good Souldiers of Jesus Christ in the spiritual VVarfare of the Gospel that are afraid to reprove those of his Flock that wear Perriwigs but rather smooth them up with a few slender reproofs Isa 30.10 lest they lose their friendship with the world viz. such worldly Professors But if the Ministers themselves wear Perriwigs as many do then not one word against that odious guise lest they bid him cast out the beam out of his own eye and pluck off his own Perriwig and so make him look like his Father Adam with short hair in his Creation who was made very good without long hair the shame of Nature Gen. 1.31 1 Cor. 11.14 And again more Disorders abound all suiting these last times to the days of Noah in whose days all flesh had corrupted their way before God so that one particular is above all others named that the Sons of God to wit Members of the Church married with the Daughters of Men that is the World Cain's Posterity for which sin among others the Lord said his Spirit should not by Noah's Preaching strive with them any longer but till the Ark was finished and then were they all destroyed And how much differing is the state of the Sons of Men now especially among the Professors who are not onely corrupted in their Faith and Worship being compared to the Primitive Pattern but also in Marriages when generally Members of separated Congregations will marry those with whom they will not Joyn in communion in the Lords Supper and other spiritual Duties And is not this their Practice in their own judgments sinful in the breach of the plain Doctrine of the Apostle who teacheth all Christians to marry with whom they please only in the Lord and do not they that marry with them they refuse visibly to joyn with in the Church in all the Ordinances of the Lord say that such are not in the Lord 1 Cor. 7.39 Yet more Abominations than these there are While some deny the Resurrection of the Body and also deny the Scriptures to be the Rule of our Faith pressing men to observe only the Light within Some also believe that Men have free-will or power in themselves to turn from Sin to God contrary to John 6.44 Phil. 2.13 For these and the like Evils which these times are full of which saith the Apostle will come and is now come that Men will not endure sound Doctrine 2 Tim. 4.3 which is comparable to Fire Jer. 23.29 in the hearts of God's Children that is Zeal inflamed in love to Christ to follow him in the ways of his VVord 1 John 2.5 Rom 8.35 But it s Opposite is Self-love a clear sign it is the last time as the Apostle foresaw saying This know also that in the last days perillous times will come for men shall be lovers of themselves covetous boasters proud blasphemers and the like 2 Tim. 3.1 2. So that this sin of self-love is set as the capital and master-ruling sin in these latter days opposite to the love of God in the hearts of the Elect which many waters cannot quench Cant. 8.8 But the nature of self-love is cold as Christ saith Because Iniquity will abound and the Love of many will wax cold Mat. 24.12 comparable to Hail Rev. 16.21 Job 38.22 the coldest thing in Nature which will prove the effects of God's great Judgments on the Professors of these last Ages who because they received not the Truth in the love of it 2 Thess 2.10 but of themselves which seiseth on them as a Judgment of God out of Heaven that they blaspheme against God and his Truth Eph. 4.14 because of the airy Doctrine of Errors aforesaid which leadeth them from all love to God Mat. 22 37 39. and their Neighbours to all covetous and cruel oppression of one another with all fraud and deceit as men already complain that a man cannot tell who to believe or put trust unto for as Faith decayeth all unreasonableness in Men increaseth 2 Thess 3.2 And so Christs words will be fulfilled who saith When the Son of Man cometh shall he find Faith upon the Earth And to conclude Thus the Days of Noah hasten by a sign in the end of the seventh Seal taken from an action of the Priests under the Law who took fire from the Altar and cast it yonder to signify how the Lord rejected the disorderly service of Corah even so the Angel signifying Christ at the golden Altar took fire in his Censer and cast it into the Earth by a like sign how he rejected the service of all Christians that serve not him by his own Ministry Ordinances and holy Order he hath appointed in his last VVill and Testament Numb 16.37 Rev. 8.5 The Articles of the Confession of our Faith WEE believe with the heart and confess vvith the mouth I. That there is but one God a one Christ one Spirit one Church one Truth one Faith one true Religion one b Rule of Godliness and Obedience for all Christians in all places at all times to be observed a Deut 6.4 1 Tim. 2.5 Ephes 4.4 6. 1 Cor. 8.6 John 14.6 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6 13. b 1 Tim. 6.3 Deut. 4.6 12.32 1 Cor. 4.17 2 Tim. 3.15 16. Gal. 1.9 Rev. 22.18 19. II. God is a Spirit a whose Being b is of Himself and giveth Being c Moving and Preservation to all other things being himself Eternal d most Holy e every way Infinite f in Greatness Wisdom Power Goodness Justice and Truth In this Godhead there are Three g in One and One in Three the Father Son and Spirit being every one of them the same God and therefore not divided but distinguished by their several and peculiar Properties The Father of whom is the Son but he of none the Son begotten of the Father from everlasting the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son before all beginnings a John 4.24 b Exod. 3.14 c Rom. 11.36 Acts 17.28 d 1 Tim. 1.17 e Esay 6.3 f Esay 66.1 Psal 139.7 g 1 John 5.8 9. Mat. 28.19 Heb. 1.3 Phil. 2.6 Mic. 5.2 Psal 2.7 1 John 1.2 3. III. God hath decreed a in himself from everlasting touching b all things and the very least c circumstance of every thing effectually to work and dispose them according to the Counsel d of his Will to the Glory of his Name And as touching his chiefest Creatures God had in Christ before e the Foundation of the World fore-ordained f some Men and Angels g to eternal Life to be accomplish'd h through Jesus Christ to the Praise of his Glory and Grace and hath also according to his just purpose some of the Angels when fallen left them in their fallen Estate i to eternal Condemnation to be accomplish'd through their own leserts and also leaving some Men in their fallen Estate to eternal Condemnation through their own corruptions to the praise of his Justice a Isa