A TRVE REFORMATION AND PERFECT RESTITVTION Argued by Silvanus and Hymeneus Where in the true Church of Christ is briefly discovered here in this life in her estate of regeneration as also her perfection in the life to come As it hath been foretold by all the holy Prophets and Apostles which have been since the world began By J. G. a Friend to the truth and Church of God Feare not little Flock it is your Fathers pleasure to give you the Kingdom For now is our Salvation neerer than when we believed LONDON Printed by T. B. and are to be sold by S. B. in Corn-hill 1643. TO THE CHVRCH OF CHRIST IN ENGLAND Faithfull and beloved I The unworthyest of ten thousand of you have presumed to speak while you all were silent of this Subject and have made bold with your honourable and spirituall conditions to make a brief description of you the Lords people who are all of you the Children of wisdom and so taught of God that your own God termes you the wise that shall understand the keepers of his truth his remembrancers the people in whose heart is his Law to whom it is given to know the mysteryes of the Kingdom of God I intreate you all fellow sufferers truly noble and honourable Christians that how much the neerer our salvation approacheth so much the more let our joynt prayers and praises be to our God the lambe that sitteth upon the Throne let us not cease nor give him no rest till he establish and till he make Ierusalem a praise in the earth and if I have failed in negotiating your great affaires let our garment of love cover it and your wise and grave reproof or admonitions shall be as balme to cure my weaknesse so the God of truth multiply the comforts of it in us all in the clear demonstration of the spirit with power that as we are the Children of Abraham by Faith so we may do the works of our Father Abraham for which your Brother J. G. shall ever pray with you and for you to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen A True Reformation and perfect Restitution argued by Silvanus and Hymeneus Silvanus OLD Friend Hymeneus how hath it been with you a long time I heare seven years a go you were in new England Hymeneus I thank you Sir that you would acknowledge your long unseen although longer known Friend for I think it is neere twice seven years since I last spake with you Silv. What news in new England I heare you are there at a hard-ship both for soul and body provision for back and belly foode and clothes very scarce and Religion which should be as both to the soul is so lost that that which seemed unitie in the truth is turned to dissention the ground of error and falshood which custome the Church of Christ hath not which is the Church of God Hym. Friend you may heare more than is true yet I say the superfluitie of this world is not alwayes expedient and for Religion it is requisite that there should be difference amongst us that the approved may be manifest Silv. I see you have not forgotten your former Custome frequently to alleadge Scripture-phrase but I perceive also you have not learned the Apostles rule perfectly which saith if any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God that is the true meaning of it for all that were in the Church of Corinth were not of the Church Hym. I hope I have done the same in what I have said Silv. I spake before of the truth and of the children thereof which admit of no dissention and you speak of the Church of Corinth in which were some which were Sectaries and not the children of the truth and though they were amongst them yet they were not of them but were false Apostles and wicked inordinate persons Hym. I pray expresse your meaning to me more fully Silv. My meaning is that Christians should still intend by their speaking the same meaning which the holy Ghost doth in the termes he useth for one and the same terme sometimes is to be understood in a speciall sence sometimes in a generall as by Iew sometimes the same word intends the inward Iew sometimes the outward so of Religion and of the Church vaine Religion aswell as pure Religion the Synagogue of Sathan aswell as the true Church of God Hym. These distinctions under one and the same name are very profitable without doubt in the reading the Scriptures Silv. I pray you Friend tell me what matter and what manner you have for the constitution of your Churches in new England Hym. The matter are a company of believers the manner or forme is this we from amongst our selves choose a pastor the pastor and we being entred into a mutuall Covenant the one to be faithfull in teaching and feeding the other in hearing and obeying according to Christs ordinance by this reciprocall bond we become one Congregation or body as the head and members are one and so the pastor and people together choose other Church Officers as Elders and Deacons Silv. I understand you thus that this is your first way you take to give your Church the being or name of a Church but what way do you take to encrease this Church or ad unto it for the Scripture saith there were dayly added to the Church such as should be saved Hym. Our custome is that we admit none to be Members of our Church but such as cannot give an Accompt of their conversion and that they do renounce all other congregations as Members to them and doth make themselves by covenant that is by a solemne vow calling God to witnesse that they joyne themselves to us to be our Members only and so to no other Church but to walk with us according to Christs Ordinance and though some of other congregations may come in Communion in the Ordinance of the word yet we account them no Members Silv. And this is all you believe that the Scripture expresses tending to the making and being of a true Church Hym. I professe unto you I know no other Silv. You now grow old and therefore it should not be with you as it is with such as are Novicees in Religion wherefore take heed of faire speeches and holy pretences for there is nothing so common in the world as that which is like the truth yet not the truth the name of the Church and pure spouse and yet upon examination doth prove Strumpets and harlots for Christs Church his Sanctuarie his true Tabernacle is that which he her Lord pitcheth or buildeth not man therfore that we may trie the truth of your Church pray shew me how you prove it by Scripture and first where it is proved that the people of every particular Church are to call and choose their Pastor Hym. In the sixth chapter of the Acts it is thus written wherefore
Brethren look ye out from among your selves seven men of honest report full of the holy Ghost and wisdom whom we may appoint over this businesse where it appeares to us the Apostles gave the believers for ever power to choose their own Ministers Silv. There is not one word in the Text that proves your conclusion that the people of every particular Church are to call their Pastor but this it proves that the Apostles times were wholly taken up in prayer and preaching in regard the Disciples were so exceedingly multiplied that they could not have time touching the matter of receiving and distribution towards the necessity of the Saints by reason of which there arose murmurings of the Graecians against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the dayly Administration So that there was a necessity that Deacons should be appointed for that businesse who were comended by the people and confirmed by the Apostles and this is the whole scope of that Scripture Hym. But what say you to that Act. 1. 23. they appointed two that is the people presented them to the Apostles Silv. This place shews that the Apostles and Disciples being together in one place to the number of 120 persons Saint Peter took occasion to speak to the Congregation of the prophecys of Judas treason and of the Iudgment that did befall him and also how the Prophet foretold that another should be chosen in his place to his office of an Apostle wherefore saith he of these men that have accompanied with us all the time that the Lord Iesus went in and out amongst us must one be ordained to be witnesse with us of his Resurrection and they appointed two that is the Apostles with the rest thought none so fit as Barsabas and Matthias but which of these two they could not determine of so they cast lots and it fell on Matthias and he by the whole Church was reckoned amongst the twelve this is all that place intends and not the least part of your intention proved by it Hym. Now I will set you a place of Scripture that shall not only prove the custome and manner of our Church but the matter also as before I have related to you and that is the description of the Church of Antioch which will prove all that I have said to you Act. 14. 22. 23. Silv. Wheresoever Paul and Barnabas came they confirmed the souls of the Disciples and exhorting them to continue in the Faith and that we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God he doth not here by this confirmation and exhortation enter into a reciprocall covenant with the believers as you spake of to stand in a pastorall covenant with them as the head and Members for what one Apostle did they did both and the words are in the plurall number they and indeed they taught them so effectually that they strengthned them and built them up to a further increase and degree in the truth And as it follows they ordained them Elders in every Church that is these Apostles did ordaine not the Disciples so that this Text is cleare against your distinction both for the matter and forme you spake of for as these Christians had received the truth before Barnabas came to them at the first so they did abide in the comfortable profession of it till Barnabas brought Paul with him and then they two ordained them Elders in every Church that is preachers and not the people as you affirme Hym. Good Friend Silvanus I have another Scripture which I pray consider you of and then I hope you will be of my mind that is Act. 11. 19 20. 21. 22. 23. you shall see there that in the 19. 20. and 21. verses there is mention made of believers and that the Gentiles had received the Faith then in the 22. and 23. vers. Barnabas from amongst these believers gathers a Church after he had descended from Hierusalem to Antioch by the Apostles Commission and to me the words prove both the matter and forme of our Church who when he came had seen the grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord to me it is plaine that with purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord is the covenant the people enter into with their Pastor and Barnabas his rejoycing to see their grace from God and his rejoycing in it his continuing to exhort them and to this Church much people was added as in the 24. verse Silv. I have often observed old friend that there is none so easily deceived as those that would willingly be deceived for if you would not willingly be ignorant the reading of the text would better informe you for there is not one word in all those verses you have read proves what you say the truth is this that the persecution that arose about Stephen was the occasion that many disciples were scattered and disperst amongst the Gentiles and by the witnesse they bare to Christ many believed as many Greeks at Antioch tydings whereof came to the Church at Hierusalem who sent Barnabas thither and when he came to them found the report so true that it rejoyced his heart and his doctrine was of that power and authoritie that he furthered the grace begun and begun it where it it was not for he was a good man and full of the holy Ghost and of Faith that his exhortations wrought so through their hearts that it prevailed with the thought and purposes thereof to cleave to the Lord so full is the phrase as if he had gained the whole heart to the Lord and besides he added much people unto the Lord saith the text and then departed to Tarsus to seek Saul so there is not the least shew for your opinion for when he had found him he brought him to Antioch and doubtlesse for the love of them that walked in the truth it came to passe that a whole yeare they assembled themselves with the Church and taught much people but not all this while made any such covenant nor membership as you suppose that is to say to become Members to that Church only and no other Therefore now Hymeneus I must tell you plaine by that you as yet know not the true Church and being ignorant of that I feare you know not what belongs to a true Christian And for that which you fancy to be the Church upon Scripture ground there is not one Scripture rightly understood by you And if your foundation faile you your whole building cannot stand Hym. My good friend Silvanus I pray let me heare your description of the true Church Silv. By the name of the Church of Christ in Scripture we are to understand Gods faithfull peculiar chosen and regenerate people such and such only as are born of the holy Ghost and that I may the better describe and manifest the true Church the whole body building or house I will first declare
he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child for although in those days the bloud of the Saints was the seed of the Church and the more there died the greater number were brought to live yet the Divell still continued his persecution by the hands of the Christian Emperors for though they were Friends to the outward State and name of Christianity yet they persecuted the inward grace and power of it and from the primacy of the Emperiall Church of Rome grew up the abominable supremacy of the Church therof and the Divell then went into the false Prophets and began to play the Christian and to distinguish between the Christian Emperors and the governement and rule of Antichrist the false Prophet the holy Ghost saith And I saw another beast comming up from the earth and he had two hornes like the Lambe but he spake like the Dragon by which the Apostle discovers the Mystery of iniquity whereby the Divell would turne himself into the shape of an Angell of light and as Daniel saith by policy or deceipt prosper or prevaile pretending Christ the Church the truth and all the names and titles which belong to the true Spouse there in putting Christs coat upon Iupiters back cunningly turning the worship of God into Paganisme marke but the description the holy Ghost makes oâ— his person that in outward shew is the very cognizance of the Lambe the Law and the Gospell his own two hornes wherewith he doth save and kill but the dâ—scription of his doctrine is the voice of the Dragon that when they did open either to teach the Law or preach the Gospeâ—l they taught like the Priests of Iupiter teaching and preaching to the children of the world that they ought to worship the God of heaven as the Dragons Priests had taught their Fathers to worship the Gods of the Heathen and by Sycophanticall Princely Priests under colour of promoting the Lambes affaires should cunningly clap Iupiters coate upon the Lambes back and bestow all the ceremonies and rituals of Idolatry upon Christ as in stead of their idolatrous bloudy sacrifices Antichrist must have their abominable Masse as the Heathen had Idolis so Antichrist hath Images and as their Temples were dedicated to their Idolls so Antichrist must dedicate Churches to he Saints and she Saints so that earthly minded men were so strongly seduced that they verily thought the mystery of iniquity fore-spoken by Daniel to be pure and undefiled Christianity In this respect only it is said the Devill is bound that is all the time of Antichrists reign which shall be 1260 years pretending Christianity and working by deceiptfull meanes yet all that receive not the mark of the beast in their hand or in their fore-head are killed and slaine by him Hym. But it follows in the Text And after that he must be loosed a little season Silv. That is as our Saviour Christ saith Immediatly after the tribulation of those days shall the Sun be darkned and the Moone shall not give her light and the Starrs shall fall from Heaven the powers of the Heaven shall be shaken Where by the days of tribulation he meanes the time in which the Divell should work by the false Prophet and in the expiration of those days he should come out of him as out of prison as it is in the Revelation And I saw three uncleane spirits like Froggs come out the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet for they are the spirits of the Divels working myracles which go forth unto the Kings of the earth and the whole world to gather them to the battel of the great day of God Almighty By the Kings of the East and the whole world is meant the Turks and the Divell entring into them doth thereby inlarge himself againe into his former libertie as in the heathen in setting himself in open hostility against Christ and the profession of his name for so much is intimated And the Sun shall be darkned now if Christ be denied to be the light that inlightneth every one that comes into the world then all man kind that is resembled by the Moone must lose their light for she hath none other light but from the Sun then the Starrs that is all ministers and professing Christians shall fall from their professing of Christianity that are not faithfull indeed to believe in the false Prophet Mahomet as the holy Ghost saith Revelations 6 12 13. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seale and loe there was a great Earth-quake and the Sun became black as sackcloth of baire and the Moone became as bloud and the Starrs of Heaven fell unto the Earth And in the next words expounds Saint Matthew saying Even as a Figg tree casteth her untimely Figgs when she is shaken of a mighty wind meaning by untimely Figgs untimely Christians that is such as are outward only and in name amongst ministers and professors and not inward truly and spiritually even all such as have not true grace shall fall off from Christ to receive the false-hood and abomination of Mahoumisme and that this wicked inlargement of Sathan in his cruell persecution and oppression of the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ appears in this that the Elect then shall cry day and night and more certainly shall God heare his own Elect to avenge them then the unjust Iudge the importunate widdow neverthelesse our Lord makes this question by reason of the great persecution that shall be in those days When the Sonne of man comes shall he find Faith on the Earth The consequence of the question is this there will at my comming be scarce a faithfull man found on the Earth and that this last Enemy shall continue till the comming of the Lord to Iudgment we need no other proofe then Saint Johns Testimony in Revelation 20. verse 7. and so to the end And when the thousand years are expired Sathan shall be loosed out of his prison And shall go out to deceive the nations that are in the foure quarters of the Earth that Gog and Magog fore-prophesied by Ezechiel the Prophet and as it followeth to gather them to battel the number of whom is as the sand of the Sea Therein declaring the multitude of the Enemy the Turk to whom there is none of the earth like for multitude nor for power as followeth And they went on the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the Saints about and the beloved City By the Saints and the beloved City is meant the Elect of God called and sanctified which Saint Matthew calls The shaking of the powers of Heaven And when the Devill by his last battel shall think to accomplish his envious ends utterly to destroy Christ and all that are his then shall Christ the Lord arise and scatter his enemies in these following words And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them
And the Iudgement of the enemie follows And the Devill that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and Brimston where the beast and the false Prophets are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever And so the holy Ghost goes on in the description of the generall â—udgement by describing first the Iudge himself in these words And I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away and there was found no more place for them And so proceeds to describe them that are judged And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened That is all those meanes were manifested and those severall ways by which the Gospell and way of salvation had been preached to them whether they had the Scriptures or the Creatures or only the more secret dictates of conscience all which preached the word of grace and although it prove a Savour of death to some yet to others a Savour of life by every of those books as it followeth And another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were writen in the books according to their works c. There needs no Paraphrase the Scripture is so clear to prove the thing intended Hym. It doth appear to me that the Millenaries opinion hath no ground in the Scriptures they alleadge yet I must tell you plainly in my judgement the Resurrection is past already proved by your self in your description of the first Resurrection Silv. That was an old error which S. Paul condemns in his 2 Epistle to Timothy where he taxes one of your name saying their word doth fret as doth a gangrene of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus who concerning the truth have erred saying the Resurrection is past already and overthrow the faith of some Hym. Shew me how that doctrine may be said to overthrow the Faith Silv. This doctrine is the Religion of Homo-novus or of the new-man falsely so called in plaine termes the Familists doctrine who turne the whole Faith of our Lord Iesus Christ into an allegory affirming Christ to be a quality saying righteousnesse is Christ and sin is Antichrist teaching that all the Articles of the Creed are fulfilled in every one of their illuminated ones and that now they themselves are dead and buried raised and ascended set at the right hand of the Father descend and come and judge the world the quick and the dead that they are the holy Catholique Church that they only are the forgiven people and have the Communalty of the Saints and enjoy life everlasting infinitely succeeding one another in this coedified condition affirming also that God is cohominified with them and so this estate and condition even this present evill world to continue for ever saying that as we come from God so againe we return to God at our death affirming no other Resurrection then from that sinfull estate to be illuminated in which illumination they say they are conceived of the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary c. Hym. You know the Apostle speaking of two seeds of Abraham one born of Hagar the bond woman the other of Sarah the free woman and he saith that by them another thing was meant Silv. As at the first I told you that Christians when they speak they ought to speak as the word of God that is according to the meaning of the Scriptures for though Saint Paul say the two seeds are an allegory in regard of the two Covenants that either stood in the one thereby the child of death the other the child of life Yet he doth not as you do make them nothing but an allegory turning the person of our Lord Iesus Christ into a quality and the person of Antichrist into sin which is no substance but a privation of good take heed of this Hymeneus for it calls to my mind the Apostles words who saith that such doctrine to the soul is as dangerous and destructive as a gangrene is to the body which is inevitably destructive for nothing can prevent the saving of the next member but the death the cutting off of that which is but infected Hym. I am sure if I be mistaken in my opinion yet that which you have delivered in other respects concerning the short time of this worlds continuance crosses most Ministers opinions both in new England and here too Silv. What is that which they teach that I have said doth oppose their Tenents Hym. They almost all with one consent hold the nationall calling of the Iews and that there shall be a great and glorious estate of the Church both of Iews and Gentils alleadging all the Prophets that speak of the deliverance of Syon from all her Captivities and bring the Jews into their own Land out of all Countries whither they have been disperst and scattered Silv. What Scriptures do they bring to prove that the Nation of the Iews shall be called and brought out of every Countrey into their own Land Hym. The 11 Rom. in these words I would not Brethren that you should be ignorant of this mystery lest you should be wise in your own conceits that blindnesse in part is hapned to Israel untill the fulnesse of the Gentils be come in And so all Israel shall be saved as it is written c. Silv. In these verses there is not one word of the Nationall calling of the Iews but shews that the Apostle declared to the believing Romans a Mystery to take off their vaine boasting of themselves who thought that God had forsaken the seed of Abraham wholly and therefore he secretly reproves them and saith It was but a part of the seed that was hardned or blinded as in the seventh verse he clearly distinguisheth between the Elect part and the rest what then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the Election hath obteined it and the rest were blinded or hardned and in this verse he saith They shall be hardned untill the fulnesse of the Gentils be come in that is for ever Agreeing with the Prophet lâ—t their eyes be darkned and bow down their backs alwayes thus God putting no diffâ—rence between the Iews and the Gentils extends his free grace to both for the calling of the full number of his Elect in all the world and so all Israel shall be saved that is the whole house even every one fâ—reknown and chosen of God shall be câ—lled sanctified and saved both Iews and Gentils throughout the world and this word saved hath respect unto the estate of perfection in the world to come according to the Prophet Esays words Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation he shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end That is all Gods Elect wheresoever of all kindreds tongues nations and people Hym. In this Scripture it doth not appeare there is any
so accordingly they understood it as shall be proved hereafter The Apostles Peter and John both testifie to this truth without question as before I have briefly shewed and that it may be out of question here what Saint Iohn saith of the Testimony of the foure and twenty Elders praising and lauding the lamb their Lord and they sang a new song saying that art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us unto God by thy bloud out of every kâ—ndred and tongue and people and â—atiâ—n and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raigne on the earth Which Scripture without explanation is a full answer unto all such thoughts that concerne this inheriting the earth may be in â—his life in a Mystery all which agrees with â—ur Lords words to the Apostles at his parting from them let not your hearts be troubled c. In my Fathâ—rs house are many mansions and I go to prepare a place for you and if I go an prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my self that wheâ—e I am there you may be also Now our Lord is gone into Heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father where he is preparing the blessed and glorious estate for us as the Apostle Peter saith Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his aboundant mercy hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undâ—filed and that fadeth not away reserved in the heaven for us who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time of which last time and revelation of the glory S. Iohn speaks where â—e saith and I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea In that he saw no more sea he declareth that the great oppressors of Gods Church consisting of heathen as open enemys or Christians as secret and cunning enemys shall all cease there shall be none to hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaine saith the Lord And S. John goes on and declares the place where the Lord shall be with his at his returne and I Iohn saw the holy City new Ierusalem comming down from God out of heaven prepaâ—ed as a bride adorned for her husbanâ— And I heard a great voice â—ur of heaven saying the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and thâ—y shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and so goes on in describing the perfection of that condition thaâ— there shall be no more death sorrow crying and paine and as it follows after no more curse This is the glorious condition of Christ comming againe to his own people according to his promise and that he will abide with them forever in the new things which he shall create that it may appear unquestionable that the Saints shall inherit the earth after the Resurrection heare Gods promises to the Patriarks and their understanding of and hoâ—â— and expectation in them and first we will begin with Abraham where it is said and the Lord appeared unto Abraham and said unto thy seed will â— give this Land and againe I will give unto thee thy seed after thee the Land wherein thou art a stranger all the Land of Canaan for an everlasting possession and I will be their God Noâ—e here that the Lord promiseth the possession of the Land to Abraham himselfe to his owne person as well as to all and every one of his spirituall seed and so witnesseth the Author to the Hebrews saying That Abraham was called to go into a place which he should afterwards receive for an inheritance Marke it is said he that is himself not others for him as some unwarily have affirmed in these last times and 〈◊〉 this sence â—nly Saint Paul calls Abraham the heire of the wâ—rld by promise and grace included in Gods promise above and I will give unto thee c. So the the Lord Almighty engages himself to Isaack that he would performe the oath that he sware unto his Father Abraham saying unto thee and thy seed will I give all these Countries and God appeared to Iacob his chosen at Lusse in the Land of Canaan saith to him the Land whereon thou lyest to thee will I givâ— it and to thy seed and their seed shall be as the dust of the earth and thou shalt spread abroad to the West and to the East and to the North and to the South and in thee and thy seed shall all the families of the earth be â—…essed Hym. Most Christians understand that â—hâ—se promises were fulfilled by Ioshua when he divided the Land of Cannan by lot â—or a possession to the Tribe of Israel Silv. But had our Ministers and Christians read and laboured to understand the Scriptures they would have been of the Apostles mind who affirmes and clearly sheweth that Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the faithfull and holy servants of God ever understood thereby the everlasting inheritance and possession to them and their seed for ever when they in their own persons that never enjoyed it yet shall inherit it for the holy Ghost saith by the testimony of faithfull Stephen the Martyr That Abraham had no inheritance in Canaan no not so much as to set his foot on yet he that is God promised that he would give it him for a possession and to all his spirituall seed which the aforesaid Apostle to the Hebrews in the eleventh Chapter proves beyond all exception to be the heavenly Countrey and the temporall Canaan no other or further neither in promise nor possession of the following seeds nor otherwise I say then that it was a speciall representation a tipe figure and shaddow preaching and teaching unto them the spirituall heavenly holy new and everlasting Land wherefore thus saith the Apostle These all dyed in Faith not having received the promises but having seen them a far of and were peâ—swaded of them and imbraced them and confessed that they were strangers and Pilgrims on the earth for they which say such things declare plaiâ—ly that they seek a Countrey and truly had they been mindfull of that Country from whence they came out they might have had opportunitie to have returned but now they desire a better Countrey that is a heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City which City new Ierusalem is that before spoken of even that new and heavenly City that comes with our Lord at his descension to the earth where and in which he will dwell for ever Hym. I did not think the Scriptures had been so plain for this matter as now I see them I pray
shall be subjected now the principall enemies to God Christ his truth and his children are the Devill and these hard hearted stif-necked rebells his Children that as their Father so are they implaceable and unreconcilable and as he so do they resist the holy Ghost and will not have this man to raigne over them that is the Lord Christ but they do and will break his bonds and cast his cords from them and as they have always done so they do now and will continue till he comes to raigne in power and Majesty professe themselves sworn enemies and adversaries to him and his but when this world shall come to an end and that world is come of which our Saviour saith his Kingdom is of then even shall he take and slay before him all those his enemies Slay them before me saith the Lord then shall the head wholly prevaile and triumph over him that ever hath so exceedingly bruised mortified and persecuted his heele then he shall so subdue and break in sunder Sathan and his Children by his invincible power and regall authority that he shall undo frustrate and make void Sathans whole plot and work and the Scripture then shall be fulfilled which saith and he that is Christ shall break his head then the Devill that hath deceived mankind ever since the world began shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimston and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever Then there shall not be one knee amongst all the reprobate Angels and men but shall bow nor any tongue but shall confesse to the glory of God the Father that Iesus Christ is both Lord and King and although now they rage and take Counsell together against the Lord and against his annointed and invent lyes and mischiefs against the Lords truth and all his faithfull servants yet he that sitteth in the Heavens doth laugh at them the Lord shall have them in derision for the begotten of God the King of Sion shall rule governe and subdue those heathens yea he shall break them with a rod of Iron saith the Prophet and dash them to pieces like the vessell that the potter makes of clay as was before mentioned and as the Lord so shall all that are his have dominion over all the out-cast heathenish hard hearted and unregenerate gentilish generation for such names the Scripture gives them all and therefore thus saith the Lord himself he that overcometh and keepeth my words unto the end to him will I give power over the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron c. even as I received of my Father that is they shall execute the same power my Father hath given me to this agreeth that Scripture which saith All nations shall feaâ—e and obey him And againe the Children of those that afflicted thee shall be sold for slaves unto thee And againe With thee will I break in pieces Captaines and Rulers the old and yong man and maide Kings subjects none exempted of what language sex estate or degree whatsoever Finally the last particular is that the whole Creation that is to prove all other Creatures besids men and Angels they shal for ever serve that is magnifie set forth and further the glory of the great King and his Kingdom for ever without any opposition cruelty savagenesse or evill whatsoever and therefore it s conteined in Scriptures that every creature that is in Heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the Sea and all that are in them heard I saying saith Saint Iohn blessing honor glory and power be to him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lambe for ever and ever this proof is so generall as it takes in all places Heaven and Hell the whole Earth and the Sea and all that are within them are heard by the Apostle to praise honour obey the Lamb and this truth the Prophet David declares excellently where he saith What is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the Sonne of man that thou visitest him thou hast made him a little lower then the Angels thou hast crowned him with glory and honour thou hast made him to have Dominion over the work of thy hand thou hast put all things under his feet all sheep and oxen yea the beasts of the field the foules of the aire and the fishes of the Seas which makes the Prophet cry out in admiration and wonder O God our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth Now the Apostle to the Hebrews declares this that David spake of Christs Kingdom the world to come as hath before been described and therefore saith he for unto the Angels he hath not put in subjection the world to come whereof I speak but one in a certain place testified rehearsing the very words before repeated of the Prophet David so that if any man say the Prophet is not so to be understood the Apostle himself makes answer and gives us an assurance so to believe and this doctrine he preaches for truth without exception to the holy Romans where he saith for the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sonnes of God and he gives the reason cleare and plaine because saith he the creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious Liberty of the Sonnes of God for we know saith he speaking as if it were so well known to them as certain as their hoped for inheritance that the whole creation that is every creature groaneth and travaileth in paine together untill now note how exact and elegant he is he expounds the whole creation to be every creature that all these by a speciall instinct of nature are like a woman in travel that nothing in the world can prevent her bringing forth so it shal be with the whole creation in its restitution to its perfection lest it should not be clear enough the Apostle goes on and in particular and apart speaks of the adopted of God the heires of the world to come the inheritance of the salvation saying and not only they but our selves also which have received the first fruits of the spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our bodies the words are so plaine they need no exposition proving the restauration of the whole creation as well as the Saints which is further confirmed by that knowing Evangelist Saint Luke who saith And he shall send Iesus Christ which before was preached unto you whom the heavens must receive untill the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began which truth in times past was well known unto men although now the world through ignorance understand it not for the Lord saith by a holy Prophet that his covenant with Sun and Moon day and night is for ever