mouth it must depart from being a true church but the church of Pergamus was such Rev. 2.16 Ergo. Fourthly The church of Thiatira of new Rome is departed from being a true church because she suffered the woman Iezabel amongst them which was a Witch a whore and a murderesse and though God hath given her space yea the longest space to repent of any other yet she repented not of her witchcraft in bewitching men to Idolatry not of her whoredome and abomination nor of her murdering the Saints for the scarled coloured Whore is drunke with the bloud of the Martyrs And therefore Christ hath made her the Synagogue of Sathan Rev. 3.9 because they 〈◊〉 themselves Iewes or a catholique church and are not because they have had time to repent and did not they shall be destroyed They are divided against themselves France against Spaine and Spaine against it selfe it must downe Now if any will account the Martyrs and true believers that lived for 200. yeares before Luther that suffered the manners of the Iezabel of Rome amongst them that should have been put away out of the church as Luther and Calvin and England did I account it the truth but that which is spoken to Iezabel is spoken to Rome as their sinnes declare The church of Sardis of the Lutherans is departing because they are in the dead faith which brought forth dead workes that were not perfect before God Rev. 3.1.2 and dead in love to the Calvinists and in love one to another their faith of consubstantiation is a dead faith that believe not their workes are perfect before God by justification neither can they believe so that live in hatred and persecution of their brethren the Calvinists that church is divided against it selfe thus the Sweeds and Danes both Lutherans were at Warre one with another lately which have shot downe the one side of their church from within and a Papist the Emperour and a Calvinist is undermining the other side for both Papists and Calvinists fight against the Lutherans and they fight one with another truly if one stone of a church should fight against another could it stand no it must fall Sixtly The Phyladelphian church of the Calvinists is passing away because they have not held fast that they had for they had the true faith and one baptisme into Christs death for remissions of sinne taught by Calvin and that doctrine established amongst them but many of them have not held fast that they had but have let the Anabaptists take their crowne for the crowne of a christian is his baptisme for therein are all the Elect crowned Rev. 1.6.5 10. with the crowne of pure gold of the merits of Christs death for remission of sinne and made Kings and Priests to God their father Rev. 1.9 for as no man is a King before he be crowned so no man is a King and Priest to God till he be baptized many of them have lost this crowne by turning Anabaptists and Sectaries a Papist a Lutheran and an Anabaptist are pulling downe the one side of their church and a Sectary and a Drunkard are cutting and beating downe the other side therefore it cannot stand for Anababtisme and drunkennesse will destroy any church wheresoever they grow witnesse the churches of Greece and Munster and many places in Iermany for Heresie is like Ivie that kills an Oake by growing over it and then men cut downe Oake and Ivie too and so where Heresie is suffered to grow in a church it kills the church by overgrowing it then God will destroy the church and heresie too as shall be seene by the church of Calvinists in suffering Anabaptists it will be the destruction of the church of Holland The church of Laodicea of England is passing away for Christ spues the Luke-warme Angels people that are lukewarme in the faith of their baptisme for remission of sinnes and in the white raiment for England hath been divided against it selfe and also Scotland and Ireland fights against them both and divided against it selfe also The Papists and Cavalleers have shot great holes in the one side of our church to get an Episcopacy but cannot because Christ spues it out of his mouth an Anabaptist stands as it were with a rope to pull downe the steeple for he called it first a Steeple-house and the Hereticks Sectaries and Selectaries have pulled up all the foundations as instance Baptisme the Creed the Lords prayer the Decalogâ—â— the Eucharist and Christmas day and the Eucharist which hath bin as a foundation of all the seven churches ever since the Apostles time and so divided as I know not whether the King and Parliament will be reconciled ever but the Presbyters and Independents will never for their quarrell is begun and will never end for they scould can such a church stand no it must depart and passe away for the people have so many frothings of religion in their braines so many opinions and Heresies that they will fall from being a church to be a Babel for as the Babilonians having a strange phantasie would begin to build a tower to reach to heaven yet had no good materialls but made brick instead of stone and had slime instead of morter this was mans invention and it came to confusion for God confounded their language scattered them so many Hereticks Sectaries have got a conceipt in their crowne to goe make a new church as a Tower to reach to heaven for they would all goe to heaven if they could goe their owne way and they have concocted brick of the Brownists braine instead of doctrine and they have discipline of phantasie instead of morter I am not against doctrine or discipline if they be from heaven but our new church-mungers have no good materialls of gold white raiment and eye-salve from heaven to build with but the new Ierusalem must be builded of pure gold like cleare glasse Rev. 21.18 Of the gold of the merits of Christs death in regeneration for remission of sinnes and of white raiment to make the Bride trimme and eye-salve of the Scriptures that every thing may be done according to the patterne shewed in the mount of Gods word But doe you thinke blinde men are fit to build a church you will say no no more are all the Pharises of our time of all Sectaries and Hereticks whose froathing faith or fancie makes them boyle out of the church which are blind leaders of the blinde for they leade many from Christs ordinance for remission of sinnes and blind in the assurance of salvation for they know not where they had remission of sinnes but runne after every winde of Doctrine and know not whether they shall be saved or be damned or goe to heaven or to hell are you fit men to build a church that are all so blinde that you cannot see spirituall things so here sayes one wee will build this way so there says a second we will build that way so here sayes a
But the Church have been abused and evill entreated a longtime of the Gentiles Con. Ergo shee will forsake them and goe to another people Re. 5 Now those heavens that waxe olde as a garment and as a vesture shall hee change them and they shall be changed shall passe away because they are impure in his eyes Job 15.15 Now this cannot be so properly meant of the starry heavens as of the Churches for how should they be impure in Gods eyes which never sinned neither can any shew that God ever imputed any sin to them or curse as to the Earth for Adams sake for they are as God have made them and they all continue by his appointment But the Church of the old World waxed olde and the church of the Jewes and the heaven of Papists Lutherans Calvinists and England are waxed olde because they are impure in his eyes for he saith he hath some things against them Ergo they shall passe away For the heaven of the visible Churches of England Lutherans and Calvinists are not only uncleane at this day in a small manner Now mistake mee not to thinke that I meane the justified people of God of all these 3. churches for I believe they are cleane every whit The causes why the visible Churches shall depart and the Church of new Jerusalem appeare perfectly righteous and holy without spot before the Throne of God But of the outward visible Church and all separate Synagogues that call themselves churches of Hereticks Sectaries and Schismaticks which I count farre worse then the seven churches because Christ wrote to these by name and hath his Elect amongst these but he writes not to the other and if the Fathers say true hee hath not God for his Father that hath not the church for his Mother and the Scripture saith God added to the Church such as should be saved yet I say the visible church is uncleane not in a small manner though it be called by so glorious a name as heaven which is spoken in respect of the darke dungeon of hell of the Jewes Turkes Heathens and Papists then for any heavenly clearenesse of the glory of God in gold of the merits of Christs death in one baptisme for a perfect remission of sinnes or for the glory of the Lambs white rayment justification for an everlasting righteousness Shew me a church on Earth that is found in the faith of these three gold white raiment and eye-salve Phillida solus habebis let her be thy Love Re. 6 Ma. For the Church is defiled with a false faith or reigning sinne there the church is uncleane and shall therefore be removed Mi. But all the churches of the Gentiles are defiled with a false faith or reigning sinne for why should Christ say else hee hath some things against them Con. Ergo they are uncleane in Gods sight and shall therefore be removed For what foote steps of one baptisme for remission of sinnes and of a white raiment Justification doe remaine For doe not all visible Churches hold they must goe knocke at heaven gates every day to get a pardon for their sins as if they were not forgiven as Col. 1.14 Rev. 1.6 And to wipe off olde scores as if God did score up sinnes every day till they pray and they must goe get God to cast all their sins into the bottome of the Sea as if they were not cast into the bottom of the red Sea of Christs bloud already Mic. 7.19 in baptisme into Christs death Acts 22.16 And confesse God is angry with them for their sinnes and see sinne in them and punish them for the same is not this to serâ—e an angry God as all heathens Turkes and Jewes doe and not a reconciled Father which if it were to get remission of sins to the conscience I would not fault it but to the person as if that were not reconciled it crosseth Coloss 1.21 And the article of the Creed i. e. I believe the remission of sinnes as for the Lutherans of Sardis they are in the dead faith and their works not perfect before God Rev. 3.1.2 Their dead workes of hatred to the Calvinists declare their dead faith And as for the English luke-warme Laodiceans they hold as the Bishop of Canterbury did at his death he said he hoped God would forgive him his sinnes Now such as the faith of the great Angel was such is the faith of most people of the Church What heathen Jew Turke Papist or Devill had not as good a faith as this to say I hope God is mercifull and will forgive me my sinnes he might goe to Purgatory if there were one for all this faith The decay in knowledg of one baptisme for remission of sins and in the Articles of the Creed they doe not preach or pray in this faith that we have redemption as Colos 1.14 And that our sinnes are forgiven us for his names sake 1 John 2.12 It is an hard thing to finde a Minister that hath assurance of salvation or that can tell where he had remission of sins for few of them believe they were made in their baptisme members of Christ children of God and Inheritors of the Kingdome of heaven or believe that in the white raiment they are so cloathed that God beholds no shame of nakednesse of sin in them And seeing this faith is lost what new Errours spring up every day and broached in many places olde ones are called backe from hell by hereticks Anabaptists Papists Familists Adamites Arminians Socinians Brownists Seperatists all the profession of unity spirituall peace turned to bloudy and civill Warre in all the churches in Christendome These are fearefull signes and evident Prognostications that the Churches are departing Re. 7 Ma. For where the churches are fallen from the trueth it is an argument the church shall depart from them For thus saith the Lord Remember from whence thou art fallen Rev. 3.5 Or else I will remove the Candlesticke out of his place Mi. But all the visible churches are fallen from the truth as Papists to idolatry Lutherans to a dead faith and workes Re. 3.1.2 and the English and Calvinists to a luke-warme faith reigning sin usury or drunkennesse for it was never known that the truth did continue in any one church above 100. years but they fell from it as the homily of our church of the perill of Idolatry 3. p. c. it is 100. yeares since England received the truth and therefore the time is come by their owne confession that they should fall from it Con. Ergo it is an argument the church should be removed Re. 8 Ma. Every kingdome city or house divided against it selfe cannot stand but come to nought Matth. 12. Mar. 1. Mi. But all the former churches of the Gentiles are kingdomes cities or houses divided against themselves witnesse the Papists Lutherans Calvinists and English You see what fighting and writing there is now one against another Con. Ergo they cannot stand but come
am about to create new heavens and a new Earth as if he should say I will institute a more pure church faith and worship in spirit and in truth and I will take unto me a new people in the Assemblies wherof I will be worshipped and honoured and I will make a new Earth of new creatures for if any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor 5.17 For old things are passed away behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 which shall be most plainely verified when the old churches passe away and the new Jerusalem appeare as Esay 43.19 Behold I will doe a new thing in the Earth now it shall spring forth shall yee not know it when may some say Ans Rev. 21.5 Behold I make all things new and he said to me write for these words are true and faithfull 1. There shall be a new heaven and a new Earth a new church and people for he that sat on the Throne bad Iohn write it and he hath given me a minde to know him that is true and for to write of things that are true for if it be true as it is â—â—th Behold I make all things new then that must be a new church or else al things shall not be new for as the new heaven and the new earth which I will make shall remaine before me saith the Lord compare the place with this and you shall finde it agree with this and cannot agree to the former churches of Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Thyatira Sardis Phyladelphia Laodicea for they shall passe away but the church of new Jerusalem shall remaine For to him that overcometh in the Churches I will make him a pillar in the Temple of my God and shall goe no more out and write upon him the Name of the new Ierusalem that cometh downe from my God out of heaven Rev. 2.12 but when is this to be when the lukewarme Angell that is neither cold nor hot is spued out of Christs mouth Rev. 3.16 in Laodicea of England this new Church is to appeare but now the lukewarme Angels are spued out Ergo. It is now to appeare I could prove this by many Arguments but I set downe but five Reason 1 The causes why the Churches of the Gentiles shall depart and all their Sees of iurisdiction and the new Ierusalem appeare Ma. For if there shall be an holy City of new Ierusalem come downe from God out of Heaven trimmed as a Bride for her Bridegroome then there must be a new Church upon Earth for by new Ierusalem is meant the Church of God Mi. But Iohn saw the holy City the new Ierusalem come downe from God out of heaven Rev. 2â— 2 Con. Ergo there must be a new Church upon earth Reason 2 Ma. That City which shall be foure square and shall be measured by an Angell a man with a golden reed 12000. Furlongs must needs be upon Earth for there is neither squares nor furlongs nor reedes nor men measurers of any thing there for all was prepared for thee before the foundation of the world Matth. 25 34. Mi. But the Church of the new Ierusalem shall lye foure square and be measured by an Angell a man with a golden reed 12000. Furlongs Con. Ergo it must needs be upon earth for there is no squares reeds or Furlongs or men measurers in actuall glory Reason 3 Ma. That City which shall have twelve gates and twelve Angels and the Names of the Tribes of Israel 3. On the East 3. On the North 3. On the South 3. On the West Mi. must needes be meant of a Church or City upon Earth for there is no East nor West North nor South in actuall glory or but twelve gates or but twelve Angels for there is more then twelve Legions of Angels there but the Church of the new Jerusalem shall have twelve gates and twelve Angels and the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel 3. to the East 3. to the North 3. on the South 3. on the West as Rev. 21.13 Con. Ergo it must needs be a City or Church upon earth and â—t shewes it must be a Church of the Iewes baptized and made new creatures for the Gentiles have not twelve Tribes and if there be any gates in heaven they were â—t made long before their were any tribes of Israel v. 12.13 Reason 4 Ma. That City which shall have a Wall with twelve foundations and in them the Names of the Lambs twelve Apostles must be new Church upon earth build on the doctrine of the twelve Apostles Mi. for the Apostles can be no foundation of a Wall of a City in heaven for it was made before there were Apostles before the foundation of the world Matth. 25. But the new Ierusalem shall have a Wall with twelve foundations and in them the names of the lambe twelve Apostles as v. 14. Con. Ergo. It must be a new Church upon Earth Reason 5 That City which shall have the Nations that are saved to walke in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth to bring their glory and honour to it must be a new Church upon Earth Ma. For the people that are saved they shall not need to walke in heaâ—en for they shall be as the Angels of God in heaven which flie or passe in an inconceivable time as the body of Christ to heaven and the things of the Earth shall bring no honour or glory to heaven for heaven shall give glory and honour to them Mi. But the Church of the new Jerusalem shall be such wherein the Nations that are saved shall walke in the light of it and the Kings of the Land shall bring their honour glory to it Rev. 21.24 i. e. they shall account it their honour and glory to be Citizens of new Ierusalem and bring their subjects to it Con. Ergo it must be a new Church upon Earth I could give more reasons if these be not sufficient Objection Shall there be a new Church upon earth Then say the Anabaptists Brownists Seperatists Familists Adamites Millenaries Antitrinitarians Arminians Socinians Sectaries and Selectaries all which are commonly notable Pharises and by a superabundance of religion Which have no assurance of salvation for out of the church is no salvation nor assurance of it like scabs and warts by the abundance of humors grow out of the body of man so by the humours of their braine doe these grow out of the Church and seperate from it then we will goe make a New Church Answer You are greatly deceived not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God for first it must come downe from heaven from my God Ergo man cannot build it 2. That which is of God shall stand for God is the builder and founder of that City Heb. 11. But the worke or Church that is of man shall come to naught Act. 5. Thirdly The Church of new Ierusalem must be built 12000. Furlongs in length breadth and height
to nought Re. 9 Ma. For where the Sunne ariseth the light of the candle must depart for the light of the Churches of the Gentiles was but as candles for the churches were but golden Candlesticks Rev. 1.6 Mi. But the light of the New Jerusalem is as the light of the Sunne that shall never goe downe and their light of the Sunne shall be 7. fold and as the light of seven days Con. Ergo the light of the churches of the Gentiles must vanish because their light is but as candles Object Some say it is not said the former heaven and the former earth went away but that they departed as if these words did not respect the churches of the Gentiles at all but the legall worship of the Jewes onely For a man may call that the first heaven by right as which was instituted by God himselfe in the beginning of the World a little time after the floud But the Christian people among the Gentiles was neither the first heaven neither were their Ordinances which are observed of them the first Ordinances that were delivered from heaven unto the church so that some would have it taken in this manner as if it were said although this people of the Jewes did thirst after their olde rights and worship all this while of their rejection and did make their bragges of it that the time would come when they should have power given them one day to exercise their former worship freely after their old manner which is the thing they have boasted of till this day Yet in this restoring of the Jewes they shall so wholly frame and apply themselves to the will of God that they shall willingly renounce their ancient customes used in the service of God which they shall then acknowledge to have had their end in Christ and by this meanes they shall make it plaine to all men that the first heaven and the first earth which they hoped to see againe was departed was past for ever Object The Pope that would have Saint Peters chair to remain to the end of the world and all Sectaries that would have their church way as they falsely call it and all other that are loth their churches should depart like this interpretation best Answ But this is false to this place of Scripture For the first heaven cannot be meant of the Churches of the ancient Jewes but of the churches of the Gentiles these are my Reasons First because the olde church of the Iewes was not called by the name of heaven for John the Baptist and Christ were the first that preached the kingdome of heaven to be at hand therefore the first heaven must belong to the Gentiles for the last shall be first and the first shall be last i. e. the last Church of the Gentiles shal be the first heaven and the first church of the Jewes shall be the last new heaven Secondly If this should be expounded of of the Jewes church then there should have been no heaven of a church among the Gentiles ever since Christs time But onely the first heaven hath been among the Jewes all this while and the Gentiles have had none in the 7. churches although Christ wrote to them yet they were no heaven or church too absurd Thirdly this must be understood of the church of the Gentiles because the Jewes were broken off as Rom. 11.15.24 i. e. from being a church and the Gentiles graffed in and made an heaven Fourthly for the Kingdome of heaven which was offered to them and preached among them but they put it away from them Acts 13.46 The Kingdome of heaven was taken away from them and given to the Gentiles above 1600. yeares and therefore the Jewes could not be the first heaven because they did not receive it when it was offered but despised the counsell of God therefore if the first kingdome of heaven was given to the Gentiles then the first heaven belongs to them For as Christ came to his owne but his owne received him not so the kingdome of heaven was preached to them but they received it not The causes why the Churches of the Gentiles shall depart and the Church of New Ierusalem appeare Note Fiftly This cannot be meant of the Iewes that they are now the first heaven because as the Apostle speaketh of Oxen doth God take care for Oxen. 1 Cor. 9.9 So doth God take care for Iewes that are made the Synagogue of Sathan Rev. 2.9 For that which is so is not an heaven Therefore the first heaven that passed away is to be understood of the Church of the Gentiles for the true Church of the Gentiles was the Kingdome of Heaven Matth. 3. Matth. 13. Now the causes why the first heaven of the Churches of the Gentiles depart are these Causes why the Churches of the Gentiles depart First the church of Ephesus was a famous heaven watered with the bloud of the Martyrs in the 10. persecutions of the primative Church built upon the baptisme into Christs death for remission of sinnes and faith in the same as Act. 2.38 Act. 8. Act. 10. Act. 16. and Act. 22.16 and on the love of God shewed in the same as Eph. 5.25 Tit. 3.5 Rev. 1.6 But because they forsooke their first love of Christ 1. e. Their first Baptisme wherein the first love of Christ was shewed to take a second Baptisme which they did by the counsell of the Hereticks Pelagians and Donatists that all that were baptized by Hereticks must be baptized againe and because they did not know who was baptized by Orthodox men they rebaptized the people which was iniquity of so high a nature a sinne against the worke of the Holy Ghost that Christ removed the Candlestick of the church out of that place by the Turke and so that heaven is departed 2. The church of Smyrna though a famous rich conquering reigning Church in the time of Constantine the great for it was rich as the Lord said Rev. 2.9 i. e. In the faith of one Baptisme for remission of sinnes as the Article of the Niceen Creed declares but in time they followed after Ephesus as all the other churches of Greece they forsooke the truth of one Baptisme the first love of God declared Tit. 3.5 as many now doe in these dayes by forsaking their first Baptisme into Christs death for remission of sinnes for it was never knowne that the truth did continue in one place above an hundred yeares but they forsooke it or fell from it into some false faith or reigning sinne Ma. 3. The church of Pergamus 1. e. Of old Rome is departed from being a church because they maintained the doctrine of Balaam i. e. Idolatry and fornication and the Doctrine of the Nicholaitans by Stewes whoredome Mi. Therefore Christ fought against them with the sword out of his mouth and Con. they are departed from being true church for where God fights against a church for sinne by the sword out of his
shall trouble him that is Germany For old Aegypt would be too near and therefore he is like to be sent a further journey from the River Euphrates that the new Christians may have better oportunity to enter into his Dominions And for Edom Moab and Ammon mentioned in Scripture to come to destruction desolation Mal. 1.3 They lay upon the borders of the Israelites always troubled them So have Spain Italy and France lain upon the borders of the Protestants and troubled them For as the Apostle saith doth God take care for Oxen So doth God take care for Edom Moab Ammon or those dragons that dwell in them as Mal. 1.3 To make mention of their escape from the Turk when he shall array himselfe with Aegypt for those Kingdoms never were Edom Moab and Ammon to the Protestants to trouble them But he meaneth of the spirituall Moab of Spain as Amandus Polanus calls it of the spirituall Edom of Rome and of the spirituall Ammonites of France which lay upon the borders of the Church of Protestants and have some people of God to goe out of them which have been as great enemies and troublers of the Protestants as these were of the Israelites For what use should we make of the Scriptures that speak of Edom Moab and Ammon If there were not such Edomites Moabites and Ammonites to the Protestants as they were And thou London I have been much troubled for thee I could shew thee how thou hast taken thy bane Thy Episcopacy is fallen before Romes and I feare thy City will For there are 3. things that mine heart feareth and my face is afraid of the fourth Treason in a City as firing an house willingly the assembly of the people and false accusation of the brethren and truth these 3. are heavier then death Eccl 26.5 Preludiums of ruine but division overthrows all O thou City divided within and without how canst thou stand Christ say true Matth. 12.25 O London wash thy heart from wickedness thou maist be saved how long shal thy wicked and dividing thoughts remain in thee Jer. 4.14 Labour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Take Christs counsell to buy of him gold white raiment and eye-salve and be zealous of these and repent For behold I stand at the door knocke and will not leave knocking at the door of thy heart except thou open the door hear his voyce let him in to sup with thee thou with him Rev. 3.18 19 20. You are divided for a Presbytery and Independent government and some for the old I have counselled you to agree but you will not but will have one Well upon these conditions I may consent First you shall prove your government to be from heaven for it is prophesied that England shall have a government from heaven that shall last till the day of Doom But I am sure the new Jerusalem comes down from heaven Rev. 21.2 and therefore the government must come with it 2. That you shall find above one good Preacher for every Shire to make your Classes or governors of which if you can do you will shame all the Parliaments that have allowed our bookes of Homilies to be a good and wholsom doctrine For these are the words of the 3 d. part of the perill of Idolatry p. 56. l. 23. It hath been continually true will be to the worlds end in our time and herein our country too true that every Shire should scarcely have one good Preacher if they were divided Mark if there shall not be above one good Preacher for every shire where will you find governours for your Church 3. That none shall be chosen for a Governour that hath no assurance of salvation For how should hee set other men to heaven which knows not whether he shall come there 4. That no man shall be chosen a governour of a Church that is an Usurer or ambitiously desire it for they are most unfit for it as Abimilech and Absolom were Therefore agree for you have pulled down one government and you shall not set up another nor that again that you had For I believe my Text though you doe not There shall be no more Sea I tell you plainly you shall not set up but pull down each other til the new Jerusalems government come down from heaven that shal be it that shall reigne The Presbyters have overthrown the Bishops the Independents will overthrow the Presbyters and the Independents are divided and shall overthrow the Anabaptists But the new Jerusalem shall overcome all For there shall be no more Sea Written by I. E. Pastor of the New Jerusalem FINIS
The Propheticall INTELLIGENCER Shewing The causes why all corrupt Churches of Christendome shall passe away or depart and all their Sees of corrupt Doctrine and Discipline shall be abolished and that the holy City of the Church of new Jerusalem is now comming down from my God out of HEAVEN LONDON Printed by M. Simmons and are to be sold by John Hancocke in Popes-head Alley 1647. The Propheticall Intelligencer shewing the causes why all corrupt Churches of Christendome shall passe away or depart and all their Sees of corrupt Doctrine and Discipline shall be abolished and that the holy City of the Church of new Jerusalem is now comming downe from my God out of Heaven Revel 21.1 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 SOme falsely gather that this is to be understood of the Church Triumphant after the resurrection but what need the Church then to be described to be comming downe from heaven it should rather be seene going up to it And what need shall there be of gates a Wall and City and a Tree when all the Saints shall be as the Angels of God in heaven and equall unto them Math. 22. Luke 20 But the Holy Ghost doth not paint out unto us here that Angelical happinesse of the Saints to come For it is spoken of matters to be done in this life upon earth as the sequell shall declare for it is spoken of a new church that shall be upon earth For the glory of the heavenly and pure Church cannot bee seene nor conceived off the heart of a mortall man 1 Cor. 2.9 Neither can it be set forth with words of comparisons of earthly things but seeing it shall be an heavenly Church therefore the glory and dignity of it is commended in heavenly things and yet the description thereof maketh a way to comprehend in our mindes heavenly felicity for if the glory of the Spouse be so great upon earth what manner of things and how excellent are those which God have prepared for his Saints in the fulnesse of joy truely our mindes are too dull and dimme to meditate of these things let us turne our eyes to contemplate of this blessed paradise which shall openly be seene in the world as 2 Esdras 8.52 For unto you is paradise opened the tree of life is planted Rev. 2.7 The time to come is prepared plenteousnesse made ready the City builded v. 18. and rest prepared perfect goodnesse and absolute wisedome the root of evill is sealed up unto you Dan. 9.24 the weakenesse and moth is destroyed from you and into hell fleeth corruption to be forgotten Rev. 21.8 Sorrowes are vanished away and in the end is shewed the treasure of immortalitie v. 4. I follow him as he goeth with Scripure Now the interpretation of the new heaven may be taken out of Heb. 12.26 whose voyce did then shake the earth but now he hath denounced saying yet once more will I shake not the earth onely but also heaven where to shake heaven and earth is by the interpretation of the Apostle to abrogate the former Church worship Temple to cast off the earthly people of all Nations that would not receive him by a New birth Joh. 1.11 Io. 3.3 And so he will cast off all people that are earthly of all Nations whether of the Churches or heathen that will not receive his counsell to buy of him gould tried in the fire to make them rich 1. Rev. 3.18 The lively faith of the merits of Christs death in our baptisme for remission of sinnes and white raiment justification to cloth them that the shame of their nakednesse might not appeare and eye salve of the spirit in the scriptures that men may see Heaven is by a borrowed speech taken for the Temple the legall worship and the Church of the Jewes whereof the Temple was a seate and dwelling place the shadow of heavenly things Heb. 8.5 and we know that the Church is called the Kingdome of Heaven in many places of Scripture as Psal 107. Mar. 4.2 So that shake heaven is to abolish the visible Church that were of the Jewes or are now of the Gentiles Matth. 13.41.43 Luke 10.9 Col. 1.13 For where God will shake the heaven first of the Church and the Earth of unbelievers they shall be abolished Heb. 12.27 but once more saith the Lord will I shake the heaven 1. Of the Church and the Earth 1. Vnbelievers Ergo they shall be abolished By the Earth is meant in that place men corrupt unbelievers as O Earth heare the word of the Lord. Ma. 1. O men that are earth of all Nations of the Earth and all the Kingdomes of the Heathen shall be shaken as Hagg. 2 27. as well as the Churches For behold saith the Lord I have begun to plague the City which my Name is called upon and should you escape you shal surely drinke Iere. Mi. So God will shake the heaven of the church of Christians and should the Earth of Turkes and Heathens escape they shall be overthrowne Con. To shake the earth therefore is to shake the corrupt unbelieving earthly people out of their places as he shooke the Iewes heaven of the church and the Earth of the heathen because they received not one baptisme into Christs death for remission of sinnes but despised the counsell of God against their owne soules and to make a church and therefore he shooke them downe Luke 7.30 Eph. 4.5 Act. 2.38 Ro. 6.3 So that heaven you see is put for the Church and the earth for all corrupt unbelieving people Therefore as God shooke the heaven and the earth after Christs death for their not receiving of him by baptisme into his death as Ioh. 1.9.10 Gal. 3.27 For every soule that will not heare that Prophet 1. To be baptised in his Name if he have not for the remission of sinnes Act. 2.38 Shall be destroyed among the people and they were destroyed from being the church and people of God and became the Synagogue of Sathan Rev. 2.9 God rejected the old church of the heaven of the Iewes and set up a new heaven of the Church of the Gentiles that did receive Christ by baptisme and faith as the 3000. did and the Churches of all Nations So when God shall have mercy upon the forlorne forsaken Nation and make them partakers of salvation by Christ he shall shake the former heaven of the corrupt Idolatrous dead lukewarme churches of the Gentiles because they believe not one baptisme into Christs death for remission of sinnes as Act. 2.38.22.16 Rom. 6.4 and make the dignity and honour of the holy City of the New Ierusalem of Iewes and Gentiles to be so glorious as a new heaven and a new earth Hence I gather this Doctrine Observati ∣ on That there shall be a new church of the new Jerusalem upon earth and this I prove by Esay 65.17 For behold I