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
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
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
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
as the See of Rome Lutheran Calvinian or Episcopall See for they are uncleane Mi. But there shall no uncleane thing enter into the new Jerusalem Rev. 21. Con. Ergo no See of Rome Lutheran Calvinist or Episcopacie shall come into it for they are uncleane We finde when the second Angel poured out this Viall upon the sea and it became as the bloud of a dead man and every living thing dyed in the Sea Rev. 16.3 That is when Calvin had powred out his viall upon the sea of Romes corrupt jurisdiction and Doctrine for a Calvinian governement For Luther a former Angel had poured out his viall of Doctrine upon the earth i. e. upon earthly Papists and there fell a noisome grievous fore upon the men that had the marke of the beast upon them and worshipped his image i. e. upon Papists which worship the Pope and call him their Lord and made them sore i. e. in conscience by hatred malice envy railing and persecution of the truth of Luthers Doctrine But when Calvin I say had powred out a viall of Doctrine upon the See of Romes corrupt Jurisdiction and Doctrine then the See of Rome became as the bloud of a dead man for then they began to fill their See of Rome with bloudy massacres as of France Germany Netherlands and the bloud of the Martyrs of England that as when Moses stretched out his rod over the waters of Aegypt and all was turned into bloud and all the fish in the waters dyed Exod. 7.20 21. So when Calvin the second Angel had powred out his viall of Doctrine on the See of Romes discipline and Doctrine they became so mad as to murther and massacre the Protestants for the Pope was more mad at Calvin then at Luther as the Papists more hate the Calvinists then the Martinists then all the fish in the Popes See dyed for their Sea was become as the bloud of a dead man for they made all the Catholikes believe that they should merit heaven by killing the Hugonits and they must doe all for the Catholike cause and sang a Te Deum for the murdering of multitudes of Saints and thus was the See of Rome become as the bloud of a dead man and thus all the fish of Papists of the sea of Rome dyed in the faith and in conscience For he that hateth his Brother is a murtherer you know that no murtherer hath eternall life or of faith abiding in him 1 Iohn 3.15 But all that lived in the See of Rome hate their Brethren and are murtherers by rejoycing at the martyrdome of the Saints of Iesus As for the massacres of France Germany and now in Ireland so that all Papists must needs dye and cannot live by faith in the sea of black bloud which is also a sea of Idolatry by Idols of silver and gold and wood and stone by Indulgences pilgrimages purgatory prayer for to the dead a sea of whoredome Re. 9.20 fornication and witch-craft How could any thing live in such a corrupt sea of doctrine and discipline when they made all guilty of the murther of Martyrs under the name of Hereticks and they killed the life of faith into one baptisme into Christs death for remission of sins by teaching no man could have assurance of salvation but he must goe to Purgatory for his sinnes except it were such a fish as could bring up above twenty pence in the mouth or some great piece of money so that as no fish can live mari mortuo in the dead Sea So no true faith can live in the dead bloody idolatrous See of Rome For all men may see that per accidens it was turned into a bloudy dead and rotten stuffe by rejoycing at the murthers of the sanctified And concerning our luke-warme see of Jurisdiction and Hierarchy of England You will graunt that it shall be no more for Christ hath spewed out the Angell and his Episcopacie out of his mouth for luke-warmeneâ—se in faith and conscience For they made a net of 110. articles to have insnared many soules and to have catched many faiths in a new Oath of c. to be Jure Divino and to have tyed mens consciences to a raile and to cringings and to an high Altar and to so many Popes weedes of mans braine How could any good fish live in such pudled waters of a luke-warme sea but would have dyed in faith or conscience therefore because Christ hath spewed the Angell and his Hierarchie out of his mouth there shall be no more luke-warme sea And the See of the Lutherans is become nought and shall passe away for it hath a name it lives but is a dead See lyes in a dead faith that their workes are not perfect before God for they hate their brethren the Calvinists for consubstantiation They sleepe in sinne for they will not be awaked out of the dead faith though Christ become upon them as a Thiefe that is by the judgement of a robbing killing and destroying warre for the Thiefe commeth not but to steale and kill and to destroy John 10.10 If thou wilt not repent and remember what thou hast heard of i. e. by the spirit of Martin Luther and received of the white raiment justification to make thy workes perfect before God and of one baptisme into Christs death for remission of sinnes Christ will never leave comming upon thee as a Thiefe for he hath been upon thee as a Thiefe in judgement to plunder thee by a civill War and as a Thiefe to kill thee sometimes man woman and child he will come upon thee as a Thief to destroy by the Turk For Christ threatened your church that he would come on you as a Thief and now you see he is come and now see Rev. 16.15 Behold I come as a Thiefe and therefore he will never leave comming on thee as a Thiefe and therefore repent and buy gold white raiment and eye-salve or else the Turke will come to destroy thee because thou keepest not Christs garments but walkest naked in sin Also the Presbyterian See of Calvinists will be abolished for suffering Drunkards Usurers and prophane and especially Anabaptists to swim in their See Doe you not know that the denying of their first baptisme was the cause why the Lord sent the Turke into the church of Greece and removed the Candlesticke of the Church out of that place because they forsooke their first love i. e. their first baptisme wherein the first love of Christ is shewed Ephes 5.26 Tit. 3.5 Of the overthrow and departure of all corrupt Sees of Jurisdiction of the churches of the Gentiles for baptisme is good enough by whomsoever a man be baptized If they have faith to believe they were then washed from their sins in Christs bloud Revel 1.5 For hee that believeth and is baptized into Christs death for remission of sinnes shall be saved Mar. 16.16 It is not said in mans state or in Infancy baptized by a faithfull Minister
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
by the Lutherans and the sea of the Calvinists by the Calvinists now if the counsell of Gamaliel approved on in Scripture be true then they must all come to nought For every counsell or worke of man shall come to nought but that which is of God shall stand Acts 5.28 But the Popedome or Sea of Rome Sea of an Hierarchie of Bishops Sea of Lutherans and Calvinists are counsels and workes of men Ergo. they shall come to nought but the church and government of the New Jerusalem from God shall stand Reason 6 Where a great voyce shall be heard out of heaven saying behold the Tabernacle of God is with men there the church must be governed by the Oracles of Gods word and not by a sea of discipline of men for the Oracle is in the Tabernacle but in the New Jerusalem there shall be a voyce out of heaven saying behold the Tabernacle of the Lord is with men Rev. 21.3 Ergo there the Church must be governed by the Oracle of Gods word and not by a Sea of discipline of men Reason 7 For as fishes swimme and live in the Sea so have Christians sailed sworne and lived in the Sea of Rome Canterbury of Lutherans and Calvinists for they lived and walked in their Iurisdiction government discipline for as the Sea have drowned many that have sailed in it so that Sea of Rome and of Canterbury and of Lutherans Calvinists that have drowned many mens faiths in perdition that sailed in them they are worthy to be no more but the Sea of Rome have drowned mens faith in Idolatry and purgatory and the Lutheran Sea have drowned mens faith in confustantiation dead faith and workes to the Calvinists the Sea of our Episcopacy and sea of Calvinists have drowned many faiths in Lukewarmnesse Ergo they are worthy to be no more all these have drowned the faith of one baptisme into Christs death for remission of sinnes for if this faith had swome in other Seas what needed a Popes pardon a purgatory a pilgrimage consubstantiation and workes not perfect before God and a luke-warme faith without assurance of salvation Reason 8 Those Seas that have devoured abundance of substance of poore Christians and worthy to be no more But the Sea of Rome by purgatory pardons and pilgrimage and the seas of Lutherans and Calvinists and of our Episcopacy by licences visitations and courts have devoured abundance of substance of poore Christians Ergo. they are worthy to be no more Of the overthrow and departure of all the corrupt Seas of jurisdiction of the churches of the Gentiles For as the Sea compasseth the Land and sendeth Springs or Rivers to all parts of the Land to water it So did the See of Rome and of Canterbury and of the Lutherans and Calvinists paâ—se through all the parts of their Dominions to water them with their Jurisdiction For who was free in any Popish kingdome from Saint Peters pence or Inquisition Court and Maâ—se and power of the Pope and who was freed in our Hierachy of the Episcopacy from the high Commission Chauncellor or Commissaries courts Synods Licences or Parators or freed in the Lutheran or Calvinists Sees from their Iurisdiction and Discipline Now if the See of the Iurisdiction of the Hierarchy of England be so departed that it can be no more then the Sees of Lutherans and Calvinists and of Rome must follow because the Text saith there shall be no more Sea But by the decree of God Rev. 3.16 and by the vote of Parliament and the Oath of the people the See of the Iurisdiction of the Hierarchy of England is so departed that it can be no more For though King Parliament were agreed to set up an Episcopacy or Presbytery but the Independents and Souldiers would never endure it for they rout them where they come Ergo the Sees of Lutherans and Calvinists and of Rome must follow because the Text saith there shall be no more Sea Judgement is begun at the house of God for their See what shall become of the wicked See of Rome even that which came upon olde Babylon shall come upon the new Babylon of Rome I will maintaine thy cause and take vengeance for thee I will dry up her Sea and make her Springs dry for the people of Gods cause Ier. 51.36 See O heaven rejoyce of her for God will punish her to be revenged of her for your sakes For when a mighty Angel tooke up a great stone like a mil-stone and cast it into the Sea saying with such violence shall that great thy of Babylon be cast and shall be found no more Revel 18.20 21. If the great city of Babylon of Rome shall be so cast what shall become of their See He that believes not that Rome is Babylon that shall be destroyed hath not so good a faith as the Devill who knows it is his habitation vers 2. and an hold of all foul spirits Reason 10 For as the Sea useth to roare presaging stormes which causeth Marriners to beware Ps 46.3 But he breaketh the raging of the Sea when the waves thereof doe roare Jer. 31.35 So when Martin Luther powred out his viall of Doctrine of free Iustification how did the See of Rome and Leo 10. roare against him with his execrable bull but the Lord brake off part of that See and it became a Lutheran Calvinian and Cantuarian See And when the Lutheran See began to roare against the Calvinists for consubstantiation and persecuted them the Lord hath broken that See with one breaking after another And when the See of Canterbury roared against the white-raiment christians and Non-conformists suspending them and cast them into prison On worthy Prin Doctor Bastwick And though a Shepheard got a piece of an eare out of the mouth of a lion Amos 3. yet our Lion loved rost cheekes and eares so well that he left never a piece Therefore the Lord hath broken the waves of the Cantuarian and Episcopal See when it roared and that See shall be no more and the See of Lutherans that have roared at the Calvinists shall be stilled and the See of Rome that have roared and devoured the Martyrs of Jesus shall be dryed up and shall be burne and be no more For as Christ rebuked the materiall Sea when it roared against his Disciples he stilled it So because waves of the Metaphoricall seas that have roared against Reason 11 his people he will still them and they shall be no more for as the raging troubled Sea casteth out mire and dirt Esa 57.10 So have the troubled See of Rome Lutherans Calvinists and of Canterbury been like this troubled Sea for when any troubled their seas by writing or preaching the truth they conceived it was against them how have they foamed out mire and dirt of bloud and persecution Reason 11 Now if there shall no uncleane thing enter into the new Jerusalem then no such miry diâ—ty Seas shall come into it Ma.