A SHORT DISCOVERY OF THE MYSTERY OF INIQVITIE 2 Thes 2.7 For the mysterie of Iniquitie doth already work Revel 17.5 And upon her forehead was a name written Mysterie c. 1 Pet. 3.13,14,15 Who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good But and if ye suffer for righteousnesse sake c. To which is added also A Brief Discovery of the false holinesse of Nations their Instituted or Church State and what appertains thereunto set forth for the good of all that love Truth in the inward parts By Mich Quintyne 2 Pet. 2.1 But there were false Prophets also among the people even as there shall be false Teachers among you Verse 3. And through covetousnesse shall they with feigned words make merchandize of you c. Colos 2.8 Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophie and vain deceit c. LONDON Printed for the Author Ann. Dom. 1645. Matth. 10. from 26. to ver 34. REader take notice in publishing what is agreeable to the will of God and welfare of mankind without speciall Licence is no contempt of Authority but of oppression or the threatnings thereof Prov. 3.5,6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart c. In all thy wayes acknowledge him c. We must not be afraid to pull Antichrist by the coat and pull it off also to discover him to the people For t is he that maketh oppression and injustice easie till he be removed here will be no roome for a new Heaven and a new Earth in the sense of the want thereof let nothing be spared to gain them for what is heaven and earth wherein is no righteousnesse to be enjoyed and used towards God and man behold the policie to prevent the least touch of false holinesse and injustice but wo unto them that seek deep to hide their counsell from the Lord. c. Isa 29.15,16 A short Discovery of the Mystery of Iniquity I Have formerly commended to the King and Parlament in speciall manner yet not exclusively to their consideration the Discovery of the States of Policie and likewise the natures from whence they flow the largest knowledge with the right use whereof is their most lively and proper Element which leadeth to the preservation of the Church of Christ and maintenance of humanity and as fully do charge it upon them it being principally their work to discern and distinguish between them and so to order their Dominions that each may have its due Rom. 13.3,4,5,6 1 Tim. 2.12 both which Treatises were much lamed in Printing but I hope the time now is and yet will be more wherein men will look upon right drift and good intentions then mistakes in writing and Printing of any point substantiall or circumstantiall Trying all things and holding fast that which is good according to Divine counsell 1 Thess 5.21 considering man incident to error And for the better accomplishment of the work intended even that all men whether esteemed better or worse of each other in Religion keeping the bonds of Civilitie may live a peaceable life enjoying the liberty of their souls and bodies kept as aforesaid within the Laws of humanity in the free use of their consciences in their religious service of God I do in the discharge of my dutie to God and man according as I have received set forth to the generall consideration of all men this following Discovery of the Mystery of Iniquitie And that it may be done in the fullest measure to the common understanding of humane reason let it be considered First what a Mystery is or wherein it doth consist Secondly whence it floweth or the reason of it Thirdly what it serveth to or is of use for A Mystery is or doth consist in two respects First in the curious composition of any creature whether artificiall politique or naturall under one of which titles all the creatures that are have their being Secondly in the curious counterfeiting of any thing making things seem the same which in nature and truth they are very short of or the absolute contrary In things artificiall the first is proved in most Indentures of Apprentiship in the expression of what is to be taught and learned under the title of Trade Art and Mysterie The second is sufficiently proved in the usuall cheats and common deceits in artificiall things In Policie of all sorts is proof of the first in the constitution or way of unifying the matter and form thereof both in Civill and Ecclesiasticall the palpable grosse and common ignorance wherein the wrong and false is usually taken and used for the true in both sorts confirmeth it The second is also apparently true in bodies politique in the Civill in cases of usurpation so likewise in Ecclesiasticall the Jewish false in the constitution and the Antichristian false from the institution and in every main part of the constitution yet accepted and approved of by people Nations and Languages to their utter ruine and destruction besides your own experience of the truth hereof I shall in future passages prove it by principles rationall confirmed by Divine records In things naturall vegitables animals and rationals the first is evidently true For the curiosity of their elimentary compositions or constitutions of the meanest of them yea the least part of them is to the wisest of men a Mystery for who can make a naturall haire experience is without deniall The second is most manifestly true in things naturall since the curse in Adams dayes upon the earth for his sake the deceit in vegitables and in animals which also is the more through abuse taketh away all doubt thereof And since mans first transgression whereby humane nature became subjected with a curse and through the continued permission of God to the use of the devill the redeemed onely in most speciall manner excepted unlesse in the father of lies himself where can be found greater mischievous deceit then in the sons of men The Reason of a Mystery in relation to any or either of the foresaid creatures is twofold 1 Is from the rarenesse of the essence or substance and constitution or contrivance of things artificiall or politique and from thâ— most curious composition by creation or generation of natures and spirits which by infusion the Creator alone hath brought forth and doth and will willingly and permissively until his determinations are accomplished 2 Is from the weaknesse of our capacitie shallownesse of our understanding and unaptnesse to the right use of any creature subjected to the use and for the welfare of mankind the truth of both these Reasons appeareth from the inability in us to any reall good and our aptnesse to transgresse from the first trespasse to this moment and will to the last of all our dayes The speciall use this word Mystery serveth for is twofold 1 Is to possesse us with the weightinesse and consequence of things which most essentially concern man in his personall and politique condition both spirituall
being which is spirituall according to a divine instinct and choice so to be not by a power magisteriall or inhumanely compulsive forcing humance nature above or contrary to its present light this truth is proved in gathering the Church in making disciples not slaves and by casting out of fellowship no farther then whence received nor into any worse condition for matters of the world in any due course and this agreeth with the holinesse of Divinity which was manifested in himself by all that he did or commanded to be done for the good of man The nature of the members and subject or materiall part of the constitution of this divine instituted bodie Christ visible Church Gods worshippers is divine and spirituall sutable to that of the Trinitie and the Law thereof which according to measure bringeth forth all goodnesse in truth of love of God in all his wayes towards him and men and therefore Christ declares that those that worship God shall do it in spirit and truth for such the Father seeketh to worship him Joh. 4.23 Phil. 3.3 you may see what the Apostles gathered and indeavoured to incorporate into that fellowship and bodie by the severall Epistles to the severall Churches in their times you may see likewise what Law of the Sanctuary leadeth them to and declareth them to be or not to be that read Ephes 4. besides many other Scriptures which are numberlesse and needlesse to cite to prove the truth hereof this is sutable to the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Ephes 4.24 Now look upon the false divine Institutions the false Church States which are most divellish in the nature of the parts of constitution and ye may soon judge what the devill hath done where he is and how he hath doth and will if not looked unto use the sons of men as he did their Father Adam and their Mother Eve undo them in their being men whilest with delusion they seek to be as gods in this seeming divine government whether papistical Episcopall or Pretbyteriall changing of termes and shapes is nothing without change of natures a woolf is the same in a sheeps skin and at the same time as truly as without it if you shall find in either Church the nature of the first part of the constitution wholly short of or contrary to the preservation of mankind and the motion thereby in the Church sutable to that whereby it is or hath its being with all power of violence and lying belowe civility which truly is so that abuseth it threatning people in to the Church and keeping them in with a Babylonish Proclamation fineing imprisoning murthering in to it in it and so to cut off from it you may easily conclude what it is in point of holines is it not a power of gallant holinesse that can proclaim Gentiles into Jews and both into Christians in the expression thereof or render people for dead and undone and can likewise change the Gentiles hands alwayes under civill use into spirituall hereticall glibes and tythes Artists and Linguists into Hevites and Priests and make and marre people in life and estate without relation to Christian or Civill trespasse Magistracie is gloriously honoured to serve such Church power helpeth well to propagate the Gospel and Christianity the clean contrary way your exercised senses herewith needs no proof t is enough for this part Look into the nature of the second part of the constitution and you will find the nationall lamps of the Gentiles spirituall divine persons so guided and led by the Spirit of Christ and Christian principles that they can scarse give time to hang or murther one the other for the weight of a farthing t is more proper to tell of their uncivillized natures then of their Divinity witnesse daily experience of the holinesse of the members in generall the holy Ghost in the Prophets and Revel 13. hath fully described it but change temporall Aegypt and Babylon for slaves and slavery in to spirituall and t is the very image of the holinesse of this part of the constitution of the Nationall Churches of Europe what difference between the Church of Christ and the worlds If Nations be the companies of Saints the generality of Nations are gallant peeces for holinesse in knowledge and obedience of the will of God either morall or instituted Witnesse experience of least reason and what more can be expected from a people sanctified with a great word and a blow Truth I perceive must bring forth fullest evidence though her witnesses die in Gaole or hang for it before the earth I mean Civility will incline to execute judgement upon the great Whore by whom it was and is defiled to the shedding of a world of innocent blood and notwithstanding her continuall blaspheming against God his Name his tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven Revel 13.6 All which is accomplished with mysterious Iniquitie and false holinesse Well saith Wisdome and most properly in this case A whore is a deep ditch Prov. 23.27 ye may do well to examine also what is said of her parties which if true in the naturall sense much more in the spirituall Prov. 5. Concerning Ordinances circumstantiall Institutions belonging to the Church of Christ which false Churches catch at and profane as the Babylonians did the vessels of the Temple in the Jews time I shall omit to spent time about at present and onely touch upon the holinesse of times and places which are ended in Christ Times and places are necessary adjuncts to every action both Civill and Divine without them nothing hath being and I know not why Christians which may pray every where 1 Tim. 2.8 and alwayes 1 Thes 5.17 in respect of either injoyned they should not agree as well as Civill wise men upon the best advantage in use of both concerning the worshipping of God Morall commands of the first Table are obeyed now in the drift and intention of them not in the literall expression or else we have not to do with them but the Jews onely In the use of these Discoveries all former and that shall be by whomsoever of any truths of God all which tend in their right use to the good of man suffer me O Nation King Parlaments and People this once more with my life in my hand for artificially holy and butcherly uncivill murtherers are now plenty in the Land freely to speak to you as one man for so ye are in Civill policie in the propheticall expression of Mich. 6.8 he hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly love mercie and walk humbly with thy God make good your justice and tendernesse towards men and walk towards God in your own innocent knowledge and use of his Institutions as he revealeth himself to you not in vain conceits with delusions of getting or being higher then is your due remember what Adam got thereby the Jews by