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A55881 Antient Christianity revived being a description of the doctrine, discipline, and practice of the little city of Bethania : collected out of her great charter, the Holy Scriptures, and confirmed by the same for the satisfaction and benefit of the house of the poor / by one of her inhabitants who desireth to worship God after the way which some men call heresie. Pardoe, William, d. 1692. 1688 (1688) Wing P348; ESTC R27527 83,441 196

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pure Image So then the World which lyeth in Wickedness 1 John 5.19 1 Cor. 1.12 by all its Wisdom knoweth not good For the Workers of Iniquity have no Knowledge and when the Sons of Ely became the Sons of Belial then they knew not the Lord Yea the Priests said not Psal 14.4 1 Sam. 2.11 Jer. 2.8 1 John 2.5 James 2.19 Where is the Lord And such as handled the Law knew him not Therefore he that saith He knoweth him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him so that to know God by a Speculative Knowledge signifieth little The Devil may be more Excellent herein then men But the saving Knowledge of God Job 42.5 which in Bethania is added to Vertue and it is an Experimental Knowledge by which he is known to be the only good Psal 73.26 Luke 10.42 2 Kings 4.9 John 14.21 Psal 73.24 Psal 121.8 and therefore is chosen to be the only Portion His Counsels are embraced as infallible his Way is chosen and greatly approved his Image is loved wherever it appears and Conformed unto with all possible Exactness Unto such as these he will manifest himself in his Wisdom to guide them in his Power to defend them in his Love to comfort them Cant. 1.2 Heb. 11.6 2 Pet. 3.18 Col. 4.5 Luke 12.5 2 John 1.2 in his Mercy to relieve them and in his Bounty to reward them so that as Persons grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus in this Experimental Knowledge it will enable them to walk in Wisdom with him to fear none but God to love nothing but for his sake Acts 20.24 Dan. 6.10 Lam. 1.16 Mat. 3.26 Acts 8.3 Psal 17.15 Cant. 3.4 to leave his Service for no Peril for they see him to be their only good and all things to be but empty without him Therefore Bethania entreth into the inside of Scriptures and looketh through all Ordinances and searcheth into the depth of whole Nature that she may know him who is her only good with whom her Soul is greatly satisfied and in whose Communion as her Soul is walking with him she enjoys unspeakable solace In this Street standeth the Schools of Learning and the Perfection of the Knowledge that is there attained to is for man to know himself and God. CHAP. VI. A Third Pillar in the House of Wisdom is Temperance and it is a famous street in Bethania it cometh from the Word which signifieth Strength Therefore when it dwelleth in the Soul every thing therein is subjected to Reason and Divinity Gal. 5.22 23. It is a Fruit of the Holy Spirit and a State wherein Heaven-born Souls walk with God it is meet to be observed in the Management of the Christian War he that striveth for Masteries is temperate in all things it is a Qualification that must be found in a Bishop and with great Diligence is to be added to Knowledge Sound Doctrine teacheth that Aged Men be sober grave temperate 1 Cor. 9.25 Tit. 1.8 2 Pet. 1.5 Tit. 2.2 Acts 24.25 sound in the Faith in Charity in Patience when Paul reasoned with Felix of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come that Doctrine made him tremble For Temperance is a great Enemy to Voluptuousness Where Temperance stands firm in the Soul as a stable Pillar Lust and Self-will are conquered for Temperance is to overcome our selves Tit. 1.7 and so all the Affections to Creatures as Creatures are Crucified in true Temperance and the Soul is kept in a quier Calm Gal. 6.14 Lam. 3.26 1 Thess 4.13 and is not discomposed either by Love or Fear Where Temperance is a ruling Principle joy and sorrow appear in a great Modesty When Temperance guides the Stern and stears the Course there is no Natural Object so delightful nor Cross so distasteful Gen. 22.16 Heb. 11.35 but it can freely leave the one and quietly bear the other Where Temperance is a constant Walk of the Soul Anger and Passion are meer strangers for Temperance is very Meek but Anger i● very Outragious Therefore saith Seneea Prov. 27. Chap. 25.2 Anger and Frenzy are but tu● several Ways of a mans losing 〈◊〉 Wit but the temperate man that ruleth his own Spirit hath that Evi● Passion in Subjection Prov. 16.2 1 Tim. 6.8 and so is better than he that taketh a City Temperance is contented with Food and Rayment though both but mean and maketh no Provision for the Flesh at all but only to supply the Necessities of Nature Rom. 13.14 but Lust and Envy are never satisfied who having obtain and one thing straitway desireth anoter and like the Horse-leach cry Give Give Prov. 30.1.5 Temperance manageth strife both with Men and Devils in great Sobrieties and to the one it saith The Lord forgive thee Luke 25.34 Isa 59.11 and to the other The Lord Rebuke thee But Railing and Immodesty spring from Lust and are never found in Temperance Temperance beareth an Ecclipse from God with great Submission and only mourneth like a Dove not roareth like a Bear so Jesus our Saviour in his great Agony ruied his Spirit with much Modesty saying If it be thy Will Luke 22.42 let this Cup pass from me Therefore Temperance is a pleasant Walk in Bethania and most of the discourse of her Spirit there is not my Will but thine be done and so the whole state of the Soul Act. 26.14 and all the Affections of the sensitive Life are ordered and composed by Temperance John 2.10 and in this Estate she walketh with God and findeth no Occasion of stumbling Isa 28.17 Thus Judgment being laid to the Line and Righteousness to the Plummet a Narrow Path is marked out by these to be a constant Walk of Bethania CHAP. VII THE Fourth Pillar in the House of Wisdom is Patience the which is also divided into three Parts The first of which Luke 21. Numb 12.3 Isa 28.16 is that by which we quietly endure Adversity The second is that by which we bear with great Provocations and Reproaches But the Third is accounted waiting for the Accomplishment of all Promises till their proper Season this is a long Street in Bethania and she hath many a walk with God therein whose mind being firmly fixed there her State is always comfortable and her Soul is kept in perfect Peace Isa 26.3 But as a curious piece of Work is formed out of Iron by Fire and Blows even so also Patience is wrought out by Suffering Rom. 5.3 as it is said Tribulation worketh Patience He that will turn a Withered Tree into shining Glass must first burn it to Ashes and as a Silver or Golden Vessel is made by melting in the Fire so Patience in the first Degree thereof springeth out of Afflictions and therefore he who will have it firmly Rooted in his Soul must dig deep therein for Patience will grow no where but there and
and a stamering Tongue it is too much to be doubted that others also are somewhat dull of hearing and from hence it might and yet may arise that our Mothers Children have had some occasion to be angry with me however I am greatly inclined to still them as well as I can so that I may keep Truth from falling in the Streets and a good Conscience from being violated by any means And you may plainly percieve that I have no end at my own glory in these things in that I have not attempted to beautifie it at all with humane wisdom but with great simplicity as becomes the Title it presents it self to view Neither do I mind mine outward profit by any thing that is now undertaken my mind being but little enclined thereunto ever since you and I have had to do one with another And by reason of many natural Impediments both pains and loss are like to be my present rewards and you are witnesses and God also that I have coveted no mans Gold or Silver or Apparel though I migt have had all these from you with right true desire but these hands for the most part through the good providence of God hitherto ministred unto my necessities and so what I have freely received I would freely give again desiring the Ever Blessed God to make all my poor endeavours as the wilderness-Feast of Barly Bread and Fishes which was blessed for the nourishment of very many Souls So not being willing to burden you too much nor too long to detain you from the things that follow I desire earnestly the continuance of your serious requests for me as I hope mine will be still for you Who am your unworthy Servant in what I can for your Souls Advantage W. P. THE PREFACE TO THE READER Courteous Reader THou art here presented with a little Treatise which meer Necessity forceth into the World being a Summary of the Faith and Practices in brief of the Christian Catholick Church which in her Militant Estate is rightly stiled Bethania and it was first occasioned by some Suspitions and Accusations cast upon the Author chiefly by some of his Mothers Children touching the Principles of his Belief who being known to be one that holdeth Vniversal Redemption hath been charged or at least suspected to hold many gross Opinions by them that are of a contrary Mind as Free-Will or Single Power in the Creature in the work of the Souls Conversion Secondly Of denying the Humanity of our Saviour and sometimes also his Divinity Thirdly Of holding the Mortality of the Soul and denying the Resurrection of the Body from the Dead or something equivalent thereunto sometimes suspected of Arianism of Praying to Angels and Justification by Works and such like things which suspicious minds could frame All which things he hath sometimes born with much calmness of Spirit thinking it sufficient that his own Conscience hath pronounced him innocent as to things of this nature and also rejoyceth in Divine Grace by which he hath been kept in such a state although full of imperfections as that occasion hath not been given to the accused or much suspected of an impious Life yet for the sake of the poor in Spirit his only companions and which are very dear unto him he hath given forth a brief declaration of the Christian Faith Order and Life in the which he himself expects to be saved and his design is to further the good and benefit of all serious Souls who in very many tossings to and fro have almost been tired and discouraged on the Mountains of Wandring but yet this is not all for he would fain awaken the Careless Daughters and give a Midnight-Cry to the Foolish Virgins that if possible they might see the Bed of Christian-Profession to be too short and the Covering of Church-Communion to be too narrow to rest secure in from that Heart-searching God with whom we all must shortly have to do But the Author did first intend to have left this little Treatise in Manuscript only to three Societies with whom he hath been more than ordinarily concerned the which though little in Bulk is great in Matter and contains that which might have been the Subject of many great Volumes it relating to the whole Mystery of Godliness from first to last the which without controversie is exceeding great and it is designed to be promoted by the Author as his poor Abilities will afford not only in the Theory thereof but also in the practical Part which is indeed the Substance of true Divinity and though it may come forth in a Name and Title somewhat strange at first yet when the Reason thereof is given it may not always appear a wonder for as the Church of Christ is sometimes in Scripture called a City as in Psal 46.4 There is a River the streams whereof makes glad the City of God the holy Place of the Tabernacle of the most High So Mat 5.14 it is said to be the Salt of the Earth and a City set on a Hill that cannot be hid and in Eph. 2.19 Now therefore ye are no more Strangers and Foreigners but Fellow-Citizens of the Saints and of the Houshold of God. So also there are divers Cities and Towns in Scripture that do very much represent the same among which Bethania is no small representation according to the Hebrew signification of it And first it is represented by Zion which signifieth Driness and so indeed she is with respect to her own estate but that the Rivers of the waters of Life from the Rock in the weary Land Isa 32.21 flow unto her and is a place of broad Rivers and Streams therein Isa 33.2 Secondly Israel signifying the Vision of Peace and indeed this City where Christ the Prince of Peace dwelleth must needs be the elearest sight of Peace on this side Heaven it self and the Peace of God which passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 doth keep the Hearts and Minds of them in perfect Peace who as the true Israel of God do stedfastly walk by the New Creature-Rule Gal. 6.16 Besides this City does not only see Visions of Peace from God but also Visions of Peace are seen from it to Men being a Kingdom which is not of this World John 18.36 Neither consisteth in meat or drink Rom. 14.7 but in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Thirdly Bethlehem which signifies the House of Bread and in the true Church of Christ this Bread of Life is the only food of Souls the which being the flesh of Christ our Life all the heavenly Off-spring live thereby John 6.57 He that eateth me shall live by me and from hence the Bread of Life is also ministerially tendered For the Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that Heareth say Come and whosoever will let him come and take of the Water of Life freely Rev. 22.17 and so Prov. 9.5 Come eat of my bread and drink of the Wine which I have mingled So
Therefore it is the Desire of this Author that all his Fellow-Travellers who are seeeking and walking in the way of Life that they would turn their Minds into themselves and carefully weigh the State of their own Souls to see that the Root of the Matter is in themselves neither casting off any Truth of Christ nor yet resting therein till they have found the inside thereof neither yet to satisfie themselves until the inside of Truth be firmly setled in the inward parts of the Soul For the All-seeing God looketh for Psal 51.6 Psal 19.11 Jer. 15.16 Psal 119.105 and desireth Truth in the inward parts and there only it is profitable unto men and will stand them in great stead in their greatest and deepest Necessities For it will be a light in the Land of Darkness Psal 119.143 Psal 9.4 Mat. 4 4. Isa 32.2 Psal 25.21 a Comfort in the time of Trouble an hiding place in the Hour of Temptation a Shield and Buckler against the storms of Violence it will be for Food in the time of Famine and Refreshing Water in the Land of Drought For Integrity and Uprightness will still preserve those who really possess it and cause them to lift up their Heads before the Face of the most insulting Adversary Psal 19 6. Verse 14.6 Heb. 10.34 neither shall they be ashamed before Kings that have respect unto all Gods Righteous Judgments Truth in the inward parts fortifieth the Soul against the Fear of Men and Devils and possesses it only with the pure Fear of God it sealeth unto it an inward Evidence for Heaven Psal 17.14 Mat. 13.21 and where that Evidence is Earth and its Fullness are easily forsaken but where this Evidence is wanting the Mind is frequently filled with Fear and all the known Portion being the things of this World the Thieves are suspected to be likely to steal and the Moths to corrupt that which is within the reaches of their Power and many a time through want of Truth in the inward parts with which also the inward Evidence stands divers Souls desist the Service of the holy God and through the Fear of Mortal men Isa ●1 12 13. when it can but kill the Body and deprive us of the Comforts of this outward Life they wander into a Spirit of Apostasie and forget the fear of him which is able to kill Mat. 10.28 Verse 29. Luke 12.20 Prov. 14.26 Acts 20 24. and Eternally to torment the Soul and hence it cometh to pass that by seeking to save the Life of the Body we lose the Eternal Life of the Soul by possessing our selves of Earth for a few Moments we lose Heaven to all Eternity but the pure Fear of God driveth away all other Fear and causeth the Soul to pass through all Difficulties with much chearfulness keeping it clean from all Impurity but while men possess themselves only with the outside of Truth and have the glorious Forms of Godliness shining forth in a visible Profession this being but the outward Court of Gods holy Temple and Suburbs of his little City Dan. 8 12. Rev. 11.2 will not secure in the hour of Temptation nor be a shelter from the Storms of Violence For Men and Devils can invade this place and cast down this part of Truth to the ground and tread under Foot those Persons who have their Habitations only here Therefore our Safety consisteth not in Forms only but also in the Power of Godliness yet the greatest Contention among men is about the Wall and outward Court of the House where also many poor Souls have been sore wounded and discouraged by Reason of the Divisions of Reuben Judg. 5.15 16. Numb 32.5 who chose to dwell on this side Jordan where his Possessions lie open to divers kinds of Dangers but when this out-side of Truth is used only as Spectacles to help us to the light of invisible things then it standeth in its right place and so every part of Truth is very precious when observed in that Order whereunto the Lord appointed it and when the visible things have done their Office and the time of Figures is come to an End then the light of this Sun Moon and Stars will disappear and Prophecies fail Rev 21.23 1 Cor. 13 8. and Tongues shall cease and Faith and Hope have a final End and so those who have rightly used these Spectacles shall see no more through a Glass darkly but shall see as they are seen and know as they are known For in the glorious Resurrection 1 Cor. 15.44 the very Bodies of men shall be made Spiritual so that which is perfect being come that which is in part shall be done away Therefore have I endeavoured according to my weak Ability to hint at things through these Papers both in their Formal and Spiritual Natures that so none might despise the one or miss the other but if it be possible might be brought to conform unto the Walk in the whole will of God and it is very much to be supposed Col. 4.12 that I shall be censured by many not understood by all yet I hope quietly to bear the one and carefully to inform the other according to my utmost Capacity and I commit these Writings which have been Composed in the midst of many Distractions to the disposing of the most wise God beseeching him of his great Mercy to perfect all my Imperfections that in them appear and to guide the serious Reader by his most pure Counsel that in the use thereof he may attain to greater Wisdom then that which at present is my little Talent and when he hath found any thing in the use of this short Breviate of things that he be as ready to impart to me as I have now at last been to communicate these things to him and though I have used divers Allegories and Figurative Speeches in these Writings Hos 12.10 Psal 1.8 1 Cor. 4.34 yet I know how to excuse my self therein and intreat that I may not be too fiercely condemned before I come to Judgment And forasmuch as our Brethren called Particular Baptists were the principal and only Occasion of the first part of these Papers I intreat them to consider that both of us might come nearer the Truth as 't is in its own Nature if we did not set our selves too much to wander into extreams by reason of which we have been smiting each other in the dark and so weakning each others Spirits while Piety and Vertue the Substance of all true Religion doth but meanly flourish on either side and though we should share alike among the rest Isa 33.18 1. Cor. 4.1 in the outward Knowledge of outward things yet in the end it will signifie little for it is Charity only that edifieth and Contention and Vanity are all or very near the Earthly Spirit but Unity is from above and nearly related to the only wise God whose Name is One and to our Lord Jesus Christ whose Work is together in One Unto whom who is the most Glorious and Blessed Lamb 1 Cor. 4.3 with the Eternal Father The only Wise and Invisible God be all Glory Might Majesty Dominion Love Service and Obedience throughout all Ages Ephes 3.21 and to all Eternity Amen FINIS