strength and according to each mans measure of the Spirit so is his measure of grace And thus the Holy Spirit by being a Spirit of righteousness is also in us a Spirit of power 6. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of power in us by being in us a Spirit of the fear of the Lord and so he is by representing God to us in his Glory and Majesty according as he hath revealed himself to us in his word from which knowledge of God springs his fear For what is the reason that the men of the world fear not God but sin securely against the great and glorious God every day Why the reason is because they know not the Lord. Now the Spirit comes and reveals the Father in the Son and presents God to the soul through his word in his infinite and eternal power and justice and wisdom and truth and faithfulness and love and mercy and goodness c. and shines to the soul in each attribute of God and now when a man sees God by his own light and knows him by his own teaching then first doth he begin truely to fear God and the fear of God is his strength For he that fears God is free from all other fear he fears not men of high degree nor men of low degree nor the united power of all the creatures he fears not the fear of other men in their evils but in the midâ—â— of all fearful things he is without fear because he sanctifies the Lord of hosts in himself in his heart and makes him his fear and his dread And by this means amidst all evils he hath admirable confidence and assurance because he knows that no evil can befall him from any man or from any creature till first it be the will of God and also that what ever evil befalls him according to the will of God it shall work for good unto him in the end Thus the fear of the Lord is a Christians confidence and a beleevers strength whereas he that fears not God fears every thing yea not onely reall but imaginary evils and as evils multiply his fears so his fears again multiply his evils till at last he be swallowed up of both But the Holy Spirit being in us a Spirit of the fear the Lord is also in us a Spirit of strength 7. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of power in us by being in us a Spirit of love and unity The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of love and unity in the Godhead for the Father loves the Son with the Spirit and the Son loves the Father with the Spirit and the Father is one with the Son in the Spirit and the Son is one with the Father in the Spirit and the Spirit is both the bond of love and unity between the Father and the Son and God being most love and most one is also most strong Now what the Spirit is in the Godhead he is the same in the Church of God which is the true temple and habitation of the Godhead and that is a Spirit of love and unity For why is there such constant love and unity between the members of the same body but because one Spirit runs through them all and so there is such constant love and unity between all beleevers because one Holy Spirit runs through them all And hence we may take notice of a remarkable difference between nature and grace for nature of one makes many for we all who are many among our selves even a whole world of men were but one in Adam omnes eramus ille unus homo but grace of many makes one for the Holy spirit which is as fire melts all the faithfull into one mass or lump and makes of many one body one thing yea it makes them one in the unity of God according to that of Christ John 17. 21. that they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us mark the words for they are wonderful that they all may be one that is that all beleevers who are many among themselves may be all made one one How one As thou Father art in me and I in thee that is as thou and I being two persons are yet but one God after this highest example of unity let them be made One in us as long as they remain in themselves they are many and how much they remain in themselves they are many for their unity is not in themselves but they are one in us who are one that is how much the saints by the Spirit are carried into the Father and the Son who are one so much also are they made one not onely with the Father and the Son but also with one another You may see in the Acts how the multitude of beleevers after they had received the Spirit so far forth as they had received the Spirit Were of one heart and of one minde And this unity of beelievers is their strength and when God shall take away all those prejudices and suspicions and jealousies and particular ends and interests and divisions and separations and Schismes that are among his own people and the people of God shall be reduced into this blessed unity among themselves and the Lord be one and his name one among them all then shall the Church also be of admirable and invincible power So that all they that strive with it shall perish and all they that war against it shall be as nothing yea then shall the Lord make the Church as a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth and it shall thresh the Mountains that is the Kingdomes of the world and shall beat them small and shall make the hills that is the lesser Common-wealths as chaffe But till the Church of God attain to this unity it shall not do any excellent thing it shall not work any notable deliverance in the earth neither shall the inhabitants of the world fall When the Spirit of God shall be a Spirit of unity in the faithful and shall heal all the sad differences and dissensions that are now between them then also shall it be a Spirit of admirable power in them And thus much for the explication of the point The Vse is twofold 1. The first is to exhort all men everywhere to endeavour to partake of this supernatural spiritual and divine power of the Holy Spirit which is certainly communicated to all the faithful and Elect in Christ Jesus And let no man think it is a thing indifferent whether he have this power or no but know that the having of this power of the Spirit is of absolute necessity and that both for Ministers and for all other Christians 1. There is a necessity of this power of the Holy Spirit for Ministers and to them this present place doth chiefly relate 1. For first if they have not this power of the Holy Spirit they have no power at all For
of outward form in the Churches of God yea some of them do declare so much calling the thing they would have External Vniformity Now such a thing as this after so much meditation and recollection as my other imployments and the many distractions that necessarily attend my present condition will permit me I cannot discern in the Word of the Gospel For Christ speaking of the Church of the New Testament saith Joh. 4. 23. The hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth In which words it is most evident that the worship of God in the time of the New Testament is inward and spiritual consisting in faith hope love and in prayer which is the operation of the three former c. And so is so far from Vniformity as it hath been explicated and as they understand it that it is not at all capable of it And therefore I cannot but wonder at the strange workings of darkness in the minds of men who would have an exernal Vniformity in a worship that is inward and spiritual and of which the outward form is no part at all but is meerly accidental and so absolutely various Again as I finde not this Vniformity in the doctrine of the Gospel so neither in the practice of the Saints who had the spirit of the Gospel as that practice is represented to us in the Word In Acts 1. 14. I read how the Apostles being together with the women and Mary the Mother of Jesus and his brethren continued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one accord or mind in prayer and supplication and Acts 2. v. 44. 46. how all that believed were together and continued daily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one minde in the Temple and did break bread from house to house c. And in all this there was Vnity but no external Vniformity neither name nor thing Again Acts 4. 23. Peter and John being let go by the Magistrates went to their own company which many of our Clergy would term a Conventicle and reported all that the chief Priests and Elders had said to them and when they heard it they lift up their voice to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one mind and prayed Here was inward Vnity in faith and love and joy and spiritual prayer but no external Vniformity and vers 32. The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul Vnity still but nothing of external Vniformity Further we read Acts chap. 7. and chap. 8. that Stephen and Philip who by the Church were ordained Deacons and were to serve only for the Ministery of the Table yet by vertue of the anointing preached the Word of God freely and powerfully and how all the Members of the Church of Jerusalem who were neither Ministers not Deacons being scattered abroad by Persecution went Preaching the Word everywhere where they came in that case of necessity the unction of the Spirit of which all Believers partake alike being one fundamental ground of such Ministery where there are no Believers to call to the Office and in this though there was unity of faith spirit and doctrine yet I am sure they will say there was no such uniformity as they would have Again Acts 20. Paul the first day of the Week preached to the Disciples of Macedonia from the Evening till Midnight which Dr. Pocklington in a printed Sermon saith was out of order that is out of Prelatical order or Presbyterial Vniformity and after brake bread and did eat and talked with them a long while till break of day and going from thence he arrived at Ephesus and there called the Elders of the Chuch together and appeals to them after what manner he had been with them to wit serving the Lord with all humility of minde and with many tears and temptations c. and how he had held back nothing profitable for them but had taught them publikely and from house to house which I wish were more in use now-a-dayes if it might obtain so much leave from Vniformity and had preached to them Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ our chief work towards God since our fall and corruption being Repentance which is the change of the creature towards God through Gods own work in the creature and this is not done without the sorrow of the flesh and our chief work towards Christ who is given to us as a head being Faith or Union And in the end exhorts the Presbyters to take heed to themselves who according to the Church principles of this age want no admonition themselves seeing they are become a peremptory rule to all others and to the flocks over which the holy Spirit and not Patrons had made them Over-seers to feed the Church of God which he had purchased with his own blood c. But in all this neither practices himself nor preaches to them nor commands them to preach to others or impose upon others any such kind of thing as external uniformity And so surely they that so vehemently urge this thing that they make it all in all in their Reformation have some other teacher then the Apostle who being taught of Christ as Christ was taught of God yet knew no such thing at all in the worship of God as Vniformity And yet further that the world if it be possible may be the more convinced observe a little more seriously the practice of Christ and the Saints in reference to this point and you shall see nothing less then external Vniformity See this in the prayer of Christ Prayer for the duty it self being nothing but so much spiritual worship as being the voyce of the Spirit in the flesh both in head members This Christ sometimes performed with his eyes lifted up to Heaven sometimes being prostrate with his body on the Earth and so several times several wayes and as he so the Saints have some prayed standing lifting up their hands as Moses some kneeling and lifting up their hands as Solomon some standing and not lifting up their eyes as the Publican c. And what external Vniformity in all this And as for Praying so for Preaching Christ sometimes preached in a ship sometimes on the shoar sometimes in the City Jerusalem sometimes in the Temple sometimes in the Desart sometimes early sometimes late as if he intended on purpose to witness against that piece of the Mystery of Iniquity which in after Ages should be called Vniformity So Paul preached sometimes on the Jews Sabbath sometimes on the first day of the week sometimes each day of the week sometimes in the day sometimes in the night sometimes prayed in the house sometimes on the shoar he circumcised Timothy among the weak refused to circumcise Titus among the perverse became as a Jew to the Jews as a
What wild and woful work do men make when they will undertake to be building the Church by their own humane wisdom and prudence and counsel when they think we will have the Church of God thus and thus and we will make it up of such and such men and we will govern it by such and such Laws and we will get the power of the Magistrate to back ours and then what we cannot do by the power of the Word and Spirit we will do by the power of flesh and blood Poor men that think that these new Heavens wherein the Lord will dwell must be the work of their own fingers or that the new Jerusalem must of necessity come out of the Assembly which is to come down from God out of Heaven or that they can build the house of God all of precious stones whereas this must be Gods own work and his own doing and no State or Councel in the World can bring this about and after much tryal and paines and weariness the Lord will at last teach his own that the gathering and laying these pretious stones together must be the Lords own doing even his own doing When the building of the Church is left to men how wofully is it mannaged why saith one we must needs admit such an one he is the chief man in the Parish or he is a man of good esteem in the world or he is a Noble man or he is my neer kinsman or is thus and thus related to me or he is a good civil fair dealing man and we must needs admit him and thus will flesh and blood be ever making a carnal temple for God to dwell in but Gods true habitation can never be framed but by the Spirit And therefore for the building of the Church let us look higher then the highest instruments for it must be the Lords own work by the word and Spirit and though every man be against it and oppose it yet the Lord will do it when there are no hands to build it up he will build it up without hands I will lay thy stones with c. It follows Ver. 13. And thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children See here how the prophet by the Spirit carries up the Saints above all visible and sensible things even as high as God himself God saith he to the Church shall build thee and God shall teach thee all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. The note is this That all the true and genuine children of the Church have Gods own teaching in all the things of God they have the Father and the Son to teach them by the Spirit This truth Christ himself confirmes where he saith It is written that they shall be all taught of God he therefore that heard and learned of my father commeth to me And again the spirit when he is come he shall lead you into all truth Which doctrine John after preached thus 1 Joh. 2. 27. The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye â—ceed not that any man should teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things Hereby now we perceive how few true children of the Church there be among those who are commonly called Christians for among all these how few are there who have the teaching of God but most have their teaching only from men and no higher Consider therefore I pray whether the knowledge you have be from the teaching of God or the teaching of man you all pretend to know that Christ is the Son of the living God and that redemption and salvation is by him alone but how came ye by this knowledge did you read it in the letter or did some body tell you so or hath God himself taught you this For no man knows the Son but the Father and he to whom the Father will reveal him and therefore when Peter said thou art Christ the Son of the living God Christ answered flesh and blood hath not taught thee this but my Father which is in heaven And so though all of you profess your selves Christians yet none of you know Christ truly but only such as are taught of the Father And this holds in all other points as touching calling and faith and union and justification and sanctification and the gift and sealing of the Spirit touching the spiritual Kingdom of Christ and the Government of it oh consider whether you have the teaching of God in these things or no and if you have not the teaching of God you are none of the children of the Church what ever truth thou knowest from the letter if thou hast not the teaching of the Spirit it will do thee no good thou knowest not any thing spiritually and savingly wherein thou hast not the teaching of God All thy children shall be taught of the Lord. And therefore what a sad thing is it when men look for their teaching no farther then men they onely look to the Minister or to such an able learned Orthodox man as they phrase it or at the highest to the Assembly and what they shall teach them they are resolved to stand by it and build upon it for their foundation in the mean time never regarding in truth the teaching of God but say what can so many grave learned godly men err and shall not we believe what they determine why now these are none of the children of the spiritual Church for they neither have Gods teaching nor care for it but the spiritual Church is all taught of God Object But you will say doth God teach without means Answ I answer no God teacheth but it is by the Word and that chiefly in the Ministery of it and he that pretends to be taught of God without the Word is not taught of God but of the Devil And therefore no man is to despise the Ministery of the Word which is Gods own Ordinance and to depend upon I know not what revelations and inspeakings without the word seeing God teacheth all his children by the word and none without it And therefore it is not the Prophets meaning when he saith all thy children shall be taught of the Lord that they should neglect and despise the Word and the Ministery of it but that we ought so to use the Word and the means as not to look for our teaching from them but from God himself in and through them and when you come to hear not to think I will hear what Mr. such an one or Mr. such one will say but with the Psalmist I will hear what the Lord God will say And truly I would not care to hear what any man in the world would say in whom Christ himself did not speak Now much more might be said of this teaching of God but that I intend brevity in all as namely that this teaching 1. Is a clear and evident teaching that you shall have certainty in what
is a mistake among some brethren to call the Congregations of Christ by the names of men though godly and eminent and to say Mr. such an ones Church or Mr. such an ones Church and so to put the Church under several Heads which works distinction and division whereas they should rather say the Church of Christ in such or such a place it being wherever it is one Church under one Head and Governor Jesus Christ And therefore let us know that it is part of the mystery of iniquity for the Church or faithful to have one or moe visible Heads to go to not being contented with Christ alone And though this hath been and will be the practice of the carnal Church yet the spiritual Church and people do only own and have recourse to Christ their true and spiritual Head And so they all living as one body and members one of another under one onely Head live all in invincible peace and unity whereas difference of outward Heads and Ringleaders alwayes breeds difference and divisions among Christians The eighth Rule is For the true Church to keep out all error in Doctrine seeing this breeds not onely division but confusion and ruine also in the Church Wherefore the Congregations of Christ must be the more careful and watchful in this matter When some false Apostles taught at Antioch that Except Christians were circumcised after the manner of Moses they could not be saved which was a most dangerous error against Christ and the Gospel the whole Church first at Antioch and presently after at Jerusalem met together to keep it out which accordingly through God they did So that what ever Doctrines are evidently against the Word of truth and Gospel of our salvation the Church is to take care to keep them out as it loves its own peace and unity Now if any say By what means may the Church be able to keep out error I Answer It may certainly keep out Error by these means 1. Let the Church suffer none to teach among them that are not themselves taught of God though they have never so great natural parts and never so much humane learning For when they are the Teachers that are taught of God they will only teach the truth which they have heard and learned from God And the line of every mans teaching must extend no further But when they teach that are not so taught they will in many things vary from the truth as it is in Jesus yea and under a form of sound doctrine will give forth an unsound and false sense to the deceiving of many that are weak and simple and so under pretence of Christ will utter the voice of a stranger and endanger the mis-leading of some sheep for a time 2 Let the faithful examine every thing that is taught by the Word of God and not receive doctrines upon trust from their Teachers who through the reputation of their learning and holiness may easily lead them unawares into error And therefore let the Church compare the present Doctrine Preached and Printed and generally received with the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles which without doubt is sure and certain seeing those holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit And whatever Doctrine shall be found contrary to or different from that Doctrine let them reject it as reprobate silver seeing the Church is to be built upon no other foundation of Doctrine then that of the Prophets and Apostles And though through Gods especial goodness the Doctrine of the Gospel be again revived among us at this present time yet ought we not to sit down content with the present state of things but to search and see if our present Doctrine do not yet err from the Primitive purity and brightness of the Gospel and that in many considerable points and whether some or many corruptions do not yet remain among us to be purged out by the light and truth of the Apostles Doctrine Wherefore to conclude this thing let us know that the Church cannot possibly keep out Error longer then it precisely keeps it self to the bare and naked Word of God and tries all Doctrines of their Teachers by it 3. The Church that it may be able to keep out Errors must desire of God the Spirit which he hath promised that this Spirit of Truth may lead them into the true and spiritual knowledge of the word and understanding of the minde of Christ For no man can make any right Judgement of the word he hears or reads without the teaching of the Spirit And by this Anointing as we shall be certainly taught which is Truth so also we shall discern which is Error and that by so clear and true a light that we shall not mistake Wherefore Christians must take heed that they do not think with carnal people that the ability to judge of divine truths and humane and Antichristian errors depends upon humane learning Arts and Sciences for thus it will come to pass that they judging themselves unable to judge of matters of Religion will wholly leave the judgement of them to those whom they conceive after this manner learned whereby they leave open a wide door through which the Teachers may bring in all sorts of Errors upon them But Believers must know that the gift of the Spirit onely without all humane learning is sufficient to teach us perfectly which is Truth and which Error and to make us able to judge of all doctrines of men and Angels and that all humane learning in the world without the Spirit is not able to do this And so a poor plain Country man by the Spirit which he hath received is better able to judge of Truth and Error touching the things of God then the greatest Philosopher Scholar or Doctor in the world that is destitute of it 4 Another notable means to keep Error out of the Church is to restore in it that most antient Gospel-Ordinance of Prophesying which how much soever it have been out of use during the reign of Antichrist yet is no other then the very commandment of the Lord as Paul witnesseth 1 Cor. 14. 31. where he saith When the whole Church is met together ye may all prophesie one by one that all may learn and all may be comforted and adds vers 3â— If any man think himself to be a Prophet or spiritual let him acknowledge that the things I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord Wherefore brethren labour that ye may prophesie So that prophesying in the Church is Gods own Commandment as every Prophet and spiritual man must acknowledge Now this divine Ordinance of prophesying is three wayes helpful to keep out Error 1. For first When one man only speaks in the Church and no man is suffered to speak besides him as he is very subject to be puffed up and to conceit that wisdom onely dwels with him so he iâ— more ready to vent the
love and not to destroy either by force These Rules are to be observed as means of peace if the things be circumstantial Now if they be very truths wherein Christians differ yet such wherein they may erre without danger of salvation then these Rules are of use 1. To hear them speak their judgements with freedom and not to condemn them unheard for thus mayst thou soon condemn the innocent and make thy self guilty 2. To understand fully what thy adversary means before thou contend against him lest it thou want this wisdom and patience thou oppose not so much his judgement as thy own conceit Much better is it calmly to hear a mans minde from himself then hastily to guesse at it yea to conclude it is so before thou hast heard him speak If thou canst but have patience to hear him relate his own minde perhaps in the end thou shalt understand it differs little from thy own in substance 3. Reproach not any thing thy adversary speakes with this That thou never heardest it before for this may not so much discover his error as thy ignorance and that which seems to thee a new error if it be truly examined by the word may prove an old truth And if thou wilt needs condemn whatever savours of novelty how shall the truths we yet know not be brought in or the errors that yet remain with us be purged out 4 Be not over-confident in what thou holdest upon thy own judgement or other mens strengthened from multitude custom and antiquity for men have erred most grossely even in those things wherein they have thought themselves most certain And therefore Prove all things that thou mayst hold fast that which is good It is much better to hold fast the truth upon clear grounds from the word then upon the strongest presumptions of thy own heart 5. In these differences make the word the Judge and not men The word of God is the sole and perfect Judge in all the things of God And therefore one said well Qui ponit legem judicem ponit Deum qui autem addit hominem addit bestiam That is He that makes the Law Judge makes God Judge but he that makes man Judge makes a beast Judge For every man is brutish in his knowledge And then only are we sure of any thing when we have the word of God for it Neither is it sufficient to take the word in any fashion for Judge in these matters but we must necessarily attain the knowledge of it by the teaching of the Spirit seeing we see so many differences of judgements among men that make use alike of the same outward word for their rule Now though all have the same outward word yet all are not of one minde except they attain to one Spirit for Paul saith 1 Cor. 2. that only the Spirit of God knows the things of God Neither doth mans sense or reason understand the things of the Spirit but the spirituall man judgeth all things And hence it follows that we can onely judge aright of divine truths by the word and we can onely judge aright of the word if we have the Spirit to be the interpreter of it to us 6. If thou canst not prevail with him by the word that he should agree with thee wherein he differs then observe that moderate and Christian rule of Paul where he saith As many as be perfect be thus minded if any be otherwise minded God shall also reveal this to him And so let us wait with patience will God of his good pleasure shall please to teach him as he hath been pleased to teach us because without this teaching he can never know it aright though thou teach him never so much 7. And lastly When in many inconsiderable points of Religion we cannot agree with many that are truly faithfull nor they with us let us according to Pauls rule leave the finall judgement of these things to the due time appointed of God as Paul hath said Judge nothing before the time And if you ask what time this is Christ hath told us saying If any one hear my word and believe not I judge him not but the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him at the last day For the things of God are so far beyond the sense reason knowledge judgement and discerning of all the men in the world that many times the purest thâ—ngs are reckoned vile and the most spiritual things carnal and the very highest things of the mystery of God and Christ but conceits or errors and therefore it is fit that the judgement of these things which are so far beyond humane comprehension should be deferred to the last day Gods judgement being better in his own time then in ours Now in case the doctrine wherein we differ be such as is absolutely necessary to salvation and without beleeving which men can have no interest in Christ yet even in this case 1. Hear them speak and be rather confident that the truth of God will prevail over their error then fearfull that their error will prevail against the truth and so strive not for secular power to shut up mens mouths and to restrain mens writtings though they speak and print things that seem never so contrary to the truth of God and doctrine of the Gospel For if men have not liberty to divulge their doctrines publikely they will spread them privately to infect and corrupt many ere it can be known or prevented and if men vent errors publikely if there be as publick liberty to preach the truth I doubt not the success of the truth against it at any time with all that belong to God And it is the only Gospel way to conquer error by the truth and all humane yea and devilish doctrines by the Gospel which is the ministration of the Spirit and therefore so mighty that all false teachers and false doctrines must needs fall down before it seeing stronger is that Spirit that is in it then that spirit that is in the world which is its own spirit and the devils And if the Gospel of Christ have given already such proof of its power in former times when the whole world lay in horrible ignorance and error darkness covered the earth and gross darkness the people and yet the Gospel alone without any conjunction of earthly power of States and Kingdoms with it did binde the devil and cast him out of his possessions and dominions and overthrow all false Religions men had received from their fore-fathers through many generations and changed the manners customes opinions Religions and very natures of men and utterly dispelled errrors and heresies of all sorts I say seeing the Gospel hath already given such large testimony of its power and made so great a conquest of the world when it was wholly under the power of the devil I see no reason that we should now so doubt the power of it as to suffer no man to
underneath them they fall sadly and desperately to the great scandal of the ways of God However if men be not called forth to such eminent doings and sufferings and so scape such manifest discoveries and downfals yet the form of godliness hath this evil in it That it brings a man onely to the troublesome part of Religion but not to the comfortable it engages a man in the same duties with the godly but supplies him not with the same strength it involves him in the same bitterness of flesh but doth not furnish him with the same joy of Spirit For as such a mans Religion doth not reach above flesh and blood no more doth his strength and comforts And so he performs duties at a low rate yea and his bare and empty form casts a black vail upon Religion and utterly obscures its beauty and glory and makes the world judge meanly of it and to think it a matter only of singularity and humour and not of power Whereas when a Christian walks in the strength of the Spirit doing and suffering the will of God beyond all strength and abilities of flesh and blood the world often times wonders and gazes at him and many are provoked to glorifie God who hath given such power to men For this power of godliness among other things hath these three advantages 1. It makes a man do every duty strongly and mightily And whatever might take a man off from duty or distract and disturbe him in it all fals to nothing before this power There is that strength in each duty performed by the power of the anoynting which declares it to be the operation of God himself in man and nothing else but the very power of God that is Jesus Christ himself in action in us 2. It makes a man inflexible in the ways of God that he shall neither turn to the right hand nor to the left but take straight steps towards the mark set before him No fear nor favours nor frowns nor flatteries nor temptations nor insinuations nor designs of others nor ends of his own can turn him aside He carries such strength in his Spirit as he can never be bended and so far forth as he partakes of the power of God is as unmoveable and unchangeable as God him self 3. It makes a man invincible by all evils and enemies Because all the power against him is but the power of the creature but the power in him is the power of God And the power of God easily overcomes the mightiest power of the creature but is never overcome by it And if this power in a Christian should be prevailed against God himself who is that power should be conquered which is impossible To conclude the power of godliness is the doer of every duty in Gods Kingdom the subduer of every sin the conquerour of each tribulation and temptation the life of every performance the glory of each grace the beauty of a Christians life the stability of his conversation the lustre of his Religion his great Honour and excellency both in doing and suffering yea it is the very glory of God himself in the Church of God for by faith the Lord arises on us and by this power of godliness his glory is seen upon us These considerations right honourable moved me to discourse of the power of the Holy Spirit coming on all Christians Ministers and People And besides the importunity of some other friends your Honours earnest desires of these notes hath especially prevailed with me to publish them Not that I am worthy to publish any thing but that the truth of God is worthy to be published be the instrument never so mean and unworthy And although I well know the doubtful success of such undertakings as these yet in this matter I am not at all carefull being most willing to be bound up in one condition with the truth of God and to have with it the same common friends and enemies Besides if Christ dwell in my heart by faith I carry in my bosome already my reward out of whom I neither regard praise or dispraise good or evil Now I was bold to prefix your Honours name to these Notes because your desire of them hath made them yours and also your many noble favors are a strong and continual engagement for me to serve you according to what God hath made me Especially I remember your extraordinary compassion and bowels towards me in the day of my deepest distress when my soul drew near to the Pit and the shadow of death sate upon my eye lids and I had not the least drop of comfort either from earth or heaven Your Honor then shewed me the kindness of the Lord and encompassed me both with your pitty and goodness though then through bitterness of spirit I tasted it not Wherefore when I remember the wonderful goodness of God to me after so great sorrow and darkness I cannot forget that part of his goodness which he was pleased to administer to me by your Honours hands And the remembrance of this causes me to pray that God would double the same goodness on you and that he would pour forth upon my Lord your Honour your noble off-spring and family this power of the holy Spirit here treated of which shall render you a thousand times more precious and excellent before God and his Saints then all worldly Honour aud Nobility whatsoever And by this means shall Religion shine in your Family in its native beauty and lustre and the Kingdom of God which stands not in word but in power shall appear in its bright glory among you till the Kingdom of the Son first fit you and then after deliver you up to the Kingdom of the Father and God be all in all immediately Which is the earnest prayer of your most humble and faithful servant WILLIAM DELL The Contents THe Context The Explication of the Words Three General Doctrines 1. That Christ gives his own people sufficient strength for their imployments his own strength for his own Works 2. That when Christ leaves his people in regard of sense he never leaves them without a promise and in that promise his Spiritual presence 3. That the pouring forth of the spirit is the means whereby God both increases and governs his Church The more special Doctrine from the words is That the receiving of the Spirit is the receiving of power For the Spirit it self is power 1. Essentially in it self 2. Operatively in us By being in us 1. A Spirit of Knowledge 2. Of Truth 3. Of Wisdom 4. of Faith which inables us To do Indure the same things with Christ himself 5. Of Righteousness in Destroying sin Imparting Grace 6. Of the fear of the Lord. 7. Of Love and Vnity The Use twofold 1. Exhortation to inforce this the necessity of having this power is urged in reference 1. To Ministers 2. To all Christians 1. Ministers stand in need of the power of the Spirit to come upon them 1.
would tremble and bite in the truth In the 10. Chap. of Mat. Christ tells his Disciples that they should be brought before Governours and Kings for his names sake But saith he vers 19. When they shall deliver you up take no thought how or what ye shall speak for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak For it is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you Here Christ tels his Disciples that they should be brought before great men yea before the greatest in the world to give testimony to his truth And surely it is a very hard thing for a man not to be daunted then but to be unmoveable before all worldly power and glory and all the terrible frowns and threats of mighty men Now saith Christ at such a time when you are to speak before the armed power of the world be not troubled beforehand how or what to say For if you have Christ and his Spirit in your hearts you cannot want words in your mouths And the truth which you profess is most glorious when it is most naked and destitute of the garnishings of humane eloquence and wisdom And therefore be not fearful before hand no nor yet careful touching what you shall say for it shall be given to you in that same hour in that same moment you shall have most present help How so for it is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father that dwels in you The spirit of truth that dwels in you shall inable you to speak the words of truth when you are called to it And though you it may be are plain and mean men and your lips would tremble and be quite closed up before such an Assembly of power and Majesty yet Gods spirit shall give you a mouth to speak even then And because if you were only supplied with a mouth to speak at such a time you would be ready to speak rashly and foolishly to the great prejudice and disadvantage of the truth therefore he will give you not only a mouth but wisdom too and he himself will manage his own cause with your mouths And you shall so speak as all your adversaries shall not be able to resist the truth that you speak but shall be so convinced in their consciences that their tongues shall not know what to say You shall have a mouth and wisdom and they shall want both And thus have many poor mean simple Christians when brought before Rulers and Magistrates been able to carry out the truth in that strength that all their adversaries have been put to silence and shame as you may see in a multitude of examples in the Book of Martyrs And all this they did by the power of the Spirit coming upon them Seventhly and lastly all Christians stand in need of the power of the Spirit to overcome afflictions and persecutions from which it is impossible they should be free in this world they being contrary to the world and the whole world to them A natural man who hath no strength in himself but his own strength faints and fails under affliction and persecution but the faithful have in them strength above natural strength strength above the strength of men even the strength of the Spirit coming on them and so they indure and overcome Our spirits are weak spirits and are conquered by every evil but when they are strenghtned by the power of Gods Spirit they are over all evils more then Conquerors And this is one thing observable between natural and spiritual strength in the overcoming of evil Natural strength seeks alwayes to throw off the evil and so it prevailes but spiritual strength neever seeks the removing of the evil but let the evil be what it will it stands to it and overcomes it For the strength of the Spirit is easily able to overcome all evils that can happen to flesh and bloud whether they arise from earth or hell And thus those blessed Martyrs mentioned Hebr. 11. and thousands and ten thousands of their consorts since have overcome cruel mockings and scourgings and bonds and imprisonment and stoning and sawing in sunder and slaying with the sword and all the woes of poverty and want and banishment and of living in wildernesses and caves and dens of the earth these and all other evils they have mightily overcome by this only power of the Spirit comming upon them Thus we stand in need of the power of the Spirit to overcome affliction and persecution and how much power we have in affliction and persecution to indure them and overcome them just so much of the power of the Spirit we have and no more And thus also have I declared unto you what necessity all Christians have of the power of the Spirit coming on them as well as Ministers And this was to strengthen the Vse of exhortation The second Use is for information and instruction after this manner If the receiving of the Spirit be the receiving of power then it clearly informs us that the way to partake of this power is to obtain this Spirit and the way to increase this power is to increase this Spirit I shall endeavour to speak to both these things and so shall conclude 1. The way to obtain this power is to obtain the Spirit And that we may obtain the Spirit we must first prepare our selves to receive the Spirit Now this Preparation doth not stand as Papists teach and many ignorant persons among our selves think in sweeping the soul from sin and then strewing it with graces that so we may be fit to receive the Spirit For first the sweeping of the soul from sin is not a work of our own before the coming of the Spirit but a work of the Spirit it self after it is come For no flesh can clear the soul of one sin it is the Spirit must do that And secondly for the strewing of the soul with grace neither is this a work of our own but a work of the Spirit it self after it is come For the Spirit it self brings all grace with it and before the comming of the Spirit there is no grace at all So that we cannot by any acts of our own prepare our selves to receive the Spirit but only by the Spirit we prepare our selves to receive the Spirit For it is not any work of our own upon our selves but the immediate work of the Holy Spirit upon us that can make us fit to receive himself It lies wholly in his own power and goodness first to prepare in us a place for himself and then after to receive and entertain himself in that place he hath so prepared Now the workes of the Spirit whereby he first prepares us for himself and then entertaines himself in us are these two especially 1. He empties us and 2. he fills us with himself whom he hath made empty 1. He empties us And this emptying is the
receive the Spirit And thus you see the means that Christ useth to work this Reformation and these are the only Means Object Yea but I hope you will allow secular power too May not the Spiritual Church of Christ be Reformed with worldly and secular power Answ I answer by no means and that for these Causes 1. Forceable Reformation is unbeseeming the Gospel for the Gospel is the Gospel of peace and not of force and fury Civil-Ecclesiastical reformation reforms by breathing out threatnings punishments prisons fire and death but the Gospel by preaching peace And therefore it is most unbeseming the gospel to do any thing rashly and violently for the advancement thereof for the gospel of peace is not to be advanced by violence and therefore violent Reformers live in contradiction to the Gospel of Peace and cannot be truly reckoned Christians but enemies to Christianity sith Christianity doth all by the power of the Anointing but Antichristianity doth all by the power of the world 2. Forceable Reformation is unsutable to Christs Kingdom For Christs Kingdom stands in the Spirit and the force of flesh and blood can contribute nothing to this 2. Again the faithful the Subjects of this Kingdom are a Spiritual people and so they are without the reach of any outward force You may as well go about to bring the Angels of heaven under an outward and secular power as the faithful who being born of the Spirit are more spiritual then they And what hath flesh and blood to do with them that are born of the Spirit in the things of the Spirit And therefore touching this Kingdom which is spiritual and beyond not only the power but the cognisance of the world God hath said There shall be none to kill nor hurt in all my holy mountain And again Violence shall no more be heard in thy streets wasting nor destruction within thy borders 3. As they are a spiritual people so also a willing people and what needs outward power to force a people made willing by the Spirit Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power The very day of Christs power is not to force men against their wills but to make them willing The Spirit of God that brings them to this Kingdom makes them willing to obey God there and gives them pleasure in that obedience by shedding abroad the love of God in their hearts They that are not a willing people belong not to Christs Kingdom but to the world 3. By this Forceable Reformation humane Institution is set up for the power of the world reforms by the prudence of the world and men never use humane power in the Church but they first make humane laws in it and humane laws are the rule of humane power And so by this means the authority of men is made to have power not in the things of men but in the things of God which is the great dishonour of God and his Authority 4. It brings man into blind obedience and makes them obey what is commanded on pain of punishment though they know not whether it be right or wrong with the Word or against the Word So that a man shall say that which I do I am constrained to do and therefore I do it because I am constrained I read in Frithes Answer to the Bishop of Rocehester that a youth being present at his fathers burning the officers seeing him resolved to examine him also to try if they might find him a Sectary or an Heretick but the youth dismayed at the sad sight of his fathers death and fearing the like end himself being asked of one of them how he beleeved Answered Sir I beleeve even as it pleaseth you And so the more outward and violent power is used upon men the more of this kind of faith and obedience you shall have When men shall see prisons and banishments and loss of goods and death walking up and down the Kingdom for the Reformation of the Church you shall at last have men say Sirs we will beleeve and do even as it pleaseth you We will beleeve as the State pleaseth or we will beleeve as the Councel pleaseth And let them make what confession they will we had rather beleeve them then indure them And thus by fear and punishment may men be brought to say and do that which they neither beleeve nor understand and how acceptable such popish faith and obedience is unto God all spiritual Christians know and every mans conscience me thinks should be convinced 5. It makes men Hypocrites and not Saints for it forceth the body and leaves the heart as it was for the heart cannot be forced by outward power but by the Inward efficacy of the truth Now the hearts of men being corrupt what are all outward duties they are forced to but so much Hypocrisie So that forceable Reformation makes only Hypocrites and gilded Sepulchres putting a form of godliness upon the outward man when there is no power of godliness in the inner man but a power of ungodliness That Reformation with which the uncleaness of the heart stands is none of Christs Reformation What is the Reformation of the outward man when the heart is full of Atheism Ignorance of God Adultery Pride Murder c. and all the corruptions of Nature Call you this a Reformation of the Church of Christ This Reformation makes none Saints but all Hypocrites forcing mens actions contrary to their natures 6. It causes disturbances and tumults in the world when men are foced by ouward power to act against their inward principles in the things of God what disturbances and tumults this hath bred in States and Kingdoms who knows not So that they that lay hold on the power of men and go about to Reform hearts and consciences by outward violence are never the cause of Reformation but always of tumult And this renders the cause of the Gospel grievous and odious to the world rather then commends it And therefore let all that love the Gospel of Christ abstain from outward violence for they that use the sword in this kind shall in the end perish by the sword A man when he sins not against the State may justly stand for his State-freedom and to deprive a man of his State-Liberties for the Kingdom of Christs sake as it causeth disturbances in the world so let any man shew me any such thing in the gospel 7. Christ useth no such outward force himself for he is meek and lowly in Spirit and not boysterous and furious in the flesh And it was foretold of him that he should not strive nor cry nor lift up his voyce in the streets to call in outward and secular ayd and power He never used the power of the world but did all by the power of the Word even his very punishments and destructions he executes by the Word He shall smite the earth with
with him But I am perswaded better things of you though I thus speak and even such things as are suitable to the light of the Gospel and to the vertues and graces of Christ and his Spirit which have been hitherto and I hope will yet still be very manifest not only in You Honorable Ones who have the chief Conduct but also in very many of the Councel and Army besides And upon such a gathering together of Gods people and Saints let the world if it please still laugh at that word who can but think he hath some choice and singular work in hand for his own glory The Lord God Almighty hath already done great and wonderful works by you and is yet doing greater if you will continue to beleeve and obey and in all these things he only is to be exalted and not You. For hath not that Day of the Lord of Hosts dawned yea the morning of it is already gone forth Which is upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he is to be brought low and the Lord alone is and must be exalted in this day Now the Lord cause you to dwell and continue in that Church which is the body of Christ and habitation of God and give you peace with those that are reconciled to God by Christ and to one another in Christ by the Spirit in which union and communion I remain Your assured Servant W. D. TO THE READER SUCH are the noises of waters and thundrings and earthquakes among us and so great and continued are our shakings and confusious through hatred and love hopes and fears joyes and sorrows triumphs and indignations that there is no silence in heaven for so much as half an hour Wherefore though I discourse here touching so sweet and glorious a thing as PEACE and do declare from the very word or else I had said nothing wherein the true peace of the true Church consists and also how the faithful and Churches may preserve that peace in their Communion with one another which they have in the Son and in the Father yet mens heads and hearts are now so full that it is to be doubted but few will regard it Notwithstanding considering that there is among us an election of grace and a flock of Christ who both know and will hear his voyce at any time I thought good to speak this in their behalf for whose profit all the creatures of God were made in the world and all the gifts of Christ are given in the Church And though I am very conscious of my rudeness of speech in this Discourse as also of my weakness and infirmity in many things having not yet attained to a perfect man and to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ and so dare not say that every jot and tittle here is of the pure river of water of life without any humane mixture yet they that are spiritual and able to judge will own all in it that is of the word and spirit of truth and will not reject silver tryed four or five times because it is not tryed seven times And what is weak and imperfect in it the true Church of Christ for whose dear sake and love I have spoken all this seeing it is as Luther speaks The Queen of Mercy whose very bowels are meer compassions and forgivenesses of sins will easily pass it by and forgive it And as for men haughty and high in their own spirit contemning and disdaining any thing that agrees not to their palate I do as easily despise their censure as they lightly pass it It is enough that I seek the glory of Jesus Christ the Son of the living God and the welfare of that Church that is his body and for the rest let me become as vile as the Apostles were made to the world who were counted the filth and offsouring of all things or as Mr Baily Rutherford Bastwick Pryn Love or any other of my old enemies in Parliament and City not worth the naming have sought to make me All whom unless God give them repentance to life I cite as once Hierom of Prague did his enemies in the like cause To appear within a few years before the most high and righteous Judge Jesus Christ to answer all that they have done wickedly if not maliciously against his Name Truth Gospel Spirit People and that under the form and pretence of godliness And now well knowing that the more any thing is of Christ the more enmity and opposition it will meet with from the world and from the worldly Church I commit Christs own word and cause to his own care and protection who lives and reigns for this very purpose to uphold his own despised truth against the glorious but deceitful doctrines of men and to make all his enemies his foot-stool And so waiting in this assured hope if thou love Christ I remain Thine in him VVilliam Dell. The Contents THE Introduction pag. 149 The Gospel propounded is neither 1. Between the Church and the world p. 150 2. Nor between the Spiritual and Carnal children of the Church ibid. 3. But between the faithful or true children of the true Church p. 151 The true Church described p. 152 The true Church of God differs from the Churches of men in 13. particulars from p. 153 to p. 157 How this Church may be known p. 158 How we may be joyned to it p. 159 The Church a great mystery as well as Christ p. 160 Seven bonds of this Churches Vnity viz. ibid. 1. One body p. 161 2. One Spirit p. 165 3. One Hope of our calling p. 167 4. One Lord. p. 169 5. One Faith p. 172 6. One Baptisme p. 175 7. One God and Father of all who is above all through all and in all p. 176 These seven bonds are sufficient for the Vnity and Peace of the Church without any additions of mans devising 178. How the true Church of believers thus made one by God may be preserved one in their communion among themselves p. 180 To this end 1 They must know some things otherwise then yet they do ibid. Particularly they must be instructed touching the government of the church ibid. This Government is twofold 1. Immediate And this also is twofold 1. The Government of Gods speciall Providence p. 181 2. The government of his spiritual presence p 182 These two Governments the true church never wanted in any age nor in this p. 184 2. Mediate This also is Christs Government and not mans p. 185 And it is Christs ordering all things by the faithful among the faithful in reference to the communion of Saints ibid. This is drawn forth into several particulars which are these 1. To whom Christ hath committed the power of ordering and managing all things in the true Church 186 2. What kinde of power it is which the true Church hath set down in 6. particulars 188 And here