it but the peace and prosperity of Kingdomes and Magistrates who establish it and the life glory and happiness destruction and death of Kingdomes is wrapped in the Christians life or death they are the parts and Members of Christ the apple of his eye his Jewels his anointed his Prophets his Children As therefore ye look to be prospered by this Spirit of God as ye look for wisdom from this Spirit of God to govern this State as ye look for comfort from this Spirit of God in all your distresses as ye look for gifts from this Spirit of God in all the administrations as ye look for the sweet spirituall breathings and refreshment from this Spirit of God in all the severall changes of this creation love preserve Indulge this Spirit quench not oppose not oppress not this Spirit confine it not to one outward form or fellowship of men which are not that Catholick Church that Apostleship of infallibility and they that are spirituall live in that spirit truth which makes them free indeed and it is below that Spirit of God to Petition liberty of conscience in spirituals from any men or Magistrates in the World because God will make Ierusalem a cup of trembling to all Nations and a stone of astonishment and the spirituall Christians will rather hold forth such things to bear witness to the truth and to desire all to forbear persecution as much for their own sakes who persecute as for theirs who are persecuted And for that just power of Magistracy I acknowledge it a Power Ordained of God for administration of Iustice and righteousness in the societies of men and nations a Minister of God for good a terrour to evill works and that we are to be subjest to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake and for this cause we pay tribute to whom tribute honour to whom honour and all societies of Christians by no pretence of religion or liberty for the worship of God are to resist or disturb the civill administration of this power but as to that consideration all Christians are to suffer according to the will of God all lawfull ways for preservation of States and Kingdomes still excepted and all such Magistracy are to preserve their respective States by all wholesome lawfull cautionary Lawes and Ordinances in Peace so as while liberty or indulgency as to the tender consciences in Religion is spoken on yet no less security of the State no diminution to the just power of Magistracy no less preservation of the Peace of the Kingdom is desired by those that are truly spirituall And though many suffer under the name of Hereticks and Schismaticks before ye for not conforming to the present doctrine and discipline established Right Honourable consider whether this doth not call in question all the very present doctrine and discipline so established for by this very thing of judging all Inconformity to the present worship and form of things to be Heresie by the same all this present form of worship and confession of faith is judged Heresie and Schism to the late former government and doctrine established in the Church of England this present Synod of men being no more that visible Catholike Church and infallible Apostleship then the former were so as the changing the former Articles of the Church of England into a new confession of faith the Episcopacy into Presbytery and so altering both the fundamentals in religion and the discipline is equally new light and Heresie As to the former doctrine and discipline and if it be objected but this present Synod are men of more light and Piety then the former and so they establish more truth and bring in more Reformation if so why is there not more love more peaceableness more self-deniall more power of godliness then there was in the suffering Bishops and the Preaching Lay-Martyrs then who loved Christ in himself and in one another And now Noble Senators since very worthy things have been formerly done by ye unto this Nation let not your Sun set in a cloud nor your light shine upon those that have loved you as the Moon once upon the Water making it of the colour of Blood are ye not come to the Kingdome in Peace Are not the gleanings of Ephraim in the Vintage Did not David say shall any man be put to death this day in Israel The Lord enlighten ye if it be his will more and more in the knowledge of Iesus Christ and of the love of God and of all who have any thing of God in them and let you see those things which concerne your peace in this your day Your Honours humble Servant John Saltmarsh To all true Christians Friends THE only scope of this Book is to minde ye of an higher excellency than meer created things can afford ye of the truth as it is in Jesus or in Spirit And of that unity of Spirit which Christians should live in under their severall forms and attainments and I have not held forth any discovery of truth or of any higher dispensation so as to darken too much other dispensations in which Christians live or to lessen and undervalue their attainments but only to be faithfull in the power of God to his discoveries in my own spirit I desire we may all bear one anothers burdens and consider that God is in all his severall dispensations and measures and Christians are not to hasten out of any till the Lord himself say come up hither and the stronger are to bear the infirmities of the weak I am not against the Law nor repentance nor duties nor ordinances as some would say So as all these flow from their right principle to their right end I am not against the setling of Church-Government Prudentially as now so as all of another way be not persecuted Because I know God hath his people under severall attainments and measures and is to his people in all these in his meer grace and love as formerly to the Bishops and thousands of weak Christians in Queen Elizabeths and Queen Maries dayes of Martyrdom in their forms I am only against any form as it becomes an engine of persecution to all Christians differing from it I am not against the sitting of an Assembly or Synod at Westminster that are so perswaded because that is but to allow such liberty to others consciences as we desire our selves and surely if they would propound such things only as they have received or they are in conscience perswaded of to all the Kingdom and so leave it to the Spirit of God and their ministery to perswade and convince all others and not desire power from others to compell this were but to minister as they had received I have stated some things and truths as they are held in those very grounds the Spirit of God in the Reader may Judge truth without any determination of man I have spoken concerning the libertyof some that are spirituall
plainly and clearly in the letter not so much in spirit as the letter of the New Testament And therefore the Magistracie now having no such special reference to a Church-Politiâ— nor any such Ministery infallibly directive joyned to them cannot proceed so to reform nor compel nor punish 3. The Magistrates under the New Testament are Ministers as to good and evil not as to Truth and Heresie and this good and evil is such good and evil as falls under the Law of their cognizance that is the Law of Nature by which they make Laws and judge the breach of them which Law of Nature or right Reason is the Law or principle for administration of Justice and Righteousnesse in all Societies of Men and Nations And thus the Magistrate bears not the sword in vain But this is not as to Heresie and Schism of which the higher Law is judge viz. the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Jesus Christ not the Law of Nature or this Creation 4. In that Prophecie Kings shall be thy fathers and Queens thy nursing mothers is not in its own Scripture or any other interpreted to be any other thing then the indulgency and favour of States and Kingdoms to the people of God which is far from bearing witnesse to any destructivenesse or persecution of them 5. That Peter smote Ananias and his wife Sapphira with death for lying is onely a witnesse of Gods power and holinesse put forth in an act of Miracle upon the sin of Hypocrisie for convincing unbelievers and confirming believers and is no way exemplary to any Magistrate being a power by miracle or by an extraordinary act and Magistracie in its administration is ordinary and it was in an Apostle not a Magistrate by a spiritual not a carnal weapon 6. Pauls wishing that such were cut off that troubled them holds forth no other cutting off then by Church-censure or Excommunication which was a visible dividing them from that visibly spiritual body the Church called a delivering up to Sathan c. 7. The Church of Thyatira was reproved for suffering Jezebel to teach and to seduce but this is not the Magistracie of Thyatira which was to forbid her teaching by punishment but the Angel or Ministery of that Church as all agree who was rebuked because they or he put not forth that spiritual power they had of Admonition Rejection Excommunication 8. The father and mother of him that begat the false Prophet and was to thrust him thorow that prophesied lyes in the name of the Lord was a Prophesie respectively to the Law of the Jews which was amongst them against false Prophets and had a true Priesthood and infallible Prophets with a special Law to try them by and condemn them And more spiritually was this By the false Prophet is meant the spirit of Antichrist by the father and mother that begat him they who made him a Prophet or begat cried him up into the reputation of a Prophet and then thrusting him thorow for the lyes he prophesied is their spiritual smiting that Antichristian working with the Sword of the Spirit through some new enlightnings from God received or brightnesse of Christs glory which shall stay and kill all appearances deceiveablenes of the man of sin or false Prophet and not suffer him to live 9. That there will be no settlement of Peace Order or Truth in the Church if the Magistrates do not punish for Heresie is upon mistaken false grounds supposing three things which are not First that the Church-politie of the Jews by Magistrate and Priesthood is to be used by Christians which is not it being fulfilled in Christ the true King and Priest and Christians having no such infallible Priesthood to joyn to Magistracie Secondly that Civil power can establish any thing of an higher glory law and principle then it self as all spiritual truths and discoveries of Jesus Christ are Thirdly the mistake of true spiritual settlement peace order and truth which receive all their being propagation and establishment from the Spirit of God and the Scriptures and such spiritual Laws as God hath revealed for ordering the outward man of the Christian by respectively to the Society or fellowship of other Christians called Church-censures c. Christians being under a twofold Politie that of the Kingdome of Christ as Christians that of the Kingdom of this world as men or such as are subject to the Laws of civil Government And likewise supposing all peace and order to be grounded upon Uniformity not upon Unity of spirit and preservation of the civil Peace of the State 10. That States and Kingdoms do to this day practise punishing Heresie by the power of Magistrates and that Councels and Synods do allow it all such practice of what States soever in this kinde doth shew onely what they do not what they ought to do And the kingdoms of the world are prophesied on to give their Kingdoms and strength from themselves to the false Church And for Councels and Synods they are such as have erred in other things and why not in this it being their great Interest to establish themselves c. by the Magistrates power Whatsoever is not of faith is sin So as all who are compelled in things of Worship to do any thing of which they are not perswaded do sin Gospel-sins or sins against an higher law or light then that of Nature and Reason which is the onely sphere for Civil Government to move in is to be judged and punished by a law and light proportionable and more spiritual then any power of Magistracy as the Spirit of God going out in Gospel-Judgement Admonition Rejection Excommunication c. The danger and hazard of Persecution of the members of Christ which is a sin bringing much judgement because judged and punished by such a light and law viz. by Synods and Councels of men who are not infallible in their decrees and judgements of truth and heresie By force and compulsion men who are weak in the faith are made hypocrites in their outward man conforming to the laws of men in fear and bondage All such power of compulsion in States and Kingdoms principled with any light and liberty except Spain France c. shall destroy the true Interests of all such States and Kingdoms oppressing all Societies and fellowships of men as to spiritual things though never so peaceably affected as men and subjects A Mystery OR The Christian following the appearances of God thorow all created things THat which is the pure spiritual comprehensive principle of a Christian is this That all outward administrations whether as to Religion or to natural civil and moral things are onely the visible appearances of God as to the world or in this creation or the clothing of God being such forms and dispensations as God puts on amongst men to appear to them in this is the garment the Son of God was clothed with
Sparkles of Glory OR Some Beams of the Morning-Star Wherein are many discoveries as to Truth and Peace TO The establishment and pure enlargement of a Christian in Spirit and Truth By JOHN SALTMARSH Preacher of the Gospell HOSEA 3. His coming is prepared as the morning London Printed for Giles Calvert and are to be sold at the Black-spred-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1647. To the High and Honourable Court of Parliament WHat others have done by the Law of your authority Presented before yee their advise in matters of Religion I shall from the law of love to your Iust authority present ye not my advise the Lord himself advise and counsell ye but some things which concern the Lord Iesus Christ and the peace and prosperity of your Kingdome and that I may not be disobedient to the heavenly vision or light of God revealed in me There are two Principles in the world which have these sad and dark conclusions attending them the two Principles are these 1. That such as conforme not to the Doctrine and discipline established and yet as to the State are good Subjects and peaceably affected shall be proceeded against by fines imprisonment c. 2. That such as shall speak upon the Scriptures or open them Publikely or in Private and are not ordained by the laying on of the hands of that present established ministery of a kingdome shall be proceeded against by fines imprisonments c. The sad and dark conclusions which follow are these 1. All the glorious discoveries of God above or beyond that Systeme or form of Doctrine c. shall be judged and sentenced as Heresie and Schisme and so God himself shall be judged by man which must needs be a sin bringing much desolation unless they that enact such Laws were that very infallible Apostleship for Interpretation of all Scriptures as the first Apostleship was for writing all Scriptures And is God a God of the Iewes only is he not a God of the Gentiles also that is is God limited to one sort of men Thou thoughtest saith God that I was altogether such a one as thy self that is a God meerly of one Image or figure behold the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him he dwelleth not in Temples made with hands and where is his habitation and who hath known the place of his rest That is what is man that he should conceive that God is only in a place or Temple or form of Worship or Systeme of Doctrine of his forme or making since the time is come that we do no longer worship in this Temple nor at Ierusalem but they that worship must worship in spirit and truth which truth is he only who is the truth 2. Many thousands of pretious Christians shall be under Delinquency as to fines imprisonment c. and under the scandall of Hereticks and Schismaticks because not seeing by that one light nor believing in that one Proportion of faith nor receiving such interpretations and Consequences of Scriptures for the very Scriptures themselves and by such persecution the civill power which is received from God shall be turned against God or against the more spirituall administration of God and so Gods Administrations dashed one against another Saul Saul why persecutest thou me touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm not as having dominion over the heritage orLordship over faith 3. That were to set up the Church Politie of the Iews amongst Christians and not according to Gods divine apointment but mans for God in that first Politie of the Iews Church under the Old-Testament joyned to the Kings and Magistracy then a Priesthood with Vrim and Thummim and Prophets anointed of God as a certain true infallible directive power for ordering that way of administration but this way of Christians now without any such warrant or appointment of God brings back again the same Church Politie under the New-Testament which was typicall as to Christ the King and Priest and Prophet and joyns to Kings Magistracy now a ministery less of God less certain less true not infallible so as all texts instances and examples brought from the Old-Testament of the Kings Princes and Magistrates of Israel compelling to the worship of God without proving the continuance of the same Church Politie under the New-Testament and the like Priesthood and Prophets accordingly sent of God to direct them is all invalid and of no effect as to such proceedings 4. The infinitely abounding spirit of God which blows when and where it listeth and ministers in Christians according to the gift and prophesies according to the will of the Almighty God pouring its self out upon all flesh giving out the word and making the company great who publish it even this Almighty all glorious infinitely abounding dispensing and revealing Spirit is made subject to the Laws Ordinances of men to the pleasures and wills to the measures and forms of men to outward ceremonies as Ordination c. God must not speak till man give him leave not teach nor Preach but whom man allows and approves ordains 5. This making laws for punishing all that conforme not to the doctrine and discipline established destroyes the true interests of all states and kingdomes excluding all societies of men but of one sort and forme though never so peaceably affected or obedient as men and Subjects respectively to the State and civill government thereof and was never found in any State or Church Politie by divine appointment but in that one nation of the Iews whose Politie as to such a form God himself peculiarly made owned and preserved and the Lord Iesus himself fulfilled and dissolved For Heresie and Schisme I know ye ought not to tolerate any but to let them bear their own judgement which is spirituall admonition Church-censure rejection excommunication which if effectuall as all true right spirituall censures have been and are is that just proportionable judgment for such Gospel-sins if not effectuall then the insuffiency weakness unprofitableness of such as assume such Church-power and censures will appear before ye And as to that point of the present Ordination which some have so pressed upon ye distinguishing to ye that their Ordination was from the Bishops as Ministers not as Bishops Right Honourable consider that distinction cannot be for there was no such thing as Ministers in the Church of Rome or of England as to this successively pretended Ordination but Priests and Bishops or Episcopacy and Priesthood and surely if Episcopacy doth not yet Priesthood doth altogether evacuate the essence of Ministery now under the New-Testament as by such Ordination and how much more rationall are their Arguments who hold their Ministry lawfull from the lawfulness of Episcopacy then those who deny Episcopacy c. and yet have no Ordination but from them For this Christian-liberty it is such as preserves not only the outward peace of Christians who enjoy
things nor any infallible consequences or interpretations of Scriptures They wait for a restauration of all things and a setting up all Gospel Officers Churches Ordinances according to the patern in the New Testament They wait for an Apostle or Angel that is some with a visible glory and power able in the Spirit to give visible demonstration of their sending as to the world and thus they interpret those places of the Revelation This is the highest of their Attainment But some speak of a further discovery and more spiritual then this of the SEEKERS as this 1. That there is no warrant from Scriptures to expect any restoring of Offices or Ordinances according to the first patern in Scripture 2. That the first patern in Scripture of Offices and Ordinances was but a more purely-legal Dispensation or a discovery of the Gospel rather as to Christ after the flesh then after the Spirit and a discovery as to the weaknesse both of Jews and Gentiles then respectively to visible Administrations and gifts of Spirit 3. That the Administrations and gifts then were but a ministration in part and darkly as in a glasse and of things that should vanish away 4. That God never set up any Administration or Office but for a time and season and used it as a temporary dispensation as the Tabernacle Temple Law Priesthood c. and then left them never to be restored So the first Gospel-administration by Ordinances gifts c. 5. That to wait in any such way of Seeking or expectation is Antichristian because there is no Scriptures to warrant any such restauration or expectation of such administrations and that all such waiting is that desert wildernesse-condition prophesied on by Christ that is waste and barren as to spiritual things If they say Behold he is in the desert go not forth And that it is that condition prophesied on to be in the secret chambers or single fellowships that are in such expectations a chamber signifying an upper room or a room above others so this state of Seeking is thought by those of that Way to be an upper room or higher administration as to Presbytery Independency Baptism c. and that Lo Christ is here or the gathering into that Way and saying it is his to wait in 6. That the truth is Christ is in all his in spirit and truth and as the eternal seed and his fulnesse is already in the Saints or all true Christians and that all growth improvement or reformation that is to be is onely the revelation or appearance of this When he shall appear c. or to be revealed in the brightnesse of his coming in the day of the Lord Jesus and that he is in us that true life salvation glory onely we see him but in part and that all conceptions of God or Christ as to distance of coming c. administrations ordinances gifts are but to expect Christ in a fleshly way or appearance not as he is in us our life fulnesse hope of glory c. And this next appearance of his shall be in his own light spirit and glory in himself and his And this is that Reformation to be expected this is the last administration of himself by himself in his In his light we shall see light And the Saints or true Christians shall not onely see God thus in himself face to face as they are seen but the world shall see him in a way of conviction and spiritual judgement upon themselves even him that sits upon the throne And all that pure administration of Ordinances and Gifts which was and is expected by these is but a middle or interdispensation betwixt God and his wherein God is seen as in a glasse not as he is in his own glory which is himself which is the last and most spiritual discovery The Grounds both against Liberty of Conscience and for it clearly stated for all to judge Against Liberty of Conscience these are the strongest Grounds and all the Grounds generally known 1. THe Magistrate is the keeper of both the Tables of the Law and as he may punish any evil committed against the second Table or the society of man so he may punish any Idolatry committed against God or the Worship of God in the first Table 2. The Magistrates under the Old Testament reformed Moses and Joshua the Kings and Princes of Judah and Israel Nehemiah c. so the Magistrates now 3. The Magistrate is the minister of God for good and a terrour to evil works and bears not the sword in vain therefore may punishHeresie and Schism becauseevil 4. The Magistrates are prophesied on to be assistants to the Church of God Kings shall be thy fathers and Queens thy nursing mothers and therefore may punish all such as are enemies to it as all Hereticks and Schismaticks are 5. Peter smote Ananias and his wife Sapphira with death which was a temporal punishment for their sin of Hypocrisie so may the Magistrate put forth a temporal punishment for a spiritual offence 6. Paul wished that they were cut off which troubled them therefore Magirates may cut off Hereticks because they are troublers of the Church 7. The Church of Thyatira was reproved for suffering Jezebel to teach and to seduce therefore Magistrates are not to suffer false Prophets or Seducers to be 8. The father and mother of him that is a false Prophet shall thrust him thorow and say Thou shalt not live for thou speakest lyes in the Name of the Lord This was a Prophecie as to Magistrates punishment forHeresie 9. If Magistrates shall not punish for Heresie Errours and Schism there will be nothing but Confusion and no settlement nor establishment of any Peace Order or Truth in the Church 10. It appears from the practice of all Christian States generally who punish all such as conform not from all Councels and Synods who still hold this power to be in the Magistrate of reforming and punishing Heresie and Schism The Grounds for Liberty of Conscience which are strongest and are all commonly known 1. Moses was a keeper of both Tables onely as he was a Type of Christ and so called the Mediatour of the Old Testament and Worship of God then but so is not the Magistrate now the Office of Moses being fulfilled in Jesus Christ and ending in him even in that Person in whom all the Types were fulfilled 2. The Magistrates of the Old Testament as Moses Joshua the Kings of Judah and Israel Nehemiah c. were in a peculiar and special way of Magistracie as to that Church-Politie of the Jews and had a special and peculiar and infallibly directive power of Priesthood with Urim and Thummim and Prophets anointed of God to assist and direct and instruct them in the Law or Reformation of the Church at such times as they reformed And the Law of the Old Testament lay more