preached and if ye receive another Spirit which ye have not received or another Gospel which ye have not accepted ye might well bear with him Here the Apostle Prophesied of another Jesus that is of a false transubstantiated Christ as I humbly conceive which he saw by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost would come into the Gospel Church or Temple of God which caused God to turn it into a Desart And these are the same false Christs which our Saviour does forewarn us and commands us not to go out after them That is that we should not believe in them Matt. 24.23 24 25 26. And there was Signs and Wonders to attend these false Christs which our Saviour spake of insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect But they are but lying Wonders and false Signs as the Apostle declares they are made up of deceit But here the Apostle Paul spake of another Spirit which St. John calleth the spirit of Antichrist 1 John 4.3 Rev. 16.13 14. This is the same spirit by which they do work their pretended Miracles Signs and Lying Wonders and this is another Gospel which is their Canons and Councils Decrees and Prescriptions and unscriptural Traditions of old Fathers and so they did cast off the true and pure Gospel of God and do not adhere unto it to this day and place these Scriptures of their own invention in the room of it and cry them up to be Canonical and Infallible And this is that another Gospel namely A false Antichristian Gospel stuffed with nothing but Errors and Heresie And pray observe what the Apostle saith by way of caution concerning this kind of Gospel and them that Teach it Gal. 1.8 9. But tho we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed The Apostle spake by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost prophetically and clearly of what was to come into the Temple of God when the Man of Sin should be revealed And in the 13 14 15. verses of that 2 Cor. 11. he gives a clear character of those persons that should be guilty in assisting to bring in and preach up another Jesus and another Spirit and another Gospel into the Temple of God viz. such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light therefore it is no great thing if his Miâ—â—◠〈…〉 righteousness whose end shall be according to the works they are for works of Merits and in 〈◊〉 end they shall have as much salvation as they have earned by them these you see are the Devils Minsters and they are acted and influenced by his spirit Rev. 16.13 14. And I saw three unclean spirit like Frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon and oâ— of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet for they are the spirits of Devils working miracles which go forth unto the kings of the earth Acts 20.28 29 30. Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over the which the holy Ghost have made you overseers to feed the Church of God which 〈◊〉 hath purchased with his own blood For I know thâ—â— that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter 〈◊〉 among you not sparing the flock Also of your oâ—â— selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. Noâ— the spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils speaking lies in hypocrisies having their consciences seared with a hot iron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth Now what Sect or sort of persons are there to be found among Christians that do forbid Men that are in spiritual Orders to Marry or if they are Married that do forbid them to take that Office or Place upon them And these are the person here intended by the Holy Ghost which sent the Apostle an express from Heaven with the foreknowledg of it The Apostle Peter who some call the Prince of the Apostles was a married man for we read 〈◊〉 a miracle that our Saviour Christ wrought to cuâ— his wives mother of a Fever Mat. 8.14 15. aâ—â— several of the other Apostles were married meâ— 1 Cor. 9.5 And the same Apostle namely Paul saâ—â— in the 1 Cor. 7.9 It is better to marry than to burâ— viz. than to burn in lusts here and in Hell he after to all Eterniy for Fornication and Adultery it is better for them to be married seven times to â—ven wives successively in Gods way and holy Ordnance than it is for them to borrow or make be with their neighbours wife once And then as for commanding to abstain frâ—â— Meats at certain times and seasons that is univerâ—â— and reacheth to all and the same Apostle saiâ— That we may eat whatsoever is sold in the Shambles â—ing no questions for conscience sake 1 Cor. 10.25 〈◊〉 does not say eat whatsoever is sold in the Fish-marâ— tho he did not prohibit that and all those amâ—â— Christians that are thus guilty which are foâ—â—â—â—der this Character are those thâ—◠〈…〉 Man of Sin the 〈…〉 theirs from Christ their Head for tho they confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh in words yet in works they deny it Again the Turk never professed the Christian Religion nor owned the true Gospel of God and the pure Instituted Worship of Jesus Christ and afterwards Apostatized from it and rejected and despised the Faith and Truth of the Gospel and fit in the Temple of God and usurp a power over all Christian Kings and Princes and Rulers and over all Worship and Worshippers and sit in the room of Christ in his Temple and give Laws to mens Consciences as this Man of Sin doth and as the many Antichrists do Nor did the Turk broach nor bring in strange and monstrous Doctrines of Devils into the Church or Temple of God for mind the Apostle Act. 20.30 Also of your own selves shall men arise this could not be Turks for they were Christians and what shall these do speaking perversethings to draw away Disciples after them 1 Tim. 4.1 2. Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed â—o sedning spirits and Doctrines of Devils c. Now can you think this to be meant of the Turks It is spoken of persons that profess the name of Christ that do call themselves Christians Here we see was Prophesied that in the latter times that is in the time of Antichrist's power
Thess 2.11 12. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness God punisheth them by their own very sins and makes it a judgment unto them as he did by the Jews and they are under much what the same judgment with the Jews for the first did chuse Delusions and Lies and then God gave them up unto them just as God gave the Jews to a hard heart and a blind mind and they are all laid in the grave of unbelief and prejudice against Christ the true Messiah and therefore they are Sacrificing and Sacrificing still now under the Gospel Why so God has given up these sacrificing Christians and so these Apostates or Backsliders in heart come to be filled with their own ways And you must certainly give your selves up to strong Delusions or else you would never abuse and disbelieve the Holy Scriptures as you do which is the revealed Will of 〈…〉 and walk by so that the people have no more use of the Gospel than the Jews that do not believe that Christ is yet come in the flesh so that you are as ignorant with a respect to any saving experiemental knowledg of Christ's being come in the flesh as the very Jews are for while you profess to know him in word you deny him in works namely in sacrifices and other carnal Ordinances and were not your Consciences seared with a hot Iron you would never disbelieve your own senses and reason and understandings as you do for you must not believe your own eyes that tell you that the Bread or Wafer after Consecration as it 's called is still Bread and the Wine is Wine still without any alteration Nor you must not believe your own hands that give the same account of it unto you nor you must not believe your own mouth that telleth you that it is Bread and not Flesh But the Priest by what authority I know not will not suffer the Lay-peoples mouths to make a judgment upon the Wine whether it be Wine or Blood tho Christ hath given a particular and an express command for it as in them words of our Saviour's Drink ye all of it Mat. 26.27 Mark 14.23 And they all drank of it But this is your misery you must believe as the Church believes or as the Priest commands ye to believe you must not believe Christ nor his Apostles nor his Gospel nor your own sences reason and understanding none of these are to be believed but all is fast lockt up in unbelief and the Priest carrieth the Key of your Knowledg at his Girdle and thus you do see clearly and spontaneously proved that you are the persons which the Apostle Paul prophesied of that do make a Sacrifice of the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper when as there is no material Sacrifices of this kind to be offered up in this manner for Christ at his coming and dying and rising again put an end to all that kind of worship Col. 2.14 15 16 18 20 21 22 23. Heb. 9.9 10 11 12. But yet notwithstanding give me leave to tell ye that we have our Gospel-Sacrifices but they are all Spiritual viz. The sacrifice of a broken heart and of an humble contrite spirit and the sacrifice of prayer and of thanksgiving and every part of holy worshipping of God in spirit and in truth these are the Sacrifices that are accepted and well-pleasing unto God when we offer up our selves in them when all is offered up unto God upon the Golden Altar the Lord Jesus Christ and mixed with his Merits and both the person and the offering covered with his Robe of Righteousness the only Garment of Salvation Rev. 8.3 4. And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a Golden Censer and there was given to him much Incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar 〈…〉 cense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand This is the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus Christ who presents our persons and petitions unto God the Father for us if they be indicted in us by God the Holy Ghost Rom. 8.26 27. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God. And the person must be clothed with Christ's Robe of Righteousness Isa 61.10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation he hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness as a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with her Jewels This is the Wedding-garment that every soul hath on that is married to Christ and hence you may observe floweth all the Saints joy and comfort from their being justified by the righteousness of Christ But if this be so as you see clearly proved that it is then what a miserable condition must all these poor souls be in that hope for and expect Eternal life and Salvation upon no better ground nor foundation than their own meritorious works of righteousness and boast of their works of Supererogation which will all prove Physitians of no value and will prove miserable Comforters in the End they are but sparks of their own kindling Isa 50.11 Behold all ye that kindle a fire that compass your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lie down in sorrow Thus you do see what a vast difference there is between your Sacrifices and the Protestants Gospel-Sacrifices the one is an abomination and abhorred by the Lord The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight And the true Gospel-sacrifices are accepted with the Lord in and through Christ if offered up upon the Golden Altar of his Righteousness and Merits then they are God's delight Now in the next place I shall offer unto you a few modest and solid Reasons together with some Arguments to confute this gross error and strong delusion that you poor souls are involved in In the first place if this Doctrine of yours be true why then so far it renders Faith useless and destroys it for if our Saviour Christ be personally and substantially come again and is thus present with his people why then the use of that part o◠Faith is at an end As for instance before our Saviour Christ came in the flesh it was the duty of a 〈◊〉 God's 〈…〉 come in the flesh because God had
which is that wherein the strength of their father's Dominion lieth and doth afford no manner of relief nor support to the Devils Kingdom nor no kind of countenance to his subjects or children But the whole bent and stream of the Scripture is against his Kingdom subjects and children therefore the Holy Scriptures could not be invented or made by any of them but it must be the infallible true word of the everlasting God who cannot lie nor deny himself and it was indicted by his Holy Spirit and written by holy men of God as they were moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost Eighthly and Lastly If it be not in the Power of a Good Man to give the Reward that cometh by Grace of Eternal Life and Salvation which is the full Fruition and Enjoyment of God for ever in Glory which is promised in Scripture unto all them who believe and obey it Nor to execute the threatnings of Hell and Damnation by punishing all those with eternal torment which the Holy Scriptures have denounced against all them that transgress by their disobedience unto it because it would be to promise that which he was no way in the least measure or degree capable to perform or make good and threaten that which he hath not a power to execute Then it could not be a good man that made or invented the Scriptures But it is not in the power of a good man to give the reward that cometh by Grace of Eternal Life and Salvation Tit. 1.2 which is the full fruition and enjoyment of God for ever in Gloty which is promised in Scripture unto all them who believe and obey it nor to execute the threatnings of Hell and Damnation by punishing all those with eternal torment which the Holy Scriptures hath denounced against all them that transgress by their disobedience unto it 1 Pet. 4.17 18. Because it would be to promise that which he knew in his own Conscience that he was no way in the least measure or degree capable to perform or make good and to threaten to inflict that punishment which was not in his power to execute and so he would have been a liar and an impostor which is quite contrary to the Principle of a good man and it is utterly inconsistent with his Goodness Therefore it could not be a good man that made or invented the Sacred Scriptures because this power is peculiar and wholly in the hands of God and therefore it must be the word of God. The Apostle St. Paul saith But I certifie you brethren that the Gospel which was preached by me is not after man for I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ Thus you see clearly proved That the Holy Scriptures were not made nor invented by either good men or bad men Therefore it must be undoubtedly the Infallible Word of the True and Ever-living God and not a humane Invention Now I shall close up this Discourse in drawing a Parallel between some part of the Holy Scriptures of Christ and the Scriptures of Antichrist which is that another Gospel as the Apostle called it in 2 Cor. 11.4 and Gal. 18.9 And I shall Answer another Objection with Three Arguments and so finish the whole 1. First the Gospel of Christ teacheth Love Peace Meekness Humility and lowliness of mind Col. 3.15 2 Tim. 2.24 25. But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth men Hatred Variance Pride Malice and Haughtiness of Spirit 2. Secondly The Gospel of Christ teacheth men to do good for evil But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth men to do evil for good for if they know that a man doth but endeavour to convince them of their Errors and Heresie which is the greatest and best good that any man can do for a Person they will Burn or Hang him or clap him up in the Inquisition for a Heretick if it lieth in their Power which is to do the greatest evil for the greatest good 3. Thirdly The Gospel of Christ teacheth men to do to others as they would be done by themselves Matth. 12. But the Scripture of Antichrist teacheth men to do by others as they would not be done by themselves 4. Fourthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth men to pray for their Enemies that persecute them Matth. 5.44 But the Gospel of Anrichrist teacheth them account them their Enemies that pray for them and 〈◊〉 persecute them 5. Fifthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth 〈◊〉 to love our neighbours as our selves But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth them 〈◊〉 betray and murder their neighbours for Hereticks if they be not of their Perswasion 6. Sixthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth 〈◊〉 Ministers of Jesus Christ to compel people to conâ—â—â— unto Christ and believe in him for Life and Salvation by peaceable suasive Arguments drawn and deduced from the Holy Scriptures But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth his Ministers to compel Persons to come unto him a 〈◊〉 embrace his Religion and Worship by the forcible Arguments of Dragoons and Inquisitions 7. Seventhly The Gospel of Christ teacheth 〈◊〉 That God is a spirit and they that worship him 〈◊〉 worship him in spirit and in truth John 〈…〉 But Antichrist's Gospel teacheth That God is an Old Man sitting in Heaven and must be worshipâ—ed carnally and falsely by Images c. 8. Eighthly The Gospel of God teacheth Men Wisdom and Understanding 2 Tim. 3.15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus Psal 119.130 The entrance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding to the â—imple But the Gospel of Antichrist maketh men of Understanding simple and teacheth that Ignorance â—s the mother of Devotion but I will assure you it â—s not fatherless for it has a Father too for if Ignorance be the Mother of it then the Devil must be the Father of it John 8.44 9. Ninthly the Gospel of Christ teacheth men and women to be better than their own natural Dispositions and corrupt Inclinations which is the great Doctrine of Christianity nameiy Self-denial which is the Excellency of the Christian Religion above all other pretended Religions in the world if performed in a right manner and to a right end it is this that maketh a man more excellent than his neighbour for it teacheth a man to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously 〈◊〉 teacheth a man to deny sinful-self and righteous-self too which is a higher Attainment than the denying of sinful-self for many Persons can â—eny sinful-self that cannot deny righteous-self for it is one of the hardest duties that is incumbent upon a Christian to deny righteous-self which is â—o do good works and discharge every Duty as carefully and as consciously as if he should be justified and saved by and for so doing and when he has done all to cast them behind his back as if he had done nothing