the Succession of this Family then they that are still unwholesome and diseased Philop. I think the sounder the better Family as being of a nearer affinity or consanguinity with the most ancient Progenitours of them all And therefore questionless we are not the less of the Succession of the Apostles for cleansing our selves from After-corruptions and reducing our selves to their ancient Apostolick Purity The Succession indeed is continued in the Church of Rome as a diseased Family is the Continuation of the Family of their Ancestours but the Apostolicall Succession is not onely continued but rectified again and perfected in the Reformation So that I conceive there is no hazard at all to Succession in admitting those due but sharp Invectives in the Apocalypse and other places of Scripture to belong to the Church of Rome they all not amounting to the making her no true Church or no Church but an Idolatrous one a Murtherous one and an Imposturous one As an adulterous murtherous and cheating Wife is a Wife and therefore a true Wife till she be dead or divorced Philoth. XXVII That although the Church of Rome were not a true Church yet it follows not but that the Reformed Churches are You understand me right Philopolis But besides this suppose the Miscarriages of the Church of Rome were at last so high and that for some Ages that she plainly ceased to be in any sense a true Church which yet I must confess I cannot believe no more then that the Church of the Iews ceased to be a true Church when they ston'd the Prophets and shamelesly polluted themselves with Idolatry yet the true Church was continued elsewhere and the truest Church of all the Elect of God every-where There was a Woman in the Wilderness when the Church had become a Wilderness Though I must confess this respects rather the Perpetuity of the Church at large then the continued Succession of Pastours But neither do I hold that necessary that every true visible Church should have a visible Succession of Priests from the Apostles to their time The Ierusalem that is said to come down from Heaven will be a true Church Apoc. 21.2 and will be approved to be so though she could not make this Boast in the flesh that she can number a visible Pastoral Succession upon Earth from S t. Peter at Rome or S t. Iames at Ierusalem And suppose at that call of God's people out of Babylon Apoc. 18.4 Come out of her my people lest you partake of her sins and of her plagues that all the Priesthood had hung together upon Interest and would not have stirred had a whole Kingdome that had reformed without the leave of the Priesthood been no Church nor the Prince had any power to appoint the most able and eminent of his Subjects in the knowledge and practice of Christianity to preside in Rebus sacris in the Affairs of Religion and begin a Succession from them whom we will suppose to order all things according to the Word of God and the Practice of the Apostles and to profess no other Doctrine then what they taught and is evident out of the Scriptures What shall such a Nation as this be no Church for all this in these Circumstances of things O Philopolis Philop. I promise you it is a very nice Controversie Philotheus I know not well what to say to it of a sudden Bath It is a nice point indeed Philopolis But I 'll propound to you a point that is more clear Whether is not every Sovereign Supreme Head of the Church as well in Ecclesiasticall Affairs as in Civil in his own Dominions Philop. Surely he is Bathynous or else he is not absolute Sovereign For I conceive that to be the Supreme to which is committed both the trust and power of ordering all for the welfare of the Subject which consequently must needs include Religion of which therefore of necessity the Supremacy is Judge Whence every supreme Magistrate is if not formally yet eminently as well Priest as King else he were not King or the King not supreme Magistrate as being bound to be ruled by the judgement of the Priest in matters of Religion which unquestionably all Mundane Affairs ought to stoop to Whence it will follow that all Power that does not include the Priesthood in it at least eminently or virtually must stoop to that Judicature But being the Supremacy of any Nation is to stoop to none but God it is plain that he that is Supreme has at least virtually the Sacerdotal Power in himself Bath I profess unto you Philopolis you are so subtil in Politicks that I conceive it will be very hard for any one to evade the force of your arguing Euistor The anointing of Kings and Emperours at their Coronations as also the Emperour's Crown comprehending in it the Episcopal Mitre methinks Bathynous bears a notable Compliance with this Conclusion of Philopolis Cuph. You may as well argue for a communion of Kingship in the Priesthood because the Priests be anointed in the Church of Rome Bath It 's likely they would catch at that greedily enough Cuphophron But in that Kings are crowned as well as anointed Exod. 40.13 15. but Priests anointed and not crowned with royal Crowns it is an intimation that both the Kingship and Priesthood in some sense is in the King but onely the Priesthood in the Priest But a more notable Correspondence then this of Euistor's occurrs to my phancy that is the Vision of the twenty four Elders with the robes of Priests and the Crowns of Kings upon them Apoc. 4.4 which assuredly intimates that in the best state of the Church every Sovereign will be confessedly both Priest and King over his own people Philoth. You say well Bathynous And it is very remarkable in that Vision that there is no one visible Head of the universal Church such as the Pope pretends to be but every Sovereign is there set out as a Kingly Priest or a Priestly King in his own Dominions Philop. Gentlemen you have finely adorned my dry Reasonings with your Historicall and Propheticall Observations all which jointly considered do easily bear me into a full and settled persuasion that every Christian King has so much of the power of the Priesthood in him and of the Autority of our Heavenly King and Priest Christ Iesus that being enlightned with the true belief of the Gospel and being destitute elsewhere of a Priesthood to officiate in the Church or rather of such as may consecrate men to that Function himself may raise a Succession of them by his own power Exod. 29.5 6. and they ordering all things according to the Word of God and practice of the Apostles that the whole Nation yielding obedience to these Precepts and Institutes does ipso facto become a true visible Church of Christ. What think you Bathynous Bath Nay I am abundantly satisfied For you know Extra Ecclesiam non est Salus And it is
do in many things most wickedly calumniate and that those that are not Calumnies as concerning Fact are no such horrid Crimes as theirs that accuse them but more venial Infirmities or less commendable Humours Insomuch that notwithstanding all their Cavills I am not at all shaken in my belief of Reformed Christendom's being the true visible Kingdome of God and his Christ. Which is the first Document Philotheus that you gave us tending to the Interest of Reformed Christendome I pray you now therefore since I am so well satisfied in this proceed with what dispatch you can to the rest without any farther interruption Philoth. The Second Document then The Second Principle Philopolis is this That as Reformed Christendome is the Kingdome of Christ so the Popedome is the Kingdome of Antichrist This as it is a Truth in it self so it is of mighty consequence to be known believed and declared in the Kingdome of Christ to settle them and establish them in the Profession they are in For it is not at all beyond the capacity of the meanest to be fully ascertain'd of this Truth And yet though it be but one and so easie it is worth all the Arguments besides for the fixing a Soul to the Reformed Religion so hugely accommodate it is to strike their Imagination and satisfie their Judgement and settle their Conscience at once For if the Church of Rome be Babylon as most certainly it is then think you with your self Philopolis what mighty force that voice of the Angel will have in the Apocalypse Come out of her Apoc. 18.4 my people lest you partake of her sins and of her plagues Philop. That is to say It will be as potent to call others from the Communion of the Church of Rome as to establish our own in the true Faith they already profess And indeed methinks when they cast their eye upon the multifarious gross Idolatries and bloudy Cruelties of the Papacy and compare them with the Character of the Whore of Babylon whose very Whoredome signifies her Idolatry upon whose forehead is written Apoc. 17.5 6. Mysterie Babylon the great the Mother of Fornications and Abominations of the Earth and who is said to be drunk with the bloud of the Saints and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus and it be plainly made out to them as it may that this cannot be understood of Rome Heathen but of Rome calling itself Christian methinks the Reflexion upon their known practices compared with their description in this Prophecy should so plainly convince them that they could not but presently run from her Communion with sudden horrour and affrightment Philoth. One would think so indeed Philopolis and that there is not a better Engine imaginable then this to beat down the Mysticall Babylon And that therefore it must be out of a great deal of either Unskilfulness or Unfaithfulness to the Interest of Christ's Kingdome that any should persuade us in our Oppositions against Rome to lay aside this weapon whenas indeed as David said to Abimelek concerning the sword of Goliah there is none like unto it 1 Sam. 21.9 And certainly our first Reformers found it so who generally made this Out-cry against the Roman Church And there are of their own Writers that confess how much prejudice has been done them by that Opinion of the Pope's being Antichrist Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif lib. 3. cap. 21. Wherefore the taking away of these Bulwarks against the forces of Babylon looks like the betraying of us again to the Tyranny of the King of that City Bath The thing it self Philotheus I am afraid looks thitherward But I believe withall that severall persons out of a consciencious tenderness over the Interest of the Reformed Churches may be so backward from charging the Church of Rome with being that Mysticall Babylon or the Pope the King of that City that is to say that notorious Antichrist for fear that by conceding that Church to be Antichristian they should therewithall acknowledge that it is not a true Church Whence that fearfull Inconvenience would follow that Succession were destroy'd and that we should thereby be at a loss to prove our selves to be the true Church of Christ. Philoth. XXVI Of the Church of Rome 's being a true Church If that be at the bottom Bathynous their well-meaning is commendable But I believe they fear where no fear is For we have more strings to our bow then one For none of those Titles that the Church of Rome may be perstringed by in the Propheticall parts of Scripture whether the City of Babylon or the Seat of Antichrist that Man of sin or the like do necessarily infer they are not a true Church but an extremely-faulty Church and such as God would have his people forsake their Communion if they will not reform as forfeiting their Salvation by partaking of such sins as have passed among them into a Law A Wife that is an Adulteress is a true Wife till she be divorced though a faithless one and a Ship with an hole at the bottom is a true Ship and an House whose Walls are besmeared with the Plague or Leprosie or infested with murtherous Goblins is a true House but that not to be sailed in nor this to be inhabited before they be reduced to an useful and safe condition The Form of a thing makes it to be true but the Sincerity or Integrity of it makes it to reach its end and become useful Wine is still Wine though some drops of Poison be convey'd into it but it 's such as no man that knows thereof will adventure to drink We will therefore grant that the Church of Rome is a true Church but in such a sense as a Ship that will sink a man to the bottome of the Sea is a true Ship or such an House as I described a true House Nay we will concede that it is the House or Temple of God but such as wherein the Man of sin sits that son of Perdition 2 Thess. 2.3 4. that exalts himself above all that is called God or worshipped Wherefore I say those reprehensive and reprochful expressions of Scripture against the Church of Rome do not imply her to be no true Church but a very impure and faulty one and grown not onely not useful to them that adhere to her but extremely mischievous She is a Cup of Wine mixt with deadly Poison in it an House infected with the Pestilence or infested with wicked Daemons Wherefore if we succeed in the true pattern of the House or Ship in the sincere nature of the Wine in the due Offices of a Wife and leave out the Adultery the Poison the Plague the Leprosie and the Devil himself is our Succession the less perfect If a Family were once sound and then diseased for some Ages and then some of this Family by skill in Physick or more then ordinary Temperance should grow sound again are these sound branches less
a wonder to me if men acting and living thus Apostolically as you describe can be in the state of Damnation Philop. Wherefore we see plainly that there is no Inconvenience to the Reformed Churches in declaring the Roman Church to be the Kingdome of Antichrist accordingly as our first Reformers generally held but every way an unspeakable Advantage as any one may easily discern that will consider And therefore we being clear in this point I pray you proceed to the next Philotheus Philoth. The next Document as you call it Philopolis is this That seeing we are so well assured that the Papacy is the Kingdome of Antichrist or that City of Babylon wherein the People of God were held captive we should leave no string nor tassel of our ancient Captivity upon us such I mean as whereby they may take hold on us and pull us back again into our former Bondage but look upon our selves as absolutely free from any tie to them more then in endeavouring their Conversion and Salvation Which we knowing so experimentally not to be compassed by needless Symbolizings with them in any thing I conceive our best policy is studiously to imitate them in nothing but for all indifferent things to think rather the worse of them for their using them As no person of honour would willingly goe in the known garb of any leud and infamous persons Whatsoever we court them in they do but turn it to our scorn and contempt and are the more hardened in their own wickedness Wherefore seeing that needless Symbolizing with them does them no good but hurt we should account our selves in all things indifferent perfectly free to please and satisfie in the most universal manner we can those of our own Party not caring what Opinions or Customes or outward Formalities the Romanists and others have or may have had from the first Degeneracy of the Church Which we ought to account the more hideously soiled for the Romanists using of them but supporting our selves upon plain Scripture and solid Reason to use and profess such things as will be most universally agreeable to us all and make most for the safety and welfare of the true Kingdome of Christ. For this undoubtedly O Philopolis is the most firm and solid Interest of any Protestant Church or State whatsoever Philop. I am fully of your minde Philotheus and this freedome is no more I think then the Protestant Churches generally profess and particularly the Church of England in the Book of Articles and in the Homilies Artic. 20 34. In the Homily of Fasting But would you not have them to keep pretty strictly to a Conformity to those Ages of the Church which are called symmetrall and the people in the mean time to yield a peaceable obedience to such Institutes as are not altogether of so antique a character provided they be indifferent during the pleasure of their Superiours Philoth. I am very really and cordially for that peaceable Compliance O Philopolis and must also acknowledge that there is a special Reverence due to those Ages you speak of But you must remember that the holy Oracles have predicted and promised us better Times then those I mean then some of them especially Those were the times of the measure of the Reed these we expect of the golden Reed Things in their own nature immutable are indispensable but things indifferent are mutable And Opinion is ranged amongst those mutable things But Faith is as the Rock of Ages What is commensurable to the golden Reed must not be cast out but what is combustible will perish by the Word and by the Spirit which is Fire Philop. XXVIII Of the Use of the Word and of the Spirit in counterdistinction to dry Reason The first Reformers talked much of the Word and of the Spirit but this present Age are great Challengers into the field of Reason to duell it there And their Adversaries seem to like the way of Combate What is the matter with them Philotheus Philoth. That is not Philopolis because they can think their Cause more rational then ours but because the vulgar are commonly bad judges of such Combates and as ill users of that weapon They cannot so easily defend themselves therewith against the Sophisters of the Kingdome of Darkness nor well tell upon this account when these Sophisters are overcome by others unless they would confess themselves vanquish'd when they really are so which their Policy and Haughtiness will never permit them to doe Insomuch as there is never any end of such Contests And therefore though such Combates may doe well enough among the Learned yet I think it for the Interest of the Kingdome of Christ by no means to let go the use of those weapons our first Reformers found so available in the Recovery of it The Fourth Principle Let no man quit the assurance of the Spirit and of the Word taking refuge in dry Reason for the maintaining the truth of his Religion And this shall be the Fourth Document Philop. The Word both sides are agreed upon But why do you bring the judgement of the Spirit in stead of the exercise of our Reason upon the Scripture Philoth. I do not exclude the exercise of Reason but of dry Reason unassisted by the Spirit Philop. What then do you mean by the Spirit Philotheus For this seems to open a gap to all Wildness and Fanaticism Philoth. As you may understand it Philopolis it may But as I understand it it is the onely way I know to Sobriety For I understand by the Spirit not a blind unaccountable Impression or Impulse a Lift or an Huff of an heated Brain but the Spirit of Life in the new Birth which is a discerning Spirit and makes a man of a quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. Isa. 11.2 3. This is the anointing of our Head and true High-priest the Lord Iesus in the first place in a supereminent manner but flows down to the very meanest and lowest of his Members In the guidance of this Spirit a man shall either immediately feel and smell out by an holy Sagacity what is right and true and what false and perverse or at least he shall use his Reason aright to discover it Philop. XXIX How a man shall know that he has the Spirit Such a Spirit as this indeed Philotheus is no Fanatick spirit but a sure Guide in all things But how shall a man know that he has this Spirit Philoth. John 3.6 By the fruits of it That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit He that is born of God sinneth not 1 John 3.9 because his seed that is the Spirit remaineth in him If we have cast off the deeds of the flesh mortifying them through the Spirit it is a sign the Spirit of Christ dwelleth in us Now the works of the flesh are manifest Gal. 5.19 c. such as are
particular or universal as infallibly inspired that is deprehended to be actually deceived in any Points she proposes to be believed as necessary Articles of Faith This is so plain that it wants no farther proof The sixteenth That the Moral and Humane Certainty of Faith is grounded upon the Certainty of Vniversal Tradition Prophecy History and the Nature of the things delivered Reason and Sense assisting the Minde in her Disquisitions touching these matters That Certainty of Faith I call Moral or Humane that is competible even to a carnal man or a man unregenerate as it is said of the Devils that they believe and tremble By Vniversal Tradition I understand such a Tradition as has been from the Apostles that is to say has been always since the completion of their Apostleships as well as in every place of the Church For since there was to be so general and so early a Degeneracy of the Church as is witnessed of in the Holy Scriptures the generality of the Votes of the Church was not alwaies a sufficient warrant of the truth of Tradition But those Truths that have been constantly held and unalterably from the Apostles times til now it is a sign that they were very Sacred unquestionable and assured Truths and so vulgarly and universally known and acknowledged that it was not in man's power to alter them By Prophecy I understand as well those Divine Predictions of the coming of Christ as those touching the Church after he had come By History I mean not onely that of the Bible and particularly the New Testament but other History as well Ecclesiastick as Prophane And what I mean by the Nature of the things delivered is best to be understood out of such Treatises as write of the Reasonableness of Christianity such as Dr. Hammond's and Mr. Baxter's late Book See also Dr. More 's Mystery of Godliness where the Reasonableness of our Christian Faith is more fully represented and plainly demonstrated * Book 7. chap. 9 10 11. that it has not been in the power of the Church to deceive us as touching the main Points of our Belief though they would The seventeenth That no Tradition is more universal and certain then the Tradition of the Authentickness of such Books of the Bible as all Churches are agreed upon to be Canonicall There can be no more certain nor universal Tradition then this in that it has the Testimony of the whole Church and all the parts thereof with one Consent though in other things they do so vehemently disagree Wherefore no Tradition can be of any comparable Autority to this And therefore we may set down for Conclusion The eighteenth That the Bible is the truest Ground of the Certainty of Faith that can be offered to our Understanding to rest in The Reason is because it is the most universal both for time and place the most unexceptionable and universally-acknowledged Tradition that is The nineteenth That the Bible or Holy Writ dictated by the Spirit of God that is written by Holy and Inspired men is sufficiently plain to an unprejudiced Capacity in all Points necessary to Salvation This must of necessity be true by Conclusion the seventh Otherwise the manner of Gods's revealing his Truth in the Holy Scriptures would be repugnant to the Divine Attributes and which were Blasphemy to utter he would seem unskilfully to have inspired the Holy Pen-men that is to say in such a way as were not at all accommodate to the end of the Scriptures which is the Salvation of mens Souls nor to have provided for the Recovering of the Church out of those gross Errours he both foresaw and foretold she would fall into The twentieth That the true and primarie Sense of Holy Scripture is Literal or Historicall unless in such Parts or Passages thereof as are intimated to be Parables or Visions writ in the Prophetick style or the literal Meaning be repugnant to rightly-circumstantiated Sense or natural Science c. For then it is a sign that the Place is to be understood Figuratively or Parabolically not Literally The truth of this appears out of the immediately-foregoing Conclusion For else the Scripture would not be sufficiently plain in all Points necessary to Salvation Indeed in no Points at all but all the Articles of our Faith that respect the History of Christ might be most frivolously and whifflingly allegorized into a mere Romance or Fable But that the History of Christ is literally to be understood is manifest both from the Text it self and from perpetuall and universal Tradition Which if it were not the right Sense it were a sign that it is writ exceedingly obscure even in the chief Points which is contrary to the foregoing Conclusion But that those Places or Passages that are repugnant to rightly-circumstantiated Sense or natural Science are to be interpreted figuratively is plain from the general Consent of all men in that they universally agree when Christ says I am the Door I am the true Vine c. That these things cannot be literally true And there is the same reason of Hoc est Corpus meum This is my Body The twenty first That no Point of Faith professed from the Apostles time to this very day and acknowledged by all Churches in Christendome but is plainly revealed in the Scripture This may be partly argued out of the nineteenth and twentieth Conclusions and also farther proved by comparing these Points of Faith with Texts of Scripture touching the same matter The twenty second That the Comprehension of these Points of Faith always and every-where held by all Christian Churches from the Apostles time till now and so plain by Testimony of Scripture is most rightfully termed the Common or Catholick and Apostolick Faith The twenty third That there is a Divine Certainty of Faith which besides the Grounds that the Moral or Humane Certainty hath is supported and corroborated by the Spirit of Life in the new Birth and by illuminated Reason This is not to be argued but to be felt In the mean time no more is asserted then this That this Divine Certainty has an higher Degree of Firmness and Assurance of the truth of the Holy Scriptures as having partaken of the same Spirit with our Saviour and the Apostles but does not vary in the Truths held in the common Faith The twenty fourth What-ever pretended Inspiration or Interpretation of the Divine Oracles is repugnant to the above-described Common or Catholick and Apostolick Faith is Imposture or Falshood be it from a private hand or publick The Reason is apparent because the Articles of this Common Faith were the Doctrines of men truely inspired from above and the Spirit of God cannot contradict it self The twenty fifth None of the Holy Writ is of it self unintelligible but accordingly as mens spirits shall be prepared and the time sutable as God has already so he may as Seasons shall require still impart farther and farther Light to the Souls of the Faithfull
Imprimatur Sam. Parker RR mo in Christo Patri ac Domino Ex Aedibus Lambeth Decemb. 20. 1667. Domino Gilberto Divinâ Providentiâ Archiepiscopo Cantuariensi à Sacris Domesticis THE TWO LAST DIALOGUES Treating of the Kingdome of God Within us and Without us AND OF His special PROVIDENCE through CHRIST over His CHURCH from the Beginning to the End of all Things Whereunto is annexed A brief Discourse of the true Grounds of the Certainty of Faith in Points of Religion together with some few plain Songs or Divine Hymns on the Chief Holy-days of the Year LUKE 9.62 No man having put his hand to the Plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdome of God REVEL 1.17 Fear not I am the first and the last I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the Keys of Hell and of Death LONDON Printed by I. Flesher 1668. THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER Reader I Believe thou wilt wonder at the preposterous Order of my publishing these Two Dialogues before the Three first have seen the Light and indeed it may be most of all why I publish them at all If it were a matter of ordinary intelligible Political Interest or the Solution of some Algebraicall Probleme or the Discovery of some quaint Experiment towards the perfecting of Natural Philosophy or the Decision of some notable Point in Polemicall Divinity Reason would that we should accept of your Performance and have the patience to peruse it But to draw out a long tiresome Story of the Kingdome of God and Fate of the Church through I know not how many dark Types and obscure Aenigmaticall Prophecies where we can fix no sure footing in any thing Quis leget haec The Gallio's of this Age care for no such things Well admit the case to stand so Reader as thou suggestest yet this could be no just Impediment to either the Writing or Publishing these Dialogues For every genuine Minister of the Kingdome of God has a commission to preach in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.2 He that observes the Winde shall not sow Eccles. 11.4 and he that regardeth the Clouds shall not reap If S. John's Apocalypse had not been writ nor published before it would have been readily read and understood the date of those Visions had been at least fifteen hundred years later then it was and the Event of things had anticipated their Prediction And for the pretended Aenigmaticall Obscurity of the Types and Prophecies the endeavour of this Authour has been that they should cease to be so any longer which I believe they do to them that look upon them with an impartial eye and are duely prepared to receive the Sense of them For some Pollutions may hinder them from seeing any thing as they say it is in the looking into the Magick Crystall or Shew-stone Two looking into the same Crystall but differently prepar'd or predisposed the one sees clearly a Scene of things to come the other nothing Which though it be strange in that case yet it seems far stranger in this of the Prophecies the main things aimed at being of as clear Solution the Postulata admitted that is to say the truth of History and the Sense of the Prophetick style though no farther then the Scripture it self interprets it as any Probleme in Algebra As will certainly appear to the intelligent from M r Mede's Synchronisms and the eight last Chapters of the first Book of Synopsis Prophetica And admit but that Joint-Exposition of these two Chapters of the Apocalypse the thirteenth and seventeenth there will be little Controversie of the Solution of the rest And still the less upon the Perusall of these Dialogues which give light into the whole Apocalypse and so take away that Excuse from some that pretend they cannot safely promise themselves they understand any part unless they understand all This Reader is in return to thy false Surmize as if the whole Dialogues were stuffed with nothing but the recitall of dark Prophecies Whenas besides plain History there are many usefull moral Passages As that Method of regaining a due Divine temper of Body which consists in a more aethereal Purity of the Spirits that we may possess our Vessell in a right measure of Sanctity and Holiness that it may be more meet to receive and retain Divine Truths As also the means of arriving to that state which is the Kingdome of God within us Which though it be not a matter of Politicall or Secular Interest yet it is so palpable an Interest of every man as methinks there should no man be such a Gallio as to slight it unless he think it an indifferent thing whether he be damned or saved But believe it if any one have really attained to the Kingdome of God within him it is then impossible that he should be unconcerned for the Kingdome of God without him he being so certainly united with that Spirit the Eternall Minde that superintends the Affairs of the Vniverse and of his own peculiar Kingdome and People in a more special manner He that has lost the sense of his own carnal and personal Concerns is naturally as I may so speak seised upon and actuated by the Spirit of God and all his Affections of Love and Care and solicitous Foresight are taken up with the Interest of that Communialty of which he is a living Member under one Head Christ Jesus And therefore as it is supposed by the Poet that it was a great satisfaction to Aeneas to be instructed by Anchises concerning the Fate and Success of his Family and Posterity their glorious Atchievements and the Largeness of their Empire that they should Virgil. Aeneid lib. 6. super Garamantas Indos Proferre Imperium so likewise they that once have got into a real Cognation and Spiritual Consanguinity with the true Apostolick Church as having derived upon them or transfused into them from their Head that Divine Spirit that actuates the whole Body of Christ it cannot but be a transcendent Pleasure to them to understand the overspreading Glory and Success which the Family of God of which they are part I mean the true Apostolick Church will have in the World before the Consummation of all things Which illustrious Scene of Futurities though they neither descend with Aeneas to get a view of them amongst the Shades below nor with S. John have the Heavens open upon them from above to exhibit those Celestiall Visions yet they casting the pure eyes of their Minde upon the Scripture see all those glorious Futurities writ in Heaven plainly reflected to them from the Books of the Prophets as we see the Sky and Clouds the Moon and Stars by looking on some River or Pool to their ineffable pleasure and satisfaction Which may excuse this Authour 's so laborious a Ramble as it may seem to some through so many dark Types and Prophecies to finde out this future Glory of the
this childish condition Whence the World is full of wrangling and vexation even about the pettiest Points of Religion that are Whereby mens minds must needs be exulcerated and the Government disturbed and the Safety of the Church hazarded Which would not at all be if this wholesome searching Doctrine had but place in the hearts of men For it would so ripen their growth in Christianity that all their Harshness and Sourness would soon mellow into Christian Love and Sweetness For believe it there is nothing more civil nothing more humane nothing more gentle and governable then a mature and well-grown Christian. Again in the Description of the Character of the Elias to come a main Note of him is that he is a Reconciler of the Magistrate to the People and of the People to the Magistrate that he is for Peace and Vnion in the Church of God and a declarer against Rents and Schisms And lastly that great Point of all That the Pope with his Clergie is that Antichrist and the Roman Church that City out of which God's People are bid to depart as it is most certainly true in it self and of huge Consequence to be known upon the account of a Spiritual Interest so does it most manifestly also consolidate the Secular Interest of all Protestant Princes and People against the Pretensions of the Pope and is a safe Cynosura to steer their Counsels by For I dare appeal even to the Pontificians themselves upon supposition that the Pope and his Clergie be Antichrist and the Church of Rome that Babylon out of which God's people are bid to depart whether any thing in counsell that makes towards the reduction of God's people nearer to that City and the ensnaring them again in their former Captivity can be adviseable for any Protestant Magistrate either upon point of Piety or Policy or supposing a God in Heaven can promise any prosperous Success Wherefore for any Protestant Subject so persuaded to conceal so important a Truth would be the greatest Perfidiousness even to his Terrestriall Sovereign as any man can stand guilty of These I think were sufficient Motives for the publishing these Dialogues But for the preposterous Order in publishing them the plainest account is the will of the Authour of which no worse Construction ought to be made then that as it seems he has a greater Concern for the Interest of Christianity then for the Curiosities of Philosophy For such is the Subject of the three first Dialogues Which had he had as great a propension to gratifie the Curious as to edifie the Church of Christ he would not have failed to have published at least as soon as these the matter of them being both Philosophicall as I said and that concerning the most enticing Points in Philosophy and also intermixt with much Pleasantry and Humour which by reason of the extraordinary Gravity of this present Subject it was thought fit I suppose the more strictly to abstain from But though I have no commission to publish the three first Dialogues themselves yet I thought fit for the more punctually understanding these two last to publish the Arguments of those they being sufficient for the understanding any References or Reflexions on them occurring in these And lastly Reader I have added for thy farther Entertainment by way of Appendage though not altogether so necessary I confess yet sutable enough to some Points in these Dialogues if not to the whole Design A brief Discourse of the true Grounds of the Certainty of Faith in Points of Religion as also some few plain Songs or Divine Hymns on the chiefest Holy-days in the Christian Kalendar agreeable enough with these Divine Dialogues both in Purpose and Title Wherein the Writer of them has observed always this Method to adde to the Historicall Narration an Application to the Emprovement of Life Which whether in Verse or Prose if it were diligently observed in the handling of the Historicall Articles of our Christian Faith would be of so great force for the making men good that I doubt not but Philotheus had he thought of it would have added this as a ninth Instruction tending to the Acceleration of those happy Times of the Church which he presages These Reader if thou pleasest candidly to accept for the present it will be the greater Obligation to the Authour to let what still remains in his hands in due time see the Light and be as willing to condescend to gratifie the Philosophicall Genius in those three first Dialogues as he has been in these ambitious to edifie the Religious G. C. The proper Characters of the Persons in the ensuing Dialogues with some Allusion to their Names Philotheus A zealous and sincere Lover of God and Christ and of the whole Creation Bathynous The Deeply-thoughtful or profoundly-thinking man Sophron The Sober and wary man Philopolis The pious and loyal Politician Euistor A man of Criticism Philologie and History Hylobares A young witty and well-moralized Materialist Cuphophron A zealous but Airy-minded Platonist and Cartesian or Mechanist Ocymo Cuphophron's Boy so called from his Nimbleness DIVINE DIALOGVES CONTAINING Several Disquisitions and Instructions touching the ATTRIBUTES of GOD AND HIS PROVIDENCE In the WORLD THE FOURTH DIALOGUE Philotheus Bathynous Sophron Philopolis Euistor Hylobares Cuphophron Philoth. OUr Conference hitherto I A brief Recapitulation of what has hitherto passed in their discourse O Philopolis has been spent either in proving briefly the Existence of God or in clearing of his Attributes or in defending of his Providence which was but a necessary preparation to them that doubt of these things for the due understanding of the Mysteries of his Kingdome For if there be no God nor any Divine Providence there can be no Kingdome of God upon Earth as Hylobares well noted at first And indeed if the Providence of God be not every-where it is a very suspicable business that it is in truth no-where Whence appears the necessity of admitting such Hypotheses as will make sense of all occurrences and appearances of things which we meet withall in what-ever Nations of the Earth or parts of the Universe And such I conceive were those that were suggested in our two last days Conferences With which if Hylobares who seemed to be the onely man dissettled touching these Points be fully satisfied I am now ready to serve you Philopolis according to the best of my skill touching your demands concerning the Kingdome of God Philop. I humbly thank you Philotheus and my eager desire to hear you discourse of so important a Theme and my jealousie that we shall be much streightned in time makes me beg of you that without any farther delay you would be pleased to fall upon the matter Hyl. Which Philotheus will doe the more couragiously II The great force of a firm belief of a God and his Providence for the fixing a man's Faith in the truth of Christianity O Philopolis after I have briefly acknowledged my thanks for
7. And again Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart are thy ways Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a Well and the rain filleth the pools with water They go from strength to strength till every one of them appear before God in Sion By which is intimated that firm Faith and holy desire brings us at last to the fruition of God and his Kingdome To all which I need not adde for a conclusion the perpetuall and constant performance of what-ever we find our selves able and bound in duty to perform For he that has this Faith and sincere desire can never sin against the Power of God and the Dictates of his own Conscience This Philopolis is a brief but faithfull direction for the obtaining that great prize the Kingdome of God within us Philop. And I am infinitely obliged to you Philotheus for your hearty and serious Instructions in so important a Mysterie I hope they will never slip out of my mind Cuph. I am sure his Indoctrinations touching the Centre of the Soul in the Heart stick so fast in mine that I shall never forget them But I beseech you Philotheus what will become of that Centre of the Soul in the other state when we have left our Hearts behind us Philoth. It is much O Cuphophron that your Philosophy should scruple at this unless you be also at a loss what will become of the other Centre of the Soul because we leave our Brains behind us They retain the same offices still the one to joyn us with the Spirit of the World or else with the Spirit of God the other to be our common Percipient Philop. This is a Curiosity which I for my part took no notice of X The externall Kingdome of God properly so called what it is And I pray you Philotheus be no farther engaged in the point but proceed to the externall Kingdome of God and declare to us what it is Philoth. The External Kingdome of God amongst men is much-what the same in a larger acception of the word that the pure and true Church of God is Which is a body of such people as make profession of the onely true God the Maker and Creatour of all things and the Supervisour of all the affairs of the Vniverse a Punisher of offenders and a Rewarder of all those that seek him This profession of one God joyn'd with the pure worship of him devoid of all Idolatry and gross Superstition as also of all Cruelty and Barbarity and of all foul and unclean Customs but on the contrary it being a declared Law amongst them That they ought to love this one and onely true God with all their heart and all their Soul and their neighbour that is all mankinde as themselves and to deal with others as themselves would be dealt withall they in the mean time living in no opposition or defiance to any sufficiently-revealed Law of God This profession I say does constitute any Family Countrey Nation or Kingdome the Church of God or Kingdome of God In which description O Philopolis if you rest satisfied it will be easie according to the sense thereof to answer the first part of your second Quere namely When the Kingdome of God began Philop. I am not so curious as not to rest satisfied in this description XI When this Kingdome of God began O Philotheus and therefore I desire you to proceed to the second Quere Philoth. It is manifest therefore O Philopolis out of this description that the Kingdome of God began as timely as the first Family of the world and was continued in the succession of the Patriarchs before and after the Floud to Moses and through the Mosaick Polity which some in a more peculiar manner contend to be a Theocracy to the coming of Christ. Philop. But what shall we think in the mean time therefore of the ancient Philosophers which had nothing to doe with either the Patriarchs or Moses and yet believed One onely true God the Authour and Governour of the Universe and were singularly good and vertuous in their conversations were they any part of the Kingdome of God Philoth. That the Philosophers had nothing to doe with Moses and that their wisedome derived not it self from that fountain is more then I dare averr But if they were such as you describe for profession and life and communicated not with the Idolatries and pollutions of the Gentiles I should look upon them as very much a-kin to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and dare not debarr them from being certain scattered Appendages to the Kingdome of God Philop. If you think so favourably of them Philotheus for my part I cannot be of so sour and severe a temper as to grudge them that honour In the mean while I am not onely satisfied touching the so timely commencement of the Kingdome of God or the Church but of the succession of it to the coming of Christ which answers to the second part of my second Quere Where it has been to be found since its beginning And truly that God had his Church so timely seems to be intimated by that timely Martyrdome begun in it in the Murther of Abel Matt. 23.35 from whose righteous bloud Christ seems to begin the Martyrology in his commination to that murtherous City the carnal Ierusalem Bath This is notably well observed of Philopolis O Philotheus and puts me in minde of something a dark passage in the Apocalypse which haply may receive light from hence namely Apoc. 13.8 there where it is said That all would worship the Beast whose names are not written in the Book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world that is à mundo condito Which passage I conceive alludes to the murthering of Abel it being so early an example of the wicked martyring the good And therefore by the Lamb is here understood according to the Prophetick style the whole succession of the holy ones or elect of God spotless in life and invincible in their patience no persecution being able to subdue their minds to evil or to make them violate their Consciences For there is no deceiving or overcoming the Elect whose Names are written in the Book of Life which Book is called the Book of the Lamb or of the Elect of God because their names are enrolled there and this Lamb said to be slain from the foundation of the world because the example of the wicked murthering the innocent and just began so early in Cain's murthering of his brother Abel But to understand by the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world the Lamb that was to be slain is so bold an abuse of all Grammar and Logick that I must confess till this consideration came into my minde the Text seemed to me to be of a desperate obscurity unless we should have taken the liberty to understand by this slaying of the Lamb in the ordinary sense that is
That is the great bar to the reception of Sacred Truths with such kind of men as Pride Covetousness and Hypocrisie with others Philop. What you say I believe is too true Bathynous the more the pitty But while we cannot change the minds of others let us at least improve our own as well as we can And from what we have proceeded in hitherto I am the more desirous to hear an answer to the last part of my present Quere Tell me therefore I beseech you O Philotheus Where the Kingdome of God now is That was the last Point in my Second Question and methinks I am more puzzled in it then ever Philoth. You are not so puzzled XV Where the Kingdome of God now is Philopolis but I believe you will easily extricate the difficulty your self and find out where God has by first finding out where he has not his Kingdome For I believe you will not say that the Kingdome of God is amongst the mere Pagans by reason of their Ignorance Atheisticalness and Idolatry Philop. No sure I did not so much as dream it was Philoth. Nor amongst the Iews For they were a City of murtherers and killed their Messias and so ceased to be God's people and as many as are not converted to Christianity justifie the act of their forefathers and become successively guilty of their bloudy and murtherous Crime Besides that they are professed Enemies and Rebells to the manifestly-declared Law of God which is the Christian Religion and therefore the Iewish Nation can be no part of the Kingdome of God according to the Definition of it above mentioned Philop. You say true Philotheus Philoth. Nor the Turk for the same reason I mean for his express enmity to Christianity the plainly-declared Law of God besides the tearing Cruelty and Savageness of that Polity For the Kingdome of God must be devoid as well of bloudy Persecution and Barbarity as of Idolatry and Polytheism And what an ill Character the Turks and Saracens have in the Prophetick Visions is plain in that the latter are figured out by Scorpion-like Locusts out of the bottomless pit Apoc. 9.10 11. the title of whose King is Abaddon or Apollyon the other by Horsemen ver 17 19. whose horses heads are compared to Lions and their tails to Serpents to intimate that league they have with the Kingdome of the Serpent or of the Devil for the Devil was a murtherer from the beginning and these Wasters of the world by war and bloudshed Philop. This is more then enough evident Philoth. And for the Popish Church it is well known how besides their multifarious Idolatries and gross Superstitious practices it is all-over besmeared with innocent bloud as she also is figured out in the Apocalypse by that gorgeous Whore with whom the Kings of the earth commit Fornication Chap. 17.2 6. and who is drunk with the bloud of the Saints and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus Philop. It remains then that the Reformed parts of Christendome be the Kingdome of God for none else occurr to my mind that can lay claim to the title Philoth. And there is good reason to conclude so both because the Definition of the Externall Kingdome of God above given agrees to them namely that they worship the One and onely-true God and have purified his Worship from all Idolatrous practices and corruptions and have so far ceased to be that murtherous City that stoned the Prophets that they use no other sword then that of the Spirit against Idolaters themselves whom they never kill but either in the open field in battel or upon the account of Treason against their lawfull Prince and also because God be thanked they are free from any yoke but that of Christ and their own Reformed Princes And therefore being a self-sufficient Power able to maintain themselves against all extraneous and Idolatrous Powers these of them that are in this condition seem to me to be an hopefull Inchoation of that promised Kingdome of the Son of man which Daniel foretells of and to be the first Rudiments of the Fifth Monarchy forasmuch as they arise out of the ruine of the little Horn with the eyes of a Dan. 7.25 man which is said to wear out the Saints of the most High Philop. I understand you very well Philotheus O the admirable perspicuity and convictiveness of Truth O how necessary is the knowledge of this Theory to all the Protestant Dominions that they may know how to be both good Christians and good Subjects at once For no man can oppose undermine or be false to the Protestant Interest as such or to any Reformed Prince but he must ipso facto commit Treason against the Kingdome of God and be a Traitour or Rebell against the Sovereignty of the Lord Iesus O how infinitely satisfied am I with this Truth O how I could dwell upon this so-concerning a speculation O how am I eased in mind and freed from all distraction while my Soul is stedfastly determined to one that I know what to wish for what to pray for what to act for what to suffer for I mean for the interest of the Kingdome of God and the reviving Monarchy of the Lord Iesus Christ. Cuph. XVI That smaller faults in Things or Persons hinder not but that a Church may still be the Kingdome of God This Truth if it be a truth is like a spark fallen into very combustible matter that it has set Philopolis thus all on a flame It 's pitty but what you say should be true Philotheus that Philopolis his sincere and ingenuous zeal may not have hit on an undue subject But for my part I cannot but be something hesitant at least in the point if not quite incredulous For the Manners the Opinions and the manner of the Rise of Reformed Christendome are such as in my judgment ill sute with so glorious a Title Hyl. What it seems then that Mr. Advocate General of the Paynim will now act the part of an Accuser of the brethren This it is to be of such an universalized spirit as to be ready and fit for all turns Cuph. I shall aecuse them Hylobares whom I desire to be found clear and before such Judges as I hope will not be unfavourable Philoth. For my part Cuphophron I cannot say that either all Things or all persons of the Reformation are without fault But the sinfulness of some yea though it were of many does not exclude the whole from being the Externall Kingdome of God And that is the point that we are upon For the Externall Kingdome of God may be presumed much larger then the Internall And our Saviour Christ himself you know compares the Kingdome of God in this externall sense to a Net cast into the Sea Matt. 13.47 which gathers of every kind as well bad as good The people of Israel was the Kingdome of God but was every particular man of them holy and vertuous The Roman
Empire in Constantine's time became the Kingdome of God but were no particular members of the Church at that time in any thing reprehensible Whether the Reformation cease to be the Kingdome of God for the wickedness of some of that denomination let our Adversaries be judges who never spared to style themselves Holy Church for all the abhorred ungodliness of the Heads their Holinesses at Rome and universal pollution of the members and that because they took themselves to be the true Christian Church and to hold the right Faith and to retain the Rites and Religious Practices as to the externall Worship of God though they were indeed an Antichristian Church and all overrun with abominable Doctrines and Idolatrous Practices and Diabolical Cruelties against the true Worshippers of God Of how much more right therefore ought the Reformation to be held the holy people of God and his peculiar Kingdome who profess the Apostolick Faith entire without any Idolatrous superadditions who murther no man for his Conscience and make the infallible Word of God it self the Object of their Profession and the platform of their Religion Cuph. The truth is the disparity is infinitely great if the Roman and Reformed Church stood in competition which of them two should be the Kingdome of God Bath But it being so plain that the Reformed Church is the true Externall Kingdome of God forasmuch as they make pure profession of the Gospel of the Kingdome cleared from all the gross Corruptions of men and teach Christ merely according to the Word of Christ and that also in this regard the Church of Rome by their Antichristian Doctrines is really a contrary Kingdome thereunto that is the Kingdome of Antichrist how abominably nauseous O Cuphophron must Indifferency in Religion be amongst Pretenders to Protestantism whenas the Romanists themselves scarce in the worst of times would have laid down their zeal in the behalf of that Christianity against Turcism though Turcism ought not to be more abominable to them then their Antichristianism ought to be to us XVII The Charge of Antinomianism against th Reformation For what can be more contrary then the Kingdome of Christ and of Antichrist Cuph. This would bear more weight with it Bathynous if there were no gross flaws in the externall Profession of the Protestants and that they were right in their declared Opinions For in my judgement Antinomianism and Calvinism I mean that dark Dogma about Predestination are such horrid Errours that they seem the badges of the Kingdome of Darkness rather then of the Kingdome of God Bath What you mean by Antinomianism O Cuphophron I know not But so far as I know there are but these two meanings thereof either a conceit that we are exempted by the liberty of the Gospel from all moral Duties a thing exploded by all the Protestant Churches as you may understand by the Harmony of their Confessions or else it signifies a disclaim of being justified by the doing our Duties and an entire relying on the Satisfaction or Atonement of Christ which rightly understood has no evil at all in it but is an excellent Antidote against Pride For those that profess such an Antinomianism as this and declare they look to be saved by Faith onely without the Works of the Law will not deny but that they are to live as strictly and holily as if they were to be saved by the integrity of their conversations and yet when they have lived as precisely as they can that they are wholly to relie upon the mercy of God in Christ. How lovely how amiable is such a disposition of a Soul as this who taking no notice of her own innocency or righteousness casts her self wholly on the Goodness and Merits of her Saviour and so like an un-self-reflecting and an un-self-valuing childe enters securely and peaceably into the Kingdome of God and into the choicest mansions of his heavenly Paradise Cuph. Nay if that be the worst of it Bathynous I am easily reconciled to Protestantism for all this Bath This is the worst of it O Cuphophron so far as I can understand And you know the orthodox Protestants universally adde their Doctrine of Sanctification or a good life to that of Justification by Faith onely so that I dare say they dealt bonâ fide but by a secret Providence directed so their style and phrase as was most effectual to oppose or undermine the gainful traffick of that City of Merchandises where the good works they ordinarily cry'd up so were nothing else but the good and rich wares those cunning Merchants purchased at cheap rates from abused souls the increase of whose sins were the advance of the Revenues of the Church and their externall good works as they are called an excuse for their want of inward Sanctification and real Regeneration the main things the Protestants stand upon which can be no more without Good works in the best sense so called then the Sun without Light Cuph. But are there then Bathynous no Antinomians in the ill sense amongst the Protestant Bath No otherwise Cuphophron then there were Gnosticks and Carpocratians in the Apostolick times There are but disallowed by general suffrage Cuph. Let that then suffice XVIII The Charge of Calvinism against the Reformation But this dark Opinion of Predestination how dismall does it look Bathynous black as the smoak of the bottomless pit out of which the Locusts came Bath What do you allude to the Turks and Saracens Cuphophron The Turks indeed are held great Fatalists whence some in reproch call this Point of Calvin Calvino-Turcism Who would have thought Cuphophron so Apocalyptical That you take so great offence at Predestination in that rude and crude sense that some hold it I do not at all wonder for it has ever seemed to me an Opinion perfectly repugnant to the nature of God that he should Predestinate any Souls to endless and unspeakable misery for such sins as it was ever impossible for them to avoid This is a great reproch in my apprehension to the Divine Majesty But that there is an effectual Election or Predestination of some to eternall life I must confess I think it not onely an Opinion inoffensive but true which seems to me probably to be intimated from such passages as these Apoc. 13.8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship the Beast whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world And again in another place of the Apocalypse And they that are with him are called Apoc. 17.14 and chosen and faithfull And also in the Epistle to the Romans Rom. 8.28 29. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them that are the called according to his purpose For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate and whom he did predestinate them he also called c. These places considered together want not their force
Temple left for them to worship towards but the Holy Body of Iesus the Son of Mary which he carried into Heaven with him at his Ascension Philoth. These are very manifest Traces of Divine Providence Philopolis but nothing methinks so exact for the designation of the time of Christ's coming as the Seventy Weeks of Daniel we above mentioned For beginning the Epoche of the Weeks from the seventh year of Artaxerxes in Ezra 7 the Passion of Christ or of the Messiah who is there said to be cut off will fall within the last Week And is not this a notable precise Prediction to be made five or six hundred years before the Event Hyl. This is indeed a notable demonstration of Providence if there be an easie Congruity of the Text to the Event Philop. Take that upon my credit Hylobares the Application is marvellous easie and natural and such as can have no corrival as I understand from * See Doctor More 's Mystery of Godliness Book 7. chap. 4. a late Explication of that Prophecy Philoth. But there is yet a more early Prediction O Philopolis of the Sufferings of Christ in Isay who prophesied above an hundred years sooner which Prophecy contains severall other Characteristicks also of his Person Philop. You mean Isay 53. That is indeed a very illustrious Prophecy and such as I am abundantly satisfied in As also of the exact Providence of God and of his vigilancy over his Church in thus foretelling the determinate time and proper characters of the Person of Christ the Saviour of the World But my mind is carried on to the Success of his coming Philoth. He that is represented riding on the white Horse at the opening of the first Seal in the Apocalypse Apoc. 6.2 with his Bow in his hand did at last hit the mark which was aimed at and he then took possession of that Crown that was given him when at the sixth Seal the Roman Empire under Constantine became Christian. But as the Spirit of Prophecy had foretold that through many tribulations and afflictions we should enter into the Kingdome of Heaven so through many horrid and bloudy Persecutions and difficult Oppositions did Christianity possess it self of the Empire And therefore this time of Conflict is fitly prefigured by that bloudy Battel betwixt Michael and the seven-headed Dragon and that most direfull Persecution of all begun in Diocletian's time and continued through the Reigns of some other Emperours by the Altar Apoc. 6.9 10. at the fifth Seal under which were seen the Souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimonie which they held who cried saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the Earth But after this greatest extremity was that high Victory of the Church in Constantine that mighty Earthquake Ver. 12. at the opening of the sixth Seal which dissettled and broke a-pieces the Pagan Power and cast the Empire into the lap of the Church Wherefore that was fulfilled in a more eminent manner which was spoken by the Prophet Daniel Dan. 2.44 And in the days of these Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdome which Kingdome is called the Kingdome of God and the Kingdome of Heaven as I told you before out of these Prophecies which begun indeed with Christ and his Apostles and therefore is more commonly called the Kingdome of Christ but was most notoriously so when by their fortitude and sufferings they had subdued the Roman Empire to Christ's Sceptre and so continued while the Church was Symmetrall as it was all the time of the six Seals But within the confines of the fourth and fifth Century this externall Kingdome of Christ began to degenerate into the Kingdome of Antichrist and the Beast that had received the deadly wound was again a-healing Apoc. 13.3 and all the Idolatries and Superstitions of the Pagans were at last revived in a spurious kind of Christianity and the new-fangled Idolatrous Ceremonies of the Church became the living Image of old Heathenism Ver. 14 and finally the Beast that was not during the Reign of the purely-Christian Caesars became the Beast that was Apoc. 17.8 and is not and yet is For the Empire became Pagan again by becoming Idolatrous and yet not that old Pagan Empire because it was paganized with a pseudo-Christian kind of Idolatry and yet by resemblance it is that old Pagan Empire Idolatry and Murther and other gross Enormities being so lively strokes in the feature of them both This is the Success Philopolis Philop. XXV The Apostasie of the Church how consistent with the durableness of God's Kingdome in Daniel This I believe is too true Philotheus but how consistent is that Apostasie of the Church with what follows in Daniel For he saies In the days of those Kings suppose in the fourth of them viz. the Roman shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdome which shall never be destroy'd but it shall break in pieces and consume all those Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever How is this standing consistent with that Apostasie Philoth. This is a material Objection Philopolis but the Answer is not far to seek For though we should not grant that in a more Externall and Politicall sense even degenerate Christendome may be called the Kingdome of Christ and that these Representations of her Apostasie do not so much mean that she is no Spouse of Christ at all as that she is a whorish one and that her Enormities are onely set off at that height the more effectually to reclaim her or make people forsake her Communion This alone may satisfie this difficulty that all along this abhorred Apostasie of the Church set out by those figures of the Whore of Babylon the two-horned Beast and the false Prophet the healed Beast with ten Horns and the Proculcation of the outward Court by the Gentiles for 42 months as also by the little Horn with eyes spoken of by Daniel Dan. 7. who was to domineer for a time and times and half a time we are to consider that there is a Continuance of the true Apostolicall subjects of Christ's Kingdome all this time synchronall to this Apostasie and prefigured by the Virgin-Company in the Apocalypse by the two Witnesses prophesying in sackcloth 1260 days and by the Woman in the wilderness continuing there for a time and times and half a time So that the Kingdome begun by Christ and his Apostles though plagued and persecuted and cruelly opposed by both Rome Pagan and Rome Antichristian was never yet subdued but remains still for all those glorious purposes God intends it to this very day This is that precious stone cut out without hands which must become that Mountain that will fill the whole Earth Dan. 2.35 and not that carnal lump of Idolaters and bloudy Murtherers These are the Hundred forty four thousand mustered on Mount
ratified by the New Is this the body of the Sun you mean Philoth. Some such thing I drive at you understand me very well Now I say the pouring out the Vial upon this Sun is the enlightning it with clear and convictive Expositions by Holy men assisted by the Spirit of God or rather the removing the clouds of Obscurity from before it that it may shine in its full strength to discover plainly the unrighteous mysteries of the Kingdome of Antichrist and shew to all the World in what a foul and horrid condition they are how apostatized from God and Christ and how plainly and reprochfully their abominable doings are characterized by the finger of God in the Scripture and how lively their most direfull and diabolicall Image is there described This is the pouring out the Vial upon the Sun whereby power is given him to scorch men with fire and so vex them that they blaspheme the Name of God by reason of these Plagues and rather vilifie and reproch the Scriptures and the Spirit that writ them then repent them of their sins and give glory to God by acknowledging the Truth This I conceive may be one sense of the fourth Vial. Philop. But this is a more Mystical or Spiritual sense Is there not also Philotheus a Politicall one Philoth. Yes there is Philopolis and it is a very obvious one For nothing is more confessed then that in the Prophetick style the Sun signifies the greatest person in the Politicall Universe as he is the most glorious Luminarie in the Natural Now who do you think is the greatest person in the World the Pope rules in Philop. He and the Pope has disputed it a great while and I think it is hard to say whether is at this very day Philoth. Wherefore the next Vial seeming more peculiarly to concern the Pope this is likely to appertain to the Emperour Philop. What therefore do you think the pouring of the fourth Vial upon the Sun to signifie in this Politicall sense Philoth. I hope it signifies the Conversion of some Emperour illuminated with the true knowledge of the Gospel For thus the general Reformation which he will introduce in his Empire through the Light and Zeal he has conceived for the Truth will scorch and burn and vex the Vassals of the two-horned Beast to the very heart This is a sense natural enough I think but whether it or the former be more natural I leave to you to judge Philop. There is abundant Concinnity in them both Nor do I think it is at all necessary that that Subject on which the Vial is said to be poured should always suffer Mischief but that at least Mischief should be thence reflected upon the Beast But is there no other possible sense of the fourth Vial Philotheus Philoth. There may be an * See Synops Prophet lib. 1. cap. 3. sect 3. Henopoeia adjoyn'd to this Iconism of the Sun so that it may signifie as it does Isay 24. at the last verse But then the Signification will be very congenerous to the later of the foregoing senses the meaning being also Politicall Philop. That intimation sufficeth For I understand thereby the taking in of more Kingdoms or Principalities into the Light of the Gospel distinct from those that appeared on the behalf thereof at the rising of the Witnesses I know not but this may be a right meaning as well as any of the other and a farther preparation to the times of that Vision of the Rider of the white Horse Apoc. 19.12 on whose Head it is said there were many Crowns I pray you Philotheus proceed and tell us the meaning of the fifth Vial poured on the throne of the Beast Apoc. 16.10 whereby his Kingdome became dark Philoth. The throne of the two-horned Beast is the same with the Throne of the Whore who is said to sit on the seven Hills IV The Interpretation of the fifth and sixth Vials Wherefore this in a Politicall sense seems to boad ill to the City of Rome which is the Seat of the Beast But whether it be the sacking of Rome and banishing the Pope from thence for ever or whether from the Effects of the former Vial Politically understood the Trading and Revenues of that greatest Merchant of the great men of the earth will grow very low and slender and so a great deadness and obscurity and darkness seise even his principal Seat or what other thing it may be analogous to this time must determine I cannot Philop. But is this the onely sense Philotheus of this Vial Philoth. It is that which I suppose is most to your tooth Philopolis But sometimes another occurrs to my minde What if we should conceive the Pope's Chair here perstringed by this Throne of the Beast I mean that Chair of Infallibility that he and his Pseudoprophetick Body boast they sit in and so dictate infallible Oracles to the world for their own Profit and Interest facing down the people whatsoever they finde gainfull to the Church that it is really true be it a Figment never so foolish or incredible never so blasphemous or impossible but it cannot seem so to the people while they take the Church to be infallible Now I say as the present Vial in the Politicall sense may be in some kinde a consequent of the former politically understood so the Efficacy of the former more spiritually understood may introduce in time the Effect of this present Vial in the more Spiritual meaning also and the pouring thereof on the Throne of the Beast may be the abolishing of that false Opinion of the Pope's and his Churche's Infallibility out of the generality of mens mindes which false Light once removed they must needs finde themselves much in the dark their Religion being such as neither Scripture Reason nor any thing else that has any Autority with it can afford any light to or the least colour for wherefore his Kingdome must needs be overwhelmed with more then Egyptian darkness and the Sticklers for the Papacy seeing so general a dissatisfaction in the people and that they through the penetrancy of the Light of the Gospel have lost this great hold on them it will make them gnaw their tongues for very anguish and pain Philop. Nay I know not but this may be one sense too But I pray you Philotheus proceed to the sixth Vial. Philoth. The sixth Vial Philopolis seems to touch upon the Conversion of the Iews Mr. Mede Comment Apocalypt ad cap. 16. as that late excellent Interpreter has with great judgement and credibility made the discovery And the comparing of the Vision of the treading of the Wine-press without the City Apoc. 14.18 and the Battel and Victory of that illustrious Heros riding on the white Horse Apoc. 19.11 with the last Vial does as he also suggests make much for the probability of this Exposition For that there is an Identity or Coincidency of Events signified by the treading
with this Out-world but as part of it To say nothing of the Light world which I must confess I take to be material also Sophr. And so do I Bathynous nor can by any means admit that Heaven and Hell are in the same space forasmuch as the Inhabitants of Heaven are Corporeall For the glorified Saints have Bodies and so have the Angels too according to the Opinion of the best Divines and Philosophers Bath But in the same place or Region Heaven and Hell may be manifested in particular Creatures what is common administring to their property as the Seminal Soul of the World is as busie in forming Toads and poisonous Serpents as in the fairest and most harmless Creatures Euist. What do you think then Bathynous that I. Behmen was not at all inspired that there is so little assurance of any considerable truth he has communicated to the World Bath To declare my conjecture of him freely and impartially XVIII Bathynous his judgement touching J. Behmen with some Cautions how to avoid the being ensnared by Enthusiasts Euistor I will in the first place allow him to be a very serious and well-minded man but of a nature extremely melancholick And in the second place I conjecture that he had been a Reader of H. N. and Paracelsus his Writings Both which being Enthusiasticall Authours fired his Melancholy into the like Enthusiastick elevations of spirit and produced a Philosophy in which we all-over discover the foot-steps of Paracelsianism and Familism Love and Wrath Sulphur and Sal-niter Chymistry and Astrology being scattered through all I do not deny Euistor but that both H. N. and I. Behmen were inspired but I averre withall that their Inspiration was not purely Spiritual Intellectual and Divine but mainly Complexionall Natural and Daemoniall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Aristotle speaks which is best understood by that of Plotinus Ennead 2. lib. 2. c. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This therefore was an Inspiration too far removed from the first pure Fountain to come clear Complexionall Love the noblest Motion impressed upon us by the Spirit of Nature first oppress'd in the Constriction Compunction and Anguish of a down-bearing Melancholy and after burning and flaming out into a joyfull liberty and carrying captive with it those severer Particles that would have smothered it into a glorious Triumph of Light and chearfull Splendour of the Spirits which makes the Soul overflow with all kindness and sweetness this I conceive is all the peculiar Inspiration or Illumination these Theosophists had at the bottom Which yet is not so contemptible but that they justly magnify it above the grim ferocities of the superstitious Factions in the imbittered Churches of the world who have not so good an Inspiration as this but their tongues and hearts are set on fire of Hell Jam. 3.6 This Light of Nature I say is abundantly well appointed both for Right and Skill to chastise and reproch the gross and grievous Immoralities of Hypocriticall Religions and to be subservient to that Truth and Life that is really Divine Euist. But they writ professedly as from the Spirit of God And I. Behmen seems to have had the assistence of a good Angel by that story of an Old man who upon pretence of buying a pair of Shoes of him read him his destiny and gave him holy and pious Instructions Bath Who knows but that it was really a man For he carried the Shoes away with him which he bought nor did he vanish in his sight And suppose he was a good Angel not a Devil does it follow straight that he was infallible The Inhabitants of the other World are good Physiognomists and know very well who are most for their turn in this Cuph. As an Horse-courser knows an Horse by his marks Bath And lastly that Iacob declares what he writes is from God that is but that which is necessary for all Enthusiasts to doe For if they did not think themselves inspired they were not Enthusiasts But there is a very powerfull Magick in this their heightened Confidence for the captivating others to them Hyl. How shall a man doe then Bathynous to keep himself from being ensnared by their Writings and from being hurried away with their Enthusiasms Bath For him that reads them there is onely this one short Remedie and safe To observe the moral and pious Precepts they tumble out with such extraordinary Zeal and fervour and to endeavour to be as really good as they declare themselves and all men ought to be and to make that your first and chief care without any design of engrasping great Mysteries This is the onely way of being assuredly able to judge them and of coming to that state which David blesses God for Psalm 119.99 I have more understanding then my Teachers because I keep thy Commandments Philoth. That is very good advice Hylobares and the most certain way of keeping out of the snares of Enthusiasts and one of the greatest good effects that God intends by the permission of them to inveigle certain Complexions in the ways of Holiness and to exercise the gift of discerning of Spirits in others to whom he has given it for the Safety of his Church and the magnifying the Ministry of the Gospel of his Son Iesus in the true and Apostolick Promoters thereof Sophr. If this way were taken my fears and jealousies O Philotheus were all hush'd nor could I doubt but the pure Apostolick Religion would carry all before it Philoth. And verily as touching those two Sects I must farther confirm to you O Sophron that there is not any such great danger in them no not in that more suspected one for as for the Behmenists I am of Bathynous his minde that they are unjustly suspected For at present by a kinde of oblique stroke God does notable execution upon the dead Formality and Carnality of Christendome by these zealous Evangelists of an internall Saviour and if any of them out of mistake and errour should in a manner antiquate that part of Religion that respects the externall which I hope are not many nor will be yet and mark what I say if they continue sincere I do not doubt but they will be fetched in again at least at the long run as being to be found in that third part of the Cities that are to fall by the sword of him that sitteth on the white Horse at the time of the effusion of the last Vial. Apoc. 19.21 and 16.19 Philop. That is very likely Philotheus nor have I now any doubt but those glorious Times of the Church will come and in such a sense as has been predefined But the next point is concerning the Signs of their coming Philoth. Can you desire a better Sign then the orderly succession of the Vials Philop. But I had in my thoughts the Rumour of Elias his coming first XIX That there is an Elias to come and in what sense as at the first coming of Christ for
will bring thee to ashes upon the Earth in the sight of all them that behold thee as you hinted to us yesterday Philotheus Philoth. By the iniquity of thy Traffick that is to say more particularly by the wicked sale and trade of Pardons and Indulgences sent out by Pope Leo the tenth in Luther's time from whence Luther first took fire Bath Why it hits marvellously well does it not Philotheus Philoth. It does Bathynous and is the same now you put me in mind of it that I offer'd at yesterday But to proceed Therefore will I bring forth a fire from out the midst of thee that is I will bring Martin Luther out of his Monkish Cell from amidst all his Superstition and false Devotion a man of so hot and fiery a complexion that his phancy was filled with nothing but flying Fire-brands in the night and he shall devour the Papacy by the fire of his zeal Bath Which he has done in a very considerable measure already The Atchievement whereof stands as a pledge of the future Consummation of what has been begun so successfully XXV Of the Obnoxiousness of Luther and other Reformers Euist. I hope so too Bathynous And yet to speak impartially and according to the truth of History the Instruments God made use of in the first Reformation of the Church were not altogether of so unexceptionable demeanour and tenour in Doctrine and Practice as that we should much build our faith upon the worth of their persons But I must confess that Luther was one that made himself the most obnoxious Bath What you say Euistor admit it were true it does not one whit prejudice the cause of the Reformation For the Reformation is not into the Opinion of any weak and fallible man but into the knowledge and belief of the infallible Word of God And therefore it is vainly and to no purpose alledged by the Romanists That Luther was of so big and boisterous a spirit That he was impatient of a single life That he was mistaken in his judgement in severall things in some things inconstant to himself vehement and uncontroulable in all and opposing all gainsayers with rudeness and bitterness of speech For notwithstanding all these Complexionall Infirmities yet I cannot but believe that he had a substantial Sincerity underneath a firm belief in God and Iesus Christ and a lusty Indignation against the bloudy Tyranny the gross Idolatry and base and unworthy Cheats and Impostures of the Church of Rome Whenas on the contrary his Antagonist Pope Leo was not onely an open abettour of these but a close Infidel or Atheist as appears by that wicked saying of his to Cardinall Bembo wherein he did insinuate that the whole History of Christ is but a mere Fable Was not Luther think you holy enough to grapple with such an Holiness as this Leo the tenth I must confess I cannot think so very highly of Luther as some do and yet I think him to have been a very happy Instrument in the hand of God for the good of Christendome against the horrid Enormities of the Papal Hierarchie And though he might not be allowed to be the Elias the Conductour and Chariot of Israel as some have styled him yet I think at least he might be accounted a faithful Postillion in that Chariot who was wel accoutred with his wax Boots oiled Coat and Hood and who turned the Horses noses into a direct way from Babylon toward the City of God and held on in a good round trot through thick and thin not caring to bespatter others in this high jogg as he himself was finely bespattered from others The meaner the Romanists make our first Reformers Euistor the greater disgrace returns upon themselves That the Corruptions of their Church were so gross that even men but of an ordinary life and judgement could both discern them and detest them at once If God by ordinary Instruments wrought extraordinary things the more was his Glory and the less hazard of eclipsing the luster of the Sacred Apostolicall Foundation or of disturbing that Number that is so holy and celebrious in both History and Prophecy throughout the Scripture Vnexceptionable Reformers had been a means rather to captivate us again to the flesh to carnal respects and personal Dotages then to promote the Dispensation of the Spirit which must be the upshot of all The Ministry of Luther and the Reformers was rather to recover to us the use of the Scripture then to dictate a Law to us from their own infallible and unexceptionable worth to break off the Papal Yoke rather then to put us into new Fetters The Word of God then it was hid like a precious Cabinet and sunk in that Augeae stabulum the overflowing Corruptions and down-bearing Tyrannies of the Church of Rome which that noble Heros Luther like another Hercules by removing the filth was to bring into the sight of the world again And would you then have had him and his Fellow-labourers not such as they were but such pure spruce Gentlemen in white Spanish-leather Pumps in clean Linen Stockins and Holland Doublets with all other correspondent Elegancy and unexceptionable Neatness and in this pure and splendid plight to have taken into hand their Shovells Wheel-barrows and Muck-forks to rid away this stinking Dunghill Christ did not owe his wicked Corrivall for the Government of the World so much respect And for such course work there was more need of a resolute robustuous courage such as Luther had then of any such externall Sanctimony or accuracy of Wit and Judgement as not to be taken tripping any-where in either Reason or Conversation Wherefore all Arguments against the Reformation from the quality of the Reformers are very weak both because they were substantial good men in the main notwithstanding what oversights soever they may be pretended to have committed through humour or passion or unavoidable surprize and also because it is not their Authority we stand to in matters of Religion but to the Scripture in the Recovery of the use and enjoyment whereof they were gloriously instrumental and lastly because all their particular judgements are swallowed up not to be seen nor look'd upon any farther then they appear in the common judgement of Reformed Christendome represented in the Harmonie of their publick Confessions But for God's carrying on the Reformation in particular Circumstances in his taking the Kingdome to himself and judging the little Horn if all be not so plain and pervious to our understandings yet let us the rather take up the Psalmist's form of Devotion and say Psalm 97 1 2. The Lord reigneth let the Earth rejoice Clouds and Darkness are round about him Righteousness and Iudgement are the habitation of his seat Philop. Bathynous has suggested many material Considerations in the behalf of the Reformation against all possible Cavills of the Adversarie touching the first Reformers whom I am very well assured that according to the Genius of that Church they
Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatrie Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Strife Sedition Heresies Envyings Murthers Drunkenness Revellings To which you may adde Pride Insultation Contempt of our brother Cruelty Fraud Imposture Perfidiousness Worldly-mindedness Extortion Covetousness and the like Gal. 5.22 23. But the fruit of the Spirit saith the Apostle is Love Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law This is that Spiritual man that discerneth every man 1 Cor. 2.15 but is himself discerned by none unless he be spiritual Of this Spirit of life it is said 1 John 5.12 He that has the Son has life but he that has not the Son has not life Rom. 8.9 As also He that has not the Spirit of Christ is none of his But of him that has the Son in this true sense namely by the abode of his Spirit in him John 8.36 it is farther declared That if the Son make you free then are you free indeed It is not therefore into an Huff of Phancy which ignorant giddy men may call the Spirit but it is the Spirit of Life in the new Birth into which we would ultimately resolve our adhesion to the pure Truth of the Gospel in opposition to the false adulterate Religion of the Church of Rome And the Dictates of this Spirit in its opposition to the gross Idolatries Impostures and Barbarities of that carnal Church which true Dictates are the Privilege of that Life that is to Righteousness in the meanest regenerate Christian would I set against the popular conceit of that false Churche's Infallibillity This true ground though popular would I have retain'd to bear against that popular Imposture of pretending that the Church of Rome cannot erre For we being made free by that Spirit of true Sanctification and Holiness all their Frauds and Wickednesses are easily felt by vital Antipathy whereby their Autority falls to the Dust and all their contradictious Figments made for their own worldly Interests are easily judged by the meanest Reason back'd and emboldened by this sincere Spirit of Righteousness and Love and so they are found through the Assistence of this living Principle common to all true Christians to be Murtherers Idolaters and gross Impostours This is palpable to the Spirit of Life in the new Birth which is the Privilege as I said of every true Christian. Nor will all their subtilties of Reason or far-fetched deductions of a tedious or endless intricate Sophistry be able at all to move or entangle such as are thus perfectly freed from Superstition and so firmly establish'd in this Principle of Life and Reality Philop. This is not onely a safe Sanctuary against all the perverse Sophisms and cunningly-devised Intricacies of the Church of Rome whereby they would illaqueate such honest Christians whose Education has not made them nimble enough at the weapon of Reason and Disputation but is also a strong engagement to make us all more closely and seriously Christianize that we may the more palpably feel our selves actuated by this Spirit of Life and thereby the more justly and securely defie all the Sophisters of the Dark Kingdome I mean this will not onely scatter and repell them but establish and edifie our selves to eternall Life Philoth. Your observation Philopolis is very true and good But now as by way of Counterpoize I have set the Spirit of Life in the new Birth against the pretense of the Infallibility of their Church so for my part I think to run counter to them in most things that are notoriously peculiar to them would prove a safe Direction in Policy As for example They are peculiarly infamous for their Doctrine and Practice upon account of Spiritual Jurisdiction of depriving men of their temporal Rights as if Dominion were founded in Grace and upon this pretense of Deposing of Kings and of raising their Subjects in Rebellion against them Wherefore my Fifth Document or Instruction should be to all the members of Christ's Kingdome The Fifth Principle That they do not suffer themselves to be stained with the least blemish or taint of Disloyalty to their lawfull Sovereign upon any account whatsoever but especially upon a Religious one there being no greater Disinterest to the true Religion then to appear to be promoted or maintained by so gross Immorality as Disloyalty nor no greater Advantage then through Faith and Patience to bear all Trialls and hardships as the old primitive Christians did Whose eyes being lift up to Heavenward and their feet directed wholly in that path by a Providence stumbled on the Imperiall Crown the Emperour at last becoming a profess'd Christian. Which was a very accumulate Completion of that Prediction of our Saviour Matt. 6.33 First seek the Kingdome of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you as has been noted before Philop. This is an excellent Principle indeed Philotheus and has annexed to it a comfortable Observation for all those that live under Princes that as yet are not converted to the pure Faith of the Gospell but are still captivated to the Religion of Rome But as for your Politicall Principle of alwaies running counter to that Church in what-ever they seem so notorious I doubt how that will alwaies hold For they do notoriously boast of and affect an universal Unity in Judgement and Practice should we therefore affect or indulge to a Disunity or Difformity in matters of Religion Philoth. Alas Philopolis my meaning was not that we should run counter to them in any good things they boast of but in those bad things they have They are divided into multitudes of Opinions amongst themselves as well as others are And in those things they seem universally united in they are rather forcibly held together by externall awe and fear of being burnt or having their throats cut then out of plain Conviction of Conscience that the Points they universally profess are true This is not Vnion of Life and Spirit but the cramming and crouding disunited dust feathers and straws and tying them up close in one bag This is all the union they have in their universal Profession But why this should be called Christian Vnion thus by a barbarous force and compulsion to make a company of men profess and practise the same things be they never so Idolatrous or wicked I understand not Nor know I what is if this be not an Vnion or Communion Antichristian Wherefore we run opposite enough to them if we set up against their Antichristian Vnion an Vnion which is truely and really Christian. Which shall be the Sixth Instruction viz. That we endeavour above all things after an Vnion of unfeigned Belief and Love The Sixth Principle That it may be said of the Church as of the living Creatures in the Cherubick Chariot of Ezekiel Whither the Spirit was to go Ezek. 1.20 they went Philop. XXX How the Church shall attain to the Unity of
the Spirit This is surely the Vnity of the Spirit which all good Christians are exhorted to But how shall we attain to it Philotheus Philoth. This I conceive would confer much thereto if all Opinions and Practices in Religion that either hinder or do not promote the Life of God in the world were universally undervalued by the Church of God For in this Life of God is his Spirit And by this means all opportunity and pretense of any one's shewing himself to be religious but wherein true Religion doth consist being quite cut off men that would be thought at all religious must endeavour the imitation of that Life we speak of to approve themselves such Which they will do very lamely without the presence of the Spirit And all occasions of squabbling and contention about the Shadows and Coverings of Opinions and Forms being thus removed and taken out of the way it will be far easier to perform what the Apostle exhorts to Ephes. 4.3 namely To keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace For no man then shall be able to bustle with any credit unless it be in the behalf of what tends to the good of the people of God and of all mankinde But of those externall Coverings hear what the Prophet Isay denounceth Wo to the rebellious children Isa. 30.1 saith the Lord that take counsell but not of me and that cover with a Covering but not of my Spirit that they may add sin to sin This is the false Covering of Opinions and Formalities heaped together by the Ignorance or Hypocrisie of men whereby they would hide themselves as Adam from the eyes of their Maker But God has foretold that those of Mount Sion the Souldiers of the Lamb Isa. 25.7 shall destroy the face of the Covering cast over all people and the Veil that is spread over all Nations And then they must either be cloathed with the Covering of the Spirit Apoc. 16.15 or be found stark naked to their open shame as they are forewarned in the last Vial. Thus should we approch nearer to that Type of the best state of the Church figured out in the form of the Cherubims or the four Beasts where the Eagle is conceived to have the foot of an Oxe Isa. 55.2 none of them labour for that which is not bread Wherefore the number of Formalities and Opinions being lessened according to their uselesness and consequently being but few and profitable all the Church will easily understand their importance and truth As all the four Beasts are said to be full of eyes in opposition to that blinde Obedience cried up in the Roman Church and so throughly discerning the same Object and therewithall passing the same judgement upon it are also carried with one joint motion and affection For even their wings are full of eyes as denoting they move not out of any blinde Principle but from a Principle of certain Knowledge Which therefore Philopolis I would in opposition to the Church of Rome who cry up Ignorance as the mother of Devotion make the Seventh Document of holy Policy The Seventh Principle viz. To instruct the People throughly and convincingly of all the Fundamental mysteries of Truth and Interest appertaining to the Kingdome of God They that obtrude Falshood for their own advantage upon the People it is their Interest to keep them in Ignorance But they that are the Assertours of the Truth it is their Interest to have it as fully and fundamentally understood as may be and made clear out of Reason or Scripture And I conceive all Truth that is needfull to Life and Godliness may be in such manner cleared to the unprejudiced Whence it will be a very hard tug to seduce any from the Church to Romanism Infidelity or Atheism Philop. XXXI How the mind of man may arrive to a state of Unprejudicateness I am clearly of your minde Philotheus but all the difficulty is to get to that state of Vnprejudicateness Philoth. If the Son make you free then are you free indeed Sophr. That is not spoken Philotheus of freedome from Prejudice but of freedome from Sin so far as humane Nature can be free * John 8.34 35. Whosoever committeth sin saith our Saviour is the servant of sin And the servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Son abideth ever Then follows Ver. 36. If the Son therefore make you free then are you free indeed Philoth. And a little before he saith If ye continue in my word Ver. 31 32. then are ye my Disciples indeed that is to say If ye keep my Commandments And ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free Whereupon the Iews expostulate with our Saviour We be Abraham's seed Ver. 33. say they and were never in bondage to any how saiest thou then Ye shall be made free Whereupon in that passage O Sophron which you cited he charges them with being servants to sin implying that that was the Prejudice and impediment to their attaining to the Truth in that they lived in sin So that freedome from sin I think in our Saviour's own judgement does infer also freedome from Prejudice that hinders the knowledge of the Truth Wherefore O Philopolis in the Eighth and last place for I will not discourse so now as if I despaired of ever having the opportunity of conferring with you again I shall propose this one Document more not onely very serviceable for the Unity of the Church but the most effectual I know and the most necessary for the bringing on those excellent Times your desire is so carried after Philop. I long to hear it Philotheus Philoth. It is Faith in the Power of God and the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ The Eighth and last Principle which he has promised to all Believers that by this assistence we may get the conquest over all our Sins and Corruptions and perfect Holiness in the fear of God This Doctrine That we are not onely obliged to an higher pitch of Morality then either Paganism or Judaism did pretend to or could boast of but also that through the Spirit of Christ inhabiting in us we are able to be reduced to that Rectitude of Life and Spirit which our Saviour sets out in his Sermon upon the Mount and elsewhere in his Discourses in the Gospels It is this Doctrine I say that must renew the world in righteousness and bring on those glorious Times that so many good men believe and desire This Philopolis is a necessary preparation thereto For what Doctrine but this can reach the Hypocrisie of mens hearts who under colour of not being able to be rid of all their Sins will set themselves against none or but the least considerable or will be sure to spare their darling-sins and perpetually decline that Self-resignation which is indispensably required of every true Christian Nay they will quit none of them under pretence we must
to be led out of a lesser Bondage or Captivity into a greater and so that small distinct Number of the immaculate Lambs of Christ had been a more certain as well as a more delicious Morsell for that devouring Wolf of Rome Bath I understand perfectly whereabout Philotheus would be namely That Divine Providence made choice of such Instruments by an externall Instigation as who left to themselves in many things to cut out their own way would fall into such Opinions and Expressions as would be most effectual for the rending or tearing of huge massie pieces from the Church of Rome that in these great Lumps the Gold might be safe amongst the Dross and that in his mixt Numerosity there might be a more safe Protection of the Godly against the bloudy Persecutions and barbarous Tyrannies of the Papal Power Philoth. XXXIII The true means of unity in the Church again glanced at You understand me aright Bathynous But now I say after the Stone was thus cut off again from the great Mountain and safely disjoyned therefrom it was not still to have ly'n unpolished or Moss-begrown for want of Art or Industry in the Master-builders but all of us ought to have become by this time living stones pure and well-polished and through the Unity of the Spirit to have been joyn'd together into one holy Temple of God Which Unity of Spirit Bathynous can never be without Unity of Life For in the Life is the Spirit as I suggested before Nor can this Unity of Life ever be without a through Purification of the Church from Sin and Corruption nor can this Purification be without Faith in the Power of God and the Assistence of Iesus Christ to refine us from all our Dross For he that believes no possibility of any such thing will neither pray for it nor attempt it nor any way go about it Wherefore this general Indulgence to our Corruptions keeping us from the Unity of Spirit and sameness of Judgement in matters of Religion and making us destitute of that healing Vertue of brotherly Love and Charity we are left like so many wilde Beasts and grizly Monsters to grin and spit fire at one another but can never attain to Peace before we attain to a due measure of Righteousness For Christ in the Church must first be Melchizedek Hebr. 7.2 and introduce his Righteousness amongst us before he can be King of Salem in this sense Isa. 9.6 a Prince of Peace Nor can we have this Spirit of Righteousness communicated to us before we be embued with that Faith in the Power of Christ for the vanquishing of Sin as has been said over and over again Bath Wherefore Philotheus so far as I see this Faith in the Power of Christ for the vanquishing of Sin especially accompanied with Charity may stand in balance against the Romish implicit Faith that they would urge for the suppressing of Schism as if nothing would so well assure the Peace of the Church as for men to have either a perfect upright Conscience or else no Conscience at all But this latter being so hideously detestable we see the greater necessity of exhorting all men with all diligence to make after the former Philoth. Which without this Faith in the Power of Christ for the conquering our Corruptions they will never endeavour after much less successfully attain thereunto Bath So I have said already Philotheus I think or at least intended to say so Philoth. But being full of Faith XXXIV The marvellous Efficacy of Faith in the Power of the Spirit of Christ for the vanquishing of Sin and perfectly persuaded that Christ by his Spirit both can and will assist to the utter vanquishing of all manner of Sin and Corruption in us such I mean as Pride and Covetousness and Uncleanness and all Hypocrisie and Selfishness and the like what is there of all that that disturbs the World and distracts humane affairs that will not flie before so invincible a force If this Faith were once implanted in the hearts of men and they read in the Prophets the lively and lovely descriptions of that excellent state of the Church which is to come what quick approches were they able to make in virtue hereof while they look upon that glorious Pattern and through Faith and holy Imitation be daily changed by the Spirit of the Lord from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3.17 18. Philop. The more I consider it Philotheus the more I am satisfied of what infinite importance this Doctrine of Faith in the omnipotent Spirit of Christ is both for the present welfare of the Church and also for the bringing on that future Happiness predicted by the Prophets what searching Physick it is to cleanse the Soul and what a mighty Cordial to revive her So far as I see this kinde of Faith is the Primum mobile or the first Spring of all Motion that can tend effectually towards the Renovation of the World in Righteousness and the bringing on those glorious Times of the Church which you did so graphically describe out of the Visions of the Prophets Sophr. XXXV An Answer to an Objection touching this Doctrine of Faith And I can scarce forbear to cast in my suffrage too Philopolis were it not for this one Scruple That this so high Doctrine of Faith in the omnipotent Spirit for the utter Extirpation of Sin might as well scare people out of the Reformed Churches as have hindred them at first from coming in to the Reformation The truth of the Doctrine rightly understood I do not much question but onely the discretion of professing it Philoth. This is a material Consideration of yours O Sophron. But you are to understand that this Doctrine rightly interpreted does not at all clash with any of those due Comforts that accrue to us from that other of Justification by Faith and of free Remission of sin in the bloud of Christ. These things I write 1 Joh. 2â— 2. saith S t. Iohn that ye sin not But if any one sin we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous And he is a propitiation for our sins All that is aimed at is a chearfull and sincere endeavour of not sinning at all as we pray in our Liturgy every Morning Which constant endeavour if it be used no man ought to be dejected for his Failings till God give more strength but chearfully to rouse himself with a greater indignation and resolution against Sin not at all despairing of forgiveness having so potent an Advocate with him whom he has offended But if any one is content to sin without any endeavour of Resistence or belief of ever being able to overcome and subdue his Corruptions and would forsake the Communion of the Reformed Church for the rubbing up his Conscience with a more wholesome and searching Doctrine and so seek Teachers elsewhere after his own heart's lusts all that I can say is this 2 Thess. 2.11 12. That for
this cause God shall send him strong delusions that he shall believe a Lie that he may be damned for not believing the Truth but having pleasure in Vnrighteousness And I hope very few will venture upon those Pikes This Doctrine can hardly fright any away but such as have an explicite minde and purpose fully to plunge themselves into the filth of sin But what a vast company has broke from the Reformed Churches into private Sects upon pretence that their Doctrine tends not sufficiently to Perfection can be hid from no man's eyes that looks never so little into the World So far is this Doctrine from being against the Interest of Reformed Christendome To all which you may adde that it need not be imposed as an Article but allowed In the mean time that general Languour and Remissness in all Duties of Life or rather that universal Deluge of open Lewdness and wickedness which for ought I know has broken in upon us for want of such Doctrines as would more effectually engage us in all Holiness of Conversation is by far a more formidable Dis-interest to the Reformed Churches then the Profession or Permission of this Doctrine we speak of any way can be For Providence has no obligation to continue their Religion to those be it never so true who have no more Conscience then to hold the Truth of God in unrighteousness Sophr. Nay your Answer I must confess Philotheus is very home and pertinent Philop. And so think I too and am hitherto which I must acknowledge with many thanks to you Philotheus very competently satisfied and therefore am the more unwilling to urge you any farther in any more Particulars touching these Heads feeding my self with hopes of future Conference from your own comfortable Intimation But however I cannot but give you the trouble of passing to the last Point XXXVI Of the Duration of the glorious Times of the Church to gratifie my Curiosity touching the Duration and Permanency of this excellent state of the Church and of describing to me in what order and distinctness things will proceed to the end of all Philoth. This is an hard Probleme Philopolis as well as curious the second part especially For touching the Duration or Permanency of the Church in that glorious Condition the holy Oracles plainly intimate it will be for a thousand years Apoc. 20.3 though I do not think it necessarie to understand that expression as if it should continue no longer For the meaning of that number may be symbolicall But for the order and distinctness of the proceeding of Affairs to the end of the World this a man cannot well know unless he understood the Synchronalls to the seven Thunders into which the last Trumpet is so distinctly distributed Apoc. 10.3 Which I must confess Philopolis was ever out of my reach till I fortunately fell into acquaintance with one Theomanes a very good man XXXVII The Character of Theomanes and most passionate well-willer to the Affairs of the Kingdome of God Cuph. That 's a peculiar Privilege of yours Philotheus to be so intimately acquainted with Theomanes For my part I have often courted him with the best skill and diligence I could but could never yet get into any familiarity with him Sophr. And I think in my heart never will do so long as your name is Cuphophron Philop. I pray you Philotheus what is this Theomanes for a man and what did he impart to you touching the seven Thunders Philoth. I gave you part of his Character already And if you do not yet understand me Philopolis I adde farther That he is a man wholly devoted to the Knowledge of his Maker from his very youth and quitted the World almost as soon as he was born into it having never any design upon any thing that the World is so mad after neither Honour nor Power nor Riches nor carnal Pleasures but his mind has been wholly set to search out true Knowledge in the Light of the Simplicity of Life in which quitting all Self-relishes he became an entire Servant of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ and a faithfull Minister of his Kingdome Philop. You give the Character of an excellent person But what did he impart to you Philotheus Philoth. The Vision of the seven Thunders if I may so call it for brevity sake But his meaning is the Vision of things synchronall to the seven Thunders Philop. You will infinitely oblige me if you please to communicate them unto us O Philotheus But is he not a man something Enthusiasticall or Fanaticall Philoth. The greatest Fanaticism that I know in him is this That he professes he understands clearly the truth of severall Prophecies of the mainest concernment which yet many others pretend to be very obscure whether he will or no. But he is so far from being Enthusiasticall or Fanaticall that whereas Enthusiasm is a false Surmise of a man's self that he is inspired when indeed he is not he on the contrary does disclaim his being at any time inspired though a man would think sometimes that he is But he imputes all to the Light of the Simplicity of Life the greatest Gift of God that is communicable to the Soul Neither does he boast that this Vision of the seven Thunders is any over-bearing Inspiration though it was the most involuntary thing that ever happened to him perfectly awake Philop. I pray you therefore tell us in what Circumstances it happened to Theomanes For I believe he would conceal nothing from you by reason of your Intimacy with him Philoth. Time will not permit to make any long Story of it The Circumstances therefore in brief are these Upon a time after he had much worn away and exhausted his spirits by a long and serious study in the Divine Oracles he thinking to take a long and leisurely walk into the fields to recruit his Strength by the open fresh air and to let his Mind be perfectly vacant for the relief of his Body of a sudden in the midst of the fields this Vision of the seven Thunders surprised him without his desire or expectation which took fast hold on his Mind and Phancy insomuch that he could not be quiet for the working thereof though it made him so weak that he could scarce go on his legs till he had committed the same to writing Philop. This is something extraordinary Have you a Copy of it Philotheus For the Narration of such things ought to be very accurate Philoth. I have a Copy of it both in my Pocket and in my Memory it has left so strong an Impress upon my minde But I believe you will think it most safe if I reade the Copy for it is yet light enough and I brought it on purpose foreseeing the need thereof in this day's Discourse Philop. I pray you Philotheus reade it to us Cuph. There are ordinarily Politicall and Philosophicall Gazetts but it is our Privilege it seems to have a Propheticall one
for a fuller and a more general understanding the obscurest Passages in the Divine Oracles The truth of this Assertion is so clear that it seems little better then Blasphemie to contradict it For to say the Holy Writ is in it self unintelligible is equivalent to the pronouncing it Non-sense or to averre that such and such Books or Passages of it were never to be understood by men is to insinuate as if the Wisedome of God did not onely play with the children of men but even fool with them This is but a Subterfuge of that conscious Church that is afraid of the fulgour of that Light that shines against her out of such places of Scripture as have for a long time seemed obscure The twenty sixth That there are innumerable Passages of Scripture as well Preceptive as Historicall that are as plainly to be understood as the very Articles of the common Faith and which therefore may be very usefull for the clearing those that may seem more obscure This wants no proof but Appeal to Experience and the twentieth Conclusion The twenty seventh That no Miracle though done by such as may seem of an unexceptionable Life and of more singular Sanctity can in reason ratifie any Doctrine or Practice that is repugnant to rightly-circumstantiated Sense or Natural Truths or Science or the common Christian Faith or any plain Doctrine or Assertion in Scripture The Truth of this is manifest from hence That no man can be so certain that such a man is not a crafty and cautious Hypocrite and his Miracle either a Juggle or Delusion of the Devil or if he was not an eye-witness of it a false report of a Miracle as he is certain of the truth of rightly-circumstantiated Sense of Common Notions and Natural Science of the Articles of the Apostolick Faith or of any plain Assertion in the Scripture And therefore that which is most certain in this case ought in all reason to be our Guide The twenty eighth That it is not onely the Right but the Duty of private men to converse with the Scriptures being once but precautioned not to presume to interpret any thing against rightly-circumstantiated Sense Natural Truth common Honesty the Analogie of the Catholick Faith or against other plain Testimonies of Holy Writ The truth of this appears from the Conclusion immediately preceding For why should they be kept from having recourse to so many and so profitable and powerful Instructions from an infallible Spirit when they are so well fore-armed against all Mistake and are so laid-at by so many not onely fallible but fallacious and deceitful persons to seduce them And why is there not more danger of being led into Errour by such as are not onely fallible but false and deceitfull then by those Inspired men that wrote the Scripture who were neither fallible in what they wrote nor had any design to deceive any man Wherefore there being no such safe Guide as the Scripture it self which speaks without any Passion Fraud or Interest it is not onely the Right but the Duty of every one to consult with the Scripture and observe his times of conversing with it as he tenders the Salvation of his own Soul The twenty ninth That even a private man assisted by the Spirit of Life in the new Birth and rightly-circumstantiated Reason being also sufficiently furnish'd with the knowledge of Tongues Historie and Antiquity and sound Philosophy may by the help of these and the Blessing of God upon his industry clear up some of the more obscure Places of Scripture to full satisfaction and certainty both to himself and any unprejudiced Peruser of his Interpretations That this Assertion is true may be proved by manifold Experience there having been sundry persons that have cleared such Places of Scripture as had for a time seemed obscure and intricate with abundant satisfaction and conviction But it is to be evinced also à priori viz. from the seventeenth and eighteenth Conclusions which avouch the Scripture to be the most Authentick Tradition that is as also from the twenty fifth that concludes it not unintelligible in it self nor to mankinde and lastly out of the first that asserts that Certainty of Faith presupposes Certainty of Reason For thus the Object of our Understanding being here certain and we not spending our labour upon a Fiction or Mockery and our Reason rightly-circumstantiated not blinded by Prejudice nor precipitated into Assent before due deliberation and clear comprehension of the matter if after so cautious a Disquisition she be fully satisfied she is certainly satisfied or else there is no certainty in rightly-circumstantiated Reason which yet is presupposed in the Certainty of Faith by the first Conclusion So that the Certainty of Faith it self seems ruinous if no private man have any Certainty of any Interpretation of Scripture that has once been reputed obscure Not to add that all the Scripture that has been once obscure and the Interpretation thereof not yet declared by the Church universal has been hitherto and will be God knows how long utterly useless Which is a very wilde Supposition and such as none would willingly admit unless those that would rather admit any thing then that Light of the Scripture that discovers who they are and what unworthy Impostures they use in their dealings with the children of men The thirtieth That no Tradition can be true that is repugnant to any plain Text of Scripture The Reason is because the Scripture is the most true and the most Authentick Tradition that is and such as the universal Church is agreed in The thirty first That if any one Point grounded upon the Autority of Tradition that has been held by the Church time out of minde prove false there is no Certainty that any Tradition is true unless such as it has not been in the power of the Church to forge corrupt deprave or else their Interest not at all concerned so to doe The Reason is because the Certainty of Tradition as Tradition is placed in this by those that contend so much for it that nothing can be brought into the Church as an Apostolick Practice or Doctrine but what ever was so from the Apostles Wherefore if once a Point be brought into the Church and profest and practised as Apostolicall that may be clearly proved not to be so this Ground for Tradition as Tradition is utterly ruined and considering the Falseness and Imposture that has been so long practised in Christendome can be held no Ground of Certainty at all As not Reason quà Reason nor Sense quà Sense but quatenus rightly-circumstantiated can be any Ground of Certainty of Knowledge so not Tradition quà Tradition can be the Ground of the Certainty of Faith but onely such a Tradition as it was not in the power of the degenerate Church to either forge or adulterate And such were the Records of the Holy Bible onely The thirty second That rightly-circumstantiated Sense and Reason and Holy Writ are
state of the Church out of the Apocalypse 265 IX The Angel's Measuring the City with a golden Reed what the meaning thereof 278 X. Severall passages of the Mercavah expounded or the Vision of the Cherubim seen by Ezekiel 280 XI An Exposition of the Vision of the Throne of God in Heaven the four Beasts and twenty four Elders seen by S t. John 298 XII What Grounds of hope out of Scripture for that glorious state of the Church to come 313 XIII That the glorious Times predicted by the Prophets have not yet appeared on the face of the Earth 321 XIV What grounds in Reason for the coming of those glorious Times 326 XV. That there is no fear that either Familism or Behmenism will supplant the expected glory of the Apostolick Church 332 XVI J. Behmen's marvellous pretence to the knowledge of the Language of Nature 337 XVII Farther Indications that J. Behmen did not write from an infallible spirit 342 XVIII Bathynous his judgement touching J. Behmen with some Cautions how to avoid the being ensnared by Enthusiasts 349 XIX That there is an Elias to come and in what sense 355 XX. The Character of this Elias gathered out of Prophecy 356 XXI His Character taken out of History 362 XXII The time of Elias his coming 367 XXIII Certain Principles tending to the Acceleration of the glorious Times of the Church 370 The First Principle 371 XXIV Of Luther's Conference with the Devil touching the abrogating of the Mass together with his Night-Visions of flying Fire-brands ibid. XXV Of the Obnoxiousness of Luther and other Reformers 377 The Second Principle 384 XXVI Of the Church of Rome's being a true Church 388 XXVII That although the Church of Rome were not a true Church yet it follows not but the Reformed Churches are 392 The Third Principle 398 XXVIII Of the Vse of the Word and of the Spirit in counterdistinction to dry Reason 402 The Fourth Principle 403 XXIX How a man shall know that he has the Spirit 404 The Fifth Principle 409 The Sixth Principle 412 XXX How the Church shall attain to the Vnity of the Spirit ibid. The Seventh Principle 415 XXXI How the mind of man may arrive to a state of Vnprejudicateness 416 The Eighth and last Principle 417 XXXII The Doctrine of Faith in the Power of God's Spirit for the ridding us of Sin why not so much insisted on at the beginning of the Reformation 423 XXXIII The true means of Vnity in the Church again glanced at 426 XXXIV The marvellous Efficacy of Faith in the Power of the Spirit of Christ for the vanquishing of Sin 429 XXXV An answer to an Objection touching this Doctrine of Faith 430 XXXVI Of the Duration of the glorious Times of the Church 434 XXXVII The Character of Theomanes 435 XXXVIII Theomanes his Vision of the seven Thunders 440 XXXIX A brief Explication of Theomanes his Vision 451 XL. The important Vsefulness of Theomanes his Vision together with the Iustifiableness of his yielding to such an Impression 453 XLI Philotheus prevail'd with to play a Divine Rhapsodie to the Theorbo 456 XLII Philopolis his mistake in preferring high Contemplations before the usefull Duties of a Practicall Life 461 XLIII His Complement to Cuphophron and his Friends with Cuphophron's return thereof upon Philopolis 464 FINIS ERRATA sic corrige Page 9. line 5 reade Paradisiacall p. 118. l. 9. for But after r. But upon p. 157. l. 26. r. then this other p. 188. l. 6. r. Description p. 207. l. 21. r. Emissarie Powers p. 276. l. 21. r. Prosperitie also the. p. 309. l. 2. r. off of p. 378. l. 21. r. spirit That p. 380. l. 3. r. Postillion in
the truest Grounds of the Certainty of Faith This is the common Protestant Doctrine and a great and undeniable Truth and will amount to the greatest Certainty desirable if the Spirit of Life and of God assist For that will seal all firm and close and shut out all Doubts and Waverings In the mean time even in mere Moral men but yet such as use their Sense and Reason rightly-circumstantiated in their Dijudications touching the truth of Holy Writ and Religion it is plain they are upon the truest Grounds of Faith they can goe or apply themselves to forasmuch as the Holy Writ is the truest and most certain Tradition and no Tradition to be discerned true but upon the Certainty of rightly-circumstantiated Sense and Reason as appears by the first Conclusion These Advertisements though something numerous are yet brief enough but very effectual I hope if strictly followed to make thee so wise as neither to impose upon thy self nor be imposed upon by others in matters of Religion and so Orthodox as to become neither Enthusiast nor Romanist but a true Catholick and Primitive Apostolick Christian THE END DIVINE HYMNS DIVINE HYMNS An HYMN Upon the Nativity of CHRIST THe Holy Son of God most High The Historicall Narration For love of Adam's lapsed Race Quit the sweet Pleasures of the Sky To bring us to that happy Place His Robes of Light he laid aside Which did his Majesty adorn And the frail state of Mortals tri'de In Humane Flesh and Figure born Down from above this Day-Star slid Himself in living Earth t' entomb And all his Heav'nly Glory hid In a pure lowly Virgin 's Womb. Whole Quires of Angels loudly sing The Mystery of his Sacred Birth And the blest News to Shepherds bring Filling their watchfull Souls with Mirth The Application to the Emprovement of Life The Son of God thus Man became That Men the sons of God might be And by their second Birth regain A likeness to His Deity Lord give us humble and pure mindes And fill us with thy Heav'nly Love That Christ thus in our Hearts enshrin'd We all may be born from above And being thus Regenerate Into a Life and Sense Divine We all Ungodliness may hate And to thy living Word encline That nourish'd by that Heav'nly Food To manly Stature we may grow And stedfastly pursue what 's good That all our high Descent may know Grant we thy Seed may never yield Our Souls to soil with any Blot But still stand Conquerours in the field To shew his Power who us begot That after this our Warfare's done And travails of a toilsome Stage We may in Heav'n with Christ thy Son Enjoy our promis'd Heritage Amen An HYMN Upon the Passion of CHRIST THe faithfull Shepherd from on high The Historicall Narration Came down to seek his strayed Sheep Which in this Earthly Dale did lie Of Grief and Death the Region deep Those Glories and those Ioys above 'T was much to quit for Sinners sake But yet behold far greater Love Such pains and toils to undertake An abject Life which all despise The Lord of Glory underwent And with the Wicked's worldly guize His righteous Soul for grief was rent His Innocence Contempt attends His Wisedome and his Wonders great Envy on these her poison spends And Pharisaick Rage their Threats At last their Malice boil'd so high As Witnesses false to suborn The Lord of Life to cause to die His Body first with Scourges torn With royal Robes in scorn th' him dight And with a wreath of Thorns him crown A Scepter-Reed in farther spight They adde unto his Purple Gown Then scoffingly they bend the knee And spit upon his Sacred Face And after hang him on a Tree Betwixt two Thieves for more Disgrace With Nails they pierc'd his Hands and Feet The Bloud thence trickled to the ground The Pangs of Death his Countenance sweet And lovely Eyes with Night confound Thus laden with our weight of Sin This spotless Lamb himself bemoans And while for us he Life doth win Quits his own Breath with deep-fetch'd Groans Affrighted Nature shrinketh back To see so direfull dismall sight The Earth doth quake the Mountains crack Th' abashed Sun withdraws his Light The Application to the Emprovement of Life Then can we Men so senseless be As not to melt in flowing Tears Who cause were of his Agonie Who suffer'd thus to cease our Fears To reconcile us to our God By this his precious Sacrifice And shield us from his wrathfull Rod Wherewith he Sinners doth chastise O wicked Sin to be abhorr'd That God's own Son thus forc'd to die O Love profound to be ador'd That found so potent Remedie O Love more strong then Pain and Death To be repaid by nought but Love Whereby we vow our Life and Breath Entire to serve our God above For who for shame durst now complain Of dolorous dying unto Sin While he recounts the hideous Pain His Saviour felt our Souls to win Or who can harbour Anger fell Envy revengefull Spight or Hate If he but once consider well Our Saviour lov'd at such a rate Wherefore Lord since thy Son most just His natural Life for us did spill Grant we our sinful Lives and Lusts May sacrifice unto his Will That to our selves we being dead Henceforth to him may wholly live Who us to free from Dangers dread Himself a Sacrifice did give Grant that the sense of so great Love Our Souls to him may firmly tie And forcibly us all may move To live in mutuall Amity That no pretence to Hate or Strife May rise from any Injurie Since thy dear Son the Lord of Life For love of us when Foes did die An HYMN Upon the Resurrection of CHRIST The Historicall Narration WHo 's this we see from Edom come With bloudy robes from Bosrah Town He whom false Jews to death did doom And Heav'n's fierce Anger had cast down His righteous Soul alone was fain Isa. 63.3 The Wine-press of God's Wrath to tread And all his Garments to distain And sprinkled Cloaths to die bloud-red 'Gainst Hell and Death he stoutly fought Who Captive held him for three days But straight he his own Freedome wrought And from the dead himself did raise The brazen Gates of Death he brake Triumphing over Sin and Hell And made th' Infernall Kingdomes quake With all that in those Shades do dwell His murthered Body he resum'd Maugre the Grave's close grasp and strife And all these Regions thence perfum'd With the sweet hopes of lasting Life O mighty Son of God most High The Application to the Emprovement of Life That conqueredst thus Hell Death and Sin Give us a glorious Victory Over our deadly Sins to win Go on and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. Iud. Flesh and bloud in the moral sense Edom still subdue And quite cut off his wicked Race And raise in us thine Image true Which sinfull * The old Adam Rom. 6.6 Edom doth