A TOLLERATION Sent down from Heaven to Preach OR Godly Religious Meetings and true Gospell Preachers praying and preaching in other places then Parish Churches and Chappels justified by the Highest Powers and signally owned by Testimonies from Heaven ought not to be condemned or forbiden but rather Allowed and Tollerated by Men upon Earth AND Likewise what it is to Preach according to the Laws and Statutes of the Kingdome as to the matter of Preaching not punishable by the Act against Nonconformists ALSO Concerning the manner of Christian Religious Meetings and the true Ordination of Ministers sent forth to Preach according to the Scriprures since Christs Assention And likewise what the Gospel is who have a true right to preach it and what it is for Preachers to live of the Gospel according to the Scriptures or Ordination of God in that Case provided And he commanded us to preach unto the people to testifie that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Acts 10.42,43 Written in Glocestershire the beginning of the 10 th Month 1665. By R. F. Printed in the Year 1665. A Tolleration sent down from Heaven to Preach Or Godly Religious Meetings and true Gospel Preachers Praying and Preaching in other Places then Parish Churches and Chappels justified by the highest Powers and signally owned by Testimonies from Heaven ought not to be condemned or forbidden but rather allowed and tollerated by Men upon Earth c. THe Ministers of the Gospel of Christ who are made Ministers by the Lord God of Heaven 2 Coâ— 3.5,6 they are by a true Spiritual right and Gospel authority ordained and enabled to preach from God unto the Souls of the People as by the Scriptures is evident and plain therefore such ought not to be forbidden to preach nor punished for so doing The Ministers of Man are ordained and impowered by man and are bound to preach up the Interest of Man or else to be turned out of their Ministry maintenance by men for refusing the same Acts 10.42,43 Act. 28 30,3â— 2 Cor. 4 5. But the Ministers of God are ordained of God and impowered by him and bound in spirit to preach the Gospel of Christ and the Interest of God because they are not to please Men but the Lord nor to preach themselves but Christ Jesus the Lord and themselves no Lords nor Masters but servants for Jesus sake for they dare not make themselves of the number or compare themselves with some that commend themselves for they who are so in love with self-commendation they do but measure themselves by themselves or by their Schollership and natural abilities and so comparing themselves amongst themselves 2 Cor. 10 1â— they are not wise But the true Ministers of Christ will not boast of things beyond their measure but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to them they reach unto others in preaching the Gospel of Christ not boasting of things beyond their measure that is of other mens labours for not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth as by the Scriptures is evident and plain see 2 Cor. 10.12,13,14,15,16,17,18 They who are made able Ministers of the New Testament 2. Cor. 3. by him whose Ministers they are that is to say by the Lord God of Heaven and whose Interest they preach in preaching the Kingdom of God Act. 28 30,31 and teaching those things that concern the Lord Jesus Christ no man ought to forbid them Acts 28.30,31 because they are approved by the Lord and commended of him by their Ministration to the Consciences of Men in the sight of the Lord as the Scriptures do testifie of them for because they have received a Ministry from God they haye renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness to turn with the times for any self-end nor handling the word of God deceitfully 2 Cor. 4.1,2,3,4,5,6,7 c. but by manifestation of the truth commending themselves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God as you may read 2 Cor. 4.1,2,3,4,5,6,7 c. The Ministers of the Gospel of Christ who are ordained of God and have received a Ministry from him for the Peoples everlasting good they ought not to be prohibited from preaching the word of God but are to be received as the Ministers of God because there is great danger both in prohibiting them to preach the Gospel of Christ 2 Cor. 4.1,2 Mat. 10.40 â—1,42 and also in rejecting them that are sent of the Lord and likewise the danger is great in receiving the Ministers of Antichrist under pretence of the Ministers of Christ because John saith â— Joh. 4.1 â— Joh. 1.7,8 â—,10,11 receive not such into your house neither bid them God speed least ye be partakers of their evil deeds and Christ himself saith concerning his Ministers Mat. 10.7,14 â—5 that it shall be more tollerable for Sodom and Gomorah in the day of Judgment then for those that reject them or refuse to hear them preach and deny to receive them and their Doctrine as by the Scripture is evident and plain Seeing then that a danger lyeth on both hands first in rejecting the Ministers of Christ under pretence of the Ministers of Antichrist and secondly in receiving the Ministers of Antichrist under pretence of the Ministers of Christ how may they be known assunder seeing the one hath the form as well as the other I answer first that the Ministers of Christ who are to be received as the Ministers of God who are rightly ordained â—cts 10.43 â—… â— Cor. 3. â— Cor. 7.1,2 and have received a Ministry from him they are accompanied with a true Spiritual power and Gospel authority in their Ministration so as to reach the witness of God in the people who are to receive them that they may be received as the Minister of God with the peoples consent without being forc'd upon them against their Consciences by outward constraint Secondly Mat. 10.7 2 Cor. 4.1,2 it is the part and duty of a Minister of Christ by virtue of his office as a Minister in order to his establishment and confirmation in the hearts of the receivers of him first to preach the Word of God to them and secondly in preaching the Word to commend himself to the consciences of them that he preaches unto in the sight of God that sent him by manifesting the truth unto them as a means provided by the Gospel for a Ministers entrance into the people and in order to the establishment of him and his Ministry amongst them 2 Cor. 2.18,19,20,21,22 First Mat. 10 7. Act. 10.42,43 the command of Christ to his Ministers is to preach the Gospel secondly All are admitted to the hearing of it because he commands to preach it to every Creature thirdly They
are to preach it as freely as they have received it because he that hath the best right to send forth Ministers to minister from him to the people saith freely ye have received freely give fourthly The Ministers of Christ are to preach freely and the people are to hear them as freely so that they neither ought to be hindred from preaching nor the people from hearing And it is the duty of a Minister to preach as well as it is the duty of the people to hear 1 Thes 5.21 and they ought not to receive a Minister before they hear him nor there is no danger if the hearers receive not a Minister untill they have a true proofe and gospel commendation of him as a Minister by manifesting truth unto them in commending himself to their consciences in the sight of God as a Minister of the Gospel of Christ as aforesaid 2 Cor. 3. chap. 2 Cor. 4.1.2 But after God hath ordained and sent forth Ministers and given them a Ministry they are to attend upon it and if men forbid them to preach they must obey God rather then men Act. 4 17,18,19,20 2 Tim. 4.1 â— and in preaching the Word be instant in season and out of season as it is written therefore it is the duty of the true Gospel Ministers to preach when they are forbidden by men because they are to preach both in season and out of season And when is preaching the Word out of season but when by men it is dislik'd and forbidden for saith the Apostle the time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine but after their own lusts shall they heap up to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables as by the Scriptures is evident and plain 2 Tim. 4.3,4 Now seeing the Ministers of the Gospel are to preach both in season and out of season they are to continue stedfast unto God in the work of the Ministry therefore they that give over preaching when men forbids them either never received any ministry from God or else in denying to preach they have denyed the Lord and those are not worthy to be either heard or any more received as the Ministers of God therefore there is no danger in rejecting of them because they have rejected the Lord Jer. 8.9 Hos 4.6 The Ministers of Christ are to be received after they be made manifest to the consciences of the people by manifesting the truth of the Gospel unto them in the sight of him that hath sent them and after they be so manifest the danger is great in rejecting of them Mat. 10.7.14,15 The Ministers of God ought not to be forbidden to preach the Gospel 2 Cor. 4. Math. 10.7.14,15 Mat. 10.40,41,42 Mar. 6.10,11 because they are to be known before they be received therefore it 's necessary that they should preach the word of God that the people may have a manifestation of them in order to the receiving of them because the receiving of them is as the receiving of God and hath the promise of a great reward and the rejecting of them or the forbiding of them to preach is as the rejecting of God therefore after the Minister of God be made manifest to the consciences of the people in the sight of God they ought to be received and yet though the danger of rejecting such be so great the punishment for rejecting of them is not to be inflicted by man but by the Lord because it shall be more tollerable for Sodom and Gomorab in the day of Judgment then for such as Christ Jesus hath said The Ministers of Christ are not to be forbidden to preach because they are to commend themselves to the Consciences of those that receives them by manifesting the truth of the Gospel unto them and as it is the Ministers work so to commend themselves to the consciences of the people in order to reception they ought not to be forbidden to preach the Gospel of Christ because preaching the Gospel is the right way and means of manifesting the truth unto them and after they be made manifest to the consciences of the people in the sight of God as his Ministers then it 's the duty of the people Rom. 10.14,15 unto whose consciences they are so made manifest to receive them as the Ministers of God because in receiving of them it 's accounted as the receiving of him Mat. 10.40,41,42 First Mat. 10.7.40,41,42 Mar. 6.12 2 Cor. 7.1,2 They ought to preach the Word of God as well as they ought to be received because God commands it and that 's upon the account of God as it s said he that receiveth you receiveth me Secondly They ought both to preach and be received as they are Ministers of God and righteous Men because the Scriptures and the spirit of truth enjoynes to it and that 's upon the account of their uprightness both to God and Man as they are Gods true and faithfull Ministers First Because the true Ministers of Christ wrongeth no Man Secondly Because they corrupt no Man And thirdly Because they defraud no Man as you may read 2 Cor. 7.2 These therefore who pretend to be Ministers of God and are wrongers of Men and corrupt and defraud them are not to be received as the Ministers of Christ because they are not owned of God but testified against by the Scriptures and also by the spirit of Christ in the true Gospell Ministers Secondly The true Gospell Ministers do not seek to force in themselves upon the people but saith receive us we have wronged no man we have corrupted no man we have defrauded no man as by the Scriptures is evident and plain 2 Cor. 7.2 Mat. 7.15,16,20,21,22,23 2 Joh. 7,8,9,10,11 But the Ministers of Antichrist cannot truly say so because by their fruites the contrary is manifest therefore such ought not to be received but rather rejected being testified against by the Scriptures and also by the spirit of Christ in the true Gospel Ministers because they are not the Ministers of Christ but of Antichrist and therefore deceivers and wrongers of God and man as is evident and plain 2 Pet. 2. Thirdly 2 Cor. 4.1,2 1 Pet. 1.12 Act. 10.42,43 Act. 4 17,18,19,20 Those who are ordained and commanded by the great God of Heaven to preach the Gospel unto the soules of the people with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven if Men should forbid them to preach when God requires them to preach it is better in such a case to obey God rather then man for it was the duty and practice of the Ministers of the Gospel of Christ when they were forbiden by men in Authority to preach any more in the name of Jesus to disobey such commands or ordinances of men who forbad them to preach by preaching obedience to the command and authority of God who requires it of them as you may read
in the case of Peter and John therefore it is the duty and practice of the Ministers of the Gospel of Christ in preaching the word to be instant both in season and out of season according to the charge given before the Lord 2 Tim. 1.2 Fourthly The Ministers of Christ ought not to be prohibited from preaching the Word of God because by their preaching they are to be manifested to the Consciences of the people by a Gospel commendation that they may be received by them to whose consciences they are commended in the sight of God by manifesting the truth unto them but the Ministers of Antichrist ought to be rejected though they pretend to be the Ministers of Christ because they would come in by force upon the people to whose consciences they have not commended themselves as the Ministers of God by manifesting the truth of the Gospel unto them in the sight of God as the true Gospel Ministers do and afore-time did Fifthly 2 Cor. 2.21,21 Acts 10.42,43 The Ministers of Christ ought both to preach and be received as the Ministers of God because they are anointed and sealed of God as well as ordained and sent to Minister from him to the people for their salvation consolation and soul-satisfaction but the Ministers of Antichrist are not to be received but rejected though they pretend to be the Ministers of Christ because they are not ordained and sent of God secondly because they are not anointed and sealed of God and thirdly because they are not appointed by the Lord to Minister from him to the people for their salvation consolation and souls-satisfaction Sixthly They who are ordained anointed and sealed of God and sent forth to Minister from him to the soules of the people they ought to preach because they have the earnest of the spirit of God given into their hearts as a testimony that they are in Covenant with God and appointed to preach 2 Cor. 3.21,22,23 Act. 10.42,43 Seventhly they ought to preach the Word of God because they have not Dominion given them over the faith of their Hearers but are helpers of their joy for it is by faith that they stand as you may read 2 Cor. 2.24 8ly They ought to Preach because there is no falshood in their Doctrine but as God is true so is their Doctrine for it is not yea and nay as it is written 2 Cor. 2.18,19,21,22,23 but the Ministers of Antichrist are not ordained anointed and sealed of God or sent forth to minister from him to the Souls of the People for their Salvation consolation or souls satisfattion therefore they are not to be received as the Ministers of Christ but rejected as the Ministers of Antichrist 1. Because they have not the earnest of the Spirit of God given unto them neither are they guided thereby but do daily err and go astray from Gods own ways 2. Because they do not help the joy of Believers but rather fills them with sorrow and sadness by seeking to have dominion over their faith in seeking to force in themselves and their Doctrine and maintenance upon the People contrary to faith and a good Conscience whilest they themselves are miserable siners and daily offend against Gods holy Laws 3. They are subject to error both in matter and manner who have no saving health in them whose word and doctrine is not true but yea and nay according to the times and contrary to the doctrine of the true Gospel Ministers of Christ as aforesaid They who are ordained anointed and sealed of God and sent to Minister from him to the soules of the people Rom. 8.14,15,16,17 they have the spirit of God given unto them to guide them in their ministration Rom. 8.15,16,17 and if any pretend to be a Minister and have not the spirit of Christ he is no Minister of his Rom. 8.9 They who have received a Ministry from God they have also received a spirit suitable to such a Ministry that is to say the spirit of God whereby they know the things that are freely given unto them as it is written 1 Cor. 2.11,12 for what Man knoweth the things of a Man save the spirit of Man that is in him even so the things of God knoweth no Man but the spirit of God Now we have received the spirit of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God said the true Gospel Ministers which things we also speak not in the words which Mans wisedome teacheth but which the holy Ghost teacheth as yon may read the 1 Cor. 2.11,12 The holy Ghost hath a teaching office in and by the true Gospel Ministers therefore they ought to preach and none are sit to be Ministers before they receive the holy Ghost from Heaven for men are ignorant of the things of God untill then First because no man knowes the things of God but by the spirit of God so that the fpirit of God gives men the knowledg of the things of God in order to administration Secondly the spirit of God is given of God and received by them that are to minister from him to the soules of the people before they be sent forth as his Ministers and they that receive not the spirit of God receive not a Ministry from him therefore they who have hot the spirit of Christ are none of his Ministers as it is plain and clear by the Scriptures Rom. 8.9 Rom. 8.9 As it is the love of God to give his spirit so it is the duty of them to whom it is offered to imbrace and kindly receive such a gift for they who receive not the spirit of God without which they cannot know the things of God they are very unfit to be the Ministers of God First because the spirit of God gives men the knowledge of the things of God Secondly because the spirit of God both guides and inables the true Gospel Ministers to preach or speak the things that are given of God And Thirdly the spirit of God guides and inables the true Gospel Ministers to preach according to the mind of God because it teacheth and enableth them to preach the Gospel of Christ in the words which the holy Ghost teacheth and not in the words which mans wisedome teacheth the words which mans wisdome teacheth are not to be used in preaching the Gospel but that which the holy Ghost teacheth for the Gospel cannot be preached by the wisedome of man without the holy Ghost sent down from Heaven therefore no man can be a true Gospel Minister but such as have received and do receive a true Gospel Spirit to Minister withall as by the Scripture is evident and plain 1 Cor. 2.11,12,13 1. Pet. 1.10,11,12 Rom. 8.9 1 Cor. 2.11 â—2 13 1 Pet. 1.10,11,12 Rom. 8.9 The Scripture doth not enable men to be Preachers of Christ and the Gospel without the true Gospel Spirit which is the holy Ghost sent down from Heaven into the hearts of men for if