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B05943 The royall advocate. Or, An introduction to the magnificent and honourable laws of Jehovah the Lord Christ, now contaminated and despised by the present army-men of this nation. Asserting and controverting the holinesse, righteousness, perfectnesse, and universallity thereof, of divine right: in opposition to the heathenish, and antichristian laws, traditions, and vaine imaginations of the past and present, pretended Christian magistrates of this nation which they yet so much dote upon and endeavour to support, against the alone law giver, lord of heaven and earth, god of gods, king of kings, and lord of lords. / Published by John Spittle-house, now a prisoner for his testimony against the idolatry and tryanny of the present army men, priests, lawyers &c ... Spittlehouse, John. 1655 (1655) Wing S5014; ESTC R184541 66,921 80

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was not yet come that his Kingdome should be on the earth he being before that time to become a sufferer both in his own person and in his Members by that Roman power then in being at the end whereof i. e. at the expiration of the Little Horns Dominions Dan. 7. it shall arise out of the ruine thereof and so by gradation spread it self over the face of the whole earth as in v. 25 26 and 27 of that chapter Object The Severity of Mose's Judicials ought not to be practiced under the Gospel as the continuall practice of the Church sheweth as Paul willeth the incestuous person onely to be excommunicated 1 Cor. 5. there was then no Law in force to put such to death Resp This conceipt was the first ground of the Manichean Heresie for in making of difference in the proceedings of Justice under the Law and under the Gospel against one and the same Transgression they thereupon laid a foundation for the setting forth of two gods the one severe and the other mercifull whereas the Lord Jesus doth rather aggravate than mitigate the punishments of the Judiciall Laws as in the explication of that Precept Thou shalt not kill He to shew the latitude or complement or full extent of the mind of his Father therein saith that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of Judgement and whosoever shall say to his brother Racha shall be in danger of the Councel but whosoever shall say thou fool shall be in danger of hell-fire hence John saith He that hateth his brother is a murtherer in Gods esteem Again v. 27. in his Exposition of that Precept Thou shalt not commit adultery He saith that Whosoever looketh after a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart c. And hence the Apostle Peter speaking of lascivious persons saith They have eyes full of adultery 2 Pet. 2. 14. In which expressions Christ sheweth that the Moral Precept extendeth as well to the inward as outward man and that he will punish the transgressions of the one as of the other the one by the Civil magistrate and the other by his Church and not in the least mitigateth the punishments of the fruits of the flesh i. e. Theft Aultery Fornication Vncleannesse Lasciviousnesse Idolatry Withcraft c. And as touching the incestuous person I have laid down a sufficient Reason why the Church could not punish him with death they having not the power to put the Laws of God in execution as also in that their Civil Magistrate did not act by Gods Laws but were unjust Judges so that it may as well be argued and concluded from Pauls expression elsewhere i. e. Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour with his hands c. That Theft under the Gospel is to be no other wayes punished by the Civil Magistrate than by an admonition to steal no more therefore those that affirm that the punishments of the Judiciall Law is mitigated by Christ and his Apostles under the Gospel would do well from the mouth of God to shew in what it is mitigated or to whom and whether to all or to some sinnes onely and why not all as well as some and how it can be in some particulars and not in all or each of them or how it can be under the Gospel and not declared by Christ and if by him then how can he be said to establish the Law and yet destroy all in part and whether Idolatry Blasphemy Murther Adultery Theft c. be not the same in Gods esteem now as formerly in England as in Judea and if so then why not the same punishments here as there for the violation thereof with much more that might be urged to this purpose Object If those Statutes and Judgements annexed to the Moral Law for the breach of the Moral Precept were now to be instituted it would overthrow all the constitutions of Government in Christendome yea in the whole world and so bring all the Magistrates of the earth into a Chaos of confusion and destruction with all their adherents and that both in things Civil and Ecclesiasticall Resp That is no more than God hath appointed and determined shall come to passe at bringing in of the Kingdome of the Man-child who is to rule all Nations with a rod of iron Psal 2. 9. and 72. 8. Rev. 2. 27. and 19. 15. and therefore for the further clearing up of this Assertion I shall set before you 1. Who are the professed Ant●gonists of the Man-child with the matters or things whereby they have all along resisted and opposed his government and Subjects 2. The determinate purpose of the Man-child i. e. the Lord Jesus to subvert and destroy those persons and things which have and do so confront him and his Members i. e. his Church or people 3. The manner how he will effect it in all the Nations of the earth 4. The persons by whom he will effect it And first of the first in order to which I Assert Assert That the Kings or Tyrants of the earth have in all ages been the Grand Antagonists to the Kingdome and Government of the Lord Jesus and that both in things spirituall and Civil in the things appertaining to our duty towards God and our Neighbour comprised in the two Tables of the Moral Law But before I proceed to the proof of this Assertion I shall in the first place give you to understand that I take these two Tables of the Moral Law or ten Commandements with the Statutes and Judgements afore mentioned to be the Royal Law or Government of Jehovah the Lord Christ and that those Statutes and Judgements are that Civil Law by which he will rule the Nations with a rod of iron in that they produce the sword of Justice in the hands of the Civil Magistrate which sword of Iustice I say is that iron Rod formerly mentioned and no other thing and hence it is the Saints are said to have a two edged sword in their hand as well as the high prayses of God in their mouths Psal 149. the one edge offensive and the other defensive I also take the Gospel or New Testament to be the Spirit of the The Gospel the spirit of the Law Law and this Assertion our blessed Saviour himself confirms Joh. 6. 63. where he positively affirmeth that the Words which he spake they were Spirit and they were Life which is also confirmed by the Apostles in v. 68. where they say whither shall we go from thee for thou hast the words of eternal life c. But the Gospel or New Testament is the Counterpain of those words so spoken by him and his Apostles which they have left unto us ratified by signes and miracles to be a Lanthorn to our feet and a light unto ourpaths in the things that the Lord Christ expecteth to be done by his body the Church so that the
that at the Ruine of Babylon the Kings of the earth who have committed fornication and lived delitiously with her shall bewail her and lament for her Rev. 10. 9. 20. as also the Merchants of the earth as from v. 11. to v. 20. as also the Harpers mufitians pipers and Trumpeters of Babylon i. e. all her dependents and therefore it is contrary to common sence that they should be active in her destruction Rev. 6. 15 16 17. 5. In that this Supper of the Lamb or the day of Christs power the fowls that fly in the middest of heaven are invited to eat of the Flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captains and the Flesh of mighty men and the Flesh of Horses and them that sit on them and the Flesh of all men both free and bond small and great Therefore it is impossible that they should be instrumental for Christ against Babylon but contrary-wise antagonists thereunto which with the former Reasons given by the Doctor doth clearly hold forth that the Lord Jesus will not make use of any of the present authorities or powers of the world to bring this utter desolation upon Babylon for in so doing they should fight against themselves Object The Text saith peremptorily that the ten horns shall hate the Whore and make her desolate and naked and shall eat her Flesh and burn her with fire which manifestly implies that the horns shall continue till her destruction if not longer and that they shall be the notable instruments that God will make use of in her Ruine Resp The spirit of God in the Scriptures doth not clash against it self in this particular any more than where it saith we are justified by works and not by faith onely Jam. 1. 24 25. as also by faith without the deeds of the Law Rom. 3. 18. as also freely by grace v. 24 Tit 3. 7. the first being a visible or demonstrative Justification the second a Justification in a mans own Spirit and the third a Testification of the Spirit of God evidencing or witnessing the truth thereof wrought by Christ to that spirit of man Rom. 8 16. So in this particular where the ten horns are said shall hate the Whore c. I say is impossible it should be meant of these very horns that I have mentioned for those Reasons I have laid down and therefore it must unavoidably be meant of some other Horne viz. powers as by the Lords assistance I shall prove from Rev. cap. 17. in v. 12. of which chapter it is said The ten horns which thou sawest are ten Kings which have received no Kingdome as yet but receive power as Kings one houre with the beast these shall make war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them Gedeons number from 32000 to 300. Read Judges 1. c. and see if you be Lappers for the Lord will save Israel by no other Such as have burning Lamps in their earthen pitchers in the earthly tabernacles of their fl●sh Reas For he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful c. Note 1. The three characters of the Lambs army least any presume to come to the Marriage Supper to eat the Flesh of Kings and Captains Rev. 19. 17 18. without a wedding garm●nt vide Luke 14. to this purpose from v. 15. to v. 25. Mat. 22. from v. 1. to v. 15 for many will be called but few chosen they must be such as will forsake all to follow the Lamb where ever he goeth you see what became of the Merchants Farmers and effeminate persons they must be such as if they have not a sword they must sell their coat and buy one Luk. 22. 36. they must be such as will leave the dead to bury their dead Mat. 8. 22. such as will beat their plow-shares into swords and their pruning hooks into spears such as of weak are made strong Joel 12. 3. c. but to the matter in hand I say that by the afore mentioned Scripture it doth clearly appear● that the Battel betwixt the Kings of the earth and the Lamb and his Army is to be fought before they are said to hate the Whore c. as in v. 16. untill which time God hath put it into their hearts to fulfill his will and to give their Kingdome unto the beast untill the word of God shall be fulfilled v. 17. So that I gather from hence That as the Conquest of the Lambs Army extends it self over the Dominions of the Beast and her supporters viz. The Civil Governours and Governments of the earth with their people and multitudes implyed by the waters on which the whore sitteth v. 15. 1. and that the Laws Statutes Judgements and Ordinances of Jehovah the Lord Christ is planted instead thereof by so much the said Nations or earthly powers shall be said to hate the whore and make her desolate and naked and eat her flesh and burn her with fire that is they shall see so much excellency in those Laws Statutes Judgements and Ordinances beyond all what they injoyed under their former Governments as that they shall abhor and det●st both their Governours and Governments whether Civil or Ecclesiastical the one surmounting the other as far as the light of the Moon excels the smallest star 1. When they shall have Judges as at the first and Rulers as at the beginning Isa 1. 26. Not the Arbitrary powers of the Kings of the Nations which were brought into the Common-wealth of Israel contrary to the mind of God 1 Sam. 8. as for Saul to take their sons and appoint them for himself for his Chariots and for his Horsemen and some to run before his Chariot or to make foot-boyes of free born Israelites to appoint Captains over thousands and Captains over fifties to eare his ground and to reap harvest and to make his instruments of war to take their daughters to be confectionaries and to be Cooks and to be Bakers to take their fields and their vineyards and their Olive-yards even the b●st of them and give them to his servants to take the tenths of their seed and of their vineyards and give them unto his Officers and to his servants c. No the Israelites knew no such servitude in Samuels dayes if they had Surely Samuel would not have set that Goverment before them as so strange a thing No honest Samuel who could say in the integrity of his heart whose ox have I taken or whose Asse have I taken or whom have Y defranded used no such Tyranny Good man he could govern the people without any of these Kickshaws neither do we read of any of the Judges of Israel that ever kept a standing Army notwithstanding they were invironed with enemies on every side but that when need required they unanimously joyned themselves together for the defence of each other and so freed themselves from expence in that kinde neither do I ever read of one Tax
that ever was laid by the Judges of Israel 2. When violence shall be no more heard in the land nor wasting or destruction within our borders when the walls shall be called salvation and the Gates praise Isa 60. vers 18. when Jerusalem shall be a quiet habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down nor one of the Stakes thereof be removed neither any of the cords thereof broken when the glory of the Lord shall be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams wherein shall go no Gally with Ore neither gallant ship passe thereby no need then of the Romish Merchants or Factors for no m●n will then buy her Merchandise any more Rev. 18. 11. Reas For the Lord is our Judge The Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King He will save us 3. When our officers shall be peace and our exactors Righreousnes Isa 60. 18. when they shall be such as fear God and hate covetousnes men of truth that will not respect persons in judgment but shall hear the small as well as the great Deut. 1. 17. when the judgment shall not be mans but the Lords when the people shall say The Lord blesse thee O habitation of justice and mountain of holinesse i. e. the Civil and Church Government I say when the Nations who are now under the Dominions of the Antichristian Babylon shall once see and finde the difference betwixt this Governments I have here given a small glimps of and the present Idolatrous and tyrannical dominions they are now slaves and bondmen unto they shall then begin to hate the Whore and make her naked and desolate and shall eate her flesh and burn her with fire And note that is to be rationally conceived that the ten horns shall all at once stand looking upon the City of Rome lamenting over it to see it on fire and yet to have a bond in that her destruction which conflict betwixt the Lamb and the Beast I conceive doth take its rise at the Dominion of the little Horn Dan. 7. 8 c. and shall be determined at the Armageddon battel Rev. 16. 13 14 15 16. at which time we are to expect the coming of Christ as a thief in the night Again That the Instruments which the Lord Jesus will make use of in this great design shall be poore contemptible persons s●e Isa 41. 14 15 16. fear not thou worm Jacob c. I will help thee saith the Lord c. Behold I will make thee a new threshing instrument having teeth thou shalt thresh the mountains and beat them small thou shalt make the hits chaffe thou shalt fan them and the winde shall carry them away and the whirl-winde shall scatter them And that this hath an allusion to Giddeon the Thresher and his army Read Isa 10. Where the Lord speaking of the deliverance of his people from the Assyrians or Babylonish bondage or servitude saith v. 24. Thus saith the Lord God of Hoasts O my people that dwelleth in Sion be not affraid of the Assyrian he shall smite thee with a rod and shall lift up his staffe against thee after the manner of Aegypt For yet a very little while and the indignation shall cease and mine anger in their destruction And the Lord of hoast shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Median at the Rock Oreb c. And it shall come to passe In that day that his burthen shall be taken off from thy shoulders and his yoak from off thy neck and the yoak shall be destroyed because of the annointing Again Dan. 2. 34. Thou sawest till a stone was cut without hands or which was not in hands which smote the image upon his feet th●t were of Iron and clay and brake them in pieces Then was the Iron the clay the brasse the silver and the gold broken in pieces together and became like the chaffe of the summer threshing floor and the winde carried them away and the whirlewi●d scattered them c. Again that these despicable persons shall be the Saints of the most high vid Psal 149. Let the Saints be joyfull in glory let them sing aloud upon their beds Let the high praises of God be in their mouths and a two edged s●ord in their hands to execute vengeance upon the Heathen and punishments upon the people To binde their Kings in chains and heir Nobles with fetters of Iron to execute upon them the judgement written This honour have all his Saints praise ye the Lord Amen Again Dan. 7. 17 18. These great beasts which are four Kings which shall rise out of the earth but the Saints of the most high shall take the Kingdome and possesse the Kingdome for ever and ever Vers 21 22. I beheld and the same horn viz. the little-horn Dan. 7. 8. made the war with the Saints and prevailed against them untill the ancient of dayes and judgment was given to the Saints of the most high and the time come that the Saints possessed the Kingdom Vers 25. And he i. e. the little horn shall speak great words against the most High and shall wear out the Saints of the most High and shall think to change times and laws and they shall be given into his hands untill a time and times and the dividing of time which I conceive to be 3 years and a half i. e. from the first entrance of his Dominion at which time Judgment shall sit i. e. at the end of the 3 years and a half And then they i. e. the Saints shall take away his dominion To consume and destroy it unto the end Vers 27. And the Kingdome and greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heavens the Quakers will have a large Gut to hold this Kingdome and Dominion shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose kingdome is an everlasting kingdome and all dominions shall serve and obey him Isa 60. 12. That Nation and Kingdome which will not serve thee shall be broken in pieces that is saith the learned Doctor All the Nations of the earth not a known nation but the blood of the Saints of Christ is found in the skirt thereof and yet all this saith he shall be transacted with so much obscurity and darknesse Christ not openly appearing unto carnal eyes that though many shall be purified and made white yet the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand Dan. 12. 10. There shall be no such demonstration of Christ presence as to open the eyes of hardned men but at length having suffered the poore deceived wretches to drink of the Cup prepared for them He appears himself gloriously cap. 19. 13. in a more e●inent manner than ever before to the totall destruction of the residue of opposers and this will be the utmost close of that dispensation which he now beginneth to stir up the hearts of his Saints unto i. e. to execute the vengeance
of Iron and Potters clay together in the images feet foretold by Daniel cap. 2. 33 41 42 43. which I●on and Potters clay I take to be the mixing of the Civil and Ecclesiastical powers together which from that time have been continued to this present day Having thus stated the Rise both of the Pagan and Antichristian Babylon I shall in the next place enlarge my self a little in reference to each of them to the end that by a better knowledge th●reof the people of God may be more induced to abominate and detest them as also to execute the Judgement upon them and their supporters and adherents as it is written Psal 149. with multitudes of other Scriptures to that purpose and first of the first A brief Narrative of Pagan Babylon viz. of Pagan Babylon with its Adherents As to what this Nimrod was Who Nimrod was some take him to be the same which Forreign stories call Belus and that he was the first founder of the Idols in the Eastern Countries who were derived from him as Belial Beelzebub Belphegor but it will appear by what follows that Nimrod was before Belus 2. Touching Babel the beginning of Nimrods Kingdome it Of Babel in general was so called not from Belus as some would have it but from the Confusion of Languages as the ancient Saxon word Babel doth seem to import which word was usually men●ioned by them to such persons as spake confusedly to whom they would say why Babel ye or why confuse ye the true etimology of the word being why Babel ye or why do ye imitate those persons at Babel who spake so confusedly as th●t they could not be understood by their Auditors but to put all out of doubt the Scripture doth clearly testifie as much Gen. 11. 9. in these words therefore is the name of it called Babel because there the Lord confounded the Languages of all the earth and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of the earth 3. Touching the building of the City of Babel or Babylon the Of the City and Tower of Babel first Metropolis of Idolatry and Tyranny Quintus Curtius ascribeth it to Belus lib. 4. Berosus cited by Josephus to Nebuchadnezzar lib. 1. cont Appian from Dan 4. 30. where Nebuchadnezzar is presented saying is not this great Babel which I have builded for the House of the Kingdome the might of my power and the honour of my Majesty Berosus Arrianus maketh all three builders of Babylon As 1. That Nimrod began the Tower anno 131. after the Flood 2. That Belus built the City who saith he reigned after Nimrod 65 years and that he himself i. e. Belus reigned 56 yeers 3. That Semyramis the wife of Ninus which reigned 24 yeers much inlarged the City and fortified it A●ter all this when the Assyrian Kings had made Niniveh the imperial seat so that Babylon was much neglected and decayed at last Nebuch●dnezzar having conquered the City of Niniveh re-●dified Babylon as before mentioned and hereto agreeth Iosephus O●osinus lib 6. and August lib. 16. de Civit. Dei cap. so that the beginning and Foundation was laid in Nimrod as in Gen. 10. 10. which saith That the beginning of his Kingdome was Babel 4. As touching the way and means this Nimrod took to set How Nimrod became a Monark up his Idolatrous and tyrannical government I shall likewise set forth to the end that the present Idolaters or false worshippers and Tyrants or civil oppressors of the times may compare their present conditions and actions with their predecessors at the erecting of their great grand-mother Babell Nimrod having by his craft and policy wound himself so into the affections of the people as to be made their Captain-General Or Ring-leader of that company and calling to mind how the old world was drowned and destroyed for Idolatry and Inhumanity which designe he had now in his heart to practice as his predecessors of the old world had done before him though covertly and therefore under a * Nimrods Policy pretence of making themselves famous in the earth to all posterity And thereupon stirred up the rude multitude under this plausible pretence to build him a City and a Tower that might not only free him from the danger of men but also from fear of any thing that God could do unto him as also that he might with more boldnesse effect his wicked and ungodly enterprises And this he did in * One tyrant taketh example by another imitation of the Tyrants of the old world i. e. the Gyants or Apostate sons of God of whom it is reported that they had a City called Enos in the Mountains of Libanus that ruled over the whole world But it is to be understood that this Nimrod could not fortifie his City Tower and Palace with Demy Cannon and such like Artillery for the use of such engines of cruelty were not then found out but since the Devil for the better encouragement of servants hath now supplied them with plentifull store thereof for such purpose c. I shall now in large something in reference to the Tower in the attempting and erecting whereof these following sins concurred with which I shall also mentioned to the end the present Nimrods or Idolatrous tyrannical Babel-builders of the times may ruminate thereon and consider how far short they now are if any of Nimrods then condition 1. In the building of this Tower his impiety appeared in attempting it in despite of God As the Prophet Isaiah according to The impiety of tyrants this pattern bringeth in the King of Babylon vanting himself saying I will ascend unto the clouds I will be like the Most High 2. His vanity appeared in seeking to be made famous on earth and not by good actions to be made glorious in heaven he thought to Their vanity exalt himself by building and not by loving God above all and his neighbour as himself 3. His disobedience appeared in that it was Gods ordinance Their disobedience that the earth should be replenished by them and yet they wilfully oppose the Counsel of God by resolving not to depart from them as in v. 6. where they say Let us build a City and Tower whose top may reach to heaven that we may get us a name least we be scattered 4. Herein his impudence was also discovered For whereas Their impudence pride and voluptuousnesse he should have been convicted in his conscience for his pride and arrogancy Rom. 2. 15. he openly proclaimed his ambition voluptuousnes c. to all posterity proceeding to such a violence therein that nothing could now restrain him as neither the fear of God nor the fearfull looking for of judgment and fiery indignation 2 Pet. 3. 10. to be poured out upon him as in Heb. 5. 26 27. But contrariwise whatsoever he had proudly devised he would as impudently practise The confusion of their language was therefore a
earth formerly treated of i. e. the Political Frame of Government which men have made for themselves c. i. e. of those Heavens and Earth which the Apostle Peter saith are to be burned and consumed by fire as also of that new Heaven and new earth wherein dwelleth Righteousnesse I say the Prophet speaking of that Great and notable day of triall by fire telleth us by way of explanation what is intended by the Holy Ghost in such manner of expression saith Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven Note and all that are proud and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Proud and wicked persons must be this fire Lord and it shall leave them neither Root nor Branch but unto you that fear my name shall the Son of Righteousnesse appear with healing in his wings and ye shall go forth and grow as calves of the stall and ye shall tread down the wicked for they shall be as ashes under the soles of your feet Note In that day that I shall do this saith the Lord Remember what the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb with the Statutes and Judgements Ergo That Law Statutes and Judgments shall be put again in practise that day Again the Doctour doth further confirm this Doctrine from Rev. 21. 1. I saw a new heaven a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away And there was no more sea Here saith the Doctour the Heaven and earth is restored but the sea shall be no more Those gatherings together of many waters saith the Rabby Rivers from all places or Pretended Clergy men from all Nations into General Councels which were the sea or many waters on which the Whore sate shall have no * Note place at all in the Churches restored Conditions Reader you must understand the Rabby did not then dream of the Court of Tryers now at Whitehall or else you must if you can conceive them not to be pretended Clergy-men or a general Councel no you must take them to be only an image of such pretended Clergy men and general Councel and the like you know is not the same a pure Juggle But I conceive the Learned Doctor is out in the Exposition of that forenamed Text in Rev. for the holy Ghost doth not there speak of the Restauration of any of his Political Heavens and earth so much already treated of for the Text saith plainly they were passed away and the Prophet Isa saith cap. 65. 17. that they shall not be remembred nor come into the mind of God or his people therefore there can be no expectation of any restoring of them it must therefore be unavoidably meant of the aforesaid Laws Statutes and Judgements which the Doctour ●imself calls the firm foundation for the unmovable Kingdome of Jesus Christ and hence it is the Lord by Malachy puts his people in mind thereof at that notable day saying Remember ye the Law of Moses c. as aforesaid and therefore whereas it is said there shall be no more sea I do understand there shall be no more use of the Leviticall Priesthood that being now abolished by our blessed Saviour shall be no more No more use of the type when the antitype is come no more use of the shadow when we have the substance which myst●rie the Prophets saw but darkly as appears by their writings few of them seeing a Change of the Leviticall Priesthood which I conceive to be the great stumbling block to the Jews from Christs abode on earth to this present day But neverthelesse the Prophet David doth most excellently foretell the change thereof under the Gospel-dispensation as in Psal 40. where speaking in the person of Christ for it is impossible it should be understood of himself saith sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire mine ears hast thou opened burnt-offerings and sin-offerings hast thou not required Then said I Lo I come in the Volume of thy Book it is written of me that I should do thy Will O God which Text the Apostle Paul doth clearly expound of Christ Heb. 10. 8. saying above When he saith Sacrifice and offering and burnt-offering for sin thou wouldest not neither hast pleasure therein which are offended by the Law i. e. the ceremoniall Law Then said he Loe I come to do thy will O God He taketh away the first that he may establish the second he taketh away the shadow that he may establish the substance Now where was it prophesied of David that he should have a body given him to do away Sacrifice or to put an end thereunto it must therefore be meant of some others and what other than he that hath born our transgressions and by whose stripes we are healed vid. Isa 54. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 c. and 52. 13 14. 15. in both which places also the Prophet speaketh of another person and not of himself i e. Jesus Christ the Righteous who is the pro 〈…〉 for our sinnes Rom. 3. 25. 1 John 2. 2. and 4. 10. The Learned Doctour having thus proved for me what is meant by the Old Heavens and the Old Earth as also the New Heavens and the New Earth i. e. by the Old Heaven and Old Earth all the Old Forms of Government since the Creation that have been made by Political or Humane invention as also the New Heavens and new Earth to be that Constitution or Government made by God himself and ratified and confirmed by Jesus Christ i. e. the two grand Principles of Nature afterward branched forth into the Deoalogue or ten Commandements with the Statutes and Judgements unneued thereunto and the Ordinances of Jesus Christ in the New Testament which is the Spiritual Ecclesiastical or Gospel-part thereof I shall in the next place bring the presen● powers and Constitutions of Government in the Nation to the test or touchstone of the Scriptures and in this particular also Mr. Owen shall say for me in the forementioned Sermon p. 21. i. e. That the Kings of the Earth have given their power to Antichrist indeavouring to the uttermost to keep the Kingdome of Christ out of the world or that we term the fifth Monarchy What I pray hath been their main businesse for 700 years and upward even almost ever since the Man of sin was inthroned The Doctors Queries to this purpose How have they earned the Titles of eldest son of the Church The Catholick and most Christian King Defender of the Faith and the like Hath it not been by the blood of Saints Is there not in every one of these Kingdomes the slain and the banished ones of Christ to answer for in particular c. Have not all the Kings round about washed their bands and Garments in the blood of a thousand of Protestants and do not the Kings of all these Nations as yet stand up in the room of their
Progenitors with the same implacable enmity to the power of the Gospel And is there not a cry for all this How long Lord holy and true dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell in the earth Rev. 6. 10. Doth not Sion cry the violence done unto me and my children be upon Babylon and my blood upon those heavens of the Nations and will not the Lord avenge his elect that cry unto him day and night will he not do it speedily will he not call the fowls of Heaven to eat the flesh of Kings and Captains and great men of the Earth Rev. 19. 18. Will he not make the Heavens like the wood of the Vine c. and what of all this Doctour The time shall come to discover her slain and not the simplest Hereticks as they were counted shall have his blood 〈…〉 enged Neither shall any attonement he made for this blood or expiation be allowed whilest a Toe of the image or a Bone of the Beast is left unbroken Again p. 13. No kind of government in Europe or line of Governors so ancient but that the Beast is as old as they and had a great influence into their constitution or establishment to provide that it might be for his own interest where the Pope hath not expressely bargained for his own interest and provided that he should have the chief place in all the Oaths and bonds that were betwixt Prince and People either by pretended collation of Right to pacifie the Consciences of blood-thirsty Potentates in the undertaking and pursuing their unjust Conquests or foolish Mitred confirmations of sword purchases he hath got them framed to his own end and purpose which was to bring in all these Nations into subjection to his Babylonish usurpations Which those Kings finding no way inconsistent with their own designes did willingly promote labouring to enforce all Consciences into subjection to the Romish Sea Hence it is that such an interposition was made of the rights of Holy Church That is Babylon the Mother of Harlots in all the Types Oathes and Bonds between Prince and People and for the advancement of the righteous judgements of God That the sons of men may learn to fear and tremble before him And it may be observed that that which doth and shall stick upon Potentates to their ruine is not so much their own or any other interest as the dregs of that Papall Antichristian interest thrust into their Oathes and Obligations for no other end in the world but to keep the Lord Jesus out of his Throne And this is a reason why the Lord Jesus by his mighty power at the bringing in of his unmoveable Kingdom will shake the Heavens and Earth of the Nations Reas Even because in their present constitutions they are directly framed to the interest of Antichrist which by notable advantages at their first moulding and contrived insinuation ever since hath so rivited it self into the very fundamentals of them that no digging nor myneing with an earthquake will cast up the foundation stones thereof c. Because as is their Interest so is their Acting The present powers of the Nations stand in direct opposition to the bringing in of the Kingdome of Christ At which time saith the Doctor Two things there are that will be confessed incumbent on him in this day of his advancement 1. The bringing home of his antient people to be one fold with the fulnesse of the Gentiles raising up the Tabernacle of David and building it as in the dayes of old In the accomplishment of innumerable promises and answer to millions of prayers Doctor in this you and your brother yet hath not cut a thred but proceed Doctor Now there are two main hinderances of this work that must be removed the first whereof is 1. Real The great river Euphrates the strength and fulnesse of those streams do yet rage so high that there is no passage for the Kings of the East to come over wherefore this must also be dryed up as other waters were for their forefathers of old Rev. 16. 12. and doubtlesse this is spoken in allusion to Abrahams going over that River into Canaan when the Church of God in his family was there to be erected whence he was called the Hebrew that is the Passenger i. e. over that River Gen. 14. 13. And then it may well enough denote the Turkish power which proud as it is at this day possessing in peace all those Regions of the East yet God can quickly make it wither and be dryed up Or to the deliverance of the Jews in Babylon when it was taken and destroyed by the drying up of the streams of that river and so the yoke of her tyranny broken from the Churches neck Jer. 51. 31. c. And so it can be no other but the power of the Romish Babylon supporting the Kings of the Nations Which must therefore be shaken and dryed up 2. Moral Or the Idolatry of the Gentile worshippers The Jews stick hard as yet at this That God should abolish any kinde of worship which himself instituted But that he should ever accept any falsworship which he had once strictly prohibited and no where to this day appointed To this they will never be reconciled Now such is all the invented idolatrous worship which the Kings of the earth have sucked in from the Cup of Fornications held out unto them in the hand and by the Authority of the Roman Whore This still they cleave close unto and will not hearken to the Angel preaching the everlasting Gospel that men should worship him who made the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the fountains of Water Rev. 13. 6 7. i. e. The God of Heaven in Jesus Christ according to his holy just and righteous laws statutes judgements and Ordinances as afore mentioned in opposition to all their Jeonolatry Artolatrys Hagiolatry Stanrolatry and Masse abomination This then must also be removed And because as it hath been said it is so rivited and cemented into and with all the Orbs of the Nations Heaven and Earth i. e. the politick or humane Frames of Government which they have made for * themselves and their interests they therefore must be shaken and brought to destruction before it can be effected The second thing he hath to accomplish is the Tremendous totall Destruction of the man of Sin and all his adherents that are not obedient to the Heavenly call Rev. 18. 4. c. Doct. Pray what is your meaning by the adherents of Babylon Resp Are not most Potentates tyed by Oath or other compact either to maintain the whole or some part of the old Tower under the name of Right of Holy Church Prelates and the like true Doctor they are Query It is clear then that you include all sorts of Governours and Governments to be adherents to the Papal power or mystery Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and abomination of the the earth who support Prelacy
thereunto and have no dependance at all either upon the Ceremonial Law or their pollitick constitutions but are as I have said conclusions and rules of justice grounded meerly upon the Loyall Law and therefore Jesus Christ could not destroy the one without the other But Needham himself hath confessed that Jesus Christ did ratisie the Royal law Ergo those judiciall precepts afore mentioned Resp 2. That the Apostles of the Lord Jesus taught the use thereof appeareth from Pauls 1 Epist to Tim. 1. v. 9 10. where he saith the Law is made for unholy and prophane persons For murtherers of fathers and murtherers of mothers for manslayers for Whoremongers for them that defile themselves with mankinde for men stealers for lyers for perjured persons and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine according to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God c. From which words it is clear that the Judiciall Law I stand for was to be in force under the Gospel Reason For severall things here numerated by the Apostle are not found in the Decalogue or Ten Commandements or Royal Law but are deductions there from i. e. part of those statutes which depend thereon as the Five Books of Moses will sufficiently testifi● For the Royal Law onely saith Thou shalt not kill It doth not particularise killing of fathers or mothers or manslayers c. Again it also saith in a g●neral expression Thou shalt not Commit Adultery It doth not particularise Whoremongers or such as defile themselves with mankinde Again in point of Theft it only saith in a general term Thou shalt not Steal It doth not particularise Man-stealers c. and so in the rest There can then be nothing more clear than that the Apostle doth here speak of the Judicial Law annexed to the Moral precept which he affirmeth to be good and lawfull to be practiced amongst Christians Therefore it may be safely concluded that the Judicial Law annexed to the Moral precepts is as well to be practiced by Christians under the Gospel as before among the Jews and that to all ends and purposes which I collect from these words if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine i. e. Loving God above all and our neighbour as our self that also saith the Apostle ought to be determined by those Statutes and Judgments 1. Because God hath given no other rule to govern the world by who are all under the Royal Law as hath been proved from Rom. 3. 9. 29. and consequently under the other i. e. the Statutes and judgments 2. In that Jesus Christ did not destroy the one more than the other 3. In that the Apostle ratifieth the one as well as the other As then it was Moses and Aron before Christ so now Moses and Christ in the Gospel State as Mr. Brain well observed God is said to judge the secrets of mens hearts i. e. the inward man by or according to the Gospel Rom. 2. 16. And the things done in the flesh i. e. the actions of the outward man by the Statutes and Judgments aforementioned as hath been shewed as also from 1 Tim. 5. 17. where the Apostle saith The sins of some are open before hand and go before to judgement i. e. before the Civill Magistrate Others follow after and so under the Judgment of Christ in the Church And this is further illustrated from Rom. 2. 2. we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them that commit such things which things if you would know read cap. 1. and you will find them to be idolatry and false worship as in making images of men and birds and four footed beasts or creeping things as also in vile affections as of men and women changing their kinde fornication c. all which appertaining to the judiciall precepts Again 1 Cor. 5. the Apostle doth make a clear distinction betwixt them that are properly under the civil and spiritual government i. e. the external and internal of Moses and Christ as in vers 12 13. where he saith What have I to do to judge them that are without do not ye judge them that are within But them that are without God judgeth as if he had said Men are now to be judged in things civil by the civil law of God committed to the Magistrate and that not only by the men of the world but members of Churches also for the Apostle doth not blame the Corinthians cap. 6. of that Epistle for that they brought their civill controversies to be decided by the civill Magistrate Reason 1. But because those civil Magistrates did not judge by the law of God and therefore could not give a just judgment Reason 2. As also in that they were such Judges as were not rightly fixed or qualified for such a purpose the latter is evident by the title which the Holy Ghost putteth upon them vers 1. viz. unjust Judges the former is also evident by the place of their abode viz Corinth the Magistrates thereof being unbelievers v. 6. i. e. Heathen Judges judging by Heathenish Laws as are all that now Govern as they did And in things spiritual by the censures of the churches as the afore mentioned expressions do clearly evidence Again our blessed Saviour himself doth clearly manifest that judgement of external acts against the Law of Moses was left to Moses Luke 12 13 14. where the man coming to have the inheritance divided Christ gave him this Answer Man who made mee a judge and divider over you Again in the case of the woman taken in the Act of Adultery John 8. 3 4 5 6. Jesus Christ would neither accuse or condemn her so that the woman was dismissed not absolved Shiloh being now come the Scepter was now departed from Judah and a Law-giver from between his feet Gen. 49. 10. The Jews at this time being then under the dominion of the Romans had not power to put any to death by their Law as clearly appeareth by comparing the 7 v. of John 19. with v. 31. of cap. 18. where the Jews tell Pilate they have a law to punish blasphemers by death And yet the case was then such with them that they could not put any to death thereby And hence I conceive it was that the Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites brought the woman taken in the act of Adultery to our blessed Saviour to entrap him i. e. to see if he would take upon him to put their law in execution and that if he had then to have accused him for intermedling upon the priviledge of Caesar as is clear from John 19. 12. Where they tell Pilat that if he let Jesus go he was not Caesars friend Reason For say they who so maketh himself a King that is that taketh upon him to put our Laws in execution without the approbation of Cesar speaketh against Cesar Mat. 22. 15 16 17. c. All which temptations our Saviour then avoided because the time