reverence be it spoken must acquit the man though in himself ungodly for payment being made satisfaction given by the surety it is but just that the debtor be acquitted and discharged shall not the judge of all the world do right yea God is just and will declare his righteousnesse by justifying him that believeth in Jesus Now God the Father having thus reconciled the world unto himself by Christ for the farther carrying on of this work commits the ministery and service of this reconciliation to his Apostles and Ministers in their successive generations who as Heralds and Ambassadors authorized and commissionated by him should publish and in his na e preach the glad tydings of salvation this everlasting Gospell And to let all men even the Gentiles see what hope there is of their fellowship and participation of the blessings and benefits of this mysterie of godlinesse which from the begining of the world have bin hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ no nation people or person being now excluded or shut out the partition wall of Jewish ordinances being broken down and both Jew Gentile bond and free male and female all may come drink freely of that well of salvation which Christ hath opened for all persons that will come unto him whereof for his part he is so free being no niggard of his blood and merits that he intreats all to come and partake of And by his servants making a full tender of himself as Priest Prophet and King to all that will receive him And to as many as thus receive him giving them right power and just claime to become the sons of God and heires of the kingdome which he had purchased But now man by his fall being dead in the dark yea darknesse it self and so in his natural state and blindness unable to receive and comprehend this glorious and gracious mysterie of being righteous by anothers righteousness and of being saved by anothers sufferings all men Jewes and Gentiles doting and being fruitlesly set upon seeking life and happiness by their own doings and performances Therefore together with the revelation of this mysterie by the ministry of his servants sent for that purpose Christ over and above that common work of the Spirit by which he enlightens every man that comes into the world gives unto those who are given him of the Father and who are to be called according to the eternal decree and purpose which he purposed in himself and whereby he surely knowes those that are and shal be his to them he gives a mind and understanding to know him and to receive him and to be in him and to be one with him who is the true God and eternal life And now a believer having Christ who is eternal life hath eternal life in and by Christ whereas those who thus have him not sc by believing have not eternal life because what in them lies they make God a liar not entertaining and closing with that testimony and record that he gave of his son which was that in him he was well pleased not onely with him for so he could not but be in justice forhe had never offended him But in him he was well pleased being in mercy and loving kindnes satisfied for the sins of all those who come unto God by him who therefore are received as sons and daughters by free grace and adoption And now that those who thus believe in Christ might have the witness in themselvs of their Sonship because they are sons God sends forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts whereby they are imboldned to call upon God as Sons crying Abba Father being thereunto the more imboldned because by the same Spirit they are sealed and marked out unto the day of redemption And which is given to them as a pledge and earnest in hand for an assurance to them of their full inheritance when their adoption and son-ship shall be compleated by the redemption of their bodies from the power of Corruption as now their soules are from the reign and power of sin The same spirit also in the meane time leading them into all saving truth comforting them in all their troubles and helping them in all their infirmities And thus hath a Believer in himself the testimony both of blood and of the spirit witnessing to and with his spirit that he is a son and child of God But then as there are three in Heaven that bear record and give testimony to this great mysterie of godliness sc The Father the word the holy Ghost So there are must be three witnesses on earth i. The heart of a true believer before the work can be compleated which are three the Spirit Blood and Water For Christ came not by blood alone for justification nor by water onely for sanctification but by water and blood both which Sacramentally flowed forth from his precious body when he hung upon the Crosse a Sacrifice for our redemption thereby shewing forth the end of his suffering viz. both the justification sanctification of his people And therefore he that hath not the witness testim within himself of all three hath not the witness of either he whose heart conscience cannot witnes to him his faith believing in that blood of Christ shed for his justification cannot have the witness of this blood as water for cleanâ—ing and sanctification For Christ sanctifies none but whome he justifies he whose heart cannot witnes to him his faith operating on the blood of Christ as water for sanctification canot have the testimony of blood and his interest in it for justification For Christ justifies none but he also sanctifies the n. And he that hath not the testimony and witnesse in himself of his intrest in blood and water for justification sanctification cannot have the testimony and witnesse of the spirit sealing for these three agree in one all beare witness to one the same truth sc Christs comming dying to redeeme us from sin and all iniquity both in the guilt and in the filth of it both from the condemnation and from the domination of sin For the grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teacheth us that denying ungodlinesse and world y lusts we shâ—ud live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeeme us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar and choice people zealous of good works And for asmuch as no uncleane person can enter into the Kingdome of Heaven where the inheritance is For know ye
by Scripture and where ever the holy men of God did divide him into three substances And if ye refuse to prove the same I proclaim as in the presence of the Lord that ye are perverters of the Scriptures and of the right way of the Lord and your propagating the Gospel and your principles are accursed from God having no example in Scripture Fifth Principle The fifth is That Christ is the Mediator between God and man without the knowledge of whom there is no salvation Answ Him we witness made manifest in us who is the Mediator but what have you to do to speak of his name or profess his words who are found in the steps of the Scribes Pharisees that put him to death who are called of men Master have uppermost rooms at feasts stand praying in the synagogues as they did that Christ cried wo against Math. 23. Thus you are separated from Christ who are not found in his doctrine and are found among the Heathen whom the condemnation is upon and the Scripture bare testimony against you that you are not in the doctrine of Christ but are found to be lyars 1 Joh. 2. â—2 and the acts of your fathers you are found acting And in the sixth you say that Christ is the true God Here you be witnesses against your selves that you divide the Father from the Son who you say is three distinct substances But the Lord will make you manifest ye that blindfold the simple by your subtilty and witchcraft making them believe lyes in stead of truth and would divide that in which there is no division for he that hath the Son hath the Father also This man Christ Jesus who was made with an oath the everlasting covenant the oath of God is not divided from him in whom the foundations stand for without this man Jesus was nothing made and as he was so he is He that hath an ear to hear let him hear And here Sottish minds your imagined God beyond the stars and your carnal Christ which you would make appear through your heathenish Philosophy is utterly denied and testisted against by the light which comes from Christ which ye resist as your forefathers have done And in your seventh Principle ye are laid open 1 Joh. 4. 2. Hereby know we the Spirit of God every spirit that confesseth Christ come in the flesh is of God and this is he that is one with the Father even Jesus Christ the man of God who was given for a covenant but him ye are enemies unto And whereas you say in the eighth that this Christ the man of God is God and Man in one person it is a lye He is not divided from what he was before the foundations of the hills were laid but him ye know not but as ye do imagine and the Heathens do and here you are shut forth from the Scriptures and from Christ and the new man which is witnessed in the sons of God Therefore stop your mouths for ever who would make people believe that believing in those words which are declared from the Life without the same spirit as they had that spoke them forth will bring them to the same knowledg of God And thus in your Ninth you have also shewed forth your ignorance and telling people that Christ hath paid a ransom for sin This is witnessed by the children of light but what have ye to do to take these words into your mouths that never yet came to repentance for sin and if ever you witness him a Redeemer you must witness the vengeance of God which is upon the man of sin But you men of sin who live in your filthiness shall receive your recompence from the hand of the Lord and this ye shall eternally witness whether you will hear or forbear And as for the eleventh that Christ being the onely God and man in one person remains for ever a distinct person from all Saints and Angels notwithstanding their union and communion with him your words are utterly denied and detested and your distinctions are abominable I challenge you from the Lord to prove such a thing in Scripture or else stop your mouths for ever for Christ Jesus is but one in all and not distinct and you that would divide him and them that are begotten by him are enemies unto him As for the twelfth That all men by nature are dead in trespasses and sins this is fulfilled in you and ye shall receive the wages of it ye men of sin whose ungodly practises are laid open and discovered to the children of light who have obtained the victory And I tell you plainly that vengeance of God hangs over your heads and the recompence of God shall be doubled upon you that live in your sins except ye repent ye shall likewise perish And whereas ye say ye are justified and saved by grace ye are they that have turned the grace of God into wantoness and holds the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of persons as is made manifest by you daily And in your last you say That to continue in any known sin under what pretence soever is damnable Here be you witnesses against your selves that ye are proud and that ye live in the practice of the world which is sin and seek for your gain from your quarters which is sin and the Lord sent his prophets to declare against such and the same woe from God is upon you that act the same things Isa 56. 11. And here your practice and example is found among the false prophets of Israel which the Lord sent his true prophets to declare against which received his word from his own mouth for which they were both persecuted and stoned by your generation which professed that in words which they persecuted in the Saints who witnessed the life and power of what they spake Thus have ye brought shame upon your selves ye deceitful workers who are professing that outwardly in words which ye are enemies to the life of So from the Scriptures ye are razed out and your bottom and foundation is made manifest to the children of light and your deceits are made manifest by them that walk in the light at which you are stumbling as your forefathers did though you profess the words declared from the light Thus have I returned an answer to your confused Paper lest you should boast your selves in your folly and blind the eyes of the simple by your heathenish inventions as ye have formerly done and have laid your shame open unto the simple-minded that they may discover and see your confusion And now a word unto you from whom this Paper was put forth Your spirits and your actings are contrary to the Spirit of Christ as having no example from him not his Apostles for it be ye ashamed and stop your mouthes from professing godliness who are found in the pride and in the wickedness of this world out of which the Ministers of
basest of the people Let Ministers be basely accounted of and the people with a little help will quickly learn to despise Magistrates Besides the judgement from the Lord there is a natural tendency in the one to the other It will be Honourable Sir and becoming reforming times that men learned laborious and godly such as are so and can be content to approve themselves so to those who are able and authorized to judge that they find more countenance then those who are not so qualified Men ignorant are impetuously zealous to cry down learning that their snuffs might seeme to give some light which if countenanc'd and that such and find equall favour will bring the next age to a dark Ministry expose our children as a prey to the wolves of Rome And as for these levelling Quakers I must need say The revilings and reproachings of our gifted brethren who of late years have made it much of their business to render the Ministers of this nation Antichristian have made way for them And they of all men have least cause to be offended with them though they prevaile most with their Congregations For the call of the one is as good as the others though there be some difference in their doctrines Truly Sir I had almost forgot what I was about se writing a Dedicatory gratulatory Epistle And to whom One that is full of great and weighty imployments Whither won't love carry a man It made me overbold and tedious Pardon I beseech you my boldnesse and accept of my love I consecrate this first fruit of my labours in this kind to your name that it may live in you and that you might live in God according to the Great Mystery of Godlinesse through the grace and power of that Jesus Christ which died at Jerusalem whom the Quakers vilifie To him I heartily commend you and all your great and high affairs craving this farther favour that I may still continue to be and have leave to subscribe my self as I am From my house in Bristoll the first day of January 1654 5. Sir Your Honours true faithful and most observant Servant in the Lord RA FFARMER A Monitory Epistle to the Reader Honest but simple hearted Reader FOr thee principally is this work intended It being a high act of Charity to be Legs unto the lame and Eyes unto the blind I can't adventure to come in print with an apology And therefore let me plead my excuse For the truth is I thinke it is a sault that so much pay is spent as now adaies to so little purpose For Scriblimus we may say indocti c. Every foole must be a foole in print or else he is no body And some folks will be tinckering though they get others to stop the cracks both of sense and English And if I should have bin forward to do so too as well as some of my neighbours who could as the times are quarrell with me But I have ever been backward to this kinde of worke as being loath to be one of the Company I have been sufficiently provokt as my Country-men know by a couple of Beagles of the tribe of Rahshekah the railer A lying Almanack-maker and an Apostatiz'd Minister who have appeared in print against me But I was above them And thought not them worthy of so much paines of the blotting of a sheet of paper I took and do take my self as a traveller that is limited to his time and businesse And such a one must not make a stop at the barking of every dog But consider 'T is then ature of the beast And therefore rides on and answers them with his horses heeles But now I confesse I could forbeare no longer Foole or Madman what the world pleases for I care not and I can be content to be or be esteemed any thing for Christ I am engaged He who never spake in all his life when he saw one comming to kill his Father the string of his tongue was loosed and he brake silence to prevent danger There are a generation of men if I may so call them lately come quaking into our City who in their mad and frantick fits offer violence to God and Christ and Gospel and all its ordinances And who here could be â—â—lent that as a watchman who should foresee and forewarne of the danger This was done and is done by the rest of my brethren here in their pulpit-labour with good successe And I as well as they might there have rested For I conceive not that we stand bound to be in print upon every occasion That which brought my backward spirit to this work was The Lord was pleased by the help of some friends to bring to my hands a piece of the Anabaptists which to me made a cleare discovery of the mysterie of these seducers And gave me more light of their designes then others of my brethren who have not seen that paper had In which perswasion I publikely made some discovery And being convin'd that it might be more usefull if more publike I beggd of God to fix my resolution to what might be most conducent to his glory Being perswaded never to have appeared to the world in this way But by his overruling hand I have here presented to thee this discovery under the title of the mysterie of Ungodlinesse And because thou shouldst not onely know the evill to avoid it but the good also to follow it I have therefore laid before thee good and evill The mysterie of Godlinesse and Ungodlinesse both together And it s now thy duty and yet it will be thy wisdome to improve advantages for thy estalishment And to that end Take a little advise In reading the mystery of Godlinesse take but paines to turne to the quotations of Scripture in the margin and see how they prove the thing intended Especially doe so in such truths as thou findest thy self most affected with or seeme most strange unto thee if any should so seeme which me-thinks should not Chiefly Any truth thou most takest notice of under what consideration so ever tax and examine the proofes This double benefit will arise First The thing it self will be more cleare And Secondly what thou receivest as a truth will be received on a divine authority And so thy faith shall not stand or be built on man who may deceive But on the un-erring word of God The not observing this rule in reading mens writtings is the maine ground of peoples instability For this is sure What ever is imbrac't upon meere humane considerations Upon the like considerations may be shaken off He that believes a thing barely because such a man of whom he hath a good opinion and that he will not lie told him so when another shall come of whom he hath an higher and better perswasion and shall tell him the contrary to what he had been perswaded his perswasion is staggered if not altered But now what is entertained and believed upon his word
sacramental sign and manifestation of mans ready obedience to all other Commands of the Almighty that should be given unto him But now the Devil being a Reprobate and a fallen Angel envying Gods glory and mans happinesse tempts man to the breach of this Commandement suggesting that by eating he should be like God whereas wretch as he was he knew by his own experience that by disobeying man should be like himself a Devil And now man being tickled with ambition of being like to God in knowledge and being but a Creature and so impossible to be good unchangeably which is the soveraign prerogative of God only by hearkening and yielding to the temptation of the Devil fell into the transgression And hereby involved himself and all his posterity he being the head and root of all mankind and a common person to lose or injoy for all his posterity who were in his loyns and by natural generation and descent to proceed from him hereby I say by this one transgression he involved himself and all his posterity unto a state of enmity and rebellion against his Maker And thereby forfeited both that blessed Image of righteousness holiness and saving knowledge in which he was at first created and contracted a perversness of spirit But also lost that chearful and comfortable light of Gods countenance which was to have bin his life and happinesse And as a manifestation of his losse and guilt man is driven out of Paradise that place of Gods special presence and mans earthly felicity as never to enjoy the like on earth again And an Angel with a flaming sword the wrath of the Almighty to keep him for ever out from eating so much as sacramentally of the tree of life and immortality And had not Christ by an eternal decree and covenant with the Father stept in and undertaken for us the world had bin presently consumed and man himself hurried into Hell and destruction to the eternal misery both of soul and body But man is reprieved and the execution of the sentence as to the full is deferred till the day of judgement Yet shall he not go here and in the mean time altogether unpunished for though the earth and other Creatures that were made for man continued the Creatures shall rebel and withdraw subjection from him and the earth being cursed for his sake shall yield him food with sweat and sorrow and all things shall be full of labour vanity and vexation so that he shall have no satisfaction from them And further when he has toyled all his life to little or no purpose as to true contentment he must leave all these nothings go unto the dust the grave and lie down if he go as he came in sorrow So that upon the matter man lives upon the earth as a condemned creature and by patience long suffering and forbearance permitted here to continue And by his â—in under guilt curse death everlasting death and condemnation and having brought the same misery not only upon himself but also upon those who never sinned actually in the very same manner in the same thing even upon all flesh children as well as others So that now by means hereof every Son and Daughter of Adam is conceived in sin and brought forth into the world in iniquity deprived of that Image of righteousness holiness and saving knowledge of God in which Adam was at first created of a depraved mind spirit alwayes lusting after evil Being all Saints as well as others till regenerated the children of wrath by nature dead in sins and trespasses as to the injoyment of Gods special love and favour and the chearful light of his saving countenance which only is true life and happinâ—sse Notwithstanding which fall and losse there remains in man as his intellectual nature and reasonable faculties by which he acts wisely and prudently as to worldly affairs and humane concernments so also he retains certain vestigia footsteps marks and impressions of that moral and eternal Law of righteousnesse at first ingraven in his heart by the finger of the Almighty So that although as to everlasting felicity man be dark dead by nature being under the power of Sathan the God of this world whose Kingdom is a Kingdom of darknesse and who rules in men by ignorance yet there remains so much light with which every man is enlightened that comes into the world as doth lead him to the knowledge of a God prompts him to the worship service of him mediately immediately immediately to God himself by some acts of piety and devotion tendered by all and every Nation according to those discoveries they have of him and mediately to their fellow Creatures by certain acts of duty and charity as they stand in several respects related to him and his light accusing or excusing according to his walking Which light some men and women living in sensuality and indulging to fleshly pleasures do as it were detain a prisoner stifling it and burying it under lusts and unrighteous practises thereby provoking the Lord to put out that Candle which he had set up and left within them and to give them up to hardened hearts and seared consciences past feeling to commit all manner of wickedness with greediness and so to make themselves seven fold more the children of wrath then they were before And so continuing finally impenitently to run headlong to everlasting destruction carrying in their very bosoms even in their consciences that which awakened at the day of judgment shall condemn them needing no other Law or witness Others more civillized by education custom fear of punishment good example wholsom counsel And some by the power and efficacy of Religion in a way of common illumination and conviction which ordinarily goes along with it where not obstinately opposed and hindered walk more evenly sweetly usefully then the former with whom therefore it shall be more easie at the day of judgement then for them Yet they and the former are both in a state of estrangement towards God lyable to eternal condemnation for though the lives of some are lesse â—inful then others yet the heart of all are equally depraved And none is perfectly righteous without which no man by the tenor of the first Covenant can be justified and saved So that all are concluded under sin and none able to redeem or deliver his own soul much lesse anothers All having sinned and come short of the glory of God all of all Nations both Jew and Gentiles being under the curse and subject unto the bondage and thraldom of Satan for ever But now behold and wonder at this great and glorious mystery The
walk not after the flesh but after and according to the spirit And whereas we were under â—in God made him who knew no sin in himself to be sin for us by impuâ—ation that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him in like manner And whereas we by reason of that sin were under the curse he was made a curse for us that he might redeeme us from that curse that so we might inherit the blessing therefore the Lord having laid hold on our surety who is mighty to save and to deliver being man that he might suffer in the same nature and in the behalfe of those that had sinned And God that he might make full satisfaction to God that was offended The Lord I say having thus laid hold upon our able suretie laid and charged upon him all our iniquities bruising and almost breaking his gracious heart with the hellish terrours of divine revenge and justice where he made his righteous soul an offering for sin So sharp and hot were the flames thereof that it made the maker of the whole creation grone and cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me A speech more dreadful fuller of astonishment then if the whole frame of heaven and earth all men angels had been tumbling headlong into everlasting torments for in this God had not forsaken himselfe but his creature onely but in that wrath was kindled beyond the finite apprehension of the creature here God as it were forsook and left himself Christ being God one God with the father blessed and beloved for ever And yet my God my God why hast thou forsaken me And here behold and see and in seeing weep was there ever sorrow like unto this sorrow which Christ suffered in the day of his fathers wrath and fury And again behold and see and in seeing rejoyce that Christ suffered these sorrows as our surety Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like sheep have gone astray and he hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all And thus was God in and with Christ in his everlasting decree Covenant and consent roconciling the world unto himself by that one sacrifice and offering whereby through the eternal spirit he offered up his life and shed his blood upon the Crosse a sacrifice for sin to reconcile us unto God For without shedding of blood there is no forgivenesse of sin to be expected Obedience to the Law because short imperfect cannot effect it make man right and perfect But now by this one offering up of the body of christ once for all he hath perfected for ever those that are sanctified separated and set apart for God So that Messiah the Prince of our peace and the Authour of our eternal salvation being thus cut off by death hath confirmed the Covenant made between him and his Father having finished the satisfaction for transgression and made an end of the reign of sin by making reconciliation for iniquity and bringing in an everlasting righteousnesse To the end that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life So that now there is no condemnation to them that are by believing in Christ Jesus for the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath freed them from the Law of sin and death for this was the Covenant between Christ and the father that when he should have made his soul an offering for sin the pleasure of the Lord by him thereby fulfilled should take so good effect and so prosper under his hand that he should prolong his dayes and see a seed a holy seed he should see and enjoy that which his soul travelled for and should be satisfied for all his sufferings The reward whereof was this sc that by the knowledge of and faith in him who in that work was his Fathers righteous Servant he should justifie acquit many even as many as believe in him from all their sins by bearing the guilt and punishment of their iniquities in his body on the tree of the Crosse whereof assurance is given in that he raised him from the dead for it was impossible that he should be holden or detained by the grave who finished the work that his Father had given him to do viz. by suffering the heel of his humanity to be bruised by Sathan that to break the head and chief of all his designs which was to keep man captive for ever in his Kingdom of darknesse So that by suffering death Christ hath destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Devil And thereby delivered them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to Sathans tyranny and bondage And now though the Devil accuse lay sin to the charge of Gods Elect yet God himself doth and must justifie them And whosoever condemns 't is not much to be valued for it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again for he died for our sins and rose again for our justification having thus wrought the work of everlasting righteousnesse whereof the world may be clearly convinc'd to full satisfaction in that he is ascended unto his Father we see him no more for certainly had he not satisfied and made full payment and reconciliation he must have come again and died again yea again he must have been often offered up as the sacrifices under the Law were But his blood being the blood of God was of more worth value efficacy then the blood of all the sacrifices in the world And now having broken the prison dores of death and led Sathan who held us in captivity captive and openly triumphed over him on the Crosse he is now set down at the right hand of God in glory there to rule untill he hath subdued all his enemies not only to himself as then he had done but also to all his people there compleating his Priestly office by appearing in the presence of God and making intercession for them And by his Spirit as their king ruling in and over them untill the time of restitution and setting all things right when he shall gloriously come in great majesty to judge all men and to render to every one according to their deservings In the mean while a poor believer though in and of himself worthy of nothing but wrath and death hell may through that interest he hath in Christ by believing come boldly to God and plead that righteousness which is every way adequat and proportionate to divine justice And God in justice with all humble yet faithfull
whether the Word was made flesh any more or oftner then once which Querie comes from thy dark polluted minde who is out of the Light and a stranger to the Life and without God in the world amongst the false Prophets Antichrist and deceivers which are in the world and in the Light of Christ which condemns the world yea are all seen known and made manifest and are turned away from by these who dwell in the Light which Light condemns thee and all thy generation eternally and the Word made flesh we witnesse which dwells amongst us and we behold his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the Father according to the Scripture whereby we witnesse thee and all thy generation to be in the sorcery and in the witchcraft deceiving and betraying the simple the Light of Christ in thy conscience will tell thee so for that thou must be obedient to and witnesse before thou witnesse the Word to be made flesh once for thou art darknesse it self and the light in thy conscience if thou would let it rise will be thy condemnation and when thou can witnesse the Word to be made flesh once then thou wilt know whether the Son of God was made of a Woman any more or oftner then once But thou art the Dragon that would devour the Man-child which the Woman hath brought forth who shall rule all Nations with a rod of iron and her child is caught up to God and to his Throne thou the Dragon and thy Angels is cast out into the Earth and therefore dost thou persecute the Woman which hath brought forth the Manchild bat thou art overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of his testimony and for thy other nineteen Queries thou hast conjured them up in thy black art out of the bottomelesse pit which is to be turned into perdition if thou had an ear thou might hear or an eye thou might read but thou art blind II. Quaer Whether did the Man Christ Jesus the Sonne of God slain in respect of Gods decree and efficacy of his death from the foundation of the world really and indeed suffer death or dissolution of soul and body as upon the Crosse at Jerusalem more or oftner then once Answ Here in this Querie thou Diviner is found adding to the Scripture thy divinations of thy own brain whereupon the plagues of God is to be aded unto thee and poured upon thee For as thou says the man Christ Jesus the Lamb of God slain in respect of Gods Decree and efficacy of his death from the foundation of the world Oh thou liar let all people see where there is such a Scripture that speaks as thou speaks here but in the sight of Christ thou art seen and in the life comprehended and art for condemnation The man Christ Jesus we own and witnesse and the Lambs book of life which was slain from the foundation of the world we witnesse the Lamb of God which takes away the sinnes of the world we witnesse according to the Scripture praises praises eternal praises be to the Lord God for ever and thee to be the beast that makes war with the Lamb we witnesse and thou Antichrist which looks at Christs death at Jerusalem alone and cannot confesse him no otherwise but without thee here thou art but equall with the Pope of Rome for he confesses Christ died at Jerusalem as well as thou So let all thy Congregation see what they hold up that follows thee III. Quaer Whether did the man Christ ever really and indeed suffer in his own person for that end and after that manner which hee did once upon the Crosse at Jerusalem before the time or since the time Answ Here thou full of all subtilty hath made manifest thy poison and enmity but with the Light of Christ thou art seen and known and with it condemned for ever Christ Jesus in his own person doth and ever did suffer by thee and such as thou art and by thy generation he did suffer at Jerusalem and doth suffer where he is made manifest by you after the same manner and thou blind Pharisee and blasphemer would thou have Christ to have more ends in suffering then one IV. Quer. Whether was not that death the man Christ suffered once and but once upon the Crosse at Jerusalem so satisfactory for all the sins of the Elect as that the justice of God did not doth not since require any suffering or working upon that account either from sinner or from Saint Answ Here thou Jesuite art pleading again for a Christ far off thee according as thy Father doth at Rome That Christ that died at Jerusalem did not satisfie for thee who art an enemy to him and doth not abide in his doctrine but acts contrary to his commands and art under the wo which he cried against them that were in the same steps where thou art and from that wo thou shalt never fly The death of the man Christ Jesus which suffered at Jerusalem we own and witnesse the same Christ that suffered at Jerusalem we witnesse made manifest and the one God and the one Mediator we witnesse and know betwixt God and man the Man Christ Jesus according to the Scripture And here thou liar art made manifest to all thy Congregation to be a liar who said amongst them that we denied that Christ that died at Jerusalem so let them all be witnesses of thy lies and let thy mouth be stopt thou liar who art of the lake and whereas thou queries whether the justice of God be not satisfied for the sins of the Elect here let shame strike thee in the face that ever thou should take upon thee to speak to any people and knows not the Scripture where dost thou read in all the Scripture that God doth require satisfaction for the sins of the Elect or laid any thing to their charge let all people try thee here by the Scripture and see whether thou be not a blinde ignorant sot who doth not know what the Justice of God requires neither from sinner nor from Saint Isa 42. 1. 65. 9 22. Luke 18. 7. Rom. 8 33. 5 Quaer Whether you be reconciled to God by any other obedience then that particular obedience which Christ performed in his own person and is mentioned in the Scripture or by any other suffering or death then that which Christ once suffered upon the Cross at Jerusalem Answ Silence flesh would thou who art an enemy to God and a child of disobedience in whom the Prince of the air rules know how we are reconciled to God and by what obedience first own the light in thy Conscience which condemns thee and be obedient to that and then thou shalt know by what obedience it is that reconciles to God for yet thou knows not obedience nor the death which Christ suffered upon the Cross thou dost not know but art an enemy to the Cross of Christ and in the mystery of
then whom none is more true more faithfull there 's a sure foundation a rock vnmoveable And then know further No truthe's thine own till thou art got up into the power of it And that thou square thy beliefe and life accordingly The onely way to be establisht against error and heresie As for the Mysterie of Ungodlinesse concerning it I shall give thee directions when thon commest unto it It is meet the mystery of Godlinesse should have the first place that it might take the first possession of thee as a season against the poysons of heresie and ungodlinesse And then the more full the discovery the more thou wilt abhor and avoid it This is the aime of my labour which end if I shall attaine I shall rejoyce In hope whereof I commend my labours to thee And thee and them to him who a lone is able to make all profitable Alwaies remaining Thy faithfull friend in the service of the Gospel of that Jesus Christ which dyed at Jerusalem above sixteen hundred years agoe R A. FARMER ERRATA Reader I Am to beg thy favourable excuse in regard of some errors in the printing My desire was that the Title at the head of every page should have run thus sc The great Mysterie of Godliness to the first part which extends to page 18. And the Great Mysterie of Ungodliness from thence to the end The Title The great Mysterie of Godliness and Ungodliness being intended only for the Title-Page There are some other faults in not observing full stops And new Sections marginal notes and quotations of Scriptures transposed and disordered in the first The Mysterie of Godliness which though they alter not the sense in the body of the Discourse yet they hinder the advantage that might be made by those who would examine the quotations This may possibly occasion a new impression of that part by it selfe which is but little And therefore in the mean time need not much trouble thee Some Errata which may alter the sense I have observed which I intreat thee to correct with thy pen ere thou read In the Epistle Dedicatory Page 1. line last but one r. Genius p. 2. l. 14. r. a breath p. 3. l. 9. r. But because l. 10. dele you I excuse my own misnaming at the end my self Epistle to the Reader P. 1. l. 5. r. without an Apology l. 6. for pay r. paper p. 2. l. 10. r. briefly l. 11. r. try In the Book Pa 1. l. 14. r. goodly l. 19. for observe r. subserve ib. for Ministry r. Mysterie p. 2. l. 8. dele if l. 9. for tie r. tree l. 27. r. into l. 33. after these words perversness of spirit add proneness to all manner of evil p. 3. l. 14. r. continue p. 4. margin note at the bottom for of faith by nature r. of both by nature p. 5. l. 17. dele the word all l. 35. dele fig. 1. ib. margin r. shut up as in a prison p. 8. l. 9. r. when p. 9. l. 23. dele to read that he might break p. 1. Mar. dele new sect p. 12. l. 15. for are three r. three are p. 13. l. 11. for inheris r. enter l. 27. for this r. these p. 14. l. 31. r. that though where p. 15. l. 26. dele is p. 16. l. 37. exercises p. 18. l. 10. r. freely l. 13. r. differing p. 2. l. 3 r. They are l. 21. for waders r. Readers l. 36. r. proposed l. 37. r. as their usual l. 39. for cry r. say p. 23. l. 6 for for r. to l 9. dele thou l. 10. dele the interrogative points read perceive them l. 11. for such r. thing l. 6. after old add foundations p. 24. l. â—5 for powerful r. wonderful l. 36. for works r. marks l. 39. for within r. which in p. 30. l. 31. r. these p. 32. l. 7. for this r. h s. l. 29. r. give you in here p. 34. l. 6. r. proposes p. 59. l. 9. for flesh r. flash l. 22. dele yea l. 26. r. naturally p. 71. l. 11. for law r. light p. 76. l. 13. r. hypocritically l. 24. for reading r. pleading p. 88. l. 35. for an unknown r. one unclean The great Mystery of Godlinesse and Ungodlinesse 1 Tim. 3. 16. Without controversie great is the Mystery of godlinesse God was manifest in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory THe eternal invisible only wise God Father Son and holy spirit who only hath immortality dwelling in that light which no man can approach unto and which no man hath seen or can see and live who being the Authour and beginner of all things orders disposes all things as their end for his own glory This mighty God intending to make his power and god-head and glory known in the beginning of time created the godly frame of Heaven and Earth as a place wherein to manifest much of that glory And having made the Angels creatures of an intellectual spiritual and so of an invisible nature alwayes to stand before him ready to obey and execute his Commands as ministring spirits to observe and bring about this great Ministry intended made also other creatures to dwell upon the earth of a grosse and bodily substance subject unto the eye of sense and subservient also to this great design of his immortal glory And last of all as the abridgement and compendium of the whole Creation and the choycest piece os his workmanship by whom he would be most glorified he makes man consisting of a soul an immortal and spiritual nature to serve him as an Angel in a spiritual manner and of a body a grosse and visible substance to serve and honour him above and beyond other Creatures Angels and bruit Beasts in a visible and outward way of worship And to that end endowed him with his own blessed Image of righteousnesse holinesse and excellent knowledge and gave him also soveraignty and dominion over the rest of the visible Creation all things being made subservient to him By which means he was eminently qualified for special communion with and enjoyment of his Creator The whole man being in a sweet frame of holy conformity unto his soveraigns will by obedience whereunto he might have been everlastingly blessed and happy Now the Lord having made man in this estate of honour to make way for his own glory in and by this great Mystery of Godlinesse leaves him in the hand of his own counsel under a strict Command of not eating of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil with a kind of a Covenant and condition of everlasting life upon obedience to it And if the contrary upon the breach and disobedience of it Which tie and the Command concerning it was as a