your honour for them to come and live here you might have spared your pains or otherwise sent it to your own tribe for they and not I contend against it but surely your garments smell so much of that mysticall Whore that they would abhor you But to the next thing the which is an answer to what you say to my third Argument as for your intervening discourse where you tell me what your eighteen Commentators say upon the 11 of the Revelations I matter not but say that me thinks he is blind that sees you not in a muddle of confusion for sometime you say that Hierusalem is to be understood the Church and sometimes the Temple but yet it wants proof that ever Hieausalem is taken to be the Church and I also discern your ignorance as touching the 11. and 12. Chapters of the Revelations the woman that travelleth to bring forth a man child is not the Gentile-Church but no more of that its possible that we may confer about that hereafter and so I come to take notice of your answer as aforesaid where you say The Temple of God spoken by Paul to the Thessalonians Page 33. 2 Thes 2.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. is to be understood the Church of God and Antichrists tyranny by saying he sate or set up his throne there which if this were the Temple of Jerusalem it were a poor piece of honour say you To which I answer and say First that it was not the Church of God will appear plainly because God never owned such a people to be his Church 2 Cor. 6.15 16. in whom Antichrist had his seat or Throne for Christ and Antichrist cannot dwell together so then if Antichrists seat was there then Christ seats not there if Christ not there then no Church of God so then Antichrist could not sit in the Temple of God in your sense The Temple mentioned 2 Thes 2. proved not to be the Church of God take this maxim the Antiquity of a thing proves not the verity of it my meaning is this although the Pope have sate in your Temple viz. Church along time and been your Governour as in chief and you suppose your selves the Church and therefore Antichrist may sit in the Temple viz. Church this proves not the verity of it And secondly whereas you say It is no great piece of honour for Antichrist to set his Throne in the Temple of Jerusalem To which I answer and say if you were not ignorant but knew the Scriptures you would know that it would be an honour to him to sit there provided he might be owned by the Jews to be their King viz. Christ as he will desire to be owned but that it is an honour unto him to set up his Throne there is plain because it is called the glorious holy Mountain by the Prophet Daniel Dan. 11.45 in these words And he shall plant the Tabernacle of his Pallace between the sea in the glorilus holy Mountain or the mountain of delight and holinesse as it is called in the margent yet he shall come to his end and none shall help him and at that time shall Michael viz. Christ appear Dan. 12.1 2 3. or stand up according to Pauls words and destroy him and that it is at his coming to take his kingdome and to reign is plain because the Text saith That many that sleep in the dust of the earth shall arise some to glory and some to shame And that Hierusalem will be the praise or glory of the whole earth I have also proved already so that what you have said is proved to be false and that it is the very same thing that the Apostle spoke of is plain for they that know any thing know that Christ when he cometh to judge the world in righteousnesse is to come to Ierusalem and first restore the kingdome unto them and to plead with all flesh not far from the valley of Jehoshaphat and that the Antichrist may perswade the world that he is the Christ and that he may shew himself as God and so be worshipped by the Jews he shall place his throne there and therefore saith the Apostle in order to the establishing of the people 2 Thes 2.1 2 3 4 5 6. that they might not be deceived by him 〈◊〉 saith The day of the Lord comes unawares when you little think of it yet be not deceived about his coming for there shall first come the Antichrist who shall perswade men that he is the Christ and to carry on his design the more subtilely shall shew great signs and also shall place his Throne in the very place namely the glorious holy mountain Jerusalem where the true Christ shall place his Throne And this is fully implyed in 2 Thess 2. compared with Dan. 12 and other Scriptures that I formerly have cited But I passe briefly because those that compare my Syons Redemption and your answer together may see your answer to be but as a scare-crow and not worth taking notice of But you tell me I understand not what is meant by Gog and Magog Answer It s very like I cannot be more ignorant of Gog and Magog Page 33. than you be of what is meant by the little Horn Dan 7. when you call him Antiochus Epiphanes the which although he might be a type of him was no more the same than the scape-Goat Levit. 16. was Christ first because this little Hâ—â—n Dan. 7. was took alive and given to the burning flame after which time the Saints did possesse the Kingdom of the whole world it being delivered into their hands by the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven Antiochus Epiphanes proved not to be the little Horn spoken of by Daniel ch 7.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17. with much more that might be cited as an allusion thereunto Dan. 7 13 14 15 16 17 18. but Antiochus Epiphanes died after another manner neither was the Kingdome of Israel at peace after his death for he left a son which acted in the cruelty of his father who gathered together fifty thousand footmen and almost five thousand horsemen and fourscore Elephants and vexed the Jews as you may read in the first Chapter of the wars of the Jews recorded by Iosephus in his 559. page I could speak very largely unto it but he that reads the 7. of Dan. and compares it with Joel the 3. and Revelations the 19. may plainly discern that the little Horn mentioned in the 7. of Daniel which shall be taken alive and destroyed as aforesaid cannot be understood to be Antiochus Epiphanes which dyed before Christs Incarnation near one hundred sixty and two years And again Isa 14. whereas you say the 14 Chapter of Isaiah speaks not of the Antichrist but of the King of Babylon To which I answer and say Read Syons Redemption p. 101. that I have before said that the Antichrist is to be
return to their own Land onely the drying up of the River may be a little the precedent work as if time would give leave I would shew you and that the gathering of the dispersed of Israel and bringing them into their own Land will be fully effected under the sound of the seventh Trumpet which by the Prophet Isaiah is called the great Trumpet because under his sounding greater things will be effected than under any of the sounding of the other six Trumpets and therefore see what the prophet Isaiah saith Isa 27.12 13. which is as followeth And it shall come to passe in that day that the Lord will heat off from the channel of * Chap. 11.15 16. Rev. 16.12 the River to the stream of Aegypt called the tongue of the Aegyptian sea and ye shall be gathered one by one O ye children of Israel and it shall come to passe in that day that the GREAT TRVMPET shall be blown mark that and they shall come which are ready to perish in the land of Assyria and the out-cast of the land of Aegypt and shall worship the Lord in the holy mountain of Jerusalem And thus having shewed what the second thing will be that will be effected in the time of the sounding of the seventh TRUMPET I come now to shew what will be the third thing effected at that time which is The Kingdomes of this world shall become the Kingdom of Christ and he shall take his great power and Reign Rev. 11.17 Do you know what is meant in these Petitions in the Lords Prayer Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven surely if you did you would understand the Prophets a little better than you do So that Christ is yet to have a Kingdome in this world or that the Kingdoms of this world is to become the Kingdoms of the Lord Christ under the sounding of the seventh Trumpet as aforesaid Rev 11.15 for the proof hereof read the words of John which saith And the seventh Angel sounded and there was a GRAET voice in HEAVEN saying the KINGDOMES of this world are become the KINGDOMES of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever From hence we see that although Christ would not be King on earth before his suffering yet afterwards he is to receive a kingdome to himself even the kingdomes of this world and that he will take his great power and reign and then according to the words of the Psalmist Psal 22.27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord and all the kindreds of the Nations shall worship before thee for the kingdom is the Lords and he is the Governour amongst the Nations because of thy Temple at Jerusalem shall Kings bring presents unto thee Psal 68.29 and the kingdome and dominion and greatness of the kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high Dan. 7.27 whose kingdome is an everlasting kingdome and all dominions shall serve and obey him and Saviours shall come upon mount Zion and judge the mount of Esau Obed 21. and the kingdome shall be the Lords for he that overcometh will I give power over the Nations Rev. 2.26.27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron Psal 149.8 9. and binde the Kings in chains and their Nobles in fetters if iron to execute upon them the judgment written Rev. 5.10 this honour hath all the Saints praise ye the Lord. From hence we may see the Kingdomes of this world is to become the Kingdome of Christ and his Saints and they shall reign upon earth But you say Page 36. 37. The Saints reign is to be understood spiritually as by prevailing with God in prayer and the like To which I answer and say it is as likely to be true as that the Kingdome of Syria is the fourth Monarchy or Kingdome but that it cannot be so understood is plain for as yet I never read that any one man governed or reigned over all Nations or reigned over them by his prayers although it might bring judgments on many places and people Jam. 5.17 as Elias did when he prayed and it rained not for the space of forty six months but what hurt did that do to Aegypt where it raineth not and did ever any one by his prayers binde his King or Nobles in fetters of iron but admit we might grant that there were an hundred did so yet it would not prove the matter but be too narrow unlesse you could prove every man in particular to do so for this honour shall every Stint have viz. to reign and the wicked to be as ashes under the soles of their feet there might be very much said to the confutation of this but I shall not play the coward to fight with that which is so decripped and not able to look truth or sound reason in the face but that Christ and his Saints shall reign together on earth is plain first because there is plain text of Scripture for it Rev. 21.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. as above written secondly the Tabernacle of God is to be with men mark that and the Lord Jesus is to descend Zach. 14.4 and his feet standing in that day upon the Mount of Olives Job 19.24 25 26 27. the confideration whereof did uphold Job in his troubles that he should see his Redeemer in the latter dayes upon the earth whom he should behold for himself and not another And wereas you say Page 38. Christ is gone to prepare a place for us and that we shall becaught up to meet him in the ayre and be ever with him To which I answer and say and first if we shall be caught up to meet him it argues plainly that he is coming to live or he with us otherwise we may not be properly said to meet him if he be not coming towards us Obj But if it should be said it is true The Lord will come to judgement possibly here on earth but not to reign here To which I answer and say If he do hold his judgement here that implies that he will reign here for he shall reign when he sits in judgement but we finde plainly in Scripture that there is a great work to do when Christ comes before he shall give the ultimate sentence in so much that the Apochalips saith it will be a thousand years if I should say that the new Jerusalem should for ever abide in the Land of Canaan The meek shal inherit the earth which â—s yet they do not and we ever remain in it you would not know how to disprove it for although the Text say that we shall be ever with the Lord yet it doth not say that we shall be ever in the ayre for although Christ shall be seen in the ayre with the Saints and Angels which
confusion of thy face therefore depart depart make hast to flee from out of her all ye that would save your souls alive in the great day of wrath for the Lord will be a sw ft witnesse against her and all that be found in her shall be partakers of her plagues so then England or the Church of England properly so called is tryed and found to be converted or turned from nothing because all sorts of sins are found in both her people and Priests that they have an historical knowledge of Christ and the Scriptures will not be denyed but that they are Christians by having the Christian faith wrought in their souls they may be ashamed to affirm but I might easily shew how these came to a verbal knowledge of the Gospel if we consider that Rome was once a true Church and also to this day do own Christ to be the Son of God and that he ought to be worshipped although they bring in their own traditions with part of the Gospel in Christs worship and hence by reason of Schism in the Church of Rome in and since Luthers time England somewhat differs from Rome and yet is from Rome as a Schismatick as you confessed saying You were in Rome or came through it And hence you have an historical knowledge of Christ and the Gospel by reason that the Apostle once planted the Gospel in Rome from whence you came And again whereas you say that Such Teachers as I was not then in being In answer to it I say be it known unto you I do not think my self worthy to loose their shoâ—e latchets as in reference to gifts which did at first plant the Gospel and make disciples in Nations yet they were my brethren and fellow labourers and that very Gospel Which they preached I do preach and contend for the truth thereof And whereas you say It is well if I were not born too soon I answer that I know full well that if you had the power my condition might be worse as in reference to the flesh than an untimely birth But thanks be given to our good God that hath not given us into the hands of the Wicked whose tender mercy is cruelty And thus I have examined your Book and answered it although I do acknowledge my time and â—nk and paper might have been to more profit if your Book had been fuller of weighty arguments but they being but trifles as for the greatest part of them hath caused me to tâ—â—fle away some time in speaking to that wilâ—h indeed hath not been worth an answer lest you should have said in your heart it is unanswerable Finally I cannot say and speak truely as from my conscience that your Book is like the fruit that groweth near the Asphaltite Lake which hath a lovely colour and yet without substance for I do assore you that to my best descerning there is neither lovely colour or substance contained in it but that I may not be judge in mine own cause I shall leave the Reader to judge what is said and so at present shall cease as to this and shall adde a brief word as touching Christs Kingdome to come or his Reign upon earth together with the glorious estate of Israels Return and the first dominions given to the daughters of Zion and this for the Curteous Readers sake that it may be as the clouds of the latter rain unto thee which may chear up thy heart and comfort thee in thy pilgrimage towards thy heavenly Canaan whereby thou mayest be alwayes waiting for Christ in his wayes that he at that day may cause thee to sit down and eat and drink at his Table in his Kingdome where thou shalt for ever remain in his presence and have fulnesse of joy and at his right hand have pleasures for evermore The cettainty of the Seed of Iacobs return to their own Land and the glorious Reign of Christ in Ierusalem discovered and proved THat the Jews shall return and enjoy their own Land and possesse the holy Mountain Jerusalem and the LORD JESVS to be their KING and have his THRONE there I have already briefly hinted at in my precedent discourse but because it is a very large subject I thought good further to enlarge my self upon it partly because of a rumour that was amongst some men as to â—hing my former Book as though I did deny what I had Written as touching Christs personal Râ—ign in Jerusalem and partly because that possibly I may make use of some Scriptures in this place that may be fastned upon the affections of some that may read it the which at yet they have not so well and duely weighed my method in this place shall not be to give you the exposition of Scripture but shal compare Scripture With Scripture and thereby shall leave them to give their own meaning and interpretation and this is Gods way to compare spirituals with spirituals although it be not unlawfull to give interpretations to or to paraphrase upon some text of Scripture But I pass this too and come to the matter and that is The Seed of Jacob viz. the Jeâ—s shall return to their own Land and possesse the glorious hâ—ly Mountain Jerusalem For Zach 8.7 8. Thus faith the Lord of hosts behold I will save my people from the East Countrey and from the West Countrey and I wil bring them and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem Ver. 13. And it shall come to passe that as ye were a curse amongst the Heathen Isa 43.5 O house of Judah and house of Israel so will I save you and ye shall be a blessing fear not for I am with thee Ver. 6. and will bring thy Seed from the East and gather thee from the West and I will say to the North give up and to the South keep not back bring my sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth Psal 69 35 and 36. For God will save Zion and build the Cities of Judah that they may dwell there and have it in possession The seed also of his servants shall inherit it and they that love his Name shall dwell therein for thy Maker is thy huâ—band the Lord of Host is his Name and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel the God of the whole earth shall 〈◊〉 be called for the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit and a wife of youth when thou waâ—â— refused saith thy God for a small moment have I forsaken thee but with everlasting mercy will I gather thee in a little wrath have I had my face from thee for a 〈◊〉 but with ever lasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeener for this is as the waters of 〈◊〉 unto me 〈…〉 9. for aâ—l I have scorn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth so have I sworn that would not be wrath with thee nor rebuke thee
will bring them out from the people Ezek. 28.24 25 26. and gather them from the Countryes and will bring them to their own Land and feed them upon the mountains of Israel And they shall be no more a prey to their enemies but they shall dwell safely and none shall make them afraid And there shall be no more a pricking bryer unto the house of Israel nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them that despised them and they shall dwell in their Land that I gave my servant Jacob Isa 12 1 2 3 4. and shall know that I am the Lord. And in that day thou shalt say O Lord I will praise thee though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation For thy waste and thy desolate places and the Land of thy destuction shall even now be too narrow by reason of the Inhabitants and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away the children that thou shalt have after thou hast lost the other shall say again in thine ears the place is too strait for me Give place to me that I may dwell then shalt thou say in thine heart who hath begotten me these seeing I have lost my children Isa 49 19 20 21 22. and am desolate a captive and a removing to and fro and who hath brought up these behold I was left alone where have these been Thus saith the Lord God behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles and lift up my Standard unto the people and they shall bring thy sons in their arms and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders Ver. 23. And Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queens shall be your nursing mothers they shall bow down to thee with their face to the ground and lick up the dust of thy feet and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Isa 6.10 11. And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls and their Kings shall minister unto thee for in my wrath I smote thee but in my favour have I had mercy on thee Ver. 12. therefore thy gates shall be opened continually and they shall not be shut day nor night that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles and that their Kings may be brought for the Nation or Kingdome that will not serve thee shall perish Let Mount Zion rejoyce Psal 48 11. let the daughters of Judah be glad because of thy judgements FOR in that day will I make the Governours or Judah like a hearth of fire round about the wood like a torch of fire in a sheaf and they shall devoure all the people round about on the right hand and on the left and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place even in Jerusalem The Lord also shall save the Tents of Judah first Zach. 12.6 to 15. that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the Inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnifie themselves against Judah And thou O Tower of the flock the strong Hold of the daughter of Zion unto thee shall come the first dominions In that day shall the Lord defend the Inhabitants of Jerusalem Mich. 4.8 and he that is feeble amongst them at that day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angels of the Lord before them And it shall come to passe in that day that I will seek to destroy all the Nations that come up against Jerusalem And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have peirced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onely son and shall be in great bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first born In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of HADADRIMMON in the valley of MEGIDDON Isa 5â— 20. And so all Israel shall be saved as it is written There shall come a Deliverer to Zion and shall turn away transgression from Jacob Rom. 11.26 O the depth of the riches both of wisdome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements Isa 64.4 and his wayes past finding out For since the beginning of the world men have not heard or perceived by the ear 1 Cor. 2.10 neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for thee But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God Therefore unto God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit be ascribed glory and thanksgiving might majesty and dominâ—on by all that fear him small and great for ever and ever world without end Amen Thus having from these Scriptures and many more that might be mentioned together with these above written proved the first part of the assertion viz. That the Jews shall yet return and possesse their own Land and be a very glorious people and their scituation viz. Jerusalem a very glorious scituation Although all that hath been said may comparatively be called as the gleaning of the vintage For I know nothing which the Scriptures proves more plainly and yet this is hid from the most part of the prudent and learned men in our times but this is the fulfilling of the Scriptures which saith God hath hid it from the wise and prudent and revealed his wisdome even his hidden wisdome to babes and sucklings not that I say that God hath hid it from all that are prudent and learned men according to humane sciences for I do know some of them do understand the mystery of the kingdome although to the greatest part it is a parable but however the truth of God stands sure and is unchangeable for the Scriptures shall not fall to the ground but shall be fulfilled although heaven and earth passe a way Hence it came to passe that that all which was spoken of Christ to be fulfilled in the dates of his flesh was accomplished in the very letter of the Scriptures that the Scriptures might be fulfilled and so shall all those Scriptures that speak of his glory and reign and the Jews glory be fulfilled in their time For as the Scriptures spake of Christs being born at Bethlehem Mich. 5.2 Isa 7.14 Hos 11.1 Zach. 9.9 Isa 8.18 Mich. 5.1 Isa 5.6 Psal 69.21 Zach. 11 12 13. Psal 22 18. Num. 9 12. Exod. 12 46. Psal 34.7 Zich 12.10 it was so and as the Scriptures spake that a Virgin should conceive it also was so and as the Scriptures prophesied of calling his son out of Aegypt it was so and as he was prophesied to ride to Jerusalem upon an Asses Colt it was so and as it was prophesied that he
before the time and we never read of any cast into that lake before the judgement day but I pass to the examination of what is said in way of contradiction the which is say you Sodom are new suffering the vengeance of eternal fire from Jude 7. your words are these Iude telleth us say you that Sodom and Gomorrah are suffering the vengeance of eternal fire that is now in misery now the former fire is out which destroyed their bodie Because I have not found you deal fairly with the Scriptures but have wrested them and said that which they say not I shall examine whether Jude 7. say as you say that Sodom and Gomorrah are suffering the vengeance of eternal fire and upon examination I do not find the word ARE in the Verse to that purpose for which ye bring it the Text doth not say they ARE suffering the vengeance of Eternal fire but the Text faith thus Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to Fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Now you may see the Text doth not say they ARE suffering of eternal fire but the strength of you reason why they ARE now suffering in Hell is because it faith they ARE 〈◊〉 forth for an example Sâ—V FFERING the vengeance of Eternal fire and because the Text faith Sâ—V FFERING the vengeance that therefore they are now Sâ—V FFERING and in order to a clear answer consider these few things First whether the word Sâ—V FFERING in Scripture may not respect 〈◊〉 the preterperfecttence and not the present 〈◊〉 some place And Secondly whether it was the suffering of the Sodomites in the destroying of their bodies by that fire and brimstone that God rained on them from Heaven be that which is called the example And Thirdly Where you can find any other suffering mentioned that the Sodomites were under save that suffering mentioned in Gen. 19. and Recorded for an example Iude 7. And first to clear this thing see the word SUFFERING in some places of scripture respecteth the Preterfecttence Heb. 2.9 and not the Presenttence James 5.10 for Christs death is said to be a suffering of death a long time after he was dead and alive again and glorified at the right hand of the Father The word suffering sometimes respects not the presenttence but the preterimperfecttence the Prophets are said to be set out for an example of SUFFERING and of pâ—tience long after their Sâ—V FFERING was over so that the word Sâ—V FFERING is of no strength for you to build your conceit on and the Text in Iude doth not say as you said that they ARE suffering that word you put in to help you but it will not cover you And Secondly that it was the sufferings of the Sodomites bodies by that fire that came down from Heaven is evident because Iude faith that they are set forth for an example now if it be meant of the suffering of the Soulin Hell as you say then I pray what example is it for unusuall judgements are alwayes used for examples but it is no unusuall thing for the souls of ungodly to suffer in Hell now or hereafter according to both our opinions but to see God rain down Fire and Brimstone to destroy a Nation or City that is not usual but a remarkable judgement and therefore set forth for an example and such was that of Sodoms SUFFERING And Thirdly You can never prove any other suffering that was inflicted on Sodom but that on their bodies the which if you can I shall wait on you to see it and so shall pass taking no notice of your Authors supposing that they may possibly be as ignorant as your self And whereas you say in your twentieth page that Jude tells us that they are now suffering I say you do not almost but altogether give the Scripture the lye for the Text doth not say that they ARE now suffering but you say that if the Devills now suffer in hell then it is also plain that Sodom suffereth in hell but you would prove one if you could and include the other that the Devil is not in torments is plain Why art thou come to torment us before the time peradventure you will say that they were not in the depth of torments but you will say they were in some the which I deny that they were in any torments onely cast out of Heaven First The Devil not in Hell viz. the lake which is the second death for then they could nor compass the earth and come before the Lord the which they did because if they had been in hell viz. the lake that they shall in future be put in then they could not have walked to and sâ—o in the earth nor appeared before God when the Sons of God met together for there is such a gulf that they that are there cannot come before God and when once they come there they shall not have their liberty to walk to and fro but shall be tormented day and night in the lake of Fire and Brimstone and as yet they are called the Prince of the aire and the god of this World but they shall be cast down into the earth and also bound a thousand years and afterwards loosed again before they be cast into that Lake and whereas Peter faith that they were cast down into hell and reserved unto the judgement of the great day I Answer Psal 16.10 Exod. 2.27 and 3.1 Jona 2.2 Isa 5.14 Hell in Scripture is taken several wayes sometimes for the Earth and sometimes for the Sea as Ionah cryed to the Lord out of the belly of Hell the which is meant the sea or the Whale take it which way you please and sometimes it is taken for captivity and whereas you cite the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hell is variously â—aken see Mat. 5.29 and ca. 10.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may be read hill or valley or dale it will not so fully prove the matter as you seem to suppose because if we consider that high place that they did enjoy and the place in which they were cast that is to say without the gate it might fitly be called a deep place or hell and yet not be in that Lake which is the second death no they were reserved in chains to receive their torments at the great day of judgement that is their time as they well know and not before therefore they believe and tremble to consider of their day that is coming and again you conclude that children are guilty of the second death because that Iohn saw small and great stand before God to be judged a very poor reason are all that stand before God to be judged guilty of the second death then all the godly are guilty of the second death for we must all appear before the judgement seat to give an
is the power of God to salvation to Iews and Gentiles Rom. 1.16 To which I answer and say and first I hope no man will deny what the Gospel saith to be true I ever did affirm that the Gospel was the power of God to salvation to all that did believe it both of Iew and Gentile is it therefore of necessity that the whole house of Israel must believe and be converted by it I am sure the first chapter of the Romanes cited by you proves it not But secondly we konw that for Israels rebellion God gave them up to unbelief 1 Pet. 2.7 8 9 Mat 23 37 38. so that Christ and the Gospell was a stone of stumbling unto them and they not to see Christ viz believe in him untill the time mark that that they shall say blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord Mich. 5.1 2 3 4. and till she that travelleth bringeth forth then shall the remnant of his brethren return to the children of Israel and not the children of Israel to them but they shall remain in their unbelief untill they shall see him come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory at that time saith the Lord I will pour out upon the house of David Zach. 12.8 9 10 11 12 13. and upon the inhabitants of Hierusalem the spirit of grace and supplication and they shall look upon him whom they have peirced and they shall mourn every family apart and the Apostle Paul is more plain Rom. 11.25 26 27 28 29. saying As touching the Gospel they are enemies implying that they would never believe in Christ through the means afforded them in the Gospel The house of Israel not converted by a Gospel-preaching but by the glorious appearance of the Lord Christ but their gifts and calling was to be as aforesaid without repentance and therefore Paul reasons on this wise as if he should have said you Gentiles be not ignorant of this that the Iews shall again be a glorious people and then sheweth them which way this great work should be brought to passe that is saith he although they be enemies and also will be as touching the Gospel yet saith he when Christ shall come in his glory to Hierusalem to plead for the disperced of Judah he will pour on them of his Spirit when they shall see him in his glory and they shall then say This is our God Isa 25.8 9. we have waited for him and then will he cleanse Iudah and Hierusalem from all their transgressions and this is the manner of the Iews conversion as is fully implyed by Pauls words to the Romanes which saith The Redeemer shall come to Zion and turn transgressions from Iacob for this is my Covenant when I take away their sinnes as for the Gospel they are enemies for your sake but touching election they are beloved for the fathers sake for the gifts and calling of God is without repentance From whence we may see that the house of Israel shall not be converted by a Gospel-preaching but by the glorious appearance of Christ the redeemer of Israel not that I deny that any of the Iews shall be converted by a Gospel preaching for there was some converted in the primitive time and possibly there may by some means some few be converted that way but that conversion that the Scripture makes mention of which is universal to the whole house of Israel shall not be a Goâ—â—el-preaching and so I passe to your second reason that you gave why the Iews shall be converted by a Gospel-preaching which is say you There is no other name given by which men may be saved but Iesus now the name Christ is conveyed to men in a Gospel Way To which I answer and say that it is true that there is no OTHER name given by which men may be saved but are â—one saved but such as know him through preaching and what if it be so that the wrath of God doth lye heavy upon the stubborn Iews I could say much to these things but I suppose any man may see that hath his eyes open that there is no strength of reason in this to prove that of necessity the Iews must be converted by a Gospel-preaching whom God hath appointed to be converted another way as I have proved namely by the Redeemers coming to Zion and restoring the kindome of Israel and raigning over the house of David upon his Throne in Hierusalem but I passe to your thâ—d and last reason to prove that they shall be converted by a Gospel-preaching for say you The Iews shall through our mercy obtain mercy Rom. 11.25 26 27 28. 29. This Scrpture calls the manner of the Jews conversion a mystery and saith that his Covenant is to take away their sins by Christs coming to Zion and turning transgression from Jacob and therefore not by Gospel preaching Rom. 11 31. To which I answer and say that to say the Iews shall obtain mercy is the truth but to say that that mercy is conversion by a Gospel preaching cannot be proved because God hath not promised to convert them that way but this is his way that he hath covenanted to take away their sins the Redeemer shall come to Zion as aforesaid and turn transgression from Iacob But a word or two to the Text it self which saith Thorough your mercy Isa 59.15 16 17 18 19 20 21. they shall obtain mercy This Text is expounded more plainer in the prophecy of Isaiah which sheweth that in the last daies godly men viz. believing Gentiles will become a prey to their enemies and that justice shall not be executed but the wicked mens will shall be their law and that violence and wickedness shall be committed by them towards the godly and also the Lord saw that the godly had no interceder or none to plead their cause at which he wondered for which cause he put on the garment of vengeance for cloathing and was clad with zeal as with a cloak and saith according to their deeds will I repay them and thus in our mercy they shal obtain mercy for when the Lord cometh thus forth of his holy habitation Every eye shall see him and they that peirced him shall admire and mourn at which time the spirit of prayer and supplication shall be poured upon them and they made a very glorious people and this is the way by which they shall come to believe and so through our mercy obtain mercy Read Rom. 11. Esa 59. 60. chap. and compare them And I passe to the next thing and by the way whereas you go about by way of argument to convince me Page 32. that it is lawful for the Jews to be tollerated to live in England I say in answer to it The Jews may be tolerated to live in England for ought I have against it but your tribe likes it not and I also think it will not conduce to
the Lord Jesus THE GREAT KING shal take the KINGDOMS of the whol WORLD into his hands and 〈…〉 KINGS in his wrath and break them like a Potters vessell when he shall sit KING upon his holy hill of SYON and so I passe to a conclusion as briefly as may be not taking notice of every truffle yet I shall not let any thing that hath a colour of reason or strength go unexamined and unanswered as the Lord shall assist me But again whereas in your 34. page you say The Pope is Antichrist because he is against Christ and prayes to Saints To which I answer briefly and say that if all those may be fitly called Antichrist which sin against Christ or break his laws then he that goes to the Ale house and is drunk or he that covets that which is his neighbours is an Antichrist which if so I fear there is few of your tribe will misse that title Antichrist it s well if you do I could shew you your vain reasoning at large but I spare you but you tell me the Pope prayes to Saints The Pope praying to Saints proves him not to be the Antichrist but rather proves that he is not and therefore is Antichrist pray did you ever dream that such as pray to Saints are the Antichrist I am certain you never read it in the Scriptures but rather that proves him not to be Antichrist because he that is the Antichrist will be so far from praying to Saints that he will neither acknowledge God nor Saints but will oppose himself above God or Saints as I already have proved As for your other two reasons are triflles for in your second reason you tell me how The Latteran Council applauded the Pope saying That he was another God on earth To which I answer If you had added such a Letter as was sent from the Samaritanes to Antiochus Epiphanes Read Josephus p. 303. yet it would not have helpt you to prove the Pope to be Antichrist for what and if the Latteran Council did applaud the Pope and call him a God on earth will it therefore follow that either Council or Pope did affirm that they were above the God of heaven or spake as the Man of sin did marvelous things against the God of Gods 1 Cor. 8.5 We know there are gods many as saith the Apostle and so they might peradventure call him a God on earth but this proves him not to be the Antichrist so your second reason falls to the ground And thirdly you say The seven hills are the seat of Antichrist Rev. 17.9 and the Popes sits there and therefore the Pope is Antichrist Answer The text doth say Rev. 17.9 The seven heads are seven mountains on which the WOMAN mark that sitteth But I have shewed that the WOMAN there spoken of is the same WOMAN that is spoken of in the 18. verse which is to be destroyed by the Antichrist and therefore not Antichrist but the seven hills was never called the seat of Antichrist Dan. 11 45. neither shall it ever be his seat but his seat shall be in the glorious holy mountain Jâ—rusalem as I before have shewed And thus all your three reasons to prove the Pope to be Antichrist is chased and vanished away as a vision of the night and so I passe to the next thing considerable which is the examination of what you say to the Reign of Christ after the destructâ—on of the great Antichrist because the other intervening discourse of yours is but a story of the family of Gog and Magog the which peradventure I know near so well as your self what Historians say of the family of Gog and Gomâ—r and Tubal and Togamâ—r and the like and also possibly I might prove that some of all these families will be of that multitude that shall cover the mountains of Israel like a cloud but I have said enough to prove that the Pope is not THE Antichrist and so I come to examin your examinitâ—on of Christs reign on earth the which upon examinition I do marvel you would strain your reputation if you ever had any in bringing into a publick view that which hath so little reason or strength of argument in it but I pass briefly to the matter which is Page 36. Christ shall not reign upon earth say you because Christ tells Pilate that his kingdom is not of this world To which I answer and say when Christ tells Pilate his KINGDOME was not of this world at that time it was not of this world considered as it stands in the state of corruption and the government upon many mens shoulders for upon this account Christ speaks to Pilate but there is a time coming that the Kingdomes of this world shall become the Kingdomes of the LORD CHRIST The time is coming that Christ will have and hold a Kingdome on earth and the GOVERNMENT shall be upon his shoulders and he shall reign for ever and ever that is so long as there are KING-DOMES to reign over for this saith the Lord in several places of Scripture as I shall hint at some few of them and also shew you when the time will begin and that will be at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet that shall accomplish these three excellent things or these three excellent things shall be accomplished at that time first the dead Saints raised and secondly the Jews called home and thirdly the KINGDOMS of this world at that time shall become the KINGDOMS of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign and govern it in righteousness These three things I shall prove in order as God shall assist through whose strength I could be very large in this matter A discovery of the excellent effects of the 7th trumpet in the time of his sounding 1 Thes 4.16 but I shall be brief And first to the first What is the first thing that will be effected by the sound of the seventh Trumpet which is the dead Saints raised as will appear from the holy Scripture which saith For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first and that this is the seventh or last Trumpet is more plainly discovered by Paul to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 15.51 52. which saith Behold I shew you a mystery we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinckling of an eye at the LAST TRVMP for the TRVMPET shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptable and we shall be changed From whence we may see that this will be effected in the sounding of the seventh TRUMPET namely that the dead Saints shall be raised and the living Saints changed and so I passe to hint at the second thing that will be effected in that time which is The drying up of the River Euphrates that the children of Israel may
for the Mâ—untains shall depart and the Hâ—llâ— be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart 〈…〉 â—hee neither shall the Covenant 〈◊〉 Jer 〈◊〉 22 23 24 2â— peace be removed saith the Lord that hath me cyon th 〈◊〉 turn again O Virgin Israel turn again 〈…〉 Corts and I will cause the Captivity of 〈…〉 Captivity of Israel to return and I will build them 〈…〉 first Jer◠〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 set mine eyes upon them for good and will 〈◊〉 theâ— again to this Land and I 〈…〉 do 〈◊〉 and I will plant then 〈…〉 nor throw them doâ—nany 〈…〉 〈…〉 of Israel ye shall shoot 〈…〉 your fruit to say people Israel 〈…〉 For behold I am for 〈…〉 be alled and sown 〈…〉 the jouse of Isreal 〈…〉 be inhibited and the 〈…〉 upon you man 〈…〉 and bring fruit and I will 〈…〉 and I will do better unto you than at your beginning and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Thus faith the Lord of Hosts in those dayes it shall come to passe Zach. 8.22 23 that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the Nations even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew saying we will go with you for we have heard that God is with you And it shall come to passe in the last daies Isa 2.2 3 4 5 that the Mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the monntains and many people shall go and say come ye and let us go up to the Mountian of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob Mich. 4.1 2 3 4. and he will teach us of his wayes for the Law shall go forth of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem For Zions sake will I not hold my peace and for Jerusalems sake will I not rest untill the righteousnesse thereof go forth as brightnesse and the salvation as a lamp that burneth Is 62.1 2 3 4 The Gentiles shall see thy righteousnesse and all Kings thy glory and thou shalt be called a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal Diadem in the hand of thy God Thou shalt be no more termed forsaken Isa 51.3 neither shall thy Land be termed desolate any more but thou shalt be called Hephzibah and thy Land Beulah Isa 35.10 Chap. 51.11 for the Lord delighteth in thee For the Lord will comfort Zion and he will comfort all her wast places and he will make her wildernesse like Eden and her desâ—rt like the garden of the Lord joy and gladnesse shall be found therein thanksgiving and the voice of melody For the Ransomed of the Lord shall come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads They shall obtain joy and gladdesse and sighing and sorrow shall flee away Zeph. 3.19 For he will gather them out of all places where they have been driven and get them fame in every place where they have been put to shame and for their shame they shall have double and for their confusion they shall rejoyce in their portion Isa 61.7 For in their Land double everlasting joy shall be upon them and they shall be put into a place of their own and move no more neither shall the wicked afflict them as aforetime But the sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee and all that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet and shall call thee the City of the Lord the Zion of the holy one of Israel Isa 60.14 Ver. 18 21. Violence shall no more be heard in thy Land wasting nor destruction within thy borders but thou shalt call thy walls salvation and thy gates praise thy people also shall be all righteous they shall inherit the Land for ever and thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a peaceable habitation Isa 66.10 11 12 13. rejoyce you with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her rejoice for joy with her all ye that mourn for her that ye may suck and be satisfied with the breast of her consolation that ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory for thus saith the Lord behold I will extend peace to her like a river and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream then shall ye suck ye shall be born upon her sides and dandled upon her knees as one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you Chap. 65.18 Isa 30.19 and you shall be comforted in Ierusalem For behold I create Ierusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy for the people shall dwell in Zion at Ierusalem thou shalt weep no more He will be very gratious to thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he will answer thee Psal 102.13 14 15 16. For the Lord shall arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come so the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glory When the Lord shall build up Zion Ver. 21 22. he shall appear in his glory when the people are gathered together and the Kingdomes to serve the Lord to declare the name of the Lord in Zion and his praises in Ierusalem Look upon Zion the City of our solemnity thine eyes shall see Ierusalem a peaceable habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down Isa 33.20 21 22 24. But there the glorious Lord will be to them a place of broad rivers And the inhabitants shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquities the Lord hath sworn by his right hand and by the arm of his strength surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies and the sons of strangers shall no more drink thy wine for which thou hast laboured but they that have gathered it shall eat it and praise the Lord and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the Courts of my holinesse Isa 62.8 9 10 11 12. Go through go through the gates prepare ye the way of the Lord cast up cast up the high-way gather out the stones lift up a standard for the people Behold the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world say ye to the daughter of Zion behold thy salvation cometh behold his reward is with him and his work before him And they shall call them the holy people Ezek. 34.12 13 28. the redeemed of the Lord and thou shalt be called sought out a City not forsaken As the Shepheard seeketh out his flock in the day when he is amongst his sheep that are scattered so will I seek out my sheep and deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day and I
and his Disciples should be for signs and wonders in Israel it was so and as it was prophesied that the Jews should smite him on the cheek it was so and as it was prophesied that they would give him vineger to drink it was so and as it was prophesied that one should betray him for thirty pieces of silver by which the Potters field should be bought it was so and as it was prophesied that they should cast lots for his vesture it was so and that a bone of him should not be broken but that he should be peirced it was so done to him These and many such like things as touching Christ and also concerning Israels Captivity by the Bibylonians which was foretold by the Prophets was fulfilled in the letter multitudes of such like things as I could speak of but the time fails me which was fulfilled in the very letter Therefore let us believe that what the Prophets as touching Christs glorified condition in Jerusalem and Peter knew well what he said when he speaks of Christs Kingdome saying We have not followed cunning devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus but we were eye-witnesses of his glory and we have a more sure word of prophesie to which you do well if you give heed mark that knowing first that no prophesie of Scripture was of any private interpretation neither came it by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Hence we see the Prophets words are of great weight and also take notice that all the Prophets bare witnesse to the truth of what I have asserted and this intervening discourse I thought good to adde to that end that the courteous Reader might take notice that what the Prophets had foretold was and is to be fulfilled in the letter of the Scriptures unlesse they are proverbs or parables or the like and therefore I shall desire thee to read them the more diligently and distinctly they want not an interpretor but are very plain to him that hath any discerning spirit onely take notice of this that whereas the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of David he means the Son of David viz. Christ which is to sit upon his Throne for ever as the discourse of the Chapter will clearly shew as possibly I may give an hint of it in the marginal â—oat and these few things premised I come to the second part of the assertion which is That Christ shall Reign in Jerusalem And in order to the making of it appear to be truth I shall shew you that the Prophets have foretold it viz. that the Lord shall make Ierusalem or Zion at or in Jerusalem his seat and reign there before whom Kings shall fall down and shall worship before him therefore mark well the words of the Lord spoken by the mouth of his holy Prophets Psal 2.6 Zach. 2.10 11 12 13. which saith Yet have I set my King upon his holy hill of Zion Sing and rejoyce O Daughter of Zion for lo I will come and dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord And many Nations shall be joyned unto the Lord in that day and shall be my people and I will dwell in the midst of thee Isa 31.4,5 6. and thou shalt know that the Lord of Host hath sent me unto thee And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy Land Jer. 13.7 and shall chuse Jerusalem again Be silent O all flesh before the Lord Isa 24.23 for he is raised up out of his holy habitation So will the Lord of Hosts defend Jerusalem and in defending of it he will deliver it Ezek. 34.23 24. Then shall the Sun be ashamed and the Moon confounded when the Lord of Hosts shall Reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem David being prophesied to be a Shepherd and Prince in Jerusalem and so to remain for ever is to be understood Christ before his Ancients gloriously At that time they shall call Jerusalem the THRONE of the Lord and all the Nations shall be gathered unto it to the name of the Lord to Jerusalem neither shall they walk any more after the imaginations of their evill heart And I will set up one Shepheard over them and he shall feed them even my Servant David he shall feed them and he shall be their Shepheard And I the Lord will be their God and my Servant David viz. Christ a Prince a-amongst them I the Lord have spoken it Behold I will take the children of Israel from amongst the heathen whither they be gone Ezek. 37.21 10 29. and I will gather them on every side and will bring them into their own Land And I will make them a Nation in the Land upon the mountains of Israel and one King shall be King to them all and they shall be no more two Nations neither shall they be devided into two Kingdomes any more at all Neither shall they defile themselves with any of their transgressions but I will cleanse them so shall they be my people and I will be their God And David my servant viz. Christ shall be King over them It cannot be meant that David in the letter shall be their Prince for ever but Christ that is called the Son of David and is to sit upon his Throne for ever and they shall have one Shepheard and they also shall walk in my judgements and observe my statutes and do them And they shall dwell in the Land that I gave to Jacob my servant and they shall dwell therein even they and their children and their childrens children for ever and my servant David viz. Christ shall be their Prince for ever Moreover I will make a Covenant of peace with them and it shall be an everlasting Covenant and I will place them and multiply them and will set my Sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore My Tabernacle also shall be with them and I will be their God and they shall be my people The heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctifie Israel when my Sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore Rev. 21.3 4. And I heard a great voice from heaven saying the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself will be their God And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes Rev. 5.9 10. And they sung a new song saying thou art worthy to take the Book and lose the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy bloud out of every kindred tongue and Nation And hath made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the earth Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will perform that good thing that I promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah In those daies and at that time will I cause a
Branch of righteousnesse to grow unto David and he shall execute judgement and righteousnesse in the Land Jer. 33.14 15 16 17. In those daies shall Iudah be saved and Israel dwell safely and this is his name whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousnesse For thus saith the Lord David shall never want a man to sit upon the Throne of the house of Israel For the Lord shall roar oâ—t of Zion and utter his voice from Ierusalem and the heavens and the earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion my holy moutain then shall Ierusalem be holy Joel 3.16 17 18 19 20 21 and there shall no stranger passe through it any more But Iudah shall dwell forever and Ierusalem from generation to generâ—tion For I will cleanse their bloud which I have not cleansed for the Lord dwelleth in Zion For the Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it I will abundantly blesse her provision I will satisfie her poor with bread I will cloath her Priests with salvation and her Saints shall shout aloud for joy Psal 132.13 14 15 16 17 18. There will I make the horn of David to bud I will ordain a lamb for mine anointed His enemies shall be cloathed with shame but upon himself shall his Crown flourish in that day it shall be said to Ierusalem fear not and unto Zion let not thy hands be slack the Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save he will rejoyce over thee with joy Zeph 3.14 15 16 17 18 19. Sing O daughter of Zion shout O Israel be glad and rejoyce with all thy heart O daughter of Ierusalem The Lord hath taken away thy judgements he hath cast out thine enemies the King of Israel even the Lord is in the midst of thee thou shalt not see evill any more But the captives of the host of the children of Israel shall possesse that of the Canaanites even to Zarephath and the captivity of Ierusalem which is in Sepharad shall possesse the Cities of the South And Saviours shall come upon Mount Zion Obed 18.19 20 21 to judge the Mount of Esau and the Kingdomes shall be the Lords Again the word or the Lord of Host came unto me saying Thus saith the Lord of Hosts I am jealous for Zion with a great jealousie and I was jealous for her with great fury Zach. 8.1 2 3 4. thus saith the Lord I am returned unto Zion and will dwell in the midst of Ierusalem and Ierusalem shall be called a City of truth and the mountain of the Lord of Hosts the holy mountain And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives which is bâ—fore Ierusalem and the Lord thy God shall come and all his Saints with him for Enoch also the seventh from Adam Enoch prophecied of Christ kingdom Judg 14 Zach 14.4 5 9. prophecied of these things saying behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints And the Lord shall be King over all the earth in that day shall there be one Lord and his name one Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the TIMES of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord for he will send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you whom the heavens must receive untill the TIMES of restitution of all things which God Acts 3.19 Rom. 2.16 Acts 17.31 2 Tim. 4.1 hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began For he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousnesse by that man Christ Iesus at his appearance and Kingdome Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tydings that publisheth peace O Judah keep thy solemn Feasts perform thy vows Nah. 1.15 for the wicked shall no more passe through thee he is utterly cut off For thus saith the Lord of Hosts yet once is it a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry-land And I will shake all Nations Hag. 2.6 7 8 9. Isa 61.1 2 3 Rev. 15.8.29 to 35. Psal 48.8 9. Psal 68. from Isa 66.6 Ezek. 41.14.15.20 21 23 25. and the desire of all Nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of Hosts And the glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former saith the Lord of Hosts and in this place will I give peace saith the Lord of Hosts Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in Behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts But who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appears For he is like a refiners fire and like fullers soap And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purge the sons of Levi Mal 3.1 2 3 4. and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousnesâ—e Then shall the offerings of Iudah and Ierusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the dayes of old and as in former years and I will be as the dew unto Israel he shall grow as the lilly and cast forth his root as Lebanon his branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the Olive tree and his smell as Lebanon They that dwell under his shadow shall return Hos 14.5 6 7 8. they shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon Ephraim shall say what have I to do any more with Idols Isa 55.11 12. who is wise and he shall understand these things For they shall be led forth with joy and the mountains shall break forth before them into singing And at that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David Amos 9. from 11. to 16. that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof And I will raise up his ruines and will build it as in the dayes of old Balaams prophecy to Balack as touching the estate of Israel in the latter dayes Numb 24. from 14 to 20. That they may possesse the remnant of Edom. And I will plant them upon their own Land And there shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Srepter shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the corners of Moab and destroy the children of Seth and Edom shall be a possession Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies and Israel shall do valiantly Out of Iacob shall come he that shall have dominion
and shall destroy him that remaineth of the City For unto us a child is born unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderful Councellour the mighty God the everlasting Father the prince of Peace Of the encrease of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdome to order it and to establish it with judgement Isa 9. 6 7 8. and with justice from hence forth even for ever the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this For he shall come down like the rain upon the new mown grasse as showers that water the earth In this day shall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the Moon endureth He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the rivers to the ends of the earth Psal 72.5 10 12. they that dwell in the wildernesse shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust The Kings of Tarshish A promise of Moses as touching Christ in â—n Alâ—gory Deut. 33.13 14 15 16 Isa 53 12. Christ was delivered to death and so was for a time separated from his brethren Isa 45. and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Sebâ— shall offer gifts Yea all Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him And for the chief things of the ancient mountains and for the precious things of the â—asting hills And for the precoâ—us things of the earth and fuâ—nâ—sse hereof and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush let the blessing come down upno the head of Ioseph and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren Therefore will I devide him a spoil amongst the great because he poured out his soul to death Therefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name that every knee should bow before him They shall come before thee in chains they shall come over and they shall fall down unto thee As saith the Angels to Mary Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a Son Luke 1.31 32 33. and shalt call his name Iesus and he shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his father David and he shall reign over the house of Iacob for ever and of his kingdome there shall be no end And I saw in the night visions and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of dayes and they brought him near before him And there was given to him dominion Dan. 7.13 14 and 27. and glory and a kingdome that all people Nations and languages should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not passe away and his kingdome that which shall not be destroyed And the kingdom and dominion and greatness of the kingdome under the whole heaven 3 John 3.2 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 Now are we the sons of God but it doth not appear what we shall be Luke 22 28. but when he shall appear we shall be made like him for ye are they saith Christ that have continued with me in my temptations I appoint unto you a kingdome and I will give you power over the Nations Rev. 2.26 and you shall rule them with a rod of iron and break them like a Potters vessel Psal 149.9 even as I have received of my Father this honour haâ—h all the Saints praise ye the Lord Thou shalt bring them in and place them in the mountain of thine inheritance Eph. 15.17 18 in the place O Lord which thou hast made for thee to duell in in the Sanctuary O Lord which thy hands have established The Lord shall reign for ever and ever Much might be said by way of allusion concerning Jonahs prayer Jâ—nah 2.4 Jâ—m 5 7. 8 Chap. 2.5 I said that I was cast out of thy sight yet will I look towards thy holy temple Be patient therefore brethren unto the coming of the Lord behold the husband man waitâ—th for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it untill he receive the early and latter rain Be ye also patient establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth near Heaâ—ken my beloved brethren God hath chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdome For we have not followed cunning devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Petâ— 1 from 16 to 22. For he shall come in the clouds and every eye shall see him and they that peirced him shall mourn And then they shall say lo this is our God we have waited for him blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord For thou Bethlehem in the Land of Judeah Isa 25.9 Mat. 23.27 28 Chap. 25.31 Mat. 2 6. Mark 13.34 Rev 22 12 art not the least of the Princes of Judah for out of thee shall come a Governour that shall rule my people Israel For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey who lest his house and gave authority to his servants and to every man his work and commanded the Porter to watch Watch ye therefore for ye know not when the master of the house cometh Watch ye therefore for he will come and give to every one according to his works blessed is that servant when his Lord cometh finds so doing he wâ—l give them a crown of life and a place in the Paradice of God in that new heaven and new earth Luke 12.37 1 Pet 5.4 Rev 2.7 Mat 5. 5 Jer 23 5 for the meek shall inherit the earth For behold the day cometh saith the Lord that I will raise up unto David a righteous branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth in his day Judah shall be saved and Israel dwell safely and this is his name where by he shall be called Mich 4.7 THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNES And I will make her that halteth Psal 146.10 a remnant and her that was cast out a strong Nation and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zâ—on from henceforth and for ever Psal 67. from 1 to 8 Thy Lord shall reign for ever even thy God O Zion to all generations O let the Nations be glad and sing for joy for thou shalt judge the people tighteously and govern the Nations upon the earth Selah God shall blesse us and all the ends of the earth shall fear him Psal 49.14 1 Thes 4 Psal 149.2 Clap your hands all ye people shout unto God with the voice of tryumph For the
without measure and so was his water Baptism To which I answer briefly the strength of your reason lyeth in these words There is a parallel say you between Johns Baptism and Christs and Johns Baptism was that of water and Christs that of the Spirit and say you Christs Baptism was by pouring of a few drops in the time of the Law and hence you conclude that because Christs Baptism with the Spirit was by springling as you say and yet is called Baptism equivolent with that of Johns which was with water therefore water Baptism may be by sprinkling and this is the sum whole strength of reason that you produce Answer And first to the first There might be a true parallel between Johns Baptism and Christs John did dip or thorowly wash the people of the Regons of Judea and Jerusalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might prepare a people for the Lord and as John did prepare a people for the Lord by dipping or thorow washing so Christ would not many dayes after prepare a people for God his Father by dipping or thorow washing of them by his Holy Syirit the which I have proved already that the Baptism of the Spirit is not compared to a little water but to rivers of water and as touching that of sprinkling so often mentioned in the Law it may be granted that it might possibly be meant of the pouring forth of the Spirit in the last dayes because not onely Isaiah but Joel also Joel 2.28 with other Prophets speaketh of sprinkling many Nations Esay 52.15 and of pouring out of His Spirit upon all flesh Act. 2.16 but yet this is no whit for your purpose for what if it be so Ezek. 36.25 that God doth pourâ—forth of his Spirit and that by Rantizing that is to say by sprinkling or scattering here or there or dispersing in divers parts or places yet it doth not follow Spargo to sprinkle or scatter in divers parts although Gods Spirit be scattered or dispersed here and there in many Nations that is to say one of eighty or two of a family or if it be more yet such as do enjoy the Spirit and are cleansed thereby are not sprinkled but the Spirit to them is as a fountain or a river af water whereby they are washed and sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 and moreover I might shew you how sprinkling represents that of Christs blood the which differeth somewhat from other water or Spirit in proper operation of it although it agree in one for there is three beareth witness on earth as well as three in Heaven but I shall be brief And secondly 1 John 5.7 8. whereas you say that Christ was Baptised with the Spirit or plounged receiving it without measure and so was his Baptism with water from whence you conclude that Christ was plounged in Jordan to manifest to the Sons of men that as he was plounged with the Spirit so he was also plounged in water to signifie his being plounged with or in the Spirit To which I answer and say that if it be true what you say that Christ was plounged in water to represent that he was plounged with the Spirit receiving it without measure and if that be the onely reason that Christ was dipped or plounged as you seem to affirm then none must be dipped or plounged but such as have received the Spirit without measure and it also doth imply that the Jews the Eunuch and some of your children the which you have formerly dipped have received the Spirit without measure so that your own words imply a contradiction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence is mergo or immergo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence is the word subeo or ingregredios these differs not much in their signification neither of them signify to sprinkle and where as you in your Parragraph say that the word Bapto Dyno much differ yet so far as I am able to understand the word Dyno they differ very little the one signifying to dip or plounge or overwhelm in the water so the other signifieth to enter in or go under it But to pass on to your discourse you ask me what I think of that known place 1 Cor. 10.2 in these words all our fathers were Baptised in the Cloud and Sea and say you that was a water Baptism yet they went on dry ground Answer I know the Text saith that they were all Baptised viz. all the fathers but how you will prove it to be water Baptism I know not for the Apostle calleth it no such thing onely sayeth they were Baptised and we know there is a Baptism of sufferings and of the Spirit and if I should affirm that it was a Baptism of the Spirit and of fiery tryals to try who would murmur or who would stand still and trust in God to see his Salvation I know not how you could deny it upon good grounds but that it was a Baptism of the spirit I think no sober man will deny because both the Text in Exodus and that in the Corinths imply so much for we finde that the Angel of Gods presence or his Spirit was a light to Israel but the camp of the Egyptians he darkned and also it is said they eat of the Spiritual meat and so forth and we may very well see if we are not blinde that Gods Spiritual presence was very great to Israel in the Cloud being a light to lead them in their journey to Canaan and also his Spiritual presence great in the Sea in making it to be a wall to them on the right hand and on the left that they wet not so much as their shoe brims and therein God manifested his Spiritual presence to Israel and if any were Baptised in water it was not Israel but Pharaoh and his Host the which were plounged and overwhelmed in the great depth but the people of Israel were lead and directed and upholden with more than an ordinary work and manifestation of Gods Spirit and because I study brevity and also that you are hasting away for Ireland I shall leave this particular with this Request desiring you to show before you go where ever that Baptism was called water Baptism the which is spoken of in that first of Corinths but if you seriously weigh the occasion of the words they will easily show you that the Baptism there mentioned is a Baptism of the Spirit because the Apostle was there shewing what judgments fell upon Gods people of olds for their sins to afright at I may say the Corinths that were a carnal people as if the Apostle should have said take heed of sin for that will bring Gods wrath on you and to take off that objection that the Corinths might use in saying but surely the Lord will not destroy us for he hath given us
Church To which I answer and say that your word federately your matter intimated in it are far ferched consequences that the holiness spoken of in 1 Corinths 7. will not admit any to Baptisme the which if it would then the unbelieving Wife or Husband which is as holy as the Child ought to be Baptized and how far that is from truth I shall leave the Reader to judge but that the Text doth say that the unbeleever is Holy read it and you shall see to difference in the word Sanctification and Holiness in that place for Tindal readeth it thus Eâ—uxor infidelis sanctificata est inviso alioqui câ—rte liberi vestri improbri essent nunc autâ—m sanctisunt So that the word may be red the unbeleeving woman is Holy or hallowed to or by the man as well as sanctified but the holiness mentioned in 1 Cor. 7. is no other but a matrimonial holiness as I also have proved in my precedent treatise and so I pass and leave you to read your answer there Again you say God owned those children presented to him in Circumcision Ezek. 16.20 21. and called them his children To which I answer and say if you were demanded how you could prove that those children were Circumcised you would be much troubled to prove it for surely their Parents were not so careful to give heed to Gods Commands the which if they had they would not have offered their children to Molech which was fobidden and theresore Circumcised they were not doubtless and if they were prove it Exod. 22.39 Exod. 13.2 Nehem. 10.35 36 37. But you will say how cometh it to pass that God calleth them his children The answer is those that were offered up in the fire was the first born and the Lord before had commanded for himself all the first born and they are said to be Holy to the Lord and hence he calleth them his children yet take notice that I do not deny but God did own such as was offered to him in Circumcision but it doth not follow therefore that he will own such offered up in Baptism for he had commanded children to be Circumcised at eight dayes old and therefore good reason that he should own them but he never commanded children of eight dayes old to be Baptised and therefore it is a vaine conceit to think that God will own that which he never appointed Again you say That the premise under the Gospel is to Beleevers and their children by vertue of the Parents Faith Act. 2.39 Answer The Text doth not say that the promise under the Gospel is to beleevers and their children upon their Parents Faith surely your eyes be very dim or your understanding very shallow in looking on that place see the Text Act. 2.39 Repent and be Baptised every one of you and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit is to you and your Children in their non-age are not heirs to the Holy Spirit and heaven by vertue of their Fathers Faith as you fondly conceit children and to all that are afar of even to so many as the Lord our God shall call Now I pray see doth this Text say that the Gospel promise belongeth to children of Beleevers upon their Parents Faith the text hath not such a consequence in it the meaning of the Text is briefly thus the Jews were pricked at the heart for Crucifying of Christ and desiring his blood to be on them their children the Apostle knowing that all sins should be forgiven unless that against the Holy Ghost saith to them not when they were beleevers but before they did beleeve Repent but as if they should say there is no hope of mercy if we should repent yet there is saith Peter for God hath promised to pour out af his Spirit in the last dayes upon all flesh and also on your children even on your sons and daughters and therefore your condition is not so bad as by you supposed nor your childrens but they shall receive the Spirit even so many of them as God shall call your wicked practice in Crucifying Christ hath not so far deprived you or them from mercy but if you or they obey the voice of Gods call he will give you or they after you the Holy Spirit therefore repent every one of you here is ground enough for you to repent and to be Baptised and gladly to walk in Christs wayes That promise Act 2.39 was the promise of the Holy Spirit and it was made to all upon condition of obedience and Faith and declared to those poor wounded Souls that they might have ground to repent and beleeve the Gospel and thus you see the Text saith the promise was to them before they did beleeve that they might have ground to beleeve and obey the Gospel and therefore this maketh not for beleeves seed being under a Gospel promise for these did not beleeve when the Apostle saith the promise is unto you but if the promise of the Spirit be made to all children upon their Parents Faith then every beleevers child most consequently have the Holy Spirit or otherwise God not so good as his promise but the promise in Acts the second is a general promise of the giving forth of the Holy Spirit to all flesh Jews and Gentilis Fathers and Children even so many as are the called ones of God but in my former Treatise I have shewed the reason why the Apostle maketh mention of their children in this Text and so refer you to that further to peruse and pass to the next thing the which is A chaâ—ge of evil on us in denying the children of Beleevers Church Priviledge To which I answer that in that particular your selves do lie under evill in denying children Church priviledges namely that priviledge of the Lords Supper the which of right belongeth to every member of Christs Church for they that were or are to be Baptised or to continue in the Doctrine of Christ in breaking of bread and prayer and Baptism is not properly a Church priviledge but that which is to be done without the Church and those priviledges that are properly accounted Church priviledges you do deprive children of and also when you write again resolve this question whether the Lords Supper of right do not belong to all that are Baptised unless they are cast out forsin and if so then clear your selves if you can of depriving children of Church priviledges but you may see this also is discoursed and answered in my former Treatise entituled Dagons Down-fall And so I come to the Examination of that cited place Mat. 28.29 Go disciple all Nations or make disciples all Nations and Baptize them to which you would have me read Iohn 4 1 2 3. the which is equivolent with the words in Mat. 28. the which is read thus When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had beard that Iesus made and
he dyed for every man But he dyed for such as are saved and such as perish Ergo he dyed for every man That he dyed for them that perish see 2 Pet. 2 2. there are some said to have swift destruction The Apostle Peter saith that such as bring on themselves swift destruction were bought by the Lord. so lowing them that deny the Lord that bought them and from thence we may see that some that were bought by Christ our LORD did deny him and that he bought or purchas'd with his blood is clear from 1 Pet. 1.18 and so I pass from this to the next which is the Text 2 Pet. 3 9. thus read But his long suffering to us-wards is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance your answer is that the Apostle speaks of Saints and he loved us and tells them why God was so slack in coming to judge the wicked why so patient and that Gods long suffering to us-ward not the wicked is not willing that any to wit of us the Elect should perish To which I Reply and say and first that to say Peter wrote to Saints and beloved is true but to say where he speaketh of Gods long suffering to us not willing that any should perish me aneth Saints I deny then you will possibly ask me who then the Apostle means when he saith his long suffering to us not willing that any should perish but all should come to repentance Answer first I shall shew you who it is not and then I shall shew you who it is and first who it is not it is not the Saints there meant because in Gods for bearing or delaying his coming conduces to the Elects hurt not to their good and Christ hath said the days shal be shortned for their sakes but never saith he will forbear or be slack or defer or suffer long for their sakes for as God will hasten the time for their sakes so it cannot come too soon to them for they then shall lift up their heads from whence you may see that it is not for the Elects sake that God suffâ—reth long but for their sakes God hasteneth his coming and shorteneth the dayes I could speak much more to this first but I hasten for the Press Where the Apostle saith his long-suffering to us respect the world present in opposition to the severity of Gods justice passed And Secondly I now shall shew who is included in the word Us in the Text His long-suffering to us-ward and that is the whole world of unregenerate sinful men and that is implyed in the Text although I might cite many Scriptures to that purpose but I shall onely examine the Text it self the which will prove it clearly and first the Apostle is speaking of scoffers coming in the last dayes that should be of an Atheistical spirit supposing the Heavens and Earth to continue in their old posture for ever saying Where is the promise of his coming for since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as from the beginning but the Apostle saith that this they are willingly ignorant of that by the Word of God the Heavens were of old and the earth standing out of the water and in the water whereby the world mark that that then was being overflowed with water perished here lyeth the dependance of the Text but the Heavens and Earth that now is by the same word are kept for fire against the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly mâ—n but be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day the Lord is not slâ—ck he will come and will not stay and the reason is as if he should say because he is not willing that any of us v z. he World thâ—t now is should perish but all viz. the World that now is should come to repentance so that the word U his long-suffering to us means the World then and now in being this only may be worth a question What you say bringeth the certainty of your Election in question how it can be proved that the word Us and We when it is spoken by the Apostle can mean the World and that I could give you many Texts but I shall onely cite those mentioned in Acts 17.27 28 29. and shall pass only shewing you how you bring the certainty of your Election in question implying a possibility that some of the Elect may perish that is if he should not suffer long then they would perish but that they may not perish God deferreth his coming and suffereth long with the wicked in their wicked practises But you will say that Gods long suffering is salvation Answer it is true it is salvation which sheweth plainly that the long-suffering of God respecteth not the Elect but the Wicked for the Elect cannot be in a better estate than in Gods favour and in a state of Salvation in which they are already as you say and therefore it cannot do them any good or be Salvation to them but rather hurt for if the dayes of his coming should not be shortned no flesh should be saved but for the Elects sake those dayes shall be shortened as if Peter should have said comfort your selves it is not long before the day of Christ will come and you enjoy your Inheritance namely the new Heaven and the new Earth and therefore be patient establish your hearts for the Day of the Lord draweth near remember the Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the Earth and also remember God hath a good end in his forbearing to hasten his coming that it might be salvation to poor souls that if peradventure some of them would be provoked to return from their wickedness and live for so Gods long suffering waited in the dayes of Noah in the old world and The long-suffering of God ha hoften waited upon wicked men and the Spirit of God strived with them to reclaim them from their sins But for whose sake was the long-suffering of God waited with whom did Gods Spirit strive with the righteous or the wicked it was with the disobedient that he might bring them to God and the very word long suffering respects not the Elect but the Wicked and that Gods long-suffering waiteth upon the Wicked to be salvation to them and not to the Elect see what the Apostle saith Rom. 2.4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to Repentance or is appointed to lead thee to Repentance but after thy hardness and impenitent heart measureth up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath From whence we may see that what you have said falleth to the ground and also you do contradict your own opinion in implying that such as are elected from the foundation of the World so as Devils or Men cannot do them hurt
so as to come in the forme of a servant Christ and his waies was ever so mean and low and base in carnal mens account that they in all ages stumbled at it in a low mean way he became an offence to many or a stone that many stumbled at and so is called a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence not that he is so in himself as I have said but he is become so being in a mean low estate as to outward appearance that men which look for honour and greatnesse in this would stumble at him saying is not this the Carpenters Son We will not have this man to reign over us but we will reject him and his doctrine and yet saith the Lord I will set my King upon my holy hill of Zion and thus Christ is laid a chief corner stone in Zion at which stone men stumble for the cause as a foresaid and yet he is such a precious tryed corner stone and such a sure foundation that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it so that whosoever believeth on him shall never be ashamed or confounded he being the rock of their salvation But peradventure some will object and say Obj. That the eyes of the people were to be made dim and their ears dull and their hearts grosse lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn and he healed Answ To which I answer and say That it is just with God to give such men up to hardnesse of heart who will chuse their own wayes and reject the counsel of God against themselves as this people did as I have at large before proved unto you and whereas Christ saith Obj. Unto you is given to understand the mystery of the kingdome but to other in parables that seeing they might see and not perceive c. Answ The answer is thus Such as seek to know the mysteries of the kingdome and follow him that is able to make it known as Christs Disciples did to such it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome for then shall we know him if we follow on to know him for his secrets are with them that fear him but such as seek not after him nor fear his name his counsel is far from them and as for his judgements they know them not but their feet shall stumble upon the dark mountains and thus having given you the meaning or mystery contained in this ninth Chapter to the Romans I shall passe to the examination of your lawful Ministery but by the way curteous Reader take this use of information exhortation and comfort and first be informed that God hath not appointed any souls to be damned before they are born but from preconsideration of sin committed in time neither doth God harden men or give them up to hardness of heart but for their personall sin committed in time Secondly be exhorted then to seek the Lord while he may be found and neglect not the precious time and opportunity of grace but seek him and he will be found of thee because he hath sworn that he desireth not the death of him that dieth Thirdly for comfort with God there is mercy and forgivenesse our God will abundantly pardon insomuch that the Spirit and Bridegroom saith come and let him that heareth say come and let him that is a thirst come and who ever will let him take of the water of life freely and in so doing they shall finde rest to their souls even so be it The lawful Ministery falsely so called examined and disproved IN this subject of discourse I shall be very brief Read Sam. Fisher p. 553. to 588. first because it is but as it were to strip a naked man that is your Ordination hath been very largely disproved already and you shewn that your calling is from Rome by one which once was one of your own tribe and therefore the better able to discover you also once made dispute in my hearing when one of your tribe was tryed as in respect of his Ordination to the Ministerial function At a dipute at Headcorn in Kont Mr. Gotheredge did so affirm and shewn that his Ordination was from his Grandmother although father in God Pope Joan his answer was what though they did come through Rome yet they might be true Ministers for saith he Christ came through the liner of whores and yet was the true Christ but I suppose he was made ashamed so as to blush at the reply thereof but however I dwell not or dedend not on what this man or the other Author saith but do say that every man ought to walk in his own line or measure And secondly I shall be brief because I suppose that there be but few men but do or may know if they search the Scriptures that your kinde of Election and ordination is not of God First in respect of your Presbytery Secondly in respect of your charge or Office which is to absolve or remit sins like your Grandfather the Pope and so there came to be a pope in every Parish And thirdly in respect of your qualifications These I shall speak to briefly and also shew what the true Presbyters are and secondly the qualifications of such as are to be Ordained and thirdly what their work or Office is to do These in order but first I shall examine what you say and give a brief answer unto it And in the first place you tell me It would be too great an honour for you to answer me at large in this particular No great honour to prove the ministry of the Nation false because there by very few but know it already or may know it if they search the Scriptures and also that It would have argued some guilt in your call To which I answer and say It would not have conduced much to my honour before men to prove your Calling and Ordination not to be of God because there be very few but know it or may know it if they search the Scriptures and therefore no great piece of work so as to be admired at when all men may easily see it if they shut not their eyes against the light But I passe this and say I find that in this particular viz. the Characters of the false Ministery the burden lyeth very heavy upon you and pincheth very sorely and that causeth you to use such kicking expressions as followeth which is say you A fools bolt is soon shot and if an asse kick us we must not put him in the Court. To which I answer and say I do not envy the expression for these three reasons the first is because sometimes a patient beast will kick when his burden pincheth And secondly it troubleth me not to be called a fool because he that will be wise must become a fool that he may be wise and also we have a Proverb which in this is verified that children and fools
spirits in prison which implies that there is a place of Purgatory that Christ went thither oâ— to hell to preach and bring them fâ—om thence and so they shall come forth when they have paid the utmost farthing and this is Romes doctrine and the article of your faith he descended into hell And again you by your Articles must believe in the Catholick Church but you were better to believe and put your trust in God and how can you have a Catholick or universal Church so as to be an over spreading Whore unlesse you uphold Infant Baptisin the which makes all persons to be of the Church and so receiving the mark of the first Beast and are a cage of all manâ—er of unclean birds for as saith the Spirit All Nations have drank of the wine of her fornication and the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and you Merchants have been made rich through her and therefore you uphold and plead for her But wo wo wo unto thee Virgin daughter of Babylon thy Mothers pride and uncleanness and traditions seen in thee wo unto the Cities of Nations you must fâ—ll and then your Mother MISTERY BABYLON through whose loyns ye came shall come in remembrance before God so that both she and you that have commited fornication with hâ—r shall be cast into a bed together And again wo wo unto thee thy day is coming it hastens therefore flee out of her that the day of the Lords wrath fall not on you because it will fall with a heavy consumption on all that are found out of the simplicity of the Gospel but I passe to the next thing which is say you We may be true Ministers although come from Rome as Christ was the true Christ which came from Adam which waâ— finful lines This is plainly the sense of what you say To which I answer and say That although Christ came through the womb of the holy Virgin yet he was not begotten of or by man for if he had been in Adam as we were then had he been a sinner as we were for we all sinned in him and then no Saviour Rom. 5. but I passe this advising you to learn that great mystery of godliness to wit God minifest in flesh c. And whereas you say you may be a true Ministery and yet have your Ordination in or thorow Rome because Christ came from Adam as aforesaid to which I say there is no parallell because Christ was not of Adam or by the will of Adam as your Ordination was of the Pope and by the will of the Pope through his assigns viz the Bishops and much I might say to shew that there is no fit parallel either in Christ coming through the womb of the Virgin which was Gods appointment or Aaronâ— Priesthood Christ owns not that Priesthood that comes through Roms the which was according to Gods appointment but that God hath appointed a true Ministers approbation and Ordination to be from or through Rome or that they may be accounted as true Ministers which have their Ordination that way and so come through Rome I am yet to learn for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean no not one and also such stones as come from Babylon must not be a corner-stone in Zion Christs Priesthood came not through a false state but was to be ordained in and by a true Church and all Ministers that are otherwise Ordained are not Christs Ministers And again whereas you tell me of a great story of several that lived in England who did refuse to submit to the Popes Supremacy and that also say you Origen confesseth that Christianity was in England in his time To this and such like discourse of yours I answer and say suppose it was granted that Christianity was in England long before Origens time to which possibly I could speak somewhat but if I should when I have done all possibly as few would believe me in that as do believe you in this which you have said Therefore our businesse is not to shew how long ago it was that Christianity was believed or practised in England but our businesse is to shew whether the Ministery or our Nation had their Ordination by a true Church or Presbyter or whether it were from the salse Church and Presbyter as the Lord Bâ—shop and so consequently from the Pope for what if the Gospel were preached and believed in England and so we may comparatively say that one of the Beasts heads was wounded yet there hath been time for his deadly wound to be healed and all the world to wander after him bence it comes to passe that we have in England a worldly Sanctuary and a worldly Ministery the which is not of God or by his appointment and therefore must fall and so I come to shew these two things First That the Ministery of the Nation as they now stand and have for a long time so stood are not Christs Ministers First in respect of the persons qualification ordaining And secondly the persons qualification ordained And thirdly their Office or work what they are appointed to and these in order And first to the first which is The persons qualification ordaining and the first is whether the Lord Bishop was a lawful Presbyter yea or nay the which if not then it wil appear plainly that the Ministery of the Nation is not a lawfull Ministery being not lawfully Ordained to the work of the Ministery The Ministry of the Nation no true Ministers of Christs appointment And fiâ—st we may consider his ordination or appointment whence it was whether by a true Presbyter or whether it were from a false to which I say of necessity it must be a false for whether it were the Pope Gregory the great or the like it is plain it was not from a true Presbyter because your own grant is that your Ordination came from Rome in the 27 page say you We were in Rome or came through Rome therefore I shall not trouble my self about the succession of your Ministery because it is affirmed by you and readily believed by me that it came from Rome But Secondly To his qualification as touching his good manners in life and conversation all England knowes that knows any thing that he was of such an evill conversation that he did not onely tollerate sin in himself but also in others 2 Tim. 4.2 so far he was from charging the Ministers â— as Paul did Timothy to preach the word instant in season and out of season that he in Pâ—int gave liberty to prophaâ—ation and to lay aside the preaching or Gods word for a season and to interpose Romes inventions together with dancing and laciviousness upon the first day when persons ought to be imployed in holy duties these things together with imprisoning men that were conscientious was the practice of him from whom as under the Pope you Ministers of the Nation were assigned and appointed
From whence we may see that when God hath given any man his Spirit so as to qualifie him for the work of the Ministery and the Church Elected him for the same then according to the practice of the Church of Antioch and others also they ought to keep a day solemnly unto the Lord by fasting and prayer Act. 3.1 2 3. at which time the Eldership ought to lay their hands upon the person or persons so Elected and approved of as aforesaid and give them their charge in the presence of all the Congregation and this is Gods method and our practice in Ordaining of Ministers And again their charge is mainly to preach the Gospel instant in season and to study that they may divide the word of truth aright that their profiting may appear to all men that behold them and several other thing of this nature that might be added as matter of their charge but I shall passe both from this particular and this subject and come to the vindication of Zions Redemption Zions Redemption Redeemed IN the answer of this discourse viz. Zions Redemption your ignorance as I suppose is very much discovered As first say you The ten Tribes are threatned never to be a people more and Hose a tells us say you God will love them no more Isa 7.8 Hosea 9.15 16 17. God will cast them away and they shall be wanderers amongst the Nations and yet say you I believe there is hope of their call for they are elected and beloved page 31. To which I answer and say That although you know not the mystery of God in the prophets yet you might have learned to lay your contradictions farther asunder for say you in page the 29 that God saith by the Prophet Hosea He will love them no more and yet in your page 31. you say They are elected and a beloved people as in Rom. 11. Gould discover your ignorance at large but because time is precious I shall onely disprove what you say and not so much paraphrase on your words to shew the contradistions as possibly I might do if I had time But say you Israel shall not return again into their own land for God will love them no more Therefore it will be necessary for me to open your Text of Scripture cited by you and secondly to prove that God had an everlasting love to the house of Israel as in reference to the manifestation thereof in time And thirdly to prove that the ten Tribes viz. Israel shall return and also Judea into their own Land and these in their particular order And first to the first Isa 7.8 which is to open these two Texts of Scripture Hos 9.15 16.17 namely Isaiah and Hosea which saith the Prophet Isaiah 7.8 For the head of Syria is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Reazin and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken that it be not a people Ans To which I answer and say 2 King 17.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 That this Text is a Prophecy of Ephraims extirpation from being a Nation in their own Land so that Israel for their sins was to be carried away captive as was done according to Gods word as is recorded in the Book of the Kings yet not such caprives as that they never were to return For the very same Prophet that prophecies of their Captivity also prophecies of their return as you may read in the eleventh Chapter of his Prophecy saying And he shall set up an ensign for the Nations Isa 11 12 13 14 15. and shall assemble the out-cast of Israel and gather the diâ—persed of Judah from the four quarters of the earth and the envy of Ephraim shall depart and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off and the Lord shall utterly destroyâ—th tongue of the Aegyptian Sea and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the River viz Euphrates as Rev. 16 12 and shall smite it in the seven streams and make men go over dry-shod and there shall be an high-way for the Remnant of his people which shall be left from Assyria like as it was to Israel in the day when that he came up out of the land of Aegypt From whence we may see that although Israel must be broken from being a Nation for a time yet there is a Remnant which spring from their loins which shall return again and enjoy their own Land But I shall passe at present to your next proof of Scripture which is the words of Hosea saying All their wickedness is in Gâ—lgal Hos 9. for there I hated them for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house I will love them no more all their Princes are revolters my God shall cast them away because they did not hearken unto him and they shall be wanderers among the Nations From these words you conclude that they shall never return because the Prophet saith That he will love them no more but his God will cast them out and make them wanderers among the Nations In these words we may learn these two things First the prophets zeal for the Lord that he doth not onely pray to the Lord to bring judgements upon them Jers 14. as in the foregoing ver but also saith that he wil love them no more also saith he My God will cast them out and make them wanderers amongst the Nations And secondly he giveth the reason why he thus spake and that was saith he Because they did not hearken unto the Lord but were revolters from him Now let the Reader judge whether you understood what you printed for doth this Text imply that Israel shall never return because the Prophet saith That HE will love them no more But admit the Prophet speaks as in the person as we may say of God yet the reason why he would love them no more was because of their sins now if they had repented God could not but have loved them according to the property of his mercy Do you not know what is the property of the Attribute of Gods Mercy Did you never read what the Lord said unto Israel in the tenth Chapter of the Book of Judges Judg. 10.12 13 14 15 16. In these words Ye have for saken me and served other gods wherefore I will deliver you NO MORE Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation From whence we may see that God useth the word NO MORE in this place saying I will deliver you no more and also we see the cause was for their sins yet when they humbled themselves and said We have sinned do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee Judg. 12 32 33. deliver us only we pray thee this day and they put away their strange gods from among them and served the Lord and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel And
he did deliver them although he had said he would deliver them no more as you may read in the 32. and 33. verse of the 12. Chapter And thus for want of knowledge not ignorance in the Scriptures you may see how the eyes of your understanding are darkened so as you cannot see as it were at noon day Moreover take notice that the same Prophet Hosea whom you would if you could have proved your matter namely that Israel shall not return again fully proveth what I have affirmed as you may read in his Prophecy in these words Hos 13.9 ch 14.1 2 3 4 5 6. O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thine help O Israel return to the Lord thy God for thou hast faln by thine iniquities I will heal their back-slidings and love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him I will be as the Jew to Israel he shall grow as the lillie and cast forth his roots as Lebanon his branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the Olive tree and his smell as Lebanon From whence we may see that the very same Prophet doth prophecy of Gods love to Israel and their prosperous estate after their return although you say he will love them no more But whether we may believe you or the Prophet I leave the Reader to judge because your speech is opposite one to another and so passe to the second thing which is to prove that the Lord is so far from retaining wrath and hating Israel for ever that he loveth them with an everlasting love viz. that people that came from the loins of Abraham Isaac and Jacob as will appear from the words of the Prophet Jeremiah saying The Lord hath appeared unto me of old Jer 31.3 4. saying Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness will I draw thee again I will build thee and thou shalt be built O Virgin of Israel thou shalt again be adorned with thy Taâ—rets and go forth in the dance of them that make merry c. Thus we see the Lords love to Israel proved to be everlasting so that what you say is found lighter than vanity And I so shall pasle to the third thing which is that Israel shall return out of their captivity into their own Land and also shall answer your grand Objection or beat down your strong hold cited by you Ezek. 16.55 in these words When thy sister Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former Page 30. estate and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate which is supposed not to be But first to prove that Israel shall return into their own land as aforesaid and that you may see it clear see what is spoken by the moâ—â—hes of the holy Prophets Jer. 33.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. saying I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return and I will build them as at the first I wil cleanse them of all their iniquitiâ—â— and thus saith the Lord again there shall be heard in this place which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beâ—st even in the Cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalâ—m which are desolate the voice of joy and the voice of gladnesss the voice of the BRIDEGROOM and the voice of the BRIDE the voice of them that shall say praise ye the Lord of host for the Lord is good for his mercy endureth for ever and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise unto the house of the Lord for I will cause to return the captives of the Land as at the first saith the Lord Behold the day cometh saith the Lord that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of ISRAEL and to house of JVDAH in those daies and at that time will I cause the BRANCHES OF RIGHTEOVSNES to grow up unto DAVID and he shall EXECVTE JVDGEMENT AND RIGHTEOVSNES in the Land in those dayes shall JVDAH be saved and JERVSALEM There is a glorious return of Israel to their own Land proved at large from those Scriptures with several oâ—kers which are also mentioned dwell safely and this is his Name by which he shall be called the LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNES for this saith the LORD DAVID shall never want A MAN to sit upon the THRONE of the HOVSE OF ISRAEL moreover the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah saying Considerest thou not what this people have spoken saying the two FAMILIES which the LORD hath CHOSEN he hath even cast them off thus they have despised my people that they should be no more a Nation before me thus saith the Lord if my Covenant be not with day and night and if I have not appointed the Ordinances of heaven and earth then will I cast away the seed of Jacob for I will cause them to return and have mercy upon them And that this respects the last return is very plain First because it speaks of both Families returning namely Israel meaning the ten Tribes and Judah meaning the Zionnites or the daughters of Zion And secondly because it speaks of Christ executing judgement in the Land as doth appear from the word the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNES and that the place is mean Jerusalem in the letter Jer. 3 25 is plain from the thirteenth verse of the three and twentieth Chapâ—er of Jeremiah which saith That the places about Jerusalem and in the Cities of Judah shâ—ll the flocks passe again and at that time they shall call Jerusalem the Throne of the LORD and all the Nations shall be gathered unto it to the name of the LORD to JERVSALEM neither shall they walk any more after the imigâ—nation of their evill hearts the which yet now they do mark that in those daies the house of Iudah shall walk with the house of Israel but yet they have not mark that and they shall come together out of the Land of the north to the Land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers Ezek. 37 21. and I will make them a Nation in the Land upon the mountains of Israel and one King shall be unto them all and they shall be no more two Nations neither shall they divide into two Kingdomes any more at all neither shall they defile themselves with their Idols any more at all and David viz. Christ my Servant shall be King over them according to the words of the Angel to Mary which saith For he shall be great and be called the Son of the most highest Luke 1.31 38 and the Lord God shall give unto HIM THE THRONE of his FATHER DAVID and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdome there shall be no end for behold in those daies and in that time will I bring the captives of Judah and Jerusalem
and I will gather all Nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat and will please there for my people and for my heritage Israel whom they have scattered amongst the Nations behold I will raise them out of the place whether ye have sold them so shall ye know that I am the Lord dwelling in Zion my holy mountain then shall Jerusalem be holy The return of Judah and Israels captivity proved and there shall no stranger passe through her anymore mark that but Judah shall dwell for ever and Jerusalem from generation to generation for I will cleanse their bloud that I have not cleansed for the Lord dwelleth in Zion therefore shall the redeemed of the Lord return and come with singing to Zion and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and mourning shal flee away Thus we may see that Jerusalem is yet to be the praise of the whole earth and that Judah and Israel shall return and be glorious as in former time nay more glorious for the Kingdome shall be restored unto Israel and Christ shall be King over them not allegorically as some ignorantly conceit for there be multitudes of objections as to that opinion that cannot be answered but it shall be fulfilled in the letter of it But because I cannot inlarge my self upon this subject my desire is that the curteous Reader would peruse these ensuing Scriptures and do heartily desire the Lord to apply the right understanding of them to thy soul Read Ezekiel chap 37 38. 39. and Isa 11.12 and 65. and 66. read the 68. Psalm and Psal 102. and 122. read Jer. 30. and 31. read Joel chap. 2. and 3. read Zeph. 3. read Zach. 12. and 14. Mal. 3. these and many more Scriptures doth shew plainly that the people of Israel and Judah shall turn from their captivity into their own Land and also take notice that these Scriptures speak not of Judahs captivity viz. that of the seventy years and the like from which they have returned and yet for their sins are gone to captivity again but this is the return not onely of Judah but also of Israel viz. the ten Tribes the which never more shall go into captivity 2 Sâ—m 7.10 Isa 61. But In their own Land DOVBLE EVERLASTING FOR shall be upon them so shall they dwell in a place of their own and move no more neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them as beforetime for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Thus you see that Judah and Israel shall yet return to their own Land But say you It cannot be for Ezekiel plainly saith when I shall bring their captivity the captivity of Sodom and her daughters and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them when thy sister Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former estate and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate then thou and thy daughters viz Judah shall return to your former estate From which Text you conclude that Sodom and her daughters shall never return and so consequently Judah and her daughters shall never return To which I answer and say that this Text seems to be your strong hold yet you shall see this Text will fight against you and therefore in the first place I shall shew who they are that are called the daughters of Sodom And secondly I shall prove that Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former estate and if so then you may blush for shame to say that Judah shall never return And so to the first which is to shew what people are called the daughters of Sodom the which we finde to be the Moabites and the Ammonites Gen. 19. for when the Lord overthrew the Cities of the plain there was none did escape save Lot and his wife and two daughters and as for his wife she was turned into a pillar of Salt so that of all the Cities of the plain which is Sodom primely and the adjacent Cities there was none left to bear the name of the daughters of Sodom but Lot and his two daughters And therefore Lots daughters consulted to make their father drunk that they might bear seed by him Gen. 19.31 for say they Our Father is old and there is no man in the earth to come into us after the manner of all the earth implying that the Lord had appointed in order to distinguish the Nations one from another that they should propagate onely with their own Nation therefore saith Lots daughters There is no man in the earth to come into us c. upon which we finde they made their father drunk with wine It is proved that Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former estate and they lay with him and the first born conceived and brought forth a son and called his name Moab the same is the father of the Moabites to this day and the younger bare a son also and called his name Ben-ammi the same is the father of the children of Amon to this day So that the Moabites and the Ammonites spring from the people of Sodom viz Lot and his daughters and are called the daughters of Sodom now the circumstance of the reasons of their captivity would be too large to discourse of onely we may take notice that the Prophet Amoâ— in short sheweth us the reason for you may mind the Lord did forbid Israel from doing Moab and Ammon any wrong when they passed by to destroy the Nations for as Ezekiel saith Ezek. 16. Deut. 29 19. they were brethren to Israel and therefore the Lord suffered Israel as aforesaid to do them no hurt yet notwithstanding the Lord gave them captive into the hands of their enemies from whence also they shall return Amos 1 13. as I shall shew you and the reason that Amos rendreth why God did give them into the hands of their enemies is because saith he For three transgressions of the children of Ammon Chp. 1.2 and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they have ript up the women with child of Gilead that they might enlarge their borders thus saith the Lord 2 King 3.26 27. for three transgressions and for four of Moab I will not turn away the punishment thereof because he burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime The which cruel act is recorded in the second Book of Kings and also the reason of their captivity the Prophet Ieremiah speaks largely of But I shal come now in the second place to prove that they viz. the daughters of Sodom shall return out of captivity and that also the earth viz. the place of Sodom shall be restored and then I have fully proved the matter and that the place of Sodom shall be restored is clear because the whole Creation that was made subject to
vanity not of its own will shall be restored into its primitive state as is plain both in Scripture and reason But because this is not my main businesse to prove Rom. 8.21 22 23 24 Act. 3.23 Isa 55.11 12. ch 65.17 Ezek. 34.27 that the place of Sodom shall be restored but that the daughters of Sodom shall be restored and therefore as to further satisfaction as to this I shall refer thee to the marginal note and passe to the next thing Jer. 49.5.6 that is to prove that the daughters of Sodom viz. Moab and Ammon shall return out of their captivity and first see what the Prophet saith as touching the children of Ammon and afterwards I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon ch 48.42 and v. 46 and 47. saith the Lord and as touching Moab the Prophet saith thus And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people because he hath magnified himself against the Lord wo unto thee O Moab the people of Chemosh perisheth for thy sons are taken captives yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab mark that in the latter daies saith the Lord. Thus we may see that the daughters or Sodom shall return out of their captivity therefore be ashamed to say that Israel and Judah shall not return out of their captivity time would fail me to shew you how Israel and Iudah shall return and how Moab is to be a hiding place and how they shall come into the wildernesse of Moab and also with Moab even in the midst thereof but it is sufficient for me to porve that they shall return the which is done sufficiently to satisfie any reasonable man Exek 41.12 and so I shall passe to the next thing which is say you Ezekiels Prophecy is spiritual and therefore there is to be no Temple litterally to be understood but Saints now the Temple of God for say you that miraculous fruit and strange waters their spoken of proves it to be spiritually to be understood To which I answer and say to call the fruit there miraculous considering it is to grow upon the earth as it was in Adams innocency discovereth much ignorance in you and that there was or is to be trees whose leaf fadeth not is plain because the godly man is compared to such a tree and when did you ever know the Lord compare the godly man to a lye Psal 1.2 3 4. that is to a thing that ever was so but if your opinion be true God compares the godly to a thing that is not and that in a sense is to compare them to a lye but there was and shall be trees whose leaves fade not and so the godly may fitly be compared to it I could speak largely to this but I passe and in the second place I say that the Saints may be called a Temple by way of allusion because as God did shadow out himself in the Mercy-seat in the Temple of old and now by his spiritual presence in us by the which we may comparatively be called Gods Temple yet this doth not destroy that which before I have said that there shall be a Temple at Jerusalem for if it should be objected said That God dwels not in Temples made with hands I answer and say that it doth not therefore follow that God never will for now the Lord hath left his house and heritage in so much as it is become a ruinated heap yet I have proved that it shall be built again and inhabited and that the Lord will dwell in Mount Zion in Hierusalem and that also his dwelling there figuratively of old did type out his excellent presence in the fulness thereof in time to come as his dwelling with us by the manifestation of his spiritual presence now doth hold forth that he will for ever hereafter have his Tabernacle with men and dwell with them when they shall see him face to face and know him as they are known by him So then although we are called Gods Temple as aforesaid yet it doth no more follow that there shall not be a Temple hereafter than there shall not be a material tree of life hereafter because wisdome is called a tree of life and if there shall not be a material tree of life hereafter as there was in Adams innocency then the second Adam hath not made good or restored what the first Adam lost and so not a restorer of all things but Christ is a perfect restorer of all things as saith the Scriptures and hence it comes to passe that when we shall enjoy the presence of our GREAT KING we have the promise more than once to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of Paradise or that fruitfull and pleasant * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Garden but that there shall be a Temple is plain for as yet what I have formerly written lyeth unanswered there being nothing at all of weight offered against it read my Sions Redemption p. 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100. And whereas you say that Jerusalem is meant the Church and cite Gal. 4.26 thus read But Hierusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all To which I answer and say if we read the text in your sense it must be read thus But the Church which is ABOVE IS the mother of us all Gal 4.26 27. Jerusalem in the letter in the time of her glory is called the mother of us Gentiles read Isa 66. and what sense there is in it so read I shall leave the Reader to judge but what is meant in the next verse which saith Rejoyce thou barren that didst not bear c. doth that mean the state of a Gospel-church or doth it mean the Iews glorious return when the Gentiles shall be born upon her side viz. live in Jerusalem with her and be dandled upon her knees viz. comforted in Jerusalem and suck the breast of her consolation and milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory Read the 54 chapter of Isaiah from whence the Apostle Paul saith to the Galatians As it is written rejoyce thou barren that didst not bear c. and then you may see that it s meant the glorious estate of the Iews as I before have proved but I never yet read that a Gospel-Church considered before Iews and Gentiles enjoy Hierusalem together was called by the name of Hierusalem but that Hierusalem which Paul speaks of in Gal. 4.1 I own to be that Hierusalem prophecied of in Isaiah 54. and chap. 61.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. and chap. 65.17 18 19. and ch 66.10 11 12 13 14 but I passe to the next thing which is say you The Iews shall be converted by a Gospel-preaching Page 31. and also say you it is errour to deny it for it will appear that the Iews are to be converted by a Gospel preaching first because that the Gospel
Lord most high is terrible he is a King over all the earth he shall subdue the people under us and the Nations under our feet He shall choose our inheritance for us Psal 47. from 1 to 10 Psa 93.2 3 Ps 99.1 2 3 the excellency of Iacob Selah God is gone up with a shout the Lord with a sound of a trumpet sing praise to God sing praise sing praise unto oâ—r King sing praise For God is the King of all the earth God reigns over the heathen God sitteth upon the Throne of his holinesse The Princes of the people are gathered together even the people of the God of Abraham for the shields of the earth belongeth unto God Rev 19. from 5 to 12 he is greatly exalted And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thundrings Rev 20.6 7 saying Allelujah For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready And to her was granted that she should be arayed in fine linnen 1 Cor 6.2 1 Tim 2.11 12 and he said unto me write Blessed are they that are called to the marriage Supper of the Lamb And he said unto me these are the true sayings of God And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Jâ—sus and for the Word of God and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years John 1.51 Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world for is is a faithfull saying if we suffer with him Heb 1.14 we shall also reign with him Verily verliy I say unto you hereafter you shall see heaven open and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man Heb 2.5 6 7 For they are all ministring spirits sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation For not unto the Angels hath he put into subjection the world to come whereof we speak Rev 21.7 but in a certain place saith What is man that thou shouldst be mindfull of him for thou hast crowned him with glory and put all things under him although we yet see not all things put under him But he that overcometh shall inherit all things Dan 1.31 Verse 44 and I will be their God and they shall be my people For the stone that is cut out of the mounatin without hands shall smite the Image and make it like the chaff of the summer threshing floor and the stone shall become a great mountain and fill the whole earth And at that time the Saints shall possesse the Kingdom for ever Hosâ— 3.4 5 The children of Israel shall abide many dayes without a King and without a prince and without a sacrifice and afterwards shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall fear the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes Isa 11. from 1 to 13 And in that day there shall be a root of Iâ—sse which shall stand up an ensign to the people And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tong of the Aegyptian sea and with his mighty winds shall he shake his hand over the river and shall smite it in the seven streams and make men go over dry-shod Isa 66 And there shall be an high way for the remnant of his peoâ—le which shall be left from Assyria like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt Ezek 39 28 29 And he shall bring them into their own land and feed them with judgement upon the mountains of Israel For he will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in his people Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God Isa 32.1 2 that caused them to be led into captivity amongst the heathen But I have gathered them into their own land Joel 2 32 and have left none of them any more there neither will I hide my face any more from them And a King shall reign in righteousnesse Rev. 11 15 and Prâ—nces decree judgement For in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance And there was a great voice in heaven saying the KING-DOMES of this WORLD are become the KINGDOMS of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever From these Scriptures it doth plainly appear that the Jews shall yet return to their town of unwalled villages and repair their former desolations And also that Christ shall have his Tabernacle with them and be their KING in the midst of them according to the Scriptures and reign over the house of David where his Saints shall be as Saviours upon Mount Zion and enjoy the Kingdom according to Gods good pleasure Wherefore seeing we receive a Kingdom that cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for he that shall come will come and will not tarry even so Amen come Lord Jesus come quickly the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be multiplied unto all such as wait for his appearance and Kingdome in sinâ—erity and truth FINIS ERRATA PAge 3 l 3 read benevolous p 5 l 30 r City for eighty l 37 reither p 11 l 2 r prayers p 16 r Heb. 9.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 13. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 21 l 27 r ask for affirm p 28 l 20 r Acts for Exod. p 29 l ul r new for communion p 35 l 8 r you draw p 36 l 10 r Poet p 38 mend the margin r there was not a state of Immortality in Paradice equivalent with that which was brought to light no more to be subject to corruption p 46 l 17 r to fear death for did fear death p 47 l 14 r Christ owned Church p 52 l ult r many made sinners p 58 mend the margin noter Mal. 1.11.12 p 55 l 1 r despised p 65 l 32 r no man to do p 76 l 13 r moulded for marred p 77 l 6 r tender p 78 l 2 r can for cannot p 80 l 15 r tender also in line ult r tender p 82 l 17 r condition for transgression p 83 men the margin note r preterperfectâ—n e for preterimperfâ—ctience p 86 l ult r be kin p 87 l 13 r visited for rejected p 88 l 3 r reach for wrath p 89 l 22 r there justice left him and there mercy found him to bring him again from the dead p 90 l 6 r threatened for here ended p 92 in the margin r Indifferently p 93 l 4 r threatened for there opened p 95 l 18 r tender l 2â— r premised p 96 l 10 r I suppâ—se for I passe p 99 l 11 r dolefull for doubtful p 100 l 12 r Abraham for Adam l 19 r gave for you In the same p r Eâ—omitâ—s for Adamics p 112 l 3 r to whom p 119 l 32 r translated for calculated p 123 l 20 r mared for made p 127 apply 26 v. of the 9th ch to the Romans to the remnant of Israel p 132 l 24 r bride for bridegrom p 133 l 2 r in a dispute l 11 r depend p 131 l 13 r not troubâ—ed p 137 l 15 r Diotrephes for Elias l 26 r Rulers for unless p 141 l 20 r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 168 l 5 r stain for strain p 174 l 8 r Joshua for Hosea
his Holy Spirit and he that hath done this for us will not now destroy us but the Apostle answering them on this wise as if he should have said it is true he hath Baptised you with his Spirit according to his promise and the visable gifts doth appear yet take heed of sin for otherwise God will destroy you for be not ignorant of this that our fathers were Baptised as well as you and with the same Spirit for the Rock that followed them was Christ yet God was displeased with them and destroyed them and these things was saith the Apostle for your example and admonition but now if this had been but a water baptisme that the Apostle saith our fathers were Baptized withal The Apostle sheweth the Corinths that the Fathers were Baptised with the Spirit as well as they and yet God destroyed them that so the Corinths might not boast of their gifts and take liberty to sin least they also were destroyed then the Corinths might have made this reply and said it is true all the Baptism or the washing with water in the Law was but appertaining unto the flesh and also we know Symon Magus was Baptized with water and yet cast away but we have been Baptised with the Spirit and therefore a beloved people and God will not cast us of and upon this account the Apostle endeavoureth to inform them that the Fathers were Baptised with the Spirit for Christ was with the Church in the wilderness and also lead them sometimes going before them sometimes followed them between the Egyptian and the Camp of Israel in the red Sea and thus Gods Spiritual presence was manifested unto them both in the Cloud and in the Sea in the Cloud by being a light to lead them and keeping the Egyptians from them and in the Sea by making the waters a wall to them so as that they were not wet thereby But if it should be objected out of the 77. Psal 16 17. The waters saw God and the depts were troubled the Clouds poured out water the skies sent forth a sound the voice of the thunders were in the Heavens I say This is nothing to that which is mentioned in the Epistle to the Corinths neither was that Cloud there spoken of the Clouds mentioned in the seventy seven Psalm And again whereas you ask me what I think of sprinkling of Bloud in the time of the Law so often mentioned was it not a type say you of the blood of sprinkling Heb. 12.24 To which I answer It may borrow that terme the blood of sprinkling from that of springling in the Law or it may be called the blood of sprinkling because the efficacy of it was to be dispersed abroad to many by speaking better things for them than the blood of Abel but this maketh nothing for your purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is aspersionis viz. sprinkling that Baptizo is to sprinkle as well as to dip for that word in the twelfth of Hebrews will not help you either in the word itself or the consequence of it And whereas you ask me why sprinkling on Infants may not signify Christs blood shed for them Answer because in the first place God never did appoint Infants to be sprinkled in the time of the Gospel or elsewhere to signify Christs blood shed for them Secondly Because Baptism is not barely a signification of Christs blood shed but also of his burial and Resurrection the which cannot be signified by sprinkling in sprinkling in the time of the Law there was a cleansing but in part viz. the flesh and but for a time namely one year for there was a remembrance of sin every year but now out cleansing is of another nature not in part but by one offering perfected for ever such as are sanctified and therefore that which signifieth that great work is not a little water but much water whereby persons must be thorowly washed and therefore the water in Baptism is compared to the waters of Noah 1 Pet. 3 20 21. the which I think no wise man will think was very little but that Baptism doth signifie burial as well as Christs death see the words of the Apostle Rom. 6.4 in these words Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into his death That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in nenness of life and as saith the Apostle to the Corinths If the dead rise not Why are we Baptised for dead that is as if he should say why are we then Baptized to signifie a Resurrection from the dead And again Whereas you say Peter was for a kinde of plounging John 13. till better Catichised by our Saviour To which I answer and say from thence it is evident that it was the onely practice in Baptism to wash or plounge the whole man in water Peters words spoken in John 13 maketh much for total washing in Baptism and no whit against it because Peter was ignorant of washing in part and cryeth out not onely my feet but my hands and my head but however that was not an ordinance of Baptism as aforesaid that Christ taught his disciples but it was an ordinanee which Christ instituted to wash the feet of those that were Baptised as aforesaid and therefore this maketh much against you and will plainlr teach you that it was a total washing or plounging that was Christs and his disciples practice in Baptism but Peter wanted instruction about that Ordinance of washing the Disciples feet and because I am occasioned to speak as to that Ordinance from the precedent discourse But the common scandal the which some wicked men lay upon us in that ordinance we call God to witness we abhor I shall briefly say I would advise every man as they would give an account with joy and not with grief in the dreadful day of judgement to take heed how they speak reproachfully or slâ—tely of any Ordinance that Christ hath instituted as some have done although it may seem strange to them because Christ will look upon them as his enemies and if so his fury will burn out against them like a devouring fire And that the washing of Disciples feet is an Ordinance of Christ read John 13 14 in the room of much more that might be said the Text readeth it thus If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet ye ought also to wash one anothers feet for I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done unto you From whence we may see this is an Ordinance of Christ and therefore I shall not deny it before men for I am not ashamed of the meanest of the waies or Ordinances of the Gospel because I know it is the power and wisdom of God God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and the weak things and the base and despised things hath
repent and there is a sort of men that cannot or more properly a time when a sort of men cannot repent First There is a time when all men may repent if they withstand not the work of grace and there is a time when they cannot repent All men may repent if they have not withstood the day of grace because they are given up or shut up to condemnation And first to prove that there is a time wherein all may repent the wch I thus prove If God hath commanded to do no man more than he hath given him ability to do and yet command all men every where to repent upon pain of eternall destruction then God hath given every man ability so as they may repent if they withstand not the time of grace but God hath commanded no man to do more than he hath given him ability to do and yet hath commanded all men every where to repent upon pain of eternall destruct on That God doth command all men to repent is plain from there Scripturs Ezek. 14 6 18 30. Mat. 11.20 Luke 13.3 Act. 1.30 Rom. 2 4. 2 Pet 3.9 Ergo God hath given every man ability to repent this argument is nadenâ—ble because I hope no sober man will dare to say that God commandeth men upon pain of eternal death to do that which he hath not given them ability to do and yet destroyeth them because they do not that which he never meant they should do when he commanded them to do it nor gave them ability Sirs look about you how do you abuse the Aâ—ribuâ—e of Gods mercy sincerity uprightnesse and faithfulnesse the Lord will meet with you ere long and overth oâ— you he hath a controvercy to trye with you for laying the main cause of all the murder fornicatron and thest and drookenness upon his neglect in not giving the creature ability to do otherwise We as much ability to stand as Adam had Adam did sin so soon as he was tempted and we sin not before we be tempted thereunto But you will say they lost their ability in Adam Sir I tell you nay for the Scripture saith no such thing and also I pray resolve this question How Adam came to loose his ability that he withstood not the temptation in Paradice or had not God given him ability or did God intend he should eat and so fall when he forewarned him not to eat For I find that Adam had no more power to stand in Paradice than the sons of men have now for Adam did sin so soon as he was tempted thereunto and we sin not before temptation But you will say there is lust or desire in us to do evill It is true when by the temptation of Sathan set before us or suggested in us and so there was a desire in our first Parents to the fruit when it was by temptation represented unto them for as faith the Text it was fair to look on and desirable to make one wise and so forthâ— So it will appear there was lust or desire in our first Parents to the fruit before they eat it I could thorough the strength of God say more to this and the Argument before mentioned than you will be able to answer before you go to Ireland or after you come there but I spare you and passe to the second thing which is to shew there is a sort of persons that cannot repent or more properly as I have said there is a time when persons cannot repent the which I shall shew and also when the time is or the cause why they cannot repent There is a day of grace exhibited to the sons of men First That there is a time that men are so given up to a reprobate sense hat they cannot repent is clear from Heb. 6.4 5 6 and Rom. 1.24 and 1 Iohn 5.15 16. so that if Daniel Noah and Iob should pray for them they could not have such repentance to do them good but I need not trouble my self to prove this because it is your assertion But I shall shew the time or cause of this their deplorable condition and shall excuse Adam of this evill that is it came not by sin committed in him but by their own personall sins but to the cause and time of this hardnesse of heart and the time is when they have withstood the day of grace and so shall prove some had a day of grace and have out or The Spirit of God hath strived with such as are lost to repent that they might be saved withstood it and that there was a day of grace to the old world see these two places of Scripture Gen. 6 1 2 3 4. and 1 Pet. 3.19 20. Secondly that Israel had a day of grace in which they might have attained everlasting peace see Luk. 19.42 Matth. 23.37 And thirdly that the Spirit of God striveth with such to fasten grace and mercy on them that never do receive it Prov. 1.22 23 24. And fourthly the very cause why there is such a time when men cannot repent is because they do refuse grace and repentance when God offereth it for the Lord did strive by his Spirit to reclaim Israel from their sinnes that he might not cast them away and shut them up in unbelief but they refused to hearken and pulled away their shoulden Zach. 7.8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Iob. 21.12 13. Prov. 1.22 23 24 25 26 27 Esa 66.3 4 5. ch 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. and stopped their ears that they should not hear yea they made their hearts as an adamant stone least they should hear the law and the words which the Lord of Host sent in his Spirit by the former Prophets and said to God depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy laws THEREFORE 〈◊〉 a great wrath from the Lord of Host THEREFORE it came to passe as he cryed and they would not hear so they cryed and I would not hear saith the Lord of Host for that they have hated knowledge and did not chuse the fear of the Lord. From whence we may see there are some that although they do reprint and cry to the Lord in their 〈◊〉 it will be to no purpose the Lord will laugh at their calamity and mock when there fear cometh from these and much more that I could instance you may see the cause and time of an hardened heart that is when a soul hath means of grace and maketh not use of it but walketh in his old sinnes and is not reclaimed at last the Lord giveth them up to hardness of heart and clappeth an oath upon their head that they shall never enter into his rest Heb 3.11 now what use may we make of this even to prise opportunity of grace and not to put the evill day far from us and so fould our arms in security untill misery cometh upon us as an armed man for assuredly when
we shall stand before the Tribunal of the Lord Jesus Christ Esa 55.6 7. we shall assuredly know to our everlasting woe and misery if we look not to it in time that our condemnation is not because the Lord never gave us means of grace and ability to make use of it but because we have not made use of what means of grace and ability that God hath bestowed on us and thereby our mouthes shall be stopped The Lord wil not condemn men because they have wanted ability to do what he commanded them to do but because they have not improved their ability that God hath given them and we become guilty before God Therefore Christian Reader be carefull to seek the Lord while he may be found call upon God while he is near lit the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous man his thoughts and turn unto the Lord before the decree passe and he will have mercy on you and to our God for he is abundant in pardon but if your refuse and rebell ye shall be destroyed the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it And having shewed when the soul is hardened that is after it suffereth not grace to take place in it and the cause why it is thus hardened because it will not entertain the motions of Gods Spirit as you may see Iâ—b 21 13. Cant. 5.2 3. Rev. 3.20 I come now to take notice of the reason why such as do not or cannot believe the Gospell have it preached unto them and that is say you because they may believe without excuse Answ I do understand your minde in it which is that although God in his secret will never intendeth to save Israel or any that are lost but say you he calleth them or offereth means to them that there by they might be without excuse at the last day it s a very pretty assertion as though a man should appoint his servant to labour in his Viâ—yard God doth not command men to do that which he hath not given them power to do and then punisheth them for not doing of it and yet locks him out and never means that he should come there and yet at night beats his servant because he did not as he bad him and yet his servant must be left without excuse such a kind of modell is your discourse concerning God and the Creature that is God commandeth men to labour in his Vinyard and saith if they will not he will punish them and yet never means they shall come there but hath appointed them for damnation before they were born and yet he would hare the creatures think themselves in a fault because they do not do that which God never gave them ability to do nor never meant they should do so that upon your account God commands men upon pain of damnation to do that which they are altogether unable to do and also what he never meant they should do But happily you may say Object That God doth command men to do that which he never meaneth they should do for he commanded Abraham to offer up Isaac for a burnt offering and yet never meant he should slay him Answ This is not to your purpose and first because the Lord did declare it was but to try Abraham the case is not ours in this our contreversie for if it were said that God did command men to repent and believe onely to try them as it was said he did bid Abraham offer his Son up to try him then there were some colour for what you say but one is a publick command to all men generally and indefinitely Gen. 22.1 and the other a particular command to one person and that to try him as saith the Spirit of God in the Scriptures I might say more to this Objection but it reacheth not our case for as we say although a generall includeth or comprehendeth particulars The thing representing is sometimes called by the name of the thing represented yet every particular doth not include a general Therefore this instance not worth speaking to and yet I may say that in Cods account he was really offered up in a burnt offering for God gave some what in his room to be a sacrifice when he saw Abrahams willingnesse to obey his voyce and it might be as well called Isaac as the Bread and Wine is called Christs Body and blood because God sometimes calls the thing that representeth by the name of the thing represented but the Lamb did represent Isaac sacrificed and so might bear the name there is several instances that might be further to the answer of this but as I studdy brevity so it s not worth my paines and therefore I pass to the next thing which is You say That all though God would have all men to be saved the which you conclude is but all sorts and so pass only with a small glance to it I answer and say that you are as much mistaken in that as in the rest of what you have said and therefore I shall briefly prove that it is every person that God would have saved The Argument is If God would not have his Ministers preach a lye in his Name to any man and yet must preach Remission of sins and Gods love to all men thorow Christ then God would have every man to be saved God would not have his Ministers preach a lye to any man yet he would have them preach love and remission of sins to all men But God would not have his Ministers preach a Lye to no man and yet must preach Remission of sins and Gods love to every man thorow Christ Ergo God would have every man to be saved To prove this Argument first that he would have his Ministers preach truth and not a lye I suppose none will deny and secondly it is plain that the Gospel must be preached to every Creature namely the Creature Man and I also am perswaded that no man will deny the Gospel to be Remission of sins and Gods love in Christ to wit God reconciled to sinners not imputing their sins now if God did not intend to save all men then in commanding the Gospel to be preached to every man commandeth a lye to be preached to the greatest part of men the which were blasphemy to say if God would have all saved that Christ dyed for and Christ dyed for every man then God would have every man to be saved But God would have all saved that Christ dyed for and Christ dyed for every man Ergo God would have every man to be saved and that God would have all that Christ dyed for to be saved you will not deny and that Christ dyed for every man I prove these two wayes First by a plain Text without controversie which saith that he by the grace of God tasted death for every Man and Woman Secondly I shall urge this argument If Christ dyed for such is are saved and such as perish then