that should teach the people to love one another rather cause the people to hate one another by laying foolish and false reproaches upon some and tel the people that they say God sees no sin in them they need not to ask for pardon of sin Christ hath done al for them and such like discourse And it may be cal them Independents that wil live under no Government and then the drunkards of a parish make songs of them and swear the Kingdom must be rid of them before all be wel And if they be asked how they know all this they answer Our Parson said so Psa 69.12 and so in Neh. 6.6 There Sanballet chargeth the Prophet with rebellion and those that were with him and thus the Pharisees accused Jesus Christ of being a wine-bibber a gluttonous man and a friend of Publicans and sinners and of coming to break the Law and to be a Ringleader of Sectaries as you may read in Joh. 12.19 And the Pharisees therefore said among themselves Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing behold the world is gone after him And they tel the people they who know not the Law are accursed and in the mean time they themselvs beleeved not on him who was the Law and the life of the Law Joh. 7.47 48 49. And thus you see what usage Christ had and those that followed him As for instance Jesus Christ loved Lazarus therefore the Chief Priests and Pharisees hated him as you may read in Joh. 12.10 11. And the Chief Priests and Pharisees consulted for they are all one for to put Lazarus also to death as wel as his Master Now the reason why they did so was because many of the Jews went away from them and beleeved on Jesus Now who wil follow Jesus Christ must make account to suffer from the stricter sort and as Paul said all men have not faith therefore unreasonable so all men and women have not the knowledg of Christ nor the love of Christ in them therefore unreasonable though they seem to be zealous for the devout and honorable women and the chief men of the City raised persecution against Paul for preaching Jesus Christ Acts 13.50 Thus you may see what hard usage Christ had in the world and those that he draws after him with the cords of his love We seem all to profess and follow one Christ and one Religion and yet we bite and backbite and devour one another this is strange dissimulation Sect. 2 But to make good what I did intend to say to the Pharisee and to the Pharisaical and outside Religion that is in the world Take special notice of three places of Scripture which I shal name The first is Jer. 7.4 14. All things are as a shadow that passeth away but Christ is the substance that endureth for ever and ever therfore trust ye not in your own lying words saying the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these For what profit hast thou in the Temple of the Lord or in the Ordinances of the Lord or these if thou see not Jesus Christ there and know him by the power of his Resurrection It is a vain thing to rejoyce in the Cabinet when the Pearl is not there The second place of Scripture is Mat. 7.21 22 23. To be something with Jesus Christ by way of merit or desert is the next way for Christ to shut us out of door Lord Lord have we not prophecyed and prayed and humbled our selves and in thy Name have cast out devils and in thy Name done many wonderful works Mark the argument that 's pleaded Lord Lord have not we done something to lean upon and as it were with thy help to bring us to heaven And so that proud Pharisee in Luk. 18.11 12. God I thank thee I fast and pray and give alms and I am not as this Publican and so saith the Ruler What shal I do to inherit eternal life Luk. 18.18 Now I wil shew you the difference betwixt a Pharisee and a true Beleever The Pharisee or the outside Christian argues from what he hath done or from what he wil do But a true Beleever argues with the same argument that God himself useth with himself as you may read in Ezek. 36.20 21 22 23. where the Lord argues with his own holy Name for to deliver the people that was in bondage But I had pity saith the Lord for mine holy Name and gave them rest and so in Isa 43.25 I even I am he saith the Lord that blotteth out thy sins for mine own sake Now there is nothing of man that can move God but God for his holy Names sake moves himself This is the great argument which the Saints of old have made use of as for instance Lord saith Moses I beseech thee for thy Name sake do not destroy this people but let the power of my Lord be great that is let the Name of my Lord be great in shewing mercy Numb 14.12 13 17 18 19. And so likewise David argues Lord saith he for thy Names sake pardon mine iniquity not but that David knew that his sins were pardoned but David desires a comfortable and a constant assurance of the pardon of his sin in his own breast Psa 25.11 And so the Apostle speaks Not by works of righteousness which we have done but for his Names sake he saveth us Tit. 3.5 Here I have shewed you the difference between a true Beleever and a Pharisee or an outside Christian Now a true Beleever makes the Name of God his great argument nay more he cals the Name of God The Lord his righteousness Jer. 23.6 But a Pharisee or an outside Christian raiseth his argument upon what he hath done instance that forenamed place Luk. 18.11 God I thank thee I am not as other men I fast and pray and do many things and so in Mat. 7.22 In thy Name we have done many wonderful works Now Christ answers I profess I never knew you that is I do not approve of you depart from me But why shal we depart from thee Because you do but seem to draw nigh me with your mouth and with your lips but your hearts are against me And ye are they which justifie your selvs before men and this you highly esteem but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16.15 Now the third place of Scripture which I shal name is Isa 58.2 3 4 5 6 7. Now an ignorant zealous man or woman knows not Iesus Christ to proceed forth come forth from God and to be sent forth from God Joh. 8.42 to be the Way Ioh. 14.6 for lost man to return back again to God Now Christ is the new and living way Heb. 10.20 Now mark all those that are not in this new and living way are subject to walk in by-ways and like unto a man that is in the water and likely to be drown'd
comfortably unto them in their great distress when they were at their wits end then Joseph spake unâ—â— his brethren and said I am Joseph doth my father yet live Come neer to me notwithstanding ye put me away in your hatred but come neer unto my love Come neer to me I pray you and they came neer and he said I am Joseph your brother whom ye foolishly sold into Egypt be not grieved nor angry with your selves that ye sold me hither for ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good for God did send me before you to preserve life Gen. 45.3 4 5. Gen. 50.20 The spiritual application of what hath been said Sect. 8 is betwixt Christ and a poor soul and if this were wel taught and wel learned it would mitigate that heat of strife that is amongst us and then we should observe that new Command which Christ gave That we should love one another Now I shal refer you unto that place of Scripture which Joseph gave unto his brethren for their advice and he said unto them See that you fal not out by the way for ye be brethren You may travel from Egypt to Canaan now with joy for I have freed you from all your fears see now that you fal not out by the way Consider Jesus Christ the spiritual Joseph who hath delivered you from spiritual Egypt and doth give you spiritual joy that you may travel to the heavenly Canaan and wil you yet fal out by the way Again consider Jesus Christ as he is a Prince of peace and of his peace there shal be no end Christ is our spiritual Joseph and our elder brother and hath left this Word Go tel my brethren that I ascend to my Father and their Father to my God and their God and I wil prepare a place for them and they all shal be where I am A Prayer O sweet Jesus shal thy people be with thee who art the Prince of peace and live with thee in heaven O Lord make this a lively motive to all thy people that as they shal live in heaven together so they may live in love and be at peace on earth together though they cannot agree about circumstances if the Lord would be pleased to enlarge our hearts then we should by his strength run the way of his new command which is love Love one another Lord do thou teach us and help us that we may not fal out about the way to Canaan but we pray thee plane us into Jesus Christ who alone is the new and the living way and gave unto us such a spirit as Jacob had when he did see the wagons of Josephs love then his spirit was revived and he said It is enough Joseph my son is yet alive Genesis 45.27 28. When our spirits are a dying then to have news from Jesus Christ would be a reviving to our spirits and we shal say as Jacob said It is enough my son Joseph is alive It is enough my friend Jesus Christ is alive and doth send good news to my soul and I shal go and live with him To conclude We should not rest in making clean the outside of the cup and of the platter Mat. 23.25 For the kingdom of God cometh not with observation or with outward shew Luk. 17.20 Neither let us take content in tithe-mint and anise and cummin when we are ignorant of the weightier matters of the Law as Judgment Mercy and Faith Mat. 23.23 And so it wil be for our shame and loss if we take the shadow for the substance and say The Temple of the Lord are these Jer. 7.4 and so be like unto the five foolish Virgins whose lamps were out and their oyl was spent and they went from Christ to buy grace when as indeed they should have come to Christ but in not coming they missed of Jesus Christ Mat. 25.8 10 11 12. Yet let us not fal out by the way as we are traveling through the wilderness of this world but let us admonish one another in love and think upon Josephs advice to his brethren when they were to travel from Egypt to Canaan to their father saith Joseph Ye be brethren see that ye fal not out by the way Gen. 45.24 Sect. 9 I shal now crave leave to speak a word or two betwixt the Minister and the People but with submission to better judgments for what I have said or shal say 1. We are not now to expect Prophets and Apostles to pen new Scripture Secondly We are now to look for men gifted to open the mind and meaning of God in the Scriptures which were written for our learning Thirdly We are not to take upon trust what men do deliver because God doth command us to try that which men do deliver whether it be from God or no 1 Thes 5.21 1 Ioh. 4.1 Fourthly Now we have no infallible men as the Prophets and the Apostles were therefore we should do as the noble Bereans did search the Scriptures to see whether those men that preach preach according to the Scripture or no Acts 17.10 11. But it may be you wil object and say Is there any that can infallibly search the Scriptures and so be able to try others I answer Christ hath given gifts unto men to try as wel as to teach and it is his command to try Try all things hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 But it wil be counted a boldness in a man that dwels in a Parish to try the Minister or the Church-Officers but the Church may cal them to account I mean the whole Parish or a select Congregation may cal their Officers to account for they are but as Stewards to the Church I shal conclude with that of the Apostle Peter As every man saith he hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God And if any man speak let him speak as from the Lord and if any man minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth that God in all things may be glorified through Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 4.10 11. There hath been much said Sect. 10 of late about the power of the Church and that this power doth belong and that by Divine Right unto the Officers of the Church and to them only and something hath been writ to that purpose by him that answered the Queries that the Parliament set out but not for him to answer neither did he answer them though he said he did But I reason thus If all the power be in the Church-Officers and the keys be given unto them where shal the body which is the Church whereof these Officers be members find relief in case they should oppress or be found faulty for they are but men and the Shepherd may err as wel as the sheep may go astray as for instance the Bishops said they were the Church and every superstitious Priest in a parish
Doth your baptizing old men or women avail any thing I indeed baptize you onely with water saith Iohn Mat. 3.11 Joh. 1.26 And this you do and mightily lean upon this weak shadow or figure and it is to be feared that many amongst you are like unto those in the Acts where Paul asked them If they had received the holy Ghost and they said unto him we have not so much as heard whether there be any holy Ghost Acts 19.2 3. Are not you carnally minded about the ordinances of God for the most part of you as the Apostle speaks in 1 Cor. 3.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Doth not the most part of you rest in outsides of Religion being but very little acquainted with the truth and power of Religion as it is in the Spirit What difference is there between parishes and you from which you dissent They for the most part rest in a meer outside form of godliness read 2 Tim. 3.2 3 4 5. and think they were baptized when they were young and if they hear Sermons then they may be admitted to the Sacrament as they think by the Minister or Elders and if there be no more but this it is a meer outside shew and a form that wil not profit and is it not so with many of you that are called Anabaptists If you be but admited by those that say they wil baptize you then you lean much upon this and say now you are within the door but beware for many go in at this door and return out again with litle profit mistake me not I prize the ordinances of God and therefore I speak of the formality that most use in and about them I shal ask one question Are you acquainted experimentally with the Baptism of Jesus Christ upon your spirits even the sprinkling of clean water upon you and this wil purge your corrupt natures Ezek. 36.25 And this water wil refresh thy parched soul Isa 44.3 And this water wil be as a Wel of Living Water for to comfort thee in all thy straits Joh. 7.37 38 39. He saith John shal baptize you with the holy Ghost meaning Jesus Christ Mark 1.8 Now you that are called Anabaptists and you Presbyterians if you were acquainted with the Baptism of Jesus Christ that would clear up your judgments which I conceive are very dark for God is Love and if you were acquainted with this Baptism it would teach you to love one another read 1 Joh. 3.18 19 20 21 22 23 24. But one of you prays against the other which is not wel One word more to you that are rigid Anabaptists for you make a division in the body of Christ for Christ and his members are one 1 Cor. 12.12 13 14. And those that are one with Jesus Christ you judg not fit to be members or one with you if they be not of your judgment or opinion But we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread 1 Cor. 10.17 And by one Spirit saith the Apostle we are all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 And those that are joyned to the Lord are one spirit with the Lord 1 Cor. 6.17 And wil you slight those or separate your self from those that God hath joyned to himself This is not wel judg not according to externals be not over rigid in censuring Cease to be legal learn to be spiritual and then you wil love one another for salvation doth not depend upon diping or sprinkling or plunging or washing read Gal. 6.15 Sect. 5 One word to you that are moderate Anabaptists Do not the publick professors of this Kingdom both Ministers and people for the most part rest in an outside and a visible form of Religion I know you wil answer Yes I ask is it not so with the most part of those that are of your opinion Do they not rest too much in the form and shadow not being acquainted with Christ crucified who is the power of God and the wisdom of God and the salvation that God gives to men 1 Cor. 1.13 14.23 24. The Baptism of water for profession is nigh at hand and both young and old receive it But the Baptism of the Spirit is far off and few there be that have it but those that have it do not go back again to the shadow because Christ the Sun doth shine who is the Substance Mary Magdalen after she had seen Christ was risen from the grave she did not return back again to look Christ in the grave Joh. 20.11.16 17 18. Now you that lean so much upon the Baptism of water if you have no more that wil profit but little But moderate and Christian friend the Baptism of the Spirit of Christ wil teach us to profit in all conditions It wil teach us to know the world to be passing away and all the glory of it to be but as grass It wil teach us to dye to the world with Christ upon the Cross Gal. 6.14 15. It wil teach us to go down with Christ from the Cross into the Grave and there to see sin the devil the world the grave and the old man conquered and subdued and Jesus Christ triumphing from the Cross to the grave and in the grave and this is the Christians dayly work if they have faith read Col. 2.12 13 14 15. And so this blessed Spirit wil baptize every true Beleever every day more and more into the resurrection of Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 3.21 Now a true Beleever being raised up from the grave together with Jesus Christ is made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus Eph. 2.5 6. And this is the Baptism that wil profit us and answer all our doubts and fil our hearts ful of the joy of the Lord that is Christ the bridegroom of the soul and the soul standeth to hear the voyce of Christ and greatly rejoyceth in that Jesus Christ is the spiritual Loadstone that draws up the soul to himself in whom the soul centers and finds its rest and in him the soul spiritually injoys all the ordinances and with Jesus Christ comes down again to all external ordinances and becomes weak to the weak that he may gain some and so likewise Iohn Baptist did rejoyce in Christs Ministry for he saw that to be glorious and said Christ should increase and the glory of his Ministry should run up into Christs Ministry He must increase saith John but I must decrease Joh. 3.29 30. Now you that rest so much upon water the Baptism of an outward profession and slight all those that are not of your opinion and you contend much for the time when and the manner how this ordinance of God must be administred Not to young children you say but to men and women of years because a young child cannot make a verbal Confession of Faith it is true indeed but a man or a woman in years may learn by education to make a verbal Confession of
Faith in a customary way as the most of you do and almost all the kingdom besides Much may be said of faith in word and in tongue but very little said in faith in deed and in truth 1 John 3.18 Much may be said in formality but very little said in spirituality and is not this discernable to be in men and women of yeers and of several opinions which are like unto children taught of men for to read a form of letters and to turn them into words and so they speak like children in understanding 1 Corinth 14.20 One word concerning young children Sect. 6 Christ shews his good will unto them and takes them up in his arms and blesseth them Mark 10.16 and makes a promise unto them Acts 2.39 and this promise begets faith in them Heb. 12.2 Now the God of all grace and power is not beholding to the strength of natural parts or the number of days and yeers to make a believing soul for a childe in the womb or newly born out of the womb is a fit subject for God Almighty and for Jesus Christ to ingraft faith and all other graces in their tender souls and why then will not you admit them to the ordinance of baptism I know you will say because they cannot make a confession of their faith I aâ—k have you the gift of discerning for to know whether or no your men and women in yeers make a confession in faith or not You will say you cannot look into their hearts I ask how know you then whether they speak truth or no You will say you ought to have charity towards them I pray you in like manner have charity towards young children for they are object of Gods love in Christ As for instance Jacob have I loved in the womb Rom. 9.11 12 13. Mal. 1.2 And so likewise Christ is the object of his childes love though it be in the womb Instance The babe leaped in my womb saith Elizabeth for joy or with joy in Christ Luk. 1.43 44. John 3.29 And so instance in Jerem. 1.5 And so in that remarkable instance of Moses where you may see the tender eye of God ever over them for to preserve them in all straits and dangers in the womb and at their mothers brest and in their grown age read Exod. 2.3 4 6 7 8. Loving and Christian friends I have made bold to speak a word or two unto you but with submission to better judgments one word more and I shall conclude Friends in love I conceive you are very dark in the spirituality of the Gospel the Presbyterians are against you and call you Anabaptists and you are against the Presbyterians but I shall make bold to tell you both what my judgment is of you both I conceive for the greatest part of you both Ministers and people That the Scriptures are to the learned as a book that is sealed and the unlearned say they cannot read this book but are taught the fear of the Lord by the precept of men Isai 29.11 12 13. Yet they have the letter of this book in a form but want the spiritual part of it which is Light and Love and for want of this we are in a wilderness of war and in a red sea of blood Is Jesus Christ and the Scriptures become a pillar of a cloud that is dark unto you Anabaptists and to you Presbyterians especially such angry ones and rigged ones as Master Edwards is in his Gangraena who would set up a form of Religion and all that cannot sit down in that form must be of no esteem among men Nay we will proceed against them as Sectaries and thrust them out of the Kingdom as the Egyptians did the Israelites Exod. 12.33 39. But stay a while The angel of God Jesus Christ will go in a pillar of fire and in the pillar of the cloud for to be a light unto the despised ones but no new light Mark this you that jeer at new light but in a pillar of a cloud that is dark to you that are despisers of your brethren the Scriptures are as a cloud that gives light to Israel but they are a cloud and darkness to the Egyptians so that they could not see for to come to the Israelites for to do them any harm at all because the angel of God which went before Israel removed and went behinde them in the pillar of the cloud and that part of the cloud that was towards Israel gave them light in the night but that part of the cloud which was towards the Egyptians was darkness to them Exod. 14.19 20. A word in next place Sect. 7 concerning verbal confession before Elders or others and so of an outside profession before men Now to lean upon this as most do it will not profit us Outward piety without inward purity of heart is like unto a painted sepulchre full of dead mens bones Wherefore saith the outside Christian have I fasted and prayed and wherefore have I afflicted my soul and thou takest no notice of me Mark the Argument Isai 58.3 Not for my works saith the true believing man nor for my prayers and performances but thy goodness O Lord moved thee to look upon me read Titus 3.4 5 6. For my righteousness saith the outside Professor The Lord will open heaven to me and I most do something with Christ for life that God may bless me on earth Deuter. 9.4 5. But the true believing Christian saith My righteousnesses are as filthy rags and I am as an unclean thing but I am pure and clean in Jesus Christ and I shall be clothed in fine linnen clean and white which linnen is the righteousness of Christ for Saints Isai 64.6 Revel 19.8 I have done saith the carnal Professor many works in thy name O Jesus I have preached and I have been baptized and I receive the Sacrament and I gave alms to the poor and I am a member of a Church and will not all this deserve heaven O Jesus together with thy help No saith Christ I will be all in all things to men or else I will be nothing at all to men therefore you that will do something with me in that I will not own you depart from me for this is a work of iniquity Mat. 7.22.23 25.11 12. But the true believing man or woman says Though they live and move and act yet not they but Christ liveth in them the life which we now live it is from Jesus Christ and by his strength we do all that we do and he shall have all the praise for he works all our works for us and in us Gal. 2.20 Isai 26.12 There hath been and is now much ado about confession of sin but most men mistake in the doing of this thing for to receive a report of sin by tradition from the learned or others in a customary way this is soon slighted over without love to God without any dislike to sin with a fancy
concerning hell as it is a prison for sin and sinners and so ariseth a false fear or a slavish fear and so no true knowledg of God nor of Jesus Christ who is the Law of God and he makes sin to become exceeding sinful Romans 7. verses 12 13 14 22. None but Christ can forgive sin nor none but the Spirit of Christ can convince of sin John 16.7 8 9. Our learned make large confessions of sin and so almost all other men do or may do for to make a confession of sin by roat and in a customary way and so to think by confession of sin they have done enough to get the pardon of sin and this the Papists do but this will not profit neither them nor us And do not the most of men do this Mistake me not I speak not against confession of sin to God for a right confession of sin to God turns to the praise of his free-grace who hath forgiven our sins before we confess them and hath blotted out our sins for ever from before his face and will not bear them in his minde any more Read that remarkable story of David Psalm 103. read the whole Psalm and so Rom. 5.8 Isai 43.25 The end of my speech is against the formality that is in the confession of sin by the most of our learned and others and how few there be that make a right confession of sin as from the cross of Jesus Christ believing the blotting out of their sin and Christ taking it out of the way and nailing it to his cross Colos 2.13 14 15. The unbelieving men Ministers as well as others may make a very specious confession of sin for matter of form and yet have neither faith in God nor love to God nor joy in the holy Ghost But the believing men Ministers as well as others they are the most able men for to make confession of sin because they have faith towards God and love to God and joy in the holy Ghost As for instance Though I have lien among the pots saith the believing man yet I shall be as white as snow in Salmon I beleeve this therefore have I spoken Psalm 68.13 14. 2 Cor. 4.13 I am black saith the believing man or woman but yet comely through that comeliness which Christ hath put upon me therefore my soul is in love with Jesus Christ Cant. 1.3 5. Ezek. 16.14 So likewise the true believing Christian can make a confession of sin rejoycingly and with great joy seeing the victory and the spoiling of the powres of sin and darkness by the divine nature of Jesus Christ read 2 Peter 1.3 4. Which threw down the humane nature of Christ and bruised it nay it pleased the Lord and he put it to greif and pain and made it an offering for sin that he might see his seed by the travel of his soul and he is fully satisfied and the pleasure of the Lord is in him and upon all those which are his seed and grow up in him read Isai 53.6 10 11. And this Christ as God did and does crucifie sin and the old man every day triumphing over them is it or in himself Colos 2.15 And is not this matter of great joy to a pooâ— soul that carries about in his body every day the dying of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 O thou poor soul thou must lose thy self and be taken up by the power of God and thou shal be found in Jesus Christ Phil. 3.8 9 10. Ephes 1.18 19 20 21. Be of gooâ— cheer O thou poor soul for if thou be dead with Christ thou shalt live in eternal glory with Christ and if thou suffer persecution either from the tongue or from the hand with Christ or for Christ thou shalt reign with Christ 2 Tim. 2.11 12. O thou poor soul if Christ hath inabled thee for to make such a confession of sin in faith thou hast cause to walk rejoycingly Now here will arise two objections The first is this Sect. 8 You will object and say Object there needs no confession of sin now by your discourse and so we shall forget that we are sinners and continue in our sins and live as we list for there is one that hath done all for us we need to do nothing I answer Sol. It is not a vain repeating of sin as the Pharisee and the Heathen do Matth. 6.7 and as most people do but it is a forsaking of sin as the man in Christ does 2 Tim. 2.19 It is not a bare confession of sin in words but it is a turning from sin to God and this is the work of Christ onely and none of thine O man Turn me O Lord saith Ephraim for I cannot turn my self Jere. 31.18 We that are dead to sin saith the Apostle and risen again with Christ we cannot live any longer therein because grace doth abound Rom. 6.1 2. Now you will ask in the next place Object what those must do that are said to make a confession of sin with great joy nay rejoycingly which is a thing that you seldom hear of in our days for we are taught to mourn and to shed tears as it were to wash away our sin that is in part Romans 9.32 I shall answer your question Sol. and tell you what those do that make a confession of sin rejoycingly they fight against sin and they fight against Antichrist which is very much amongst us and they fight against the world and I will tell you with what weapons they fight with all the first weapon is the sheild of Faith by which they are able for to quench all the fiery darts of the devil and wicked men the second weapon is the helmet of salvation which shall cover men in the day of battel the third weapon is the sword of the spirit and that is Jesus Christ the living Word of God which will subdue all things unto himself And is not this matter of great joy Read those two remarkable Scriptures Ephes 6.13 14 15 16 17. 2 Cor. 10.4 5. But you will object and say Object that I exclude all outward sorrow for sin But I say no by no means Sol. if it be godly sorrow for godly sorrow proceedeth from a right apprehension of the love of God in slaying of sin with the sword of his mouth and this sword is Jesus Christ the living Word of God Read Revel 19.13 14 15 16 20 21. Heb. 4.12 13. The goodness of God leadeth men to repentance and makes a man flie from sin How shall I saith Joseph do this sin against my good God Rom. 2.4 Gen. 39.8 9. Now this is the root that godly sorrow grows upon and is not to be repented of but fleshly and carnal sorrow causeth or worketh death but godly sorrow causeth hatred against sin and love to God and is not this a great cause for to walk rejoycingly Read that remarkable Scripture 2 Cor. 7.8 9 10 11. One word more and so conclude It is
the unlearned Mat. 13.3 34. Ioh. 3.3 4. But to the scholars of Christ it is given to them in all times for to know the mysteries of the Scriptures Luk. 8.10 The secret of the Lord is with them that love and fear him and because he loves them he wil shew them Christ his Covenant Psa 25.14 Object Now you wil say you speak much of learned men Object What mean you or whom do you mean Ans Sol. I mean such learned men as can but only read the book of Common prayer or a Homily or can but only read the Scripture and no more and have not as yet learned of Christ to spel out the mind of God in the Scriptures and I mean such as can but only preach by natural art and not out of experience as from Christ and I mean such as can do no more but what they have a form for and yet they cal themselves Ministers of the Gospel And how many such learned have we had in this Kingdom and have at this day and most people dote after such men Object Now you wil object and say you speak much of the unlearned Object and of an outside shew in matters of Religion what mean you or whom do you so speak of Ans Sol. It is a very sad thing to be unlearned and untaught of Christ and to rest and to take delight in an outside shew in matters of Religion as it doth appear most men do and it is to be feared that many amongst those that cry for Reformation in Religion in the City of London are ignorant of the pure Religion and are like unto Nicodemus that ignorant learned man that came to Christ by night and asked Christ How a man can be born when he is old Can he enter the second time into his mothers womb and be born John 3.1 2 4. Now there are abundance of such professors in our days both learned and unlearned that can complement with Religion and with Jesus Christ as a good man But there are but few that know Christ spiritually as the power of God or the day of Gods power or as the day of Gods rest or as the day of a beleeving souls rest Rom. 1.16 Psa 110.2 3. Psa 116.7 Heb. 4.10 Q. Sect. 4 But what mean you by that word Pure Religion Object A. Sol. I mean a possession of Christ and a profession of Christ in faith and verity which wil expel sin and vanquish the devil 2 John 9. Heb. 10.23 Heb. 2.14 I confess though I have made two objections Presby ∣ terian q. yet I cannot but grant that the most of our learned and unlearned do differ about Discipline and make a great deal of ado about an outward shew in matters of Religion which are but circumstances and through ignorance they neglect the substance A. Sir my answer to you is this Answ You are very much mistaken though you confess and grant that the most of the learned of the Church and the unlearned do differ I wil tel you plainly and consider wel of it The most of the learned in Christendom do agree as one man in three things and that is Pleasure Ease and Profit as for instance Do not the Clergy of Rome take pleasure in usurping authority over Kings and over whole States and those that differ with them about their ease and their profit are like to go to the Inquisition house And so you may instance in the Lord Bishops of England Those that did differ with them about their Lordly authority or about their fifteen hundred or two thousand a year were had up into the High Commission Court And so now those that differ with them about ease or about the profit of three four or five hundred a year shal be had up for a Sectary or an Antinomian Mistake me not I grudg not against the wel being of a deserving Minister that preacheth Christ purely and without mixture for such ought to be had in singular respect because of Christ and such ought to be provided for that they and their wives and children may live comfortably Now the Discipline that you say the most of the learned differ about is circumstances but I say it is wel if they do not make them substances Sir I think you are mistaken for not one of five hundred of the learned do differ about Discipline for they are all of them as one man and yet they are questionable and he that differs from them gets himself a blot Sir are not we taught for to have the truth of God in respect of places and persons and cry one place up and another place down and cry up such a man with respect to his habit for he must have a black gown or a black suit and cloak and look like a Minister or else most people wil take up a prejudice against the truth of God and so likewise a man must not worship God as the Spirit of God doth dictate unto him or teach him but a man must worship God after the rules of men and according to a form which they wil draw out for him I speak not concerning the State but I speak concerning the Clergy I hope you wil not be offended with me because M Edwards siteth at the receit of Custom raketh up all the filthy rags from all the parts of the Kingdom for to make paper of them but it proves but bloting paper and so is but little worth but yet he makes a shift for to make a book of it ful of accusations and filthy reproaches and lays them upon the heads of his brethren and brings them upon the stage of the world and uncovers their nakedness nay it may be their weakness and saith Lo these be the Sectaries that trouble us and then he cals them Independents and Antinomians or Anabaptists and then the people answer him and say as they said of Paul Away with such fellows from the earth for it is not fit that such fellows should live read that place Act. 22.22 23. Is this the fruit of a Gospel Minister Mr Edwards for you say you are one But if this be the fruit you bear I shal pray to God for to deliver me from such a Ministry Sir I pray you one word more which I had almost forgot many of those that seem to be zealous for the Presbyterian Government do not care for coming to the Elders I conceive it is because they are so ignorant for the most part of them in the principles of Religion that they cannot tel what to say and I do wonder at many that are forward for that Government they know not neither can they soon understand it Q. Quest Is there some respect now to be given to some places of worship more then to other some A. Answ I know none neither Church nor Chappel nor Cathedral as you cal them Beleeve me saith Christ to the woman neither in this place nor in that place Joh. 4.20 21 22 23
others Read Isai 29.18 23 24. Now on the other side Those that have all Tongues and all the learning of men they may want the testimony of Jesus and become as sounding brass which gives an unpleasant sound because it cannot sound forth Christ which is love 1 Cor. 13.1 2. And so likewise the learned may both preach and speak from the Scriptures and be zealous as Saul was and yet the Scriptures may be as a sealed book to them and so some learned and some unlearned are both of them in the dark read Isai 29.11 12. Take two or three Instances for what hath been said and the first is of Paul when he was Saul Acts 22.3 4 5. Phil. 3 4 5 6. The second instance is of Nicodemus a great ruler of the Jews John 3.1 3 4. Now such men to whom the everlasting Gospel is as a book sealed they are subject for to persecute others either with the tongue or with the hand as Paul doth confess of himself And being exceedingly mad against them saith Paul I persecuted them even unto strange cities Read this place Acts 26.9 10 11 12. Friend what think you Quest. may not one instance in the third place in Master Edwards the Minister of Christ as he cals himself and some other men now in our days Acts 9.1 who breathe out threatnings and enmity against those that are not of the same opinion that they are I ask is not the Scripture to such men as Maries box of ointment full of sweetness but the Scripture which is the box it is sealed up to such men and they have not the key of love for to open it as Mary did Luke 7.37 38 47. Is there not some ground for to judg thus when one sees what vaunting there is against one another and how little forbearing one another and how little kindness there is amongst some men this is for want of love Read 1 Cor. 13.4 5 6 7. And if there come one that hath the key of love for to open this box of ointment I mean the Scriptures which are ful of Christ who alone is the sweetness in the box which makes the Virgins for to love him read Cant. 1.2 3. Now when such men do appear that can with spiritual skil speak of the sweetness of Jesus Christ they may in some sort expect many men to be like unto Judas for to have indignation against them for opening this box of precious ointment and pouring it out amongst poor souls read Mark 14.3 4. Friend I have heard Mr Edwards many times and I shal hear him sometimes stil but I confess unto you that I hear but very poor and cold matter from him and I tel you I think that the most of his matter is taken out of other mens works for a man may run into a great Library and with the help of a pen and a good memory he may get an hours discourse and so he may speak other mens words and deliver other mens judgments and thus I have heard him for the most part of an hour deliver this fathers opinion and the other fathers judgment and in the end he hath uttered bitter and unsavory words and is this preaching of Jesus Christ Friend I wil tel you there are four or five men which he hath unchristianlike reproached from which men you may hear more sound and savory and plain words for the edifying of you in the knowledg of Jesus Christ in one hour then you shal have from him in many hours nay it may be in many years I wil name you the men The first is Captain Hobson the second is Mr Kissin the third is Mr Patience and the fourth is Mr Spencer the new start-up preacher as he cals him sometimes coachman to the Lord Brooks And thus you may find him in his Gangraena jeering I am loth to say like Ishmael I think if Paul were alive again Mr Edwards would jeer him with being a Tent-maker The fifth man is Mr Wallyn an ancient acquaintance of his I would Mr Edwards would be his scholar and learn good of him and let him alone and not put him into his book of bloting paper but Mr Edwards wil let no man alone that is not of his judgment and this is Mr Edwards and yet a preacher Wel friend to conclude my answer to you I wil deal ingenuously with you It is a very rare thing to find a Minister that preacheth Jesus Christ purely and unmixedly Q. Object I think you are an Independent for you do not speak like a Presbyterian A. Ans I am no Independent nor Antinomian nor Anabaptist nor Presbyterian but if there be any thing of Jesus Christ in any of these four that are named I shal own that and give that the right hand of fellowship And furthermore I am a constant hearer in your publick places in your Churches as you cal them and I do dayly observe which way you steer your course and my desire is that you may steer towards the Land of Canaan and not towards Rome to add burthens of grief to any man as Mr Edwards would have the Magistrate to do Q. Quest What think you of our Religion in the bulk of it as it is practised by all sorts of people in this Kingdom A. Ans I think the greatest part of the people both in Parishes and in the whole Kingdom they take up their Religion by Tradition from the Elders and practise it as the most do in a customary way Instance in the Jews in three things And I think they were as wise as we are The first thing is this The Pharisees urged the people for to observe the Traditions of the Elders and therefore they came to Christ for to know why his Disciples did not observe the Traditions of the Elders Mat. 15.1 2. The second thing is this The Pharisees did sharply reprove and curb those that did not observe the Traditions of the Elders read John 7.47 48 49. The third thing is this The Pharisees held the people in great slavery so that they durst not but observe the Traditions of the Elders though they did know to the contrary nay they durst not confess Christ for fear lest they should be put out of the Synagogue read Joh. 12.42 43. But I hope it wil not be so in our days Friend I shal conclude with my last Answer unto you in a few words we all seem to be zealous for God and the most men strive mightily for a form of Religion But may not one ask where is the power of Religion and where is the power of Love to rejoyce in Christ for he is the Truth 1 Cor. 13.6 And where is the power of a meek and a quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price 1 Pet. 3.4 And where is the power of Religion shewn forth in brotherly kindness and unfained love read 2 Pet. 1.7 And when these things are in us and abound then we shal learn
our pretending Elders do through ignorance and coveteousness if they seek yours and not you For this is contrary to the Apostle which was a true Elder for saith he I seek not yours but you 2 Cor. 12.14 I shall conclude in a word or two All seeming and false pretences whether in preaching Elders or in lay Elders or in seeming and outside Christians though they be never so specious they will vanish all of them when Jesus Christ doth appear for they are foolish Virgins and the foolish said unto the wise Give us of your oyl for our Lamps are gone out or they are a going out Matth. 25.8 God standeth amongst the mighty he judgeth among the gods and those that say They are for God when they are not he tells them that they shal die like men though they think they are as gods Then let the gods do righteous judgment to the poor and needy for the righteous God will judg the earth and inherit all Nations but I think as David did for the present That all the foundations of the earth both Church and State are out of course and out of the order of Christ whose order is love Psal 82.5 read the whole Psalm How few are there that in truth love one another But he who loveth God loveth his brother also 1 John 4.20 21. This will try our Christianity in the midst of our fleshly vanity Psal 4.2 6. Therefore Let us not be desirous of vain glory provoking one another envying one another Gal. 5.26 Sect. 3 I shall speak a word of the Fountain and Well-spring of learning Right Elders from whence the true and the right Elders do proceed and take their degrees whether they be Preaching Elders or Ruling Elders or Lay Elders as you call them they all came from this Fountain and Well-spring of learning Now this fountain is the blessed God who is the fountain of Israel Psal 68.26 Now Jesus Christ is in this fountain and in the holy mountains Psal 87.1 Now Jesus Christ and his Spouse the Church comes out of this blessed fountain Revel 21.2 3 4. Now the Church which is true believers they confess all their springs of learning are in God and in Jesus Christ All my springs are in thee saith the Church Psal 87.7 Now Christ was sent out from God Iohn 17.8 None knoweth the minde of God but Christ which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him and he doth declare him Iohn 1.18 1 Corinth 2.16 Christ sends his Scholars and his Elders into the world for to declare the good Will and the Word of his Father and that which they see and hear of Christ that they declare unto men Iohn 17.18 26. 1 Iohn 1.3 Iohn 16.13 14. Christ as an Elder brother comes forth from God and brings his brethren along with him and declares his Fathers name unto them and saith They are his children and bids Behold him and the children which God hath given him Heb. 2.12 13. None so fit as these for to be Elders because they come forth from the Fountain of Israel which is an infinite Well-spring of heavenly learning and they are taught of God in Christ by the blessed Spirit of God Isai 54.13 Iohn 6.45 2 Cor. 5.19 Iohn 16.13 14 15. This is a happiness to be an Elder in Christ or old in Christ But it s but a small glory to be an Elder amongst â—en But you will object and say Object Here is no speech nor respect or taking notice by you of Schollarship or Humane Learning and School Arts these are of no great esteem with you I perceive by your discourse I answer Ans you are mistaken I honor and esteem humane learning and for schollarship it is of good report and many men have it and grosly abuse it Instance in the Clergy men of Rome and England too for the most part who keep a fluttering in the ayr with the wings of their schollarship as he did that had the waxed wings who flying high the Sun melted his wings and down he fel and so for School Arts if they be accompanied with honesty they are prais worthy but it is to be feared for the most part there is more art used then honesty and this deserves no esteem and so likewise there are learned ignorant men such as Nicodemus was Iohn 3.1 And these are great disputants in matters of Religion Instance in your Bishops and great Doctors and Deans and your great Rabbies for the most part And these naturally are notionally full in the brain and are fluent in their discourses but for all this these natural men receive not the things of the Spirit of God but in a customary way and by hear-say from others neither can a natural man know the things of God saith the Apostle because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man compares the Scripture naturally or litterally together with his natural reason and so he may find out that there is a God a causer of all causes Ro. 1.19 20. but he cannot find out the way to this God this is mans misery that he knows not Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.24 and the true living and ready way to God read Joh. 14.6 The natural and earthly Adam Sect. 4 and his sons are all gone out of the way and Adam natural had no understanding for to seek after the man Christ who is God blessed for evermore the supernatural and second Adam which is the Lord from heaven of which the first Adam was a figure Rom. 3.11 12. 1 Cor. 15.46 47. Rom. 5.14 All humane Learning and Scholarship and the Arts and Sciences of Schools and the speaking all Tongues and Languages and to have all Logick Rhetorick and Philosophy this is the glory of natural men as it was to Paul when he was Saul and had zeal to God joyned with it Acts 22.2 3 4 5. All this in Sauls account was his gain but in Pauls account these things were counted as loss for Christ after he did know Christ Phil. 3.4 5 6 7 8. All these things grow in natures garden and are excellent in that place and a man by natural industry may attain unto them and by the help of them he may both preach and pray and dispute elegantly and yet for all this be but natural and from amongst such men may be raised a Ministry for to preach the Gospel as we use to say I ask then if they be but only natural Though they be great learned men and brave scholars yet they cannot perceive the things of God with the eye of nature for they are seen only with the eye of Faith 1 Cor. 2.14 And again though they be never so great scholars How can they cal on him in whom they have not beleeved Rom. 10.14 15. A natural Ministry gotten by natural art and industry and no more such a Ministry is likely for to starve the flock I shal conclude
of such a Ministry with the answer that Christ gave to one of his Disciples and the answer is this Let the dead bury their dead Mat. 8.22 That is let a dead living Ministry preach to a living dead Auditory for these be strangers to Christ and that is the reason there is so much barrenness in the most part of this Kingdom Now the sheep of Christ wil not follow strangers but flee from them for they know not the voyce of strangers but they know the voyce of Christ only and he calleth them by name and leadeth them out into green pastures and by stil waters read Joh. 10.3 4 5. Psa 23.1 2 3. Sect. 5 The Elders that are old in Christ and come from Christ they are right Elders NOw such Elders are able for to feed the flock of God 1 Pet. 5.1 2 3. And they are gentle among them even as a good nurse to her children which out of her affection feeds them with good milk 1 Thes 2.7 8. Even the sincere milk of the living Word which is truth and the taste of the grace of the Lord Christ and he is preious in their esteem 1 Pet. 2.2 3 7. And they suck and are satisfied with his brests of consolation and grow up into abundance of his glory and he like unto a mother is always comforting them read Isa 66.11 12 13. Now such Elders as these are like unto a good nurse Simile whose brest is ful of good milk and she is pained until the child hath received it instance in David My heart saith he is inditing of Christ and my heart boyleth within me or as water bubbleth up I am pained until I have declared Jesus Christ Psa 45.1 Therefore saith he come thou poor soul and I wil declare unto thee what Christ hath done for my soul and we wil praise him both together Psa 66.16 17. Now there is this difference between a good Elder and an Elder that is an hireling or an Elder that doth pretend for to be one Now a hireling is a servant to men for mens sakes and for mens wages but a good Elder is a servant to men for Jesus sake 2 Cor. 4.5 But he that is an hireling seeth the wolf coming which is fin and Antichrist now this hireling loves not the sheep therefore he leaveth the sheep to these wolves because he is one with these wolves and is not in relation to the sheep and hath no wil nor skil to help them Ioh. 10.12 Acts 20.28 29 30. Now the good Elder is in relation to Jesus Christ and so to the sheep of Christ and hath both wil and skil to lead the sheep apart from the wolves and as they receive freely so they give freely Mat. 10.8 Out of their store-house of love and good affection as Paul said not only the Gospel of God but our own souls for ye are dear unto us 1 Thes 2.8 Now on the other side the hireling loveth not the sheep but to feed him and cloath him read Ezek. 34.2 3. And so if he see a fatter benefice or a better abroad he wil leave the sheep for others that can feed them better though he cannot feed them at all but with husks in stead of fine wheat for he can neither pray nor preach but only say over a prayer and read over a Sermon Now the reason of all that hath been said is this these be hirelings of men and not sent out from Jesus Christ as Christ himself speaketh The â—ircling fleeth because he is an hireling and he careth not for the sheep read Ioh. 10.12 13. Now on the other side the good Elders whether they be Lay Elders or preaching Elders they wil very gladly spend and be spent for the good of one anothers souls as Paul said of himself for they have the same spirit that Paul had to make him a Minister read 2 Cor. 12.14 15. 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6 7. Now the reason and the ground why the good Elders are so able it is this Jesus Christ hath made them able Ministers to speak of the New Testament not of the letter only but of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 And again they are raised from the dead with Jesus Christ for to bring forth fruit unto God But not in the oldness of the letter but to serve him in newness of spirit Rom. 7.4 6. Now these being married unto Jesus Christ are the circumcision which worship God in spirit and rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh read Rom. 7.4 Phil. 3.3 Here you may see the Lay Elder as wel as the Learned Elder is in some measure able to feed the flock of God For the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall and God worketh all in all 1 Cor. 12.6 7. Now you wil object and say Object That I am all Spirit or all for the Spirit and nothing is to be done but by the Spirit I answer Ans As the body is dead without a soul so is the soul dead without the last Adams quickening spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 Though the soul may seem to live a natural and fieshly life yet it is as though it were dead if the life of the Spirit of Christ be not communicated into it It is the Spirit that quickeneth saith Christ your living soul and natural fleshly life wil profit nothing The words that I speak unto you or in you they are Spirit and they are life saith Christ Ioh. 6.63 CHAP. VIII The Spiritual Opening and Application of these Scriptures VIZ. Phil. 2.1 2 3 4 5. Gal. 6.2 Rom. 14.5 23. Mat. 7.12 Iohn 13.35 Rom. 14.17 18 19. Col. 3.12 Ioh. 12.26 Isa 14.12 13 14. Rev. 9.11 18 19 20 21. Revel 12.10 11 12 13. 2 Thes 2.7 8 9. Gen. 3.4 5 6 7 8. Gen. 4.3 4 5. Acts 26.9 Acts 22.3 Rom. 9.31 32. Zech. 7.10 Psa 15.2 3. John 8.44 Gen. 4.8 Acts 9.1 2 3 4 5 6. Psa 119.11 Psalm 119.105 John 14.6 Gen. 4.8 Ioh. 12.10 11. 1 Cor. 2.6 7 8. Mat. 6.11 Psa 150.5 6 7 8. Hosea 13.9 Hosea 14.4 Isa 43.25 Ier. 31.33 34. 2.5.19 Micah 7.18 19. Exo. 34.6 7. Isa 38.17 1 Iohn 3.1 1 Tim. 2.5 Lev. 16.21 22. Iob 33.23 24. Isa 61.1 Luk. 4.18 Iere. 50.20 Isa 53.6 7. Col. 2.13 14 15. Rom. 8.33 34. Iohn 13.10 1 Iohn 3.23 24. Iohn 1.1 2 3 4 5. Prov. 8.22 23. 1 Thes 2.19 20. Mark 8.24 Acts 17.18 19 20. Iohn 18.19 20 21. Mark 8.25 Exo. 4.10 12. 4.14 15 16. c. 7.1 2. Rom. 2.17 18 19 20 21 22 23. Iames 2.8 1 Iohn 3.23 Iames 4.11 1 Cor. 13.4 5. Phil. 3.15 Ez. 13.22 Iohn 21.15 Psa 64.3 Rev. 12.10 Prov. 6.16 17 18 19. Ier. 23.6 7 8. Eph. 1.4 5. Gal. 4.19 Isa 66.12 13. Isa 49.22 23. Psa 39.8 Prov. 6.22 23. 1 Ioh. 5.3 4 9 10. Rom. 5.8 1 Ioh. 1.7.2.1 2. Gal. 6.15 16. Psa 1.2 Eph. 4.20 21. Iohn 14.6 7. Isa 9.6 Psa 90.1 2. 1 Pet. 2.5
zeal and piety they endeavor to make honest godly men seem odious to the world Instance in Mr Edwards read his first Gangraena pag. 61. 172. and there you may find him reproaching of honest godly men under the name of Sectaries and he draws them up into ten heads And the first is looseness of life and liberty of conscience The second is Covetousness and Self-seeking The third is policy and subversion The fourth is seeming activity in the prosecution of that way And the fifth is Tumultuousness Disorder and Confusion The sixth is Destruction of Government The seventh is Insolent Pride and Arrogance The eighth is Unhumane incivility or to that effect And the ninth is to have power to carry on all before them and throw down all that stands in their way But me thinks this is a beam that sticks fast in Mr Edwards own eye and a thing that he strives hard after himself And the tenth thing is what they do saith he they do it in hypocrisie under pretences of piety and holiness And this is a garment that M. Edwards would have all men to be clothed in that do not look like himself or tread in his steps THE LOVE of GOD AND THE Blood of Jesus Christ Are a soveraign medicine to take away sin past present and to come 1 JOHN 1.7 9 10. Christ is the Rule of a Christian or the Law he walks by Gal. 6.15 16. Psa 1.2 J Cannot but speak a word or two of the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ which is a Gospel of free grace and the alone means to break a hard heart and the only means to melt a frozen soul and the only cordial to comfort a sick soul and the only staff of love to stay up a drooping spirit O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thine help saith the Lord Hosea 13.9 I wil heal thy backsliding I wil love thee freely saith the Lord The Lords free love unto al his people Hosea 14.4 I even I am he that bloteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake saith the God of Love and I wil forgive thy iniquity and I wil remember thy sins no more Isa 43.25 Jer. 31.33 34. Now he that knows the Lord for his own good knows the Lord after this manner and beleeves the report that God in Christ hath made of himself That he is a God that delighteth in mercy and that he hath cast all the sins of his people behind his back and he hath cast all the sins of his beloved people into the depths of the sea of his Sons blood which is able to quench the fears and the flames of hel in any mans soul 2 Cor. 5.19 Mich 7.18 19. Exodus 34.6 7. Isa 38.17 The learned world knoweth not this manner of Gods love 1 John 3.1 Neither do they know that fit man the one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 Who hath carried all their sins into a Land of forgetfulness a Land not inhabited this is a fit man of the Lords sending out Levit. 16.21 22. This is a ransom that the Lord hath found and he wil be gracious through him Job 33.23 24. And this Messenger is sent to bind up the broken hearted and to proclaim liberty to the captives Isa 61.1 Luk. 4.18 and the opening of the prison to them that are bound Now in these days and in this time saith the Lord The iniquity of Israel shal be sought for and there shal be none and the sins of Judah and they shal not be found any more Jer. 50.20 For the Lord hath laid all our sins upon the back of Christ Isa 53.6 7. And Christ hath nailed them to his cross and buried them in his grave and we are compleat in him Col. 2.13 14 15. And sin shal not condemn those that beleeve for Christ is risen again to save and sanctifie and glorifie those that are one in him Rom. 8.33 34. and he hath made them clean every whit Joh. 13.10 But if I speak after this manner Sect. 5 I shall be cloathed with that reproachfull name of Antinomian of which name our Pulpits have rung of late time and by this means some people have got a habit of a proud and a high look and a scornfull eye against their neighbours and with disdain they will turn away from them as from one that had a plague sore upon him if it be their lot for to meet in the streets this I my self and others have experience of For under the name of an Antinomian that will have no Law of God to walk by as they say and live as they list and pray for no pardon of sin under this name which is a false one many honest godly men seem odious to those they live by I shall instance onely in five men which they say have and do preach Freegrace which is an occasion to open a gap to all licentiousness And the first man is Doctor Crisp a man that was famous and eminent for vertue and an able Minister of the Gospel of Grace and one that made the Law of Faith and Love his rule for to walk by 1 Joh. 3.23 24. Now this man was brought upon the stage for an Antinomian and Master Burges at Lawrence Church did dispute learnedly against him but to little purpose as one that would take up the weapons of a dead man to fight with him when he was dead The second man is young Master Simpson a man unblameable in his conversation and a man eminent in the work of the Lord but counted an Antinomian and so looked upon as contemptible The third man is Master Peter Sterry such a man as there are but a few in respect of the great number that are called the Ministers of England yet this man lyes under two reproachful names as Antinomian or Familist or else jeered at by some for a Free-grace Preacher This Peter Sterry is a man approved to be an Evangelical Heavenly Divine Preacher of the Mystery of the everlasting Gospel Now no ministery but such a ministery can be a soul-comforting ministery because it is full of Light and Life Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost But no new light as some cry out but an old light of Jesus Christ John 1.1 2 3 4 5. which was before the foundations of the earth were laid read Prov. 8.22 23. Now the fourth man is one like unto Mr Stirrey and that is Mr Saltmarsh a man eminent to declare the King in his beauty and that is Jesus Christ who is the rose of Sharon and the lilly of the valleys And as an apple tree among the trees of the wood is excellent even so is Christ among his sons and Christ is the pearl in the field and as a shadow of a great rock in a weary land and all this Christ is to them that know him and such can tel how to speak to his praise The fifth man that I shal speak
Ministers do fall in with these two and make up their conclusion with the Jews in the ninth of the Romans But as it were by the works of the Law Together with thy help O Christ we look for a blessing and for heaven and for what we have Rom. 9.30 31 32. Now for want of Preaching of Free-grace Sect. 5 A Simile we know not where the strength of Sampsâ—n lyes I mean Christ and so we begin to set up our selves as it were to be partners with Christ and thus the people are at a loss Now on the other side Free-grace teaches a man for to deny himself and to give God in Christ the preeminence alone and to say it is no more I but the Lord is my light and my life and my strength and in this will I be confident and this Free-grace causeth to grow Psal 27.1 3 5. Now he that hath tasted of the sweetness of Free-grace cannot but speak of it because it is the onely means for to break a hard heart and the onely cordial for to comfort a sick soul 1 Pet. 2.3 7. Psal 45.1 2. 1 Tim. 1.12 13 14 15 16 17. Psal 27.13 14. Now on the other side he that hath not tasted of Free-grace but speaks of it by hear-say though he be never so learned a man yet he will be but a fumbler in speaking of Free-grace or a bungler as we use for to speak And to deal plainly I conceive that the most of our Ministers want both will and skill for to speak of the Free-grace of God in and through Christ for they speak but little of it and that is the reason that the most people are so ignorant of it and live so much in sin read Tit. 2.11 12. When grace doth appear sin vanishes away O the glorious truths of grace that lye under that black cloud of Antinomianism That reproachful name which causeth the people for to sin in speaking evil of that which they know not Now I shall reflect back Sect. 6 and speak a word of the souls being taken by Christ into the banqueting house where Christ doth acquaint the soul what the pardon of sin is and that its sins are done away both past present and to come of this I spake before Now Jesus Christ doth acquaint the soul that it shall have the evidences of his Spirit for to comfort it in time of distress when temptation doth come upon it and when the world doth trouble it and when worldly men do oppose it and if it doth begin to sink or to droup then it shall call but not for the pardon of sin for that is sure in God for it but it shall say with Peter help Lord send the evidences of thy Spirit to acquaint me of the sure mercies of David and thus the soul doth acquaint Christ with its wants and then the soul doth find the left hand of Christ to be under its head when it is in communion with Christ in the banqueting house which house is Christ himself and there the right hand of Christ doth imbrance me saith the soul Now these embraces that Christ gives the soul they are the sweet gayls of the Spirit which put all things out of doubt in the soul Cant. 2.4 5 6. Now it pleaseth Jesus Christ Christ like a mother draws a curtain sometimes to draw a curtain between himself and the soul as a mother doth sometimes in love to her child and then the child cries after her and thus the poor soul cries after the Spirit of Christ in all occasions to come and comfort it Make hast my beloved saith the soul to Christ and be thou like to a Roe or to a young Hart upon the mountains of spices Flee away make haste do not stay by the way saith the soul that longs after Christ No comfort like unto thine O my Love No love like unto thine O my Joy Cause me to hear thy voyce quickly that I faint not O my dear I hearken to thy voyce O sweet Spirit of Christ let me hear it and it sufficeth me though I dye and come to thee which is best of all For in thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Cant. 8.13 14. Psa 16.11 And thus he whose Name is Love 1 Joh. 4.8 doth descend and come down into the hearts of his people to manifest himself unto them and in them 1 John 4.8 9 10. John 17.6 And thus the blessed God doth manifest himself and make known things unspeakable and ful of glory and doth let into the soul high manifestations of his love which is the original of the pardon of sin Now if there come a black cloud at any time between the soul and the Sun of righteousness who is God blessed for ever yet the soul in this case can say as Peter said I am sure that my sun is in the living God and he wil speak words of eternal life unto me Iohn 6.68 69. For the Spirit of the Lord put his Word in my mouth saith David and hath made with me an everlasting Covenant which is sure I know and though my sun doth not always shine yet in him wil I be confident read 2 Sam. 23.2 4 5. Psa 27.1 3. Now here comes in the work of the Sect. 7 third Person in the blessed Trinity which is according to the promise of Christ Iohn 15.26 Now here follows the souls desires that hath tasted how gracious the Lord is first That it may dwel in the house of the Lord which house is Christ and there to behold the beauty of the Lord and to have it made out in his holy Temple which Temple is Jesus Christ Psa 27.4 5. And here to have the light of his fatherly countenance and the sweet smiles of his holy Spirit constantly upon its soul and to have the high manifestations of the love of God in Christ as the Apostle prays for Eph. 3.16 17 18 19. and to have the evidences kept close unto its soul Now Christ answers the soul Answ my Spirit shal come into thee and shal keep thee guide thee and shew thee things to come concerning me and he shal make me beautiful in thine eyes and he shal shed his love into thy soul which wil cause thee to love me Rom. 5.5 And thou shalt have all thy treasure in me saith Christ to the soul for all things that the Father hath are mine and I and my Father are one and thou shalt be one with us in my union and with me shalt thou have communion Iohn 16 13 14 15. 17.21 to 26. Answ Now here is the souls answer unto Christ O blessed God the fountain of Israel O my God thou hast turned all my prayers that I made for the pardon of my sin into praises or praising of thee O my God who hast forgiven all my sins Bless the Lord O my soul saith David and forget not to praise him for all
his benefits who hath forgiven thee all thy sins whodoth forgive thee al thy sins he doth continually declare unto thee the forgiveness of all thine iniquities that thou mightest rejoyce before him in the forgiveness of all thy sins for he hath healed all thy diseases and he doth heal all thy diseases and he wil continually heal all thy diseases Therefore thou mayst be of good cheer O my soul for thou mayst and dost swim in rivers of pleasures for evermore Now this river is loving kindness and tender mercies whereof the soul doth drink and is abundantly satisfied and it lives in this river and shal never more thirst after sin read Psa 103.1 read the whole Psalm Now this river is God himself in which the soul doth live and refresh it self as in a fountain of life and it never needs to fear drowning read Rev. 22.1 2 3 4 5. Psa 36.7 8 9. Secondly This Fountain of Israel which is the sweet God himself is the ayr in which the soul doth live and in which the soul doth move and act and hath its being Acts 17.28 And so likewise the soul as a bird doth fly up and down in this ayr admiring of God and praising of God and chirping forth praise unto God in the midst of this heaven and thus the soul doth fly in the midst of the Heaven of God delighting it self in God where it shal abide for evermore read Rev. 14.4 5 6. Now the soul doth wind up its conclusion in giving all honor unto its original All my springs saith the soul are in thee who art the fountain of Israel which is God blessed for evermore read Psa 87.6 7. Psa 68.26 And so much with submission to better judgment about praying for a pardon for sin nay rather a praying for the manifestations of the Spirit and the evidences of the Spirit to be in my heart of that pardon which God hath had ever ready from the foundations of the world and holds it forth unto all men But I Quest saith some poor soul want the Spirits application of this pardon and if he would but keep it close unto my soul or in my soul then it would cause me to rejoyce both in life and at death But the Spirit is free to work where he wil and in whom he wil and to pass by whom he wil and who shal say Why dost thou so unto him Fifthly You are accused of saying That God sees no sin or no sin in you But how is it then that God suffers sin to come into his Creation as an accident he not creating of sin Answ Because he wil bring forth his own defign in manifesting of the glory of his free grace and making out of Christ Secondly There is no equality between Christ and sin or Christ and siners neither hath Christ any accord with sin And what agreement hath Christ the Temple of God with idols which is sin None at all 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16. God sees sin contrary unto himself therefore he appears as a consuming fire unto sin and not unto sin only but unto all created forms and beings Heb. 12.18 21 27 29. Heb. 1.10 11 12. 2 Pet. 3.10 11 12 13. And so likewise to siners that is sinful men and women in whom sin hath taken possession and is their present king Now such in their capacity look upon God as a dreadful Judg because they look out of the prison house of sin and think they most dwel with devouring fire and with everlasting burnings And thus God appears unto all that look upon him out of Christ Isai 33.14 But now on the other side Sect. 8 Those that are Baptized with the fire of the Holy Ghest this is their proper heavenly element that they live in and they are like the bush that was all on a flame of fire and was not consumed Exod. 3.2 3 4. Now this fire wil burn stubble and all maner of sinful works of men 1 Cor. 2 11 12 13. But this heavenly fire is nourishment unto that which is of it self 1 Pet. 1.5 7 8. Now these seeing God in Christ see him unchangeably good and the same yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13.8 Now God is not as sinful dark men judg him to be that is to be made up of love and hatred Fury is not in God Isa 27 4. and wrath and fury and so they stand a far off from him and say that he is an hard Master Now what a mistake is here for God is the only true Good he is loving merciful and just and sin shal not stand neer him but sin shal be bowed down and the siner whose heart is a throne for sin to be his king he shal not stand upright in the judgment of God in Christ Psa 1.4 5. Now sin doth delude a man to think that God is like unto himself read Psa 50.19 20 21. But God is of purer eyes then to behold such evil and to look on iniquity and sin and not to destroy death with his sting Habak 1.13 Heb. 2.14 15. Now I shal speak a word by way of comparison of sin coming in by way of accident and Gods design in suffering of it Now the comparison wil fal infinitly too short But suppose a curious Artificer makes a Watch very curiously but something fals out in a very short time and puts the Watch out of order and this we cal an accident and use to say there is such an accident faln out and hath put the Watch out of order and it doth nothing now but jar and it never goes right until it be taken in pieces and a second Art applied unto it and so new made up again but now if this Artificer could have prevented this accident he would not have suffered this accident to have faln out upon his Watch and spoiled it But it is not so with God for accidents are not against God Nothing done without Gods providence but for God and permited by God to be or not to be and are suffered by God and ordered by him to bring his own designs about Now an accident is in relation to men as not knowing God and so they use that word accident or luck or chance or as some grosly cal it fortune not knowing that God is neer unto that which they cal accident or luck and doth dispose of it and them as shal make most for his own glory As for instance The lying spirit was admited to go into the mouth of the Prophets of Ahab and so Ahab was deluded And so likewise the arrow was ordered that was drawn out of a bow at a venture and was directed to the joynts of the harness of the King of Israel and so he was wounded And so likewise David hasted and ran to meet the Army and put his hand in his bag and took thence a stone and slung it Now David being a type of Christ Revel 22.16 as it is writen
thou receivest such food that thou art able to go fourty days in the strength of it to incounter with new troubles again One word more unto thee that seemest to be discontented in thy troubles when they are more then ordinary Thou oughtest to be contented and to rejoyce in them and if they seem too hard for thee so that thou begin to wrastle with them then there will appear thy God An angel from Heaven to strengthen thee and to uphold thee in the hour of thy distress Luke 22.43 Now in the second place I shall confirm what I have said by Scripture Every son of love must have his dross taken away As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Revel 3.19 Now by rebuke and chasten it is not to be understood that every trouble and affliction is so a rebuke from God God is as good as his word not to remember sin because he is satisfied that it is a punishment for sin no for this would be to remember sin again but God hath said He will remember their sins no more Heb. 8.12 Iere. 31.34 Because Christ hath paid a full price for all our sins and he hath crossed the Book and God is fully satisfied Isai 53.11 Now I tell thee O distressed man or woman God having brought a whole train of graces into thy soul he will exercise them for his own honor and for thy good and if there be any rust at any time upon thy graces Christ sits as a refiner of silver and he will purifie thy graces as gold Mal. 3.2 3. Now the end of exercising thy graces is that thou thy self mayest know that thou hast grace and that the world may know that thou hast grace Chastisements are for the exercise of Faith and Graces Now thou having grace art to exercise thy grace in glorying in tribulations knowing that tribulation worketh patience and experience of the sufferings of Christ of which thou must be partaker that thou mayest come to a lively hope through Christ and this hope maketh not ashamed Rom. 5.3 4 5. Now the miseries Sect. 3 and the calamities and the afflictions that do fall upon a true beleeving man or woman it is not as punishment for sin for that were to lay iniquities afresh upon Christ our surety again Isai 53.6 Mistake me not I do not in the least give any liberty to sin for if patience have its perfect work it makes you perfect and intire wanting nothing but that which doth befal thee in this life it is for the tryal of thy faith and for the exercise of thy graces and if any thing doth befal thee which the world calls sin then comes in the tryal of thy faith and lets thee see the wiles of Satan and the sin that is in thy flesh and then thy faith calls for all thy graces and then thou goest to Jesus Christ the Captain of thy salvation who hath subdued all thy sins who doth subdue all thy sorrows who will subdue all thy griefs Heb. 2.10 11. And thus thy graces are exercised and for this God will be honored before the world because the world shall know that he doth uphold thee with his grace and is with thee in a promise And when thou passest through the waters he will be with thee and when thou goest through the rivers they shall not overflow thee because he is with thee and when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt because he is with thee neither shall the flame kindle upon thee because he is with thee Isai 43.2 Now this man Christ Christ is as a privy Chamber for the soul to retire into to refresh it self God and man he is an hiding place for a poor distressed soul to go into from the wrath and fury of the men of the world and so he is a covering for a poor distempered spirit that is troubled with sin and Satan fears and doubts and as rivers of water in a dry place are sweet and comfortable and pleasant even so is Christ unto a thirsty soul And as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land even so is Jesus Christ unto a poor panting drouping fainting weary spirit Isai 32.2 Now thou poor soul that hast such a very present help in time of need therefore thou needest not fear read Psal 46.1 2. but count it all joy when thou fallest into divers sorts of troubles and temptations knowing this that the trying of thy faith worketh patience And this is a needful grace in this troublesom world read Jam. 1.2 3 4. Now in the third place I shall give thee O poor soul an instance and an example of what I have said I says an experienced Christian am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ and this Iohn said Revel 1.9 And so saith an exercised Christian I brought nothing into this world but sin The Lord gives tryals and takes away troubles as be pleases and that I shall leave in the grave The Lord gives tryals and the Lord takes away troubles Blessed be the name of the Lord saith Job Iob 1.21 Now a Christian that hath been in the mount with God Sect. 4 can tell how to speak good of his name when he comes into a wilderness of troubles as Moses and John did and as Christ doth so doth a true Christian Christ comes and saith The commodities of Christ are his graces and they run forth freely to sinners Buy my white raiment my righteousness to clothe thee that thy nakedness do not appear and anoint thine eyes with my grace that thou mayest see And thus Christ sets forth his commodities in the market places and in the fairs amongst men and saith I beseech you come and buy my riches my honor my riches will endure for ever I intreat you to take my commodities you shall have them without money and without price and if you take my commodities your soul shall live Revel 3.18 Isai 55.1 2 3 4. Prov. 8.18 19 31. Now Most men complement and dissemble with Jesus Christ the most men and women in the world they come and complement with Christ and his commodities it may be his ordinances and they will come and hear him as Felix did Paul But they have no minde at this time to buy his commodities for they have married a wife and bought a yoke of oxen and they cannot stay now but they will come some convenient season and call for him And thus the most men and women do in a formal customary way go to Church and so come home again and make a little verbal discourse but leave Christ and his members it may be in prison and in misery out of some dislike against them and to shew some a favor as Felix was willing to shew the Iews a pleasure and left Paul bound Acts 24.24 25 27. And thus for all the fair pretences of some men for Christ yet they
war with the sword no more and then we shal cease to war with the tongue any more Q. Quest I shal ask but this one question and so conclude What think you of the several opinions of Religion that are amongst us And what think you of these Sectaries Is it not fit that all of them should be suppressed and routed out of their holes I shal return you an answer by way of caution Answ Beware that the enemy hath not sowed tares in your heart and so your sight is become dim so that you cannot judg between wheat and tares and so you become as those servants which said Sir wilt thou that we go and pluck up and separate these tares or these sectaries from the wheat Now you that wil be called Presbyterians be cautious what you do for if one should return this word Tares upon you would you your selves be willing to be routed up Let me advise you to consider of that caution which Christ gave in his Parable And he said nay lest while ye gather or pluck up the tares ye root up also the wheat with them Mat. 13.27 28 29. There are no men nor councels of men that are able to determine this great business but the messenger of the Covenant which is Jesus Christ and those that he comes into and makes his Temple Now when Christ comes be wil sit as a refiner and purifie both persons and ordinances I mean all sorts of people read Mala. 3.1 2 3 4. Now the Ministers that come from Jesus Christ are ful of meekness and love and patience and they wait upon Christ for to do his wil and not their own and they wait for the Word from Christs mouth that is his holy Spirit And I wil say to the reapers saith Christ Mat. 13.30 But some men wil not stay til Christ saith I humbly crave leave to ask two questions and the first is this What meaneth this throwing out of Common Councel men and others Quest 1 Nay they are not spared though they be Parliament-men if they have but the name of Independency upon them then they must be Sectaries too though they be godly religious men and have proved themselves faithful to the State and have ventured their persons and their purses and yet they for all this shal have no place of trust no not so much as to be the Beadle of a Ward if most may have their wil. I ask what do you judg these men to be tares that you strive to pluck them up Stay til Christ speaks for he wil say to the reapers But I am perswaded that Christ wil never make you his reapers for he loves them that you cannot endure to be neer you My second question is this Quest 2 with a desire to know now you have cast out your friends whether you have taken in such as are truly wise for the good of the Church and such as wil be truly faithful to the State or else what have you done I confess the casting out of these men which I have spoken of it was legal according to our civil custom which is only by vote But mark now here you may take notice of the temper of Parishes and Wards that wil vote out men that are able to speak both for Church and State There are many men that are able to speak excellently for the State but they want both wil and skil for to speak a word for the Church Now such men are content with any thing for the Church and if they may have a specious form of Religion which is as a shadow they make no great matter for the substance Is not this the temper of most Parishes and most Wards How then wil such men vote for the Church and for Church-officers as Pastors Elders and Deacons It is to be feared they vote some men to be Elders as Dr Bastwick one of their own judgment said some of the House of Commons had no more wit then would reach from their nose to their beard and said they were Ninnyes and Grols but I shal forbear such uncivil language to an Elder much more to the Parliament But if an Elder have not wisdom from above such a man is not fit to be an Elder yet why should he be upbraided for what hath any man but what he hath received yet I beleeve there are many unfit Elders abroad Now this Dr Bastwick that hath been spoke of is he that gave an absolute Rout to the Independents as he himself saith but I rather think he hath faced about and is now to be found in the front of a new Army fighting with his tongue in reproaching of those that were in the rear with him in the Bishops time and did help to support and uphold him in time of need with a heart of love and with the hand of charity But now Dr Bastwick is to be found in another posture jeering of his friends and telling the world that they have gristed faces and that their countenances look like the belly of a toad O horrid forgetfulness I think Mr Edwards and Dr Bastwick may go together for the two Metropolitan Champions over all England And in the first place Dr Bastwick jeers one of his friends by name with having a basket-hilted beard and a set of teeth in his head that stood a great distance one from another so that he was fain to pick them every morning with a bed-staff Take notice of such men as jeer the work of their Creator In the second place Mr Edwards he sits jeering in his Gangraena of one Mr Spencer a new up-start preacher who was formerly a Coachman as he cals him It is no matter if he were a Coachman if God be pleased for to make him a fisher of men Surely Mr Edwards thinks no man must or can speak of the Truths of God but old Preachers I am perswaded that this Spencer which he cals the new start-up preacher is able to speak feelingly and experimentally of the Truths of God A Lawyer may plead an hour at the Bar and use a little divinity and so may Mr Edwards preach an hour or two and as I conceive use but a little divinity but what he hath by nature and by art I speak not this for to upbraid Mr Edwards but to declare what man may do by art And if any man appear for to speak against the carnal preaching of Jesus Christ he is presently accused of speaking of some new light I honor Dr Bastwick for his sufferings if he suffered singly for Christs sake But Mr Edwards is a dishonor to the Presbyterians for jeering and so wil Dr Bastwick for jeering of his friends if they do not both mend But I shal give them both a gentle reproof as the Apostle Iames did to the scattered Tribes My brethren saith he these things ought not so to be read James 3.8 9 10. But it may be they will jeer me for my love but if they do I shall
take it patiently and not answer them again Loving and Christian Presbyterian friend I shall take my leave of you onely I shall ask you one question which is of great concernment Do you and those of your opinion know the pure Religion the pure Religion which is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie and the fruit of righteousness is sown in the prince of peace and those that have this fruit are sons of peace read James 3.17 18. Sect. 6 Now I shall give you the reason and ground of the abilities of those that I have spoken so much of Christ proceedeth and cometh forth from God John 8.42 16.27 17.8 And a true Christian he doth proceed and come forth from Jesus Christ as the branches do from the vine John 15.4 5. And as Jesus Christ told Philip the words that he spake and the works that he did it was not he that spake the words and did the works but it was his Father that dwelleth in him that did speak the words and do the works John 14.9 10 11. And so a true believing Christian he saith it is not he that doth but it is the strength of Christ that doth inable him for to do all that he doth Phil. 4.13 And the life that he lives it is not he but Christ that lives in him Gal. 2.20 And thus Christ is formed in a Christian and a Christian is formed in Christ Gal. 4.19 And he that is joyned unto the Lord is one spirit with the Lord 1 Cor. 6.17 And being baptized into one body all are made to drink into one spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 And thus a true believing man hath fellowship with God and with Jesus Christ 1 Iohn 1.3 And thus a true believer being one with Jesus Christ gives all praise and honor unto Jesus Christ Revel 5.8 9 10 11. One word more concerning false Prophets Sect. 7 and how one shall know them Beware saith our Saviour of false prophets which come to you in sheeps clothing but inwardly they are ravening wolves Matth. 7.15 Q. Quest. But how shall one know the false Prophets from the true Ministers of Jesus Christ A. Ans By their fruits ye shall know them saith Christ Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles Matth. 7.16 I shall name three things by which you may in part know them And the first is this They with fained words make merchandise of men 2 Pet. 2.3 And with cunning craftiness and a sleight they lie in wait to deceive Ephes 4.14 And thus they creep into houses nay into mens purses nay into the house of mens judgments and affections and these are they that creep into houses and lead captive silly men that are as weak as silly women these silly women that are here spoken of are unsufficient in nature for to discern the things of God 2 Tim. 3.6 Mistake me not I do not mean those that preach now in houses for this was the Apostles practise Read Acts 5.42 But there are others that creep into houses witness the whole Clergy of Rome a ministery but not of Christ and these are they that lead captive whole Kingdoms and Cities and the people must not say what do you and if they put not into their mouths they will prepare war against them and though these crafty ones cry peace yet they will bite with their teeth Micah 3.5 And so they become like unto wolves in sheeps clothing Matth. 7.15 But I hope it will not be so amongst us The second thing whereby you may know the false prophets from the true Ministers of Jesus Christ if you have ears to hear is this You may know them by their preaching for they preach but according to the notions of the brain onely by nature and by art and so spoil men with vain philosophy and deceit which is not after Christ the head and so they beguile men with a voluntary humility of worshiping they know not what Coloss 2.8 18 22 23. And so they and those that they teach are both natural and carnal Now the natural man perceiveth not the things of God but after a foolish manner 1 Corinth 2.14 And a carnal preacher and hearer are both of them at enmity with God and Christ and with the members of Christ Rom. 8.7 8. Iohn 16.2 3. But I hope we shall have none such amongst us The third thing that discovers the false prophets from the true Ministers of Jesus Christ is this If you have an eye to see what light they see by it is no new Light for they jeer at that but the light that they see by is as old as old Adam onely natural as the heathen Philosophers were and they were great Scholars Now these pretending prophets and preachers That run when the Lord doth not send them and yet they say he saith Though they steal the word they speak from their neighbor read Iere. 23.21 30 31. Now the light that these false prophets and preachers walk by it is the light of nature and the light of the nation and the light of morality and they have a word to speak for Christ and they have a word to speak against Jesus Christ when time shall serve and they are most conversant in outward external observations for Christ and none more forward then they for to persecute or betray Christ and his members when time doth serve Instance in Iudas Iohn 18.2 Then they came with their lanthorns and their torch-lights for to seek for Iesus and Iudas was in the midst of them Iohn 18.3 Now it is the nature of false prophets and preachers for to be grievous wolvish to the flock Acts 20.29 And though the prophets and priests be bad for the most part and speak falshood in the room of truth yet there is a sort of people to be found in all ages answerable to these false prophets that will receive error instead of truth nay they love to have it so read Ierem. 5.31 Who would think that there were such prophets and people in the world it is to be feared that there are such prophets and people even now amongst us CHAP. VII The Spiritual Opening and Application of these Scriptures VIZ. 1 Peter 5.1 2 3. Micah 2.5 6 11. Deut. 32.8 9. Matth. 15.1 2. Mat. 27.1 John 11.47 53. 2 Tim. 3.5 1 Cor. 2.14 2 Tim. 4.5 22. Gal. 6.12 13. Gal. 4 17 21. Acts 6.3 5 6. 1 Tim. 5.17 1 Cor. 12.6 10 11. Matth. 26.59 Acts 5.21 28 40 Act. 24.1 2 3 4 5. 1 Cor. 2.14 Isa 56.10 11 12. Jere. 5.30 32. Micah 3.5 11. Ezek. 34.2 3 4. Phil. 3 2 18 19. Matth. 6.9 10. James 3.9 2 Cor. 12.14 Matth. 25.8 Psalm 82.5 1 John 4.20 21. Psal 4.2 6. Gal. 5.26 Psal 68.26 Psal 87.1 Revel 21.2 3 4. Psal 87.7 John 17.8 John 1.18 1 Cor. 2.16 Joh. 17.18 26. 1 John 1.3 John 16.13 14.