takes up his Cross and followeth him cannot be his Disciple So then Infants being not capable so to do cannot be Christs Disciples but such as are to be baptized must first be taught and made Disciples and then baptized as is to be understood in the word baptize THEM that is such as before have been taught and made Disciples from whence you may see that Disciples viz. beleeving Men and Women may and ought to be baptized it being the last Will and Testament of the great Law-giver who also saith That he that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16.15 16. And so I come to the Second Reason which is Reas 2. Because Disciples viz. Beleevers were the Subjects that Christ and the Apostles baptized and we are to follow their steps and now to prove that Christ and the Apostles did baptize such read John 4.1 When the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus MADE and baptized more Disciples than John though Jesus baptized not but his Disciples from whence we may see that Jesus MADE Disciples before he did baptize them and also we see it was the Apostles and Disciples practise so to do as Acts. 8.12 it s said That when the Samaritans did beleeve they were baptized Men and Women but no mention at all of Children so then Beleevers are the subjects who are to be baptized Reas 3. Thirdly Beleevers are the subjects because none are accounted as Members in the New Covenant so as to have right to Gospel administrations but such as know the Lord viz. beleeve in his Name for so saith the Scripture Heb. 8. For this is the Covenant that I make After those dayes saith the Lord they shall not teach every one his neighbor and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall know me from the least even to the greatest From whence we see that the least Member in the Gospel-Covenant must know the Lord but Children of seven or eight dayes old know him not and therefore have not right to Gospel-administrations only beleevers that know God for they shall all know him from the least to the greatest as saith the text And so I pass to the Fourth Reason which is Reas 4. Because those that have right to be Baptized may and ought to eat the Lords Supper the which is not meet for Children to do for it is a Feast that Beleevers only have a right to partake of but all baptized ones even such as have right to the New Covenant have right to the Supper and all other Covenant Priviledges for so saith the Scripture Acts 2.41 42. Then they that gladly received the Word were baptized and the same day was added to the Church about three thousand Souls and they continued stedfast in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and Prayer From whence we see that no more were baptized but those that gladly received the Word and they that were baptized continued in the Apostles Doctrine in Fellowship and in breaking of Bread viz. the Lords Supper and Prayer therefore beleeving Men and Women and not Children are the right subjects of Baptism and ought to be baptized they having a Command enjoyning them thereunto And so I pass to the Fifth Reason to prove that Disciples viz. beleeving Men and Woman are the only fit subjects of Baptism which is Reas 5. Because Christ was baptized when he came to be of years of discretion being about thirty years old as you may read Luk. 3. and Christ was given to be a leader to his People Isa 55.4 Now if Christ were not baptized before he came to be of years of discretion and he given to lead us an example then we ought not also to be baptized till we be of years of discretion and so follow his steps The former of these is true and the Consequence cannot in truth be denied And so I pass to the Sixth Reason to prove beleevers the only subjects of Baptism Reas 6. Because Repentance and Confession of sin is required of Persons before Baptism be administred unto them for such was the Baptism of John when he was to prepare a People for the Lord although the People which he baptized were the seed of Abraham and so in the Old Covenant yet they came to John and confessed their sins and were baptized and it was called the Baptism of Repentance and when they would have been baptized upon the account of being Abrahams seed and Children of the Covenant John did reprove them saying O generation of Vipers who hath forewarned you to flee from the Wrath to come Bring forth fruit worthy of amendment of life and do not begin to say ye have Abraham to your Father for God is able of these stones to raise up Children unto Abraham and now is the Ax laid to the root of the Trees and every Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down c. Peruse this diligently and you may see that there was no admission unto Baptism without Repentance and it is the very same Doctrine that Peter taught Acts 2.38 Repent and be baptized every one of you for remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Spirit Hence you see there was Repentance required of ever one that is Baptized and this is acknowledged by the Old Catechism and Book of Common Prayers and hence it came to pass that the old God-fathers and God-mothers as we were wont to call them did confess our sins for us it being a wicked deceiving invention of Pope Ignatius whereby thousands of poor souls were deceived the Pope invented it and the Priest readily received it and it being a custome the people loved to have it so the Priest was to ask the child Whether it would forsake the Devil and all his works and the God-father or Surety was to Answer in the behalf of the Child as though the Priest were a Juglor and had jugled the mans voice into the Child saying This is our or my desire and then ask if it would be Baptized And the Answer was returned again as it were in the person of the Child that it was its desire when it was far from desiring any such thing and so far were the Sureties themselves from forsaking the Devil and all his works and from being Beleevers that some were Drunkards some Swearers and some Whore-mongers and yet did dare by the means of the Pope his Clergy to tell God who is the searcher of all hearts that they did beleeve and forsake the Devil and all his works and yet were led captive by him at his Will Consider O ye blind Priests how you deceived the people and made them beleeve they did well and worshipt God when they told lyes in the face of the Congregation and so did worship the Devil Did you ever read of such a practise in the Primitive time No surely Gods Soul abhors you But courteous Reader hence thou mayest see that the
Christ and the Saints shall receive a Kingdom and raign upon earth Reas 9. Ninthly Because the Scripture saith That God will send Jesus Christ whom the Heavens must retain until the times of Restitution of all things Act. 3.19 20 21. and that he shall take the Kingdom out of the hands of the wicked and give it into the hands of the Saints according to Daniels words Chap. 7.14 18 22. where he as King and they as Princes shall raign in righteousness Isa 32.1 and Kings shall bow before Christ and them and lick up the dust of their feet and Kings shall minister unto them that is serve them or be servants unto them peruse these Scriptures well and so I shall hasten to the tenth and last Reason and also to a conclusion as to this Subject of Discourse the Scriptures are these Psal 72.10 11. Psal 68.29 Psal 110.5 Isa 49.7 23. Chap. 60.10 11 12. and thus it is written Princes shall come out of Egypt Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands to God because of thy Temple at Jerusalem Kings shall bring presents unto thee they that dwell in the Wilderness shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba viz. Ethiopia and Arabia shall offer gifts Yea all Kings shall fall down before him all nations shall serve him The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my right hand until I make thy enemies thy foot-stool the Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion mark that rule thou in the middest of thine enemies The Lord at thy right hand shall strike thorow Kings in the day of his wrath he shall Judge amongst the heathen he shall fill the places with the dead bodies he shall wound the head over many countries He hath shewed his people the power of his works that he may give them the Heritage of the Heathen Psal 111.6 For thus saith the Lord the redeemer of Israel and his holy one to him whom man despiseth to him whom the nations abhorreth to a servant of rulers Kings shall see and arise Princes also shall worship because of the Lord that is faithful and the holy one of Israel and he shall chuse thee and they shall bow down with their faces towards the earth and lick up the dust of thy feet and thou shalt know that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me For Kings shall minister unto thee for the nation or Kingdome that will not serve thee shall perish yea those nations shall be utterly wasted From these Scriptures with many move that I might add if time would give way to it we may see that God will take away the Kingdomes and Dominions out of the hands of the wicked heathens and give them into the hands of Christ and the Saints that they may possess the heritage of the heathen of which the taking the land of Canaan of old was a type and so Kings to fall down before them this honour shall Christ have and all the Saints praise ye the Lord. And thus I come to the tenth and last Reason that I shall give at present although many more might be given to prove that Christ and the Saints shall receive a Kingdome and raign upon earth which is Reas 10. Because the Scripture saith that there is a world to come to be put in subjection to Christ and the Saints now the word WORLD presupposeth the estate of things as at present in this world namely an inhabitance of men and beasts and of all creatures so as Adam had all things put into subjection so also shall the whole creation be restored to their former dignity Rom. 8. only the Serpent excepted and such men as sell their inheritance by their sins as Esau did his But because I must be brief I shall now give the Scriptures to prove that Christ and the Saints are to have a world to come put in subjection unto them which cannot be meant in heaven for I have already shewed that they shall not have that subjected to them but Christ and the Saints at that time viz. after the Mediator-ship is delivered up to God shall be in subjection themselves as you may see 1 Cor. 15.24 25 26 27 28. So then they having the promise of a world to come to be put in subjection under them implyeth clearly that Christ and the Saints shall raign upon earth or to have a world to come to raign in or the Kingdoms of this world to be altered and become the Kingdoms of Christ and the Saints as I before have proved but to the proof that Christ and the Saints are to have a world to come subjected under them read and peruse these Scriptures and the Lord grant to open thy understanding the Scriptures are thus read unto thee For unto the Angels hath he not put into subjection the world to come whereof we speak but one in a certain place testified saying what is man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of Man that thou shouldest visit him Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet for in that he hath put all things in subjection under him he left nothing that is not put under him but now we see not yet all things put under him but he shall subdue the people under us and the Nation under our feet For whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods And the Saints shall take the Kingdome and possess it for ever neither shall it be given into the hands of another people for ever from whence we may see that Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdome and Raign upon Earth And so I pass to the next Particular saying that I have given thee but a dram at present for what I might give as to this Subject of discourse if time had not prevented me but I hope that what hath been said here being seriously read and weighed will bring other Scriptures into thy mind and so citing the Texts before read unto thee Heb. 2.5 6 8. Psal 33.8 1 Cor. 3.22 Dan. 7.18 Chap. 2.44 I come to the third particular which is the manner of the coming of the Lord and the great slaughter at the taking of the Kingdome The Battel of the great day As touching the Battel of the great day of the God Almighty We find that the Prophets as well as the Apocalepse do bear their Testimony unto the truth thereof so that I need not use much circumlocution or argument to prove it yet in order to the clearing of the matter I shall lay down this point as a ground of the dicourse which is That there will be such a great slaughter at the coming of Christ to take and possess the Kingdome that the very Fouls of the
particular and come to the fifth which is Fifthly The fifth thing is the place into which the Woman is to flie and that I understand is into the Wilderness of Moab that she is to flie into a Wilderness is clear where she is to be hid from the face of the Serpent and to be nourished by the Lord that is by the Lords appointment and that he hath appointed her to flie from the Serpent that she may be hid from his face is clear from the words of the Text Revel 12.14 And secondly we may as plainly know what place she was to hide in or what place was to be her hiding place if we peruse the Scriptures as first that we may see that Moab or the Wilderness of Moab was to be her hiding place read Isa 16.1 3 4 5. in these words Send ye the Lamb to the ruler of the Land from Sela to the Wilderness unto the Mount of the Daughter of Zion take counsel execute judgement make thy shadows as the night in the midst of the noon day hide the outcasts bewray not him that wandreth Let my outcast dwell with thee Moab be thou a cover for them from the face of the spoiler for the extortioner is at an end the spoiler ceaseth the oppressors are consumed out of the Land And in mercy shall the Throne be established and he shall sit upon it in truth in the Tabernacle of David judging and seeking judgment and hastening righteousness c. From these words we may see that as God hath appointed the Woman to flie from the face of the spoiler even so he hath shewed us the place where even in the Wilderness of Moab there is the Lamb or the Present to be sent even to the Wilderness unto the Mount of the Daughter of Zion and that we may know also what Wilderness it is that the Lord sends the Woman into that she may hide her self from the face of the spoiler he tels us it is the Wilderness of Moab saying hide the outcast bewray not him that wandreth let my outcast dwell with thee Moab be thou a cover for them from the face of the spoiler From whence we may plainly see that the place that God had prepared for the Woman to flie into from the face of the Serpent was the Wilderness of Moab I could shew if time would admit how the Lord brought them thither it being as it were a type of things to come when they came out of Egypt when Edâ—m gave them not leave to pass thorow their country it being the place where Balaam was sent for to curse them by Balick King of Moab and what deceit Balick used as a means to destroy them by the counsel of Balaam all which was types of that which will be done to them in the latter day by Moab which causeth the Lord to complain in the very next verse Isa 16.6 against Moab saying we have heard of the pride and wrath of Moab and indeed there be many places as the foregoing chapter and many prophesies more speak of Moabs destruction because of his pride and cruelty against Israel so that the Lord will cause a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter out of Israel to destroy them at last according to Balaams Prophesie Num. 24.17 or at least to smite the corners of Moab and bring them down and this wrath of Moab to Israel is prophesied in several places as in Zeph. 2.8 9 10 11. and in many more but I leave this particular saying according to the text Revel 12. and Mich. 4 the woman was to go or flie out of the City into the field or Wilderness of Moab and to dwell there and Moab to be a hiding place to her from the face of the spoiler where she shall dwell in the field the time before spoken of and then go to Babylon and there be delivered according to the word of the Lord by Mich. 4. and thus we see that the Woman is to flie into the Wilderness yea God hath provided the place for her and allured her thither and will nourish her there Revel 12.17 Hosea 2.14 there is many Scriptures that proveth her being in the Wilderness and also it sheweth what Wilderness it is and that it relates to the very time of the end of Jacobs troubles is very clear I shall cite the Scriptures relating to this thing and so enter upon the sixth particular Isa 32.13 14 15 16 17 18. chap. 43.19.20 Hosea 2.14 Psal 55.5.6 and 74.9.14 and 120.5 Ezek. 20.34 35 36. chap. 34.25.26 Mich. 4.10 Isa 16.1 compared with the 4. chap. 35.1.6 Cant. 8.5 thus desiring thee to search into those Scriptures wherein thou maist see that the Woman before spoken of shall have a place prepared of the Lord in the Wilderness of Moab he having as it were bespoke or took up her quarters before hand saying Moab be thou a hiding place or let my outcast dwell with thee be thou a cover for them from the face of the spoiler and there he speaks comfortably to them and takes away all imperfection from them there that the lame man may leap as an Hart and the feeble amongst them as the Angels of God for there will the Lord speak with them face to face and they shall lay their hands upon Edod and Moab and the children of Ammon shall then obey them So shal he get them fame in all places where they have been put to shame Zeph. 3.19 20. And thus I come to the sixth particular which is the time of her abode in the Wilderness Sixthly As for the time of the Womans abode in the Wilderness and the trouble of the remnant of her seed which remain in Jerusalem I understand to be three years and an half in which time the two witnesses shall prophesie in sackcloath and that it is so read Revel 11.2 3. compared with chap. 12.6.14 and Dan. 7.25 chap. 12.7 in these words And to the Woman was given two wings of a great Eagle that she might flie into the Wilderness into her place where she is nourished for a time and times and halfe a time from the face of the Serpent Hide my outcast let my outcast dwell with thee Moab be thou a cover for them from the face of the spoilers and the Woman fled into the Wilderness where she hath a place prepared of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Send ye the Lamb to the Rulers of the Land from Sela to the Wilderness to the Mount of the Daughter of Zion for the Wilderness and Solitary placâ— shall be glad for them for in the Wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the Desart no Lyon shall be there nor ravenous Beast but the redeemed shall walk there c. Isa 6.1.3.4 chap. 35.1 6 9. From these Scriptures we may see that Moab is the Wilderness or hiding place for Zion into which she is to flee to be hid from the face of the
and therefore are to be taught to know him before they be admitted into that Covenant Again All that are Members of that Covenant have right to the Ordinances of that Covenant as my Antagonist saith but the Lords Supper is an Ordinance of the new Covenant and yet Infants prohibited from that Ordinance as you say O wise Priest where is your understanding got now surely it is brought to nought as God hath said 1 Cor. 1.19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. Reas 4. Again The Fourth Reason why Children may not be Baptized and so brought into Christs House or Vineyard is Because Infants are not capable to labour there and Christ hath none but Laborers there as you may read Matth. 20.1 2 3 4. And the Fifth Reason is Reas 5. Because Infants are not capable to be taught but such as are Baptized must be first taught as Matth. 28.18 19. Mark 16.15 16. Neither did John or Christ or his Apostles baptize any other but such as had been before taught which if they did I humbly crave my Antagonist or any of his Brethren to prove it And if he or they do prove it I do profess in the presence of Almighty God and men to renounce my Judgment in this particular and be of the same Judgment with them and walk in the same steps And so to the Sixth and last Reason to prove that Infants are not fit subjects to be baptized is Reas 6. Because they are not capable to confess their sins nor to know God nor to beleeve in his Name nor to witness a new Birth by shewing the fruits of Regeneration the which qualifications must appear more or less in all that are fit subjects of Baptism as I before have proved And in a word you my Antagonist nor any of your Brethren were never yet able to prove such a practise warrantable by the Word of God And so I pass to the Grounds and Reasons given by my Antagonist and others to prove That Infants are fit subjects to be baptized which is say they Object 1. If the Kingdom of Heaven do belong to Infants then the Ordinances of the Kingdom doth belong unto them but the Kingdom doth belong unto them Therefore the Ordinances of the Kingdom doth belong to them Answ To which I Answer and say That if the Ordinances of the Kingdom do belong to them as my Antagonist saith then is he and the rest of his Brethren in a great evil in denying them the Lords Supper which is as they say an Ordinance of the Kingdom and so they condemn themselves in the things which they know And as for the Kingdom of God it is taken for several things in Scripture it is compared to the preaching of the Gospel as a draw-Net as to Leven to a Merchant and to the Church sometimes though very seldom and to Righteousness and Joy in the holy Ghost and it is compared to the state of Glory or the state of Glory is called by the name of the kingdom of Heaven or the kingdom of God and that Infants as such have right to everlasting life and glory by the righteousness of Christ I never did deny but yet notwithstanding that they can be accounted of as Members of the Kingdom in the other sense that I deny as first They are not Members of the new Covenant and so consequently of the Church because as I have already shewed that none are Members therof but such as know the Lord from the least even unto the greatest and so need no teaching to know the Lord but Infants know not the Lord and therefore are not of the new Covenant or Church of Christ But if you should ask me then how are they saved and by what Covenant I should tell you by that gracious Promise made by God in Gen. 3. in these words the seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head and indeed had not man sinned since the Fall he then should have had no need of Baptism or any other act of obedience as a means of his everlasting peace for Salvation is a free gift of God but when we come to years of maturity and the knowledge of God and then like Adam transgress it we then have forfeited our happiness and hence it comes to pass that we have need of Repentance and Baptism to break off our sins that the forfeit which sin hath laid upon our heavenly inheritance might be removed and then Salvation be given over full into our lap as I may say as at the first namely as a free Gift and Repentance and Baptism is of no use to such as have not sinned against God manifest in Christ the which Infants have not done and therefore no need of Baptism as I in a former Treatise have already shewed more at large Object 2. Secondly The Children of Abraham were to be Circumcised at eight dayes old saith my Antagonist and therefore why may not the Children of Beleevers be baptized about that age Answ To which I Answer and say That God did command that the Children of Abraham should be Circumcised at eight dayes old but hath not commanded the Children of Beleevers to be Baptized at that age which if he hath shew the place of Scripture where it is so written and the Controversie will cease Secondly Remember that there was far greater reason that Infants should be Circumcised than Infants now Baptized because as the first Covenant was a Covenant appertaining to the flesh with carnal Ordinances so the seed that was to enjoy it was a fleshly seed and were to receive Circumcision upon a fleshly account namely that they might be inrighted to dwell in the Land of Canaan in their Fathers house the which without Circumcision they might not do but there is no such damage lyable to the seed of Beleevers being unbaptized so as to be cut off from the Nation or their Fathers house so that as there is not the like command for Beleevers to baptize their Children as there was for Circumcision neither is there the same Reason for it But that you may see this more at large read my Book intituled Dagons Downfal where it is discoursed more at large only this know That such as have Faith the same are accounted the Children of Abraham and the only fit subjects to be baptized for not to Abraham and his seed through the Law was the Promise made of the heavenly inheritance but to his seed that was by Faith For as saith the Apostle Rom. 9.8 The Children of the flesh are not the Children of God but in Isaac viz. Christ shall thy seed be called for ye are all the sons of God by beleeving in Christ Jesus for as many as have been baptized unto Christ have put on Christ and if ye are Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to Promise therefore plead not your right to Gospel or Heavenly Enjoyments by vertue of being the Child of a Beleever for if you were
Ignorance and unbelief being taken away doth entitle Persons as heirs of that heavenly Land And Secondly That Baptism came not in the room or place of Circumcision is plain Because it is impossible for one thing to be said to stand in the room and place of another until the first is taken away but Circumcision and Baptism was practised both together for several years and therefore one could not come in the room and place of the other And so I pass to the next false or supposed ground of Infants Baptism which is Object 8. There never was but one Covenant saith my Antagonist since the Fall and Children were in that Covenant and never cast out and therefore are to be baptized Answ And first that there was two Covenants made with Abraham is clear one in Gen. 12. and the other in Gen. 17. And that God might make it plain that he did make two several Covenants with Abraham he sets it forth by his Wife and Bond-woman and the two Seeds by their two Seeds as saith the Apostle Gal. 4.22 it is written That Abraham had two Sons one by a Bond-woman and the other by the Free-woman and saith the Apostle These are the TWO Covenants And also saith in vers 30. Cast out the Bond-woman and her Son From whence we take notice that one Covenant viz. the fleshly one and her seed was to be cast out to give place to the spiritual one and her Seed which sheweth That there is two Covenants And now that these are two in substance as well as in Administrations we may see the Apostle makes distinction between the Covenant and the Ordinances or the Administrations of the Covenant saying Verily the first Covenant had Ordinances of divine service and a worldly sanctuary c. And the Apostle further saith That the Administrations of the second Covenant was far better it being spiritual Administrations and the other carnal but because I have spoken before of this also I shall be brief saying That carnal administrations cannot be the administrations of a spiritual Covenant For as it is said in another sense a good Tree cannot bring forth evil fruit but the administrations of the Covenant was faulty and carnal by your own grant how then could it be a spiritual Covenant but that Covenant and Administrations and Seed was carnal and faulty and must be cast out is clear for the Scripture is plain Cast out the Bond-woman viz. the first Covenant and her Seed and touch not her Ordinances or Administrations for they are carnal and were but shadows of good things to come But saith my Antagonist I can prove that there is Five Covenants as well as you can prove that there is Two as one with Noah and one with Abraham and one with David and the like I Answer That was but a speaking over again or making known his Covenant to these several men but that I may try you I pray resolve where the Scripture is written that saith there is Five Covenants or Three the Scripture saith plainly that there is Two as a New and an Old Covenant a better and a worse a first and a second one faulty and one perfect but the Scripture no where saith that there is Five nay or Three so then you are seen and found to be at a loss And because I have shewed formerly what these Two Covenants are I pass only take notice of an Objection in this particular which is say you Object If the first Covenant was but an earthly one with earthly blessings what so great a hurt was it for the Jews to be cut off and we Gentiles to be grafted in and what is all our blessings temporal for we are grafted into that stock from whence they were cut off away say you Answ To which I Answer and say That methinks here you shew your self to be subtil or very simple which of them you are guilty of in this case I shall not determine but by your flourishing it appears to be simplicity for Solomon saith That a Fool rages and is confident But did you indeed dream that the stock from whence the Jews was cut was any of the Covenants no such thing surely but the stock was Abraham that is to say The Ax was laid to the root of the Trees to cut those off that had not Faith and to raise up another seed to Abraham as John the Baptist nay also as the Prophet before had said and so did of stones as it were viz. the Gentiles raise up Children to Abraham for he was the stock and not the Covenant as you blindly did conceive for as Ishmael was cut off from Abrahams house so was Hagar also and Isaac was placed with Sarah in her room for so soon as Sarah had brought forth Seed to Abraham then Ishmael and Hagar must go both packing together and Sarah and Isaac must only live with Abraham These are the Two Covenants go learn what it means that you may distinguish better between Stock and Covenant another time And so I pass to the next and last Objection which at present I shall make use of which is Object 9. Although there be no plain Precept or Example for Infants Baptism yet it is no where forbidden that Infants should be baptized say you And there is no Command nor Example for Womens eating of the Lords Supper and yet is lawful having good consequence leading thereunto Answ To which I Answer And first to the First Although it be not forbidden in so many words saying Thou shalt not Baptize thy Children yet it is vertually prohibited in the words written by St. Paul in Col. 2.21 22. and many other places it being an Invention of Man and not from an Appointment of God as I before have shewed For consider that there is many things that men practise pretending service to God which is no where forbidden in so many words and yet is mans Tradition and Vain I shall only mention Two or Three at present as your former practise viz. The sign of the Cross in Baptism and your Surplices and such vain Fangles And also the present Practises of the Church of Rome which Baptize their Books and Bells and use Cream Salt and Spittle and several such foolish Ceremonies in Baptism and in their other kinds of Worship such vain Traditions And will any wise man account this to be a warrantable Worship and Service to God although it be their antient practise surely no yet notwithstanding if you look into the Scriptures there is no Text that saith Thou shalt not sign with the Cross or use Surplices or baptize Books or Bells or use Cream or Salt or Spittle in baptism there 〈◊〉 no Text that saith in so many words thou shalt not do any of these things only a general prohibition which comprehendeth all these particulars and many more Touch not Taste not Handle not the Traditions of men the which either of these are as well as Infants Baptism and therefore
secondly because time also at present will not give leave in reference to other occasions I only hinted at these few things to caution the courteous Reader to take heed and try well what doctrine he doth receive before he receiveth it And as touching the Resurrection of the body even the same body out of the dust thou hast heard already proved but peradventures some may object and say Object That flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdome of heaven Answ To that and such like Objections I briefly answer and say That this no whit contradicts that men after they be risen shall be flesh blood and bones if we consider that the same Apostle opens the meaning of his words in the very next verse by saying neither doth corruption inherit incorruption shewing that his meaning is that that corruption of flesh and blood or flesh and blood corrupted shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven until that corruption hath put on incorruption so then while it is corrupted flesh and blood it cannot enter into the kingdome of Heaven for no corrupt thing shall come there yet notwithstanding man which is flesh and bone is at this time in Heaven and so shall many more after the Resurrection inherit that glory and yet shall be flesh and bones for man was created so at the first before he was corrupted and shall be so namely flesh and bone after his corruption is taken away for when he ceaseth to be flesh and bone then he will cease also to be man unless man can consist and have a being without flesh and bone which cannot be Moreover the text it self may be read and doth well bear it thus For this I say unto you bretheren that the corrupt nature or infirmity OF MAN cannot enter into the kingdome of God For so the Original will bear it from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and being so read it lyeth without Objection for I have ever affirmed that the corruption or infirmity of man shall not enter into the kingdome of God but shall be taken away before that time And where it is said That that which thou sowest thou sowest not the same body that shall be but God giveth it a body as pleaseth him To which I answer and say that it is true it is not the same body which is sown in respect of corruption for the text saith that it is sown in corruption and it is raised in incorruption and so it is true in that sence that the Apostle speaks of that is it is not the body of corruption which is raised although every seed shall have its own body only the corruption taken away and this is the meaning of the Apostle in this place Object And as touching that objection spoken by Job 7.9 in these words As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more Answ To which I answer and say That these texts of Scripture are the most material ones that I know of whereby the Resurrection may be denyed although some other seem to shew a colour unto it and that we may see that this Scripture intends no such thing as some would have it to do even to deny that the same body shall arise and enter into the kingdome of God read the next verse and that will shew you that Job means that men which die shall rise no more so as to be known as men after the flesh as men that have taken a great journey and be long absent do return and possess their houses and habitations but man shall not so arise as to possess his former house or habitation and this appears to be Jobs meaning as from verse the 10. in these words He shall return no more to his house neither shall his place know him any more So then this 10 verse expounds Jobs meaning in the 9 verse or otherwise Job sadly contradicts himself so that we cannot tell when he speaks the truth for he doth frequently declare the Resurrection of the body as in Chapter 14.12 and 14. Chapter 19.26 27. These things considered I shall only add a Use of Comfort to those that do believe that all that are asleep in the dust shall come to a Resurrection to receive what they have done in the body whether good or evil and being perswaded thereof do wait all their dayes in the right way of the Lord until their change come even to such the Scripture speaks much comfort for they shall be exalted to inherit the earth in the morning of their Resurrection they shall have dominion over the wicked and they shall be as ashes under the soles of their feet when those that have walked wisely shall shine as the Firmament and they that have turned many to righteousness as stars for ever and ever therefore know that although the wrath of man may possibly lay thee in the dust yet from thence the Lord will bring thee and set thee with Princes and put a Crown of Righteousness upon thine head and make thee inherit the throne of glory Psal 37.34 and Psal 49.14 15 16. Dan. 12.3 4. Mal. 4.2 3. 1 Sam. 2.8 1 Pet. 5.3 4 5. 2 Tim. 4.6 7 8. Revel 14.12 13. Chap. 20.5 6 7 8. And thus I pass from this subject of Discourse and come to the next which is The love of God to all men in giving of his Son to bring them to a Resurrection and after that to an eternal weight of glory if they sell it not for the pleasure and glory of this present world as Esau sould his birth-right for a mess of pottage and so he received not the blessing Gods Love to Man-kind DISCOVERED AS touching Gods universal Love to the Sons of Men or the whole lump of Man-kind I need not spend much time about for the Scriptures are full and the truth thereof is written as I may say in Capital Letters so that he that runs may read and see the truth thereof and therefore I shall be brief as to this Subject of Discourse and in order to the clearing of it I shall lay down this Position as the ground-work to the Discourse which is That Gods Love was so great to the Lump of Man kind viz. the whole World that he gave his only begotten Son to Death to bring all men to a Resurrection and to an Eternal weight of Glory the which glory all men shall enjoy if they sell it not by their sins Or thus in short Jesus Christ tasted death for every Man and Woman And that this is truth read these few Scriptures as first Heb. 2.9 in these words We see Jesus who was made a little lower then Angels for the suffering of death was crowned with glory and honour that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man From whence we may learn that Jesus Christ did die for all men or the whole lump or quantity of man as it is rendred from
Christ to be revealed from Heaven which is the glorious estate of Christ and the Saints upon earth which hath been foretold by the mouths of the Prophets and also of the Lord Christ himself and his holy Apostles that through their words together with the holy Spirit sent down from God into our hearts which bears witness to the same truth we might have strong consolation thorow laying hold upon the hope set before us and therein wait for the Son of God to be revealed from Heaven who is heir of all things even the world present and that which is to come thorow whom also we have obtained by promise an inheritance being predestinated to be made Kings and Priests and to raign upon the earth And in order to the clearing of this truth I shall lay down this Point or Position which is That Christ and the Saints are to receive and possess a Kingdome and raign upon Earth This I shall prove first by plain text of Scripture and secondly by reasons drawn from Scripture and thirdly the manner how Christ shall take the Kingdome fourthly a few words as touching the distance of time between the Resurrection of the just and unjust fifthly the place of Christs Kingly seat sixthly how long Christ shall raign and the estate and condition of the wicked in the time of Christs raign And first to prove That Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdome and to raign upon earth which is clear from the Scriptures proved for so saith the Prophet Dan. 7.13 14 18. in these words And I saw in the night a vision and behold one like the son of man came with or in the cloudes of Heaven and came to the ancient of dayes and they brought him neer before him and there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome that all People Nations and languages should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away but the Saints of the most high shall possess the Kingdome for ever From these words we may safely conclude That Christ and the Saints shall receive and possess a Kingdome and raign for so saith the Prophet Isai 32.1 in these words Behold a King shall raign in righteousness meaning the Christ and Princes meaning the Saints shall rule in Judgment To which also agreeth the words of the Prophet Obadiah vers 21. which saith And Saviours shall come upon Mount Zion and Judge the mount of Esau when the kingdome shall be the Lords And that this kingdome shall be upon earth and the Saints raign with Christ there you may take notice of these Scriptures for the proof and so I shall pass to the reasons drawn from Scripture the Scriptures are thus read He maketh warr to cease to the ends of the earth he breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder be still and know that I am God I will be exalted amongst the heathen I will be exalted in the earth Clap your hands all ye people shout to God with the voyce of triumph for the Lord most high is exalted he is exalted he is a great King over all the earth he shall subdue the people under us and the nations under our feet God is gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of a trumpet sing praise to God for God is the king of all the earth God raigneth over the heathen for the shield of the earth belongeth unto the Lord for behold he cometh to Judge the earth the Lord raigneth bring those mine enemies that will not that I shall raign over them and slay them before me Psal 98.9 and Psal 99.1 Luke 19.14 27. From these words we may see that Christ and the Saints shall receive and possess a kingdome and raign upon the earth for it is plain from what hath been said that the shield of the earth belongeth unto Christ and that he shall raign upon earth the which as yet he never did but was as a servant unto all men when he was upon earth and did also suffer which is a vast difference from raigning but he shall take to himself his great power and raign and so shall his people as they now suffer with Christ or for Christ so they shall raign with him and that their raign shall be upon earth read the word of the Lord for the proof of it as you may find it written by Saint John Rev. 5.9 10. in these words And they sang a new song saying thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God out of every kindred and tongue and people and nations and hast made us unto our God Kings and Preists and we shall raign upon earth From these words with the precedent we may see that Christ and the Saints shall receive a kingdome and raign upon earth the which proveth the truth of the Point before laid down viz. That the raign of Christ and his People c. But as touching the raign of Christ and his people many will consent to but withall say it is to be understood either spiritual here or otherwise in Heaven To which I answer and say That the Saints shall not raign while they live in this mortal body is plain because the Scripture saith that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 And also that thorow many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of God and if so then it is plain that the Saints cannot be understood to raign here because here they are to fill up the sufferings that are behind of Christ and persons cannot be said to suffer and raign at one and the same time And secondly there is not one Scripture that I at present know of nor I believe none else which saith that Christ and the Saints shall raign in Heaven but the Scripture saith that when the Mediator-ship shall be delivered up into the hands of the Father then shall the Son himself be in subjection unto the Father and then shall God himself be all in all but it is plain and I shall make it yet more plain that the Scripture saith That Christ and the Saints shall raign upon earth And now I shall come to give you the Reasons of the Position or Point before mentioned viz. That Christ with his Saints shall possess a Kingdome and raign upon earth and the first reason is Reas 1. Because the Scripture saith it is a Kingdome under and not a kingdome in heaven as you may read in the Prophesie of Dan. 7.27 in these words And the kingdome and dominion and greatness of the kingdome VNDER the whole heaven mark that shall be given into the hands of the people of the Saints of the most high whose kingdome is to be an everlasting kingdome and all dominions shall serve and obey him From whence you may see that there is a day a coming that Christ and the Saints shall receive
upon the earth Selah Then shall the earth yeeld her increase and God even our God shall bless us and all the ends of the earth shall fear him for the Lord shall be King over all the earth From these Scriptures we may see that the Lord is to dwell with men even to come down and dwell with them it is not said that man shall dwell with God implying a removing of their place but the Tabernacle of God to be with men and he to dwell with them implying that God will remove his habitation But peradventure some may say will the Lord come and dwell with us upon a corrupt carnal earth To which I answer and first Christ did dwell with his Disciples upon the earth and eat with them after his Resurrection what will that teach us weigh it well But secondly the earth then shall be more pure then the Heavens are now for the earth shall be clean in his sight and very good as he at first made them when the restorer shall have restored all things for then the curse will be taken away but as saith Eliphaz Job 15.15 The heavens are not clean in his sight I might speak of Gods dislike of it by reason of the Angels transgression But you will say there shall be a new heaven as well as a new earth I answer it is true where ever Gods seat is there is Heaven but Gods seat shall then be upon earth in Jerusalem where he was shadowed out of old and hence Jerusalem is called by the Prophet Isa 65.17 18 19. the new Heaven in these words Behold I create a new Heaven and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind but be you glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy and I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be heard no more in her nor the voyce of crying From these words we may see what is to be understood by the new Heaven and new Earth spoken of in the 21 Chapter of the Revel and what is to be understood of the Tabernacle of God being with men and he to dwell with them even the Lord of Hosts in his holy mountain at Jerusalem And Saviours shall come upon mount Zion viz. Saints to Judge the mount of Esau when the Kingdome shall be the Lords and so I pass to the seventh Reason to prove that Christ and the Saints shall receive a Kingdom and raign upon earth which is Reas 7. Seventhly Because Christ hath commanded us to pray for it even that his Kingdom might come that his will might be done in Earth as it is in Heaven For there is a time coming that it shall be so and the earth shall be full of the knowledg of the Lord as water covereth the Sea when the Law shall go forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem now till that day there will be weakness and imperfection amongst the godly that the will of God sometimes will be opposed and resisted but at that time there shall be no sin or disobedience amongst the godly for if they seek for sin in Judah there shall be none found for they shall defile themselves no more with any of their detestable things for all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto the Lord and all the kindreds of the Nations shall worship before thee for the Kingdoms is the Lords he is the governour amonst the Nations Psal 22.27 28. Ezekiel 37. Matth. 6.10 Micah 4. From hence we may see that Christ is to have a Kingdom and raign and govern the Nations upon the earth at which time his will shall be done upon earth as the Angels do it in Heaven and this Kingdom also is the Saints it being the good pleasure of the Father to give it unto them as saith Christ Luke 12.32 So then Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdom and raign upon earth And so I pass to the eighth reason to prove Christ and his Saints to raign upon earth which is Reas 8. Eightly Because the Scripture saith that God will raise up unto David a righteous branch viz. Christ who shall have the Government upon his shoulders and execute Judgment and Justice in the earth mark that and in his dayes Judah shall be saved which yet is not and Israel shall dwell safely and the Saints shall shout for joy and the wicked shall be as ashes under the soles of their feet for God will make Zion as a threshing of Iron having teeth which shall beat the mountains of oposition into dust and the little hills into powder And that there shall be such a righteous branch rise up to David who shall give his people rest and a Kingdom and dominion that they may raign with him upon earth read these Scriptures and peruse them well Jer. 23.5 6. in these words Behold the day cometh saith the Lord that I will raise up unto David a righteous branch and a King shall raign and prosper and shall execute Judgment and Justice in the EARTH in his day Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESSE From these words we see that the Son of David namely the Lord Christ our Righteousness is to be King and that over all the earth to execute Judgment and Justice therein and at that time or in the dayes of his raign Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely that is God will restore as before said their Judges as at the first viz. the Saints who will judge them in righteousness for the shield of the earth belongeth unto the Lord for so saith the Prophet Isa 9.6 7. in these words For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wounderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order it and to establish it with Judgment and with Justice from henceforth even for ever From whence we see that if Davids Kingdome was upon earth then Christ will have a Kingdom upon earth for it is to be upon the throne of his Father David and that is the sure mercies of David that he was never to want a man to sit upon his throne meaning that Christ was to sit there but more of that anon Hence you may see that Christ is to receive a Kingdom and raign upon earth and his Saints with him for they are joynt heirs that in suffering with him they may also be glorified together and raign with him according to the Scriptures Rom. 8.17 2 Tim. 2.12 And so I pass to the ninth Reason to prove that
Heavens shall be filled with the flesh and bloud of Captaines and great men of the earth For thus saith the Prophet Ezek. 39.17 18. And thou son of man thus saith the Lord God speak unto every feathered foul and to every beast of the field Assemble your selves and come gather your selves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel that ye may eat flesh and drink blood Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the Princes of the earth and ye shall eat fat till ye be full and drink blood till ye be drunken of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you And all the heathen shall see my Judgment that I have executed and my hand that I have laid upon them Revel 19.17 And I saw an Angel standing in the Sun and he cryed with a loud voyce saying to all the fouls that flie in the midst of Heaven come and gather your selves together unto the Supper of the great God That ye may eat the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captains and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all men small and great bond and free From these Scriptures you may see that there is to be a very great slaughter at the time when the Lord Christ shall take his Kingdome to Raign upon Earth and several Prophets also bear their testimony to this thing as Isa 34.5 6. Joel 2.1 2 3 4. But because of the want of time I pass to the reasons of the point Reason 1. Because the Scripture saith that God will give him viz. Christ the heathen for his inheritance and he shall bruise them like a potters vessel Psal 2. and we also see what the Psalmist saith of Christs victory over his enemies Psal 110.5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike thorow Kings in the day of his wrath he shall Judge amongst the heathen he shall fill the places with the dead bodies he shall wound the heads over many Countries for saith he I will tread them down in my anger and trample them in my fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments and I will stain all my rayment for the day of vengeance is in my heart and the year of my redeemed is come from whence we see that Christ is not only to take the Kingdomes of the whole World into his hands but also to trample the wicked as ashes under the soles of his feet and so I pass to the second reason Reason 2. Because the Lord hath said that the destruction of the Assyrian viz. the man of sin or Antichrist shall be like the slaughter of Midian at the Rock Orib Isa 10.24 25 26. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Hosts O my people that dwell in Zion be not afraid of the Assyrian he shall smite thee with a Rod and shall lift up his staff against thee after the manner of Egypt for yet a very little while and the indignation shall cease and mine anger in their destruction and the Lord of Hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the Rock Orib now that you may understand what that slaughter was you may read Judg. 7.22 Where we find that the Lord set every mans hand against his brother so that they destroyed each other with a very great slaughter and so it will be in the day of the Lord for when they see the great unavoydable judgments which shall overtake them and that the mountains will be too narrow a covering for them then will their indignation be kindled one against another so as to destroy each other as you may see from that type in the dayes of Gideon and also from the words of the Prophet Ezek. 38.18 19 20 21 22. which saith it shall come to pass at the same time when Gogg shall come up against the Land of Israel saith the Lord God that my fury shall come up in my face For in my jealousie and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken Surely in that day shall there be a great shaking in the Land of Israel So that the fish of the Sea and the fouls of the heaven and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creepeth upon the earth and all men that are upon the face of the earth shall shake at my presence and the mountains shall be thrown down and the steep places shall fall and every wall shall fall to the ground And I will call for a sword against him thorow all my mountains saith the Lord God every mans sword shall be against his brother And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood and I will rain upon him and upon his bands and upon the many people that are with him an overflowing rain and great hailstones fire and brimstome Thus will I magnifie wy self and so forth from these words with the Prophet Zach. 14.13 We may see that there will be a very great slaughter upon Gogg and his Army at the time when the Lord Christ shall dispossess him of his great power and authority and it will be like to that slaughter of Gideon which was called the sword of the Lord and the sword of Gideon Judg. 7.18 Reason 3. That there is to be such a great slaughter is clear because it is to be like the great slaughter of Jehoshaphat upon Moab Ammon and Mount Seir 2 Chron. 20.22 23 24. which was a very great slaughter as you may read in the fore cited text and that this slaughter was a type of the slaughter that shall be at the time when Christ shall take the Kingdome you may see what Joel saith to this Joel 3.1 12 13. For behold in those dayes and in that time when I shall bring again the Captivity of Judah and Jerusalem I will gather all Nations and will bring them down unto the valley of Jehoshaphat and will plead with them there let the heathen be awakned and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat for there will I sit to Judge the heathen round about proclaim ye amongst the Gentiles prepare war beat your Plowshears into swords and your pruning hooks into spears put you in the sickle for the harvest is ripe and the Angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God and the winepress was troden without the City and blood came out of the winepress even to the horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs Revel 14.19 20. From whence we may see that there is to be a very great slaughter in and amongst the Army of Gogg and Magog I could cite many such like texts only time suffereth me not but I pass to the fourth reason Reason 4. Because it is to
he appears to be an hypocrite even a drunkard or a fornicator or the like now will you admit of that man although formerly he had communion with you to have communion with you now when he appears both to you and all men that behold him to be a scandalous and prophane man I hope not and if another man of the great or little Bodies as you call them should proffer to have communion with you whom you judge godly would you not admit of him surely yea and if so consider at your leisure how much less this is than receiving and rejecting taking in and casting out binding and loosing consider well if yours were a congregation approved of by Christ the danger of such as ye reject and the benefit of such as ye admit of and indeed my opinion is that the great reason why ye do not practise that Ordinance is because if you did then you would be necessitated to receive in and cast out or otherwise you would have such a communion as the very worldlings would hisse at but now that you may shuffle a company together of all sorts and inlarge your Tents rather than you would let go some the which you would be ashamed of if yours were a communion of Saints you let go Christs Ordinance and so condemn your self in the things that you allow and indeed I do profess it seems very strange to me that any man that hath but a face of zeale in Religion and godliness that they will associate themselves with you in spiritual things for I do assure you that I should be very cautious how I had any communion with a man that liveth in the breach of that which he knoweth to be his duty to do fearing that he that makes but little conscience or indeed no conscience in one duty will make as little conscience in another provided it be inconsistant with his credit or reputation But to pass these things I shall give an argument to prove the continuation of receiving and rejecting binding and loosing which is If there be such a conjunction between keeping the Lords Supper and receiving and rejecting as that the Lords Supper cannot remain practicable and to be practised so as to be approved of God without it then receiving in and casting out is as perpetual as the Lords Supper But there is such a conjunction between the keeping of the Lords Supper and receiving and rejecting so that the Lords Supper cannot remain practicable and to be practised so as to be approved of by God without it Ergo the Ordinance of receiving and rejecting is as perpetual as the Lords Supper and one to attend the other The major is undeniable that is to say in short thus if receiving in and casting out be an Ordinance of such consequence as the Lords Supper cannot remain to be practised without it then it of necessity will follow that if one remain practicable so doth the other and Mr. Henden saith one doth remain namely the Lords Supper And the minor I shall prove that one cannot remain practicable without the other that is to say that without receiving into the Church and casting out of the Church the Ordinance of the Lords Supper cannot remain practicable and practised so as the Lord will approve of it and if so receiving into communion and casting out viz. binding and loosing is perpetuated and to remain as well as the Lords Supper but now to prove the minor namely that the Lords Supper cannot remain practised so as to be approved of by God without receiving in and casting out is first persons must have a time to be received into the visible Church of Christ one way or other unless persons are born members of Christs Church the which I think none will affirm because Christ saith that unless a man be borne again he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God for that which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of Spirit is Spirit marvel not that I say unto thee that thou must be borne again And that it was the practice of the primitive Churches to receive in her members is clear from these Scriptures and many more that might be added Rom. 15.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. 2 Cor. 7.2 Gal. 4.13 14. 3 John 10. So that if there be not a continual adding to the Church daily such as shall be saved then Christs House will be quickly empty Secondly If there be not also a casting out the Lords Supper cannot remain practised so as the Lord will accept of it for the Lord hath commanded that if any be a fornicator or covetous or extortioner or an idolator or a drunkard or a railor that the Church should not have communion with him no not with such an one to eat and that there hath been such in the Church of God and have been cast out when they have been discovered read 1 Cor. 5. from the first verse to the 12. and that it is so in our dayes is plainly seen that there be some that seem to walk a while as Christians and then who can deny them the Lords Supper and not long after do shew themselves wicked and prophane and then who dares to administer it unto them and who dares to eat with them because the Lord hath forbid it And therefore to say that the Churches may and ought to break bread viz. eat the Lords Supper at such a time as she hath lost her power to deal with the wicked and scandalous so far as to exclude them is no less than to say that Christ is a transgressor in building the things the which he hath destroyed and will not the Church then be a cage of all manner of unclean birds or is it not as frequently seen that there be apostates in our dayes as in the primitive age and in short take this maxime that take either a Common-wealth without its power in government namely power to bind and loose in Civils and a Family without its power in government and a Church of Christ without its power in government and you shall see that the best of it will be a lump of confusion and at the end come to destruction or be a desolation so then the sum of all is this in short that if the Ordinance of the Lords Supper be perpetuated and to ramain in the greatest times of apostacy then the power of the Church also did remain because it is impossible for persons to eat the Lords Supper so as for God to approve of it if the Church have not power to exclude offenders because with such the Church may not eat nor have no fellowship in Spiritual things 2 Cor. 6. And that such were and will be found in the visible Church till they be purged out the Scriptures and our experience witnesseth daily from whence we may see that if the Church have not lost that precious Ordinance of the Lords Supper neither hath she lost her keyes of binding and loosing
secret Chamber and that we may come to understand it let us observe the text as it is written Mat. 24.4 5 23 24 25 26 27 28. in these words And Jesus said unto them viz. his Disciples Take heed that no man deceive you For many shall come in my name saying I AM CHRIST and deceive many Then if they shall say unto you Loe here is Christ or there beleeve it not For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great Signs and Wonders insomuch as if it were possible they should deceive the very elect Behold I have told you before Wherefore if they shall say unto you behold he is in the desart go not forth behold he is in the secret Chamber beleeve it not For as the lightening cometh out of the East and shineth into the West so shall also the coming of the Son of man be For wheresoever the carcasse is there will the Eagles be gathered together In Order to the opening of this Text I shall devide it into several parts and the first is the Caution that Christ giveth to his Disciples which is Take heed saith he that no man deceive you and the reason is because many shall come in my name and say I am Christ and deceive many the word Take heed that no man deceive you is not only to be understood the Disciples in that Age but in all Ages successively Secondly Observe the Word saying I am Christ Which relates to a Person and not to a Fabrick or a Model more especially because we know that Christ is to come as a single person as a Glorified man and therefore such as would feign him so as to make persons believe that they are Christ must come as a single Person although with attendance as he is to come And secondly because we know that it hath been the practise of some already who have given out of themselves that they were some great one even the Lord or he that is to be King of the Jews as BENCHOCAB and HACKIT as hath been already mentioned and more that might be mentioned besides in our dayes he that professed himself to be the great one or King of the Jews and drawed Disciples after him who lived in a Tent near Rochester known to be truth together with the late professed Christ neer Bristol who was adored in the streets as was creditably spoken of such as heard it with tho name HOSANNA BLESSED IS HE THAT COMETH IN THE NAME OF THE LORD Thirdly Because that the Scripture sheweth that it is to be a person and not a fabrick or model or form of worship false in its constitution as first from Dan 8.23 24 25. compared with 2 Thes 2.3 4 5 6 7 8 9. for the Antichrist denyeth saith St. John the Father and the Son and he is an Antichrist that so doth and St. Paul saith that HE shall deny all that is called God or worshipped as God And we know that Rome it self doth acknowledge God and worship him although in a false manner but the Antichrist shall deny both the Father and Son and will not admit that any shall be worshipped as God but himself shewing himself that he is God and to bring his design about he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand saith the Prophet Daniel which is a person coming with signs and lying wonders 2 Thes 2.3 4 5 6. compared with Revel 13.18 19 20 31. agreeing with the Text it self Mat. 24.24 which saith For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets not false constituted Churches and shall shew great signs and wonders c. From whence we may see that the Antichrist or false Christ is a person or persons and not a false worship Fourthly and Lastly it cannot be understood a form of worship or a people set down to worship God in a form because the Text saith if they say loe here is Christ or there believe it not implying thus much that Christ was not to be found here nor there that is no where in any form or worship in no Church whatsoever and if this be true then to be sure Christ is not to be found in Mr. Hendens form for Mr. Henden hath a form which he pretends he worships God in to wit a form of meeting together a form of preaching of praying of praising and a form of Baptisme and the Lords Supper if he were true to his principles which is either a form of worship or a lump of confusion for what is without form in point of visible worship is confusion And what if Mr. Hendens Judgment were true that is to say if the Church were in the Desart or Wilderness hath Christ left his Church there alone without his spiritual presense surely no he hath said and is faithful that he will never leave and forsake his Church so that wheresoever there be but two or three gathered together in his name he will be present with them and was he not with the Church in the Wilderness Acts 7.38 yea surely it is not rationally thought that Christ will not be found in his own worship by such as worship him in truth and righteousness of heart so then the Text cannot be interpreted as Mr. Henden interprets it because Christ is to be found here and there and indeed every where in his spiritual presense where two or three meet together in his name if it be in the Desart or Wilderness he will be there for he was with his Church in the Wilderness and is the same yesterday to day and for ever And therefore it cannot rationally be understood as Mr. Henden interprets it and thus I pass what hath been said to the Text by Mr. Henden and in the next place shall shew you my opinion briefly upon the Text which is In this Text I observe many things which were necessary to be spoken to if I had time because it holds correspondency with Daniel Joel Zechariah and the Revelations but I shall only meddle with the point in controversie namely First What may be understood by the false Christ and false Prophets and of their signs and wonders Secondly Of the Desart or secret chambers Thirdly Of the coming of the Son of man like lightning Fourthly and Lastly of the carkass and the Eagles being gathered unto it and these in order briefly and first to the first which is The false Christs and false Prophets I understand to be persons who will come before the coming of the Lord Jesus in the Clouds in power great glory will affirm that they are the Christ which was to come the which some have done already but that I conceive to be only the working of the mystery of iniquity which began in the Apostles dayes as St. Paul and St. John declares 2 Thes 2.7 8. 1 John 2.18 19. chap. 4.3 and that the height of that iniquity centereth in that Beast and false Prophet spoken of in Revel 13.4 5 to the sixteenth
chap. 19.19 20. compared with Daniel where he is called a vile Person with the Thessalonians where he is called the Man of Sin in Ezekiel where he is called Gogg and again with Daniel where he is called the little Horn and a King of a fierce countenance understanding dark sentences who shall speak miraculous things against the God of Gods denying all that is called God and worshipped siting in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God and the signs and wonders spoken of in the Text is those miracles spoken of in Dan. 8.25 Revel 13.13 14 15 16. chap. 16.14 chap. 19.20 and more that might be added I shall only speak but a little to it more because I have spoken of it more at large in my book intituled Zions Redemption Original Sin wherein also I have shewn the difference between the Romish Babylon the Antichrist shewing them to be two one different from the other But at present I say that the cause of these false Christs working signs and wonders will be to deceive the elect viz. the Jews who are commonly called in Scripture the elect that it is that people namely the Jews which he will endeavour to deceive read Dan. 11. ult chap. 12.1 2 7. Zech. 14.1 2 3. And his Throne shall be in Jerusalem amongst the Jews as I have before proved and the Jews looking for Jesus to come according to Daniels and Isaiah's Prophesie which saith Dan. 7.10 Fiery streams issued and come forth from before him thousand thousands ministred unto him c. and the Man of Sin or the false Christ shall have thousand thousands to minister unto him For his Army shall be very great and that he may also have fiery streams issue before him that he may make the Jews believe that he is the true Christ and thereby if it were possible deceive the Jews viz. the elect he causeth fire to come down from Heaven in the sight of men to deceive them that live upon the face of the earth Revel 13.13 at which time the two Prophets shall begin their Prophesie that they may establish the Jews in the Testimony of Jesus and they shall work miracles indeed such as shall destroy all the former ones wrought by the false Christ like as Moses and Aarons Rod eat up the Rods of the Magicians in Egypt and as the false Christ shall have a false Prophet or false Prophets that shall bear their Testimony for the false Christ who will practise lying signs and wonders even so the true Christ shall have two witnesses or Prophets who in truth uprightness shal bear their Testimony for the true Christ who not long after will descend upon the Mount of Olives Zech. 14.4 which true Prophets shall as aforesaid do such things and miracles that shall not only eat up or destroy the other that were false but shall be a sore punishment to the Beast and false Prophet and all that have received his mark in their hand or fore-head that these Prophets and things shall stand up and be done in the very end of time as I may say is clear read the fore mentioned Prophets and compare them together and you shall see it to be true althought I do not deny but there may have been some things done in the World already like it in one sense or another but the fulfilling of these Prophets are to be expired very near the second and glorious coming of the Lord Jesus thus I shall pass to the second thing fore mentioned which is The Desart or secret Chamber I understand is his viz. the false Christ confining himself to a private place to that end that he may be the more sought after and adored for the more privately he contains himself the more he will be sought after for mens faâ—cies are set much upon novelties hence the certain GREEK sought to see Jesus John 12.20 And many have a desire to see great ones and more especially if they be confined to privacy but if he be publick he may pass again and again and not be so sought after because they then can see and confer with him when they please Secondly It is a great means to deceive for those that are admitted to see his majesty it 's a thousand to one if they be not deceived partly by doting upon his majesty and partly by going contrary to Gods Word gadding in their minds after vanity and to this end he confines himself to secresie into secret places at his first coming but saith Christ behold I have told you before go not after HIM this brings me to the third particular which is his reason why they shall not go to see a Christ in a Desart or secret Chamber which is Thirdly because saith Christ as the lightening cometh out of the East and shineth even unto the West or from one end of Heaven to the other so shall also the coming of the Son of man be The lightening I understand to be the Sun which lighteneth the Earth rising in the East and shining even unto the West or from one end of Heaven to the other as Luke hath it but if so be that some should understand this lightening as comits or common lightening which is usual in hot wether and in times of thunder and the like It cannot be so understood because that such lightening cometh as often out of the South and West and somtimes North as out of the East and also is so far from being seen from the East even unto the West that somtimes it is seen to be tempestuous lightening wether in one neighbouring Land and not in another and in one County and not in another if not in one parish somtimes and not in another but this lightening shineth from the East even to the West from one end of Heaven unto another the which is to be understood the Sun in the Firmament which lighteneth the earth even from the East unto the West The Scripture discovering her rising in the East and shining unto the West and the glory of the Lord seen like unto the rising of the Sun that shineth into the West and filleth the earth with her light and glory Isa 45.6 chap. 59.19 But let it be the Sun in the Firmament or other lightening yet the matter lyeth here that Jesus Christs coming is not in obscurity but as a light that cometh out of the East and shineth unto the West or shineth from one end of Heaven to another the sequel of the matters is that the Christ that is to be seen in a Desart or secret Chamber namely in a private place is far from being the true Christ that they need not say when the true Christ comes let us go here or there namely into a Desart or secret Chamber or Mountain to see him but he shall be seen at once as the Sun that riseth in the East and is seen by all even to the West without going into Desarts or Chambers or
Truth and Innocency Prevailing against Error and Insolency Wherein is Examined and Discovered these following PARTICULARS I. Whether Baptism be Sprinkling or Dipping II. Whether the Subject to be Baptised be Infants or Believers III. Whether the punishment of Original Sin be the first or second Death IV. Whether Man be in an immortal estate before the Resurrection V. As touching the Resurrection whether these Bodies of ours shall rise again be made immortal or whether it will be another Body VI. Of Gods Love to the whole Lump of Mankind made known VII Of the Personal Raign of our blessed Saviour upon Earth It being occasioned by way of Answer to Mr. Hezekiah Holland sometimes Preacher at Sutton-Valence in Kent Whereunto also is Added A SECOND PART Wherein is proved That all the Laws and Statutes of King Jesus in his last Will and Testament are practicable and to be practised by all the Lords People according to their several abilities until the worlds end with many Objections Answered It being an Answer to one Mr. Simon Hendon of Benenden in Kent By George Hammon Pastor to the Church of Christ in Biddenden Kent Beloved when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common Salvation it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints Jude 3. LONDON Printed for the Author in the Year 1660. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY TO Mr. Hezekiah Holland SIR I Have examined your Treatise entituled Truths Conflict with Error and find it to be no other but Error and Insolency striving against Truth and Innocency and is found to be no more ablier to stand than Dagon was to stand before the Ark of the Lord. I had writ a very considerable Piece in Answer to the several Particulars in your Treatise and was at the Press with it long since but taking these things into consideration I did return back again with it and have it lying by me at this time the Reasons that caused me to lay that aside at present was First because I found very little asserted by you more than what I had before answered and disproved And Secondly because the answering of petty or inconsiderable Objections in controverted Points is but of little profit to the Reader And Thirdly because your self far remote and also saying that you would not appear in the Press or otherwise with me in this Controversie any more as I was informed by one that said they had it from your own mouth And Fourthly because I find that it is most profitable to the Reader for whose sake I have written this to lay down things in particular Points or Positions and to confirm it by Scriptures and Reasons drawn from the Scriptures which is my method in the following Treatise nevertheless I have answered every thing cited by you that hath any weight in it or at least that which appears of any weight unto me And Fifthly because I had other Points to speak to being desired thereunto by some Friends and such like occasions calling me thereunto the which caused me to be more briefer in the several Particulars than I would have been and to omit that large Discourse which I had written and to contract my self into a briefer method and yet large enough to clear up the Truth and unvail the falsity of that long deceiving Doctrine of Infants Baptism together with several other Doctrins which do attend it the which being read and weighed with an impartial heart will appear to be the truth as it is in Jesus But Sir what may I say to animate you to that thing for as much as the way of Truth is every where spoken against and your self and your Brethren the greatest Persecutors thereof Let not I pray you vain imaginations deceive you any longer perswading your selves that you are the people whom God hath revealed his secrets unto and that you are wise and the knowledge of Gods Mysteries are in your hearts because of your parts and education Remember such may be deceived and that the Priests of old were the greatest Enemies that our blessed Saviour had upon earth how that they were the men that took counsel and gave Judas Thirty Pieces of Silver to betray his Master and also that it was the Priests that gave the Soldiers large Money to make a lie to say that Christ was not risen from the dead but his Disciples came by night while they slept and stole him away which saying is reported amongst the Jews to this day and yet doubtless these men had human parts and learning and also zeal and yet for all this had not the knowledge of the Mysteries of God for indeed it is the fulfilling of the Word of the Lord which saith that God hideth his Wisdome from the wise and prudent and revealeth it to babes and sucklings Sirs Let these and such like Scriptures as these be of which there be many put you upon serious tryal with prayers and supplycations that if peradventures God may open your eyes that you may see the Truth that so you may bring glory unto his Name for it is not learning will do it although it be good in its place without the inspiration of the Almighty and let not Antiquity or Customs be your guide for the aged do not alwayes understand judgment but wait at Wisdoms gate on God by prayer sighs and groans lay aside pride and vain-glory be not conformable to this world in its pleasure honour fashions and friendship and the like but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds and put on the Lord Jesus and make no provision for the flesh to fulfil it in the lusts thereof and by so doing you shall come to know what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God and your eyes shall see out of obscurity and your ears shall hear a voyce behind you saying This is the way walk in it when you turn to the right hand or to the left which shall guide your feet into the way of peace and having served your God and your Generation in the way of Truth the gates that the King of Glory shall enter in at shall be set wide open unto you and all such as keep the Truth with uprightness of heart shall enter in thereat to their everlasting joy and felicity never to have end Which is the desire of him Who delights in the Conversion of Souls and to be the Servant of all men for Christs sake GEORGE HAMMON THE Epistle to the Reader Courteous Reader FOR thy sake I have yet once more taken in hand to set out in order publickly those things which will conduce much to thy Instruction if thou seriously read and peruse those things which are contained in the following Treatise although they much differ from the common opinion of men yet try them and be serious not wise in thy own eye but wise according to what is written in
the Scriptures and if thou find in this Treatise any thing that seems strange unto thee be not over hasty to condemn it or the Author but know assuredly that he is one that aimeth and strives after Truth as much as thy self who ever thou art and know that the things that are disapproved of by men are the things that are chosen of God and precious and that in all Ages as I have formerly said the Truth of God hath been accounted Heresie and the assertors thereof Hereticks and turners of the world upside down therefore it much concerns thee to be earnest with God in prayer and supplication to give thee a discerning spirit that thou mayest discern between Truth and Error I have in the following Treatise shewed in a methodical order what Baptism is and that it is not Sprinkling or scattering a little water in the face of the Subject no but a Dipping or Plunging or a thorow washing of the person Baptised and also that the Subjects to be Baptised are not Infants as such but such as have first believed in the Lord Jesus or at least such as do make a visible profession of faith such were those that John the Baptist Baptised for they came and confessed their sins and was Baptised of him in Jordan and also when the Eunuch said to Plilip See here is water What hindreth me that I may not be Baptised and he said If thou believeth with all thy heart thou mayest and the Samaritans when they did believe the things concerning the Kingdome of God and the name of Jesus they were Baptised both men and women So that the Scripture is plain that testifieth what Subject should be Baptised And that conceit or more properly great deceit about Original Sin in saying That Infants dying in their Infancy without being Baptised are damned and so bring in Infants Baptism to purge away Original Sin I have shewed is no such thing but a dream of mens own brains and that there is not one Text of Scripture from Genesis to the Revelation which saith that any shall die the second Death for Original Sin nay the second Death was not so much as threatned in any one Text of Scripture either upon Adam or any of his posterity for that sin but the Death of the Body was threatned and also executed for saith the Lord Dust thou art and unto Dust thou shalt return And as touching Mans Mortality it is a general received Opinion That the Soul of Man is Immortal and dyeth not although the Scripture saith that Christ poured out his Soul to death and made his Soul an offering for sin but it is supposed that when men die their Souls if they have done evil go immediately to Hell and in the Resurrection come again from thence to be judged to see whether they deserve it yea or nay as though Souls should be put into their torments before they are tryed and judged to see whether they have deserved it yea or nay for although some mens sins go before to Judgment so as that they are convicted before death yet some mens sins come after them that there is not the sense of their sins at the time of death but they come after them unto Judgment these things I have shewed my opinion upon also the which amongst men is strangely looked upon as a gross Error however peruse it for there is no dangerous consequence in it for he that believeth it or he that believeth it not may both meet with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God if they walk uprightly according to their several measures although if it be a Truth as it appears to me to be it is very necessary that every godly man know it for several reasons that I could give But as touching the Resurrection of the Body which I also have spoken to that is of such weight that without believing it and being stedfast in the same it makes Preaching voyd and Faith voyd and whosoever doth deny it their words eat as doth a Canker and indeed I do not see as yet how such men as deny it can be saved I have also shewed the great and universal love of God to all men which is the ground of Faith and Salvation to all that do believe and be saved which is a very comfortable Doctrine to all men and I think that none can have cause to be offended at it but such as have their eyes evil because Gods eye is good And as touching the Personal Reign of Christ upon Earth viz. on the Throne of his Father David in Zion in Jerusalem is that which causeth the godly to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory and it is that which Christ hath commanded us to pray for though we understand it not as we should do when we pray Thy Kingdome come thy will be done in Earth as it is done in Heaven but that he is to receive a Kindome and Reign upon Earth I have proved in its particular order although briefly I have also added a second Part entituled The good ancient Laws and Statutes of King Jesus Vindicated wherein I have proved the continuance of all the Laws and Ordinances of the Lord Jesus given forth in his last Will and Testament with many Objections answered And also have shewed who is the travelling Woman spoken of in Revellations 12. and who is her Man-child and who is the Remnant of her Seed and to what Wilderness she is to flea into and for how long and who are the two Witnesses and the time and place of their Prophesie and many such like things which I have shewed my opinion upon in the following Treatise and therefore I desire thee courteous Reader to peruse these things seriously and desire the Lord to give thee an understanding heart to receive it so far forth as thou findeth it agreeable to the Word of the Lord and sound Reason It should have been published long before this time if extraordinary occasions had not hindred me therefore it is my desire that they that have long waited for it may excuse the matter because many are sensible of my great occasions taking me off from finishing of it sooner So desiring the Lord to make it to be a word in season unto thee and to fill thy heart with joy thorow believing and also with the fruits of righteousness that having thy fruit in holiness the end may be everlasting life which is the desire of Thy Friend and Brother in the Faith and Profession of the Gospel of Christ GEORGE HAMMON THE CONTENTS OF THE Principal Matters Contained in this BOOK B BAptism to be Dispenced to such as are of ripe years and of understanding Page 5. to page 12. Baptism may not be Dispenced to Infants for several Reasons page 13. to page 25. Of the Battel of the great Day and the Destruction of Gogg and his Company page 89. to page 92. G Of Gods universal Love unto all men and how far
namely Mans Mortality A DISCOURSE Touching the Mortality of the Soul IN order to the clearing up of this Subject of Dicourse I shall lay down this Position which is That man by sin made himself wholly mortal So that when God shall take away his breath which is from the time of death till the time of Resurrection he is no more then what he was before God breathed into him the breath of life which was but dust and also to dust he doth return and the word Soul is used for illustration sake and very large in its acceptation in Scripture sometimes to be understood one thing sometimes another that no man living can say of any one thing this is the soul and this is not but the whole individual man is taken for the soul and where there is spoken of soul and body there is no more difference than there is between Spirit and breath only it is spoken by way of illustration and the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie several things as the Mind Will Soul Delight Pleasure Affection Disposition Phantasie Life Breath Wind Blast Wrath Anger Memory Thought Stomack Courage Advice Opinion Heart Witt Stoutness Willingness Promptness or Readiness of Mind also Sleep and also Man these many significations and more is derived from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we read in our Translation Soul But leaving these things I shall come suddenly to the Reasons and then answer some Objections but first see some Scriptures which proveth that Man is wholly mortal and first see the words of the Wise man Eccles 3.19 20. in these words For what befalleth the sons of men befalleth Beasts even one thing befalleth them as the one dyeth so dyeth the other yea they have all one breath so that man hath no preheminence above a beast for all is vanity all go to one place all are of the dust and return to dust again Agreeable to the Word of the Lord Gen. 3. Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return and this is also further amplified by John 4.7 8 9 10 11 12. in these words For there is hope of a tree if he be cut down that it will sprout again and the tender branches thereof will not cease though the root thereof wax old in the ground and the stock thereof die in the earth yet thorow the descent of water it will bud and bring forth branches like a plant but man dyeth and wasteth away ye man giveth up the Ghost and where is he as the waters fall from the Sea and the floods decay and dry up so man lyeth down for we must needs die and be as water spilt upon the ground that cannot be gathered neither doth God respect the person of any man yet he hath used a means that his banished shall not be for ever expelled from him From whence we may see that the estate of man is compared to the floods that are dryed up that is become as it were nothing and is so to remain until the resurrection for by sin and death we are banished from the Lord yet he hath used a means namely to bring us forth again at the Resurrection that his banished should not be for ever kept from him but if the righteous go to heaven so soon as they die how are they banished from him and become as water spilt upon the ground For what man is he that liveth and shall not see death Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave Selah Psal 89.48 2 Sam. 14.14 No he cannot deliver his soul from the hand of the grave when God sets his heart to look upon man as you may see Job 34.14 15. in these words If he set his heart upon man if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath all flesh shall perish together and man shall again return unto dust From these words we see all flesh is to perish and man is flesh yea the whole man for that which is born of flesh is flesh now the soul of man is born of flesh and if it be not spirit it must die and the Apostle saith that the first man meaning the whole man was earth earthy and as is the earthy so are they that are earthy howbeit it was not first that which was spiritual but that which was natural and then that which was spiritual speaking there of the man Adam and the man Christ affirming that the first Adam was an earthly natural man and the second Adam viz. Christ was a heavenly spiritual man so then the first man thorow his sin made himself mortal even the whole man there is a multitude of Scriptures that proveth this thing but time being very pretious with me I cannot at this time set them in order before thee but shall pass to some few Reasons to prove man wholly mortal and the first is Reas 1. First because Christ dyed soul and body to purchase our souls and bodies from the grave and if Christs soul dyed it was really to that end that our souls might not lie in the grave and if we had dyed only in body then Christ had dyed only in body but the whole man being mortal and returned to dust Christ also poured out his soul to death and made his soul an offering for sin as saith the Prophet Isa 53.10 When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed mark that he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand 12. Because he hath poured out his soul to death and he was numbred with the strangers and he bore the sins of many c. From hence we see that Christs SOVL dyed that ours might live again and not be left in the grave which proveth that our souls are mortal and die and so I pass to the second reason to prove That the whole man is mortal which is Reas 2. Secondly because if mans body be mortal and that die and his soul immortal that live then man hath two lives two distinct Beings which is not for if there be two distinct lives and two distinct Beings then Adam was two distinct Creatures and then it cannot be said that as by the offence of ONE Judgment came upon all men to condemnation for Adam upon that account was TWO distinct beings having two distinct lives but man having but one life the whole man must be mortal or the whole man immortal and that the whole man is mortal the Scriptures and our experience doth witness Reas 3. Again Thirdly Because otherwise Christ had done Lazarus wrong by raising him from the dead for if his Soul had been in Heaven four dayes and then Christ fetched it from thence it was so far from an act of love to him whom Christ so well loved that it was great prejudice and also I strange that Lazarus did not mention one tittle of the glory of Heaven if he had been
there the four daies that he was dead but I remember that the Apostle saith That David is not yet ascended into Heaven but if Souls departed are there he also would have been there and Christ would not have brought Lazarus from thence But no man hath ascended yet to Heaven but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of man which is in Heaven John 3. And so I pass to the Fourth Reason which is Reas 4. Because the Scripture saith that immortality only dwelleth in Christ but if every man have an immortal Soul dwelling in him then immortality dwelleth in every man but the Scripture denieth that and saith that immortality dwelleth in none but in Christ or only in Christ which is one and the same and that you may see this proved to you read 1 Tim. 6.16 in these words v. 15. Which in his times shall shew who is the blessed and only Potentate the KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS who ONLY hath immortality dwelling in the light that no man can approach unto so then immortality dwelleth only in Christ and the glory of man is as the flour of grass for they dye and in the same day their thoughts perish which sheweth that man is wholly mortal and so I pass to the Fifth Reason which is Reas 5. Because the Scripture saith Gen. 7.23 That every living substance was destroyed in the floud in which was the breath of life save Noah and those that were with him in the Ark and then if the Soul have life or be a living substance it was destroyed as Joshua destroyed every living Soul with the edge of the Sword Josh 11. The conclusion is this that which may be destroyed is mortal but the Soul may be destroyed and therefore mortal Reas 6. Again Sixtly Because that which is the mortal part of man bears the name living Soul which sheweth that the whole man is mortal for the Scripture saith That God made man out of the dust of the earth and breathed upon him the breath of life and he BECAME a living soul mark it was not a living Soul inferred into him but by being breathed upon the man that was made of the dust of the earth BECAME a living soul mark the word BECAME a living soul now it was not the breath that became a living Soul but it was the man which became a living soul and if the breath be not that which is called the living soul what is man when his breath returns to God that gave it surely it is a dead lump and when Paul speaks of mortality and immortality he argues mortality from the very word LIVING SOVL saying The first man was made a LIVING SOUL and the second Adam a quickning Spirit the first man was of the earth earthy and so forth These things considered sheweth that the LIVING SOVL viz. the first man was mortal and the quickning Spirit viz. the Second man Christ Jesus was he that only had immortality dwelt in him so then if mortality be attributed to that which is called the LIVING SOVL then it is plain that the whole man is mortal and so I pass to the Seventh Reason which is Reason 7. Because if the Soul dye not then it abideth alone and is unfruitful for it is not quickened unless it dye as saith the Apostle and if it dye not then is not Christ the first fruits of it for Christ is only the first fruits of them that sleep and indeed it was no argument of weight that Christ used to the Saduces to prove the Resurrection if the soul dye not for he saith God is not the God of the dead but of the living for all live to him or in his account meaning by a Resurrection but if the Soul dye not for a time how could Christ have used the words all live to him to prove a Resurrection for if it had been so that the soul dyed not then they might have said it is true their souls live to God and so it had been no argument at all to prove the Resurrection but Christ bringeth it to prove the Resurrection implying that there is no other living to God after this life is ended but in a Resurrection which brings me to the Eight and last Reason to prove Man wholly mortal which is Reas 8. Because as those that go to the Grave cannot praise God so all our glory in the enjoyment of our inheritance is promised to us that we shall receive it at the Revelation of Christ or that God will reward us at the Resurrection of the Just and that was the main comfort of the godly in the time of their afflictions as Heb. 11.35 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. 1 Pet. 1.8 9 10. And it was Pauls comfort at his death saying Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which God the righteous Judge will give to me AT THAT DAY not before take notice there is a time limited For the hour is coming that all that are in the graves shall come forth and then those that are wise shall shine as the firmament add this that if the dead rise not then such as are fallen asleep in Christ are perished and the Saints of all men most miserable but if there be such a thing as a soul of the righteous which goeth to God how can it be that if the dead rise not that the Saints of all men are the most miserable for they are in felicity whether the body rise yea or nay moreover doubtless this opinion of the soul being immortal hath begot all these vain errors as prayer over the dead and Purgatory for that is the received opinion that men be not in their full joy or torment till the Resurrection and some are so bould as to deny the Resurrection by reason of this conceit and I could shew that the Heathen in chief have been the authors of this Opinion but there be many things that I am fain to omit because of time and offer that only which is drawn from Scripture and thus having briefly given you these few Reasons in the next place I shall instance that which men call the Soul and shew that that is mortal omitting the Opinion of the Stoick and Democritus and Plato and the like I shall speak somewhat of the received Opinion what the Soul is and that is Some say it is the Understanding part of Man the which if so then all are born without Souls and many never have any First That Children have not understanding at the time of their Birth I think all will grant if the Scripture did not prove it and also that there be many that never have understanding but are natural fools and therefore if the Understanding part of Man be the Soul then those that have no understanding have no Soul and they that have a Soul if understanding be the Soul it dieth with the man for in the same day their thoughts perish and the dead understand not Eccles
9.5 And if the faculties of man be understood to be the Soul then it is easie to prove them Temperatures and Mortal because they are subject to increase and diminish as the Creator is disposed and madness that may happen to man by some obstruction in the body quite mollifieth them so then these things considered we may see that the whole man is mortal time would fail me to write the particular things appertaining to this subject of Discourse and therefore I shall pass to the answer of some few Objections which may comprehend the whole but by the way give me leave to shew you a glimpse of what the Scripture calls the Soul in which you may see how many things bear the name of Soul in Scripture and first it is taken for God Heb. 10.28 it is taken for the heart 1 Sam. 18.1 for the eyes Jer. 13.17 for the head Psalm 16.10 for the stomack Prov. 27.7 for hunger Prov. 6.30 for the whole man Lev. 7.20 Acts 7.14 Rom. 13.1 These and many more in Scripture is called by the name of Soul but I come now to the Objections which is Object 1. Fear not him that can kill the body but cannot kill the Soul Mat. 10.28 implying that there is a soul which cannot be killed Answ This is the most material Text that I know of to that purpose but Luke which is the most exact Writer hath recorded it thus Luke 12.4 5. And I say unto you my friends be not afraid of them that can kill the body and afterwards have no more that they can do but fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you fear him which sheweth to us man can only destroy the body which is mortal and must dye but God can destroy both the body which is mortal and also cast the whole man into hell when it is immortal after the Resurrection and so he above all is to be feared and that this in short is the meaning of the words is evident because the soul hath been killed by man Josh 10.35 but after the Resurrection none can destroy it but God and so I pass to the next Objection which is Object 2. In Phil. 1.23 24. For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and be with Christ which is far better Answ To which I answer and say That this text doth not contradict the state of Mans Mortality because there is no time to the dead that is to say that the time between Adams death and his Resurrection will be to him but as the twinkling of an eye so that as there was no time to us from the creation to our birth so when we shall return to dust from whence we were taken and become like water spilt upon the ground there will be no time also to us till the time of the resurrection for there is no remembrance amongst the dead as saith the Scripture so then Paul might say that he did desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ for the next thing to Death is the Resurrection and glory for the godly which time to them is as before said but as the twinkling of an eye Add this that Paul tells us that from the time of Death till the time of the Resurrection the crown is laid up to be received at that day mark that read the text 2 Tim. 4.6 7 8. in these words For I am now ready to be offered up and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith hence-forth there is laid up for me a crown of Righteousness which God the righteous Judge will give unto Me at that day not to me only but unto them also that love his appearance From whence we may learn that the godly mans glory is to be conferred upon him at the time of Christs appearance and not at the time of death only at the time of death it is laid up sure for those that have dyed in the faith VNTIL THAT DAY namely Christs appearance which time to the dead will be no more then a moment and so being dissolved we shall be with Christ which is far better and so I shall pass to the next Objection which is Object 3. There is such a thing as a soul that goeth to heaven at death because the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5. We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle shall be dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens ver 6. Therefore we are alwayes confident knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. Answ To which I answer and say That the Apostle in this place doth not so much as hint at such a thing as the soul being immortal or distinct from the body but speaks of the happy estate and condition of the godly at that time when mortality shall be swallowed up of life as you may see verse the 4. in these words For we that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burdened not that we would be uncloathed but cloathed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life From whence we may see that the Apostle speaks in this place of mortality being swallowed up of life meaning by the state of a resurrection as appears from the 9 and 10 verses where he saith That it was their care to labour that whether absent from the Lord or present they might be accepted of him for saith he we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ c. implying that our being present with the Lord is not to be till the day of Judgment which day of Judgment will not be until after the Resurrection so that Paul in this place Equivolent with David makes no distance of time between the putting off this body and the putting on immortality viz the Resurrection which sheweth that there is no time to the dead so that this text speaks not against man being wholly mortal And so I pass to the next Objection which is Object 4. In Luke 12.20 in these words Thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee And Luke 23.43 I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradice And Luke 16.22 23. And it came to pass that the beggar dyed and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome and the rich man dyed also and was buryed and in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments seeth Abraham a far off and Lazarus in his bosome c. Which sheweth there is an immortal soul Answ To which I answer and first to the first and so in order which is Luke 12.20 Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee I answer to this take notice and remember that I have before shewed that the word Soul may be as well read life or breath from the word 〈◊〉
and 14 and 15 pages of his former Book intituled The condition of Adam in Paradise where he saith that the whole man begets the whole man and also else where saith that if Adam did not beget the whole man viz. the soul then did he not beget a perfect and compleat creature as the beasts do in their kind Page 12. To which I answer and say and first how my Antagonist will be able to prove the soul as he calls it to be that which was created after Gods Image I know not for the Scripture saith Gen. 1.26 that God said let us make Man after our Image not let us make a soul after our Image and when God had made man out of the dust of the earth after his own Image then he breathed into him the breath of life and then that which was made after Gods Image e. i. the Man became a living soul so that it was not a living soul that was put into man but the man that was made of the dust of the earth became a living soul by Gods breathing into him mark that But no more of this because I have spoken of it already in this Subject of Discourse But secondly cannot the soul be mortal because it is after Gods Image how then came Christ to die if not mortal and yet he was after Gods Image for he was the express Image of his Fathers Person Heb. 1.3 and yet notwithstanding was so mortal as to die body and soul Isa 53.12 And also the Apostle saith that the Man not soul is the Image and glory of God 1 Cor. 11.7 and yet man dyeth from whence you may see your self answered and your reason or argument nothing worth And as to the other matter viz. the souls Parentage I have received much light in it although not by my Antagonist for I do suppose that he wrote things from others for arguments sake which was not his own judgment and therefore he spake so cloudily but that which caused me to examine the matter more nisely was the words of a beloved brother in a private conference between him and my self about the business in the which amongst the rest of his discourse he offered this thing as an obsurdity which would follow if the souls parentage was not on earth for saith he it hath been known that sometimes there hath been such acts of uncleannesses in propagation as the Parent with the child and the child with the Parent and severall acts of uncleanness hath been committed now me thinks saith he it is obsurd to think that the pure God which hates uncleanness in the least to seem to own such a thing as to create or give a soul or to put his hand to the work as we may say in such an unclean action but every creature having seed in it self doth bring forth of it self according to its kind and the man which doth abuse Gods ordinance and way in propagation must at last suffer for it c. This and such like Discourse did put me upon the search and tryal of things since my last book was written whereby if time would give me admition at this time I could give you an account of it more at large but time fails me and calls for brevity and therefore shall say no more to this Subject of discourse but this that is The Souls Immortality hath been the conceit of the Heathen Philosophers which did suppose that mortal vertue should be rewarded hereafter for that all men injoyed blessing alike here in this life and not knowing that there was to be a Resurrection of the body whereby persons might receive the reward of what they have done in the body they have Imagined such a thing as the soul to live and receive a reward hereafter and indeed the Church of Rome have readily received such an Opinion also from whence the Church of England have received it by tradition and I am ready to believe that the Church of Rome have also abused our Greek Copies in many particulars to bear a face toward their opinion as that text in Mat. 10.28 and the stop Luke 23.43 and many such places as in reference to this Subject and others also but however the wisdome of God is such as that they cannot bury the truth because he hath given to his people that spirit that gave forth the Scriptures to reconcile and keep the whole body of the Scriptures in a sweet harmony but as for us that believe that there is to be a Resurrection both of the just and unjust let us not imagine any such thing as a Souls Immortality till the Resurrection but know that our reward shall be given to us at that day Me-thinks the Church of England seem to deny such a place as Purgatory and yet hold an Oppinion that is the rise of it and maintains it for say the Papists when persons die they do not go to Hell or Heaven but the soul goeth to a place between both viz. Purgatory and not to the full joy or punishment and so say the Church of England in effect that the soul is not in the full joy or torments till after the day of Judgment as though they could go to Heaven into Gods presence and yet not have there full joy as though in his presence there were not fulness of joy and at his right hand pleasures for evermore and also as though when souls have been cast into Hell and have been punished there they shall be brought from thence again to the Judgment seat of Christ to be tryed whether they have deserved Hell ye or nay O strange conceit of the pure Justice and righteous dealing of God in his punishing sinners what shall souls when they have been long in Hell come out again and enter into a body it 's some comfort to them that they shall be a little while out of torments but if they come from Hell they have paid the utmost farthing for when they are once there they shall in no wise come forth untill they have paid the utmost farthing These and many such things I might spend time about but this I shall leave with thee courteous reader know that when God takes away mans breath he dyeth and so dust returns to dust and the Spirit viz. breath to him that gave it and that breath that returns to God as it made the man that was made of earth to become a living soul capable to enjoy what God gave him even so in the Resurrection when that dust is raised by God and every bone and member in its proper place then shall God give forth the same breath of life again into every man and so they shall be thereby capable to receive according to what they have done in the body whether it be good or whether it be evil and to this the Spirit of God bears witness in the holy Scriptures And so I leave this Subject and come to the next which is Gods love to the whole
his flesh with his eyes and not others should he see Christ his Redeemer in the latter day stand upon the earth whom he should behold for himself and not another So then the very same Job that then was in misery the very same Job was afterwards to see the Lord to which add that the very same body that suffereth with Christ the very same body shall raign with Christ for it is against pure justice that one body should suffer with Christ or for Christs sake and then another body glorified and that body which suffered to perish for ever this cannot be in justice which also proves that the same body shall arise out of the dust And so I pass to the sixth Reason further to prove that the dead bodies of men which now are asleep in the dust of the earth shall awake live and be raised again from the dead which is Reas 6. Sixtly Because Daniel further confirms the truth of this saying Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt Dan. 12.2 In this text there is these two things considerable the first is that such as sleep shall awake and Secondly the place where that they sleep and that is in the dust and Thirdly that it is not meant spiritually that is to say to awake out of a state of a sleep of sin to Righteousness because some of those that awake do awake to everlasting shame and contempt which cannot be taken in a spiritual fence for I hope no man is so void of understanding as to think that such as awake out of sin and stand up from a spiritual death that they awake to everlasting shame and contempt but some of those that do awake Daniel saith do awake to everlasting shame and contempt which sheweth that those that die and sleep in the dust that the very same shall arise again even that which sleeps both of good and bad some to everlasting Joy and some to shame and everlasting contempt which clearly proveth that the dead bodies of such as sleep in the earth shall even they themselves and not another arise And thus I pass to the seventh reason to prove the Resurrection which is Reas 7. Seventhly Because Saint Paul saith That the dead in Christ shall rise first Now this cannot be meant spiritually first because those that be in Christ cannot be spiritually dead that is to say dead in trespasses and sins and secondly if it should be Objected that there may be dead branches in the Vine John 15. then I answer that such shall forthwith be cut out and have no priviledge by Christ but the dead in Christ spoken of both by Saint Paul and Saint John have priviledge by being dead in Christ which means the death of the body and the Resurrection of the body from the dead that is to say the godly even such as live and die in Christ shall arise a thousand years before the wicked as you may see 1 Thes 4.14 15 16. compared with Revel 20.5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. And that this is no spiritual Resurrection but a Resurrection of the body is plain because it is that which the Apostle is a speaking of in that place as you may read 1 Thes 4.13 14 15 16. In these words I would not have you ignorant brethren concerning them that are a sleep that ye sorrow not even at others that have no hope For if we believe that Jesus dyed and rose again EVEN SO mark that them also that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we that are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall be ever with the Lord. From whence we may see clearly that the Apostle is speaking of the Resurrection of the body for saith he If we beleeve that Jesus dyed and rose again EVEN SO them ALSO that sleep the even so implyeth that as Jesus slept and rose again even so shall we sleep and rise again and we may know that the same body that was crucified unto death and was buryed even the same body rose again for so saith Christ to Thomas after his Resurrection Come feel the Print of the nails in my hands and reach hither thy hand and feel my side that is piersed so that we may see it was the same body which was crucified dead and buryed which also rose again even so shall our bodies even the self-same body arise out of the dust of the earth and come to Judgment And so I pass to the eight Reason to prove that those that are now asleep in the dust of the earth shall arise from the dead which is Reas 8. Eightly Because Christ hath proved it from the Scripture and the Spirit of God in his People have caused them earnestly to hope and wait for it and first that Christ hath proved it read Mat. 22.31 32. in these words As touching the Resurrection saith Christ of the dead have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living In these words Christ is proving the Resurrection in opposition to the opinion of the Saduces which held that there was no Resurrection but Christ tels them that they did err no knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God as much as if he should have said if you had known the Scriptures you would have believed and acknowledged the Resurrection for they bare their Testimony to the truth thereof or if you had been well instructed about the power and omnipotency of God it would not have seemed to be a thing so incredilous unto you that God should raise the dead for saith he God did tell Moses that he was the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob and God is not the God of the dead but of the living but now Abraham Isaac and Jacob is dead as if Christ should say therefore God is not their God upon your account O ye Saduces but God is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob for they live to him that is in his account for God seeth all things past present and to come and calls things that shall be as if they were Rom. 4. And so he seeth all men risen from the dead and stand before him alive in a Resurrection and thus all live to him viz. in his account and this is to be understood in this text as I before have
from him for Christ hath destroyed him that had power over death which is the Devil and hath delivered us by Resurrection who by the reason of the fear of death were kept in slavery all our life long For nothing would be so troublesome to the godly as the thought of death were it not for a Resurrection but saith the Lord I will ransome them from the power of the grave I will redeem them from death O Death I will be thy Plague O Grave I will be thy destruction He will swallow up death in victory and the Lord will wipe away tears from all faces Hosea 13.14 Isa 25.8 2 Sam. 14.14 Heb. 2.14 From these Reasons and Scriptures and many more which might be added we may clearly see That the dead namely such as do now and shall sleep in the dust shall arise both good and bad and come to Judgment And now courteous Reader seeing it is so that the dead as before said must arise and come to Judgment be exhorted to take up that good resolution with the holy man Job 14.14 which saith If a man die shall he live again then all the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come giving thanks alwayes to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away Therefore gird up the lines of thy mind waiting for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ who will change our vile bodies and fashion them like unto his glorious body according to his promise and mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light To whom be praise and glory for ever and ever Amen 1 Pet. 1.3 Phil. 3.20 21. 2 Tim. 1.10 Secondly take this word of advice by way of Caution which is take heed and beware of giving heed to such as do deny the Resurrection of whom there is two sorts now in our dayes as there was in the Apostles dayes the one sort is like unto the Saduces Mat. 22.23 which deny that there is any Resurrection Angels or Spirits viz. God or Devil Heaven or Hell of that sort is the Ranter and his adherents and such like Athiestical Spirits And the other are like unto HYMENEVS and PHILETVS 2 Tim. 2.17 18. who say that the Resurrection is already past whose words eat as doth a canker and of this sort is the Quakers who doth affirm that he is already risen from the dead and in the Resurrection and so the Resurrection is past to him who denyeth iniquity in words in the history and yet heaps up iniquity upon iniquity in the mystery And these are the two sorts which may fitly be compared unto the Sect of the Saduces and to Hymeneus and Phyletus and I do not report the things whereof I write by hear-say but from their own mouths the more is the pitty and to be lamented These two sorts differ in manners or conversation but very little in Judgment in point of doctrine unless it be in that of conversation as before said the which if they had the conversation of Angels and yet so corrupt in principle the Scripture declares them to be in a cursed and miserable condition Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. Col. 2.18 19. Acts. 3.23 24. And indeed the conversation of many of them is bad enough although they disfigure their faces and seem unto men to fast from sin and to be more righteous then others yet they have been seen to want that special duty of prayer in their families and giving thanks in the presence of their Families for their food which God hath bestowed on them although Christ and the Apostle did not neglect to do their duty in that case to lead us an example but no more as to this I shall leave it until the day in the which God will try the wayes of the sons of men and discover all deceit and falsehood of what nature soever it be But as touching the opinion about Gods holy Ordinances by which he hath appointed to be worshipped in is sleighted and rejected by them as water-Baptisme and eating of Bread and drinking of Wine solemnly celebrated to set forth Christs death and a participation of the benefit thereof with the slightings of forms as they call them although God delight in nothing which is out of form and order as the host of Heaven and earth doth declare who when God found them without form and void did by his word put them in form and order and gave decrees to the Sea and ordinances unto the Sun Moon and Stars and they keep them so that God delights in form and order and also is a God of order in all the Churches of the Saints hence Saint Paul commended form Rom. 6.17 18. in these words But ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you being therefore made free from sin ye became the servants of Righteousness c. From whence you may see That those men which do slight and deny forms in our dayes have not received that Spirit which was in the Apostle but another Spirit even the Spirit of error although it strive to transform it self into an Angel of light that thereby it may deceive the hearts of the simple for men are got to this height of wickedness in the mystery as to think that they comprehend all things and so consequently are Gods but they shall die like men for their breath is in their nostrils yet talk of what you will almost it is in them as they say as the first Adam and the second and God and also the Serpent slain within them the tree of life and the tree of knowledg the judgment seat Heaven and Hell Mount Zion and the new Jerusalem the two witnesses and what not they have comprehended all these things as they say but alass they die and in the very same time their thoughts perish and they are chased and gone like a vision of the night Mark one peece of horrible pride of Spirit which is in them they will not allow the holy Scriptures to be called the word of the Lord neither do they exhort and press men to be diligent to read and keep the things contained therein but their fraughty books must some of them bear the Title of the word of the Lord to the world and earthly men and the like so that he that seeth but very little may see them to be the men before spoken of which shall deny all that is worshipped as God shewing themselves that they are God O horrible pride and yet pretended humility this is ungodliness in a mystery I shall not enter upon the particulars of their bottomless opinion first because it is not my task at this time and
the Saints praise ye the Lord Psal 149.8 9. Psal 72.5.6 7 8 9. Psal 37.9 10 11. Mat. 5.5 From which reason and Scriptures appeareth plainly that Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdome and raign upon earth And so I pass to the fourth reason to prove that Christ and the Saints shall receive a Kingdom and raign upon earth which is Reas 4. Because God hath promised to restore the Kingdom to Israel and their Judges as at the first which were men that judged them in righteousness even holy men and Christ sheweth us that he and those that obey him are to be Judges over the twelve Tribes of Israel now this is not to be understood in a spiritual sense that is to say that there were to be some of the twelve Tribes converted and Christ to rule over them for hear we see the Saints shall judge them that is meant be governors as the Judges at the first which cannot be taken in such a sense for the Saints are not to exercise authority one over another as considered in one and the same body as saith Christ The Lords of the Gentiles exercise authority and they that are cheef bear rule but amongst you it shall not be so but he that is greatest let him be your servant But that the Saints with Christ shall receive a Kingdome and judge the twelve Tribes read Luke 22.28 29 30. in these words Ye are they that have continued with me in my temptations and I appoint unto you a Kingdome as my father hath appointed unto me that ye may eat and drink with me at my table in my Kingdome and sit upon Thrones Judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And as before said this honour shall all the Saints have and therefore saith Saint Paul to the Corinths Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6.2 4. Luke 22.28 29 30. Isa 1.26 These Scriptures with many more that I could add only I study brevity proveth that Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdome upon earth and raign and Judge the Tribes of Israel And so I pass to the fifth reason to prove that Christ and the Saints are to receive a Kingdome and raign upon the earth which is Reas 5. Because the Scripture saith that the Kingdomes of this world are to become the Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ and he to take his great power and to raign and it is a true and a faithfull saying that those that suffer with Christ shall raign with him but to prove that the Kingdomes of this world shall become Christs kingdome and he to take his great power and to raign read Rev. 11.15 16 17 18. in these words And the seventh Angel sounded and there was a great voice in heaven saying the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall raign for ever and ever and the four and twenty Elders which sate before God on their seats fell upon their face and worshipped God saying we give thee thanks O Lord God almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast raigned and the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldest give a reward unto thy servants the Prophets to the Saints and to them that fear thy name small and great and should destroy them which destroyed the earth From these words we may see these particulars laid down First that the Kingdomes of this World are to be the Kingdomes of Christ at the sound of the seventh trumpet read my Vindication of Zions Redemption and Original Sin where you shall find the effect of the seventh trumpet the which at present I shall not speak to in particular but know that there is a set time that the Kingdomes of this World is to become the kingdomes of Christ But peradventure some will say was there a time when the Kingdomes of this World were not Christs I answer yea for although Christ was born King of the Jewes and by his descent according to the flesh was to be King as the Lord shewed the wise men that came from the East to worship him yet Christ tells Pilate that his Kingdome was not then of this World for he was first to suffer and afterwards to receive a Kingdome and raign so that there is a set time when the Kingdomes of this World shall be given into the hands of Christ And secondly the Nations were angry and his wrath and fury came up into his face he took his great power and did raign From whence we may see that although Christ never was without power yet there is a set time for his exercising of it which is implyed in the word TOOK his great power and did raign Thirdly it is the time that the dead shall be judged that is the dead in Christ and then he shall give the reward to his servants the Prophets and all that fear his name small and great Fourthly He will destroy them which destroyed the earth and make warr to cease from the ends of the earth and they shall beat their Swords into Plow-shears and their Spears into pruning hooks for there shall be abundance of peace so long as the Moon endureth So then there is a set time for Christ to take his great power and to raign and for the Kingdomes of this world to become the Kingdomes of our Lord and his Christ From whence we may see that Christ and the Saints are to receive and possess a Kingdome and raign upon earth and so I pass to the sixth reason to prove Christ and the Saints to have a Kingdome and raign upon earth which is Reas 6. Sixthly Because the Tabernacle of God shall be with men and he shall dwell with them now this very word the Tabernacle with men and he dwell with them implyeth that Christ shall come again and dwell upon earth for so is the comparison that Christ made while he was upon earth that the Son of man was like to a certain Noble man that went to receive a Kingdome and to return Luke 19. verse 11 12 13. From whence we may see that Christ is to return again as he also hath said I will come unto you again and your hearts shall rejoyce and your joy no man shall take from you but as for this I shall shew more at large anon only that you may see that the Tabernacle of God shall be with men and he dwell with them read Rev. 21.3 in these words And I heard a great voyce out of heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God O let the Nations be glad and sing for joy for thou shalt Judge the people righteously and govern the Nations
be the year of vengeance and recompence for the controversie of Zion that as the Church of God and also the Jews have been spoiled so for a reward God will give their enemies into their hands they shall spoil them by whom they were spoiled so that Zion shall be as a thrashing instrument of Iron having teeth that shall beat the mountains into dust and the little hills into pouder for God will shew his indignation upon the Nations and his fury upon the Armies as saith the Lord by the Prophet Isa 34.1 2 3 5 6 8. in these words Come neer ye nations to hear and hearken ye people let the earth hear and all that is therein the world and all things that come forth of it For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations and his fury upon all their armies he hath utterly destroyed them he hath delivered them unto the slaughter For my sword shall be bathed in heaven behold I will come down to Idumea and upon the people of my curse to Judgment The sword of the Lord is filled with blood it is made fat with fatness and with the blood of Lambs and Goats with the fat of the kidneys of Ramms for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea For it is the day of the Lords vengeance and the year of recompence for the controversie of Zion From whence we may see that although Gods people do suffer at present and are to suffer until the day of redemption yet at that day even when the Lord shall appear although it be the time of Jacobs trouble yet they shall be delivered and the wicked shall come in their stead that is they shall then be in very great trouble and so I pass to the fifth Reason Reason 5. Because Gods determination is to gather the nations and assemble the kingdomes that he may pour upon them the fierceness of his indignation and that it is to be at that day read Isa 63.1 2 3. Zeph. 3.9 Zech. 14.1 2 3 4. Isa 10.23 Ezek. 38.19 Micah 4.12 13. Isa 3.27 28 29 30 31 32 33. From these Scriptures we may see the great slaughter that will be at the time aforesaid which indeed the Prophets have spoken fully to and because I have given you an account of it in my former Treatise I shall pass it at present and come to the next thing which is a few words as touching the distance of time between the resurrection of the just and unjust There is to be a distance of time between the resurrection of the just and unjust As to the the proof of this subject of discourse I shall be brief omitting circumlocution and only give you plain proof of Scripture although I might give many reasons And first we may see that our blessed Saviour doth affirm it when he speaks of his second coming to raise the dead and to take up the quick into the clouds saying that Of that day and hour knoweth no man no not the Angels in Heaven but my Father only but as the dayes of Noah was so shall be the coming of the Son of man for in the dayes before the floud they were eating and drinking marrying and giving into marriage until the day that Noah entred into the Ark and knew not until the floud came and took them all away so also shall the coming of the son of man be Then shall two be in the field the one SHALL BE TAKEN and the other shall BE LEFT two women shall be grinding at the mill the one SHALL BE TAKEN and the other LEFT two shall be in one bed the one shall be taken and the other shall be left Mat. 24.36 37 38 39 40 41. compared with Luke 17.34 And that this speaks of the taking up of the faithful that are alive and leaving the unfaithful behind upon the earth and raising of the dead that are faithful and leaving the rest of dead behind that are unfaithful is further cleared by the words of Paul to the Thessalonions 4.15 16 17. which saith For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them that are asleep For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise FIRST Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the ayre and shall be for ever with the Lord. From these words we may see the words of Christ are explained where he saith two shall be in one bed the one taken the other left which is saith Paul at his COMING that such as sleep in the Lord will Christ arise FIRST to bring with him and also the quick that are faithful shall be caught up with them and the rest to be left behind and the rest of the dead also not to live again until a certain juncture of time appointed of God as you shall see more anon but hence you see without controversie that the dead in Christ shall rise first as well as the faithful that are alive shall be caught away and the other viz. the wicked left behind And now I come to the next thing which is the last that I shall say to this subject that is How long the just shall rise before the unjust which is the whole time of Christs holding his Kingdome which is the tearm of a thousand years and that you may see the truth of this read Revel 20.4 5 6. in these words And I saw thrones and they that sate upon them and Judgment was given unto them and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and the word of God and they lived raigned with Christ a thousand years But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were fulfilled This is the first resurrection or indeed as we may fitly say the Resurrection of the first or just that both from Christs words and Pauls and also Jesus we may see that the godly shall arise a thousand years at the least before the wicked to possess a Kingdome and to raign upon earth the which glory God hath prepared for those that love and obey Christ and walk in his Ordinances and keep them to the end and thus I briefly pass to the fifth particular which is the place of Christs Kingly Seat Fifthly As to the place of Christs Kingly Seat the Scriptures seem to be very clear in making of it out to be at the former beloved place Jerusalem which is to be built and inhabited as of old time the which in another Treatise I have fully proved that Zion and Jerusalem is the beloved place of the Lord where Christs Throne is to be established in the place where Davids Throne was for so saith
the Scriptures as you may read Isa 9.6 7. In these words For unto us a child is born unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the THRONE OF DAVID and upon HIS KINGDOME to order it and to establish it with Judgment and with Justice from henceforth even for ever the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform it then shall the Sun be ashamed and the Moon confounded when the Lord of hosts shall raign IN MOVNT ZION AND IN JERVSALEM before his ancients gloriously Isa 24.23 From these Scriptures you may see that Christs Throne is to be in Mount Zion in Jerusalem in the time of his raign as First because God himself hath declared it by the Spirit of prophesie in David Psal 2.6 7. Yet will I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion c. Secondly it is a Doctrine preached by the Angel to the Virgin Mary Luke 1.30.31 32. In these words And the Angel said unto her fear not Mary for thou hast found favour with God And beh 〈◊〉 ld thou shalt coceive in thy wombe and bring forth a Son and shalt call his name Jesus he shall be great and be called the Son of the highest and the Lord shall give unto him the THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID c. Thirdly Jerusalem is to be called the Throne of the Lord as faith the Prophet Jer. 3.17 Fourthly The Lord himself saith that he will dwell there Zach. 8.3 In these words Thus saith the Lord I am returned unto Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called a City of truth it is a Prophesie of the last times as is very clear from the Text. Fifthly The Lord saith that Zion and Jerusalem is his rest and dwelling place for ever speaking prophetically also by David Psal 132.13 and Isaiah saith Cry out and shout thou inhabitant of Zion for great is the holy one of Israel in the midst of thee Isa 12.6 A clear Prophesie of Christs Kingdome Again Lastly That Christs Seat is to be in Zion in Jerusalem is clear for Micah prophesying of the last dayes and of both the Houses of Israels return viz. Israel and Judahs return out of their last long captivity saith I will make of her that halteth a remnant and her that mas cast off a strong nation and the Lord shall raign over them IN MOVNT ZION henceforth even for ever for the Lord hath appeared of old unto thee saying I have loved thee with an everlasting love for there shall be a day that the watchmen upon the Mount Ephraim shall cry arise ye and let us go up to ZION VNTO THE LORD OVR GOD. For there shall the glorious Lord be unto thee a place of broad rivers for he shall roar out of Zion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem for the LORD DWELETH IN ZION Micah 4.2 3 4 5 6. Jer. 31.6 Amos 1.2 Isa 31.4 Chap. 33.2 From these and many more Scriptures and reasons that might be given we may see where Christs Throne shall be in the time of his Kingdome which is on Mount Zion in Jerusalem that Throne which was his Father Davids which he took from the Jebusites and Christ will also take it from the Antichrist and will possess it for ever that the everlasting covenant may be made good in him even the sure mercies of David not to want a man to sit upon his Throne but that of the fruit of his loynes according to the flesh he should raise up Christ to sit upon his Throne and so shall the word of the Lord be fulfilled in its time which speaks of Christs Kingdome according to the very letter of the word as it was fulfilled in the letter of the word about his sufferings and thus I pass this particular and come to the sixt and last which is how long Christ shall raign and the estate of the wicked in that time Sixthly As it hath been already proved that Christ and the Saints shal receive a kingdom raign upon earth now I shal proceed to resolve the matter as touching the time and that is also fore-told in the Scriptures to be a thousand yeares which time will contain ten generations it being preconsidered that persons shall live in that day to be an hundred years old according to the words of the Prophet Isa 65.20 which saith There shall be no more thence an infant of dayes nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes for the child shall die an hundred yeares old and the sinner being an hundred yeares old shall be accursed and that curse shall be the same spoken by the Prophet Zech. 14.12 and that the time will be a thousand years is plain from the words of the Lord to John Rev. 20.4 5 6 7. where the Lord shewed John that the godly were to live again after death and to raign with Christ a thousand yeares before the rest of the dead men viz. the wicked were to live again But if it should be demanded of me whether Christ and the Saints shall raign but one thousand yeares I should not say possitively that they are to raign no longer as just to limit the time yet I shall give my judgment as a man who have obtained favour of the Lord and say its like that a thousand yeares may be the set time first because we know that Christ is to give up the Mediator-ship and kingdome into the hands of the Father and then he is to be all in all as you may read 1 Cor. 15.24 and the Son then must be in subjection to the Father so that although Christ be to receive the Kindom and greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven and possess it and raign yet he is to leave it again at the time appointed of the Father which seems to be the time before mentioned viz. at the end of the thousand yeares but if it should be objected and said Object That that thousand years raign which you speak of may possibly be but the very time or day that Christ and the Saints shall pass sentence upon the wicked as Christ to judge the righteous to be said to judge as they acknowledg Christs judgement to be just so trample down the wicked because the Apostle saith that one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day 2 Pet. 3.8 Answ It cannot be so understood because Christ is to sit upon the Throne of his father David and to GOVERN IT in which time his dominion shall be from Sea to Sea and from the rivers unto the end of the world they that dwell in the Wilderness shall bow to him his enemies shall lick the dust the Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents
is death then shall Christ deliver up his Kingdome and authority into the hands of God the Father and then shall Christ and the Saints be in subjection to God for ever and shall remain with him in bliss in that everlasting station that heavenly Jerusalem the which the Lord grant it to be the portion of every serious Soul that seeketh after truth unto whose hands these lines may come and to all others which is the earnest desire of him that would fain have been larger in meditation writing but by reason of several occasions time suffereth him not Farewel The Good Ancient Laws and Statutes OF KING JESUS VINDICATED Wherein is proved by several Scriptures and several Grounds and Reasons drawn from Scriptures That all the Laws Statutes and Ordinances of King Jesus given forth in his last Will and Testament are practicable and to be practised by the Lords People in all Ages until the Worlds end or till the second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to Judgment Whereunto also is added an Answer to the most material Objections to this Point or proof for the Cessation of some of Christs Ordinances It being in Answer to a Book published by Mr. Simon Henden of Biddenden in Kent entituled A Glass of some new Discoveries Together with a brief Review of the Heads of a Conference between him and the Author before many witnesses June 3. 1658. By GEORGE HAMMON Pastor to the Church of Christ meeting in Biddenden in KENT I said dayes shall speak and multitude of years should teach wisdome But there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding Great men are not alwayes wise neither doth the aged understand judgment Therefore I said hearken unto me I also will shew thee mine opinion Job 32.7 8 9 10. Go ye therefore and Teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOV and loe I am with you ALWAYES EVEN to the END of the WORLD Amen Mat. 28.19 20. LONDON Printed by G. Dawson for the Author 1660. The Epistle Dedicatory TO Mr. Simon Henden and his Son John SIRS ACcording to my promise and the desire of many Friends I have taken in hand to give some further Account of the Conference that we had at your House in June the 3d. 1658. Together with an Examination and Tryal of some few Particulars published by you upon a more mature consideration But truly I must be very brief because the Press hath waited a long while for it by reason of my being so much from home and taken off upon other occasions for indeed part of my Book hath been printed long since the which part was far briefer than it was intended if time would have admitted and also if the man to whom I had Dedicated it in chief had been in England but he being far remote and also giving forth speeches that he would not meddle any more with me either in Disputation nor in the Press I did only intend to answer that which seemed most material unto me and to remove it from my door and also to shew my opinion upon some other Subjects which are material and worth examination as at this day at the end of which I did promise to speak somewhat in order to the reviving of our former Discourse upon which I did also peruse your Treatise intituled The Key of Scripture Prophesies or A Glass of some new Discoveries to the end that I might the better know your Judgment when I had seen it delivered by you upon deliberation with serious and mature thoughts and when I had read it and perused it I was very much astonished at the consideration thereof to think how much I was bereaved of my understanding if that Piece were worthy to be authorized by a man of your gravity and ingenuity but however I desire not to be too confident it may be of greater worth than it appears to me to be and therefore I shall reveiw some few particulars and in the words of Sobriety and Humility give my judgment of things as they appear to me in the plainness and simplicity thereof to the end that I may inform those who are out of the way and yet will ask and enquire for the good old way and to leave others who are wise in their own conceit to stand and fall unto their own Master without casting dirt or things of that nature upon them the which I find to be most profitable in reference to Godliness although most unpleasing unto the flesh But to wave these things and all kind of circumlocution my desire is that these Lines may not be mis-represented upon your spirits as though what I write here be the venting of any thing from a private prejudice but those things that I rather aim at is love and good will first to your selves and then to all those that possibly may be mis-led and be in that Babel that you suppose others are in therefore let the Scripture and sound Reason guide you I mean Scripture Reason and the Lord if it be his will give you a right understanding therein which is the desire of him which desires your eternal peace who is Your Servant and all mens for Christ and his Bodies sake which is the Church GEORGE HAMMON THE Epistle to the Reader Courteous Reader I Have here presented thee with as it were a Homer in a Nut shell much matter of concernment in a little compass or volumn and my desire is that as thou tendreth the good of thy eternal peace to peruse these lines with an impartial heart and an unbyassed affection that thou maist thereby find out the truth in the midst of the varieties of Opinions which are in our dayes and in order thereunto be very careful to try things well before thou receiveth it for a truth and believe not every spirit but try them whether they be of God for many false Prophets are entred into the world which endeavour privately to undermine the truth and to bring in another Gospel to oppose both the Ordinances and Kingdome of the Lord Jesus and to walk in such a way as God hath not cast up for his People to walk in therefore remember how thou hast heard and received and hold fast for the time of account draweth near and then blessed will such be who are sound doing all things that are written in the last Will and Testament of Christ Jesus and if thou find any man so insolent and bold as to say that some of the Laws Statutes or Ordinances of King Jesus be not to be observed but are ceased then examine where it is written that Christ hath said that any of his Laws is to cease or fall to the ground and not to be observed until he comes and puts an end unto them and know that in things of concernment God hath not spoken obscurely
namely of receiving in or casting out although one Star fell from Heaven to Earth Revel 9. yet he carryed not away the heavenly keyes or power no more than the evil Angels when they fell could carry away the heavenly power and authority of the good Angels no they were so far from carrying away the power that the good Angels had that the power that the evil Angels had was taken away and given to the good Angels as the one Talent was taken and given to him that had ten so to him that hath shall be given and to him that hath not shall be taken away that which he hath so then the conclusion is that if one Star did fall it s nothing in comparison of many Stars which did not fall and that fallen Star did not carry away the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven namely the heavenly power but God took it away from him and the Devil gave him the keyes of drakness so it was not the keys of the Kingdome for they still remained with them that abode in the truth as hath been already proved and by your self in effect hath been granted and thus I pass to the next thing considerable which is The four Winds Revel 7.1 with its interpretation by Mr. Henden But by the way I take notice of what is said in the beginning of his 4. page from Zech. 4. which speaks concerning their building of Jerusalem and the Temple after the seventy years of captivity in Babylon the which he applies to be a Gospel Church and the Pipes there spoken of to be understood Ordinances and from the seven Pipes spoken of vers 2. is to be understood the practising of the full number of Ordinances in the Primitive time and the two Golden Pipes in vers 12. Is to be understood the least of numbers and that least of numbers relates to the time of the Churches being in Babylon that then the lesser number of Ordinances were practicable and to be practised This is the sum in short that I gather from that his discourse To which I answer briefly and first that the 4 Chapter of Zech. is a Prophesie of a Gospel Church I cannot as yet see nor believe it is clear that it was a prophesie of the redifying of Jerusalem and the Candelstick the Lamps and Pipes belonging to it is the same vessels that God appointed in the Temple as you may read Exod. 25. Lev. 24.4 Numb 4.9 the oyle vessels ministering unto it is to be understood the Pipes Chap. 8.2 2 Kings 4.10 1 Chron. 28.15 from these and many more Scriptures that might be added we may see that the Candlestick with the Lamps and Pipes viz. the ministering vessels unto the Lamps and Candelstick was the same that God shewed unto Moses in the pattern and appointed it to remain in the Temple and after that pattern it was made in Solomons time and the very same was to be after the seventy years of captivity and it is far more evident because if we observe the Prophesie of Haggai who speaks of one and the same thing he will tell us that Zerubbabel and Joshua according to Zechariahs words that he should lay the foundation and also finish it Hag. 1.14 Zech. 4.9 and that this prophesie relates to Jerusalem read Haggai and Zechariah at large I do not say that it relates only to the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple at the end of the seventy years captivity but in it is a Prophesie of the redifying of the City and Temple destroyed since by Titus Vespatian which is yet to be built again according to the Word of the Lord Rev. 11. but more of that anon but in a short sentence I further add this as a reason to prove that the Prophesie of Zechariah Chap. 4. most primely relates to the redifying of Jerusalem at their coming out of the seventy years of captivity because that both Haggai and Zechariah have the Word of the Lord coming to them both at that time as to Haggai the Word of the Lord came to him in the sixth seventh month in the second year of Darius Chap. 1.1 Chap. 2.1 and to Zechariah it came in the eighth month in the same year Zech. 1.1 and the work of both Prophets was to stir up the People to the work of building of the House of God for they being hindred by subtilty in the dayes of Cyrus because that Zerubbabel and Joshua and the rest of the chief of the Fathers would not let the people of the Land build with them as you may see at large in Ezra 4.1 2 3 4 5 6. that they at last out of custome grew careless and was content to live in their sealed houses and let the house of God lye waste Hag. 1.2 and hence the Word of the Lord stirred them up by the two fore mentioned Prophets namely Haggai and Zechariah that they might go on to finish the Work for Zerubbabel had begun it before and laid the Foundation in the daies of Cyrus and being stopped as before said he was to finish it in the daies of Darius which agreeth with the words of Zechariah Chap. 4.9 in these words The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house his hands also shall finish it compare Haggai with the four first Chapters of Zechariah and compare them both with Ezra 3.8.9 10. Chap. 4.1 2 3 4 5 6. and you may clearly see that what I have said is undeniably true and that is the thing that Zechariah speaks of in Chap. 4. which Mr. Henden would have to be a Gospel Church it 's clear that men may be carried away very strangely in the judgments and understandings if that they be guided by their own spirits or immaginations without searching the Scriptures and well comparing them together so as they may hold a correspondency together I am not willing to be nice in observing obsurdities the which if I were and had time I could observe many but at present I shall leave this thing saying that if the Pipes signifie the Ordinances of the Gospel and that they were lost from seven to two so that there is now but two Ordinances practicable and it 's a question to some whether Mr. Henden practise above one of them two what Ordinances they be which remain but you say that the two signifie the least of numbers and so I think that two is the least of numbers but that I may take you in the best sense I understand you mean that the Ordinances was devided in two numbers and the biggest number was to cease in Babylon as you call it and the lesser number to be perpetuated and remain the which if so cast up your account again and you will find upon your own account that the greater number is perpetuated and to remain as 1. Ministry 2. Prayer 3. Praises 4. Baptisme 5. the Lords Supper 6. the Sealed elect number 7. the Spiritual union 8. the beginning and profession of faith
from the Prophets to witness it but further you may see that there will be a Temple although not the union of the sealed number as Mr. Henden supposed which hath been already answered but a material Temple as saith St. Paul 2 Thes 2.4 He viz. the man of Sin or Antichrist shall sit in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God But if the Temple be to be understood to discypher the Mistical union of the one hundred forty and four thousand as Mr. Henden saith then it is impossible that the Man of Sin should sit there for they are not to be hurt and that connot be said to be the Temple of God in a spiritual sense which is the seat of the Man of Sin but in a material Temple it hath been so already and will be so again for saith Christ It is written my House should be a House of Prayer but ye have made it a den of thiefs And secondly that there is to be a Temple is also proved from Revel 15.8 in these words And the Temple was filled with smoak from the glory of God from his power and no MAN was able to enter into the TEMPLE till the seven plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled From hence we see that there shall be a material Temple which shall be so filled with Gods glory that no MAN shall enter into it until the plagues of the seven Vials be executed and so Christ by the brightness of his coming and excellent glory shall dispossess the Man of Sin of his seat and that the glory of God did shine so of old in his Temple read the words of the Prophet Isa 6 4. Ezek. 10.4 And secondly that the glory of the Lord is to appear or fill his House or material Temple Again read Ezek. 43.5 6 7. in these words So the Spirit took me up and brought me into the inner Court and behold the glory of the Lord filled the House and I heard him speaking unto me out of the House and the man stood by me and he said unto me Son of man the place of my Throne and the place of the sole of my feet where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for EVER and my holy Name shall the House of Israel no more defile Agreeable to Chap. 37.21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. as you may read at large I could give many reasons more to prove a material Temple and elsewhere I have done it But if it should be objected That God doth not dwell in Temples made with hands I answer and say it is very true that the Temple of Jerusalem they had defiled with their abominations and therefore the Lord destroyed it and for a while took unto himself the instruments of a foolish Shepheard Zech. 11.15 and so was a Gin and a Snare to the House of Israel and so the litteral Zion was to be plowed like a field and Jerusalem to become a heap but it doth nor say that Christ will never dwell in Temples or a Temple made with hands nor that he will never dwell in Mount-Zion litteral in Jerusalem but contrariwise saith in many places that he will come unto his Temple and dwell in Mount-Zion in Jerusalem as I before have proved read the place of Christs Kingly seat in the time of his Reign in my Treatise to Mr. Holland annexed to this I could prove that the Lord will have his seat there at large and that when his Tabernacle shall be with men and his seat where his Father Davids was that then it is to be in material Jerusalem when the Law shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem and this was the City and Altar and Temple which was to be measured and the Worshipers which was therein namely the Jews which were to return and at that time shall be returned unto their own Land where they shall worship God according to Moses Law waiting for their Messiah Thirdly what is to be understood by the outward Court not measured or cast out or left out as in reference to measurement it is that after the Israelites be returned before they have finished their outward Courts and walls and the like for their great care and first work shall be upon the chief and principal place viz. their City and Temple the Gentiles namely Gogg the Prince of Meshech and Tubal whose Army shall be of them of Persia Ethiopia and Libia with Gomer and the Family of Togarmah a very great Army of the North Quarters shall be gathered together upon the Mountains of Israel and shall prevail and spoil the Jews for a small season and this shall be done before the outward Court and walls be finished which causeth the Army of the Gentiles to call Jerusalem a Town of unwalled Villages being without Bars and Gates as you may read Ezek. 38.11 in these words And thou shalt say I will go up to the Land of VNWALLED VILLAGES I will go to them that are at rest that dwell safely all of them dwelling without WALS having neither BARS nor GATES to take a spoil to take a prey c. And to this agreeth the words of the Prophet Zecha 2.1 2 3 4 9. which saith I lift up mine eyes again and looked and behold a man with a MEASVRING LINE in his hand Then said I whither goest thou and he said unto me to measure Jerusalem to see what is the breaà th thereof and what is the length thereof And behold the Angel that talked with me went forth and another Angel went out to meet him and said unto him run speak to the young man saying Jerusalem shall be inhabited as a TOWN without WALS c. From these Scriptures and more that might be added we may see that the Walls and outward Court shall not be finished till it is taken and the holy City trod under foot but the time of its oppression is so short as not worth speaking of in comparison of time namely three years and a half so that this Prophet speaks little of the oppression of Israel but doth as it were overlook it because the time of it is so short and speaks of that which is of the greatest moment namely the Enemies destruction but the Prophet Zechariah agreeing with the Revelations sheweth that the City shall for a small time be surprised and taken and the Jews persecuted although the City it self shall not be destroyed but shall be the place of the Enemies Randesvouz and that this is true read the words of the Prophet Daniel compared with Zechariah which saith He shall enter also into the glorious Land and many Countries shall be overthrown but these shall escape out of his hands even EDOM and MOAB and the CHIEF OF THE CHILDREN OF AMMON and he shall plant the Tabernacle of his Pallace between the Seas in the glorious holy mountain yet he shall come to his end and none shall help him And at that time
rejected a Baptisme so performed shew it if it cannot be shewn to the contrary then the practise before mentioned is warrantable and as for a succession in your sense I have formerly shewn in conference that the succession of my Baptisme as it came from beyond Sea dispensed by one Doctor Cassol even so if reports be true there hath been a succession from the primitive Church I think the Church of Smarnah if I be not mistaken it was a considerable time since I was informed of it and had no thoughts then to make use of it neither is it in my understanding material but as to that its like that the ancient Churches in the low Countries can give a better account of it but what I have before said is sufficient to set a foot Christs Ordinances if they had been totally lost namely a call from Christ in his word and from his Spirit in the heart and conscience saying Go preach and make Disciples and Baptise them that are made Disciples and loe I am with you alwayes to the end of the World so that I should conclude that if God had called me and appointed me to do the greater work namely to preach so as to convert souls he had as well approved of me to have done the lesser work namely to Baptise considering that they are knit together so that he that may do one may also do the other admit of this argument its the very same that I gave to Mr. Henden at my first time of conference with him and was never yet answered which is If Christ have joyned Preaching and Baptizing together as unseperable companions unto the Worlds end then that person is not of God that seperates it Which practiseth one and not the other But Christ hath joyned Preaching and Baptizing together as unseperable companions unto the Worlds end Ergo Those persons that seperate them be not of God And secondly I further argue thus If those whom Christ hath gifted and authorized to preach he hath also authorized to Baptise then Baptizing depends upon the gifts and authority of Christ given forth and not upon a line of succession But those that Christ haâ—â— gifted and authorized to Preach he hath also authorized to Baptise Ergo Baptizing depends upon the gifts and authority of Christ given forth and not upon a line of succession The which is undenyably true both in the Major and Minor I further argue thus If the lesser is blessed of the greater then he that is approved of to do the greater may also do the lesser But the lesser is blessed of the greater Ergo such as are approved of to do greater may also do the lesser my meaning in plainness is thus whomsoever God approves of to preach which is a far greater work than Baptizing he also approveth of to Baptise considering also that they are joyned together to be practised as unseperable companions to the Worlds end read the Last Will and Testament of Jesus Christ Mat. 28.18 19 20. So then here lyeth the authority for Baptizing in our age and all ages and in this runneth the line of succession namely the faithful believer gifted from God to Preach and convert souls is the true blood as by way of allusion I may call it unto whom the line of succession runs or the line of succession runs in or to that race and so I shall leave this Objection and its particular attendances and come to shew my opinion of the travailing Woman and the Man-child and of his being caught up to God and to his Throne and of the Womans flight into the Wilderness and into what Wilderness and how long she shall abide there and of the remnant of her seed persecuted and by who and of the two Witnesses prophesying who they be and the place and time how long and such like things that are its attendance I shall speak to in their particular order as God shall assist me and so come to speak to the first thing considerable which is As touching this travailing Woman many have given their opinion but the most part have built upon the Judgment of ancient Expositors I do not speak by way of comtempt of them but do conclude that they were industrious in their day in the which time the vision of the Book spake more darkly but towards the end it is to speak more plainly and that which hath begot the monster brought forth in our times is the turning those Scriptures into alligories which are none which hath been the practise of the National Minister and also others to make up their matter have confounded Law and Gospel together and prophesies which peculiarly belong unto the natural seed of Abraham as such and applyed them to the Gentiles that it is come to such a monster in birth in our dayes that persons make an alligory of God and have said that he is the fire and candle and every thing which hath any light in it because the Scripture saith God is light I speak this of those that I know my self by my own knowledg and others have affirmed that Mount-Zion and the new Jerusalem and Adam and Christ and all is within them and in a few words I say that the alligorising of the Scriptures hath been a means to make so many opinions as there is amongst us I am a thinking how strangely our generation would have alligorized the words of the Prophets concerning Christs riding to Jerusalem upon a Coult the foal of an Ass and of the smiting the Judge of Israel and of the thirty pieces of silver and giving him vinegar to drink and many such like things which the Prophets prophesied concerning Christ and his sufferings which was fulfilled according to the letter of the word the which the generation of men in our dayes would have made strange stories upon it as they do upon things which is as litteral and plain and to be fulfilled according to the letter of the word I speak these things to that end that we may believe that King Jesus shall come and raign upon the Throne of David in Zion according to the letter of the word and that the Prophets that speak concerning Judah and Jerusalem their words shall be fulfilled but I pass this interposed discourse and come to speak to the travailing Woman who she is who is the man-child c. and these things briefly First The Woman I understand to be Zion namely the two Tribes Judah and Benjamin Secondly The Man-child I understand to be the Gentile Church Thirdly I understand the remnant of her seed was a small part that were left of the other ten Tribes when Samariah was surprized and taken in the dayes of Hosea by Salmonazer Fourthly The taking up the Man-child to God and to his Throne is the taking up of the Gentile Church which shall be first taken and the other left behind Fifthly The Wilderness spoken of into which the Woman is to flie I understand to be the
a Woman and a Man-child agreeing with the Text Revel 12. save this Text Isa 66.6 7 8 9 10. which speaks as it were the very same there is in many places spoken of Zions travel but not the word MAN-CHILD used so that we are to understand that this is the Text which giveth us light to understand who is the Woman and who is her Son or Child and we see that it is clearly applyed to the Jews the Mother and the Gentiles the Man-child for there is the word Zion and Jerusalem mentioned in the Text and the Gentiles sucking of her breast a metaphor of a Woman and her Child but more of this anon but from what is already said it appears that the travelling Woman is Zion and also Zion is to be understood the two Tribes and so I shall pass this and come to the second thing namely to shew who is this Man-child spoken of Revel 12. which is Secondly The Man-child I understand to be the Gentile Church even all the faithful in the primitive times and downwards amongst whom there was a few Jews but not a number worth speaking of in consideration of the whole House of Judah nor in comparison of the Gentiles but as it were a tenth according to the words of the Prophet Isaiah chap. 6.10 11 12 13. and that the converted Gentiles or Gospel Church is to be understood the Man-child spoken of by John Revel 12. I shall give these Scriptures and Scripture Reasons following to prove it And in the first place I shall shew that the Prophet Isaiah who clearly prophesied of the same thing that John saw even the Woman and Man-child sheweth us that the Woman is to be understood Zion or Jerusalem namely the People called by that name which were the Jews and her Man-child to be the Gentile Church as you may read Isaiah 66.7 8 9 10 11 12 13. in these words Before she travelled she brought forth before her pain came she was delivered of a MAN-CHILD From this verse we see that there is a Man-child spoken of which was to be brought forth agreeing with the Text Revel 12. only this Text saith that before she travelled she brought forth and the Text Revel 12.2 saith she being with child cried travelling in birth pained to be delivered These two Texts of Scripture speak of one and the same thing and yet seems to contradict one another the which I shall reconcile the word Travel I understand to be meant this that Judah being forsaken of her God and given up to be made a Wanderer amongst the Nations was to be sorrowful as in a pained travelling condition until the fulness of the Gentiles and this is that which is to be understood from the Text Revel 12. where it saith she cried travelling in birth and pained to be delivered and then at that time shall the Lord take away the vail of unbelief and then shall they see Jesus and acknowledge him to be their God which they have waited for Isa 25.9 and yet her persecution after that time will be great although it shall endure but for a short time for in the very time of the Gentiles being taken up until the Lord shall descend upon the Mount of Olives it is called the time of Jacobs trouble and such a day of trouble as never was since there was a Nation upon the earth Dan. 12.1 2 3. Zech. 14.1 2 3 4. Jer. 30. So then although the Church of Judah was given up for her unbelief made a wanderer among the Nations yet nevertheless her trouble will be greater in that nick of time thorow Moabs treachery and the great Antichrists violence although the time of her trouble will be very short than even it was afore time and that caused the Prophet Isaiah to say BEFORE she travelled she brought forth BEFORE her pains came she was dâ—vered of a MAN-CHILD implying that she was to travel and be pained afterwards for so saith the Text BEFORE she travelled and BEFORE her pains came implying that she was to travel and be in pain but she was to bring forth first so that she was to have pain and travail after her bringing forth the Man-child and yet notwithstanding this very Text that saith Before she travelled she brought forth also saith that as soon as Zion travelled she brough forth her Children The sum of all is this that Zion or the Church of Judah was given up unto unbelief and to be scattered amongst the Nation until she brought forth the Man-child namely until the fulness of the Gentiles and so to be in a suffering condition and also after she was delivered of the Man-Child she must flie into the Wilderness and there to be in a sorrowful condition and in pain and travail as it were until all her children be brought forth even the ten Tribes also which were carried away by Salmonazar in the dayes of Hosea be brought back and made one Sheep-fould so as not to be divided into two Nations any more at all that the first dominions may come to the daughter of Zion and that they are called the Womans seed is clear for we may see that the small number of the ten Tribes which were not of Judah and yet lived amongst them since the dayes of Hosea are called the remnant of her seed Revel 12. which cannot rationally be understood any other people but a small number of the ten Tribes as I could shew from the Prophets at large but because of the want of time I pass from this Objection or the reconciliation of the Text Isa 66. with Revel 12. and come to give you Reasons drawn from the Scriptures to prove the Gentile Church to be the Man-child spoken of in Revel 12. and so to the first which is First Because the Text Isa 66. imports so much in these words Then shall ye suck ye shall be born upon her sides and dandled upon her knees as one whom HIS Mother comforteth so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem and that this is spoken of the Gentiles that shall flow in or be converted is clear from the first clause of the verse in these words Isa 66.12 For thus saith the Lord behold I will extend peace to her like a river and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream Then shalt thou see and flow together and thine heart shall fear and be enlarged because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee Chap. 60.6 So that Judah is to be troden under foot in a sorrowful pained and travelling condition till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in and then there shall be a participation of each others glory as the Gentiles shall suck of her breast and milk out and rejoyce in the abundance of her glory even so shall she afterwards when her child viz. the Gentile Church is come to full age namely when it shall descend with