world are no! but by intrinsicall life and spirit and inward principles not by being together in one body Churches City or society but by being of one spirit and of one spirituall body which is Christs The heads are these which are offered for unity by the Apostle First there is but one body i. e. not naturall nor politicall but spirituall viz. the Church compared to a naturall body Rom. 12.4 5. 1 Cor. 12.12 which takes in the Saints of all ages under all forms and statures seeing none could be left out to compleat the body but that there is need of Saints under lower as well as under higher forms to make up the body Whence unity is urged for that there is need of all to make up the body viz. of the weak as well as the strong of the lower as well as the higher 1 Cor. 12.18 20 23. 2. Vnity is pressed here for that this onenesse of body flowes from the onenesse of the Head which in corpore primas tenet c. saies Bullinger de unit eccles Dec. 5. Serm. 2. is the first of the body and is first and then the body of right for members do not unite first and then choose a Head saies Mr. Dell in 's way of peace p. 20.21 c. but first they are if true Churches united to Christ their head by faith Uniuntur primo capiti Christo per fidem ipsum caput conjungitur membris per gratiam spiritum Bull. in loc ibid. and then one to another by love Therefore all that have but one Head viz. Christ I say all Independents Anabaptists or whoever they be should be one 3. Vnity is urged in this word one body because unity of body stands well with variety of forms distinction of parts and differences of members 1 Cor. 12.23 which do not hinder but help to make up the body by a sweet symmetry harmony Rom. 12.6 Licet sint membra plurima omnium tamen est inter ipsa consâ—nsio pulcherrimâ— c. Bull. because what one member can't doe another can for the use and service of the Head 4. Vnity is called for for that in one body there is an equality of members all alike making up one body Not one more then another omnes authoritate dignitate pares sunt saies Zanchy de unit eccles cap. 3. etsi alter altero sit ditiâ—r c. So are all Churches equall in dignity and authority though some may be richer or bigger then others as was prov'd 〈◊〉 lib. 8. 5 Vnity is urged for that as each member is contented with its own place and office in the body so ought each particular society to be 1 Cor. 12.18 6. Vnity is called for from the sympathy and fellow-feeling which one member hath with another in the body 1 Cor. 12.26 and all for and with the whole mourning with them that mourn and rejoycing with them thaâ— rejoyce Congruunt conspirant inter sâ—omnia condolent sibiâ—iâ—icem juvant se mutuo Ergo afflict not one another 7 Vnity is urged from the Law of love and therefore of peace that is among the members one member doth not force another or compell another nor doth one member beat bite quarrel or fight with another neither doth one Church with another that is one in the spirit And then Lastly Vnity is urged for that every member is to serve another and to serve all and not himself only the eye is to see not for its self only but for the hand and for the foot and for the whole c. so the ear to hear c. and in serving the whole serves its self Thus it is among particular Churches there is no one meerly to serve himself but one lives to serve another and then all therefore the Apostle so earnestly presses unity for that they are one body and are to serve one another and all the body of Christ. Let no Church break this bond of love and peace then seeing all make but one body The 2. Head is one Spirit Hence unity is urged for that as one soul 1. quickens comprehends moves governs and acts every member of the body eye hand foot c. sicut per eandem animam multa membra unita sunt c. Zanch. de eccles c. 3. So one spirit all the members and every particular Church that makes up the body one Spirit quickens moves governs the Independent as well as the baptized ones c. Ergo unity 2. For that as one soul vivificates and unites many and divers kindes of members so one and the same spirit puts life into Churches under diversity and differency of forms and appearances and administrations One and the same Spirit of Christ unites those in earth and those in heaven those in the east and those in the west and though about severall works yet all by one and the same Spirit Rom. 12.6.7 Hos. 10.11 This then is an argument for unity And 3. Lastly as one and the same soul acts severally in every member and so as if every member had a soul to give it life c. yet 't is but one and the same soul in all So the Spirit is upon and in every particular Church of Christ as if every Church had the spirit solely in and to her self the 7. Spirits Rev. 5.6 for the 7. Churches of Asia and yet all but one and the same spirit though living in every one This should engage every particular Church to unity in the spirit not in the form that uniformity will never hold nor abide the day of his coming Mal. 3.2 't's diversity of spirits that breaks the peace not the diversity of formes for as Zanchy observes Non externarum ceremoniarum diversitas impedit veram essentialem unitatem ecclesiae it is not the difference of outward rites and forms that hinders the Churches unity for God hath left them to liberty for every Church to use or not use as it is most for order and edification as to time place number manner of meeting reading singing praying administring Sacraments and such like In Augustines time some broke bread every day some each of the day some thrice a week some twice some every first day some of the first day that as to time Then as to place sometimes in private sometimes in publick places sometimes from house to house yea as to number in Augustines time they broke bread sometimes twice a day morning and evening sometimes once only See Aug. Tom. 2. Epist. 118. ad Januar. As to the manner sometimes without prayer sometimes with prayer sometimes with many prayers Bucer contra Latomum 133. So there were many ceremonies and much difference about baptisme about prayers about Ministers and their ordination c. and yet was there unit as veritate saies Aug. Tom. 2. epist. 86. ad Casulanum though ceremoniarum
Lions Beares Aspes Cockatrices c. though they be such they shall have no power to hurt us but shall be glad to lye as still as a stone as in Exod. 15.16 So that we shall be safe out of the Wildernesse upon the Mount Jer. 32.41.44 for the Lord will watch over us with his whole heart and soule and we may build houses and buy lands without danger the Lord will be to us a wall of fire round about us which the Wildernesse ones will be afraid to come nigh Zach. 2.5 â— There shall be no more a pricking brier to the house of Israel nor a grieving thorne of all them that have hated us Ezek. 28.24.26 with abundance of more proofes but Fifthly A Wildernesse is a place of greatest want even of necessaries there is no bread unlesse made of Stones nor Grapes unlesse growing on Thistles no Corne comes up among their bushes and brambles and Esa. 34.11 There be the stones of emptinesse a man may eate his fingers that is lost in a Wildernesse unlesse he hath bread about him there is much want and such a Wildernesse hath the Church been in also where she hath wanted even necessaries for Soules bread of life and food convenient for her for as in Amos 8.11 12. They did wander from Sea to Sea from North to East to and fro to seeke the Word of the Lord and yet went without it often finding at best but Cankers trash and trumpery which grow upon every wilde briar and bramble so that the very Virgins and young men have fainted for thirst but blessed be the Lord who hath laid it out otherwise in these dayes for his Saints For as the sharp winter makes the Springe sweet and the darke night the light lovely so the times past doe help to set forth our happinesse in these times present wherein we have plenty of Mannah falling downe from the windowes of heaven How sweet doth Honey relish after Aloes and Gall O how sweet is health after a sore sicknesse wealth after poverty pleasure after paine and bread enough after infinite want A great Courtier complaining to the Harbinger for that he was laid in so homely and filthy a roome was answered O Sir You will take delight in it when you are out of it and so may we say to thinke of the Dungeon and bondage full of darknesse and filthiness wherein we were barricadoed up in former yeares and as Darius said of Puddle-water when he was in great extreamity of thirst O sweet so now may we that have been in a Wilderness say of the worst preaching almost and Ordinance we meet with from the Gospel and the Spirit O sweet Ah how did Hagar cry when her bottle was dry that now she and her childe must dye in the Wildernesse she wayles wonderfully poore soule till she saw a fountaine neare enough and so did we till the fountaine which is now set open was found out of whose fulness flowes streams which make us glad Psal. 46.4 and as the glory of God appeared to Israel even when they wanted bread Exod. 16.7 So as Ainsworth sayes is God with us and hath appeared in the Assemblies of his Saints when they were in the greatest wildernesse of want wanting bread for their soules but since I say the Lord hath rained Mannah amongst us even Angels food and hath begun to feast us with fatnesse and fill us with gladnesse and in these last dayes he hath promised that the Saints shall be swallowed up over head and eares in the knowledge of God as deep as the bottome of the Sea under the waters yea with the knowledge of the glory of God Habac. 2.14 filled by knowing him in the Hebr. and then shall Corne make the young men cheerfull and new wine the maides Zach. 9.17 for he hath promised to call for the Corne which growes in no soyle but Heaven and to increase it Ezek. 36.29 and the fruits of every tree of righteousnesse shall be multiplied and we shall be no more a reproach for famine among the Heathen The Saints shall have bread enough and to spare and shall be fed with fatnesse and marrow abundantly yea whilst others are ready to starve they shall have enough and eate Isa. 65.13 14. yea whilst others have their tongues cloven to the roofe of their mouthes they shall drinke full draughts and rejoyce whilst others shall be ashamed Sixthly in a wildernesse a man must be a companion with wildernesse-Creatures and companies of Wolves Beares Foxes Serpents c. such a comfortlesse condition the Church was in even till now among the multitude of such as the Beasts of Ephesus wanting religion yea and reason Oh sad condition when as no difference was put between the cleane and uncleane but beleevers with unbeleevers light with darknesse men with beasts and brutish ones were unequally yoaked and are at this day in Parish-Congregations or Churches so called so that whereas formerly God might have said of the Churches that bore his Image behold they are as one of us now the Beasts may say of Parish-Churches and constitutions which belong to the Beast Behold they are as one of us For as the Arke at first was carried on mens shoulders but after that in the corruption of times it was carried on a Cart and by Beasts till they quite over-turned it even so the Church-Discipline that at first in Primitive times consisted of Saints and which was bore up by Christ and carried out by the Apostles was afterwards corrupted into a Discipline carried out by the power of the Beast and bore up by Antichrist consisting of Beasts as well as men I meane of visible brutish sinners making the Church a Wildernesse for Wildernesse-Creatures till they had quite overturned the true Church as to appearance and turned it into a stinking stall and stye But now let us blesse our God who hath brought us into the entrance of those blessed dayes promised in Isa. 35.8 9 10. An high way shall there be and a way called the way of holinesse the uncleane shall not passe over it no Lion shall be there nor ravenous beast shall goe up for it is high thereon but the redeemed shall walke there and the ransomed of the Lord c. And the vile and the precious shall be separate for God is gathering up his jewels Mal. 3.16 17 18. so that a difference shall be put between them that serve him and them that serve him not with many other Prophesies to this purpose which I passe by having produced sufficient I hope to satisfie either the rationally religious or the religiously rationall ones in this point and of the Churches Wildernesse-state and of her recovery which is comming apace upon us although this I know that there be more then many neither religious nor rationall that doe deplore the falling of Babylon and men
of Religion though they be the fundamental as we say principles of our Christian faith O what an errour is this sayes John Husse to his Adversaries to deliver poore people up to secular powers to put to death c O cruell accursed invention Mr. Hooper also in a letter of his out of prison to a precious friend Anno one thousand five hundred fifty five tels him how thi◠tyranny extremity and force hath been the onely argument which sayes he you must grant to maintaine the Pope And what they cannot doe by the convincing word they will endeavour to doe by delivering us up to worldly compulsive powers to be tormented This was also good Bradfords sense as he sayes to the then Lord Chancellor I have been said he now a yeare and almost three quarters in a stinking prison and yet of all this time you never questioned me for my opinions before this time or for any thing else when I might have freely spoke my conscience without peril but now now that you have a Law to hang and put men to death if a man answer freely and not to your minds so now you come to ask me this question about Christ really present in the Sacrament Ah! my Lord my Lord Christ used not this way to bring men to the faith Bernardus writ to this purpose an Epistle to the Pope Eugenius who condemned many and delivered them up to secular Powers to be put to death sayes he Apostolos lego stetisse judicandos sedisse judicantes non lego hoc erit illud fuit I read that the Apostles stood to be judged but I never read that they sate as Judges to sentence any But this shall be for the Saints shall judge the world and judge their Judges that now deliver them up to bee murdered and massacred This wee shall finde long agone the Saints were well acquainted with A good woman Mistress Askew Martyr in King Henry the eighths dayes said to Wrisley the Lord Chancellor I have searched the Scriptures all over but I cannot finde that ever Christ or any of his Apostles put any to death though Hereticks or delivered them up to any others to put them to death Marlinus that eminent French-Bishop upon this very account withdrew communion from his fellow-brethren Bishops and would have nothing to doe with them because they consented and gave way to Maximus the Emperour to cut off by the sentence of death the Priscilianists as known Hereticks as ever lived yet said he wee have no power to put them to death nor to deliver them up to the Emperour Christ was put to death but put none to death though Hereticks neither hath hee given power to any to doe it but hath denyed it Luke 9.56 Nay I will fetch a Gray-Friar that was Philips Confessor Alphonaeus by name in his Sermon before Philip and Q. Mary February the tenth one thousand five hundred fifty and five hee bitterly cryes out of those bloody Bishops for burning men saying plainly That they learned it not in Scripture to burne any for his conscience but the contrary viz. that such a one should live and be converted and many things to the same purport And deare Lord shall we then be of a more rigid judgement against one another against tender consciences against erroneous persons then the Friar It is very remarkable how Edward the sixth declined this devillish doctrine Mr. Cranmer had never more to doe in all his life then to perswade and beg of him but his hand to be set to the Warrant for delivering up Joan Butcher to the Magistrates power to burne her All his great Councels with their Arguments could not prevaile with that Christian-hearted young King to set his hand to it sayes he what Will you have mee to send her soule quick to Hell you say her errour will damne her should I then be so cruel to send her presently to the devill in this errour O no! let her live to repent it may be to the saving of her soule to give her longer life and liberty to repent which the murthering of her will not doe I hold it more holy sayes he that she should live to be converted c. that this sweet bird chirps and this young man manifested his dislike of such secular powers and punishments for errors though grievous but O! how few such Saint-like Caesars are to be found now I might heap up many eminent testimonies yea I thinke fetched from all ages against this bloody tenet and opinion of giving up Hereticks or any other erroneous persons into the hands of Magistrates to punish them Many blessed Martyrs have breathed out flames against this Antichristian custom which have lent us light into it to this age I have read I do well remember when a flaming faggot was brought to Ridley his feet to set all the rest on fire Ha! sayes Mr. Latimer to his Brother Ridley Come be of good comfort Brother play the man We shall this day light such a candle in England as I trust shall never be put out I hope so too for sure I am by that light we may see that putting to death is none of Christs Ordinance and that fire and faggots are no good Reformers Were a man a Turk Saracen Jew Heretick or what you will whilst he lives quietly and peaceably in the State I know not who nor why he can be put to death besides he is verily perswaded he believes aright and enough much less can I see how a Church dare warrantably to deliver up any one to secular powers purposely to be punished by them This hath been Antichrists advantage to this day and the weapons of his warfare in all ages But blessed be God it is clear to thousands now as the Sun that shines that spiritual evils must have spiritual remedies answerable to the nature of these evils 2 Cor. 10.4 5. And that the cutting off of mens heads is no proper remedy of cutting off mens Errors but of cutting off men in their Errors Let all means spiritual be used for the recovery of such whose diseases are spiritual and mental 2 Tim. 2.25 For we must not sweep up Christs house with Antichrists broom nor fight with his hands Christs battles nor with his weapons our warfare Quaere What must Magistrates do then Answ. All they can to encourage and countenance the servants and service of Christ by giving them liberty though ever so few or contemptible declaring against all known and apparent gross Errors and Heresies so as that they do not allow of them or the like For what Bilson sayes serves us Commissio est à Christo permissio à Magistratu Christ commands and Caesar demands Christ gives the Law and Magistrates the Liberty But let not Magistrates take too much liberty as is said before Christ allows of and approves of Magistrates Government Magistrates must allow and
approve of Christs Christ hath commanded theirs and obedience to them they must command Christs and obedience to him And as the Saints for Gods sake Rom. 13.1 Gal. 4.14 are obedient to them for sancti non subjiciunt se homini propter hominem sed propter Deum so they for Gods sake are to be obedient to Christ and servants to his Church his Saints and people of God Let them make much of the Ministers of Christ neither to corrupt them with honoâ—s nor to honor them in their corruptions As Ministers cannot make Magistrates neither can Magistrates make Ministers and as Ministers of Christ cannot hinder Ministers of State or Magistrates in doing their offices for Bodies and in Civil affairs neither can Ministers of State hinder the Ministers of Christ in doing their offices for souls and in spiritual affairs Wherefore as I said before each must remember his place as Constantine could say Vos est is in Ecclesia sed ego extra Ecclesiam Episcopus to a Bishop or Minister in those days ye are Overseers and Officers in the Church within and I am an Overseer and Officer out of the Church without Constantine kept his course some time very well within his own jurisdiction without mingling or mangling Ecclesiastical affairs with Civil or Civil with Ecclesiastical so must every Magistrate be sure to do For it is Gods design to destroy those powers and policies that hinder Christs reign in his Zion and Church as the alone Head and Lord. Christs Kingdom of the Son and the Kingdom of glory the Fathers are both alike who rules in one rules in the otherâ— who are admitted into one are admitted into the other whom the one receives the other receives and none else But the Kingdom of the Father receives not Magistrates as Civil Magistrates to rule and govern or punish there i. e. In Heaven to come therefore not here in the Kingdom of the Son And he that dares usurpe this power of Christ the alone Head and Lord takes too much upon him and as Chrysostom sayes Non est tributum Caesaris sed servitium diaboli c. It is not his due but the devils work And it will cause his unevitable downfal and confusion as it did the Devils Trap observes there on Matth. 22.21 the Greek Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is doubled and repeated for this purpose That our double and special care must be to give God his due Rom. 13.7 Oh! O that we did give the Lord his due then should we not plead so for Caesars Chair in Christs Church that he should sit there with the heel of his cruelty to kick the Saints brains out and to crush them headlong that stoop not to his form In a word Christ sits not on Caesars throne neither shall he who hath too long sit upon Christs throne For though other Lords have had dominion over us and have usurped Headships which are Brass and Iron Jer. 6.28 yet the Lord will give gold for brass and silver for iron Isai. 60.17 This Head of Gold and his Gospel which is better then the silver seven times purified And if the very Philosophers Aristotle Plato and others vid. Cartwrights Ecclesiastical Discipline of the Authority of the Church if they could see and say that Estate is best and those Citizens happiest that had God to be their King and Monarch and his Laws and Decrees to submit unto Sure I am the Church is never so happy holy and heavenly as when Christ alone sits upon his throne in the midst of them and governs them by his Word and Spirit see Cap. 2. 9. of Lib. 2. And sure this is the great work that our God is bringing about who is coming to reign for ever and ever In the mean time let us own neither the Brazen nor the Iron Heads for our Head I mean neither Spiritual nor Temporal Ecclesiastical nor Civil powers so called O none but Christ the Head of Gold our Master Lord Head and Law-giver without any other Partner or Paramount whatsoever as hath been at large proved Wherefore to conclude All others are beheaded having lost their long usurped ruledom and jurisdiction And with John Hus We say Christus sine talibus capitibus monstrosis melius ecclesiam suam regulavit Act. 27. Object Christ alone is Head and governs his own Church influendo infundendo without such prodigious helps or monstrous heads as Antichrist would crowd in Thus said Gregory the first Lib 6. Epist. 24. in his Letter to John Patriarch of Constantinople Quid tu Christo universalis ecclesiae capiti c. What will you answer at the last day to Christ the sole Universal Head of his Church and people that thou darest to arrogate that title which is Antichristian for thee so to do Hold fast the head saith the Apostle Col. 2.19 from which all the body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God Therefore be sure you hold your Head For first it supplieth the members with all necessaries Secondly It knits every member to its self and one to another and thirdly It increaseth every one with a spiritual increase Now Christ in his The anthropie is this Head which we must fetch our life sense and motion from by Nerves Veins and Arteries Christiani Christo capiti adhaerent ab eo percipiunt hauriunt vitam spiritualem c. No Member of his but hath much moisture nourishment and spiritual growth And every Member is moved with their Head unless some Palsie-Members so Palsie-Christians that move not as the Head Christ directs When Cyneas the Ambassador of Pyrrhus after his return from Rome was asked by his Master What he thought of the City and State answered O Sir It is Respublica Regum a Commonwealth of Kings and a State of Statesmen And so is the Church wherein Christ is King and Head O happiness of such a Church For if he be in us Head he is heart hand and all For quickning of us he is our Anima the life and soul of the Church and of every Member as he resolves us he is Voluntas as he maketh us think he is Animus as he gives us to know he is our Intellectus as he deliberates us he is Mens as he keeps our remembrance he is Memoria as he gives us to judge he is our Ratio as he moves our desires he is Affectus as he breaths us and inspires us he is our Spiritus and as he enables us to apprehend he is our Sensus So that Christ our Head is our Heart and all VVherefore let us hold him fast for our Head and heare of no other no Brazen-face no Iron-pate no O monstrum horrendum informe ingens cui lumen ademptum Christ willed when he saw Caesars stamp on the coyne to give Caesar his due so when wee see Christs stampe
up my accounts Heb. 13.17 and say Lord I have preached prayed catechized expounded conferred for above this five years at Purleigh to such a people and they have not beleeved nor obeyed thy word but many of them are as ignorant arrogant bitter prophane still ungodly and opposers of Christ and his Gospel still as ever O sad what comfort can I have of this Is not the thriving of the flocke the glory of the Shepherd and their losse his griefe Blessed bee God whom I serve that some of you are my joy and my crowne which I shall wear with me to heaven Phil. 4.1 But yet the most of you with much griefe of heart I must say it have rejected the Gospel and the tenders of love and the warme bowels and â—eeking blood of Jesus Christ and oh heavy shal I say the Day of your salvation O deare souls precious hearts for whom I weep in secret what will yee doe in the day of the Lord where will you hide your selves from the wrath of the Lamb O O! how is it that you bring forth nothing but briars and thorns what are yee accursed ground Heb. 6.7 10.28 Hos. 6.5 Matth. 12.41 Ier. 11.6 Ezek. 34.13.33 c. Let me aske you Is it not lamentable to see a poor father wringing his hands and weeping over a stubborn childe wishing he had never been borne saying I have tryed him so many weeks and months and yeers and yet he is worse and worse would you not pity the poor man and say of this stubborne wretch Well you have a good father God will never blesse you you cannot thrive you will come to nothing Oh! so is it grievous to my heart as it was to Ieremiah and Elijah to complaine to God of the stubbornnesse of the people Ah! it is too notoriously knowne that I have taken much pains to little purpose amongst you And yet O! what plottings and conspiracies there were against me what lies and libels were invented what scandals raised what scoffes and scornes I continually met with what huge taxes and troubles you cast upon me what backbitings and railings every day what variety of designes were hatched in the midst of you to afflict me yea with plotted and premeditated malice menacings to undo me what work you made to render me contemptible to all the Country before Magistrates Ministers people all yea the children and servants set upon mee to abuse me yea to stone me yea to swear to take away my life from me all which forced me to bee much absent from you And oh friends do ye think God will not visit you for these things have yee not suffered your servants and children to laugh and sport in the publick places openly in the sight of all the people whilst the word hath been preaching and when I have mildly reproved them to make mowes and mocks at me in the open Church yea to lay dog-whips and what not on the Pulpit cushion when I was to preach What kinde of injury and abuses have you not returned to me for all my love and pains and care and continual prayers for you hath there one poor soule of us in Church-communion escap'd your malice and menacing and your diligence to raise ill-reports and to cause wrongs to befall them have yee not vowed not to leave us til you had rooted all of us from you and not left a Round-head or Independent to dwell nigh you have yee not consulted with all the Malignants about how to bring to passe these designs yet in the midst of all these troubles and every day new trials and wrongs from some or other of you yet the Lord will one day witnesse what a care I had of you when I could not be with you or durst not how I provided for you and how ye were the travel as well as the trouble of my soul. Yet when you had not worried mee away with all this how often did many of you designe to starve me from you And though like a Bird kept in a Cage without meat yet I must doe my duty and sing though the thorne were ever at my breast Still I followed you with love patience pity to your poor miserable soules O that yee knew it and with sweat and swinke praying preaching and expounding in season and out of season But as I have heard of the Seminary in Lancashire riding disguised that lost his glove one that found it rode gallopping after him to restore it but the Seminary fearing he was a Pursevant put spurs to horse and flew from him as fast as he could and for fear he should be overtaken hee makes his horse take a hedge and suddenly skipping over fell full into a desperate deep pit wherein he was drowned presently O! so Sirs the faster I have followed you to doe good to recover you to help to save you why alas the faster you fled away into sinne after sinne rejecting all offers and opportunities almost refusing to come to hear the word on the week-day and many of you not coming above once on the Lords-day Oh alas for the Lords sake hear make not such post-haste in sin to the ruine of your soule body and all but O remember the Pit is but on the other side yee may soon be in it but have a care lest you perish Have I not spent out my owne bowels and like a candle consumed my selfe even out to give you light have I thought my life too deare for your souls O no! but you would not regard it some pretended I was young to keep them off but alas this was but a colour did not young Solomon give good counsel young Daniel discerne much young Joseph fill the Granary with plenty and excell all the Grandees and Gravities in Pharoahs Court for wisdome and judgement Did not young Christ put the Doctors to silence and young Timothy preach the Gospel powerfully and profitably But indeed the maine offence you know was my zeal for God for silence is the basest tenure a Minister can hold his living by I could not be silent but tell Israel of his sins and Jacob of his transgressions Though many feed their Ministers as the Theef doth his Dog porrigit panem ut sileat he gives him bread to be quiet and not to bark lest he discover him but the truth is benevolence could not tongue-tye the truth and 't will bee sad for you to have a Minister who can suffer you and see you live in sinne and yet let you alone the City is in danger when the Alarm-bell is tyed up and so is the Parish I have read of a Law made in a certain Town that none should bring a Rumor of the enemies coming upon pain of death this was because they had before some false Alarms but alas at last the enemy came suddenly and destroyed them all so that it was a Proverb Here stands a Town destroyed by silence God grant it be not true of
Fourthly A true and full perswasion in the way of Christ makes thee most ready to run into it but orderly and very obsequious Gal. 5.6 Heb. 11.8 Rom. 16.26 O then how readily desirous and thankfully observant art thou to do the will of God to please him in his way of worship and to be obedient to his command of coming out of Babel confusion into Zion Fifthly A true and full perswasion of the way of Christ makes thee see an emptinesse and a worthlesnesse in all other wayes and an excellency and usefulnâ—sse of this way which is Christs that all others fall short of Thus David seeing an amiablenesse in the Lords Tabernacles above all others had rather be there one day then a thousand in any other tents Psal. 84.1 2.10 and saith Psal. 86.8 There is none like thee No wayes like thy wayes c. Sixthly A true full perswasion makes thee exceedingly fond of and longing and labouring after these wayes of Sion O! how dost thou thirst to be in them Psal. 84 2. Psal 63.1.2 and enjoy the benefit of them Psal. 42.2 Cant. 8.1 Cant. 7.10 11. Rev. 22.20 and though he that beleeves makes not haste as before yet in this sense he hath fullest perswasions and most faith makes most haste of all and cannot but make haste but regularly Seventhly True and full perswasion makes thee very confident but with a holy confidence and bold but with an humble boldnesse having the testimony of a good conscience to bear thee out against all adversaries or oppositions whatsoever therefore in Heb. 10.22 Heb. 4.16 Eph. 3.12 It is not a sawcy impudent boldnesse which strangers that intrude may have and carry a boldnesse whilst their hearts tell them they goe beyond good manners but this is a sweet humble and friendly familiar boldnesse upon invitation and calls from Christ grounded upon Gods free love warranted by the word not swelling at all with selfe-confidence or conceit but alleadging meerly love and grace from above such a confidence in Christ makes them humbly bold and ready to approach his Court and Sanctuary audaces sunt promptiores Eighthly This full perswasion puts thee upon others to perswade them by the Word and Spirit that they may also participate with thee in this Church-way Cant. 6.1 Mal. 3.16 Eph. 4.29 Col. 4.5 6. Heb. 3.13 Thus Andrew called Peter in and Philip Nathaniel and Paul young Timothy and Titus and many others We cannot be idle to others then especially those whom we love those we would faine get in Prov. 11.30 By these few notes from the true rise and effects of the true and sound perswasion ye may examine before yee enter I have been the longer on this Point because many people run hudling on headlong in and they scarce know how nor care how so they get in but this may be had for a lamentation And poor souls what comfort can they finde in this way without faith who stagger through unbeleef and cannot tell being full of doubts whether they are right or no! alas for them the Ordinances are nothing to speak of sweet to them whilst they think to do this or to bee in this way which it may be they think pleases God and it may be it displeased him and this drives them often-times into despaire and alwayes into error This makes so many run into strange opinions and errors that run so rashly into this way of fellowship which is the Churches Threnodia and deep sorrow at this day O then that men would be more carefull for as the Sun saies Erasm. Roterod. in Simil. the more directly he bears upon us with his beams the lesse shadow he makes but the more obliquely the greater So a wise man that understands himselfe and is informed and fully perswaded by the divine light of the word the beams of Christ the Son of righteousnesse the more this Sonne hath shined upon him and he is satisfied with the truth the lesse fancy imagination or foolish opinions he hath and the lesse he runs into errours but the more obliquely he enters into the Lords way and the lesse he is by this divine light from above informed and fully perswaded the more he runs into errours and the longer shadows he makes But to conclude I beseech ye beware O beware how yee enter into this way of worship let serious and due consideration be had that yee come in due order otherwise yee will meet with a breach instead of a blessing 1 Chron. 15.23 and this Church-state instead of Peniel may be called Perez-uzza or Perez-nephesh i. e. the breach of thy soule so see Mat 22.12 13. what befel the friend that came in and not in a right order Besides the Lord doth not make them welcome Mal. 1.10 for they are a provocation to him in Numb 14.11 Psal. 78.21 22. and the Ordinances of Christ are not so effectual to them Heb. 4.12 13. this want of faith and full perswasion that they are in the Lords way in Christs Gospel Church-state doing the Lords will doth enervate enfeeble and deforce the efficacie and excellency vertue and operation and spirituall advantages which beleevers finde in it As thou hast believed so be it Matth. 8.13 and chap. 9.29 See Mark 6.5 6. one such a doubting member doth much mischiefe in a Church and is a great hindrance to it But dear friends if ye have faith and doubt not Mat. 21.21 and are but fully perswaded in your souls that this is the way of Christ you are entring into then welcome expect great blessings and mighty works and energy in the midst of you Eph. 1.19 CHAP. II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nahar Sahhish Those that are thus satisfied and fully perswaded as before must by a voluntary consent unite and knit together in one body THis comes in order next of which in the former Booke Chap. 11. and 13. you may read at large but let this be brought into the ballance of the Sanctuary too and let every soule see to it how he enters into this way of Fellowship that it be by a voluntary and freeâ—motion without a coaction No earthly power can compell a man into this Church of Christ for the Father must draw him Joh. 6.44 that is with his spiritual armes the Word and the Spirit which are the Lords hands and his two armes reached out all the day long Rom. 10.21 None are to bee constrained into this communion unlesse it be by the Word and the Spirit thus the Lord is said to adde to the Church Act. 2.47 and by his power makes them a willing people Psal. 100.3 and so Cant. 6.12 when the will is set upon the Chariots or wheels a man must needs run Cant. 1.3 hence a man is often-times said to be according to his will a volunteer or not which is as the great Wheele that sets all others a going Now it should necessarily follow that such
Eph. 4.4 We are one Body and have one Spirit that is As one Soul in the Body quickens moves governs comprehends all and every Member so doth one Spirit in the Church every Member Eye Ear Hand Head Foot c. It is one and the same Soul that acts in every one and all the Members though in a different way as the Eye to see with Ear to hear with Hand to work with Foot to walk with tongue to speak with Head to plot with c. And so many several ways the Soul works and yet is but one and the same so the Spirit works in divers ways and sundry manners 1 Cor. 12.4 in several Members some to prophecy some to teach some to exhort some to oversee some to direct and rule some to distribute c. Rom. 12.4 6 7 8. some to one thing some to another and yet it is but one and the same Spirit This one and the same Spirit rests upon every Member and we must by this one Spirit be brought into this Body of Christ which is his Church Thus I have done with the inward instrument of working in us and winning upon us to enter into Church-fellowship Now in this there is an apparent difference between Hypocrites and true Saints entring into this way A true Saint is made willing and spontaneous by a principle within but a Hypocrite or any other man is moved as the Automata are moved or things of artificial motion as Clocks Jacks or the like engines of ingenuity It is some weight without that poyseth them and puts them upon motion so something or other that is without swayeth and worketh and weigheth upon the hearts of Hypocrites to make them willing as we said before concerning Dublin and not an inward principle But thus we have done with the instrumental or organical reason 6 causes of carrying the will on in the way of Christ which is matter for a Reason of the necessity of a voluntary cause that is because the Word and Spirit are the two arms which the Lord hath appointed to pull them out of Babylon with and into Sion and no other instruments or means must do it until these hands of Jesus Christ do lead them out of their carnal corrupt or Antichristian condition they have no call to come and when they are thus called and convinced as before they come running by a voluntary instinct and consent flowing up more fluminis as the tide by a natural instinct and not by compulsion into the mountain where the Lords house is on the top of all mountains Isai. 2. But consider 7. Lastly That because the will of man is inclined and reason 7 carried on into the way of Christ as we said before ab interiori principio by an inward instinct and principle and all kinde of coaction or violent compulsion comes from without ab exteriori principio therefore it is a high absurdity a groundless and irregular opinion and positively repugnant even to the principles of one spiritualized and made willing by the power of Christ to call for compulsive powers to promote the ways of Christ or to bring in any man that way seeing violentia directe opponitur voluntario violentia causat involuntarium he must be a voluntier And this will serve as the seventh Reason to ratifie this truth That men must not be compelled but come in voluntarily for violence is inconsistent with the will Thus under several considerations hath this point been offered for a voluntariness to be wrought in us by the power of Christ before we venture or enter into his Church-way Now a man may be said to be voluntary two ways directly or indirectly 1. Directly Then the will is the agent of his willingliness having an inward principle even as the fire having the principle of heat is the agent of heat in the water But such a one as is 2. Indirectly voluntary is made so by some outward means promises or threatnings hopes or fears or the like and such a one will be a dangerous doubting and disturbing Member But such men and women as are directly voluntary by the means I have mentioned in this Chapter may come with welcome For they are called and invited and if there be first a willing minde saith the Apostle you are accepted 2 Cor. 8.12 For Christ will enjoy sayes one his Spouses love and person by a willing contract and not by a ravishment He is none of them he will have the heart to consent with all the heart O then let us say with the Apostle The love of Christ constraineth us and with Job 32.18 The Spirit constraineth us These are the best and sweetest compulsive powers But thus for this Chapter CHAP. III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sagad Dur. or Pagad Dur. After this full perswasion and voluntary motion and concurrence comes in the communion of Saints by an orderly uniting and embodying together in a solemne order suitable to the solemnity of the Ordinance and that in some publike place MAny there be that in the time of the Churches tranquillity will intrude and pretend willingnesse with the Lords people to goe about the Lords work and build especially when earthly powers and Rulers look kindly upon us and allow us our liberty to go and build and when they as Patrons and protecting Fathers prove favourers and abetters of what we are about But let us have a care and say with Zerubbabel and the rest of the Fathers of Israel Ezra 4.2 3. It is not for you and us joyntly to build an house unto our God you have nothing to doe with us but we our selves together will build it unto the Lord God of Israel Remember that wee are a people that must be separate the cleane from the uncleane the holy from the prophane and by one free consent being fully convinced concurre together in this worke of the Lord without the unclean hands or helpâ— of them without who are adversaries to Sion Now because our Ruler is the God of order and not of confusion he would have all things done in decency and in order 1 Cor. 14.40 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is compositis moribus fitly for use and ornament to the Church which is a rule saies one of great request and inquest both for real and ritual decency which is to be observed and is of much concernment And for this Colosse was so largely commended Col. 2.5 and Christ himselfe our sweet Master intimates so much in setting downe the people on the grasse Matth. 14.18 and 15. and feeding them ranke by ranke as it were as they sat So his Churches are called beds of spices Cant. 6.2 that is as beds and borders orderly set out to sâ—ew us what delight he hath to live in an orderly and well set out society Order is Gods Ordinance Now to make up this order some things are
precious promises of Gods love presence and protection in a special mâ—nner more then all the world besides And although particular Churches be distinct and Independent Bodies even as Cities compact Temples Houses c. yet all Churches must walk by the same rule and have counsel and comfort and help from one another when need requires as being all Members of one Body of which Christ is the Head And to conclude I am fully perswaded in my very soul that at the day of judgement when the dead shall arise that I shall arise also and shall rejoyce in Jesus Christ my Saviour and reign with him for ever and sing Hallelujah for all Eternity in the Congregation of the first-born where the Spirits of just men are made perfect And this is my Faith fetched from my vâ—ry heart and presented in the hearing of a heart-searching God and all of you here present Thus after satisfaction is given to the Church of their sound faith I finde no other thing necessary for this fifth Chapter wherein I have been prolix but I hope profitably CHAP. VI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chasid Every oâ—e to be ADMITTED gives out some EXPERMENTAL Eviâ—ences of the work of GRACE upon his SOUL for the Church to judge of whereby he or she is convinced that he is regenerate and received of God which is proved and approved by about forty examples of worth IT is said of Christ Mark. 7.24 That he could not be hid neither can grace nor the Spirit of Christ which is known vel per revelationem vel per operationem either First by Revelation as when God reveals it to a poor soule under extraordinary sad temptations and soule-miseries by extraordinary wayes many times in dreams and visions and voices c. all which you shall finde instanced by and by this way to some he takes to comfort them and recover them and to acquaint them as he did Paul 2 Cor. 12.9 that his grace was sufficient for them Or else secondly by the operation of the Spirit per aliqua signa in the wonder-working and changing effects of grace for then thou hatest those lusts that hinder thee of Christ and then thou longest vehemently after Christ and lovest the meanes of grace and livest in the workes of grace and findest a great change in thy judgement will and affections now and canst look up chearfully as to thy Father now being delivered from the bondage of feare and canst come with an humble boldnesse by the Spirit of adoption and say Father I want a new Coat I must have one viz. Christs garment and I must have a new Booke viz. the Book of life c. and thou canst finde a power in thee more then before for to resist sinne and temptation and a readinesse to obey Act. 2.41 and do any thing for God out of fondnes and sincerity of love to him yea thou contemnest worldly things and thinkest them below thee and eatest hidden manna Rev. 2.17 and hast the white stone and the new name which none knows but he that receives the sweetnesse of which thou tastest and canst tell it by experience which is by no others to be known And such kinde of experiences I could produce abundance and intended it but that I am this very week prevented by a little piece tituled Spiritual experiences of sundry Beleevers recommended by Mr. Powel yet how ever I shall instance in some of both these sorts of Experiences in such as are the most remarkable and picked out as they were given in at Dublin by such as were admitted the rather for that I finde not the like of some of them ever put forth for publick advantage and I beleeve they are some of the flowers of the Spring in these dayes But before this we must prove this practise warantable out of the word of God for I would not willingly offer any thing but what is Gods owne and in Gods order Now to a poore soule all such things as are in the soule are made known by experiences experience we say proves principles A mans principles are known and experienced by his actions as we know how the will stands by what it wills Homo pâ—r actus experitur principia intrinseca But to the thing it will appear by the word that the Saints are to hold out their experiences to others yea in the open Congregations and then we shall shew you the reasons and so to the examples to the proofes first by precept and practise by precept as Matth. 8.4 when Christ had cleansed the Leper he bid him â—oe and shew it for a testimony and Matth. 28.7 the Angels bid Mary Magdalen goe quickly and tell the Disciples that Christ whom yee seeke is risen Go tell them it and Verse 10. Christ meeting with the Maries renews the precept Goe tell them my brethren for all that I am risen yet they are my brethren Goe tell them c. for now yee know it and have seen me and can assuredly say that I am risen Joel 1.3 Tell your children and let their children tell your children and their children another generation And this is observed among the Jewes at this day out of Deut. 6.7 and to adde more solemnity to the commemoration of Gods Law and their deliverance from Aegypt c. they write it downe in a peece of Parchment and then rowling it up superscribe it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shaddai and fastened it to the wall or the post of the doore the right hand of the entrance and as often as thâ—y goe in and out they touch it and kisse it with great affection and devotion This also lyes commanded Psal. 34.8 Come taste and see that the Lord is good and 1 Thess. 5.11 Comfort your selves together and edifie one another even as alâ—o ye doe This is excellent to edification and consolation to tell what God hath done for thy soul for hereby many receive benefit and may meet with the like and other comforts who have met with the like Besides there be abundance of Scriptures to prove the practise of this as in Psal. 26.6 7. I will tell of all thy wondrous works yea Psal. 66.19 Come and heare sayes he all yee that feare the Lord and I will declare what he hath done for my soule for Verse 19. Verily God hath heard me and hath not turned away his mercy from me So that it is no new thing to tell our experiences in publicke to the whole Church and in the society of Saints I wish it were more in practise for the rich discoveries of grace in Christ and many wonderfull various wayes of Gods working in these dayes in his Saints would thereby be laid open But see further Psal. 18 30. The way of God is perfect sayes David God is a rocke faithfull c. How knowest thou this David O sayes he I have tried it the word of the
Experiences you shall heare how they are changed O! what a great alteration there is now in them all old things are passed away and all things become new O what trouble and signal change they then finde a new nature a new heart new affections new objects new smilings and flowings of light and love Oh then they could bee content to dye for God! to lay downe their lives for Christ yea if it were to be cast to Hell so they have but Christ in their armes their sweet Jesus in their hearts yea if they thought that hee would not save them yet they will love him and serveâ— him and doe any thing for his sake and though he slay them yet they can finde in their hearts to trust in him and now they forsake all evill wayes and prize the word as a hungry man does food feed on the Ordinances heartily and are frequent in prayer and duty and are able to comfort others in the like case that they have been in and do all they can to call home others and to get them into Christ they are loath to eat their sweet morsels alone and this makes them so ambitious of the fellowship of the Saints all which will appeare in the ensuing Examples so that it is for this Reson also to satisfie the Church that they give out their experiences of their Call to Christ. But I shall be briefer Secondly by this they are a warning piece shot off in the eares of others to keep them off from coming into such reason 2 sinfull practises purposes and perswasions as they were in so it is in 2 Cor. 5.11 If the rich man as Thomas Goodwin hath it in his Childe of Light walking in darknesse pag. 113. the rich Glutton had gotten but a little while backe againe from hell O what stories would hee have told his brethren to have scared them and frighted them from sin here heare the like of such I say of such as have descended hell and seen the wonders of God in the deep O now they are ashore and lye at anchor or are safe through mercy at harbour in Christ hark now they can tell you of the rocks and sands the sad shelves and storms the roaring threatning surging waves and gaping gulfes that they have met with and been in and under And all sinners that live in the like concupiscence passions lusts covetousnesse pleasures and the like must look for the same and without mercy too if this be not a Sea-mark for them seeing they are escaped and as it were rose out of their graves and returned out of the deep dungeons and black abyssnesse of endlesse wrath to give them warning I say if this will not doe and they will not beleeve them then they shal find experience the Mistris of fools Piscatorictus sapit The Fisher-man made haste to thrust his hand into his net to take out a Fish but was instead of a Fish bit with a Scorpion this made him ever after wiser and then he had learned to looke before he leaped So many unwise men are made wise it may be too late by too lamentable experience and as Robinson I remember sayes in his Essayes page 198. Some who will not beleeve sinne hath so sad a sequel as it hath till they know it by experience are like that Physitian Tertullian speakes of Herophilus by name who bloodily butchered six hundred men that he might search into their bodies and know their natures destroying them to know them and murthering man to finde out the nature of man O monstrous wickednesse but oh more wicked Monsters that are so mercilesse to their owne soules I say it of such who will not learne the nature of sinne so as to avoid it till fatally destroyed by it and then they will learne by experience indeed wofull experience when others warning will doe no good no not though the dead doe as it were rise again to give them warning neither will they regard the rough checks of their consciences within them but will stil go on they are like the Flye which though it hath scorched its back and burnt its wings in buzzing about the candle flame againe and againe yet it will venture againe and still to it till it be burnt downe and buried in the flame I say so many mad men who will take no warning till they be burnt and burning and buried alive in the flames of hell O sad when Examples and such as these too told by experience instruct not God teacheth as well by them as by Precepts saith Mr. Rogers on the good Samaritan page 222. And the two senses of learning viz. seeing and hearing have both enough to doe to instruct them by such experienced examples as are now before them Et scripta sunt exempla pâ—iorum ad cautelam posteriorum ARDEVS wherefore that is the second Reason to warn others reason 3 Thirdly to teach us to suspend our censures and to forbear prejudicate opinions or harsh judgement of such as suspire and perhaps long too and aspire under lamentable soule-travel and heart-pangs and agony and afflictions and temptations all which Christ suffered to succour them that are under them Heb. 2.18 Luke 4 13. Mat. 4.3.11 after which the Angels came and ministred to him Verse 11. But in the mean time whilst poor soules are set on the racke and roar under torments though they cry out Oh! they are damned undone forsaken of God! c. yet condemne them not for even then they may be the dear children of God and passe a false sentence upon themselves for some time so long as they lye under despaire and in the sense of their own ruinous condition till they see a repaire in Christ O how they cry out O wretched man that I am and as David roared out in his troubles and said This is my death Psal. 77.11 Sir Francis Spira thus despaired but doubtlesse dyed with an interest in Christ. So do in these dayes many and so you may finde it in that little Treatise of Experiences before-named and in these that follow and yet they were raised out of the fire refined and out of horrour the more holy For before we reap in joy we must sow in tears Ps. 126.5.6 and for one seed or tear we shall reap a whole sheaf of joy and their joy shall be like the joy in harvest Isa. 9.3 and as men rejoyce when they divide the spoyle that is before they arrive at it there is a time of great trouble a seed time before the harvest a fighting-time before the spoyle In the seed-time there is rending and plowing and trampling and harrowing of the poore earth and when all this is done to look on you would thinke it a dirty blacke barren piece of ground for you see no fruits at all upon it Oh! so it is with the Saints they have a seed-time such
erre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea cause others to erre too as the word signifies the Scriptures were endited by the Spirit therefore the Spirit and they must agree now mark then what your joyes raptures comforts graces peace hopes evidences are bring them to the Word doe they agree with the Scriptures these are the undeniable Testimonies which never faile and are ever joynt-witnesses to make thy assurance the clearer But before I come to the Single-Testimonies which are the lesse certaine and safe some object I have not the Twin-Testimonies as I know of but onely the Testimony of my own spirit and conscience If thou findest not as yet the testimony of the Spirit saies Mr. Perkins yet the other testimony viz. sanctification of the heart will suffice to assure us for in true fire there will bee heat though thou seest no flame or seest it not yet this is not such a plerophory or swelling pleonasme of joy and peace which others have that have the Double-testimony for certainty is not in puncto but hath a latitude per magis minus a man may be certaine by an assurance and Deed of an estate but yet he may be more certaine of that estate which he is now already certaine of so though one testimony is enough for assurance yet a Double-testimony is not more then enough but makes the assurance more illustrious of two Christians who are assured of salvation one may have a clearer and consequently a comfortabler assurance then the other for one may have a double-testimony and the other but a single nay the same Saint at some time may have a double-testimony and at another time but a single one Oh alas I have had not long since a large Testimony but now I am without light and finde none neither the testimony of Gods Spirit nor yet of my own but all clouds eclipses blacknesse c. First There is a way left open yet for thee O have recourse to thy former experiences evidence assurance didst thou ever enjoy a sweet serenity of spirit a calmnesse in conscience on good grounds did the Spirit once bear witnesse with thy spirit then run to former assurance and evidences for comfort so did that good man David Psal. 51.12 O restore to me the joy of salvation O that it were with mee as it hath been Oh that my candle were light again but this is the spring within that cannot be dryed up viz. it was thus with me once And then consider 1 Gods love is everlasting his mercies sure for ever he is still the same his Covenant cannot be broken 2 Sam. 23.5 Ezek. 16.60 61. Psal. 89.31.33 hee changes not though thou changest and art not sensible at all times of it 2 All the Father loves he loves in his Sonne Christ now his Son alwaies pleaseth him is ever alike beloved of him so that nothing can separate us from his love Rom. 8. because it is in Christ Jesus he loves us and not for any thing in our selves And 3 Consider poor souls If God love us lesse or more as we are lesse or more sinfull in our selves then he should love as man but his wayes are not as our wayes nor thoughts as our thoughts for all his love to us is in Christ who is an unchangeable object therefore Rom. 8.1.33 34 35 38. 2 Tim. 2.19 O then did he ever but once smile on thee embrace thee embâ—some thee and wilt thou now feare and doubt O no! rest satisfied in his unchangeablenesse dear heart and thou shalt finde the least drop of true grace shal never be exhausted nor the least dram of true joy be dryed up or annihilated And as it is in a Court the seale is as true a seale and as good a sufficient evidence in Law though the print be defaced diminished and not so apparent as a stamp that is most faire fresh and full and not defaced at all So shalt thou finde it in the Court of Heaven that the dimnesse of the seale or thy sight though thou thinkest the Markes are all worne out the faire image and print which formerly thou sawest so much defaced though thy faith cannot finde out that apparent stampe that thou once sawest in thy heart yet all this mars not thine evidence or assurance in heaven this defaced seale shall goe current there and a little imperfect seale is as good to thy assurance as a greater in heaven and gives as good an assurance of heaven as a fairer and fuller why so for it was once as good as any and that in the Records and Books of heaven therefore look to the initials of grace But further Secondly Is it so as thou sayest art thou all in the clouds answer 2 darknesse c. well then if reflex acts of assurance such as we spake of before be wanting make them up in multiplying direct and resolute acts now where wants evidence make it up in adherence Now graspe a promise with both hands and say Psal. 23.4 though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death yet will I fear none evill O roule thy selfe resolutely upon free grace and love and resolve there to lye live and dye though he slay me yet I will trust in him and Isa. 50.10 When thou seest no lighâ— yet stay upon your God Thus the Spouse came out of the wildernesse Cant. 8.5 leaning i. e. laying all her weight care body soule burthen all upon her beloved O so with a sweet recumbency cast thy selfe upon God and see how that will worke Like men ready to be drowned who will lay hold fast for fear the waves should throw them off and he that beleeves shall never be ashamed But thus for the Double-testimonies the Single are such as follow in the effects and marks which may be testimonies to others as well as to our selves of our assurance but such are not alwayes certaine yet such as the Church judges upon in Charity those marks they hold out in their experiences for assurance is a reflecting act of the soule by which a Saint sees clearly he is in the state of grace and heir of glory Vita est in se reflectio said Seneca so the Prodigal came to himselfe and 1 King 8.47 we see that we are sure 1 Jo. 2.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we know that wee know him Thus much we expresse in our experiences of his love shed abroad in our hearts so that assurance is more then perswasion it is the top-branch and flourishing triumph of faith Now do but minde these men how much they differ from what they were before their assurance of Gods favour and love before whilst they were doubting they did but stagger at best if not tumble and now being assured they stand fast before they did but smoake now they flame before full of faintings palenesse and shiverings now full of
alive upon the Earth But his wife said that once leaping up as in an infinite torment he bit his tongue quite through and through and on another time he run a pin quite through his lip and rung of a peece on it this being all in the time of these two dayes But to proceede to his story For these questions were asked at the Conclusion After these Serpents had fed upon my flesh sayes he for so long a time I saw a Rowle as of Parchment lying before me and upon it God had written that he would take Justice and my Master writ that hee would have mercy upon me and the Lord writ again that he would take vengeance and my Master writ again Lord let it be enough if he repents let it be enough now c. and I heard sayes he the words as they were writing then the Pastor so said to the Church that it was so after a day or two that he indeed desired the Lord to let it be enough if he did repent and unfeignedly promised amendment and that he would remove his hand and this he did both in publique upon the Lords dey and in his owne study he thus prayed not knowing all this while but that Osborne was as he left him on Thursday night and in despair And as men reported him to be drawing on So my Master would not leave the Lord says he till the Lord said well he would try me and so the Rowle vanished away and flew upward and God commanded the Serpents to withdraw so the little Serpents went into the great Serpents belly And by little and little sayes he the great Serpent did goe back and back till at last he went away downe as might bee at my Beds feet which I was mightily joyed at because I thought that he would have tormented me so for ever not knowing but that I was in Hell After that I heard the Church plainly to pray for me and I beheld the Lord not as before in his anger but smiling upon me as it were and there were before mee all the joyes that could be desired and Rivers ran before me as Crystall full of gold so as I had liberty to have taken what I would thinking I saw a Paradise Thus I continued till I awaked when I wondered where I was and could scarce think I was alive not knowing so much and he found his heart filled with gladnesse and hee said he fain would have come to the Pastors house but neighbours restrained him But now being night the Church-Society must disperse wherefore not being satisfied with such extraordinary things as he spake of he was held off Communion for a time being necessary that the Church should see a visible change in him by whom were such visible offences given I shall not tye this story to your Faith any further then as hee related it himself to the Society it is indeed wonderfull by God's wayes are wondrous these dayes This man cannot read a letter However the result of all this made much for the Churches good and to the strengthening and establishing of others and to the searching and examining of all which we looked upon as a speciall note of Gods approbation of us and love to us who are from the rootes of the heart given up freely and sincerely to be his servants And I shall only adde this more thereto that I have taken this story verbatim out of the Church Booke which registers up such eminent passages at Purleigh in Essex I shall tire the Reader with no more experiences These examples are sufficient and some of them are very eminent We are sweetly led by the hand manuducimur to drinke of these Brookes before we passe Some are deep but most shallow and all clear as Crystall streams unlesse at such times when Satan by temptations put in his cloven-foot Those which are the most extraordinary of them are uttered in Dream Trance Voice or Vision and Vision is taken two wayes either first actually by the senses of the body and so in some visible bodily shape or else 2. potentially thus that although the soul ut forma is joined to the body yet ut materia above the body And yet it uses not any bodily senses for such a service but sequesters all externals and the outward senses are as 't were dead or asleep not at all intervening to interrupt the soule but when the soule is soared up in any high exigency or excellency to see great things or is intent upon any rich discoveries as by Visions Revelations or the like all the bodily senses lye as 't were in a trance and all exterior motions are quieted and quash'd and flesh is silent whilest the Lord appeares out of his holy habitation Zach. 2. ult and some such speciall and spirirituall fruits I have presented the Saints with from secundum naturam to supra naturam whilest some of them were as in an Externination to selfe transported from darknesse into his most marvailous light by some extraordinary medium and prevalent inspirations and visions or the like which were taken up and arrested by the intellectuall and cognoscitive faculties of their soules And indeed dear friends the redoubled experiences which my soule hath had of a sweet Father who was found of me sometimes when I gave over seeking him as in some measure lies manifest in my testimony these facilitate my language and felicitate my lines to breath out somewhat for others of those involving rapsodicall visions and Love-discoveries And indeed many matchlesse manifestations I have taken from others in other parts where I have travell'd so alike and akin to these but many more Sun-like and excellent that I cannot omit to tell you that you have heard but stutterings and stammerings to what are to come and have seen but a jelly and imperfect embryon to that degree and measure which the Saints shall shortly meet with which will afford us matter of wordlesse worth and too high too for any language to delineate But in the meane time I have presented these to all precious saints as a fresh posie gathered for that purpose wherein they may have variety of colours and conditions and all sweet and lovely and they may finde in this posie the Rose of Sharon the pure Lilly of the Valleys the sweet Violets of humility Tyme and Winter-savory with a great deale of Hearts-ease all tyed up together with a thread of Scarlet Cant 4.3 But many experiences of inferior glory and lower appearance I have purposely omitted yet I must tell you in these their Dreams voices and cries they were not to be observed in themselves as in the effects the effects of them As for those which are the ordinary ones of them which are call'd home by such means as preaching praying reading writings or such like In and by them if you observe you shall find a Call twofold Legal and
that make mention of Christ are called Churches and all that professe his name of what judgement soever or conversation soever whether Papists or Protestants or Lutherans or Calvinists or Brownists or Donatists or Arrians or any But in the second respect of Christians so called or rather all that professe the name of Christ though differing and dissenting among themselves And they are said to be the Church though late accepta est who make the most and best profession of Christ and are under the outward ministration of his Word and Gospel So are Protestants in respect of Papists and in this sense the Calvinists are before the Lutherans and so far the Presbyterians may passe for current and Parochial constitutions are in a remote and very improper sense called Churches But the Church taken in her own native true sense and strictly consists onely of Saints such as are elected to eternal life and all are in Christ their Head vide Aug. in Psal. 92. Cyprian lib. 1. Ep. 8. Hieron de unit Eccles. Epiphanius and thus she is said to bee either Catholick or Vniversal or else Congregational or particular in the first sense as Catholick the Church is so called ratione 1. locorum 2. temporum 3. hominum in respect of time place and people being not confin'd to any time or age or place or Nation or people but taking in all the elect people of God in all the whole Vniverse past present and to come Jews and Gentiles under the Law before the Law and since yea in heaven and earth those which are ascended Revel 7.8 10 11. and which are yet unborn Rev. 6.11 invisible and visible triumphant and militant all make up but one Catholick body of Christ the head Ephes. 4.4 5. But now in the other respect as a particular and congregational Church which comes before the Catholick and Vniversal Church so far as it is visible and militant it is confined to some certain place and number of people orderly gathered together by the Word and Spirit of Christ having Christ alone for their Head certo numero certoque loco Ecclesia particularis definita est And this is the Church which I have spoken of and in opposition to all Synagogues Synedriums Parishes Conventicles Classes or the like as you shall hear more of it by and by But sometimes such Congregationall Churches as these are called Catholâ—ck too because of their Faith and by the figure Senecdoche yea and as often as Catholick is taken for Orthodox So did Theodosius in his dayes says Sozomen lib. 7. c. 4 command the Church to be called Catholick that he was a member of Every such particular and Congregational Church is a member of the Catholick or Vniversal as all the learned say and every visible is a part that is not yet ascended of the invisible whatsoever John writ in Rev. 1.4 to the seven particular Congregational Churches he writ to them as to the true members of the Catholick or Church Vniversal sayes Mr. Perkins For the Catholick Church and the Congregational onely differ as the totum integrale essentiale that is the Church Catholick or Vniversal arises out of the Congregational and particular Churches and is made up of particular Churches the Integrum or whole intire is made up of the members thereof that are the essentials of the whole For every person and Congregation of Christ sayes Mr. Hooker in his answer to Mr. Rutherford are the members of the Church Catholick and therefore must contain in them the essential causes of the Catholick or the totum whole which is made up of them as parts for the Logician does allow it and men of reason cannot deny it but that Integrum est totum cui parâ—es sunt essentiales that which is Intirely whole is made up of such parts as give an Essential being to the whole without which the whole cannot be so intire So the Churches Congregational and particular which make up the Catholick as membra integri must needs have the materialia formalia principia Ecclesiae Catholicae or toti integri Vniversi matter and form which make up the Church Catholick which none can deny and then I say I cannot see how your Presbyterian Churches as Churches who faâ—l in form if not in matter as is prov'd in the first part may bee said to bee members as partes essentiales membra similaria to make up this totum integrale or Church Catholick Now the Congregationall Churches consisting of true matter and form separate and distinct from the Nations abroad and multitudes about as hath been proved are members causall and parts essentiall of the samenesse and nature of the whole which give in every one there substantiall share to make up the intirenesse of the whole or the Church Catholick quae habet rationem integri est membrum sayes Ames Medul Theol. lib. 1. c. 32. But furthermore it must needs follow that the Congregationall Churches must cause the Catholick or Vnâ—versal and not the Vniversal or Catholick cause the Congregational the Catholick arises out of the Congregationall but not the Congregationall out of the Catholick because they give a being to the Catholick and in order of nature the members must be before the whole because I say they contain the causes which make up the whole For Integrum est totum cui partes sunt essentiales non totum essentiale in partibus and these causes or causall parts are also by Tilâ—nus de Eccles. call'd partes Integrantes Ecclesiae Catholicae having in them those things which give Integrity or Intirenesse to the whole viz matter and form as every piece of money hath the matter and form to make up the whole sum and an Army is made up of many Regiments of the same kinde and principles with the whole This is proved by Mr. Hooker in his Survey of Discipline against Mr. Hudson a Presbyterian who holds with the rest of that judgement that Popish tenet that the Catholick is before the Congregational primum in suo genere that Pontifitians and Jesuites have bootelessely wrastled for a long time but I leave him them of that judgment to Mr. Hookers answer only I affirm by all this that there can be no such thing as National Churches Diocesan or Provincial And must we say more to satisfie curiosity then this the totum is Integrum the whole Church Catholick is intirely to be taken distinct by it self though made up of the Congregational members As a mans body that is made up of eye eare mouth hands feet and so of all the members from head to foot yet the body is not said to be all eye or all eare or all hands c. but a body intire made up of all these So a man is made up of soul and body yet he cannot be said to be all soul or
Scriptures is able to beget in us faith Rom. 10.17 Ergo the Spirit of God is to be our interpreter of the Scriptures wherefore if Pope Prelates Synods Classes Father Presbyter or any other give us the sense of Scripture and that thence our faith ariseth of the Scripture understood why then our faith must needs be built upon that Popes Prelates Synods Classes Fathers or Presbyters sense And another argument the Protestants fetch against the Papists which serves us is that the Scriptures cannot be interpreted but by the same Spirit wherewith they were written 1 Cor. 2.11 For who knoweth the minde of God save the Spirit of God And 1 Joh. 2.27 You have the anointing and you need not that any man teach you c. because as Augustine saith Magister est omnium qui habitat in nobis omnibus c. We are all fellow-scholars saies he we are not your teacher but he is teacher and master of us all who dwelleth in us all c. We further affirm with the former Protestants that the Scriptures are necessary to be known by all the people of God the reading hearing and understanding of them begetting faith and that it is not enough to hear the Minister preach for the Bereans searched the Scriptures Act. 17.11 Joh. 5.39 2 Tim. 3.15.17 Whereas some say it is enough to have what the Minister or Presbyter gives it puts me in minde of Mr. Bradford's answer to one Willerton Fox 1612. who told him that people ought to learn at the Priests hands Aye saith he why then saith he you will learn the people to preferre a Barabbas before Christ and to crucifie Christ for so the people learn'd it of the Priests Moreover we declare that all things necessary to the esse bene esse of a soul are expressed in the Scriptures or included in them and concluded out of them whether concerning faith or life and that nothing absolutely necessary is to be found besides the Scriptures Joh. 20.31 2. Tim. 3 16. whether for teaching improving correcting or instructing So that we overthrow the necessity of all traditions rites forms or the like here whether praeter or contra Scriptura For as Augustin hath it qui praetergreditur fidei regulam i. e. Scripturam non incedit in via sed recedit a via He that goeth beside the Scriptures goes not in but from the way this truth hath been attested and sealed to by the bloud of many Martyrs Dr. Taylor Fox p. 1522. col 2. Holy Bradford 1626. col 1. and that valiant souldier of Christ and stout Champion Mr. Hawkes Martyr p. 1586. col 2. saith Is not the Scripture sufficient for my salvation yea saies one of Bonners Chaplains but not for your instruction Ah! saith he then God send me the salvation and you the instruction Now let us not be mistaken though we say all necessary is in the Scriptures yet we deny not but there may be some use for orders sake of rites and formes but not to be forced knowing nothing necessary to salvation that is not in the Scripture Deut. 12.32 Rev. 22.18 Mat. 15.3 Act. 20.27 26.22 seeing the Scriptures are the rule and measure of faith they must not come short of the measured viz. faith for all things necessary to faith must needs be contained therein But Lastly the Scriptures are not so obscure and dark or undiscoverable as they would insinuate and urge upon poor people For as Prosper saith Parvuli magni fortes infirmi habent in Scripturis unde alantur satientur No age so young no wit so small which Scripture doth not fit There 's milk for babes and yet withall there 's meat for stronger wit So Prov. 9.35 yea the Revelation chap. 5.5 is a Book opened and as Augustine hath it De doctrin Christian. lib. 2. c. 9. In iis quae aperte in Scripturis posita sunt inveniuntur ea omnia quae fidem continent moresque vivendi in plain and easie places of Scripture all things necessary to faith and manners are manifest Nay the Councell of Toletan 5. c. 16. decreed the Apocalypse to be preached by every Minister from Easter to Whit-suntide so that they strictly enjoyning it accounted not this book of Revelation it seems so hard as men would perswade us to in our daies whereby they forbear to read preach or expound it but if it be hid it is hid to them that are lost 2 Cor. 4.3 It is sent especially to the Churches and is to be taken and opened by them But thus far for the first generall Doctrine wherein Papists and Presbyterians are too near one another and we are farre off from both even out of the sight almost 2. They are something alike in their Doctrine about Baptisme both with relation to the Ordinance the subjects forms and effects of it As first in imposing an absolute necessity upon it Papists say it is simply necessary to salvation Concil Triâ—dent sess 7 can 7. Bell. lib. 6. de Baptism cap. 4. such a necessity or nigh unto it do those hold who baptize the babes of all sorts put upon it and the very argument of the Rhemists on Joh. 3.5 and the Jesuites Bell. ibid. have they often urged to me viz. Vnlesse a man be born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God And I have heard some of them severely inveigh against such as neglected to bring their children and to baptize them by such a time for fear a childe should die unbaptized and the Parents for their neglect be under the judgements and wrath of God But we differ from them whilest we decline that necessity of Baptisme to Children and whilest we affirm with such as were ever held orthodox in judgement amongst men vide Synops. 12. contro q. 3. that the Children of the faithfull that are holy are holy before they are baptized 1 Cor. 7.14 And this truth is attested by Richard Woodman a holy Martyr Fox p. 1994. who saith I read in Scripture he that beleeveth not shall be condemn'd but no Scâ—ipture saith he which is not baptized shall be damned neither dare I say so for all the goods under heaven In the Greek Church Nazianzen saies in sanctum laâ—acrum their usuall time of Baptisme were but in feast of Pasch. and Pentecost which would not have been so seldome if the want of Baptisme had been so dangerous to Infants We deny not the ordinance but that there is much Popery peeached up and pleaded for and practised in their ordinance of sprinkling Infants all discerning men see and are ashamed of and cry out upon it as unsufferable and too impudent and as having too much of the whores forehead in it Furthermore although the veriest Jesuite do grant the positive necessity of baptizing babes to be grounded upon tradition and not upon Scripture Bell. lib. 4. de Ver. and so to baptize
the midst of them Mat. 18.20 so Psal. 46 5. Hosea 11.9 Joel 2.27 So Zeph. 3.5.15 the King of Israel in the midst of thee So hath the Lord promised us in Zach. 2 5. he will be our glory in the midst of us and so v. 10.11 sing rejoyce O daughters of Sion every particular Church and Assembly of Sion for lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of thee and many Nations shal be joyn'd to the Lord in that day and shall be my joyn'd or gather'd people and I will dwell in the midst of thee Oh this is a singular happinesse for then one member and one Church and one tree and one Ordinance will be as neare to him as another and receive from him as well as another and all alike will fetch power and glory and grace and spirit and light and life and whatsoever else is communicable from him Some there be that make this tree a Symbole and the two trees the two Sacraments so far I agree with them as to say these speciall Ordinances are in the midst of the Churches and must not be dispensed without neither Baptisme nor the Lords Supper so call'd of breaking bread and they break the Command that dare to give them or receive them without for they are to be in the midst of the Churches and will be so ere long and kept there by the flaming sword from the sons of Adam that run greedily according to the Serpents insinuations 2 Cor. 11.3 to eat of the forbidden fruits But this tree of life which shal stand in the midst of the gatherd Churches in the restored Paradise is meant Christ and so hee shall stand as Rev. 22.2 and in the midst of the street of the holy City every Church that helps to make up the great City the tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits c. Christ will be in the midst not onely to give fruits both meat and drinke for other trees the Saints and members will doe so too but he is there living and giving life 1 Cor. 15.45 a quickening i. e. life-giving spirit having twelve manner of fruits for twelve months of divers sorts for all sorts and conditions of souls and for as often as you will have of him and those that eat of him shall never dye Jo. 6.50 but grow livelier and lustier and stronger and healthfullier every day So that Christ hath promised to be a tree of life in the midst of the Churches to make them up an earthly Paradise which else cant be 9. Other trees and this tree of life were much alike for every tree hath the same wood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lignum and this foretels me how much the Saints the true Members of the Churches shall look like Christ and bring forth fruits like Saints and walk as he walked 1 John 4.17 And represent him as pertaking of divine and humane nature and being filled with the same spirit and we know when he shall appear we shall appear like him 1 Jo. 3.2 The second speciall priviledges of Paradise were in the River which watered the Garden and that this was also very significant as to these latter dayes will easily appear by the spirit which is promised to the Saints and Churches in these latter dayes as a River and the Graces as Streams and the Ordinances as Brooks c. Isay. 30.25 Isay. 33.21 Isay. 32.2 and Isay. 41.18 I will open rivers in high places and in the dry land springs of water and Isay. 43.19.20 Behold I will do a new thing and ye shall know it I will even make a Way in the Wildernesse and Rivers in the Desart I will give Rivers in the Desart to give drink to my people my chosen So Ezek 34.13.14 I will feed you upon the Mountains of Israel by the Rivers in fat pastures So Psal. 46.4 There is a River the streams whereof make glad the City of God So Psal. 65.9 Thou enrichest it with the River of God which is full of water Psal. 1.3 and besides many other Scriptures that in Rev. 22.1 He shewed me a pure River of water of life clear as Christall proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb i. e. the spirit powred cut in the latter dayes flowing from the Father and the Son but to some Particulars 1. Whence and whither the River flowed and 2. for what end See v. 10. A River went out of Eden to water the Garden and from thence it parted into four Heads 1. The River ran out of Eden Eden that lay in the East so that River ran from the East 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is a currere perpetuo cursu the River ran continually Some say the Fountain was in the midst of Paradise but the Text sayes non Fontem sed Fluvium it came out of Eden from the East the East we sayd before was Christ and from him out of God this River of the spirit continually runs Rev. 22 1. and shall flow ere long with mighty streams in midst of the streets or Churches The East was sayd to have two parts as Zanchy notes the first is clear in the Scriptures which we read much off as of Arabia Babylonica Persiae Chaldea c. in this part was Mesopotamia and the Garden of Paradise but secondly the other part of the East lay obscure and hidden to us unknown and unshown in the Scriptures and from that part some say the River ran whether it be so or no in the Letter yet this is certain that so much of the Will of God in Christ as is revealed declares to us Eden the Garden of the Lord the Churches of Christ in the latter dayes will be large and the Scriptures speak much of it and show it clearly but that part of the Will of God which is secret and in mystery hidden and obscure this River runs from also into the Churches by which River the secret and hidden mysteries may and must be found out and that which is not yet discovered of God and Christ must be revealed and the whole Book of Revelation and whatsoever is as yet sealed up must be layd open and made common to the Churches This River it ran into Paradise partly by secret close occult conveyances and partly by open ordinary courses and flowings sayes Pliny lib. 5. c. 24. So does the spirit and so it will come flowing into the Churches to water them fill them as Waters fill the Sea Isay. 11. partly by Meanes Ordinances Promises Providences and such ordinary Passages and Currents of the spirit and partly by secret wayes under ground mysterious occult conveyances but what with one way and what with another the Gardens of the Lord the Churches will be well refreshed and filled with this River which arises out of the East And to finish this Particular this River ran as with one stream into the Garden but
shall be fruitfull Col. 1.10 Hosea 14.8 So every Saint and Member must eat of the Fruits of all out of all i. e. that grows out of every one yea of the least lowest darkest and most undershadow and meanest Member or Brother of the Church for every one shall bring in of his Fruits and none be hindred and every ones Fruits shall be in due season Ps. 1.2.3 and none before the time Mal. 3.11 but all ripened by the Sun and then every one will be desirous of them Micah 7.1 My soul desired the ripe fruits sayes the Prophet himselfe 8. Man in Paradise was forbidden the Tree of Knowledge v. 17. But of the tree of Knowledge thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye which words are full in Hebr. you shall not eat of it that is not eat out of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if the Lord should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poynt out with his finger the Tree he forbad if thou eatest thereof thou shalt not faile to dye thou shalt surely dye which is in Hebraisme too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moriendo merierie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt dye with dying thou shalt dye the death that is necessarily and unavoydably and most miserably thou shalt know 't is a fearfull thing to sin in Paradise so in Church-Fellowship therefore the command is interdicting and prohibiting the tree of Knowledg So are the Saints Members in the Churches forbid the tree of Knowledge that is humane Wisdom carnal Reason and Policy affectation of Word Gifts habituall Parts of Learning subtile Sophistry and all such forbidden fruits in Paradise so in the Churches Col. 2.8 That none spoyle you through Philosophy Arts and Sciences nor corrupt you with humane Wisdome 1 Cor. 1.20.21 2 Cor. 1.12 which Aegypt and Babylon did and yet do abound in but the Lord hath promised to destroy and bring this Wisdome to nought Isay. 29 14. And that the deafe shall hear and the blind see Isay. 29.18 The things and visions of the booke which the learned can't read in v. 11. Because 't is sealed to him but the spirit of the Lord shall reveale them to Babes And those that see not shall see whilst those that see shall be made blind Therefore let the Saints take heed of that Tree whose Fruits if they live upon them and prefer them for so Man did will be accursed to them Jer. 17.5.6 For cursed is the man that makes flesh his arm whose heart departeth from the Lord for he shall be like the heath in the desart and not see when good commeth This is a Curse indeed as full as the Fig-tree had and this dreadfull Curse is full of wrath for and to them that prefer and feed altogether on humane Parts habitual Gifts Wisdome Learning or the like for by these the Old Man who must fall gets to be enthroned and Christ and Truth justled out of doors not that we deny an use yea and sometimes a great use too that may be made of Parts Learning humane Knowledge habituall Gifts c. For if there were no use at all to be made of them then they were not to be there then this Tree of Knowledge should not have been set in Paradise at all much lesse in the midst of the Garden but this we say that though they may be suffered yea seen heard handled yet they must not be eaten fed on before the Tree of Life to live on or to be nourished by them O no! but feed on the Tree of Life Eate down the Fruits of the spirit the Graces Learning Wisdome of the spirit to live on to be quickned nourished comforted by and to have them consubstantiated into you So that the other fruits are not first to be feed on but to be looked on and to be used as Servants to the Tree of Life and by the bye therefore woe be to them that prefer the tree of knowledge before the tree of life it is that which is here forbid and is accursed with a most dreadfull sentence and doome upon it and they fall fowlest and most irrecoverably that fall by eating the fruits of the tree of knowledge viz. selfe-wisdome and parts c in preferring of these by Sathan's subtill insinuations before the tree of life Let all Churches and Members look to it then For they are under a desperate curse that do so and when they do Julian like Apostatize they are the most hurtfull unholy violent and unexecrable Enemies to Christ and his Gospel 9. The Serpent got even into Paradise it's selfe and presently pitcht upon the tree of knowledge to tempt the Woman and so the man with the fruits of that tree and the Woman seeing 't was to be desired to make one wise Gen. 3.16 Sayes the Text took it c. So Sathan that subtill Serpent creeps into the best Churches at some hole or other and appears in their Congregations as Job 1.6 where God sees him when men can't and so even in Judas in Christs little fellowship he crowded in and so in Jude 4 Gal. 2.4 and when they are at the best and busiâ—st duties he 'l be sure to teÌ„pt them that subtilly with wonderous art and cunning winding himselfe into the heart of one or other to tempt them to forbidden fruits and he usually gets up into the tree of knowledge i. e. by carnall reason humane wisdome c. to do it He oftentimes presents the fairest side of the fairest fruits of this Tree to tempt poor souls with And he sets upon the weakest vessels to seduce them with a supposition of Gifts Parts humane Wisdome Learning and the like that these will make them wise and as Gods c. O sad miserable sad souls that are so deceived by the fair shows of Gifts as to prefer them before graces Wherefore let all Members and Churches be warned hereby For Sathan is got in to tempt some of the weakest of them Therefore sayd Paul to the Church of Corinth 2 Epist. 11.3 I fear least by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety so your mindes should be corrupted by his cunning Acts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the plain simplicity that is in Christ Wherefore let us all beware and believe graces more then gifts the tree of life is better for food then the tree of knowledge the spirit is better then the flesh and Christ to be preferred before the Creature or creature-parts and appearances And know that none are wise but the Saints the Churches and Saints are able to out-see all the Vniversities of the Earth in altissimis causis rerum Christ is their Wisdome 1 Cor. 1.30 Et dignoscitiva directiva in him they are wise 1 Cor. 4.10 and learned the learned of God are brought up in the Universities of Christ the Schooles of the Prophets indeed excelling all in
to all the world Churches united p. 90 c. 7 l. 1 Tenderness in admitting Members p. 291 c. 4 l. 2 Testimony threefold of all admitted 290 294 ib. Things indifferent and doubtful what are so p. 313 314 c. 5 l. 2 Things of a middle size left to liberty p. 327 ib. Thoughts of Hell scaring at first p. 419 c. 6 l. 2 Twin-Testimonies give assurance p. 372 ib. Single testimony how enough and how uncertain 374 377 ib. Throne of Christ usurped by some p. 320 c. 5 l. 2 Times of restitution tumbling in a pace p. 28 c. 3 l. 1 In times of popery Experiences were told to convert p. 368 c. 6 l. 2 Times of assurance p. 378 ib. Time of tryal sharp to the Churches is coming p. 505 c. 9 l. 2 Topaz's precious stones who they be p. 518 ib. A Trance 404 62 Travel in souls before birth of joy p. 366 ib. Trees of Christs own planting fruitful p. 43 c. 4 l. 1 Trees of typified paradise who and what p. 532 533 c. 9 l. 2 Tree of Life who it is p. 534 ib. Troubles in minde and conscience 410 7 Exp. 6 2 In troubles experiences are cordials p. 367 ib. Truths occasion errors but how 25 Epist. Trust in God is helped by experiences p. 367 c. 6 l. 2 Turks and fit for none else that will not have their forms questioned p. 346 c. 5 l. 2 M. Turrents Experience 11 Exp. 6 2 Types of Church-matter p. 51 52 c. 5 l. 1 Types which foretel the ruine of false Churches and the rising of the true Churches p. 525 526 527 c. 9 l. 2 Tyranny and persecution to have secular powers over us in matters of faith p. 160 c. 13 l. 1 Tithes a heavy yoke 6 Epist. Tithes when and how confirmed to Ministers 28 Epist. 491 9 2 Tithes how Presbyterians and Papists agree in them p. 488 ib. Tithes how judaical how ceremonial how moral and how that maintenance must be altered when they keep up sin and superstition c. 489 490 ib. V. Variety in unity is most beauteous p. 337 338 c. 5 l. 2 Variety of Gods workings appear by the Experiences of Saints p. 366 c. 6 l. 2 Violation of Christs Laws to take into Churches any but visible Saints p. 55 c. 5 l. 1 Vindication of Congregational-Churches for matter p. 64 ib. Violence and voluntariness repugnant p. 269 c. 2 l. 2 Visions of various conditions of the Churches in all ages and how in these days by Hermes p. 46 c. 4 l. 1 Visible and invisible no Scripture distinction p. 61 c. 5 l. 1 A vision 423 425 398 409 6 2 Vision what it is and twofold p. 449 ib. Vital spirits all from Christ the Head p. 149 c. 13 l. 1 Unfitness of men for Church work p. 120 c. 10 l. 1 Uncircumcised and circumcised all one in Christ p. 306 c. 4 l. 2 Unholy unclean ones not to enter the Temple p. 52 c. 5 l. 1 Uniformity when it began to be forced p. 332 c. 5 l. 2 Union of Saints unconquerable p. 90 c. 7 l. 1 Union with Christ the Head qualifies for communion with Saints in Churches p. 59 c. 5 l. 1 Union of all Saints and Churches necessary p. 195 196 c. 14 l. 1 For unions sake all that makes difference laid aside ibid. Unity and entity convertibles p. 87 c. 7 l. 1 Unity where is not uniformity p. 1â—6 c. 14 l. 1 Unity urged amongst all Churches and why p. 501 c. 9 l. 2 Unity with variety agrees very well p. 498 ib. Unity of Churches when it will be most p. 506 ib. Unispirituality keeps up the Churches p. 196 c. 14 l. 1 Universal deliverance of the Church when p. 20 21 25 c. 3 l. 1 Universities of what sort at the last days p. 540 c. 9 l. 2 Unnecessary things make most difference p. 325 c. 5 l. 2 Unsavory fruits of the Head of Brass p. 159 c. 13 l. 1 Unskilful builders abundance as yet p. 12â— c. 10 l. 1 Vocation layes open election p. 358 c. 6 l. 2 Vocation legal and evangelical 403 404 c. ib. Vocation in time election eternal p. 359 ib. Voluntary submission to the ways of Christ p. 123 124 c. 11 l. 2 Voluntiers and none else in Christs Churches p. 253 254 c. 2 l. 2 How we are voluntiers different from false members p. 270 ib. A voice of God 1. Exper. 406 409 415 ib. Votes in Church concern all alike viz. Sisters as well as Brothers p. 470 c. 8 l. 2 Use of forms may be p. 34â— c. 5 l. 2 Usurpation of Christs power p. 105 c. 8 l. 1 Usurpation of Christs throne p. 320 c. 5 l. 2 Usurpers both Ministers and Magistrates and how p. 169 c. 13 l. 1 W. Wants none to the Churches ere long p. 35 c. 3 l. 1 Waiting is a special latter days disposition p. 47 c. 4 l. 1 Warning to Hypocrites p. 67 c. 5 l. 1 Warning piece to Ministers last year p. 208 c. 15 l. 1 Warning to formal Anabaptists that idolize dipping p. 343 c. 5 l. 2 Warning to some by experiences of others p. 363 c. 6 l. 2 Warning to them that take Gods name in vain 423 ib W. Walkers experience 6 Exp. ib. A special warning to Purleigh in Essex 237 Epist. E. Waymans Experience p. 409 ib. Water-baptism how passed away as to us p. 310 c. 4 l. 2 Way of the Churches in latter dayes best discovered p. 33 c. 3 l. 1 Watch and pray for the promises p. 47 c. 4 l. 1 Ways God works in strange and by contraries p. 47 c. 4 l. 1 Way of Gospel-fellowship Christ left behinde for Saints to follow him in p. 199 200 c. 14 l. 1 The way much honored by publick embodying p. 282 c. 3 l. 2 Weak Lambs how to be taken in p. 293 c. 4 l. 2 Weakness God most and best seen in p. 418 c. 6 l. 2 Weakest sex most exalted p. 464 c. 8 l. 2 Weather for Ireland promises fair p. 417 c. 6 l. 2 Well-grounded and well-united necessary for Churches p. 193 c. 14 l. 1 Westminster Assembly of Divines abominable 57 58 Epist. Wicked patrons In Epist. to L. Gen. and Com. A wife wrought upon her husband 10 Exp. 6 2 Wilderness the Church was in 10 30 31 1 3 1 Wilderness-creatures no more our companions p. 36 c. 3 l. 1 Wilde Beasts shall not hurt us ere long p. 34 ib. Wilderness-ones characterized p. 38 ib. Willing to enter into Churches not forced p. 125 126 c. 11 l. 1 Will hath a principle p. 254 c. 2 l. 2 Will must first be wrought upon by the spirit p. 129 c. 11 l. 1 Will hath an end and what it is p. 255 c. 2 l. 2 Will hath a rule and what it is 256 257 ib. Will hath an object and what it is 258 259 ib. Will hath its operation into the thing willed p. 260 ib. Wisdoms polity p. 1 c. 1 l. 1 Wisdom weighs the end first
1 The Father Isa. 40.28 43.15 1 Peter 4.19 Rom 3.14 2 Chro. 20 6. Psalm 66.7 2 The Son Acts 10.42 43. Isaiah 45.21 22 1 Iohn 5 29. Isaiah 9.6 7. 1 Tim. 2.5 1 Iohn 4.2 3. 2 Iohn 7. Hâ—s Offices 1 Prophet Micâ—h 5.4 Malachi 3.1 Deut. 18.15 Acts 3.22 2â— Isaiah 54.13 2 Priest Hebr. 9.12 14. 10.3 10. Ephes. 5.2 1 Peter 1.24 Iohn 10.15 Col. 2.14 15. Isaiah 53.12 Heb. 12.24 3 King First â—n general Mâ—tth 28.18 Psalm 2.6 Psalm 45.6 Hâ—b 8.8 Isaiah 9.6 7. Rev. 2.26 27. Secondly In particular Matth. 2.2 Luke 1.33 74 75. Luke 19.27 Phil. 2.9 Haggai 2.7 Heb. 12.27 28. Isaiah 45.22 Micah 4.2 c. 3 The Spirit Iohn 16.13 14. Eph. 1.13 14. 4.30 Zach. 9.11 Malachi 3.1 Heb. 10.29 13.20 8 6.8 9. Iohn 16.8 9. Rom 8.2 Rom. 4.8 Iohn 15.26 Râ—m 8.16 1.4 Gal. 5.22 23. 1 John 5.7 5 Scriptures Psalm 147.19 20. Iohn 5 39. 2 Cor. 1.13 Acts 26.22 2 Tim. 3.16 2 Pet. 1.20 21. Gal. 6.16 6 Man Eph. 2.1 3. Iohn 3.3 4. Acts 17.30 31. Rom. 8.13 7 The Church Eph. 4.4 Invisâ—ble and Universal 1 Cor. 12.27 28 8 Churches visible and congregational 1 Cor. 12.20 Col. â— 19. Eph 2.21 22. Matth. 28.20 Eph 4.29 1 Thes. 5.11 Iohn 15.19 2 Cor. 6.16 17 19. Revel 18.4 Psal 110.3 Isai. 2 2 4. 2 Cor. 8.5 Acts 11.23 Mal. 3.16 Iude 20. Hâ—b 10.24 25. Acts 6 3. 14.23 Exoâ— 20.24 1 Kings 9.3 Isaiah â— 5 6. 25.6 7 8. Psal 132.13 14 15. Revel 2.1 2 Coâ— 6.8 Cant. 4.16 6.2 3. 7.12 Isai. 33.17 20. Psal. 122.3 Iohn 5.28 1 Cor. 15.19 Acts 17 30 31. 2 Tim. 2.18 Heb. 12.23 Grace in a convert discovered two wayes 1 More extraordinary 2 More ordinary ☞ Of both those wayes excellent examples follow ☜ Experiences prove principles Proved by Precepts Jews practâ—se now Vide the Hist. of Iews by Leo Modena ch p. 2. 2 Proved by Practiâ—e in primitive times Expos. Expos. Expos. Expos. Expos. Dr. Ames It is muâ—h for Gods glory Sibs his Mariage feast pag. 103. Expos ☞ It is much for the Churches advantage 1 In judging of such as aâ—e Gods ☞ Election is a mystery Sim. Sim. ☞ Sim. Made known by Vocation Adams Sim. ☜ Obj. Answ. Origen Election from eternity Vocation in time Salvation in the Deâ—â—â—e before sanctification but in the execution of the decree sanctification is before salvation Dr. Twisse ☞ How the Church is to judâ—e of 〈◊〉 Elect. Sim. Sim. Sim. ☞ ☞ Sim And judges of the cause by the effects and means The order of telling experiences 1 Preparation 1 When the time 2 How the means To bring them down into hell Mr Rogers Mr. Fenner To bring 〈◊〉 down into 〈◊〉 Dr. Sibs Dr. Crâ—spe And to raise them up into heavenly places in Christ Jesus Sim. But fâ—w so 1 King 31. ☞ 2 Qualifica By the alteration that is in them and such like effects Expos. 2 Cor. 1. â— To give others warning Tho. Goodwin ☜ Else others shall finde these stories true Sim. ☜ Robinson Sim. Tertullia◠☞ Sim. Till buâ—ied in the flame some will take no warning Mat. 5.12 Mr. Nehemiah Rogers my honoured father in his Parables Ardeus To learn others to forbear censuring such ☞ Sr. Fran. Spira Rom. 7.24 Act. 2.37 2 Cor. 12. Expos. Sim. Saints have a seed-time and then a harvest Expos. ☜ ☜ A fighting time then a conquest Sim. A time of travel and then a birth of joy ☞ Keckerman ☞ 4 To teach others how variously God works Expos. Vide Goodwins Child of Light Chap. 12. Means to convert one not the means to convert another Experiences teach others to trust in God in times of troubles Expos. Expos. Thus Samaritanâ— brought in Thus was Junius converted And otheâ—s in time of Popery And in these dayes ☞ In Dublin Church experience Of prayer answered in a miraculous mercy ☜ Church experience of prayers answered in another parallel mercy upon the Author ☞ Faith in prayer forces out a quick answer ☜ A renewed pledge when most need ☜ Sim. 1 They bring their assurance to light 1 Pet. 5.16 Sim. Caution Quest. How to know it Answ. 1 By the Twin-testimonies Surest with sealing of the Spirit p. 170. Expos. ☜ 1 Spirit with our spirits ☜ How to be sure of it that it is a true spirit A Ranter what ☜ A Hypocrite Sibs 2 Twin-testimony is the word spirit Expos. Obj. Answ. A single testimony Sim. Is enough Sim. ☞ Obj. Answ. When thou art without a witnesse what to do Expos. Three considerations Vide Saltmarsh his Free-grace p. 80. 3 Considerat to assure poor souls in Christ. ☜ Sim. ☞ 2 When you want reflex acts run into direct acts with a resolute recumbency upon God Expos. Psal. 37.19 1 Joh. 3.10 Rom. 10.11 Sim. Single testimonies What assurance is Their experiences tell how much they differ now from what they were before their Assurance ☜ Single Testimonies not ever certain Sim. Times of assurance Experiences of Saints are demonstrations of their assurance to others ☞ Dr. Don. Sim. Full assurance affords full experiences even as it were with double Testimonies True experiences keep humble Sim. Vide Hist. of Standerbeg lib. 2. ☜ Hypocrites puffed up by them Expos. Sim. Dr. Staughton Saints humbled Sim. Sim. Sim. Truest experiences lay us the lowest Sim. Sim. Sim. ☞ Sim. Adams Souls slashed for sin low humble And souls exalted in Christ are the more low and nothing in their own eyes Expos. Examples 2 Cor. 11.23.25 26 27. Randal ☞ Sim. Sim. Expos. True experiences more declared the more humble us and lessen us lower us in our own eyes Experiences teach best ☜ As p. 8 ☜ Sim. ☜ Saints by experiences know more then men or Angels can tell them of Gods love Sim. ☞ Sim. Experiences make more bold for future Expos. Example David therefore declared his experience Sim More bold against enemies and in future troubles and trials Dr. Taylor More bold with God too Sim. Example Expos. ☞ Sim. Sim. They are as a store-house to give out new and old Expos. Sim. 1 To give out Expos. Experiences Mandrakes ☜ 2 To lay up Sim. Sim. ☜ Expos. ☞ They set the soul to long for more of Christ. ☞ Sim. Many content with Parish-Ministers provisions ☞ Sim. ☜ They yeeld further obedience to God And fill them with life spirit and love Sim. ☜ Sim. Sim. Sim. Donn Sim. In a time of darkness as well as in a time of light ☜ Expos. ☜ Vide Tho. Aquin 1.2 q. 112.5 o. Expos. ☜ Encouraging others over in to Ireland Cant. 7. ult In a formal righteousness from his youth Called first when and where 1645. called thence on the Mountains 2. How Extraordinarily and ravishingly â— Effects of this calâ— Called 1. When. 2. How In horror of Hell for an oath wept delivered out of it And cast into it again worse then before Delivered out of it upon surer terms
behold Canaan But now he makes us willing to enter into the way with all our hearts full of wishes and desires which makes us swift in motions 3. Removendo This Spirit removes the remora's answers all objections takes away all impediments and puts us on through all difficulties whatsoever though Satan like a roaring Lyon robbed of her whelps rage at us and assault us with his rough Claws and sharpe temptations though the flesh flie upon us with full-mouth and foul-mouthed language and invectives Though the world frown on us and threaten never to look well upon us and friends forsake us neighbors estranged to us acquaintance persecute us and all threaten to begger us yet I say the Spirit makes us to triumph over all and carries us through all as more then Conquerors and thus Cant. 5.6 7 8. The Spouse through inward temptations Vers. 6. When Christ had in her eye left her forsaken her nor regarding her prayers or tears and outward troubles Vers. 7. Yea when the watchmen that should have been her friends frowned on her yea smote her till they fetched blood from her and the keepers of the wall abused her and took away her vail and tore it in peeces on purpose to put her to open shame and to show her nakedness before all in the streets to hoot at after her and to hurt her and to make the world believe she was an Harlot and not a true Spouse of Christ yet for all this that Ministers and Magistrates were both against her yet I say the Spirit carries her on And thus the Psalmist sayes Psal. 44.10 11 12 13 14 15. yet 17 18. Thou makest us a by-word a reproach a derision a spoil to them that hate us as the appointed for slaughter and broken in the place of Dragons and confusion is ever before us and for all this Vers. 17 18 20. Yet yet have we not forgotten thee nor dealt falsly with thee nor is our heart turned back from thee nor do we decline thy way no not yet and why But because the Spirit of the Lord carried them through all thick and thin as we use to say and so it is here the Spirit removes all thy rubbidge-corruption that would hinder thee and throws down to the ground every strong hold or imagination thou hast against this way 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Which before he admonished thee of and motioned thee to and 4. This Spirit confirms thee in it as well as conforms thee to it and therefore he is called the witness in thee 1 John 5 10. If any false witness do arise and rail at this way of Christ as the theif on the Cross did revile Christ. If thou meetest with any arguments from flesh and blood against it that would fain weaken thy faith and foundation why yet the Spirit bears testimony within and that upon his own knowledge that thou art in the right way Joh. 16.13 And this witness within and the word without do both agree in their testimony Yea furthermore the Spirit is called a seal Eph. 4.30 And set me as a seal upon thy heart Cant. 8.6 That is that I may be not onely near to thee but on thy heart even in thee as thine own spirit A seal is more then a witness for it carries the witness with it and is not onely a witnessing to us but a work upon us and in us carrying the image of him that sealeth us sayes Sibs in his Fountain Sealed Now a Seal serves to confirm and thus doth the Spirit seal instruction to us Job 33.16 that is confirms us in what the Word instructs and declares Besides this Seal is for distinctions sake as Dr. Sibs saith to distinguish which is the Lords way and worship from all others of mens making 1 Tim. 2. The Lord knoweth who are his and who are not his This distinguishes the precious from the vile Jer. 15.19 And by this seal the Lord knows his and the Saints know which is the Lords For the seal sets the Lords image on his way and worship Moreover a seal signifies a propriety and right to a thing as Merchants use to seal their wares that others may not claim a right to them So Psal. 4.3 Know that the Lord hath set apart the righteous for himself He hath set his mark on them in the Hebrew it is the Lord hath culled out and severed in a most excellent manner i. e. by his Spirit the righteous that is in Hebrew Chasid the holy One Acts 13.35 full of holiness goodness piety grace to himself And as the gracious man so the gracious way of Christ he hath set apart for himself i. e. as his way and his right Thus every Saint sets his seal to in John 3.33 who being convinced by the Spirit as before and now confirmed by this testimony within him which holds against all opposers he gives his testimonial to the truth Deut. 32.4 and bears witness to the way of Christ Joh. 15.26 27. and sets to his seal and subscribes to it and chuses it to walk to live and die in So that they are Christs witnesses and do bear his testimony with the Spirit as well as by the Spirit Acts 5.32 It is the Spirit which assures them as well as perswades them whereby the will is set upon the wheel so after the Saints believed they were sealed sayes the Apostle 5. This Spirit then rests on thee and on that way thus witnessed and sealed to as the Dove did upon the Ark yea as the Spirit did rest and abide upon Christ John 1.32 whereby he was known so hereby by the same Spirits resting on us we are known and the way and worship and Church of Christ is known to be from above So 1 Pet. 4.14 Happy are ye for the Spirit of the Lord and of glory rests upon you And Paul saith The power of Christ rests upon him 2 Cor. 12.9 The Word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as the Dove which wandred about and not found rest nor where to set the sole of his foot In this world iniquity doth abound and the waters are up and the floods are so high that the Dove i. e. the Spirit comes again weary and spent into the Ark and from thence is sent out So that this Spirit found Christ such an Ark and rested there and findes the Church such an Ark and rests there yea a Saint in a sence such an Ark and rests there And from thence he is sent out by Messengers means of Grace c. abroad and about the world to finde footing among them without but oftentimes he returns with this tale That the waters are too high yet But here the Spirit rests and by this the Church is known to be Christs We are all baptized by one Spirit saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.13 Into one Body and made to drink into one Spirit So