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A55858
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A looking-glass for a proud pharisee (very zealous and very ignorant:) as also for a true Christian (very meek and very mercifull:) discovering an effectual way (by the mysterie of God) for the healing of the land, through the uniting al sides to God, and one to another, by Jesus Christ. Humbly presented to the city of London, by Robert Prier, a memeber of it.; Cristall looking-glass for a proud Pharisee.
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Prier, Robert.
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1648
(1648)
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Wing P3451; ESTC R217467
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193,143
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501
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Doth your baptizing old men or women avail any thing I indeed baptize you onely with water saith Iohn Mat. 3.11 Joh. 1.26 And this you do and mightily lean upon this weak shadow or figure and it is to be feared that many amongst you are like unto those in the Acts where Paul asked them If they had received the holy Ghost and they said unto him we have not so much as heard whether there be any holy Ghost Acts 19.2 3. Are not you carnally minded about the ordinances of God for the most part of you as the Apostle speaks in 1 Cor. 3.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Doth not the most part of you rest in outsides of Religion being but very little acquainted with the truth and power of Religion as it is in the Spirit What difference is there between parishes and you from which you dissent They for the most part rest in a meer outside form of godliness read 2 Tim. 3.2 3 4 5. and think they were baptized when they were young and if they hear Sermons then they may be admitted to the Sacrament as they think by the Minister or Elders and if there be no more but this it is a meer outside shew and a form that wil not profit and is it not so with many of you that are called Anabaptists If you be but admited by those that say they wil baptize you then you lean much upon this and say now you are within the door but beware for many go in at this door and return out again with litle profit mistake me not I prize the ordinances of God and therefore I speak of the formality that most use in and about them I shal ask one question Are you acquainted experimentally with the Baptism of Jesus Christ upon your spirits even the sprinkling of clean water upon you and this wil purge your corrupt natures Ezek. 36.25 And this water wil refresh thy parched soul Isa 44.3 And this water wil be as a Wel of Living Water for to comfort thee in all thy straits Joh. 7.37 38 39. He saith John shal baptize you with the holy Ghost meaning Jesus Christ Mark 1.8 Now you that are called Anabaptists and you Presbyterians if you were acquainted with the Baptism of Jesus Christ that would clear up your judgments which I conceive are very dark for God is Love and if you were acquainted with this Baptism it would teach you to love one another read 1 Joh. 3.18 19 20 21 22 23 24. But one of you prays against the other which is not wel One word more to you that are rigid Anabaptists for you make a division in the body of Christ for Christ and his members are one 1 Cor. 12.12 13 14. And those that are one with Jesus Christ you judg not fit to be members or one with you if they be not of your judgment or opinion But we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread 1 Cor. 10.17 And by one Spirit saith the Apostle we are all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 And those that are joyned to the Lord are one spirit with the Lord 1 Cor. 6.17 And wil you slight those or separate your self from those that God hath joyned to himself This is not wel judg not according to externals be not over rigid in censuring Cease to be legal learn to be spiritual and then you wil love one another for salvation doth not depend upon diping or sprinkling or plunging or washing read Gal. 6.15 Sect. 5 One word to you that are moderate Anabaptists Do not the publick professors of this Kingdom both Ministers and people for the most part rest in an outside and a visible form of Religion I know you wil answer Yes I ask is it not so with the most part of those that are of your opinion Do they not rest too much in the form and shadow not being acquainted with Christ crucified who is the power of God and the wisdom of God and the salvation that God gives to men 1 Cor. 1.13 14.23 24. The Baptism of water for profession is nigh at hand and both young and old receive it But the Baptism of the Spirit is far off and few there be that have it but those that have it do not go back again to the shadow because Christ the Sun doth shine who is the Substance Mary Magdalen after she had seen Christ was risen from the grave she did not return back again to look Christ in the grave Joh. 20.11.16 17 18. Now you that lean so much upon the Baptism of water if you have no more that wil profit but little But moderate and Christian friend the Baptism of the Spirit of Christ wil teach us to profit in all conditions It wil teach us to know the world to be passing away and all the glory of it to be but as grass It wil teach us to dye to the world with Christ upon the Cross Gal. 6.14 15. It wil teach us to go down with Christ from the Cross into the Grave and there to see sin the devil the world the grave and the old man conquered and subdued and Jesus Christ triumphing from the Cross to the grave and in the grave and this is the Christians dayly work if they have faith read Col. 2.12 13 14 15. And so this blessed Spirit wil baptize every true Beleever every day more and more into the resurrection of Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 3.21 Now a true Beleever being raised up from the grave together with Jesus Christ is made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus Eph. 2.5 6. And this is the Baptism that wil profit us and answer all our doubts and fil our hearts ful of the joy of the Lord that is Christ the bridegroom of the soul and the soul standeth to hear the voyce of Christ and greatly rejoyceth in that Jesus Christ is the spiritual Loadstone that draws up the soul to himself in whom the soul centers and finds its rest and in him the soul spiritually injoys all the ordinances and with Jesus Christ comes down again to all external ordinances and becomes weak to the weak that he may gain some and so likewise Iohn Baptist did rejoyce in Christs Ministry for he saw that to be glorious and said Christ should increase and the glory of his Ministry should run up into Christs Ministry He must increase saith John but I must decrease Joh. 3.29 30. Now you that rest so much upon water the Baptism of an outward profession and slight all those that are not of your opinion and you contend much for the time when and the manner how this ordinance of God must be administred Not to young children you say but to men and women of years because a young child cannot make a verbal Confession of Faith it is true indeed but a man or a woman in years may learn by education to make a verbal Confession of
to take content in outward observations and say O! the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and the ordinances of the Lord are these and yet we know not the good will of him that dwelt in the bush Jere. 7.4 Exod. 3.2 6 7 8. And thus we outwardly appear before men but inwardly we are ignorant of God and of Jesus Christ as it will appear in most Parish Churches for one saith he hath believed ever since he could remember and another she saith she hath as good a heart as the best and another he hopes to be saved for his good meaning and for his good thoughts and another saith he believes as the Church believes and another saith he believes what the Preacher saith and whether it be true or false he cannot tell but God forbid but he should believe his Minister Now such people are soon drawn to a form of Religion of any fashion for as the State changes so they wil change Now there are some others that can talk learnedly they think they know much but indeed and in truth they understand but little of Jesus Christ yet they may have a curious form of Religion and a glossie form of religious words which they may get by a customary way of Religion and by the abilities of nature and by reading in good Books as in a Catechism and the like and so they may speak the words that other men hath labored for and learn them and so much a Parrot may do and doth do Mistake me not I speak not against the using of good Books for I know those that are lame must have a crurch But one word with understanding and grace is better then a thousand words in a Catechism without understanding And so likewise Sect. 2 we may be like to the Jews in seeming to take delight in approaching to God upon our Fasting days as the Prophet Isaiah speaketh Isaiah 58.2 If we do that which is like unto the Jews then we are like unto the Jews and if we do not fast unto the Lord then we do fast unto our selves but if we do fast unto the Lord then what meaneth this bleating of the sheep saith Samuel to Saul what meaneth saith the Prophet Isaiah this putting forth of the finger and speaking against our neighbors and brethren what meaneth this strife and debate and this biting and devouring one another and this smitting with the fist in private Is not this wickedness to bow down our heads as a bull-rush and yet these things remain and we seemingly call upon the Lord. But this is not to fast unto the Lord. Read Zech. 7.5 6 7 8 9 10. Now if it would please God to help us but to keep one right Fasting day then we should loose the bands of wickedness and undo the heavy burdens and let the oppressed go free and break every yoke and deal our bread to the hungry and cover the naked and shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother Then this would be a fast unto the Lord and a feast unto men Read Isai 58.6 7. Now the Elders that are not able to feed the flock of God they outwardly appear to be religious before men as Christ speaketh so you may read Matth. 23.27 28. And so saith the Prophet Micah concerning the Prophets and so saith the Lord They make my people erre they seem to be that which they are not that bite with their teeth and cry Peace and he that putteth not into their mouths they even prepare war against him Have not we had many such Prophets and Elders in our days read Micah 3.5 6. And so likewise the Lord takes notice of the people as well as of the Prophets and the Priests The Prophets prophecy falsly saith the Lord and the Priests bear rule by their means and this is a horrible thing committed in the land and my people saith the Lord love to have it so Mark this O ye people of England for the Lord takes notice of you that call truth error and error truth Jere. 5.30 31. Now the Elders that are not able to feed the flock of God and the priests that teach for hire and the heads of the house of Jacob that abhor judgment or neglect to do justice to the poor and so pervert all equity yet saith the Prophet they will lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us My desire is that these things were not to be found amongst us at this day read Micah 3.9 10 11 12. Zeph. 3.3 4. Mark what the Prophet Micah saith They lean upon the Lord that is they lean upon the ordinances of the Lord in a carnal way they lean upon being outwardly baptized and the hearing of the Word preached and the outward receiving of the Sacrament and they lean upon Church-fellowship and upon an outward Confession of Faith onely in words But mark now what our Saviour Christ speaks John 6.63 The flesh profiteeh nothing mistake me not I say to lean upon the outside of the ordinances of God profiteth nothing which the most part of the world doth to this day The leaning upon being baptized with water either young or old profiteth nothing but the being baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire that will teach you and help you to profit and that will refine you and thorowly purge your hearts and gather you as good wheat into Christ garner Luke 3.16 17. And so to lean upon the outward preaching of the Word that will not profit us until Christ open our ears and speak in our hearts and say this is the way and I will inable you to walk in this my way and you shall spiritually hear this voice and I will wait saith the Lord to be gracious unto you and I will turn a pure language unto you and you shall serve the Lord with one consent read Isai 35.5 6. 30.18 19 21. Zeph. 3.9 And when this is we shall profit and with Samuel we shall say Speak Lord for thy servant heareth 1 Sam. 3.9 10. And so likewise to lean upon the outward receiving of the Sacrament it will profit nothing A blinde man that 's bid to a feast though he cannot see the excellence of the feast yet he may tast of the goodness and sweetness of the banquet but in this case of coming to the Sacrament it is otherwise for a man may see carnally but he cannot tast spiritually but he that cannot tast spiritually of the Lords banquet he cannot see spiritually and so he sits naked not having faith to see the want of Christs righteousness and so he sits naked before the King and the Saints Now Christ is the King of this banquet and a man not having faith is speechless when Christ speaks unto him read Mat. 22.11 12. Now a Saint and a true Beleever are in a better condition for they both see and tast of the sweetness of Christ and of the infinite love