Of a National Church, &c.

I Cannot in the least Acknowledge—that ever any Natio­nal Way Cast up, p. 36. Church can be a true Church of Christ:—It were indeed greatly to be wished, that not only this Nation, but all the Nations of the Earth were the true Church of Christ. But Men should not make such Preposterous haste, to make Na­tions Churches by meer humane Law, and Power; bare Hu­mane Laws, and Edicts, and Degrees, will never do it; For indeed this hath been the Ground and Rise of all the Persecu­tions that have been in Christendom; But those that will have a National Church, they will have all others to bow to them, and join with them,—and—is always a Persecuting Church, (it is her very Nature) so it must always be exceeding Hypocrital: seeing it begetteth Thousands to be its Children and Mem­bers, ☜ by the meer Will and Power of Man, which only makes Hypocrites.

Concerning the Teachers.

The Teachers—have been generally and for the most part, p. 40. 41. Self-seeking, Worldly-minded, and Covetous Men, who loved Plea­sures and Riches more than God. And this the Magistrate did well know, and saw the best way to prevent them, was to Bribe them with Augmentations and Benefices—The Preachers of the Waldenses were Lay-men most of them, and P. 42. Ib. wrought with their Hands; as the Teachers of the Primitive Church did, and had no set Stipends or Sallaries, but Preached freely.

[Page 4] And they are very Blind who see not, that upon this Foun­dation Immed. Rev. p. 136. of denying immediate Revelation, or teaching of God's Spirit, depends their Church-Ministry, and the whole Clergy, and their so called Theology, and Philosophy-Schools, and Colledges; for if once People were Perswaded, and Convinced that God did teach, and would teach them, who wait on him; Such and many more Things, and in a more Excellent way than they are taught by them, for such great Sums of Money, then they would turn their Backs upon them, and their Col­ledges would become like, the Abbacies at this Day, (which lodged that Prophane Rabble of Papist-Monks, and Friars, who pretended to as great Spirituallity as the National Priests do) an Habitation for Owls and Ravenous Beasts, and then down should all the Proud, Lording, Lofty, Clergy, with their many Degrees of Doctorships, Lordships, and Masterships ☞ pass; who being Strangers to the True Knowledge, which is Life, Peace, Joy, and Satisfaction, in full Assurance to the Soul; are vainly puffed up in their Fleshly Minds, by the Form of Knowledge, in the Letter, as I was my self, whilst among them, and thought all Men Idiots, and Unlearned, who were not skilled in that Literal Knowledge.—

And I was Convinced that I was yet Ignorant of the True Knowledge of God, I came to vallue one Dram of the Living Knowledge; (from God himself) so to speak, before all the Tallents of that other, which I had Laboured so much for, and had Cost me so much Travel and Money, and I saw it was all but Loss and Dung; and it lay upon me from the Lord to depart from these Teachers, who could not point me to the Living Knowledge of God, where I could find it: And I came and heard Men and Women, who were taught of God, who pointed me to the True Principle; and tho' some of them could not Read a Letter, yet I found them ☞ Wiser than all the Teachers I ever formerly had been under; and now the Lord hath brought me into a Measure of the same Living Knowledge from his own Mouth; and if People were Convinced that there is such a Blessed and Glorious Dis­pensation, [Page 5] and so freely attained, they would turn their Backs from the old Formal Clergy, and wait upon the Lord for Know­ledge, and these they would only hear, who were taught of God themselves. Ibid. 30, 31. Altho' the School-Men and National Teachers Doctrine, who generally being Men void of all Sence and Feeling of God, have in the Blindness of their Minds, and in the Wisdom from below, that is Carnal, Earthly, and Devilish, framed and invented this perverse Doctrine for their own Gains and Ends.

Concerning the Members of the National Church.

The Members of the National Churches, generally are a p. 192. Mixed and Confused Rabble of Godless Atheists.

Concerning Baptism with Water.

I say that Baptism with Water is not meant, because not Expressed, nor by any true and just Consequence, is proved Truths Defence, &c. p. 135. to be meant in Matth. 28. 19.

Concerning the Scriptures.

It is only the Words that Christ himself Speaks, that are Spirit and Life, and they who seek Life in the Letter, seek the Immed. Rev. p. 96. Living among the Dead; for it declares of the Life, but it is not therein, but in him.

Concerning Singing and Artificial Musick.

As for the Singing on a Book, and with Artificial Musick, Presb. & Ind. &c. p. 53. and Notes or Tones; It is no part of Gospel-Worship, being no where either Commanded or Practised in the New Testa­ment.

Concerning Names and Habits,

Is it not the Popish Church, thy Grand-mother, who hath Rector Correct. p. 122. taught this Distinction of Laick and Clergy, Secular and Spi­ritual? For these she only calleth the Clergy and Spiritual, [Page 6] who are either Priests, or Bishops, or Popes, or in some such Order: But the rest of the People she calleth Laicks, as to say the Vulgar and Common People; and Secular, as to say, Worldly and Temporal; Whereas the Apostle calleth the whole Body of the People that believeth, the Clergy, or Inhe­ritance of the Lord—Have they the less i. e. of the Spirit, 123. ☞ because they are Tradesmen, and Farmers, and Shepherds, and Fishermen, and Ploughmen? And have ye (i. e. that call your selves the Clergy) the more, because you Labour not with your Hands, but live upon the Sweat of other Mens honest La­bours; or because ye have Hebrew, Greek, and Latin,—or because ye are called Masters, and walk in Long Robes, and have the Chief Places in Assemblies?

Again, are not these, called Teachers of the Man-made Ministry, Ambitious? Do they not affect great Titles? And The Re­ctor Corr. p. 125. if it be Sin to affect them, is it not, because they are Vain and Sinful? Have not some of the Clergy (so call'd) grea­ter Titles now, then the Rabbies had of Old? As your Grace, your Holiness, Most Reverend Father in God? &c.

Concerning the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper (so call'd G. K. Querieth,

1. What Scripture hath he and his Brethren to call that Eating of Bread, and Drinking of Wine, once or twice in a Truth's Defence, &c. p. 148, 149 150. Year, in the Publick Assembly, the Sacrament?

2. What Scripture have they to Instruct them how oft they should use it, as once, twice, or four times every Year? And if they have none, was it not then left to the People, according to the Query, at least as to the time?

3. What Scripture have they for Consecrating it? or when did Christ say, Before ye Eat it, Consecrate it?

4. When did Christ give only the Power to a Priest, or Presbyter, or ordained Minister, to Consecrate it, so as with­out the said Consecration by some Priest, or ordained Mini­ster, it is no Sacrament? And seeing every Christian may [Page 7] Eat it as well as the Minister, why may he not also Conse­crate it, as well as he, seeing every true Christian is a Priest?

5. Where did Christ appoint that these Words Take, eat, this is my Body, should be the words of Consecration? And have ye not received all this from the Papists, and not from Christ?

6. Seeing ye Commonly say, that this Sacrament of the Supper is come in the room of the Passover, and under the Law every Family had Power, without a Priest, to Celebrate the Passoever; why hath not also every Family under the Gospel, as much Power without any ordained Priest or Minister to Celebrate that called the Supper?

7. Seeing every true Christian feeds daily by Faith upon the Body of Christ, according to the Protestant Doctrine, and ought daily to remember the Death of Christ in all their Eat­ing and Drinking, which is also sanctified unto them by the Word of God and Prayer, what peculiar Vertue or Efficacy hath your Sacramental Eating, more than ordinary Eating, when done with Godly Fear, Prayer, and Thanksgiving, and Rememoring the Lord's Death?

8. Seeing it's clear from Luk. 22. 17, 18, 19, 20. that Christ did take the Cup twice, once before he gave them the Bread, and once after, bidding them do the same; Why take ye the Cup but once? Was this only a bare Circumstance?

9. Is not the Apostle Paul, 1 Cor. 10. 15. 16, 17. to be un­derstood of quite another Bread and Cup than that which is Visible and Outward, when he saith, I speak as unto Wise Men, judge ye what I say: (Did he not say this, because he was to speak of the Bread and Cup in the Mystery, as it was Altogether a Spiritual and Invisible thing, to wit, The real Body and Blood of Christ spiritually received, which none but the spiritually Wise could understand?) The Cup of Blessing which we bless, is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ? The Bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ? For we being many are one Bread; for we are all Partakers of that one Bread. [Page 8] Is it not clear from all this, that Paul speaks not of any Visible or Corruptible Bread, but of Christ himself, as he is Spiritu­ally and Invisibly received by Faith, whom he calls the same Spiritual Meat and Drink, which the Fathers received of old? See the same Chapter, Vers. 3. 4.

10. Do any receive the Supper of the Lord, or say with the Lord, but such as Open to him, and hear his Voice, according to Rev. 3. 20? And is not this Supper (or supping with the Lord) Altogether Inward, Spiritual, and Invisible?