A Spiritual Vision of the Presbytery, and all other Forms without God, included in it.

BUt methink I hear a voice speaking, as though it were spoken by those who are of the Presbytery order; and thus I hear them speak. Indeed it is true, The Lord had need to shoot out his Arrows at the wicked, for they are mightily increased at this time, for the poor Church, and pure Church of Christ is like to be swallowed up by the power of strange wicked Sectaries, who are risen up in these days; and the reason is because of an unfaith­ful Parliament, whom we too much trusted to, for they have swarved from the trust we committed to them; but if we had known, how they would have proved, we would never have acted so against the King; for we little knew then what priviledge we had, though our power was not so great as we should have had, and which did wholly belong to us, we being the onely people of God, and had knowledge to govern both Church and State; but the Parliament being metamorphised from the shape of Holiness, they have given Liberty of Conscience to every one in their Religion, and will not execute Justice upon men, when they erre from the Faith which we have: And this was their blindness and ignorance in adhering too much to that beast set out in the Revelation 13. viz. to Cromwel and a sort of wicked Sectaries under him, who by their power have brought the Saints into bondage; but if the Parliament had but stood to [Page 8]their first principles of Faith, which we profess, all these had been surprised; for then had our power been strong, and our power is terrible as an Army with Banners, against all who will not worship God in our way; For our way of worship is the onely way of worship in all the world, and all other are but erring Sects.

We helped both with our Prayers, Blood, and Purses, to overthrow the whore of Rome, and the King, and his wicked rabble; but now far worse is risen up in their place, and by those we be more perplexed then ever, for they have taken away our power, by which we upheld the Faith, and so are become in­to a very ill condition; for we are no more but a mock amongst the people, and we stand but as cyphers; nay, which is worst of all, many of our own Faith declineth from us, and adhereth to these new-come Sects: And thus the pure Church becometh rent in peeces, and all is because we want our power to compel, and to execute justice upon the opposers; but seeing it is so, we will wait with patience, for this is but the tryal of the Church, for we know that hereafter our God will deliver us; for al­though these things be faln upon us, yet have we not departed from the way of our God, nor dealt unfaithfully in his Cove­nant; nay, we appeal to our God for witness, who knoweth our hearts, that we keep close to our Religious worshipping of him; for neither do we allow of any to be our Pastors, but such as have come in by the right door, men chosen of God, made fit by the godly Universities, confirmed by the approbation, and laying on of the hands of our holy Presbytery; and such we receive according to their worth, and these and none other can speak the Language of Christ to us, and with them we joyn in hearing them both Preach, and Pray, and in the holy Sacra­ments, in which we have our Faith confirmed to our souls, finding them very much comforted thereby; so that we are made able to walk in holiness of life, and perform all holy du­ties to our God; and he in his loving kindness answers us again in giving us his holy Spirit to inspire us, and by that Spirit we are made sure of our Salvation, and know that we are elected from eternity, and by that Spirit we call God Father, and Christ our Brother, and Mediator; and in this we rejoyce continually, walking in the ways of our God in holy life, and Christian con­versation, making our calling and election sure by well-doing.

Hearing this voice, I mused a little, and thought in my self, there is an appearance of some godliness here, I will hold my hand, and not shoot at such a holy object as this, before I very well understand the truth of the matter; for said I, it is not for me to shoot out this Arrow, but against them that God aimeth it for, and those be such as are his enemies; therefore I will consider a little, and see what the minde of the Lord is, before I let out this Arrow.

But not long had I considered hereupon, till there was brought before my sight the object that had thus spoken; and it seemed in appearance no less then what was expressed by the voice, and me-thought there was much of God in it: For it had a godly garb upon it, a fair covering it was to look upon, wrought with divers works, and variety of colours, all of them seeming to be dyed in grain, and well-grounded: So drawing somewhat nearer to behold this comly Garment, the nearer I came to it, the worse it seemed; and in the skirts of it, I espied much blood. And I likewise saw, that all the various work was but a gloss, set on by the cunning of some witty Painter, who had been very cunning in that art: But while I was looking, there was a voice said, Look what thou seest under, and within that garb; and so the garb was somewhat drawn aside, and under it I saw a monstrous Creature, which is called Self; and this Monster had as many heads and horns as the Beast which John saw in the Revelation: And this Monster was closed fast to the heart, and kept it under its power, and captivity. I saw also other Beasts with divers heads and horns, and I saw several E­pithites engraven upon these heads, as namely, Cruelty, Blood­shedding, Persecution, Pride, Love of the World, Love of praise, Love of honor, Envy, Anger, Impatience, Murmuration, Hatred toward God and his people, Hard-heartedness, Carnal-mindedness, Ignorance of God, Self-conceitedness, Good thinking, &c. And out of, and from amongst these, I saw a chain come from the Monster called Self, and it reached out to the fair seeming Garment, and kept the garment fast about these other Beasts, so that they could not be discovered; and this chain consisted of five links, viz. False Faith, false Love, and false Hope, and false fear of God, and false-feeling of inward Joy; and the name of that chain was called Hypocrisie. And I saw one of the Beasts before said, and he was like a Leopard, and his name was Self-wisdom; and I saw [Page 10]another of these Beasts, and he was like a Dragon, and his name was Self-power. And I saw another of these Beasts, and he was somewhat seemlier then the rest, having two horns like a Lamb; and his name was called Self-righteousness. And these three I saw in Unity consulting together, and I heard their con­sultation; and it was against the most high God, and against his own people. And I saw the work they wrought, and all their work was to make Robes and Garbs to hide themselves under them; and so I saw how they had wrought this Gar­ment aforesaid, and the stuff they used in making it; for it was made of ten several mixtures, viz. Sanctifying the Sabbath, hearing of their Minister, Praying two times each day, refrain­ing from gross acting, keeping from the company of the wicked, assembling together to repetitions, receiving the thing they call a Sacrament, otherwise called Bread and Wine, Lords Sup­per, or the some small charity to those they call godly, turn­ing up their outward eyes towards the Element in their devo­tion, reproving of other who worship not God in these things. And all these are mixt together, and made up very handsomly by, and with a work-tool, viz. Seeming zeal for the glory of God. And I saw who helped to put this Garment on, and he had a look as though he had been sore frighted, and seemed as one, who was not a very wise one; and his name was called Conscience. And I saw a Girdle that kept that Garment close to them that wore it; and that was called Fear of Hell. And on this Garment I saw a badge or mark, as though it had been the Livery of some great man, and his arms engraven therein, and in that badge there was this Epithite engraven, viz. The Saints sign, and this was called Baptism. And I saw an hollow Pipe that was fastned to this Garment, and that went inward, and the end that went inward, and reached to the mouth of the fright­ed Creature, that help to put on the Garment, viz. Conscience, and he was pleased, and delighted to be sucking and drawing at that Pipe; for there issued from the vertue of that Garment, a certain sweetness, which distilled through that Pipe, and with that was he well pleased, and by it his frighting looks was changed in smiles; and by this he was satisfyed, and sat in great silence and quietness: Now the name of this Pipe was called Ʋnregarding of the heart, and the oyl or vertue that passed there-through, was called Secret reflecting upon outward actings; [Page 11]and when Conscience was well satisfied by the vertue he sucketh through that Pipe, then doth he rest; and to salute him in his peace, I saw the three former Beasts, viz. Self-wisdom, self-power, and self-righteousness: And I saw an unclean spirit attend them, and he was like a Lamp, and shined like a lightning, and they all were compassed about with that light; and this spirit was called The Angel of darkness transformed into an Angel of light; and amongst them there was great triumph and mirth, and this was called Seeming joy in the Holy Ghost: And I saw them make a cer­tain Law or Act amongst themselves, to which they all sub­scribed, and they sealed it with the promises; and they deliver­ed it to the Conscience to be kept, and they grounded this act upon antiquity, viz. Predestination, and Eternal decree: And this act was like the Laws of the Medes and Persians, for it was concluded by them, it should never be broken. And this Law was named, Full assurance of Salvation.

So when I had seen and heard all this, it was said unto me, Behold and understand, for this is no other then the Great My­stery of Iniquity, hid under outward Formality; and to this day it hath been undiscovered, amongst most of those who profess the name of Religion. Therefore bend thy Bow, and let those Arrows committed to thee, flie abroad; if thou hit, or miss, do not thou care, for I will be thy warrant; fear not what may be done, or spoken against thee; be not backward in delivering what is committed to thee.

Now my Bow being ready bent, and the Arrow committed to me, I let flie at thee thou false-hearted Presbytery, thou which couzenest them that adhere to thee. Come and let me ex­postulate the business with thee; for it seemeth thou must be called in question before the face of the most High; and before thou be called thither, let me give thee warning to repent of thy folly, and learn in time to see how thou art befooled in, and with thy own conceit. Thou wilt hardly believe that this fore­said Mystery is in thy heart; for thou hast never found it there, for thou hast covered thy self from it, with thy outward For­mality; and if thou have but half an eye open, I will let thee see thy forms is nothing but things of, and within thy own power to act; and that they be all or most of them but ground­ed upon rotten foundations of thy own wisdoms invention; and that thou art carried on in them, by thine own good think­ing, [Page 12]whereby thou art become the enemy of God, whatever thou pretend.

And first I will draw my Bow at thy Priests; but this name they will not own, because (say they) it doth not belong to them, for it is a ceremonial eptithite; yet I say, thou needst not dislike them; for it were well if thou wert a Priest indeed, for then shouldst thou be that spiritually, which the Priests in the time of the Law were ceremonially; and thou shouldst do that office, and offer these gifts spiritually, which they did cere­monially. And this then shouldst thou be (which I fear thou art not) one redeemed from the earth, and thy sins would be washed from thee by the blood of Jesus Christ, Revel. 1.5. But this name thou wilt not own; and indeed thou dost well in not own­ing it, for it doth not belong to thee. But yet I know what name thou wilt own, viz. a Minister of the Gospel; but this name thou dost but assume to thy self, for thou knowest not what the Gospel is, neither was (or is) it committed to thee to deliver; therefore thou canst not give to others, that which thou wantest thy self; but I will tell thee what thy right name is, if thou wilt but own it, and that name is a taker from men, that which thou hast no right to have: And if this should be right­ly understood, thy proper name would prove none other, then the name theft. And I am sure, if I or any other should out take an hundred shillings from any man, which I or they had no right to take; and yet as good right to take it as thou hast to take an hundred pound per annum, I know by the Law of the Land, I or he should be hanged for so doing; yea, and we de­served it too: then be thine own judge, what thou deservest, for taking so much unjustly every year. But I know how thou wilt avoide this, and clear thy self of being this great theif; for thou wilt say, thou hast nothing but what belongeth to thee of right, and thou wilt prove it by Scripture too, having the word of the Apostle to back thine Argument; where he saith by way of comparison, Who goeth a warfare at any time, &c. 1 Cor. 9.7. And likewise he useth other metaphors, As he that plougheth, and thresheth, should be partaker of his hope; and I kewise he bringeth in the comparison of sowing spiritual things: And further he saith, The Lord hath so ordained that they that Preach the Gospel, should live of the Gospel, &c. Here is as much as thou canst properly alleage for thy self in thy doing, [Page 13]to keep thee from being guilty of being a theif; and thou thinkest this will be thy warrant for what thou dost; for I know thy interpretation of these words well enough, and thou understandest them as well as thou dost the Mysteries of the Gospel, and both alike; but I pray thee hearken, and I will ex­pound the same unto thee truly. But it may be thou wilt not be­lieve the truth when thou hearest it spoken; for if it please thee not, thou wilt question, that I have not been at the University to get my spirit inspired, thereby to understand Scripture rightly: But let my inspiration come from what Fountain it is come from, at present I will not give thee account from whence I had it; but minde thou what I here hold out to thee, and let me give thee out the truth of the thing in hand. In the first place, I would have thee to consider who the Apostle meaneth on, when he spake these words. Was it those that preached Christ by hear-say, and by Schollership, and their own brain-knowledge gathered from the works and words of other men, and that chused out one sen­tence of Scripture as thou dost, and falleth to thy wit, studying the minde of God in it, and so divideth one sentence into so many several fractions, and out of each to raise out Doctrines, Uses, &c. and so declaring the minde of God, and Christ, accord­ing to their own Schollership, Wit, and Knowledge got from Scriptures and other mens labors: Thinkest thou it was such he meaneth of, or did intend these words for them? if thou do, thou art a fool. But I will tell thee who he aimed them for, viz. Such as himself; who had the right knowledge of, and lived in the power of what he held out to others, and had not his doctrine to fetch out of his study and brain-knowledge, gotten from what others had said; but he had it from the right Fountain, that Fountain living in him, and he in it; and he was acquaint­ed with that he lived in, and could witness the truth thereof truly; and as he had heard and seen, so did he testifie to others; for he had seen the Lord Jesus in Spirit, and he had felt his love, and lived in that love; and from thence he had his freedom, both to speak, and talk what was freely given him by those whom he had brought to be partakers of the spiritual blessing, viz. The shedding abroad of the love of God in their hearts; by which love, they were more willing to give, then he was to receive: And these people he spoke these words to, were wrought into the same condition, as himself witnesseth, 1 Cor. 9.2. And [Page 14]therefore knowing that he was one whom the Lord had sent to work his work, and that the work was wrought, even upon those, upon whom this work was fulfilled, he thought no great offence to take what they would freely give him; and to such whom he had wrought up into the faith and love of the Lord Jesus Christ, he sheweth, that if he did take any thing of them, yet he did not transgress; and to shew them how reasonable it was, if he did so, he brings before them these foresaid metaphors, which all of them being rightly weighed, was worthy of the reward they hoped for; and from thence he draweth this con­clusion, That it was as lawful for him to take something of them, as a Souldier to take the wages he ventureth his life for: And as reasonable it was, as for the Husband-man to eat of the fruit of his own labor, &c. And the Law of Reason will allow this.

Well, this may sound something as like thou wouldst have it, but minde what is said before, and what cometh afterward, and then see where thou art; for thou art not the man that hath the right to take of any, any thing for what thou dost, for thy work is not worth a Bodwill per annum; for thou art not the man that hath any due at all to a peny for thy work; for thy work is but thy own, and thou hast learned it, as men learn other trades; and yet by what thou hast learned from others, thou wilt take upon thee to enter upon the work of the Lord, and to be a declarer of his will and minde to others, whereas thou bearest but false witness of the minde of God; for thou hast not seen the Lord Jesus; neither ever did he call thee to what thou dost, nor ever hath the minde of Christ Jesus been made known unto thee in the Mysterious manifestation of his loving kindness to thy soul; neither dost thou live in the life of, and love of God, and so thou art far enough from knowing what his will is; for he doth not own thee in thy work, neither will he bless thy work, for it is none of his, but thy own; and so thy own blessing falleth upon it, and that is nothing but a false name thou puttest upon it, making foolish people believe thou art something, even Simon Magus like, who deceived the people: And thou makest some believe that thou hast converted them to God, (yea, and thou art so perswaded thy self too) when alas they are but the same they were in their hearts, onely they differ from what they were before in the outward man; [Page 15]and because thou hast put out their eyes, they give up themselves to be led by thy direction; and for so doing, thou dost pro­nounce them blessed; but yet poor souls, their hearts are not turned to God, but live in the world.

Look back I pray thee, at the foresaid Mystery, and the fair Garment; for they be the very emblems and just pictures of thy self, and thy converts; for all which thou teachest, and what they learn of thee, is but to work that Garment; and both thou and they pretend what you will of God, your work is but your own, and the creature may go so far, and farther too, by the power in them by Creation, the common grace added to it; and all this you boast of is, but the Creatures acting, and in this you have but made them twofold more the childe of Satan, then they were before, Matth. 23.15. And you are the very men that heal the wounds of the people very slightly, Jere. 8.11. But take to you, and lay it to heart, for the saying of our Savi­our doth belong onely to you (and such as you) for he saith, If the blinde lead the blinde, &c. Matth. 15.14.

And this is all you bring to pass, to deceive the souls of the people. And thus you pay them for their hire, and this is the work you work for your wages; and these are the spiritual things you sow to them, whereby you imbolden your selves to take their carnal things; and this is the Gospel you preach, whereby you get your living; and yet you cannot see how you are blinded, but runne on in your sin, strengthning your selves with the wrong understanding of the words of the Apo­stle; whereas you neither be the man he was, neither inwardly nor outwardly, neither have you the right calling into these places you are in, neither do you work the work he wrought; and yet do you most unjustly take an occasion from his Word, to take from the people, that which belongeth not unto you; but being partial in your own cause, you take in Scripture what may seem to make for your own gain, and what seemeth to be against you, that you wave, and will not minde it. For though the Apostle by right of his calling, and rightness of his work, might have received something of the Corinthians, as due to him as the Souldiers wages, yet he kept himself free from receiving any thing of them, 1 Cor. 9. Yea, his own hands ministered to his necessity, as may be seen, Acts 20.34. But this you take no notice of, because if you should follow his example, your King­dom [Page 16]would fall down, and that you have no minde to let fail.

But in this your doing, I assure you, That you are the great­est theeves in all the world, nay, you are both theeves and rob­bers, yea, and the greatest cheaters in the world too, and I will prove it too.

For first, you take of the people that you have no right to take, because it doth not belong to you, as is partly shewed be­fore, and as shall be made more manifest afterward; and so taking from others, that which is not yours, herein are you not theeves? be judge your own selves.

And likewise you keep the people from entering into the Kingdom of Heaven; for you neither will enter your selves, and those that would enter, you will not suffer, Luke 11.52. For while you binde up the people under your forms, and are not able to bring them out, and beyond these forms, you keep the people in thick darkness, and so shut the gates of the Kingdom against them, and they cannot enter in for you. And in this you rob God of the souls of the people, so that he loseth his honor, and praise in them. And thus are you become robbers, both the people of the Kingdom of Heaven, and God of the glory and honor of his people.

And thirdly, you are cheaters; for you make the people be­lieve it is the Word of God you Preach unto them, when it is but the froth of your own brain, and the fruit of your studies, and an historical relation of the Scriptures, and speakings of other men. And herein you deceive the people, for the Word of God is his Son Jesus Christ, John 1.1, 2. and him you have not known; and therefore the Word is hid from you.

And likewise you shape out a Faith to the people by your own fancy, and you frame them a love of God, according to your own fashion; and you teach them the fear of God by your own precepts, and make them believe that all is right you de­liver to them; and herein you mightily cheat the people.

But I know your blindness is so great, and your ears so dull of hearing, and your hearts so gross, you will neither see, nor hear, nor understand the truth, though one tell it you; for like the deaf Adder you stop your ears, so that you will not hear the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely, Psal. 51.5. For I know you think your selves the onely called Men, and sent [Page 17]Ministers of God; and all that cometh to declare the Way and Word of God, and cometh not in by your door, these will you count theeves and robbers, and that they take upon them, that which doth not belong to them; but let such as these come in at what door they will, I pray you hearken to me, and I will tell you, in at what door you have entred, and to this day do enter.

But I will not reckon your pedigree, or predecessory too far, for fear I draw your line to reach to the Devil himself, who is the onely or chief opposer of the truth, as it is in Jesus; for thou wouldst think this too harsh a censure upon you, though I could prove the same to be true; and yet because you would question, that I could not prove the truth of what I have inti­mated, I will give you a general touch of the truth of the same, but wil not meddle too far in particulars herein, for fear I shame you too much; and far be it from me to seek your shame fur­ther, then to let you see your folly, if so be you might be made to see it, and forsake it. For I profess in the presence of God, I love you so far as I see ought of God in you, and pity you, where I see you carried from him by your own blindness, and do heartily wish your welfare: and do not count me your enemy, because I tell you the truth, Gal. 4.16.

I know full well from whence your selves derive or pretend to have your ground, for what you do, and what you speak; and for your institutions, I know you wil say, from the Primitive or­der and example: It is true, you have some grounds from thence, for your choosing of Elders, if you were the men fit for such a work, but as you are not the men fit for that work, those that are made Elders by you, are but such as your selves; all of you blindly taking that upon you, which doth not belong to you; and so you onely have stoln that Form, but yet the power is wanting in you; and no marvel, For if the Fountain be cor­rupt, the streams cannot be pure.

Likewise, you gather from thence your warrant for laying on of hands upon those you think meet to be Ministers, as you call them: It is true, there was such a thing in those days, but to whom did it belong? not to them who would have had it either by stealth or purchase; for none had this committed to them, but that received it of God, by the gift of the Holy Ghost; and those that had that gift, had power to communicate [Page 18]the same to those upon whom they lay their hand; but this you have not, neither can you give it to others on whom you lay your hand, for you have not your calling from him that calls them, and yet as in other things, you in your fool-hardi­nesse assume this thing to your selves; and as you want the power, the forme is but weake, and not worth a straw, nay, the very forme of these doe not belong to you, for you have but stolne it; for looke into the Primitive time, and see the last in­stitutions of the Apostle Paul, and you shall see he left these in­stitutions in the power and hands of the order of Bishops, Ti­mothy and Titus being ordained such, and to them was both these and other orders committed, and in those dayes the head of Presbytery was a Bishop, and he was first in matter of Ordina­tion; but you have broken off from the Bishops, and have taken that to your selves, that which was commited to them.

But let me shew you in a few words the originall from whence your calling (into the Ministry) cometh: the Apostle saith, When the world by wisdome knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleeve, 1 Cor. 1.21. and this preaching in those dayes was the holding out the wisdome, and power, and righteousnesse, sanctification, and redemption in his Sonne Jesus Christ, and those who were to be the Preachers or promulgaters of these, were none but those who had received the same thing which they held out to others, and could beare witnesse to the truth of what they did deliver, and this seemed to be nothing to the wise of the world, for they savoured no­thing in it, nor heard any thing in it to please their curious eares, for it wanted method, and eloquency, and curiosity of Art, and therefore Paul himselfe was called a babler, Act. 17.18. but to those who was called it was the power of God, and wis­dome of God, 1 Cor. 1.1.24. and so long as the Primitive Church remained in purity, those who were the Ministers and declarers of the Word of God, had the same word abiding in them, working and opperating in them, by which they were made able to demonstrate unto others what they themselves was made partakers of.

And as ancient Records beare witnesse, the Romans kept longest in that purity, and in the institutions, but in time the beast Selfenesse begun to stirre, being moved by the Devill, and so the power of God began to with-draw it selfe, and then the [Page 19]purity censed, and only the forme of the Primitive Ordinati­ons was left amongst, and so in time as Selfe got head, and grew strong, the selfe wisdome began to creep in, and added abundance more of new institutions which remaine amongst them to this day.

In which time, when the power and purity had drawn them­selves, the wisdome of the flesh got up, and invented a new way of preaching Christ; for the foolish way, viz. the living powerfull, experimentall speaking was with-drawn, and then the wisdome of the flesh invented another way, and that was the wise way of preaching Christ, viz. by learning and study, and those that was to be the Ministers was to be trained up in their greatest Schooles, untill such time as they were able to speake, and understand Languages, and able to make Speeches and Orations out of small grounds, and able to derive words, and divide words and sentences into so many severall parts, and to raise a large speech out of every part, and to confirme the truth of each severall speech by Authors, whom they had and have still for that very purpose: and when any was become thus learned and wise, then might he be admitted to preach Christ to the people, but not else; and when they were thus fit­ted, and admitted into the Ministery, they were assigned to some place to officiate in their Function, and established in good Benefices, and thus became Christ to bee taught in the wise way, and the Preachers well paid for their labour.

And though you at this day degenerate so farre from the Church of Rome, yet your Ancestors sprung from amongst them, being somewhat refined from the grosse superstition, a­bout which you and they make so much difference; but if you knew your selves, you need not to differ so much with them, for you are both one in your hearts, and you differ not but in your heads, and thus when you were a little refined in some of your formes, yet did your fore-fathers chuse to themselves that which might make them great in the world, viz. power, praise, and profit, and the wise way of preaching Christ, for that was and is the thing that brought both praise and profit in amongst you: and though your fathers differed with the Church of Rome about those things which cause these jarres, yet your Fathers could follow their example in things that made for their pow­er, praise, and profit; and to these dayes in which we live, you [Page 20]follow the steps of your fore-fathers: And thus have you prea­ched Christ by Schollership and Art, and so God is unknowne amongst his people. because the foolish preaching of Christ hath been kept downe by the wise preaching of the Flesh; and thus are you become the blinders of the people, and lead them from the knowledge of both God and themselves, and all un­der a pretence of preaching Christ unto them; and poore soules, all this while you have but made them beleeve lyes, and have filled their mouthes with gravell stones instead of bread, and you have so inchanted them with your Charmes, that they are pleased with what you offer to them, and are content to be fed, and live upon those husks you provide them; and you have so brought their pallats out of taste that they cannot well taste any other food; but it is but now as it was some times before, for the Prophet Jeremiah lived in such a time, as his owne words testifie, where he saith, The Prophets prophecy falsly, and the Priests beare rule by their meanes, and my people love to have it so, Jerem. 3.31. but I will not expound these words, but leave them to your selves, and if you please you may carry them to your Universities to expound, if you cannot expound them your selves; but I am sure neither you, nor your Universities will say, that the Prophet meant of either of you, or the people in your dayes, that love your Doctrine so well; but though I will not expound these words of the Prophet, yet I will give an answer to the question he asketh: After these words were spo­ken, he asking what the end of these things would be; to which I say, destruction shall surely come upon People, Priest, and Prophet, &c.

But I desire you to heare a little more of your calling into your Office, for now I will speake to your owne experience, and you cannot deny that; yea, and I will prove good what I say by witnesses, who knoweth that what I say is no lye, and my witnesses shall not be any that you will take to bee your enemies, for they shall be your owne naturall Parents if they be alive, and will but speake truth; but what must they wit­nesse? nothing else but what they intended when first they put you to the holy University, to learne how you should become preachers of Christ, and to understand the minde of God, that thereby you might teach others Gods wayes, I know if they wil but speake, and beare true witnesse upon this examination, they [Page 21]will say they knew it was the best trade in the Land to put their Sons to, for after you had learned your trade, they knew you might have good trading for the Art, for they knew there was good wages for the worke, for they saw good fat Benefices e­now in the Land, and they made no doubt but some of them would fall to your share; beside, you should be honoured of the people too, and be called Rabby, so if your Fathers would but speake truth, they would witnesse it was their pride, and covetous intent that first moved them to put you to the Uni­versity, and this I thinke you will beleeve, and so your Fa­thers having eaten soure Grapes, your teeth also is set on edge, and your actings shew what was in your Fathers hearts when they first put you to the trade; and I assure you that you are good thriving children, and be loath that your Fathers should misse of what they intended, for you will not let it fall on your side, for if you have not a Benefice that is great enough, when you have opportunity, and see way for a better, you will leave the lesse for the greater; for if at present you have a place that yeeldeth fifty or threescore pound per annum, in case one fall in your way worth an hundred or six score pound per annum, then will you leave the lesse, and take the greater, and so a hundred you will change for a hundred and fifty, and the hundred and fifty you will change for two hundred, and in so doing, you will pretend you are called of God from one place to another, and herein you lye not, for that God that called you to the Office, calleth you from one place to another, and that is the god Mammon, who first with his inspirations inspired your Fathers to make you what you are, and your Fathers god is your god also, and his inspirations you obey, and that with all your souls and strength, for in case you have not a benefice at present that satisfies your hungry desire, when there is any appearance of a greater to be gotten, O what inspiration doth your god cast into your mindes, and then is your desires inlarged, and your thoughts set on worke, how to answer your god in his inspira­tions, and then you humble your selfe under the mighty hand of your god, in which humility you come bending before this great man, and that great man, and so desireth his helpe and countenance in the matter; and by their meanes you come to get your matter brought about to what you would have had it. Is not this true? I appeale to your selves for witnesse hereof; [Page 22]for though you would, yet you cannot turne your eyes from it, for your owne Conscience will witnesse this for a truth. O wretched, and most miserable of all men in your doings, how dare you say, that God hath sent you to speake in his Name, or take upon you the name of Christ's Ministers, seeing how cleare it is from whence you had your calling, and how base you are in your calling, but yet you cannot see your selves in your basenesse, for your god hath blinded your eyes, neither doe you care for having them opened, while you make so good a trade of your speaking, for that spirit of divination that possesseth you, bringeth in you no little gaine by its smooth speaking, for many of you sell your speaking at no lesse rate then three or foure pound a Sermon, as some call it, but let it be what it will, I say some of you have so much for speaking one houre, and if any of you get but ten or twenty shillings for each Sermon, you thinke that hardly well sold, yet you all pretend the honour of God, and the edifying of the people, and the feeding of their soules; O fooles, for shame hold your tongues, and say not so: but you declare your sins like Sodome, and cannot hide them from God, nor from them who have their eyes open. And would but the Parliament of England make an Act, to take away this hire from you, and that you might have nothing from them for your speaking, then should you see your selves, and all the world might see you; for then wee should but heare little of you, for your preaching would bee soone at an end, and Gods honour, and the edifying of his people would quickly cease, and then I beleeve you would let a Souldier take the Pulpit, for you would not care who came in it then; then would it appeare from whom, and from whence you had your calling, and I thinke that the Parliament would doe God a speciall peice of service in making such an Act, and I am perswaded God would mightily blesse them for it, for in so doing they should over-throw as great enemies of God, and his Truth, as ever yet was subdued (in England, Scotland, or Ireland) and these enemies are the pride and hypo­crisie of these covetous Priests; but this is my hope, that this Act will once be brought to passe, for God will not passe such dealing by though he suffer long, for his patience is well nigh tired out.

Our Saviour saw these men well enough, and you, whom I [Page 23]have written to, are the very same in your generation, whom he calleth the hireling, who runneth away when he seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep to the wolf, John 10.12. Is not this your very practise, when any poverty or suffering seemeth to come upon you, which you discern by the eyes of your fleshly reason; and when you can but know of a place to hide your selves from that apparant danger, then away you run, and let what as will take the people, Dogs, Wolves, or Devils, you care not; for you will fend for your selves, and you will say God calleth you from them. And thus you run from one place to another, one while for fear of poverty, or some other suffer­ing, and sometimes for the maintaining and upholding of your pride. And all this is because you are hirelings, for the sheep is not yours; for you neither were sent by God, neither do you work his work in begetting souls to God; and as you have not the love of God manifested in you, you cannot beget children, nor bring them forth into the partaking of the love of God; for you have not that immortal seed of God in you, to sow in the hearts of others: And therefore you are but barren and unfruit­ful, and so your hearers are but empty souls, not knowing what the love of God is; and therefore there can be no true love be­tween you and them; and therefore upon small occasions you will leave them. But were they children begotten by you, you would lose your life before you would run away from them, and you would spend and be spent for them, and endure any hardship for, and amongst them: But you are but Ministers of fortune, and those that will give most for your service, may have it; and as long as you can profit well by the people, you will serve them, and pretend much love to them; and herein you make but a prey of the flock, and seem like Lambs and Sheep in your appearance to them, when you profit well by them: And thus you slily beguile the poor, and devour, and take from them by your ravening, that which many of them might very ill spare, and yet have it you will.

Consider I pray you of the words of our Saviour, for you are the self-same he pointeth out, where he saith, Beware of false-prophets that shall come in sheeps cloathing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves: But by their fruits you shall know them, &c. Matth. 7.15, 16. &c. And this very same is fulfilled in you; for your fruits do testifie what you are; for you have not brought out fruit unto [Page 24]God, but unto your selves, and you are no more but like to thorns and thistles, who tear the wool of sheep, and your fruit not worth the gathering. The Apostle Paul before his departure had a clear sight of you, and of your fore-fathers, and told the people, That after his departure should grievous wolves arise, not spa­ring the flock, Acts 20.29. Is not this true in you, in tearing and taking away the poor mans labor; and if you have but the tenth part, you care not what becomes of the poor mans family at home; when oft it hapneth, that his children wanteth bread, and other necessaries for what you have taken from them, to consume upon your pride and lust. I can witness to this truth my self, and so can many others in England; but if we can but have patience a little, all will be amended, and then shall you no longer reign; for your desolation is not far off, and I would have you to take notice of it; for I warrant you, what I say is no Astrology, for that you will not believe, though never so true. But this that I tell you, shall undoubtedly come to pass, and sooner perhaps then you look for it. I will not tell you at present, what I believe of you, least when it cometh to pass, you say I was a witch; for I know you will not allow a true speaker the name of Prophet.

But me thinks I hear some of you object and say, In what thou hast said, thou hast not spoken truth; for there hath many been converted by our Preaching, and many godly people have we begotten, and the Lord hath given a blessing to our Labors; and by this we know we are the Lords Messengers to his people, and the true Laborers in his Vineyard.

O my Friends, do not think in what I have said, that I have any minde to detract from you what is your due, or to wrong any of you in the least: For I confess, Like may beget like; for that is oft a truth in nature, and so in you. For I do not deny, but many of you have a form of godliness, and as you are in that form, you may beget others also into the same form, and so make them like your selves; and yet all of you without the power of God, and love of God, and wisdom of God; For if the love of God were shed abroad in your hearts, it would turn your hearts into its own image; but as yet, you have not that love, and therefore you have hatred in your hearts, both against God and man: And from hence it is, That you can free­ly persecute and destroy all that worship not God in your way; [Page 25]and this you have no order for, nor example, either from Christ, or any of his followers; but you and all your Con­verts go not a jot further then the Scribes and Pharisees; but in that you believe Christ is come in the flesh, and have an Histo­rical or Notional Faith of him in your head; but the world and selfness lyeth in your hearts, and you are as hide-bound to the Gospel-forms, as the Scribes and Pharisees were to circumci­sion, and the formes under the Law; and as they being hide-bound or heart-bound to these forms, so became they to be the enemies of Christ, when he appeared in the flesh. And the very same are you, and all your Converts fast tied in your heart to the Gospel-forms; and hereby you are become the enemies of Christ appearing in the spirits of men, and so are you become the persecutors of Christ in the Saints; and yet in this you think you do God good service: and the greatest perfection in your Converts is, when they are made exceeding zealous for the honor and glory of God (as they say) so that whosoever wor­ships God in any other way then theirs, then are they sure of persecution by you or them, if it be within the compass of your power; and this you have in your generation, and that faith and love, and full assurance of your salvation, alwaies is ac­companied with pretended zeal for the honor and glory of God; and from hence you count all other the enemies of God, who have not the same garb that you have. And all this great con­version you brag of, is nothing else but a conversion from evil to far worse; for you have turned some of your Hearers from some outward grosse offences, and have brought them into a conformity to duty as you call it, and by the refraining the outward grossnesse, and closing to, and with the outward duties your Conscience beginneth to cease biting so long as you walk obsequiously therein, and from hence the foule Feind trans­formes himselfe into the Angel of Light, and secretly wraps himselfe in your actings, and by his power when once gotten, rightly joyned to Selfe Righteousnesse, then hath he power to worke Wonders, and can worke like God, and give consolati­on to the Soule, and bring it into raptures, and ravishments, and can bring the Promises to remembrance, which is suitable to confirme his workings, and from such working he can make the Soule beleeve its regeneration, and its calling, and electi­on to be made sure, and that with a witnesse too; in which as­surance [Page 26]the Soule will oft rejoyce, and shall have many false flashes of Love, which the Soule can no way know, but it is the feeling of the love of God, and if you have brought any Soule thus far, as to this full assurance, and to be partakers of such feeling, you thinke you have brought them farre on in grace; and thus farre I know you may bring a Soule by your Ministery, and yet this Soule is but two-fold the Childe of Sa­tan more then it was before. I will make this plaine unto you; for when the Soule before was in the grosse actings, then was that person in a more hopefull way for God to bring it to him­selfe by his owne way then it is now, for (then) when God would have brought these persons from their sinne, in his bring­ing them either by himselfe, or by those whom he would use for that worke; then I say there was hope these Soules might have been led in a way whereby they should have escaped the snare of Satan.

But being that these soules are in the snare, they are more in captivity to him then they were before, and the reason is, because then God had some power in the Consciences of them, and oft times condemned them for their outward grossnesse, but now they being brought out of these outward sinnes, into the obe­dience of outward formes, their Conscience loseth that privi­ledge, and now instead thereof the Feind hath power to feed the Soule, as is aforesaid, the which he had no power to doe be­fore, and in this condition the Soule is well pleased to be, and can stand for it selfe stoutly, that it is sealed to God, and made sure of Salvation, and so is become exceeding fool-hardy, re­joycing in its fooles paradise, and being fed by false consolati­on, and herein that person is once more the childe of Satan then before.

And secondly, whereas before these soules were converted by you, they would not persecute, or bring any to death for not walking in their waies; but now your Converts must seeke the honour of God, and so in zeale for his glory they must become persecutors and destroyers of their fellow Creatures, because they will not honour God in their way, and thus are they be­come Murderers, and yet they doe not know it; but the same spirit that ruleth in them must they of necessity bee obedient to, and it is proved before, that that spirit in them that ru­leth is Satan, and he it is that setteth them on work. For as our [Page 27]Saviour saith, He was a murtherer from the beginning, and his works will you do, Joh. 8.44. And herein are your Converts twofold the children of Satan more then they were before. It was not the Publicans and sinners that put Christ to death; no, no, it was the religious zealots under the Law, viz. holy Scribes and Pharisees; but you disclaime from their righteousnesse, and their actings against Christ in their dayes, when he was in the flesh amongst them; and your hearts tell you, if Christ were now amongst you, you would not doe so to him; was not the same thoughts in the Scribes and Pharisees? yea, and it seemes they said, if they had lived in the dayes of their fore-fathers, they would not have killed the holy Prophets as they did, and yet they were never satisfied untill they had put Christ to death. Ah friends, take heed to your selves, for to this day that Generati­on is alive, and shall be still untill the time of their destruction, and this portion and lot hath light upon you in your Generati­on, and in this blindnesse you are, and can no more see your selves then they did; for as Christ in his appearing in the Flesh was hid from them, so when he cometh in spirit he shall be as farre hid from you; for he shall so appeare in spirit that hee cannot be knowne of you, nor shall you see any thing in those whom he is, that shall be acceptable to you; for you are too wise to know his way, and by your wisdome you have taught him to others, and others by the curiosity of their eares have recei­ved him from you, and in this your doing you thinke you have him, but you are beguiled, for the way he manifesteth himselfe to his people you cannot know, neither the way to him can you know, and yet you say, you see, and feele, and know him, there­fore your sinne remaineth, Joh. 9.41.

And if you desire to know any further of your selves, and of your peoples best conversion, turne back to your embleme before, and weigh it well, and ponder it seriously, for I assure you, that is your true picture both inward and outward; and this is all the worke you worke, to convert men from evill, bringing them to be worse, and so by your meanes they are two-fold more the children of Satan then they were before. And you can no otherwise doe, for your calling into your Of­fice was of Satan, and the perfecting of the worke endeth in him; for if you had been sent of God, you should have turned his people from their sin.

But this you have not done, but kept them in their sin, for even your best Converts of whom you make your boast, are but men in their sinne, and that which you call sinne, which you say you have turned them from, is but that which a civill na­ture it selfe doth loath, and is gotten by custome, and may bee left off by custome; and this may every Creature forsake, by vertue of the power in them by Creation, having no more but the common grace in them: and these things the Creature may forsake without your helpe, and these are not the greatest sinnes in men though they seeme so to you, because you never saw greater in your owne hearts; and the great mystery of sin, and the abomination that maketh desolation, and the Man of sinne, that exalteth himselfe above God, or any that is called by the name of God, and the great Antichrist, or great Op­poser of Christ; these you never found out in your owne heart, much lesse in other; nay you know not what they meane, nor where they have their being, but you beat your braines to finde them without you, and will draw conclusions that the Turk, and Pope, and Bishops, and Independants, and Anabaptists, and other Sects, are the things the Scripture meaneth of. O fooles, and unwise, though you can steale into the Ministery by unlawfull wayes, yet can you not steale into Gods minde and secrets, nor once so much as have a looke into the mysterie of godlinesse, and then be sure you shall but little be acquainted what is the mysterie of sinne, but you shall have no other know­ledge hereof then cometh from the teaching of the God that brought you into the places where you are, and I am sure hee will keep you farre enough from the knowledge of that myste­rie, for to this very day amongst you all, I have not heard either by preaching, writing, or speaking, that any of you ever could distinctly finde out the great mysterie of sinne in the heart of man; but this hath God laid upon you as one of his greatest Curses, and the largenesse hereof covereth all your Genera­tions.

And if you had been sent of God, you should have known this, and should have made the people know it also, and by know­ing it they should have had power to have overcome it, and then should they have had the pure Language returned to them, Zep. 3.9. And they should have spoken with new tongues, Act. 10.46. And they should have reigned with the Lambe, and sung out his praise, [Page 29]Revel. 14.3. but you have kept the people in great darknesse, and you have made dull their eares, and you have been the cause of the hardnesse of their heart, and they to this day are partakers of the Curse with you, for many of them cannot un­derstand the voyce of Christ when he speaketh, because they be so taught in your Language. O fooles, when will you forsake your foolishnesse? O forsake it, and give over your deceiving of the people before your determined destruction fall upon you, for I assure you it is in coming, and woe wil be to you if it come upon you, and you be found in the places where you are.

But I know you have waies enough to evade, and put off from you what I have said, and to pluck my Arrow out of your hearts, and throw it from you; but I would not have you to doe so, but let it enter into you: for it will not destroy you, but be a meanes to purge you from your filthinesse, and if you doe but make right use of it, you shall in time know that I shot at a right marke, for I would have you no longer deceived in your selves, but seeke to finde out your deceit; and when you have found it out, be not ashamed to confesse what you have done, and in the very places where you have deceived the peo­ple, there would I have you to declare how you have deceived them; think of what I have here said unto you when you goe into your Pulpits, and thinke no shame to confess before all men what wickednesse you have committed. But I am afraid your pride and covetousnesse is so great that they will not let you do so; but it is no matter, for whether you wil or no, your sins shall be laid open before the face of men and Angels: For I know that the God that brought you into your places, will go about to hold you in your places, let me, and an Angel from Heaven perswade you to the contrary; for I know that you will rather go about to persecute me, then to be warned by me; but for that I care not, for necessitie is upon me, and wo would it be to me, if I should keep silence. I know also how many ways you will object against what I have written to you; but I warrant you I have an answer for every one of your objections, and I would have answered them all before I had left you, but that I know, if you will not lay this to heart, it had but been follie in me to write any more; for if I (as I make no doubt, but I very wel could) have stopped all your mouths in what you [Page 30]could object; yet I know your will is so bent in the way, that when you had nothing to say, you would stone me to death, if you durst; for you are of the same generation, with whom Ste­phen had to do, who was not able to resist his spirit he spake with, yet they could stone him to death, Acts 7.58. For the truth is, that the God of your Fathers whom you worship, viz. Self-pride, self-praise, self-profit, self-wisdom, self-power, self-righ­teousness, &c. (Self) being the first person in the Trinity, who by his spirit of wisdom doth so inspire you; and in obedience to the same, you become always resisters of the Holy Ghost, Acts 7.51.

But being past hopes of doing good to the generality of you, because I know your blindness and hardness of heart, at present I will adde no more to what I have said, for to you who are sealed up for destruction, here is too much; but if happily there be some amongst you, who are not sealed and setled in blindness, having some want and emptiness in their souls, and the same lying upon their spirits in making them to finde little but ease, comfort, or content, in any thing they either act or speak, and that can finde nothing but wo and sorrow, in all they go about, either in the world or their forms of Religion: I say, if there be any such souls amongst you, I know they have that within them, that will cause them to close with what I here have offer­ed to them; and confess, that I have said nothing but that which is as true as truth it self: And to such souls, this I know will be useful, for one reproof enters more into a wiseman, then a hundred stripes doth into a fool, Prov. 17.10. But for all other before-said, they are but fools, and will not believe; and there­fore, I leave them to be destroyed by their own folly, and will return to the poor deluded people under them, and give them a friendly advice, and shew them how they have been cheated and cousened by these foul Beasts, whom the Devil hath most subtilly brought into the Ministery, and have reigned by his means so many hundred years, whereby the true knowledge of God is worn out from amongst the sons of men, and all under a form of faith in Christ, and a brain-knowledge of God, and performing some duties which they tell you is holy; and there­in have they strangled your souls, and made you believe you were in the ways of God, when alas, you were but in your own ways, and the way of God, as yet, you never knew.

Then hearken O ye poor deluded souls, who have a desire to know your own deceit, and have a willingness in you to know what the way of God is; and where this God is, and where the way to meet with your God is; and see and know that your ways you have lived in, and rejoyced in, how they are but poor, weak, beggerly things, and so long as you live in them, you live but in your self; and as long as you live in them, you are not fit for the Kingdom of Heaven, neither to know the Mysteries of God, nor the misery of the sin that is in you, and without you know that, you shall not know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God.

As I have shewed you the original of the Ministers, from whence they came, so I will shew you your Religion, and your duties and observations from whence they came; and upon what grounds your forms are pitched, and what is all that you can reap out of the very best of your forms; and how far you may act in your forms, and yet have your spirits deprived of the love of God, which is the salvation of all souls that are saved; and I will shew you from what principles your perform­ances arise, and by what power they are performed.

And first for your Religion, I finde it to be nothing else but a feigned fantastick thing, raised up, by, and through the vain conceits of your blinde Ministers, who have no grounds for what they affirm, but onely false conclusions which they draw from true principles in others; and likewise, the best grounds they have for any thing contained in the profession, it is no more but examples from others, who had command to observe such things, and know the minde of him who commanded these things, and observed these things according to the minde, and intent of him, who gave them command to observe such things; but your Ministers being ignorant of the minde of the Com­mander, observe the same by example, not knowing the minde of the Commander; and therefore, they have given out these things to you, and their own minde in them; and from them have you observed these things in your Religion. But now I will come to some particulars, and I wish you to observe well what is delivered unto you by my Pen, and the Lord give you hearts to understand the truth I shall deliver to you.

And first I come to that which is a principal point, and part [Page 32]of your Religion, viz. The observation of the Sabbath, as you call it; but that is not a proper name for it, except you profess Circumcision, and so become one with the Jews; for to them was this delivered amongst the other Commandments, but in­stituted at the beginning; and when God had given out the rest of the Commandments to Moses, he repeateth over this Com­mandment of keeping the Sabbath, and telleth Moses for what end and purpose he had given that charge of keeping it, viz. That it should be a sign between him, and the people, that they might know who sanctified them; and whosoever did not re­frain from all manner of work upon that day, was to be put to death, Exod. 31.13, 14, &c. And this was to be a sign between God and them in all their Generations.

Now if it were delivered to the Jews as a sign, then was there something signified in it, and appointed out by it to them. I will tell you what it held out to them, it held out three things in its signification. As for the first, it was the righteousness of God, by which he sanctified them, without any thing in them, or by them whatsoever; and as they were to cease from all labor whatsoever on pain of death, so were they not to look at any thing within themselves whatsoever, whereby they should look to be made holy; for if they did, it was the very death of their souls, and God knew it well, that they would be looking at something in themselves, and would secretly be oblieging him to it; and Moses gave them a caveat of the same, when he bad them take heed to themselves, least they should say in their hearts for my righteousness, &c. Hath the Lord done these things for me, Deut. 15.9. And for this very thing the Sabbath was to be a sign of his sanctifying them, and that sanctification was not of themselves, but that they were as clean stript of all righteousness to sanctifie themselves, as he gave out strict command to cease from all labor whatsoever; and that they should always be looking out of themselves unto the Lord their God, who sanctified them; and that they should know that sanctification was of him, he did very oft rehearse the same to them, as may be seen, Levit. 20.8. & 21.8. & 22.9, 16. and Ezek. 37.28. and many other places. And as it was given them for a sign of the sanctification of God, so it signified a spiritual rest unto them, which rest should be in God; that as their bodies was refreshed, in and by that rest, so should their spirits be re­freshed [Page 33]in him, and be at rest, when they had laid aside, and cast off all toyl and labor of spirit, viz. Caring, fearing, loving, and desiring to be satisfied with created things, and that they were brought out of, and beyond all their secret dependancy of what they acted or observed; which while they lived in, they were the cause why all toyl and labor hapned to their spirits, in which they were deprived of the sweet rest in God: For when the heart of man is carried out from the rest in God, then is it in toyl about some created thing, and whatsoever it be, it af­fordeth nothing but restlessness; and this made Solomon say, who had tryed all things, and found that those who would seek rest in any thing created, should be deceived; and that he should finde nothing but sorrow and grief, yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night, Eccles. 2.23. And because the Lord knew the people would be seeking rest in other things, therefore he gave them this sign of the Sabbath, wherein they should know from whom the rest of their spirits should come: And when they were gone out from him, and had not kept the Sabbath which held out to them the rest of their souls, but were turned from him; yet he would have them to return again to him, and ask and enquire for the way that they had left; and in walking therein, they should finde rest for their souls, Jer. 6.16. And David knew full well what was the rest of spirit, and said to himself, O my soul return to thy rest, &c. Psal. 116.7.

And thirdly, This Sabbath was a sign of the eternal rest that souls should have in him, after the end of so many several or­ders and dispensations, both inwardly and outwardly, these being darkly held out to them by the number of six days, and the seventh to be the day of rest, and kept holy to the Lord: And that order of numbering six days, was by the Lords own example held out to them in the first Creation, where it is said, the Lord was six days in working, and creating all things, though God himself wrought not in that manner, but to stoop to our weak understanding of him; that in our weak know­ledge could apprehend nothing at all of him, if he were not pleased to let out himself in ways whereby we might darkly grope after him: And so in these several out-lettings of himself in these weak ways, we might be brought by little and little passing through these dispensations, that we thereby might be made fit and able to come to a con­dition [Page 26]of persecution, wherein we should be in a capabi­lity to behold, and stand in the presence and right know­ledge of God himselfe. And because to speake of these seven fold dispensations is not suitable for you at present, and be­cause of the ignorance of the times as yet; else, it may bee you should have heard them more clearly defined to you, for I assure you, there is a Mystery in these numbers, which as yet the most of the Sons of men be ignorant of, and the Mystery in them was wrapt in them in the beginning, and was mysti­cally holden out to the Sons of men by Iohn in the Revelation, by the seven Seales, the seven Angels who sounded the seven Trumpets, and the pouring out of the seven Viols, which no man can, or ever shall understand, untill he be brought to live in the heart of God, and God to live in his heart, for none else is fit to know his secrets.

And under these three considerations it was, that God gave out so strict command for the observation of the seventh day, or Sabbath, and under these considerations was Christ held out to them in his properties of Sanctification, and spiritual rest, and e­ternal rest of Souls, and in this respect he was Lord over the Sab­bath, as himself testifieth in Mark 2.28. And as the Leviticall or Ceremoniall Law held out, or were the shadows of the Office of Christ, both of suffering and sacrifice, which all of them was to be excluded after his death; so was the Sabbath to be excluded when the thing signified by it was come, and till that time that commandement was in force; but when Christ was come, you may observe how oft himself did crosse the Scribes and Pharisees, in not observing the Sabbath according to their order, Mar. 2.23.

And when our Saviour upon divers occasions was to speake of the Lawes of Commandement which was to stand in force, and should not in any wise passe away till they were fulfilled, as may be seen in Mat. 5. &c. yet never did he so much as touch or give command to keep the Sabbath, because hee knew the same was fulfilled in his appearing, of which he was Lord; and whosoever doth observe the seventh day upon the obedience of the Commands, before the appearance of Christ in the Flesh: they erre, not knowing the minde of God in his Commands, and so they are blinded from beholding Christ in his properties therein contained, and so by, and in the observation of that day they become that to themselves which of right doth belong to Christ.

But I know you will say, you doe not observe that day up­on the same account as the Jewes did, but under a Gospel con­sideration, having the same day changed unto another day, viz. the first day, in which Christ rose from the dead, and in that re­spect we call it not a Sabbath, but the Lords Day.

It is true, you call it the Lords Day, but for that you have neither command nor example in all the New Testament, but only as you may infer from that saying of St. John, in Revel. 1. the which you cannot justly affirme, that it was the first day of the week in which Christ rose from the Dead; but I would have you to know what the Lords Day is, and how John called that day the Lords Day; though every day be the Lords, yet he hath two dayes which he more usually claimeth for his owne, as we may see in Scripture, viz. a day of his executing his anger against sin, and man for sin, and this is called the Day of the Lord, as you may see in Isa. 2.12. & 13.6.9. & 34 8. Ier. 46.10. Lam. 2.22, &c. and another day he hath, wherein he will shew to man the Mysteries of his Kingdom, and the favour of his loving kindnesse, in which day the Souls of his people shal be glad, and rejoyce, and this is the Lords Day, wherein he will be glorified and magnified in the souls of his people, when they are made to see, and know his wonderfull loving kindness manifested in their soules, and that his Sonne Jesus only ruleth and reigneth above all Power and Principalities: and this day you may see set out in many places of Scripture also; as in Isa. 25.9. & 26.1. & 28.5. & 29.18, &c. and 2 Cor. 1.14. and in this Day of the Lord was Iohn in the Spirit, where was made knowne to him these great Mysteries. And well might he call it the Lords Day, for so it was, but from thence none can justly gather that this day you observe can be called the Lords Day more then any other, and in so doing you follow but traditi­ons of men, having no command for it in all the Scripture; therefore take heed you make not the Commandements of God of none effect by your tradition; for this was the doing of the Scribes and Pharisees by which they were blinded, and could not know Christ to be the Son of God, when he was amongst them in the flesh.

But in calling it the first day, it may be said that is the most proper name of it, because of some grounds in Scripture for so doing, but yet you have no evidence, nor command in [Page 36]all the New Testament, for observing the first day after the manner of the Sabbath, only you have some examples in the Primitive time for some things occasionally which were done upon it, as one time the Disciples were gathered together to breake Bread, Acts 20.7. and all that the Apostle gave com­mand to them to observe upon that day was, to make a colle­ction amongst them for the poore Saints, 1 Cor. 16.2. for no other thing to be observed upon that day have you any com­mand, and this command I doubt you doe not obey upon that day, for your foolish holinesse hath eaten out your charity, which you should have shewed upon that day. And this was an invention of your wise preaching Ministers, who changed the worke of that day into a submissive hearing of them speake so long upon that day, and for this they have neither com­mand, nor example from, or in the Primitive institutions, but from the time of Superstition, in which time their fore­fathers tooke away the worke of that day, and erected a greater holinesse upon that day, then to make collections for the poor; and thus you have observed what they invented, and yet you cannot see wherein you are blinded.

But you may object, that in what I have said, I seem to make voyd the Sabbath, or Lords day, or first day.

It is true, I make the Iewish Sabbath voyd, and likewise the name of this day to be the Lords Day more then any other, be­cause I have no command for them in the time of the Gospel; but as for the first day I allow of it, in ease it be observed ac­cording to example, and command in the time of the Gospel, and Primitive institutions, but no further may any man allow of it, in making the observation of it like to the Sabbath of the Iewes, and so place it as a principle in their religion; this I deny, and that upon better grounds then you have for making it what it is not; but if you will observe this day, I would have you to set it in its right place, least in your good thinking you give that to the day, and your duties observed upon that day, which doth of right belong to Christ, and in so doing that day becometh Lord over you, whereas those who are in Christ are Lords over that day: And in observing of that day I would have you to observe it as by tradition, and not by command; and likewise in respect of the obedience to the higher Powers, who would have such a day observed for some [Page 37]pious end: and in these respects I could wish, that not only the first day of every weeke, but the fourth also were set apart for pious ends, but not to make them principles in Religion. But herein is the weaknesse and ignorance of men made manifest, for whatsoever hath been instituted by men in the time of their purity, and for pious ends, and was good so long as they were used, and observed for no other end then they were aimed for; but not long could any institution stand, untill the ig­norance of men through their good thinking made more of these things, then ever they were intended for, and so the same became to be made either a god, or a principle in mens religi­on, and then the same did more hurt then good, to those who were the observers of such things, because of their too much Idolizing of these institutions.

Likewise I know it to be good to rest one day in seven, if it were but to crosse the cruelty and oppression of Mankind, whose Lust is so great that he would too much wrong his fellow Creatures, by keeping them at too hard, and too long labour, as many Masters would their Servants, yea, their poore Horse and Ox, yea and their owne bodies too.

And whoso goeth about to observe that day upon any o­ther consideration then what is before said, doth erre in so do­ing, and is nothing else but being beguiled, by the precepts of the Priests, in which they erre themselves, and cause all other to goe astray who are led by them, and so the blinde leadeth the blinde till both fall into the ditch, Matth. 15.14. I might have said much more upon this subject, but what is said may serve to make appeare, that the observation of a day without any command, for it cannot be a principle in Religion, as blinde ignorance hath stated it; but letting it passe, I come to a second principle in your Religion, viz. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper, but that Sacrament is not a proper name for it, for it is but a superstitious epithite, and there is no such name for it in all the Scripture.

Indeed for this you have a command by our Saviour, it being his owne institution, and some examples also in the Primitive time for what you doe herein; but yet I would have you to know, that you have neither command, nor example for what you affirme of the breaking of Bread, or otherwise called the Lords Supper: for you affirm, that in the receiving of Bread [Page 30]and Wine, that in that act you have your faith confirmed and strengthened; thus you have wrested the command of Christ herein to the end he never aymed it for, for in this your doing you differ not from the Papists themselves in the substance of this thing, only you differ in the circumstances and that is all: for they pretend they eate the Body and Bloud of Christ sub­stantially, and by so doing they say they live in Christ, and he liveth in them thereby; and you say in this you eate him Spiri­tually, and by so doing you live in him, and he in you; and that you have your faith much confirmed to you in this your act. O poore blinded fooles, you are herein misled by your blinde Priests, for this is but one of their owne precepts, by which they have undone you, for they have played the Moun­tebankes with you herein, and have made you beleeve lyes for truth, for this your act doth not at all confirme your faith in case you have faith, but I will tell you true what you have con­firmed, viz. conceit, or fancy, and no more, I shall prove it true, whether you will beleeve me or no; for there is nothing that doth confirme faith but that same that giveth faith; but no act of the Creature giveth, or createth faith, or maketh faith to grow in the heart of any man, and the giving and receiving of Bread and Wine is but an act of the Creature which is within the compasse of its owne power to doe, or not to doe; this I thinke you will confesse; and if this act had that vertue in it to give faith, who would want faith? but I thinke you are not yet so farre blinde as to say plainly, that faith is given to any by vertue of this act, but yet you may as well say, that faith is given thereby, as say that faith is confirmed thereby; for the gi­ving faith, and confirming of faith is both from one and the same fountaine, and God himselfe is the Giver of faith, as you may see, Eph. 2.8. then if God be the Giver of faith, he is also the confirmer of it, without the acts of the Creature; and this truth the Apostle affirmeth to the Corinthians, and thanketh God on their behalfe for the graces given them of him, whereby the testimony of Jesus Christ was confirmed in them, and that they waited for a further manifestation of Christ, who should confirme them, to the end that they might be kept blamelesse, 1 Cor. 1.5, 6, 7, 8, 9. and as God in, and by his Son Jesus is both the giver, and confirmer of faith; so by him he alwayes upholdeth the soule in faith, whensoever it hath need of the ope­ration [Page 31]of the same; for he is both the beginning, and the end­ing of faith, yea, the author and finisher of faith, Heb. 12.2. And this the Disciples knew when they said, Lord increase our faith, Luke 17.5. And it was Christ himself that strengthned Peters faith, Luke 22.32. By all which, you may see plainly, that the receiving of Bread and Wine, is not faith confirmed, strength­ned, or compleated; for you are but in blindness, in this your affirmation.

But I would have you to know wherein you are blinded, if perhaps you might hereafter grope after the truth: For though this your act be a command of Christ himself, yet I would have you to know the minde of the Commander in the putting out of the command, for he put not out this command, thereby to detract from him, what did belong to himself; and in this you affirm, you detract from him, and give that to the acting in the command, and herein you transgress.

But to tell you the minde of Christ in this command, I would have you to take notice of his own words, and let them not be wrested by your wit, and you shall know that he gave out this command for no other thing, but for a help of the weak memo­ry of men, who are very subject to forget the love of their dearest friends in a little time, after they be departed from them: yea, your own experience will tell you the truth of this, that after the death and departure of your dearest friends, how that a very short time will wear the thoughts of them out of your memory. And so some dear loving friend at his death will leave a Ring, or some other token of love to his beloved friend or friends, and bid him remember him when he looketh upon the same; the which beholding, doth raise or renew fresh thoughts of his de­ceased friend, and so becometh the weak forgetful memory to be strengthned.

Even for this very end did Christ leave his Disciples that com­mand, that in the observing of the same, they should keep him (their dear loving Master) still in their memory, and think of him when his bodily presence was taken from them, and that they in the remembring of him should think of his example of life, and walk accordingly in all his other commands, the which he had enjoyned them; and in the keeping of these his com­mands, they should be known to be his Disciples, and should live in him, and he in them; and that they should have com­munion [Page 40]with him, and the Father; and likewise he tells them, how the world would hate and persecute them, and kill them, with many other exhortations to them, and commands given them before his departure, after he had left them this love-token of remembrance, as you may see in Luke 22.19. For Jesus knew, after he was gone from them, that they should have many temptations and tryals, whereby they should be much troubled, and therefore he would have them to keep him still in memory; for if such things were done to the green Tree, what would be done to the dry Trees, Luke 23.31. But yet I know you may ob­ject and say, that there is something more included in this com­mand because of the act, and the other words spoken by Christ, when he gave out this command.

It is true, for as in the time of the Law there was in their sa­crifices, things killed and offered, which was Types of the first appearance of Christ in the Humane nature, and the life of Christ in the Humane nature, and the death of Christ in the Humane nature, and the Resurrection of Christ, &c.

So in this act of Christ there is a Type also, in which there is something typified.

In which Type there is these things to be observed. First, The time. Secondly, The matter. Thirdly, The manner: And fourthly, The end.

First for the time, It was at the very same time of the Jews Passoever, which was to be kept in their generation, until the death of Christ; which Passoever was instituted before the death of the first-born in Egypt, and this was the preservation of the children of Israel from that death; so that where the blood of the Pascal Lamb was on the posts of the door, there the destroyer had no power; and by the slaying of the first-born in Egypt, Pharaoh and his people was constrained to let Israel go. And this Passover was kept of the Jews for a memorial of what was done; and at the very time of the Jews keeping this Passo­ver it was, that Jesus instituted this Type, which Type holdeth out a more clear beholding of himself to the world, then the other Type of the Passover did; for that Type of the Jews Passover was but as a shadow, whereby to know the substance; and a shadow is but a dark representation of a thing, and so this dark shadow was to be done away; that the Image is a clearer representation of the substance, then the shadow; and [Page 41]yet both the shadow, and the image, are but representations of the substance, the one more clearer then the other; the darker done away, and the clearer established. And this was one reason why Christ instituted this Type or Image at that time, that after he was departed, the sons of men might have a more clear sight of him after his appearing in the flesh, then they had before; for then they lived under the shadow, or dark representation, but now under the Gospel we have the Image or clearer repre­sentation, as you may see Heb. 11.1.

Likewise, at the time of the institution of this Passover, God had a marvellous work to do, viz. To bring the Israelites out of Egypt from under the bondage of Pharaoh, and the Egyptians, so at this very time of Christs instituting of this Type, God had a wondrous work to do, viz. To bring the souls of believers out of the captivity of the Devil, Sin, Death, and Hell; for after the death of the Paschal Lamb, the first-born of Pharaoh, and all Egypt were slain; and so their proud hearts were made to stoop.

So by the death of Christ, the first-born of the Devil, viz. Sin was destroyed, and Death and Hell conquered, and so a way was made for all souls to come out of their captivity; for sin is the first-born childe of the devil, his beloved, and his power and strength.

For this is a truth in nature, that the first-born is the strength, and power, and dignity of the Parents, as Jacob saith to Reuben his first-born, Gen. 49.3. So sin being the first-born childe of the devil, therein consisteth his power and strength, and when this is slain, then is he overcome; and so death being the childe of sin, loseth his power; for as sin is the first-born of the devil, so death is the first-born of sin, for death is brought out by sin, Jam. 1.15. And as death is the first born of sin, so Hell is the first-born of death, and alway follows its father, Revel. So all these first-born were to be destroyed by another first born, and that was Jesus the first-born of God, a Type of whom we have in the Levitical Law by the first-born of all things, which should be called holy to the Lord, Numb. 3.13. And as this first born Son, or Lamb of God, overcame the Devil, Sin, Death, and Hell, by himself, so that they had no power over him; so by the same power he overcometh all these, for those who are the true followers of him in his life and example, obeying his commands, [Page 42]and taking up his cross and bearing it to the very death, those shall know the power and vertue of his life, death, and resur­rection, and shall live with him in the union of the Father; and when he instituted this Type, he would have them to remember this, whensoever they would do the like.

Likewise, as the first-born of Pharaoh and Egypt were slain, so on the contrary the poeple of Israel was saved from the power of the destroyer, by the efficacy of the blood of the Paschal Lamb, where it was sprinkled upon the two side posts, and the lintel of the gate, viz. The Will, the Understanding, and the Con­science, the Noble Faculties of the soul; for as the two posts, and the lintel do differ in their property, yet in close joyning together they make but one, so in their properties they may be distinguished, but in unity they are not distinguishable. And these three in their distinct properties being sprinkled by the blood of the Lamb, the destroyer, viz. the justice of God can have no power to enter, to destroy any of the Inhabitants, con­tained within the habitation of that minde, viz. Faith, Hope, and Love, &c. In case that none of the Inhabitants went out of door beyond the sprinkled post: and to the very same purpose our Saviour gave command to abide in him, Joh. 15 4. for here­in is the safety of the soul with all its affections, &c. And this blood of the Lamb being sprinkled upon the posts as before said, is the mark or sign of Gods sanctification, or setting that soul apart in the more noble parts, until he have executed justice of, and upon the world, flesh, and devil, death, sin, and hell, who have their habitation in the inferior parts of the soul, viz. the sensuality, and the reason, and imagination, which by their great power have kept the inhabitants of the noble part in bond­age.

But to illustrate a little more the sprinkling of the two side posts, and the lintel, in their threefold property, I will shew you how the Scripture in other places pointeth at them, and first for the property of the one post, and its sprinkling, viz. the Conscience.

First for its property; As the one post of the gate having hinges, whereupon the one leaf of the gate is hung so, that thereby it hath the glibness to open and shut; so the Conscience hath two hinges, viz. the outward teachings, and the inward dictates of God, upon which the one leaf of the gate hangeth, [Page 43] viz. the fear of God. And the understanding as the other post, hath other two hinges, on which the other leaf hangeth; and these two hinges is true wisdom, and right knowledge, upon which the other leaf hangeth, viz. the pure desire of God; and these two leaves being close shut, and safely kept together, the adversary hath less power to enter. But these two posts are not fit for the bearing of the two leaves of the gate, until the lintel couple them together. So neither the Conscience, nor the Un­derstanding, can be suitable for carrying the fear and desire of God, in their right order, until the will with its property, yeilding obedience in its ghostly acting, bee conjoyned to both; and so when all their threefold properties meet in union, then are the two leaves of the gate hung in right order.

Now to come to the sprinkling of the first side post, viz. the Conscience. As for Conscience before it be sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb, it is but the leader of men into error, as well as into truth, as may be seen in the Apostle, who, by, and through the leading thereof, persecuted the Saints. And like­wise the Scribes and Pharisees, that put Christ to death; and though man have never so much zeal for God, yet his conscience not struck or sprinkled, all his works is but sin, and dead works, and this made the Apostle Paul write the same truth, as in Heb. 9.14. And while any mans heart or will yeeldeth obedi­ence to such a conscience, all his obedience is evil, because his conscience is evil, Heb. 10.22. And so long as man findeth any life in these conscientious walkings, he hath but besprinkled his conscience with the blood of Bulls and Goats, and his own mark is upon the post, and saveth himself from the destroyer, as he thinketh. But the conscience being sprinkled with the blood of Jesus, then doth man truly know himself to be a sinner, and by that blood, his peace and safety is to be procured, and full wel knoweth that all his good actings are as bad as his evil act­ings: And from hence it cometh to pass, that sin becometh to be out of measure sinful; and by this means, all the bloody offerings, and sprinkling of his own conscience becometh to be rubbed off, and blotted out; and then the blood of the Lamb becomes to be sprinkled upon the conscience, whereby the same hath no power to condemn. This made the Apostle say, there was no condemnation to those that were in Christ, &c. Rom. 8.1.

Secondly, the understanding as holden out by the other side post (before it be sprinkled with the bloud of the Lamb) is but darke in the conceiving of truth, and in its darknesse, mans Conscience cannot give out right commands to the heart or will, for the right command of the Conscience proceedeth from the purenesse of the understanding, and the understan­ding being darke, how great is that darknesse? Luke 11.35. and while man walketh in this darknesse he is deceived himselfe, and deceiveth others also; his condition being nothing else but de­ceiving, and being deceived, 2 Tim. 3.13. yea stumbleth and falleth, and knoweth not whereupon, Prov. 4.19.

But when man once knoweth his darknesse, then doth he cry after wisdome, and knowledge, and seeketh them more then silver; and then it is that the Lord sendeth his Angel to seale, or set a marke on the forehead of such a soule before the de­stroying Angels worke their worke, Revel. 7.2. viz. To give man the right knowledg and understanding of the great Mystery both of sinne, and godlinesse, and by that the destroyer is kept out, for then he is that wise man that fore-seeth the evill and hideth himselfe, Prov. 22.23. and when the eyes of the under­standing are opened, the soul is sealed with the character of wis­dome, and all this is by the bloud of the Lamb, which is that eye-salve spoken of in Revel. 3.18. and where the understan­ding is thus marked, then the soule can truly see Christ, and close with him in the propitiation of his Blood, but not before. But the sprinkling of the lintel which holdeth out the heart, or will, is that which keepeth all together, and maketh the safety compleat, for it is the sealing of the heart by the Blood of the Lamb that bringeth the soule into the union of the Fa­ther, and then is it with all the affection kept in under the wings of the Almighty, and then is the Blood of the Lambe rightly sprinkled upon the intellectuall powers of the soule, viz. the Conscience, understanding, and the will, and fitly framed; and being so marked with the sprinkles of the Blood, the destroyer passeth over, and the sprinkling of the Blood in this manner doth bring us out of all danger of ghostly ene­mies, so that our soules passe safely out of Aegypt, from the bondage of Pharaoh and the Aegyptians, and over the red Sea through the Wildernesse into the Land of rest; and this the A­postle affirmeth, where he saith, We are not come to Mount Sina, [Page 45]&c. but we are come to the Mount Sion, &c. And to Jesus the Media­tor of the New Testament, and to the bloud of sprinkling that speaketh better things for us then the blood of Abel, Heb. 12.18, 19, &c.

And of this our Saviour made a promise to his Disciples, that they should live in the union of him and the Father, Job. 17.24. And the truth of this Promise they were all partakers of, for having their understanding sprinkled, marked, clen­sed, or made pure by the Blood of the Lamb, thereby they were made able to see and understand the truth as it was in Jesus; and by the cleare vision of that Light their Consciences being puri­fied by the same Blood, did beare witnesse to the truth of that Light, and their hearts being sprinkled by the same Blood, it was freed from the power of Sin, and Death, and errours of an evill Conscience, Heb. 10, 22. and did enjoy the vertue of that Light, so that the love of God was shed abroad in their hearts, whereby they were made able to love one another; and thus it was they became freed from sinne both in the understanding, in the Conscience, and in the will, and this made the Apostle Iohn say, that the blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne, 1 Ioh. 1.7. And when our Saviour instituted this Type, hee would have them to remember, and not to forget what was to be fulfilled in them, by the power and efficacy of his Blood: but I feare your understanding is too weak to conceive any fur­ther explaining of the Mystery of the second Type instituted by Christ, else I would have proceeded further in laying open more in this particular, therefore I give you but these short touches and glimpses, that thereby you may somewhat grope after the great Mystery herein contained.

So I will proceed, and give you some glimpse of the manner of the preparation of the Passeover, in its signification, for the Paschall Lamb was not to be eaten raw, nor to be sodden in water, but to be roasted with fire, Exod. 12.9. Now I would have you to understand the Mystery in water upon this occasi­on, and why the Lamb was not to be sodden therein.

First, Water in its signification here pointeth out the over­flowing of Sin and Lust, which compasseth about the Soule, and by the out-breaking of its flouds the Soule becometh in danger of drowning: and David knew this, when he prayed to God to deliver him out of the deep waters, Psa. 69.14, 15.

Likewise, water is unstable, which signifieth the unconstan­cy [Page 46]of man in Nature, and how subject to waver, and turne from one sinne to another, and how easily to be drawne to all iniquity, and this made Iacob use these words to Reuben, unstable as water, &c. Gen. 49.4.

Likewise water is but weake, yet of a destroying nature when man is over-head in it, for there is no hold to be taken of it whereby man can save himselfe; so is sinne a weake deliverer when the soule is in the depth of it, for there is no hold to bee taken by it, whereby the soule can save it selfe, but rather to be drowned in the depth thereof.

Likewise whatsoever is sodden in water it looseth part of the vertue thereof, for the water draweth part of the vertue into its selfe. Under these considerations the Lambe was not to be sod­den in water, which points out in the Spirituall signification, that while man is in his naturall corruption, and while lust, and love of the world, and unstablenesse of spirit, being car­ried to and fro by the power of sinne inward or outward, and so cometh to owne Christ in his propitiation by way of an Historicall beleeving, this is to prepare the Paschall Lambe to themselves, contrary to the command of God, and doth boyle the same in water, viz. their sin and lusts, by the fire of the false faith, and thereby their sin, as the water, taketh the vertue of the Lamb into it selfe, and thus the broth is made sweeter to them then the meat boyled in it; and from hence it is that sinne is so pleasant to men, because they have seasoned it by the vertue of the boyling of the Paschall Lamb in it, viz. by the false appli­cation of the death of Christ, whereby they get to themselves liberty to sinne, and by so doing make Christ the author of unrighteousnesse, Gal. 2.7. and can freely sinne that grace may abound, Rom. 6.1.

So as the Lamb was not to be sodden in water, it was not to be eaten raw, for that was unsuitable to the digestion, and would indanger and damnifie the bodies, by bringing severall casualties upon it. And likewise, raw flesh was counted un­cleane, and so when the plague of Leprosie was upon any so long as any raw flesh was to be seen, that person was to be ac­counted uncleane, but when the raw flesh was wholly covered by the Leprosie, then that person was to be pronounced whole, Lev. 13.12, 13. all which holdeth out to us in the significa­tion, that those who looke upon Christ in the flesh, as he was [Page 47]borne of the Virgin Mary, lived in the Body, suffered in the Body, and rose in the Body, and so becometh to be a worship­per of God in any outward forme, and goeth no further; but to apply themselves in these formes what Christ was in the flesh, even this is to eate the Paschall Lambe raw, and so bringeth distempers upon the soule, whereby it will be in danger of death, and these distempers are such as loosen the strength of the reines, whereby it becometh to have an issue of blood con­tinually running, viz. The thoughts, inclinations, feares, cares, loves, and desires, running continually into the Crea­ture, and yet can worship God in a forme, and apply Christ in these formes, according as he was, and what he suffered in the flesh.

And from hence it is, that though they have the Plague of Leprosie upon them, viz. hearts full of sin and selfenesse, yet doe they not know it, but by the Physick got out of these forms, they keep downe that Leprosie from their owne beholding, thinking to cure the same, and by so doing there is some raw flesh still in the soule, viz. some good, some righteousnesse, some good conceit of what is acted in their holy forme, out of which there is many good thinkings raised in the minde, of the love of God, and faith in Christ, and sanctification of the Spirit, &c. all which is but as the raw flesh arising amongst the Leprosie; and while that soule hath that raw flesh in it, it is but loathly in the eyes of God, and is accounted as uncleane; and untill man truly know himselfe all over-spread by this plague of Leprosie, viz. sin and selfnesse as well in his good actings as in his evill actings, he is not in a capacity to be pronounced cleane, and the Apostle Paul knew the plague of this Leprosie well enough when he cryed out, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me, &c. Rom. 7.24. And for the pronouncing of such cleane as are over-spread with this Leprosie of sin, Christ came, and to save those that knew themselves invested therein from head to foot, inside and outside, and that bear the bur­then thereof continually, Mat. 11.28. And when our Saviour instituted this Type, this hee included in the same remem­brance.

Now the manner of the preparation of the Paschall Lambe was to be rosted with Fire, Fire having in it these significati­ons, viz. wrath, anger, fury, heat, consuming, terribleness, &c. [Page 48]and in its better signification it holds out good, viz. comfort, light, and love, and zeale, and life, &c. So it is to be understood that Fire in its first significations pointeth out sorrow and suf­fering, and so it is, that when the Fire of God, or his fury, or anger, &c. is kindled in the soule of man in the condemning property of the light which is in the Conscience, and the spirit of man findeth it selfe deprived of the love of God, and nothing but the fury of the Lord poured out, and that nothing but woe and want appeareth in the soule, and sin abounding, which is as fuell to the Fire of the anger which he feeleth within him­self; when this cometh to be truly kindled, there is great tribula­tion in that minde, and this fire must all souls be brought into before they be fit for knowing how good Christ is; for this was the way that he went himselfe even, under the wrathfull dis­pleasure of the Justice of the Father, passing through the fire of his indignation: and so as the Paschal Lambe was rosted at the fire, it kept all the sweetnesse and vertue in it selfe, by which it was more pleasant to the taste, and truly nourishing; so Christ by going through the fire of the anger of God, became to bee made pleasant to all those who taste him, and none can taste or eate him rightly, but such as have their Soules brought into the same fire, or sufferings with Christ, and so can close with Christ as a suffering Christ, and bearing the same indignation with him, and owne him in that way, and walke with him in that way in the daily denying of selfe; and this Christ him­selfe left in command to all that would be his Disciples, and in this also would he have them to remember him so often, as they should eate that Bread, and drink that Cup.

Likewise the Paschall Lambe was to bee eaten with bitter Herbs, which holdeth out the daily sorrowes, and sufferings of these Soules, who doe taste of the consolations of Christ; and as the soure Sauce is used to sweet meat to help the stomack to digest well, so that no surfeit cometh by the sweetnesse of the meat; so afflictions are the only preservative of the Soule, least consolation cause distemper: and this the Apostle wit­nesseth by the prick in the flesh, 2 Cor. 12.7. And Christ him­selfe maketh this out to his Disciples, when he told them of the sorrow they should have in his absence; yet he bad them be of good comfort, for he would come againe to them, Ioh. 14.18. and this he would have them to remember also. I could have [Page 49]proceeded further in the explanation of the Paschall Lambe in other particulars, but what is said I hope may suffice, and bee enough for the matter in hand, speaking only of the time when Christ instituted this Type, so I will goe on a little, and speake a word of the matter in this Type. As for the matter, you know it was the elementary things, viz. Bread and Wine, and the Bread was such as the Passeover was kept with, viz. unleavened Bread, which was not made by Art, or had any mixture of bit­ternesse or sournesse in it, but had all the sweetnesse that the nature of the graine afforded; as for Bread, it is to be under­stood in its originall, community, and properties.

First for the Originall, it is of the vigour and vertuall strength of the earth, which doth give and communicate it self into the Grain cast into it, whereby the same receiveth life, and so is brought out, and brought on still to its maturity, and fitnesse for the use of man.

Secondly for its community, as the Grain by being cast into the earth, and lying in the wombe thereof, the earth commu­nicateth its vigour and strength into it; so the Bread being cast into the stomack it doth communicate the same vigour recei­ved from the earth, into the corporality of the fleshly substance of man, and so by way of communication the body hath its support from its originall, viz. the earth. And,

Thirdly, the properties of Bread is to give life and strength, and keep away weaknesse and death from the body, and this Bread Christ made choyse of, to typifie what was the vertue of himselfe, and therefore he said by way of Metaphor, This is my Body, &c. Now the Body of Christ typified by Bread, was not that corporall Body which was then visible amongst them, nei­ther was it that Body that he bad them eate, for that corporall Body of Christ it selfe was but a Type, and whatsoever he acted or suffered in that Body were al typical, having them a in spiri­tuall signification, and Christ himselfe witnesseth the truth, when he said, he would give the Disciples his Flesh to eate, which saying was a stumbling block to many that heard him; which when he perceived he told them plainly, That his Flesh, viz. his corporall Body did not profit, but it was the Spirit that quickeneth, and that the words he spake they were spirit and life, Ioh. 6.63. So here is to be understood Christ in the Spiri­tuall substance, and not in the Corporal; and this Spirituall [Page 50]substance is the Divine Nature, which hath in it selfe these things typified by the Bread, viz. its originall from the Father, and of the same nature and substance with him, oned with him in unity, as the Graine is one with the earth, and of the same nature and substance,, not differing in community, but they differ in matter and likenesse in the coporality; so Christ and the Father are distinct in respect of the matter and like­nesse in the corporality, viz. the Flesh, while he lives in it, but did not differ from the Father in union, as himselfe faith, Ioh. 14.11. which unity consisteth of the originall communion in the eternal substantiality of the being of God, and from the e­ternall, substantiall, and essentiall being, or Divine nature proceedeth these properties held out to us by the Bread, viz. to strengthen and give life, and to keep weaknesse and death from the soules of those who have the Divine nature in them, and such soules by the community and vertue of the same nature become incorporated into the union of the Father, and these Souls by the properties of the Divine nature or Spirit, brought into the same substance of its originall, and receiveth all its ver­tue and nutriment from the same, as the branch doth from the Vine, Ioh. 15.1, 2, 3. and as that Bread had no Leaven mixed in it, so the Divine nature hath no mixture in it, but what is in it selfe, and will not admit of any Leaven, viz. any of the Creatures Art, Wisdome, Righteousnesse, &c. and this was the Leaven Christ bad his Disciples beware of, Matth. 16, 6. and the Soules of men becometh to be made partakers of the Divine nature by way of pure beleeving, which ariseth out of the operation of Divine nature it selfe, and not out of the ob­servation of the Type, for that is but Historicall, and looketh upon Christ in the Human Nature, and this is but the faith of Hypocrites, and that will perish, Iob 8.13. but the faith which is of the operation of the Divine nature is that which over­cometh the world, 1 Ioh. and by it the soule liveth, and abideth in the Divine nature it selfe, and thereof is made partaker; and in this respect the Divine nature typified by Christs flesh be­cometh to be meat indeed, Io. 6. and this would Christ have his followers to know and live in, and thus would he have them to discerne him, and understand his saying, and what he meant when he said, This is my Body, &c. and because the Corinthians were blinde in the mysterie, therefore the Apostle Paul blamed [Page 51]them much, and giveth them a caveat of the unworthy and not right eating of that Bread, &c. and how that not right eating did indanger them much, because they in their eating did not discerne the Lords Body, 1 Cor. 11.29.

Likewise for the other Elementary matter, viz. Wine, its o­riginall is from the earth, which giveth life and nutriment to the Vine, whereby the fruit is brought out to maturity, out of which the Wine is produced, and the properties of the Wine is Paysicall, purifying, and refreshing, being seasonably taken; but on the contrary, it is damageable and hurtfull, and this fruit of the Vine Christ used in this Type, because of the sym­pathizing properties thereof, with the properties of his owne Blood; now the Blood of Christ is to be understood in a two­fold sence, viz. Typicall, and Spirituall, typicall in the blood of the corporall flesh, which was shed, or let out upon the Crosse, but in this his corporall Blood was no more vertue then was in the corporall flesh, and that profiteth nothing be­ing but a Type, but that Blood which is saving is spirituall, issuing out of the Divine nature of Christ, and that is his love, and this love is the life of Christ, and blood signifieth life, as you may see, Gen. 9.4, 5. and this blood, or love of Christ which proceedeth, or is shed out of the Divine nature of his spirituall substance, hath these properties in it, viz. Physicall, purifying, and refreshing; first Physicall, for those soules who have had the same issuing out of the Divine nature into them, knoweth that they have been recovered of divers Diseases by the same, which diseases is the bitter tormentings of the guil­ty Conscience, who keepeth the Soule in great paine under the lashes of Justice, and under the shadow of death, and under the bondage of the Devill, and under the paine of Hell; all these being of power to torment, while the hand writing of Ordinances is unblotted by the same blood, or love of Christ, and those soules who are Soule-sick under these, stands in need of Physick, and to them Christ becometh a Physician, Luke 5.31. by the shedding of his blood, or love, out of the Divine nature into these Soules, by vertue of which they come to be re­stored to health.

Secondly, His blood issuing out of the Divine Nature be­cometh purifying, and purgeth the soul from that which is the cause of all its diseases and pain, viz. sin and selfness, for that [Page 52]is the cause of all sorrow; and where this love of God, or blood of the Divine Nature is shed in the hearts, there sin be­cometh purged out by the power of faith, which worketh by love. And this faith God useth as an instrument in the purging by love, which made the Apostle say, that God put no differ­ence between the Gentile and the Jew, purifying their hearts by faith, Acts 15.9. Now this faith is always accompanied with suffering, as in nature, purging is some cause of pain, but this faith which is grounded in love, overcometh the World, with all the glory thereof, 1 Joh. 5.4. And it beareth up the heart in all afflictions and tribulations, making one vertue to arise out of another, as tribulation begetteth patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in your hearts, Rom. 5.4, 5. So as the soul is purged from sin, both in affection and action; so is the conscience purged from its blindness, by which it kept the soul in bondage to out­ward actings; and the captivity of weak ordinances which cause the soul to look at Christ in a fleshly way, and in its blind­ness tormented the soul, when it would not know Christ so; and the truth of this purging the Apostle witnesseth, as you may see in Heb 9.14.

And whosoever hath this love of God, or blood of the Di­vine Nature shed in their hearts, the vertue thereof doth ingraft that soul into Christ in his Divine Nature (by the way of pure loving, and pure beleeving) as the Branch into the Vine, and every branch so ingrafted into him, and bearing fruit in him, he purgeth and maketh it bring out more fruit, Joh. 15.2.

Thirdly, The property of this blood of the Divine Nature, is to comfort and revive the soul, for whom, and in whom it is shed; for when the soul hath undergone the bitterness of purg­ing out of sin, by way of affliction, and have passed through all the sorrows and sufferings of death, devil, and hell, where­by the powers of the soul became much weakned, and the heart broken to peeces, &c. then by the vertual property of this blood, the spirit is revived and comforted, as may be seen Isai. 61.1, 2, 3, &c. And this was that water that Christ spake of to the wo­man of Samaria, John 4.10. And thus his blood becometh drink indeed, John 6.55. And who so eateth his flesh and drink­eth his blood in this manner, live in the Divine Nature of Christ, and Christ by the Divine Nature dwelleth in that soul, and such [Page 53]a soul shall not see death, Iohn 8.51. But whoso eateth or drink­eth the Body and Blood of Jesus, any other way, the same be­cometh a stumbling block to them; and as the effect of Wine is to hurt and breed ill humor, and dazel the brain, when it is not taken in moderation with wisdom in its vertual properties, (but when mens lust causeth them to drink the same) then do they befool themselves in it, for want of wisdom, and so thereby they oft become to be made weak and sickly, yea, and many are brought to death thereby: Even so the Blood of Christ being drunk in a wrong sence, viz. by way of the Histo­rical faith, which looketh upon Christ in the flesh, and making applications of what he suffered in the flesh; and so taketh the efficacy from the Divine Nature, and giveth the same to the humane or corporal nature; This Faith, or looking upon, or eating, or drinking of his flesh and blood, becometh to work no other work in these souls, but onely keepeth lust, sin, or self­ness alive; and so by this false faith, Christ is made the cloak of sin, and the Minister thereof, Gal. 2.14. And because the sons of men have neither wills, nor wisdom to examine themselves in this very thing; therefore much weakness is in their under­standing, that they cannot know the truth as it is in Jesus, and much weakness is in their wills, in fighting against sin; and therefore that sin being unpurged out, it becometh cause of much sickness, viz. the soul having an issue of blood, because the veins thereof is loosened, and so it is carried out to love, seek, and live in created, or things acted; and by this means, such sickness, if not cured, bringeth death. And this was the very thing that the Apostle Paul would have the people to take heed of, when they were to observe this Type, 1 Cor. 9.28, &c. But for the matters in this Type, I will let them pass with these small hints, and will proceed and speak a word of the manner of this Type, or the Form Christ used therein, viz. He took bread and blessed it, and brake it, &c. By which blessing is to be understood sanctifying, which holds out the power and vertue of the God-head in it self, which vertue and power was in him­self, and by the same he sanctified himself, Ioh. 19.17. by which he blesseth and sanctifieth all who live in him, and he in them, and in this case he is our sanctification, 1 Cor. And likewise, he brake the bread, breaking being the parting of a thing into peeces, whereby many may be partakers of the same, which [Page 54]holdeth out the fulness and wholeness of the Divine Nature, which doth freely and liberally disperse it self into several par­ticulars, that many may be made partakers thereof, not that the Divine Nature is, or can be parted, or divided in itself, no more then the Sun in the Firmament, which remaineth whole in it self; yet all are partakers of the light and heat thereof: So the Divine Nature is whole and undividable in it self, but by its fulness doth fill so many particular Creatures; and herein standeth the division in respect of the corporallity of the Crea­ture, and the fulness of the Divine Nature is whole in it self, and by its fulness and freeness, doth fill all particular souls. And this truth Iohn Baptist verifieth, where he saith, Of his fulness have we all received, &c. Iohn 1.16. And the fulness of the Divine Nature issuing out of it self into any soul, doth draw the same into its own nature, whereby the same is made fit to live in the same nature, and by the living in it, that soul becometh rooted, and grounded in the same, whereby it is made able to compre­hend with all Saints, what is the bredth and length, height and depth, &c. And so becometh to be filled with all the fulness of God, Eph. 3.17, 18, &c.

And when he had shewed the Disciples the freeness of the ful­ness of the Divine Nature, breaking out or darting it self into each several soul, typified to them by that form of breaking the bread: Then he gave the same to them, that they might eat it, and told them in a mystical sence, that it was his body that was broken for them, as is partly shewed before. And this form in the Type instituted, had a sympathizing with, and to that Type of his corporal body, ready to be sacrificed and rent in peeces upon the cross, till its coporal life was taken from it; which holdeth out the renting to peeces the body of sin in us, and the death of the same upon the cross of self-denial, which is holden out by the form and manner of eating: eating signifieth brusing or suffering, being typified by the bitter herbs in eating the Paschal Lamb; For as eating, bruiseth and maketh the thing eaten to be fit for digestion, whereby the same is turned into the same substance of flesh; So afflictions and sufferings maketh us partakers with Christ and of Christ, and to drink of the same Cup, and to be baptized with him into his death, and by the vertue thereof, the body of sin becometh destroyed, Rom. 6.2, 3, 4.

And this Christ would have them to know when he com­manded them to eat that bread, that as in eating it, they bruised it in peeces; so it was that body of sin in them that was the cause why the justice of his Father bruised and brake his corpo­ral Body, and to be avenged of that body of sin in them, he would make them partakers of the Divine Nature; and that was by way of suffering, whereby that body of sin should be destroyed: And that in these afflictions, the pure believing might be raised in the soul, that thereby the Divine Nature might be made suitable for digestion, and so turned into the nature of the soul, and the soul into its nature, by vertue of the blood or love of the same nature; that so he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, may be one, Heb. 2.11.

Likewise, the manner or form in this Type was further, viz. in taking the Cup and giving of thanks, and bidding them drink it, &c. As for giving thanks, it is a well-pleasingness in the soul, with what God doth or will do with it, and a free submitting to the Fathers will, wherein his goodness is made manifested, whereat and wherein the soul rejoyceth, under any affliction; and so it was, that Christ rejoyced in what was the will of his Father, and in obedience to his will he was willing to lay down his life; and by this he shewed to his Disciples, what he would have them to do, when like afflictions should betide them, and those who were his followers, in whom the Divine Nature was livingly felt, and by its vertue had dashed in peeces the body of sin; and by the blood of that nature, viz, Love, these souls was incorporated into the same nature, these followed the same example, and in suffering could be well pleased, witness hereof is the Apostle Paul, where he saith, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress? &c. Now in all these things we are more then conquerors, &c. Rom. 8.34, 35, 36, &c.

And further Christ told his Disciples, that that Cup was the Blood of the New Testament which was shed for many, &c. in which typical saying, was signified the establishing of the second Covenant, promised before of his Father, by the Prophet Jere­miah, where he saith, Behold the day cometh, saith the Lord, that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Jacob, &c. And I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people, &c. [Page 56]Iere. 31.31, 32, 33, &c. Which promise our Saviour came to ful­fil, and at this time instituted this Type, giving out the truth thereof, in this his mystical saying; and the compleat fulfilling hereof, is in the souls of those who be incorporated into the Divine Nature, whereby they become to have that law of God, viz. The righteousness of God; which righteousness is Christ, or the Divine Nature stamped upon their hearts, by which they know the truth of God in that Covenant, and doth set to their seal that God is true, Ioh. 3.33. And by the power and vertue of the same, they are taught to know the truth, and needeth not that any teach them; because the same anointing in them, teacheth them all things, 1 Ioh. 2.27.

And thus are these souls made to own God for their God, and live in the love and life of him, united to him by the ver­tue of this Covenant, and so becoming his people owned by him, and wholly set apart for himself, in and through the sancti­fication of himself by his own Spirit.

But what might be said more upon this particular, in the manner of this Type I let pass, because somewhat that might be said is somewhat touched before in speaking of the material things in this Type; and I would not too much over-load weak understandings, with too much speaking of things that be too hard and heavy for them: So I proceed to speak a word of the end in this Type, for which Christ instituted it, which was for this very purpose, viz. That now when the time of his depar­ture was at hand, and that his bodily presence was to be taken away from the world; therefore he would not leave the sons of men without some rememberance of himself, and what he had said unto them; the which he would have them to take notice of, when he was gone, and that his suffering should be kept still in minde; and though the Type of his own Body should not abide amongst them, yet he would leave them another Type instead of that, whereby they should still be put in minde of him. And this was to be to them as a glimpse of light, shining in a dark place, until the Sun it self arose, and became as a light that shineth more and more, until the perfect day; and that while the sons of men were in their weakness, before they were brought into the pure and perfect knowledge, and full enjoy­ment of himself in the Divine Nature, this was left to be as a mark in the way, least by forgetfulness men might happily step [Page 57]out of their way, in following him to the death of the Crosse, and that was the chiesest thing which hee commanded, and would have them to remember: and Christ left not this Type only, but he made to them (who were his followers) a pro­mise of sending the Spirit to them, who when he came should bring all that he had said into their remembrance, Jo. 14.26. and this death of Christ in the corporall Flesh was still set before the eyes of those who were his dearest friends, and truest fol­lowers, and it was the thing they still pressed after, to see how neare they could come to follow Christ in the way of the Cross, that thereby the body of Sin and Self might be crucified, and dye with the Body of Jesus, that so the Divine nature might live and grow in them, whereby they might be made partakers with Christ in the Resurrection; and this made the Apostle Paul weigh little of either consolation or affliction, religious walk­ing, or any created thing, so long as he had not attained to the resurrection of the dead, as you may see in Phil. 3.11, 12, &c. and all that he desired to know amongst those whom hee taught, was Jesus Christ, and him crucified, 1 Cor. 2.2. and so by the pressing after Christ in the way of the Crosse, he became dead to all things whatsoever, whether the Law, or World, or what might be had in any thing acted, or created, and became crucified in his affections to all with Christ, and he lived in the Divine nature of Christ, it living in him, as may be seene, Gal. 2.20.

And further, he plainly demonstrateth, that they which be Christs have both their affectious and lusts crucified, Gal. 5.24. and all his owne rejoycing was in the Crosse of Jesus Christ, whereby the world was crucified to him, and he to it, Gal. 6.14. and the truth is, so long as the minde of Christ is un­knowne to men in the Mystery of this Type before said, they look but upon Christ in a fleshly way, being blinded by Lust, and what they conceive of him is but false and feigned, and so give that to the Type which only belongeth to the Divine nature; and this is because of the faith which is Historicall and Traditionall, and from hence it is, that Christ cannot be appre­hended further then he was in the Flesh, and what he suffered in the Flesh; and these Types he left us in the Flesh, by which he would have drawn men more neare to himselfe in the Divine nature, and those very things which should have been some­thing [Page 58]to have drawne us into himselfe, even by the policy of Sin and Satan, and false Teachers, they have drawne us from Christ, and so placeth Christ in Types and Forms, and in this very way you have been taught to know Christ, and so are be­come the enemies of his Crosse, and therefore for all the faith you pretend to have in Christ, and the comfort and strength you imagine to have gotten from the Type, is nothing but meere fancy, and the delusion of the Devill, whereby he hath beguiled you, by being a lying spirit in the mouthes of your false Ministers, for as yet the world and your owne lusts, and livelinesse of affections to created things is yet in your heart, and if you had been taught in the right way of (apprehending Christ, and) following him, it might have been, your Souls might have injoyed more of the Divine nature then otherwise they have done, and therefore I cannot but pitty you poore blinded Soules, and out of love I have written these few lines unto you, if perhaps there may be some amongst you who may thereby grope somewhat more neare the understanding of the truth then heretofore: and I make no doubt but that some will understand by what is here written how to conceive of Christ in the Flesh, and how in the Divine nature, and how in this Type, viz. the Passover, or his last Supper, and I hope you will learne in time to know in a more cleare way how to under­stand, and injoy more of the sufferings with Christ then you ever yet have done, and and so become more pure and right partakers of the Divine nature it selfe, then ever you have done in the outward Type, and out-side forme, but I something doubt, that while your false Teachers (who have the lying spirit in them) have power to destroy you, they will still de­ceive you, therefore as you love your owne Soules beware of them, and say not but that a friend giveth you warning of them.

But in concluding of this Type instituted by Christ, I would have you further to understand in briefe the summe of all what hath been formerly held out, viz. the suffering with Christ ac­cording to the Flesh, and the fellowship or communion with Christ in the Divine nature: for herein standeth, and is contai­ned all the whole duty of every one who will be Christs Disci­ples, for in suffering we have communion with him as he was in the Flesh, in which we must follow him to the very death [Page 59]upon the Crosse, viz. in living in the daily denying our selves both inwardly and outwardly; inwardly, by keeping our thoughts, desires, and affections out of loving and living, of, and in any thing below the communion of the Father and the Sonne, by the partaking of the Divine nature; and when wee by true examination of our owne hearts finde them bending downe into earthly objects (of what kinde soever) then to draw back our hearts from them, and beating downe all the objects as they rise, or be presented to the heart (or will) and hereby man shall come to know the evill of his owne heart, whereby his affliction inwardly shall be much increased, where­by he shall be made a suitable companion for Christ in the way of suffering, in which the Soule becometh to have communi­on and fellowship with Christ, and in this fellowship the Apostle desired to know Christ.

And for the outward sufferings they very much help the Soule into the fellowship of Christ, and these bee of divers sorts, viz. losse of goods, losse of health, losse of friends, and relations, losse of the praise of men, losse of the pleasure in the world, &c. all which man may suffer the losse of by accident, or to say, by the hand and worke of God; and to these may be added other sufferings of the Flesh in the outward self-denial viz. by taking no more of the Creature then will serve for the uphold and support of the body, neither in meat, drinke, nor apparrell, &c. and this all men ought to observe, that will follow Christ in the fellowship of his suffering, for whatsoever man taketh more of the Creature then is before said, the same is for keeping lust alive, and addeth fuell to the fire; but these outward sufferings will not bring man into the true fellowship of the communion of the suffering with Christ, without the inward suffering (before said) goe along with the outward suffering, for by both the Soule is rightly fit to be partaker with Christ in suffering. And when the Apostle Paul had to doe with the Corinthians about some afflictions under which they were, and to let them know, that those who would follow Christ must beare him company in suffering, and not start back from it, nor turne aside from Christ in that fellow­ship, therefore he sets before them the example of the peo­ple in the Wildernesse, who were all Baptized in the Sea; which was as much as to enter into Covenant with God, to abide all [Page 60]sufferings that after should come upon them before they came to the Land of rest, and yet the most of them proved unfaith full in, the time of their suffering, and so came short of entring into the Land; and he tells them these things hapned for their ex­amples and admonitions, &c. and tels them that no temptati­on had taken them but such as were common to men, &c. and in the conclusion he sets before them this Type of our Saviours, and as wise men he would have them to judge what he said, and tels them, The cup of blessing which we blesse, is it not the com­munion of the blood of Christ, and the bread which we breake, &c. and then sheweth them that onednesse of all the followers of Christ, and with Christ by the being partakers of that one Bread which held out to them the fellowship and communion of the suffering with Christ; and this you may see in 1 Cor. 10.1. &c. to the 18. But no more of this Type instituted by Christ, but I proceed on to another principle in your Religion, and that is Baptisme; and in short will shew you your errour in the same, if perhaps some of you have eyes to see, and hearts to under­stand the truth when it is declared, and opened plainly to you. Now for this forme of Baptisme it is another Type, and John Baptist so called was the first Minister of the same, and afterward collerated by Christ, in coming to be Baptised himselfe, and afterwards gave further approbation of the same by way of command to his Disciples, Matth. 28.19. But as in his other Type beforesaid (instituted and commanded by Christ) you have erred, in giving that to the Type which belongeth to the thing signified by it; So in this also you doe the same, for though you have some ground in Scripture for the forme of Baptisme, yet you are ignorant of the minde of Christ in his command, as you shall see afterward; and for the very forme it selfe you doe but follow it by tradition, received from the blinde Priests, who themselves have received the same by tradi­tion; and so as they have received the same, so they teach you, and so you beleeve, but neither you, nor the Priests have any sure ground in Scripture for using this type in the manner, or persons to whom you have it administred, viz. Infants, for no sure ground you have for this your act, but only your good thinking, which leadeth you to doe the same; and your good thinking is but grounded upon Inferences, and consequences, drawne from uncertainties; but I stand not upon disputations, [Page 61]neither do I meane in this my discourse to dispute about forms, which is but weake and beggerly things, for I will leave this to your selves, and to the Anabaptists to dispute, being both you and they live in forms, and can envie one another in your forms, and persecute one another for your forms, and there­fore amongst your selves you are the meetest to end that thing, either by your disputations, or by your swords. But as for me, I have no calling to meddle any further in your wise disputes a­bout your forms; but my call is to let you both see how you are but fooles in your forms, that thereby you may both be­come wise in that which is the power and true wisdome it selfe, without which you shall all perish in your forms.

Now in the first place I come to speake a word of your con­clusions you draw from this Type of Baptisme, viz. That it is an holy thing, and that by administring the same to Infants they become incorporated into Christ; and in case any Infant dye before it be Baptised, you question whether it goe to Hea­ven or no, and in case one live and be not baptised, that he is not, or cannot be incorporated into Christ, and so you make this type a god, or a christ by way of consequence; though you deny the same with your tongues: and I doe positively deny all your conclusions, and the consequence drawne from your con­clusions is made a God: this I doe affirme, and will prove the truth both of what I deny, and what I affirme; now your con­clusions being four-fold, I come to the first, viz. that Baptisme is holy, which I both deny, and confesse; this may seem Logicall, but it is not so, as you shall see in defining my owne speech, First, I confesse it may be called holy, as sometimes outward and created things had that Epithite put upon them, when they were set apart for somepious end, as the Vessels in the Tem­ple, and other materials belonging to it, Numb. 31.6. and likewise things in the times of the Law, which was chosen and set apart for the Sacrifices, and so the Scriptures is called holy, 2 Tim. 3.15. and so the workes of men is sometimes called ho­ly, but all these are but called holy in respect of the end, and the thing pointed out, or signified; and this is but an outward or externall holinesse, and this I confesse: But that holinesse which you blindly put upon outward things, or types, that I deny, and so in this type of Baptisme I deny any further holi­nesse then what is externall, and all externall holinesse a man [Page 62]may have, and act and live in all the particulars thereof, and yet goe to beare the Devils company in Hell with it, if he have no more, Mat. 5.20.

But yet you will deny that you give any holinesse to this type but what belongeth to it, the which I shall confute in speaking of your second conclusion, wherein you affirme, that by the administrings of the same a childe becometh incorpora­ted, or ingrafted into Christ, the which is a false and blinde conclusion, without any ground in Scripture, and this you have received by tradition from the Popish fictions, and in this your conclusion you have made this type no lesse then God himselfe, as here I prove it: for there is no act of any creature can ingraft into Christ, and this is no more I hope then the act of a creature, and but a bodily worke, and bodily service pro­fiteth nothing, 1 Tim. 4.8. And our Saviour who gave out the command for observing of this type (yet at another time) said, When you have done all, yet count your selves unprofitable ser­vants, Luke 7.10. And the Apostle saith, Not to him that worketh, but to him that beleeveth is righteousnesse ascribed, Rom. 4.5. and all workes of the Creature, though in the purest way in any duty, or ordinance, which all is but externall righteousnesse, and out­ward holinesse, all these are but as filthy Garments, and men­struous cloathes, Isa. 64.9. then if it be true what the Scrip­tures say, the which you cannot deny, then are you of those whom you call Anti-Scripturians, for those are they that walk contrary to Scripture by tradition, and though you confesse the truth with your tongue, yet in your actions you deny the same, for no Scripture will beare you out, in saying that any externall obedience doth incorporate any soule into Christ, or to ingraft into the Divine nature, for this is but your foolish conceit raised in you, by the custome of tradition, by which you have made the Commands and Power of God without ef­fect, and hereby you make a god of this Ordinance, or Type instituted, and give that to it which of right doth belong to himselfe, and the incorporating any soule into Christ, viz. to be made one in him, and live in him, is the worke of God himselfe, and not any act of the Creature, for herein God get­teth honour to himselfe, in working out the salvation of souls, and his honour he will not give to another, Isa. 42.8. and it is his owne arme that bringeth salvation, and it is of his own will [Page 63]that he begetteth any to himselfe, Iam. 1.18. But I know you may object, that God worketh his worke by meanes, and an­swereth you in ordinances. To which I say it is true, some­times he hath done so, but yet these was his owne ordinances, and not the traditions of men; and yet his owne ordinances he hath not forsaken, as you may see by the brazen Serpent, 2 King. 18.4. and by his Tabernacle in Shilo, Ier. 7.12. and by his Temple in Ierusalem, &c. Ier. 42.13. and the reason was, be­cause the people made gods of them, and counted them holy, and so worshipped them, giving that to the Creature which did belong to the Creator, and so became blinded in their under­standing, not knowing how to put a difference between the Ordinance and the Ordainer; and the reason of this is, because they became vaine in their imaginations, not knowing the minde of the Ordainer in the thing ordained; and so their foolish heart thereby being darkned, they became to serve & worship the creature more then the Creator, and this is the very condition in this your act, from whence you draw your foolish conclusi­ons; and though this Ordinance of Baptisme instituted by Iohn, and commended by Christ, be tollerable in it selfe standing as a Type, yet the soule wanting the thing signified, the act of the type is of no efficacy to the soule, for if the flesh of Christ pro­fiteth nothing, Io. 6.63. and that bodily exercise profiteth no­thing, 1 Tim. 4.8. what profit is it that you reap in this act of Baptizing, even now but beguiling your selves of that which is the substance and safety of your soules, and instead thereof you feed your fancy by conceits, and so live upon huskes and shadowes, and types, and therefore the power of the sub­stance is hid from you, and so you living upon shadowes and types, you become to dye in your sins.

Likewise you question (if not deny) that a childe cannot be saved dying before Baptised; and indeed so you may, for none shall be saved but those who be incorporated into the Divine nature, this being the life and blisse of all blessed soules; and in what you affirme in your first and second conclusion, you may absolutely deny that any can be saved before Baptised; for this doth undeniably follow, and as your formes and conclusi­ons is but errour, so this third drawne out of the two former is errour also, as here I prove plainly.

First, I hope you dare not deny but that Circumcision was [Page 64]an Ordinance of God, and yet you dare not conclude, that all that died before it was instituted, were damned; neither all that under went the same Ordinance were saved. And though this Baptism be an Ordinance, yet dare you not conclude that any was not saved before it was instituted, neither that all were saved who were baptised.

Then if God had a way to save before the institution of any Ordinance, then by the same way he can save without the Or­dinance; and the truth is, by the same way he saveth under Or­dinances, and therefore the same way he saveth without Ordi­nances. The Ordinance it self doth not save; and that way which God saveth all souls by, and through, is his own wisdom, power, and righteousness, viz. His Christ in the Divine Nature, by which he was in the Father from eternity, and by the vertue of the same nature saved souls before there was any Ordinan­ces; and the same saveth under Ordinances, and the same saveth without Ordinances; and it is the free-gift, or good will, or grace of God that saveth whosoever are saved, Eph. 2.8. And therefore it is not the administring of any Ordinances, or living under any Ordinance that save: And therefore I conclude truly, and upon true grounds, That if children dye, or any other, though not baptised, may be saved as well as those who are bap­tised, and all by vertue of the Divine Nature, who is not tyed to, or given to any soul by any vertue that is in any Ordinance whatsoever, but doth gather and draw to it self whomsoever, and at what time soever it self pleaseth. And therefore I would have you to take heed and beware of the false doctrine of your lying Priests, who have taught you these things, that thereby you might esteem highly of them, and have them in admirati­on for their acting and administring of this Ordinance to you, and making you beleeve you are more in favor and love of God, then if you wanted this their poor act.

Likewise from these three former conclusions, this fourth doth successively follow, viz. that one living, and yet unbap­tized, is not, or cannot be incorporated into Christ; and as all the former is but error, so is this also, and clear against the work and ways of God, as he hath wrought, whose work is made manifest by Scripture to the contrary; for as is before proved, it is no work of any Creature, nor the vertue of any Ordinance that doth incorporate into Christ; but that which doth incor­porate [Page 65]into Christ, is the gift of God, and that is faith, Eph. 2.8. And faith may be given of God, without the administration of an Ordinance. If you deny this, then you deny Scripture; for Faith was before Ordinance, as you may see in Abraham, be­fore Circumcision; and Faith was before the ordinance of Baptism, and in the Primitive time this ordinance was not to be administred to any, but that was beleevers, (though foolish­ly you do administer the same to your children, having neither command nor example for what you do, but onely a Priests pre­cept, by which you are guided.)

Therefore it is clear, That a soul may be incorporated into Christ, before and without Baptism; so all your conclusions is but false, and in observing of this Ordinance of Baptism, you know not what you do, nor what you observe; for to this very day you and your Teachers are ignorant of what was the minde of John, when he instituted it; and likewise of the minde of Christ in commanding, that it should be observed; and there­fore it is, that you make a god of Baptism, as I have proved in speaking of the fourfold conclusion: And this you have placed in your Religion as a principle, or as a mark whereby you may be known to be of the houshold of God, and as a sign of those who are partakers of the promises, and contained within the New Covenant of Grace. And thus in your deceit do you live, being deceived, and deceiving one another: And you are as blinde in what you observe, as those that never had eyes to see the Sun; and yet by relation of others, can believe there is a Sun: So you hear by Scripture and Relation there is a God, and so beleeves there is a God; but yet the Son of God you never saw; for as yet your eyes is fast-closed; or if some amongst you have a little sight, it is but a dark glimpse of the Son of God in these Ordinances; and that dark glimpse you have, is but of Christ, as he was in the flesh, and not as he is in the Divine Na­ture; but as the mystery is, that you think you see Christ or the Truth of God clearly in these Ordinances; and because you say you see, therefore your sin remaineth, John 9.41.

But I know you may object, and say, That Saint Peter in his first Epistle, Chap. 3.2. saith, that Baptism saves now under the Gospel.

It is true, he saith so in a figurative speech, resembling Bap­tism to the Water of the Flood, which saved some when all the [Page 66]rest was drowned in the same; but how did the water save some, and drowned others? it was not the water it selfe that saved, but the Arke, and it was not the Arke could save, but the living and abiding in the Arke; and the water and the Arke together did save the persons in the Arke; for though the Apo­stle say, that these persons were saved by water, how was it that they were saved by water, seeing it was water that would have destroyed them as well as the rest, and yet the same water saved from the destruction of it selfe? I will tell you how the water saved the Persons from its owne destruction, even by its weaknesse it had to save, and the nature of it being knowne to be destroying to them that should be overtaken with it, from whence the knowledge of the Persons directed them into the Arke; and thus was the water an instrument, by causing feare to arise in the Persons, by which feare they pressed into the Arke, wherein they were saved; for the water saved as it was an instrument to drive the Persons into the Arke, but the Arke it selfe was the chief cause of their saving, by their abiding in it; and so the Apostle resembleth Baptisme to it, with the thing signified, viz. the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead; for as the water saved as beforesaid from the destruction of it selfe, so doth Baptisme as an instrument save all those who know the weaknesse of that type, and from the knowledge of the weaknesse of it, fearing to be destroyed by abiding in it; thereby the soule is led from depending on it, and so runneth into the Arke, viz. into the death of Christ by the crosse of self-deniall, and so into the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, viz. not to looke at Christ in the flesh, but in the Divine nature, by the power of which the soule is compassed about, and saved from the danger of all things acted, or created, and thus farre Baptisme saveth so farre as the weaknesse of it is knowne, and the danger in it manifested, and so becometh in­strumentall, to direct and drive the soule out of it selfe into the thing signified; but as the water destroyed all that abode in it without the Arke, even so doth Baptisme destroy all soules who live in the forme or type thereof, and yet is not inclosed about, or incorporated into the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and abideth in him according as he is in the Divine nature: and as the persons could not be saved if they kept not in the Arke, no more can any foule be safe but as it abideth in the Divine nature, [Page 67]as the branch in the Vine, Jo. 15.1, 2. But I say no more at present of this type of Baptisme, because it may be you shall heare somewhat more of it afterwards, and I hope by what is said you may partly understand your errour in your foolish conclusions upon it, and not to be deceived by the false lying spirit of your blinde Priests; so I proceed to speake a word of another principle in your Religion, viz. Prayer.

Now as for Prayer I know there be many commands in Scrip­ture for it, and many examples also; but for set times, and set formes, and in prayer you have none, according as you use it.

As for the times of prayer which you use, viz. usually eve­ning and morning, you have neither command nor example in Scripture, but only this you follow by tradition, and being led to observe the same by your good thinking, and the obli­gation of your blinded Conscience being wrong informed by the Doctors of errour, who limit the holy one of Israel, and circumscribe him in a place, and draweth formes and Images of him, according to their fancy and imagination, and so have framed a fantasticall or imaginary worship to him, and in that fantastick way have learned to call upon him, and so have set out to your selves these set times, at which times you can call upon your imaginary God, that he will heare your fained prayers, and forgive you your conceited sin, and supply the ima­ginary want of your soules; and likewise you can praise him for his imaginary mercies bestowed upon your soules, and ad­ding to these a great deale of other hypocriticall repetitions, to fill up your houre, and when that is done then all is well with you, and then heart goe whether thou wilt with thy affe­ctions, for holy duty it is performed, and so by this meanes your hearts is let out to goe a whoring all the day long, and seeketh fellowship and communion with, and in created things, and so your thoughts, fears, cares, lover, and desires is carried af­ter your chiefe God, viz. the world, or something contained in it, for it being your treasure, it hath your heart, for where the treasure is, there is your heart, Mat. 6.21. and looke what hath most of your thoughts that is your god, and if you look into your selves you shall finde, that the Creature hath more of your thoughts then that God you prayed to in the morning, but it mattereth not what your hearts be about all the day long, for [Page 68]you have that at command which will cure all, and that is your evening sacrifice, and duty of prayer; and from hence it is, that you by your chosen times for prayer, have become igno­rant of the ground of prayer, and having forsaken the ground of prayer, and chusing to your selves a set time for prayer, the contrary effects is produced, viz. prayer proceeding from the right ground is a meane whereby sin is kept from the heart and affections, and the heart with the affections is kept from sin; but when the ground is changed into set times, thereby the heart with the affections getteth liberty to sinne, and the crea­ture hath freedome to enter upon the heart, and thus your pray­ers is turned into sinne, and this you have by asking, and re­ceiving counsell of your blinde Priest, and hereby you make a cover for your selves, that you may adde sin to sin; this you may plainly see in Isa. 30.1. but those who knew, or doe know the true ground of Prayer were never tied to set times, but to occasions, and the occasions being so many made our Saviour give out this caveat so oft, Watch and pray, Mar. 13.33. and the Apostle who knew the ground of prayer, and the many occasions to pray, made him bid the Thessalonians pray without ceasing, 1 Thes. 5.17. and those who know the evill of them­selves shall not need to have one to teach them when to pray, or how to pray, neither can they be tyed to set times, for they shall finde that sin in themselves that cannot bee limited to times, and therefore they cannot limit themselves to pray a­gainst it at times, for (to those) both sin and prayer is unli­mitable; and this made the Apostle utter his desire in the well-wishing of those whom hee taught in the truth, and right knowledge of God and themselves, and willed them to pray every where, 1 Tim. 2.8.

Secondly, for the forme you use in your prayer, it is but your owne human invention which causeth you to straine your braine, drawing out from thence so many words, and multi­plication of speech, and to fill up your houre is oft put to use the same words over and over, and so contrary to the com­mand of our Saviour you use vaine repetitions, Mat. 6.7.

And herein you differ not from the Heathens, for they think to be heard for their much speaking; and this your beat-braine Duty is but the sacrifice of fooles, and yet you know not that you doe evill, but this your doing pleaseth your selfe, and [Page 69]pacifieth your blinde Conscience, and from hence you draw conclusions, that God is pleased also, making him such a one as your selves, Psa. 50.21. but those who know the right ground of prayer they are not tyed to times, neither are they tyed to a forme in prayer, for the true ground of prayer turne­eth set times into occasions, and it turneth selfe formes and re­petitions into short and feeling expressions; yea, oft times such expressions as you could not heare, if you were besides the Per­sons who uttereth these expressions, and those are the cryes that ring and eccho in the eares of the Lord of Hosts, and these are the prayers that prevaileth with the Lord, in answering and filling the desires of such soules, and these prayers and cryes are the very vigorous out-pourings of the Spirit, which maketh in­tercession for the Saints, and he who is a Spirit knoweth the minde of the Spirit, Rom. 8.26. and in this manner Moses (who knew the right ground of prayer) called upon the Lord in his greatest distresse, not so much as speaking one word that any of the people heard, and yet his spirit cryed out so vehemently to the Lord that the Lord said unto him, Wherefore cryest thou unto me? and all that while his spirit was calling upon the Lord with his tongue, he was admonishing the people to be­leeve in the Lord, as you may see, Exod. 14.13, 14, 15, &c. And in this manner Hannah poured out her prayer to God, and prevailed with him in the thing she desired, though Eli before he knew the truth accounted her a drunkard, 1 Sam. 1.13, 14. but the truth is, that you know not the right ground of prayer, and therefore you cannot depart from your set times, and set formes, and therefore you aske and receive not, because you aske amisse, Jam. 4.3, And the reason why you have not the right ground of prayer is, because you know not God but as a Person, and not as he is a Spirit; and you know not the wisdome, righteousnesse, and power of God, viz. his Christ, but according to the flesh, and therefore all your wor­ship (and holy duties, as you call them) is framed according to the knowledge that you have of God, and Christ, and this knowledge you have is no more but by relation of others, as you have heard and seen in the Scriptures, and the speaking thereof, by your relative Priests; and from hence it is that you have formed in your heads an Historicall faith, and fantastick beleeving, for as yet you have not been in the City of God, and [Page 70]what you have heard and seen therein you cannot speake of, and no further then you have knowledge of God you can be­leeve God, and no further then you can beleeve God can you call upon him, and what God is in his Spirituall being you have not yet beleeved, then how can you call on him in whom you have not beleeved? Rom. 10.12. and why is it that you have not right­ly beleeved, even because you have not rightly heard of God? and why is it that you have not rightly heard of God, even be­cause you have not had him rightly preached to you by your Priests, and the reason why they could not rightly declare and preach God (as he is a Spirit, and Christ, as he was, and is in the Divine nature) is, because they were never sent, Rom. 10.14, 15.

But I know that you may object against me, and say, that you you have some examples in Scripture, both for your set times and set forms of prayer; for you will say, that David praised at even, morning, and at noon, &c. and that our Saviour himself prayed at sundry times, and the Apostles themselves used prayer in this manner very oft with others, &c.

It is true, I do not deny vocal prayer, and times for vocal prayer, in case the right ground of prayer be in the person or persons praying; for I would have you to understand what I have formerly said; for I do not deny, but confess occasional praying, but that which I deny, is the set-times and set-forms of prayer, which is but good thinkings, rules, and blinde Priests precepts, without any command, or example in Scripture; but vocal prayer occasionally, the persons rightly grounded, this is all, that you or any can gather out of any example in Scripture. And in this wise, David oftentimes both prayed and praised, and occasionally Christ in the flesh both prayed and praised, and oc­casionally did the Apostles, and the believing people in the pri­mitive time both prayer and praise. And according to this same rule, the Apostle bad those that were afflicted pray, and those that were merry, he would have them to praise in singing of Psalms, Jam. 5.13. And so I would have all men (while they be in the body, and the body of sin in them) to use vocal prayer occasionally, and that their expressions may arise from the very sence of the occasion; and such prayers or expressions of de­sires (accompanied with the right ground) God will hear and answer the desires of such, and will deliver them from fear and [Page 71]trouble, and then shall such have cause to praise and glorifie him, Psal. 50.15. But in drawing from example of occasions wrong conclusions, and so making set-times, suiting to others occasions, herein you erre greatly, as also to draw conclusion from the example of others expressions (who spake according to the sence of the occasion.) For your formal repetitions, this also is but foolishness and fantastick conceit, without any ground at all; and long may you call upon your God (even like the Priest of Baal,) before he grant what you would have; onely this I know you may have granted of God, even as you have framed him a person in your fancy, and comprehended him in a place, so he answereth you again by way of your fan­cy, by suffering the Angel of Light, oftimes beguile you in making you believe you have received a great deal of comfort, and refreshing in your soules from God, when it is no more but the deceiveable spirit working in the imagination and fancy.

I would have inlarged more upon this principle (in your Re­ligion) but that I would be at some other thing, and what is said of this may give you some sight and glimpse of light, that you thereby may darkly see where about you are in this your holy duty of prayer; for in case you come to see your selfe in this particular, you shall know assuredly that you differ not from the Papists themselves, for this your holy duty of prayer (as you call it) was first instituted (according to times and formes) amongst them, and you from them, have borrowed that fashion of prayer, and you and they are both one in the substance though you differ in some circumstances in your formes, yet both of you worship one and the same God in your hearts: But no more of this at present.

But to proceed, I speake a word of another principall ground of your Religion, viz. your blinde zeale in being so carried out to heare the Ordinances of God as you call them, viz. your blinde Priests, who have the lying spirit of errour in them, by which they have preached to you, and having bewitched you with their Charmes, they have made you beleeve lyes instead of truth; and from hence it is that you are altogether out of the way of the truth, both inwardly and outwardly, and yet you have no more knowledge thereof, nor no more sence there­of then Witches, whom the Devill have cheated (with his fan­tastick [Page 72]delusions, so that they finding, or indeed conceiting, they finde such comfort and content in these delusions, (so that they cannot be sensible of the danger they be in) even so are you cheated by your false Priests, and have no knowledge at all of the dangerfull deceit you are in, but instead of finding out their deceit you are in love with them for their deceiving; but no marvell, for they have offered chanting powder to you, and you have received the same of them, and have eaten it in your morsels, and so by the vertue (or rather poysonable nature) thereof, you are made to goe and run starke mad after them, and in this mad zeale you have lived, and doe live in, and in so doing you thinke you doe Gods service, and seeke to honour him, by attending of his Ordinance. O poore blinde cheated soules, I pitty you for your great ignorance herein, for I was in your condition formerly, and I had as great zeale in that way as any of you have, or can have, and I had the same thought of duty that you have, yea and I doted in my madnesse upon these your false Priests, and did very much adore them, I am sure as much as you can doe, and I owned them as the Ordinances, Oracles, and Ministers of God; but when the loving kindnesse of God appeared to me, and that he was plea­sed to make the way of his truth knowne to me, then did I see my great folly and madnesse, and then was manifested to me the great deceit of the Priests, and more and more, as God was pleased to owne me, and teach me; so more and more they were discovered to me, and out of my love and pitty toward you, as my owne flesh and blood, I give you warning of them, for they are none of the Ministers of God, neither ever sent hee them, but they have been brought into their places by other meanes, as I have somewhat shewed you before; therefore as all the rest of your duties, and performances taught you by them, is but by their owne wisdomes invention, so is this also; for this duty of hearing them is that which most of all exalteth them, for thereby they have both their praise, pride, and profit upholden, and that causeth them to beat so sore upon that very point, and layeth load upon your poore blinded Conscience, and by help of the lying spirit that is in them, they have wrested all the Scriptures to, and for their owne purpose in this particu­lar, and so have blinded you of the right sence of many places that painted them out in their right colours, and have made [Page 73]use of them, and applied them for the upholding of themselves, and for the opposing and putting downe of all who had more appearance of God in them then themselves; and beside, when, or where they had, or have power, they took to them the help of the Sword of Justice to uphold themselves, and destroy o­thers who had God more clearly manifested in them then them­selves, and thus have they become the Man of Sin, who exalteth himselfe above God, or any that are called by the name of God, as you shall see plainly opened afterward; but in the interim beware of them, and thinke not that you performe any accepta­ble service to God in going to heare them, for by this very act of yours you become transgressours against God, and so he gi­veth you up to be deceived, and the way of truth is hid from you.

But you may object and say, In case they be not sent Mini­sters of God, yet you may heare them, for Christ bad the peo­ple heare the Scribes and Pharisees which sate in Moses Chaire, and yet they were such as were against Christ, and taught the people to observe the Law, and yet themselves observed not what they taught to others.

It is true, Christ bad the people observe and doe whatsoever the Scribes and Pharisees taught them, but yet he commanded not the people to heare them, but only as you may inferre from the other words; but in case he had in plaine words comman­ded them to heare them, that maketh not for your hearing of unsent Ministers in our dayes, as I shall plainly prove the same unto you. For in these last dayes both the Law of Commande­ment, and the Law of Ceremonies, and the observation of Cir­cumcision was all in force untill the death of Christ in the flesh, but when he spake these words he was in the flesh, and so the observation of the ceremoniall Law and Circumcision was tol­lerable, and to be observed of the people; and those Scribes and Pharisees who then sate in Moses seat, viz. to read the Law to the people (and to offer the gifts and sacrifices, and had the worke of ministring in the Temple) they were all of the Tribe of Levi, and were they good men, or bad men that were of that Line, they were to have that office by succession, and none other, as you may see, Numb. 8.14. And so long as the Law of Ordinances was in force, Christ would have them obser­ved, because they all were shadowes of (and pointed at) him­selfe, [Page 74]and the reading of the Law could not be heard but by the Scribes, who were of the Tribe of Levi; and as Christ was in the flesh the Law was not ended, neither the succession of the Ministers; and as the ceremoniall Law did hold out Christ mystically, so Christ bare witnesse to the truth of the Law ce­remonially, and what was an Ordinance of God, and that Ordinance being in force that would Christ have observed, and in this case he bad the Lepers goe and shew themselves to the Priests, and offer to them what the Law required for their be­ing clensed, Luke 17.14. and in this case he caused Peter to pay tribute to Caesar, and he came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it, Mat. 5.7. and as yet he had not fulfilled the ceremo­niall, for that was fulfilled by his death, but the Ordinance of Circumcision he had fulfilled in being circumcised himselfe, and the Law of the Commandement he had fulfilled in that he had not sinned, and all those things contained in the Ordinances, he would have all the people to observe to the utmost, untill the time that all should be fulfilled by his Death, and Resurrection, and the Priests of the Law was still to be heard in reading, and giving out admonitions according to its requiring, as Moses oft times did unto the people in his dayes. But now the Mini­sters of the Gospel hath not the same calling into the Ministery, as we may see by Christ himselfe, for he chused not any of the Tribe of Levi to be promulgaters of the Gospel, neither any great learned men, but a few weake, silly, unlettered men, and from that time forward those who were to be Ministers of the Gospel had not their calling either by succession, or by great­nesse of Schollership; but those was to be the Ministers who was called of God, and who had received the gift of the Holy Ghost, and who had partaken of the Divine nature, by which they had fellowship with the Father and the Sonne, and had the Mysteries of God made knowne to them, and manifested in them, And what they had heard and seene, that they declared to o­thers, 1 Jo. 1.1, 2. and these have learned the voyce of Christ, and these can speake with the voyce of Christ, and none other knoweth his voyce, and whosoever cometh to the Ministery otherwise they are but Theeves, and there is no ingagement upon any to heare them, but rather to refraine from them. For as for the Scribes, it is evident in Scripture they had their cal­ling into the Priesthood by Gods owne appointment, and so [Page 75]by his appointment they were to have it by succession, whether they were upright men or not, as is aforesaid; but for your Priests they cannot plead succession, neither can they shew any calling they have at all but what was ordained by men, and so they are no more but Ministers made and sent out by men; and therefore as they are but the Ministers of men, you have no command to heare them. And as they want the calling of, and by God, (the which the Scribes and Pharisees had) that say­ing of Christs doth nothing belong to you, either by command or example, whereby you are at all ingaged to heare those your unsent Priests.

But if any of them can prove it, that God commanded to make Universities, and that those whom hee would chuse to speake in his name (and declare his will and minde unto o­thers) should be put so many yeares to that University, and then to be confirmed by a Bishop, or a Presbytery, and then should they be fit men for his worke; I say, if any of them can prove this, though they be never so wicked, I would have you to heare them, if they speake any thing that were but like truth; but this I know they cannot prove, and therefore as they have no calling of God, you ought not to heare them, for in hearing them you countenance them, and uphold them contrary to the minde and will of God, and for your rebelling against God in this very thing, God bringeth the curses of these your Priests upon your selves, viz. the erring from the truth of God, and hereby you are in danger to fall into the ditch with them; and this is like to be all that you shall receive of God, for this your pretended zeale, and Ignorant performing of this your holy du­ty of hearing Gods Ministers, as you call them.

I could have run thorow all your holy duties, and perfor­mances which you observe, upon which you have stated your religion, and could have proved them of like nature as these I have already touched, but I let them passe at present, and wish you to judge the rest by those that have been spoken of, and I make no doubt but you shall finde them all but Priests precepts, and you may assure your selves if the fountaine be corrupt, all the streames will prove uncleane.

And this my Message received from the Lord I here declare, and deliver unto you, and whether you will heare it or not it is nothing to me, since I have done what I ought to doe; and in [Page 76]case they have had the persecuting hand; but you for want of that case that any amongst you doe beleeve what here is said, and so desireth further knowledge of the way of God, I know you shall not want what you desire; but if any amongst you shall slight, or neglect what here is presented to you, I know the same will be as a witnesse against you, and that you shall have nothing to plead against God for matter of ignorance, seeing you had a warning from him of your folly and blindnesse.

A word to those who are called Independents.

I Know if any of you (who are of the Church-fel­lowship of the Independant order) shall happen to see these former lines presented to the order of the Presbyterians, you will conclude that I have not spoken amisse in what I have declared to them, both in speaking to their Priests, and to the People, for I know many of you have the same both in your thoughts, and oft times in your words, and knowing how they are blinded in some of their formes, that hath caused you to differ and dissent from them in some things, and so in those things you differ from them you judge them in feriour to you, and so ariseth so many jarres betwixt them and you about your formes, and yet if you knew but the truth as it is in Jesus (and from the know­ledge of the truth you became to know your own selves) you should not jarre so much with them as you doe, for you, and they, and the Papists too, are all brethren in the bottome, and all worship one and the same God with your hearts, viz. the Creature, as I shall hereafter shew you; and you differ not but in your heads, because the God whom your worship hath his habitation there, and him you worship in your formes; and it is about your formall worship you jarre, and whosoever wor­ship God in formes they cannot chuse but jarre with those who be not in the same way of worship with them; and from hence it is that so much blood becometh shed about Religion so called, [Page 77]and indeed otherwise it cannot be, but that while men live in formes they will be jarring, and live in contentions, and the effects thereof is Murther and Blood; but where the power of God, and truth of God is manifested, and the heart becometh established therein, it teacheth men another worke then jarring with, and killing one another, and differing from them in matter of judgement about a few weake out sid formes, which all is but acts of the creature.

But be it knowne to you, I have not any intention at all to wrong you, or out of any malice to write to you, but out of a friendly spirit give to you that right which doth belong to you in your forme, and would if possible let you see the emptinesse in all formes, and would have you to presse after that which is the substance, and life, and blisse, and well-being of all soules, and this is not comprehended or con­tained in any forme (though never so well regulated, and brought into the nearest conformity that possible can be accor­ding to rule, or example in Scripture) yet I confesse where men live in their weaknesse and blindnesse of that which is the chiefe good, and cannot apprehend God as a Spirit, and what wor­ship he requireth, nor can know Christ in the Divine nature, but according to the Flesh; so long I say a forme is tollerable, and men ought to state a forme according to the best rule and example in Scripture, and in their time and place they may bee good and usefull, but out of their time and place they become damageable and hurtfull, viz. when they become to bee lived in, and life and peace found in them; and so men setling down in them, then doe they blinde men of that which is the pure good, and so the good (of, and) in these formes becometh evill, and this I would have all Formalists to take heed of: But more of this you shall heare afterward; but now I proceed to the thing intended.

It is true, I must confesse your forme is somewhat more tol­lerable, and to be approved of in some things before those of the Presbyterie order, because you have not as yet been as rigid, and persecuting of those who have dissented from your forme, as they have been, but yet as you are but in a forme, you know not what you would doe, in case you had but as much power in your hands as the Presbyterians have had in some places, for they for these many yeares have had power, and by that [Page 78]power have been on the suffering hand, untill of late, and as yet you are sensible of the suffering; but in case you live to have the whole Nationall power given into your hands, and there­by become strong, I know then what you would doe, even per­secute also all those who would not worship God in your form; but you thinke you would not doe so, but I know you would doe so; for as you are but in a forme, you would persecute if you had but the whole power, but those whom you would persecute most would be those who had most of the Divine na­ture in them; for of all other these shall be sure of persecuti­on, for one Formalist in some respect will beare with another, yet all who are but in a forme, of what forme soever, will lend a hand to persecute those who live in Christ, and Christ in them, for what forme is the purest is but stated according to Christ in the flesh, and all Formalists is but the Sons of the bond-woman, and therefore they cannot cease to persecute the sons of Freedome; but I know you cannot beleeve that ever you would doe any such wickednesse as this, but alas, you know your owne hearts no more then did Hazaell, when Elisha told him what mischiefe he would doe afterward to the chil­dren of Israel, 2 King. 8.13. yet at present there is no such thing apparent amongst you, but God hath used you as instru­ments, whereby there is more liberty to the free-borne sons then hath been heretofore, but this freedome as yet is not such to those who are free-borne indeed; but if they come to dis­approve of your formes, or speake against them, they shall bee sure of a snap by you if occasion serve for it; but yet I confesse this liberty and freedome of yours will give more tolleration to twenty erring Sects, rather then to one who hath the truth of God truly manifested in him, in case he should come to teach your foundation, but the best freedome of such is to keep themselves unknowne, and then shall none have power to hurt them, for indeed for all the liberty of Conscience that is so much spoken of, yet if one should appeare to declare the My­steries of godlinesse, and the great Mystery of sin and selfness in the sons of men, I am sure he should not be long without persecution; but there be some amongst you, yea even of your owne forme, who is growne so wise in their good thinking, that they conceit, and strongly imagine that Christs personall reigne is already begun upon the earth, because of such great [Page 79]wonders as they see brought to passe, as they call them, and all is because of the liberty themselves have gotten to use their owne forme with quietnesse, and this doth so strongly worke upon the fancy of some wise fooles, that from thence they conclude that the Kingdome is given into the hands of the Saints, and that Christ shal reign amongst them for a thousand yeares, and so have coted and wrested many Scriptures to that very purpose; but if these poor blinded fools had but their eyes opened rightly, they should rather cry out, and bid all the Nation beware, for the Devill is let loose, and is come downe amongst them, Revel. 12.12.

And this I am sure I can prove, for I can discover very much of his working both in religion, and out of religion, not one forme in England whatsoever it be but I will prove somewhat of the Devill in it; nay, what Office or Trade soever is in England, even from the highest to the lowest I can see the Devill have a hand in it; yea, and in many things a great deale more of him in it then ever; and if this be the beginning of the Personall reigne of Christ, I marvell what the height of his Kingdome will be; but I could wish those poore blinded fooles amongst you to turne their eyes inward, and looke for the reigning of Christ in them, and then I beleeve they shall finde something that will hold them doing, that they shall looke no more for Christ without them; for the reason why they are so carried out in their fancy is, because they found life in the liberty of their forme, and so was carried out from the medling with the evill that is in their owne hearts, and therefore not knowing the Mysterie of selfnesse in them, the Devill hath power to worke in their fancy, and make them looke for such things to be fulfilled outwardly, as shall in their time and order be ful­filled inwardly, and all this happeneth because of the forme of godlinesse without the power of God, and as yet they have not received the truth as it is in Jesus, neither doe they love the truth, nor can love it, because they doe not know it, and for this cause God sends such very strong delusions, 2 Thess 2.8, 9. But to let these passe with their fantastick conceits, I will speake a word in generall to you, as I finde you stated in a form, to which you keep as close in your order as doe the Presbyteri­ans, yea and as hide-bound to your forme as is the Papists; and though your forme be somewhat more regulated then the Pres­byterians, [Page 80]yet doe you not dissent from their very forme in most things you observe, but you shake hands with them with the one of your hands, and the other hand you reach out to those of the Anabaptists order, and so from the Anabaptists to you, and from you to the Presbyterians, and so from the Pres­byterians to the Prelatians, and so from the Prelatians to the Popes, the collaterall line is kept whole, and you are all tied together with one chaine consisting of so many linkes, and all of you stand in one center, with your feet and your backs one towards another; but as you dance the round you keep the compasse, and not step out of it, and you all dance after one Pipe, and can agree to heare its Musick, for that melody plea­seth you all; and this Musicioner is the Devill, and his Pipe is the World, with its various notes of profit, pleasure, and prai­ses, and when this Pipe is sounded you all dance after it, as though you were all gone mad, and though you all agree in this harmonious dance, yet are you all opposite one to ano­ther in your manners, and breeding, and bringing up, in the courteous conges you make in the saluting of him you call your God, and because of this difference you cannot owne one another, though you otherwise center all in one.

Yet you who are of the order of Independency, I must con­fesse have something amongst you in your formes which I ho­nour and approve of you for it, as you are Formalists, and that is, because you have not as yet tied, or constrained any to observe the same way of worship with you, but as yet leaveth every one to his owne freedome in way of worship, in case hee or they be not open blasphemers, so farre all is well. And fur­ther, you are not altogether so hide-bound to the unsent Priests as the Presbyterians be, though I know you cannot as yet clearly see what they are, and therefore you cannot altogether forsake them, and therefore are so far in bondage to them; I know likewise you have some amongst you called Ministers, who is of somewhat more moderate spirited men then those of the Presbyterian order, and that is somewhat more inlightned in the knowledge of the truth, according to Christ in the flesh, but yet very few I finde amongst them who rightly know the truth, as it is in Christ according to the Divine nature, yet I must confesse some of them have got a darke notion of the truth in the Divine nature, and yet all endeth but in a better regula­ted [Page 81]forme, for as for the proper operation of the truth as it is in Christ, I have not as yet seen any great effects either amongst you or your Ministers, for the naturall operation of the truth turneth the heart out of centering in formes, though never so well regulated; neither will the power of the truth suffer the heart to be carried out to the world, or any created thing what­soever; but all the feares, cares, loves, and desires of any thing below God is subdued in that soule, where the truth hath ta­ken possession in the heart, and little comfort or content can that soule have in any thing created or acted, where the truth as it is in Jesus is rightly knowne, and untill the truth in Jesus, viz. in the Divine nature be received (and from the receiving thereof the knowledge thereof is attained) the heart of men is in bondage either to the creatures, viz. the world, with the things contained in it, or else the works and acting of the creature, viz. formes of Religion of some fashion or other, and all things created, or acted, tendeth to bondage, and men may be in cap­tivity to either of these, or to both, and yet know it not, but thinke themselves free; and the reason is, because they never found bondage in their captivity, but rather freedome; and indeed while man liveth in a forme, he knoweth not the bondage of that forme, but findeth freedome in the forme, yea more freedome then before he tooke the forme upon him; for before he tooke the forme upon him, his Conscience had power to condemne, but now in the forme blinde Conscience is sa­tisfied, and so the heart hath more liberty to center in the crea­ted things, and yet can please conscience with acted things; and thus the worship of God is roundly carried on in formes, and the world, and the worship thereof goes on as roundly in the heart, and no bondage at all felt in any of these things, no more then the Jewes who boasted of being Abrahams seed, and never were in bondage, Jo. 8. but the reason why bondage is not felt in things acted, and things created is, because the truth of God was never truly known amongst you, but I con­fesse you have a zeale, but not according to knowledge, and you have a knowledge, but not according to the truth, for that knowledge you have is but according to Christ in the flesh, and that is but either relative, or artificiall; out of which ariseth an Historicall faith, and this pointeth at, and closeth with Christ as he was in the corporall, or humane nature; and this [Page 82]you may have: and indeed none other can you have while you live in formes, and this is not a knowledge in the heart, or a faith in the heart, but this is altogether in the head, and the power of this saith will not close with Christ, nor can close with Christ in the Divine nature, for that faith in the head ac­cording to Christ in the flesh is alwayes an enemy to Christ, as he is in the Divine nature, and the reason is, because that the faith according to Christ in the flesh doth not take away lust out of the heart, but rather conformeth the heart to lust, and lust to the heart; and lust is lovely to the heart, and the operati­on of the Divine nature, or faith issuing out of (and from) the Divine nature, it killeth lust in the heart, and draweth the heart with all its affections into the right center; and from hence it is that many in their forms fal short of that which is the true center, and becometh enemies of Christ; and yet none preach Christ, nor pretend Christ more then those; but can you who are so compleatly congregated people, thinke that you be any such as be the enemies of Christ? I doubt you will hardly be­leeve it; but let me tell you in plaine termes, you had best be­ware, lest you be found in the number of such, for whosoever are enemies to the Crosse of Christ shall be found enemies to Christ; but I feare you doe not rightly understand what the Crosse of Christ is, and then how should you be friends to it, for I assure you none knoweth the Crosse of Christ but those who be rightly incorporated into the Divine nature, and that is not an incorporating in Kirk-fellowship as you call it, and while you are bound up in that incorporating I may upon safe grounds conclude, that you as yet know not what the Crosse signifieth.

But it may be that some amongst you would know what I meane by the Crosse of Christ, and would heare my opinion of the same, for I know this is a time wherein man is addicted to heare new things, but yet I have not any new thing to tell you, for what I have to say to you is no more but such old tales as hath formerly been told, both by Christ and his true follower, but when the following of Christ ceased, then the old sayings and tales which was formerly told grew out of fashion, and new sayings, and wise sayings, and learned sayings, and studied fictions, being new, became to be in request. But to answer what some of you may desire, I will bring old sayings to ex­plaine [Page 83]the truth hereof to you, and these shall be the saying of the Apostle Paul, who oft insisted upon this very subject, viz. the Crosse of Christ; but this was not the wooden Crosse upon the which the Body of Christ was crucified, that was a type in­deed of the other Crosse spoken of by the Apostle, and in re­spect of the reference the one had to the other, made the Apostle use that Metaphorical speech (in sufferings) for suffering is this Crosse, and by suffering we have fellowship with Christ, and beare him company; but what suffering is it that maketh man have fellowship with Christ, and rightly may bee called the Crosse? it is the daily selfe-deniall of our owne hearts with the inclinations, thoughts, loves, and desires, which is daily tending, and bending downe to the creature in one kinde or other, and the creature with its objects arising to meet the af­fections to carry them after them, from the living and abiding in God as he is a Spirit, and in Christ as he is in the Divine na­ture, or the union of the Father, and in that union of the Fa­ther and the Son, to keep the heart with its affections, that so the fellowship of the Father and the Son may daily be the fel­lowship of our hearts, and this is that which ought to be the center of all hearts, without which there can be no happinesse in any forme, yea this leadeth the heart out of centering in formes, and this was that which the Apostle would have those whom he wrote to, to injoy, and for that end he declared the truth as it was in Jesus, that so they might have fellowship with them who were partakers of the truth, and hee affirmeth, that their fellowship was with the Father and the Sonne, 1 Jo. 1.2, 3.

And where the heart is rightly called, and rightly carried on in the way of Christ (and those who were his followers) they rest not in Formes, and Kirk-fellowships, for they finde in themselves other matters to goe about, and that is to presse after the fellowship of the Father and the Sonne, and their longing, empty, mourning spirit is not, nor cannot be content with any thing below that fellowship, and out of the great desire hereof the soule is set at varience with all created things, or whatso­ever may interpose or keep back the Spirit from that which is the object of its desire, and when by pure, inlightening the pure beleeving is fixed in the will, or heart, then I beleeve there will be suffering in the daily striving to keep the created object from [Page 84]the heart, and the heart from the creature by objects, and then shall appeare and be made manifest that which never did appeare before, even the great body of sin and selfnesse, which of ne­cessity must be destroyed and crucified, and made as dead as the Body of Jesus, when it hung dead upon the Crosse of wood, and this daily withstanding the body of sin in the heart and affecti­ons, is the Crosse upon which the body of sin must be crucified; for this body of sin (or this selfnesse) in the heart must dye, or the soule must dye instead of it; and it is not a few daily duties, or being incorporated into a congregated way, that will destroy it; no, no, for this body of sin and selfnesse is of ano­ther nature then so, for it will cost man the best blood in him before it be subdued; and the Apostle who knew the evill of it, and the necessity of having it crucified, could not rejoyce in any thing more then in the Crosse of Christ, by which hee was crucified to the world, and the world to him, Gal. 6.14. and by this daily denying of the out-goings of the heart into the creature, (and the incoming of the creature into the heart) man becometh planted into the likenesse of Christs death, with­out which none can be partaker of his resurrection, Rom. 4.5. and being baptised into the death of Christ by way of suffering in the selfe deniall, the body of sin is destroyed, or the old man crucified, Rom. 6.6. and the Apostle counted but all things dung and drosse in comparison of knowing Christ in this man­ner, and to be found in him, and to know the power of his re­surrection, and the fellowship of his suffering, and a confor­mity to his death, if by any meanes he might attaine to the re­surrection of the dead, Phil. 3.10, 11, &c. this was the marke he aymed at, to which he walked by the rule of the suffering and example of Christ, and in obedience to his commande, (which most was for selfe deniall) he pressed hard after him in the way of his suffering, that so nothing that was of selfe might live in him; yea when he found that selfe got life and food by way of consolation, then was he willing to part with consolation, and chose to beare Christ company in the way of suffering, and tooke pleasure in so doing, 2 Cor. 12.10. But my friends, know you what I meane by what is already said? doe you know what is the Crosse of Christ, and what must dye up­on that Crosse? I hope you may strongly guesse at both; but friends, whether are you enemies to this Crosse yea or nay? if [Page 85]you be friends of the crosse, then are you the friends of Christ, and then are you in fellowship with him, either in suffering with him, or in reigning with him; if in suffering with him, then doe you obey his commands in taking upon you the Crosse, and following him to the death of the Crosse; and if it be so that you have communion with him in this way, then I know your mindes is rent from, or in renting from all created things whatsoever, no profit or gaine in the world is desired, nay the very thoughts of it is terrible to you; and in case it sometimes dare approach to tempt, yet are you as quick in re­sisting and beating downe these thoughts, and then the win­dy praise of men is loathsome to you, and little doe you care for any approbation of any whatsoever; and then pleasures of the sences, and the affections with, or in any thing created or acted is not at all regarded; losse of friends, and increasing of foes is all one thing, yea love of friends, and hatred of foes is all one; rich and poore are all one, losse or gaine all one, good report and bad report all one, duty performed our unperformed all one, congregated or uncongregated all one, and whatsoever in their name and nature may differ is all one; for why, God is but one and all, and as man is in God by earnest of desire, viz. by being oned with Christ by way of suffering, the will of man becometh transplanted out of varieties, and differing of things into the one and only wil of the Father; and this was that which Christ himselfe in the flesh aymed at, and was compleated in him, even onednesse of will, and well-pleasednesse with suffe­ring; and if you know the Crosse of Christ, and have taken it up, then are you his Disciples, and then he teacheth you to forsake your selves in all things. But I somewhat feare that you follow not Christ in this way, no not so much as in an outward conformity, for I doubt that superfluities of the out­ward man is not as yet forsaken of you, much lesse the body of sinne in the inward man in crucifying, for I can beleeve you have learned Christ in another way then in following him by suffering, by which the body of sin is to be destroyed, for that way you have learned is to beleeve in Christ, and apply his suffe­ring, and not to follow his suffering, yea & that is a very cunning easie way, for by that way you can close with Christ in what he suffered himselfe, and by an Historicall faith can beleeve that what he suffered was for you, and by that false faith can apply [Page 86]Christ in the way of propitiation, and yet forsake him in the way of imitation, and I promise you this is a handsome way if it were a sure way, for hereby God and the world, Christ and the body of sinne might stand all in one soule, and I wish you were not cousened in this very point; and I assure you, that if you have not followed Christ in the way of the crosse, in the daily denying of your selves both inwardly and outwardly (by that faith you have gotten, whereby you apply Christ in his suf­ferings) you will be beguiled one day, for that faith is but that which draweth you into duty, and Kirk-fellowship, and not into the fellowship of Christ, and herein you may prove the enemies both of Christ and his Crosse; but let me call to your remembrance another old saying out of date, or at least­wise out of request, and so but little heeded, and yet it shall be one of his who was a follower of Christ in the way of the Crosse, and this was Pauls, and let us see and judge by it who are the enemies of the Crosse; and when he gave out the say­ing, he gave it out with weeping teares, for though hee had preached Christ crucified so much, and himselfe walked by the same example, pressing forward to the price of the high calling, viz. by bearing the crosse of Self-deniall, and so bearing Christ company, having fellowship with him in his suffering, by which he was to have the body of sinne and selfnesse destroyed, that thereby he might live in the lovely fellowship of the Fa­ther and the Son, and this he aimed at, and wished those who were of the same spirit with him, that they should all minde the same thing, and walke by the same rule, and follow him as hee followed Christ, and then in pitty and tender-heartednesse, and weeping, he tels them of those who were the enemies of the crosse, and painteth them out in their right colour, and giveth them their portions, in the first place setting the effect before the cause, vid. destruction, and then setteth a three-fold chara­cter upon them, as the cause of their destruction, viz. Whose belly is their god, who glory in their shame, who minde earthly things, Phil. 3.18, 19. This is an old saying little heeded, but mark it well, for here I call it to a new remembrance, I hope God is what he was then, Christ is now what he was then, the Crosse is now what it was then, the enemies of the Crosse is such now as was then, the effect is such now as was then; therefore my friends of the congregated order, judge your selves by these three [Page 87]characters, whether you be enemies or friends of the crosse yea or nay: but it may be you hardly know how to judge your selves by them, therefore for your sakes I will explaine them a little, that thereby you may the better judge your selves by them; but I will be short, and not tedious in explaining, that you may be the more capable to understand; then mark the first character, viz. Whose belly is their god, &c. This may seeme an ab­rupt saying, and they were sore besotted and foolish, who made a god of their belly; and it seemes such a foolish thing to doe so, that few can conceive that they themselves doe any such thing; but in case there be any such who doe that foolish act, yet every one can excuse himselfe, and think it may belong to some other, but marke well what shall be said, and see which of you can excuse himselfe when the truth of the saying is ope­ned. Well, what is God? he is the chiefe delight, and chiefe treasure, and those that knoweth him doth chuse him so, and he is their chiefe delight, and chiefe treasure, and so their hearts is with him, and all its affections, in seeking, loving, fearing, and desiring, &c. and to witnesse this truth our Saviour said, Where your treasure is there will your hearts be also; and the heart can no way be discovered but by its effects, viz. inclinati­ons, thoughts, feares, cares, loves, and desires, &c. then consi­der whether God, or your bellies be your god, or chief treasure, and whether you owne and worship more with your hearts, and your affections; if God be your God, and chiefe treasure, then your hearts with its affections is in him, and with him all the day long, and is worshipping him either in prayer, or praises, and all your thoughts taken up with things of the same nature, and things of the world is but a great vexation to your spirits, and you looke but upon them, but as they serve for your meere necessity, and though it be meere necessity (in respect of your fraile bodies) yet even to have your thoughts drawne out of God, if never so little, yet this is a detriment and trouble to your spirit, because these thoughts doe somewhat pierce be­tween you and your God, so that your whole conversation cannot be in Heaven, this I know will bee no little trouble to you if God be your God; and the Apostle who worshipped God, and had chosen him to be the chiefe treasure, said, that both he and his upright followers had their conversation in heaven, Phil. 3.20. and those to whom he had preached Christ, [Page 88]and his crosse, and the rising againe with him (lest they should learne the same by comprehension, and relative beleeving) hee giveth them a caveat in a negative speech, to which he added an affirmative command, and said, If yee be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, &c. and set your affections on things above, &c. Col. 3.1, 2. and God giveth out his command to love him with the whole heart; and Moses in declaring Gods command to the people, delivereth the same to them in like manner, say­ing, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soule, &c. and thou shalt cleave to him, Deut. 10.20. which inti­mateth that there would be something that would draw, and pull the heart from God, for he knew the body of sinne would be stirring, and the creature would be creeping into their hearts, by which they should be in danger to be pulled from the true God, and therefore he bid them cleave to him; and the Apo­stle who had chosen God for his God, and knew the subtlety of the body of Sin and selfe, he was cautelous of the same, and kept manfully to the warfare between the creature and the heart, whereby whatsoever sought to interpose between God and his heart, that he beat down, yea if it were but in a thought, or in an imagination, as you may see, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. and in so doing every thought was brought into the obedience of Christ, and this was by bearing the crosse under which hee rejoyced, and so became the friend and companion of Christ.

If you can witnesse to this in your owne spirits, and your hearts have chosen God for your God, and that your daily ex­ercise be in God, and your heart with its affections be thus or­dered, then God is your God indeed, and you are the friends of Christ, and his Crosse, otherwise take it for granted, you are of those whose belly is their god: for the belly hath a large signification if I would but touch upon every particular there­of, yet I omit the most of what may be said thereof, and will only give you a short touch thereof; as for the belly, it is natu­rally consuming, unsatiable, requiring more then is meet for it, and most of the Sences is as servants to it, and doth usurp upon the affections to serve it also, and where it is the god, it doth command obedience to its requirings, and so the affections in obedience doth invent desire, and seeke what may be answera­ble to and for its requirings, and so the affections (by the com­munion they have with the Sences, and the command over [Page 89]them) doth cause them to help on this worke, and through the commanding power of both, the other members of the body is carried on to act in that obedience also; and thus is the whole man in action about the service of the Belly, and so man is made to invent, thinke, and desire, and act about those things which is created for satisfying the Belly: from hence it is that the belly being the chief god, that all these superfluities is provided for it, and so many severall dishes, when one of them would serve Na­ture; and for upholding the worship of this god, what care, feare, and desire, labour, and watching, and waiting, yea some for the worship and service they owe to this god, sacrifice all their whole estate, and some for this service will oppresse their fellow creatures, and some for this service labour day and night, both in body and minde, and all little enough to satis­fie this hungry god, and whatsoever belongeth to the backe hath a relation to the belly, and these two agree in one in their requirings, as they become god, and so (to and) for their wor­ship through the commanding power of lust, put in action all the affections, sences, and members of the body and soule; and so it is, that so many foolish fantastick fashions, and superflu­ous habits becometh worne in these dayes, so that I much feare this god hath great power, and is much worshipped in our time, yea more then heretofore.

And as men have power in their hand, viz. the riches of this world, they become the greater providers for this gods sacrifi­ces, and then they become to have the second character set up­on them, viz. They glory in their shame; is not this to be seen in our dayes amongst most sorts of those we call Professors, how they are carried out to worship Back and Belly, as is before said, but especially amongst those who be rich in the world, having such sumptuous and excessive tables, and all things suitable, for the upholding of the lust of the eye, & yet doe they not see very many of their fellow creatures like to starve, both for meat and cloathing, and yet they can look upon them with a light look, and very little compassion, and the reason is, that which they have they must keep for sacrifices for their god, and the rest they must keep for themselves to glory in, for the very sight of rich superfluities lifteth up the heart, and the thoughts thereof doth yeeld them comfort, and the having and posses­sing of these things winneth the praise of such fooles as them­selves, [Page 90]and in all these they glory, and yet all they glory in is but their shame, yea and abominable shame too, both in the eyes of God, and in the eyes of those who are weaned from such things, and by the Crosse have crucified these things; Is it not a shame to have the creatures of God in abundance, and so many like to starve for want? and yet the bowels of compassion shut up against them, how dwelleth the love of God in such? and in the having of these things doe they not puffe up the Persons that have them, above their fellow creatures? and so respecteth persons, and accounteth much of such as them­selves, and despise those who be inferiour to them, Jam. 2.3. is not this a shame, and yet how many doth glory herein? Nay, how many various pleasures and delights is there that men glory in, and yet a shame to be taken up with them? How many shamefull gloryings belongeth to those who are the enemies of the Crosse, who have their belly for their God? but I let them passe, and come to the third character, viz. Who minde earthly things; Its love to that which is the god hath the minde, and no marvell if the Belly be the god, if the minde be set on earthly things; and this is that which will try all soules whether they have God, or their belly for their god; for though the belly cannot devour all in the worshipping of it, yet that which is not offered in sacrifice to it, that becomes to be gloried in; and for upholding that worship, and that glory, the minde must of necessity be carried out to meddle about earthly things, for it is these that must uphold all the glory, and the worship of that god, and though the glory, and the worship of that god be the best performed by, and of those who are rich, yet those who are not so great and rich in the things of the world, I make no doubt but their wills is as bent to worship that god, and to glory after that manner, and its possible the will may be acceptable for the deed, and where the will is led out in defi­ring of those things, I am sure the minde is set about earthly things; for where there is any god (but the true God) either in possession, or in desire, the minde will be constantly carried out about that which will please their god, and two Gods no man can serve, for he will love the one, and hate the other, Mat. 6.24. and those who would owne the true God for their God, was not to have their minds set, or carried out to seek any thing below him, no not so much as to have a thought of [Page 91]what should be the next day; and all that any should look for in this world, is no more then needfull food and raiment, and this must not be had with either fearing, caring, or desi­ring, but by way of beleeving, and the minde wholly carried out in seeking the Kingdome of God, and the righteousnesse thereof; these are old worne-out sayings of Christ, and they being worne out of date with oldnesse, they are but little hee­ded, for we have got a new way to the Kingdome of God, by which we can carry the world, and the body of sin and Selfness, and duty, and all together, and this way is by the false faith framed by the braine knowledge of the learned Priests, and see­ing they have invented such a fine way, how can fooles but love them, and thinke themselves happy if they can but get incor­porated into their congregations; but weigh what is hinted at before, and see who are the enemies of the Crosse, and I beleeve you shall finde no want of such in your congregations; and in­deed I doe not marvell that the Crosse hath so many enemies, seeing the vertue of it would take away sin, and destroy Selfe, and men loving Selfe so well, they cannot abide to goe to hea­ven without it, and this new-found way leadeth to heaven a­nother way, in which Selfe and all goeth together.

My friends, who are of the Independant congregations, consider with your selves whether or no you be the enemies of the Crosse or not, & do not so much pretend Christ, and talk of Christ with your tongues, and yet be enemies to his Crosse in your hearts; I know what I speake, and have some grounds for what I say, I know where you stand, and what is your worship well e­nough, and I have just cause to feare that many in your congre­gations be more enemies then friends to the Crosse, but I am partly perswaded that your ignorance is some cause thereof, and the cause of your ignorance is by reason of many of your Ministers, for I know you have abundance of them who are of the false-hearted crue, who through cunning of their wit have played the Juglers, and seeing your order come into request, and like to carry the sway in these times, and fearing to be lo­sers by such alterations, through their cunning have transfor­med themselves into another shape, and so have crept in amongst you; and though they seeme to be something, yet they are but the same they were before in their heart; and I know they have power by the great hand of their God, who first made them Mi­nisters, [Page 92]to Metamorphize themselves into any likenesse, but beware of them, for they will keep you still in ignorance, and by dissembling deceive you; for they are many of them the enemies of the Cross of Christ, yea, and have wrested the minde of God in the Scriptures, contrary to what he aimed it for, and have made use of it for their own back ends, and have taught the people contrary to the truth; and so have kept them in ignorance until this day, and by their means the knowledge of the Cross hath ceased these many years, and so there hath been the falling away from the knowledge of the truth: And this the Apostle Paul saw clearly in his time, and told the peo­ple, that the day of Christ should not come before such a fall, 2 Thes. 2.3.

I would have given you a full description of the ensuing mystery in this Chapter, but that I would not be too tedious to you, nor too much offensive to the order of Priests; for I assure them, they are mightily included in it, and the true opening of it would vex them all to the very heart, and what I have already written to them, shall suffice at present; but in case I be called to write again, I profess whatsoever the Lord shall make known to me, on their behalf, shall undoubtedly be uttered, though at present I have prevailed to forbear.

And you my Friends, who are of the congregated order of what parts soever, whether more in knowledge, or less in know­ledge, this I desire of you, To aim to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and him crucified, and presse hard after him who is gone before, who left us all an example of suffering; and be not be­guiled with a pretence of love of Christ, and union with Christ, before you have born his Cross, by which the body of sin in you becometh crucified; and that the things created, and things acted, have lost their power, so that your spirits is not in bondage to any of them; for I assure you so long as the body of sin and selfness is uncrucified in you, you shall not enjoy much of the fellowship of the Father and the Son, pretend what you will. I will not enlarge any more at present, but bid you farewel

Another word to the Anabaptists, so called.

FRiends, I mean not to dispute about the good­ness or badness of your Form; for I have of­tentimes done that before, when I had no better employment: As for your Form, I know well enough what it is, and what you can reap out of it, I will neither commend it, nor discommend it, but leave that to your selves and others; and as it is a form, so I let it stand in the room of a Form, and I take it for no more, nor any more is it, though never so well regulated; but this I know, that you may make an Idol of your Form, as do all other Formalists; and where any form becometh idolized, the same is abomination to the Lord; for though your Form were delivered to you by the very verbal speech of God himself, as the Law was to Moses; yet when an Idol is made of that which God declareth (and would have observed) even that very same becometh abomination to him; and the reason is, because when an Idol is made of any Form, then the heart is thereby turned from God, and centreth in the Creature; for the minde of God in all forms, and in all dispensations, shadows, and types, was still to draw the heart of man more near to himself, and yet in all forms, dispensations, shadows, and types, the hearts of men have been further drawn from him; and the reason was, and is, because the minde of God (under all these dispensations) was unknown, and then men not knowing the minde of God in these, they became to dote upon the thing, and then the heart was ever carried into the Creature. Then you who are my Friends of mine own flesh and blood, who have betaken your selves into the Form of Re­baptising, and so conceive your selves the onely people of God, because of your well regulated form, and you do so Ido­lize your form, that you conclude, that of necessity men must [Page 94]be brought into your form, before they can have fellowship, and communion with Christ; and that all experience is nothing but delusion, if it be not attained to under your form. How now friends, know you where you are, or into what Region you are flown, in your high, and well fledg'd conceits? are you in the first, second, or third Heaven, or mounted unto the top of some high spired steeple, and so from thence you look down, and see all men below you, seeming but as little children in comparison of your selves; but yet take heed to your selves, for those that you see walking below you, though they may seem inferior to you, yet you know not but they both stand, and walk as safely as you; for it is possible while you are looking down at others, and judging them for their being so below you (and seeming so little in comparison of your selves,) that your selves may catch a fall, from your high mounted, or conceited steeple, yea, such a fall as will lay you level with the ground: I wish it were not lower.

Is this your Form, the Gate through which all must enter that go to Heaven? I am sure you conclude no less; but if your conclusions could be proved true, it were a very easie door to enter in at: But what ever you may conclude of your Form, I am right sure, that both you and all other shall pass through a straighter gate then your form, before ever they shall enter the Kingdom of God. I know you finde, or rather think you finde freedom and liberty in your Form, and so would engage others to be partakers of the same with you; yet while you think you have liberty, and preach, and pretend the same to others, I can prove that you your selves are the servants of sin, John 8.34.

I confess, for that which you observe as a main principle in your form, viz. Baptism, is near the rule of Scripture, accord­ing as Types was instituted in time of Scripture; and therefore for the using of it after your own order, I leave it to your own freedom; but yet I would have you to know, that if your spi­rits be not carried out of, and beyond it, into the thing signifi­ed; you shall all perish in your form, and your form it self shall perish, as shall all other forms of what kinde soever; and so shall all things acted, ordained, or created, all shall perish; for they were begun with time, and in time, and time it self shall wear them out, and time it self shall perish also: then in [Page 95]what or where shall the spirits of men be happy and finde rest? therefore I say, wo to those souls who live in, and contend for any thing that hath its being in time, though it be never so pure an Ordinance; for all things ordained, acted, or created, was provided to bring the spirits of men out of these things, into that which cannot be comprehended in time, neither is ordain­ed, or created.

And all Forms must, and shall be swallowed up in that which is no form, according as we understand forms, and all created things shall be swallowed up in that which is uncreated, and all actions shall be swallowed up in that which never acted, as we act, nor as we understand acting; but I will not flie too high from that I would be at, for my intention is not to med­dle with things too hard for your understanding, but rather con­descend to your own capacity, and speak a word with a tongue which you may well understand, in case your form have not stopt your ears, and made blinde your eyes, and made gross your hearts, that so you can neither hear, see, nor under­stand.

Well, now to the thing intended, viz. to speak a word of that which is your main principle point in your Form, and that is Baptism. I know what ground you have for this act, viz. From example of the primitive time, as also in obedience to the commands of Christ. Its true indeed, Christ gave out such a command to his Disciples, as he did for the observing of the Type instituted at his last Supper, of which I have spo­ken something formerly: But my friends, do you know what was the minde of Christ, in giving out command for the ob­servation? If you do say, you know his minde, I say you walk not according to what you say you know, as will appear after­wards in speaking more fully hereof; but in case you know not the minde of Christ in this command, then take it for granted, you cannot yield right obedience to Christ in your ob­serving of this command; but in your obedience in the same, you detract from Christ, and so become his enemies, in this your obedience.

I have something touched this Type of Baptism before, yet here I proceed a little further in illustrating the same more fully.

In the first place, I would have you to observe that Baptism [Page 96]is threefold, or there is a threefold Baptism, and these three Baptisms had their times, places, operations, and effects, and all these three did succeed and follow one another in order, and when Christ gave out command for the observation of Baptism, he did give out three several names, viz. the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, in which three names, or into these three names, was all persons to be baptized. Now the threefold Bap­tisms, and their times, places, operations, and effects had relati­on to, and did accord to the witnessing of the threefold names, with their times, places, operations, and effects; and these threefold Baptisms according to the threefold names in their times, places, operations, and effects, all tended to one and the same end, viz. To draw the sons of Adam into that which is the choice and cheif good, out of all things acted or created, which all have but a seeming good in them, as shall be made appear in speaking of them in order.

As for the first of these Baptisms, it was but a dark Type, under which the first name Father became to be made known to the people in that time, under that dispensation; and in those days the threefold Name was not so much as heard of, but the threefold Name was all included in one Name, and that was I am, Exod. 3. whereby is to be understood the whole Deity undivided, or the perfection of the Godhead, undistin­guishable in the essentiality of its Being, and that nothing was, but as it had an appearance of its Being in that which was the substantial Being it self: and this I am, or undividable Deity, or substantial Being, in our language we call God; and so when God would have himself further known and ma­nifested to the sons of men (then formerly) he selected out of many, some few to know and own him as the onely God, so that his Name might be spread abroad in all the world, by the great wonders which he would do for them.

In which time, upon the request of Moses, God giveth out a more large signification of his name, as followeth, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abounding in goodness and truth. Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving transgressions, and iniqui­ty, and sin. And will in no wise clear the guilty, &c. Exod. 34 6, 7. Now all these are the Name or names of God, beside other se­veral names he putteth out himself by, according as time and occasion made way, for the declaring of his Name further to [Page 97]the Sons of men, and so upon the time of the punishing men for sin, he hath the name Justice; and from the displeasure he hath at man for sin, so is his name anger, and as he hath a continuall watching and seeming eye towards those whom he would have to continue in his love, he hath the name of Jealous, and according to his maryellous workes he hath the name of Wonderfull, &c. and so it is, that according to the present work, and present occasion, so is his name, whether in his love, or in his anger. So when he would have his name knowne (or the Sons of Men to know him by his name) and so to owne him for their God, he made himselfe knowne to them in outward acts, and wondrous workes, which he shewed to them in the delivering them out of the bondage of Pharoah and the Aegypti­ans, and so brought them by a strong hand out of Aegypt, through the great Sea, guiding them by the Angel of his pre­sence in the cloudy pillar, &c. at which time the first Baptisme had its beginning, though not in name, yet in its nature, and so the Apostle told the Corinthians, That he would not have them to be ignorant, how that all the fathers passed through the sea, and were under the cloud, and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud, and in the sea, 1 Cor. 10.1, 2. and the reason why he calleth that work by the name of Baptisme is, because of the nature of the work, and so in the time of the Gospel, when Baptisme had the name put upon the act, it was derived from the nature of the act, and though the formes in these three Baptismes differ in respect of time, yet all of them have that name in respect of their na­tures, and the nature of Baptisme in its operation in the spiri­tuall signification, is a departing from one thing and closing with another, or the dying to one thing, and the living to a­nother; or the consuming of one thing, and the establishing of another, in all which suffering is included, as you shall see hereafter; now the people who underwent the first Baptisme, by it they were preserved from the danger of their enemies, and in the terrible worke of this Baptisme the people was in great feare of being destroyed by their enemies, because they had de­parted from the service of them; but when they had fully un­dergone this Baptisme, viz. through the red Sea, and came safe unto the other side, then were they glad, and beleeved in the Lord, who had manifested his name unto them, and was then obedient unto Moses, and was willing to be led by him, ex­pecting [Page 98]shortly to be conveyed into the Land of promise, &c. and in this respect the Apostle said, They were all baptised into Moses, viz. they were brought out, or made to depart and for­sake Aegypt, and by the terrible Wonders of God in the mani­festing of his name, brought through the Sea, and made wil­ling to yeeld obedience unto the Word and Commands of God, delivered to them by Moses; and in further manifesting of his name appeared to them in a terrible manner upon Mount Sinai, and gave out the Law to Moses, who was to declare the same unto the people, and the people was to be obedient unto that Law, and unto all other Ceremoniall types that then was to be delivered unto them; in all which was contained the first Co­venant of Workes, and in all the time of the Mosaicall Law, or first Covenant of workes, there was no other but the name of God, to bee knowne amongst men; neither any other name by which men were to be saved, for then the God-head was whole, and undivided into the two other names, viz. Son, and Holy Ghost (as was afterward) yet all the vertuall proper­ties of the other two was included in the first name or names of God, and was the same then which they be now, and in the vertuall communion there was never any division at all, but as dispensations had their proper place, so God put out himselfe into distinct properties, according as hee would have the Sonnes of Men to have a more cleare manifestation of him­selfe, &c.

And so it was, that from the time that the Fathers were Bap­tized, as is somewhat said before, all their succeeding children was to be taught the knowledge of the wonderous work which he hath done, where he first made his name knowne to them, and was to owne no other name, but the name of that God, and so taught all his Lawes and precepts to them, that they should walke in obedience to the requirings of the same.

And in all the time of the dispensation under the Law the whole Deity was named by the name of God, or Father; but when the fulnesse of time was come, that God would appeare in a dispensation more cleare, by which the Sonnes of men might the better know him, then it was that the God-head in its properties divided it selfe, and united it selfe to Flesh, and so became the distinction in the God-head, but yet the God­head was the same it was before in the unity, and in this new [Page 99]dispensation; John Baptist begun the second Baptism, in which he bare witnesse to the truth of the distinct property (of God the Father) viz. Christ, or the Son of God, and that hee was the Lamb of God which tooke away the sins of the world, Jo. 1.29. And as Moses was the Messenger of God, sent by him, to declare his whole name, (or the whole God-head in his name) unto the people, when he would deliver them out of the Aegyptians bondage in the time of the first Baptisme; so John the Baptist was his second Messenger, sent by him to de­clare and beare witnesse of the distinct property of God, and to shew to the people the name and worke of God in that distinct property, viz. Christ the Son of God. And as God did appeare more neare to manifest himselfe to men in his Son, so the office of Iohn was to bring men out of, and from under that darke dispensation under the Mosaicall observations, into a more neare conformity, and cleare beholding of God, in that pre­sent dispensation under the Sonne; and for this very purpose both the preaching and acting of Iohn tended, to which God himselfe gave testimony also in the act of Iohns Baptisme, by the appearance of another of his distinct properties, viz. the Holy Ghost, Mat. 3. and from hence it was that the name of the Sonne was added to the name of the Father; and as the whole God-head stood in one name in the former dispensation, and in making that name knowne, and in giving out Lawes and Ordinances to be observed in that name, in which the Co­venant of workes was in force; that name was terrible, inso­much that the people could not abide to heare God speake to them; yea Moses himselfe feared that great Majesty, and quaked exceedingly, Heb. 12.21. But when the God-head had in its property divided it self into the second dispensation, into the property of Christ, and so the second name of the Sonne be­ing to be declared, that name was Love, and Peace, and God with us, Mat. 1.23. or God well pleased, and reconciled to us. And the Baptisme of Iohn, it was called the Baptisme of repen­tance, Acts 13.24. in which is included sorrow, and departing, or forsaking of something, or a dying to something; and to close with, or to live in another thing, and that was a for­saking, or dying, or departing from the former observations wherein they lived under the first Covenant of workes, and to close with, and live to the second appearance of God in that [Page 100]present dispensation wherein he would shew himselfe in a more quiet and peaceable manner then he had shewed himselfe in the former.

And John, who made the way for, and pointed at Christ as he was in the flesh, he likewise bare witnesse of, and fore-told what Christ would doe in the spirit, viz. Baptize with the Holy Ghost, and with fire, &c. Mat. 3.11. and the beginning of this Baptisme was after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, as may be seen in Acts 2.2, 3, &c. now this third Bap­tisme was more excellent then the two former, and this was the Baptisme of Christ, by the out-pouring of the Holy Ghost, and the worke and operation of this Baptisme is to burne up, consume, or destroy all the remainder of what was left by the other two former Baptismes, and likewise to comfort and e­stablish, and make to live in a more safe and sure union of the thing closed with; and from hence the third name is added to the two former, and thus the whole God-head in its properties divided it selfe into the three names, viz. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and in these three names, or into these three names was all persons to be Baptised, and Christ gave out his command to the very same purpose, Mat. 28.19.

And as these three-fold Baptismes did accord with the three-fold names in time, operation, and effect, in the outward manifestation in order, one following or succeeding another; so they held out, or typified the inward and spiritual succeed­ing one another, and this inward worke and effect of these three names, and Baptismes, is that whereby and wherein the life and happinesse of all soules consist, in having the same compleatly fulfilled in them. And as I have given a little hint of the outward names, and Baptisms, in their times and dis­pensations, succeeding one another, so I proceed to speake a word of that which is the chiefe worke, effect, and end of all these in their inward or spirituall order of succeeding.

Therefore observe the Mystery of the first Baptisme, or the Baptizing into the first name (Father) in the first dispensation under the Law, as God in his orderly proceeding calleth, and manifesteth himselfe to us.

Now when the Lord God would deliver the children of Is­rael out of Aegypt, from under the bondage of Pharaoh, and the Aegyptians, and to make his name knowne to the people, as the [Page 101]whole Deity stood in the one name, so his name was made known to them in a wonderful and terrible manner, as is before said. So it is with us, when God beginneth to draw our soules out of Aegypt, and Pharoah, and the Aegyptians bondage, viz. the out­ward or grosse actings, in which the Devill and our Lusts have kept us in bondage, amongst the sonnes of men in their com­mon condition living in the world; and this God doth by the manifesting of his great and terrible name in the first worke of the soule, whereby the soule becometh roused up, and made to stirre, and look about it selfe, and to consider in what bondage it is, by being so grosly carried out into the disobedience of the requirings of the commands of God; and from hence it is that God appeareth in the terriblenesse of the condemning property of the soule, viz. Conscience, and maketh his won­derfull workes, aad wrathfull displeasure knowne in the cor­ruptible parts of man, which keepeth the spirit in under its captivity, and this God doth by the hand of his servant Moses, viz. by sending the Law of Commandment out, and setting it home to the heart, and yet how loath is the Devill (who hath his Kingdome in the inferiour parts of the soule) to let the spirit of man goe out of his captivity, from serving him and his people, viz. grosse sins, and outward transgressions, and from eating of his Onions and Garlick, viz. in having complacence in those sins, and the love of the fellowship of the men of the world, and eating of their dainties, viz. pleasures of all sorts, which concernes the satisfying the corruptible part in man; but when God goeth on in his wondrous workes, and shewed upon Pharoah, viz. The Devill and his people, then the Israelites is made willing to depart, viz. the noble faculties of the soule and affections from thence proceeding, and when the first borne becometh slaine, viz. the strength of the will begotten in it by the Devill, then the Devill is forced to let the noble fa­culty depart from the bondage of the Lusts beforesaid; then out they goe to the red Sea, whereat the people was in greater strait then ever, viz. though the noble properties and the will be going, and departing out of the bondage beforesaid, yet the Devill raiseth up all his forces, and pursueth the noble fa­culties of the soule, thinking to take them againe into bondage in that strait at the red Sea, viz. when the noble faculties is in departing out of sin, then it is that temptation is more raised up [Page 102]then ever, and doth so heap up, and flow before the understan­ding, that to passe over them there is no hope or likelihood to reason, in which strait the Devill with his army driveth on a­pace in the Irascible faculties, and cometh on the back side of the noble faculties of the soule, and so raiseth despaire and se­cret feare, out of which anger and passion is produced, and in the operation of which, in that great distresse of the soul, wish­eth it selfe, that it had never stirred out of its former conditi­on, rather then to have moved thus farre, and to be swallowed up in that present sad condition.

But when God will have his name more clearly manifested, then doth he divide the Sea, viz. all these great over-flowings of temptations, and so the noble faculties and the spirit passeth through them all, and the Devill, and sin, and despaire, is all over-whelmed in those temptations, and this is the great work of God in the defeating of the Devill, and destroying him and sin in the same way, wherein he thinketh to destroy the noble faculties of the soule; and when the noble faculties becometh thus delivered, having undergone this first Baptisme, or suffer­ing, or plunging as before said, then doth man begin to feare the name of that great God, who hath done these great things for his soule, and so becometh to be obedient to Moses, viz. to the outward requiring of the Commandment, and knowing God to be so great and terrible, the feare of his name doth cause man to yeeld obedience to his Law, and in the transgres­sing or going astray from its requirings, the same appearance of God is manifested, as was at the giving out thereof, and this terriblenesse of God is knowne in the condemning part of the soule, viz. the Conscience, and so in the obedience to God in his terrible manifestation in the first Baptisme, under the first dispensation, man acteth in that feare to all the outward requi­rings of the letter, and seeketh thereby to asswage and allay the appearance of that anger, and goeth about to please God, and satissie Justice by outward sacrifices, and so it is that man li­ving under this dispensation, and acting zealously therein, the condemning part or conscience becometh somewhat pacified, and quietnesse beginneth to appeare; and from hence it is that men draw conclusions, that God is well pleased with their Sa­crifices; and as under this first Baptisme in the first dispensation (wherein is contained the first Covenant of workes) men ap­prehend [Page 103]God in terror, in the manifesting the whole Deity in the one Name, they become to yeeld obedience accordingly, viz. in a fearful servile manner, like flint stone and the steel, who being forcibly beat together, from which fire is produced, even so the heart of man in the first dispensation is hard as the nether milstone, and will not yeeld any obedience, except the hand of God by the Hammer of the Law smite upon the same, and thereby force out obedience, to what God requireth in the first dispensation.

So in time when the heart is made more willing and answer­able to the requirings under the first dispensation, then by the obedience there-under man hath peace, as is before said, from whence he concludeth, that God is well pleased with him; and so from these two grounds, viz. The terror or anger of God (out of which ariseth the fear of Hell) and out of the life and peace of conscience, (out of which ariseth the hope of Heaven) man worketh all his works, and so is under the con­dition of the first Covenant of works, in which the Deity stand­eth in one Name, though we in our days know not the myste­ry hereof; for when any soul is but under the first Covenant of works, he can talk of the Deity as it is divided in its proper­ties, but that is because of the living in this present dispensation under the Gospel, wherein we have received a Historical re­lation of Christ, and the Holy Ghost; by which men have got the relative knowledge of the threefold name of the Deity, and yet know not the power, and proper working of the Deity in the threefold names; but blindly looking upon them as they were put out in the outward Types, and so make a humble jumble of them according to the history or relation of the same; and from hence it is, that men talk and Preach, and con­fer of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and yet live not in the power of what they preach or speak; for they have not known the operation, and proper work (in their souls) of the Deity in the threefold names, or three distinct properties of the Deity, in the orderly manifestation of it self in the conditions suitable for the same.

But those who lived in the time of the first dispensation un­der the Covenant of works, where they had the Law of Com­mandment, and the Ceremonial Law also, and the Ordinances therein contained, they were not in the dispensations of the [Page 104]Deity in its distinct properties, as we be, but the distinct pro­perties was all included in the whole essence of the Deity, viz. Christ, and the Holy Ghost, was both one in the Father, and the Father in them, and all but one God; and though the God­head was thus whole in it self, yet God let out himself in di­stinct properties into the souls of the upright people under the first dispensation, and by the very same way they were saved as we be, and did enjoy God in the same way that we do, though not in the same dispensation; for though they lived under the Covenant of works, and Ceremonial observations, yet those souls whom God had let out himself to in his distinct proper­ties of mercy, and loving kindness, and wisdom, by which they knew God, and felt God, as he was in those properties, though they did observe these things in that time, yet they knew that salvation was not in these things, but in the observing of them their hearts was led and drawn out of (and beyond) the things they observed, and was fixed fast in the enjoyment of the thing signified in, and by these things, as we may see by David, Solomon, and Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and all the other Prophets, and all other people in these days; but those who became blinded of that which was the mystery of these things, by reason of the devil, sin, and selfness, they became to live in the things they observed, and knew nothing of God in the my­stery, and out-letting of himself in his distinct properties; and from hence it came to pass, that their hearts was carried out to the Creature, and yet thought to please God in, and by these outward observations; and from hence it was, that when the heart was turned from God in closing with him in his distinct properties, (signified in the mystery) that the observations of these things became abominable in his sight, as you see in Isai. 66.3, 4, 5, &c. And so it is with us also, when it cometh to pass, we being called into the first dispensation of works and duties, as we call them, wherein we think to please God by walking in our Gospel observations, and yet our hearts carried out to the love, care and fear, seeking and desiring of the Creature, then it is that our Gospel-Forms, and holy Duties, becometh loathsome and abominable in the eyes of God, and we are in his sight no more but as the religious Scribes and Pharisees in their first dispensation under the observations of the Law. But when the Lord intendeth to bring the souls of his people more [Page 105]near to himself, and that he may manifest himself more clearly to them in his distinct property, viz. In his Son Jesus, or in making the Name of his Son to be known, and the power of his Son to appear, then doth he change the former dispensation, and maketh it void, and bringeth in the second dispensation, suitable for such a manifestation. And so it was, that when the fulness of time was come, Christ did appear in the flesh, and in that out-letting of God in his distinct property, viz. His Son, it was in another manner, then he first manifested himself, in ma­king his name known in the beginning of the first dispensation, as is shewed before: For this second out-letting of himself, was in a more milde and peaceable way, whereby and wherein he was well pleased in the reconciling of the World to himself, 2 Cor. 5.19. And those souls the which he would call more near to himself out of the former dispensation, he so provided, that they should be fitted, and prepared to meet him in the second dispensation. And in those days came John the Baptist, who was to be the fore-runner before Christ, who should prepare the way for him, and should make ready a people prepared to meet their God, Luke 1.17. And so it was, that by him was instituted the second Baptism, and his Baptism was called The Baptism of Re­pentance; and his Preaching was to make the people wait for a further manifestation of God, then ever they had known for­merly; and his Office was to lay the Ax to the Root of the Tree, &c. And he was the voice of the cryer in the Wilder­ness, &c. Isa. 40.3. And he was the Messenger sent before the face of God, in his appearing in his distinct property of the Son, Mal. 3.1. And all the Preaching and work of John Baptist was to make a fit way for the manifestation of Christ in the se­cond dispensation, wherein he appeared in the flesh.

And so it was, that all that came to be baptised of him, was to be repenting persons, even such as the Father had wrought into some measure of want, and falling short, in what they thought to have found in the first dispensation under the Cove­nant of Works, and those that came to his Baptism in the strength of their own conceited righteousness, and building up themselves in the opinion of their old priviledges, these he would not baptise, but gave them a repulse according to their desert, Mat. 3.7. But so many as believed his preaching or speak­ings of the Kingdom of God, was brought out of the depend­ing [Page 106]of any thing that they had formerly observed, and was made to know that life, and peace, and salvation, was to be had in none of these things; but in the second distinct proper­ty, viz. The Son of God, or the Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world, Iohn 1.29. And as many as he baptized, was to depart from, or dye to all things whatsoever they had closed with (or lived in) formerly, and was to repent and mourn for their former foolishness, in thinking to have pleased God by their duties and sacrifices; and when the emp­tiness of these things was made manifest to them by the preach­ing of Iohn, then were they made willing to forsake them, and to close with, and desire to live to, and in, the life of the Son of God, whom he had held out to them; and that they did believe the truth of what he preached, they gave testimony thereof by undergoing his baptism, in which they were to look for performance of the second Covenant; and this bap­tism, the which they under-went in the outward act, signified to them, suffering or plunging, and the great afflictions to come upon them, both outwardly in the owning and professing Christ to be the Saviour; and inwardly in the daily denying of them­selves, in keeping their hearts from depending upon any thing acted, and likewise in running out into the desire, fear, care, love, or seeking of things created, &c. And these was the fruits to be brought out in those (who was under the office and disci­pline of John) whom he had brought into a conformity of waiting for the powerful manifestation of the Name, into which he had baptized them.

The very same work in the Mystery becometh to be fulfilled in us, in this present dispensation; for when the fulness of time is come that God intendeth to come nearer to the souls of those whom he meaneth to draw to himself, and to make the Name of his Son to be known in the powerful manifestation thereof; then doth he send out John Baptist to prepare the way for his appearing in their spirits, viz. he bringeth the Law home to the heart in the inward part thereof, by which the abomina­tion of the heart becometh manifested, both in the things acted, and things created, and truly knoweth how he hath deceived himself in the performing of his holy duties under a Gospel consideration: And from hence he shall finde, that all these du­ties performed in great zeal, for the honor and glory of God, [Page 107]as he conceived, was all wrong grounded; and likewise he shall see his secret and false conclusions drawn from them, and how he found life and peace in them, and thought that God would own him in, and for these actings, and conceived him­self the onely man in the favor of God, and could make use of all the promises as they were suitable; and did confirm him in his present condition; likewise he shall be made to know how secretly he limitted God to those his Gospel Forms, and how he secretly hated and envied all other who had Christ truly manifested in their souls, and how he could have persecu­ted them, if occasion had served, because such went about to overthrow this foundation.

And then shall he see how his heart is in love with created things, and how farre short his soule is from the true partaking of the love of God, though he conceited he had knowne the same formerly, and then shall he see the great vaile spread over his heart, which keepeth the heart from God, and God from the heart; and then shall he see sin out of measure sinful, and shall have cause to say, O Wretched man that I am, &c. Rom. 7. And so it is that the soule becometh to enter into the operation of the second Baptisme, whereunder it suffereth much woe and want, in respect of the body of sin it feeleth alive in the in­feriour parts of the soule; and likewise knowing how the Son of God, viz: Jesus Christ as yet hath never been truly mani­fested to the more noble parts thereof, and so as yet the soule is but in the Wildernesse, in which the voyce of the Cryer is con­tinually crying and calling, Prepare, prepare the way of the Lord, &c. and the soule in obedience to that cry doth turne it selfe wholly to seek the love of God, to be made knowne to it, in the second distinct property, viz. the powerfull, and lovely, and peaceable appearing of Jesus the Son of God, and to make his name knowne in the powerfull and mercifull delivering of the soule from under that present evill of it selfe, by which it is so carried captive oft times into the prisons of Hell and Death.

And when the soul is thus brought to understand the Baptism of Iohn, then it is that faith beginneth to be purely operative, and not before, for now faith hath its ground-work laid in the heart, and before it was but in the head, and from what part it hath its ground, so doth it worke; and this faith grounded in [Page 108]the heart, doth carry out the soule into seeking of the vertue of the Blood of Christ in the Divine nature, and so is made willing thereby to wait for the out-pouring, or shedding a­broad of the same, to cleanse and wash away that sin, and Self, that doth so defile it; and likewise this faith doth so clearly carry out the soule from the desire of things created, that it standeth in opposition against them, when they peirce or pre­sent themselves into the soule; likewise by the power of this faith man is made to see the emptinesse of all formes and duties, the which it hath so much doted on before; and likewise it maketh the soule truly know wherein its true life consisteth, and nothing is desired in comparison of that which is the true life thereof, from whence it cometh to passe that this soul stands at variance with every thing, which keepeth it back from the enjoyment of its life: And in this manner the Ax is laid to the root of the tree, viz. The sharp cutting part, or the Law in its inward and spiritual requirings, whereby the bole of sin be­cometh cut down, viz. The strength of desire, love, care, or fear of, or to any thing below the love and life of the Son of God, becometh cut down, and cast into the fire, viz. into the anger of God, by which they become burned and consumed: But yet it cannot be truly said, that anger is in God, whereby he can be made to change or to suffer; for anger and love is both the same in the essence of God, and that which is love in God, the same is anger in us; and it is the love of God that maketh us feel his anger, by reason of the sin, that the love meeteth with in us; and so by reason of that love of God in us, and that sin it meeteth with in us, the suffering is pro­duced which we feel, and that suffering is called the anger of God: And thus we are rightly to judge of the anger of God.

But now the soul being brought into this suffering way, or plunging condition, under the baptism of John, or spiritual cutting of the Law, wherein the abomination that maketh de­solate beginneth to appear, then groweth such a soul to sink down into great humility, and in patience waiteth for the ap­pearing of the Son of God, who must in the manifesting of his Name, restore peace, and give comfort, and deliver the soul out of that great desolation made in it, by reason of the great abomination: And so it is, that when the soul is rightly pre­pared [Page 109]by the second baptism of John, then in his own time and place, the name of the Son becometh manifested in that soul; and the Lord whom it hath sought doth come into his temple, Mal. 3.2. And then it is that the vertue of the name of the Son of God becometh powerful in delivering the soul out of that desolate wilderness, from amongst the enemies that it found there, and those lusts that led it captive is become captived, and the shadow of death is dissipated, and the garment of mourning is cast off, and the soul cloathed in the garment of praise; and then the soul can rejoyce, and rightly sing Hallelujah to him that hath done these things for it.

And thus it is, that God in the second appearance in the di­stinct property, becometh to be known in a more sweet, and loving, and peaceable manner, then he was known in the first Name, before the Godhead had divided it self, as is before said. And thus Moses in the first dispensation under the Covenant of works, by his baptism reached out the soul to John, and John in the second dispensation led out the soul to Christ; and so the soul can truly witness the Name of the Father and the Son.

I would have enlarged more upon the baptism of John, but that I have already spoken something thereof in a little Trea­tise, called The Anti-god, with his threefold attributes, discovered in the out-side religious man; and in that you may see something which is needful to be known, the which I have omitted here.

But now I proceed and speak a word of the third Baptism, viz. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost; and this is that which is more excellent then the other two former, because of its time, operation, and effect; of which I shall speak hereafter. And this baptism was witnessed by John Baptist himself, when he gave testimony of Christ, who was to be the Minister of this Baptism, and told the people, that he that was to come after him, &c. should baptize them with the Holy Ghost, and with fire, whose fan is in his hand, &c. Matth. 3. And what John Baptist did witness herein, the same had he received of the Father, who sent him both to baptise and bear witness of Christ, that he was the Son of God, and what his coming was for, and what his office should be, John 1.33. Now when Jesus Christ was in the flesh, he baptised none; for this his baptism was to be in its time and [Page 110]place suitable for its operation; and that was to be after his Ascension; though he had promised the same before his death, yet that promise was not to be fulfilled till after his death, and at the first administration thereof the Holy Ghost fell upon the persons baptized in a visible form of cloven tongues of fire, Acts 2.

By which visible appearance, was held out the nature of the operation of that Ghostly Baptism, viz. A twofold speech or speaking, rising out of a twofold ground, viz. The sensible feel­ing of love, joy, and life, &c. And likewise the sensible feeling of sorrow, suffering, and death: And from these two grounds was to arise all their speaking, who was baptized with the Holy Ghost; and this was the pure language that God had promised to return to the people, Zeph. 3. And those who had this pure language returned to them in this Ghostly Baptism, was able to speak of the wondrous works of God, Acts 2.11:

Now this third distinct property of God, viz. The Holy Ghost, or the third out-letting of the Godhead in the third di­stinct property, is the most clearest way of manifestation that man attaineth to in the flesh; for this is that which giveth man the true knowledge of the mystery of God, and the myste­ry of sin and selfness; and the operation of this distinct proper­ty worketh the spirit of man out of the mystery of Self, in­to the mystery of God; and this work it worketh, by bringing man into the fellowship of the suffering with Christ, whereby the body of that sin and self becometh to be crucified; and likewise it comforteth man, and maketh him able to bear the Cross with Christ, until the death of sin and self be accom­plished; and so the spirit be made partaker of the life and ver­tue of the Resurrection of Christ, and with him become ascend­ed above all powers and principalities, and so to reign with him.

And therefore it was necessary, that Christ should both suffer, and rise again, and ascend, before he gave out the Holy Ghost; because as he suffered, so he left the same example of his suffer­ing to be undergone by those who should be his followers: And while he was with them in the flesh, they could not suffer as they should do afterward; for then he was the Bridegroom, and they were the children of the Bride-chamber, Luke 5.34. And so long as he was with them in the flesh, they could not [Page 111]grow up to be perfect men, nor to the stature and fulness of Christ, Eph. 4.13. For while Christ was in the flesh, his follow­ers looked too much at his bodily presence; and therefore it was meet that his bodily presence should be taken away, that so his ghostly presence might be manifested to them; and therefore he told them, except he went away from them, the Comforter would not come, John 16.7. But his Disciples being but as yet the children of the Bride-chamber, was but yong in the holy understanding, neither being acquainted with great joy or great suffering, because as yet they were not in a condition so sutable for either, as they should be thereafter; but this they could not believe, but sorrow filled their hearts when Christ told them of going away from them, John 16.6.

But herein is the great wisdom of God made known in the orderly and successive out-lettings of himself to the sons of men, stooping to his capacity in every condition, that so by little and little, man may be wrought and drawn up into him­self, and to live and abide in that center from whence he had his Being. And therefore as he had made his Name known in the first dark dispensation, by appearing in our flesh; but most clear of all by taking the two former away, that the third might ap­pear, wherein we might see him, and live in him in the spiri­tual Life, and worship him as he is a Spirit, the which we can­not do, while we are so much in our selves, both in reason and sence, while we are under the first and second dispensation; and therefore it was that Christs bodily presence in the second dis­pensation was to be taken away, that made his followers look too much upon him, as he was in that appearance, whereby their Reason and Sence got too much life; and therefore that both Reason and Sence might lose their lives, his first bodily presence must be out of the way, that his ghostly presence might appear in the Divine Nature; in which, and by which, he would be­come the baptiser of Souls with the Holy Ghost, and with fire, by which baptism he would burn up and consume all the old rubbish and reliques of sin and self, both in Sence and Reason, and bring the Spirit out of, and from the captivity of the same.

And while Christ was in the flesh, he shewed them an exam­ple of life, which he would have those that would be his Disci­ples to follow, and likewise he told them how great things his [Page 112]followers was to suffer, under the Ghostly Baptism; and so he left them the example of his own suffering, and death also; the which they should have as a rule to walk by, until the body of sin should be crucified and destroyed, Phil. 3.17. And so it was, that after Christ in the Divine Nature began to administer the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, the person who was baptised there­with, by the vertue thereof became so carried out after the ex­ample both of the life and death of Christ, that they thought nothing too dear to forsake, so that they might but attain to the fellowship of Christ, both in his life, death, and resurrection. And this was the whole delight of these souls who had been baptised of Christ, by the (proceeding or) coming of the Holy Ghost out of the Divine Nature into their souls, by which they were led out of all things, acted, or created, or enjoyed, where­in self had gotten life, or might get life. And this the Apostle Paul witnesseth, when he said, he counted all things but dross and dung, in comparison of Christ, &c. And that he might be lost in all things and found in Christ, by way of conformity to his suffer­ing and death, that thereby he might attain to the resurrection of the dead, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9, &c.

And so it is to this present day, that those souls whom God draweth into a near union of himself, he draweth them out of the first and second out-letting of himself in the first and second dispensation, and so bringeth them into the third dispensation, or Ghostly Baptism; in which, the body of sin and selfness be­cometh found out and forsaken; for whilest the first and second dispensation is in force, the body of sin is not so clearly found out, nor can be so forsaken as it ought.

But who is it that will believe the truth hereof? for the sons of men is blinded of the right sight and knowledge of the truth, and by reason of the love they have to lust, sin, and selfness, they are become enemies of the Cross of Christ; and if any have at­tained to the first dispensation beforesaid, they think themselves to have attained all that is necessary, and that they need no more, and so becometh to settle upon the lees of their own per­formances, and so becometh the resisters of the Holy Ghost, Acts 7.51. And if any be brought out of the first Baptism under the first dispensation, which containeth in it the Covenant of works, and so be made partakers of the second Baptism, by which they are brought into, and prepared to meet Christ in [Page 113]his first appearance; and when they have known the Son of God (or God in his distinct property of the Son) manifesting himself to their soul, by which the soul hath comfort and con­tent, and refreshment, and deliverance from its former troubles; and now it finding the effects of the propitiation of the Son, in covering and hiding its sin, and in justifying the soul, and taking of the power of condemnation from it, then doth that soul conclude, That all is done, and can be pleased with that present condition, supposing they have that which never will fail, and say in their heart, They shall not be removed, because the Lord of his goodness hath made their mountain so strong, Psal. 30. And from these false conclusions, many a soul becometh to lose it self, and turn back again into the world, and into the capti­vity of the Creature, from which it was delivered; and so man foolishly concluding, That being in the Land of Canaan, he shall see the bondage of Egypt no more; but while man is but in the enjoyment of the first manifestation of God, in the first appearance of his Son, he is but a babe, and but ignorant of what the minde of God is in that present condition; and therefore they are very subject to be content with that present station, because it pleaseth them so well, supposing that there is none that have attained any further, then what they have already attained too, when as alas they know not as yet, what it is to die with Christ on the Cross, nor what the fellowship of his sufferings is, nor what the vertual power of his resurrection meaneth. And so it is, that from the idolizing of that present enjoyment, they in a very short time become to be cast out of that enjoyment; and yet do they not know that they are so cast out, because of the false fiend who hath got again into the house from whence he was gone out, and counterfeiteth God through the help of the imagination; and so maketh these souls believe, That God is their present portion, and that they have such a fast hank of him, that nothing can be able to separate them, when at that very instant of time the heart is in cap­tivity with the Creature.

I fear that this is the very condition of many now adays, who having known God after this manner beforesaid, and yet have forsaken him again, and turned to the Creature; and yet do but little know that they be so far carried away from God, as they are.

But when God in his orderly proceeding goeth on in bring­ing the soule through all the dangers and difficulties of the creature and Selfe, then doth he not suffer the soule to have what it would have, nor injoy what it would injoy in that first manifestation of himself in the name of his Son; but as the bodi­ly presence of Jesus was to be taken away in his appearing in the second dispensation in the flesh, (that so he might come a­gaine in the Spirit, or ghostly Baptisme, by which they should still be led on till they were in the nearest and safest union of the Father and the Son that could be attained to in the body) so it is, that the ghostly presence in the first manifestation in the Spi­rit must be taken away, that so the spirit may come to a fur­ther and more sure partaking of the Divine nature then it could in the first manifestation. For as Christs followers could have been pleased to have still injoyed the bodily presence of Christ in the first appearing in the flesh; so would a soul be pleased with the first manifestation of Gods appearing in the name of his Son to the spirit. But as Christs bodily presence must be taken a­way, that thereby the life of Selfe which lived in the sence and reason (of his Disciples under that present injoyment) might become destroyed, and over-throwne, by the coming againe in the power of the Spirit, or ghostly Baptism: So it is that the first appearance of God in Christ, in the first appearance of the soule must be hidden, and taken away, because of so much life of selfe in the sence and reason, and that by a further and more cleare and safe way to manifest himselfe in the soule, and that is by the pouring out of the Holy Ghost into it, by the vertue of which the soule becometh Baptised into the suffering and death of Christ, whereby the life of sence and reason becometh to dye, and the spirit brought out of the clawes of Sinne, Death, Devill, and Hell, and the power of the Resurrection of Christ becometh to be known, and the body of Sin becometh to bee destroyed, by the powerfull working and burning of this ghostly Baptisme, and this was the very Baptisme the Apostle Paul spake of, when he said, Know you not so many of us as were Baptised into Christ were Baptised into his death, therefore we are bu­ried with him, by Baptisme into his death, &c. For if we have been planted together into the likenesse of his death, we shall also be in the like­nesse of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin may be destroyed, that henceforth we should not [Page 115]serve sin, &c. Rom. 6.2, 3, 4, 5, &c. And those soules who know God in this worke can witnesse to the truth of the three-fold name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, because they know the power and working of God in these three Baptismes, under these three names, and none else can speak rightly of them, be­cause they have but the knowledg thereof by relation; & though God let out himselfe in this three-fold manner, as is before said, yet God is but one and the same God; and though there bee these three Baptismes, yet they all make up but one perfect Bap­tisme, by which the soule is perfectly compleated in one faith, Ephes. 4.5. whereby the soule becometh led out of all things acted or created, and all sufferings, or injoyments in any con­dition, below the injoyment of the fellowship of Christ in his Suffering, Death, and Resurrection, and this is the very end and effect of all former out-lettings of God in any of the fore­said dispensations; and for this very end it was that Christ gave out his command to teach, and discipline all Nations, and Baptize them in the name of the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost.

Friends, I have but given you a dark glimps of these things, for the clearer illustrating of them requireth more time then I have allotted to me at present, and would containe a greater volume then at present I meane to put out; but this which here I have intimated may give you some sight in the whole: and I wish that every one of you were so wise as to finde out in your owne heart the whole mysterie hereof; and this I have holden out to you, that thereby you may partly see what is contained in the type of Baptisme, and that it is not the forme or type that bringeth any happinesse to the soule. But in case you say, you live not in the outward forme of Baptisme, but in the power of the Mysterie; from whence is it that so lit­tle fruits thereof appear amongst you, who are of the order of the Brotherhood in outward form of re-baptizing? for though you may think you obey the command of Christ in this your act, yet being ignorant of the minde of Christ in this command, you doe obey him no more then Saul did the command of Sa­muel, 1 Sam. 15.14. for I can as justly say to you as Samuel said to Saul, What meaneth the bleating of the sheep, and the lowing of these oxen in mine eares? For though some amongst you in your Bro­ther-hood can speake of some experiences, and say something [Page 116]what God hath done for their soules, yet I see the world in the heart of such, yea and the love of praise and honour, and the livelinesse of affection to created things; looke to your owne hearts, and you shall finde what I say is true, and if it be so, take it for granted, you know not the minde of Christ in the myste­ry of Baptism: but you content your selves with the forme, and if you knew but the mysterie, the forme would not be of so great value with you; but as all other formes are but empty things, so is your forme also, and they shall all perish in time, and all soules shall be deceived who live in them. For nothing shall stand but what is the substance and mysterie of all forms; and what soule is not brought out of formes into that which is the mysterie, shall perish as doth the formes, for in all dispen­sations, and all ordinances in dispensations formerly there hath been a change, and the reason why former things instituted was changed, was because of sin amongst men, who made Idols of those ordinances: for the minde and intent of God in all ordi­nances was to draw the heart of men to himselfe out of the creature; and so when God owned these his ordinances, and answered men in them, then was the hearts of men in too great love with these ordinances; and when the heart beginneth to cleave to any ordinance, then the heart getteth liberty to run out into the creature, and yet man can blesse himselfe, and quiet his blinde Conscience with observing the ordinances, and so the ordinances becometh Idolized, and so abominable in the eyes of God; and so it is that these things God ordained to bring man to himselfe, by reason of the body of sinne in man they have drawne man further from his God, and there is not any formalist in England of what forme soever, that contendeth for his forme, can excuse himselfe in what is here expressed. But here I leave you in your forms, and wish that God may so owne you in your formes, that you may see a cleare way to de­part out of your formes, and to come to close with that which is the substance; and then you will not fall out with any who are not of the same forme with you; neither will you so much contend for your formes, for then you shall see how all formes are but empty things, and not worth so much dispute and con­tention; which hath been the occasion of the spilling of so much bloud as hath been spilt; but let me tell you one thing, that no hand shall be guiltlesse of bloud who hath shed any mans bloud [Page 117]for maintaining the uprightnesse of his forme: for it will bee found, that that hand that hath shed the bloud of any man for opposing his form, he slew but his brother that he might sacri­fice his bloud to an Idol; and this one day will lye heavie upon the heart of those that have done it. But what is this I have said? who will beleeve it? for every one in his forme can bless himselfe in what he hath done, and quiet his blinde Consci­ence, by kissing of his Idol; but the time is in coming, and shall shortly be, that all Idols shall cease, and all formall wor­ship shall be destroyed, for we who are alive are in the last dis­pensation, and under the last types that ever shall be upon the earth: and when these types under which we live shall come to be worshipped to the height, then changed shall they be, and I leave it to you to guesse what thing shal then be established; the time shall shortly be, even so come Lord Jesus, Amen.

A word to the Free-Gracians.

FRiends, you who pretend the Free-grace of God, without the Creatures actings, I need not write to you of your idolizing of Forms, for I know you are not tied to any Form: But my Friends, I ask you the question, How came you to part with your Forms? was it the Free-grace of God indeed that called you out of Forms, or was it your subtil-self that cast you out of Forms? I much fear the devil hath played the cheater with you, and you have not seen wherein he hath deceived you; and so you are bereaved both of the Form and Power. I know you much pretend all to be of God, and that he giveth his grace freely without the act, or desert of the Creature. I know there is a truth in what you say, but yet did ever any of you receive grace: But first you were active Creatures, and sought grace more then ever you sought any earthly thing? If you say you have grace, and yet sought not grace, it is no less then a marvel to me: But in case you say, that you sought grace before you received grace, why do you so much cry down the Creatures actings? do you think to bring any a nearer way to grace, then your selves have gone? if you do, you peradventure shall be de­ceived; and while you by that way go about to draw men to grace, it is six to one you keep them from grace. I know your preaching and speaking of that subject, will beget you many a one to be of the same minde with you; for your doctrine sound­eth well to the fleshly part of man, and soon is it believed, and as soon practised; for I know not what will hinder the success of it, for I know the devil will not oppose it, neither will the [Page 119]flesh oppose it; and I am sure the world is a friend to it, and then it is possible there is nothing that is evil that will oppose it. And no marvel though the multitude dance so madly after your pipe, I know you see no greater evil, then that which is the ido­lizing of Forms; but that is because you know not the evil of your own hearts, and how the great mystery of evil lyeth there; and because you know it not, you are carried out to see the evil of others, who is not of the same faith with you; and some of you, yea, those who be of your cheif Teachers, are so exceedingly carried out by the power of Free-grace (as they pretend) that they go about to do marvels, viz. to pluck up where never any thing hath been planted, and to take away acting from these people who never troubled themselves with acting any thing for God, or for any kinde of formal worship to God.

But if such were but half wise, they might spare their speak­ing; for such people have a teacher within them, that will teach them to forsake acting any thing for God, or the worship of God: And therefore they need not any of your outward teaching to help them. But do you not think you do a great peece of Gods service herein? be judge your selves. I would know of you, whether acting or believing be the first brought out in any man; if you say Faith, I would know what Faith it is; for the justifying Faith it cannot be, for that is manifest after works, and never doth any man know it truly, until he have acted, and found the emptiness of his actings; and these things which he thought should have brought out life, bringeth out death, Rom. 7.10. And yet when this faith is brought out, yet doth not that Faith make acting voide, For faith without works is dead, Jam. 2.17.

But if you say a man may have justifying faith without works, that I deny; for where-ever faith is that justifieth, the same cannot be without works. I know man may have an historical faith without works, but the justifying faith no man can have without works; but it is one thing to have works, and it is another thing to be justified by works; and here is the Mystery; finde it out if you can; but for the want of the right knowledge of the Mystery, you become to make a division, and [Page 120]jarring between faith and works, which in themselves do not differ, but agreeth in a sweet harmony in those souls, who have found out the mystery in them both: And never shall you bring any soul to be a true believer, before you have brought him into an active way before; except you can command God to work miracles in his immediate way.

But my Friends, I know full well where you erre, and what is the ground of your opinion, even you who are the purest in this your Free-grace tenet; For even you who have some ex­perience of the grace of God, I know you knew it was the goodnesse of God that freed your souls from what they were captived with, and that all your actings could not do it, till God himself bestowed his Free-grace upon you.

This I confesse is truth, but did every any of you finde the Free-grace of God made known to you, before you had acted to your utmost endeavor, and was made to see the emptiness of your actings. I know as many of you as have known true freedom will confess this; and can you tell me truly, That if you had not acted, and thereby seen the emptiness of your act­ings; whether you should have known the freenesse of grace, yea, or nay; but because that you were not freed by your act­ings, is therefore actings of none effect? God forbid; for though the Apostle were not justified by the Law, yet did he not make voide the Law, but counted it of necessary use; for thereby cometh the knowledge of sin, Rom. 7.13. So actings, though they do not justifie, yet by them man becometh to know the emptiness that is in them; for before any action be brought out, the goodnesse or badnesse of it cannot be known; and it is as natural to man to depend upon his actings, as the skin cleaveth to his flesh; and man cannot be freed from depending thereon, until he truly see the evil in them; and he cannot see the evil in them, until they be brought out; and until he see the evil in them, he cannot be justified by Free-grace: And for this very purpose God hath given man power to act, and given out commands that he should act, that thereby man might be brought to see what was in his actings, and how far he could recover out of his faln condition by his actings; that so where he came short, he might know the goodness of God in his Re­stauration; [Page 121]and therefore while you pretend and preach Faith so much, you bring but the souls of the people into a snare, and they are in as great danger to perish by your doctrine, as is the souls of those people who are taught to merit Heaven by their actings; for you run as far in your extream, as they do in their extream.

But I would have you to take notice of one thing, viz. In case you have been freed by grace, whether hath your spirit or your flesh got better hold of the freedom; if your spirit have gotten the freedom, then is your flesh in bond­age, and then be sure it will be striving for freedom; and I believe you shall have no great quiet, so long as it hath any power to move: For though your spirit may be freed from the condemning of your conscience, yet I beleeve your spi­rits is not freed from the strivings of the flesh; but in case the flesh have stoln your freedom from the spirit, then its possible all will be quiet within, and then no marvel if you cry up Free-grace so fast.

But let me tell you one thing, He that knoweth most of Free-grace, knoweth most of bondage with it. This may seem a paradox to you, but if you know not what I mean, you may take it for granted, That your flesh hath got the greater part of your Free-grace; and then while you tell other people of freedom by grace, you your selves become the servants of sin, 2 Pet. 2.19.

LOok into your own hearts, and try whether this be true or not; for if you finde your hearts and affections carried out to any thing below God, and that you have any complacence, in either pleasure, praise, or profit, or what else is below the center of Spirits, you may believe, That all is not as it should be; but yet I know you will not greatly care, for it is God must do all, and the Creature can do nothing; and therefore you need but onely beleeve, and all will be well enough; but the time will come, that [Page 122]every one must be rewarded according to his works; and he that saith, Lord, Lord, shall not enter into Heaven, but he that doth the will of the Father must enter.

Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with with me, and will give to every man according as his works shall be.