<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2009-03-23</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Scott Lepisto</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Checklist:
x Add TEMPHEAD, change DATE, validate
x Add DIV TYPEs, validate
x Review structure, use BODY or rarely GROUP
x Check PB placement and completeness, ensure sequence of N=""
x Proof title page(s)
x Check HEAD TRAILER ARGUMENT EPIGRAPH OPENER CLOSER SIGNED SALUTE BYLINE
x Check ^, oe, italic I / J, _Initals, space between &amp;c FIGURE
x Check q; startq endq Q
x Check ligatures if in black letter &abper; &abpro; &abus; &abquod; &absed; &abser; &abcon; &abrum; &abis;
x Correct illegibles from proofsheet
x Check illegible page, para, line, span, word, dollar signs, &punc;
Final validate

Corrected [  ] illegible groups out of [  ].
Converted [  ] illegible groups to GAP DESC="illegible".
DONE</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A86646">
<STC T="W">H3152</STC>
<STC T="T">E821_2</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99866415</BIBNO>
<VID>118688</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>Quaking Principles da&s;hed in pieces by the &s;tanding and un&s;haken TRUTH.</P>
<P>Being an Examination of the Tenents held forth by certain Northern People, <HI>viz.</HI></P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Slighting of the written Word.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>A &s;peaking to that within Man.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>Denying the u&s;e of Rea&s;on in the matters of God.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. <HI>A denying of the A&s;cen&s;ion and Being of the Body of</HI> Chri&s;t.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. <HI>A denying of all the Ordinances of</HI> Chri&s;t.</ITEM>
<ITEM>6. <HI>A denying Honor to Men.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>7. <HI>Affording ab&s;olute perfection at one in&s;tant.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P><HI>By</HI> Henoch Howet.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>Henry Hills,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his Hou&s;e near <HI>Py-corner</HI> at the Sign of Sir <HI>John Oldca&s;tle.</HI> 1655.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>Quaking Principles da&s;hed in pieces by the &s;tanding and un&s;haken Truth.</HEAD>
<P>_THe God of the whole Earth now being about to declare his glorie to the <HI>Gentiles</HI> in &s;uch a man|ner as that the I&s;les that have not heard of his fame &s;hould be brought in to &s;ee his glorie, and and the Kingdoms of this world being about to become the Lords and his <HI>Christs.</HI></P>
<P>Satan at &s;uch a time is doubtle&s;s &s;tanding at the right hand of our <HI>Jo&s;hua,</HI> to re&s;i&s;t him.</P>
<P>At the right hand, not at the left, for he will take the better hand that he may be more eminent in &s;hew, and be preferred, in the view of the world, before the <HI>Jo&s;hua's</HI> of God, they mu&s;t come in a lower place, on the left hand, in a more carnal way in the eye of the world, and in the report of tho&s;e that &s;peak by &s;welling words of &s;piritualne&s;s, calling the God of this world that blindeth the eys, a God of light, and all this darkne&s;s, &s;piritu|alne&s;s; at this time I &s;ay appeareth tho&s;e times that if it were po&s;&s;ible &s;hould deceive the very elect, whereby the &s;tars are drawn from Heaven and ca&s;t unto the Earth.</P>
<P>Whereupon I have thought it my dutie to &s;erve the Land of my Nativitie, or rather men fearing God in this Nation, in &s;ingling out certain &s;pecious Deceits of Satans; and as <HI>Christ</HI> my Ma|&s;ter did to Satan, reproving them with this infallible authoritie, <HI>It is written;</HI> a &s;peech that can hardly be endured with the&s;e pretended &s;piritual men, for that Satan being overthrown by it by the Saviour of men, is now fain to flie to unwritten notions, con|&s;i&s;ting,
<LIST>
<PB N="2" REF="3">
<ITEM>1. A &s;lighting of the written Word.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. A &s;peaking to that within you. It is their phra&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. A denying of the u&s;e of Rea&s;on, and con&s;ideration in mat|ters of God, calling it Serpent and <HI>Adam, &amp;c.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. Denying of the A&s;cen&s;ion or Being of the Bodie of <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>5. A denying of all Ordinances of <HI>Christ.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>6. A denying honor to men.</ITEM>
<ITEM>7. Ab&s;olute perfection at one in&s;tant.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>For the fir&s;t, they oppo&s;e the Word <HI>[Christ]</HI> to the written Word, and will a Word that is a Di&s;coverie &s;piritual to be the Word. But what&s;oever it is that they call the Word, it is perfect|ly fal&s;e and not the truth, although it be conceived in the &s;oul of a <HI>Paul,</HI> except the Scriptures will approve of it, or it be &s;o in Scriptures, that is to &s;ay, the &s;ame that is recorded in Scripture, <HI>Acts</HI> 17.11. <HI>Paul</HI> counts it true Nobilitie to be daily conver|&s;ant in Scripture, for the proof of revealed truths, and (as they count) is carnalne&s;s and lowne&s;s; for a man at one of their meetings pulling a Bible out of his pocket, one of them asked, What doth that man with that Book there?</P>
<P N="2">2. Again, it is not onely the being of the bodie of <HI>Christ,</HI> but the actions and undertakings of <HI>Christ</HI> al&s;o that is profitable to us. And of the&s;e the Scripture keepeth a record, therefore glori|ou&s;ly to &s;urmi&s;e any thing of <HI>Christ,</HI> which Scripture recordeth not, is to &s;tand at the right hand of our <HI>Jo&s;hua,</HI> to re&s;i&s;t the work of God, and to be more excellent and more glorious than plain Scripture. <HI>Christ</HI> him&s;elf &s;aith, I come to fulfill what&s;oever is written in the Law and the Prophets, and the &s;ayings concerning me. Being the Apo&s;tle chargeth the plain &s;imple &s;heep of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> &s;aying, Let no man per&s;wade you above what is written.</P>
<P N="3">3. Again if ignorance of the Scripture be the ground of er|ror, <HI>Mark</HI> 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">.24. <HI>Matth.</HI> 22.29 how do the&s;e men drive the people in darkne&s;s, that works upon the people to cau&s;e a di&s;|e&s;teem of the Scriptures, and yet forcibly per&s;wade them to re|ceive their Doctrine? Con&s;ider, do not the Papi&s;ts denie us the Scriptures in our mother Tongue that their unwritten verities might take place? And now the &s;ame &s;pirit in another appear|ance per&s;wades us to the u&s;ele&s;ne&s;s of the Scriptures, that his &s;pi|ritual delu&s;ions might take place though in another form.</P>
<P><PB N="3" REF="3">O &s;ubtle Devil! Will nothing &s;erve thy turn but to di&s;arm us and take away that weapon that <HI>Christ</HI> fought and overthrew thee with? But as he had the victorie, &s;o mu&s;t all his members in their overcoming &s;trength obtain it, (I mean with this authoritie, <HI>It is written.</HI>) Then thou might&s;t &s;leep quietly in the hearts of thine, in thy lu&s;ts, in thy envie, in thine idolatrie, in thy pride, in all luxurie and uncleanne&s;s, if there were not an <HI>[It is written]</HI> to di&s;quiet thee. Men could not know lu&s;t but by <HI>[It is written] Rom.</HI> 7.7. If thou can&s;t do this thy &s;even &s;pirits &s;hall dwell qui|etly, and thou mai&s;t exalt thy &s;elf above God. And thy Angels may appear more glorious than plain Preachers of the Go&s;pel without controll.</P>
<P>Again, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.17. The perfect furni&s;hing the man of God to all good works is the end that the Scriptures were given for, and the u&s;e of them is to reprove, to correct, to in&s;truct in righte|ou&s;ne&s;s. The Author of them is God, by the in&s;piration of God, (that is to &s;ay) in the hearts of the Prophets and Apo&s;tles. For the Prophe&s;ies of old, that are called Scripture, are the movings of the Spirit of God in the holy men of God: 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.20. And our foundation is laid upon the Prophets and Apo&s;tles, (which is their Doctrine) <HI>Christ</HI> being the head-corner-&s;tone. So that if Satan could take away or vilifie Scripture, he would hinder man exceedingly from being throughly furni&s;hed, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Take away the profitable means of this Doctrine, <HI>viz.</HI> reproof, correction, in|&s;truction. O! how would he bring in a floud of de&s;truction, by filling mankinde with ignorance and lu&s;tfull plea&s;ures, in taking off the Bridle that checks Lu&s;t. It brings in a Night of Dark|ne&s;s, that men might take their plea&s;ure in &s;in without any Light at all to &s;hame them for it, if he could make the Scriptures u&s;e|le&s;s. To &s;hake us in our foundation, I mean the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apo&s;tles, would make the whole building of Reli|gion and Godline&s;s fall. O &s;ubtle Serpent! the Lord rebuke thee. If wi&s;dom to &s;alvation through faith in <HI>Christ</HI> be con|tained in Scripture 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.15. Then what a &s;weet conjuncti|on and harmonie do we finde here betwixt the written Rule and the active life of a believer; Who but Satan or his in&s;truments dare &s;light the one, and affirm he regards the other?</P>
<P>Again, if the Scriptures are the means of comfort and hope,
<PB N="4" REF="4">
<HI>Rom.</HI> 15.4. How exceedingly were we wronged if any mans of our comfort or hope &s;hould be taken from us? For comfort and hope they are in two re&s;pects. Fir&s;t, what cau&s;e of comfort is there when all our experiences are the &s;ame that have been of old declared in Scripture. And if Satan in the time of Gods withdrawing &s;hould go about to per&s;wade us that our experi|ences were fal&s;e, and we would &s;ay they were revealed from God, and the &s;ame that were written in the Scriptures of truth, <HI>Dan.</HI> 10.21. What a comfort would that be to us? Note here in this place of <HI>Daniel</HI> when the Angel would comfort him, he doth it not onely by touching his lips, by lifting him up, by &s;peaking to him, but al&s;o that he might &s;eal up all his experi|ences; he &s;aith, I will &s;hew thee what is written in the Scri|ptures, of a truth there is none that holdeth with us but <HI>Michael</HI> your Prince.</P>
<P>The &s;econd re&s;pect wherein we are comforted by Scripture is, in re&s;pect of our ex&s;pectation, when we hope for nothing but what God hath in Scripture promi&s;ed; this makes us come boldly to the Throne of Grace, <HI>Dan.</HI> 6. I <HI>Daniel</HI> under&s;tand by Books, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and I &s;et my face to &s;eek the Lord by prayers and &s;upplications, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and when things come to pa&s;s that God hath promi&s;ed, it fils the heart with prai&s;es, and will make all that have <HI>Davids</HI> &s;pirit to &s;ay, In God will I prai&s;e thy Word.</P>
<P>But now le&s;t &s;ome &s;hould &s;ay, that I make the Scriptures the &s;ole cau&s;e of knowledg, which the Saints are to look unto for Life and Salvation.</P>
<P>I an&s;wer No, I minde them to be but the te&s;timonie of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> but yet &s;uch a te&s;timonie as is able in the hand of the eternal Teacher to make the man of God wi&s;e to Salvation; yet if we come not to <HI>Christ</HI> by the drawing of the Father we can have no &s;aving life nor light, although we have the whole outward knowledg of them in the written letter, <HI>John</HI> 5.39.</P>
<P>Sure it is, they that were in&s;tructed by <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> had the out|ward teachings of the now written letter, and &s;o &s;till; for the organ of the ear or eye letteth into the under&s;tanding while&s;t God applieth it to the heart; and by this means the Saints in the hand of God are humbled at his feet to receive of his Word, as in <HI>Deut.</HI> 33.3. Though <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;pake the&s;e words of Chri&s;tian ex|perience,
<PB N="5" REF="4">
yet they admini&s;tred to the ear that &s;weet dropping ora|tion in <HI>Deut.</HI> 32.33. which by the Spirit of God applying, is made powerfull in operation, and is now left al&s;o upon record for our in&s;truction according to that of <HI>Christ,</HI> who &s;aith, They have <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and the Prophets, when they had but the words which <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> writ. The Scriptures prove the work of the new birth, coun&s;els us to buy of God milk and wine, and teacheth us to bear the hand of the Lord patiently, till he bring us forth to the light, and &s;hew us his righteou&s;ne&s;s, <HI>Micah</HI> 7. from the 7. to the 9. <HI>v.</HI> It teacheth us per&s;everance to the end, and he that hear|eth and knoweth this, except he do it, it availeth nothing, in <HI>Ezek.</HI> 33.31, 32. And divers &s;weet directions and promi&s;es to|gether with records of Saints former experiences, all which appli|ed by Gods &s;pirit to the believers heart is able to make the man of God wi&s;e to Salvation.</P>
<P>And now I come to the &s;econd of their mi&s;takes, that is, A &s;peaking to a thing within thee. I would fain know what can be meant by the thing within men; for there is nothing in man to be &s;poken to but man; if it be Light it hath enlightned man, and then man is to be accounted and &s;poken to as enlightned; &s;o then they cannot &s;peak to his Light as di&s;tinct, but to man enlight|ned; for <HI>Christ</HI> and his Apo&s;tles always &s;poke to man. It's true Satan that hath &s;ent forth his Angels, transforming him&s;elf into Angels of Light, to publi&s;h his delu&s;ions and deceits, may and it's likely hath therewithall &s;ent forth a &s;pirit in men to per&s;wade the receiving that his dark and delu&s;ive Light; and hereupon the An|gels of Satan without may &s;peak to the &s;pirit of Satan within under the notion of Light: but unle&s;s they &s;peak unto Satan or &s;ome of his Legion in man, I know not how they can &s;peak unto any Light in man di&s;tinct from him. It may be his language, but it is none of Gods, for it's no form of &s;ound words which we are commanded to hold fa&s;t, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1.13.</P>
<P>And now I come to the third of their mi&s;takes, that is, The denying the u&s;e of rea&s;on or con&s;ideration in the matters of God, calling it Serpentine and many other terms of contempt: and upon this ground they will not do as the Apo&s;tles of <HI>Christ,</HI> and <HI>Christ</HI> him&s;elf who did di&s;pute or rea&s;on with the gain-&s;ayers of the truth. <HI>Christ</HI> di&s;puted with the <HI>Jews,</HI> 6, 8. <HI>chap.</HI> of <HI>John,</HI>
<PB N="6" REF="5">
and <HI>Stephen, Acts</HI> 6.9, 10. There aro&s;e certain of the Syna|gogue called <HI>Libertines,</HI> and <HI>Cyrenians,</HI> and <HI>Alexandrians,</HI> and of <HI>Cilicia</HI> and <HI>A&s;ia,</HI> and di&s;puted with <HI>Stephen;</HI> and they were not able to re&s;i&s;t the wi&s;dom and &s;pirit by which he &s;pake. And why was it, but becau&s;e of the &s;trength of demon&s;tration that was in it? The Spirit of God makes u&s;e of rea&s;on, or wi&s;|dom, and tongue, in man, and all the faculties of bodie and &s;oul in a godly man to honor him&s;elf, and to re&s;i&s;t unto bloud, &s;tri|ving again&s;t &s;in, and to contend earne&s;tly for the faith once given to the Saints. So that ye &s;ee how far different the&s;e men are from the words and practice of <HI>Christ</HI> and his mini&s;trie. As for rea|&s;on carnally implied we ju&s;tifie it not, which hath this character, it is pitying it &s;elf; and therein Satan is conver&s;ant; for when <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aid to <HI>Christ,</HI> Ma&s;ter, pitie thy &s;elf, none of the&s;e things &s;hall befall thee, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> for this Rea&s;on where it rules, will not let any follow God or <HI>Christ</HI> further than they can carrie their own things, <HI>viz.</HI> their own honors, plea&s;ures, ea&s;e, worldly beloveds, that their worldly lu&s;ts may have life and delight, and &s;o throw by the things of <HI>Christ,</HI> his Cro&s;s, his afflictions, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and con|&s;equently his Crown too; this made the Apo&s;tle complain, All men &s;eek their own things, and none the things of <HI>Christ.</HI> We allow and honor rea&s;on in con&s;idering the works of God, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 7.13. As thus, in &s;o much that God hath made one creature, I mean the Air that is pre&s;ent in all places at once, and without it no creature that hath life can live. And another creature to give light to the whole frame of nature, I mean the Sun; How ea&s;ie a thing then is it by rea&s;on to conclude this God to be in all pla|ces at once viewing wickedne&s;s, and creating new hearts, and gi|ving light to all, though they &s;it in darkne&s;s and in the &s;hadow of death? Like to this <HI>David</HI> rea&s;ons, <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 94 9, 10 11.</P>
<P N="2">2. In &s;o much that God is the Author of all memorie and wi&s;dom, whereby all things in the earth may be remembred, &s;ome things by one, &s;ome things by another, &s;ome things by a third, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and all this is by the virtue of Gods working, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> How ea&s;ie a thing it is for the wicked &s;inning wretch to his conviction or ter|ror to believe from rea&s;on God is able both to remember and take account of all his &s;ins, and to &s;et them before him at the day of judgment?</P>
<P N="3"><PB N="7" REF="5">3. Con&s;idering that God hath created the whole world in &s;ix days; how ea&s;ie a thing is it, conclude that he is able to &s;end down the new <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> from above, according to the Word, <HI>Rev.</HI> 21. And let tho&s;e be &s;ilent that ask, where &s;hall there be room at the Re&s;urrection for all to &s;tand? for as they are not able to comprehend what was &s;poken of before, till it was brought to pa&s;s; &s;o neither are they able to comprehend how there &s;hall be room more than they are able to create room for tho&s;e that &s;hall appear to judgment. But we allow not that Rea&s;on that will not let the Word run and be glorified, but reproach it and &s;peak again&s;t it, as tho&s;e that believe not Election but &s;tand que|&s;tioning the ju&s;tice of God, as if God could be no further ju&s;t than they could &s;ee him ju&s;t. The&s;e do in effect denie his Name, Won|derfull; for they would have him &s;o little and narrow a God, that they are able to defend him; or el&s;e they would think it their part to &s;tand &s;till and wonder, when they cannot &s;ee through his ju&s;tice, and not ask how they &s;hould defend his ju&s;tice, when any thing exceeds the compa&s;s of their rea&s;on. <HI>Paul</HI> thought the&s;e per&s;ons not worthy of an an&s;wer, <HI>Rom.</HI> 9.19, 20. and therefore he takes them off &s;hort, &s;aying, Nay, but who art thou, O man, that replie&s;t again&s;t God? <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Neither do we allow of that rea&s;oning which will take a Text of Scripture and rai&s;e an argument from it, and thereupon conclude their own &s;alvation, and &s;o get a conclu&s;ion in&s;tead of <HI>Christ</HI> for their a&s;&s;urance, when as the Scripture telleth us it mu&s;t be wrought out, &s;aying, Work out your &s;alvation with fear and trembling; for <HI>Christ</HI> is to be noted for to be manife&s;ted to his, <HI>John</HI> 14 21. revealed in <HI>Gal.</HI> 1.16. And therefore let us know that there is a day to dawn, and a day &s;tar to ri&s;e in our hearts, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.19. all which we are in prayers to be violent for, and wait patiently for. This is the good u&s;e of rea&s;on, to re&s;i&s;t the gain &s;ayers of truth, in di&s;putes, to be readie always to give an&s;wer to every man that asketh a rea&s;on of the hope that is in us, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.15. and to ta&s;te of the goodne&s;s of God till we have lo&s;t our &s;elves in it, and to crie out with <HI>Paul, O the depth of the riches both of the wi&s;dom and knowledg of God! How un&s;earchable are his judg|ments, and his ways pa&s;t finding out? Rom.</HI> 11.33.</P>
<P>And now I come to the fourth of their mi&s;takes, <HI>viz.</HI> Their
<PB N="8" REF="6">
denying of the A&s;cer&s;ion or the Being of the Bodie of <HI>Christ;</HI> under the pretence of this Scripture, Fle&s;h and Bloud cannot in|herit the Kingdom of Heaven. It is true that fle&s;h and bloud without the Spirit and Life of God cannot; but he that is joyn|ed to God is one &s;pirit; &s;o if we &s;hould &s;ay, This bulk, or lump, or form of man or mans fle&s;h could not continue upon the earth, it were true, (meaning without life) for it would rot, putrefie and &s;tink, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> But we &s;hall prove fir&s;t the burial of that Bodie of <HI>Christ, John</HI> 19. at the later end of the Chapter; his Re&s;ur|rection, <HI>chap.</HI> 20. his &s;hewing his hands and his &s;ide to his Di&s;ci|ples, and after to <HI>Thomas;</HI> but to prove this fully, that it was the bodie that walked upon earth, he &s;aith him&s;elf, <HI>Luke</HI> 24 39. Handle me and &s;ee, for a &s;pirit hath not fle&s;h and bones, as ye &s;ee me have. And that it is the &s;ame <HI>Je&s;us,</HI> it is proved in <HI>Acts</HI> 1.1, 2. <HI>The former Treati&s;e have I made, O</HI> Theophilus, <HI>of all that</HI> Je&s;us <HI>began both to do and teach, untill the day in which he was taken up:</HI> which proves that the doing and teaching <HI>Je&s;us</HI> was taken up: and I affirm it was the bodie; for when he was upon earth he did no actions but with his bodie, nor &s;pake words but with his tongue that is a member of that bodie, and that the &s;ame <HI>Je&s;us</HI> was taken into Heaven is plain in <HI>Acts</HI> 1.11. <HI>Ye men of</HI> Galilee, <HI>Why &s;tand ye gazing up into Heaven? This &s;ame</HI> Je&s;us, <HI>which is taken up from you into Heaven, &s;hall &s;o come in like manner as ye have &s;een him go into Heaven.</HI> [This &s;ame <HI>Je&s;us</HI>] mu&s;t be he who is &s;poken of in <HI>v.</HI> 1. who is not without the bodie, being the things that he &s;pake and did were &s;poken and done with his bodie.</P>
<P>And now it follows that I prove he is in Heaven, in <HI>Heb.</HI> 4. <HI>Seeing then that we have a great High Prie&s;t that is pa&s;&s;ed in|to the Heavens,</HI> Je&s;us <HI>the Son of God.</HI> And it is proved that this High Prie&s;t is not without the bodie, becau&s;e he is called a man, and I hope all men will &s;ay the bodie and &s;oul is the man.</P>
<P>And that this man continues for ever is proved in <HI>Heb.</HI> 7.24. <HI>But this man, becau&s;e he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable Prie&s;thood.</HI> And in <HI>Heb.</HI> 8.3. <HI>It is of nece&s;&s;ity that this man have &s;omewhat al&s;o to offer.</HI> And <HI>v.</HI> 4. <HI>For if he were on earth, &amp;c.</HI> which proves that the manhood is in Heaven. And in <HI>Heb.</HI> 9.24. <HI>For</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>is not entred into the holy places made
<PB N="9" REF="6">
with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into Hea|ven it &s;elf, now to appear in the pre&s;ence of God for us.</HI> And if any doubt whither it is the man there &s;poken of, look in <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.12. for the &s;peech is continued, and there it is &s;aid, <HI>But this man after he had offered one &s;acrifice for &s;ins for ever, &s;at down at the right hand of God.</HI></P>
<P>And if any man doubt whither the man be now in Heaven, let him look into <HI>Acts</HI> 3.20, 21. <HI>And he &s;hall &s;end</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>which before was preached unto you, whom the Heaven mu&s;t receive, untill the times of re&s;titution of all things.</HI> Now <HI>Christ</HI> was preached a crucified <HI>Christ,</HI> &s;o that the bodie mu&s;t needs be in Heaven. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.23. <HI>We preach</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>crucified, unto the</HI> Jews <HI>a &s;tumbling block, and unto the</HI> Greeks <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;s.</HI> It was the greate&s;t &s;tumbling block that could be to the <HI>Jews</HI> in the world, to think that he that &s;hould come to deliver <HI>I&s;rael</HI> &s;hould fir&s;t be crucified.</P>
<P>The&s;e things thus proved, let no man hereafter &s;ay, that that bodie of our Lord which was crucified without the Gates of <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> is not in Heaven.</P>
<P>And thus you &s;ee how the&s;e men denie the Lord that bought them, if they denie that bodie that was crucified for them, for he bought Lord&s;hip over all things by his death; and &s;o by that bodie that bled and &s;uffered on the Cro&s;s, and by that death became their Lord, <HI>Philip.</HI> 2.7, 8, 9, 10. they denie the Being of it.</P>
<P>And al&s;o they denie the Lord that bought them in the fifth mi&s;take of theirs, wherein they denie all Forms or Ordinances. There is nothing that <HI>Christ</HI> commanded as Lord over his inhe|ritance, that is to &s;ay, the Rules of Government that he appoint|ed to govern his cho&s;en generation, his peculiar people, his royal Prie&s;thood with, but they denie: it and therefore the&s;e are they that &s;tumble at the Word, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.8, 9. Al&s;o they denie the love tokens that he left, the one that follows repentance from dead works, and faith towards God, as the fir&s;t act of faith, building upon the foundation, I mean Bapti&s;m. The other the token of his death to be a remembrance of him untill he come, I mean the Lords Supper. And now let the&s;e that are <HI>Christs</HI> Enemies, that denie both Bodie and Rule of <HI>Christ,</HI> hear one
<PB N="10" REF="7">
loving reproof out of <HI>[It is written]</HI> which their Predece&s;&s;ors (I mean the Papi&s;ts) would have taken from us in the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Tongue: and the&s;e men would take from us the virtue of it, that is to &s;ay, the &s;harpne&s;s and &s;weetne&s;s of it, by working upon us a di&s;like of it. I &s;ay a reproof in love that if it be po&s;&s;i|ble they may be healed: the Scripture I reprove them by is <HI>Luke</HI> 19.27. <HI>But tho&s;e mine Enemies which would not that I &s;hould reign over them, Bring hither, and &s;lay them before me.</HI> O that they would con&s;ider the written Word that they de&s;pi&s;e, and examine them&s;elves whither they were not once Citizens, <HI>Luke</HI> 19 14. that is, whither they were not under the Govern|ment of the Citie that had for its Charter the written Word of God, when his Word and his Spirit that writ it had command of their &s;ouls. It is written is enough to humble a poor &s;oul, to re|prove a tender con&s;cience, to be a light to our paths, and a Lan|tern to our feet, to make known &s;in, and to command the Devils ab&s;ence; and hath it no power over you? Have you a &s;pirit to guide you without a written Word? It is out of Gods govern|ment then if it cannot be brought to the Law and the te&s;timonies to &s;ee whither it &s;peak according to that Word or no, <HI>I&s;ai</HI> 8.20. Ye may be familiar &s;pirits for ought I know. Do ye not weep and mutter? as <HI>I&s;ai</HI> 8 19. What muttering and uncouth howl|ing is ammong ye, which we cannot but impute to a &s;pirit con|trary to the Word, if ye will not come to the Word to be tried? we are commanded to trie the &s;pirits whither they be of good or no; and alas, how &s;hall we do it, if ye denie both the written Word that is our Rule and Rea&s;on too, for you appeal from both? Alas, alas, what &s;hall we do for you? we fear you will peri&s;h eternally. And now that he is a&s;cended and gone into a far countrey, Do you not &s;end me&s;&s;ages after him, and &s;ay, Ye will not have this man rule over ye? for indeed ye denie both his Per|&s;on and Word, that is to &s;ay, the written Word that was from God by <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and the Prophets, even the written Word which is the Rule of Life and Love, &s;ealed and approved of by <HI>Christ;</HI> as al&s;o the Commandments of <HI>Christ,</HI> that he and his Apo&s;tles ordained, I mean Bapti&s;m to accompanie conver&s;ion and the whole order of communion in the Go&s;pel of God: to follow I mean tho&s;e Commandments that were not before <HI>Christs</HI> time
<PB N="11" REF="7">
and given out by none but him&s;elf and his Apo&s;tles, &s;poken of in <HI>John</HI> 15.10. <HI>If ye keep my Commandments, ye &s;hall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Fathers Commandments, and abide in his love.</HI> Now I demand what di&s;tinction could <HI>Christ</HI> make here betwixt his and his Fathers Commandments, but that his were the Ordinances and Laws to govern his Church by: and in <HI>John</HI> 14.21. See what &s;weet promi&s;es follows the obedience to <HI>Christs</HI> commands. And if they will cavil at them &s;till becau&s;e they are written, as if it were but the Letter, that which is written in 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.37. <HI>If any man think him&s;elf to be a Prophet, or &s;piritual, let him acknowledg, that the things that I write unto you, are the Commandments of the Lord.</HI> By which Word in the Name of God I proclame, that tho&s;e men that di&s;own the written Word are not &s;piritual men, I mean, have not the Spirit of <HI>Christ;</HI> they may have the bewitching &s;pirit of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> that may make them denie the u&s;e of their own Rea&s;on, becau&s;e they have not faith in the Root, as in 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.3. <HI>And that we may be delivered from unrea&s;ona|ble and wicked men, for all men have not faith:</HI> where the Apo&s;tle braves tho&s;e men that have not the u&s;e of Rea&s;on, to be wicked and void of faith.</P>
<P>Who but the &s;pirit of <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> dur&s;t not onely &s;et their po&s;ts by <HI>Christs</HI> po&s;ts, but al&s;o countermand the Command|ments of our Law-giver the Lord <HI>Je&s;us Christ?</HI></P>
<P>There were never any men appeared in the world &s;o like tho&s;e that <HI>Peter</HI> &s;peaketh of in his &s;econd Epi&s;tle, <HI>ch.</HI> 2.17. to the end of the Chapter, I pray you reade tho&s;e Ver&s;es con&s;iderately; in <HI>v.</HI> 17. he &s;aith, They are <HI>Clouds carried with a Tempe&s;t:</HI> What greater Tempe&s;t than &s;o much &s;piritual violence as to car|rie all down afore them, without con&s;ideration either of the written Word or the u&s;e of Rea&s;on. In <HI>v.</HI> 18. he chargeth them with <HI>&s;peaking great &s;welling words of vanity:</HI> he chargeth them al&s;o to <HI>allure through the lu&s;ts of the fle&s;h: The Fle&s;h lu&s;teth</HI> or de&s;ireth <HI>again&s;t the Spirit.</HI> The&s;e de&s;ire to overthrow the Writngs of the Spirit of God: he chargeth them likewi&s;e with <HI>much wantonne&s;s.</HI> What more wantonne&s;s than to &s;hake off all Rules, that their own imaginations may have the full &s;way: and if Mr. <HI>Pope</HI> doth not belie them, they u&s;e un&s;eeemly ki&s;&s;ing in
<PB N="12" REF="8">
heir open and publique A&s;&s;emblies at <HI>Gla&s;&s;tiers Hall:</HI> and <HI>Peter</HI> in the &s;ame Ver&s;e makes the ca&s;e dangerous to <HI>live in er|ror,</HI> (that is, for want of knowledg of the Scriptures as afore|&s;aid) although men have clean e&s;caped the pollutions of the world through lu&s;ts. In <HI>v.</HI> 19. he &s;aith, <HI>While they promi&s;e them liberty, they them&s;elves are the &s;ervants of corruption.</HI> None ever promi&s;ed to them&s;elves &s;o much libertie as the&s;e and the Ranters in being freed from the power and trial of the Word. And how greatly do they &s;erve corruption in this their libertie when they di&s;clame the written Word, which is the check and bridle of corruption being overcome by libertie, and brought in bondage to that wicked libertie. In <HI>v.</HI> 20. <HI>The later end is wor&s;e with them than the beginning:</HI> becau&s;e now they do that upon a religious account that before they did upon an ungodly ac|count. The Lord ble&s;s every one of his from the condition of <HI>Chandler,</HI> who formerly was the Head of a Companie of Sha|kers, who&s;e condition I dread to &s;peak of, it is known to almo&s;t all per&s;ons hereabouts. And in <HI>v.</HI> 21. the &s;ame Apo&s;tle char|geth them with falling from <HI>the way of righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> and <HI>a holy Commandment</HI> given <HI>unto them:</HI> which way of righteou&s;ne&s;s &s;tanding by a command of <HI>Christ</HI> mu&s;t needs be the order of the Go&s;pel of God.</P>
<P>Their &s;pirit will per&s;wade them that they are not fallen from righteou&s;ne&s;s, and therefore would ju&s;tifie them.</P>
<P>But he cannot ju&s;tifie them in denying the way of righteou&s;|ne&s;s that was commanded by <HI>Christ</HI> and his Apo&s;tles.</P>
<P>And it is apparant before God and Angels to all knowing men in Religion but them&s;elves, they or &s;ome of them are fallen from that. But I &s;hall write no more at this time about the de|nial of Ordinances, being I have writ more largely before in a little Treati&s;e called <HI>[Di&s;obedience detected.]</HI></P>
<P>And now we come to the &s;ixth of their mi&s;takes, which at the outward or overly looking upon it, one would think it were a &s;mall &s;light thing, but when we come to weigh it with [It is written] it is an heavie and &s;ad offence, I mean the not giving ho|nor to men: which is contrary to the examples of good men and command of Scripture.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, for the example of good men: <HI>Sara</HI> called <HI>Abraham</HI>
<PB N="13" REF="8">
Lord. The Angel of God which would not from God mi&s;take his me&s;&s;age, coun&s;elled <HI>Hagar</HI> to &s;ubmit her &s;elf to her Mi&s;tris, <HI>Gen.</HI> 16.9. <HI>Abrahams</HI> &s;ervant when he prayed to God and was heard, called <HI>Abraham</HI> his Ma&s;ter, <HI>Gen.</HI> 24.11. And when his &s;oul was in a &s;piritual frame, and his heart filled with prai&s;es to the living God, called him Ma&s;ter, <HI>v.</HI> 27. And to man al&s;o when he was declaring his me&s;&s;age he called <HI>Abraham</HI> Ma|&s;ter, <HI>v.</HI> 34.35. <HI>Jacob</HI> when he had been newly wre&s;tling with God for a ble&s;&s;ing, bowed him&s;elf &s;even times to <HI>E&s;au, Gen.</HI> 33.4. and all his familie did obey&s;ance. <HI>Io&s;ephs</HI> brethren by revelation of his Dream, and that from God, which after came to pa&s;s, did obey&s;ance to him, <HI>Gen.</HI> 44.14, 15, 16. <HI>David</HI> a man after Gods own heart, that had the Kingdom given him, but not yet in po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, called <HI>Saul</HI> My Lord the King, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 26.17. So that if the&s;e men &s;hould tell us, honoring one another will vani&s;h away in the re&s;toration of all things; I let the&s;e men with <HI>David</HI> tarrie their time, that is, till they be in po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the re&s;toration: and this did <HI>Christ,</HI> though he prophe&s;ied of the downfall of <HI>Iewi&s;h</HI> Ceremonies, and was that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> that fulfilled them, yet he wor&s;hipped in the Temple while&s;t they re|ceived <HI>Paul</HI> after him. And by the way here is one note for the non-churches, though it be true that Forms and Ordinances &s;hall cea&s;e, yet let them tarrie their time and wor&s;hip in them till <HI>Christ</HI> become. <HI>David</HI> calleth him&s;elf <HI>Sauls</HI> &s;ervant, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 17.23. and <HI>Davids</HI> wife by the coun&s;el of the Prophet <HI>Nathan</HI> 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 1.15. called My Lord the King. And <HI>Nathan</HI> the Prophet &s;peaking to <HI>David</HI> called him My Lord the King in <HI>v.</HI> 24. And <HI>Daniel</HI> the Prophet of the Lord &s;peaking to a Hea|then &s;aith, O King. So did the three Children at a time when <HI>Nebuchadnezzar</HI> was in the height of his wickedne&s;s, <HI>Dan.</HI> 3.17, 18. And <HI>Daniel</HI> at a time when he had received the greate&s;t mercie from God of &s;alvation from the Lions &s;aid, <HI>O King live for ever, Dan.</HI> 6.21. And <HI>Paul</HI> called <HI>Agrippa,</HI> O King, <HI>Acts</HI> 26.13, 19. and called <HI>Fe&s;tus,</HI> Mo&s;t noble <HI>Fe&s;tus.</HI> So that we may &s;ee what was the practice of holie men, Angels and Pro|phets and Apo&s;tles, and that upon remarkable times, upon &s;eri|ous occa&s;ions. How far are the&s;e men from following the exam|ples of holie Writ? Surely as they denie the virtue of <HI>[It is writ|ten]</HI>
<PB N="14" REF="9">
&s;o they are very carele&s;s in reading and ob&s;erving what is written. And they that are their Pro&s;elytes will be le&s;s know|ing being that their converters or rather perverters ca&s;t an <HI>odium</HI> upon what is written.</P>
<P>But now to come to the commands that they di&s;obey in this their practice. Fir&s;t the Law that Gods finger writ, <HI>Exod.</HI> 20. <HI>Honor thy Father and Mother. Lev.</HI> 19.31, 32. we finde the&s;e words, <HI>Regard not them that have familiar &s;pirits, neither &s;eek after wizards, to be defiled by them; I am the Lord thy God. Thou &s;halt ri&s;e up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man, and fear thy God; I am the Lord.</HI> Now the &s;peaking again&s;t familiar &s;pirits, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> immediatly before the gi|ving honor to men may intimate that wizards and &s;uch as have familiar &s;pirits u&s;e not to honor men; but I am &s;ure the&s;e two are linked together, being both &s;ins alike; for the command of ho|noring and fear thy God are joyned together in a &s;entence; and the&s;e men by this Scripture denying to honor men in their &s;everal relations, do al&s;o therein denie to fear God. And you cannot &s;ay this command was aboli&s;hed &s;ince <HI>Christs</HI> time, for the Apo&s;tle &s;till approves of it, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 6 2. And <HI>Peter</HI> who&s;e &s;pirit of Pro|phe&s;ie was much oppo&s;it to the&s;e kinde of men in 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.16, 17. hath the&s;e words, <HI>As free, and not u&s;ing your liberty for a cloak of maliciou&s;ne&s;s, but as the &s;ervants of God. Honor all men, Love the Brotherhood, Fear God, Honor the King.</HI> Which may prove that the malitious Libertine feareth not God, nor ca|reth for man. I could here bring a cloud of witne&s;&s;es, but let this &s;uffice; as <HI>Iude</HI> &s;peaking of per&s;ons, I hope more filthie than the&s;e, <HI>Iude</HI> 8. <HI>v.</HI> addeth this to fill up their Ephah of wickedne&s;s, <HI>They &s;peak evil of Dignities, and despi&s;e Dominion.</HI> Al&s;o <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Give honor to whom honor belongeth.</HI> And in giving ho|nor, Go one before another. But you &s;ee there is enough in <HI>[It is written]</HI> to reprove tho&s;e that care not for <HI>[It is written]</HI> if they be not uncapable of reproof:</P>
<P>And now I come to the la&s;t of their mi&s;takes, in admitting of none but perfect men into conjunction. In the fir&s;t place we are &s;ure that <HI>Iohn</HI> writes to children, young men and fathers, and mindes degrees of attainment, 2 <HI>Iohn</HI> 12.13. but the&s;e at one time wrought upon &s;ay that they are perfect, not minding &s;uch a
<PB N="15" REF="9">
perfection as is &s;poken of in <HI>Phil.</HI> 3.12. where a gradual at|tainment is &s;poken of; not as though I had already attained ei|ther, were already perfect; but I follow after, if I may appre|hend that for which I am al&s;o apprehended of <HI>Christ,</HI> where he &s;eemeth to &s;tate the matter thus, 'tis true I am confident of Gods mercies, the act of <HI>Christ</HI> is done for me, he hath apprehended me, but I am not perfect, but I am a follower after perfection, and de&s;ire and labor earne&s;tly to apprehend him. And in <HI>v.</HI> 13, 14. he &s;aith, <HI>Brethren, I count not my &s;elf to have apprehend|ed; but this one thing I do, forgetting tho&s;e things which are behinde, and reaching forth unto tho&s;e things which are before: I pre&s;s toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Je&s;us Christ.</HI> In which Ver&s;es for fear any &s;hould think he &s;poke in the per&s;on of another in the way of teaching, in <HI>v.</HI> 12. he avers it &s;olemnly of it &s;elf. In <HI>v.</HI> 12. as if he &s;hould &s;ay, The price is great of that Calling of God, in which onely is perfecti|on (the Calling he had but the price he wanted) but I have it not, yet I pre&s;s after it; and it is true, I mu&s;t hit the mark for it. In which arguings of his he &s;eems to engage the labor of all the fa|culties of the &s;oul, as his con&s;ideration, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> le&s;t he &s;hould &s;hoot be&s;ide the mark: I weigh things (which is an act of rea&s;on) I e&s;teem all things as lo&s;s. In <HI>v.</HI> 8. and his de&s;ires, forcing labors, and gradual earne&s;t motion forgetting that which is behinde, and reaching out to that which is before. And in <HI>v.</HI> 15. he &s;aith, <HI>Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded:</HI> as if he &s;hould &s;ay, There is no other perfection attainable, and this is perfection; and let none &s;ay they are perfect, and affirm they are pa&s;t this earne&s;t &s;uit and pur&s;uit after the things of <HI>Christ.</HI> God will reveal this unto him, that is, he will make him know it either here to his conviction or hereafter to his judgment; for it &s;hall be revealed, <HI>viz.</HI> that there is no perfection that di&s;engages the man from pur&s;uit with his labor of minde to attain in this life that which &s;hall be enjoyed when <HI>Christ</HI> &s;hall appear, for then <HI>we &s;hall be like him:</HI> 1 <HI>John</HI> 3.2. And to back <HI>Pauls</HI> judgment <HI>Peter</HI> agrees with him, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. from 5, to <HI>v.</HI> 11. where he puts the living Chri&s;tian that has received all things that appertain to life and godline&s;s; as in <HI>v.</HI> 3. upon his pre&s;&s;ing after perfection, namely, that they give all diligence. In <HI>v.</HI> 5. <HI>&amp; v.</HI> 10. again,
<PB N="16" REF="10">
make their Election and Calling &s;ure: and when this is done, it is true, he promi&s;es them an entrance abundantly into the ever|la&s;ting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour <HI>Je&s;us Christ,</HI> but no more but an entrance in this life, as if it were &s;aid, 'Tis but an en|trance; and there will be always work for the pre&s;&s;ing motion of the minde, rea&s;on to con&s;ider and de&s;ire, and prayer to attain, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and to have a threefold witne&s;s, in <HI>Cant.</HI> 1.4. <HI>Draw me, we will run after thee.</HI> And <HI>v.</HI> 7. <HI>Tell me (O thou whom my &s;oul loveth) where thou feede&s;t, where thou make&s;t thy flocks to feed at noon; for why &s;hould I be as one that turneth a&s;ide, &amp;c.</HI> where it appeareth that the Spou&s;e with an engaged rea&s;oning minde that &s;he may not turn a&s;ide wre&s;tles with <HI>Christ,</HI> to draw her, to teach her; which implieth, that no &s;uch perfection &s;o as to take off a laboring to be perfect, is a life attainable here: but in their perfection they denie any man being under frailtie or capa|blene&s;s to &s;in to be of their communion; it may be they do it from that place 1 <HI>John</HI> 3.6. <HI>Who&s;oever abideth in him, &s;inneth not; who&s;oever &s;inneth, hath not &s;een him, neither known him.</HI> But they mu&s;t view this whole Epi&s;tle, and they may ea&s;ily under|&s;tand him otherwi&s;e: as 1 <HI>John</HI> 1.7, to the end, <HI>If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellow&s;hip one with ano|ther, and the bloud of</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t <HI>his Son clean&s;eth us from all &s;in. If we &s;ay that we have no &s;in, we deceive our &s;elves, and the truth is not in us. If we confe&s;s our &s;ins, he is faithfull, and ju&s;t to forgive us our &s;ins, and to clean&s;e us from all unrighteou&s;|ne&s;s. If we &s;ay that we have not &s;inned, we make him a lyar, and his Word is not in us.</HI> Where it is proved, he that is in the light and hath fellow&s;hip with God is at that time under clean|&s;ing from &s;in by the bloud of <HI>Christ,</HI> which is far from their per|fection. It proves <HI>John</HI> writing in the pre&s;ent Ten&s;e that he and tho&s;e in communion with the Father and the Son were not freed ab&s;olutely from &s;in when he writ this Epi&s;tle, <HI>v.</HI> 8. In <HI>v.</HI> 9. In <HI>v.</HI> 9. that <HI>John</HI> and tho&s;e that have communion with the Father and the Son are forgiven their &s;ins after their confe&s;&s;ion, this is far from their perfection. It may be &s;aid then what was <HI>Johns</HI> meaning in <HI>chap.</HI> 3.6. I an&s;wer, he explaineth him&s;elf in 5.18. <HI>We know that who&s;oever is born of God, &s;inneth not; but he that is begotten of God, keepeth him&s;elf, and that wicked one touch|eth
<PB N="17" REF="10">
him not.</HI> That wicked one is the &s;in unto death, that mu&s;t be there meant, for it is &s;poken of before, then <HI>Iohns</HI> meaning mu&s;t needs be, that he that is born of God &s;ins not unto death; for in <HI>v.</HI> 16. he doth acknowledg that a brother may &s;in a &s;in that is not unto death, and yet obtain life. Their Speaker told me in their meeting, (that which had &s;inned could not be &s;aved) I told them, nothing could be &s;aved but that which is capable of dam|nation, which was man, who without &s;alvation as under &s;in he mu&s;t be damned: and now I &s;ay there is nothing can be in man but it mu&s;t be a part or a member of man, except it be God or the Devil. And it is ab&s;urd and incongruous to think that will &s;ave God, he cannot receive &s;alvation, for he is eternally happie. And I an&s;wer, the Devil &s;hall not be &s;aved, he hath &s;inned the unpar|donable &s;in. And by the way behold and con&s;ider the vanitie of that &s;peech to the thing within man; but further that their Do|ctrine may appear to be utterly again&s;t what is written, add ano|ther witne&s;s, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7.23. <HI>I &s;ee another Law in my members, warring again&s;t the Law of my minde, &amp;c.</HI> O what a conflict in a believers heart is here while&s;t &s;in appears? yet let not them think that we by this Doctrine nouri&s;h &s;in; for when the Spirit of God and <HI>[It is written]</HI> hath di&s;covered &s;in in the &s;oul it hath &s;uch a conflict that it laments his wretchednes, and is violent for deliverance; and then there is a running to God by the Advo|cate to propitiate: the poor convinced &s;inner needs none to pur&s;ue &s;in unto death but him&s;elf by Gods movings, pardon, clean&s;ing from &s;in, killing of &s;in that it never ri&s;e again, is then earne&s;tly implored at the Throne of Grace; and then the &s;in-&s;ick &s;oul can never be healed nor quieted without a &s;mile of his heavenly Fa|ther in <HI>Christ Ie&s;us.</HI></P>
<P>The denial of <HI>Christs</HI> Bodie is no where in the Word. The denial of his Ordinances is no where in the Word. The&s;e men mu&s;t needs then per&s;wade above what is written. The&s;e two Do|ctrines cannot be preaching <HI>Christ</HI> crucified, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> For the know|ledg of them if they were true &s;erves not for conver&s;ion, nor for building up, not making the man of God perfect. Therefore there is no &s;ervice done for God nor his Church in the&s;e Do|ctrines. But there may be much &s;ervice done for Satan and di&s;|&s;ervice to them&s;elves, when they denie both Bodie and Ordinan|ces
<PB N="18" REF="11">
of <HI>Christ;</HI> What greater denial can there be of the Lord that bought them? when they leave him neither Bodie nor Laws extant. When he hath no Laws he is no King; if no Bodie, no Being, but as he may be re&s;olved into the Father. So then there is none but God, there is no Son to give up a Kingdom to the Father; and when he hath done to be &s;ubject to the Father. The commands of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> are tho&s;e that he gave, that is, which were not given before he came, that is to &s;ay, &s;etting a Government for <HI>Iew</HI> and <HI>Gentile</HI> to wor&s;hip him in, and who &s;o ever denies this though an Angel from Heaven let him be accur&s;ed. And Satan may let the&s;e be pure and holie in regard of outward holine&s;s or ju&s;tice between man and man, freedom from the pollutions of the world through lu&s;t, if he can make them be of tho&s;e that de|nie the Lord that bought them, this Error is &s;in enough to hold them fa&s;t clo&s;e in his claws to eternal damnation, they need not any more, (if mercie belong to them, the Lord give it them) and keep his elect that cannot be drawn away by the deceit of the&s;e evil times. Now if it be &s;aid, The&s;e men are &s;piritual and full of light: it may be &s;aid, There may be deceits by &s;pirit as well as in word or letter, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.2. And to my knowledg, the&s;e mens fore-runners the Ranters did &s;peak as &s;piritually as they, with words more like a &s;pirit than a man, terrifying and di&s;turbing the hearers mindes. I hearing <HI>Frankling</HI> was not able, nor dur&s;t go on to hear him, le&s;t he &s;hould bewitch me; for though his words were piercing, I knew he &s;poke not the truth according to Scri|pture, which is our Rule of Trial, to prove <HI>Pauls,</HI> or Satans Do|ctrine. The&s;e things being &s;et home upon my &s;pirit, and being freely per&s;waded not onely of the truth thereof, but of the hei|nou&s;ne&s;s and &s;ad con&s;equence of the&s;e great Errors and Mi&s;takes, wherein ye are detained by that &s;pirit of delu&s;ion; I was con|&s;trained out of my love to ye, many of whom I have known for &s;ome years, to communicate the&s;e lines to ye, not of any preju|dice to your per&s;ons, for my hearts de&s;ire is that the Lord will de|liver ye from this &s;pirit; and if there be any thing that may &s;eem unacceptable, or more than once repeated, know it is for &s;everal purpo&s;es, but all for the good of your &s;ouls.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
