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VVord of Reproof
TO

THE

PRIESTS

MINISTERS
WHO

Boaftoftheir Minitery and Ordinances, and

yet live in Pride, Difdain, Perecution, &c.
SHE w I N g

What fuch are; and how littlecauethey haveto

exclaim againt thoe who eparate from them.
AS

A LS O

A wordto the P apifts

Dicoveringtheir Foundation to be carnal and fandy,

In a Larr n R fentto fome uppoed Priets or

Jeuites in the North,

By w I LEI A nt ro M. LI N so N.
,

Is the Cup whereis he bath filled to you, fill to her double.

2*

The Third Edition.

Londn,Printed for Giles Calvert,and are to be fold at the

R1ac4-A'ara'ad. Eagle at the West Rnd of Paule-

r 6e6.

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*******************

A WordofReproofto the Priefisor

: Minifters who boat of their Minitery:
*?:i **

and Ordinances, and yet livein Pride,

" , ; difdain, perecution, &c.

zurof rriff
, : youeillyourele:the Ministet:
Jeus Christ, when as you do nothi re
R
ng

Y emble him, , You have nothingto beat you

E|| outto befo, but?ne: * I dono sali yon pst,
?| ly great welling ont of derifion (Ilove not
3 words. As the Jews that) though fome must de:

once gloriedin the Temple,?"":::

:::::
when:::E
the :::::
:::::
::
ordaine
of you were
d to your

,
::::
::::
cryin
::::
g.:::
::::
:::::
::::
:::::
::
The Templeof, the Lord,
#:

The

: and few or none of you ::::

the Lord, The Temple of the Lord,as if renounced that your ordi

thole great words had been argument : ion.Secondly becaufeysu

conform your f
:::::::
: to bear it out to be the Tem- :
pleofthe Lord when he hadlefit ::::::::::::::::
jouerg, the Miniier f the Lord, the Gopel:Thetru:his, ye are
Latinisters f the Lrd; the Minister : :::: :::::
t_Miniffers of (hrift; the the Saints onely,\,
::::::::::
inistersfthe Gopel, the Minsters of ::::: :the :
:

|-

H:

the goffel; as if thoe great words tion of: Gpel, "Pet;

enough toprove yQu to be fo ;* 5:9. Rev. 1. 6: etap :
:
when as the Lord is departed from yeuand your Minitery;"

and leavesit to become as the bloud of a dedman, Rev: 6.: .

3. in which no life is to be found,but death,and ftisting of the
pirit. For thathlyunction which moves apon the hearts of

the Babes of Christ, and weaklings, in tead of being treng;

ened, is among you trangled, and rendred as delfion, and
ancie,and a thing which they must not troit to , though this
tetimony begiven ofit from above, That it is Truth, and is,
e : , sia : **** A 2.:
, ** * * * h
v

25}} :

|-

|-

{{2)

no lie,andis the onely prefervative againt feduing; and the

Guide or Teacher that keeps usabiding in Christ, i fshw 2.26,
27. For that un&tionis Christ moving in us, and ashe is, ac
crding to that, obeyed and yeilded to, fo heabides with us,
and weabide in him. By that he leads on from truth to truth,

and o from strength to trength, from comfort to comfort,

he lead into clearnefs and fulnes,and
preents perfect before God, and the Father, withoutfpot
from

and blemih beforehis Throne. Yet dareyou blapheme this

holy Spirit,which is no other but Chrithimfelfin feh,which
you deny, fighting againt him in every appearance of his in

steh, ad thereby manifestly declare your felvesto be Anti

chrift, and not te Ministers of Jeus hrift, as you prendly

boast your felvesto be He is Antichrift that dentes the Father

and the son, 1 fahn 2.22. He that deriesthe$m, derische
Fatheralfo,for they two are en. And he that dennesthpi
rit or Unstien that moves upon the hearts of Christs Schol

tars,and fights gainstit, when he would come and :

Heh;he dhies bth the fatherand the soh;for thee three are
bhe, i Fahrt. 3. Every spirithat cnstifeth notJestis Christ
come in the steh isnt of Ged; and this is that spiritf Ar
tichrift whereofyou have heard,thatit hould come, and even

: it in the world i fay,every Spirit that confeffes

:::::::: itt.
fortha
nt Christ come in the fielha forfattiewords are moretruly
rendred,
youkn:::
And frendre, they hot
as ome
of :::
ow. :::
:::
:::

It doth not confes Christ come, (that is, when he comes or

appears) in fleh, or in his fervatns. Tofay(as it is tranilased in

the Englih) every Spirit that confeffethnot'tha:Jeus Christ

is come in the steh; fofay thus, is net aflffCharafter of
Antichrift,for the Papists themfelves;and the Pope(whomy

all fay is Antichrift ) He doth roedeny bat that jefus Christ.

is come,that is,onge carne in fleh. - Therefore in that fenfeit
dicovers net Antichrift. But both He, and They and You o.

all deny and fightagsinst Christcomin frhhis fervants,

that is,when he comes and appearsinthem.

rhereforeinthe

fame fenfe whereinit dicovershin ( Ithean the Pope) to be

Antichrift, in the ameit difeovers you sifo to be ntichrift.

Foras he fights againt the Appearances ofthe Lord, and:

(3)
reffes not Christin thoe comingsofhisin fleh , whereby he
-

leads his people out of his mytery : fo nomore do you con

fefs Chritinthofe cemings of his in fleh now, whereby he
would lead his people ont from under your mystery. So that I

fy, the Spirit of Antichristmanifests it felfin you: andyet

are you bold to cryup your felves, The Miniters of Christ,the e Miniters of the Gepel: as if you were able by thee words
to trike dead all Refons to the contrary. You do wifely in
your generation to keep youthere,and foto fearand dazlethe
minds of men with thoegreat words, keeping them offasfar
as you can from reafoning about it: making them by your
greatwords of Gopel Miniters,and I know not what, to fear
Evento quetion whether you befo or not..; Oh ye oppofers, .

will you alwayestrive against the Truth ? How many of you,

who

: in the publique Ministery (as you cattit) have been

leaders of the people out of Error? How many of you have

lighted the people by your examples to forfake and renounce
the world,nd thethingsthereof, yee,I mayfay, The Reliques
f
Book, and all the trum
pery ofit? Nay, have not the people threin rathartaught

: :
:? Are not :::: the obedience ? Do not you fick
to ituntil the tream of the people fharne you from it; and
the fear oflofingof your Livingsasyoucall them) make you
to part with it? Is it not thus with you alfoin other appear

ancsfChrist when he comes in dfhin weskwesin his fer:

vants to confume the Myfferj vf Iniquity? Do you not tand:

outstriving and oppofinguntiche lat: If you canepie fail

ings and weakneffes in that weak steh in which Christ comes,

rhof you ufe asinstruments to fight withalagainst his appear.

ings in thtweak Hfh; and fo you furable at that statniling

stone. Yea, you peakevitfthat which God approves of it

one come to you in meeknefs and calmnefs offpirit,ufing gen
tlenes and patiencetowards you, over-mastering you with

reafonings out of the Scriptures; Ohthen you clamourfucha

one is a angerous fellow; He is asistas a Jefuit; Ktisas danw

gerous to come in his company, as to go into anhpufein

fested wirh the plague; fuch like raffing accuations proceed.
from you tofcarth: people, andro turn them away from try

*********"e"-ze":
i * ** * *

--

I toh72:

|-

(4 )

rr

rz

a 7ohn 4:1. On the other fide,ifone come in the true:

of the Spirit as Paul, and Steven, and others, yea as Chrit the
9

princeofmeeknes himelf ometimes did, and fellyou what

yanare:ringyou f the judgementstar fhaico:

on you, then uch are gried out againt as judging,cenorious
railing perfons, Let the innocent nature of the Lamb come to
you in what way he will whethermourning,orpiping and daa
cing whetherin Aufterity, or more liberty,, yet :::::::

bufeitall to the Devil, Letustellyou that the Lord teachesus

inwardly by his Spirit,you fay,that's the pirit of deluion.Let

us fay nothing of that, , butonely bring the writings of the

Scriptures,then you fay, the Devil can putScripture into mens

mouthes. Tis true, the Devilcanpur Scripture into mens

mouths; but confiderinto whole mouths he doth put Scrip
ture, whetherinto the mouths of thoe who would detroy his
works, or of thoe who upholdthem Indeed where a Kingdom

of Pride, and vain glory, and covetoufnes, and pomp of the

world,and fuch like works ofthe Devilis upheld by Scripture,

there its likely that the Devil dothput Scripture into mens
mouths, teaching them to wretit to their own detruti

on. But its firangethat the Devil hould putScripture into

mens mouthesto detroy his works therewith : hall wefay.

that Christis become now an upholder oftheworks of dark

ne, and the Devila destroyerofthem? This is th ::::
quence of uch Doctrine,when you

: Devil thtputs

cripture into themouthes of uch as would detroy his works.

::::::

You call your felves,The Miniters

if you
be notfo, and yet fay you ara, conider in calmnefs of mind

what youthen re.some called themelves Jews and were not,

and this was Blaphemy. So tofay, that you are Miniters of
Jeus Chrit,if you be not
y #For
do not you Blapheme that holy Name, when you acribe to,

:::::::::

him fuch Ministers as love the world and the things of it, but.

::::::: children:whomhchathchorenout of he:orld;fhem

whom he hathi made as fignes and

:::::: in the world by

fome appearancesofhisinthem, them yehate. Yearthough

words have faln fometimes from your own mouths ... which;

have driven fme of them from you, yet you hateandoppoe:

:::*tsi suivisyewasan"a":
w$c" z

'(^)

when you have told the People that they worhip God in
vain if they have but the traditions of man for theirground;
yet if any of them hereupon have left your traditions, you
have been their greatetenemies. Thus you hate the pratice

ef Chritianity,though you fometimes fpeak of it. You hateto

deny your felves,and to take up your Cros,and follow Christ.
You hate to gondecend to thofe of low degree, and to make
them your equals,left your familiarity bring you to contempt.
You hate the way of Christs allowance for his Minifters:name=

ly, to receive onely whats freely given, and of them onely,

who receive piritual things of you. You hate the way and
manner of Chrifts Minitration : and chuferather the manner

of the Oratory of the Nations.

Paul reafoned with them in

the Synagogues,he uffered otherstofpeak to him and reafon

with him in the Synagogues,This you hate. Chrift and histrue
Minifters Preached to the world, without Praying before and
after as you do,and this you hate. In the Churches, or affem
blings of Beleiversthey might all Prophecy, as they received

the gift, and power,one by one, but this you hate. In thefe,
andin many other things you hate to be reformed. Shewing
forthto every one your diflike of the things of Chrift,and yet
you bluh not to boat your felvesto be the Miniters of Jeus
Chrift. Confider ifthis benot to blapheme his Name: and
ain confider it. Lay afide Paffion, and confider alfo,whe

er that pirit offezekel,Rev 2,2o. do not rather actin you;

who called her felfa Prophetefs, and yettaught the Servants,
of the Lord to commit fornication, and to eat thingsfacrifi
ced unto Idols. Do not you keep the People in that pirituah
fornication which all Nations have been drunk with, evento

worhip God after the traditions ofmen; and foto eat things
facrificed to Idols: things dedicated to your Idols of Hondur: and covetoufnes, and your bellies, I fay, things dedicated to
thee, and upheld for the honour of thefe; fuch things, fuch:

facrifices muft the People feed upon. But you hall not long
continueto feed the flockwith fuch things; no nor your felves
neither : for the Lord willdeliver his flockfrom yourmouth,
that they may not be meat for you, ashe laikpomied, E-eks
4# IQs , 4

, , #f::

: _

The Lord hath mademe and othersas examples "s":

Of
- -

. . . . . . . . (6) . .
formny years, aridhath made our lives a fpeaking voice to
call out from your Minitery, and by histrength hath heldus

as by an Anchor, from returning to you, making us to abide

in this our Tefimony: And now I mu alfo declare further

againt
you (and
withdifcover
therest to
of my
then yeti
have uttered,
the fellow
people fervants)
what you are.

r.

Tou are that Antichrif (as I faid before) poken of in the

Scriptures, Becaue you deny Christ eoming in flest. Some of
you have been convinced of fomethings,and feemingtomake

eut after them,until the world tole upon your hearta,and then
you have fought tooquench and fnother thoe motions both
in your felves and others. Others of you have been at conti
nual defiance against the breakings forth of truth in every
degree; and thus you tand in oppofition against the truth:
You neither enter in your felves, norfuffer- thoe
who areen
, , ; , v r., -; ::
tring togd in. 6 .
** . . ::::--: - ( : ': tio:23 i 2:finii i
-

- rou are the falfe Prophets which are poken of and although
you come in heeps clothing, yetimwardly you are ravening
volves,and now the day is breaking, and dicovers you plain
ly to befo by your works. Mathi 7. v. 16. By their workiye
fhall know theni,faith our Lord, 'yoh are eafie enough to be
dicerned, whenmenilok upon your works. :::::::mew

lookupon your devotion,your prayers,your

up of your
hands and eyes to heaven,your figlings,and faigned tone and
exprefions, yourfeeming affetions ndsturhlike, you hereby
deceive the hearts of the fimplel But thee will rrotterveyoi
turns now, your Covering is too narrow it will nothide your
nakednes. You are brought to the touch-tone. 1surworks,

Tour works,they are your dicovery. Your works are che works -

of sodas pride ilenefi,ulues of bread covetoultest, wath

malice,blackbiting; perecution,difdaiafulnes. Ohtheptoad
difdainfulfpiritahitivamong yout: Isitnot.#ustfo :::
asitwas with the Pharifers? What daft: chou cekh us, faid:
anything againstypu
| appearnotto
i
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
your fichooles? stubby :::::::::::::::

by uch finallyoubesverthrwrand vonfoundcd:sf: {331ffii

You have clamoured againt others, calling them wanding

Stars, nndfalling stars ; asif the region of *tuais:

:

3. Il

* 2
|

t0

and Humaneinventions had been the firmament of truth,and

Uls

asfall thit fell from thefethings, had faln from Heaven and
from grace. But it will be mademanifet to allmen, that you
are faine from the firmament of truth, from the wayes, nd

de
er
tI

frem the words of the Apotles,and are found wndring in the

foggy mifts of Humaneinventions. You have had a wheres
forehead,impudent and bold to caft thoe
names upon others,
which do mot properly belong to your felves. Whether are

he
Of

ke
|C1

they thfallingStars whotoarife

in theirfpirits cating walkup
weight that binds down
the earth; that they mayoffevery

th

cloferto the example of their Lord Chrift,and his holy Apo

t{*

th.

ftles; or they who fall downwards towards the earth, with

Dema loving this preent world ; but forfaking the footsteps
of the Apotles; fixing their rootsinto the earth, being held

|fl=

fast with the allurements thereof? : ;*) ? : ***** :

ry

:e You have called everyone Deceivers, andfeducers, who

have ftepped forth from you,groping after the truth.But con
fider welf whether youyour felves hall not be found Grana -

gh
ng

seducer:Firt cealider the Maltitude of Deceivers,howmany

they are whom this whorih pirit offrnication andfedueing

Ist

ye
be

- .

doch poes.It fittethupon many waters, Rev.17.1.And thoe

waters are Peoples,and Multitudes,and Nations,and Tongues,

ef
uf

--

v. 15. And again its aid,ali Natins drink of the wide of th

nd

wrath of herfornication, Rev 18.3: And again,By thy fot:

by

ceries were all Nations deceived, v. 23. Nowat whoe hndt

ytlf

do all Nations receive this cup offornication; but at the hand

yf

of the national ministeries? and who are the forcerers who deceive all Nations but their national feachers : who infome

***

kt,

--

rks

things imitate the true meffengers of the Lord , but thereby . . .

th;

take svantage to oppofethem the more strongly in other

things,and even in fuch things as whereincheir removing out

GU.

of Egipt piritual ties : and f keep them as fast lockt up in the

sid

houe of bondage as they can Even as fannes and?ambris

withstood Mees to keep Irael after the fieh still in Phra
ch hoife of Bondage:Afew that startafide oue of thfegsnes

ha
iin
}E}

|1

ing
3n5
and

rat delufions, cannot be they who thus deceive and fedu ai

Nations.Again lookupon the pirit of perfecurion,theBloody

pirit, stained with bloud; and where find we that ? who are
the perecutors; and who the perecuted ? Are not thoe :
\{z ::
-

whom

 (3 )

whomthenstigualtaaehrsenjifensertahapa:fesurs: zni
re not the national reachersthemelvestha perfsures#Judge

by this wherafafiad hwfrdwcsr:: fosthi; is none of theirst

Charasters.Jtjenet the nature of the amh to perfeguga; nos

of them that follow the Lamb, Nethey com out of great tri
bulation. They are nailed to the Cro af Christ,and for his
fake are lain all the day long; and areasSheep 4Ppginted to

the flaughter. But on the other fides the Seducers and Betri:
yers drisk blonde Fhey thirst after, and proeurs the binud af
laipts, not under the notion of Saints that was nver knawn,
butunder the notion efiPeceivers, and Blaphemers, and Hes
reticks, and futh like And fo inher is found Blod, Blegd,
Bland, even all the Ripudof all that are flainnpon the earth:

Blond f Prophets, Bloud of Saint4, gondf the witnees f #e,

fu. Revel. 17. 6. Chap. 18. 24, Again, we may guest at tha

feducers and feceivers by the worldly pomp andrichas which

they fall downto,and deck themelves withal, for the wherih
piritwhich fedyces,isanearthly pisit, and fodelighieth iss
earthlykingdom,inthapterious things f the sarth,Rak. 17.4,
They are every one fortheir gainfram their quarter, they can

removefrom worfequarterstohesterfor a littlmors money,

at their pleaures and thisis uuallytheir eall from pe elase
to another.Therb few of them butone may hire thamfrog
ons place toanetherfor forty pounds moterirevunjiffhste
kebut-squal honopr and other accommodation4 in both pl

ees, and thus are the hirelings of men, bought and fld for

that give
earthly riches,even as bruit beasts in a market and
most get them. . Thos they prefsafter the wages of Raleano

tempting the Lord untilhe givethem up to the wing ofshtir

own hearts,as he did Balaam. But it is otherwife with the true

Meffengers ofthe Lord; they prophefie in fackcloth,and the

nearer that any one comes to the truth, the more he is made to
die to this world, and to the thingsthereof.

cr:

You caliothers Hersticks, Schimatickt, Festivits snd Seper

ratists, (which are terms that ignifie a eparation and diyifir
on from the truth, from the Saints who stand in the truth, and

from Chrit.) You arefull of names of Blaphemy, and that's

one charater of the deludingpirit : Your months. Ifay,are

fullioffuch names, but which of youfhews the **:

- -

s.

they

\ d (p)

they comez bewerthy of stefnamesi towhsmysu apply

them ; and why you cailthem fo as you do.It is an eafiething
to call any one by any name or odious term falsty, and as you
do without groundforit. Thatwemaytherefore understand
better who they are,thatarehereticksnd chifauticks indeed,
detus mind where is the knot of ali true union ; the centefin
which all must meet, who do notfeparate and make Schifme.
sit notin Chrit whois the Truth? Suppofe that Chrit were

herein perfon upon earth, and a few depied men break off
did)and follow him,
all the reft cleaving fatstill to their Judame: tell me now,
whether are thefefew who forfake the body of the Jews,their
rites and ceremonies,to,followChrityor they who fickstillin
-them;the Hereticksand Schifmaticks? So when Chrit comes
Tin Spiritjand calsa People out of Babylon, from the confuion
-ofimens inventions, which hath over-preadthe Earth, and

from the body of the Jews (as once

wherewith all Nations are made druak,a fewin comparifen f

thereft, come out by degreesytterest sticktiilin the Gonfu

stoh.Which of chefe nowaretheSeparatits, the Schiffhaticks,

the Heretinks in Scripture account making rent and Schifu

from Chrit? are not they thd further off from Schifneant

Herefie, wh obey Chritherein, and come out of Babylon,

though they be buta few in comparion of thereft forthey
follow him herein who is the knot of union; and fo herein
cnntb the Schifmaticksand Hereticks,and Separatists, and
sestarits, which the Scripturecorideians For their eparation
from the confufion,and them that dwell therein,is nts epa
ration from Christ.nor from truth, being stristly commanded,
-nd preed bthby promife and threatening. Revel, 18; 4.
Eqrie out ofbermy people, that yebe not partakers-efiker
fins add thatys receive not f herplugues.

::::::::

sasnyd Whereforelcome out from arhong them indbeyefs

parisejfaith the Lord; and touch mot the unclean ching, and I
svih receiveroussandwill be a fatherunto you, atidye hall
hempfantand daughters, faith the fiordilsighty1 #faff,

arming outston yourtiumaaeinmemiobsesafsaikilvia

:::::: ::::::::
kH
that you will put str-v-:- the word Gilbyibh; :

invenistonsafman, though

manded kring comprehcodedunderthe word

fioY

| 2

apply

(ro)
at Rme will apply ittofonethin
-

it to Rome: and

::::::::: that the Merchants of :

::::::::
confesagain theme
lan hould
lves that they arefo; left pco
st
ple fhould buy their Merchandize nomore.goia ::, :, os
Tel us what is Babylon outward, if it benota building-or
frams of Human inventions, whofe toppretends to reachto
Heaven (as the Tower of Babel was intended to d ) and fo

promifestofer People in thither. If it be any other thing tell

ms whtitis. , ; : : : :w:4 f...: ; : : : : : :fizi
m Now you either trade in thee Humane'inventions: oryou

:de:ishepure ordinanterofchrift, if you tradewish

Hamane inventions,and make fale of them; then I think it will
befound that you are in the number of the Merchants of Ba
bylon,enriching your felves with the abundance of herdelica- ,
cies,delicate carved images of your own brains, and of pther
mens: and iffo,it will befound noiHerefie, Schi/mejorn
"warrantable feparation to come out from amongt you.ify
fay, that you trade with the pure Ordinances of Jeus Christ,

(for tradersyouare)theni defire to knowwhich one of them

you willavouch to be the pure Ordinance of Chrit; anfwer
ing thepatternas you upholditi gds son ns faid aoi

Secondly,Idefire to know upon what ground you darebuy

and fell any pure Ordinance of Chist,orgift fthe holy Ghof,
(if it be fo)s : nonii to:o : : : : :w : 24 till: yello:
b: I know that you want not wordstocrythem up for the Or
dinances of Chrit. As the Jews did with the Temple; and as
you do with your ministery; fo you cry them up for the Or

dinancesof Chrit, the Ordinances of Chrit, trying to the

People, Ohtake heed how you turn your backs on the Ordi-

nantes of Chrift. But as Ifaid of your Minitery, fofay of

your Ordinances; It is not enoughtofayonely that they are

fo-Which of you take the pains to hew the People what the
Ordinances of Chrift were; and compare yours with them,
that the People may fee them to be fof Thereuthis; you dare
not bring them to the light ;:inor ufferthetit to tometonthe

light:lefthey hould bemademanifest: For they areas fardist

ferent from the pure Ordinances of Chrift, or prasties of

Christ, and his followers; as Nadabs and Abik, strnge fire:

was from the true fire, if not further,
:

: i

og ve :: is:
|-

Your
-

:::::::::::::::::

f(!
#: You fy,
, you have
- Preaching you have finging of P alms,and fome of you baye
-

thin

: the Gommunion, and were not thee Ordinances of Christ ?, I

US

anwer you, Nadaband Abiha had their Cenfer,they had Fire,

and they had incene; which thingswere commanded
rLord. Yet for all this they did that which the Lord command
ved them not, Levit, 1 o.1. And fo you may have thee things,

:::

chto

and yetbe asfar off from the right as they were: , : , :

- First compare your Baptif" with that which thefollowers of

; tell

Chrit pratifed.You Baptife Infants: where did they Ba

- any, have you any example, orany rule for the Baptiing of
them ls not this built upon the fandy conjestures and confe
quences of your own imaginations? I know that fome of the
acutest of you fay, that it is built upon the Promife, which be

longs to the children withtheir Fathers. Butletfuch confider

:whetheritwas the Promife belonging to them; ortheir recei

tving of that Promifejthat was the ground of Baptifm. Which

of the Apotles did adminiter Baptime to any of thoe to

:::::::::::::::" received that Promile

by faith ? : : : : :::::::::: . . . .
. -is o
* As for your Prayer which youfe before and ::::::
mons,I know not one example.left you foriteither by Chrit,

: -;

or by any of his Apostles. What can you plead for it, feeing
they did not fo? Did they fall hrt in what they ought to do?

what I was Christand the Apostles unfaithfulin the work of

their Ministeryto leave uch ashinggut; and to leaveitun:

you toamend what they failedin? No, no your prayingbe
fore and after is for the honour and magnificence of your I

dol which is to accompanyit : and that is your Preaching;

::::::::::::::::::::::::: have the explication

:::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::
with manythings): --- ...; ; gya: :fi: y ditr.
. +/g, jour Preaching #4:Idol. I do noty. :Presching
is an Idol Preachingispublihing, or declaringabroad,orte:
lingto one another openly, whether by conference or any or
ther way, o Thrist:::::::::::::::::: ed, or told abrod

what Christ had done to one that was deaf, and had animp.
dimentin his peech, Mark 7. 36. ixrva they preachedit,
-

e fitfri

***** an

{{u} )

|-

and yetit ignistestte morestere battellingsbroad; orub.

: hasitis rendered in the Englih., sotikewifethe multi

: where preachingthewordiverve that is, declaringit,
ortellingitabroadwhere ever they camtandthis was Preach:

|-

* tde Beteiverswhswere kattered abroaderste twent

ing andreachingto conversteates, i so Puah Preachingin
the Synagogues, wasit not tot the mest part Ragoning: ni
them, Asts 7.2, 3. that is,pekih to them, andfasteringthem

ofpeak to him? But you do idolizette aannervfih:Hea

#hen Oratorie fhade in Pulpits; and allethersteaking must
giveplace to that, and faltdewa filent before that Idoi, er
elfe y inesertist Nebuchadnessari
Lawsupon
them, ps
yiti . . . 3. * # : . .
: .:: ro : if - 2. : :P |-

* * *

* -

wighet be pisar; anafatban and

:#aaymannerofftaking
: :,
:::::::jBall
honcurable nner of

ft ay, then to rion with himinske bih fift:wwhat's this

:::::::::::::::::::::::::
image, and cat thoe that would notwerthipitintoa fiety
furnace? Didever Truthstandiametd of Prions tornakede

fall down to it? Didever any thingin that kind need pribh

::::: another thing iboptoit,

exceptonely
Idols? id ever Chrit or any ffs Apostles catto Mag,
ites and Contables,and other Officersee takeethers away
to prion who interrupted thern; geneeded they anyo:
thingtokeephen'filent
ke,ifbefidesche
Autho
rit : ph of theirwhil
words
you b theiristie.
or furnace

::::
cestors as you would havemen beleiveh#ybar Preathing
beliketh ::::::::::
ynen filentbut the power of yout wers. But itsariidol, krid
o needschirohto uphld and defendit: uideo fastenitas):
wereihawllteftirflkeihsybstindwstifayitschnetd
converted fouls by this manner of Preachininistutpits?|jian

fiverif any werethereby converted:

i forae words of
the fants ifestisbeher thander afpeking:
Rel

Trachfallingupghthfearrsftbeharrerswhieh ulighthave
-

:::::::::::::::::: to that:

lized manner ofreaching Sermfisih pulpitsbttech

- of fruth :::::::

thvelitettysbbipsieninrter

inheijburtarinorRiftstrast 1owintegy give ayrai.

mony,

(13))
masny, that thenings of ignoranga Gostwiskods, and wasi
-

lti

pleaed to step in, and give much power fometimes to the

:ft

words offoms who have fakaintbat way,epecially to fuch

as have been underfome fusteting for aot baing fully confora

mable. "Yea, Bahikonit elf cannat keep him out, but for his
chofens fake he will peak to them there, even in the midft of
confuion But what then?Now when lightis breaking out,and
d4fegveringthingsmore clearly he cals upon alimente repent,

and forfake the error of their doings: and he that doth ndi
follow the light hall hawenothingleft him to upholdi; utan

Idel, For God is departingout of that :::::: dwa

purely: and will leaveit dead and dry without life, withou

Rouristument. Ysa he bath.alredy withdrawn himelf, and

whereformerly fomelife hatbeheen found, inow it isbecome

as the bloud of adtadman Again if your manner af preagh.

: be not an Imageyan Idol of yeur own,or othermensimaw

giations; but the pure ost-fpring of the Spirit; then telid

ow it comes to pas, that you can limit that holy Spirit nous

hy the hour idoth the spiritorder you,and administer words

and Matterto you by the hour; or you order him and keep
him to your hour? O vain men !isit not the Idolof your own
heads; the formings of your own brain; your wewen 4nd
darved Oration-like peeches, thatypu have this power over;
to reach to what length you would have them, and to tap

where you would have them ? They who hvartasted of the

spiritsministring bythem canwi
that they thencould non
b stretched out to th hour, or limited by the hour, sagaia,

is not your Preachingan Idol; when as you upholdit qnely

for Gain ? Its from your own mouthes; Fake away livings,fay

you.(that is, Tithes and other hire)and what will become of

the Gopet? that is,of your Gopel. Ohye earthy pirited
men,doth the care ofthe Gofpellie qnely upon the fhoulders

efHirelings? Surely, furely,the time was when as :::th of

dhe Gopel was upheld by fuffering the lofs of all things: an
isit newupheld by hire? It was upheld, andalfo freadas
broad by a few fafferers; but nowit eems its otherwife: No
hire,no Gopel: no Livings,no Preaching. I think foindedd,

Such is your care of the Gopek Yosareworthy to be called':

Gopel Preachets,and Gopel Ministers: and yet the ":::

irG
:C '

(14)

hire will divide between you and your Gopel. Takeaway the
one,and takeaway the otheralfo: for fo you fpeak plain out,
andare not afhamed. Wo is us; hath God committed his Go

fpelto fuch carelesones? hath he hung itupon foticklihi a:

point, and in thefe times when menare ready everywhere tr
withdraw their stipends, butonely that they are held to it by
awe. No, no,your Gopel, and your Preachirgis yeur Diana,
an Idol againful Idol; and by that craft you have your gain,

if you hould letche magnificence of it falltd the ground

your gainwre loft,And thereforeit behoves you to ery it up.
as the Ephefianidid their Diana, Atis 19 24, 25, 26, 27, 28;

: up with a fhout and noife of words, with taves and

clubs, and Contables and Bayliffs, and fines and Prifons, for
this will be yeur bet Argument. fell the Peopleingeniouly
as Demetrius did, That by this craft or Art you have your,
wealth, and therefore it behoves you to uphold it: Not that

you care for the Gopel any further then its made a gainful
trade ; andupheld by you as an Idol, to bring inyour gain:

fortake away gain, and farewel your Gopel and Preaching;

all dies with hire ifthat be taken away.Much more may be faid
to your Preaching,buti pas on to your finging", e o: ::
:: icu have Pfalmesindeed,but how come you by them ? In the
Primitive Church,thatis,in the firt gathering ofSaints out of
the world into fellowhips one with another by the Apostles,
they had Pfalms, I Cor. 14. 26. One had Pfalm, another
Revelation, anotheran interpretation.They hadiall thefe and

fuch like giftsgiventhem by the Spirit, which ministered to

every one feverally as he pleaed, I Cor. 12. I 1. But whence .

have you your Pfalms ? Doth the Spirit of the Lord minifter
chemtoyou? Or do not you(becaue you want that gift)fet
a Clark or readerin many of your Congregations to fup
want of that gift ; as if :
to miniter a Pfalm to all the Congregation:? what this this

::

::::::::

pure fire from the Altar: or strnge fire like Nadabs and
sfbihus, taken from the Kitchinf your fmdkie imaginati

ons ? (Dreift you have your Pfalms frmyur Books, fand for
alltimes are aliketo you; you can fing when you willand forbear when you will. which would not be if the Spirit (which
breaths when and where helisteth) did adminifter them
youto:
---- - -

>i-,:

A-

. . . .
. . . . ( 15 ) .
you: for he would rule you,and not you him.Did not Chrift
|-

l
,

:::::

)**

afcend on high,
ifts to men for the work of his miniftery ? But you defcend to make ufe of the invented Rimes
and Meeters of men to make up with your minitery. I know

\,

3.

y
s

come to difcoverthem to be of humane invention, in refpet

fl,

id

of the form and ufe of them, and yetmen cry them up for the

. '

P,

8,

14

or
ly
at
ul

Ordinances of Jeus Chrift : the Spirit ofthe Lord arifes up in

indignation againt them, as they are fo abued. If you fay,
Where are thofe gifts of finging which are fpoken of? there
is no fuch thing to be found. I anfwer you. They are not to be

"

remembrance of Zion(while weare held captive by you ) for

how hould any fing the Lords fong in a strange Land. The

1:

hadows are not yet fledway: the Winter is not yet over and

gone: and therefore we cannot fay to you, That the time of

id

found with you :: You are the Land of Captivitie,you are Ba

bylon, we may fit down by the Rivers of Babylon, weeping in

--

1,

finging is come: We cannot tell you, That the voice of the Turile is t be heardin your Land. It may be it is heard fomewhere,

though you hearit not. -

16

:
:

'

Laly, you have thatamong fome of you which you call

pf
5.

- com union But wherethat Communionies, cannottell.If it

were Communion with Godand Chrit, then the Nature of

id

God and Chrit, which they have communion with atthat

Supper, (as you callit,though it be a Dinner) would put forth
it felf in the partakers ofit,they would walkas children oflight

o
:e
-

ef

:[

and not as children af darknefs, in the works of darknes. If

any man fay, He hath fellowhip or Communion with God

is

nyingit. Formencometoit proud, and they go away proud.

They come covetous,and they go away covetous. They come

fo

minded ones, and they go away worldly minded. Now they

who are uch, know neither the Father northe Son, nor have
Communion orfellowhip with them, Yea it may :: they
come Estortioners, Oppreors, hard heartedtask-maters of

perecutors,and they go away perecutors.They come worldly

r.

:
is

Egypt,

and walk in darknes, helies, and doth not the truth, 1 ?ohn 1,
6. But your Communionfhews forth no fuchthing accompa

1 2

and witnefs, that fincerity of heart exprefing and breathing

forth it felfin thefe things in the time of ignorance,hath been
accepted, and cherihed by the Lord: But now when light is

|0

(16).

. .

Egypt, liars.cheaters, Over-reachers,defrauders, drunkard

fwearers, Whore-mongers, full of malice and revenge, an

fuch like. Thus they come,and thus they go as they came,ha

ving no participation or Communion of the Divine nature in
their pirits to alter them. But thus come and goin their finful

nature, having Communion with the pirit of darknes, and

unrighteoufnefs, while they pretend Communion with God : .

and thus go on eating and drinking unworthily they know not

what : and you fuffer them to do fo, and doit with them :
- eating and drinking judgement to your felves, while you thus
take the Name of God and Chrit in vain. I Cor. I 1. 29. This

is not to eat the Lords Supper. This is not to eat the fleh of
Chrift, and drink his bloud: for then would ye become dead
to this world with him , and Chrit would live againin you.
Take notice of the words which Paul the fervant of the Lord

fpake, I Cor. Io. 16. The Cap of bleing which we ble, is

it not the Communion of the blood of Christ ?. The bread
which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of

Chrit ? Now the right Communicants are one bread, and one
Body, being all made partakers of that one bread, verf. 17,.

which breadis Christ, But ye cannot be partakers of this bread,

nor have Communion with it,fo long as you arein your Genti
lim or heathenih Nature,livingin Pride, Covetoufne,Perfe
cution, opprefing,over-reaching, uncleannefs, lies and fuch
like. For faith Paul, v. 21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the

Lord, and the cup ef Devils : ye cannot be partakers of the

Lords Table,and of the table of devils.Now the thisgs which
the Gentiles facrifice,they facrifice to Devils,and notto God,

verf, 2o. Gentiles are every one in their Gentilifing nature;

and whatever they facrifice, that is, whateverworfhip they
offerin pretence as to God, it is to Devils, and not to God.
Though they fay it is to God, as the a Athenians did, Asti 17.
23. Yet God ownsit not: fuch as worhip him in Spiritand
in Truth, thoe are they whom hefeeks to worhip him. As for
thofe who walk in the werks of darknes, hehath not Com

munion with them,northey with him. For what Communion

hath light with darknes, 2 cor. 6 14. Further you have noto

much as Communion one with another,in that which you call

Communion: for which of you imparts to the rest of the

.

. .

. .

|-

_2 .

Communicants,

( 17 )

Communicants,as every one hath need. You are fo far from

Community in thefe outward things,that you will go to Law

for your propriety one with another, if you apprehend your

felves but a little wronged therein, contrary to the mind and
counfel of Chrit, Math. 5.4o.

Thusitis apparent, for all your boafting of the Ordinances

of Chrift, I fay,it is apparent, that you have but a counterfeit
image of the form of fome of them : and not the very true

image of thoe which you have. If you had the very exprefs
image of all the ontward forms of Ordinances of Chrift, or
pratifes of the Apoftles and Beleivers : yet thefe were poor
things to boast of; and to be exalted with Laodicean-like for if
you had all thefe inform nearer thanthey areamongany peo
pleinthisNation, yetif your pirits fall downwards and be
come earthly,the Lord would leave them, and flip away from

you to another people,who ariein their pirits cating offeve

ry weight, and the fins which befet them,or hinder them, that
they might run with patience the race fet before them. Yea,let
metell you, that if you had not onely a true image and form
of Ordinances; butalfo a form of godlines in words and fay

ingsef Chrit and the Apostles alwayesin your mouthes; Yet

alf this could not bind or hold the Lord with you. But till he

would flip away from under all thefe; leavingthefe as husks

and chaffe for you who are difobedient and earthly to feed

upon,and boast your felvesin; while in the meantime another

people hould enjoy his prefence: for it is not any form of
godinefsthat the Lord takes pleaure in : but the Power; the
fruth,the Life,the Spirit. And therefre he doth not bindus
his fervants to abide in Communion with any, that live in any
form of godlinefs without the Power. Butcommands usby his
Apostleto turnaway from uch, 2 Tim.3.5. And this is no un
wrrantable Schifime or eparation.So that whetherwe look at .

the form of Ordinances,or at the Power of godlines, we have

warrant enough to turnaway from you, and to have no fel

lowhip inyourholy things, For as I faid, you have but an

image of fome Ordinances onely, and that without the life

and Power of them.

|-

: omber traditins of Chrit you do altogether difown,for they

will not stand with your profit,asg":"y deny your felves, .
**

<

|-

2 .

GO

----

|-

( 18 )
to take up his Cros daily and follow Chrit: which is a great
Ordinance of Chrift; for without this one cannot be his Di
-

fciple. Again,you difown the liberty which Christ hath given

to all his members, namely,Ye may all prophecie,one by one,

that all may learn, and all may becomforted. You difown
every gift that would bring to naught the magnificence of

your Diana.But what you can form to profit your felves with
all that you retain. And can adde alfo other things, (to make
Merchandize of them)which have no hadow of any foottep
in the pratifes of the true Meffengers of Christ, as namely,

Your marrying of Perfons for money ; yourburyings for mo

ney; and your mot abfurd Mortuarieser ftipend which you
challenge for the dead. Your funeralfermonsformoney alfo.I
am weary with raking in thefe filthie puddles; which are fit
for nothing but fwine to wallow in.

Andthus though you both add and diminih from thethings

of Chrift, and Counterfeitother things which you uphold for

your gain ; yet all that eparate from you muftbe cried against
as Hereticks,Seliariffs, Schifmaticks, Separatifis:

4 . .

Indeed there is a feparation, which do not here pleadfor:

and that's a feparationupon conceit of ones own holinefs, be
caufe they are devout in fome outward obervations of wor

fhip more than othermen: fuch as are poken of, Iai. 65.5.
Stand by thyfelf, come not near to me, for I am holier than
thou. Thefe are a fmoak in my nofe, a fire that burneth all the

day: and thee were devoutin holdingup Ordinances; rather

then they would have no facrifice they would facrifice in Gar
dens : and rather then they would have no incenfe they would

offeritupon Alters of Brick, ver.3. They are charged to be a

people who walk after their own thoughts, ver.2. Such alo
were the Pharifees, who ftood glorying in their own outfide
painted holinefs ; and thahke Godthat they were not as

other men, and even as this Publicane : when as within they,

were full of rottennefs, and all uncleannes : Full of envy,
wrath; malice,perfecution, difdain,covetounefs, pride, and
fchlike. And all thee they retained under a fhew of gedli
nefs,and outward obervation of Ceremonies and Traditions.

of their Fathers.They were tri in wahing off the defilement

which they had anyway contracted; ifwater could havedone.

-

|-

-'

it.

(r)
|reat
Diiven
ne,
) Wn

: of
ith
hake

it. They bare great reverence to the Sacrifices upon the Altar,
|

which were rdinances then in force. They made concience

of payingtyth of all they had, even of Mint, and Annis, and

Cummin,They were not wantingin prayers and fatings to the
Lord,and their prayers were no hort ones , which gave all to
think,that they were notweary offerving the Lord Yea,they
compaffed Sea and Land too to beget people to the Lord, to
make profelites: thus they appeared righteous unto men. But

tep

yet for allthat they were but whited Sepulchers full of hypocri

iely,

fie and iniquity,when thatlight came which was ableto difco

fIl0

ver them,and touncover their heartsby their works. Even by

you

| for

their covetoufnefs and hard-heartednefs to the poor Widows,

by their love of honour,by their neglet of the weightier mat
ters of the Law, Judgement,Mercy, taith: asalo by that per
fecuting Spirit which was in them,and fuch like : And yet thefe
men added one thingmore to glos all thereft over the better,
they abhorred to be companions to Publicans and Sinners,and

inft

blamed Chrift for eating and drinking with fuch. Yea, they

for :

be his work that they were not fuch : And thus they faid in

|fo.I
e fit

ings

made it matter of thankfulnefs to God, acknowledgingit to

be

their hearts,Stand by thy felf,for I am holier thanthou. There

WOfe

were fome alfofpoken of in the Epitle of 7ude,ungodly men,

5.5*

walkingafter their own lufts, enual,not having the Spirit, v.

19. Thefe eparated themfelves from the fellwhip of thofe.

:han

l the
ther
Ga

Saints,who tood in the pure truth: turning the Grace of God,

into lacivioufnes;the pure Love inte wantonnefs. They crept

ould

in unawares, and drew an image of the pure Love and Grace

of God hed abroad upon the Saints, and in their carnal.

be #

hearts it became wantonnes and lacivioufnes: and fo they

alo

withdrew themfelves again, and eparated from that holy fel

lowhip, to follow theirungodly lufts of uncleannefs, covet
oufnefs,gluttony and fuch like. Now, I fay,fuch eparations as
thefe I do not plead for. But I own and defend that feparation
from the inventions, and traditions, and Formalities of men,.

fide

)t 45

hey:
hv,

and
ydli
iofI5:
ment
lone:

which is commanded in Scripture under the name Babylon,

Rev 18.4. fer. 5.8. Chap,31.6,45. The whole chapters peak.
much thereof.

. .

. .

Oh ye Priefsye merchants of Babylon,out of the Nerth there arifeth np.a Natio againt you, which hall make your Landde
folate.

(20)

fetate,ch:o.3 ch i 48. It is timete frarate from your Baby

ioni, inventions : for the hentrs are aireadyentered inte your
forret. oh thou that dwellet upon maw waters,thine endir come
and the meafare of thy covetoufne, Jer. 51. r3. Thy frength

faileth, the mighty men f Babylon have forhrntefight: they

have remained in their hold: ; they are become as women, Jer.5 r.

3o. If my application fail, it will not faillong Babylon the

reat is fallenisfallen andis become th habitation of Devil, and
The hold of every foul pirit, and a Cage f everjuntlen and

bateful bir. All Nations have drunk f the wine of the wrathsf
her frnications: and the King of the earth have committedfr.
nication with her; and the CWMerthants of the earth are waxed
richthrough the abundance fherdelicacies, Rev 18. 2,3. And
for this caufe is he fallen, Becaufe he made all nations drink of

the wine of the wrath of her frnicatin,Rev 14.8. Therefret

obey that voice from Heaven, which hath faid in the hearts of

many, come out of her my people, that je be not partakers of her

fins, and that ge receive not of her pagnes : I fay, to obey this
voice is not Herfie, Schime, and id:servatsasyon have
made it.

' * *

* **

Herefie,and Schime,and Separation, and Sets rightly taken

is this,o eparate, divide or make a rent and breach from the

truth,and from them that dwell therein : as namely from the

Spirit and life of our Lord Jefus Chrit, and from fuch Ap
fties and fervants of his as have walked or do walkinthat pi

rit,and in that life and from them in that thing wherein there
is truth.But you cannot be faid to be fuch : you are far enough
From the paths and pirit toothat dwelt in them. And there
fore I leave it to the day light which fhailarie in mens com

ciences to dicoverwhether youyour felves be not Grand He-

retisks grandschimatick: grandseparatists, fwarving.from the

Life and Spirit of them whom you crv up in words."

: '

And fuch grand Schifmaticks and Heretick! you are; that

you would stopup the way for ever(if it were inyour power)
to keep men from returning back again into the purity and
implicity of that truth from which you are feparated : crying
outto the people, to takeheed of Herefie, and Schifme, and
feparation, fcaring them with thefe terms, when as you your
felves are the Schifinaticks and Separatiffs from the Truth :

( 21 ).
and o

, :,

it.

whileyoubidothers beware of itygholdthemfistin

:, :, : + "; , ,

Wt

o ye Deceivers, Godwill require his flockat your hands.

th

Their Redeemer is trong, the Lord of Hosts is his Name, he

hall throughly plead their caufe and deliver them out ofyour
hands,#er.5o.33,34. Ezek 34.1o, 11,12,&c. :

"

I pais on now to other terms which you have ued against

fuch as have preed towards the truth. For I mut fill to you

in your own Cup. You call others unlearned and untable from
the words of Peter in his fecond Epiftle, (h 3.v. 16. And fay,
that they wret the Scriptures to their own deftrution. We
will firt confider thee words as they are tranlated : and af.
terwards as they may be more truly tranlated; and fee to
whom they may most properly be applied. Firt, for the word

vnlearned,we hall fee who they are that are unlearned, by ta-

king notice what Learning is, Learning is nothing elfe, buts 4.

right understanding of things as they are in themelves : an ap
pendance whereofis Eloquence, which is a clear uttering of
things rightly undertood, to the undertanding of others. - I

have feldom heard ofanylearned man ofany depth of jdge

ment,that will faythat Eloquencelies in darkexprestions and

hidden words andvain-glorious founds of words which fome
delightin; butin a plain, pertinent, clear exprestion, that

comes home to the understanding of others; that's to peak.

the thing out,that's Eloquence. I know well, that there is an

Eloquence whichis Elodence but onely to fome, to othersit

isan unknown Tongue. Iam not against this, if it do clearly
and pertinently exprefs Truth : let men peak out Truth as
they can; but yet mind what Paul faid , i had rather peak,

fivwords with the understanding, toen ten thouand words.

in runknown Tongue Speakinghorns to others understand

ing; comes neerest to the end offpeaking: Nowhere is the

very end ofSehels and uhiverities, nmly;To bring then to

a right understanding of things as they are in themelves, intruth, and toprofit their utterance and demonstration offht

truth that is in things, and for this end are diputatins in

Schbs'aboutiquestions Moraf, Philoophical, ivine, &c.
Now h that reaches neareft home to thefe Ends, namely, to
understand things as they are really in themfelves;and toutter
::

:,:;

forth :

(22 )

forth the fame to the undertandings of others, he is the mot

Learned,Let his Education be whatit will: for he reaches that,
which allllniverfities are ereted forin the rightends ofthem,
Further, the top of all Learning,or the principal learning,lies
in a clear undertanding ofthe highest things;or of the things
of Chrit: and the clear Demontration of thefe things to the
undertandings of others by words which the pirit admini
fters,is the chiefeff Eloquence. If Learning and Eloquence con
fift in anything elfe, let them who lift declare wherein it lies.
Now thefe thingsbeing well weighed, ; mayin fome meafu
difcover to us who are Learned, who are unlearned, Namely;
thofe who betreach thefe ends, be it in what way foever, by
ftudy,by Education,or by Revelation,they are the mot learn

ed.If one man be brought up at an Univerfity,and fpend many

years there: anotherfollows his imployment infome outward
calling, walking in obedience to the light thats in him: Now
let thefe two meet at the end of feven years; and he that hath
followed his calling, and the light communicated to him be

better intructed in the myteries of Jeus Chrift, then the o

ther; and be more able todeclare them with profit to the hear
ers then the other : yea, to confound the other by the Scrip

tures, and dicover his ignorance and difobedience: then let

|
*

any rational man tellus, which of thefe two men is the more
Learned, and which is the more unlearned in the things of
Chrift. Now whether there benot many preidents of thefe
afforded in this Nation of ours, let the experience of thefe

times testifie. Andyet the unlearnedignerant Priets cry out

againt others as unlearned, who have more learning than

themelves.

-,
. .. . . . . .
rithe worduntable, that which is tability they ac
punt Istability. For stability is to fick clofeto the Lord,and
,

.'

to folloWhim whitherfoever he goes it is not to fix our roots

into the earth,and there to stickfat, Suppoe that when the .

Lord led his people out f Egypt ome would fit down by the
fleh-pots of Egypt, others would fet forward, but yet fet
down by the way, at fome of thofe places where the cloud
that led them tood still, others where the Tabernacle was
itched fora feafon,others would turn back again unto Egypt:

: others as caleh and fohuafollowed the Lord fully; re

'

- -

moving

mo:

(23 )

moving from place to place, not turning backagain in their

5:

hearts, but keeping intirely to the guide that led them. Now

glies
hing;

nowhere fit down with thereft that turned backin their hearts

0the
mini

to Egypt : or they who had motions for a time to go forward,

but afterwards turned back again ? So the Lamb may have as
many removes out of Babylon and Egypt piritual forought I

tell me, were Caleband fo/huatheuntable ones, who could

C0
|-

li#

know; and if o : then whether are they who follow the Lamb
-

$ whitheroever he goes; or they who have metions forth of this

Babyln,butturn back againin their hearts,chufing rather to fit

:)
nej,

down at eae thefe,then to gogon.I fay, which of thefe are the

r, by

untable ones ? judge in your felves. But hall I tell you,that

4fl

the intability of many hall be laid to the charg of you

[14]

Priets.You have met them and buffetted them with yourter

rible words, and have turned away many a foul from follow

NoW
huth
mbe
he0
heaf

ing the Lamb. Yea, I my felf have not been without buffetings
from fome of you. Others (whom my foul tenderly looks up
on with much compaffion ) have broken from you, and have
broken the Ice as it were,prefing forward after the Truth, and
to find out the way for us towards Zion. Yet thorow the vio

crip

lence of your Tempets, have been made to turn into Creeks

:nlet

for harbour, where to make their tand, left they hould be

overwhelmed in your Tempets: and fo have been flacked and
taken off from their tability in following the Lamb : and yet
with an impudent forehead you brand that with inftability
which is tability and trength. Letus now confider of
words in a better tranlation. The words of Peter in the Greek

n0fE

|s of

hefe
thee

out
thin
-

tongue are thee : 3 i duasi: asewtu reichstair 2 Pt. 3.

16. And they are tranlated thus ; Which they thtre ari

4C

:
00($

learned and untable wreft. (1 defire tender fpirits not to be

offended, that I ue wordshere which they undertand not;

for I peak to thoe that do understand the litteral fenfe of

the

them; and muft deal with them a little with their own wea

the
t fet

pons.)The words may more eaily be undertood if they were

tranlated nearer to the Greek words thus; hyhich they that

loud

are undicipled, and unfixed wret: for by unlearned is meant

: w35

undicipled here in this place ; and by unftable is meant fuch

as are unfixed in their hearts to Jeus Chrift, and to his Cro.

gyf:
: re

Now a man cannotbea Diciple of Christ except : deny

1; er Tal F -

(2 )
and follow Chrit. So that
himelf, and take up his Crofs
the heaninis this plainly: which they who are undifcipled
httaking up their Cros to follow Chrit: who are unfixed
* -

:#

to Chrift in their Hearts halting between him and the world,

do wrest.For uch as thefe are the wrefters of the Scripturesto
their own destrution. Thefe,becaufe there is an edge of Scri
pture againt them, therefore they turn afide the edge of it
with their flippery and mifty interpretations, that fo they may

fit attheir eae enjoying the pleaures of this world, and avoiding the Crofs, rather then put their necksunder the yoke of
Chrit. That thefe are the unlearned ones poken of in this

place is plain by the very word duais which fignifies one

dicipled : for when men unlearned in another fenfe are po

ken of the word wy4uplos is ued, which fignifies illiterate :

and in tht fenfeindeed Peter and fohn were unlearned, that
is,they were illiterate or ungrammerd men,e 48# 4. 13. Now
herein is the foul Error of the Priests,who have altogether ap
plied that in Peter to illiteratemen, fuch as Peter himelf was
who poke them : whereas the words there are onely proper

to undicipled men unleared in the Truths of Chrift, difobe

dient to hitn in their hearts.Thefe are the wrefters ofScripture

to their own destruction. 1 appeal to your felves, whether the

very words do not fairly lead to this interpretation: or rather

hold out this very fenfe without any further interpretation.

Aridifo Peters unlearned ones that wreft the Scriptures are ve;
ry applicable to the greatet Dostors in the world. The molt
Learned Rabbies, and Commentators, and Diputants in the

world may beard for the met partare dudis, that is, un
diftipled : unfubdued to the yoke of Chrift; and fo mot fitto
wret the Scriptures to their own destrution.

. .

. . .. .

: Againe, let us leave the bate words and confider of the

idelings of the Lord with men, and from thenge take notice
who re moft likely to wret the Scriptures. How come we to
understand the Truth ? Is it nota thing given? Now to whom

Esitgiven? Girely toilerned men broughtup at univerfities?

No: "the Lord chafes few of thofeto entrat with the know

fedge of his Truth, 1 orr.26,27,28 veres. Net mangwist,

and foroh Rut Gedhathehofen the foolih thingssandweak things,

andhafe thingsund depifedrhing#ed b werksby, that nhould

( 25 ) .

jouldglory,yerfe 29 Now if he will chuefuch for his works,

:who dare contradit; or fay unto him,KYhy doff thou f or
clamor against his intruments,calling them unlearned, except
onely fuch as dare ay anything?, Did net Christ thank his
Father for hiding the Myteries of his Kingdom from the wife
and prudent,and revealing them to Babes ? CMat.11.25.And
yet you would arrogate to your felves a priviledge of right |
undertanding of the Truth, by vertue of your acquired wif
dom,by humane Learning, and vilifie all others that want that
learning, as wresters of the Scriptures to their own destructi
on; when as oftentimes that which you call wreted,is the ve

ry fruth lyingin plain words in the Letter. The true Know

ledge of the Dotrine of Chritis notgiven to humane Learn
ing butto obedience to the will of God.john 7:17, ifanyman
will do his will,hehall know of the Doctrine whetherit be of

-God. It is plain therefore, that the mot elf denying perons .

-are mot likely to know the Doctrine of Chrit beft; to them
itis promied. Every degree of elf denial done in bedience

togod.removes avail from of the Greatures understanding,

&fo heging on therein, hathan abundant gntrance opened unto him into the everlafting Kingdom of our Lord: and the
want of human Learnig : the obedience, of this
Entrange into the Kingdom of light; whereason the contra

ry,Difobedience (though accoppanied with never fo mugh

human learning and widom)flds up a maunderblindpest,

andstrong deluions,evento beleivelies,27 hef2, 11. Andyt by yon:litruthmust be acribed to :::: ndhuman
Learning,theugh God regard them not: and nothing, taken
notice of from fuch as want that
|

::::::

God

make ue of fuchfor the most parias his fittest intruments:

:e,You haveos been paringinggiling others#laht
m: ut what blih: jis, oneialistido: hearfrom:n.
:Toblapheme istofgeskrylofon:fally, foflandar, to re
praach to revile, tostrikethorowoheshame with reproachess
#usto reviethe actings of the Holy Spirit, is to bla :

.
~

the Holy Spirit: A:ome of the Pharifeesgidfeyile the words

andastians of::it:whenthat Spirif }: forth : eminent
iyinhiinmighty wprs;rheystid (Pightfully and #wiling
By That he di
as i

ky stats::::::sfieds
*

s gPahl
1II)

( 26)

himelf while he was Saul,a Perfecutor,was alfo guilty in part

of blaphemy againt that holy Name, fpeakingevil thereof: and he looked uponit as a great thing that he obtained mercy.

He didit ignorantlyin unbeleif. Thas alfo Paul himelfand

others were blaphemed afterwards, Rom.; 8. As we be fland r

ogfly reported,&c. Now the word land rouly reported is in the .

Greek Tongue xaseazS, tharis,as we be blaphemed. In
the fame fenfeit is faid, I Cor.4.1 3.being defamed weintreat.

the Greek word is napnausrot, that is, being blaphemed,we

intreat. Again,Tit,3.2.we are bid to peakevil of noman falfly,
the word is, to blapheme no man, revile no man,flander no
man. Now you,o Priets,are full of landering reviling names;
and fo full of names of Blaphemy. You blapheme Chrift and
his holy Spiritat every motion or tep whereby he moves for
ward in his people Every motion that leads forward from un

der the great Myffery of Iniquity towards Zion that you pro
fecute,and dog with revilings, which is nothing elfe but abfo
lute Blaphemy. You blapheme both God that leads forth,
calling him Delufion,& Devil,and Fancy: & alfo his Taberna
cle(that is,his people in motion out of Egypt piritual) calling
themHereticks,Schifmaticks,Separatifts, Blaphemers,and fuch
like, when as in Truth you your felves are the things you fo
call. O fools and blind,when will you fee that the Tabernacle
of God dwels under the cloud while it is in the wildernefs:and

is to come forth of great tribulation : thats the Charater of

the Saints,under whichthey muft tand one day. But You by

your Blaphemies, by your flanders and revilings, by odious

terms, and other means, are great caufers and promoters of
that tribulation.

|-

. . . . .

. . .

To the reft of your Blaphemies, I think I may not unfitly

add this asone, That you call a building made of wood an

ftone,the Church : whereas the Church is the Body of Chrit.

Surely,furely,the very Boyes and Children will erelongderide

your folly,You are fo wedded to this name,that ifany calitby
any other name, you deride them, though there be noreafon

why it hould be called Church.Whatlis it the body of Chrit?

continue to blapheme the name of Chrit thus,
to calla dead Houfe his Body ? For the church is his Body, Col.

::::::

1:18,24, See if you canany where find a houe of v:and

:

- s.

itong

- * - -

(27 ) , , .

|-

ftone called church in Scripture. If we callit Synagogue, or

High Place, or Idol: Temple, or Cage of every unclean and

hateful Bird,we can better jutifie thefe, becaufe we find thefe

names givento fuch like places in Scripture,but thefe you ab9

minate Or if we callit Steeple-houfe,or Pulpit houfe from the
form,or adjunt,yet thefe you cannot bear. I would you would
tellus what to call them inoffenfively. But I mut tell you,that
if no name will ferve you to call them by, but that which is

proper to the Body of Chrit, we muft in indignat entrample

them under feet with the names which the Scripture hath given
to fuch houfes, calling them Idols Temples, High Places, and
fuch like.
Some I know will frivilouly anfwer, and fay, Its not the
-

place,but the Congregation which we call (burch. Ifay,that's

For ifthat were fo, then the name Church
fhould go along with the Congregation. But thatit doth not:
Let the Congregation move all together, if they will, to any
place, yet the name Church moves not with it, but rets upon
that Idolized Temple, and when none is in it, yet it is called
Church. Again,if you hould call theCongregation theChurch,
"n

yet confider what you do: For as I faid, the Churchis the very
Body of Chrit ated by that unction which is Chrit,even by
the fameSpirit wherewith the perfon of the Man Chrift Jeus
\ was asted.Take heed how you call a company of people

:#

in human Inventions and Traditions,fatisfying themfelves wi

the bare name of chriftstans,having their Spirits in the Earth:
"I fay.take heed how you call thefe the Body of Chrit.A compa
ny of people ated by a pirit of perfecution, vain-glory,co
vetoufnefs, worldly mindednefs, and fuch like ; are thefe the

Body of Christ ated by his fpirit,when as they walk mot con

trary to it ? No,no its fomewhat elfeto be a Chritian.It may
be fome will fay, true, too many do walk fo, but all do not fo,
|-

fome walk otherwife,and they are the Church. I anfwer, I do

not deny, tutthat fome there maybe of the Church, and not
of that earthly Congregation,though among them: but thefe
cannot
the Denomination of Church to thereft, becaue
they are hot of them; butonely among them as captive chil
dren in
that Ifay now,if it were the Congregation
itelf (a | not the ftone houfe ) which you call Church yet.

::
:

sonfider.

* *

|
-

(28)

confiderwhether this would be free.from Blaphemy, if they

fhall be found the Synagogue of Satan,
.

Thee now are fome of thoe things which may be faid

concerning you and your Ordinances: both which you will
s

needs father on Chrift,crying them up for his Ordinances and

your felves for his Miniters: and more thanthis will the Lord
in time difcover both concerning you and others. . . .
You have fet up your felves as leaders and guides of the
-

people; but you have hardened their hearts againt the fear f
the Lord : and fo keep them from entering into the yerybe
ginnings of widom : for the fear of the Lord is the entrance
into widom : how hould it be expeted that they huld be
moved to fear him, when as you their teachers, fay and

do not.Do not youthereby teach them to livein fayings with

out doings,and that without fear ? For byyur examples you
harden them in anhypocriticalform of words, withoutgoing
the will of the Lord : forhow do you think that they hould
learn todo the will of the Lord from your mouthes, who are
notmoved through his fear to do it your felves? You stand

ein the way (letting and hindering men from entring into the

(Kingdom : and neitherenterin your felves, not ufferthoe

thatare entering to goin; foffaras you can hinder. If they
shad not youto fetupon, they would betirred up the fooger

stoleok after Truth.The people themelves can fay of you, that , ... |
Ifome of you fay well,but you do notas you fay. This they ee
in the betofyeu but becaue ofyoutexamples fet before them
-they rest in doing as you dofheltering themfelves underypur ,

prattieanddiobedience although they fee further. Thusby

hardening the people in their evil wayes, you rob and poil
-shem of that Peace,and ret,and light,and comfort which obe

dience to the Truth would lead them into. And foforallyour

boafting of your minitery and Qrdinances, yetiyoji do gt

thereby lead up any of the People tothofe high and nable

ends, for which gifts, and ministery; and the Qrdinansf
*Chriftwere given: namely, to a conformity to Jeus Ghriftin
this world:and to that end were they given, eyen soifadaptp .

the meaure of the stature of the fulnes of Christ, Eph/48,

H I, I2, 13.

But how hould you leadap furthe thanyggo

:::::::::::::::::::::::
. . .: , ? .

|-

tlat

::::: comes to it,the more are

they

that conformity, that the

faid

your monthes opened againt them in your Pulpits. So that you are of that pirit, that fets it felfin the Temple of God o-,

1 wi||

vermens confciences oppofing and exalting it felf above alls

thats called God;calling that delufion and fancy, 2 Thef. 2,4,
Thus I have hitherto finihed my Tetimony againt that
myftery which is upheld by you, which the Lord is untwisting.
In witnefs againt which I have been kept back from among.
you,and have fuffered the los of allthings,and do fuffer : and
not onely I,but many others. This myftery of human inventi
ons,mixed with fome appearances of truth,hath driven many

Lord

the
ar f
| be
AIOCC

into the 1land of Patmos (orfuffering) for many years,even

d be
and
rith

the

all thofe fohns who have been faithful to the revelation of it

communicated to them. I for my own part, through weaknefs
and hardnes of heart, mine own and othershave been mad
for fome timeto fojournin Zoar. But now beholding fogreat
burnings arifing upon Sodom.I am made to depart out of Zoar.
alfo. Beheld, there hath been a great deluge upon the face of
the earth,overtopping all things; but ome have been prefer
ved as in an Ark, And now i fee innocent Doves fent forth

hoe
hey

again(for fome have returned) to fee if the waters be abated

from the tops of the mountains if that pirit ofinnocency find

yQu

0ng

buld

y are

and

nothing but an Olive leaf, it mult return again until the waters

gf

that i . '
7fee

; be further abated: thee I write for thoe who undettand. .

And now I hall leave one Querie with you who are

lem

pur

|-

the Nationale_Miniters
- - I pray tell me , who are thoe Sercerers which have been fo
numerous,that they have bewitched and deceived all Nations?
thoe Enchanters who have made the inhabiters of the earth
drunk with the wine of their fornication ? and with whom the

"Kings of the earthhave been fo good friends, that they have

committed fornication with them ?

Postcript.
T*Hefe tingi miehikaw.is.

sensi fem a istatis

to draw peple off from thee men to fallow ar kiegepanvy:

ha

e:
stf ekstiernaiihr-fewfdlef
Beiji::
|

(39) ...
Deluion ; and to help to bring down that proud Lording Spirit
which is in the new Prelates, which would fitas godin the Temple:
of God,Lording it over mens conciences throughfain. d words, and .
-

cauing poor flaves and fouls of mento dreadthem even au Godhim

felf. Ifay, my defire is to be helpfulto bring down to the duff that

deluding Lording Spirit, that the Conciences of people mar ffand

open and free t the voice of the Lord in them: and may met be cap
tivated with fuch who live in words. And if after thefe,others
fhall arife into the fame pirit, at thefe have rifen into the pirit of

the Prelates after ihtir deceae, he that hathdicoveredthem, and

thefe, will alo dicover fuch as hall fucceed; and/o in this fenfe,
au well as in outward Governments, Overturn,Overturn, Over

turn,until he come into hisTemple whoe right it is.

Tou may call thee things which I have written, flahes of -light,if you pleae,(for fo you brandevery thing that breaks forth
now in this dawning of the morning after the fad night of Anti
chritian darknefr.)?But be it known to you,it is not foto me, being

that fame which hath been pringing up in meandothers thefe many .

years. . For you have been a long time repreentedunto meas men
under thick darkne, which bath kept me of through the tender
mercy of my God, from entering into your wayes, in which I could

#::

fee no light. Ihave been onely

to the brink of your Baby
lonih Rivers, which bring up your gain, I mean your Ordinances,
that I might taffe f the bitternefs of them; but there have I been

made to fit down weeping is remembrance of Zion:which Zion ha

ffens to appear. Allelujah.

Thou that readt thefe things andart convinced of the truth of

them, Boaf not against thefe men : But look towards the Lord who
is making his righteous fudgements manifet; and fear. For he will
in due time dicover much more then this,beth concerning them and
others. He is about to fan the Nations,andtogather his wheat into

bis Garner,and to burn up the light chaffe with unquenchable fire,

therefore Glory not. But let him that thinketh he fandethtake heed
left he fall. Be not high minded but fear.

For my part I write not

thefe things out ofhitterne againt any of their perons,or to boaf:

over any of them, (for the Lord can foon make ablapheming Saul
to became a Paul.)

But rather to let proudboafting, reviling

Preachers to fee, what little caue they have to carry foclamour

"sti against thee who withdrawfrowthem. In repestof w:#

|-

H4

( 31 )

hadrather be filent,andlet them plow all the day long apon myback
with their revilings. But if thee things fall be intrumental to

bring fome of them to conider their wayes, and to look better to the
fundation of their pratties,andto ceafe from beating their fellow
fervants,and be fiirred up to eek the way to Zion, thats as much
as I look for : Farewell. :

A Letter to the Papiis.

s I Rs,
H:
touched in dicoure with you upon that which is
*

the very foundation of your Religion,and feeing itin my

understanding to have nothing but the fands to ftand upon, .
I cannot but in love to you, repreent again before you the

fame thing that Ithen faid to you,that you may feriouly pon
derit,for it overturns your Religionat the very root. Your
foundation is this, that Peter mult have a fucceion, and fe

condly, that the Bihops of Rome are the onely ucceors of

Peter: and fo they being the fucceors of Peter are the Church

built upon him the Rock, and from them all teaching mut
flow.Here is your Bafis or foundation on which you tand. :
Now friends confider whether an, outward facceion of
Bodies inhabiting the place where Peter lived (if he lived at

Rome)be a good foundationfor the Ghurch ofhrift to tand

upon.When Chrit the promifed feed came,you know that the
Church flipt away from the carnal leed to a piritual, leaving
the carnal Jew boafting of its carnal ucceion, when as yet
God had departed from it. Now hall we think that God
would ever after tie himelf to a carnal ucceion again, ha
ving once cut off Abrahams who was the friend of God?er

taifiifany maystand upon an outward fuceion, then A

brahm, feed aftrte fleh may having to many Promies run

ning to themin ontwardappearance. Bu

: a Jew now

who is one outwardly , neither is Circumciion that which is

~

ontward in the fleh : but beis a Jew who is one inwardly and
i

circumcistnisthat of thee:tand:hey whars offhiaith

af Abrahamarecu:::fori}############9:fths
ucceion of Peter who is one outwardly, but:whg is af
the fame pirit with Peter.
No Nation, of plae,or
gutward
* * E * " **
** * order.
-

( 32)

xorderofmencan confine the ucceion of Peter to themelves,

fince Godiaid afide all fuch outward entailment from e Abra
han,and hathbetaken himelf onely to apiritual line,a piritu

alfeed For it were contrary to alreafon,that God hould lay

afide or cut off Abrahams carnal feed of the Jews, to take in

a piritual feed out of any Nation, and yet after that, take up
againa carnal or outward ucceflion to Peter, and that in one
part of one Nation onely, namely at Rome. For this were to

build up again that which he had formerly destroyed ;

and to detroy that which formerly he had built up. To
build up again a carnal fucceion to Peter, which he had de

troyed in Abrahams line; and to detroy and keep out a fpi

ritual feed, fearing Godin all Nations, which once he had ta

kenin.The Progres of the Lord with hischurch is nota going

back from piritual to carnal,but a going forward from carnal
to piritual, and after that to more piritual.
-

- Now that the Bihops of Rome are not the piritual feed nor

the piritual ucceors of Peter,nor the Rock upon whichthe

church of Chritis builded,no northeChurch of Chrititfelf,
northe fole feeders of the flock of Chrit; no nor fit to be
feeders of the flock of Chrift at all , appears clearly by their

tives. You hall know them by their fruits or works; faith

Chrit,(fpeaking of falfe Prophets: ) do mengather grapes of
thorns or figgs of thistles: No they are fo far from being dif

covered by their fruitsto be Peters fpiritual fucceffors, that

their fruits dicover them to be falfe Prophets,yea,and fuch as

have the preheminence among thoe who have deceived the

Nations.This stands in great Characters upon their foreheads
that all may run and read, CMyffery,Babylonthegreat,theno

ther of Harlott,andabominations of the Earth: For what abo

for perfecution they excel ; being : the bloud of

minations bethere, that are not among them committed ? As

Saints,and with the

#:: ofthe Martyrs of Jeus, Rev.17.5.6.

They are arayed in purple,andfcarletcolour,and decked with

gold, and pretious tone,and pearls, havinga golden cup in

theirand full of abominations, and filthines 5f theirforni

estion:v#f4How firare' theethingsdifferingfrom thepirit

that was in Peter ? :

Butto peikalitdemore particularly, hatthey re not Pe

ffy"f

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(33)

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ters piritual uccefors

in this,becaue they aretheleat
conformable or like to Peter of any men. For Peter did real

lyinlife deny himelf take up his cros and follow Christithey

do notfo,but areexalted like Princesinthe earth,poleffing an

earthly Kingdom. They haveindeed many images of croffes,

they glory in the hadow, but deny the pratife the life of the
cros, which is that which Chrit called for,and Aeter lived in,
but they are far from. Again,as they have not the life of Peter,
fo they have not the fpirit of Peter in them, and therefore are
not his ucceors,&fo are nota Rockfor the Church of Christ

to be built upon. It was not Peters outfide that was calleda

Rock, but that piriteflife that was in him, which could flow

into thefpirits of others, and fo cement many living stones in

to one piritual houe with him. Now that they have not the
fpirit of Peter in them appears alo by their fruits, their lives e

their fruits are the fruits of Sodom, and not the fruits of the
Spirit : for they live in pride, fulnefs of bread, abundance of
idlene,covetoufnefs,perfecution and fuch like. They feek the

honour of this world, and heap up to themfelves the riches of . .

this world,and therefore cannot be beleivers,much lefs Rocks

for the Churchto tand on, fohn 5.44. How can ye beleive whe
receive honour one of another,andfeek not the honour that cometh

from Godonely ? Now none receive greater honour amongmen

than they do: therefore none are further off from believingin
Chrift aright than they are. Again,they have not the true love

of God in them, I Hohn 2.1 5. If any man love the world,the leve
of the Father is not in bim. And who are greater lovers of the
world thanthe Bihops of Rome are ? Again, they are not fit
to teach others.This alfo appears by their lives. For what have

they to do to take the word of God into their mouthes, who

hate to be reformed themelves, and to live as Chrift and his

Apofiles did ? How can they build up the Church of Chrift by

their Dotrine,who live contrary to the Dotrine of Chrit ?
How can they teach men to take up the cros and followChrift,
who are enemies to the cros of Chrift,whoe God is their bel

ly, who glory in that which will be their fhame, who mind
earthly things? Phil.3.18,19.
Thus Ifay,their lives dicover them to be nothing conform
|

able to Peter; to have none ofthat pirit inthem which dwelt

-

E 2

in

"

in him ; to beunbeleivers, to want the love of the Father in

them,to be unfit to teach others.All thefe,I ay,appear clearly
by their lives, by their fruits, by their works; the charater

that Christ gives to knowfalfe Prophetsby. Math. 7, 15,16,

2o. And hallany man then look upon thefe men as Peters,as .
Rocks on which the Church tands,as feeders of the heep, ef
the lambs of chrift; as the head of the Church, and patterns
for the Church of Chrift to follow? Friends,it is love to you

and the truth which makes me to repreent thefe things to

;*..

you.And I defire that you may well confiderwhere you stand,

and on what youhang whether you tand on the Rock chrift,

or enthe fandsofanoutward fucceion : whether you hang

on a fure nail,or on a weak flippery pin. lt behoves all to con:

fider well their foundation; for the Lord is coming to difco

ver the foundations of the earth, and to hake them tillall the

buildings raied up upon the ands,do fall,though never fogo

rious,

5 AF 58
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