The glory of the true church, discovered, as it was in its purity in the primitive time also, a manifestation how and when the apostacy came, and how long it hath continued in the Church of Rome, proved to be in it, because she differs in doctrin & practice from the Church of Christ in the Apostles dayes : published for this end, that people may be informed, and their understandings opened to discern of the times and seasons, and see the difference between the lambs wife and the mother of harlots / by one who desires that all may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved, and walk in the light of the Lord, Francis Howgill.

CHAP. III. But now to descend a little further, nearer unto our own age, to speak somthing to them, which I believe look upon themselves, to be Catholick and Apostolick in Doctrine and practice according to the Primitive time and order, and that they are totally come out of the Apostacy. (Book 3)

THis I have to say to you, which is my judgement and belief, and that upon good ground, that you are in many things in the Apostacy, as hereafter I shall demonstrate, and to tell you nakedly and plainly we look upon the reformation which was made in deny∣ing the Church of Rome, to be but very weak, and poor, and feeble, and imperfect, comparatively with the Doctrine and practice, and order in the Primitive times, in so much that we judge upon good grounds that it cannot be parrelled with the Church in the Primitive times, which I have spoke of before, in that you have denyed the Pope to be the head of the Church, and so are called Protestants; So am I, knowing that Christ is the head of the Church, and ought to rule by his Spiritual Scepter and his eternal power in the hearts and consciences of people, and in and over the true Church which is his body whereof he is the head; and let all take heed who doth in∣trude, and take upon them that which belongeth to the King of Kings, and King of Saints, as to matter of head-ship, Regulation, or Goverment, for all power is committed unto him in Heaven and Earth, and

the Father hath given it to him, and will not have any other have that Glory; But whosoever seeks it must be condemned, and his glory he will not give to another. For the Lamb is worthy of glory and strength; And though the Church of Rome be gene∣rally acknowledged to be in the Apostacy, by them that are separated from them, and that upon good grounds, yet I say the Separation is in some little or smal part, more in name then in nature, more in form then in power, more in some circumstantial things, then in the very ground it self, and very many of these Doctrines, Practices, Discipline and order (as they call it) I find to be upholden, practiced, and contended for, which are found in the former I have mentioned.

First of all to instance that which is generally holden out by the reformed Protestants, is, that the writings of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John, and the several Epistles is the Gospel which the Primitive Disciples and Ministers preached and published, and which People did receive, and by believing the found thereof, were accounted Christians, and be∣lievers.

We would have all to know the Gospel was preached to Abraham, before Mathew or Mark or any of the Apostles writ a word. Moreover we would have all to know, that Christ had preached glad ti∣dings to the captives, and some of the Disciples had preached the word of the Kingdom, before Mat∣thew, or Mark, or Luke, or John had wrote a word; my reasons are divers, Matthew, Mark Luke, and John must needs hear and see that done which they testi∣fied of before they writ, and if Matthew, Mark, Luke and John be the Gospel, the writings of them I intend, then the Disciples could not preach it before it was given forth; and if the Epistles be a part of the Gospel,

this the Disciples, could not preach before it was writ∣ten, for Paul succeeded and was converted, after di∣vers of the Apostles had preached the Gospel; so then doubtless the Disciples and Apostles, had something to say, and declare and p••blish before any of the new Testament was written; and it is manifested that they were not sent out to preach the Law, nor the ordi∣nances of the first Covenant, after Christ were offered up the end of the first; So then there was something, and is something which was preached by them, and is to be published now to all that are made Ministers by the holy Ghost, and that is in few words (the power of God) which was before the new Testament (so called) though the words declare of it, but is not it; Now they went and preached, and Discipled in the Name of the Father, Son, and holy Ghost, which is a Ministery far beyond the written or declarative sound; and indeed is a Spiritual and invisible thing, which the Apostles, Acts, 26. 18. declaring his Message which he had received by the holy Ghost, saith, I was sent to turn them, (viz. the Gentiles and Iews, and them of Arabia and else where he Sojourned) from darkness unto light, and from Satans power unto Gods Power, that they that beleived in the light and received the power of God, which he preached to them, might receive remission of fins, for remission of sin was onely preached in his Name, and no name un∣der Heaven there is, by which men can be saved, but by the Name of Jesus, though the Apostles spoke ac∣cording to the motion of the Spirit, in divers words, calling him the gift of God, the free gift of righteous∣ness, the unspeakable gift, the true Light that light∣neth every man that cometh into the World, the Power of God, and the wisdom of God, which wis∣dom and power they had received, and because the Son of God was revealed in them, The Apostle said, I

am a debter to the Jews, and the Greeks, Rom, 1. 14. and he having received this freely of the Father, he went to the ••ews, and went to the Greeks, to the Gentiles and Heathen, where the name of this gift and power, and Jesus had not been named and pub∣lished, freely without gifts and rewards, and the ne∣cessity did lie upon him, 1 Cor. 9 16. and the love of Christ which was shed abroad in his heart constrained him, and made him reckon himself as a debter unto all, because of the abundant loving kindness and rich∣es of Gods love and grace, and spiritual gifts, which he had received, he longed, and thirsted, and travelled to communicate it unto others.

Largely I might speak of this hidden mystery, as to demonstrate what the Gospel of Christ was and is, but in what I have already said, them that are any thing spiritual minded will iudge, that the Law and the Prophets, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and the Epistles, was not the everlasting Gospel, but it was a thing beyond and above, and before any of these writings was; although they all in their several ages, bore Testimony of it, (viz.) the power of God, which condemns sin in the flesh, and mortifies the deeds thereof, and gives victory over it, and taketh up all that believe in it into one life, power and ver∣tue, into pure peace, and heavenly contentment, and perfect satisfaction: So you who are calling the let∣ter the Gospel, or the new Testament writings the Gospel, I would ask you a question also; when was there a time since the first hundred years after Christ, or in that time till now, but these words and wri∣tings have not been spoken and preached bought and sold as a Gospel, not only in the Church of Rome, but also among all them that are separated from her, even untill now, this hath been preacht to Nations, Kin∣dreds, Tongues, and People; and if the writings be

the everlasting Gospel, then how doth John say, or why did he so say, that the everlasting Gospel should go forth again, and be preacht again after the Apo∣stacy, or to bring out of the Apostacy; But it clearly implies the words had been preached and published, and the temporary writings which was given sorth at divers times had been preached up for Gospel these many hundred years, which many have received by tradition; but the power of God, and the gift of God, by which, and from which the Ministers of Christ in all ages ministered, hath been wanting, if not altogether lost, for the most part among them that are called Christians; Then what is the quarrel betwixt you and the Romanists, its but in translation at the most; and while words and translations, and vertions have been contended about, the everlasting Gospel hath been hid; Therefore all people are upon heaps, and the Nations like waters rowling up and down in instabil∣lity. Now the reformed Ministry (so called) are in many things in the same practice with the former; You deny an immediate call; and sets up an outward Ordination, and a form of Laying on of hands with∣out the holy Ghost, ordaining such and such who have some skill in natural Tongues, or some words of Ora∣tory, to be a subject matter to make Ministers upon; and that which they preach in words, which hath been held in the form long without the life, you call the Gospel; and these are confined to a Parish, as the for∣mer to such a Cloyster, and such a Monastry; and these preach for hire, and gifts, and rewards, and for maintenance, and kepts up all the soresaid wayes, and maintenance, as Lawful, and will make people be∣lieve it is according to Gospel institution, when alas it is but the Popes Tythes, Oblations, Obventions, Mortuaries, and Prayers for the Dead, keeping up the wages but denyes the work; And Tythe of all things,

as Piggs, and Geese, Hens, and Eggs, Apples, and Cherries, and Turnips, and all, nothing excepted; this is a feeble thing, as to hold out to people for Gospel maintenance, and the preachers of the Gospel are a∣shamed of it.

Furthermore, them that will not give it, sue them at Law, throw them into holes till they dye, take a∣way ten fold that which is claimed, say the man is not subject to Gospel order, denies Ministers maintenance; this hath been crime enough to take away the estates and lives of men; all this is in the Apostacy.

And seeing it is said we are under a Gospel admi∣nistration, and ordinances; what do you with Organs, whistlers, and Pipes in any part of your Services? this pertained to the Jews and not to the Primitive Church. And what do you do with Surplices, Tipets & Hood, and other strang•• kind of Garments? It may be the High-priests Garments, or the Priests linin Ephod, or linin bree∣ches, must be brought in for a Gospel proof, and for an Apostolick Ordinance; And what do you with the Popes Lent? And why should the Popes Lent be among the reformed Protestants Churches, forbiding meats and drinks? And why forbidding marriage in Lent, and who ordained these dayes? What have they been borrowed from the Heathen? Or are they looked upon to be such dayes as used to be cited in the Callender for the dog-dayes, which have been brought from the Heathen, and stands to this day, in too much credit a∣mong believers so called.

And why is one day preferred before and above another, and some counted holy dayes, as though some others were unholy dayes? and why such a Collect, and such a Gospel, and such a Chapter, and such a Psalme, mincing, and cutting, and severing the Scrip∣tures into pieces and shreds? Is this like Apostolick Doctrine? Truly friends, many things we have to say,

if you had an ear to hear, and that upon good grounds we can speak, that we look upon all these thing, to be feeble, and poor, and beggerly things, and hath no a∣greement, or congruity with the primitive times.

And should people be limitted or stinted to such a certain form of words, called service, or prayer, and divine worship? Was that ever reckoned divine wor∣ship, that was not from the Divine Spirit? But it may be you will say the words are good or some of them; I am not speaking about words, but the Spi∣rit, from which every service ought to be performed to the Lord God; and the primitive Christians pray∣ed in the spirit, and with understanding, and sung with the spirit and with understandnig, 1 Cor. 14. 15. And there was some that knew not what to pray for as they ought, but the Spirit helped their infirmities. Rom. 8. 26 But you konw what to pray for, and how much must be said on such a day, or such a time, and if there be a Homily, or a Sermon, Lettany must be missed.

Now I say if it be Divine worship, or any thing where∣in God is honoured, and the people bettered, nothing of it ought to be wanting.

But these things the Primitive times doth not countenance; but when the power was lost, and the life gone from, and the Spirit erred from, these things have come into the latter dayes, which have been very perillous times, as to them who have kept the A∣postolick faith, and the order of the primitive Church.

Many more things we could instance which are practiced, as for discipline and order, and some for necessity, which hath no affinity or union at all with the Primitive Churches, but rather are things which are too near of Kin unto her that sits as a Queen upon the waters, whose flesh must be burnt with fire, who

hath drunk the blood of the Saints; and how many of the Lords servants have suffered in and about these things, not only in the Church of Rome, but also by them which have been called reformed, many have known and are living witnesses thereof.

And all these Temples, Bells, Hour-glasses, Pulpits, & Cushons, Altars, Tables, and Founts, which are things that pertain to them that locks they are come out of the Apostacy; but the Spiritual minded sees over them, and beyond them, and before these things; And also sees through the Spirit of Prophesie and time when they shall be no more adored, worshipped and honoured; But God shall be feared in the hearts of the Sons of men, and glory shall be given to him, and he shall be worshiped in Spirit and in Truth as he was in the Primitive times, when the Beast and the false Prophet, and them that wrought Miracles before him, and all they that have cryed who is able to make war with the Beast, and have cryed worship him, All must be taken alive; Remember that (alive) in their strength, and cast into the Lake, and the Mo∣ther of Harlors shall be made desolate, her Cup of Fornication thrown under foot; The Kings of the Earth shall deny it, and to give their strength any longer to the Beast; and then shall that be fulfilled, Rejoce ye Prophets and holy men of God, and ye that have suffered, for the hour of his Judgement is come, and as she hath served the Saints, so shall she be served, and rewarded double, and the day hastens, and the times and seasons we see and know as God hath made them manifest. The man-child is descend∣ed again, who hath right to rule the Nations with a rod of iron, and break the ungodly in pieces as at pot∣ters vessel, and stamp the residue of his enemies un∣der his feet; And the Church is coming out of the wildernesse again, who leans upon the breast of her

beloved; who is clothing her again with beauty in stead of ashes, and putting upon her again the beau∣tiful garments of glory and excellency, even his own righteousness, and they that see it, their hearts shall be made glad, and their souls rejoyce in God, and their flesh rest in hope, for the time is come when she must appear again, which hath been retired and hid in a place which God hath prepared for her, while the false Church sate as a Queen, and the Apostates as Princes, and their merchandize sold at dear rates; But their joy shall be turned into mourning, and alas, alas, shall be the cry of them that have been in Glory with her, for their frankincense, odours, and sweet perfumes, and scarlet, and purple, and gold, and sil∣ver, and wood, and Tin, and Iron, and Brass, none will buy any more, none of the Lambs followers, nor none of the true Churches children, who wor∣ship God in the spirit, and have no confidence in the flesh, neither in any outward appearance, but in the hidden life of God, but in the immor∣tal life, which he hath brought to light through his blessed Gospel, which he hath caused to be pub∣lished again; the joyful sound whereof many captives have heard and are glad, and a numberless number shall hear the joyful sound thereof, and shall enquire after the brightness of the rising of the Son. There∣fore all Apostates, Hills and Mountains, make room, make way, the Lord is risen in power and in Glory, which shall dazzel the eyes of all the Earthly, and shall extinguish and put out the very brightness and the glory of all invented worships, in the Apostatized ages, and shall bring them that be∣lieve in the everlasting Gospel to stability, to the rock of ages, to the valley of Achor, to Mount Sion, to the blessing of the everlasting hills; And blessed are they that hear, and believe, and wait to be made

partakers of that which the Lord is about to do in the Earth, as he hath shewn, and foreshewn to his ser∣vants the Prophets.