Doctor Hill's funeral-sermon. Or a nevv-yeers-gift to all the clergie.: Daynus, the reviving feet fo the witnesses past and to come, to shew the day and yeer of the Lord, and his time accepted.

GOd teacheth us by his Son, he is the sure word of prophesie, & our everlasting Gospel which may reprove the literal teachers, that call the Scriptures the Gospel, when indeed they are but the writings of men put together as a History, but Christ is the eternal mystery, Christ Jesus alone is our eternal peace, free from failable mixture, it is God from the beginning; he is the word of life beyond the written word of man, so is the eternal decree in paradise, and as by a further manifestion of his Son to preach and declare forth all truth, far above the writings of men, which is not the word of God, but mans word spoken in part, nd prophesied in part, as Paul declareth.

Therefore the Scripture cannot fully be called, the word of God, but mens traditions, and part of the minde of God, they prophesied in part, they writ in part, they believed in part of the mystery of God; but Christ he comes in the volume of the book, he is our sure word of prophesie, far higher then any Scripture, and for that cause Scripture cannot be fully called the word of God, except God hath writ it, Christ never pen'd down the mystery, he is the final end of perfection. The promise was made in him 400 yeers before the lo∣cal Scripture; the promise was before the Law, and righteousness came by faith, and not by local Scriptures, Christ opened the seals in order, He is the word from the beginning, John 1. The word was at the beginning, before the traditions of men were written, and shall stand till fulness come, which shall then be failable, perfection shall put an end to imperfection, when mans writing is done away, the Son of God is that wisdom from the decree of God, to make out his full work, and shall stand when all mens Scriptures shall be failable, David cryes out in the 19 Psalm, saying, Who knows the errors of his life? so that men and Prophets may be unstable in their judgement.

All Scriptures were written by the permission of God, and men declared of things a far off, and could not fully speak of things to come, but as they spake in part. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but not one tittle of Gods word, which was his ancient decree from the be∣ginning; before men writ the Scriptures, his decrees were, and his councel shall stand; he spake the word, and it was done: if Scriptures could be the word of God, then common Christians might write by inspiration, and call it the word of God; which that they cannot do;

for it is but mens declaration; & yet the Priests say, They preach the word of God, though they deceive the poor people with the letter, men may be very plyant and prophetical as the Prophets were, and write many sweet truths; yet the decree of God shall stand, when written words are failable, though they write after their judgements they shall be failable being yet in the flesh; for Christ is our sure word of prophesie, far above Scripture, to declare what the word is, first, it is God. Secondly, it is perfection. Thirdly, it is his councel and de∣cree. Fourthly, it is spiritual light from above. Fifthly, it is a word of life that preacheth out from the mouth of God. Therefore the written letter is not the word of God, but put into them from a spiri∣tual ingenuity, or received of God by a spiritual power from above, being writ by failable man, that hath received in part of that full perfection. Christ is the full end of all mystery, he preacheth upon the mount, hear him, with a laudable voice, he inwardly teacheth, his wisdom is excellent, past finding out; mens writings and teachings are subject to change, but the word of God is the same from the begin∣ning, not any thing of God shall fail, Mount Sion shall ever stand sta∣ble and firm, the Lord is unchangeable, though mens teachings fail, and Scriptures fail, and Prophets fail, and Priests fail, and all outward forms and ceremonies fail, though outward Sabbaths fail, yet the two witnesses shall not fail, the two anointed ones shall stand before the God of the whole earth; if Christ and the Spirit dwell in us, they shall teach us how to live in all truth, though man in his ignorance lieth under the letter, and liveth altogether by line and verse, the Law being a Schoolmaster or Teacher to him, yet when he is redeem∣ed by the Spirit, he walketh above the letter, knowing himself free, incorporated, and brought within the precincts of the glorious liber∣ty of the Son of God. Christ is the sure word of prophesie, far higher then the Scriptures which the Doctors call the word of God, and is not, but part of the truth; but Christ shall endure when all mens wri∣tings be as low as Doctor Hill's bones, and shall be failable before the great manifestation of the light that shall appear when all shall bend at the Scepter; his wisdom teacheth all truth, men teach for envy, some for pride, and some for money, and some teach other mens works, and yet call it, the word of God, though they can declare no∣thing out of the gift, but what they have received by learned phrases, and much slight the word of the eternal Covenant, by adoring the writing and preaching of men, which are outward, literal, and not the word of God, but Scriptures of men, as Chronicles and Histories, and shall be failable. I do not deny the good as is in the Scriptures,

but I adhere to it, so far as it answereth to the righteousness of God, and so far we ought to walk plyant to the Scriptures, as by the exam∣ple of Christ, his rule ought not to be compounded with other mens works, but that his fame should be seen alone; for by that means the Priests do preach mens praises more then the honor and authority of Christ.

Now in all your learning, I desire you would learn to know Christ the sure word of prophesie, which is God alone, above the Scriptures; and so the Scriptures are but mens traditions laid together, chroni∣cled up, what good men had declared by history for a memorial or ex∣ample for us that come after, and not to look for spiritual life by the Scriptures; for that is the free gift from above by his grace; but to look on them for an exhoraation. Christ saith, In the Scriptures ye think to have eternal life; yet he doth not say, In them there is eternal life; for he is life eternal, and he hath done all things well. Prophets, and Priests, and Men may write, yet of themselves can establish no truth, for Christ is the stable center of all, he is Almedium that preacheth in the Mount, he is our sure word of prophesie, yet he writ no Scripture, nor declared himself by letter, yet many Scriptures have testified of him, he was and is exemplary to all.

Therefore I would have all men live to the Lord, above that which is written of men; for what is written but shall be failable? or what light can keep its full oriency, before the Sun? every borrowed light shall be failable. I desire men would not hang so much upon the letter, Christ Jesus is unfailable; he is yesterday, to day, and for ever. Let us set Christ above all literal Scriptures, which shall contingently fail: when he cometh in power he shall put an end to every work, Christ is the prime reality of all true integrity, he is the eternal word of life, all things live by the decree of God finished in us, his promise was a∣bove 400 yeers before any Scripture was writ, given to Abraham by faith, and not by Scripture, in that we ought to know somthing above the letter, which is the word of faith, a sure prophesie, it is not the word preached, that can redeem us, except we have personal holiness in us, by a right knowing of God by inspiration, otherwise it is un∣possible to please God; for men may hear Scripture preached, and yet not be happilized, and Priests may preach, and yet cannot save souls.

Therefore ye high Priests lay down your authority, God teacheth from above, and will order his affairs above your art and policy, who shall learn him knowledge? shall Oxford and Cambridge instruct his way? their places are inferiour to him, for Christ is our true word of prophesie, far above all art or pretended skill, God is the best Uni∣versity,

he will teach his people in all truth by an inward renewing the mind: if God teacheth, then let men lay down, and say, We cannot savingly teach; we preach the letter, but salvation is from above, he ministreth the gift of healing, and man cannot do it: Ordination is ceased with the Apostles, and God doth appear to us by his Son, and under the name of two witnesses, which is the Law and Testimony within, that teacheth us better then all the Priests. Therefore I de∣sire we may all see and live under the teachings of God, for he teach∣eth us the mystery of truth: let God be true, and every man a lyar: you Assyrian Priests may prognosticate the people, but Christ is the sure word of prophesie, we will hear him with a laudable voice. The Priests say, Hear us, we will not be silenced: but for all this thou must be silenced Oh Priest, for Kings, and Lords, and Nobles, and Magi∣strates shall be silenced, at his bright appearing, There shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour, Rev. 8.1. Who shall stand when he appeareth by a dividing of time? I say, all you Ministers have not yet preached the Gospel, neither can any man preach the Gospel at all, until he throweth down his own power of preaching, and make Christ your Priest and Teacher, and say you are no more a teacher of salva∣tion, but a keeper of cattel from your fathers, and to work by the sweat of your brows, for knowledge shall run to and fro, and meet by voices and witnesses, that shall throw off and extinguish all your ne∣gative voices, that stand deffinating so high in Pulpits: one witness of the Minister, or Priest of himself, is a negative untruth, and is centred upon meesum, which is by a singular vote, and cannot stand; for it is Christ alone that shall stand to preach; for he is ordained and sent as a Mediator of himself between God and man.

Priests, I believe in short time your people will be few in number; for then and at that time, the people shall betroth themselves unto the Lord, and will refuse your teachings; when they are inwardly taught of God, they shall remove from you Pulpits, and ye shall no more say to the people, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me; that is, they shall all know Christ to be the Minister, and shall return to their first Love, from whence they were fallen, saying, Come, do thy first work; as if Christ should say, Christians, come enter into your rest: once in him, and ever: he is our Sabbath and Gospel of peace, he is unchangeable to the end, and that is a Sabbath indeed, it is not your keeping a day once a week, that can make a true rest, it is the Sabbath within, having Christ dwelling in thee by a true faith, that is a Sabbath and a rest that cannot be taken away, the receivings of Christ in thee quickeneth thee every moment from day to day, which

sheweth forth in thee a continual Sabbath, From yeer to yeer thou shalt worship the Lord, and keep the feast of Tabernacles, when a Christian walketh in all outward righteousness, that is a feast of one Tabernacle, and to walk by inward righteousness, that is the other feast of Tabernacles, Ye shall once a yeer come up to keep the feast of tabernacles, Zach. 14. These two Tabernacles, the one for an inward, the other for an outward, are cal∣led first and second Tables, which shall be the worship that shall be set up from day to day, and yeer to yeer, until Shilo come.

Priests, it is not for you to keep a day once a week, and be as evious as ever; it is not to keep a day, and be as covetous as ever; that is not a true Sabbath, Christ is the Sabbath, and he is our eternal rest. And Mini∣ster, thou must deny thy self, if ever thou wouldst enter into his rest; for Christ sweetneth all things to a Christian, every doubt is comprehended and comprimized in him, he is the end of trouble, of war, and of every conflict, he is our Gospel-peace to still the rage of all obstruction, and for want of making Christ our teacher, it causeth us to follow false Christs, I mean Priests and Jesuites, that teach their own Gospel, and set themselves up by fat parsonages, feigned lovers to deceive the people, as if they had the minde of God at their will; Humble-bee-Priests, fat belly-goded-Parsons, to declare to the people once a week, as if God were tied to their set times: so as the Jews did, so do you, keep a day once a week, and yet crucifie the Lord, and so do ye, not knowing his eternal Sabbath.

Ye silly people, I much condole your weakness, in that you so much i∣dolize the Priests, and neglect your onely true rest. The Lord appeareth to us every day, aswel as on that day, which thou callest the Lords day, and truely ye are as legal as ever the Jews were, though cunningly you call your Sabbath the Lords day, yet cannot take away your observed forms: the Lords day is every day.

Therefore Priest throw down thy observation, Christ is the Sabbath of rest, his day is every day, from yeer to yeer. Ye Doctors and Priestical Mi∣nisters, you are very censurous.

I cannot but further relate a Pulpit-story of this Doctor Hill, by some godly persons of neer relation to him, having some discourse with them, they did not comply with his element, but were a little contrary to his judge∣ment, not pleasing to his allegation, which to affront them in their judge∣ment, he thought to met with them in the Pulpit, took a text of Scripture to cross them; but as I understood God met him in the way, and frustrated him in his first text; whereof he took another text, and in the same manner God met him again, and blasted him upon his third subject, so that he judged himself stricken, and came down from the Pulpit, and related a sad story to some, that God justly punished him, by reason of his inveterated spirit of

bitterness, so that I finde God met him by way of etilliation, as we have an example in Jacob and Esau, the Lord punished Jacob for taking his bro∣ther Esau by the heel. Therefore let no man think so low of his brother, but that God can spiritually raise men to higher knowledge, then Cam∣bridge can do. And let not Ministers and Doctors be so high, now God appeareth to the weak things of the world, to confound the haughtiness of the proud; for we have a sure word of prophesie, far higher then you can teach. Doctors and Ministers, ye preach of a Prince that ruleth in the Air: I pray you, what is that? if you were as far from that, as you are from right disciplying, you would have but little to do with it.

Doctor, I must tell you what it is that ruleth in the Air, it is money, which is the King of all the creatures, that ruleth in the Air, it buyes, and sells, and captivates all things under it; silver and gold bewitcheth the world, and you would spend your lives in the Pulpit for it, and it is called but the Prince that rules in the Air, and beguileth the Priests that preach for hire; Christs is a free-Ministery, and an endless Priesthood; yours is failable.

I can give relation of a Priest, that removed himself from about 40. l. a year, for a place of 300. or 400. l. a year. This Priest cunningly be∣witched his people of the new place where he came, and in the midst of his Sermon, related to them, That God had brought him thither in a cloud from the substance of 40. l. a year, to 300. l. a year. And was not this a cunning dawber to delude the people by a dark cloud?

Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy, declareth, That the Priests shall have no inheritances: therefore I finde they that have bought Tythes and Impropriations, have bought and sold that, which was none of their own. Lord Protector, I desire you would give Tythes and impropriati∣ons to the widows, the fatherless, the blinde, and the lame, and to the poor: as Christ would have it done, so let it be, that every Parish be eased of col∣lection; and praise God for the great good you have done for them. A poor messenger, a disciple separate for the kingdom of Christ.

I could have added much more to this work; but in short I have declared some of the minde of God.

Daynus, A messenger of the new Covenant, under the Ark-angel of the Covenant. As John was sent a messenger to the Jews, to declare the king∣dom of heaven at hand, so I Daynus am sent to the whole Israel of God, to shew the kingdom of heaven is come in power to me, and I am the first upon the feet, restored of the dry-bones of Israel. Daynus, to shew the day and year of the Lord, and his year excepted.

FINIS.