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.

Doctor HILL'S Funeral-Sermon.

BY a singular providence of God I happened to be at the Town of Cambridge at the very instant of Do∣ctor Hill's departure: then at the same time the Lord moved me to write, and he actually taught me what I should write, which he the Lord preached to me. This Sermon preached to me was not my desire onely, yet the God of life put it upon me, and supported me with matter accordingly, that I could not deny but write: for the Lord preached unto me the things I should write, and now I declare unto you a new Sabbath, which I did write with much niceness and fear of spirit; yet the Lord told me that the Sabbath-Ordinances were changed by the Priests under the Law, and likewise by the Ministers of our time. And therefore of necessity I did write as he commanded me, by way of a Funeral-Sermon, or a final dissolution of the Clergellical power, whereof I declare the life and death of the Creature, and the stability and endless power of Christs Ministery, with a description of them that call themselves Ministers of God, and how they shall fall under the Worlds contempt, some degrees worse then the Bishops. The Prophets complaine; the clamation is, The Minister and Priests have robbed Gods store-house, taking to themselves those priviledges that are not their own; therefore they shall say no more, Know the Lord from the greatest to the least; and shall be free from your

mouth inherently taught of God, and live by faith exemplary to Abra∣ham, Noah, and Christ; which is to live in righteousness, and not to need the teachings of men: for all our teachers are failable now as well as they were under the Law; so that our redemption is clearly by Christ, Heb. 7.24. Christ he continued ever unchangeable as a Priest, whereof he is a∣ble to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them: which is a plaine proof, without dispute, that he is the Minister of God, and Priest; he will put an end to your Ministery, because you are failable, yet Christ is infailable: and therefore we cast you off in the name of the Lord, and cry ye down as no Ministers of God, but deceivers of the people. I would bave all live up to Christ by a personal power, free from all the teachings of men, and that no man shall ought to teach, whether he be a Minister or a lay-man; for one mans tongue is no lawful testimony, for one may speak of Christ as well as another, so that all may prophesy one by one, as they did in Christs time: for in the last dayes I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, for my servants and handmaids shall prophesie. Then said he unto me, Prophesie, son of man: So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great Army. Ezekiel 37. This Army Giddon of the Lord shall cause the River Eu∣phrates with seven streams to dry up; and there shall be many voyces heard, and witnesses on their Feet. Then looke to it Doctor; without all dispute, your trade of preaching will fall.

BEloved, this Doctor Hill was a man of good ranke, an eminent man that I did formerly know, though now he was very justitious; I was his Country-man about sixteen or eighteen yeers past; he was a reasonable good professor called a Puritan in those dayes; but what he was now, I cannot tell; I hear you say he was Master of Trinity-Colledge. This Doctor Hill was very well known and approved of through all the University of Cam∣bridge; This Doctor Hill was a man very well beloved in the Town, it rung passing-peals for him at five Churches, which I have seldome heard so many Bells of Aaron ring for one Priest. You tell me he had neither Son nor Daughter; what did he do with all his hundreds a yeer? did he build Hospi∣tals for the poor? Ye tell me he was a man of little Hospitality; then I cannot speak much in his behoof.

The words that I shall treat upon are from the mouth of those four Pro∣phets, Ezekiel 37. Matthew 28. Zachariah 11. and Rev. 11. These four Scriptures are the very ground-work of what we shall treat upon. We, even we the witnesses, foreshow the mystery of those Evangelical Prophets, and one Angelical amongst the rest, Christ the first, Ezekiel, Zachary,

and John, by inference doth plainly type out the two Testaments of Law and Gospel, declaring of two Scriptures, one before Christ came in the flesh, the other by a Testimony of Christ and John, saying: I come not to destroy the Law, but to fulfil the Law.

Now we may finde these Prophets were part of the Witnesses that were be∣fore and after Christ: so that these four Scriptures make out one testimony, which one Scripture cannot do so affirmatively, for one Scripture must prove another, and so make out truth which is undeniable.

These four Prophets, though far distant in their times, yet declared out the great things of God to come in our dayes, the one by a foolish Shephard that God will raise, spoken of by Zachary long before; the other are the two Wit∣nesses that God will raise and put life into, and shall stand upon their Feet: it is not one mans feet, but feet of Witnesses; it is one Priest one Prophet alone which is Christ Jesus singular of himself, & not for man to stand as Doctor De∣finator; and as one man cannot prove a truth, so two Scriptures must of necessity make out one truth which is a vindicated truth, and tolerated of God by Law and testimony.

But you high Doctors may question me in this thing, why one Scripture can∣not be tolerable as well as two.

My answer is, because the Mount Sion came between the Law and Gospel, and changed the course of Sinai to Mount Sion, which is one to the Lord: for Christ standeth in power of himself to prove every Scripture, which is an allegory, or an all-power of himself, which man cannot attain unto: he is the high-Priest that first entred into rest: he hath trod the winepress alone; so that none can stand chiefe of himself, but he alone, after the order of Mel∣chizedeck a Priest for ever ordained and sent of God: he is our Minister, and no other.

Doctor, I pray throw down your power; you are but as other men jointly to plead among your Low equals, and not to stand Lord Priest above others, preaching in your cause, to silence others. Therefore take to thy self the in∣struments of a foolish Shepherd: Shewing that God will deliver his mind to some poor despised Shepherd, that shall declare his hand of judgement upon the Shepherds, to tell them they are but as other men, and shall acknowledge themselves as Sheep among others, and not think so high of themselves as to be called by the name of Shepherds: for Christ is all our Shepherd, and we are his Sheep, both Minister and People; neither shall you have power to ty∣rannize over the consciences of the People, for all things shall be judged by the Church-Community to make out the Prophesie of the Prophet Zachary by way of allusion respondent or responsive to Christ; or under Christ, that some foolish Shepherd should declare and stand up as a Fool amongst the learned, saying, Take to thy self the instruments of a foolish Shepherd.

Now what be those instruments?

To answer, they be two, and of no less number: for one is not to be num∣bered, but accompted as one instrument; it is one witness, and that is Christs place from God, and it not is tolerable for one man to preach and declare of himself in his own tongue, to silence the people; if he doth, his testimony is not true: for I will give power to my two witnesses, and they shall prophesie; meaning, that two or three may prophesie, preach, or disciply, and answer each other in order: so that I finde one alone, whether he be a Minister or a lay-man, of himself, cannot be tolerable to speak; for the plural number shall extinguish the singular, Christ excepted: for he saith, By the mouth of two or three witnesses every truth shall be established; Christ saith, his own testimony could not be true, except his Father bore witness with him. So that he always appeared to two or more; the two Maries sought him early in the morning. It sheweth to us, that these women were two faithful witnesses, in that he said, Go make known my resurrection, which was a calling of them by way of ordination, which Calling all you Doctors and Senators cannot shew. Again, when he appeared to Mary and Elizabeth, the babe sprung in her wombe for joy. Again, he appears to the two that were going to Em∣maus, which caused them to say, Did not our hearts burn within us, when he talked with us? So that talking of God is the best preaching, and will cause all you Ministers to come down from your high places, I mean your Pulpits, and to plead among your low equals: for it is not the partia∣lity of one mans tongue that can be found lawful; for Christ ever appeared to two, which were the least number; somtimes to three; somtimes to the twelve, that they might make out the truth: for the witnesses must prove a true testimony; two or three witnesses may make a true discovery, but one cannot. He saith, I will give power to two; that is not to one Minister, he cannot fully disciply truth: for every divine truth is proved by witnesses. That which one affirmeth in a Pulpit, another may deny; it is verily so in our common Churches. The truth should be reasoned out by faithful wit∣nesses. Christ saith, Where two or three be gathered in my name, I will be in the midst of them; which is a great promise, or a calling forth of the wit∣nesses to stand up and plead against the approbation of one Ministers tongue, which is unlawful, for one man to deffinate or define a truth of himself, to sesserate or deceive the people, calling himself a Minister of God.

Ye Diviners, Flatterers, and Soothsayers, that carry the power in your own tongues, and yet no faithful witnesses, which of you will lose all for the testi∣mony of Christ, to vindicate thy life, to sacrifice thy liberty or thy parsonage for the truth of Christ? Alas you carry on the truth of God by flattery, and so deceive the hearers; you stand deffinating and temporing, sowing Pillows under great Mens Elbows: you will speak a little of Covetousness, but much

less of blood and oppression, and little or nothing of devouring one another; for that will touch my self, or my parsonage.

O draw the Curtain there, see that God is angry with you, and telleth you by his Prophet Micah 3. that ye shall move out of your holes; and E∣zekiel the Prophet saith, The people shall be taken from your mouth; and Zachary saith, I heard a howling of the Shepherds, for their glory was spoiled: and Malachy saith, Ye rob my Store-house, therfore the land is cursed with a curse.

If ye Ministers should preach against all Impropriations, as that ye dare not do, for losing your Parsonages, lose them and lose all; for then preach∣ing will cease, and there will be many that will remove our Feet from the Pulpit; when every truth shall be defined by two or three witnesses, what will becom of us Pulpittians? it will be to us as the mourning of Hadadrim∣mon: indeed that is the way to bring down the pride of Palestina, and Ca∣pernaum exalted so high: you Pulpitsayons are set so high, as Lord speaker, who shall controul you? yet your power must come down; when your Pul∣pits shall have never a leg, yet the two witnesses shall be upon their Feet, to plead for equity and justice, which ye do not; ye preach for your own ends, and cannot satisfie truth; alwaies full of repetition, but nothing of any new work that God will do in the earth. If a lay-man should speak higher things then those you declare, you would say as Festus said to Paul, that he was mad. Ye have slandered many good Christians that have been faithful wit∣nesses to Christ, and learned the language from the Heavenly University, far passing Oxford and Cambridge.

Truly we have many Doctors in Oxford and Cambridge, that enjoy so much, that it is intolerable: These blind Doctors, Doctor up the Common∣wealth, and deceive the people; impropriating to themselves more then Food and Rayment, which is contrary to Christs example; they be more in shew then in substance, getting to themselves high tolerations which are not of Christ; whereof you shall lie under his wrath, saying, How hard a thing is it for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom?

Yet take to thy self the instruments of a foolish Shepherd.

Doctor, I am as a fool amongst the Doctors; I cannot but tell you the truth: for God hath raised my spirit, he hath encouraged me to speak of your shame, and not to be daunted. Some Ministers now of late have made them∣selves Doctors, hoping for some of these great places in Oxford and Cam∣bridge, which will prove but veynal, or a veyne uncurable, that runneth it self out by many obstructions or clashings one against another, Minister against Minister: there is not that Antipathy nor that Universality, for some shall preach up their power, and some shall preach it down. This Eclipse or terrible shak∣ing will hold until the power of your Priesthood fall: at the power of the

eternal Priest, you must throw down your power at Christs Feet; for the Ho∣ly Ghost shall be all our teacher. Ministers, your mouthes shall be stopped, Micah 3. you shall not divine, you shall no more say to the people, Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the greatest to the least; and that is by spiritual revelation, or by an inward knowing, which far passeth your learned places; your Colledges are filled with many scandalous Ruffinous Fellows and of a ranting Crew, very litteral, and not knowing the truth; transla∣tors, and usurping the word of the letter to their own turnes, setting themselves higher then the teachings of God, thinking lay-men inferior to themselves; as if God could not raise up Children to Abraham out of those Stones.

To be taught of God, is the best University: for all your wit, and skill, and univesality of tongues, cannot make one godly person: for every gift and perfect giving is from above. God ministreth grace to whom he pleaseth; he is the Minister; then how canst thou be a Minister? for God ministreth to all things; then yeild up thy Priesthood to him; he is the Fountaine, and all the Streames must go to that Fountaine. You Doctors are set so high, and shall become low, more contemptible then the Bishops were: for God will set you as a mark to shoot at, or as a lost Jerusalem, for the Bittern or Owle to sit in; for you have kept all things at a distance, blinding the people, and keeping them under the letter by the hearing of Faith, without inward Faith; as if salvation were by the letter, and full freedom by the speaker. They will not let to say they have begotten souls; as if salvation were simply from their teachings. And thus they silence the people under their bands.

Ah go, go, and tell them so, that they silence the people, and cannot give them spiritual life, but keep them at a distance, as a Horse in a Mill alwaies going round, teaching them repetition and repetition; learning, and yet not come to the knowledge of truth: but Paul saith, Prove all things, yet hold fast that which is good. Then lay your heads together, and ye shall finde the Ministers of our time very faulty; They call themselves the Ministers of God, and sit in Christs place; In the name of the Lord we cast you forth, and we discarge your false power, for Christ is Adminstrator, and you are fleshly and litteral, and have no more power to preach then another man: for Christ is the Minister of God, and giveth us spiritual life to heal our infirmities, and he is our example to walk by: then lay by your covetous∣ness and pride, and follow his example; set your selves to know God, and then you shall find great comfort; for it shall stir up the gift, which is the best teach∣ing. Ministers cannot live themselves, and how should they give life to others? they are full of guilt and scandal, and yet they accompt themselves high Doctors or Ministers of God, when indeed ye are not so, but deceivers of the people; for there is no Minister but Christ alone: though ye stand so high in the Pulpits, you must come down at the appearing of Christ in his power,

when all flesh shall bend, both things in Heaven, and things on the Earth, and things under the Earth shall all be dispowered and dis-throned, when no∣thing shall stand but ordination, and that is Christ ordayned a Priest and a Minister for ever: he alone is our spiritual teacher, and you Ministers are worse then Lay-men for taking upon you that title of Ministery, and cannot live free from covetousness which is Idolatry; and you are idolatrous Priests, which deceive the simple.

Methinks I could stand an hour or two in your idolatrous places to preach as you do, but my conscience informeth me otherwise. Therefore I lay the Ax to the root of your one-legged Pulpits, to cut them down: for you Pulpit∣sayons must come down, and set upon your low equals. Why should ye stand higher then Christ and his Apostles, that went from place to place discipling and teaching? But for shame, some of you Doctors could say your Autho∣rity is jure Divino, which is a base degree hatched in Oxford and Cam∣bridge, and maintained by a prelatical power, that one alone may be su∣prem to preach of himself in his own tongue, and all the people give audi∣ence to hear one infamous man speak by a primus or supream Authority, whereof none may speak but be silenced, whether it be right or wrong; while they declare forth their own Authority, which is the first degree of a lying testimony: for one tongue cannot fully make a lawful testimony. If one Lawyer plead two mens causes, he cannot but use partiality; neither can any Minister plead Gods cause and mans cause together; it must be Christ the Mediator, as a Minister between God and us. The truths of God ought to be proved by twelve, or by two or three faithful witnesses, and that is a truth vindicated and proved according to divine justice, and not by one mans tongue preaching in a Pulpit, which shall suddenly be cut down, and Mr. Pres∣bitian shall stand low among his Fellow-equals, Babylon placed so high shall come down to the Dust.

High Doctor, thou countest me a foolish Shepherd, yet the Lord is with me, to shew thee thy folly; for that is truth which is proved by witnesses, and by the approbation of the Church; for your own tongue is a lye; though speak in a Pulpit, yet ye cannot silence the people; for Saint John saith he heard the sound of many voices, and his witnesses shall have power; which are they that are within the Covenant, or such as shall enter into Cove∣nant to the great Jehovah.

Ye Doctors of Divinity, as ye call your selves, ye have preached long in your own tongue, to keep the World at a distance, you have not been buil∣ders but destroyers of the House of God: and know ye not the offering of his Temple, but have set your selves higher then others, exalting your selves by your own tongue, as if none could talk of God but Priestbitian or Presbi∣tiry, Priests, Dictators, raised from Oxford and Cambridge? but without all question, Priestinion must down.

Doctor, I acccmpt my self a fool, for I am no good Scribe, neither have I been at University to learn the stammering tongue, and for that we need not much care, unless we were to go to Jerusalem to call in the Jews, which shall be some of every Nation that shall be the elect gathered from the four Winds, when the Harvest shall appear which is now at hand, when the Sheep shall divide themselves from the Goats, meaning, the procreation of the Jews shall come forth, and stand upon their Feet, then the World shall be at an end, meaning, it can work its own end no longer; therefore it may be said it is at an end, when they can no longer tread over the two witnesses, but the Saints on earth shall judge and govern them.

Doctor, I am but a Fool, or a foolish Shepherd clothed in sackcloth 42 Months, from the year 1650. when the sixth Seal opened the mystery, to the end of 42 Months, which may be properly taken three years and a halfe, about 54 or 55. God hath given me to look for great deliverance to the Kingdom of the Church, and that Christ shall raign in power here in England, which shall be very Oriential to behold, far beyond your learned power; and you shall not be Doctor speaker alone, and cannot know any true way, nor live in any stable righteousness: for Christ the Minister of God doth ad∣minister life and all quickning power, which is the substance of all, and you cannot do the same: therefore lay down your Ministerial power, and accompt your selves as other men; let others speak, and ye speak to them and so judge the truth among your selves; and throw down the error of one mans tongue. There hath been many Scholars raised from Oxford and Cambridge; swear∣ing, voluptuous persons, and yet tolerated by your degrees, and so become Pulpitsayons: another sort have been civil men, though not sanctified, yet raised by the degrees of learning without any Heavenly substance; others have been raised very dunces, neither good Scholars, nor spiritually of God and yet have worne long Canonical Gownes, Lawyer-like, whose folly was raised from those two Fountaines, and much typeth out the Scribes & Pharisees, very proud and sumptuous, as the Raven that setteth her Nest high, to be seen and heard afar off; then think they, we are secure: and yet their Nest must come down: for the Pulpit-tree having but one Leg, and set so high, will have a great downfall.

Why should disciplying be kept in a Corner so high, by one tongue, as one Mr. Speaker?

Ye Doctors Diffinators, know this, that disciplying must come down among your Fellow-equals, and shall be carried by the Feet of the Witnesses from Sea to Sea, and from one end of the Earth to another. Therefore Christ denied himself, and would not be Mr. Speaker, saying, If I speak my own words, my testimony is not true; there is one that beareth witness with me: and that is tolerable.

O man, why should thy tongue bear down all, and silence all the people,

and cannot prove thy self a Minister of God, but sitteth as Scribe in Moses Chair?

Doctor Pulpittian, four things I strike at: Thy Pride, thy Power, thy Cal∣ling, and thy Pulpit.

First for thy Pride, which is unseemly for a Disciple of Christ to be proud by such carnal policy.

Secondly, Thy Power if it be spiritual it is of God; but if a carnal power, it cannot stand: for he will give power to his two faithful Witnesses and not to one, though he be never so wise. Doctor, it is not that Latine tongue that can be good English, Isa. 33. calleth it the stammering tongue: but ye high Priests and Lawyers take any course to hold up your power. The Universities and Innes of Court are fine places for the stammering tongue; they be not for the simple-hearted; Fools shall not come therein; and I am the Fool to tell you so. The Prophet Zachary saith, Behold, thy King commeth riding upon an Ass. Now in the time Christs power is appearing, a man was bet∣ter to be a Fool or an Ass then a high Doctor, when their power is shaking, and ready to fall, with the rest of their Pulpittians.

Doctor, the third thing I strike at, is thy calling. Art thou called of God? then shew thy assent: if it be of God, it is not from those two high places, but from a heavenly assent, Divinalligy of it is from Christ, and that is a true cal∣ling. But I find your calling is from men, wich cannot be a Divine calling but hatched by the learned Dictators, which is not from the Divine nature, neither doth it savour of Canaan, but is derived from learned Art and Skill, very tradi∣tional; and when it goeth down, we shall have a new Government on the earth, which I suppose wil be betwixt 50. or 57. or sooner that your pulpits wil down.

Farther, To vindicate thy Calling, thou sayest thou art the Minister of God, so wise, who may gainsay it? but Solomon saith. There is more hope of a fool, then of him that is wise in his own conceit. If thou beest the Minister of God, then Christ must lose his place, or thou shalt lose thine; for none can say I am a Minister of God, without he be sent of him, saying, Go or go tell them of my resurrection. I doubt you will hardly prove any such calling; yet we finde Christ was sent; God he sent his Son in the similitude of sinful flesh once for all, as the Minister of eternal life: then why should men hang upon Doctor Speakers, that have learned their skill from Oxford and Cambridge?

Ye Pulpitsayans must down; one witness cannot be tolerated, for he ap∣peared to the twelve Apostles: and David calleth us, the Ends of the Earth that God will appear to; Where two or three are met in my name, I will be in the midst of them: which doth debarre one mans speakal tongue: for Christ is Divine of himself, and man is to be joyntly as one of the Brethren, and shall plead for righteousness among the rest, and to live by the teachings of the Holy Ghost, without Dictators or cunning deceivers. And let all the

Doctors, high Priests, and Prelates know, they are but as other men, and have the same infirmities, not able to stand; then no high Priest or Minister, but faylable. Then let us all talk together of the goodness of the Lord, and what he hath done for our Souls, acknowledging our sins one to another, and pray for one another, and give to one another the right hand of Fellowship, which will be a sweet savour of goodness, to laud the Lord together.

Doctor, I know none but Christs Disciples that were tolerated to preach, and not any but such as he said unto, Go and learn all the Nations, bapti∣zing them in the Name of the Father, Son, and holy Ghost, Mat. 28. he appeared to the two Maries, saying, Go; which was a lawfuller calling then any you can shew: and he gave some of his Disciples gifts of healing, which you have not received.

Doctor, one mans tongue cannot comparmise nor comprehend the full truth of God: as the Church may do by many voyces and witnesses: if Christ himself the eternal Priest denyed himself from his own power of speaking, how ought you to be cautelous of speaking your own words, though in a Pulpit?

I marvel how Pulpits first came up; they be much a kin to your Fonts, where ye disciple Babes in Clouts, which is as a Monster that shall never come to perfection.

There be many things more that I may tell you of; Malachy 3. saith, Bring the Tythes into my store-house: as if by an illusion he should say, For the Blind, the Lame, the Fatherless, the Widow, and the Aged, to relieve the Op∣pressed, that men might be eased of Collection to the Poor in every Parish, and for all such as want: And you Pulpit-men work with your hands as others do, for you are almost at the end of your period, having so much of the Letter, and so much example of Christ, that I wonder with Paul, when he said, Who hath bewitched you, that you do not obey the truth?

Ye Doctors are carried away from Christ by Self-ends and personal interest, as great Tythes, which is utterly unlawful for them that call themselves Ministers of God, and yet rob his Store-house, and commit Sacriledge against God.

Under the Law, the order of Gods House was changed by the Priests, and the Prophets reproved them for it: under whose reproach ye Doctors and Ministers lye to this day, in that ye rob God of his interest. Bring the Tythes into my Store-house: for now I reprove you under the testimony of Christ.

There was a Treasury in the time of the Apostles and Christ, which the people ministred unto, and brought in their gifts, consecrating their love to Gods house, as Joanah and Susanna ministred of their substance to the Trea∣sury, and the Widow brought in her mite, which was received with great ac∣ceptation: which way of Gods worship you and the Bishops have strangled

Gods House, and got those priviledges into your own hands.

Again, I must tell you both Minister and People, impropriations would make the poor of such places merry, if they might or could have their right given them: but we have so many devouring Foxes have stoln them away, and you have not pleaded for them in the Pulpits, but you falsly keep those bene∣fits to your selves; ye blind guides of the people, that make clean the outside, and the inside is full of putrification.

These Pulpitians have spoyled the Commonwealth of Israel; you have been one of the Hornes of Oppression: otherwise we might have had the Go∣vernment of Christ set up before now; which is by Four and Twenty, as we may call Governallity, which is Governation, A Parliament of Four and Twenty, which should be for commonality: but you have stood so high in your Pulpits, that the silly World believeth that your Pulpits were ordained of Christ; which were nothing so, but arose from Bishops Deanes, Chan∣cellors, Deacons, or Doctors of Divinity as ye call them, men of low descent, yet raised from those two Fountaines Oxford and Cambridge, pethy places for learning of the stammering tongue.

Christ gave gifts of learning, which was not to one, but to more then one; as if he should say, Let no man silence the people, as he said, John was a burning and a shining Light; but I have greater witnesses then that of John, for the work to finish: so that one mans tongue shall not stand, but the talking of witnesses shall manifest every truth; for, Pulpittian, Christ questioneth thy Authority: thy People shall speak and thou must answer, other∣wise the truth cannot be established without much trouble, and many witnesses; which produceth the grand voyce of the Church.

And therefore ye Taskmasters, down with your Hour-glasses; many words in your own tongue cannot satisfie the people, neither can you make out truth by your own tongue.

Noah was a Preacher of righteousness, but not in a Pulpit; and Abra∣ham preached forth Faith; he believed, and it was counted for him for righteousness. The good life of those two Fathers preached righteousness to the people, and so should yours be to act in righteousness without partiality of the tongue.

It is not the hearing nor the preaching, but the doing of righteousness: for to enquire the way and not to walk in it, is a vain thing,

We ought all to live up to God in truth, and that is the best teaching; To disciply and distinguish truths is good learning, and the best preaching to an∣swer the things of conscience by the grand power of the Church, and not to rest upon the mouth of one teacher: neither do I know any Minister after the flesh, but like Minister, like People, all full of frailty; then how canst thou be a teacher, and art but equal to other men in sin and sensuallity? it is the Sheerds of Gods free mercy, that redeemeth thee as well as others.

What is the University more then any other place? your Latine tongue is is but an empty thing; it must be onely the Divine power that keep∣eth thy soul alive, and causeth thee and me to live; which is above any ex∣ternal power: neither can godliness be learned; it is from the Ministerial power of Christ, and from the gift of God, and not by the hearing of faith: but thou must have a personal faith of thine own, and to prove thy self, and lay open thy self to the Church, and let thy moderation be known to God, and openly to the people, and pray for one another to Christ thy Minister, for by him we have boldness to the Throne of grace, and are made capable of his Ministery; which cannot be done by any fleshly Priest, which is but as all other men, though he may smooth up the people as if he were the Minister of God, and so commit Blasphemy against the holy Ghost, taking away Christs Authority, making themselves Pulpittians, to tye up the consciences of such as follow them, as if they had full power given them of God.

Ye Doctors and Ministers, ye must fall some degrees worse then your Fa∣thers the Bishops; the light of the Lord shall so cleerly usher in, that you shall be discovered, and Christ shall be chiefe Speaker to his flock; one Priest, one People; one Shepherd, one Sheep of the elect; Abraham called and san∣ctified by Christ, and not by mens teaching.

For Mr. Speaker, Doctor of tongues, you may say, What, do we stand for a Cypher? Yes: for Christ is all our teacher, and you Ministers lye under the vail as well as others.

Therefore (Minister) lay down thy false power, and deceive the people no longer, and know thy self as low as others, and much inferiour to Christ. Oh take not away his Divine Authority, which properly belongeth to the Son of God. Christ he preacheth continually to them that are neer, and to them afar off: he preacheth to every Kindred, Tongue, Language, and Nation; he saith, My Sheep hear my voyce; not your Sheep; he saith, My Disciples keep my sayings, not your sayings.

For my part, I accompt all you Pulpittians to be but false Christs; yet I disparage not the gift of godliness in you, but I adhere to any thing that is good in you. Christ saith, They shall come in my Name, and decieve the People. And truly ye Ministers and high Doctors must needs be the men, for you call your selves the Ministers of God standing in the high place, and alas ye are no more then lay-men that never were at Oxford and Cambridge: you be men of infirmity as others be, and therefore your power will fall, and cannot stand.

O General, O Parliament, O People, why do you commit error against God and his Christ, to follow after fained lovers, which are but Ministers of the letter, and have not the gifts of healing, neither are they sent? for it is Christ that ministreth the gift to all, & keepeth all alive by a power from above;

and every person that is godly, shall have a personal power in himself from Christ to stand upon his Feet, without a Pulpit-preacher: for man cannot preach of himself, except he was sent of Christ, saying, Go, or go forth, as he said to his Disciples. But now in our dayes God hath appeared to us by his Sonne, and no other: and Christ saith, If I go from you, I will send you the Comforter, that shall teach you in all truth.

Object. What shall he teach the Parsons?

Answ. Yes, as well as the People: for Minister and People shall be but Sheep in his Fold; for Christ is the high Priest; his Lips shall preserve knowledge; ye shall all know me from the greatest to the least; there must be a personal knowing of God by faith, as Abraham and Noah lived and walked with God, and it was accounted to them for righteousness; every degree, from the Doctor to the People, shall know God, and stand upon their Feet, without a Preacher, whose breath is in their Nostrils: silly Guides, not able to stand of themselves, neither can they Doctor up others, but may go teach our Children of seven years old.

I am but a Fool to speak that which no man hath declared; but I can have no rest for Sions sake, nor give my self any rest, until I see the work of God accomplished in the Earth, which is the procreation of the Jews, that shall come forth and stand upon their Feet.

Army, Army, O Arm of the Lord Almighty, Army shall stand upon their Feet, Ezekiel 37. which I suppose will be within four or five years after 1650. to the admiration of the World.

Ye Ministers and Doctors Definators, ye would fain hold up your high places, but truly your Temple must fall; for Christ saith, There shall not be one Stone left upon another, that shall not be thrown down: for your Worldly power will be at an end, when Christ the great Shepherd shall call forth his Flock to stand upon their Feet, and live without your Declarations; when all men shall declare out of the gift, and not by the letter, to speak the things they have received of God, and shall re∣fuse your teachers that are not sent of God, but be End-workers and Mony-merchants, that shall be dissolved and cast out of the Temple as Mony-changers; for God will set up a disciplying, when your power lyeth low as Doctor Hill's Bones, and we may say with the Prophet Ezekiel, Blow Wind, and shake the four quarters of the Earth, to raise those dry Bones, that have been very dry so long, that they come up in the Valley of Jesus Christ: for he shall sit to judge the Heathen round about. Put in the Sickle, the Harvest is ripe, the Wine-press overflow∣eth; multitudes, multitudes shall usher in, they shall be a willing People in the day of Gods power: but all ye Doctors are so high and justitious, that ye keep Christ off from his regal power and Authority;

therefore ye shall fall with reproach under Armegiddon. Oh Arme, Arme, Arme of the Lord.

Finally, Doctor, you stand in Christs place. Man may speak out his judgement, that another may answer, and Christ he ministreth to all: every truth must be proved affirmatively, but not by one mans tongue; and you shall be called to account by the grand Church: for the Prophet John saith, There shall be Lightning, Thundering, Voyces and Witnesses.

First, the Light of the Lord appeares, and shall break down the Con∣stellations.

Secondly, he will Thunder forth Justice, Judgement, and Equity in the Earth, by a personal power of Saints under him. The Apostle Peter tells you so, that the Saints must judge the World, and you the Angels of the Churches too.

Thirdly, he will appear by many Voyces, that shall give sentence and decide every truth.

Fourthly, he will appear by Witnesses, which shall extinguish one mans tongue: for the mouth of two or three witnesses shall be an e∣stablishment, and the many Voyces shall swallow up your Ministerial Voyce.

These two witnesses shall have power in the dayes of their Prophesie to turn the waters into blood so often as they will; that is, to declare forth the bloody condition of blood-thirsty persons; which you dare not do, for losing your impropriated Parsonages.

These Witnesses shall have power to shut Heaven gates so often as they will, that it rain not. It is not meant the imperial Heaven of Heavens; but it is meant, they shall shut the gates of the heavenly and visible Kingdom here below, that none shall enter in to raigne in that pure State, but such as shall be approved Members of that glorious Jerusalem above.

These Witnesses shall have power to shut Heaven that i•• rayne not, that is, twelve; it shall not raigne in the dayes of their power, but shall be finally swallowed up in the Victory of Christ: it shall not raigne, it and it, it and it, it and it, it and it, it and it, it and it: That is, no outward power shall raign in the time of Christs power.

The first the first thing that shall not raigne, is Earthly King and Grace.

The second thing that shall not raigne, is Lord and Protector.

The third thing that shall not raigne, is Power and Excellency of Man.

The fourth thing that shall not raigne, is Worship and Honor.

The fifth thing that shall not raign, is Highness and Greatness of Men.

The sixth thing that shall not raigne, is Priest and Lawyer: for

Christ will sit upon the backs of all those, and be exalted by the mul∣titude of the people: multitudes, multitudes shall stand upon Angella: Christ must raign by his Saints till he hath put all Authority and power under his Feet, 2 Cor. 15.

The Feet of the two Witnesses shall tread in pieces the Dragons tail; as Christ broke his head, so they shall bruise his heel: for the Antitype of Satans Kingdom must fall and perish under the power of Army Gid∣don.

O Army, Army, Arme of the Lord, he will create a defence upon thy Walls and Bulworks: They shall have power to shut Heaven that it rain not, that is, they shall silence all the powers, and the Angels of your Churches, that is, by a new disciplying power that shall put down the raigning power of such as have raigned over his power: though they may make an attempt against the holy City, yet fire must come down from Heaven and destroy them.

Any instrument framed against the power of Jerusalem, shall not pros∣per; none shall raigne in this Kingdom but the faithful Witnesses of Christ called and chosen.

These Witnesses are said to be two, though many in number; yet two is the least number, which maketh one mans testimony void, and of none effect.

Ye great and high Doctors, and all ye Legators, what will become of your Courts and infamous Colledges? I suppose in short time they will stand like old Pauls, or the Barn of Westminster, without any trading; very infamous, yet borne up with Crutches, whose constellations will fail, and all your Priestly powers which have raigned so long over the peo∣ple: for there is one King, one Lord, one High-Priest, and one Prophet, that shall put down every power.

High and lofty Doctors, that ha••e got so many hundreds a year in your hands, and yet are commanded to bring your Tythes into Gods Store-house, and not into your own houses; you have kept the people under bondage, which God will now set at liberty, when your Ministery is down: yet the people shall bring the tenth of their substance into Gods Store-house, as their Father Abraham did, which shall shame your doings that are not good. He saith, You go to your Cieled Houses, but my House lyeth desolate: and ye rob Gods House of the benefits, and come not in at the Door, but clime up some other way, which is unlaw∣ful. And Christ saith, I am the Door, the Truth, the Life, and ye injoy all things of my Father; and those benefits of Tythes you cannot injoy to your selves, for they be proper to the Widow, the Fatherless, the Stranger, the Blind, and the Lame, and to be brought into the Store-house;

for Collection and hospitality to those that want. But in this I finde the Priests do omit, and commit Sacriledge, against the Order of Gods house.

Ye Doctors, see and wonder, the Lord hath appeared in me, that I should be to you as a foolish Shepherd, to tell you of folly; sometimes in the night, when my Body slept, yet my spirit was awake, and heard as it had been Voyces, both in the night and also on the day; which caused me to write, when he declared unto me the things that should short∣ly come to pass, by so many dark and spiritual appearances: which are hideous to men, yet known to me, as one born in due time.

Doctor High-Priest, you must stoop at ordination, Christ was an or∣dained Minister, so was not you; he was sent of his Father. Now if you can prove your selves ordained Minsters, then you may put Christ out of his place.

You are of the Stepmother or Bondwoman, and came not in at the Door, which is not according to ordination, but by way of impropri∣ation, or a taking Christs place upon your selves; and set your selves in high places, as Ministers of God, though not ordained, yet you take upon you the place of Christ, and declare your selves Pastors to the Peo∣ple, and yet not able to feed your selves.

O silly Shepherds, know assuredly, there is but one Pastor, and that is Christ alone; he is Pastor unus, Pastor varius, Pastor magnus, and Pastor function: he is the great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls; he is our book of remembrance; he is the eternal word, without any Letter-teachers.

It's a great shame that men live more by the teachings of men, then they do by the teachings of the Sonne of God, which teacheth us in all things.

Then down with all your Letter-teachers, that are as Lawyers, that study wisdom by art by policy, by learning and skill to deceive them of weak understanding Mal 3. saith, There was a Book of Remembrance opened, and they talked often together; which was the best teaching. So that, Voyces and Witnesses shall be heard in the room of the Priests: for ye must lay down your Priestly power; ye must deny your selves, and declare Christ to be all in all, that he may be Priest & King over all: but ye have stood so long as Vice-admiral over all in your Pulpits, do∣mineering over the People, to keep them under your rule.

Doctor, thou canst not truly preach Christ, till thou throwest all down at his Feet: and whatever thou beest, thou must throw down thy own self-power.

Object. What a Minister, and throw-down his power?

Answ. Yes, why not? for how canst thou royally preach Christ and declare thy self a Minister of God, and yet walke after the custome of the World? I say, If thou livest not after the example of Christ, thou art a Minister of sinne, and thy life doth not teach others; then thou maist preach to others, and be a cast-away thy self.

Alas poor fleshly man, thou teachest the Letter, and yet art ignorant of the truth; thou hast set thy self high in a say-Pulpit, to speak great things in a seenal way of repetitions, speaking many things to please the people.

Ye be subtil Sophisters, men-pleasers, and self-seekers, that can derive themselves into many formes, contrary to the truth of God, by setting up Sub-ordination in the place of Ordination, to set themselves higher then Christ: And in that they are made equal with him; for he was made a little lower then the Angel, meaning the Angels of your Churches, that still keep him upon the Cross, and crucifie his power.

Christ was ordained Minister of God, but ye ordained your selves.

I can give a relation of one within the County of Lincolne, a Minster called Mr. Male, as I understand, doth ordaine Ministers, and that some petty Ministers have come many Miles to be ordained of him: which is intolerable: I wonder his heels are not pictured upwards.

Thus they may do, though not by Lawful means. But be you sure, all sub-powers must down, as things in Heaven, and things on Earth, and things under the Earth, must bow at the name of Jesus. He is the Prince of Peace, and Prince of Power: the Lord shall be exalted in all the Earth, and your powers shall come down as low as dry Bones.

Ye high Priests, know this, that your state is failable for as you have cry∣ed down the Bishop and his Surplis, so now the Witnesses shall cry down with your Pulpits and your Fonts: you are spiritual high in your own con∣ceit, full of pride, sedition, and covetousness, self-seeking, full of envy and bitterness; in that ye differ not from the general world, & yet you can say you are the Ministers of God, & yet not walk after the example of Christ.

This that I declare, is called your Funeral-Sermon, or wind-up, for ye shall be eclipsed by the bright appearings of the Lord.

This eclipse took its first entrance in the year 1650. which shall cause the greatest earth-quake that ever was since the creation; and the power of it shall decline towards the fourth or fifth yeer after 50. here in England.

Doctors, what will ye do when your Tythes fail, and your Ministery fails, & your new-Moons and Sabbaths fail? then it shall be to you as the mourning of Hadadrimmon, or a destructive time, when ye shall have no audience or accommodation of the people; for every one shall have a personal power put in them, to stand alone, without Preachers. They shall

be so inherently taught of God, that the Minister shall say no more to them, Know the Lord; for they shall all be Prophets inwardly, and shall stand by a personal faith, as Abraham and Noah did in fulness of Spirit: for the Lord saith, In the last dayes I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and my servants and hand-maids shall prophesie; When ye Ministers may say, We are Vine-dressers and Husbandmen, to till the waste Commons; for our weekly Sabbaths are changed into one Sabbath; once a year we shall go up to worship the Lord, and to keep a Feast of Tabernacles, which is a true Sabbath according to Christs Resurrection, to keep a good conscience, which is a Feast in the heart of the Creature, and that is the best Sabbath, to live in all righteousness every day, which is a Sab∣bath.

And though the Jew have have lost his new-Moon, and thou O Gen∣tile thy new-Moon, yet thou shalt remember the Lord, and once a year consecrate thy gift to him, and keep a new Sabbath by an offering to God in his new Covenant, to worship him with all thy substance: and then it will appear that thou art one of the new Sabbath. Thou must deny thy self-ends, and all sinister engagements, and so betroth thy self unto God in righteousness, to covenant with him according to the new-Sabbath.

Though the Constellations may fail, yet his Sabbath-Ordinance shall stand, it shall not be disannulled: Heaven and Earth may pass away, but not one jot or tittle of his word shall fail. For Christ is the word of the Sab∣bath; and in him we shall have rest, if we enter into Covenant, and that is to acknowledge him by a new Sabbath: for in those dayes, and at that time, saith the Lord, I will make with them a new Covenant, not according to the old; for this shall be the Covenant that I will make, never to turn from them, or take away the Ordinance of Sabbath from them,

Yet the Lord saith, I hate your Sabbaths, because your hands are full of blood. As if he should say, Ye keep Sabbaths to your selves, and trans∣gress my holy day. Once a year thou shalt come up to keep a Feast of Taber∣nacles; and all that will not come to the worship of Jerusalem, shall have no rain, or raigning power in this new Sabbath of rest.

Silly Priest, I question not, though thy Sabbath be taken away: for Christ is thy eternal Sabbath, and thou shalt worship him according to the or∣der of Jerusalem: for all your subordinances shall stoop at ordination: your Sabbaths shall change into one Sabbath. If thou wilt walk in my wayes, and do that I command thee this day, then thou shalt ride upon the high places of the Earth; that is, whoever shall Covenant to this new Sabbath, shall enjoy all the promises, the Lord saith, I will dwell in you, and ye in me.

Ministers, your Sabbaths are failable, therefore they be called your Sab∣baths

by illusion, as if he should say, If ye keep a day, keep it to me: for you observe dayes, and do no righteousness; therefore your new Moons and Sabbaths shall change and be taken away: for I will make a new Co∣venant with them, saith the Lord, not according to the old; but this shall be my Covenant, never to turn from them that truely Covenant to me: saying, I will betroth thee unto me in mercy and loving kindness, and thou shalt know the Lord: for my counsel shall stand.

Doctor, the taking away your Sabbath shall cause the Lords Sabbath to shine out more clear; for ye have changed my Ordinances, Mal. 3. Therefore the Land is cursed with a curse; and your moonorital Sabbaths shall change: if ye keep one day, keep it to me, saith the Lord. So that we ought to keep every day as a Sabbath once a year, to make out our ac∣compts, which is Easter-day, and the six dayes before it: for every year shall be called as a Sabbath-day, and so from year to year ye shall keep my Sabbath Ordinances, and live in them that is, from year to year ye must come to Jerusalems worship, Zachary 14. Christ preached every where, and made every day a Sabbath.

It is not for thee and me to keep a day once a Week, and walk contrary to God in all the rest. If ye keep a day, keep it to me; and keep every day as a Sabbath.

One reason is, ye make the seventh day a Cloak for your sinne, to use holiness for your own turn; so did the Jews under the Law, and Christ cut off their Sabbath, and so he will yours, so that you shall not insult over them, nor they over you: for, saith he, I hate your new Moons, and your Sabbaths. The Lords day should be a rest betwixt God and thy Consci∣ence; if Christ dwell in thee, thy soul is full of light. If ye keep Cove∣nant with me, I will be your resting-place: and that is a Sabbath in thy Conscience.

Paul saith, ye observe dayes, and months; I wonder who hath bewitched you. Your way of holiness is as the witcharft of Endor, subtilly to beguile men, and cause them to swim in vain conceits, and so to hold up your a∣bominations by keeping so many Sabbath dayes once a week for your own turnes, as the Jews did their seventh day, and yet persecute Christ: and therefore it is not for them nor us to observe daies, for there is but one Sabbath, and that is the Lord, in whom we shall have rest; and that is to reform our lives, and live in all good conscience, to walk in righte∣ousness; and that is the best Sabbath, shewing the day of his resurrection by a newness of life.

And at the appearing of the Lords power, the Jew and Gentiles Sabbath are out, by a wonderful dividing of time, called once a year; so that I finde the whole year is the Lords Sabbath: All the year, you in me, and

I in you. Thou shalt consecrate thy substance to the Lord, which is the seventh from the creation, called the seventh vial or valley of Jehosaphat, under which the World shall come under judgement, called the Sabbaths Vial, which is that we now live under, called the separate time that God will set apart and take to himself the great glory of Monarchy, that now shall resume that name to themselves: and therefore, Priest, thou must fall with the King and Lord of dishonor, that the prophesie may be made out, that you may say, I am no more a Prophet, but an Herds-man, or keeper of Cattle; I am but as other men, no Priest, no Minister; no Minister, then silence not the People.

FINIS.