An explicite declaration of the testimony of Christ: according to the plain sayings of the Gospel: and therein, of the purposes, promises, and covenants of God, as by Gospel declared. With, a consideration of a question stated about faith. By Thomas Moore, Senior.

CHAP. 10.

Of the prime Medium or Way of making Christ known, ac∣cording to the Revelation of the Mystery, to bring Men to God by Christ.

THis way of making Christ known for so gracious an end, so cleerly, it is manifest to be preaching this Word, Testi∣mony or Gospel, as it is now come forth: and such a manner of Preaching, as never was before Christ his coming in the Flesh, and suffering on the Cross, and having been put to death in the Flesh, but quickned by the Spirit, and now a∣live in that Body for evermore; and by vertue of his Cross and death, by which he made our Peace, and by vertue whereof he still mediateth for us, and by vertue where∣of he worketh in Believers, and so will have his Cross and sufferings remembred, imbraced, and professed till his coming again; so, as the preaching of him now as it is cal∣led the preaching of Christ, so it is called also the preaching of the Cross, and so the preaching of Jesus Christ and him crucified, and so it must be a preaching suitable thereto: and the means to make Christ known according to this Revela∣tion, is preaching, such a preaching, as in which he is lift up, as shewn in the eighth Chapter before: and in the Scripture we may finde it farther thus set forth, that is,

1. That it must be preaching, that is (in Scripture Lan∣guage) proclaiming and reporting Jesus to be the Christ, and therewith the things done by him, declaring with manifesta∣tion, and making plain the things reported; and therewith so teaching and expounding the same, that the ends, vertues and excellencies of Christ and his Cross, and the things of Christ, with his requirings and promises, may appear and be made known; and evidencing, and testifying the Truth of all so taught by the Scriptures, according to the Command∣ment of God, Rom. 1.1, 5. & 16.25, 26. Act. 18.25, 28. & 17.2, 3. & 26.22, 23. And from Christ & the things of God in Christ,

thus declared, taught, and testified, to perswade Men to Re∣pentance and Faith, and so to be reconciled to God, and then live to him; and to press this with Reproofs, Instructi∣ons, Beseechings and Consolations, as need is: and in this manner to exalt and tender the Grace of Christ, as aforesaid, is preaching; yea, that preaching, that according to the minde of God is to be used.

2. This preaching must also be with plain and understand∣able words; not in dark Parables and Allegories, but with such simplicity, and plainness, that they may appeal to every Man's conscience in the sight of God, with all sincerity, with∣out any cloak of covetousness, craft or guile. As for Christ be∣fore his Ascension, preaching many things in Parables, it hath been fore-answered, and shewn how he opened all to his Disciples, and charged them to teach the same openly and plainly: so that the mystery of Christ as opened by Christ, is by his Servants to be plainly preached now, without fear of Man: and so, as in plain words, so in such language and terms, as the Hearers do know and understand; so the Holy Spirit given them, did at first give them to speak to every Man in his own language: and so they used to speak in words un∣derstandable to the Hearers. They are now taught, that the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophesie, the original spring and Leader to all right speaking for Edification; in know∣ing him, all things are known; and other knowledge and teach∣ing, then according to what is taught by the Spirits witnessing of him, is not needful.

The knowledge of the first Report of the Gospel, is in knowing him, as now testified, cleerly understood: whereas those that by humane Wisdom think to know that first saying, without this help given, run into many mistakes; yea, all that the Fathers had in Visions and Dreams, is met with in this Testimony of Christ now given by the Spirit; yea, all that the Heaven and Earth, with his Works therein, do wit∣ness, is seen most cleerly in Christ, as set forth in this Testi∣mony, and by him made apparent to be more cleerly seen in them; yea, the Covenant made with Abraham, it is to be seen and met with in him; and all that was figured by Sacri∣fices and all other Types, the Truth is in him, and to be seen

and known in him, so that now Christ is all and in all, and so in this Doctrine and Testimony. And therefore he, and the things of him, are plainly to be preached, and that in a known language, and understandable words, being alike holy and sanctified to declare the Gospel with, and so alike fit to express God's Minde to us, as is before shewn; and for us to express our Minde to God in praying to him. And so the A∣postles writing to the Church at Rome, where also both Jews and Greeks were, shews how the Spirit breatheth in both languages, Abba, Father; and so to another Church: and so they spake with all plainness of Speech in things needful to be known for Faith and good Manners; and so is the Go∣spel to be plainly preached in understandable words.

3. This preaching of the Gospel now, must neither be with the wisdom of words, which the Spirit of Wisdom that is in the Princes of this World, for Learning, or the Wisdom of Man, teacheth; or in such manner as to draw applause to the Preacher, or to receive that said for his excellency in Learning and arguing in Rhetorical perswasions.

Nor must this preaching be with Fables and endless Ge∣nealogies, or opposition of Science falsly so called: nor with Philosophical Subtilties, Reasons, and Depths, after the Fa∣shion of humanely-learned wise Men: nor with Artificial and framed Eloquence and Rhetorical Perswasions according to Man's Art: nor yet with pretences of great Light, intruding into things they have not seen in the Testimony, there being in that no Revelation of it, and so beyond the measure of Faith given, though covered with great pretences and shews of Humility: nor by tempering their Doctrine to the hu∣mours of Men, to please them, and get applause from them: nor with using quaint words, or words of a strange language not understood. If a strange Tongue inspired were to be si∣lenced, where it was not of the Hearers understood, how much more that which is acquired by study? all these things are to be avoided in this preaching, and the preaching to be with Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit in the Testi∣mony he hath given of Christ in the Scripture, and so with all Power and Authority, as the very Oracles of God; and all this plain-speaking to Men, not for Men to exercise their

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Wisdom to imagine a Riddle, and study for a mysterious sense, but for the obedience of Faith, that Men, as Fools, in their own wisdom may be wise, in credit-giving to this Testimony, and so believe, and obey in believing. Such plain preaching, and for the most part by as plain Instruments, is this preaching to be used, even such as crosseth and confoundeth the wise and learned of this World; but it is the Wisdom and Justice of God, that so it should be: for God had tried them long enough, he had imprinted his Wisdom in the Gospel re∣ported in Paradise, and carried on by the Fathers and Elders Instructions, and manifested much of himself and his good∣ness in his works of Creation and Providence, and given them understanding above the Beasts of the Earth, and the Fowls of Heaven, and many of them by study became wiser then the ordinary sort of Men; yet in all this time, by their wisdom they did not learn to know God in the Wisdom of God. Well, God tried them farther, and gave to Israel the Revelation of his Minde in Word and Oracles by Types and Prophesies, that by these they might come to know the Wisdom of God: but in all this time, they have not found out the knowledge of God in the Wisdom of God. Therefore, after all this, it pleased God in his great mercy to Men, to give forth this full and plain Discovery and Revelation of himself in Christ; and in his Wisdom and Justice also, to appoint this plain Report and preaching thereof, as to the wise of the World seems foolishness, as neither magnifies, nor needs their wisdom and learning to interpret or finde out the sense; yea, it's such, as in the plain report, wise Men exercising their wisdom, it is hidden from them; and babes believing, under∣stand, and it is revealed to them, and for the more part, such Babes, illiterate, Shepherds, Fishers, Mechanicks, whom the Men of the World deride, are the Preachers of it: and this kinde of preaching, is a great stumble and offence to the learned and wise of the World, and by them counted foolish∣ness; and through their teaching, which tends to magnifie worldly wisdom and learning, and to exalt an outward or∣der of Priests of that sort to rule over the people, it becomes an offence to the people also, that love to have such to rule over them: and the pride of all this glory God will stain, and

cast shame upon it: so that this manner preaching the Go∣spel becomes a part of the Cross of Christ, to be taken up by the Preachers, and willingly born; and through their dying in their bearing this Cross, the Life of Christ worketh in them, and through their Ministration. And this kinde of Preaching, is suted to this Revelation of Christ: howbeit, that this preaching may be rightly carried on, this is also to be always joyned with it:

4. That those that preach the Gospel, walk suitable to the Gospel, that their Light may shine forth in their Works and conversation, enduring through reproachings and sufferings; that they so preach and witness, that they preach to others, even by their conversation.

And in this manner of preaching, is the Gospel to be preached: to which also, they have certain helps annexed, discovered in this Revelation of Christ.

5. For their helpfulness in doing good with this preach∣ing, they are,

• 1. To use earnest Prayer to God in the Name of Christ, for Divine Help and Assistance.
• 2. To read, minde, and meditate the Holy Scriptures that are fore-written.
• 3. And as any are brought in to entertain the Gospel, if they have not so been fore-baptized, to baptize them and all that are theirs, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; so testifying the Truth of the Gospel they have taught, and admitting the Baptized into the Family of Christ, to be his Scholars to learn of him. And for such as are come to the knowledge and profession of Christ in his Family, to break bread, and so to eat and drink together ac∣cording to his institution in remembrance of his death, and to shew it forth till he come.
• 4. And for their better profiting in, and use of all these helps, to have their assemblings together for fellowship in the Gospel, that so they may grow in Faith and Love, and in Union and Fellowship with God and Christ, and one ano∣ther, and others be still brought in to God by them, and stub∣born, and criminal Offenders shut out of that Fellowship till they repent.

And this the Preaching, and these the helps for carrying on this business: but who is sufficient for these things? it is therefore good to consider who they be, that in this Reve∣lation of Christ, God did purpose, and in his purpose pre∣approve, and so chuse for this business; and how he hath fur∣nished them so chosen, which is also in this Revelation made known.

Notes

• Mar. 1.15. Act. 10.42. 2 Tim. 4.2. Tit. 1.3.
• 1 Cor. 1.18, 20. & 2.1, 2.
• Joh. 12.38. Rom. 10.16. 1 Pet. 1.12. Joh. 17.6, 7. 1 Joh. 1.1, 2, 3. Act. 13.32, 33. & 26.27, Rom. 3.25, 26. 1 Cor. 15.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Act. 5.42. & 18.26. & 28.23, 31. 1 Tim. 2.7. Act. 20, 21. 2 Cor. 5.10, 11, 14, 19, 20.
• 2 Tim. 3.16. Tit. 2.15.
• 2 Col. 2.17. & 3.12. & 4.1, 2. 2 Pet. 1.15, 16.
• Part 1. ch. 6. Mat. 10.27, 28.
• Act. 2.6, 8. 1 Cor. 14.6, 7, 19. Rev. 19.10. 1 Cor. 14.3. 1 Joh. 3.20, 21, 27, 28. 1 Cor. 1.1, 2. Gen. 3.15. 1 Joh. 3.5, 8.
• Act. 2.18; 19, 20, 21.
• Psal. 19.1, 6. Rom. 10.18. Isa. 42.6. 2 Cor. 1.20 Col. 2.17. Heb. 7, & 8, & 9, & 10. Col. 3.11.
• Part 1. ch. 5.
• Rom. 8.25. Gal. 4.6.
• 1 Cor. 1.17, 18, 19, 20. & 2.1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
• 1 Tim. 4.7. & 6.20. Tit. 3.9. Col. 2.8. 1 Cor. 1.19, 20, 17, 23. & 2.1, 4, 12.
• Rom. 12.3. Col. 2.18. Gal. 1.10. 1 Thes. 2.4, 5, 6. 1 Cor. 14.6, 19, 28.
• 1 Cor. 2.4, 5. Rom. 16.26. 2 Tim. 3.16, 17. Tit. 2.15. 1 Pet. 4.11. 1 Cor. 3.18. Rom. 1.1, 5.
• See Part 3. ch. 1.
• See Part 3. ch. 3.
• Rom. 1.21, 22, 28. Joh. 1.4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11.
• 1 Cor. 1.17, 21, 23.
• Psal. 8.2. Mat. 11.25. Luk. 2.17. Joh. 21. Act. 2. & 4.13. Mat. 2.16. Mr. 6.3. 1 Cor. 1.21, 23, 27. Jer. 5.30, 31. Isa. 29.14. & 33.18. 1 Cor. 1.19, 20, 26, 27.
• Mat. 13.55, 57. Mar. 6.3. Rom. 15.2, 3. 2 Cor. 4.10, 11, 12, 13.
• Mat. 5.4, 16. 1 Cor. 9.16, 27. Phil. 1.27. & 2.16. 1 Tim. 6.11, 12, Til. 3.14.
• Joh. 16.23, 29.
• 2 Tim. 3.14, 17.
• Mat. 28.19, 20. Act. 16.33.
• 1 Cor. 11, 23, 24.25, 26.
• Mat. 18.15, 16, 20. 1 Cor. 5. & 11.23, 31. & 14. all. Heb. 10.25.
• 2 Cor. 2.16. & 3.5, 6.