To Sions virgins

To the Reader.

HEare, and thy soule shall live; looke on him whom thou hast peirced, see him crucified in the s••ales, and thou shalt be confirmed and comforted. Christian Reader, in the use of the Ordinance eye Christ; and let thy faith car∣ry thee to that forme as holds forth Christ crucified, set∣ting him forth in his excellency: Try all things, cleave to that which is good, hast out of Babell, see where Christ is held forth in the purity of the Ordinances, eye the Congregations that abide steadfast in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship, minde where the roote of Jesse is set up for an Ensigne, where He raignes in the congregations that ex∣ercise the power that Christ hath left them; taking in what is ser∣viceable, casting out what is offencive, separating the pretious from the vile, choosing out from among themselves such Officers as are comely.

Beware of the taile of the Beast, that must draw the third part after him; I wish our godly friends would minde it, that so easily im∣brace old errors new furbushed as new truths; it is hard to avoid an error, the godly take up for conscience and not for feare: But Anti∣christ comming downe, the Beast will plucke hard to draw the godly; if it were possible to deceive the Elect, certainely truthes are not so ea∣sily imbraced as errors; for we are dull of hearing, line upon line, pre∣cept upon precept, here a little and there a little, and we have a spirit of fornication that easily closeth with errour; marke those that make devision and avoid them, the letter is a killing letter, a dead litter if it speake not Christ; the forme is a darke light, if it hold not forth Christ crucified, as whole wafers and whole water, no powring, nor no brea∣king. What I have received by hearing and seeing, I desire to ma∣nifest in defence of the Baptisme and forme we have received, not be∣ing

easily moved, but as Christ shall more manifest himselfe, which I cannot conceive to bee in the dipping the head, the creature going in and out of the water, the forme of baptisme doth more or lesse held forth Christ.

And it is a fad thing that the Citizens of Sion should have their children borne forreiners not to be baptized; but as those that be called afarre off, the Gentiles being grafted into the Jewes, shal not there seede as Olive plants be round about the Table, and trained up in the house of God as it were at the feete of Christ as Paul at the feete of Gama∣liell?

But what shall we say, great starres must fall, and some of the just shall goe through the flames for their purging.

But here is our comfort, these signes shall follow beleeving and be∣leevers,

• 1 out of their bellies shall flow rivers of waters of l••••e through Christ.
• 2. They shall cast downe the fiery temptations as devills through him.
• 3. Thirdly, they shall remove their corruptions as mountaines.
• 4. And if they drinke any grosse errours as deadly poyson it shall not hurt them, but be for their purging: wherefore take heede of rayling, mocking, persecuting, for though the just fall, they shall rise againe, but the wicked shall fall to destruction; Baptisme declares In∣fante to be virgins, the Supper declares beleevers to be spouses.