Conceits of an effential Onenefs with God himself, or a Triumphing over Men with your empty Notions, and fuch like; what good Thoughts foever you may have of that Ministry, in reference to the Joy and Glory you then poffefs'd, yet we dare boldly fay, from that God that fent us, that the Head of that Ministry was an Angel of Darkness. Furthermore, if that Ministry of yours had been from the Spirit of God, though it had given Judgment against all gain-faying Opinions in the World, yet the Lord would have juftified you in it. Why? Because the Sentence proceeded from himself. We know, faith the Apoftolical Commiffioner, that we are of God, and the whole World lieth in Wickedness. In this Saying, the Intent of the Apostle was not that they knew that all Men in the World wer ein Bondage to their own finful Lufts, except themselves. No; but the Meaning was, that they certainly knew that their Ministry was fpiritual, and of God, and that all the contrary Ministry in the World was carnal, and of the Devil. Wherefore, Sir, whatever you think of your prefent Ministry, the fame Spirit remains in it as formerly. If you are moved therefore to acknowledge an evil Spirit in your former Ministry, that we might apply it to ourfelves; truly, Sir, you have lost your Labour in this Particular. Why? Because we have the Seal of everlasting Satisfaction abiding in us, that our Commiffion and Declarations are of the Lord, whether they be unto eternal Salvation, or Condemnation. If any Man therefore can truly convince us of Wrong done unto him, fince we receiv'd our Commiffion, we are both ready and willing to acknowledge it, and bear our Shame. But as concerning our inward or outward Failings towards God, in reference to our minifterial Commiffion, the Acknowledgment of fuch Things belongs only unto him, becaufe none can cure it, or pass it by, but himself only. For because we fay the Lord only hath made us 'Two his Spiritual Commiffioners in this Age, therefore we know that all Men are subject to lie in wait to catch us, though they be taken in their own Net.

9. and 10. In your Reply to the two laft Queries, you say, You are of this Faith, that God alone doth teach his Chofen ones, but you omitted that Claufe, [by the Inspiration of his most Holy Spirit.] And you fay, Fet Christ himself taught, and his

Apoftles

Apoftles taught, and the Prophets taught. To this I answer, If you mean there is another fpiritual God to teach Men be-fides Chrift, we difown that, for God is our Christ, and Chrift is our only God, who is a fpiritual God-man, in one diftinct Perfon glorified. As for two or three diftinct Perfons, and but one Effence, or an infinite formlefs Spirit, we own no fuch imaginary Confufions. Yet we hold forth a threefold fpiritual Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity, under a threefold Title, of Father, Son, and Spirit. But this glorious Myftery is operated only in the fingular Perfon of our Lord Jefus Chrift, as aforefaid. Moreover, you fay, We likewife hold the the fame Faith, and yet we teach. To this I answer, we have a Commiffion from the Lord for our Miniftry; but we know that you have none, because you cannot own thofe Words of [Immediate] or [Infallibility.] And befides this, we deny that ever we used the National Form of Teaching at all: Indeed, when we first appear'd, there came divers unto us, to prove our Commiffion by way of Queries; to whom we gave Answers, edeavouring their Satisfaction. And this was, and is with our Declarations by writing, our Manner of teaching, adding this further; for. the Discovery of the Igorance and Fallacy of all the Ministry in the World, and their formal Worship, we are moved, in a difcourfive Way, to treat of the Foundation of fpiritual Things; which Things were fo oppofite to fome of the. Hearers, and did fo enrage them, that they did not only condemn them as Blafphemy, and Delufions of the Devil, but would alfo willingly have torn us in Pieces, and (fome of them. falling under the Lord's eternal Sentence for their defpifing): with a Warrent apprehended us. The Lord knoweth what we have fuffered, and are to fuffer, at the Hands of mercilefs Men, for his Name-fake. Our Joy and Glory is, that our Sufferings principally are, for yielding Obedience to his bleffed Command. Again you fay, God teaches by his Son, by his Servants, by his Word, by Afflictions, and in all by his Spirit. To this I answer, as afore, God never did, nor never will own any Man, as a Teacher to his People, but him only that he commiffionates. 'Tis confefs'd, God teaches by his Son, which Son is himself; or rather teaches in his Son, for that's moft proper. For God was in Chrift, reconciling the World to himself; and God did

teach

teach by his commiffionated Servants, the Prophets, and Apoftles, but it doth not therefore follow, that any fhall be truly taught by you, or me, or by any Man elfe, unless we have a fpiritual Commiffion, as thofe his Servants had. If we have, then we may be confident of a Bleffing in our Miniftry; otherwife our Expectations will certainly come to nought. Sir, if you mean, all Mankind are, or may be capable of fpiritual Teachings; that is denied by us. But if you mean, all God's Elect through the whole World, are immediately taught by his Spirit only, in the Things of Salvation, where his Commiflioners are not; we join with you. Moreover, you fay, For our Commiffion receiv'd by Voice of Words you judge it not, but leave it to the Lord. To this I anfwer, though here you fay you judge it not, but leave it to the Lord; yet in your Sixth Reply, appears to me as harsh a Judgment, almoft as poffibly could be given. But feeing you have here difown'd it, our God will pass it by. Sir, I now humbly befeech you, feriouly to confider what I fhall write unto you, in relation to your true and lasting Peace. In the Holy Name, and Power of our God, we advise you to ceafe from your minifterial Way of Preachings not minding your Honour in the Thing, for you will never find any true Peace in it, but the contary altogether, after fo clear a Discovery of the Fallacy of it, as this is. Chrift Jefus our God never committed the Ministry of his Gofpel to the Rich, but he hath chofen the poor and contemptible Things of this World for the confounding the mighty and honourable Things thereof. If you should think that Paul was rich and honourable, I believe he enjoy'd it but a very little Seafon after his Conver fion. I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice (faith our God.) Sir, we have not looked upon you as one of the Tyth-Mongering Minifters of the Nation. Therefore in Chrift's Stead we defire you never to imitate them more in their hypocritical Forms. For we are perfwaded that God hath made you a Steward of great Poffeffion, principally for a Covering to many of his afflicted Ones, in this hard-hearted Time. Therefore go on, not in your Ministry, but in your Mercy, and profper. For (whatever you may think to the contrary) all the Peace you enjoy fprings only out of the Bowels of your Compaffion to helpless Souls. Love covereth a Multitude of Sins. There is none can

Stand

ftand in Judgment, but the Merciful. Blessed are the Merciful, for they fhall obtain Mercy (faith our God.) O! the manifold real Praises that afcend up to the Lord of Glory, through the Charity of the Merciful. No Man, nor Angel, can ever speak forth the Excellency of Charity. Why are the most of our rich Men uncharitable? Truly, because there is no fpiritual Light, or Love in them. Howle, ye rich Men, (faith St. James.) For what? Because you had no Compaffion to your poor afflicted Brother, notwithstanding your Bags of Gold and Silver. That rich Man only that hath found Mercy unto eternal Life, is made very tender of Men's natural Lives, not to give away a whole Estate, from an imaginary Call thereunto; that's none of our Intent, the Lord knows, but to refresh the Bowels and Backs of the Oppreffed, with the Over-flowings of his Poffeffions; that was the very Intent of this Exhortation. To conclude, In the Great Day, the Lord Jefus feems to take notice of nothing else in the Rich but their Charity, or their want of Charity, in that faying, Come, ye blessed of my Father; when I was hungry ye gave me Meat: Go ye curfed; when I was bungry, ye gave me no Meat. Thus you may fee, it is not a rich Man's Ministry, but his Mercy, that will ftand in ftead in the Great Day. Sir, if you are not fatisfied, I fhall wait for your Return. That no Flesh may glory in his Prefence, the Lord himself fatisfy you in this, and all Things else, that may further your eternal Happiness.

This Return was delivered into Mr. William Sedgwick's own Hand, July the 30th, 1657.

OF

I

OF THЕ

One Perfonal Uncreated Glory.

F it should be granted, that the Man Chrift Jefus, and his Father, were from Eternity, in Time, and to Eternity,, only one diftinct perfonal Majefty in both Worlds: Yet becaufe of thofe literal Sayings, My Father is greater than I; My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me; Father, into thy Hands I commend my Spirit; I afcend to my Father, and to your Father, to my God, and to your God; with many fuch like throughout the New Testament: Therefore many Elect ones, whofe Souls have been filled with glorious Experiences, not being clear in thefe Scriptures, they may fay unto me, What was that God and Father that Chrift pray'd or cry'd unto in his greatest Extremity upon the Earth? This Query being of high Concernment, before I make Answer thereunto, give me leave to cite a Scripture of two. In the Ninety-first Pfalm, ver. 11, 12. and the Fourth of St. Matthew, it is thus written: For be fhall give bis Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy Ways; they fhall bear thee in their Hands, they fhall lift thee up, left at any time thou shouldst dash thy Foot against a Stone. Thus you that are fpiritually quick in difcerning hidden Secrets, may clearly fee in the very Letter of the Scriptures, that when Chrift Jefus was in the Glory of the Father, he gave a wonderful Commiffion to his Angels, in reference to the Protection of his own Perfon, in that Time of his creaturely Condition. Why? Because you may know when uncreated Infinitenefs was wholly tranfmitted into a Creature like Finitenefs, it must needs be difenabled of its former glorious Power, to protect itself under all Temptations, and unutterable Sufferings, unto Death itself, it was to bear at the Hands of unbelieving Reprobates.

Thus you may fee it was utterly impoffible for the Creator to become or appear in the Condition of a fpotlefs Creature, without first leaving the reprefentative fpiritual Office of God, the everlasting Father, in the glorified Perfons of Mofes and Elias; for they were thofe angelical Men that were entrusted with

E

that