Twofs.

Tua. Chri

ftians.

Now let God and his Word be true, and every Man a Lyar.

And now I fhall make but two Ufes of this Difcourfe briefly, and fo conclude for this time. And the firft fhall be to thofe of you who are Spiritual Chriftians; and the fecond to the Carnal Clergy.

First, you who are true Believers, and Spiritual 10 Spiri Chriftians may judge aright, by what you have heard, of the prefent Clergy, or Common Miniftry of the Nation; and may fee by the clear light of the word, that they, for the generality of them, are not true but falfe Prophets, not the Minifters of Chrift but of Antichrift; not fent of God, nor annointed by his Spirit, but ordained and appointed by Men, at their own defire and fecking, for Worldly Advantage fake; Men who stand and minifter in the Church, only in the ftrength of their Academical Degrees, and Ecclefiaftical Ordination, but do not stand and feed the People, in the Strength of the Lord, and in the Majefty of the Name of their God. And this corrupt Miniftry or carnal Clergy have deceived the People and Nations, with a corrupt and carnal understanding of Chrift, and of the Scriptures, and of the Kingdom of Chrift, and of the Government of his Kingdom, and of all the things of Chrift; yea, they have under the Name and pretence of Chrift, fet up a Church to Antichrift every where, and do continually mislead thousands of poor Souls, and carry them captive to Hell, and that under the colour and pretence of Religion.

And this, I fay, is the great evil in these falle Teachers, that under the Name of Christ, they fight againft Chrift, and under the Name of the Word, they fight against the Word, and under the Name of the Church, they fight against the Church; and this is a grievous Abomination of Defolation

Defolation in the Temple of God, that they who should be the chief for the Truth, are the chief against it; and that they who fhould be faithful Witneffes to the Holy Truth of Chrift, fhould prove lying Witneffes against it. If a prophane Perfon or Heathen fhould do this, it would be Wickedness and Impiety even in them; but this is horrible Abomination, and Antichriftianifm in the Church of Chrift, that they, who are come into it as Friends, and have obtained the Chief Places in it, fhould yet under this vizard be indeed very Enemies, and Seducers, and Hinderers of the word of Christ crucified. Wherefore faith the Truth against fuch, Pfal. 55. 12. It was not an Enemy that reproached me, then I could have born it; neither was it he that hated me, that magnified himself against me, for then I would have hid my felf from him; but it was thou, a man, mine equal, my guide, and my acquaintance; we took fweet counfel together, and walked unto the house of God in company, &c.

And fo thefe falfe Teachers are thefe familiar Enemies, who exercise all their Hatred under the pretence of Love, all their Enmity under pretence of Friendship, and practife all their wickednefs under a form of godlinefs; and by this fubtilty have they deceived the World. They will not plainly contradict the words of the Prophets, Apoftles, and Chrift, in the Letter of it, but will praise it, and speak well of it; but yet they are utter Enemies to the true and Spiritual meaning of it, both in their Lives and Doctrine; and the more these men make a fhew of Religion and Holiness, the greater Antichrifts they be in the Church.

Wherefore to you who are true Chriftians, and have received an Annointing from God, this is the Word and charge of God, Come out from mong them, my People, and touch not the Unclean Thing,

Kk 4

2. Vse. To the car

Thing, that is, their Carnal Doctrine; have nothing to do with fuch Prophets and Ministers, but remember what Chrift faith, John. 10. that his Sheep hear his voice, and will not hear the voice of Strangers, for they know the voice of Strangers. And if any of you live in any Town or Parish, where fuch falfe Prophets are, though they go under the Name of Godly and Orthodox, yet touch not the unclean thing, but know, that it is better for you Believers to aflèmble together among your felves, though you be but few, than to communicate with the falfe Prophets in their false Ordinances; feeing Chrift hath promised his Presence to his Believers, even where but two or three meet together in his Name; yea, hath faid, If any Two of you fhall agree together to ask any thing on earth, it shall be done of my Father which is in Heaven. And if you, having thefe Promises, fhall meet together among your felves, in the Name and Spirit of Chrift, in the ufe of the word and Prayer of Faith, lo Chrift himself will be with you; and though you be but few, yet are you the Church of the living God, the Pillar and Ground of Truth, and of that very Church, against which the Gates of Hell fhall not prevail; And thus much to you Spiritual Chriftians.

2. And now for the carnal Clergy, or false Propai Cergy. phets, their burden is this, from the Lord. You have run when You were not fent, You have faid, thus faith the Lord, when the Lord hath not fpoken by You; You have grieved the hearts of the faithful, and ftrengthened the hand of the Wicked: You have been forward to advance the Form of Godliness, whilft you have been bittter enemies to the Power of it: You have deceived the Nations, and made them drunk with the cup of the Wine of your fornications: you have done more against Chrift and his true Church, and more

for

for Antichrift and his falfe Church, than all the People in thefe Nations befides. Wherefore this is the Word of the Lord to You, throughout all your quarters, That the Nations shall not much longer be deceived by you, nor by any more of your Merchandize, for your Wine is the poyfon of Dragons, and the cruel venom of Afps; your Doctrine being the word of Philofophy, and not of Faith; after the mind of Man, but contrary to Chrifts mind: to fet up Your felves and your own Intereft, to the prejudice of Chrifts Word and People. Wherefore how much you have glorified your felves, and lived deliciously by this Trade of making Merchandize of the Word of God, fo much Torment and Sorrow fhall God give you, and your Plagues fhall come upon you in a Day, and your Judgment in an Hour; and your Lovers fhall not be able to help you, nor the Petitioners for You, to uphold You; but God fhall bring You down wonderfully, by the clear light of his Word, and his mighty and unrefiftable Providence açcompanying it; and the World fhall tremble, and wonder at the Noife of your Downfal; and the Heavens, and holy Apoftles, and Prophets, hall rejoyce over You, when God fhall avenge their Caufe upon you. And the Lord will fave his Flock; and they fhall be no more a Prey to You, neither fhall You any more ferve Your felves of Them. And he will fet up one Shepherd over them, even Jefus Chrift; and he fhall feed them, and be their Shepherd. And till thefe things be fully brought to pafs, you fhall be clothed with trembling, when you fhall perceive the Lord is rifen up, to perform all these things according to his Word.

And now for conclufion, if any of You, or most of You, or all of You, are offended at these things, in fach fort, that you cannot contain your felves

from

from anger and bitter zeal, I do intreat you, to confider feriously, how much better, and more profitable to your Eternal Salvation it would be, for You to refift and to refrain from fuch evil and unchriftian Paffions; and that You would rather (if there be any hope) return to your own hearts, and try your works, and repent before our holy and righteous Lord, and return truly and fpeedily to Chrift from Antichrift, left you be inwrapped, both in his Temporal and Eternal Deftruction.

And thus much was delivered to the Univerfuy Congregation in Cambridge, for a Teftimony against them, except they repent. The reft, for the fubftance of it, was delivered elfewhere in the Town, as followeth. Anna 1653.

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