VI. Concerning the priests and professors, that say they must do as the priests say, not as they do.

THE priests and professors used to bring this scripture, the saying of Christ, that the scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses's seat or chair: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works, for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burthens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders, but will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen of men,' &c, They love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats at synagogues, and greeting in markets, and to be called of men rabbi, and master. And Christ pronounces eight woes against them, and calls them hypocrites, and fools, and blind guides, who made clean the outside of the cup, and of the platter, but within full of extortion and excess; and called them whited sepulchres, which indeed appeared beautiful outwardly, but within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness; who also outwardly appeared righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity; ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?' Matt. xxiii. to the end. These are very suitable scriptures for the priests and professors to apply to themselves.

Now the priests and professors say, though they be as bad as scribes and Pharisees, they must do as they say, and not as they do. And another scripture the priests and professors bring, how Christ said, that the scribes and Pharisees paid tithes of mint, anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. Matt. xxiii. 23, 24. These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the others undone : ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

Now the Jews were to hear the scribes and Pharisees, which wrote the law, and read the law; so they were to do the law which Christ came to fulfil, and they were to pay their tithes of mint, anise, and cummin, which were commanded by the law, and not to neglect judgment, mercy, and faith, those weightier matters of the law; for tithes, offerings, and priests, were commanded and held up by the law, and this law served till the seed Christ came, as in Gal. iii. 19. And when Christ was come, not to break the law, but to fulfil it; and when he was offered up as a sacrifice once for all, he changed the priesthood, and changed the law, and disannulled the commandment, that gave them tithes, and abolished the priesthood with its daily sacrifice and offerings, with the sacrifice of himself once for them all; when Christ had healed or cleansed any, before he was offered up, he bid them go to the

priests, and offer a sacrifice for their cleansing, but when Christ by one
offering had perfected for ever them that are sanctified, as in Heb. x.
14. Christ ended all the offerings, by offering up himself, and hath abo-
lished the priesthood, and thrown down Moses' chair or seat, and is the
end of the law for righteousness' sake, to every one that believes. And
when Christ sent forth his disciples into all nations, to preach the gos-
pel, after he was risen, and gave them power, he did not bid them take
tithes of mint, anise, and cummin, &c. but said, Freely you have re-
ceived, freely give. And when the apostles had either healed any sick,
or cleansed any lepers, they did not bid them go to the priest and offer
a sacrifice for their cleansing, as Christ had done, in the days of his
flesh, but that was the law which Christ bid them do and observe, be-
fore he was offered up; and Christ is the end of the law for righteous-
ness' sake to every one that believes. And the apostle saith, after Christ
was offered up, that no flesh is justified by the deeds of the law; for
the apostles knew that Christ by the offering up of himself, had ended
and abolished the Jewish priesthood, and their offerings, and ended the
daily sacrifices.

And now for the priests and professors to bring this scripture, though
their priests be as bad as whited walls, and painted sepulchres, and
vipers, and serpents, and in all those evils that the scribes and Phari-
sees were in; yet whatever they bid us do, that we must do and ob-
serve, but not do as they do, for they say and do not. But I say, Christ
saith we must not follow the inward ravening wolves, and the false
prophets that come in sheep's clothing, for Christ bids beware of them.
Matt. vii. 15. And the apostle saith, that he that hath the form of
godliness, but denies the power thereof, from such turn away. 2 Tim.
iii. 5.

But now if you say, that Paul said some preached Christ even of envy and strife, &c. supposing to add afflictions to my bonds, &c. And the apostle said, whether in pretence or truth Christ is preached, I therein do rejoice, yea, and I will rejoice. Phil. i. 15, 16, 17, 18.

And now you that bring these scriptures for men that be in strife and envy, you are very dark concerning the times the apostle speaks of; for you must consider how all were hated that professed the name of Christ, and how the Jews said to Paul at Rome concerning this sect, 'we know that every where it is spoken against,' namely, them that believe in Christ. Acts xxviii. 22.

And so the apostle did rejoice, if envious contentious men, and men of strife did preach Christ, so that his name was spread abroad at that time. But when Christ's name was spread abroad, and many came into a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, the apostle bids the church of Christ turn away from such, as in 2 Tim. iii. 5. And the

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apostle Paul saith, brethren be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example; for many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. And let the teachers in Christendom apply these scriptures to themselves who mind earthly things. Phil. iii. 17, 18, 19. So here you may see the apostle doth not rejoice at such as these, but weeps. And also you may see, James, Peter, Jude, John, in their epistles, and John in his revelations, reproved such as forsook Christ the right way, and did not walk in it, or that erred from the faith. And the apostle saith, There are many unruly vain talkers and deceivers, &c. whose mouth must be stopped; teaching things that they ought not, for lucre's sake.' Tit. i. 10. And so the apostle doth not rejoice at such as preach Christ out of envy and strife, which added afflictions to his bonds; but such that had the form of godliness, denying the power thereof, they were to turn away from.

VII. To all you priests, teachers, and professors, that mock and scoff at the motions of the spirit.

ALL you priests, teachers, and professors, that mock and scoff at the motions and movings of the spirit of God in his people; yea, your very children as well as yourselves will mock and scoff, and say the spirit moves you, which doth demonstrate that you are all erred from the spirit of God, and to the motions and movings of it you have stopped your ears, and closed your eyes, and so know not the things of God, for no man knows the things of God, but by the spirit of God. And so you that scoff and mock at the movings of the spirit of God, I say unto you, you had never had the scriptures, neither priests, teachers, nor professors, if the spirit of God had not moved the holy men to give them forth, which by your own wills and private interpretations you make a trade of; yea, one of the greatest merchandise and trades in Christendom, to get money by the scriptures which holy men of God spake forth, as they were moved by the holy ghost; and they came not by the will of man, neither are they of any private interpretation. And now you that mock and scoff at the motions of the holy ghost or spirit, and yet make merchandise and trade of the scriptures, that holy men of God spake forth as they were moved by the holy ghost, as before; and in this you do show forth your error and apostacy from the holy spirit in them that gave forth the scriptures as they were moved by the holy ghost. And so you are very unlike to be led into all truth by the holy ghost, or to pray

or have any fellowship in the holy ghost that deny it, and say you have it not, as the church of Christ, and the apostles had it in their days.

Now you bishops, priests, professors and others, that call yourselves Protestants, and the reformed church, I do entreat you to consider these things as follow, by which we have suffered imprisonments, and spoiling of our goods, who are the true Protestants, and reformed church.

We have greatly suffered both imprisonments, and the spoiling of our goods, because we could not observe your holy-days, as you call them, and for opening of our shops we have been much assaulted by the rude multitudes, and sometimes our goods have been spoiled, and we cast into prison; especially, because we could not observe that you call Christmas day. Now was not Christmas day set up by the Papists, and also your Candlemas, and Michaelmas, and Childermas, and Lammas, were not all these masses set up by the Papists, and not by Christ and his apostles? and are they not their relics of Popery? And did the apostles command that the christians should observe Easter, the Jews' passover, or Whitsuntide, the Jews' Pentecost, in the gospel day, in the new covenant and testament?

And again, did Christ and the apostles command the christians to observe circumcision, and the epiphany, and the purification of Mary, St. Matthew's day, Ash Wednesday, the Annunciation, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Mark the evangelist's day, Philip and Jacob's day, and Holy Thursday, St. Barnabas, Trinity Sunday, John Baptist's day, Peter and James's day, Bartholomew's day, Simon and Jude's day, All Saints' day, Andrew's day, Thomas's day, Stephen's day, John the evangelist's day, and Innocents' day, and Paul's day of his conversion, and that they should observe all these days in their several months and years; where did ever Christ and his apostles give the church command to observe these days, times, months and years? for the apostle Paul saith, ‘I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.' Acts xx. 27.

Now, where did the apostle in all the counsel of God declare to the church of Christ, that they should observe these days before mentioned, in their times, months, and years? Nay, was not the apostle Paul so far from bidding the church of Christ observe Christ's day, or any of the apostles', or his own, &c. that he said, 'O ye foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth,' &c. And also he saith. Are ye so foolish having begun in the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? But now after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements, or rudiments, whereunto ye desire again to be brought into bondage? Ye observe days and months, and times and years;' the apostle said, 'I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.' Gal. iii. 1. 3, 4. 9, 10, 11.

Now let all Protestants, and professors of the reformed churches consider these things, and the apostle's labour, and these foolish Galatians, that went into these weak elements and rudiments that brought them into bondage, that had begun in the spirit, and thought to have been made perfect in the flesh; and therefore pray consider, you that set up these days, for people to observe.

And do not you say to your people in your steeple houses, 'Six days thou shalt labour, and do all that thou hast to do,' &c. And then do not you stand up in the same steeple houses, and bid your holy-days and mass days; and have your paritors, and other officers to trouble people for opening their shops on many of those days, which you have no command from God, nor Christ, nor his apostles, to keep or observe. But all you Protestants, consider, is not God, and Christ, and his truth and name more dishonoured and blasphemed upon your holy-days, as you call them, than any other day in the week, when all are let loose to sports and plays, and all manner of vain pastimes, as they call it, and drunkenness, looseness, lightness, wantonness, oaths and profaneness, out of the very bounds of sobriety, modesty, and christian moderation, which should be showed forth by all the true christians? And they that turned again to the weak elements and rudiments, whereunto they were brought into bondage, in their observing days, months, times, and years, this was not a christian gospel practice in the new covenant; but a gospel and christian testimony and judgment, against them that did do so. And the apostle saith, 'Stand fast therefore in your liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage,' as some of the Galatians were: also going back into the Jews circumcision, besides their observing of days, times, months, and years; and so it could not be the spirit of God that led into such things. For the apostle calls them fools, and saith, Who hath bewitched you, that ye begun in the spirit, and think to be made perfect in the flesh.' And therefore I desire you in the spirit of meekness, that you may reform, and be reformed out of these weak elements and rudiments, which brought people into bondage in the apostles' days; and therefore they must needs bring people into bondage now; for which you have no command from Christ, nor his apostles, but their testimony against them: and therefore I desire you may be reformed by the spirit of God into the primitive reformation, the apostles' testimony, practice, and judgment, and to stand fast in the liberty, where Christ makes free out of bondage, and not to force others to that which brings into bondage.

And ye know the great observation on May-day, a great deal of vanity and looseness is acted upon that day; and was not the ground of observing May-day, and the may-poles, from Flora, a strumpet at Rome? VOL. VI.

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