word is) beare the booth of the King, that is, what manner of house soever, authority and civil power erecteth, for worship, he is ready to take up, and bear upon his shoulders, so that Antichrist hath as many wayes of worship, as there is or hath been forms of Religion in the world, and in that the seed of the serpent crusheth the heel, (or as the word is) the print of the foot-soal of Christ or seed of the woman, for wherever the footsteps of our Lord have gone, the wisdome of the serpent in reforming its religion casts it into a form, and so denies the power of godlinesse, tying the Lord lesus to appeare in the very same print and character again, whereas the Saints wait for his power in what way or form he pleaseth to make it known and manifest in, and unto them; therefore the visions and apparitions of God in the holy Scriptures, are never twice in the same form (all circumstances considered) yea if our Saviour appear one time walking upon the Sea, as though all things must of necessity bear up their Lord, he appeares again under the hands of Herod, Pontius Pilate, and the lows, thrust down into the heart of the earth, as Jonah into the midst of the sea, as though all things conspired together to annihilate & bring him to nought, and in the one and the other appeares an aptitude even in the Disciples themselves to mistake, and in this the world is altogether mistaken, in that he walketh upon and raiseth himself up out of wayes they know not how such things can be to make manifest his power and authority to be that of the sonne of God, who rules in the midst of his enemies, and one of Egypt, Babylon * Rahab, Palestina, Tyre and Ethiopia, is brought forth, so that it may said this man was born there, even as the truth of the Gospel hath been brought forth in these parts, which our Iewish Reformers of religion by putting Christ to death, could never have thought of or apprehended, nor will they (were it never so plainly told unto them) believe it, so that in this Treatise you may plainly see, how the mystery of iniquity already works, even in New England which thought it self the root of Reformation of all the world, even as Babylon alwayes in the entrance of her compulsive contraction, artificiall and self-seeking, conjecturall reformation, sets her self up as a Queen, and thinks never to see widdow-hood or sorrow any more, if she can but with all her art and learning keep the Magistrates conscience in bonds, to use all his power and civil policie for her wealth, to get riches and honour, to Lord it over mens consciences, and peace that she may sit in safety and at

Rahab is
Egypt.

Isa. 51 9. 10.

be

rest

rest to inlarge her barns and take her pleasure in the things of this life, never dreaming that even in that night of grosse darknesse her soul shall be snatched away from her, and then whose shall all those things be, whereof she hath framed such a service of God to her self, that must all leave her at death; even such as for the most part, if not all (by her own acknowledgement) fail, and never passe along with her into the Kingdom, and then must she either have a new God, or else find out a new way of submission unto him, whom she hath seemed so zealously to serve; such is that spirit of the mystery of iniquity, the goings forth wherof hath forced this Treatise to come to the light and view of the world, as a warning to all Christians, to take heed of being beguiled by a voluntary humility in worshipping of Angels, messengers or ministers, who labour to make men subject to the rudiments of the world in outward observations, as touch not, tast not, handle not, rearing up a fabrick of ordinance in Divine worship; of such things which all perish in the use, Neglecting the body which is Christ, by satisfying of the wisdom of the flesh in these things, through which the Spirit of the Serpent multiplies it self into that threefold spirit which comes out of the mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false Prophet, imitating that Kingly, Priestly, and Propheticall spirit that is by Iesus Christ, beguiling the world with its uncleannesse in adulterating the word of God by bringing it into carnall copulation with earthly, transitory, momentary, fading and vanishing things; wo is unto them because thereof, who like unto frogs, will never appear, hold up their heads, nor utter a voyce, but where the heat and lustre of the Civil Magistrate, brings forth a pleasant, fruitfull and prosperous estate and condition, in the things that onely concern this life.

present

Again, if thou look narrowly into this Treatise, there is a possibility to perceive in it, some glimpse of the light of that spirit of that openeth and unfoldeth the mystery of God, especially when it taketh up any Scriptures; look diligently upon what hinge it turneth, and you shall see a doore open, another way, yea a nearer & shorter cut to the Kingdom of God, then the common ministery of this world driveth at, and think it not strange if lesus appeare in such places, and at such time, where, and when, the doores are not onely shut, but fast bolted unto the world, as a thing impossible, that his real and substantiall (though spirituall) body should come in, such a way, and so

unlooked

unlooked for, being that in Sodom and Egypt our Lord is crucified, and put to death; yet let me advise thee, as once our Lord did, handle them, carefully and skilfully, ponder, poise, and feel the weight of them; taste, try and consider, whether the reality and substantiality of Christ be not there; sure I am that if the ministerie or service of a Christian spirit lay hands on them, and put it self into them, even as a graft is put into the stock, it shall find a plain proof, argument, and demonstration undenyable, of the apparition & revelation of the Son of God, returned from death to life, never to die any more, unto whom I leave thee (in the communication of whose Resurrection the second death can never exercise power) with my harty wishes for al those that have learned the truth as it is in Jesus, & know that elsewhere no truth (that is Christian) can be found, for that only abideth for ever, and is eternized in all the lineaments and whole proportion of it, and happy is he that hath so learned Christ, Amen.

S. G.

Vpon an occasional view, of this unexpected, and much unwished for Story.

T

His Story's strange, but altogether true :

Old Englands Saints are banisht out of New:
Oh Monstrous Art, and cunning of the Devill,
What hidden paths he goes, to spread, his evill?
The Man of Sin's the same, his eldest Son;
Both have more shapes, then be moats, in the Sun.
Hence disappointed, are the most of men;
When trouble's past (some thinke) they rise agen.
Thus it befell these Pilgrims, in that Land,
To which they fled, from persecutions hand,
This Indians note, with Papists, Iews and Turks,
For in them all, the selfe same spirit works:
Thus is the Name of Christ, blasphem'd, by these,
Who burthen them, to whom they promise ease.

Oli Christ arise, and spread thy glorious fame,
That all may know, the sweetnesse of thy Name:
As-' Affric, Europe, and America

Expect! and waite the dawnings of that day,
That Papists, Greeks, and we the Protestants
Of Calvins Sect, those too, the Lutherans,
And they that are a streine above them all,
At Jesus feet, at length may humbly fall,

That so such Christs, which most in fancy make

(Whence 'tis (Men think) that Christendome doth shake) May at th' appearing of the Lord depart,

And all may worship him ev'n with one heart:

That so the Nations may this glory see;
And into it, at length transformed be:

This to effect, can't be by sword of man,
But that which to with-stand, no Kingdomes can,
For tis the Lords owne might, the sword that doth,
Ev'n with two edges flow out of Gods mouth,
By which are slaine the wicked of each Land,
And will sure breake each Persecutors band:

Then England, and Yee Nations round about,
That are now so lofty, and so stout:

At length downe fall to him that's Lord of you:

And learne with him, like meeknesse for to show:

If you with iron Rods, Saints breake and bruise.
Know then your selves, that Christ you so will use.

R. B.

A