54 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. kingdom of antichrist can in no wise be whole and entire without them. And if it be not lawful for the members of Christ to be subject to the ceremonies of the Jews, which God himself once appointed, how can it be otherwise than a great sin, to subject ourselves to the appointments of antichrist, the Lord's great adversary ? The Lord hatli not delivered us from the yoke of his own law, that we might be in bondage to the inventions and impositions of antichrist. F. Would you then have no other offices in the church, now in time of peace andprosperity, than were in the days of the apostles under persecution ? P. There is certainly great reason we should not. For if the order left to the church by Moses was not to be altered, except by the special command of God ; then may neither man nor angel, except by the same warrant, add any thing to that holy form which the Son of God hath appointed for his own house : As, Heb. iii. 3., Rev. xxii. 19. F. I am sure you allowof Luther. What office hadhe ? P. He was first a monk, and so a member of the kingdom of antichrist. He was afterwards degraded and deprived. At length, he was, as he called himself, " A preacher of Christ's blessed truth and gospel." And I think he had the pastoral office in the church at Wertemburg ; but whether he had, or had not, his example is no law for the church. It is Jesus Christ alone, whom we must hear and follow. We must walk according to his will and word ; and if an angel from heaven would draw us aside, we dare not give ear unto him : As, Gal. i. 8, 9. F. Andwhat office had you inyour church, whichmeets in woods, and I know not where ? P. I have no office in that poor congregation. And as to our meeting in woods, or elsewhere, we have the example of Jesus Christ, and his church and servants in all ages, for our warrant. It is against our wills, that we go into woods and secret places. As we are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, so our desire is to profess it openly. We are ready, before men and angels, to shew and justify our meetings, and our behaviour in them, earnestly desiring that we may serve God with peace and quietness ; and that all men may witnessour upright walkingtowards our God, and all the world, especially towards our prince and government. We know the meeting in woods, in caves, in mountains, &c. is a part ofthe cross of the gospel, at which the natural man will easily stumble; but we rejoice to be in
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