Shepard - BT378 T4 S44 1660

, , t~n Virgins_Opened and Applied~ 1~7 ' ~ z. Would)'OU ha,·e wnfuhon the mother of difcord among the people? Jet every man then once one day in the year turn MagiHrate, and out-face Authority, and profefs ris his liberty. Would you have rapines, thefts, injuflice abound ? let no m~n know his own,by removing the Land-mark, aitd de!l:roying Proprieties. 3. Would you have Gods Ordinances in the puri:fc of them removed ? keep out the load of SuperfHtion, bu~ yet for peace fake1 fu c:r a fc;w feeds to be fown amongHyou. 4· Would you have all the Melfengers bf the Gofpc:l at firll reviled, at !aft malfacred? Profefs they arc: no better than Scribes and Pharifc:es, pc:rfecuting Egyp~~ans, enemies t~ the: Lord Jef~, and ~he more devout the 1~orfe; as thofe th,Jt lhri'ed up fiorms 111 Germ1111y fa~d, ChnH hadfour great enem1es i The )?ope, AnabaptiHs, M;rrtin Luther, hut efpecially John Calvin. 5· Would you ruine rhe Gofr.:l? fetnot Poperyagainll it, but Gofpel again!l Gofpel, Promifes again!l Prom1fes, Chri!l: againll Chrill, Spirit againft Spirit, grace againll grace, and then he 'is twice beaten, that falls by his owb weapons. 6. Would you h.we opprelfors fer over you, to remove orJinances, to encre,1fe your burdens ? Maintain this Principle then that they win not alfault us fir!l by craft and fubtilty, but openly and violently. 7· Would you have this State in time to degenerate into Tyranny? Take no care then for making Laws. When t,fiey are made, would you have all Authority ruraed to a meervanity? Be gentle and open the door to all corners that may cut our thrt;lats in time; and if being come they do offend, threaten them and fine them, but ufe no Sword againll them. You Fathers of t·he ' Country be ROt offended, this I fpeak not to difparage any, the praetife fpt:aks otherwife ; I onely forewarn : I hope the Lord bath prepared better days and mercies for us, I am fure he will, if what means we have we preferve, and what we preferve, we through grace ihall improve. CHAP. XVII. That the hearts and fouls of 'Believef; are made tU Ve({els'j one{y for the reception of Cl:1r~fi his Spirit, and the gtaces thereof. · SECT. I, z. THe Inward Principle, wherein lies the fecond Ditfetence which is plain!J exprelfed. ' · Weareaowtoinquir« furtherconcerning tbefe Velfels and rhe Oyl in them. Ve{fels were the/lace onely of receiving and preferving the oyl for the continual burning an tbining of the Lamps : So that though in fome Scriptures,by Lamp is undedlood both the Velfcl al'ld the Lamb by aFigure, yet in dt!tinCt Pbrafeof Speech, that is properly the Lamp whic burns and gives light, and that which contains the oyl to nouri£11 this is tl:le Velfet : So that the Velfels were not feparate things from the Lamp, as though the Lamp \Vas in one hand, and a Velfel in the otl~r ; this \Vas neither the cu~ . Ho~~' ~or comlinefs of that ag~ to cumber themfe,lv~ thus {but rhe Lamp (as us mours) was that pm whtch was kindled and bghted, the Velfel that which

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