1WHereas ſome perſons (curiouſly wiſe) have taken upon themſelves to be the onely-beſt interpreters of thoſe moſt ſacred gifts of God's holy Spirit, which none can ſo well judge of, or underſtand, as he or they that have received a greater meaſure of that ſame Spirit, and been made thereby partakers in ſome ſort of ſome Gifts, at leaſt, likewiſe:
I therefore, who (as the works beſt teſtifie of me) have received the power of working Miracles, and the gifts of Healings, have thought fit (hoping to be ſooneſt heard) to ſpeak both experimentally and knowingly: And my Method ſhall be, in reſolution of Queſtions in this Age propoſed, or that haply may be propoſed; and anſwering Objections which have been, or may be made unto or againſt the ſame.
Queſt. 1Whether the Gifts in the Apoſtles times be in our times.
Anſw. The Gifts in the Apoſtles times being the gifts of Gods Spirit, as recited in Chap. 12. of the firſt Epiſtle to the Corinthians, have extremely abated ſince the diviſion of us and Rome, that is, of us living in the Juriſdiction of the Church of England, and them under the Papal power uſurped over the Church of Rome; and ſo the ſpirit of Unity having much ceaſed in that reſpect between Churches2 at home and abroad, and the ſpirit of Diviſion having advanced it ſelf, the faith of Chriſtians through want of true Charity hath been much weakned, to the great diſabling of them in the receiving of thoſe great Gifts, which the Apoſtles, inflamed in holy flames of Love and Zeal for the Truth, even unto the death, received in their time, and men neereſt approaching unto them in ſeveral Ages ſince, have, according to the great meaſure of God's Spirit imparted to them, and their great care in not reſiſting the motions of that bleſſed Spirit, received gifts meaſurably anſwering to the Grace given and received.
Queſt. 2Then none can have thoſe gifts, but he or they that have ſuch grace given.
Anſw. None can: For it is not an injunction and command to men, to believe ſo far as to the obtaining of thoſe Gifts: it is enough to believe to ſalvation.
Queſt. 3How then is it that they can be received?
Anſw. As I ſaid, By grace given; that is, that God through his Son, Head of the Church, is pleaſed, by his Son, through the Spirit of him, to convey, when he pleaſeth, that faith in the ninth verſe of the former Chapter, which brings man within the capacity of receiving of thoſe gifts, and exerciſing the ſame, by vertue of our Saviours affirmation; (But obſerve, here is not his command:) If you beleive, the things that I do you ſhall do alſo, and greater things then theſe.
Queſt. 4Are not miracles ceaſed according to the opinion of the Church of England?
Anſw. Yea, according to the opinion of many they have ceaſed, but according to the faith of the Church3 it cannot be preſumed that any member will ſay, Thoſe gifts are ceaſed which are in Chriſt the head, from that time eſpecially that he aſcended into heaven, and ſo ever ſince. Ceaſed indeed, as to the great operation there was in the Apoſtles time, as yet they have; but ceaſed ſo, as never to be again exerciſed in the Church of God, will ſure be maintained by none, that believe, That that ſame Spirit ſhall be given more and more in the later days, till Time's laſt day; after which, in Eternity, we ſhall live in and by the full meaſure of that Spirit, for ever.
Queſt. 5What hath the common received opinion been, touching Miracles ceaſed?
Anſw. By wiſe men, in this ſenſe: As when night comes, we ſay day ceaſeth, till the Sun returns again to the Eaſt: ſo in the night of Ignorance, Schiſm, and Diviſion, times of Error and black Darkneſs in the Church, the Truth ceaſeth to ſhine in its pure luſtre, and the Spirit of God hath not its perfect viſible operation in and over the face of the Church, till the Sun of righteouſneſs, which hath been long ſet in the firmament of the Church, (in reſpect of the great wane of light which the Apoſtles had) ſhall ariſe oriently and purely, to the bringing in at laſt of the perfect day. But that being come, or neer his full approach to the high noon-tide of Goſpel-light; Ignorance, Schiſm, &c. are diſperſed, and vaniſh quite away into the bottomleſs pit, back into the ſmoke again from whence they aſcended up; and then thoſe gifts appear more and more, as faſt as the contrary flee away.
Queſt. 6Whether it hath been held, that gifts of Healings in the Church have ceaſed?
4Anſw. That was never held, but by thoſe curiouſly-wiſe perſons, who have by Sophiſms laboured to prove Miracles and Healings all one; which is as accurſed as the ſeparating of that which God hath conjoyned. And that Miracles (that is, as the text ſaith, working of Miracles) and Gifts of Healings are not all one, appears, firſt, by the wiſdom of God, whoſe Word puts them diſtinctly, which otherwiſe it would not it rather for the moſt part ſpeaking with the greateſt brevity, ſo far as may be, and yet avoid too great obſcurity. And here if Miracles and Healings be all one, then Miracles are Healings, and Healings Miracles. But that cannot be: for that act that makes the Lame to go immediately, is much different from the laying on of hands, which on a wound being placed, conveys immediately vertue, but heals not up under many days or weeks ſometimes, according to the quality of the wound. So that that wound which by Plaiſter requires long time, will alſo proportionably by that Gift take long time; but yet ordinarily cures within half the time the other doth. So that ſuch healings, though miraculous, are not in themſelves Miracles, for that ſuch healings may & uſually are effected by Phyſick, and by Plaiſter. But yet as to this they are Miracles, in that touching the maner and way of cure, they are healed without ſuch means, and that by laying on of hands, the form and way in the Apoſtles days of conveying the holy Ghoſt on believers, and the form and maner always of exerciſing the gifts of Healings, proceeding by and from that ſelf-ſame Spirit.
Queſt. 7What is to be conceived the ſcope and intention5 of God, in ſending to any perſon the power of working Miracles, gifts of Healings, and ſuch-like extraordinary gifts of Gods Spirit in theſe later days?
Anſw. That in the Apoſtles days they were given for proofs of true Apoſtleſhip, and of the Word delivered by Apoſtles, as in the Prophets days ſuch gifts (though not ſo generally) were given for vindicating and manifeſting thoſe perſons God ſent to be Prophets, and for better proof of their word of prophecie. And ſo as in the Apoſtles days they tended to the beginning of that Church, which in Chriſts time (the fulneſs of time) was erected and confirmed by and under him the Great Prophet and Apoſtle: ſo in theſe later days, wherein the Church hath been ſo often lifted at, and even ſhaken off the foundations, it befits the goodneſs of God, and the office of Chriſt, to depute a perſon or perſons unto the reſtoring and ſetling of his Church according to the true Apoſtolical Faith and Government.
Object. 1of this Age. Theſe things done in our age, are not the works of God.
Anſw. Theſe works done by Chriſt in our age, are not the works of Antichriſt, which denies our Lord Jeſus and all his works: nor are they the works of Satan, the father of the ſon of perdition.
Object. 2But, Sir, theſe things cannot be done.
Anſw. They cannot be done unto or upon you that deny them by unbelief, which obſtructed our Saviour from doing many mighty works in his own country.
Object. 3There are many wiſe men, and many grave Divines; and why he? and why not rather they?
6Anſw. Why was Moſes raiſed up a Deliverer, David a King, Daniel a Prophet, Paul an Apoſtle? Let God, or his Word, or manifeſted will, declare that; and the ſame God, and his yet-ſecret will, in time manifeſt the other.
To the Chriſtian Reader.
I Truſt thy judgement, by committing it to the Spirit of God for directions to read both my words and meanings. I pray God give thee charity to love the works and matters ſpoken of, ſaith to believe them, and then wiſdom to apply them to their right uſe deſigned. This ſhort Narrative I have this afternoon at my leaſure drawn up, with little ſtudy, and yet by good advice. Thoſe works of Miracles and Healing that are not onely talk'd of, but really performed, I will own: and in brief, that I have the power of working Miracles, the gifts of Healing, of Prophecie, and the ſpirit of Diſcerning, I will juſtifie, if I am called to it, not onely before God, Men, and Angels, but before Satan, Antichriſt, and all the powers of hell: yea, if I knew the way to enter the gates of hell, by way of confirmation of theſe Gifts, and of revenging the abuſeful reproaches of them from the devils and their agents, I would; and, through the power of God and his Chriſt, make the devil and his Antichriſt roar and howl their worst, that they might be the ſooner ſilent.
The 25 of May, 1654.MATTHEW COKER, the Apoſtolical Prophet, and Prophetical Apoſtle.
7The Knot at the end of the Whip: Added this 25 of June, 1654. being on the Lords day.
TO my unbelieving Oppoſers, eſpecially thoſe who not onely maligned me, but alſo at leaſt ignorantly blaſphemed the works and operations of Gods Spirit mightily ſhewn forth at the time of participation of the holy Myſteries of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, at the Chappel of Lincolns Inne, laſt Michaelmas-Term.
It is by reaſon of you, hypocrites at beſt, but halfconverted Chriſtians, that the Name of God is blaſphemed amongſt the Gentiles. Had you had the leaſt meaſure of true grace amongſt you that looked ſo high and ſo ſcornful at my devotion, becauſe ſurpaſſing yours, you would rather with humble admiration have given thanks at ſuch time, then have been ſo unreaſonably bold, to have then and after judged the worſe of me, onely becauſe of the different ſound of my voice, which I am ſure was rather by a change through a more heavenly and melodious accent, as the piouſly-devout could and will aſſert, and not ſo ſtrange, and even barbarous, as the8 hypocrites would then (and ſtill, if they could) make it. But I wiſh them to confeſs their hypocriſie and raſh judgement to the world forthwith, yea though they ſuffer ſhame for their ill doing, as well as I have far and neer ſuffered reproach for and through their fooliſh judgings, cenſurings, and unhandſome and uncharitable informations of and againſt me, whereby I was ſo blemiſhed and tainted by all ſorts of men, not excepting one as I knew to the contrary, that even every one ſpent his verdict of me; and he or they that would not ſo egregiouſly cenſute me in my Religion, did at leaſt hold and ſuppoſe I had been under ſome bodily diſtemper: whereas, for mine own part, I ſtill call God to witneſs, I was onely weak in body, as I had been many days before; whereby my ſoul and ſpirit being more at liberty, I was then in the Spirit on the Lords day, and heard a Seraphical voice ſinging with me, and my ſelf in the mean time (whether in the body, or out of the body, I ſay not) was in a great ecſtafie, and perfect raviſhment of ſoul and ſpirit.
And you who were of the more charitable ſort, and who, together with the Spirit of Chriſt in you, had alſo a conſcience bearing witneſs within you, at that very time, of and concerning my unblameable deportment in every reſpect at the Sacrament, inſomuch that I hope even to this preſent you deem my actions no otherwiſe, then onely obedient to the holy Spirit of God, moving in and on my heart, tongue and voice.
I have alſo againſt you a few words; that is, becauſe,9 notwithſtanding the unreaſonable ſtrugling of all ſorts, even of men, women, and children, cenſoriouſly in City and Country upbraiding me, or rather, the works of God by me; That you then ſhould be ſo timorouſly ſilent, and ſo modeſtly wicked, in that point, as not to ſpend a little breath, in a few words, to have choak'd that ſtinking breath of Antichriſt, which cunningly did vent it ſelf, not onely in Sorcerers, Magicians, and ſuch-like vile perſons, but alſo, as much as it could, in the children of God themſelves, to be even their inſtruments and trumpets to noiſe abroad diſgracefully thoſe works of our LORD JESUS, which in themſelves were right glorious, and not a whit beneath thoſe he hath ſince by a mighty power ſhewn by me in and neer this City of London.
And as for you Hypocrites, of whoſe amendment there is ſmall hopes, you will without ſound Repentance, both you and your relations, become a ſtink in the noſtrils of all the generations to come.
And you poor faint-hearted ones, (though I confeſs many of you amongſt the number of Gods dear children) will never be thought worthy, unleſs your own conſciences, being now pricked, ſhall incite you to make amends for your former defaults, by a greater future ſincerity to the works you have childiſhly, and yet ſtubbornly oppoſed, or at leaſt not maintained, as you ought; you will otherwiſe, through the juſt hand of God, be reſtrained10 from entering into that good land in this our Nation ere long to be poſſeſſed by thoſe true Iſraelites, who become like thoſe obedient ones under the Conduct of Moſes their Deliverer, ſo known to be, notwithſtanding his being deſpiſed, by the ſignes and mighty wonders God wrought by him.
My Advice is to all Chriſtians in general, and even to all good Moral juſt honeſt men, That they no longer ſtand in awe of Beelzebub, a god of Flyes; of a Devil, the begetter of ſtrange fancies, and fooliſh fears; and that they ſhew the like confidence when their time ſhall be, as I my ſelf intend in mine, that is, To go up to the face of Antichriſt; whom I ſhall know by this mark, That he and his will riggle and ſtruggle at the noiſe of my Whip of ſmall Cords.
And if he and they will not hear and obey, and permit the Goſpel to have its free courſe, as it ought to have, (with all Blaſphemies, Hereſies, and Oppoſitions, taken out of the way;) then I will, in the power of Chriſt, come in that zeal as he entered the Temple, to whip out all defilers thereof; and with a real (and not fictitious) Whip, of ſmarting (though) ſmall Cords, whip him and them out, not onely out of the Temple and Temples, but out of houſe and houſes alſo, which they ſay are Temples.
Wrote by MATTH. COKER, (ut Baptiſta ſeverus, Chriſti praecurſor, Baptiſmate Spiritûs baptizatus) in his fervour of ſpirit for Chriſts cauſe and the Goſpel's.
11The Sheerer ſheer'd, and caſheer'd: The Shaver ſhav'd, AND The Grinder ground to powder, As will be the end of thoſe that puff with a weak breath of Antichriſt againſt the Lord Chriſt, who will deſtroy that wicked one with the ſpirit of his mouth, and brightneſs of his coming.
I Underſtand this morning, That a Sheer-grinder living neer the Palſgraves-head-Tavern without Temple-bar, is, with the reſt of his faction of fools, much troubled at thoſe things done by me in the power of God, which he cannot underſtand; and that he doth not onely, with this laſt Faction of the world, ſpeak evil (with thoſe foretold) of things he underſtands not, but alſo of the perſon he knows not. For if he knew me, as the Angels of God, and all holy men inſpired, do, he would not this morning have ſaid, That he hoped to ſee me hang'd one of the firſt.
12But I adviſe him and them Antichriſts, and Antiworkers againſt the Lord Chriſt, and the works done through his power by me, That they bear in minde what they have heard and read of the great ſucceſs Haman had, by preparing the gallows for Mordecai; whereby this benefit accrued, That they were the better made ready to hand, againſt Haman's time came. I would deſire this ſort of people to make application: onely I fear that ſome of them, worſe then Haman, as bad as Judas, or worſe, may do that office on themſelves, which Judas did, who betray'd his Maſter on earth, as theſe would the Meſſenger ſent from him now our Lord and Maſter in heaven.
I ſee the ſheep of Chriſt would be well ſheer'd, if they came under this Sheer-grinder, who very likely for his Penſion doth ſharpen the ſheer, and put an edge to the inſtrument or cauſe in hand, for others to proceed the better.
But if there are many more ſuch Sheerers, I fear they will prove but Shavers, and that not of us, but of their own ſcabbed flock; who with their crooked Rams-horns, and crookeder conditions, will at laſt ere long butt at one another. And my reaſon is this; for that ſuch are all of the houſhold of Antichriſt, the old enemy of Chriſt come in the fleſh, however they pretend to confeſs him openly, whiles in the mean time they deny his works, or at leaſt will not or dare not let them be vindicated, or at leaſt examined impartially and in a right way. And whereas it is ſaid, That an houſe divided againſt it ſelf cannot ſtand, thence I infer, That becauſe this13 houſe of Satan cannot long ſtand, therefore it will of neceſſity be divided againſt it ſelf. God ſend no worſe diviſions amongſt us Chriſtians, and all good Moral peaceable honeſt men, and we ſhall quickly outlive for ever the threats of Hanging, Stabbing, Piſtoling, and enjoy a continued Peace to us and ours for ever. And this is, next to the Goſpel, the greateſt thing I aim at, and which, through the power of God, I intend ſtill to go on to accompliſh, till by death or violence I am taken out of the way; which my faith will not eaſily admit of, believing in this cauſe, till I feel the laſt graſp of the fatal hand of death, if ſo be I ſhall.
MATTH. COKER, the greateſt Oppoſite of Antichriſt in our Age.
God deal by me, as I intend by his Cauſe and the Goſpel's, for which he himſelf hath ſtirred me up, and I muſt go on with, though thorow a ſea of blood.
His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. MATTH. COKER, Angelus Evangelicus, Fidelu Nuncius.
FINIS.