BEfore I come to my Text, I muſt begin with my Par­ſon, a man at firſt but a Clerk, not Clerk of a Pa­riſh, but to a pettifogging Lawyer, or Committee, as they ſay; then a Maltſter, now a Miniſter of the Go­ſpel, or John of all trades, that's Jack-Pudding: ſo he was pleaſed to call me in Publike, at his Pariſh-meeting,2 where he was merry at the Jeſt; but I ſhall prove him in earneſt to be that indeed, not onely a Jack, but a Black-Pudding.

The occaſion of his Scomma was this: Mr. Morgan Floyd of North-Wales, and my ſelf of the South, meeting together in Briſtol, the meer hand of providence having brought us thither, not any par­ticular deſigne, as ſome have imagined; we had liberty from God, with the love of men, and the Magiſtrates leave, to ſpeak in publike, though the Miniſter Parſon Farmer ſtole away the Keys, and kept the Church-doors faſt, till by Authority they were opened for us, I mean for Mr. Floyd though I ſpake after he had ended.

The next day I departed the City, and the Sunday following Mr. Farmer like a coward comes behinde my back; and ſmites me in my abſence, calling me Heretick by name, or (which is worſe) Jack-pud­ding, as Mr. Floyd Mountebank, though he forbore to particularize my friend, who being in the City, ſent a ſober Chalenge to Mr. Far­mer to meet him in publike or in private to reaſon about things con­troverted, and cenſured by the ſaid Farmer. But the man was ſo faint-hearted, he dar'd not appear, but refuſed the Gantlet, though he be as bold as a Lion in his Pulpit, and roars upon all that cannot con­form or crouch to his Doctrine and Diſcipline.

Truely I had never tryed his ſtrength, nor troubled his patience, though his preaching and teaching were never ſo Traditional and untrue: but becauſe he boaſts himſelf as a Miniſter of the Goſpel, and many good people are deceived by him, and he not daring to talk with any out of his Tub, therefore I once thought to queſtion him in publike at his Church; but for peace ſake I forbore, leſt I might offend the worthy Governours and Citizens preſent.

For this cauſe, I publiſh it to the world, that not onely the Parſon might repent of his bitterneſs, his folly and frowardneſs but that his people might know, he is no Miniſter of Chriſt, nor a Chriſtian man indeed.

This I prove, firſt, as a Scholar by Reaſon; then by Scripture, to all rational and religious men ▪ in this ſhort Enthymem:

M. Farmer is a Jack-pudding, Therfore no Miniſter of Chriſt.

I prove he is a Jack pudding, becauſe he is a Black-pudding: yea, a Bag-pudding too I could make him becauſe he bears the bag, as Judas did, and divines for money M•c. 3.11.

The firſt onely I now aſſert, in this Syllogiſm:

That which is made of fat, and blood, and a black coat or skin about it, is a Black-pudding.

But Mr. Farmer is made of fat and blood, and a black coat or skin about him:

Therefore, he is a Black-pudding.

Every Tripe-woman or good houſwife will prove the Major. The Minor is proved in theſe particulars.

Firſt, their heart is as fat as greaſe, Pſal. 119.70. ſo is Mr. Far­mer full of the ſame fat, that's the fulneſs or height of fleſh, Iſa. 17.4

Secondly, their feet are ſwift to ſhed blood; yea their hands are full of blood, or bloods, (as the Hebrew reads) Iſai. 1.15. So is Mr. Farmer's heart and hands too full of bloods, that is a perſe­•uting ſpirit, covetouſneſs, cruelty, craft to deſtroy or deceive; yea, there's the blood of ſouls, Ezek. 13. (as ſlaves and ſouls of men are ſaid to be ſold by the Merchants or Miniſters, Rev. 18.13. ) but blood eſpecially is the life of the fleſh, as we call fleſh and blood. Thus their hands are full of bloods, who are wholly in bodily ex­erciſes, of fleſhly Ordinances, as thoſe Prieſts in the Prophet com­plain, What profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance? Mark, the Miniſters are all for profit, elſe the people ſhall have no Ordi­nance: yet, poor fools, they think 'tis an Ordinance, becauſe given by a Black-coat: therefore 'tis added, What profit is it that w•have walked in black? for ſo the Hebr. reads as I ſaid, Mal. 3.14.

This proves the Miniſter to be but a Black-pudding, becauſe, be­ſides his fat and blood, he has a black coat or skin about him. I do not mention Mr. Farmer's face, or black countenance, becauſe God made him ſo: but who made him a Black-coat, or Miniſter, after he had done his Malting let men conſider; onely I'll prove him to be not of Gods making, as a Miniſter, becauſe he's a Black­pudding; or as Baal's Prieſts are called Chemarim, that is, Black­coats, Zeph. 11.4.

That's my ſecond Argument:

• He who has no gift of the Spirit by the laying on of hands, is no Miniſter of Chriſt.
• But Mr. Farmer has no gift of the Spirit:
• Ergo, no Miniſter of Chriſt.

The Major is proved, 1 Tim. 4.14. 2 Tim. 1.6. Heb. 6.1. 'Tis not the doctrine of Baptiſm, but of Baptiſms, (that's of the Spirit4 as well as water) without both, there is no Church-memberſhip; as without laying on of hands (and a gift thereby) no Miniſter of Christ.

The Minor is proved, 1 Cor. 12.8. Among all the gifts of the Spirit, the firſt is a word of wiſdom.

• That Miniſter who has not a gift of wiſdom, has not the gift of the Spirit.
• But Mr. Farmer has not a gift of wiſdom:
• Ergo. Not a gift of the Spirit.

That Mr. Farmer has not the gift of wiſdom, is proved by this, Becauſe he is a fool.

That Mr. Farmer is a fool, or fooliſh ſhepherd, is thus aſſerted.

• He who has the inſtruments of a fooliſh ſhepherd, is a fool, or fooliſh ſhepherd.
• But Mr. Farmer has the inſtruments of a fooliſh ſhepherd:
• Ergo. Mr. Farmer is a fool.

The Major is proved, Zech. 11.15.

The Minor is plain becauſe the inſtruments of a fooliſh ſhepherd are, 1. when Miniſters meddle with Civil matters, or intermix with State-affairs: there's One, as 'twas well ſaid in a Speech at Dun­bar. 2. The Magiſtrates call: there's Two. 3. A worldly maintenance: there's Three. 4. Formal Ordinances in the hands of a fleſhly Miniſtery: there's Four inſtruments of a fooliſh ſhep­herd. If theſe are not in Mr. Farmer's hands, then he is no fool, but a friend; for ſo we ſhall be, when God ſhall make him, and me, and all the Miniſters alſo fools: for ſo all men muſt be, before they be wiſe, or can walk in the way of God, where wayfaring men, though fools, ſhall not erre therein, Iſai. 35.8. 1 Cor. 3.18.

Having thus taken my Parſon in hand, now I ſhall handle my Text, very ſhort and ſweet; as Mr. Farmer ſaid when he came firſt to the City, that his Sermon ſhould not be long, becauſe his books were not come down. The fore-going verſe tells us, that by fire and his ſword will the Lord plead with all fleſh, and the ſlain of the Lord ſhall be many. Iſai. 66.16. Men have been long fighting with men; now the ſword of God is drawn againſt both: and man has been long pleading with man; now God will plead with all, even all fleſh; which becauſe the Word the ſword of the Spirit cannot reach, therefore fleſh ſhall have fire kindled within, to conſume and5 ſlay it. What's the fire, but the Spirit of the Lord, or the Lord himſelf, who is a conſuming fire, who though dwelling in fleſh, hath hitherto ſpar'd it, unleſs in ſome broken-hearted Saints, in whom the everlaſting burnings have broken forth, and made their fleſh and the goodlineſs of fleſh to wither in them; their wiſdom being turned to folly, their ſpiritual ſtrength to weakneſs, their gifts and graces waſted, their joy and peace fled away. But this fire is not yet fallen on all; but it ſhall with a vengeance, very ſhortly: for as every one ſhall be ſalted with fire, that is, every one who is ſlain and ſacrifi­ced to God, (for every ſacrifice ſhall be ſalted with ſalt) ſo Salt being beſt to ſeaſon fleſh, and fire to ſlay it, the ſlain of the Lord ſhall be many indeed, when he comes forth in them as fire.

For as by this he pleads with fleſh; ſo his rebukes are ſaid to be with flames of fire, Iſai. 66.15. Words are but winde, when man ſpeaks or reproves: but when God in man ſhall rebuke, 'twill ſoon be felt as fire in their bones, and flames in their boſome, Pſal.

The fire comes forth firſt on the Church: for as the Church has not had the baptiſm of fire but has been content with water; ſo ano­ther fire ſhall baptize, yea burn them up, as the Prophet phraſeth it, They ſhall go out from one fire, & another fire ſhall devour them, Ezek. 15.5, 6. that is, the Church has gone forth out of the fire of the Spirit, or Baptiſm of fire, into fleſhly forms: therefore another fire, the fire of his jealouſie, ſhall devour them.

This is clear in all the Scriptures, that as judgment begins at the houſe of God; ſo the Church muſt be judged before the world: yea all that wrath, judgement, fire, and a hell upon earth, which the Church interprets to be for the world, that's moſt true of the Church. For as the children of the kingdom ſhall be caſt into outer dark­neſs, Mat. 8.12. ſo not ſtrangers but ſervants are called to account; not whores, but virgins come to judgment, Mat. 25. Yea thoſe carcaſes are the Churches, who as they ſhall appear as walking Ghoſts, and to be dead while they live; ſo they are damned above ground, and have a hell upon earth, whoſe worm never dies, and their fire never quenched, Iſai. 66.24. For as the Lord is ſaid to be a worm or moth unto Judah, and our God a conſuming fire, that ſhall never be quenched; ſo this Scripture of Iſai. 66.24. ſpeaks not of hell hereafter, for there's no carcaſes there, nor can one go forth to look upon them: (for Lazarus could not, becauſe of the gulf;6 nor could he, being in light, ſee Dives in darkneſs though Dives in the dark could ſee Lazarus afar off.) Beſides, theſe carcaſes are ſaid to be an abhorring to all fleſh, which ſhews it to be a hel upon earth.

And that this fire is firſt for the Church is clear by my Text: They that ſanctifie themſelves and purifie themſelves in the gardens: that's plain of particular Churches; for the world is the Common. Again, they ſanctifie and purifie themſelves, which is not proper to the world. But 3. they ſanctifie themſelves; 'tis not ſanctifi­cation of the Spirit through obedience to the truth. Beſides, they are not ſanctified throughout their ſpirit, ſoul, and body; for the world may ſee the walkings of Saints as carnal, and Churches to be covetous and worldly as any: but they ſanctifie themſelves with ſome forms and Church-fellowſhips far from that of the Spirit, or Goſpel-believers; and though they are pure in their own eyes, yet God, who weigheth the ſpirits, knows they are not waſhed from their filthineſs. Prov. 30.12. for the fire hath never touch'd their fleſh, nor their fleſh ſacrificed to God; therefore as men living in the world and ſubject to Ordinances, they ſanctifie themſelves & purifie themſelvs in gardens behind one tree in the midſt, &c.

What this one tree is, I know not, unleſs it be the forbidden tree, which the Churches taſte of; but the tree of life in the midſt of the paradiſe or garden of God is a myſtery to them Rev. 2.7. Rev. 22.14. But there is no ſuch word here as tree in the Hebr. therefore 'tis read, They ſanctifie themſelvs and purifie themſelvs in the gar­dens behinde one in the midſt. This one to me is not a tree but a man, even a Miniſter, he is that one in the midſt of the Pariſh-Church; and the Church is bleſt by him for all day, and week too after: they are ſanctified holy men, and Chriſtians, becauſe they have a Paſtor or Parſon among them: but though in the Sacrament they think to eat the fleſh (and blood) of Chriſt, 'tis but ſwines fleſh, the abomination, and the mouſe, that's the Ordinances they feed on People & Parſon or Paſtor together, while the Spirit is abſent.

The ſwines fleſh puts me in minde of the Black Pudding before; for 'tis made of the blood of that: yea, this very Prophet in the ſame Chapter tels us, that he that offereth an oblation, is as he that offereth ſwines blood, Iſa. 66.3. He that offereth is the Prieſt or Parſon; and that he is the Pudding, is plain by the words, as read in the Original, where thoſe words [as if he offered] are not; but thus 'tis in the Hebrew: He that offereth an oblation, ſwines blood; that is, he that offereth is ſwines blood, or, a black Pudding.