The Kingdome of God is not in word, but in power, 1. Corinth. 4.

Joh. 5.YE have not the Word of my Father abiding in you, ſaid Chriſt unto the Jewes; and indeed he ſhould now amongſt the Heathens or falſe Chriſtians finde much leſſe fruitfull in this kinde,Rom. 1.11. Mat. 7.21, 24. Iſa. 5.55, 56. Epiſt. Jude 2 Pet. 3. John 12. Dan. 2. 1 Pet. 2. Rom. 9. Iſa. 8.28, 66. wherefore alſo this world in their owne generation, viz. the ſcorners and deſpiſers ſhall be judged accor­ding to the power of the living Word of God, Heb. 4. which indeed will prove ſuch a ſtone, as ſhall breake and bruiſe thoſe that offend at it, not believing him in whom they are grounded, but rather in regard of the ſame, ſtriving by their practiſes or purpoſes againſt God, Iſa. 8.28. and will not indure the truth; by rea­ſon whereof it is juſt,Mal. 2.3. Levit. 26. Mic. 6. that they ſhould become a curſe, and periſh in the unacknowledgment and con­tempt of God, like unto the people of the Jewes in former times; ſince they turn away their ears from the truth,Pſalm. 58. 1 Tim. 1. Tit. 1. and incline them only to the fables of their teachers, which they have heaped up unto them­ſelves, 2 Tim. 4.

Behold! The Kingdome of God is inwardly within you, ſaith Chriſt, Luke 17.

ACcording whereunto,Eſa. 49.55.66. I do declare by the Word of God, as a ſervant of the Lord the ſupreme Judge, Rev. 19. that the outward Congregations in Churches and Aſſemblies,1 Reg 6.8. or the Temples and Church governments, ſetled for that purpoſe,2 Paralyp. 7. were inſtituted onely for this end, that people ſhould ſo be taught and built up in the ſame, 1 Pet. 2. to be eſpecial­ly according to the New Teſtament,Rom. 9. united or rooted together in the Spirit by Faith,Col. 2.3. as members of the Bo­dy of Chriſt, through the bond of peace,Epheſ. 2.4. and of the love of God, Joh. 13.15.Ioh. 13. 1 Ioh. 3. Gal. 5. Eph. 1.5. in ſuch ſort as that every par­ticular member ſtill of the Congregation whereof Je­ſus Chriſt is the Head, Col. 1. ſhould feel or partici­pate of the ſuffering of his neighbour or fellow-member and take care for the ſame;Rom. 12.13.1. Cor. 12. and that the true believers,Col. 1. Eph 3. being once delivered from the power of darkneſſe, tranſlated into the heavenly being, and dearly redeemed through the bloud of the Sonne of God, 1 Cor. 6.7. might walk circumſpectly,1. Pet 1.Iſa. 28. Ier. 23. Eph. 4. and know before all thinges how to frame their do­ings according to the counſell or will of God, Mat. 7.

But when the people of the Jewes did not abide after this manner in their Teſtament,Heb. 8. nor walked in the commandements,Deut. 4.5.6 7.8.9.10 11 27.28.30.32. Iſa. 1.3.5.9.24. Mat. 12.15.21. Mat. 1.3.7. rites and rights of the law of Moſes; nor held it worthy, to bring the fruits of the Kingdome of God; Chriſt did little regard their Sabbaths, but rather profaned them, Luk. 6. Joh. 2.8, 9. ſeeing that thereby they ſought but to palliate their inward abominations,Ier. 6.7.8.9.11.14.16.23. Iſa. 48.57. Hoſ. 4.7.8.9.11. Joh. 1.7.8.10. Ezek. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 22. Ch. falſe and malicious courſes, and to lie yet hid in the ſame before the eyes of God, Iſa. 29. beſides, that by reaſon of this their blindneſſe and hard-heartedneſſe they did not at all take heed of or conſider the time of their viſitation,Luk. 16.22. 1 Cor. 2. Luk. 19.22. For God, whom the heaven of all heavens is not able to com­prehend,2 Paralyp. 7. Iſa. 66. 1 King. 8. doth not at all dwell in outward Temples, ſuch as are only made by mens hands of ſtone,1 Cor. 3.6. 2. Cor. 6. Rom. 3.5.8. Eph. 1.2. wood and earth, Acts 7.17. but in the members of his body, that are made partakers of the Spirit of grace, or adoption, Gal. 4.5, 6. through the redempti­on of Chriſt,2 Pet 2. Ier, 5. 1 Pet 4. and live in this world, not unto them­ſelves, Rom. 14. 2 Cor. 5. or according to their own luſts and crafty devices, Epiſt. Jude. Rom. 1. Now as for the people of the ſecond or New Teſtament,2 Tim. 3. Hoſ. 10. that by diſſolving the bond of the love of God, are rent a­ſunder among themſelves, walking not at all in Chriſt the light of faith, Joh. 1.9.12. but like unto the Jewes of old,Zephan. 1. 2. Pet. 2. Eph. 4. Hoſ. 7.8.12. Ier. 7. Mar. 13. 1 Joh. 1.5. Rom. 1.16. Heb. 3.4.10.12. 2. Cor. 4. Col. 3. according to their Baal-courſes, Ier. 2.11. in er­rour or darkneſſe of conſcience, and are in ſuch ſort in­ticed, 2 Pet. 2. taught and ſeduced, Mat. 24. that there is no communion with God at all more to be found a­mong them, according to the Goſpel of Chriſt; and they, beſides their unbelief or diſtruſt in God, wherin they ſtick, ſo poſſeſſed, defiled or polluted with all manner of works of darkneſſe; and ſo blinded there­withall, that they take no heed at all, according to the morning-ſtar of the grace of God unto the day of the Lord,2 Pet. 1. 1 Theſſ. 5. Rom. 11. Pſal. 14.87.97. the decree and judgement of God, Rev. 17.18 in regard of the help out of Zion, Iſa. 49.52.59.62. or the3 deliverance of Iſrael, Pſal. 31.73, 102, 130. Theſe, I ſay, ſhall yet leſſe be able to ſubſiſt with the Dayes,Gal. 4. Iſa. 29. Mar. 13. Ier. 8.14. Iſa. 9.48. and Moons, and Faſts, and anniverſaries of their outward Church-pomp or falſe worſhip, whereby indeed they ſerve not God, but onely ſooth and flatter themſelves;Hoſ. 10.12. then the Jewes did of old, for all they were the true people of God, and the naturall branches,Rom. 11. and had the promiſe, that God would dwell there for ever,1 Reg. 9. Ezek. 43. where he had ſet up the memoriall of his name, Exod. 20.

But the ſhepheards,Ier. 2.23. 2 Tim. 4. or the learned of this preſent Babel, Rev. 16. whom the people have heaped up eve­ry one to himſelfe in his Religion, Sect or Party,Zach. 10.11. 2 Pet. 2. and were according to their own pleaſure ſo taught,Epiſt. Jud. Ier. 5.6. ſeduced, Mat. 7.24. and ſcattered from God by them, Jer. 10.12.Ezek. 34. that none doth either feel or care any more for the ſuffering of his neighbour or fellow-member,Rom 12.13. Gal. 1.5. Col. 2.3. in hearty compaſsion of the love of God, according to the Goſpell of Chriſt, 1 Cor. 12. who alſo beſides this ſeducing,Pſal. 10.68, 94. Habac. 3. Iam. 3.4. do moreover excite and ſtir men up un­to theſe ſelf-revengefull, Heb. 10. Cainicall, 1 Iohn 3. cruell, Eph. 4. murthering and theeving wars, Rev. 16. which were begun in the world for the upholding of their outward Temple-ſervice or falſe worſhip,Ier. 7.8. and therby have drawn upon themſelves the chiefeſt guilt and cauſe of all this ruine & deſtruction of mankind,2 Theſſ. 2. namely, that by reaſon therof one man is now become the others murder & ſpoil, nay death & devil together,Zeph. 3. according to the power and working of Satan; theſe,Apocalyp. 20. I ſay, ſhalbe brought to their end with terror,2. Pet. 2. Epiſt. Iud. and for all this, be the foremoſt that ſhalbe thruſt into hell, or in­to the blackneſſe of darkneſſe for ever. Ezek. 22.For the cauſes4 of that body and ſoul-murthering, which hath broke in now for ſuch a while hitherto in the murdering den of this falſe Chriſtendome was openly practiſed,Mat. 21.24. Mat. 20.11.13. Act. 20. Joh. 10. Hoſ. 4. Amos. 5. by reaſon of ſuch cruell ravening Wolves and hire­lings, and abſolved or pardoned by them, Epiſt. Jude, they ſhall not only be made known and manifeſt, but be revenged and judged likewiſe now before the end of the world,Mich. 5. Joel. 2. Mal. 4. viz. before the great and terrible day of the Lord, upon every one, according as they ſhall have ſhare in the guilt and cauſe thereof. Ezek. 21.34.All ſuch now therefore as being yet incorporated or inthralled in this bloud-drunk Babell, are deſirous to eſchew the fierce wrath of God,Apoc. 18. Ier. 23.30. or the plagues which ſhall light upon it, by reaſon of the ſame; they muſt even time­ly go out of it,Iſa. 13.34.47. and look well unto themſelves, that they be not partakers of the works that are practiſed therein,Apoc. 6.16. Deut. 32 Iſa. 26. or guilty and cauſers of the bloud of the Saints and the ſlain that hath been ſhed hitherto, and of the plundering,Nahum. 3. Ier. 7. Pſal. 12.80. murdering and theeving which is committed therein, to the ruine of the countreys and the deſtruction of the poore; which I do now declare, for to hate and forſake the evill, but to love the good, and to do according to it, before God doe cauſe the Sun to goe downe at high noone,Amos, 5.8. and the land to be darkened in the brighteſt of the day,Zach. 14. 2 Cor. 4. 1 Theſſ. 5. where indeed the light never yet did ſhine before in the hearts or conſciences of men, Eph. 4.5. For ſtrong is the Lord God,Apoc. 18.19. Iſa. 63. who by reaſon of ſuch perverſe purpoſes of the children of men, will judge and exerciſe vengeance, Mich. 5.

Iſa. 41.42. A Warriour of the Lord,Iſa. 1.55. Rom. 1.

Serving God in the behalf of the everlaſting de­liverance of Iſrael, according to his Councell, Jer. 23. Right, Mic. 37 Judgment and Righteouſneſſe,Dan. 7.10. Pſal. 89, 97, 119.Mat. 24. Mat. 13. Iſa. 9.30. all which the Heathens or falſe Chriſtians do endeavour to overthrow, and bring to nothing, to the utter ruine of the poor,Rom. 1. Hoſ. 10. Ezek. 21.22 Ier. 7.17.23 onely to maintain their own vain, worldly and divided ſectarian Religions courſes. Wherefore alſo God hath already kindled the fire upon them from heaven,Eze. 13. that hitherto they were able to effect nothing elſe, but that over the hypocri­ſie and lies of the deviſions of their ſhepheards,Pſa. 12. they are brought to ruine and deſtruction, like as in former times it happened with the Jewes in the fearfull de­ſtruction of Jeruſalem. Apoc. 9 16.

This ſame man, by whom theſe letters are deliver­ed according to the power of the living God and his word,Mica. 3.7. Heb. 4.10. Iſa 42.43.48. Ier. 4.8.11.14.15.16. hath likewiſe foretold all unto them in Germa­ny, viz. that they ſhould not be able thus to main­tain their falſe worſhip of God, but periſh about the ſame, even as in former times it hath happened to the houſe of Siloh and the Jews very frequently,1. Sam. 4. when as they went about to defend or maintain themſelves a­gainſt their enemies, without the ſpirit of the Lord, or,Iſa. 1.8.9.30.31.57.65. Ier. 7.17.21 22.27.28.34.37. onely according to their owne counſells, and were deſtroyed upon it, Hoſ. 7.8.10. Chap. For which cauſe therfore, ſuch as are yet remaining,Ezek. 21. 2. Cor. 4. 1. Cor. 15. Amos. 1. Ier. 7 11.15.17.19. ought right­ly to open the inward eyes of conſcience, and whereas now eſpecially the fire is likewiſe kindled here in England upon the ſame ground; it behoveth the in­habitants thereof to look very well unto themſelves6 in this regard,Rom. 1.9.11. Mat. 13.24 Jer. 6. Iſa. 9.50.59. that they do not harden their hearts a­gainſt God, with unrighteouſneſſe, crafty, falſe and wicked courſes, and be made a curſe thereby, or be conſumed in the wrath of God one among another, in the midſt of their boaſting and high-minded glo­rying of their outward Temple-religion,Mat. 13. Jer. 7.48. Iſa. 48. 1. Cor. 2. 1. Theſſ. 2. Mat. 24. Epiſt. Jud. Rom. 1. for the which the Jewes likewiſe heretofore in their unac­knowledgment have put their King to death, and cru­cified him, which ſhall alſo be judged yet in the Hea­then or falſe Chriſtians, that continue in the ſame blindneſſe and hardneſſe of heart.

Jer. 23. Ezek. 22. Apoc. 16. 2. Theſſ. 2. Zeph. 3. 2. Pet. 2. Zac. 10.11.13. Rev. 12.16.19.20. Iſa. 63. 2. Theſſ. 1. 2. Pet. 3. 1. Theſſ.But as for their ſhepheards, falſe teachers and Pro­phets, that doe ſtir up the people to theſe murdering courſes, and thereby are become the principall guilt and cauſe of the ruine and deſtruction of mankinde, they ſhalbe thruſt the foremoſt into hell, for the deli­verance of the remnant. For there is yet another com­bate at hand with the Dragon, and ſtoole of the beaſt and the falſe Prophet; by reaſon whereof alſo the day of vengeance and judgment, that ſhall be made mani­feſt like fire, hath been already denounced and decla­red, according to the ſpirit of the former Prophets, through the Word of God,1. Cor. 3. unto all the Kingdomes and Nations of whole Europe, Amos. 3.5.