it is that which lives, abides, and endures for ever; and the scriptures are to be fulfilled, and that which doth fulfil them is the word; and the scriptures of truth learned of God, the Father of truth, are the words of God, not a word. God spake all these words, and said,' in Exodus; and 'my words,' saith Christ; and 'whosoever shall add to these words,' saith John in the Revelations: and so the words are the scriptures of truth, that cannot be broken, Christ the word fulfils them, who was in the beginning, before the words were spoken forth, who is and remains to the end of words, who fulfils them, in whom they end.

步

Daniel Roberts, teacher to the Baptists at Reading, in Berkshire, did affirm,

P. THAT baptism of water, that is to say, elementary water, doth wash away sin.'

A. Here thou puts water in the room of Christ's blood, which cleanseth from all sin, and what need of that, if water doth it; outward water can but wash the outward.

P. That God had committed all judgment to the scriptures.

A. That is contrary to the apostle, who saith, God will judge the world by the man Christ Jesus, according to the gospel,' and that is the power; and all judgment is committed to the son.' Mark, to the son; and the saints shall judge the world,' and he is in them.

P. That the new covenant is the words of Christ and the apostles, and every one that hath the Bible in his house, hath the new covenant.'

A. The new covenant is Christ the scriptures speak of, and the Jews had the scriptures that stood against the covenant, and many may have the Bible, and not in the thing it speaks of.

P. Another Baptist said at the same time, if they had not had scriptures, they had not known how to walk nor order their conversation.'

A. How knew those to order their conversation, and walk, before scripture was given forth? The life which led them to give forth the scripture, did order them to walk acceptable to him. And the Pharisees had the scriptures given forth from the life, but being out of the life, their conversations were not ordered by it.

P. Daniel Roberts affirmed, that he knew no other spirit than what was in the scripture, and that he carried it in his pocket.'

A. The spirit is not in the scriptures, but in them that gave it forth, and that the scriptures testify of. Many got the scriptures, but wanted

where God dwells and walks in men, they are his temples, which are holy; there is his kingdom, his power, his authority, and the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell in them, and walk in them; and this is the state of thousands that are in the new covenant, that know the power of God, of the Most High, his law put in their minds and hearts; and they that do not know that they are the temples of God, and God dwelling in them, and walking in them, are worse than the Corinthians.

P. That he that doth not preach the death and resurrection, and the man Christ Jesus, that rose from the dead at Jerusalem, preacheth not the gospel, whatsoever else he doth declare.'

A. He that preacheth Christ, must preach that Christ that died at Jerusalem, for he is the same to-day, yesterday, and for ever, the lamb slain from the foundation of the world; which seed, Christ, breaks the serpent's head, and destroys death, and the devil, that went out of the truth; and death being destroyed, the captivated one comes out, by the power which is the gospel, and the prisoner of hope shows himself forth, and then the covenant of light and life is felt, and peace with God. But the reprobate, devil, death and destruction, antichrist, the beast and false prophet, may talk of Christ without, and he be not felt within; such are then the reprobates. And as to thy saying, the seed is not in all men, first know it in thyself; he is not in the man of sin, that is to be destroyed, who hath blinded thy mind, and hath taken possession of thy heart; and so first judge thyself.

P. He that doth not expect the resurrection from the dead, of his own person, as Christ rose from the dead, literally understood, hath no true hope of eternal life born in his understanding.'

A. The saints' rising is in Christ, and he is the resurrection; they are of his flesh, and of his bone, and of his spirit; and the saints are of the flesh of Christ that saw no corruption, and of his bone, and have the hope of eternal life promised of the Father. And now the flesh of Christ, the Jews did not know, that were the idolaters and fornicators; for Christ according to the flesh was of Abraham, who came out of all that idolatry and generation of fornicators, and in this the saints rise, live, and remain with Christ for ever, and such come to know the resurrection of the just and unjust, according to the scriptures, the one to eternal life, and the other to condemnation.

P. That Christ by his death overcame him that had the power of death, and thereby made way to life.'

A. But how is death overcome in thee, when thou dost not see the kingdom of God in thee, and sayst it shall not be while men are in their mortal bodies, and how short art thou of the holy ghost, and the power, and the joy, and the righteousness, which the kingdom stands VOL. III.

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