THe great designe of the Devil belo­ved in all ages, hath been to un­dermine the Church and People of God, and to seduce poor souls, by drawing and entising them in­to most desperate and gross errours; the better to do this, he sometimes ransforms himself into an Angel of Light; which designe of his, as it hath been vatiously caried on and managed in all. A­ges, so most especially in this last and worst [...]ge of the world, wherein we live.

Among many other stratagems and devices which the Devil hath to delude people, one main if not chief designe of his, hath been to exalt his Kingdome by infusing strange and unheard of principles and opinions into the hearts and minds of men, in which exploit of his he hath very nota­bly, like a cunning deceiver acted his part in this last age of the world in which we live, witness his notable delusions of thousands of poor ignorant souls into strange and unheard of principles: a­mong many other, our late Quakers in whom how greatly he hath prevailed, the Lord knowes hath too too evidently been seen in our days—but the folly and madness of these simple sottish deluders and deceivers, hath been sufficiently de­clared to the world.

Another sort more seeming wise and confident then these, are such as now among us, are known by the name of Fifth Monarchy men, that are for their generation work, as they sa [...], but not in their actions; whose windy principles, by reason of the eminency of some chief deluders of that Sect, hath not a little poysoned and infected the mindes and spirits of many thousands of male­contented persons among us, and this Leven of their false doctrine hath so wrought with them, as that they dare desperately set themselves to throw down and oppose all, both Government and Go­vernors, [Page 3] that shall stand in the way of their de­signes; under pretence of setting up the Kingdom of Christ in the earty, and doing the works of their generation as if they would cross God himself, and appoint him what Government and Governours he shall set up; Who setteth up one, and pulleth down another, and there is nothing that may say unto him, what doest thou; but as God hath dis­covered and disowned, as well in his providential actings as in his holy word, the designes of all o­ther deluders hitherto, blessed bee God, so like­wise hath he now of late the design of those over­confident and self-opinionated persons, who cry up the personal reign of Christ, on earth and doing the works of their generation, the great work wherein these super-confident men have most bu­sied and imployed both their wits and parts, hath been mainly to throw down whatsoever in the world crosseth or opposerh their designes.

Witness that notable, but perniticus design of theirs lately on foot, against the Ministers and Ministry of Christ, a most notable and cunning device of the Devil, in which most destructive de­sign, the Devil and all his instruments are most deeply engaged in, but as God was then pleased to blast that wretched design of theirs, against the whole Ministry and School of good learning, so I hope he will still be pleased to ensnare them in all [Page 4] their undertakings whatsoever. The great policy of these men is to lay down all, both Learning Mi­nistry, and Governours though never so just and right as Antichristian and Babylonish, thereby I ying an odium as it were upon the ways and in­stitutions of Christ himself, that so by their speci­ous pretences they may work themselvs and their doctrines into the good opinions of such, whose affections (like filly people) are itching after No­velty. But how greatly Antichristian these men are in those and all other their designes, I shall here endeavour, God willing, to manifest and de­clare to all the world.

First, these generation Work-men both in their Writings and preaching, labour to possess mens minds, heads and hearts, with fond faneies and conceits of the Personal of Reign of Christ for a thousand years upon earth; which doctrine is both erroneous and also Antichristian, having no foundation or footing in the blessed Word of God, and is also derogatory to the honour and dignity of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. For our Saviour Christ himself Joh. 18. 36. saith expresly, that his Kingdome is not of this world; And if not of this world, then no personal raign upon earth.

Secondly Jesus Christ when he left the world, ascended [...] heaven and is there sate down at the right hand of God the Father; from whence [Page 5] he will not return till such time as he shall come to judgement. I will come again (saith Christ Joh. 14. 3. to his Disciples) but mark the words, it shall be not to raign personally upon earth with you but to receive you to my self, that where I am there yee may bee also, which is at the right hand of God the Father, in heaven.

We have not any one place or text of Scripture which mentions any comming of Christ to raign upon earth in his humane nature personally, which these men fondly dream of: We read indeed of a second comming of Christ, but then it is to judge­ment, Jude 14. 15. Behold the Lord commeth (saith the Text) with ten thousands of his Saints to execuee judgement upon all, and to convince all, And Psal. 96. 13. For lo he commeth, for he commeth, faith the Psalmist; but it is not per­sonally to raign, but to judge the earth: Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly. I deny not but that the Lord Jesus Christ shall in these latter days have amost glorious Kingdom in the world, but then it shall be a spiritual and holy Kingdome in the hearts and lives of his people. And thus hath Christ reigned in some measure more or less, ever since his comming in the flesh, yea ever since the beginning of the world; and thus, and thus onely shall Christ raign, till we all come to raign with him in heaven. For he must raign, saith the Apo­stle [Page 6] 1 Cor. 15. till he hath put all his enemies un­der his feet.

Likewise also consider, how detogarory this doctrine of an earthly reign, is to the honour and dignity of the Lord Jesus Christ, what is Christ gone to heaven, there to live and reign as Lord and King for ever with his Father, and shall men conceit or imagine that he shall leave his Fathers glory, and a most glorious and heavenly Kingdom for an earthly Kingdom! Certainly this is a most gross absurdity, and great affront to the honour and dignity of the Lord Jesus Christ thus to con­ceit: is not he King over all, and doth hee not rule in the Kingdoms of men? Is not the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and shal any ignoble him so as have him to have but an earthly King­dome, to rule and govern like a Monarch in the world? O horrible indignity. This fond conceit of Christ personal raign upon earth, may be like­ned to the fond conceit and blind opinion of the Jews, who looking for the glorious comming of Christ as their King, to live and raign as a King and Monarch upon earth, could not stoop so low as to see him lying in a manger; which fond opi­nion of theirs, they were and are even at this very day so confident of, that they both flight and de­spise the comming of Christ indeed; and so I pray God out Monarchical generation. Workmen, who [Page 7] would pull down Christ from his throne in Hea­ven to set him up upon earth, I pray God, I say, that these men bee not found to bee the men that resist and withstand both the Kingdome and po­wer of Jesus Christ, Certainly these mens do­ctrines, let them say what they will, are alto­gether Antichristian and abhominable.

Another design of these generation Workmen, in which they have not been a little active, is to cry down all institution of Government both in Church and State, though never so sacred, as An­tichristian and unlawful thereby seeking like cun­ning Engineers, to undermine both Religion and Government in its very foundation; but how An­tichristian and unlawful the designes and actings of these very men themselves are, is not a little ap­parent: Hath God in his word set up Governours and Government in the world, and as he himself saith, it is by him that Kings raigne, and Princes decree justice, and shal these men in their blind zeal go about to throw them down? Did Christ himself and all his Disciples after him pray for, and quietly submit themselves in all godliness and ho­nesty, to the government of these men when they lived, giving them all honour, and paying tribute and custome to them, and shal Mr. Feak and Mr. Rogers and others of this generation, preach a­gainst and pray against all Government and Go­vernours? [Page 8] O horrible Antichristian doctrine: Do these men preach the Gospel? certainly no. Doth the word of God, 1 Tim. 2. 2 commend men that are in authority, and shal these men go about to pull down all rule and authority? May we, if we our selves wil, lead a quiet and peaceable life un­der our Governours and government, in all godli­ness and honesty, and shal we with tumults go a­bout to embroil our selves and the whole Nation in bloud and misery? Doth the word of God Rom. 13. 1, 2. say expresly, that there is no power but of God, and that the powers which now are are of God, who setteth up and pulleth down whom he pleases, and shal these men say they are not of God but of Antichrist? Certainly this is no other then to give God the lye. Must we be sub­ject (as the word of God saith) not onely for wrath but for conscience sake, and shall men under vain pretences of they know not what, refuse to yeeld subjection, and contrive, plot and conspire against them and their authority? What is this but instead of setting of Christ up to raign, but to pull Christ down from his throne? Are not these then strange and unheard of doctrines? the Lord convince them of their folly, and give them a sight and sense of their errors.

Another doctrine and designe of these men al­together as derogatory from the truth as the other, [Page 9] is this; That that the government of the world shalbe invested into the hands of the Saints, of whom they think themselves to bee chie [...]; which doctrine how pernitious and destructive it hath been, former ages have sadly experienced. I con­fess it were a good thing and desirable, and I would to God it might so be, that all Governors whatsoever might be good and upright men, men fearing God and hating covetousness, that our Princes may be Peace, and our Exactors righte­ousness, that so judgement and justice might run down like a mighty stream; this indeed were a good thing, and a thing greatly to be desired, and which indeed ought to bee endeavoured after by all: And I could wish that all those whose right it is both to chuse and constitute Officers of all sorts, would on all occasions make choise of such men. But to teach or maintain that Saints as Saints ought to bear rule in the world, is deroga­tory from the rule of Scripture, and would bee pernitious if not destructive to all humane society.

Lastly, I wish those men themselves thus en­gaged in the work of their generation (as they say) and all others, seriously to consider how great­ly they advance thy Kingdome of Satan above the Kingdome of Christ; for it's the Devils doctrine to preach down government and Governours, it's his work to pull down Ministers and Ministry: [Page 10] yea, it is the Devils main design to root out of the world both Ministry and Magistracy, and all o­ther Schools of Learning, good education, and knowledge; for it's the Ministers by their preaching the Gospel, that oppose the Kingdom of Satan. And it's not a little considerable, how highly these men go about to gratifie as well the bloudy Papists, as the Devil also; what more can the Devil or the Papists wish or desire, then to see Learning and knowledg taken away from among us? who then shall bee able to resist or gainsay their ridiculous, soul-damning, desperate doctrine, and tradition? how soon then will men be infect­ed with the poyson of Popery? and how easily may men be drawn aside, when there is none to guide or iustruct them in the ways of truth? men are of themselves too too apt to be led aside with error, and they must needs fall into the snares of the Devil when they neither see it nor hear of it; and as for the Devil, how greatly doth he rejoyce at such workings as these?

Certainly these generation workmen, I mean those of the Fifth Monarchy, would save the De­vil a great deal of labour, if they could but beat down Ministry and Magistracy, which is the great work which the Devil hath been doing ever since he was a Devil: if once that work were done, then he might easily go on without contradiction [Page 11] in deluding and deceiving poor souls. The Lord prevent both him and them, and still keep up a Gospel Ministry, a powerfull preaching Ministry in the world, especially in these nations, which I am confident shal be even to the end of the world so long as there is a soul to save, there shall be, in despight of the Devil and all his instruments, a Minister to preach salvation; for Ephes. 4. 11. Christ gave some Prophets, some Apostles some Pastors, and some Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministry, which must continue to the end of the world. But these men will say, they would pull down Antichristi­an Ministers and Learning, of which sort they ac­count all our learned, reverend, and godly Di­vines; yet they would set up a more heavenly way of preaching, which should be all by the in­spiration of the spirit, without either learning, gifts or tongues: Certainly these men do not know what spirit they are of themselves. What ground or promise is there in all the word of God for any such extraordinary inspirations and infusions of the spirit which these men dream of? Doth not the spirit of God say, To the Law and to the Te­stimony? And ye do well (saith St. Peter) to take heed to the word, as to a light that shineth in dark places. In the Epistle to Timothy, St. Paul adviseth Timothy to give attendance to rea­ding [Page 12] to exhortation, and to doctrine, and not to neglect the gift that was in him: But certainly these men would not onely deceive themselves, but also the whole Nation. And should these men (which God forbid) these generation work­men, have but their wills and ways, what fad and disorderly doings should we have? where should we look for justice, conscience, or honesty among men, seeing the spirits of these men are by Divine inspiration, as they say? Certainly, in stead of having our generation work done, we should have Satans designe carried on, which would be to kill and destroy all that shall gain­say them, which the Lord forbid.

I shall conclude all with this exhortation to all men, first, to fear God; and secondly, to submit peaceably and quietly to all that are in authority over us, that we living peaceably under them, may lead a godly, quiet, and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty; and not to plot or conspire either directly or indirectly against either the per­sons or power of those under whom we live, whom God hath set over us to rule and execute authority over us for good. The good Lord ei­ther convert or confound the devices of all those that bear evil will to the peace and prosperity of these three Nations, and continue Government and Governours amongst us, both Ministry and [Page 13] Magistracy, in despight of all opposers: And the good Lord grant that none may be suffered under pretence of the Kingdome of Christ upon earth, to set up themselves as Christs Deputies to rule and reign. And my desire is, that all the King­domes of the world may become the Kingdomes of Christ, I mean spiritually, not in a Monarchi­cal manner; that Christ may live and reign in our hearts by the power of his grace and spirit, in a more heavenly life and conversation, that so we may every one of us submit to the blessed Scepter of his Kingdome, which is a Scepter of righteous­ness and holiness, peace and quietness; not of envy or malice, hatred or revenge: that so wee may every one of us be doing the works of our generation, which is not to raise tumults and com­motions in the world, but to live peaceably and quietly in those places and conditions which God hath set us in, submitting our selves (as the Apo­stle saith) to the higher powers, and, as we are bound to pray for them; giving to all their due, tribute to whom tribute is due, custome to whom custome, honour to whom honour is due, Rom. 13. 7. as we have Christ and his Apostles for our examples, that the name of Christ and Religion may not be evil spoken of; and as for the Go­vernment of the world, let us leave that to God, who alone pulleth down and setteth up: Let it [Page 14] be our work and our business to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, that so we may at the end of our days receive the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls.

You have seen now what the Kingdome of Christ is, an holy and heavenly Kingdome, not a carnal and earthly Kingdome, as vain men fondly conceive, but an eternal Kingdome in the highest Heaven. Let us therefore receiving this King­dome which cannot be moved, have grace in our hearts, whereby we may serve God acceptably with fear and reverence, Heb 12. 28. that so af­ter this sinfull life is ended, we may live and reign with Christ for ever in the world to come.

AMEN.