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, [Page 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 Spirit [Page 4]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 and [Page 5] 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; [Page 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.