duce the workings of the Spirit, in chriftians and churches, to an outward uniformity, according to their own mind and fancy, and fo would rule and order, and enlarge and ftraiten the Spirit of God by the spirit of man; seeing it is worfe to fin against Christ in the Spirit, than against Christ in the flesh.

And therefore, till I be otherwise taught by the word, I cannot conceive that there ought to be, or is poffible to be, any fuch external uniformity in the churches of Christ, as these men ftrive, and contend for; I will not say are ready to fight for: but that several churches of Chrift, having unity of doctrine, faith, the Spirit, ordinancés, &c. may have divers forms of outward adminiftrations, as God and Chrift by the Spirit fhall lead them; and that every church is in these things to be left free, and no church forced by any outward power to follow or imitate another church, against its will, not being freely led unto it by the Spirit of God.

Neither do I think that God hath fet up any company of men, or Synod in the world, to fhine to a whole nation, fo that all people shall be constrained to follow their judgment, and to walk by their light: feeing other minifters and christians may have more light and spirit than they. Neither hath Chrift promised his prefence and Spirit, to minifters more than to believers, nor more to an hundred, than two or three: And if two or three chriftians in the country, being met together in the name of Chrift, have Chrift himself, with his word and Spirit among them, they need not ride many miles to the Affembly at London to know what to do, or how to carry and behave themfelves in the things of God. And therefore, for any company of men, of what repute foever, to fet up their own judgment in a kingdom, for a peremptory rule, from which no man muft vary, and to compel all the faithful people

of

of God, who are the very members of Jefus Chrift himfelf, to fall down before it, upon pain of being caft into the burning fiery furnace of their indignation, heated feven times more hot than ordinary, through the defired access of fecular power to their power, is a far worse work, in my eyes, than that of king Nebuchadnezzar's fetting up a golden image, and forcing all to fall down before it; feeing fpiritual idolatry, is fo much worse than corporal, as the spirit is better than the flesh.

And therefore I do think (let them teach me better by the word that can) that uniformity, the great Diana of the Presbyterians, and the image that falls down from the brain and fancy of man, hath no footing in the Scriptures, or in the practice of the churches of Chrift: And that the prefbyterian uniformity, is near akin to prelatical conformity, and is no other than the fame thing under another word, after the manner of prelacy and prefbytery; and to conclude, that unity is christian, uniformity antichriftian.

And this I have only hinted, and that briefly, among many occafions, to difcover to the faithful, that fome of the very dregs of antichriftianifm ftill prevail and domineer, under the very name of Reformation: and alfo to give occafion to men of more fpirit and abilities, and leifure, to difcourfe more fully to this point, that the Serpent's head of formality, which is fo carefully nourished by human reafon, may be crushed in pieces by the power of the word.

I JOHN ii. 27.

The anointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you, and ye need not that any man should teach you, but as be fame anointing teacheth you all things, and is truth,

F 3

and

and is no lye, aud even as it hath taught you, you shall abide in him.

The spiritual church is taught by the anointing, the carnal church by councils.

THE

THE

BUILDING, BEAUTY,

Teaching, and Embellishment

Of the Truly

CHRISTIAN AND SPIRITUAL

CHURCH.

By WILLIAM DEL L.

MATT, V. 11, 12.

Bleffed are ye when men fhall revile you, and perfecute you, and fhall fay all manner of evil against you falfly for my fake.

Rejoice and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven: for fo perfecuted they the prophets which were before you. PSAL. Ixix. 9.

The reproaches of them that reproached thee, are fallen upon me.