them up from these things, they rife up like angry Dogs, and bark at them, and rend them, as much as they can or dare.

Wherefore thofe Teachers who cannot patiently fuffer wrongs for the Words fake; but on the contrary, when they are reproved by the Word, and their Sheeps Cloathing pull'd off, even their falfe vizard of Religion, do prefently grow impatient and furious; and they that bark and foam against the late revealed Truth, which toucheth them very near, they all are false Teachers, and Minifters of Antichrift.

The Seventh Sign.

7.

The true

Prophets

dy to hear

The true Prophets, and Minifters of Chrift, do not force any body to hear them, and obey their force no boDoctrine against their Wills, neither do they vex them against and trouble them with Secular Power, who will their wills. not obey them, and be subject to them; but they leave all fuch People as they found them, left they fhould feem by their Doctrine, to seek any Worldly thing.

Thus Chrift when he taught the Gospel, ftill cried out, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear; and he that had not ears to hear, he did not pus nifh him; and again faith Chrift, if any man will be my Difciple, let him deny himself, and take up his crofs and follow me; and ftill left men to their own Freedom, whether they would be his Difciples

or no.

And as Chrift did thus Himself, fo he left the fame thing in command with all his true Difciples; and when he fent them forth to Preach, Matth. 10. he charged them faying, Whoever will not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that boufe or City, shake off the dust of your feet, as a Teftimony against them; he doth not bind them if they be refufed, to betake themselves to the Secular Power, to get Authority from thence

K k

to

The falfe force meu

er of the

to ftay and abide there, whether they will or no, or otherwife to punish them, but bids them only to shake off the dust of their feet, that they might know, they came not to them for the Love of Earthly things. And when the Apostles out of a falfe zeal would have had Chrift to have commanded fire to have come down from Heaven to have destroyed them that would not receive him; he plainly reproved them, faying, Te know not of what Spirit ye are; for the Son of Man is not come to deftroy mens Lives, but to fave them.

It is recorded in the life of Simon and Fude the Apofiles, as both Gulielmus de fanito Amore, and John Hus relate, That when the Chief Ruler was very angry with those who defamed the Doctrine of these Apostles, and in great zeal commanded a great Firet be made, that fuch Oppofers might be caft into it, The Apostles fell down before the Emperour, Saying, We beseech you (Sir) let not Us be the Authors or Caufers of this Deftruction, who are come to pub lith the Doctrine of eternal Salvation; neither let Us who are fent to revive those who are Dead through fin, become the Killers of those who are Alive.

Wherefore thofe Teachers who for Worldly by the pow- Advantage fake, will force Themselves upon those Magiftrate. men against their Wills, who will not willingly receive them; and will provoke the Worldly Pow ers and Magiftrates to punish those who will not hear and receive Them and their Doctrine, they all are falfe Prophets and Ministers of Antichrift. The Eighth Sign.

8.

The true

Prophets

that others

The true Teachers are content that Others are content fhould teach as well as They, and would not make Thou'd teach a Menopoly of the Ministry to themselves alone, for as wel as Worldly Advantage fake.

they.

Thus our Lord Jefus Chrift did not content Him felf to preach the Gospel alone, but he fent forth

Others,

Others, as his Father fent forth him, yea, he pours forth his Spirit on all flefh, that fons, and daughters, and fervants, and handmaids may prophefie, and fo Knowledge may cover the Earth, as Waters the Seas: and to make the world willing to receive fuch Teachers, he faith, He that receiveth Tou, receiveth Me; and he that receiveth Me, receiveth Him that fent Me.

And when Eldad and Medad upon whom the Spirit of the Lord did reft, did prophefie in the Camp of Ifrael, without asking any License from Mofes, and one told Mofes of it in great difpleafure, and Joshua thereupon wifhed Mofes to forbid them to Prophefie, then Mofes the meek fervant of the Lord replied, Envieft thou for my fake? would God (faith he) that all the Lords people were Prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them All, Numb. II. 29. And fo the Godly mind of any faithful Teacher, defireth to be helped in the work of the Word, that the precicus Truth of the Gospel, which he himself alone cannot fufficiently exprefs, all mens tongues might declare. And fo they do not envy in Others thofe Spiritual Gifts which God hath given them, but do wish, that Every man had a Mouth and Wisdom given him, to declare the Mystery of the Gospel, and the infinite Love, Mercy, Wifdom, Truth, Power, Redemption, and Salvation of God by Jefus Chrift, which cannot by all mens Tongues be fufficiently published in the World.

Farther, as no worldly Prince or Magistrate hath fuch unlimited Power over the Goods of the people, as to forbid them to give corporal Alms to them that stand in need, as occafion is miniftred; no more hath any Power, whether Ecclefiaftical or Civil, fuch Dominion over the Word and Truth of God, written by the Spirit in the hearts of Believers, but that they may at Kk 2

all

The falfe

would have

Done to

own

Tribe; left

all times, and upon all occafions, minister spiritual Alms to them who ftand in need, by the teaching of the Gospel.

Wherefore thofe Teachers, who are envious that any fhould preach the Word but Themselves, tach, but and their own Tribe, as they call it, (because they themselves, and their get great Worldly Advantage thereby, whereas otherwise they would be contented that any fhould their gain preach) and fo would have the civil Magistrate hould be only to Licenfe Them to be Preachers, because prejudiced. of their Degrees and Orders, and to forbid all Others, they all are falfe Teachers, and Minifters of Antichrift.

The true Prophets are

The Ninth Sign.

The true Teachers do not only teach the word, but are alfo ready to feal to the Truth of it, with fuffer for their Eftates, Liberties, and Lives.

the Truth they teach.

Thus did Jefus Chrift, as was foretold by Isaiah, Chap. 50. 5. where Chrift faith by his Spirit, The Lord hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back; I gave my back to the fmiters, and my cheeks to them who plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from fhame and spitting. And in the days of his flesh, how willingly did he feal to the truth of his New Teftament Doctrine with his Suffering, and fuffered himself to be apprehended by the hands of men, and to be crucified, when he could have commanded Legions of Angels for his fuccour, if he had pleased, and would not have made ufe of his own infinite and Almighty Power.

And this fubmiffion and willingness to suffer for the Truth, Chrift hath commanded all his Difciples, faying, He that will fave his life, fhai lofe it; and he that will lofe his life for my fake (ball fave it: And if any man will be my Difciple, let him deny himself, take up the cross, and follow me: And again, I fend you forth as sheep among wolves, and

ye shall be brought before Kings and Rulers for my Names fake, that is, for the true and Spiritual teaching of the Gospel.

Now as nothing will procure us more enmity, than the Spiritual holding forth of the Gospel, which will cause the worldiy Church to caft out our Name as evil, and to caft our Perfons out of their Synagogues, yea, and alfo to kill us, when they can get power; fo if we be true Teachers, muft we be ready and willing to fuffer all this for Chrifts Name fake.

avoid Sut

Wherefore thofe Teachers who imbrace the The falfe heighth and honour of this Life, and will not own teach to the Gospel of Chrift, farther than they may thereby fering procure to themselves, credit, reputation, profit, and preferment in the world; and to this end, in doubtful and difficult times carry themselves fo fubtilly, that whatever Party fhall prevail, they may still stand on their legs, and enjoy their prefent profperity and preferment, and fo are neither hot nor cold, neither truly for the truth, nor openly against the truth, but feek by all fubtil means to decline the Crofs of Chrift.

And though in Chrift himself, they praise his meannefs, plainnefs, fimplicity, fuffering, and crofs, yet they themselves are delicate, and cannot endure thefe things for Chrifts fake in themfelves, but bend and frame the whole courfe of their Miniftry fo, as they may obtain all good things from the World, and avoid and escape all evil things from it; thefe all are falfe Prophets, and Minifters of Antichrift.

By thefe Nine Signs (for I fhall name no more now) may the true Prophets and Minifters of Chrift be manifeftly diftinguished and difcerned from the falfe ones of Antichrift, by all the true People of God, who have received his Spirit.