I.

THE BATTLE-AXE,

AND WEAPONS OF WAR.

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In order that we may discover the Battle-axe, or, in other words, that we may discover the Truth, we have arranged our discourse in the following order: --Firstly, to show the standing of man, both before and after his fall; with the conditions on which the covenant of grace stands with him. Secondly, to take a view of man's broken standing at this present day, both civil and ecclesiastical. Thirdly, to discover the counsel of Satan and his union with the ecclesiastical system. Fourthly, to draw the line between church and state. Fifthly, to discover the true church primitively restored. Sixthly, to examine the religious sects, that we may see which to them is right, that we may cause the world not to halt any longer between so many opinions. Seventhly, a sermon to the priests, in behalf of a sinful world.

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FIRSTLY, WE ARE to show the standing of man both before and after the fall, with the conditions on which the covenant of grace stands with him.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth; and he made man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into him the breath of life, and he became a living soul, without the knowledge of good or evil. And God gave him dominion over all the earth, to rule and govern it at his discretion. --But God reserved the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and commanded the man not to touch it, lest he should die. But through the counsel of the serpent he ate of it, whereby he rejected the command of God, and accepted the devil for his counselor; and the standing that he and his posterity were in after he had transgressed was this --he had a knowledge of good and evil --he had the government of the world, with satan for his counselor --and was to get his bread by the sweat of his face, with the sentence of death.

Now we do not believe all this by the report of the bible only, for all people that have understanding, are eye witnesses to the truth of it. For we see that man hath a witness within him, that tells him when he does right to his fellow creatures, and when he does wrong. And we see that man is endowed with reason and manhood sufficient to govern the world with prudence, and for the good of mankind; but by being influenced by some spirit that has more power than the spirit of man, he is moved to perform deeds that are against his own manly nature. And all mankind being so controlled by the counsel of satan, often work their own ruin, and this glorious human nature becomes reduced to be more base than that of the beasts of the earth. --We also see that our bread must be procured by the sweat of men's faces, and that we are all subject to death; and by not shaping our conduct according to that right knowledge within us, we stand in fear of some punishment after death.

And God saw the situation of man, that it was deplorable; and in love to him sent his only Son into the world to suffer death, that as many as were willing to comply with the terms of the new covenant, should escape a future punishment. And that man should cleave unto the Lord again, and regard not the world that was given him under the first covenant; but accept of the terms of the new covenant, as the Lord was pleased to give them forth -- that is, that in all ages of the world they should obey his commands. He commanded Noah to build an ark, who obeyed his voice and preached the new covenant to the world; which they refused to accept and all perished.

After the flood, the Lord made a law against shedding man's blood, which in the old world they had not, and in the days of Abraham he made the law of circumcision, which Noah had not; and in the days of Moses he commanded a sabbath to be kept, with many other laws, which according to the scriptures, Noah, Abraham and their forefathers, knew nothing of. But the Lord signified to them to whom he made known his laws, that the whole terms of the new covenant would not be established until Christ should come; who was called the Messenger of the new covenant, and give them forth himself -- as it is written by Moses, "A prophet shall the Lord they God raise up unto thee of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him shall ye hearken in all things."

Therefore, when Christ came and delivered the terms, which is his Gospel; and set the example with his own life, and sealed it with his blood; the veil was rent and the whole terms laid before the world in a plain and simple manner. But when the people came to hear them they found fault, and some said it was a hard saying; for they found that they must forsake all the honor and glory of the world, and every title that they held under the first covenant, and become as fools in the sight of the world before they could be accepted in the new covenant. Therefore, they murmured at Christ, because he held them to such hard terms; but he gave them to understand that inasmuch as man had received satan for this counselor under the first covenant, so that covenant must be made void by separating man from the world; and that man never will be delivered from the counsel of satan, so long as he hangs to the dominion of the world which satan is lord of.

But as Christ would not receive the least mite of the dominion of this world, (though satan tempted him with it, as he did our first parents,) so he gained a complete victory over satan; for satan had no instruments to fight with but what he had obtained by flattery at the beginning. And Christ withstood them all, even to death, and came forth a conqueror; having all power in heaven and in earth. Therefore, as mankind lost all their power by complying with satan; and Christ gained all power by withstanding him; so it is required that all who enter into the new covenant with Christ should experience the same warfare and victory over satan, but the power that Christ will give them; for Christ saith, "Of myself I can do nothing" --and , again, "Without me ye can do nothing." Therefore, as Christ gained the victory by the power of the Father, even so those that are in the new covenant must gain the victory by the power of the Son. And there is no longer time given unto men in this world than to accomplish this warfare; for as soon as a man arrives to the prime of life, he begins to decline and return back to the ground from whence he was taken -- and as fast as a man can receive power to resist his worldly inclinations, so fast the devil loses his residence in him. And, although the scriptures say the gifts and callings of God are without repentance; yet as the first covenant was made firm with man, the dominion of the world freely given to him, and the terms of the new covenant only offered to him -- so it stands with his own free choice. For all that will run the venture of their souls, and hold fast to the world, have a just right to it, with all the honor and glory they can obtain in it; and to defend the rights which God hath given them according to their own wills.

But if the fear of destruction moves any man to forsake his right to the world, and to join with Christ in the new covenant; he becomes a stranger and a pilgrim on the earth; and has no right to any thing, except what the Lord suffers him to have in peace, without violently contending with the proprietors of the earth. For no christian hath a right to contend in the least, for that which he hath freely disposed of, -- for the express purpose of obtaining that pearl of great price, which the merchantman sold all he had, to procure -- any more than a man hath a right to contend for a farm after he hath given a deed of it to another man. And inasmuch as the government of the world was given unto man by the Lord, so those that are under the new covenant are commanded to submit to the rulers of the world for the Lord's sake; to honor them with the honor that God hath put upon them, and to obey them in every thing, except they make laws repugnant to the terms of the new covenant; but in that case they may not conform, thought every thing be taken from them; yea, and their own lives also. And as those that are under the new covenant are strangers and pilgrims on the earth; traveling, as it were, through a strange country; so they are to pay their passage to the rulers, lest they should offend them; but yet they are not to take an active part in the government of the world, either to counsel, judge or defend.

But if they are enticed by the counsel of satan to return again to the world, as a dog to his vomit, or a sow that is washed to her wallowing in the mire, they break their covenant with Christ, and he will blot their names out of the book of life; and then satan becomes their god, and they can establish his worship by law; and support it by money; and make a fine outside appearance of worship. The terms of the new covenant, which Christ gave forth, bay be seen in the sermon on the mount, beginning at the fifth of Matthew. He first pronounced blessings on them that are despised and persecuted for the sake of him and his gospel; and said such are the light of the world, &c. Then he went on to tell them that his gospel was in opposition to the law of nature; that under the law they were allowed to swear, if they would perform to the Lord their oaths; but under the gospel they may not swear at all. Again, he reminded them that they were allowed under the law, when they were insulted to seek some redress by the law; and that judges were to give "An eye for an eye," "A tooth for a tooth," &c.; but under the Gospel, he provided them no way, but to suffer any abuse without making any kind of resistance; and if they were sued at the law, not to retaliate; but suffer themselves to be wronged rather than to make any resistance. Again he observed, that under the law they were allowed to hate their enemies; but now he commands them to love their enemies, and do good to them.

Therefore, we see that those who come under the new covenant are taken off from protecting themselves of property by the law; and from making any corporal resistance. In the next place he went on to show them that an outward appearance of religion was hypocritical; that when they give alms, it must be done in secret; and when they pray, not to do it in public, nor make long prayers, nor use vain repetition, for he saith, "Your Heavenly Gather knoweth what ye have need of, before ye ask him." And like wise they may not fast in a public manner. He also commanded them not to lay up treasure on earth, "For where the treasure is, there the heart will be also." Then he plainly told them that no man could serve two masters; that it is impossible to serve God, under the new covenant, and serve the world also. And he told them not to have an anxious care either for food or raiment, &c. And he signified to them that they must not put themselves in the place of judgment, to judge and condemn others, lest they should have the same measure meted out to themselves.

We are to understand that this new law of Christ was delivered to his apostles; to be held forth to the world after he had sealed it with his blood; and sent the spirit of truth to enable them to hold it forth, and suffer the consequences that should follow. So they went forth bearing that despised message; suffering persecution; discipling others, and requiring them to hold forth the same doctrine, till it became spread over all the known parts of the world. And great persecution followed, and thousands were murdered for the same. And in that manner they continued three hundred years, suffering under the laws of the Roman empire, until said empire was overthrown by Constantine, who preferred the Christians to worldly honor; and through the counsel of satan, they took upon them the government of the world and became united with the secular power, and established their worship by law. And the instant they established their worship, to be protected by an arm of flesh, the whole platform thereof stood on an earthly foundation. So Christ forsook them, and satan transformed himself as an angle of light before them, and put himself in the place of God, and they thought he was God. So the church broke her marriage covenant with Christ, and went a whoring after other lovers, (which were the allurements of the world,) and was called the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth; because so many churches proceeded from her who followed her example.

Now we do not say this by mere supposition, for we have three sufficient witnesses to confirm the truth of it. The first is the prophecies of Christ delivered to his apostles, especially to his apostle John -- who plainly foretold all those things. The second is the accounts we have in histories of the fulfilling of those prophecies, with such correspondence that nothing but the inspiration of God could equal it. The third is the present situation of the world, which we see with our eyes; which jointly agrees with the prophecies of the Scriptures.

But we shall proceed, secondly -- To take a view of man's broken standing at this present day, both civil and ecclesiastical.

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