THE MAN CHRIST JESUS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH,

And true Mediator, in opposition to the Papist Head, their Pope: Prayers to, and for the Dead, their Shaved Crowns, and Saints' Relics, and Purgatory, disproved to be Christian or Judaic, consequently Heathenish or Pagan, by Scripture Testimony.-By G. F.

WHERE did ever any, (or where is there any proof, that either in the old world to the flood, or from the flood to the coming of the children of Israel out of Egypt, or from their coming out of Egypt unto Christ, and from Christ all the apostles' days,) pray unto the dead, or to saints and angels, as in this night of apostacy since the apostles' days, as the apostates from christianity, called papists do? or where did ever any go to graves for dead men's bones, or holy relics, (as they are called,) in all those ages aforementioned, and say, there was virtue in them to work miracles by, as the papists say they have done, in the apostacy since the apostles' days.

And where did ever any, either in the old world, or since, in the prophets' and apostles' days, pray to any saint? or make any saint a mediator, (but only Christ Jesus,) as the papists in the apostacy do.

For doth not the Lord say in his law, whosoever touches the dead body of a dead man, and purifieth not himself, and defileth the tabernacle of the Lord, that soul shall be cut off from Israel, because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him? And if a man died in a tent, all that came into the tent and all that was in the tent was unclean seven days; yea, every open vessel that was not covered was unclean, Numb. i. and whosoever touched a dead man that was slain with the sword in the field; or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. And the water of purification was to go upon them:' now seven is perfect; so the perfection was to go upon them before they were made clean again.

And Moses, when the children of Israel had been at battle with the Midianites; he bid them, abide without the camp seven days: and whosoever touched any slain, they were to purify themselves, and to purify their raiments,' as in Numb. xxxi. Yea, all their gold and silver, brass, iron, tin, and lead, which they had taken from the unclean heathen, they were to make it go through the fire, and then it should be clean; and it must be purified by 'water of separation; for that which could not abide to go through the fire must go through the water.'

And saith the Lord, ye shall wash your clothes, and after seven days ye shall be clean, and then come into the Lord's camp.

Now if the war in the old covenant was to be so holy and clean, and

all the people were to be so holy and clean; then what is the spiritual war in the new covenant? must not perfection go upon every one, before they can be clean, to enter into God's camp? must not their inward clothing be washed, as they washed the outward? and must not they pass through the fire of his baptism, and holy water of his word, before they can come into the camp of God, and to his tabernacle? for the seventh day was a day of washing and of purifying in the old covenant, yea, himself and his clothes. And if he did not wash himself and his clothes, if he touched a grave, or a dead man's bone, or been in a tent where a dead man lay, or had been in the war where dead men were; if he purified not himself, he was to be cut off from the congregation; because he had defiled the tabernacle of the Lord, and the water of separation had not been sprinkled upon him.

And therefore, if they were to be so clean and holy in the old covenant, with these outward washings; much more ought they to be clean in the new covenant, with the heavenly washings, with the holy water of the word; and if they be not washed with this water of the word, and the blood of Jesus, are they not cut off from the holy and clean. congregation, and from God's tabernacle spiritually in the new covenant? for God set his outward tabernacle in his congregation, in the old covenant. Levit. xxvi. 11. But God sets the heavenly tabernacle amongst his holy and clean congregation, in the new covenant, that he hath congregated together with his spirit. And therefore, all they now that run to graves for dead men's bones, and call them relics, and pretend to do miracles by them; are they not below the law of God in the old covenant, and defilers of that tabernacle, and cut off from the congregation of the old covenant? and then much more far off the congregation of the new covenant; though in words they may profess it.

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And the Lord saith, every leper, and every one that hath an issue, or is defiled by the dead, whether male or female, shall be put out of his camp, that they should not defile his camp,' Numb. v. 3. as Miriam was put out seven days for her leprosy and disobedience. For, saith the Lord, I will dwell in the midst of you.'

So see what a care of holiness and cleanness was to be in the camp of the old covenant; much more in the new, of inward leprosies and issues, who are defiled by dead Adam, they must be purified by the water of the word, and the blood of Jesus the second Adam, before they can come into his holy camp. And who have been in the spiritual war, with the spiritual wickedness, if that they have touched the dead, or his bone, or his grave, they are defiled, till they be purified by the water of the living word, which was before the dead was, or his bone or grave either: for the Lord saith, touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'

2 Cor. vi. 17. And David saith, the heavens are the Lord's, but the earth he hath given to the children of men. The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.' Psalm exv. 16, 17. Then why should any ask counsel of the dead, and pray unto the dead, if they praise not the Lord? Again, David saith, the slain that lie in the grave God remembereth no more, they are cut off from his hand.' Psalm. lxxxviii. 5.

And therefore, how can the dead be mediators? and are not they dead in sins and trespasses, that run to the graves for dead men's bones, and call them holy relics?

And again, David saith, the sacrifices of the dead; cvi. 28.

they that join themselves to Baal Peor eat
and the dead praise not the Lord.' Psalm

So here you may see they that joined to Baal Peor, did not join to the Lord, nor sacrifice to him, but such were dead from the Lord, and did eat the sacrifices of the dead. And are not all they that profess themselves christians in the new covenant as dead, that either pray or offer to the dead? nay, are they not worse and more dark than they, because they profess a higher and greater thing, than they in the old covenant?

And David said, thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and after receive me into glory.' Psalm lxxiii. 24.

So here you may see, all must be guided by God's counsel, if they will be received into glory; and not be guided by the counsel of the dead, but by the counsel of the living God: 'but such as forget the works of the Lord, they wait not for his counsel to be guided by it. Psalm cvi. 13. And Isaiah saith, let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh, and come that we may know it.' Isa. v. 19.

And so, these waited for counsel from God, and not from the dead. And did not the apostate Jews in the days of Isaiah, seek unto wizards and familiar spirits, that peeped and muttered? and were not all those judged in the old law? and are they not much more in the days of the gospel, the power of God? for does not Isaiah say, when they shall say unto you, ask counsel of them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and mutter: then make them this answer, is there a people any where that asketh not counsel of their God, should men run to the dead from the living.'

And therefore, he saith further, to the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light or morning in them.' Isa. viii.

Now here it may be seen, there were some that taught this doctrine to seek after, and unto wizards and familiar spirits; and therefore, the

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prophet thought strange for the living to seek to the dead; and therefore, such were dark, and had no morning in them, that were gone both from the law and testimony.

And hath not God given Christ to be a counsellor, and are not all to ask counsel of him, and so not of any dead saint?

And the Lord said, 'his people asked counsel of their stocks, and their staff hath declared to them, and burn incense upon hills under oaks, and sacrifice with harlots, the spirit of whoredom having caused them to err. And this was when they were gone a whoring from God in the old covenant; and these were the people that were gone from the counsel of the Lord, and from true understanding; therefore, the Lord said they should fall.

And hath not the spirit of whoredom caused them to err, that ask counsel of painted pieces of wood and images? and that pray before the dead pictures and images? but such as do so now, know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel, no more than the apostate Jews did of old. Hosea iv. 11, to 14.

And Christ counselled the Laodiceans, saying, 'I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, &c. Rev. iii. 18. And therefore, all are to take and ask Christ's counsel for this gold. And Paul said unto the church, he had declared unto them all the counsel of God.' Acts xx. 27. And never did the apostle in all the counsel of God (that he had declared,) say, that it was the counsel of God,' that they should set up images, or pray to saints, or go to the graves of the saints for their bones, or set up any saint to be a mediator after they are deceased; or set up crosses, that they should bow before them, or to the images of saints, or pray to the dead; or that the priests or ministers of Christ should shave their heads: he declared no such counsel from God, in all his epistles and preachings.

And in Jer. xlix. 20. he exhorted them there to hear the counsel of the Lord; and the Lord saith, woe unto the rebellious children that take counsel, but not of me; that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin.' Isa. xxx. 31.

So these are rebellious children, that take not counsel of the Lord, and cover not with his spirit; such go down to Egypt for strength, and not to the Lord; and therefore, woe proceeds against them in the old covenant, much more in the new covenant, that take not counsel of Christ, whom God hath given for a counsellor, the Prince of peace.' Isa. ix. 6.

But there were people in the old covenant, that professed it, and lived not in it. And so there is now a people that profess the new covenant, and yet live not in it, that set at naught God's and Christ's counsel, and would none of his reproof.' Prov. i. 30. For the Lord saith, they would

have none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof.' And these are such as hate knowledge, and choose not the fear of the Lord; and therefore, shall they eat the fruit of their own ways, and be filled with their own devices, and so not with the treasure of life.

And Judah, when they kept in the fear of the Lord, they gathered themselves together to ask counsel of the Lord in the days of Jehoshaphat, and the Lord was their counsellor. So they did not go to ask counsel of the witch to raise up dead Samuel, as Saul did, when he had disobeyed the Lord. So Saul that disobeyed, and went to the witch to ask counsel of the dead, and not of the Lord, he had no victory: but these that asked counsel of the Lord, they had the victory. 2 Chron. xx. 4.

And you may see they asked counsel of the Lord, whether their way was to be prosperous or no. Judges xx. 23. So they did not go to ask

counsel of the dead.

And Christ saith, whatsoever things ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.' But they must ask of God through him. Matt. xxi. 22. And Christ saith, whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; and if you shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.' John xiv. 13.

So here it is clear, that all the true christians must ask in Christ's name; and he hath taught so, and exhorted to it, and not in any saint's name, or angel.

And Christ exhorts again, saying, ask, and it shall be given you; and every one that asketh receiveth.' Matt. vii. And Martha's faith was so firm, that she said, 'she knew whatsoever Christ did ask of God, he would give it.' John xi. 22.

So here you may see, Christ was the counsellor, in whose name people were to ask in the new covenant; and God's people in the old covenant were forbidden using enchantments, or observing of times; and were forbidden having regard to wizards, or seeking after familiar spirits,' for I am the Lord your God;' and him they were to seek unto, (saith the Lord.) And likewise in the old covenant the Lord forbids his people from making any cuttings in the flesh, or prints, or marks upon them for the dead. Levit. xix. 28. for they were to be an holy people' in the old covenant, so much more in the new.

And the Lord said, 'ye shall not make baldness upon your heads, nor make any cuttings in your flesh.'

Now the Lord did forbid his people from doing these things in the old covenant, so much more in the new. And therefore, all you that shave your heads, and make them bald, and make cuttings in your flesh with whips or otherwise, are not you judged by the law of God, to be out of the practice of the old covenant? and so, short of the new, in the prac tice of the heathen, and not in the practice of the old covenant nor new?