Sovereign Balm, List – Letter
A Catalogue of thoſe (never enough to be abhorred opinions) that ſome of thoſe more eſpecially that caſt off and renounce the uſe of Goſpel-ordinances, doe profeſſedly hold and maintain.
FIrſt, There's no God nor Devill, Heaven nor Hell, but what is within us.
2 There is no truth nor power in the Word, but as it is made out ſo to my Spirit: i. the Spirit ſpeakes it ſo within me.
3 The ſayings and wrtings of the Prophets and Apoſtles in the Scriptures, and of other Saints, are of equal value and truth, becauſe by the ſame Spirit.
4 There are many ſilly, vain, groſſe, and contrary things in the Scriptures; poore men they ſpeake according to the preſent temper of their Spirits.
5 There may be, and ſome are, above the profiting power of the miniſtery of the Word, and uſe of the Scriptures.
6 There is no ſin in the Saints, they are under no law but that of the Spirit, which is freedome.
7 There is no ſinne againſt GOD, For wee cannot reach him.
8 That Gods dealings with all, good and bad, are in love, for God is love.
9 There is no ſtate after this life, but (at that which is called Death) all good and bad are ſwallowed up of God.
10 That ſinne and grace are equally of God, and agreeth to his will.
11 That all perſons and things, act and are acted as God will have them.
12 That whatſoever men can that they doe, and in all according to Gods will.
13 That there is no reſurrection of the body, nor reward or puniſhment after this life.
14 That there may be as much of God ſeen and enjoyed in any ſervile labour, as in the Miniſtery of the Word, Prayer, &c. and that they have more.
15 As for that men call worſhip of God, conſcience, &c. they know not what it meanes.
16 That ſolemne Religious duties in publick or private, are but formes, bodily exerciſes, meerly Legall.
17 That men may as well work or play on the Lords day, as on any other; And as for them (to whom God is departed out of Ordinances, and abundantly anſwers another way) it is better.
18 That the ſoule is the breath of God.
19 That it is the Saints priviledge to be one Spirit, and therefore ſee no reaſon why there may not bee a community in all things.
20 That none can be certain whether he be in the truth or error, but themſelves; becauſe depending upon the teaching of the Spirit, yet they themſelvs ſoes not knowing what they ſhall hold for the future.
21 That they cannot joyn in prayer with others, becauſe of confeſſion of wants, ſinnes, drawing neere to GOD, and Petitions for the Lords preſence, giving out of help, &c. with which they cannot cloſe, becauſe denying the firſt, and enjoying the latter.
22 That as for wantonneſſe, licentiouſneſſe, Libertiniſme, and turning grace into wantonneſſe, taking occaſions from mercy to ſin, &c. they know not what you mean, they are not incident to Saints.
23 That they will, and think they ought to follow their light, though they are to loſe heaven and gain hell preſently for it (if there be ſuch things.)
24 That ſuch as are one in the Spirit of love, it is a great wrong for any to hinder their union and communion in any thing.
25 That what men call Baſtardy, is onelyonly upon the account of the men of the world, who marry and are called Baſtards, Heb. 12. not with God, with whom Saints are as Angels in community, Luke 20.34, 35, 36.
26 That they have already for Spirituals what they expect, and lack nothing, and act Faith onelyonly for Corporall ſubſiſtence.
27 That what the Saints (becauſe of others baſeneſſe and wickedneſſe doe now in ſecret, they ſhall doe openly, Matth. 20.26, 27.
28 That there is nothing fleſhly or carnall in the Saints perſons or actings, but all ſpirituall and holy.
29 That there is no Trinity of Perſons in the Godhead.
30 That there is no diſtinction between God ana Chriſt.
31 That all are born without ſin, and Saints live without ſin.
32 That a Saint may out-live all his religion, all ties upon his conſcience, and yet remain a Saint.
A true Copy of a Letter from Plimouth, February the 12. Relating the manner of Gods working upon one that had caſt off the uſe of Duties and Ordinances, ſent by an approved and known godly man that was an Eye-witneſſe.
I Have onelyonly one thing to tell you, and 'tis a remarkable paſſage of Divine Providence: There is one Nicholas Earle, a Shoomaker, ſometimes of Totn…s, and now a Souldier in the Fort, who having within this monethmonth given way to the ſtudying of eſtranging himſelfe from God, conceiving that there was no need of Miniſters, but that they muſt down; Sacraments but Ceremonies, Sabbaths not to be kept, and thereupon was reſolved to open his windowes the laſt Sabbath, and to that end diſputed and argued with ſome about it the Saturday, and then charged his wife not to teach his children prayers, or Duties, or Commandements; and my man George being preſent, ſaw him in his hot conteſtation fall to the ground roaring and crying, and taking deep deteſtation againſt thoſe that bare the Image of God, commending himſelfe onelyonly a Saint, and others out of the way. He was againſt ſinging, inſomuch that when the Souldiers in their daily duties in the Fort ſang, he ſpake to them and ſaid, they did lye like Devils. The man that Saturday night was under deep temptations, ſtrange apparitions, the Devill ſeeming to appeare to him, with ſtrange roaring. The Sabbath day he ſent for me; and when I came, at firſt ſight I was welcome, but ſuddenly I was loathſome, and he ſpat in defiance of me. I ſaw him in that temper and fit, I left him: But the munday about Noone the man came to himſelfe, hath a ſtrange conviction of his error; whereas before he left giving of thankes, before and after the receiving of the creatures, now he is troubled at the thoughts of it, acknowledging his error. I have had conference with him, and he cannot be thankfull enough that God hath ſo ſoone returned him: He deſires the Miniſters to bleſſe God for his return, and pray that he may be ſtedfaſt. This I write as certaine, and that you may acquaint others to take heed how profeſſedly they keep out of Gods way: he wiſheth all his friends to take warning by it.
M. P.
End of the text · William Bartlet, Sovereign Balm (1649)