A Messenger Sent to Remove Some Mistakes, Title page – To the reader
A MESSENGER SENT To remove ſome miſtakes; OR A DESIROUS INSTRUMENT For the promoting of TRUTH, UNITY, PEACE and LOVE in the CHURCH of CHRIST.
By way of Anſwer to a Book, untruly and improperly intitled, A vindication of that righteous principle of the Doctrine of Chriſt called laying on of hands upon Baptized believers.
By THOMAS MORRIS, a ſervant of Jeſus Chriſt.
Alſo Robert Everards three Queſtions propounded to Benjamin Morley about his practice of laying on of hands, with his Anſwer, and R. E. Reply.
Study to ſhew thy ſelf approved unto God; a workman that need not to be aſhamed, rightly dividing the word of truth 2 Tim. 2.15.
To the Law, and to the teſtimony: if they ſpeak not according to this rule, it is becauſe there is no light in them, Iſa. 8.20.
LONDON, Printed for R. E. and are to be Sold by Richard Moon, at the ſeven Stars neer the North Door of Pauls Church. 1655.
To all that love the Lord Jeſus Chriſt in ſincerity.
DEar Brother, and Brethren, I, taking notice of the deſign of Anti-Chriſt, whoſe trouble it is to ſee the Church of Chriſt increaſe, and his honour flouriſh, it being the decay of his worldly honour and wicked Government, and ſo he hath as from the very root of envy againſt the honour of Jeſus Chriſt, and the good of his Church, his, viz. Anti-Chriſts honour, and intereſt being concerned in his deſign, which moves him to indeavour the ruin of Chriſts honour, and of his people in that, he hath in theſe laſt days indeavoured to confound Chriſts Church, and the way his people walk in, by uſing Inſtruments to perſwade them to ſhift obedience to Gods Ordinances, eſpecially in point of Baptiſm, and breaking of Bread, pretending as if he hath brought in a new diſpenſation by way of Revelation and immediate inſpiration, conſiſting of the power of Godlineſs without the form; ſometimes appearing like an Angel of light in point of opinion, and ſometimes like a civil honeſt man for matter of converſation, thinking the Church of Chriſt could not have eſpied his painted blaſphemy in point of opinion, nor his diſſembling hypocriſie in uſing civil honeſty as a cloak for his Knavery; ſo that under pretence of bringing men over to ſerve Chriſt in a higher diſpenſation, as he calls it, he might bring them to ſerve himſelf in a blaſphemous way, giving God the lye, in ſaying he hath not commanded the Saints now to be Baptized in water, nor to hold viſible Communion in the Supper, or breaking of Bread; and thus he indeavours to divide the Church of Chriſt by this means: but when he could not prevail utterly to confound the Church this way, Chriſt having ſome ſtout Souldiers, who as inſtruments under God did withſtand him, he now attempts utterly to ruin the Church of Chriſt another way; for finding many in the Church, whom he cannot by his former deſign deceive, they were ſo zealous for obedience to Gods Ordinances, he now lays his bait where he thinks it is moſt likely to catch, viz. in actions relating to Ordinances, and ſo with ſomething like truth, which is not truth, but an error ſo neatly dreſſed with truths habit, that few are able to look through truths habit, ſo as to ſee the ugly ſhape of errour that barks under it: he ſtrikes at the very being of the Church; and therefore ſeeing Gods honour and the Churches Peace and well being is ſo much concerned in it, I deſire all my dear Brethren and Friends, as they with me tender Gods honour and the Churches well being, Impartially to read and deliberately to conſider this following Treatiſe, the which if you do, though Anti-Chriſt hath prevailed with ſome, who have a great influence upon the Churches to be Inſtrumental for the promoting of his defence, though I verily believe they know it not, but as ſome zealous Presbyters do, when they ſprinkle Infants think they do God good ſervice, you ſhall ſee this error ſtript of truths habit, and laid open in its own colours; and whereas Brother Morly in his Epiſtle to the Reader ſeems to be the more confident in his way, becauſe the Biſhops kept the name of Gods Ordinances, of which, ſaith he, laying on of hands was one; but I muſt tell him and you, that for my part I dare not receive neither the name nor nature of Baptiſm, nor laying on of hands, as from what the Biſhops ſaid or did, no further then they ſaid and did according to the rule of Scripture; and ſo if your practice had been ſuch a one, as had been taught by way of Doctrine, and injoyned by way of Command from Scripture, it had been well; but your practiſe of laying on of hands being ſuch a one as is neither taught by way of Doctrine, nor injoyned by way of Command, is of the more ſad and dangerous conſequence, as ſad experience hath proved; ſo hoping you will take the Counſel of the Spirit of God by the Apoſtle; 2 Cor. 13. viz. To examin your ſelves whether you be right in the Faith or not, I ſhall refer you to the following diſcourſe for further ſatisfaction, and reſt and remain,
Your Fellow Servant in the Faith and Fellowſhip of the Goſpel, THOMAS MORI….
TO THE READER.
READER,
THough upon the reading of this following Treatiſe, thou mayſt diſcover two friends contending one againſt another, yet take heed that thou doeſt not ſtumble and fall; for though an unhappy difference is now fallen out in the Church of Chriſt, yet it is no new thing, for in the Apoſtles time Acts 17.2.7.10. there was great contention amongſt the Brethren, whether or no Circumciſion was of neceſſity to ſalvation; therefore think it not ſtrange that Brethren ſhould differ in ſome things; for if thou doſt ſtumble, thou mayſt fall and periſh, when the parties differing may be reconciled and live for ever; but if it ſhould ſo unhappily fall out, that this one thing ſhould cauſe us to break our viſible Communion, yet know, that I hope we have all of us better learned Chriſt, than to turn back again to the beggarly rudiments of the National Church of England; ſo hoping thou wilt be wiſe for Gods glory and thine own good, I ſhall leave thee to him, who is not willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to repentance, 2 Pet. 3.9. and would have all men ſaved 1 Tim. 2.4.
And ſhall ſtill remain a well wiſher to thy Soul. THOMAS MORRIS.