1 To preach (the like I say of praying, hearing, and the using of all ordinances in their kind) with the wisdom of words, 1 Cor. 1.17. with excellency of speech with the loftiness, high riding, and soaring of words, or humane eloquence, and wisdom, a predominant star shining in all false teachers,1 especially in Enthusiasts, Familists, and the like, who give out that they speak ⟨p. 313⟩coals, and fire-flaughts, when it is but wildfire 2 Pet. 2.3. Rom. 16.18. much in request now) to preach (I say) so loftily, is contrary to preaching in the evidence or demonstration of the spirit, so Saltmarsh's Sparkles of glory, Gortynes dreams, H. Nicholas his writings are far from any spiritual or heavenly forcing and convincing power, they have great swelling words like globes or balls of capacious swelling bags, or blathers of wind, but every word is not a pound weight, but a wandering cloud, a fleeting air, (such as the spirit, pure spirit, discoveries of the spirit, hightenings of pure, free grace, all God, all Christed, fully, and purely spiritualized Saints, that live not on any of these creatures below, no not on ordinances) are ordinary to them. But then, 1. They speak none-sense, that others more heavenly then themselves not understanding them, may go for carnal, legal, literal men as not having the spirit, and so not able to understand or judg of the things of the spirit, whereas they are the only spiritual men that judg all things, in the mean time they know not what they say, & speak contrary to the Scripture, & to sense. 2. They have a sort of high & lofty speaking, but far from the Scripture-stile, that as it is high, yet runneth with Christs feet and pace in the simplicity of Jesus Christ, now their eloquence is a combing, decking and busking of Christ, and the beauty and glory of the Gospel, which is, as if you would cloth the noon-day-sun with a gown of cloth of gold, set with rubies and precious stones, or as if one would make a purple coat of fine pure silk, to a fair Rose or Lilly; the Sun and the Lilly are twice more beautiful without these, then with them.
1 To preach (the like I say of praying, hearing, and the using of all ordinances in their kinde) with the wisdome of words, 1 Cor. 1.17. with excellency of speech with the loftines, high riding, and soaring of words, or humane eloquence, and wisdom, a predominant starre shining in al fa•se teachers,1 especially in Enthusiasts, Familists, and the like, who give out that they speake ⟨p. 313⟩coales, and fire-flaughts, when it is but wildfire 2 Pet. 2.3. Rom. 16.18. much in request now) to preach (I say) so loftily, is contrary to preaching in the evidence or demonstration of the spirit, so Saltmarshs Sparkles of glory, Gortynes dreames, H. Nicholas his writings are farre from any spirituall or heavenly forcing and convincing power, they have great swelling words like globes or balls of capacious swelling bagges, or blathers of wind, but every word is not a pound weight, but a wandering cloud, a fleeting aire, (such as the spirit, pure spirit, discoveries of the spirit, hightenings of pure, free grace, all God, all Christed, fully, and purely spiritualized Saints, that live not on any of these creatures below, no not on ordinances) are ordinary to them. But then, 1. They speake none-sense, that others more heavenly then themselves not understanding them, may go for carnall, legal, literall men as not having the spirit, and so not able to understand or judg of the things of the spirit, wheras they are the only spirituall men that judg all things, in the mean time they know not what they say, & speak contrary to the Scripture, & to sense. 2. They have a sort of high & lof•y speaking, but far from the Scripture-stile, that as it is high, yet runneth with Christs feet and pace in the simplicity of Jesus Christ, now their eloquence is a combing, decking and busking of Christ, and the beauty and glory of the Gospel, which is, as if you would cloth the noon-day-sun with a gowne of cloath of gold, set with rubies and precious stones, or as if one would make a purple coate of fine pure silk, to a faire Rose or Lilly; the Sun and the Lilly are twise more beautyfull without these, then with them.
- 1The spirit contrary to human eloquence.
