by Robert Barclay

“ Yea, how can the church be the kingdom of the Son of God, as contra-distinguished from the kingdom and power of darkness? And what need, yea, what possibility, of being translated out of the one into the other, if those that make up the kingdom and power of darkness be real members of the true church of Christ, and not simply members only, but the very pastors and teachers of it? But how do they increase in the increase of God, and receive spiritual nourishment from Christ the head, that are enemies of him in their hearts by wicked works, and openly go into perdition? ”

“ God's people, I felt a secret power among them, which touched my heart, and as I gave way unto it, I found the evil weakening in me, and the good raised up, and so I became thus knit and united unto them, hungering more and more after the increase of this power and life, whereby I might feel myself perfectly redeemed. And indeed this is the surest way to become a Christian, to whom afterwards the knowledge and understanding of principles will not be wanting, but will grow up so much as is needful, as the natural fruit of this good root, and such a knowledge will not be barren nor unfruitful. ”

“ The stone which the builders of all kinds have rejected, the same is become unto us the head of the corner. Glory to God for ever! who hath chosen us as first-fruits to himself in this day, wherein he is arisen to plead with the nations; and therefore hath sent us forth to preach this everlasting gospel unto all, Christ nigh to all, the light in all, the seed sown in the hearts of all, that men may come and apply their minds to it. And we rejoice that we have been made to lay down our wisdom and learning (such of us as have had some of it) and our carnal reasoning, to learn of Jesus ”

“ The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. For who can with any colour of reason imagine, that that which is so hath any power of itself, or is in any wise fit, to lead a man to righteousness, whereunto it is of its own nature directly opposite? This is as contrary to reason, as it is impossible in nature that a stone, of its own nature and proper motion, should fly upwards: for as a stone of its own nature inclineth and is prone to move downwards towards the centre, so the heart of man is naturally prone and inclined to evil, some to one, and some to another. ”

“ Is not hypocrisy a work of the flesh, which our adversaries confess the magistrates ought not to punish? Yea, are not hatred and envy there mentioned as works of the flesh? And yet the magistrate cannot punish them, as they are in themselves, until they exert themselves in other acts which come under his power. But so long as heresy doth not exert itself in any act destructive to human society, or such like things, but is kept within the sphere of those duties of doctrine or worship which stand betwixt a man and God, they no ways come within the magistrate's power. ”

“ And so the devil may be as good and able a minister as the best of
[132] them; for he has better skill in languages, and more logic, philosophy, and school-divinity, than any of them; and knows the truth in the notion better than they all, and can talk more eloquently than all those preachers. But what availeth all this? Is it not all but as death, as a painted sepulchre, and dead carcase, without the power, life and spirit of Christianity, which is the marrow and substance of a Christian ministry? ”

“ If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever: and the Bread that I will give him, is my Flesh, which I will give for the Life of the World. The Jews therefore strove amongst them selves, saying, How can this man give us his Flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, ye have no Life in you: Whoso eateth my Flesh, and drinketh my Blood, hath Eternal Life, and I will raise him up at the Last Day; For my Flesh is Meat indeed, and my Blood is Drink indeed. ”

“ As there is one Lord, and one faith, so there is one baptism; which is not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience before God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And this baptism is a pure and spiritual thing, to wit, the baptism of the Spirit and Fire, by which we are buried with him, that being washed and purged from our sins, we may walk in newness of life: of which the baptism of John was a figure, which was commanded for a time, and not to continue for ever. ”

“ For take but away the Spirit, and Christianity remains no more Christianity, than the dead carcase of a man, when the soul and spirit is departed, remains a man; which the living can no more abide, but do bury out of their sight, as a noisome and useless thing, however acceptable it hath been when actuated and moved by the soul. Lastly, Whatsoever is excellent, whatsoever is noble, whatsoever is worthy, whatsoever is desirable in the Christian faith, is ascribed to this Spirit, without which it could no more subsist than the outward world without the sun. ”

“ The form, saith he, of our justification, is the divine righteousness itself, by which we are formed just and good. This is Jesus Christ, who is esteemed our righteousness, partly from the forgiveness of sins, and partly from the renewing and the restoring of that integrity, which was lost by the fault of the first Adam: so that this new and heavenly Adam being put on by us, of which the apostle saith, Ye have put on Christ, ye have put him on, I say, as the form, so the righteousness, wisdom, and life of God. ”

“ And are not such those that ought to be honoured among Christians? Now of these, may there not be poor Men, Labourers, silly Fishermen? And if so, how comes it that the titles of honour are not bestowed upon such? But who are they that generally receive and look for this honour? Are they not the rich ones, such as have abundance of the earth, as be like the rich glutton, such as are proud and ambitious, such as are oppressors of the poor, such as swell, with lust and vanity, and all superfluity of naughtiness, who are the very abomination and plague of the nations? ”

“ Hearken my beloved Brethren; hath not God chosen the poor of this World, rich in Faith, and Heirs of the Kingdom, which he hath promised to them that love him; but ye have despised the Poor. Do not rich Men oppress you and draw you before the Judgment-Seat? ”

“ For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ”

“ Thus when a man first proposeth to himself the knowledge of God, from a sense of his own unworthiness, and from the great weariness of his mind, occasioned by the secret checks of his con-science, and the tender, yet real glances of God's light upon his heart; the earnest desires he has to be redeemed from his present trouble, and the fervent breathings he has to be eased of his disordered passions and lusts, and to find quietness and peace in the certain knowledge of God, and in the assurance of his love and good-will towards him, make his heart tender, and ready to receive any impression ”