Page:Testimony to the work of reformation in Britain and Ireland (1).pdf/10

10 but not under the pain of eccletiatic-cenure, as if it were proper for him to call and uncal, depoe and upend from the holy minitry. The lordly piritual government in and over the church, is given into Chrit, and none ele; he is the ole eccleiatic lawgiver. It is proper to him to mite with the rod of his mouth; nor is there any other houlder, in heaven or in earth, that is able to bear the government. As this hath been the great controvery betwixt our Lord Jeus and the powers of the world from the beginning; o it has ruined all that coped with him. Chrit has proven a rock of offence to them: they have been dahed to pieces by the tone that was cut out of the mountain without hands, Dan. ii. 34, 45. And the other powers, that enter the lits with him, hall have the ame dimal exit. Whooever hall fall on this tone hall be broken; and on whomoever it hall fall, it hall grind them to powder, Matth. xxi. 44. As the bleed prophets and apotles of our Lord contended not, a little with the rulers of the earth, that Chrit hould be head corner-tone: that Chrit is the only head of his church, is as ure, as that he died, was buried, and roe again. It is a mot victorious and prevailing truth, not only preached and atteted by the ambaadors of the Lord of hots, but confirmed by blood, martyrdom, and uffering.——— Many precious aints have thought it their honour and dignity, to uffer hame and reproach for the name of Jeus : And it is beyond doubt, that paive uffering for the precious name of Chrit comes nearet to that noble ampler, wherein Chrit, tho' a on, learned obedience by the things which he uffered, Heb. v. 8. Now bleed is the oul, who loves not his life to death, Rev. xii. 11. For on uch rets the pirit of glory and of God, 1 Pet. iv. 14. We cannot but ay, it is a ad time to our land at preent, it is a day of darknes, and rebuke,