the commandment of God, you hold the traditions of men, and of your elders;' and again he saith unto them, 'Full well you reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own traditions, making the word of God of none effect through your traditions which you have delivered.' Mark vii. 3. 8, 9. 13.

Now is not this the condition of the apostate christians that set up their traditions above the scriptures of truth, like the Jews, and forbid the reading of the scriptures of truth? Nay, are not they worse than the Jews, for they must read and pray in an unknown tongue; so are like barbarians, worse than the Jews who read and pray in their mother tongue?

And Paul saith to the church of Christ, Ye have heard of my conversation in times past, in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it, and profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers; but when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his son in me, that I might preach him,' &c. Gal. i. 13, 14, 15, 16.

Now here you may see while Paul was zealous of the traditions of his forefathers, he was not separate from traditions, nor called by God's grace, nor the son of God was not revealed in him; therefore he was not like to preach him, but persecute him.

And now are all the apostate christians in their blind zeal of their forefathers, (like persecuting Saul,) separate from the Lord, and not so called by God's grace, as Paul was? And is the son of God revealed in them that have been such persecutors and wasters of God's people, the church of Christ, since the apostles' days? And if not, can they preach Christ in truth, but withstand him like the Jews in their traditions, and set traditions above the holy scriptures of truth that testify of Christ?

And after the apostle was converted, he bid the church of Christ 'Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, and not after Christ; if you be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances? Touch not, taste not, handle not, which all are to perish with the using, after the commandments and doctrines of men; which if you be risen with Christ seek those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.' Col. ii. 8. 20, 21, 22, and iii. 1, 2.

So you may see that the apostle brought the church of Christ off the traditions, and doctrines, and ordinances of men, and rudiments of the

world; and would not have them to be spoiled by any man, through philosophy and vain deceit, for such things as these were not after Christ. But the church of Christ was, and is to seek those things that are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God, and not those things on the earth, which are below; they are not so much as to touch, taste, nor handle them, all which perish with the using; but the scriptures of truth they are to read, believe, and practice: for the church of Christ then, and now, know that they are not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from their vain conversation, or by the traditions of their forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without spot or blemish. Glory to God for ever, through the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only one mediator between God and man, even the man Christ Jesus, who makes peace between us and God; the same to-day, yesterday, and for ever.

Christ is the rock and foundation which the heavenly Father revealed to Peter, on which he builds his church, and not on Peter, nor that which flesh and blood had revealed to Peter.

JESUS asked his disciples, Whom do men say that I the son of man am?' and the disciples answered and said, 'Some say thou art John Baptist, and some say Elias, and others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.'

Here you may see there were divers judgments and opinions of Christ among people that knew him not.

And Jesus said unto his disciples, And Simon Peter answered and living God;' and Jesus answered

But whom do you say that I am? said, Thou art Christ the son of the and said, Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven; and I say unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church,' (mark, he saith upon this rock which flesh and blood had not revealed, he doth not say upon thee Peter,) and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' And Jesus showed unto his disciples how that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. "Then Peter took Christ, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee Lord, this shall not be unto thee; then Christ turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me satan, for thou art an offence unto me, for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.' Matt. xvi. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. 21, 22, 23.

Now here you may clearly see that Christ doth not build his church

upon Peter, as a man of flesh and blood, or that which flesh and blood reveals, but upon that rock which flesh and blood had not revealed unto Peter, but the Father which is in heaven. And so I say again, it is clear, that Christ doth not build his church upon Peter and his outward name, as a man of flesh and blood, nor upon that which flesh and blood may reveal, or did reveal unto Peter; but he builds his church upon that rock which the Father which is in heaven had revealed to Peter, which was, 'Thou art Christ the son of the living God.' This is the rock and foundation that the true church is built upon, Christ who bruises the serpent's head, and destroys the devil and his works; so that the gates of hell cannot, nor shall not prevail against Christ's church, and him the rock and foundation, which his church is built upon. And though Christ blessed Peter in Matt. xvi. 17. after his revelation, yet in the 23d verse, Christ said unto Peter, 'Get thee behind me satan, thou art an offence unto me, for thou savourest not the things which be of God, but those that be of men.' So here it is clear, Christ did not build his church upon Peter, nor his outward name Peter, as a man of flesh and blood, nor the revelation of flesh and blood, nor upon satan, for he bruises satan the serpent's head; so he was not like to build his church upon him. Therefore, they that do succeed Peter, it must be in that which the Father revealed from heaven, (to wit,) thou art Christ the son of the living God,'' upon this rock will I build my church;' but when Peter rebuked Christ, saying, 'Be it far from thee Lord; this shall not be unto thee,' (namely, when Christ told him and the rest that he should suffer and be killed, and rise again the third day,) Christ called Peter satan, and bid him get him behind him, as before.

And Christ said unto Peter, he was an offence unto him, and savoured not those things that be of God, but those that be of men,' in that which he said to Christ. And what, are any so ignorant as to think that Christ built his church upon Peter, as he was in this condition? No, surely, they are mistaken that think so; and they that do succeed Peter in that condition, they savour not the things of God, but of men, and are an offence to Christ, whom Christ calleth satan, and bids get behind him; for he was not like to build his church upon that which was an offence unto him, and savoured not the things of God, but the things of men. And therefore they that build their church upon such, the gates of hell are like to prevail against them; and they that do succeed Peter in that spiritual revelation, which the Father revealed from heaven, namely, Christ, the son of the living God, upon which rock the true church is built, which the gates of hell shall not prevail against; this is above satan, and the revelation of flesh and blood, and that which offends Christ, and that which savours the things of men, and not the things of God, and that which flesh and blood may reveal;

Christ's church is not built upon such things, but the rock which is far above them, which the heavenly Father revealeth, and hath the glory of it, who is blessed for ever.

Amen.

G. F.

Now concerning whom the scripture saith is the true rock and foundation.

DAVID saith, 'The Lord is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer.' Psalm xviii. 2. And again, David saith, 'For who is God save the Lord, or who is a rock save our God.' Verse 31. And again, ' He (viz. God,) only is my rock and salvation, he is my defence, I shall not be moved. Psalm lxii. 2.6. And David speaking of Israel, said, "They remembered that God was their rock.' Psalm lxxviii. 35.

And Isaiah speaking of Christ, saith, that he shall be for a sanctuary, a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, to both the houses of Israel.' And Peter is so far off from looking upon himself to be the rock upon which Christ builds his church, that he tells the church of Christ, in his General Epistle, that Christ was a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient.' 1 Pet. ii. 8. For the apostle saith to the Romans, the church of Christ, speaking of Christ, Behold I lay in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, and whosoever believes in him shall not be ashamed;' this was Christ, and not Peter. Rom. ix. 33. And the apostle tells the church of Christ, speaking of Israel, how that they did all drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of the same spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.' 1 Cor. x. 4. So he did not say it was Peter, nor any outward man.

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And the wise man builds his house upon the rock Christ Jesus; if it be not, the rain and the floods will beat it down, as in Matt. vii. 25. And the apostle tells the church of Christ, No other foundation can any man lay than that which is already laid, which is Christ Jesus.' 1 Cor. iii. 11. And again he saith to the Ephesians, You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone;' so the rock and foundation of God stands sure, Christ Jesus, the same yesterday, and to-day, and so for ever.

The antiquity of our Cross.

THE apostle saith to the church of Christ, that the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us that are saved, it is the power of God.' 1 Cor. i. 18. And such as were and are enemies to the cross of Christ, were and are enemies to the power of God; so all your stone, wooden, brass, silver or gold crosses you have invented and set up since the apostles' days, are not the cross of Christ the power of God.

And the apostle saith, God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.' Gal. vi. 14. So it was the power of God, the cross of Christ, that the apostle gloried in, by whom the world was crucified unto him, and he unto the world; and this is our cross which was set up above one thousand six hundred years ago; and it is not likely that it was a cross made of wood, stone, iron, brass, silver or gold that the apostle or the church of Christ gloried in, or that such outward temporal and worldly crosses as men make and invent, should crucify people to the world! That which crucifies people to the world, and the world to them, is the cross of Christ, the power of God, which power of God all are to bow down to; and they are foolish and dark that think a cross of stone, wood, iron, silver, or gold, which man hath made, is the cross of Christ, the power of God; and to bow to such worldly temporal things, and call them the cross of Christ, is contrary to the scriptures that the apostles taught to the church of Christ, in their day; and this was the church of Christ's cross in their days, and is the church of Christ's cross now, but they could not, nor can we bow to any temporal, outward, worldly cross that men have made with their hands, and bow down to them; for such as do worship the works of their own hands are enemies to the cross of Christ, the power of God.

There were such in the apostles' days that were vainly puffed up with their fleshly minds, not holding Christ the head, and so there are now, from which head all the body of Christ by joints and bands hath nourishment ministered, and by him is knit together, and increaseth with the increase of God; as in Col. ii. 18, 19.

Now Christ enlightens every man that comes into the world with the light, the life that is in him, the head, by whom the world was made, that with the light they might see Christ, and him the head of the body, his church, by which all the children of the light and of the day may be knit together in him, and have their increase of God ministered through him, and so to have fellowship with the Father and the son, and one with another.