TO Zion's lovers, BEING A GOLDEN egg, to avoid Infection: OR, A SHORTSTEP INTO the Doctrine of laying on of hands, to provoke such as have time, hart, and parts to prosecute resting upon the promise, the tongue of the stutterers shall speak plain, and out of the mouths of babes, Jehovah shall have praise.  
Look not to Scottish, nor Dutch, New-England, nor old, Behold the pattern, the Apostles fellowship and so go up by the Tents of the shepherds.  
Printed in the year 1644.   

Worthy D. Gouge,  
REmembering your ancient acquaintance with me and my Father long since at rest, I presume to father this naked child Without scholastic phrases, or school learning to dress it and garnish it, and so bring it forth to further view, knowing by experience, and also you were well reported of for the opening of Doctrines, seeing you have had a word of knowledge to preach the Doctrine of Repentance from dead works and faith towards God, and have sweetly taught Christ in his Priestly Office, I beseech you leave some good savour of your name before the close of your eyes concerning Christ's Kingly Office; open the Doctrine of the laying on of hands, and rest not in the ceremony which hath been used by the laying on of hands of bloody persecutors, I hope you will be wary of new inventions, to lay on foul hands again, lean not to their wisdom that have so long erred, take the advice of the assembly of the Saints, and so of the spouse of Christ who washeth her hands in innocency and compasseth the altar, let her have her due benevolence and so her right; as she is the Eldership to lay on hands by whom she shall appoint.  
Sir, there was much jealousy of you in the time of the Prelates, that you were too full of fears, And now the Lord hath shortened those days of persecution; and you have a prize in your hand, being one of the Masters of the assembly, fasten some nail concerning the Doctrine of laying on of hands, which will clear up holy fellowship and take off that aspersion laid upon your congregations, that they are false; none of Christ's, but Antichristian: Though I do not for my part say so of them, yet the Doctrine of baptism and the Doctrine of laying on of hands is left out of them, notwithstanding the ceremonies have been of baptism and laying on of hands with more than needed which makes some to go to a second baptism. And on other form, some are seekers out of a baptism looking for Elyas as John the Baptist to bring it from heaven, forsaking all fellowship till Christ shall send forth new Apostles to lay on hands; All this is (as I conceive) is for want of the knowledge of those two middle principals, seeing these things are come to pass in your days, before your end; labour in the word and doctrine to clear up those two principals, so to our great Doctor I leave you to teach you the mysteries of the kingdom, resting ever to love the Saints.  
S. Jones  
I Printed a few for my own use, because I would not lose my thoughts, & for such as shall council me for the best; for without council the thoughts perish. If herein I have failed, I hope it will be easily passed by being the first fault upon that subject of laying on hands desiring to provoke to love & goodworkes, so to him that hath loves to bestow upon his beloved, who is the wonderful councillor. I leave all the work.   

TO Zion's LOVERS, Being a Golden egg to avoid Infection, &c.  
CHristian Reader, I thought to have been silent, but this is a time of war, the war increaseth not only in earth but also in heaven, when the Lord will destroy his enemies, he provokes them to come out against his people; and the Saints are as a mark for many to shoot at, but this is the comfort of the Saints, the Prince of peace, his angels the Ambassadors of peace fighteth for Zion and the hill thereof, against the Dragon and his angels, blessed those that help the Lord against the mighty, the Lord takes part with those that helps the Saints, 
Psal. 118.7.  wherefore let those that are against the Saints hold there peace; I will speak come what will; The enemies of the godly are forgers of lies, 
Ioh. 13.13.  and the Saints become their enemies because they tell them the truth; wherefore dear friends of Christ, 
Ierem. 2.8.  harken not to lying vanities and so forsake your own mercies; join to the Saints in holy union, as Jehovah saith to the Prophet let them return to thee but return not thou to them, 
Ier. 15.19.  though it be hard to go against the flood the Dragon casts out of his mouth, yet look to him that guides the stern the captain of our Salvation, 
Ier. 51.15.  remember that the destroying mountain Babel is rolling down as a burnt mountain, and the beast and the false Prophet is coming also with the ebb into the lake, 
Rev. 12.20.  wherefore let the Saints take hart, though they go against the stream of the times, for their way is one high, and it will be easy for they of the world to go down the stream with the liars their companions, wherefore comfort ye my people, comfort ye my people saith our God, though there be pleaders against God's people, and they are not suffered to plead for themselves, yet the Lord will plead their cause; 
Esa 51.12.  the spirit may depart from seven and seven, but he that hath the seven spirits will never depart from his spouse, he will be with her to the end of the world, walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, all the congregations that puts away all abominations so far as they know and mingle not with dross, what is not declared by letter, must be cleared by the word that was before the letter; Christ manifest in all his offices, and so measure the Temple, the Altar, the worship, and the worshippers, put away all human inventions that agree not with that rule; and so in his arms I leave thee that lovest Zion.  

Exhortations to God's people.  
GIve glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness; and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, 
Ier. 13.16  while you look for light he turned it into the shadow of death and make it gross darkness.  

Heb. 12.6.13.  Let that which is halting be healed, lest it be turned out of the way, Come out of her my people lest your hearts faint when you see the judgement: 
Ier. 51.16.  It is commendable for God's people to abide steadfast in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship. 
Acts. 1.42.    

Observations for God's people.  

Eze 10.15.  They that be ashamed of the iniquities, shall see the pattern of the house of Jehovah, The labour of the foolish weary every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the City.   

Comfort to God's People.  

Esa. 41 15.  Behold I will make thee a new threshing instruments having mouths wherewith thou shalt thresh the mountains and beat them small and make the hills as chaff, 
Psal. 149.8.9.  this honour have all the Saints they shall have a two edged sword in their hands, they shall be terrible as an Army with banners; 
Cant. 6.4.  great are the Armies, many were the publishers all the Congregations of the Saints; as she preachers hold forth Christ, 
Psal. 68.11.  publish the Gospel, take in and cast out, exercising the power of Christ   

Admonishons to such as go from mountain to hill forgetting their resting place.  

Mich. 2. 10.  Arise, this is not your rest, because it is polluted, Polluted Congregations is not the rest of the Saints; 
Jer. 2. 36.  why gaddest thou so much to change thy way, thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt as thou wast of Assyria, It may be thou Mayest be ashamed of the Presbytery as thou wast of the hierarchy.  

Holy fellowships are fenced Cities, upon all the glory shall be a defence.  Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves and let us enter into the defensed Cities, and let us be silent there, for the Lord our God hath put us to silence and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned.  

Esay 4 5.  Beware of dogs, for the leaders of this people cause them to err, and they that are led by them are destroyed, they that posesse them, slay them, 
Jer. 8.14.  and their teachers have swallowed up the old path. 
Phil. 3. 2.    

Good council to luke warm Congregations. 
Esay 9 16.   

Zach. 11. 5.  I council thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou Mayest be rich, and white raiment that thou Mayest be clothed, 
Esay 3. 11.  that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou Mayest see, 
Revel. 3. 18.  such as see the evil of their way, will enter into holy fellowship with silence and here the Saints: The Prelates in their time put the godly to silence, and the time will come when God shall put many to silence, and then they will hear what the spirit speaketh to the Saints none daring to speak against them.   

Q. What may be the dark mountains we may avoid falling on them.  
A. This is a begging age, and there is physicians of no value that beg questions but not for healing, but some have many questions to beg, but before we fall upon querees, let us here what hath been done against the Saints, There have been councillors of state that have counselled for their hurt: I hope better things of some that are now clouded with temptations; that they will dote upon questions of no worth, and plead for a thing of nought, and against the Saints, but were they grave councelors as healing Elders, they would endeavour to heal Babel, she not being healed, or come out of her into holy fellowship, as the straight gate by reason of persecution, 
Ezek. 42. 8.  and so shine forth to the consuming of Antichrist, 
Rev. 22. 2.  and their holy fellowship and godly conversation will be as the leaves of the trees of the sanctuary for the healing of the nations. And if they were wise pleaders, they would not plead against the Saints, who were companions with them in sufferings, and in their adversity, gave themselves to prayer in holy fellowship for them, which they called convinticles, who after the way they called heresy worship they God abiding steadfast in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship, and put away uncleanness from them so far as they know, they do not separate with shame, as some Congregations like dark mountains, those that abide in holy fellowship do not separate with whores, they do not worship with harlots as the people that do not understand, but may fall upon the dark mountains; If those pleaders that accuse the Saints of that they know not, were they wise pleaders they would plead the cause of the dumb, 
Hosea 14. 4.  who keep silence inevill times, the wicked being in sight: 
Psa. 39 1.  If they would plead their own innoecncy after some that have been first as seeming just, they are made dumb and put to silence, for none of their Complaints shall pass the press, but the Presses are filled with their Letters, that open their mouths wide to smite the Saints with the tongue, and wound them with the Pen, blotting them with their ink, as if they would not have the name of holy Ones among them; as in the time of the hierarchy, the precious were put out, and the unclean kept in, and compelled to come to worship, though they relished it no more than the White of an egg: But now when the name of Antichrist should be raised out, now they have a prize in their hand to set upon reformation, now the judgements of God are on the earth, should not the Inhabitants thereof learn righteousness; shall the hands of the wicked be strengthened, and the hearts of the godly sadded, whom the Lord hath not sadded: Remember what is said, 
2 Cor. 18. 22.  this is that king Ahaz that sinned more and more in the time of distress: Oh that the Saints were wise to gather into holy fellowship, the root of Jesse set up for an ensign, and so Thrones set up for Judgement in the gates of Zion, 
1 Cor. 6. 5.  executing the power of Christ to judge each other; then there would be little or no work for Lawyers, especially among the Saints; then evil reports of the Saints would not be received, and such as bring up an evil report of the good way of God, are not likely to see the pattern of Jehovah's house: Let such take heed they fall not upon the dark mountains, as they fell in the wilderness, but give glory to God, confessing their sin, be ashamed of Iniquities, 
1 Cor. 10. 5.  so shall ye see the Pattern of the House, and go not so much as near the Corner of the Harlot, gad not from mountain to hill, forgetting the resting place, days without number: Why gaddest thou so much to change thy way, If there be another lordlike power set up, 
Jer. 2. 36.  you shall be ashamed of it, as you were of the former hierarchy, mark what the wise Preacher saith, 
Eccle. 10 15.  The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. Is there not great labour lost in wrong reasoning, strife about words, presbytery and Independency which the Saints in fellowship own not? is there not much weariness in reading many books to no profit, but to please the flesh? is there not much wearying in carnal disputes, contending for nought showing lust which should not be the custom of the Saints? the reason of their weariness is, they know not to go to the city where the Saints sit together in holy fellowship as in heavenly places, according to the doctrine of laying on of hands, which hath not been taught, so far as I know in the confused congregations since the defection of Antichrist; the doctrine of baptism and the laying on of hands hath been as it were lost, as the book of the law which was found in good Josias time of reformation, such as desire reformation now, 
2 Cor. 34. 14.  may do well to put to pen, and press, pulpits and conferences to clear those two doctrines, the doctrine, of baptism will clear the purities of the ordinances, the doctrine of laying on hands will clear holy fellowship, the laying on of foul hands, yea, bloody hands of the Prelates hath been taken for the doctrine of laying on of hands as if the using of the ceremony as a shell to the kernel held forth in the doctrine, even as if the joining of the lips which is the ceremony were all that is required to embracing by love. 
Rom. 16. 16.   
If there be another power out and above the congregation which is the Elder ship above her stewards, 
Heb 7. 7.  for the less is blessed of the greater, so surely the congregations united together in Covenant, by worship or agreeing in the name of Christ in time of reformation having been backsliders, such as the typical, national, great congregation said, 
Psal. 50. 5.  come let us join in Covenant, what was meet for the tipiall Church as the general congregation of the first borne, 
Esay 50. 5.  the same is meet for every visible congregation when they come to reformation, uniting themselves together in holy union, to enjoy holy communion and so shine forth to the consuming of Anticrist, electing, choosing out from among themselves, ordaining, investing by her own power given her from Christ, she being in his stead the Eldership to appoint her Officers, as her maids to kill her fatlings, 
Pro. 9 1.  dwelling together in one Parish, is not from heaven to make one bread and one body but of men, but many members becomes one body according to Gods, Ordinance to have power to take in & cast out by uniting together by faith & order agreeing in the name of Christ, and so we are endowed with power and order; as two party's husband and wife becomes one by Covenant more of few partners becomes one by covenant, civil fellowships many members becomes one congregation by Covenant, so joining to Christ by faith gives us not a visible right to the ordinances, but uniting together according to the mind of Christ, 
Jer. 50. 5.  joining to the Lord in Covenant; so in times of persecution holy fellowship will not falsify their Covenant, though the Parish Assemblies turn with the State in evil times, but this is too great a labour for myself, 
Psal. 44. 17.  I do but hint it to the honoured that labour in the word and doctrine as a patient desire to be healed wherein I err, I earnestly beg these questions of the wise and learned, by what name or title soever called or would be called; for of them is precious Preachers concerning the doctrine of repentance from dead works and faith towards God; but of them are those that have spoken evil of the old and good way of them there is that have blasphemod the Tabernacle and dwellers in heaven, of them there is hirelings to speak against the gathering of the Saints in order, as Shemaiah was hired by Sanballat & Tobia to hinder the building of God's Temple, 
Neh 6. 10.  of them there is not any that ever I heard that opened the doctrine of laying on of hands, wherefore though I honour them for the truth they teach, yet I submit not to them in that which is besides the text, wherefore turn my questions to the more honoured Christians, peculiars purchased by Christ's blood, such as have the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to the weary, honoured before such as ashame their name, as the righteous is better than his neighbour, such as through believing out of whose bellies flow rivers of waters of life, 
John 2. 38.  such as fear Jehovah, with whom are his secrets, 
Psa. 25. 14.  holy brethren such as are made partakers of the Divine nature, I know no other Divines but brethren and sisters united together as godly Phyladelphian, 
Rev. 3. 8.  and sweet Smyrna dwelling even together in unity, 
Jer. 2. 8.  honoured Saints with the double edged sword of those holy hearers, 
Psa. 133.  I beg these questions following.  
Quest. 1. Whether the Congregations that know not the Doctrine of laying on of hands, that know not the power, or have given their power to the Beast, that know not how to wield the two edged sword, that know not how to speak each to other, 2 or 3 by course, and others to judge, that know not how to judge one another, that know not how to deal with one another, 
Mat. 18. 15. 16.  1 by telling privately, 2 by two or 3 & then to the Congregation, whereof they be members, that know not how to elect, choose, ordain, invest Pastors, Teachers, Elders, Deacons, Male and Female, qualified according to holy writ, whether such congregations as these may not be said to be dark mountains.  
Q. 2. Whether such as be tontosticated with the cup of fornicators, rayging and rangling drunk with pride and passion, also staggering are not like to stumble and fall upon those dark mountains.  
Q. 3. Whether the Saints that withdraw from all that walk disorderly either brethren or congregations agreeing in the name of Christ covenanting to walk with God, and one with another to walk with God in all his ways, so far as they know or shall know be not the way and order of the gospel.  
Q. 4. Whether such Congregations as last aforesaid be not fenced Cities which are walled by the power of Discipline, 
Esay 4. 5.  upon all the glory shall be a defence, and such for whom the Prophet prays the walls may be built. 
Psa. 51. 18.   
Q. 5. Whether the mixed Congregations, that exercise not the power of Christ that he hath given them be not unfensed Cities.  
Q. 6. Whether that now threshing instruments having mouths called new, as the new commandment which was from the beginning be not the ordinance of Dissipline to beat the mountains into chaff, the grain may appear, behold I will make the typical congregation nation one congregation, behold I will make thee a very visible congregation under the Gospel a new threshing instrument, 
Esay 41. 15.  so the power is given to her, not to her officers. 
Psa. 68 ●1.   

Mat. 28. 19 20.  Q. 7. Whether the Congregations be not the she preachers to whom the command is given, to whom the promise is made, go Preach and Baptise, observe and do all I command you, and I will be with you to the end of the world.  
Q. 8. Whether all the Saints shall not have honour, the power as the two edged sword, her overseers being one with her, not Lords over her.  
Q. 9 Whether the Saints that would have healed Babel she not being healed are not to come out from confusion and gather into order as flocks of sheep go up from washing. 
Cant. 5. 6.   

Esay 11. 10.  Q. 10. Whether the Congregations that suffer Christ to reign over them, the root of Jesse set up for an ensign, exersing the power of Christ to take in what is serviceable, casting out what is offensive, would not be as terrible as an army with banners, comely as Jerusalem beautiful as Tirzah. 
Cant. 6. 4.   
Q. 11. Whether the Males in every Congregation be not to lift up pure hands, propheng one by another, two or three by course, the rest judging.  
Q. 12. Whether such Preachers as speak against such as walk in order and are of the quiet of the land, such counsellors as adviseth to their hurt, such pleaders as plead for a thing of nought shall not be called to the bar of God's judgement if they repent not. 
Eph. 5. 21.   
Oh, that we might submit one to another in all that is good. O that the time were come that the wolf might be with the lamb and a little child should lead them. 
Esay 11. 6 etc    
FINIS.