more necessary than now when those undertake to inform and teach the Nation who have not so much knowledg as the Prophesying Ape with which Giles of Passamonte went about to cosen the Country N. C. What was that C. It had this notable faculty that it could tell nothing at all of what was to come but knew something of what was past and a little of things present otherwise it would never mount up to Giles his shoulder and chatterin his ear But this Phil. of yours frisks and grins in my face and grates his teeth apace and looks upon me as a scurvy lyar and yet confesses himself Ignorant of what is past and that when he mounts up himself without any bidding to talk of it Thus the poor people are cosened and this man cosens their Conscience while such as the other only pick their pockets of twelve pence a piece N. C. Why What Liturgy were they wont to use in Scotland or when was the Church of Scotland for the use of a Liturgy Were they not alway without and against a Form of Divine Service C. You need not repeat his words I was going to tell you that it is endless to write to such a Scribler who will ask that Question again which hath been already Answered Did I not tell you in our last Dehate r Continuation of the Friendly Debate p. 409. that the Scottish Form of Prayer was printed here in England in the beginning of the late Wars But he is not at leisure to read Books He is a writer forsooth and cannot spare so much time from this great imployment as to read the Book he writes against For had it pleased him to be at this pains there he might have heard of the strange thing which he imagines no body ever saw the Scots Form of Divine Service But he will think perhaps that I wrote like himself without any care at all and transcribed that passage out of my own imagination and not from the sight of my eyes For your better information therefore you may know that there being some persons at Frankfort in Queen Maries time who would admit no other Form of Prayers but that in the English Book Mr. John Knox a principal Reformer in Scotland afterward joyned with those who quarrell'd at it But it appears by the story that he was not against a Form of Divine Service no nor against all things in the English Book But as he had an high esteem of the Composers of it s Witness the Commendation he gives Cranmer whom he called that Reverend Father in God Admonition to the Professors of the Truth in England An. 1554. p. 51. so he approved in great part of the work it self A brief description indeed of it being sent by him and Whittingham to Mr. Calvin and his opinion of it return'd Jan. 22. 1555. Mr. Knox and four more were ordered to draw forth another order of Divine Service which was the very same with that of Geneva But part of the Congregation still adhering to the Book of England after some Conference they composed a new Order by the advice of Mr. Knox some of it taken out of the English Book and other things added as the State of the Church required and to this all consented as we are told in the Discourse of the Troubles of Frankfort t Repriâ—ed here 1642. P. 30 31. A little after Dr. Cox coming thither answered aloud as the manner is here which bred a new contention And to be short the English Book was again established and continued though afterward they left off the use of the Ceremonies and Mr. Knâ—â— went to Geneva There I find he was when Queen Mary dyed being one of those who subscribed the Letter to the Church at Frankfort u Decemb. 15. 1558. desiring that whatsoever offences had been given or taken might be forgotten and that all might lovingly agree when they met in England Not long after he went into Scotland where some had begun a Reformation More particularly it had been concluded by the Lords and Barons a little after their first Covenant x In which they who forsook Popery ingaged themselves to each other by a Common Bond. Decemb. 3. 1557. that it was thought expedient advised and ordained that in all Parishes of the Realm the Common Prayer should be read weekly on Sundays and other Festivals publickly in the Parish-Church with the Lessons of the Old and New Testament conforming to the ORDER OF THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER And if the Curates of the Parishes be qualified to cause them to read the same if not or they refuse that the most qualified in the Parish use and read it y History of the Church of Scotl. ascribed to Mr. Knox. Book 1. pag. 110. In this Settlement Mr. Knox found them and though the Queen discharged the Common Prayers and forbad to give any portions to such as were the principal young men who read them yet they continued to be read z Ibid. Book 2. pag. 170. an 1559. And what was thus began by a few persons was afterward compleated by a more Publick Decree For by a General Assembly holden in December 1562. it was ordained that one Vniform Order should be observed in the Administration of the Sacraments according to the Order of Geneva That is as I understand it the very same which Mr. Knox and the rest had used when they were there And two year after Decemb. 1564. It was again ordained that Ministers in the Ministration of the Sâ—craments should use the Order set down in the Psalm Book a Both these I have out of the Disputation against the Assembly at Perth and they are alledged to prove there should be no kneeling at the Sacrament because their Old Order did not prescribe it to which now that Form I suppose was annexed Nor did Mr. Knox think himself above these Forms but made use of them as appears from hence That being desired before the Council to moderate himself in his Form of praying for the Queen he related to them the most vehement and most excessive manner of Prayer that he used in Publick and after he had repeated the words at length concluded thus This is the Form of Common Prayer as you your selves can witness b Ib. Book 4 p. 380. an 1564. The same History also records a Form of Publick Prayer used in the Church of St. Giles in Edenburgh upon the Peace made with France c July 8. 1560. p. 245. and aâ—â— ther Form d P. 287. at the Election of Superintendents He also that wrote the Mederate Reply e An. 1646. to the City Remonstranâ—â— against Toleration presents the Remonstrants in the last leaf of his Book with a Form of Thanksgiving used in the Church of Scotland for their deliverance from the French by the English An. 1575. Bâ—t why do I mention these particular Prayers There was Printed as I said 1641. the Service and
know very well that many men who are converted to you are so far from being good that they become worse than they were before More haughty and conceited of themselves more unmannerly to their betters disobedient to their Masters and Governours unbridled in their language unpeaceable and troublesome to their neighbours It is an easie matter to say I wrong you but I know what I say and others have said it before me It is an old observation of Mr. R. Bernards c Separatists schism p. 29.30 1608. That as soon as ever men enter into the way of separation immediately they grow peremptory and though never so simple yet presently they see the truth without any study and can partly champer against us and condemn us all for false Christians and false Churches Nay they are so bewitched with that way that they are nothing like themselves in what was good and laudable in them Before humble and tractable then proud and wilfull before they could find the word work and themselves moved by our preaching but afterward they judg the Minister to have lost the power of his Ministry because they themselves are in affection altered blaming the Teacher when the fault is in themselves They can with understanding judge between cause and cause reason and reason but then they lick up all which comes from themselves as Oracles be they never so absurd And have we not all seen how light they all make of this great sin of Separation The N. England Ministers themselves complain That there is scarce any truth or error now a days can be received but it is maintained in a way of Schism directly contrary to the gathering and uniting Spirit of Jesus Christ d Mr. Allen and Mr. Shepherd Defence of the 9 positions p. 27. And what should be the reason think you that men are so ready to follow this evil Spirit that is in the world but that they have no sense of spiritual wickednesses nay look upon Divisions Separations and all the evil consequences of them not only as innocent but holy things While the Devil as Mr. Greenham e Grave Counsels and Godly observations p. 37. well observes Was known only by horns and claws or by the hollow voice he was wonderfully feared but being now revealed to be a more secret Adversary a spiritual Tempter a privy overthrower of Souls no man almost regards him And therefore as some have feared him too superstitiously so now it is come to a more dangerous extremity that he is not feared at all He enters into mens hearts securely and they are not aware of it He rules and domineers there and they rejoyce at it thinking they are full of the Spirit of God O how happy would it be if all would labour to throw this Devil out which possesses too many Pride high conceit of their own knowledge glorying in their gifts crowing over others as carnal or moral men together with all the rest of his company which I have mentioned This would be a better work than to perswade them they are already converted when they are become Proselytes to a party and too many of them as far as we can see by their fruits like those made by the Pharisees who were no less laborious and perhaps successful than your selves N. C. You are mistaken we do not call this Conversion to become N. C. C. You may speak for your self and such as you know very well for too many do They glory in the Conversion of those who have only changed their Vices not their Natures and of prophane or neglectors of Religion are become Schismatical proud censorious and highly presuming of their knowledge which they have got in a moment in one word have exchanged the sins of the flesh for those of the Spirit Tertullians f Pervenimus de calcaria in Carbonarium L. de carne Christi Cap 6. words are an exact description of them if you do but invert the Proverb They go out of the Cole-pit into the Lime-kill where though they become white yet they remain still dirty and defiled And look how much these excell other men in zeal and earnestness in height of fancy and warmth of affection in fluency of speech and notable strains of Devotion in so much the worse condition they are As men in a frenzy saith Irenaeus g L. 1. Cap 13. pag. 54. out of Hippâ—â—rates the more they laugh and appear to be vigorous and strong doing all things like men in health nay somethings above what any sound men can do so much the more dangerous is their disease in like manner the higher these people are in their own thoughts the greater store they have of Religious heat the more vehemently they bend their thoughts and strain their unpurged Souls drawing the Arrow as he speaks beyond the Bow the less wise they are or rather the more mad and furious and the more unlikely ever to return to any sobriety of mind I would not for all the World be guilty of that Envy which this ill-natur'd Adversary would make you believe I am infected withall I rejoyce I thank God not only that men are made truly good whosoever be the instrument of it but that they are made wiser and better than my self Yet I am taught for all that by your own Books to lessen the number of such Converts as this man braggs of For they have informed us for many years of an evil generation that have separated from us in whom as one of them tells us h Fountain of Slander opened p. 25. 1649. you shall see Christ and Belial God and Mammon in one and the same person Christ in show and the other in reality They let themselves loose to lying and dissimulation slandering and backbiting and all kind of circumvention God Religion Reason Virtue are but meer termes and notions with them serving them to no other purpose but to deceive the more effectually And that particular of lying is confirmed by Mr. H. Peters himself who to cry quit with those among you that exclaimed against the Army as guilty of many Crimes said there are some other diseases as much considerable among others which may be of greater influence and the last he mentions is a spirit of lying and false Witness bearing even to the undervaluing of our enjoyments i A word to the Army and two words to the Kingdom 1647. pag. 9. Much more I could relate to this purpose from some of your own mouths which if it should have been writ by any of us I know what you would have said of us N. C. Truly you have said too much to gratifie the common Enemy and so far saith Philag k Preface pag. 10. as a man may gather from your Book you would sooner promote a Cassandrian design viz. of Union betwixt Protestants and Papists than that betwixt C. and N. C. For you instigate Rulers to much severity against N. C. but never against Papists C.
in VV. B. so he will needs undertake a defence of his words when nothing is to be said but what will make them worse To trade in promises he tells you is a phrase good enough but do what he can to trade or to deal which he puts in the room of it in promises implies buying and selling a traffique which quite overthrows his conceit of absolute promises For we never heard of such Trades that can have commodities brought home to them and left with them for nothing and without so much as their enquiring after them Nor can all his tugging set him clear from his contradiction in making the promises absolute and yet conditional If they be the one they are not the other nor can he ever bring them nearer than thus that they may seem to be conditional but indeed are not N. C. Hath not God promised absolutely to give belief and repentance to a certain number of Elect persons C. No. N. C. Now I see plainly what you are C. Be not so confident Neither his â—or your eyes are good you have no considerable understanding in these matâ—ers For whatsoever intentions and â—â—rposes God hath of doing more for some persons than for others there is no declaration of this made by the promises â—o them but they all run conditionally And if I had not ceased all wonder at â—hat this man talks his boldness would â—â—cite that passion now in maintaining â—â—is position against me that God proâ—ises to some do what they will that â—hey shall repent and believe This I â—enied and he opposes me in it as you â—ay see p. 37. of his Book But those â—ery places so unlucky he is in all things â—â—ich he brings to prove his assertion â—re a strong confutation of 11 Ezek. â—9 36 Ezek. 26. I will put a new spiâ—â— into you c. For as these promises â—ere not made to some particular Elect â—ersons but to the whole Nation of the â—â—â—s so he else-where by the same Prophet Chap. 18.31 require them to make them a new heart and a new Spirit supposing that otherways they should dye Nay he expressly tells them immediately after this promise z Ezek. 11.21 that as for thosâ— whose heart walked after their detestablâ— things notwithstanding that he had put 〈◊〉 new Spirit into them to walk in his Statutes he would recompencetheir wayes upoâ— their own heads All this shows he did nopromise to amend them and make theâ— walk in his wayes whether they would oâ— no but that he only assured them of hiâ— Grace and the means of being made better which if they did not use and makâ— them a new Spirit after God had put iâ— into their hearts they were like to perish Let him overthrow this if he caâ— in as plain words as I have spoken it And there is another task also and indeed the main business if he will defend Mr. Br. which he hath not yet attempted and that is to show that it iâ— proper to the New Testament Spirit to tradâ— most or altogether in absolute promiseâ— He must reconcile this also with his owâ— confession that no body knows how to app◠〈…〉 promise to themselves a 〈…〉 and thâ—◠〈…〉 persons can depend on no promiâ—â—◠〈…〉 are conditional b 〈…〉 Hoâ— â—â—en I pray you can this be the mark â—f those that are in Covenant to be beâ—â— again by a promise especially the absoâ—â—t promise as I cite Mr. Br. words c Friendly Debate p. 44. â—hough he will take no notice of it Can â—hey be begotten without Faith And can their faith depend on promises when there are none Mr. Rutherford in my â—ind deals more sincerely and plainly with us who tells us of a Believers relying â—nd confiding in Christ through instinct and know no ground N. C. I do not think he sayes any such thing C. I assure you they are his words d Ser non at the Abbey June 25. 1645. p. 51. if you can believe he saith true And he tells you withal that Faith is sometime from instinct of Grace rather than from Light of discourse especially when we first believe and have nothing but a meer command and know not whither the promise and the Saviour belong to us or not Even as the Infant that can make no use of discourse only trusts to the Mother or the Nurse for Milk by meer instinct having neither promise nor experience for it In like manner he saith afterward though the promise may be forgotten and out of mind and the assurance that Christ loved me before the Worlâ— be none at all a Believer yet may rely and confide in Christ through instinct and know no ground This is tâ— speak out and not mince the matter There are no absolute promises that you can find at first but it is as well for you can believe without them and know nâ— ground and then afterward you find these absolute promises by the same secret instinct as I suppose for we can find none by all our discourse N. C. I did not intend to engage youâ— in this Dispute C. Nor I to enter farther into it than was necessary to show you how unjustly he vapours upon this occasion as if he had brought me upon my knees when he hath not said one word to the business He talks I remember of arrows e Preface p. 31. that he hath shot at me alone whom he hath singled out from the rest of the Herd But I find would you think it that there is no such way to be secure from them as to run to the mark As for those that I have shot I will take so much confidence as to think that though like the Buck he may stand a while with the Arrows in his side and while he is hot not feel them much yet you shall see him fall at last N. C. The loudest Barkers are not alwayes the sorest Biters C. I find it so Few men have been more bawl'd against by others than I have been by him He raises such an out-cry as the Philosophers were fained to do against Lucian In the Dialogue called the Fishermen when they cryed Arm Arm against this common Enemy c. But after all I am whole and sound enough he having rather snapt and nibled at some little bits of my Book than fastned solidly on any intire proposition in it When I say that the most that sober men have said as far as I can learn concerning our respect to the recompence of reward is that he who doth well only in sight of it is in a weak estate but yet indowed with an Evangelical Spirit f Friendly Debate p. 27. He leaves out these words is in a weak estate and then snarles and quarrels with me on this fashion Unless he eye the glory of God he hath no Evangelical Spirit On this theme he makes a long declamation though a very sorry one and to no purpose g P. 32