know the Truth the Truth shall set you free indeed But this Baxter and all such teach it for Doctrine That they are so far from being free from sin that their very prayers and best performances are not free from sin but sin is in them all Oh sad that ever they should dare to pretend to the Ministry of the Gospel who preach such a Doctrine as make nothing perfect but leaves them in sin all their lives long And no wonder that they and their Doctrine should be void of all good Fruit for saith God They have run and I have not sent them therefore they shall not profit the People at all And yet they would gladly have People know them and learn of them though they can do them no good at all and this is that sorry and bad Proof that the Hirelings make of their great knowledge they pretend unto which they have gotten with their natural Parts and hard Studies and so thy own words shall witness against thee Oh Baxter and thy Brethren who have given no good proof of your knowledge to this day nor have thereby preserved Peace and Concord amongst Believers but done what you can to break it for that Doctrine that makes not men free from sin leaves all the seeds of Discord and Dissention still in Peoples Minds for as sin separated man from God at first so doth it to this day keep them asunder and so keeps them from Love for God is Love and none live or dwell in Love but such as live and dwell in God But such as live in sin and never pray without it are out of God as the Apostle said of People in unbelief They were without God in the World It is not any outward Conformity that will or can make them to be at peace with or love one another for if it were possible to bring Papist Athist and Carnal Protestants and Professors of all sorts into one Form of outward Worship as for Time Place Words or the like Yet there would be neither Love Peace nor Concord amongst them for want of Unity with God and his good Spirit the onely true Ground and Foundation of all true Love Peace and Concord And so Oh R. Baxter we have known thee this many years to be a great Enemy of God and therefore we may not learn of thee nor any such but of Christ do we learn ever praised be his Name who teaches his People to profit and so it s onely the poor deluded Multitude that knowâ— thee not who learn of thee and suck in such poysoned Doctrine as makes them most uncapable of the pure Word of Life and Doctrine of Salvation so that Publicans and Harlots who make little or no Profession enter into the Kingdom of God before you And as for making a stir with thy knowledg and striving to set up thy own Name thereby though thou set the whole World on fire by it who more notorious then thy self in this R. Baxter as witness all thy lying frothy words Books and Pamphlets which thou hast spoken and written against the appearance of Christ and his Truth in these late years but thy Studies and thy Works God hath cursed for no Child of Light will ever buy any of thy Merchandize nor the deceitfull Wares of any other Merchants of Babylon for evermore Blessed be God for his unspeakable Gift Amen But the end of these words of setting the World on fire set down here by this Baxter is easily seen to be this to wit to perswade People that those who are zealous for God in these days in publishing his everlasting Gospel upon the Earth in a cross to the World are such as set up themselves and would set the World on fire And so he is manifest to be one of the old evil Generation of Priests who accused Christ for a mover of Sedition and Paul for a pestilent Fellow Oh it was that good stirring Spirit of the Lord Jesus in himself and his Followers which did so trouble the World the combustible World in all Ages that made and doth make the Hrieling Priests and their deluded Followers so rage and cry out but as for setting the World on fire in a goodsence Christ Jesus saith That he came to set Fire in the Earth But for setting the World on fire in Baxter's sence that is sowing discord and dissention amongst People this is the work and ever was the work of the Hireling Priests who loved to be called of men Masters as this R Baxter is as is said before witness not onely our own Age but the holy Scripture and the Histories of all Times and Ages as those that read may understand And yet these proud Masterly and false Teachers were ever the first and for wardst that cryed against Christ and his Followers for disturbing the World's Peace when as this Doctrine of Christ's Spirit though it did alwayes disturb the Devil's yet it did alwayes tend to the working of the hearts and Souls of the People into God's Peace and did ever and doth at this day work this glorious and blessed Effect in all that believe Whereof we are Witnesses praised be God though for the Testimony of Christ we are troubled on every side by the wicked World So that even now when the Wicked have no peace for there is no peace to the Wicked we whom the World mock stone and persecute under the Nick-Name of Quakers or so have peace in all our Dwellings And within Egypt is full of Darkness that one may feel it yet in our Goshen is plenty of Light ever praised be God And when the World of false Christians are learning War and preparing Weapons we are ceasing from War and not to learn it any more as the Lord hath said And therefore Oh ye Inhabitants of the Earth if ye knew us ye would not hate us and persecute us but love us with your Hearts because of the good will of our Hearts towards you for our Weapons are not Carnal but Spiritual Not for pulling down or Destroying of you but your Enemies your sins which wars against your Souls And the Reason why we cannot joyn with you in your Liturgyes and Worship-actions is not because we hate you but because we Love God and your Souls for if we should joyn with you in your defiled Worship as your selves confess they are we should strengthen you in an evil Way But by our separating from you because of the unholiness of your Sacrifices occasion may be ministred to you to question your State and so some of you in time may come out of your Darkness into the marvellous Light of the Lord Jesus with us and praise the Lord in the Land of the Living so be it Another of this Baxter's Follies and false Doctrines I may here mention as one may read it in that Book of his that I have under hand to wit in Pag. 114. are these words It may be unlawfull saith he in a Ruler to command
Baxter's Book Entitul'd The Cure of Church-Divisions ANSWER'D CONFUTED And he prov'd to be a Physitian of NO VALUE Who hath manifested his Folly and Weakness in undertaking a Work which he hath so little Understanding in By Thomas Taylor For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to Covetousness c. They have Heal'd also the Hurt of the Daughter of my People with sweet words saying Peace Peace when there is no Peace Jer. 6.13 14. But ye are Forgers of Lyes ye are all Physitians of no Value Job 13.4 Printed in the Year 1671. Baxter's Book Entitul'd The Cure of Church-Divisions ANSWER'D CONFUTED RICHARD BAXTER a man who through a shew of Learning and Religion had gotten in Oliver Crumwel's dayes a great esteem in the minds of the ignorantly Zealous Professors of Religion in this Nation and especially in the parts of Worcester-shire about Kidderminster where he then resided hath since the change of the Times and coming in of the Old Common-prayer-Book again much manifested his Nakedness Confusion and Unsoundness to every Eye that in any measure is open to see the difference of Truth and Error in the ground of it as by his works appear and that it is so amongst other things that Book of his falsly call'd The Cure of Church-Divisions which I have now under-hand to answer doth plainly manifest For instead of curing Divisions he hath shew'd himself to be a Physitian of no value so instead of curing hath struck at under a Judas Kiss of Unity Concord the very Life and Foundation of all true Christian Unity and Amity to wit The Free and Perfect Teachings and Gifts and Work of the Spirit of Truth the Spirit of the Father and Son in his believing Members whereby they cry in a spotless Mind Abba Father and freely and powerfully declare the Glory of his Kingdom to the Children of Men and instead thereof would bring in and establish that Soul-deceiving and Church-dividing doctrine of Humane Learning and Humane Helps as absolutely necessary to the procuring and engaging as it were the Holy unlimited God to give unto the Creature his holy Spirit and the Knowledge of the Mysteries of his Eternal Will and Kingdom for the same as in Answer to an Objection in the 6th page of his Book in his first Direction so call'd is to be seen The Objection against his carnal Reasonings for Old Men's knowledge is in pag. 5. where he saith I know those that I have to do with will say That Divinity is not learn't by Labour and Men's-teaching as other Sciences and Arts are but by Teaching I add yea and most free Gift of the Spirit of God and therefore the Youngest may have as much of it as the Eldest And to this R. B. there thus answers Answ. There is some Truth saith he and some Falshood and much Confusion in this Objection Reply But O the Darkness ye◠rather Enmity that is in Baxter's heart against the free Teaching of God's Spirit that he would find any thing against so plain and manifest Truth as is in this Objection But what will not Flesh do that is lifted up with Conceits of his own wisdom to keep up its Honour before the people rather then the Pure Undoubted Truth of the Gospel and Self-abasing Spirit of Truth should Raign and have the Preheminence But let us hear how this R.B. proves that that there is either 〈◊〉 or Confusion in the Objection It is true saith he that the saving Knowledge of Divinity must be taught by the Spirit of God but it is false that Labour and Humane Teaching are not the Means which must be us'd by them who will have the Teaching of the Spirit But to this I say That a Child of Light in the least Measure doth easily see the Falshood of that spirit by which this R.B. is acted in this his answer For the wind of the Spirit bloweth where it listeth and thou hear'st the sound thereof thou natural Man but neither knows whence it comes nor whither it goes so is every one that 's born of God And without this Birth all thy knowledge is damning not saving John 3.7 8. c. And Job 32.7 8. I said dayes should Speak and multitude of years should Teach Wisdom but there is a Spirit in man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them Understanding And saith God It shall come to pass in the last dayes that I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh and they shall all know me from the least to the greatest yea and Young-men shall see Visions and Servants and Hand-maids shall Prophesie and ye have receiv'd an Unction from the Holy One and ye know all things saith the Apostle John and ye need not that any man teach you This is the Day of the Lord wherein these things are fulfill'd prais'd be God And the new Covenant aboundantly witness'd in the Children of Light whom this wicked Book of Baxter's strikes at but his Wickedness turns upon his own Pate and his own Inquities shall slay him For he by his carnal Wisdom would darken Knowledge and shut the Kingdom of Heaven against men as his Predecessors of old the Pharisees mention'd Mat. 23. did But the Lord hath open'd a Door to the Believing Souls this Day which all the powers of Darkness shall never be able to shut Glory to his Name forever But what is that Labour and Humane Means that People must use for getting the Spirit of God or saving Knowledge of Divinity as he calls it Is it tumbling over a Ruck of Books stuffed with art and Humane Wisdom or Learning from below as this R.B. hath long done to the darkning of his Heart from the Knowledge of God and Way of his Spirit so that he knows nothing of it after all his long lost labour but what he knows naturally as a bruit Beast and that 's plain for it sanctifies him not as by his confessing That his best Duties even his Prayers are not without sin and affirming that no man prayes without sin as in his Book is to be seen page 195 and in his Preface And so the Prayer of Faith and Preaching by the Spirit he is ignorant of yea Preaching by the Spirit is become a Mock and a Derision to him and his Brethren at this day but Paul and all the Ministers of Christ Magnifie the Free Grace and Infinite Gift of the Spirit of God according to that 2 Cor. 3. Saying Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think a good Thought but our Ability is of God who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter kills but the Spirit gives Life And that which the Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor hath entred into the Heart of man or Humane Heart to conceive hath God reveal'd to us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the Deep Things of
freely given for the edifying and building up of the Body of Christ till we all come to a perfect man to the measure and feature of the fulness of Christ no more then the Apostle did Ephes. 4.11 c. but that which we cry down is that Antichristian spirit in R. B. and all such men as by seting up self and flesh would draw from Christ and his Teachings in Spirit to look at them and their painted words and love killing Doctrines who are this day Goliah like come forth to defie the Armies of the Living God but the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands shall dash them and their Images all to peices Glory to the Lord for Ever And though they with their Humane or Earthly spirit and Sorceries withstand the Truth and Spirit thereof as Jamnes and Jambres withstood Moses when he was about to call Israel out of Egypt yet as their Folly was soon seen so are these and they shall not proceed far but Israel out of Egypt shall go and those Faithful ones that are escaped shall they not with all their Inchantment bring back again into Egypt Glory to the Lord for Ever Amen But wouldst thou indeed know Oh vain man R.B. for what the Apostles who had Ability to preach without mans help were sent forth then thou mayst know it was to reprove such as thee that would limit God to vain man's Help and to call his People from amongst you who lay heavy Burdens on mens Shoulders but will not touch them with one of your Fingers it is even so But whereas thou addest and say'st Those are taught of God who are taught by those who are sent of God to be their Teachers It plainly shews the numerous Company thou boasts of who believe thee are not taught of God for thy Doctrine already mentioned shews most plainly that thou wast never sent of God for never did any whom God sent set themselves against the free and Gratious Teaching and Gifts of God's Spirit to Establish Humane Helps as thou doest But as if that which thou hast said were nothing thou addest Pag. 8. Advise with the experience of all the World Who was the man that ever you knew able to Expound one Chapter in the Bible by the inward Teachings of the Spirit alone without any Labour of his own or Help from others by Voice or Writting Where dwelleth the man who by meer Inspiration can turn one Chapter out of the Hebrew or Greek into the vulgar Tongue and where is the man that can solidly unfold any Doctrine of Divinity which he never read or heard of or can Teach that Truth and deny that Religion which he was never taught by man And afterwards in his Second Direction and Pag. 16. having led his wretched Disciples into a Laborinth or Mist of words about their uncertainties in their Matters of Knowledge and having advised them to humility as he calls it or not to think too highly of their own knowledge he there adds and sayes in that 16th Page especially If you know your advantages for knowledge have been less then other mens that you are young or that it is but a few Years since you entred upon the study of the Scriptures or that you have not any stronger natural Parts then other men that you have not had that Measure of Learning which might further your knowledge of the Holy Scriptures but that others that differ from you have had much more of all these Helps and Means then you and have Prayed more and Meditated more c. And in Pag. 17. in his Answer to an Objection which is That the Learnedst men are not always the wisest in the matters of Religion he saith many men are learned in the Languages and Sciences who are not learned in the Scripture because they applyed not their Studies that way and many men are learned in the Scriptures and Sacred Languages who yet live in sin though they are able to Teach the Truth for others here by the way all may take notice what a False Teacher this Baxter is who is not ashamed to say That man that lives in sin may Teach the Truth for others for such as live in sin neither know the Truth which is Christ nor have seen him as John's first Epist. Chap. 3. expresly saith but this Baxter goeth on and saith But those that well understand the Scriptures without learning the Languages which they are written in and the Customs of those Times and Countries or without much reading and long study of the Scriptures themselves and the Writings of them that better understand them are so few if any at all that if you will pretend to be one of them you had need of some Miracle or somthing like a Miracle to make your selves or others believe that you are not deceived I Might here add his other false Doctrines immediately following these in that his Book as his Answer to an Objection there set down against singularity or so the Objection is this The greater Number are not alwayes in the Right therefore why should my singulary discourage me But because his Answer hath pretty many words in it I refer it to another place and to what he hath already said do answer and say in brief thus First That as by his other words so also by these it is most manifest from what Fountain this Baxter's knowledge hath proceeded to wit not from the Inspiration of the Eternal Spirit which gave forth Scripture but from his own Earthly or Natural spirit and Humane Industery and Studies and trading in Books and Letters without him from which Earthly or Humane Spirit and Wisdom hath not come nor possible ever can come to any the right meaning and understanding of Holy Scripture as such as he would have it for the natural man as the Apostle saith Perceiveth not the things that be of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 But all false Visions and lying Divinations have ever come from that Earthly spirit and all the cruel wrestings of the Holy Scriptures from the beginning to this day have proceeded from it to the miserable and wofull undoing of the Generallity of that People called Christendom as also the Blood-sheds and all the cruel usage of Spiritual Minded Men for their pure Conscience sake have issued from that Fountain of the Earthly spirit and the false Births thereof from the beginning and that great Whore found Guilty of all for in her was found the Blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth Râ—â—â— 18.24 for what Spiritual man did ever ask such a Question or rather affirm for in him his question is an affirmation to wit That no man is able by the inward Teachings of the Spirit alone to Expound one Chapter in the Bible And that there is none can solidly Unfold any Doctrine of Divinity which he never read or heard of or can teach the Truth or defend that Religion which he was
like must needs go for a better knowing Christian with him then the dearest Child of God especially if he be young in Years and want those natural Helps and outward appearances Oh what havock hath such Doctrine as this of Baxter's made amongst his deluded Hearers and Admirers in this Nation so that now let the Man of God come to one of them in the purest Evidence and most powerful demonstration of the Spirit of Truth if he appear not to them cloathed and accompanied with these Natural and Worldly Abilities and Indowments they are fenced against the Lord's Messenger with such Arguments as these You are but young you have but studied a while you are of slender and mean Natural Parts and little or no Schollar-ship and have Prayed but little c. in comparison of our Grave and Learned Divines and the like So that as Christ said so we find now true That Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdom of God before such and now what a Curer of Church-divisions this Baxter is like to prove is easily seen and therefore that charge which his self-condemned Heart fear'd would come upon him may justly be brought upon him here which in his Preface to his Book he sets down thus They will affirm saith he That I have clawed with one party and have girded at the other and have sought to make them odious by bringing them under the Reproach of separation of censuring and avoiding the Ungodly and that being luke-warm my self and a Complier with sin I would have others to do so too And that these Reconcilers are neither Flesh nor Fish and attempt impossibilities even to reconcile Light and Darkness Christ and Belial and that for the sake of peace we would sell the Truth and would let in Church Corruptions out of an over eager desire of agreement and when they have all done neither Parties will regard them These are this Baxter's words in that Preface of his to that Book which is justly come upon him And indeed He may as well go about to reconcile Light and Darkness as bring the Children of Light whom God hath delivered our of the Darkness of and filthiness of Egypt and Sodom spiritual into Unity with them again for there is Enmity put between the two Seeds and those words of Christ in John 17.21 22. c. which he deceitfully puts in the Title Page of his Book are only proper to the living Members of the Spiritual Body of Christ which he calls mystical and not to any of the Worlds Churches or visible mixt Congregations of People whatsoever the words of the Apostle in John 17.21 c. are weightier then any Hypocrite can bear and they are these That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that thou also may be one in us that the World may believe that thou hast sent me and the Glory which thou hast given me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the World may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me God is arisen to drive Hypocrites from under all such shelter of words as they would hide themselves under for now is the City and Kingdom truly manifested and witnessed into which no Uncircumcised or Unclean shall enter but only the Redeemed born Babes and living Members of Christ. And now to the knowledge and experience not of the Evil World but of all that know God do I appeal to judge whether this R. Baxter or any of like spirit with him can be said to know any thing of the Oneness betwixt the Father and Son the Members of his holy Heavenly Body much less can be any of them who are not afraid to affirm That such are not to be disallowed from being Ministers of the Gospel though they want Grace totally And that Gifts are more necessary to the validity of Ministration then Grace is and that he may perform the Office of a Minister to the benefit of the Church that hath no saving Grace at all as Pag. 114. of his Book aforementioned and that there is no man alive that Worshippeth God without some sin and adds Do you ever pray your selves in secret or in your Families with out sin as in Pag. 19.5 And in Pag. 30. of his Preface to that Book That there is no Person Church on Worship on Earth faultless and with out Corruption and saith there further I justifie not the faults of my own daily Prayers and yet I never pray without them And in Pag. 34. c. That Cain was the first born Member in the Church of Adam's Family and cursed Cham was of the Church of Noah and reckons Lot's two Sons in law and Esau yea and the ten Tribes in their Apostacy to be of the Church And so having reckoned up and raked together all the Faults of the Blessed Seed of Abraham before Christ's coming in the Flesh and of all those called Christians after that mentioned in Scripture he most wickedly and imprudently sayes Pag. 44. That no one Member is in all these Scriptures or any other commanded to come out and separate from any one of all these Churches as if their Communion in Worship were Unlawful Directly contrary to 2 Cor. 5.11 Revel 18.4 5 6. c. Come out of Mystery Babylon the false Church saith God to his People Oh the Blasphemy of such mens Hearts that dare Intitle wicked men for a bear Profession sake of Religion to the Glory of the benefit of this Prayer of Christ's who prayes and his Prayers were alwayes heard That his might be one as he and the Father were and are one the Father in Christ and Christ in them and so made fellow Heirs and Pertakers of the Glory of Christ by free Gift But neither R. Baxter nor any graceless Minister nor sinful praying People whom he pleads for can ever be one as the Father and Son are one Therefore I may safely say to you all Who desires the good of your Souls and the Glory of God Come out from amongst them and joyn not with them No not in their Worship Actions as he calls them nor be ye Partakers in any of their sins or sinful Worship lese ye partake of their Plagues for the Temple of God is Holy and the Worship of God is Holy And so R. Baxter with all his own Corruptions and all his heaps of Lyes and false Accusations of the Brethren of Christ are for the Lake It is so And so I return to set down Baxter's Unchristian Answer to that former Objection against the singularity of separation the Objection is as before The greater Number are not alwayes in the right therefore why should my singularity discourage me Now to this Baxter answers Pag. 17.18 The greater Number saith he through the World are not in the right about Christianity for they
are not Christians and the greater number of vulgar Christians be not in the right perhaps in many Points of Learning and Scholastick Controversies because they are not learned in such Controversies but all Godly men and Christians are in the right in all Points Essential to Godliness and Christianity And therefore they are in the certain way of Life And if in any integral or accedental Point you think you are wiser then the greater part of men as Learned and as Godly as your selves you must give very good Proofs of it to your selves and others before it is to be believed I know that in all Ages God giveth some few men more excellent natural Parts then others and he engageth some in deeper and more laborious Studies then others and he Blesseth some mens Studies more then others and therefore there are still some few who know more then the rest of the Country or Mankind and it were well for the rest if they knew these and would learn of them But these are such as come to their Knowledge by hard and laborious Studies and Meditation though also by the Spirit 's Blessing their endeavours and they are such as give proof of the Knowledge they pretend to and they are such as imploy their Knowledge to preserve the Peace and Concord of Believers and do not proudly make a stir with it to set up their own Names though hereby they set the World on fire To which by way of reply I answer and say That there is not the least Child of Light But doth truely and easily see the nature of the Spirit by which this R. B. is still acted and the end he drives at for as for the Spirit by which he is acted it still appears plainly to be the spirit of this World that never knew God nor the Mysteries of his holy and Heavenly Kingdom by which Earthly spirit by much poring on Books without him he hath attained to a deal of Unsanctified graceless Knowledge as himself speaks Pag. 114. to deceive the simple People by who are Ignorant of Satans Devises and as for his end it is also as manifest to be this to wit to bring People who were in some measure pressing out of Babylon back into Egypt and Babylon again and yet to cover his deceit lest the Simple should see him without an Interpreter he brings in the Spirit as to help his Humane Labour and Carnal Endeavours But the Spirit of God which he strikes at in all his writing will be no Drudge or Slave to any such Vain Self-ended Proud Mind in any But of these words where he saith That all Godly men and Christians are in the right in all Points Essential to Godlyness and Christianity and therefore in the certain Way of Life as he saith Let us consider for in his sence they are most notoriously false and wicked for as for Godly men who ever imagined otherwise much less denied in words or so that they were in the right but as for that he saith That all Christians viz. all that were sprinkled when they were Children and that so being grown up make an outward Profession of Christ for such in Spiritual manner he means by Christians as is most manifest are in the right in all Points Essential to Christianity and so in the certain Way of Life It is such a notorious peice of falshood and so impudent an assertion that no one saying can more gratifie the Devil and so help to build up his Kingdom then it doth Nay it certainly gives the Lye to the certain experience and Testimony of all the holy men of God both formerly and now for Paul said in his day That many professed and nominal Christians do so walk as that they were Enemies to the Cross of Christ whose god was their their Belly and who gloried in their shame and whose end was destruction Phil. 3. and were these in the right Points Essentiall to Christianity and in the certain Way of Life what Contradiction and Blasphemy is this And the same Apostle tells some among the Corinthians That they had not the knowledge of God Cor. 15. and what were these right also in all Essentials what is not the knowledge of God an Essential Point of Christianity Nay without the knowledge of God no Eternal Life and yet this Baxter is not ashamed to affirm That such as know not God are in the certain Way of Life And further to the experience of all that know God do I appeal whether this R. B. doth not here in his blindness justifie the very Papist Yea and all other sorts of People who any way in the outward profess Christ especially if they be outwardly sprinkled with Water young or old for saith he in his Preface Pag. 33. Christ hath solemnly and purposely made the baptismal Covenanting with him to wit by outward washing to be the Tearm and Title to Church-Member-ship and Communion and the owning of this same Covenant is the sufficient Title of the Adult or those of ripe years and the Imposers that come after and require another kind of Evedence of Conversion or Sanctification then this do confound the Church and enslave the People and leave no certain way of Tryal Thus far R. B. by which it appears whether this Baxter by endeavouring to keep his credit with the world is wandred beyond all the Bounds of Reason and Modesty Nay Mystery Babylon her self though she be become a Cage of every unclean and barefull Bird and a very Habitation of Devils must not pass unjustified by him but be reckoned to be right in all the Essentials of Christianity and in the certain Way of Life For without all Controversie this Mystery Babylon is of that Number who in words profess God and Christ and have a Name to live though they be dead as this Baxter is or it were not a Mystery if it were not covered from the Worlds Eye with a shew of what it is not Revel 17 18 19. Chapters Yet so far is this Baxter sunk into the Dark Pit of Antichristian Abomination that he acounts it an abuse and false Interpreting of Scripture to perswade any from that Command Come out of Babylon to separate from professed or nominal Christians though full of Iniquity Page 32. then which nothing more can gratifie his Father the Wicked One and his Adulterous Mother the Synagogue of Rome for though he would seem in some words here and there in his Book to be no Papist yet there is never an Argument he brings for the Fellow-ship with Dead and Corrupted Members and against those that separate from such but they will fully serve to prove the Company of the Pope to be a Church and all them to blame who have separated from him in outward Church-Fellowship upon any pretence whatsoever So foolish is the World's Wisdom when it is set against Truth But this Baxter having laid his Wicked and False Ground That all that are called Christians are in the
warned from following such any more for who would have thought that ever him called Doctor Bryan of Coventry and Richard called Mr. Baxter of Kidderminster who were so promoted in Oliver's time for conformity to Oliver's Laws and Religion in opposition to the Prelates and their Common-Prayers should now with a little blast of mens Breath be silenced as Baxter's Epistle to his Book saith for a time and so shattered and confounded with the fall that when they awaked and got a litle Breath that they should for fear of men be so transformed into other shapes as not to be ashamed to get into their Mouthes blasphemous words of making People Members of Christ Children of God and Heirs of his Kingdom by having a little Water sprinkled on their Faces by a manmade-Priest when they were Infants and understood nothing then which passage there is not any passage in the Liturgy or common-service-Common-Service-Book nay nor in any Book in the World whatsoever more contrary to the Scriptures of Truth as all sober Minded People well understand yea and this Bryan himself knows in his own Conscience that they are not sound words though he most notoriously and falsely say to please the present Evil World with all that the holy Scriptures warrant them in a sacramental Sence But I desire that all People who fear the Lord would take heed of such dangerous Heresies for the Scriptures of Truth do not allow of Falshood in any Sence at all for its absolutely false in the sight of God and to all good Men that Infants by any such outward sprinkling or doing as they call Baptism are made the Children of God Members of Christ Heirs of his Kingdom seeing the Scripture no where commands any such thing but saith That except People be born from above they cannot see the Kingdom of God But the Day is dawned that makes all things manifest praises to God And therefore People consider what a wretchedness those are under who follow such blind Guides as turn and change with every Time and can be any thing or nothing in appearance so that they can but keep up their Name amongst men What was the Common-Prayers and such things so odious and damnable a thing in the Eyes of these Priests in Oliver's Time And is it now yea the worst part of it became such an Idol in their Eyes as that those that dwell in God must be condemned of deep prejudice for not conformity to it What will not that spirit that climbs over the Door and never was sent of God to preach the Gospel say or unsay so as it can but please the present Times But Oh thou blasphemous Bryan the Accuser of the Brethren can those that dwell with God deny to conform to that Worship or Service which is of God And therefore it is safely and truely concluded that the Parish-Service thou pleads for is not of God because for conscience to God with whom they dwell they cannot conform to it but Oh how the Serpent creeps upon his Belly to do mischief by seeking to perswade the consciencious People That by their not joyning with the Parish Worships and Assemblies they open their Mouthes wide to cast a Scandal upon their Persons as prophane and upon the strict Profession of walking precisely according to the written Word which they think sayes this Bryan in that pag. 292. of his Book gives you no warrant for your Separation c. And then down upon his Belly he goes saying My humble and earnest request to you is to lay aside your prejudice and examine by the good Word whether your separation be not sinful Answ. To which I answer in the Word of the Lord Blessed for ever that we who for the Work and Word of the Lord in our Hearts and Mouthes are by the sinful Parishes of England and elsewhere disdained and scornfully called Quakers are not separated from them because of any prejudice or the like against them but God who by his Everlasting Light of Truth hath shewed us the Evil of their Doings and of our own when we worshipped we knew not what amongst them he I say hath separated us from them and joyned us to himself in Christ Jesus where with him our Dwelling is indeed though Bryan think not so praised be the Name of our most holy Lord God for evermore And so we are not yet to examine whether our separation be sinful or nay for that is done and we do know it to be good according to the good Word from the beginning most certainly And so the offence which the Parish-worshippers take is offence without all cause on our parts given and so it is no other then the Unbelievers took in all Generations against them that feared God as the Jews were offended at Christ and his Apostles yea and all Christians in those dayes because they could not worship with their Neigbours in their Superstitions as this Bryan would have us and not onely so but they killed Christ and his Apostles and grievously persecuted the Christians for their separation then as they do us at this day and so the reproach of Christ is to us great Riches and the Persecutors God will examine and judge And as Moses did chuse rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God then to enjoy Egypt's Glory for a Season so blessed are all that with us are perswaded in their Hearts to follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes not heeding what the Wicked say or judge of them but as the Apostle exhorts looking at Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the Shame and so through all the Tryals and Persecutions of this World enter into God's Glory where none can come to make afraid But if there be any who through prejudice as this Bryan speaks and not by the Spirit of the Lord are separated from the Parish-Worship it is necessary for such to see to themselves and consider lest their return be as shameful as their separation was sinful like this Bryan and Baxter who it seems all this while have been no real and true Separatists to God but have been onely in the self-separation according to the will and force of Times For though the poor deceived Followers of such men be at present more averse from joyning with the Superstitions of the Times then your Hearers are as Baxter sayes yet if you grow not out of their rotten Root into the Root Christ Jesus you will be weary and faint in your Way before the end but let all know that these self-separatists who have not their Birth of God are no real Dwellers with God though this Bryan its like had an Eye especially to such in his words and to whom its like in a special manner he applies his fawning flattering words and desires But what 's the Reason may we say again that these non-conforming Ministers by Baxter's report are not so much against the