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A82111
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A Declaration of several members of the churches of Christ
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1654
(1654)
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Wing D618A; ESTC R176607
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10,836
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10
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A DECLARATION Of several Members of the Churches of Christ Being a few of the despised Remnant in London and elsewhere that yet cleave close to the Cause and Interest of our Lord Jesus so much disowned and rejected in these times of Apostacie and in this hour of our great tribulation and temptation IN the Name of Jehovah-Nissi Exod. 17.15 our Lord Christ Protector of his people King of Saints and Nations To all that are sanctified in Iesus Christ whether in Churches or ouT that partake of the same Faith with us of our Lord Jesus especially the sealed number now upon their Watch that have not defiled their Garments whose robes are washed with the blood of the Lamb that are redeemed from among men and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth in these three Nations or elsewhere We their unworthy Brethren one with them in the present Sufferings of our Lord Jesus and his Saints in the behalf of our selves and many others do from the bottom of our hearts wish like Faith Grace Light Zeal Joy and Peace which we enjoy from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen FOrasmuch as we believe many godly people in these three Nations and elsewhere are deceived and therefore unsatisfied concerning us in the matters of our Faith relating to the most precious Cause Interest and Monarchy of the Lord Christ which we cleave unto through misrepresentations and false reports made of us and our Principles by Persons and Letters posted about the Nations for that purpose full of errours mistakes unchristian censures uncharitable reproaches and invectives wherein the Adversaries have all the advantage against us that worldly power can possess them with But now that we may no longer by a forced silence be a dissatisfaction to our friends grievance to the truth offence to the Saints a trouble to our own consciences and advantage to the Adversaries or be so much the Subject as we have been of our Enemies malice to forge their lyes jealousies or evil reports upon nor yet be suspicious to many and for signes and wonders to most in the Commonwealth as if we were monsters and not men infidels and not believers enemies to Government and not Orators for it day and night as God hath appointed it We shall therefore in the behalf of thousands more we hope one with us herein in all faithfulness meekness and clearness declare unto you and to all the world how far we are engaged in this most glorious though crucified cause of Christ maugre all opposition of Men or Devils in as little room as this short Narrative will allow us being awakened thereunto every day Yet it cannot be expected that in this Paper we should relate all our grievances lay down all our grounds or answer all Objections which we hope to do hereafter but onely so far as may make obvious to any unbyassed eye or understanding the just rise of our Discontents Troubles and Dissatisfactions and as may exonerate our souls in the sight of Heaven and earth O our bowels our bowels our hearts even ake and are pained within us to hear the doleful and daily groans of Gods people crying out O where are our Deliverers and Saviours The reeds that we leaned upon have pierced our hands and we bleed and after our eyes fail with looking for Freedom Peace and Light behold Darkness Oppression and Distraction more then ever and what hope is left us And all this through the declension of the Armies first Principles and former Declarations extant to the view of the World Witness pag. 14 15. of the Remonstr Albans and pag. 66. They urge it upon the grounds of Common right Freedom and Safety that Parliaments be by a certain succession Annually or Biennially And in their Declar. June 14. 1647. pag. 8 9. they declare this so essential and fundamental to Freedom as that it cannot nor ought it to be denied or withholden from us and that arbitrary or absolute power in any person or persons during life doth not render that State any better then Tyranny nor the people subjected thereto any better then vassals And therefore they say pag. 9. We are so far from designing or complying to have an absolute or arbitrary power signed or setled for continuance in any persons whatsoever as that if we might be sure to obtain it we cannot wish to have it so in the persons of any whom we could most confide in or who should appear most of our own opinions or principles or whom we might have most personal assurance of or interest in but that the Authority of this Kingdom in Parliament may ever stand and have its course Yet for all this were not the last Parliament dissolved for that they would rule as Saints or part of the fifth Monarchy for Christ and for doing that the former Parliament neglected and therefore were dissolved and for doing that which the Army and good people had many yeers declared to be their duty to do viz. Remonstr p. 20. And have not some by Printing opprobriously and injuriously abused those precious Members that stood for the Magistracy and Ministery of the Gospel or Vnction as if they would have had no Government no Ministers nor propriety at all and after all their integrity cast an Odium upon them and upon the name of Saints yea and upon the Interest of Christ against which they have opened the mouthes of many thousands to blaspheme O these are the swords which pierce our hearts Besides doth not this personal interest now up look too much alike that which God hath confounded and stamped upon before our eyes in the same predicament of Pride Prophaness Persecution of Saints and Oppression with them that went before Oh! are not the Wicked exalted on every side and such taken up again Malignants and others as not long since they most declaim'd against and are not the Saints and them onely or mostly afflicted cast out of their Assemblies from praying and preaching and some of the faithfullest of them in all these Wars now closely imprisoned for their Consciences and this Cause of Christ from the common air yea cast among malefactors condemned threatned reproached and trampled on Oh! can we have hearts so hard as to mention these and many more such-like effects without yerning and mourning Besides are not the new Court of Tryers at White-hall for Ministers of like make with the Bishops High-Commission-Court The graven image of the worldly power creating a worldly clergie for worldly ends highly scandalous against the rule of the Gospel and faith of Christ and as much to be exploded as the Pope and Prelate Notwithstanding they assume the title of Orthodox and soundness of opinion to themselves and upon that account charge others that are not one with them in their carnal and Antichristian interest with Errors and rashness But as the Declaration of the Army to Scotland page 15. saith This hath been found in all ages of high advantage to them that
of Christ in the present light and work of this Generation whilst the Wicked are exalted on every side and such as were cast by taken up again Isai 49.24 25. Jer. 13.17 be of God or no 4. Whether the violence and force flattery or any other ways which are used to compel any of us against our Consciences to prostrate to mens carnal interests and to sin against the light be according to their former pretended Principles or the Word of God 5. Whether their unjust and unchristian accusations of us in the face of the world are not full of loathsome and cruel lyes whiles they spread about That we are against Magistracie Ministery Propriety Ordinances and the like Whether it be so or no we appeal to him that judgeth righteously 6. Their vexing and rising up against the Spirit of God which they call an Impostor and the false devilish fanatick spirit of Black-Fryers or Alhallows-meeting speaking blasphemously against it and that frequently wherein we appeal to the Lord to judge Whether that Spirit that is among them leading to Pride Pomp Worldliness Carnality Lying Persecution and Blaspheming or that Spirit which leads us day and night to the duty of Faith Assembling Praying Preaching Exhorting and building up in the present Truth contested against by them and to Comforting Counselling and Quickning up one another every day to hold fast our Profession without wavering to Self-denying and Mortification that we may not minde the present world nor the vanities thereof whether this Spirit our infirmities excepted or theirs which acts them be of God and which is the devillish worldly and deluding spirit Isa 63.10 2 Pet. 2.7 8. 7. Is not pomp pride and vanity in Court and elsewhere now up again in some respects more then ever so much contested and inveighed against for so many yeers together by themselves and others Whether by these amongst other things they have not opened the mouthes of the Enemies to blaspheme Christ and his Spirit to reproach his Cause and to harden their hearts And whether they have not given advantage to Ch. St. or some others to invade us our lives our relations afresh by open Wars inundations of blood and mischief so as seems to make void and uneffectual many yeers Wars with vast treasure expence and blood 8. Whereas they say we are all for Wars and would have no Peace with the nations round about we appeal to God therein whether we are not for the best safest and lasting godly Peace and were it God's will could wish no more blood might be shed Although we would not willingly see a Peace worse then War made with the nations against the Word of God Safety and Liberties of the good people for which so many have bled both by land and sea and upon such terms too as makes more for the interest of some men then for the Publike or upon such Articles as might make us blush for shame at this time of the Day and after so many out-goings of God in the midst of us as have not so much as one Article for the Lord Jesus or his Saints that are in the present work of this Generation concerning Christs Kingdom or Interest to subscribe unto Num. 33.52 53. to the end Exod. 23.32 33 34. Chap. 12.13 Upon these and many other Grounds we are induced and are resolved in the strength of Christ to keep up the Altar * Josh 22.34 ED and continue our Appeal until the Lord doth answer in justice and yet in much mercy to his poor little remnant which we are perswaded will be speedily as Luke 18.7 8. And if men will yet needs blinde their eyes and harden their hearts we could wish it be not to their destruction yet we do bless our heavenly Father that hath opened our eyes and kept our feet from falling with them that we can so comfortably see the things that concern our best peace according to the Law and the Testimony in the sure Word of Prophecie Blessed be JEHOVAH Amen Amen 3. But thirdly and lastly for that we finde much Misunderstanding among some and Misrepresentations among most of the Fifth Monarchy or Kingdom of Christ in the Nations which the holy Scriptures both in the Old and New Testament do clearly and plentifully declare with a positive period to the Worldly Heathenish Laws Ordinances and Constitutions of men as they are now executed in the Nations of the world And whereas it is also upon the hearts of many of the choice servants of God that in this present Age the Lord JEHOVAH is setting up the fifth Kingdom as Dan. 2.44 7.22 26 27. Zech. 21. which shall not be left to other people but shall break in pieces all the four kingdoms and remain for ever and ever and that at this time when as the fourth Monarchy is partly broken in these Nations that Christ may be the onely Potentate the King of kings and of all Nations 1 Tim. 6.15 Micah 4.7 Zech. 9.9 10. Col. 1.16 Heb. 2.8 Rev. 11.15 17. Chap. 14. 19. Chap. 15.16 Now finding this the present Truth so much opposed by the National Rulers and their Clergie yea and by some godly people and Church-members accounted Orthodox who cannot endure this day of Christs coming We therefore are resolved according to the presence and assistance of the Lord with us to entertain a serious Consideration and Debate for the benefit of all others touching the premises viz. of the Laws Subjects Extent Rise Time Place Offices and Officers of the fifth Monarchy or Kingdom whereby the World must be governed according to the Word of God without the mixture as now is of Mens Laws and Inventions whether in respect of Magistracie or Ministery Church or Civil affairs which Debate we intend to hold once a week in this City of London And we desire our beloved brethren which are one with us in the present Truth and sufferings whether in Churches or out whether in City or Country that are enlightned to take special notice of it for this end that they may enjoy the like freedom with us in those Meetings and Debates as often as they please to come And if the Lord give us the liberty we do purpose to proceed with the Debate of it from this day onward until we have taken up a full and clear Narrative thereof so far as shall appear to us out of the Scriptures fit to publish to the view of all men that our Principles in that point of the fifth Monarchy may be fully known with desire to know what any of our Adversaries now against us shall have to say to us or to our Principles therein who are contented with all our souls the Lord knows to be convinced of any Errour or Mistakes by the Word of Truth But we think not imprisoning or persecuting us a competent or fit way to convince our consciences if we were in Errours as they pretend And although we need no Law of men to allow us this Liberty it being our Birth-right in Christ among Christians and so fully warranted by the Word of God and practice of Primitive Saints yet if we should condescend to the Captious of our times we could tell them The Instrument intituled The Government of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland in the five and twentieth Article declares That Liberty shall be given to discover and confute Errour and Heresie and whatsoever is contrary to sound doctrine All which the Engager fol. 46. hath promised in the presence of God to observe and cause to be observed to his power subscribed O. CROMWEL In the mean time men would do well to take heed of blaspheming reproaching Christ his Spirit and his Monarchy as they do daily for which our hearts are grieved within us and to search the Scriptures whether these things be so or no. For as the Lord Cromwel writes in his own Letter to the Kirk of Scotland The Word of the Lord may be to some a word of judgement that they may fall backward and be broken and snared and taken there may be a spiritual fulness which the world may call a drunkenness or giddiness Act. 2. O that we might beseech such in the bleeding bowels of Christ crucified before our eyes to think it possible they may be mistaken Though the Great Ones and Wise Ones Priests and Rulers Scribes and Pharisees and Orthodox Professors so accounted of the times were all on their side yet a little handful of the weak ones may have the Truth though but the despised persecuted truth on their side And we do in the tenderness of our hearts and affections to all that are faithful beg of them in the Name of the Lord Jesus who is coming to raign righteously and gloriously that they will have nothing to do with them that are guilty of so great sins lest partaking of their sins they partake also of their Plagues And we hope the Lord will enable us to undergo the sharpness of this Day for our dear Christ and his Cause through the Reproaches Imprisonments Persecutions unjust Charges uncivil Raylings or un-Gospel Carriages which 〈◊〉 have or are like to meet with whether less or more so we may drink out of Christ's Cup and pledge our Master who first drank to us the bitter Potion We shall close at present with our heartiest Prayers and Supplications That God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ would in his due time cast down all those carnal earthly cruel and political Combinations of men of all sorts that would not have him to Reign over us but set up themselves and their own corrupted Interests in the room of that Scepter of righteousness which he hath given into the hands of his dear Son that he would by his Spirit resting and abiding upon you and us keep up all our hearts in a constant and patient waiting for his coming till he comes Even so come quickly Lord Jesus come quickly After this Copie is subscribed you are desired to return it with all speed possible to your affectionate friend and brother in our Lord Jesus