kingdome of Christ which is heavenly and endureth for ever the sword of whose kingdome is spirituall by the power of which sword onely Christs subiects are to be ruled and kept in obedience to him by the which sword our lord the K. must be kept in obedience himself if he be a disciple of Christ a subiect of Christs kingdome And this takes away with out gain-saying all the Kingly power authority of our Lord the K. in the kingdome of Christ for he cannot be both a King a subiect in one and the same kingdome the Kings vndestanding hart will easily deserne this Then let our lord the K. in all happines prosperity sitt in his owne Princely throne of that mighty Kingdome of Great Britanne Which God hath given to the King and to his posterity and the lord give the K. a most wise hart to rule iudg his people and the lord give all his people faithfull harts to love obey him and let all those the K. enimies that would not that he should reigne over them bestayne before him And let our lord Iesus-Christ in power and Maiesty sitt vpon Davids throne the throne of the Kingdome of Israell which his father hath given vnto him let Christ according to his owne wisedome iudg his people Israell and let our the K. be his subiect the which our lord the King yeilding himselfe to be the K. must needs grant that as he is an earthly King he can have no power to rule in this spiritual Kingdome of Christ nor can compell anie to be subiects thereof as a King whilst the K. is but a subiect him self for there may be but one King in Israel And let not our lord the King be now angry and his servants will speake but this once Will our lord the K. being him self but a subiect of Christs Kingdome take vpon him by his Kingly power to make Primats Metropolitans Arch. Bishops and lord Bishops to be lords in the Kingdome of Christ and over the heritage of God And will our lord the K. do this against the whole rule of Gods word wherein there is no one tittle to warrant our lord the K. thertoo Will not our lord the K. be supplicated by the humble petition of his servants to examine his power authority herein Farr is it from the harts of vs the Kings servants to move the King to depart from the least tittle of his right that belongs to his Royall Crowne dignity and farr be it from the King to take from Christ Iesus anie one part of that power honor which belongs to Christ in his Kingdome Let our lord the King pardon his servants for medling in this matter for wee professe our selves bound vpon the perill of our soules to be faithfull subiects both to Iesus Christ our K. to our lord K. there fore it stands vs vpon to know what belongs vnto Christ our heavenly K. and vnto our earthly K. and Christ our spirituall K. hath freely spoken vnto vs coÌ„maunded vs to give vnto our K. that which is our Ks. will not our lord the K. say as freely vnto vs give vnto God that which is Gods Wee doubt not but our lord the King will say so why then we appeale vnto our lord the K. that is our earthly K. lett the K. speake according to the true iudgment of his hart will the K. say that it belongs to him to make spirituall Lords over the house of God And will the K. warrant his saying to be Good And if the King warrant it onely by his Princely prerogative may wee therepoÌ„ give vnto the King this power in submitting our selves to such spirituall Lords and to their power were not this to take from our Spirituall Lord and King that which is even his owne name title and power and give it to another what greater evill can be comitted against Christ then to take his honor and power from him and give it to earthly meÌ„ who should feare tremble before him in giveing to him glory honor and not takeing from him Let not our lord the King be partaker in such great evill to suffer a power and name of blasphemy to be set vp so directly against the expresse comaundement of Christ who forbidds all Lordly titles and ruleing power one over another in his Kingdome we dare not but thinke it is done ignorantly both by our lord the K. who suffers this and by them that administer in this greatest evill wee the Kings servants say this greatest evill in that it is the abomination of desolation set vp in the high places which are the dayes of greatest tribulation that ever was or shal be the which dayes except they should be shortned no flesh should be saved And if it shall not yet appeare vnto our lord the that this Hyrarchy of Arch-Bishops and lord Bs. is this abhomination of desolation set in the high places then wee beseech the K. vpon our knees by his highest honor and renowne by his truest justice most righteous iudgmeÌ„t by his most Godly Princ-like care of the salvation of al his subiects and lastly above all by his cheifest love vnto God to his holy truth That our lord the King will with his Royall coÌ„sent give way that this cause may come to an equall tryall but thus farr that the K. will but take hold his sword of iustice from this Hyrarchy that they may not smite the faith full true loyall subiects of the K. therewith neither to death nor to imprisoment nor to banishment for speaking or writing onely against their Kingdome And let our lord the King by the humble supplication of vs his servants be intreated to leave them to defend their spirituall power and names by the sword of the spirit which ought onely to be the weapon of their warefare if they be spirituall Lords as they pretend and then shall â—ur lord the K. see this cause truely decided to the Ks. honor and great comfort for the K. knowes that this Hyrarchy withall their learned dependancy if their cause be good they cannot lose it for want of learning in that they have wisedome learning if it be according to godlines sufficient to convince the whole earth and if they can with all that masse of learning mainteyne their Primacie and Prelacy Arch-Bishopry and spirituall Lordships then may our lord the King let them enioy it with comfort but if they cannot with all the spiritual weapons and armor they have vphold it then let it fall and go into the bottomles pitt from whence it is come Revel 9.2 and whether it must go though all the Kings on the earth should strive to vphold it Revel 20.1.2.10 Let not our lord the K. therefore give the least support therevnto by the power of his sword The lord grant that wee may find fauour in the Kings eies in this so iust and equall a cause which
naturall men and your selfe as in this point in hand because with your carnall eies and eares you see and heare water and washing with such words to bee vsed in the administration off the Lords Baptisme therefore you according to your naturall vnderstanding iudg these thinges to bee the essentiall causes of spirituall Baptisme and teach simple soules that these things being once truely done they are not to bee repeated or done againe when they are whollie natural actions and prophanelie done as you confesse and therefore can in no respect be said to be the Baptisme off Christ which is whollie a spirituall action aÌ„d ought holilie to be performed and done Thus do you make the ignorant beleeve that you can put the spirit off grace into naturall actions formerlie prophanelie done and make the same actions Spirituall and acceptable to God Thus do you make Mid-wives baptisme good and the holie ordinance of God in the essential causes so can you make al the prophane praiers and sermons in playes which are vsuall holie and good actions and the Ordinances of God This then is your rule denie it if you can everie washing with water into the name off the Father etc. is the true Baptisme and Ordinance of Christ in the essential causes thereof by whome soever administred and vpoÌ„ what person or thinge soever This may bee good in lodgick and Philosophie but this is blasphemous cursed doctrine in divinitie and woe are wee for you that ever such abhominations should bee vttered by you wee are a shamed to follow you in the perticuler application of these things which if they should be vrged to the ful it would make everie hart that had anie grace and knowes you tremble and greive for you This hath your Lodgick and Philosophie brought you to whereby you have confounded manie a simple hart and weake vnderstanding and whereby you thinke you have a Privilege to vnderstand the meaning off God in the Scriptures before them that are ignorant of these Arts But now hath the Lord confounded you in them glorie to be his Name and the Lord give you a hart to acknowledg it and to repent and denie your selfe and give glorie to God Wee will omit to speake off your vnproper speach saying that Baptisme must be clothed with a right person vpon whome it must be administred Thus to make your maâ—ters to agree you speake preposterous things for the party must put on and bee clothed with baptisme and not baptisme bee clothed with the partie The next thinge that by the helpe of our God wee will endeavor to discover you to bee a false Prophet and a deceaver in is in a stronge ground you have wherevpon you much relie and often repeat it in your booke and that is this You say Baptisme is the vessel off the Lord as when the house of the Lord was destroyed the vessels thereof together with the people were caried into Babilon they remained stil the vessels off the Lords house in nature right though prophaned by Belshazzar and made quaffing bowles being brought againe out of Babilon to the house of the lord were not to bee new cast but being purified might againe be vsed to holie vse So this holie vessel Baptisme though prophaned in Babilon being brought againe to the house of the Lord remaines stil the holie vessell off the Lord. This is a strong doctrine from example both with you and al the rest of the false Prophets off your profession and no marvil though you deceive greatlie hereby because the doctrine and example is good but most deceitfullie misaplyed of you for you preteÌ„d hereby as though your baptisme were brought from the house of the Lord as the holie vessels were will you iff there bee anie vprightnes in you shew how and from what house of the Lord your holie vessel of baptisme was brought you shew vs plainlie from whence you have brought it againe out of Babilon that is England But out of what house of God came it before it came into Babilon that is England that is not shewed how deceitfully do you faine these things These are the imaginations off your owne vaine harts far have anie of you brought your Baptisme from the house of the Lord into England have you anie other roote or foundation for your baptisme then England do not all men knowe that your vessel off Baptisme was composed formed framed and made there How shal anie man bee able to open his mouth to denie this Why then your holie vessel falflie so called was made in Babilon Thus are you found false dissemblers to say and faine that your baptisme is a vessel brought out of the house of the Lord into Babilon as the vessels of the Temple were wheÌ„ it is most evident that it was molded and made in the Church of England which you confesse is Babilon Mr. Rob. had not you and al your Congregation the true matter as you cal it and true forme of your baptisme in England and was it not administred vpon you al in the assemblies of England then was your vessel off baptisme made there see your deceit herein if there bee anie grace or vnderstanding in you How have you blinded the eies of the simple herein and how hath Sathan seduced you and your owne hart deceived you Now the Lord Iesus give you a hart to repent and in the name of the Lord wee beseech you repent for you have bene and are a malicious adversarie of Gods truth and you lead manie soules in the way to destructioÌ„ The lord for his Christs sake deliver you out of these and all the snares â—f Sathan and the Lord deliver his people out of the net wherein you have like a cuning fowler taken theÌ„ and overthrowne them And wee pray you that you wil with patience suffer vs to shew you how you are al deceived in this point in saying baptisme is the vessel off the Lords house and brought from thence and so applie it to your owne baptisme which you may see iff you do not both winck and cover your eies never came out of the house of the Lord except you wil say The Church of England is the house of the Lord which wee hope the Lords word hath convinced to al your consciences that it is not therefore your baptisme can not be the vessel of the Ls. house but it is the true doctrine or Ordinance of baptisme that may bee said or called by way of comparison the vessel of the Lords house and this we and al must needs confesse is the vessel of the Lords house whether soever it is carried either to Rome or England and though it be polluted and prophaned there as both it and manie other doctrines and ordinances of the Lord are yet being purged from those errors aÌ„d abuses wherewith both they and you have and do pollute theÌ„ they may aÌ„d ought to bee brought into the house of the Lord againe and remaine holie vessels
spirituall povver and Gouerment That the Prophesie of the Second Beast is fulfilled vnder the spirituall povver Gouerment of Arch-Bishops lord Bishops Hovv Kings shal hate the vvhore make hir desolate VVhat Great Povver and authority vvhat honor names titles God hath given to the King That God hath givē vnto the K. an earthly kingdome vvith all earthly povver against the vvhich none may resist but must in all thinges obey vvillingly either to do or suffer That Christ alone is K. of Israell sitts vpon Davids Throne that the K. ought to be a subiect of his Kingdome That none ought to be punished either vvith death or bonds for transgressing against the spirituall ordināces of the nevv Testamēt and that such Offences ought to be punished onely vvith spirituall svvord and censures That as the Romish Hyrarchy say in vvords they cannot err so the Hyrarchy of Arch-Bs lord Bs. shevve by their deeds they hold they cannot err herein they agree in one The false professiō of Puritan-isme so called the false Prophet is thereof discovered Their tvvo deceitfull excuses for their vndergoeing of all those thinges they cry out against made manifest The false professiō of Brovvnisme so called plainely laid open vvith their false Prophetts and vvith their false supposed seperatiō from the vvorld The vanity of their most deceitfull distinction betvvixt a false Church and no Church vvherevpon their vvhole false building stands made evident Some perticuler errors in Mr. Robinsons booke of iustification of Separatiō laid open That no mā iustifying anie false vvay or anie one error though of ignorance can be saved The perverting of those vvords of our Saviour Christ Mat. 10. vvhen they persecute you in one Citie flee into another contrary to all the meaning of Christ plainly shevved What Godly Reader can without mourninge affections read the great destruction and overthrowe of Ierusalem ◠with the house and people of God Prophesied of by the Prophett Ieremyah And what hart is not much affected to see the exceeding great sorrowe of the Prophett when he uttereth the prophesie thereof and declareth the sinns of the people Ier. 9. And when al these thinges were come to passe according to the word of the Lord and that the Prophet saw it with his eies who could not yet sit downe and lament to heare the most greivous lamentations that he poures out for that so great desolation and destruction wherewith the Lord had destroyed and made desolate that his owne Citie House and people Lam. 1.2.3 chap. Nay they that gave no regard to the wordes of the Lord spoken by the Prophet concerning these thinges Ier. 37.2 Yet when they saw the prophesie accomplished thē deepe sorrowe tooke hold vpon them then the Elders of the Daughter Syon sate vpon the ground kept silence cast dust vpon their heades girded themselves with sackcloth the virgines of Ierusalem hanged downe their heades to rhe ground Lam. 2.10 And who so readeth cannot deny but their was iust cause of al this sorrowe and therefore wel might the Prophet say Behold see if there bee anie sorrowe like vnto my sorrowe Lam. 1 1◠And if it cannot bee denyed but that the hearing and seing of this prophesie of so great desolation fulfilled was iust cause of this so great sorrowe Where are then the eies and eares of men that might heare and see farr greater tribulations and desolations then these prophesied of by a greater Prophet then Ieremiah and even now fulfilled in the feirce wrath of iudgment by the most Highest and that in the sight of al men and yet who considers of it Or who takes vp a lamentation for it are mens hartes vtterly voyd of mourning affectons or are they destitute of vnderstanding in the cause off sorrowe or do men thinke the danger is past Surely one of these must needes be the cause or els mens hartes would abound with sorrowe and their eies would power out floodes of teares and they would vtter with their tongues and penns lamentations of great woe Now if it can bee shewed by the word of truth that deepe error of darknes doth possesse the two last that is those which through ignorance thinke in themselves there is no such cause of sorrowe and those that through ignorance do thinke that the danger is already past then the first that cannot mourne must needes fall vnder the sharpe censure of great hardnes off hart and incensible deadnes of all affections Wee in the humilitie off our soules confesse that this worke is too great for our abilities but our strength is off the Lord who is able to make vs sufficient for these thinges iff wee by faith in Christ depend vpon him the which our faith being so full off infidelitie it must needes followe that our strength is full of all weaknes which would beate vs to the ground for vndertakeing this or anie such worke off the Lord but that the Word off God compells vs. which commaundes vs strickly to shewe our selves faithfull in a little Mat. 25 19-30 From which ground by the grace off God wee have beene drawen to doe that little wee have formerly done and vndertake through the Lordes gracious assistance now to doe that wee shall doe beseeching and trusting off his mercie towardes vs herein that all the praise may bee given onely to the glorie of his name First then to shewe vnto them their error that through ignorance doe not see there is great cause off lamentation and woe we require them to turne their eares to the prophesie of that great Prophett Christ Jesus Mat. 24 4-28 and Luke 21 8-31 Where hee foretelleth that when men shall see the abhomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophete set in the Holy places then shall bee great tribulation such as was not from the begining off the Creation to this time nor shall bee And except those dayes should bee shortned there should no Flesh be saved Hath the like Prophesie ever bene heard off Or can there bee anie desolation like vnto this desolation Wherein no Flesh shall bee saved No from the begining off the World there hath not bene the like nor shall bee saith our Saviour Christ Who can remaine ignorant off these daies and times and what ignorance is it not to knowe that these are even the dayes and times here Prophesied off Have not warrs and rumors of wars beene heard off Hath not Nation risen against Nation and Realme against Realme Hath there not beene famines and pestilence and earth-quakes in divers places And have not manie beene offended and betrayed one an other and hated one another And have not manie false Prophets arisen Doth not our Saviour Christ say these are the begininges of sorrowe Now all these thinges being come to passe which are the begininges of sorrow it must needes bee that the dayes of the hight of sorrowe are now come And doe not men now see the abhomination of
desolation set vp in the high places Is it not deepe error off ignorance then for men not to see that there is now the greatest cause of sorrowe and lamentation that ever was And next to shewe in fewe wordes the error of them that thinke the danger of the daies is past Let them looke vpon the wordes of our Saviour Christ when he speaketh off the shorting of those daies he saith in Mat. Then if any shal say Loe here is Christ or loe there is Christ beleeve it not And in Luke Take heed bee not deceaved for manie will come in my name c. Is not this instant these daies was there ever so manie saying Loe here is Christ loe there is Christ And was there ever so many false professioÌ„s of Christ aÌ„d false Prophets shewing great signes and wonders if it were possible to deceave he verie elect who can then denie but that these are deepest daies of danger whereof Christ gives such warninge to take heed Therefore easilie may they heare see their error into whose harts that ymagination hath once entred to thinke that these dangers here prophesied of are past Why then if the end of these sorrowes be not past and the beginings bee past as is shewed then must it needes bee confessed that the daies of greatest tribulation are present But who considers these thinges Or who regardeth the words of this great Prophet If men did consider and carefully behould these thinges what hart could conceave sorrowe enough and what head could conteyne teares or tongue have sufficient words to expresse and vtter the sorrowes fittinge these daies If Ieremiah complayned for want of teares and could not bee satisfied with sorrowing for the slayne of the daughter of Syon that perished by the sword and famyne which was but bodily death how much more cause have men now to sorrowe to see men poysoned with bitter waters killed with fire and smoake and brunstone stung with scorpions hurt with Servents Revel 9.5 and 8.11 And cast into the great winepresse of the wrath of God rev 19.20 which is the everlasting destruction of soule aÌ„d bodie in Hel to suffer al the plagues torments and judgments off wrath for ever Was the famine of bread and the sword of Nabuchad-nezzar and the seaventie yeres captivitie a ful sufficient cause to make Ieremiahes eyes faile with teares his bowels swell his hart turne within him his liver to bee powred vpon the earth And are not al the woes vttered by the seaven Angels from the sound of seaven trompets whereof an Angel flieing through the midst of HeaveÌ„ said with a lowde voice woe woe woe to the inhabitants of the earth from the soundes remaining of the trumpets of the three angels which yet must blowe their trumpets And have not these three last Angells blowen their trumpets aÌ„d doth not the sound thereof yet sound in our eares and are not al the woes thereof yet in the sight of our eies are not al these woes which are woes of everlasting death and destruction sufficient to breake mens harts al into peeces What stony hardnes of hart possesseth men in these daies that their harts do not melt for these woes A maine aÌ„d general reason of al this is because this prophesie is of spiritual desolations distructions and woes and cannot bee vnderstood but with spiritual harts nor sene but with spiritual eyes and the harts and eies off men are naturall and carnall and therefore these thinges cannot affect them 1. Cor. 2.14 Another special reason is because men do not consider how far these thinges concerne themselves but everie Nation and everie people and everie Man puts these daies farr from them as no waie apperteyning to them If wee therefore could prevaile Oh that wee might prevaile by al the feare and love off God to perswade men and by the compassionate pittie of the salvation of their owne soules move them with deepest consideration to consider how nearely those thinges concerne them least they bee vnder these woes and bee not aware thereof which men may easilie be by reason of the great ignorance that is in all men perticulerly in the vnderstandinge of the Prophesie of this booke off the Revelation Which most men though otherwise accompted mightie in the Scriptures doe passe by seldome or never touching them in their Teachings or writinges being taynted wee doubt not with their owne insufficiencie therein which if they would acknowledg it were comendable their acknowledgment wee meane not their ignorance But yet their â—ourse is much more comendable then all theirs that have busied themselves to bring furth so manie ymaginarie expositions of that holie writt wee say ymaginarie expositions because they are for the most part but according to the vaine ymaginations and fancies of mens myndes without the warrant of the word and spirit Wee confesse in humility to our owne shame we are better able to reprove this then to correct it acknowledging vnfainedly and growning daily vnder the burthen of our owne great ignorance and blindnes in the vnderstandinge off the prophesie off that booke All this may further provoake vs with you and you with vs to take heed least we bee vnder anie part of this desolation and woe vnder which whosoever is and remaines he must perish as by the grace of God wee shall make evidently appeare from the Scriptures therefore let al People and nations and Tongues take heed and beware And first to proceed in this cause wee will endeavor to prove by the witnes of the vndoubted word of truth that all Nations and Peoples vpon the earth that have or doe professe Christ for of them onely is this prophesie have beene vnder this abhomination of desolation The words of the prophesie thereoff by Daniel makes is most plaine where he saith In the middest of the weeke hee shall cause the sacrifice oblation to cease for the overspreading of the abhomination hee shall make it desolate Daniel 9.27 Agreable to this prophesie is that Revel 11. Where it is said That the two witnesses off God which are the spirit of truth and the word of truth in the testimonie of thapostles Ioh. 15.26.27 act 5.32 Which are two Olive trees two candlestickes standing before the God of the Earth haveing power to shutt heaven that it raine not to turne the waters into blood and sinyt the earth with all manner of plagues as often as they will Their Corpes shall lie in the streets off the great Citie spiritually called Sodome Egipt Three daies an half after three daies a half the Spirit of life from God shall enter into them they shal stand vp on their feet And with these two prophesies agrees also the prophesie Revel 12.14 Of the woman flieing into the wildernes into hir place where she is nourished for a time times half a time Let vs compaire these prophesies together Daniel saith the sacrifices and oblations cease in the midst of the
is that wee may but try the power of these called Spirituall Lords and that by earthly power they may not force men to yeild vnto their spirituall aucthority How can it but seeme equall in the Kings seight that spirituall lords should have no more spirituall authority then they can gett and mainteyne by spiritual power And if the Hyrarchy themselves thinke it vnequall that the doctrine of their power should be tryed be not most willing ready therevnto but shall by pollicie secret intimations shift it of then shall our lord the K. that is wise easily deserne that their deeds are evill and they hate the light neither cometh to the light least their deeds should be reproued Ioh. 3.20 But they that do truth come to the light that their deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought according to God Thus shal our lord the King all the world have a ful tryall of them whether their deeds are wrought according to God or no for if they will now come to the light of Gods word in the sight of all men and manifest their deeds to be wrought according to God then have they approved them selves but if they do not then hath our Saviour Christ here condemned thē with his owne mouth and let our lord the King also condemne them in his owne wisedome Shall wee need to be importunate with our lord the King in this cause of his poore people which concernes the condemnation of all their soules what need wee seeing our lord the King knowes that a King that iudgeth the cause of the poore rightly his throne shal be established for ever Pro. 20.14 Then let our lord the King here the cause of the poore and the rather in that the Kings most noble Predecessor hath before iustly adiudged the same cause and freed his people so far of the bondage wherein they were King Henry the 8. that Prince of great renowne freed his people from the bondage of the first Beast especially in these two great and maine perticulers in causing the scriptures to be set over and printed for the people in their owne language that so they might heare the word with their owne eares and also that their worship should be in their owne tongue that they might speake to God with theyr owne tongue and not in a straing tongue as they did Let heaven and earth iudg and let our lord the K. iudg let all the Kings people iudg whether this was not the depth of all darknes when men might not knowe what God speake vnto them nor knowe in their publique worship what they speake vnto God Let our lord the K. iudg whether ever there was such spirituall cruelty vpon the earth when the poore people of God for whome Christ died were debarred from the presence of God in their publique worship might neither heare god nor speake to God with their owne outward cares tongues but as the Ministers of the mā of sinne appointed and in astraing tongue as they taught them Wee knowe our lord the K. doth see that heere the abomination of desolation was set vp in the high places as also that the Corpes of the two witnesses of God prophesed of Reuel 11.8 which are the word and spirit of God lay dead in the streets of that great Citie there being no true vse at all of them and the people being deprived of the life of them for the word was a dead letter vnto them and the spirit a dead spirit The Kings predecessor of famous renowme thus freed his people from that bondage of the first Beast but there is risen vp a second Beast which exerciseth the power of the first Beast and now our lord he Kings people cry vnto the King with the sighes and groanes of their spirits and would cry also with a lowd voyce but for feare of the Beast and humbly besech the King that he would put too his helping hand to free his people from the bondage of the second Beast that their soules may not perish to everlasting perdition which all must do which are vnder the bondage of the same and so continewe And now let the King heare with an eare of compassion and see with an eie of pittie the cruell spirituall bondage that his poore people are kept vnder by the second Beast in these perticulers The Kings people have the word in their owne language and may pray in their owne tongue But they must not vnderstand the word but as the Lord Bishops will have it vnderstood and they must not pray nor administer in the holy things but as they appoint Now let the King with a godly wise hart consider in what woefull Spirituall bondage Gods people and the Kings are kept by this Hyrarchy Now plainely would our lord the King see the cruell Spirituall tyrany hereof if the King would make it but his owne cause Would not the King thinke it a must cruell tyranny if the King should be by force compelled to vnderstand and beleeve the scriptures as the Hyrarchy of Rome would have him And to worship God and administer in the holy thinges as that Hyrarchy would appoint And if the King would not so do that then that Hyrarchy should have power to put the King in prison and if that would not serve the turne to procure or cause the Kings life to be taken from him or at least to banish the King from his Kingdome nation would not our lord the K. thinke this great tyrany cruell bondage Wee knowe the King would for which cause the K. and his predecessors have cast of this bondage Then let the King see that the Kings people are vnder this same bondage for if they will not vnderstand the scriptures and worship God as the Hyrarchy of Arch. Bs. and lord Bs. comaund appoint they straight send a pursivant apprehēd them by violence and force imprison them sometimes divers yeres manie times not suffering so much as their wives to come at them and if their lives cannot be gotten then procure their exile or banishment The lord give the King a hart to pittie his people herein the King is ignorant of these dealings and none dare tell the King thereof the Prelacy have bene so mighty and so cruell And will it please the King to veiwe the cause of his people being true and faithfull subiects yet further what doth it profitt the Kings people to have the word of God to heare and read it seeing they are debarred of the spirit of God to vnderstand it but according to private interpretation by the the lord B. as though they had the spirit and could not err Oh that our lord the King that is a man of excellent wisedome would but bēd his wisedome to behold how that herin wherein the whole power of the Beast consists this Hyrarchy of Arch-Bs lord Bs. doth nothing differ from the first Beast for the first Beast kepes both the word and spirit
but the same that was in Christ and his Appostles times in which times all earthly power was in the hands of earthly Kings and Princes and them that were in aucthority vnder them and Christ and his Appostles diminished not Kings and Princes of the least tittle thereof And all spirituall power was in the hands of Christ and his Appostles that were in aucthority vnder him of which spirituall power aucthority Christ nor his Appostles would suffer no earthly K. to diminish them of the least tittle thereof but rather gave them their lives if then our lord the K. do deserue that earthly Kings and Princes had the same power then that Kings and Princes have now and that Kings Princes had no power then over mens religion which was spirituall and belonged to Christ men were then to give vnto God that which was Gods and vnto Cesar and so vnto all earthly Princes onely that which apperteyned to them Then let our lord the King judg by what warrant of Gods word the King can now take to himself a spirituall power and set vp an Hyrarchy of Arch Bishop Lord B. and give aucthority to them to make lawes and Canons of Religion and to give them power to compell men vnto the obedience there of by such seveer courses as they have done Let our lord the King consider and the Lord give the K. wisedome therein that if no King nor Prince could have set vp such an Hyrarchy with such power and titles then but they had vtterly troden vnder foot all the dignity and power of Christ and his Appostles for Christ and his Appostles must have bene subiect therevnto neither may anie King set vp such an Hyrarchy now because it doth vtterly tread vnder foot all the dignity and power of Christ and his Appostles as well now as it had done then for wee have now Christ and his Appostles in all their power dignity as well as they had in those dayes according to that saying of our Saviour Christ in the parable They have Moses and the Prophetts And wee humble beseech our lord the K. a little to suffer the foolishnes of his servants although wee may seeme as fooles vnto the king herein If there had bene such a steaing Hyrarchy set vp in Christ and Th-appostles daies would the Hyrarchy have suffered vs that are thousands of the K. of great Brittans subiects to have gone to Christ his Appostles to have asked them whether wee should have obeyed them or no in all their Canons and ordinances And whether wee should have given thē those titles of superiority and all that ruling power which they challeng over vs the Kings subiects sureby they will say they would not have denyed vs that liberty to have gone in so waighty a cause and being so manie to have asked Counsell of Christ and his Appostles what wee should have done 20. thousands being ignorant and 10. thousands being doubtfull whether anie such power might be submitted too or no and thousands being out of all doubt that it might not be submitted vnto they will say they would not have denyed vs but wee knowe what their Canons would have made of it and wee may suspect justly that they would have enformed the King that it were very dangerous to suffer so manie to go vnto Christ and his Appostles for counsell and that it were not fitt to suffer such giddy heads to have that libertie for makeing rents and divisions and that it were much more safety for the King to suffer them to make all whole by their power and to subdue such busie refractary spirits Let the King with fauour suffer his servants thus to speake by the way least peraduenture anie such thinges come in the way And wee the Kings servants now takeing it for granted that the Arch Bs. and lord Bs. that professe such great holines would not have deneyd vs to have gone to Iesus Christ and his Appostles to be directed And if Christ and his Appostles had in the hearing of all our owne eares being so ma witnesses comaunded vs absolutely not to yeild the Arch-Bs and lord Bs. anie such power or names could wee yeld it them Although the Arch-Bs and Lord Bs. should with 20. thousands of witnesses affirme that Christ and his Appostles spake otherwise to their hearing Would our lord the King thinke it equall that wee should be forced to beleeue their hearing because they are lord Bs. contrary to the hearing of our owne eares being so manie witnesses of one Nation and tongue besides hundreth thousands of witnesses of other Nations tongues Wee knowe our lord the K. would thinke it no more equall if the case were so that wee should be forced to beleeve the lord Bs. hearīg then that they should be forced to beleeve our hearing Then iugd O King for the case is all one and the same for wee have Christ and his Appostles in their writings and they do absolutely speake to our vnderstandings that in no wise there ought to be anie such Hyrarchy of Arch Bs. and Lord Bs. in Christs Church And the Lord Bs. say that Christ and his Appostles speakes to their vnderstandings that there power and names are not cōtrary to Christs words Can our lord the King that is accompted a most wise and iust Prince in his iudgment iudg that wee are all bound to cast away our owne vnderstandings of Christs speaking and are to be compelled to beleeve and vnderstand Christ to speake as the lord Bs. vnderstād Christs speaking Oh let our lord the King with compassion consider whether ever since the heavens and earth were created there was a more vnequall extreame cruelty then this that the Kings people should be compelled in a cause that concernes the everlasting condemnation of their soules bodyes to Hell of force to submitt their soules and bodies to the vnderstanding of the Lord Bs. that are not able to direct themselves from the waies of death but are perished every man that ever bare that Office with those names and power if they repented not thereof although they had no other sinne and they also that do now beare that Office with those titles power shall likewise all perish to everlasting destruction if they do not repent thereof and cast it away the spirit of the lord hath spoken it Reuel 19.20 the Beast was taken and with him that false Prophet that wrought myracles before him whereby he deceived them that received the Beasts marke and them that worshipped his jmage these both were cast aliue into a lake of fire burning with brimstone And thus manifesting to our lord the K. that Iesus Christ is onely K. of Israell that sitts vpō Davids throne therefore onely hath the power of the King of Israel and none may partake with him in that kingdome and power who had the Spirit without measure and yet neither he nor his Appostles that had the Spirit without error to deliuer the Counsels
Christs ruling power but if they repent not Christ wil crush them with a septer of iron breake them in peeces like a potters vessel and wil rule his people with his Septer of righteousnes Your next ground and cause off vndergoing these thinges you so much dislike is because you are loath to breake the peace of the Church Where you have learned to vndergo sinne for peace sake we knowe not but sure we are of God you have not learned it Paul and Barnabas had not learned your lesson therein for if they had they would not have made such great dissention in the Church at Antiochia as they did about the doctrine of circumcisiō If Paul had bene of your peaceable mynds he would seing he had suffered Tymothy to be circumcised for peace sake also have suffered a little the doctrine of circūcisiō but he would not Furthermore Thapostle comaunds the Church Rō 16.17 To avoid or have no fellowship with those that cause division offences cōtrary to the doctrine which they had learned And the same Apostle warnes the Thes 2. Thes 3.6 In the name of the Lord Iesus Christ that they withdraw themselves from every brother that walketh inordinately ' not after the instructiō which they had received Now if there be in you anie cōsciēce of the Religion of God see how corruptly you walke in these things making a shew of godlines but denying the power thereof Do not your brethren the Archbishops and Lordbishops with Archdeacons Chacellors and the rest cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and do they not walke inordinately and worse too and not after the instructions that both you and they have received of Thapostles how then is it that you wil not according to the Apostles comaundment exhortatiō and so strait warning avoid them ād have no fellowship with them and with draw your selves from them is this your peace a Godly peace which is so contrary to the whole word of God Besides this wee must tel you beare it patiently that it is but ignorant dissimulation in you to say you vndergo all these thinges because you would not breake the peace off the Church for if you did so much tender the peace off the Church as you pretend and that you would not have your beloved stirred vp nor wakened before she please why then have you written so manie bookes off open contempt Why have you sought so much and made challenge for disputations why doe you make so manie loude outcries and dayly complaints and tedious Parliament suites How can you possibly device more vnpeaceable courses except you should raise tumults contrary to the law of God and of the King which we know is not in your thoughts you can no way device to bee more vnpeaceable Had it not bene a much more peaceable course quietly to have seperated with love and humility then to have stirred vp so much bitter strife in the bosome off the Church whose peace you pretend so much is regard Oh that you could see that it is your owne peace that you respect in al this For what breatch off peace had it bene in the Church iff you al had peaceably withdrawne yourselves and loveingly admonished the Church holding it a true Church as you do had it not bene much more peace and much lesse troble for the Church iff you had so done There is no question it had but whether your peace and profit would have followed is the question and take heed that bee not the cause of your for peace as you call it vndergoing off these things Wee could speake largly of this point but wee spare you onely wishing you not to perswade your selves nor to make the people thinke that you have suffered great things whilst you eate the fat of the Land but knowe this all you that eate anie bread from whose hands soever by or in respect of your Office of ministery that you feed off the portion of his meat whome you seeke to destroy fulfilling the prophesie of Dan. 11.26 Where he prophesieth of the destruction of the Man of sinne saying They that feed of the portion of his meat shal destroy him And may not the simple vnderstand that you getting your bread by that Office which Office as is proved you have and execute by the power and vnder the authority of the man of sinne you feed of the portion of his meat serving at his alter and so eate you of the things that apperteyne to that Alter you gayning them by that Office And let al the poople knowe of all Estates and degrees whatsoever that give you anie maintenance or entertainment in respect of that Office entertaning you as Prophets they shal never receive a Prophets reward but sinne against God in maintening and entertaning false Prophets although they bee as full off good meanings as the Papists are in entertaning their preists Wee have not the least intent herein of diswading anie frō doeing good vnto you but that they should not receive you nor give you a Cup of cold water in the name of Prophets for al their liberalitie bestowed vpon you in that regard shall never receive recompence of reward at Gods hands seeing you are all false Prophets and so adiudged by Christ himselfe in that you have not entred by Christ into the sheepfold And if you shal anie of you open your mouethes to defend your selves herein the word of the Lord shall convince you and stopp your mouthes that you shal not bee able to speake with anie vnderstanding And now wee advise you to bee ashamed to plead that you doe vndergo these thinges for the peace off the Church except you wil hold your peace For you are wise enough to knowe that there is no other way to breake the inward peace of the Church which peace you must needs meane for it is not in your powers nor hartes to breake the outward peace of the Church and there is no other way to breake the inward peace of the Church but by words and writings of opposition and contention and makeing devision al which you have practised to the vttermost of your powers and when for feare of your owne peace you durst go no further then have you sett out your bookes of vnknowne Authors which therein are no better then Libels wherein you have no regard what troubles and dissentions you make in the Church so you can preserve your owne peace And thus do you mainteine by al force and violēce of contention a most troblesome civil war which of all is most dangerous in Church and Comon wealth and yet you professe you suffer and vndergo al these evils you complaine of because you tender the peace of the Church and so through ignorance you fall into great dissimulation and hypocrisie it being if you could see onely your owne peace you seeke and therefore it is you vndergo these things that you disaprove off For would you
name and title of a king then of the power and goverment of a king Let the simple iudg whether is greater a king of great power and goverment or a king of great name and title Let them contend and see who shall get the victorie All this wee set downe to shewe how greatly you do er through ignorance that cannot deserne that power and govermeÌ„t in earthly kings is much greater theÌ„ name and title and therefore you err in Common iudgment But you do err much more in spirituall iudgment in that you cannot deserne Christs name and power off goverment to bee of equall estimaâ—ion for if you doe not hold al thinges in Christ and all things of Christ to bee equall and of like condition or proportion you overthrow the nature and propertie off God as thus Al the Graces of Christ in himself are equall a like and al his workes are equal a like It was all one with God to make Behemoth spoken of Iob. 40. and the Pismice Pro. 30. and God estemeth theÌ„ both a like so al the word of God is a like aÌ„d of like power and authoritie as Christ himself sheweth when an expounder of the law asked him which is the first and great Comaundement Iesus answered Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with al thy hart soule and mynd this is the first and the great Comaundement the secoÌ„d is like to this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe And thapostle Iames makes it most plaine that the comaundements of God are all of like power and authoritie and al of like necessitie to be obeyed aÌ„d the holy ghost doth shewe an evident reason wherefore everie comaundement is a like to be obeyed and why the breaking of one is the breaking of al because saith the holy Ghost by Thapostle he that comaunded one comaunded al. Iam. 2.10.11 From which ground of truth wee thus speake vnto you in the words of the holy ghost He that hath comaunded in the Church the true preaching of the word true baptisme and true administration of the Lords supper The same God hath comaunded also true goverment in the Church therefore although you should have the word of God truely preached and baptisme and the supper of the Lord truely administred yet iff you have a false Goverment you are transgressors of the whole law of God and gilty of al. Thus doth the word of God disaprove aÌ„d vtterly condeÌ„ne that blasphemous doctrine of pous whereby you fearefully deceive your selves and the people of God whilst you hold and teach that Christs goverment in his Church is not fundameÌ„tall And besides the word of God we have endeavored to shew you that in al humane sence and vnderstanding a king that hath not the power of govermeÌ„t over his subiects but they submit to the goverment of strang lords they are disobedieÌ„t aÌ„d rebellious aÌ„d give their king onely the name of King aÌ„d such subiects are you giveing Christ onely the name of a king but give his power of goverment to strang lords your lord Archb. and Bishops who enlarge you by their spirit and you are enlarged and who restraines you by their power and you are restrained who sets you vp for shepherds when you please theÌ„ aÌ„d puts you downe like hirelings wheÌ„ you offend theÌ„ who if they destroy your flock before your faces and you stand by you dare not aid theÌ„ but give Councel for peace to submit to their crueltie although they should condemne your most innoceÌ„t and iustifie the most gilty and al this evil aÌ„d much more you iustly bring vpon your selves and the people in teaching and professing that you differ not froÌ„ the Lord Bs. in any fundameÌ„tal point making and accounting there by the goverment which Christ hath appointed in his Church not to be fundamental wherein you sinne against God with an high haÌ„d makeing Christ Iesus a vaine Lawgiver whilst by your practice and profession both in deeds aÌ„d words you declare that the Ordinances of Christ which he hath appointed for the whole goverment of his Church are not of absolute necessitie and fundameÌ„tal If the Iewes had so said and practiced against the ordinaÌ„ces which they received for the goverment of the TeÌ„ple and Tabernacle and appointing the officers by the mouth of Moses it had made an vtter coÌ„fusioÌ„ of al aÌ„d they must have died And behold a greater theÌ„ Moses is here giveing ordinances for the goverment of his Temple aÌ„d Tabernacle and for the ordeining of Officers against which iff you resist and admit of anie other you must dye except you repent Heb. 10.28.29 and 12.25 for you make an vtter confusion of al. Oh that you would but looke with your eies and see what a confusion it would have brought into the Temple and Tabernacle if anie other Officers and anie other goverment had bene brought in then Moses appointed had not all their sacrifices and services bene polluted aÌ„d most abhominable to the Lord would Moses ever have endured it and would Aaron have consented there vnto They would not and if all the people had they al had bene destroied with Korah Dathan and Abiram who would have overthrowne the goverment and Officers of the temple for the Lord would have bene as iust in his iudgment vpon al as vpon sâ—me Oh that you would consider this and forget not God least he teare you in peeces and there bee none that can deliver you Are the Lawes and Ordinances given by Iesus Christ for the govermeÌ„t of his Temple and Tabernacle and appointing of his Officers not so perfit as those that was given by Moses and wil not the bringing in of anie other Officers and goverment into the Church of Christ then hee hath appointed cause as great as confuâ—ion as it would have done in the Temple and shal not al the sacrifices and services be polluted and most abhominable as theirs would have beene wil Christ Iesus the Mediator and high Preist endure it or consent vnto it anie more then Moses and Aaron would have done if you say he would then you make Christ lesse faithful then Moses and make his Church lesse holy then the Temple was and his lawes and Ordinances not to peâ—fit as those that were given by Moses and so shal the transgression against them deserve lesse punishment but but all the Prophets and Apostles and Christ Iesus himself testifieth the contrarie to this as you know right wel and most especially the Author to the Hebrewes handleth these thinges at large shewing that the Temple Tabernacle and al the Officers and offices and ordinances off administration for Goverment and service given by Moses were but a paterne shadowe and similitude of the Heavenly Temple and Ordinances established and given by Christ who is the Mediator of a better Testament established vpon better promisses and is the High Preist of a more perfect Tabernacle and hath purified al the ordinances with a better blood he is faithful as
hath so long bewitched you who lies in wait for you knowing that you cannot stand vpon these grounds but you must bee forced either to cast away your baptisme or els returne from whence you had it except you wil bee the most wilful blind people vpon the whole Earth that have anie knowledg off Christ of the which you give iust cause off iealousie Therefore in Gods feare take heed and perish not in your stifnecked perversnes To shew yet further that you are false Prophets and prophesie lies wee produce out of your Booke subscribed with general subscription your Apology Pag. 110. Where you gainsay Mr. Bilson for saying you affirme by consequence their Sacraments no Sacraments Church no Church To cleare your selves of this imputation you teach that wee must bee careful in al such causes alwaies to discerne and distinguish betwene a true Church a false Church and no church Betwene true Sacraments false Sacraments and no Sacraments Your proofe and example is Iudah a true Church The Ten Tribes of Israel a false Church The Philistimes and others the like no Church and so at this day the Turks and Pagans may be reputed no Churches The Romish Synagogue and al hir daughters false Churches The Christians which bee set in the true faith and order true Churches Thus you say the difference may bee put but you are al false Prophetts herein and teach lies these are but the devices of your owne harts these are your schoole distinctions where by you pervert the holie word of truth and we exhort all the people of God to take heed of you when you distinguish and when you bring your matters about with in a respect and in a duble respect not but that we hold it lawful to vse distinctions and to shew respects but because you vsually deceive thereby there is no truth off God so evident but with your distinctions and respects and twofold respects you wil pervert it and when you are not able with evidence off truth to mainteyne your false waies then your distinctions and respects must make it good whereby you insnare the simple and compasse them about as with a thick mist wherein they cannot see which way to go but are faine through hardnes of hart and infidelitie which are the causes of their ignorance and blindnes to give their harts to you to be led and you like deceiptful blind guides lead them into the pit as in this pecticuler in hand wherein if you bee overthrowne and discovered your whole cause is thus far destroyed as you are al yet once againe proved infidels and vnbeleevers And wee doubt not but by the gracious aid and helpe of our God we shal bee able by his word to convince you al herein without whose great helpe and aid wee in humilitie confesse we are not able to withstand such stronge and wise adversaries of his truth as you are who do exercise your selves to deceive our owne experiences and knowledg of you causeth vs thus to speake wee hope you do it ignorantlie or els there were no hope of your repentance and salvation To the point in hand wee say and prove by the word off God that you can in no ordinance of God distinguish or put difference by the warrant of Gods word betwixt false and none and your vaine distinction will hold onelie in worldlie things and you are carnall herein and sold vnder sinne blame vs not though wee reprove you sharplie for this because you have deceived your selves and the whole World hereby so far as your voices have sounded and you have and do daylie destroy the faith of manie Wee proceed to prove that you cannot by Gods word distinguish nor put difference betwixt false and nons in Gods ordinances and this the eternall word of truth doth shew Revel 2.2 Where the holie ghost speaking of false Appostles comends the Church off Ephesus for examining them which said they were Apostles but were none and were found lyars And vers 9. I knowe the blasphemy of them which say they are Iewes but are none but are the Synagogue off Sathan And Revel 3.9 The same words are vttered by the holie Ghost Thus doth the spirit of God teach vs that a false Church is no Church but a Synagogue of Sathan and false Appostles are no Appostles so then are false Sacraments no Sacraments and so false and none in Gods ordinaÌ„ces are al one and you cannot distinguish nor put difference betwixt them And for further manifestation of the truth hereof let vs referr the thinges that are of God to God and so shall it appeare to all but those that will not see that there is no difference nor distinction to bee made in Gods ordinances betwixt false and none as thus A true Church of Christ a false Church and no Church of Christ if now a false Church bee not no Church of Christ then it is a false Church of Christ so is there two sorts or kinds of Churches off Christ and so should Christ have two bodies a true bodie and a false bodie what blasphemie is this when thapostle saith there is but one bodie so likewise iff you say there is a true faith of Christ a false faith and no faith of Christ if a false faith and no faith bee not all one then there are two faiths of Christs a true faith and a false faith of Christ but Thapostle saith There is but one faith In like manner if you wil say as you doe that there is a true baptisme a false baptisme and no baptisme if a false baptisme and no Baptisme bee not al one then is there two baptismes but Thappostle saith there is but one baptisme and of all these there is but one as there is but one God and Father off al which is above all and rhrough all Ephes 4.4.5.6 Who if he were in you all you would submitt to this his truth and never open your mouthes more against it Cast away these your logical distinctions which are fit to distinguish betwixt a false houreglasse and no houre glasse and a false looking glasse and no looking glasse and not fitt to distinguish betwixt a false Baptisme and no Baptisme a false Church and no Church betwixt which the holie ghost admits of no distinction nor difference Wee conclude therefore with the word of truth against al these your deceitful distinctions and lying prophesies that a false Church is no Church of Christ at all for Christ haâ—h no false Church Therefore you holding EnglaÌ„d a false Church it is no Church of Christ and so your false Baptisme is no Baptiâ—me off Christ and so are you all infidels vnbelevers and false Christians that is no Christians and you are they that say you are Iewes and are not but are the Synagogues off Sathan And lett this suffice for the overthrowe of your most false and deceitfull distinction And whereas you bring for your proofe of a true Church a false Church and no Church
and say Iudah was a true Church Israell a false Church and the Philistimes no Church these are but your owne sayings aÌ„d devisings without proofe whereby you have and doe mightilie deceive although your words bee without all vnderstanding for Israell was a true Church as Iudah was for the Israelites were the true seed off Abraham seperated from the world vnder the Covenant off God which was the Covenant off Circumrision Gen. 17 7-15 as well as Iudah in Hezechiahs time when they same to the passover And if they had beene the false seed off Abraham then had they beene false Israelites then had their circumcision beene false and they had beene a false Church So had they beene no seed off Abraham no Israelites their Circumcision no Circumcision and so no Church For a full conclusion and a certen rule off drection from the Word off God whereby the People off God may try all your deceitfil distinctions off this kind when you put difference betwixt True False and none in or off anie Ordinance off God Lett all observe and would to God you your selves would bee informed that God and his lawes and Ordinances are one Iohn 14.6 Off equal power authoritie and truth and therefore you can no more say a true Church a false Church and no Church a true Baptisme a false Baptisme and no Baptisme which are holie ordinances of God then you can say a true God a false God and no God and your distinction wil hold no more betwixt a false Church and no Church a false baptisme and no baptisme then betwixt a false God and no God and iff a false God be no God then a false Church is no Church of God and a false baptisme is no baptisme of Christ Your false Church then being as is shewed and proved no Church of God then it is the Synagogue of Satan and your false baptisme being no baptisme of Christ then it is the baptisme of Sathan The Lord give you to consider of your estates and standings herein that although your contempt of ve is and hath beene great yet you may not stil conâ—emne Christ and his truth the meanes of your salvation though witnessed by vs that are so much despised in your eies Haveing thus shewed you by evidence off truth that you bringing your false baptisme out of a False church both which yourselves confesse your baptisme is no baptisme and that false Church is no Church this being made plaine as the indifferent may iudg wee will trie Mr. Robinsons ground for this reteined baptisme who wil bee found to make haist to deceive with as manie windings and turnings as anie anâ— he not altogether trusting to bring his baptisme froâ— Israel he strives withal deceitful skill to prove that their baptisme is true in one respect though brought from Babilon And this matter he vndertakes afâ—â— this manner in his booke off iustification of seperition Pag. 184 185. He Commends vnto the Reader a distinction off a twofold respect Baptisme saith Mr. R. is to be considered first nakedlie and in the essentiall causes the matter water The forme washing with water into the name off the Father c. These are the essential causes of Mr. R. naked Baptisme in this respect he confesseth true baptisme both in England and Rome Mr. R. shal wee speake angerlie to you and mourne for the hardnes off your hart and great blindnes and ignorance Have you lost the beginings of knowledg in the misterie of Godlines is all light shut from your eies and al truth debarred from your vnderstanding that you should write thus That water and washing and words are the essential causes or matter of Baptisme if you had knowne Christ of whose Baptisme you pretend to speake you would never have written thus do you knowe that Christs Kingdome is a spiritual Kingdome his Ordinances spiritual Ordinances and wil you confesse this with your tongue and with your tongue and deeds denie it Which that it may appeare plainelie you do consider with your selfe and let all that seeke the Lord in spirit and truth consider with what vnderstanding you can say that naked Water washing words are the essential causes of a spiritual Baptisme thus doe you spoile men through Philosophie and vaine deceit in which iniquitie you abound away with your naked respect and bee counselled to buy whit rayment that you may bee clothed that your vile nakednes do not appeare Knowe you not that al they that are baptized into Christ have put on Christ And do you come with your Philosophie to teach simple soules a naked baptisme and make it good with respects The Lord give you grace to see your great evil herein and the Lord deliver his poore people from these your deceitful waies and the lord give them to learne to knowe from the word of God that there is but one Baptisme of Christ Ephes 4.5 And that whosoever is baptized into Christ hath put on or is clothed with Christ Gal. 3.27 and therefore whosoever shal walke with your naked baptisme shal bee found naked at the day off Christs appearing though you peece it and patch it with greene leaves and for your essential causes lay downe plainlie what baptisme you speake of and you shal be convinced in your selfe as thus if you say off Christs baptisme which is spiritual that the essential matter thereof is earthlie water would not your ignorance easilie appeare the like of your forme if you should say that the forme of spiritual baptisme is bodilie washing onelie with bare words your owne vnderstanding would reprove you It were to be wished and you have often bene required to lay away your schoole tearmes in the causes of God whereby you do for the most part but hide the truth and blind the eies of the simple How do you thinke the simple should vnderstand you in the essentiall causes and matter and forme of baptisme do the Scriptures shew that anie of the holie men of God did ever thus distinguish if your Art had bene good or profitable could not our Saviour Christ have vsed it for the manifestation of his truth aÌ„d would he not have endued his Apostles with that gift Yea the Lord endued them with the most excellent gifts for the evident declaration of his truth whereof Lodgick and Philosophie was none which vaine sciences if you had not vsed you could never have forged so manie deceits as you have in your booke And now wee disire you to knowe that the Scriptures teach not anie Baptisme that is in one respect true and in other respect false there is no such thinge in the whole word of God these are but your owne devices wherein you devide Christ to serve your owne turnes to deceive perswading men that they are in one respect truelie baptized and in another respect falslie baptized and if they wil come and walke in your waie and ioyne to your societies you can make that part which was false true What Poperie
is this to take vpon you to dispence with the false administrations in the ordinances of Christ thus do you runne into darke places whilst you forsake the lanterne that should light your pathes which light of truth teacheth you and all men that the baptisme of Christ is the Baptisme of amendement of life for the remission off sinnes Mark 1.4 And our Saviour Christ saith Except a man bee borne off water and off the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Iohn 3. and Heb. 10.22 Let vs draw neare with a true hart in assurance of faith our harts being pure from an evill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water Here is the true Baptisme set downe which is the Baptisme off amendement off life for the remission off sinnes And here is the true matter where with men must bee washed which is water and the Holie Ghost that is pure from an evill conscience and washed with water Therefore can you not devide the water and the spirit in this Baptisme Christ hath ioyned them together and he that denies washing or is not washed with the spirit is not baptized and hee that denies washing or is not washed with water is not Baptized because wee see the Baptisme of Christ is to bee washed with water and the Holie Ghost And to take away a subtile exception if a man bee in prison or anie place and bee coÌ„verted to the lord aÌ„d would be baptized with water but cannot he is accepted with God who accepts the will for the deed 2. Cor. 8.12 and herein is the Lords mercie equal with his iustice for if a mans hart consent to evil he is giâ—â—ie before the Lord although he do it not Mat. 5.27.28 Thus much to discover the great deceitfullnes off your waie in the first respect of your false distinction wherein you would prove onelie the essential matter water and washing with water and words he essential forme Wee passe by your forme of words because wee thinke you wil not stand vpon it in that you see there is no certen forme of words held Act. 10 48. and 19.5 And take this with you to consider of that if there were anie truth in your distinction and respect then were anie washing with water with those words the true matter and forme of Christs Baptisme and so if one Child baptized another with water and those words it is true baptisme in that respect and let that Child come aÌ„d ioyne to you ad you can make it good in al respects Passe not these things over as you have done for you are not able to answere them with anie true vnderstanding from Gods word and so wee come to your second respect Secondly you say baptisme is to be considered clothed with such appurtenances as wherewith the Lord hath appointed it to bee administred as for example a lawful person by whome a right subiect vpon which a true Comunion wherein it is to bee administred dispenced in which regard you say you do not approve it to bee true Baptisme either in Rome or England If darkest error did not possesse your hart you could never have written such thinges but that wee knowe your stifnes in your false waies wee should pittie to point out your palpable ignorance in these thinges did ever man of anie vnderstanding in religion write thus You are lighter then vanitie herein Will anie man that hath anie knowledg of God bee so blind as not to see how the spirit of error doth lead you to iustifie that a baptisme where there is neither the spirit off God lawful minister right subiect nor true comunioÌ„ is the true baptisme and ordinance of Christ in the essential parts thereof Hath the like ignorance appeared in these daies esspecially amongst men that will â—rie out for proofe by Scripture in all things If this your ground were true then a Turk baptizing a Turk with water and those words in anie assemblie whatsoever is the true Baptisme of Christ in the essential parts thereof see what rocks you runne vpon whilst you forsake the waie of truth it may now appeare no marvil though you would have baptisme to bee nakedlie considered you have made a most naked baptisme and ordinance of Christ of it First where there is no spirit of God no lawful minister no right partie to bee baptized no true comunion it may wil be called a naked baptisme and you a naked man of al grace and godlie vnderstanding to maintaine it for a true baptisme and ordinance of Christ in anie respect If al this wil not serve to convince you wee will yet smite you with the rod of froÌ„ aÌ„d breake you like the potters vessel in this point You professe and acknowledg that Baptisme comes in the fâ—ead off Circumcision then let all men iudg whether if Circumcision being administred by an vnlawfull person vpon no right subiect and in no true Comunion could ever have beene approved for the true ordinance of God in the essential causes thereoff and whether one so Circumcised could vpon anie conditioÌ„s have bene admitted to the passover you wil we hope be destitute of al devices to aÌ„swere this al those that are anie waie indifferent betwixt you and vs wil see your great error herein that iff a Babilonian had circumcised a Babilonian in their babilonish assemblies that Circumcision had not bene in anie respect the Ordinance of God and such a one could vpon no condition have bene admitted to the passover by that Circumcision Now to shew that you hold England Babilon in your booke throughout it appeares but wee especiallie hold you to these Pag. 277. and 338. where you affirme that Rome and England were never within the covenant of God as Iudah was So have you debarred your selff from bringing your circumcision and so your baptisme from Apostate Israel and therefore you must hold your selfe to this to prove circumcision administred in BabiloÌ„ by an vnlawful person vpon a wronge subiect and in no true Comunion you must prove such a circumcision the Ordinance of God in anie respect aÌ„d that one so circumcised might bee admitted to the passover prove this and wee will confesse that your skill is above all mens herein and Ezra and Nehemiah shall bee reproved off you for causing the people to put away the Children that were borne off the straing Wives in Babilon Ezra 10.3 Nehem. 13.23.24.25 Off whome if you make question whether they were circumcised you cavell without cullor for then had the Israelites bene giltie of the breach of the Lords covenant whereby they were commaunded to circumcise all their males in their houshould But wee will leave you to prove your Babilonian Circumcision to bee in anie respect the Ordinance off God and prove it by Scripture and by sound reasoning from the ground off Scripture and not by Lodgick and Naturall Philosophie shewing things in nature to bee true which will not in Spirit bee proved true And thus do you deceive