should not be suspected to be of that Party that 's called Phanatiks that so ye might not be under the hazard they are in at this time Therefore ye have spoken so proudly against that Party in the day of their affliction It had not been so ill for you to have called them so in the day of their prosperity But in this ye are exceeding guilty that ye have spoken proudly in the day of Jacobs distress and affliction 4. There is this charged on Edom and ye may take it here as another step and degree of compliance with the enemies of God neither shouldst thou have laid thy hand on thy Brothers substance in the day that strangers carried away his forces Will any body think ye that prosesses love to the cause take an harl of an honest man's gear when its going for the Cause and Covenant and work of Reformation Indeed I 'l warrand you that they will Its true none I know that has love really to the Cause and Covenant and work of Reformation will do so But I know enough of Lowns that have professed much love to the Work will be very glad to winn a days wages to drive an honest man's pound when it 's going for the work of Reformation and many will not hook to put-in their hand among the honest mans gear when it 's going for the Work of Reformation and take a good deal of it Will ye do so Then truely it shall be the dearest gear that ever ye wan in your life Will the States take a fine of a man for promoving of the work of God And will ye take any off-fallings that ye can get Will ye lay your hand on your Brothers substance in the day of his distress Take it as ye will but ye may as wel take God's vengeance as take it and if ye take it ye shall take God's vengeance with it It shall be the dearest gear in your aught the thing that ye take of them that way if ye take any thing of the People of God for the Covenant and Work of Reformation or for any thing relating thereunto believe it ye shall get the broad curse of God with it that shall crow in their crop and burst out at the broad side and turn out that which is in or you that all the world shall see as wel within as without and withall know assuredly this is one of the highest wayes of joining issues and interests with God's enemies that the Spirit of God hath left on record in the Scriptur and know ye are once scrued up and over among the black band and God knows when ye shall come-off again 5. There is this there charged on Edom and ye may take it likewise as another step and degree of compliance and that is thou stoodst on the cross way to cut-off those of his that did remain There is even some folk at this present that has not gone the full length they resolve that from the Work of God are going over the bray and the People of God is like to be ruined as it s to lend all a putt together to put all further wrong to reproach any thing that remaines Professed enemies have gotten the one wheel of the work of God over the bray and ye wait wel under thumb to get the other put over the bray also the vote and cause will go against them Quoth ye we can not help it and we need not cast our selves into needless hazards from the work be going let it go and from that party be going let them even go we need not speak for them for they will over the bray be as it will therefore let us vote even as the rest vote lest we bring our selves into hazard I know there are some of you that would not have taken the lives of those that were execut at this time nay but ye will not hook to reproach them for all that and amongst the enemies of God not care to say they were guilty of death it s an high way of joining interest and issue with that Party hereby ye seek to save your life with prejudice to Christ his cause interests and People God shall serue you up among that number that put his People to execution 6. There is another degree of joining issues and interests with that Party charged on Edom and that is the discovering those that were hidd and that follows still on the other the matters of God are going wrong these have a rant and hand to put it further wrong the next thing that they will do if they have an opportunity they will delate and discover any body that they know hidd that they think if they were discovered would come into hazard for the Covenant and Cause and Work of Reformation there is not much dinn of our compliance yet but we are busy enough else tatling and telling to some others of some that we know hidden that we know if they come to light they 'l come into the chalk for the work of God Wherefore do ye so Is it not that ye your selves should not be suspected to be one of that Party or is out of malice that ye do so This is also an high degree of joining issue and interest with that Party 7. There is another degre of this evil here charged on Edom take it also as another part of compliance or joining of interest with God's enemies and that is drinking upon the Holy Mountain of God There is some folk having come all the lengths in the end the end they will even come to this to drink to the confusion of the Covenant and all that Party that will adhere to it and so when they fall upon their rants among their companions will say here to the confusion of the Covenant and all the Phanatiks and some of them will even be so absurd as to say the Devil clank over with it Such of you may read in the 16 verse of the Prophecy of Obadiah and look what it speaks of you and throughout all that chapter of Obadiah ye may read in at your own leisur ye will find many instances there and degrees of compliance I shall not speak much more upon it but remember this general head that though ye do not disclaim Christ nor his Cause nor yet take the declaration yet that there is a joining of issue and interest with that Party that are the professed enemies of God that ye have so don for personal hazards and it goes readily from one degree to another till it winn to the last 1. They begin and they side with that Party that is the enemies of the Church of God and will speak but little and debate for that Party and they will speak nothing against the People of God yet they will say as little for them but they will stand on the other side and indeed if they be there they will gang alittle further the next time and profess that they have reason to
he thought he was something hardly put to it and he being under the apprehension that his life might have gon if he had confessed his Master and so judges himself to be in hazard upon that account he doth formally disclaim Christ Jesus and all that faction and party thou art one of them say they for thou wast with him in the garden thou art one of his Disciples thy speech bewrayeth thee I vow and swear saith he I am no fanatik if ye will believe me And thus he formally disclaimes Christ and his interests and Cause and forsware himself This is a very hainous way of seeking to save our life with prejudice to Christ his interests and cause and our own conscience But Secondly Some can hardly get it denied but they have been with Christ and one of that party side and company and one of their sect as it 's said in the Scripturs but yet for fear of their life they will not only disclaim that interest party side and faction but to put it out of all question that they do so they will now put it under their hand in a covenant or declaration as ye use to call it that they do disclaim that party side and way and so that they do judge all their former works and actions in that way and with that party to be sin and so will solemnly oblige themselves by an Oath that they shall never owne that interest or way any more if the Supream Magistrate put them not to it I hope ye are all clear that this is one of the most hainous wayes that can be chosen for Folks seeking to save their lives with prejudice to Christ his interest and cause yet there are many of this generation that will not only disclaim that party side and faction for it may he called a Faction but they will also put it under their hand in a declaration that they do judge that way their sin and so shall never owne that interest or way of Christ any more if the Supream Magistrat put them not to it though he should turn them all Mahumetans I have this much charity to give some of their Lowns albeit I have not much to give to any that ever have gon that way yet I have this much charity to give to some of them that it has been for fear of the loss of their lives or for fear of the loss of some personal interests that has made them do so if it has been the wickedness of their Principles betwixt themand God may it be my part is clean of it however let them do it as they will they have sought to save their lives with prejudice to Christ his interests and cause And there are two great witnesses standing against them that shall stand against them before God and man and that is their Tongue and their Hand these two shall witness against them before Heaven and Earth declaring their unparalleled wickedness Ye may perhaps think the taking of that printed paper the Declaration is but a small trivial business but I would ask at any serious godly soules that have the least spunk of ingenuity remaining in them that have not sinned away their Conscience with this pernicious time Sirs what would ye think to see a printed Covenant such as our Covenant was having so many mens names at the end of it as our Covenant hath had in many places men thinking it their glory to have their Names at the end of that Covenant I say what would ye think to see another Covenant disclaiming the former printed Covenant by the self-same men that owned the former having their names at the former Covenant vowing and swearing to maintain the Cause and Interests of Christ having their names at the latter printed Covenant vowing and swearing the quite contrary never to owne the interests of Christ any more what would ye think to see the names of these Knaves now at this latter Covenant infealing against their own names at the former Covenant Truely construct of them as ye will I think the world may wonder of them else ye may give them charity and the like but if God write not another Bible I have none to give them construct of them as ye will It 's a shame in the sight of the Nations for men to falsifie their own deed before Sun and Moon Heaven and Earth God and man to put it under their hand that they shall never owne the Interests of Christ contrary to their Oath the hainousest perjury they put upon themselves that ever men put upon themselves or that ever we read of either in Scriptur or in any other history this is one of the most hainous wayes that ever men took for shuning of personal hazards with prejudice to Christ his interests and cause if they lose not their life many of them we wonder and that some will possibly see it ere long though perhaps we shall not be much witness to it yet there will be witnesses to it ere the dreadfull day of Doom Folk sets alwayes long termes But There 's a Third way that many seek to save their lives with prejudice to Christ's cause by doing something that 's positively sinfull before God and that is neither by disclaiming Christ and his cause and party and side nor yet by puting it under their hand that they shall never owne that party nor way any more but it is by joining of interest and issue with those Enemies that have so don there 's a joining of their interests with those that have so done that God looks on as very hainous in his sight There are many wayes of joining interests and issue with that party there are many plotings and complotings and workings to and fro to their hands amongst us in this matter How be it we have so much charity to give to some of them that have so done that it 's not so much out of malice that they have don so perhaps as the fear of personal hazards which has made them join issue and interests with that party But however here I shall give you some wayes and cases in which men do join interest and issue with the Enemies of God and though I will not say that all these that I am about to name may be properly applied to those that may be called the Enemies of God yet having these or any of these they look with very black marks and though I will not say that one that 's guilty of one or them will be guilty of all of them yet I judge one of them useth to follow another in a mans practice so God's judicial plagues bring them to an height Ye will find alwayes of a Peoples joining of interests and issues with God's professed Enemies in the Prophecy of Obadiah they run all to the case of Esau there in the name of Edom Jacob's bastard brother a Lown that had sold his birth-right for a fill of his own foul belly and he had still
that unhappy party so great a length for the overthrow of the work of God But ye understand not my drift in it it was that I might get credit from them and thereby I will have place and opportunity to speak for the People of God and for the Cause and so this is a way to be usefull for the Work of God by their puting credit upon me that way I will have a fair opportunity to get many a good turn don in the favour of honest men Gang thy way Man the vengeance of God gang with thee for we will either have good God's gate or will never have good at all for good is not good if it come not God's gate we look never that God will trist us with good through such foul fingers as yours we look that God will trist us with good through a cleanlier hand But I never knew that this was your duty to do evil that good might come of it I never knew that the Scriptur stated the matter thus that Folk should do evil than good might come of it I ween'd ay that Folk should have done good at present if they would have had good to have followed on it But I never knew that Folk was to do evil that good might follow I never read that in all the Bible and I have read it all from the one end to the other and some of it twice over but I never read that in it all Go thy way Man the vengeance of God gang with thee for we look never for good at the like of thy hand I dare say if it were not more respect to thy carnal interests that thou lookst most to than any respect that thou hast to the Cause of Christ and his People thou wouldst never have gon the length thou hast gon God reward you for that ye have don to Christ and his Cause and so he will in his own due time ye will get the Devil to your thanks yet for the good ye have don to the Cause of Christ and his People by compliance But there are many likewise who have this pretext for their compliance they profess to be keeping their life till a better time it is a sin to us to let our life and what belongs to us gang this gate we may keep our life till a better time indeed as I was telling you before I never heard tell that that man's life did ever any more good to Christ and his Cause that once did compet therewith and was preferred thereunto and so was brought-off with prejudice to the same God will never be in such a Knaves common as thine to prefer thy life with that honour as to make it usefull for the Cause of Christ again who has preferred thy life to the Cause I ween'd the Scriptur had arted thee better Man that he that is faithfull in the little will be faithfull in the greater and he that is not faithfull in little will not be faitfull in much We will never honour such as have denied his Cause to make them usefull for the Cause and Work again such as is faithfull in the little and keeps his garments clean in an evil time God will prefer that honest man with taking a good turn of his hand for his Cause and People He will take nothing of a Lown's hand that has defiled himself and has not been faithfull in the little Let still that sound in your ears that he that is faithfull in the little will be faithfull in the much he that is not faithfull in the little will not be faithfull in the much I 'l wad ye shall see these children that have gon that gate and are keeping their life till a better time goodsooth I 'l wad that ye shall see an evil time take them Goodsooth they will look with clear eyes that ever will see their life do a good turn more in this world I believe the most part of them if not all of them is kept for a black hour They will look with clear eyes that ever will see them get a good time or yet be usefull to the Church in this world again There are many likewise that have this pretext for their compliance that they do what they do that way out of no ill intention it was upon such good accounts that they did such and such things we had no ill intention in so doing we intended to wrong no man far be it from us to persecut or bid any body do any thing against their Light we had no ill intention in what we have don Ye have a bony pretext of it forsooth I shall desire any man to search through all the Scripturs and see if any such a thing be to be found in them of God's stating mens honesty upon good intentions while the good intentions brought-forth evil fruit I never read such a thing in all the Bible I thought the Scriptur had said with the heart man believes and with the tongue confession is made unto Salvation in contending for the matters of God for his Cause and interest hands tongues aâ—d feet are to be made use of Good deeds and actions are usefull for the Cause of Christ but for your good thoughts and intentions while they have brought forth such bad fruits as the apples of Sodom and the grapes of Gomorrah I have no skill of them The most part of those Knaves that say they had good thoughts and intentions we will see them the greatest persecuters that the People of God will have These good intentions of yours ye will get a black reward for them for they have wronged the church â—arr so ye are at the loss and the church both with those good intentions of yours But in the next place I suppose that this is as ordinary a pretext among us for compliance as any What could my bare testimony do to it it could not turn the chase all that Party Side Way that ye say is for Jesus Christ they are all dung down ere ever I sided with any Party We might wel have cast our selves into hazard by doing or speaking for that way but that could never have don the turn it would never have turned the chase What could my speaking have don for keeping in the Ministers when Acts and Laws was for their casting-out it would never have don good I might wel have cast my self into hazard What could my vote have done for such a mans life that Acts and Laws were for the execution of And when once it was so what need we hazard our selves needlesly For what would the testimony of silly poor lasses and lads have done A bony pretence ye have of it forsooth I never read it in all the Scripturs where ever God made a mans fore-sight of events the measur of his actions in duty I never heard that a man was to shift his duty upon that account because he thought his duty would not have good consequences I never understood
und the World makes such a choise as God has forbidden to save his life God is Righteous to hold him at his choise and that way to bring him to a miserable hinder-end I offer'd you life eternal Peace of Conscience the way to save your life for ever ye would not but ye would have your ventur on a way of your own Wel as I live saith God I shall take you at your word that choise shall you make that ye have made and that choise shall be your ruin ye shall take the holding of your life in that choise that ye have made ye shall never get more of me ye have no more to crave of me Now God is a Righteous God in this Wel now for the Use of the Doctrine First of all Ye would labour to know with your self in what hazard your life is in when the Cause of Christ is upon the stage ye would reckon with your selves how many wayes ye may run the hazard of your life when Christ's Cause is upon the stage either by not doing and omitting that which ye should do or by committing and doing that which ye should not do it were not amiss to consider these hazards and what the Scriptur speaks of folks seeking to save their lives any of these wayes Secondly Do not hold up nor satisfie your selves with any of your broken pretences that I have named or others that I have not named they hold no weight before God ye must be even-down in the matter for he that seeks any way to save his life shall lose it Ye need not speak of this there is Law and Authority for such a false cause ye need not speak of your proving your loyalty to your Prince that way ye need never pretend that such a way ye thought best for peace ye need never pretend your usefulness to God's People by your taking such a gate ye need never say ye are keeping your life till a better time ye need never tell us ye had no ill intentions or that your bare testimony would not have don good these are fooles devices he that seeks to save his life shall lose it That word hath more weight than all the foolish intentions and pretexts that ye have he that seeks to save his life shall lose it Thirdly Let me obtest you as ye love your own life as ye love the life of your Soul and your natural life as God's blessing and not as God's curse and as ye love the comfort of your life and life it self then by all these I obtest you to make a right choise it is like ere long your life may come upon the stage for Christ and his Cause and ye may get it in your option to save or to lose your life with denial or not denial of the Cause Now as ye love the life of your soules and a blessing upon your natural life the comfort of your life the keeping of your life make a right choise Fourthly Sirs Never covet the life of those that have keeped their life by wronging the Cause of Christ covet not their life I say therefore Have they not a brave life of it God save me and all that I good would from a trial of it for all that will ye let alone for all that if ye had a trial of it within a little ye would think it worse than the most miserable death that ever a man dyed One dying not long ago may be exemplary for this it 's a brave testimony that he gave for this lying on his death-bed I would not saith he bide one night again as I have had for that Declaration for all the World When heard ye one of our side that ever said the like of that for taking the Covenant and abiding by it God be thanked we will get some of the other side that will say so for taking of that Declaration albeit they be scarce as yet nevertheless I hope there shall be more of them ere it be long I say covet not their life black and miserable is the life that some of them have of it a fearfull looking for of the Soul to be rugged out of them the worm that never dyes ay sitting rugging at the heart of them where the life sits the broad curse of God upon their life and all that they gather together with their hands as the work of their life God's curse upon all holding bed boord of them it may be that make a sad sight to be seen of some of them and all that they have what they are That is a dreadfull thing beside the inward worm gnawing with terror like a worm rugging at the mawe of them ready to rugg-out the very miserable life that they would fain be quite of which God shall within a little cause to gang in the favour of the Devil in the midst of their dayes Therefore Sirs covet not their life they have a miserable life of it yet Sirs upon the other hand ye must ever pitty poor folk in this case for their tentation was even very great as I was saying to you before Now that we may end this doctrin observe here the righteous wisdom of God in destroying mens lives who for fear of personal hazard seek to save them with prejudice to Christ and his Cause who love their lives better than Christs Cause so wrong it for the safety of their life Ye may see much of that now adayes and if ye live long ye will see more of it there may be much of it seen already if ye see a man falling into a snare to enrich himself as indeed ye will get hundreds not farr off O then admire the Righteous Wisdom of God in that ye see a man seeking to save his life and falling into a mischief by that admire the righteousness of God in it if ye see my complying with that wicked Party for fear of their life or for fear of their meanes admire the righteous wisdom of God in this for making that a snare for destroying of their life which they made use of for a mean to save their lives So much for this Doctrine Matth. 16 20. Then charged he his Disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ YE have heard several reasons of this inhibition served upon this Truth in the mouth of the Disciples which doth not warrand any man to conceal this gracious Truth unless they have a peremptory command for the doing of it as the Disciples here had He did it as a Minister not seeking his own glory he did it as much pittying the Disciples in their weak and unsettled condition because they could not wel maintain that Truth before the Jewes and learned Rabbies which Truth was controverted then they being then unsettled untill the Spirit was poured-out upon them from on high that the Son of Man was risen He did it also as a plague upon the Jewes because they abused this truth