Proposals for propagation of the GOSPEL Offered to the PARLIAMENT By Capt. ROBERT NORVVOOD THe occasion of my presentment of these at this time is my being charged of Blasphemy or being a Blasphemer at the Committee for propagation of the Gospel by M. Scot Chair-man thereof Quere Whether a Member of the same Committee be not guilty of the same Blasphemy if it be so adjudged Then whether there weer not as much reason for me to propose as for him to receive Proposals But if it shall not be found Blasphemy then Whether M. Scot ought not in Equity and good Coâ—science give open and publike satisfaction for so open and publike an Injury and Scandal That I do and ever did acknowledge both Heaven and Hell and these as distinct as light and darkness all who know me can witness and my Book dedicated to the Parliament intituled Parson Simpson's Excommunication excommunicated where that Subject with the other of the Soul is discoursed and to which I could not have answer to this day doth fully testifie A certain local limitted place being only by me denyed And to say that the Soul of man is of a Divine Essence or of the Essence of God is no more if rightly understood then to say that the Soul is Immortal or that it was breathed into man from God or that in him we live and move and have our Beings Hath Capt. Norwood been or is he an Oppressor or Violator a Slanderer Backbiter or Murderer of his Neighbor Hath he been or is he a Swearer Drunkard or Adulterer according to or after the flesh No of a truth he walks contrary to these Yet reckon I not my self justified herewith or hereby nor judg I any therefore What then Why he hath blasphemed the abominable Arrogancies and Usurpations of the Clergy who would sit in upon and over all mens Consciences Witness M. Shidrach Simpson in my case who have ever done and still would make the Civil Magistrate their whips and rods their Jaylors Butchers and what not The extreme desparate and vilde deceits of the Lawyers in the whole course or management of the Law in all the several Courts of Justice these indeed I have blasphemed and this hath been the only and alone cause of all my sufferings and being charged with Blasphemy against God which whether I am such I leave to the judgement of all who know me have seen or read my writings Being thus occasioned to make this presentment and having as I suppose equally with others the liberty of throwing in my mite and that with you whatever is proposed shall not finde the less or more acceptance in respect to the Proposers thereof because that were to have the truth in respect of persons contrary to the Scriptures command Do therefore humbly offer to be considered First What the Gospel of Christ in its very true and real nature property and end in very deed and in truth is The true and very knowledge whereof may give light and direction in for or to its propagation or promulgation The end wherefore I propose this is lest whilst we pretend or intend its propagation we do not in deed and in truth so much as in us lies work or bring forth its overthrow and destruction Secondly That which next I should offer to be considered is How far any man or men whatsoever are impowered constituted ordained and appointed by Christ thereunto or wherein the aptitude and fitness of any unto such a work may or doth consist The knowledge of or true information in the former will easily give us the understanding and sight of this latter That which I take to be the Gospel is Love Peace good Will towards men Luke 2.14 Be ye merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful who causes his rain to fall as upon the good so upon the bad as upon the just so upon the unjust Matth. 5.45 Love your Enemies do good to them that hate you Bless them that curse you Pray for them who despitefully use you Luke 6.27,28 In this are the children of God and the children of the Divel manifest Whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother For this is the message we had from the beginning that we should love one another Not as Cain who was of that wicked 〈◊〉 and slew his Brother 1 John 3.10,11,12 Hereby have we perceived love that he laid down his life for us therefore we also ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren v. 16. Hereby we know we are translated from death to life because we love the Brethren He that loveth not his Brother abideth in death he who hateth his Brother is a man-slayer and you know no man-slayer hath eternal life abiding in him v. 14 15. Do good to all men especially to the houshold of faith Every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love And herein is the love of God manifest that whilst we were sinners Christ died for us 1 John 4.7,8 A new Commandment saith Christ give I unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you John 13.34 And we must know Christ and his commands are one and the same his Word and his command is not one thing and himself another And he came to save sinners the chief of sinners as Paul saith and himself also I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance for the whole need not the Physitian but those that are sick Again he saith For judgement I am come into this world that they which see not might see the following words will be very well worthy the consideration of most men which is and that they who see might be made blinde John 9.38 The Pharisees that heard him answer What are we blinde also Christ answers them If ye were blinde ye should have no sin but now you say we see therefore your sin remaineth God or Christ whose end it is as the Scriptures testifie to magnifie the exceeding greatness the richness the freeness and fulness the heights lengths bredths and depths of his mercy the wonderful glorious dimensions of it must suffer the greatest sinners that so he may publish himself his Gospel the greatest salvation preach the exceeding greatness of his power and so save and deliver them from their sins as Paul saith Sin hath therefore abounded that the grace of God might superabound yet I say as Paul also said Let us not therefore sin This then if I mistake not is the Gospel of Christ or rather Christ's Gospel This is the message and messenger God sent into the world for the message and messenger must be one and the same thing This is that Son of Righteousness or rather that righteous Son God sent into the world Christ he preaches what himself and his Father indeed and in truth are commands and promises what we should and must be and do if we receive