of the same faith Children of Abraham at this day being led by his spirit and fitted with wisdome and great Power for his spirituall work in this his notable day wherein his Angels appear spirits and his true Ministers a flame of fire in all Lands thereby reproving the world of sin righteousness and judgement gathering the Wheat into his Garner and burning the chaffe with unquenchable fire even his day wherein the armies of heaven follow him crushing down and breaking in pieces every high thought lofty look and deceitfull thing that exalteth it self against the Kingdome of Christ and cannot worship you nor any Idols that you set up be they never so fair or well-favoured but as Christs sheep should greatly rejoice to hear his voice in any of you but your strange voice they may not hear nor can own your Pharisaicall holinesse your mock-fasts for strife and debate your railing accusations cursing those that came in the name of the Lord or other abominable practices which you exercise your selves in without any respect or Reverence to truth because contrary to what is strained through your muddy brains wherewith you have so defiled the Nations that the workers of iniquity have no more knowledge but to run violently at your becks upon the Lords people to devour them as a man would eat bread to condemn and kill the just that resist not even the able Ministers of the new Testament not of the Letter but of the spirit though some otherwise unlearned men whereby they approve themselves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God in Afflictions Tumults Stripes Imprisonments Labours c. Do not your hearts smart within you in thinking on the dolefull and deadly Kneâ—s you have rung and caused others to ring over this Common-Wealth and yet do ever seeking to put the people upon Acts of violence one against another thereby taking peace from the earth under colour of advising some to take heed of being deceived by others when that of God in your Consciences will tell you that it is by your Inventions they are deceived that you do or say therein being not for very love to God and their souls but for other ends then his Service and how instead of being a sweet savour to God as also in them that believe and to them that perish you are become an evil savour and stinch upon the face of the earth in so much that it is sore burthened with you and can you be so blind as not to see it or not to think it high time for you to live quietly as sober minded men work with your hands and eat your own bread and permit others to do so likewise or the Magistrate to prevent such Acts of violence as many of you have and yet do occasion that those who have not yielded obedience to the light and Law within are to be governed by a Law without and they that observe the Royall Law and live of the Gospel freely in all places to preach the Gospel Would you have all people to believe that as you buy Learning Languages and Arts for money at Schools that so therewith also you receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost and after that having laid your hands one upon another and are placed in Parishes what you have or shall find out invent and compose as from books and so take mony to tell of or teach others is the Word of God to them for salvation of their souls or would you have it believed that you have any rule for what you do and teach save onely your own or other mens meanings and interpretations of the Words and Writings of the Prophets Christ and his Disciples as recorded in the Scriptures which you make use of as the chief instrument of your Trade or Craft to get mony by therewith beguiling unstable Souls that cannot cease from Sinne I pray you consider what else doth it avail you to Read Hear Study Invent Compose and contend about words while you abide in the Enmity against God and Wrathfulnesse of the Earthly Nature Will and Wisdome even of that spirit which led Gain to slay his brother Because his own deeds were evil and his brothers good the Jews to crucifie Christ and stone Stephen and all the bloody persecutors in the Antichristian state to torment slay burn and massacre the bodies of all the Martyrs and that onely for the word of God the testimony of Jesus and those persecutors not being able to resist the wisdome of the Holy Spirit by which they spake it being the very same spirit in you that hath occasioned some of you to cause such and so many vile things to be done as would make a mans ears even tingle to hear tell of which is the cause why you are generally in so great confusion so ignorant of your duties to God and man and of the people that are the Worlds Scorn that bear the vessels and name of the Lord at this day and why you conclude your selves and others are to continue in your sins be of an erroneous and fallible spirit while in these Bodies of flesh c. Must you indeed contiuue in sinne remain sinners of the Gentiles or worse for as it is written He that commits sinne is of the Devil whhile so what ground Rule or Reason have you to suppose people should believe you or hearken to your Talk or Methodicall Forms of words more then unto others can that be good and pleasing to God that is mixt with sin and performed by sinners that take part with the evil one Gods enemy Doth any unclean thing come near his dwelling or did not Christ Jesus come to destroy the works of the Devil and bring in an eversasting Rrighteousnesse Be not alwayes slow of heart to believe what is written these your inventions shall certainly and speedily come to an end Babylon shall fall and never rise again and therefore come out of her make hast tarry not nor say within your selves Shall we confesse our ignorance of what we have so long laboured about preached and contendded for as the Gospel of Christ and for which we have received so great yearly Incomes from the people Shall we bring so great a shame upon our selves our Office and Ministry as to say we have been so long deceived and deluded and deceived so many peoples Souls that trusted to us and ou Doctrine and thereby occasion every one to sleight contemn and despise us Must we lose all part with all or not be Christs Disciples Learn to labour and live like other men This is an hard saying who can bear it c. Now at your perils be it whether you hear or forbear you have been plainly dealt with and if for all this you remain obstinate not willing to become fools for Christs sake that you may become wise unto him not willing to set aside all your ornaments of Learning Arts and naturall part and stand single unto him that he may know what
such a time in such a manner and only upon their bare words that tithes are due to them that they are the Ministers of Christ or that tithes are ordained by him for their maintenance c. being a task they never could nor now by Scriptures dare take upon them to prove but they can tell you one while that they are due to them by Divine right another while by some authority of man though noe act of man makes them due but supposing them due did order the setting forth thereof that their predecessors received tythes of their parishoners for many generations that tythes are not now to be questioned that several Parliaments have Judged them due ordered payment accordingly that the Israelites paid tythes by special command from God and would you now under the Gospel pay less to Christs ministers that Gleab lands and tythes are their free-holds c. while all is but deceit and covetousness for they have no colour to demand any thing but as Officers or servants for performing service and that from the Persons they serve and during such respective times as allowed and therein continued but as for Christs work or wages they neither know the one nor will be contented with the other 17. Who were they that encouraged the raising of forces in London and the adjacent counties as also in Wales and other parts and that then took and caused Oaths to be taken with him they call'd Lord Capel and other Officers for the King and gave their assistance therewith against the Parliament accordingly and about the same time held correspondency with them of the Kirk or Clergy of Scotland whereupon an Army of Scots were raised and came under command of Duke Hambleton to join with others here and invade this Land hasting so farâ— towards London as Stafford-shire before the Parliaments Forces could meet with them by the then directions given therein and what or who occasioned the long dispute between the Nobility and said Kirk of Scotland whether should appoint a Commander in chief of that Army some of that sort of men here being not ashamed to say that Duke Hambleton died a Martyr It is is like they meant for that intended service and who were they that deluded the late King by their Sermons and otherwise seem to accomplish but not to consent to severall things proposed to him by the Parliament some telling him it stood not with his honor as a King so to yield to his Parliament asking him whether he would make himself a Subject c. and at other times so craftily acting and advising between both for their own ends untill he was thereby brought to his last gasp and who in like manner lull'd asleep and misled the Parliament severall times untill c And who since have prevailed with and misled their late Great Benefactor and Protector and those with him untill he also fell and so shall all such Builders of Babylon and upholders of her Merchants even they that help and they that are holpen shall speedily fall together 18. Who were they that preached up the aforesaid Covenant in opposition to the Engagement To be true and faithfull to the Common-Wealth as established without a King or house of Lords both in the year 1648. and 1649. c Who sent Letters and books into the English Army when going against the Scots to discourage and divide them and thereby to disable that Army and prevent their Proceedings and all whose charge pains and diligence was that correspondency held between the Presbyters in England and Scoâ—land in and about the yea 1650 1651 and who so generally then preach'd up the Scots religion Church-government Worship and discipline here in England and likewise in Ireland and all the time the Kirk of Scotland were carrying on their Design with â—harls Stuart whom they afterwards crowned there and then with all their might hasted to bring him into his late Fathers Throne by way of Conquest with that potent Army of Scots and others here prepared to assist therein and how sad and unquiet were this sort of men in all the three Nations upon the defeating and routing of the said Army at Worcester and who were here the chief Actors therein that sent intelligence and timely notice of the fittest season and way of that Armies so coming for which some of the most notorious were called to account and its like one or two suffered but the generality of them remain the same to this day as they can find out opportâ—nities in like manner to act for their own ends whether by such correspondency with any like men in Holland or else where And who caused the Turkish Alcaron to be Printed in English after the Parliament inhibited the so Printing thereof and to what end and who are the men subject to changes and alter and change those they call Religions in all ages when and as they see it may be most pleasing to Kings Queens or Rulers and profitable to themselves and augment their Authority over the bodies and Estates of others and upon such changes Preach that for the Word of God and true Gospel which seems to lead to their preferments by taking best with such Authority and in Authorities greatest weakness and Distempers to take advantages over and against it as who is able to make mention of the many factious Sermons in the times of your late troubles preached before authority for which they were so cunning therein they rendred thanks seldom reproofs but have they not often thereby hindered businesse of importance because not suitable to their intentions 19 Who were they of the Presbiters Kirk of Scotland that acted and contrived their Intendments so mysteriously during all the time of Englands troubles bookingin all interests with their like Brethren here as also in Ireland Hell and Haguâ— and other parts for the carrying on of their designs Their railing accusations and slanders so oft raised against the English Army while here As also when at Glascoe or other parts of Scotland their occasioning the poor people there to hide their goods in the earth and their bodies also by perswading them that the English Army of Sectaries would kill them and take what they had the said sort of men exalting themselves against the Civil Authority there in matters of the greatest moment their raising of Forces giving Commâ—ssions in the name of the Kirk and Kingdome their inviting young Charls Stuart to them putting him to take their Covenant upon his own Constructions and then Crowning him to strengthen their Party and Cause their disagreements amongst themselves about him and his and otherwise their seeking assistance from France their treacherery against the English Army by their Kirk Army at Dunbar and other parts c. yet could they not have much harmed or troubled you what ever they intended had not many of their said like Brethren here fomented Differences and assisted them for the more easie accomplishment of their Kirk-Design in a
to do to you for your good but will indeed have your portions in this present evil world you shall not onely have leannesse in your Souls but these things wherein you take delight and which your hearts lust after shall be dead comforts but living torments to you and your blood be upon your own heads when Christ shall say Depart from me I knew you not ye are workers of iniquity Go to the gods that you have served and to the men and things that you have trusted in c. And now all you people I say again hearken to the voice of Christ in your Consciences wait and watch there that you may come to see how far you have been guilty against God and occasioners of your own troubles and sufferings as evil-doers for it is written that God moved David to number the people because he had a purpose to destroy them even so were the able men amongst you numbred before the late Wars and when so God will find out instruments though such may be imployed by the evil one to their own ruine These things before mentioned were not all done in a corner nor you remembred thereof to disquiet your minds or to raise displeasure in you against any person but as afore is said for their admonition and your satisfaction and future caution wherein take diligent heed at all times and stand clear of these men for you may be like to meet with tentations such as you are not yet aware of here is the true cause of your troubles and trialls for you to make the right use of and as any of you become diligent observers of your duty to God you will discern things rightly savour the things God and fee them as they are and use them as you ought and then shall no man need to say to such Depart from the Tents and Ware-houses of such wicked men or enter not into the Idols Temples lest you defile the Temple of God For if any man defile the Temple of God him will God destroy There is now no serving two Masters no partaking of the Table of the Lord and the Table of Devils Stand therefore in the daily Crosse unto that and in that which is contrary to mans own will desires affections Reasonings and words of Wisdome and so abide faithfull unto him that hath so called who will also do it c. but then look to be made a by-word amongst others a derision to them that are round about you and it is also like the Devil may cast some of you into Prison and tribulation you may have which according to the integrity of your hearts and cleannesse of your handâ— shall be to your spirituall advantages whereby to become wiser then your enemies as continually refreshed and strengthened in the inner man by the ever-springing fountain of Life and love that runs through the earth to accomplish that for which it is sent which many of you yet see not because your eyes are shut Christ Jesus came to open the blind eyes and right blessed are their eyes that see and receive the inheritance amongst them that are sanctified through faith in him though derided falsely accused and set at naught as the good way of the Lord his service and servants have been and are cruelly persecuted said to be troubles as Elijah was even by many of those men that oft have and yet do strive to trouble and overtop the whole Common-wealth as others of that sort of men before them though in somewhat a different manner c. Have not some such men done more mischief in a few weeks or dayes then could be amended in much longer time besides your sad sufferings thereby by causing as it were the foundations of the earth to be turned out of course occasioning changes in Governments and Governours and is it not evident that they who can so far prevail as to have set up again and pulled down at their pleasures can also throw the same down again by like means when that serves not their ends whereof not onely histories but your own experience do in part make manifest and discover by whom and in what way confusions of mens minds and manners changes of Religion Laws and states as also was spilling the blood of the Saints and other miseries to mankind have come in all ages of Antichrist Some speaking in your cases will say that the late Bishops were an inconsiderable number of men had not many more assisted and led on others also as the multitude to act and carry on their Designs And as for the late King he was but one person and therefore his evil Councel and assistants were all along chiefly charged rather then he and will also say that you the people desired peace rather then War and a quiet living untill incited stirred up and provoked to strife and Intestine Wars one part against another and therefore certainly there be yet some men justly to be esteemed great offenders therein the guiltiness of whose cause and Consciences cannot be separated and yet have so fox like lurked in their dens vnder the shelter of one Authority after another as that they have escaped the hand of Justice and not been dealt with if discovered although at some times crying out against Authority and at other times to authority to help them and defend them from but being soberly spoken to It is not here said what such men deserved or do deserve for all these their sundry sorts of services when particularly discovered with their respective deeds nor what is become of the Magistrates that hitherto have taken such for their Counsellours and patronized them These are things that the righteous Judge of all the earth will yet further call to account who hath looked down from the habitation of his holiness and glory and taken his peoples cause into his own hands and appears therein with affection to them as being afflicted in all their afflictions and indignation against his enemies who if they so continue but a little while shall become like Bell and the Dragon Empty Idols seem they now never so great in this world so that all others sh 〈…〉 see whereof they are made for the Lord God of Glory will speedily â—read down Sathan under the feet of his Saints that art dear and precious in his sight what ever others deem of them The fourth Moâ—â—h 1659. THE END