party in Parliament true to God and their Trust did bring to justice and cause to be executed the late King did lay aside the House of Lords and for the good of the people resolved the Government into a Common-wealth and removed the King and Kingship And that it might appear the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ was in the womb of all their undertakings they cause more particularly to declare for the same see Decl. Aug 1 1650 say they And having these things singly in our eye namely the destruction of antichrist and the advancement of the Kingdom of Iesus Christ c. and being perswaded in our consciences that the King and his Monarchy was one of the ten horns of the beast spoken of Rev 17.12 13 14 being witnesses to so much innocent blood of the Saints he had shed in supporting the beast considering the loud cryes of the souls of the Saints under the altar we were carryed forth to desire justice upon the King c VVe are not souldiers of fortune nor meerly the servants of men we have not only proclaimed Christ to be our King by profession but desire to admit him to the exercise of his royal authority in our hearts and to follow him whither soever he goes it is our prayer dayly that those that seat the Lord in England and Scotland may become one in the hand of the Lord joine together in the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ and throwing down and trampling upon the seate of the Beast why should not Scotland as well as England rejoice to see the horns of the beast cut off that we may join together to hate the whore burn her flâ—sh with fire c in another Decl. pag. 54 of the same Book they desire the people might forget Monarchy See their speech to the little Parliament pag 55 61 62 63 of the aforementioned book where much is spoken to this purpose And what interest is now exalted but self-interest how is antichrist destroyed but in changing Bishops for Triers VVhat Church and people delivered but the National Church and such as are willing quietly to walk under the former abominations what means the present Monarchy at whole doore will the blood of the Saints shed in opposition to the late King lye yea and the blood of the King and his party lyespunctel Give leave to instance Hos 1 4 Yet a little while and I will avenge the blood of Jezrel upon the house of John Are not our brethren and the army souldiers of Fortune and the servants of men now if not so would they crouch to such abominations as these Have they not chosen another King besides Jesus Surely these Declarations and Engagements stare them in the face and at which they could not but blush if their consciences were not feared see what is the mind of the Lord concerning this thing in the following Scriptures Numb 30.2 Eccles 5.4 compared with Psal 66 13 14. Deut 33 2â— Isa 5.9 3 Hos 10.4 Mal. 3 5 Gal 3 15 2 Tim 3 3 June 14. 1647. likewise another upon the Armies going into Scotland dated July 10. 1650 wherein they do voluntarily and without compulsion declare unto the World that they will not set up a single person over the Nation though he were such a one as they could most confide in looking upon that form of Government not onely to be tyrannical but antichristian And many more reasons are there laid downe to ground their judgements upon truth according to the Scriptures whereby it plainly appears to us they are no less then guilty of Covenant-breaking and false swearing whatsoe're may be said to the contrary by objecting That me can not prove their hands were to any such Declarations or Engagments for it is all one if they being then in or belonging to the Army did in their place prosecute the ends of those Declarattions and Engagements against the Stuarts Party and other opposers never in the least declaring against the matter and ends thereof Thirdly For one sin doth not go without its Concomitants the Lords people their own Brethren are oppressed first Because they cannot pay Taxes n Besides the forementioned particulars the very same and greater arbitrary powers which they declared should not be exercised by any much less by themselves viz. a negative voice the costly pomp of a Court of which the man in power once said He abhor'd that way of government for nothing more a House of Lords of whom he said It would never be well whilest there was one Lord left in England and till the Earl of Manchester was called Mr. Montague Keeping men in prison without bringing them to tryal Injustice in proceeding at Law Paying Taxes whilest Oppression remains Forming a balancing party in the Parliament for his interest Forcing â—rebble damages from those who refuse to pay Tythes Locking up Printing-Presses against whom they please Vpholding Monopolies Which is as in other things so now up on the Bible with many other particulars that might be named all practised in this day which the Army the generality of the Churches and other godly prodeclared against as may be seen in the several Declarations Remonstrances Petitions and Letters of the army as also the large petition presented to the Parliament by thousands well affected people in and about London in pag. 9 13 14 18 19 20 21 25 29 32 33 37 38 39 40 41. of Book called The Looking-Glass And yet for our Brethren and the Army after all to be upholding not onely the same but greater oppressions and chiefly among themseves it can be no less then open apostacy And to demand much more force the Lords people and others to pay Taxes to maintaine them herein it being evident they ventured their Estates Lives and all with them whilest prosecuting the cause of Christ it can be no other then Oppression in a hign degree With those Scriptures in the Margent see Obad. ver 13. to maintain them in their present standing of apostacy and backsliding Secondly Tythes o To demand much more force the payment of tythes for maintenance of parish-Ministers or others upon that account is against the dispensation of the Gospel Heb. 7.12 The Levitical priesthood being changed so is the Law Heb. 7 13. Christ sprang from Judah of which Tribe was no priest to receive tythes the National Ministers pretend to receive their Commission from Christ who sprang from Judah and not from the Priesthood which was of the tribe of Levi There is no New-Teltament-Rule for any dwelling within such a compass of ground to build a Steeple-house to preach the Gospel in or to compel all or any within that bounds to come to hear that Minister which is either appointed by themslves or by others imposed upon them whether they come or no to demand much less force a contribution to help maintain that House and Minister and in case they refuse to hale them before Magistrates and cast
ground of our seperation and with-drawing to this day so as that the name of the Lord is greatly reproached thorough these Misreports concerning us it might therefore hereby appear that the cause why we do so is for such sins as are publikely scandalous and sinful that so whatever becomes of our persons the truth may be vindicated Reas 3. That all who fear the Lord in uprightness of heart may consider and see it 's their duty to with-draw and seperate from all such persons For what saith the Apostle Know you not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Purge out therefore the old leaven c. And may it not be spoken with grief of heart that the lump or generality of the Churches in this day are much leavened with a luke-warm sensual selfish spirit seeking the honor and favor of men for their own advantage rather then setting the Lord before them and approving their hearts to him and indeavouring after the advancement of his glory in the world which comes to pass in a great measure for want of doing their duty to such persons in this particular Reas 4. That if it should please the Lord to call any or all of us further to suffer herein or upon such like account it may appear we suffer for his Name sake and not as evil doers the mouthes of many professors having been already opened in this respect though wee could wish it hath not rather been to palliate and cover over their own Apostacy Reas 5. Because thus saith the Scripture Them that sin to wit in the sight of all men as these have done and that against the light of Nature and Grace rebuke before all that others also may see and fear and do no more so wiâ—kedly for as Jannes and Jambres Korah Dathan and Abiram with their company withstood Moses in the work of GOD in their day so these likewise do resist his cause and truth in our day proceeding from iniquity to iniquity Reas 6. That so such as are unknown to us and have been already engaged in this work of seperation may bee incouraged and not discouraged and may know that whatsoever their afflictions and trialls are thereupon the same are also accomplished in others of their Brethren upon the same account that so from a spirit of love to truth we may be strengthning one anothers hands in so blessed and honorable a work Rea. 7. If Pilate was so sensible of the innocency of Jesus Christ that he could do no less but in the presence of the Court and the whole multitude take water and wash his hands saying these words the better to clear himself from being guilty of his blood I am free from the blood of this just man look ye to it Doth it not much more concern us in such a day as this when our Lord in his members and cause contended for in the late warrs is again crucified afresh put to open shame to take this water of our publike testimony in the presence both of Saints and Sinners and testifie our dislike of and seperation from so great iniquity as also the persons guilty thereof And if our Lord Jesus could charge upon the Jewes all the righteous blood shed from Abel to that day and Peter Act. 3.13 and so Stephen Act. 7.51 52. likewise charge them for retaining their forefathers wicked spirit though they pretended otherwise manifested in denying betraying delivering up and killing of Christ and the Saints who were witnesses to the truth in that day May not wee justly fear that if we should be silent in this day the guilt of their blood which was shed in the late wars as also of the sufferings of the Saints formerly and yet imprisoned for their faithfulness to the despised cause and interest of Christ who did and do offer themselves so willingly may be found upon us when the Lord makes inquisition for the same and we come to be partakers of that judgement which we are perswaded will lye heavie upon all that shall be found guilty more or less Reas 8. Because of the so plain discovery through a generall silence of a Laodicean or luke-warm spirit for Christ in this day which the Lord loaths and threatens to spue out of his mouth But on the contrary commends the Churches of Ephesus and Smyrna c. for their zeal and faithfulness in discovering of and not bearing with sin nor sinners yea the Lord delights in such who offer themselves willingly And the Inhabitants of Meroz are cursed with a bitter curse not because they appeared against Gods cause and people but for standing Neuters and not coming forth when an opportunity was offered to his help against the mighty So in Psal 94.16 there seems to be another plain word of instruction in this case where the Prophet by way of Proclamation hath these vvords Who will rise up for me against the evil doers Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity He doth not say as some say novv Sit still and let God alone for he will finde out wayes and means to do his work in his appointed time himself for he hath power at command why do you trouble your selves more then a great many wiser men No So the Lord seems to speak in this day as once Iohn said Who is on my side who And although such poor creatures as vve are can adde nothing to him yet he loves to see us shevv our good affection and to do vvhat vve are able and he hath so appointed that the foot yea the feet of the poor and the steps viz the indeavours of the needy shall tread down the lofty City And the least of the Flock shall draw them out c. And it may not be forgotten how that the Parliament in the time of the late war as they took notice of Neuters by way of dislike on the one hand so they did very kindly resent the constant good affections of others on the other hand Reas 9. When sin comes to be National First in respect of the sin it self Secondly in respect of the persons committing it being in a National or publike capacity Thirdly And contrary to professed and declared light as the sin of this day is and persisting therein after many admonitions so as that we may truly say of the transgressors of this day as the Spirit of the Lord by Isaiah said of Israel of old Wo to the rebellious children saith the Lord that take counsel but not of me that cover with a covering but not of my spirit that they may add sin to sin that walk to go down to Aegypt and have not asked at my mouth to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharoah and to trust in the shadow of Aegypt c. Now as in verse the eight the Prophet is commanded to go write is before them in a Table and note it in a Book that it may be for
mourn and grieve for you that if it were the Will of our heavenly Father you might be recovered out of the Snare and do trust many of you will but in case We should join with you before the least acknowledgement of your evil should not we return to you before you return unto the Lord and so come under the reproof of that Scripture Jer. 15.17 and that also in 2 Cor. 6 17 18. Yea Would it not rather be a grieving of the Spirit and making light of so precious an Ordinance as Prayer is Have We not some sad experience hereof already in that dya of Prayer kept with you when our first Paper was to be debated What contrariety of spirits did then appoar Were We not in the duty deeply judged and censured by one of the chief amongst you when We came to lay the matter in difference before the Lord If so little confort then sure less now Can two pray together except they be agreed We do therefore humbly apprehend before any such conjuction be that you will first inquire into the great evil amongst you and not to eat with such persons but in brotherly love to admonish them and then to waite and see whether the Lord will humble them in the sence thereof if this were done We know that the consequence on your part would be to lye low before the Lord for complying with them to this day and when you shall minifest repentance by such a Work then We should have joy and confort in joyning with you to be further humbled before the Lord and also to lie at the Lords and your feet as to any other thing you should desire of us for his Name sake for We hope it is not in our hearts to be lifted up above our Brethren but onely to be faithful unto the Lord in a day of so great Apostacy Now as to the second thing about seeking to the Lord for a right way what you and we ought to do for the healing of the breach between us This seems to turn the goodness of the Lord upon himself and to forget his loving kindness yea to deny that We have been in a right Way after so much seeking unto and waiting upon him for direction and counsel from time to time yea give us leave to say That we humbly judge the Lord hath led us in a right path to this day and hath made darkness light crooked things straight before as well as since our first withdrawing Moreover wholly to question the ground of our proceedings to this day would be also of great reproach and dishonour to the Name and Cause of our Lord Jesus Christ and pre-declare to any discerning eye that We are returned from whence We vvere withdrawn upon no solid substantial grounds To the third namely That if there were any other thing necessary to be added we might have our freedom This we conceive needs little return respect being had in our answer to the two former propositions Thus desiring a tender construction if it may be of what is here laid down as to your last Message and chiefly to eye the first part as it relates to the choice of persons for clearing of the difference between us We remain Dated the first day of the first Month 1657. Your poor unworthy Brethren Sisters mourning for you yet apprehending that as truth is with us so the Power of the Church rests in us Signed in the Name and by the appointment of the whole none contradicting John Proud Tho Cary Caleb Ingold John Sealey AFter the delivery of this Paper We continued waiting upon the Lord as formerly expecting a return as to the contents of the first part thereof relating to the choice of persons by us and them to hear the matter in difference which many of us did the more earnestly desire not onely for the further manifestation of truth but also to take off that scandal laid by them upon us That we were altogether Judges of our own cause and would not admit of the hearing of it by others but three months time expiring since the delivery of our said Paper or thereabouts and no return given unto us one Way or other it seemed to many of us that their silence was a flat denyal to our render to the first part of our said Paper which put us upon further inquiry into our duty and to that end a day was set apart to seek the Lord for advice and counsl and the greatest part whereof being spend upon that account we then came to enquire of each other what the Lord had set upon our hearts as our further duty and after some discourse about it came to this result That having made so many tenders unto those from whom we were withdrawn with so little effect we had hopes to obtain our reasonable desire from them and therefore judged it our duty to proceed to the work of separation And accordingly some Brethren were chosen out from amongst us to make a draught thereof as the Lord should direct them and yet hereby not to exclude any Message that might come in the mean time from the other part neither to be too sudden about it so that it was about five or six Weeks before the draught of separation was brought in but after it was presented and agreed upon it was questioned by some whether it should yet be given in for some reasons urged by them unto which it was answered by others That they conceived the Lord would be much glorified in the delivering of it in as the unanimous consent of the whole But some again stood up and said That they conceived this would most glorifie God at present to wit that we should revive the tender make in our foregoing Paper notwithstanding their by their practiso to this day But this was opposed again by others judging that it would be little effectual considering how we had been dealt withall from the first day of our withdrawing until now however it was â—udged meet this being our last step towards those from whom we were withdrawn to be very diligent and watchful least Satan should take advantage upon us at the last and the Lord thereby be dishonour to take the advice of some upright and grave brethren who were faithful unto the Lord in this day of apostacy and present our Paper of Separation unto them for advice and counsel so far as the Lord should administer unto them Which was accordingly concluded bernard upon and the Brethren aforementioned to wit Mr. Cann Coll. Danvers Mr. Squibb c who accompanyed us as Witnesses when we gave in our Admonition at London-House were sent unto and upon their Meeting the Paper of Separation was delivered unto them who received it and in brotherly love took the matter into consideration taking their times and seasons of meeting together spreading it several times before the Lord in prayer as we have been credibly informed upon their desire we did also diliver in
the time to come for ever and ever that this is a rebellious people c. so ought we to do the same if we would be found faithful to the Lord his despised Cause People in our day as the Prophet Isaiah was in his the sins and persons committing them in our day being very like the sins and persons guilty thereof in that day And though to bear up a sutable testimony in this day be as irksome unto us as it was to Jeremiah chap. 20.8 9 10. yet when we consider what encouragement he had from the Lord to hold on his way and not to return to them and though they might lay many snares for him he would stand by him and make him as a fenced City and brazen walls against them and be with him to save and deliver him We are comfortably perswaded that he will likewise be with us his poor nothing creatures in this our testimony if we be found faithful herein unto the death as he was For these forementioned Reasons among others that might be given are we encouraged to publish our proceedings from the day of our first withdrawing to the day of our separation being the substance of three years labouring or thereabouts for the Name and Cause of our Lord Jesus and therefore give us leave to contend earnestly for the faith of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus once deliver'd to the Saints and for common Justice and righteousness which hath been sealed unto with so much of the Saints and others blood in the late Wars though now it be very unworthily betrayed not by Enemies but professed Friends many of whom are Brethren in Church-Relation We hope we can as in the presence of the Lord that searcheth all htarts however others may judge of us profess our selves very disirous to follow after those things which makes for peace so far as the shooes of the Gospel will carry us but to have peace with Dishonesty Injustice Unrighteousness Lying Deceit or Oppression c. is contrary to the mind of the Gospel of peace any of which sins should Paul himself been found guilty of were ground sufficient by his own Argument for the Church of Corinth and so by consequence for any other Church to refuse Communion with him therefore to have peace upon this account is to have peace where God would have war and to bring our selves under that wo pronounced against those who call evil good and good evil that put darkness for light and light for darkness c. And if any shall yet blame us for appearing in this publike way give us leave to say unto them as David said unto his brethren when he came into the Camp of Israel What have we now done is there not a cause Adding hereunto also the report gone out amongst many of those from whom we are separated saying That if we could prove any thing against the Souldiers they were ready to do their duty towards them as well ae we Wherefore it is very requisite that others should see the matter of fact and judge whether from the whole we had not just ground for this our withdrawing and separation and we also hope that such among them who are sensible of the evil testified against will bear with us in what we have done therein But if any shall say of us deridingly as Michal said of David How glorious was the King of Israel to day who uncovered himself in the eyes of his servants as one of the vain fellows shamelesly uncovereth himself c. Give us leave for answer to say as David said It is for the Lord otherwise we had rather be silent then displease any much less those whom we dearly love in the Lord. But if this be to be vile we shall yet be more vile we hope in our own sight also and although flesh may in some respects be ready to shew it self in this case yet if all things be duly considered there is little reason for it for where flesh would shew it self it is for some advantage but it seems to us as if there were little fleshly advantage to be reaped by it for flesh naturally loves a good report of all especially among the generallity of professors but do we not hereby yea have we not already lost the good report of men and of Brethren too Again flesh loves the Rulers favour where there is hopes of honor profit or preferment c. But on the contrary do we not hereby hazard our Estates and lives and all But admit that flesh will be shewing it self as we have sufficient cause to fear and as we have experience and may too sadly complain thereof in our own souls in the best and most warrantable Work the Lord may require of us yet this ought not to be matter of discouragement but of caution Pray therefore for us all ye faithful ones in the Work Kingdom and patient expectation of our Lord Jesus to whom this especially is directed and on whose behalf in a great measure this Testimony comes We humbly intreat that you would beg of the Lord that flesh may receive a rebuke every way What temptations we have and do meet withall none knows so well as our selves it being sometimes suggested to us That it were better to lay down our Testimony and venture no further then run the hazard that may follow thereupon but when we think of that Scripture Well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful in a little I will make thee Ruler over much enter thou into thy Masters joy c. It is then matter of encouragement to us to persevere therein considering also how easie a thing it is for us to lose the Crown of our Testimony Rev. 3.11 by declining the Cause of Christ we through Grace have been and yet are engaged in although we may not lose the salvation of our own souls which puts us in mind of Barnabas of whom it was said He was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost exhorting the Saints at Antioch to cleave unto the Lord with full purpose of heart yet afterwards this good man received a check by joyning with John whose Sirname was Mark who left Paul in the Work at Pamphilia that Paul testifies against him for so doing and afterwards we do not hear of Barnabas in any further Work for Christ as formerly he had been so good it is to stick close to Christ in an Evil day And have we not also this further promise Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keepe thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth It would have been too long and tedious to have inserted the whole matter as it was publikely debated in the whole Congregation drawn from those six scandalous sins laid to the charge of the Souldiers then amongst us
Moreover we should thereby have given occasion to some to have given a Reply to many things which we suppose will hereby be avoided But if any notwithstanding our indeavors shall adventure to blemish the Truth and Cause we do hereby contend for we trust the Lord will give us wisdom to make an humble and sober Reply â—o such persons if need be And therefore for the better clearing of truth to the understanding of the Reader some Marginal Annotations are onely added whereby the matter of fact is proved by the Armies Declarations and Engagements c. whilest they pretended to be faithful to the cause of Christ whereof the Souldiers aforementioned were then and still are Members besides several particulars proved against them all being contained in our first paper and after that comes in our gradial proceedings against them and their Abettors upon their perseverance in so great evill that so it may appear we have walked according to Rule in order to the convincing and recovering of them if the Lord had so pleased We know upon perusall of the subject-matter contained in this Book there will be many infirmities and weaknesses shewing forth themselves therein but we hope the Lord hath given you such bowels of tenderness as to pass them over and rather be eying the drift and scope of what is intended hereby and therefore shall take up no more time in an Epistolary way but leave it unto the blessing of the Lord with this Exhortation to you as well as unto our selves Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity hating even the garment spotted by the flesh that so at the appearing of our Lord Jesus he may say unto us Well done good and faithfull Servants enter you into your Masters Joy Signed in the name and by the appointment of the greater number of the Congregation who have seperated from those now walking with Mr. John Sympson Humphrey Hathorn Caleb Ingold John Seely John Portmans THE Old Leaven purged out OR The Apostacy of this day further opened A true Copy of our first Paper to Mr. SYMPSON and the other part of the Congregation after we were withdrawn upon the account of the Souldiers declaring the grounds and reasons of our withdrawing Dated the first day of the fourth month 1656. Delivered in writing at London-house the next first day after the date hereof by six of our Brethren accompanied with the whole Onely the Marginal Annotations were since added to prove what we have asserted in the body of our papers Dearly beloved Brethren Sisters in our Lord Iesus Christ HAving spent some time together and apart to seek the Lord for counsel and direction since we absented our selves from you having had as we hope some sorrow and grief of heart that we cannot with any comfort partake with you at present of those Ordinances our Lord Jesus hath left his people to be exercised in until his second coming and appearance and we trust have endeavoured in some degree of sincerity to search our own hearts concerning those sins laid to our charge as Vncharitableness Pride Rashness Self-will'dness Arrogancy c. which we must acknowledge to be in as in too great a measure yet doubtless this we may speak to the glory of the free Grace of our Father in Jesus Christ That notwithstanding Satan togegether with the body of sin we carry about us hath had great advantage to blemish that blessed Cause and Interest we have been so long contending for we may we hope declare That in â—â—plicity and godly sincerity this Work hath been managed by us and also that it is out of love to Truth as well as on Truths behalf we are so far engaged It is in the conclusion of our waiting upon and seeking to the Lord much upon our hearts to lay before you the Truth we are so much under a Cloud for that if the Lord will we may find such a fruit of this our seeking to and waiting upon him as will bring most glory to God and comfort to you and us and the provoking the Churches of Christ in this Nation too generally fallen in with the iniquity of this day Dear Brethren and Sisters and longed for in the Lord You very well know how for some years together the Lord hath been risen out of his holy place to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their iniquity and notwithstanding those Inhabitants have and do under a form of godliness get into Zion yet so narrow hath the Lord been and still is in his search at this day that the sinners in Zion are afraid for he hath set up his fire in Zion and fornace in Jerusalem and will not leave till he hath throughly purged his floor in which great Work we find that his own people have not been without their refinings in regard of so great filth they carry about them for he saith that he must wash away the filth of the daughter of Zion from the midst thereof and purge away the blood of Jerusalem by a spirit of Judgement and a spirit of Burning that upon all the glory may be a defence The nature of this Work hath been not onely by the Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God in the 〈◊〉 of his Servrnts the Prophets but also by the Sword of a man or the material Sword and herein we find the Saints not onely by their prayers but their persons also have been instrumental making good that Word in the Psalms Let the high praises of God be in their â—â—â—ths and a two-edged Sword in their hands to execute upon the Adversaries of his glory the judgments written to binde their * * VVas not the vengeance executed upon the King his Issue Nobles Gentry Clergy and other abettors a manifest return of prayer to the Lords people and in part a fulfilling of that Scripture Yea let the army the souldiers from whom we are separated look ouer their Declarations and Remonstrances c. upon this-account See Abridgm Remonst at Albâ—ns pag 30-31 oâ— Book called The Looking Glass and Decl July 19 1650 pag 46 47 of that Book Decl Aug 1. 1650 p 48 49 50. or in a sheet or paper commonly seen Decl after old Parl was dissolved p. 53 54 in their Speech to the little Part p. 55 56 58 61 62 63 of the aforementioned book and we entreat all the churches of Christ in this city and the three Nations to consider how far they encouraged the army therein whether they did not take up arms for the interest and cause of Christ at the invitation of their Pastors and Elders if not so we are not able to judge upon what account churches as churches should be sent unto to take up the material Sword but if tâ—â—e what means this general silence under falling in with the present power upon the old â—â—ock of Monarchy who not onely have taken the remainder of the great Houses
the like liberty with those chosen by you to speak what might be upon their hearts as to the matter in difference But in case they were not so chosen although they might be Church-members yet they might not have liberty to speak any thing as to the matter in difference yet he said it was very likely that upon our request some liberty might be given in that kinde But in case any chosen by us should not be actuall Church-members though it may be granted for them to hear what was Controverted yet no liberty for them to speak any thing at all Likewise such persons so chosen their names should be given in to you for approbation as to their Principles and Conversations Now the Reasons why we cannot condiscend hereunto are these following 1. As being directly contrary to the end of our message more at large contained in our last paper not having therein exceeded our Gospel-liberty 2. It is altogether needlesse to make choice of persons to hear a matter in controversie and deny them liberty to speak unto it if they have any thing upon their hearts to say 3. To bind us up not onely to Church-members but also in a great measure to the Churches for their choice when it is very plain that the Apostacy of this day hath reached to the generallity of the Churches whereby there are few Zealous in the cause of Christ though many faithful ones in other things is to exalt the form above the power of Godliness 4. That it seemes to us directly contrary to the Principle of the Congregation you so much pretend unto which is To receive Saints as Saints and not as bound up to this or that form 5. To condescend hereunto is to undervalue the Spirit of the Lord breathing in severall of his servants who are not enemies but friends to Church Communion though not formal Church-members by reason of the foulnesse of the waters of the Sanctuary at this day and whom we desire to esteem far better then our selves 6. As there is no command in joyning us to Churches alone in this Case neither is there any against it therefore we humbly conceive our Gospel Liberty cannot be denied us Moreover there is but one example in all the New Testament as we can remember which was in the Church at Autioch sending to the Church at Jerusalem Asts 15. About the matter of Circumcision neither was there any visible Apostacy among the Churches at that day as now is else we conceive that the Church at Antioch would not have sent unto them about it These Reasons being premised and the substance of our last paper relating hereunto considered we do humbly declare That we can in no wise condiscend to a debate upon those conditions received from you neither upon any other terms then is mentioned in our last paper and upon which account we refused at first not that we desire to stand upon terms of advantage for our selves were we not groundedly perswaded the name and cause of Christ we are ingaged in would very much suffer thereby Thus desiring to hear a return from you if a debate of the matter in difference be really intended And that we may have our free choice without any bonds imposed upon us or them we shall chuse provided they be men fearing God and working Righteousness any more then we desire to impose bonds on you or whom you shall chuse for which we shall wait 14. dayes from the date hereof and in case of no return by that time we shall be in no longer expectation thereof We remain Your unworthy Brethren and Sisters mourning and praying for your return yet apprehending that as truth is with us so the power of the Church rests in us Dated the 4. of the 6. Moneth 1657. Signed in the Name and by the Appointment of the whole John Proud Caleb Ingold ACcording to our promise we waited for a return till the expiration of the time mentioned in the said paper but having no Answer neither any intention thereof so far as we could understand but rather an aversness thereunto considering that they had committed our said paper to the perusal of the Pastors and Elders of several Congregations to whom they said they had given up our business and to be directed according to their advice Who upon perusal thereof apprehended our desire and tender therein to be but reasonable Yet was their advice and proposition refused also A coppy of the agreement of the messengers of the Churches met at Allhallowes the II. of the 6. Moneth 1657. At the request of those from whom we are withdrawn about our paper Dated the 4. of the 6. Moneth 1657. 1 1. That Persons of approved Godliness may be endowed with wisdom to advise and to help to heal breaches as well as others 2 2. That the Persons that the dissenting Brethren had chosen which were not Church-members were well approved of for Godliness 3 3. For peace sake which we are to follow after we judge it not unlawfull but convenient that such Godly and approved persons as are mentioned in the last paper Dated the 4. of this Moneth may freely be admitted to hear and advise in the matter propounded with the like number of such as the Church with Mr. Sympson did choose 4 4. Our advice is that the number of Persons so chosen should not be many not exceeding ten of a side at the most Now it being so obvious that they not onely refused our tender but theirs also to whom as on their parts they had committed the matter in difference we judged it our duty to wait no longer upon them being without hope after so many denialls and therefore the Brethren to whom the orderring and managing the affairs of the Congregation was commited were appointed to perfect the draught of Separation intended and present it unto us with all expedition which was accordingly done a Coppy whereof is as followes Our last Testimony or separation from the Souldiers of the Army being guilty to six scandalous sins likewise from Mr. John Sympson their chief Abettor and others with him As also from the rest of those Brethren and Sisters we formerly walked withall whom we desire to mourn for yet as they hold Communion with those scandalous sins and Persons must separate from them IT is we trust some grief and trouble of heart unto your poor unworthy Brethren and Sisters that notwithstanding the Lord hath cast us into dayes of so great light and profession wherein he calleth upon all to repent without excuse or pretence of Ignorance you should to this day not onely hold Communion with but be justifiers of severall persons amongst you that are guilty of such sins as are not commonly named amongst men which is the more considerable in regard they are the sins of the last times into which we are fallen yea your continuance therein seemes to speak unto us as if the custom of sin had taken away the conscience thereof in
many of you Indeed we have ground to fear that many of you are so far become guilty as to call their evil good and our withdrawing from them and you upon this account evil And although we have been now one whole year and half or thereabouts waiting upon you in the Lords way by our withdrawing from you wherein we have been desirous to exercise patience and much long-suffering and as we hope with yearning bowels towards you in some measure willing to have compassion of you as of our own soules left we should also be tempted Likewise a year and half before our withdrawing bearing our Testimony against the evill amongst you so that had there been any heart in you to purge out the old leaven you might have become a new lump unto the Lord in so long time and thereby have been a vessel of honour meet for the Masters use in your generation but notwithstanding their sin hath been so often laid before you by us since as well as before our first withdrawing and having we hope out of love to your soules as well as for the glory of God in discharge of our own duty admonished the Souldiers of their evill and your selves as their Abettors according to the Rule of the Gospel that if it had pleased our heavenly Father you might thereby have been duly humbled under his mighty hand by smiting upon the thigh saying What have I done and each one have considered from whence you are fallen and done your first works Moreover in regard it was imputed to us That we would have none to Judge of or hear the ground of our withdrawing but our selves we did thereupon offer unto you that we were willing others should have the hearing of our Cause or rather the Cause of our Lord Jesus Christ wherein such poor worthlesse wormes as we are ingaged Provided we might have Liberty on our part to choose Persons of known Integrity and Godliness of whose faithfulness to the cause of Christ we might have good ground of Assurance in such an evil day as this is which by your practice you have absolutely denied us and in stead thereof have sent a third time to the several Congregations in and about the City without our consent or approbation that they might by their messengers hear and judge of the Matter in difference between us though they have refused to meddle with it And Oh that the consideration thereof might yet at the last put you upon some serious inquiry what should be the minde and will of the Lord concerning you therein and whether a third denial of this kinde doth not speak that you have so often gone out of the Lords way about that work and have refused susch equal wayes as might tend to the further discovery of truth as we humbly apprehend Likewise about 7. or 8. weeks since after seeking the Lord and receiving advice from such as were faithfull to the cause of Christ in this day we did judge it our duty notwithstanding your refusall to this day yet once more to make the same tender unto you as we had done formerly That the matter in difference might be debated in the presence of a certain number of godly persons one half chosen by you and the rest by us and all of them having equal liberty of speaking as occasion might require To which we received Answer being little less then a plain denial of our tender however we make a speedy reply in writing that our willingness to such a work might appear for answer whereunto we have been about four weeks in expectation but having no return we do discern that the Lord hath shut up your hearts from it which doth the more plainly appear for that we are informed those Members of Churches to whom you have committed the perusal of our last paper did give in their Judgement That our desire therein was but reasonable and ought to be condesscended unto Now we could wish that the sence of your great evil might lie more upon our hearts wherein we would also not be unsensible of our own miscarriages in the management thereof desiring we hope to mourn before the Lord for the same yea we desire not onely in the words but Spirit of the Prophet Jeremiah to say Oh that our heads were water and our eyes a fountain of tears that we might weep night and day for our own sins and iniquities as well as for the great abominations of this time being an open Apostacy from the Cause of Christ and this Nations freedom sealed unto in the late Wars by the Faith Prayers Blond Tea's and Estates of many thousands of whom not a few were Saints whereinto you are so greatly fallen and it is upon the hearts of some of us that if the Lord shall not mercifully yet at the last send his Angel and pull you out from amongst this Apostatizing generation this may probably be your portion That Partaking of their sins you may partake of their Judgements An therefore that we might be remisse in nothing so far as the Lord hath discovered it to be his minde and will unto us It is after seeking of his face for Councel and direction and some searching of our own hearts judged to be our duty to leave this paper with you as our last Testimony against the crying evils and abominations amongst you and cleaved unto by you some more some lesse as is hereafter mentioned First As to our Brethren the Souldiers We humbly declare and testifie in the Name and fear of the Lord who is the searcher of all hearts they do appear unto us very manifestly guilty of those several sins laid to their charge by us as being principall Abetters unto and Supporters of the Apostacy of this day headed by the Person now in Power by whom our Brethen stand and so stiffly contend for as if they would justifie him in all his Oppressions wherein he ariseth and higher to the great reproach of the Gospel The sin we shall onely name being more largely set down in our first paper First Treason having betrayed the Cause and Intrest of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Nations Liberty contended for in the late Wars which did maniselt it self First In pulling down all Antichristian laws Statutes ⋆ Having before proved that there is an Apostacy we now come to shew the rise of it and is as followeth When the War was ended at Worcester the Lords people expected that the good things the Army declared for and promised should be brought forth Also the man in Power and the Army appear'd in words to do so to And do blame and pretend they dissolved the old Parliament for not doing those good things and likewise to call the Little Parliament as men fearing God and Principled to bring them forth as also to Act for the Advancement of Christs Kingdom And go on to say that something was at the door and that we were at the edge and threshold of the
Promises and Prophesies and therefore should lift up our hears and rejoyce however if there were neither promise for this nor prophesie we should covet and endeavour after the best things and do speak as to purity in Magistracy and Governments as if none but who had the Spirit were fit to Act upon Christs account at this day And likewise hint as if themselves were a part or at least had the Spirit of the Stone which shall break and consume all other Kingdomes c. And as if the Call of the Little Parliament was a fruit of the Stones smiting quoting Dan. 2.44 With many other excellent good words relating to the Calling of the Jews and the glory that will be in that day See his speech to them either by it self or in pag. 56. to 63. of book called the Looking-glass Now what did this hold forth but that they would endeavour to bring things as near as might be before Christ comes to what they shall be when he is come Isa 32.1 2. Mich. 4.1 2. Psal 72. But all this as we have too just ground to fear and by what hath since appear'd was but to cover the designe of self Advancement For when those who were faithful in the Little Parliament came to do those good things and to take away all Antichristian and Oppressive Lawes and Customes that were and are yet remaining among us Several self intrested men among them and others easily led by them perceiving that if they went on it would go ill with be Lawyers Clergy and other Corrupt Intrests took Counsel together how they might dissolve that Parliament and in Order thereunto came to the Parliament House in a morning two hours sooner then usually and moved tho resigning their Power But some of the other party coming in opposing it they durst not venture to put it to the vote but with the Speaker rose up and went away leaving a considerable number behinde them who were soon after turn'd out by Collonel Goff Lieunant Collonel White and Musquetteers thereby putting a stop to the Work of God and the aforementioned Persons going to White-hall and signing a Paper whereby they pretended to resign their Power to the Man who is now in Power Is the foundation of this present Government and so of the Apostasie and Customs any ways intrenching upon the Consciences of the Lords people in their publike Worship Secondly To prevent making any such Lawes for the time to come Thirdly To pull down all lawes in any measure oppressing the bodies of the Lords people or any others that violence may be no more heard in our Land Fourthly to deliver the Spiritual Church of Christ from the like oppression of Body or Spirit in any of the Dominions of Antichrist Fifthly To execute the Judgements written upon the great Whore who is drunk with the blood of the Saints Sixthly That Christ might be King in these Nations and his Lawes our Rule to walk by Seventhly that Monarchy or the power in one single Person might be extirpated because opposing Christs Dominion and utterly inconsistent with Common Freedome Eighthly That men fearing God and hateing Covetousnesse might be in Authority and no other Now whether Treason be not comitted in all these respects at this day and our Brethren therby become Traytors in abetting thereto with their swords in their hands we shall leave unto the Lord who judgeth Righteously and one day will make it known when the thoughts of all men shall be revealed Secondly Covenant breaking and false Swearing there being many Engagements and Declarations of the Army wherof our Brethren were and now are Actual Members for removing the evil and establishing the good mentioned in the foregoing Head Thirdly Oppression of the Bodies and Consciences of the Lords People and others well affected in this Nation by Tythes Taxes and Illegal Imprisonments The Latter of which the Army formerly Declared so much against as being very Oppressive that any man should suffer Imprisonment without any Legall cause ⋆ See Looking-glass pag. 7. Say they that no man be kept in Prison above a moneth but in that space to be brought to Triall by a lawfull jury of his equalls or else be discarged of Course There are many the like expressions in other of their Declarations shewed for it and keeping them there at will and pleasure and how frequently this hath been practised since this last Apostacy and is still continued we leave to all unbyassed persons to judge Fourthly Persecution of Saints two of them having been jaylors to their Brethren and the rest standing by in the day of their Brothers Calamity and Justifying the Persecutors by saying It is possible a Saint may suffer for evil doing Fifthly Maintaining Antichristian Lawes by which the Saints of old have suffered and do now suffer though so much blood and treasure hath been spent for the abolishing of them Sixthly Hereby they are the cause of sadning and grieving the hearts of the Righteous whom the Lord would not have sadned though our Brother Kelzey was and herein is more particularly guilty above any of the rest as hath been plainly proved which at first he denied yet afterwards confest at Brother Sampsons house much more then could be proved against him not with any sense of his evill therein but said It was his Judgement and Conscience to do what he had done And Notwithstanding that many of us had been labouring to Convince them and inform the Brethren to whom the ruling part of the Congregation was committed of their evils upwards of a year and half before our withdrawing who at first joyned with us and were more ready to be active herein then our selves yet afterwards declined for no other reason as we know but because their sin being of a publique nature was like to receive more then an ordinary countenance and so the more difficult and hazardous if they with us should be found doing our duty impartially not fearing the faces of men but it being to our labor proved fruitlesse and those who before were forward in the work of the Lord now became backward and not onely so but many of them excusers and Abettors in a very great measure to the grief of many of our hearts However that we might keep in the Lords way it was after solemn waiting upon him judged our duty to bring their evils before the Church that so if possible they might thereby have been brought to the acknowledgement thereof And here we hoped that iniquity shold have bad it's mouth stopped and truth have had the preheminence in such a Congregation as this had been for so many years being like a Beacon on the top of a Mountain but instead thereof the greater part votes Communion with them notwithstanding their evil laid before them which is to be mention'd not with joy but with grief and sorrow of heart though we conceive that vote was chiefly occasioned by our Brother Sympson thorow his constant pleading for and
from them trusting that the promise of grace mentioned 2 Cor. 6.17 18. In these words Wherefore come out from amongst them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and be a Father unto you and you shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty We desire also for their and our encouragement to leave with them that Scripture Psal 9.4 Hos 11.12 to be theirs and our portion also But till then we do also hereby humbly testifie and declare that as they now stand we cannot have Communion with them as otherwise in the uprightness of our hearts we desire to have and should much rejoyce in were they clear from the evil of this day and withdrawn from amongst those disorderly persons till then we have just ground to believe they are in their degree partakers of their evil according to that Scripture 1 Tim. 5.22 Be not partakers of others mens sins keep thy self pure Now to conclude and end this our Testimony we do in the General and to each one say and humbly declare That we cannot discern the power of the Church rests in you as under those sins you are now guilty of and fallen in with each one in their degree but ⋆ Only Moses Aaron Caleb and Joshua c. Who followed the Lord and had truth on their side and separated from Corah the Princes and famous men of the Congregation were owned by him and had the power with them as also to prevail that the greater part of the Congregation might not wholly be destroyed Num. 14.19 20. compare ch◠16 41. to 50 ca. 262 which notably agrees with Matt. 18.18 19. Whatsoever ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heaven c. Again if two of you viz. having the truth shall agree on earth as touching any thing they shall ask it shall be done unto them c. And upon this account chiefly it was that they had the power and this presence with them and not so much because the one was the Leader and the other as it were the Pastor of the Congregation for if with the others they would have made a Captain to return to Egpt as also have stoned Caleb and Joshua in all likelyhood they had perished with them yea we finde that because the did contrary to the minde of the Lord at the waters of Meribah they must die by the way and not go into the good land and the power they had deliver'd unto others and onely Joshua and Calch c. who followed the Lord fully have the power and his presence with them Numb 20.12 24 26. Deut. 3.27 compare Chap. 34.4 By which it plainly appears the Lord would have the power to reside with those who follow him and have truth on their side though the lesser number and not with the greater though the Pastor be with them that are declined and so have not the truth with them We also finde Revel 2.7 9 10. Revel 3.4 to 10. That onely the Churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia and the few names in the Church of Sardis who followed the Lord fully and kept close to truth and had not desiled their garments and such as overcome and keep close to truth to the end are own'd by Jusus Christ and shall inherit the promises but he threatens to remove the Candlestick from the Church of Ephesus and to come upon all those of the Churches of Pergamus Thyatira Sardis though the greater number as a Thief and to fight against them and kill them with death unless they repent and return from the evil among them And the Church of Laodicea the worst of them all are for their Lukewarmness threatned to be wholly spued out of his Mouth Revel 2.5 16 23. Revel 3. 3. Which things are not written as onely belonging to that time but are also a prohesie of what shall be among the Churches a little before or about the time the promises and prophesies relating to the Kingdom of Christ and Zion shall be fusilled See Revel 2.26 27. Revel 3.10 12 21. in your poor unworthy Brethren and Sisters in whose name this comes though the lesser number Which we desire to mention with all Humillty and not in vain-glory knowing that we have no cause to be high minded but fear that such poor shrubs as we should stand when so many tall Cedars fall It being no where recorded in Scripture that the power of the Church rests in the greater number as under that Denomination but in those who according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ do withdraw from every Brother that walks disorderly be they the less or the greater number for where truth is there is the true-Church power according to that in Matt. 16.18 19. in these words Thou art Poter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven c. Whence we desire to observe that although our Lord Jesus speaks to Peter as a single person yet layes the weight of the Church upon him not as Peter but upon the truth whereof he made so upright a Confession whereby it seems plain unto us That where truth is not onely in the judgement but practice there is the Church with the Keys to wit it's power And this our Brother Sympson hath formerly declared saying That he should judge it his duty to joyn with a little number were they but 30 or 40. in number against 500. being perswaded that the Keys of the Church were truly there where the truth appears not onely in the doctrine but practice And yet we would say That where the greater number oppose the truth more caution is to be used more humility and brokenness of Spirit manifested and much looking up unto the Lord to be guided aright by the seffer number wherein we must acknowledge we have been too remiss desire to be humbled before the Lord for the same in the face of Jesus Christ Thus desiring that this out last Testimony may be received in love and be of that use and weight as to provoke you to a godly jealousie as Pauls Epistle did the Corinthians about the Incestuous Person that we may have cause to rejoyce upon the same account as he had which could we once see we should willingly lie at your feet for truths sake and be more glad thereof then of our daily food till then we desire to mourn and pray for your return Signed in the Name and by the Appointment of the whole John Proud Tho. Cary. Caleb Ingold James Chadwick Humphry Hathorn John Portmans Dated the 1. of the 7. Moneth 1657. THis Paper was committed to the custody of six Brethren chosen from amongst us to present and deliver it according to direction and if it might be obtained that some one of the six might have liberty to read it in the presence of them all but when they came they were denied the
honoured who at all times and in all ages hath doth and will hear the prayers of his faithful ones in Christ we have cause mutually to rejoyce that God hath heard your prayers for my fellow Prisoner and me and that God hath heard our prayers for you At my meeting with you I shall see more of God in some of you then ever I saw though some may wither away and come to nothing and I am confident that you shall behold the Image of Christ more plainly in me then ever formerly you beheld it God doth still notwithstanding many infirmities in me shine upon the Soul of his unworthy Servant in the face of Jesus Christ I shall grow in grace my faith is quickned my repentance shall be encreased my love will abound to you to all Saints my hope shall be lively and my joy shall be full And I shall never be ashamed that I have given you an Alarm of Christs comming in the Spirit among his People I do yet by free grace glory that I shall receive more of the Spirit in gifts and graces then yet is given unto me Isa 45.11 God hath commanded me to ask him of things to come Christ hath perswaded me that this Prison is a Jerusalem where I must wait for the promise of the Father Acts 1.4 Pray therefore for me for your selves and for all Saints that they and we may be Baptized with the holy Spirit not many dayes hence The Spirit will return again unto believing Saints and the Churches of Christ according to the New Testament institution shall be the Schools of the Prophets Universities as now they stand upon an Antichristian foundation must be tumbled down Antichrist hath set up those Cages of unclean Birds that they who go thither may learn to sing the whores songs but not the songs of Zyon what the Spirit shall be to the Spiritual Church those places have been to the Carnal Church when Antichrist forced the Woman into the wildernesse and taught men to believe that the Spirit was not to be expected any more but that was to cease in his gifts and to supply the want of the Spirit which was in the true Church he laid the foundation of Universities and from them and not from the Churches and Spirit of Christ he taught Men to expect a Ministry But these Monastries must down Down with them sweet Jesus and lift up thy self in thy Spirit among the Congregations of thy Saints The Ministry likewise must down which stands upon a Popish foot and Antichrists foundation yea the best of Ministers must be thrown down so far as they stand upon an Antichristian Bottom though God will own what is of his own Spirit in them And God will most eminently appear against those sons of Hophnye and Phineas as he did against their fathers the Archbishops and Bishops 1 Sam 2.16 Who say unto the People as they did Nay but ye shall give it me now and if not I will take it by force The Judgement is gone forth from the Mouth of the Lord against them and all the Babylonish Protectors in the world shall not be able to defend them and to maintain them in the enjoyment of their Antichristian maintenance But Jehovah shall Arise and have mercy upon Zyon Psal 103.13 For the time to favour her yea the set time is come for thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favor the dust thereof The Spiritual Saints which are the stones of this Zyon begin to delight in one another and as they do abhor what is most glorious and seemingly Spiritual in Babylon so there is nothing so mean no outward Ordinance of Zyon so base and contemptible but they do honor it and thus they favor the Dust thereof Wherefore my Brethren if you are perswaded that this will be the work of God in this Generation night and day pray down those things Persons and Places which are Antichristian and yet standing in England Come out and be seperated from the wisdom and Spirit of the world and come up with me into the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Labor to practise the Lesson of self denial in opposing those Errours and sins which are pleaded for by the world and some Saints in these times as truths and vertues and so with Noah you shall be upright in your Generations Indeavour to know what are those truths which God will now bring forth to Light and not suffer them any longer to lie under the Cloud of Antichrist and resolve to overcome your enemies either by doing or suffering And not loving your lives unto the death give all diligence that you may be Christians in power and not in form onely disclaim your own strength every day value not a faith repentance love or hope of your own working it is not worth a rush But look up unto Jehovah to work all grace in you by the operation of God Pray for me that I may have a more glorious Mission and Commission from Christ to Baptize and Preach the Gospel Isaiah had a more glorious Call at the second time then he had at his first calling Isai 6.1 though to the glory of grace I do acknowledge that I have had a sufficient call yet for the exaltation of grace I beg a more glorious Call to Preach the Gospel Oh that I might Preach as one having Authority and not as Vniversity men Oh that I might have more of the Spirit that I might serve you better then ever I have done and might in some measure be enabled to requite you for those pledges and expences of love which I have received from you I am for many favors in the Spirit engaged unto you Particularly for your great gift of love which you sent the last week by some of our Brethren you have obliged me unto you beyond my desires and expectations The Lord knoweth that I sought no such thing from you directly or indirectly I was very well content to spend onely out of my own purse in this Prison but seeing God hath drawn you forth to express your love this way I am bound thankfully to accept your gift and do profess that if I know my own heart I am more taken with your love then with your gift or should be taken with it if it were a hundred thousand times more then it is and shall pray that my God may supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen Windsor the 12th Moneth 4th day 1653. This is a true Copy of the Originall examined by us Tho. Cary. John Clements Brethren of the Lord Jesus SInce I did write unto you as the Lord did move Elijah to write unto Jehoram so I do apprehend that the Lord did stir me up to write unto the Lord General and contrary to my own resolutions the Lord did presse me to put my life into his hands by dealing
the accomplishment of what is behind It is sweet to me now in this confinement to consider that I had a hint of these things by Intellectual vision or dreams before they came to pass In a slumber about Worcester Businesse I saw great O lying upon the ground with most of his great Officers and their mouthes stopped with clay by which I was perswaded that they should not be able to act any more for Christ or fetch breath in his cause which is come to passe Before the dissolution of the long sitting Parliament In a dream I beheld some lusty fellowes binding an old man who when he was bound his cords did break but he was so feeble that he could not rise again and presently after they had left him they caught hold of me and apprehended me It was given in that the Parliament was the Old man and that after they had dissolved the Parliament they should persecute me which I charged upon the memories of some friends to remember I scarce know how to speak of these things because some may think that I speak in wrath when I speak upon a more noble account for the glory of God But let truth be spoken though I suffer in the opinions of some Saints I shall conclude with desiring your Prayers for these things first that I may oppose the enemies of Christ as his not mine hating their wayes yet loving their persons as my own Secondly That I may pray in faith with the Psalmist Psal 119.134 Deliver me from the oppression of man so will I keep thy precepts Thirdly That God might strike my strongest corruptions under the fifth rib by this imprisonment Fourthly That God would anoint me with fresh oyl to Preach and Baptize Fifthly That God would teach me to see how far my suffering may be accounted a Martyrdom in relation to Christs good cause and a Judgement in relation to my unprofitable walking before God and his people for the same suffering may be a Martyrdom for Christ and a judgement to our flesh 1. Pet. 4.16 17. The Lord enable you to ask these things in faith and thoroughly enable you to every good work through Christ to whom be glory everlastingly Amen J.S. From the old Steeple 4th Moneth 3d. day 1654. This a true Coppy of the Originall examined by us Tho. Cary. John Clements Severall Objections against the Printing and Publishing of the aforementioned Transactions relating to our withdrawing and separation from the Souldiers and Mr. Simpson c. As also Mr. Simpsons Letters weighed scanned and answered WE finde a certain rule in Scripture that where a Brother or Brethren walk disorderly they are to be adminished and withdrawn from 2 Thes 3.6 And in case of perseverance in their evill after admonition to he saparated from and all Church relation disowned with them according to Mat. 18.15 16 17 18. Cor. 5 5.2 Cor. 6.17.2 Tim. 3.5 And when this is done they are to be unto us as those that are without but we see no Scripture warrant leading us to publish the sins and evill practices of such persons but rather to leave them unto the Lord to be converted or otherwise as he in his secret will hath determined yea it seems to us rather to savour of malice and revenge then of a Gospel frame of Spirit Answ There are two things to be considered for the making a righ answer to this objection which we desire may be weighed First the nature of the sin such persons are guilty of that is to say whether it be of u private or publique concernment for accordingly the Lord is either more or lesse dishonoured and therefore the Apostle speaks concerning some in this kinde I Tim. 5.20 in these words Them that sin rebuke before all that others may fear painly intimating that if persons who are called brethren have such foreheads of brasse as to commit sin in the face of the sun whereby God is not onely dishonoured in respect of the sin it self but others undone thereby as the sin of the Souldiers is by Treason False-swearing Oppression c And that not to the ruine of a few but the whole Nation yea to the crucifying and destroying of the Cause and Interest Christ contended for in the late Wars with the losse of so much precious blood we do then conceive that they ought to be rebuked before all that the Nation against whom they have sinned may know that we disown such wicked practices being contrary to the light of nature much more of grace which is also the more to be weighed in regard that Publique Sinnes brings Publique Judgements so did the sins of the Rulers in Israel upon the whole mation And therefore Pilate himself being forewarned by his wife not to have a hand in the death of our Lord Jesus being an innocent person without doubt did foresee how sad it would be with the Nation upon that account and therefore took water in the presence of the whole Court and published before them all that he would have no hand in his death and what a Judgement hath there been upon the Jews ever since for that publique sin And how did the Apostles afterwards testifie against the Rulers publiquely for their sin in so doing And if lawfull to speak in that manner against them then certainly it cannot but be as lawfull to write In the next place as the sin is to be considered so the Estate Quality and Officer of such persons who commits it And herein also sinne is the more aggravated for when Souldiers or Magistrates have professed before God Angels and Men what they would do for Christ his glory and poor afflicted people in administring of Justice and Righteousness relieving the oppressed and breaking yokes as also to improve all their Military civil power for the same whereunto they were called and intrusted both by God and man shall instead thereof take the Crown from off Christs head and put it upon their own and make use of their Power and Force to oppresse a Nation and do violence to all that will not bow down to their Lusts Also maintaining Antichristian Laws to force the consciences of the Lords People and all this contrary to their professed and declared light which is the more considerable in regard they have been Instruments in the Lords hand to pull down the late King with his Son other abettors for the like abominations now committed by themselves we then do humbly apprehend that not onely a Personal but National reproof is to be given them according to the nature of their offence and the capacity wherein they stand so that it seems to us not onely to be our Gospel Liberty but our Gospel Duty to publish by whriting the sin of the Souldiers with their abettors Objection The aforesaid Scripture although it speakes full as to their being rebuked before all according to the nature of their offence with the capacity wherein they stand which we must
shame of Profession not onely in this but other Nations also Wherefore it is much upon the hearts of some of us That if our Transactions in this kinde had not been published we should not have been able to free our selves from the guilt of the blood shed in the late Wars In regard we have hereby a price put into our hands and so are called to serve the Lord there with Object Notwithstanding what hath been spoken we are not satisfied as to the Printing and publishing of the said papers for it seemes to us to savour of vain-glory at the least and therefore were desire that 2 Sam. 1.20 concerning the death of Saul may be considered where David makes use of these words concerning him Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askelon lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoyce lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph Now if Sauls iniquity ought not to be published who had so foully backslidden from the Lord lest the enemies of the Lord should triumph then surely the Souldiers evil ought not to be published which we think doth not exceed Sauls though we are satisfied that the Lord is greatly dishonoured by them Answ For a right understanding of this Scripture and thereby a due answer unto this objection we desire that 1 Sam. 31.8 and 9 verses may be weighed Where it will appear that the Philistines the next day after the battel finding Saul among the slain of Israel out off his head and sent it into the Land of the Philistines round about to publish it in the house of their Idol Gods and among the people so that Sauls death was alreadly published all over the land of the Philistimes and therefore as it ought not so it needed not to be published by Israel for he had not sinned against the Philistines But the Souldiers have sinned not onely against the people of God but the whole Nation and in this wickedness keep the Nation under their oppressive power and not onely so but cover their evill to many Godly as well as Carnall men saying They have done no evil and therefore their iniquity ought to be published to undeceive the people and many gracious hearts who still follow them as some did Absolom that rebelled against David In the next place though Saul had back-slidden in a particular command about saving Agag alive and preserving the Cattell of the Amalekites to offer Sacrifice with yet still he fought the Lords battells and rul'd by the same Lams as before so that though his sin was known in the Nation where he dwelt yet it was not as we can read known to any other Nation for Israel held correspondency then with no Nation but were a distinct people separate from them all so that it would indeed have savoured of vain-glory to publish his evill to such But the Souldiers have ingaged to stand by the grand Apostate who hath sworn to maintain the body of the old Beastly Antichristian Laws contrary to the end of the Lord and his people in the late War and their own Declarations and Ingagement so solemnly made in the day of their straits Also they fight Antichrists battells and not the battell of our Lord Christ and so their sin exceeds Sauls and if they persist therein so also wil thei Judgement And therefore may and ought to be published within the bounds of our own Nation against whom they have sinned Moreover Saul was Gods anointed and therefore he was ingaged to stand by him against his enemies had he not back-slidden so that had they published his death it was in a manner to have disowned the Lords Anointed upon which account it was as we conceive that David mourned for him after his death as being the glory of Israel but we hope there is none will be so void of understanding as to make such a comparison between the Souldiers and Saul Adding hereunto also that Saul by his death as the just hand of the Lord upon him was removed from any further dishonouring of his Name by his Apostacy And so there needed no testifying against him which was not in being no more then against Judas after the just hand of the Lord had reached him for his inquity But the Souldiers have the Power of the Nation in their hands and stout it out against the Lord and his People persevering in their evil and adding more and more to the dishonor c reproach they have already brought to the name of the Lord by covering their iniquity under a Form of Godlinesse and therefore their iniquity ought to be published to unvaile their hypocrisie and discharge a good conscience by a sutable testimony against them FINIS [a] Rev. 15.2 [b] Rev. 15.4 [c] Rev. 18.10 11. [d] Rev. 16.5 compared with ch 19.2 [e] Isa 8.18 [f] 1 Cor. 5.6 [g] 1 Tim. 5.20 com with Deur 19 20. [h] 2 Tim 2.8 comp with Num. 16.3 12 13 14. [i] Mat 27.19 24. [k] Mat. 23.34 35. [l] Mat. 23.30 [m] Rev. 3.15 16. [n] Rev. 2.2 3 10. [o] Judg. 5.9 â—3 [p] 2 King 9.32 [q] Isa 26.6 comp with Jer. 49 20. [r] Isa 30.1 2. [s] Jer. 15.19 20 21. com with chap. 1.17 18 19. [t] 2 Cor. 6.14 Phil. 4.8 [u] 2 Cor. 7.2 [⋆] Isa 5.20 [x] 1 Sam. 17.29 [y] 2 Sam. 6.20 [z] Luk 11.43 [a] Prov. 29 26. [b] Rev. 1.9 [c] Mat. 25.23 comp with Luke 12 from 35 to 45. [d] Acts 11.22 23 24. [e] Acts 15.38 [f] Rev 31.10 [g] 2 Tim 2 19 com with Jude 23 [a] Isa 26.21 [b] Isa 33.14 comp with chap 4.4 5. [c] Isa 4.4.5 [d] Psal 149 4. Gal. 2.18 Rom 21.32 Rom. 2.3 Phil 4.8 Mic. 2.2 Zeph. 3.4 comp with Ezek. 22.27 Ezek. 46.18 Pro. 22.22 Zech. 7.10 Neh. 5. v. 9 to 14. Iam. 2.6 2 Chron. 36.16 Matt. 23.30 31 34. 2 Chro. 19.2 Esther did otherwise chap. 8.3 5. com with chap. 7.3 4 6. yea she desired that the ren sons of Haman the persecutor might be hanged also Esth 9.13 Luk. 11.23 Mic. 6.16 2. King 10.29 30 31 32. Isa 29.13 14. com with Matt. 15.8 9. Lam. 2.15 16. Rom. 2.23 24. com with Isa 52 5.6 Psa 79.4 Dan. 9.16.2 Sam. 12 14 2 King 19 3 Jam. 2 7 Psa 69 9. Ezck. 13.22 Isa 10.1 ⋆ This also was by Kelzeys Order ⋆ To wit the time allowed them to look after their own occasions Matth. 18.19 20. Jam 1.5 chap. 5.16 Mal. 3.16 Luk. 24.14 15 17 32. Matt. 18.7 Rom. 16.17 1 Cor. 13.6 Matt. 18.16 17. [g] Gal. 5.13 ⋆ Brethren of the other part of the Congregation ⋆ The man in Powerbid Mr. Jessey others call him Iugler if tythes were not taken away by the third of Septem 1654. ⋆ Mal 18 16 ⋆ It being as he said so great a case of Conscience And which indeed is so to us [q] Isa 64.5 ⋆ Viz pag 38. of this Book [s] Those two Admonitions are contained in our first second paper delivered in unto them ⋆ Note ⋆ Captain Harrison kept Master Sympson Major Strange kept Major Generall Harrisou ⋆ To wit Mr Ecak at that time a Prisoner there for the same cause of Christ with him ⋆ The Man in Power judged the Ministry of England stood upon a Popish Bottom and none to be Christs Ministers but those who had received the Spirit for that use See his speech to little Parliament in Looking-glass Pag. 60. Note Note ⋆ The Man in Power was of this minde also See his Speech to Little Parliament Looking-glass p. 62. ⋆ Note ⋆ Note ⋆ Note Note ⋆ Note ⋆ Note Note Note Note ⋆ Note ⋆ Note Note ⋆ Note who doth so now VVho doth so now Note Note ⋆ Note Note Who is a Lecturer now Note ⋆ Note Note ⋆ Is not Kelzye Strange Harrison Ducker Sumner whom we have charged with this And others the willing Traytors according to his own words ⋆ Among other Scriprures see 2 Kings 21.11 12. Jer 15.4 Hos 1.4 (c) Mar. 27.19 24 (d) As by their Declarations doth appear ⋆ Isa 31.1 Hos 8.3 4 Hab. 2.6 9 15. Amos 6.1 3 4 5 12 13. Hos 5.7 Isa 19.15 21. Isa 30.9 10 11 12 16. 2 Chr. 36.16 Mat. 2.24 48 49. ⋆ The Judgements against Judah were written in a Roll and published in the Lords house and abroad to the people And their fins likewise the cause of those Judgements were there with declared see Jer. 36.2 4 6 28 31 32 comp with chap. 35.13.15 17. ⋆ Gen. 9.21 22. ⋆ Matth. 26.15 16 25 47 48 49. Mark 14.10 11 43 44 45. Luke 6.16 Chap. 22.47 48. John 18.2 3. 2 Tim. 4.10 14. ⋆ Acts 7.51 52. ⋆ Rev 17.13 14. compared Jer. 51.56 57. ⋆ 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5.
THE Old Leaven purged out OR THE APOSTACY Of this DAY further Opened BEING A true and faithful Narrative of the orderly Proceedings and Dealings of the Lesser part of the Congregation formerly walking with Mr. John Sympson with and against severall Souldiers of the Army who being fallen in with the APOSTACY of this DAY contrary to Professed and Declared Principles and the many out-goings of the Lord thereupon are withdrawn and separated from together with Mr. Sympson their Chief Abettor and others after neer two Years labouring whilest we were in the Congregation and neer two Years more since AS ALSO The true Coppies of seven of the Letters which Mr. Sympson wrote with his own Hand and sent to the Congregation whilest he was a Prisoner for Truth in Windsor-Castle WITH An Answer to severall Objections that have been or may be raised against Printing and Publishing the Whole ALL Humbly presented to Publique view not in Strife Vain-glory or to be seen of Men but we hope out of conscience to endeavour a Recovering of the Name of the Lord which hath layen under so great reproach through Misreports raised of us since our first withdrawing 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you And will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Thes 3.6 Now we command you Brethren in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly c. 2 Tim. 3.4 5. Traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away Printed in the Year of our Lord 1658. To all that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity in this evill day whether in Churches or out Beloved in our Lord INcrease of Faith Hope Love Humility Zeal Wisdom and Patience with all other the fruits of the Spirit be multiplied unto and bestowed upon you according to the purchase of our Lord Jesus who is King of Saints and Nations that you may bee able to stand upon the Sea of glasse mingled with Fire and maintain your Victorie over the Beast and his Image and Number of his name having the Harps of God in your hands that when his Iudgments shall be made manifest and a reward given to Babylon according to his word you may not with the Merchants and great Men of the Earth stand afar off crying alas alas but may with the Angell and the followers of the Lamb who are called chosen and faithfull with rejoycing say Righteous art thou O Lord because thou hast judged thus How unmeet such as we are above any who have obtained like precious faith to appear in this publike manner is best knowne to the Lord and our own souls being in some measure through his Free grace made sensible of our insufficiency to so weighty a Work the consideration whereof might wholly discourage our proceeding herein did not the honor of God the interest of Christ Jesus our Lord groundedly provoke us thereunto for now as all will behold whether Saints or Sinners so many being already prejudiced in their judgments thorough false reports received of us as they have been apt enough will shoot their arrowes against us but with how much unwarrantableness on their parts let the Reader judge by this ensuing Narrative Others being convinced of the truth and goodness of the cause we are ingaged in as they do not speak against us so on the other hand lest they should come under the like reproach with us are silent in saying any thing on our behalf yet some Elijahs there are who have been and still are willing to bear part of the burthen with us Adding hereunto that we are a stumbling block to many thorough the many failings infirmities and miscarriages such poor nothing-creatures as we are have been compassed with in the management of so honourable and weighty a cause as this is for which each one of us have great reason to be truly humbled before the Lord though hereby we may humbly say Are we as Signs and Wonders in Isreal Howerver notwithstanding all the reproaches and hard speeches that hitherto hath attended us from many of our Brethren and Familiars whom we desire dearly to love in the Lord as wel as from the Apostates of this day the latter of which as we have may expect it so we do not much regard it We have been strengthned in our Head the Lord Jesus to bear up under all though many halts stops have been made in this work thereby which hath caused some searchings of heart amongst us and we trust that the same power and goodness of our Father which hath been so wonderfully manifested towards us to this very day will still carry us on therein to the glory of his grace by Jesus Christ which is to be acknowledged by us before him and his people with all humility and thankfulness some passages whereof are inserted in these following particulars First by frustrating the intentions of those from whom we are seperated to have proceeded against us even to a casting out though the chiefest of them were unanimous therein and in making them confused and abortive in all their indeavors that way Secondly that when they had sent as they apprehended to the soberest and choicest of the Independent and Baptised Congregations in the City to countenance them therein who accordingly sent chief men from amongst them they hitherto have been so over-ruled by the Lord as that they have not been capable of advising therein Thirdly In keeping us together as one intire body from first to last though full of weaknesses inabling us from time to time that according to Gospel-rule to admonish those from whom we are seperated end to watch over one another in love though Mr. Sympson gave out upon our first with-drawing that he was confident we should break asunder within three moneths or thereabouts as the just hand of the Lord against us And therefore the Lord having so graciously owned us we do not desire to be fore-casting what will be the event or issue of this our publike testimony but looking up to him desire to rest satisfied in this that herein we have done no more then our duty for these following reasons First That in regard the Lord hath been and is so greatly dishonoured by a professing generation sinning against so great light as never was known before amongst whom the Souldiers and Mr. Sympson we are seperated from are apart it may appear there is a remnant among the Churches of Christ who do not wink at or comply with so great iniquity but do desire to bear a sutable Testimony against and make a due seperation from it Reas 2. There being many reproaches and calumnies cast upon us as to the matter and