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
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
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
them in prison this is no other then the invention of the Pope and his Brethren the Magistrates of Antichrist to support their interest and power over the people and not the mind of Jesus Christ whose appointment is That although his Ministers who administer their spiritual things to others should if they are poor live of the Gospel and reap of their carnal things 1 Cor. 9 10 14. com with Gal. 6.6 yet he hath no where appointed that any should be compelled to hear or maintain them much less presecuted of imprisoned for refusing either but the contrary see Matth. 10.8 11 13 14 com with Luke 10.5 to 10. The Lord in Mich 3 5 doth threaten those priests and prophets that teach for hire and divine for money and prepare warre against him that putteth not into their mouths com with Isa 56.11 All which with much more that might be spoken to this purpose being considered we wonder how such who have so highly declared for Christ against antichrist dare be supporting of such abominations he that runs may read the daylie Oppression of this kind except there be a bowing down to the Golden Image of the national Clergy with her head are forced from many to the oppression of some and the undoing of others and so they oppress a man and his house a man and his Heritage Now it is not so much our selves are likely to suffer if we should willingly walk after the Commandment but the glory of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light will be so much blemished as is beyond expression And indeed this is much to be lamented that there are so few to bear up their testimony for the Lord against the Evil-doers at this day Likewise our posterities if the Lord should not mercifully ease us of our Oppressors would feel the weight of so great bondage as to be at the will and mercy of one man to dispose of their persons and Estates and this backed with an Army of thirty thousand men and what is likely to be the consequence if the Lord should continue us under this bondage we think that eighth chap. of the first of Samuel from verse 9. to verse 19. to gether with Amos 5.10 11 12. will plainly make out the sadness of our condition and the dislike of such who shall quietly acquiess in and approve of those oppressions and the sad condition also of such who shall be active for such Oppressors and Oppressions Moreover we desire to ask our Brethren who wear the Sword these two questions First Whether they do not receive the unrighteous Wages of Warre in a time of peace Secondly Whether the Wages so received be not to enslave us p A Testimony for this in the former and present imprisonment of many of the servants of Christ for testifying against the abominations of this day to wit Mr. Carew Major General Harrison Mr. Feake Mr. Rogers Mr. Courtny Coll. Rich Sir Henry Vane Major General Overton Vice Admiral Lawson M. Cann Cornet Day and several others some whereof remain in prison to this day and the Soldiers the chief instruments in this oppression yea their General lately to take off the odium that such a wicked act would bring upon him Commissionates the Mayor and Sheriffs of the City who employ the baser sort of man Act. 17.15 that like themselves will do any drudgery is put upon them to come to the meeting in Coleman street to interrupt and hale the Lords faithful people to prison for nothing but pleading for and pressing after those good things which himself and the army have been greatly instrumental to lead them into for declaring against their back-sliding from them therefore what man or woman that hath any love to Christ his Cause and People can pay Taxes to maintain such Oppression and Persecution or hold communion with any of them in the Ordinances of Christ in our consciences as wel as in our persons For whatever the Government saith We shall have liberty of conscience it is only to such who can quietly acquiess in their unjust and Antichristian proceedings Fourthly Persecusion of Saints q Besides what is already mentioned concerning the Soldiers being instrumental to imprison the faithful in this day and what is hinted in this place there are some things more particularly charged upon Coll. Kelzey Major Strange Capt. Harrison c. immediately following the sixth head adding hereunto besides the Scriptures in the margent Obad. v. 10 11 12. where Esau is charged for his violence and persecution against his brother Iacob and for standing on the other side when his Enemies dealt hardly with him Then surely they are guilty who uphold the present persecution and say It is possible our Brethren suffer for evil-doing Let also Acts 7.58 comp with chap. 22.20 be considered where Paul after conversion acknowledgeth himself a persecutor before conversion for standing by and keeping the Rayment of them which stoned Stephen thereby consenting to his death And are not the Souldiers who are members of Churches and professed brethren much more guilty who can imprison their brethren themselves and be their Jaylors too Yea some of them to get the applause and favour of man lye in wait to catch the Lords people who visit their Brethren in prison and when they have caught them like Soul Acts 9.2 go to the head persecutor to obtain an Order to keep them there as Mr. Feake was dealt withall at the Tower not long since yea Coll. Eaxter one of the new Lords many times keeping not only the acquaintance but Wives and Relations of the Lords people in his custody from visiting of them which Heathens would abhor to do see Acts 24.23 and yet the plausible pretences these men make are with their Pastors c. and some other professors blinded as themselves like the whore Prov. 30.20 wiping her mouth as if they had done no evil Wherefore we may justly take up the lamentation of the Prophet Psal 55.10 11 12 13 14. which we desire the Reader to peruse particularly for plain it is many of our Brethren and others suffer imprisonment for bearing testimony against the present Iniquity having no evil to lay to their charge and in this that which we would mourn before the Lord for is That some of our Brethren do not stick to say That it is possible they suffer for evil-doing Which word It is possible is no less to us then an indirect justifying the persecutors in their imprisoning of them thereby adding affliction to their bonds wherein we think that Scripture doth truly reach them Prov. 17.15 He that justifieth the wicked and condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord. And in this the Souldiers are altogether instrumental having neither the Law of God or man to justifie their practice by civil Officers And we are sure that good Moses though he might have been owned and honored as Son to Pharoahs Daughter could not in
it shall appear that it is groundlesly division and therefore we should have no vote with them neither should there be any vote in the Church except we would withdraw Which not a little grieved our spirits But notwithstanding so foul an aspersion we made little reply but waited to heare what others would say but a general silence continuing we concluded that the major part were of his mind Whereupon we departed and waited patiently for some time to see whether they would send us their thoughts about the Souldiers since they would not let us have a vote with them and least if should be laid aside which Mr. Sympson endeavoured all along to do We did by Messengers remind them several times likewise to know whether those Words then spoken by Mr. Sympson were the sense of the whole which they disown'd as being Mr. Sympsons Words alone but to the other We could get no return to this day as by our next Paper given in to them doth more at large appear Likewise before the delivery of the ensuing Paper having spent some particular time to seek the Lord for direction and counsel and also to enquire into his Will at this time it was judged a duty incumbent upon us to go to our Brother Sympson lay his evil before him in abetting the Souldiers and declining the Testimony of Christ he had suffered for in Windsor Castle as by several Letters from thence being read amongst us did appear some Copies whereof the Reader may peruse in the close of this Book and accordingly six Brethren in the Name of the whole were sent unto him and with all humility to intreat his hearing of what by them we had to say which accordingly they did but how unkindly they were received will appear by the eusuing Narrative being the substance of what then passed between him and them The 11th of the 9th Month 1656. A briefe account of some Passages between our Brother Sympson and the Brethren appointed by us to meet with him about some Letters he wrote to the Congreation during the time of his imprisonment in Windsor Castle it being apprehended he is very much fallen from the truths therein laid down to the great dishonour of the Gospel and the grief of many of the faithful in this day THE six Brethren appointed to this Work met at a Brothers House in Coloman-street the day abovementioned about two in the Afternoon to commend their present Work unto the Lord and desire his blessing upon them therein and then made their repair to our Brother Sympson where after a little waiting for the coming of our Brothers Shrimpton and Marsh who desired as the Brethren were informed to hear what should pass in relation to the Letters This motion was also made by Brother Powell being also present That before any progress be made there might be a word put up to the Lord for a blessing To which end another brother made answer That it would be necessary the naked ground of their coming should be first laid down that we might pray with understanding Which being done the Brethren sent by us declared their readiness to joyne therein Hereupon one of the Brethren proceeded to declare the ground of their coming to this effect That several of our Brother Sympsons Letters from Windsor Castle being presented to several Brethren who met at our Brother Caryes house intentionally upon another account but those Letters intervening we spent our time in perusing them which in the reading did so work upon their hearts that they throught meet to present unto the Brethren Sisters in whose Name they were then come the said Letters and to offer Whether some Brethren should not be chosen in the Name of the rest humbly to lay the matter contained in them before him that if it were the Will of the Lord he might be convinced wherein and how far he had declined the Cause and Interest of our Lord Jesus and be provoked to that old Spirit of Life and Zeal in testifying to so glorious a Cause and accordingly upon reading of them we were of one heart that the Brethren aforementioned in the Name of the whole be desired to lay them before him with as much love tenderness as could be and that we were also reproved in our own spirits as having missed of the Will of the Lord that we had it no more upon our hearts to beg mercy for him at the Throne of Grace that the Lord would restore unto him that primitive spirit for the cause of Christ that many of our hearts were broken on his behalf at the reading of his Letters After an account thus given it was offered that a Word should be spoken to the Lord in prayer before any discourse should be Our Brother Sympson then spake to this effect That having had some knowledge of their coming from some of us and the occasion of their coming from some others before their meeting here he had privately commended the business they were come about unto the Lord as he did suppose they also had done likewise he judged that if any of them should speak unto the Lord in prayer he could not freely joyne with them so neither if he should speak there might be that spoken wherein they could not freely joyn with him which being pre-considered be judged it most convenient to proceed to the work without prayer and thereupon spake further to this purpose That since they profest they had in all plainness declared the ground of their coming he would give them as plain an Answer which that he might the better do he should lay down his Answer under three heads 1. As to themselves and those whom they represented 2. As to the Church meaning those with whom he walked 3. As to the Letters about which our Brethren came As to the first They were to know that he could not have discoursed with them in regard that the Church had dealt with us and not onely declared their dissatisfaction of our withdrawing from them but also that he had in the Name of the Church admonished us of our evil therein that they had waited upon us a great while to the end we might repent and return but we persisting in our sin and refusing to hear the Church we were thereby cut off from the priviledges of the Church and therefore he could not look upon us as Brethren but as heathens and publicans and so to refuse discourse with them upon account of the Brotherhood according to that in Matth 18. Which though they might look upon as very harsh and a manifestation of little love yet it being the Rule of Christ in the Gospel he therefore was not to dispute the reason of it but rather to judge That obedience to the commands of Christ in this as well as in other things is the only rule of love and therefore did declare That the Church having so proceeded against us he could not entertain any debate with
upon our hearts to have delivered by word of mouth should be done in vvriting as vvell for your sakes as in discharge of our own duty according to the Rule of the Gospel and therefore vve intreat that you will suffer us hereby to plead a little vvith you for truths sake and vve hope it is unfeignedly upon our hearts to lay your great sin before you from some sense of the great dishonour brought unto the Name of the Lord by you and let these lines be patiently read through before you judge you poor unvvorthy brethren and sisters for we can truly say that we disire to mourn and groan in secret for you as well as for our own vveaknesses and this is some part of our joy That in simplicity and godly sincerity many of us have been by the space of two years and upwards endeavouring to get your feet as well as our own out of the Snare of the apostacy of this day having compassion of you as of our own souls for we are in some measure perswaded that some eminent hand of the Lord wil be manifested in due time to distinguish between those that serve him faithfully and those that serve him not In the first place therefore we pray you to consider the six great and scandalous sins laid to the charâ—g of the brethren amongst you wearing the Sword which for brevity sake we shall here onely mention referring you to our paper already given in for a more particular knowledge thereof wherein We desire the Scriptures in the margent may be diligently perused and some remembrance had of vvhat the Lord did inable us to speak from them when our Paper vvas debated in the Church although it is very vvell knovvn so much liberty vvas hardly obtained First Treason against Christ as King and Prophet of his people and King of Nations also for the latter part of the late VVar did run in that Channel Likewise against the faithful and vvell-affected in this Nation whose Liberties and they are made bond-slaves to their brethren though some blood was spilt and treasure spent to obtain it our of the hands of the late Tyrant Secondly Convenant-breaking and false swearing having engaged before the Lord and his People to perform the good promised on the behalf of Christ his People and the Nation vvhich are novv broken in the face of the Sun Thirdly Oppression by Tythes Taxes c. upon the bodyes and consciences of the Lords People and the well-affected the Nation at this day Fourthly Persecution of Saints many of the Lords people having been and some are still imprisoned for their testimony on the behalf of the Lord his Cause and the Nations liberty and therein the Souldiers are altogether active there being no rule not so much as according to the Law of the Land to justifie their practice by Civil Officers Fifthly Maintaining Antichristian Laws Statutes and Customs contrary to former Engagements and Declarations by vvhich the Saints of old have suffered and some do now suffer at this very day Sixthly Hereby the hearts of the righteous are greatly grieved for that brethren at least professing themselves so to be should be active in abetting and supporting so great vvikedness That these sins were plainly proved against our brethren wearing the Svvord novv amongst you is very manifest not onely in general but also in a great measure particularly and therfore shall leave it unto the Lord vvho judgeth righteously Yet vve do hereby humbly admonish them of their evil as being very great and scandalous After this there is laid down several Queries how vve vvere in duty bound to withdraw from them and by the same Rule to admonish and withdraw from your selves as being partakers with them having made your selves m Guilty for they are hereby encouraged to keep their places whereby the Man in Power is encouraged to go on in his apostacy and to judge himself in pretence at least to be in a good condition for when he hath been told That he had not the love of good people as formerly and that many were grieved at his present actions he replyed They were but a few inconsiderable people who were dissatisfied for the greatest part of honest men in the Army and Churches were for him and approved of what he had done which approhensions are begotten by members of Churches and other professors holding places under him for whilest they do so their tongues are tyed that they dare not openly speak their minds though they really apprehend yea and will to some confess That the present state of things are out of course and are not so honest as in the day of their straits they declared they should be Wherefore doth is not concern the Churches to take heed how they encourage those by continuing them among them who abet and uphold the present apostacy lest they become guilty thereof themselves and incur the Lords displeasure for so doing guilty of their iniquity by your vote of communion with them And this vve do in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ who hath commanded us to withdraw from every brother that walks disorderly though herein we would distinguish between such of our Brethren Sisters as do plead for encourage and support them in their evil and others who for want of a true knowledge understanding thereof together with the overawing of some amongst you as we fear are notwithstanding in their degree also become partakers with them in their evil And here desire so far to digress as to answer one objection namely That our brethren the Souldiers desired leave to go off from us before we procceded so far as now we have but we would not To which vve answer That it is to be considered their sins are very scandalous and if so such a practice would be contrary to the Rule directing in such cases That if a brother or brethren offend to admonish them particularly then more publikely as he or they are found to persevere in their sin that if the Lord will they may see their evil and repent and not suffer them to go off without knowledge of their evil for if they should it may prove to the hardening of their hearts and consequently to the ruine of their souls Indeed to have let them gone off would have been much more easie to us and pleasing to the flesh for we did in some measure foresee how hard it would be in this rough path to follow the Lord fully yet we take comfort in this That our Cause is of God and our hearts we trust in the main upright therein Now we shall proceed to give you a short account how the Lord hath led us since our said withdrawing wherin it will be manifest if the Lord give you a spirit of discerning that we have to this day been patiently waiting upon the Lord and you to the end that if it had pleased our heavenly Father it might have put you upon inquiry how far you are become
have directly justified them therein And that their evil who approve of and uphold the present Apostasy may more plainly appear see the following Scriptures Numb 27.3 to 7. The Daughter of Zelophead to cleare their title to a portion of Land they claimed in right of their deceased father in the Land of Canaan pleaded That he dyed in the wildernesse in his own sin and was not in the company of Korah and those with him who gathered themselves together against the Lord implying that if he had been among them and standing on their side when they opposed Moses and Aaron c. who were going to possesse the Land of Canaan a type of the work of our day was greater then any other of his sins and that which would have cut him and them off from such a portion of Land as was allotted to those who followed the Lord to his foot in the work of that day And is not the Souldiers Sin the same revoting communion with them so that your practice is no less to us then adding sin to sin And particularly our brother Kelzey who confessed more as having a hand in the Government at its first rise then We could prove though at first he denyed it Likewise That he had summoned some persons to shew cause why they would not pay tythes from whence did follow further trouble to those persons by his Deputy so far as they were taken into custody til they had made their composition We ought now according to Rule to take with us several brethren full of Grace and godliness faithful to the Lord and his Cause in this day and spotless in their lives and conversations vvho might go along with us as Witnesses in our further Testimony against so great evil that out of the mouth of two or three Witnesses every word may be established and accordingly We did present our selves with the said brethren intending to have laid the evil before you and thereof in brotherly love to have admonished you as We now do by these lines in VVriting because you would not vouchsafe us to do it otherwise Likewise to this further end That none of our brethren and sisters may plead ignorance of the end of our coming at that time having ground to fear that many are whose conditions We desire to tender as our own souls were We in their estate But it may be objected That we might have had liberty to have spoken what was upon our hearts when we were last with you had those friends which came with us departed according to your desire To which We answer That our coming there at that time was in obedience to a command of our Lord Jesus Christ to wit That when a Brother or Brethren will not hear so as to return from his or their evil being privately admonished We are then to take other Brethren with us as VVitnesses to vvhat we should say so that had we given way to such a motion we must have made void that Ordinance of Christ moreover we our selves had been with you several times by our selves as is already mentioned besides the sins laid before you are publike and not private sins and therefore needed not so much secresie Thus desiring you will receive this Admonition in love being done we hope for Christs sake and in tender regard to your souls VVe subscribe our selves Your poor unworthy brethren and Sisters who do apprehend that as truth is with us so the power of the Church rests in us John Proud Tho. Cary Caleb Ingold James Chadwick Signed in the Name and by the appointment of the whole none contradicting Dated the fourth of the 11. Moneth 1656. AFter the delivery of the said Admonition in writing we continued waiting upon the Lord to see what good would be wrought up on their hearts thereby but instead thereof in some short time after they send unto the several Churches in the City without our knowledge or consent as they did when we sent in our first Paper to the end they might send chosen men from amongst them to hear and determine the matter in difference between us which we did a little wonder at hoping rather the sense of their evil laid before them might have provoked them to a godly jealousie but so it was that the Pastors and Elders with chief men amongst the Brethren in the Churches were sent according to their request the 26 of the 11th Month 1656. But before we give an account of what passed that day we shall crave leave to hint thus much That after our knowledge of their intention to send to the Churches as aforesaid and before the day of their coming abovesaid not knowing under what tryal we might come thereby we set our selves to seek the Lord by fasting and prayer to know what might be our duty therein and as the result of our waiting upon him came to this conclusion That it would be most for the glory of God to choose out several brethren from amongst us to give in our Reasons unto the Pastors and Elders of the Churches when they were met with the other part of the Congregation why we could not admit they should hear the matter in difference between us And accordingly five Reasons were draw up and committed to fix brethren to deliver in writing or by word of mouth as they should see cause The Reasons should be here inserted but because they will be most proper for perusal when given in to the Pastors and Elders at their meeting we shall refer the Reader thereunto pag 38. and so proceed to give an account of that dayes meeting When the Pastors and Elders c. of the Churches were met the six brethren chosen by us according to appointment were there present when they came first into London-House the place of their meeting they found Mr. Sympson in prayer and after he had ended prayer he proceeded to give a Narrative of what had passed between us and them to that day but with how much partiallity in many things and in some things direct p Mr. Sympson asserted these three things in his Narrative first That he admonished us in the Name of the Congregation Secondly That we had nothing against our Brethren the souldiers but meerly their places in the Army Thirdly That we went from House to House to get away numbers from them How far the two first are untrue we think the Reader by what hath been already laid down may be able to judge For the third we can clearly acquit our selves having been so far from any such practice that those of us whose wives are members of the Congregation have not been provoked by us but have wholly left them to be guided by the Lord therein untruths the brethren then present by our appointment can testifie After he had ended his Narrative Mr. Nye chief speaker of the Pastors and Elders c. stood up and spake to this purpose to Mr. Sympson That he had given in a large
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
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.
Robes Revenues c out of the spoils of the late Monarchy and put them among their ownstuff which ought to be improved to carry on the work of the Lord but also the old bribing practice of giving receiving honors with other arbitrary antichristian powers that part of the accursed thing which should wholly be destroyed to uphold themselves and court in that outward Pomp Pride Luxury yea greater oppression tyranny which so much faith prayer appeals hath formerly been put up and exercised blood and treasure spent for the ruin and destruction of Kings in Chains and Nobles in Feters of Iron c. But oh that which we desire to mourn before the Lord for is That after nine or ten years War wherein for the latter part thereof our adversaries have been but as dust before the Wind not being able to stand before the Faith Prayers and Persons of the Lords people either by Sea or Land Wherein we cannot but think that the dispensation of the Lord hath been somewhat like that of Israel in their journey to Canaan and our present standing somewhat like that in the sixth and seventh of Joshua where Achan thorough his Covetousness made bold with a wedge of Gold and Babylonish Garment contrary to the command of the Lord in the destruction of Jericho upon which account it is called an Accursed thing wherein give us leave humbly to observe this e e Mr. Sympson upon asecond day at All hallows spake from Ioshua 6.26 Cursed be the man before the lord that riseth up and buildâ—s the Citie Iericho c. and raised the same observation from the words that we have here inserted and did then say That he looked upon the late King and his Monarchy with the Hierarchy of the Bishops to be that Jericho in whose ruin the lord was as much glorified as in that of Jericho being the fruite of the faith and prayers of the lords people as well as of their persons and that whosoever should build it or when built maintain it did hazard the bringing themselves under the curse of the lord for so doing and by way of allusion unto Jericho did spiritually discover the present apostacy manifesting how dangerous it was to be an abettor unto and a complyer with the lericho builders of this day That that person or those persons who shall build that which the Lord hath got himself so much glory in the destruction of do transgress the Command of the Lord and hazard the bringing themselves under the Curse of the Lord for so doing and such also who partake with them in this their building become guilty thereof before the Lord and not onely so but to partake of the Wedge of God and Babylonish Garment surely such persons are in a high measure accessary to such transgressions by means whereof the Work of the Lord is retarded as to any visible appearance yea he is withdrawn from us and goeth not forth with our Forces f Hath there not been a series of providences loudly witnessing against the present apostacy since its first rise and to mention but three or four of many First In frustrating the consultations of both his Parliaments though as we conceive they were called and garbled on purpose to settle the person in power Secondly the very chargeable and in a great measure fruitless expedition of the Navy to the Straits Thirdly The wonderful blasting that so much boasted of design to and at Hypaniola though some have vainly said That the Lord was bound to carry on that design to manifest their integrity for Christs interest yet hath it hitherto been greatly dishonourable to this Nation and the loss of many thousand lives by a few cow-killers and a great mortality there and at Iamaica Fourthly In not onely withdrawing the prayers of his people from but engaging them against it and their forces doth clearly declare that God is departed from them and become their Enemy Isa 26 11 by Sea or Land as of old but we fall and consume away before our Enemies according to that in Isa 30.15 16 17. And now give us leave in the fear of the Lord and we hope in humility to declare That our dear brethren who wear the Sword to maintain the present Power and Government the new erected Jericho of this day being all of the formerly engaged for God and Christ before the present Apostacy cannot free themselves from those publike sins laid before them by us in the presence of the Congregation to wit First Treason contrary to an Act g If every just Ordinance of man ought to be obeyed 1 Pet 2 13 then surely this Act of Jan. 30. 1648 with that of March 17. following see Looking-Glass pag. 43 44. being a fruit of the Parliament together with the Lords people and the armies publike testimony against Oppression and Tyranny as also Monarchy the foundation thereof in prosecution whereof the Army and Navy were wonderfully blessed against all opposers not that we magnifie that form of Government otherwise then as we saw it at that time more conducing to the advancement of the interest of Christ and the Nations liberty and more refined in its nature than Kingly Government could be at the best from whom many corrupt members being purged Tyranny was in some measure supprest and the cause of Christ carryed on in opposition to antichrist for otherwise we judge that all forms of mens invention may be broken and made void when they answer not the end for which they were appointed made by Parliament the then Authority of this Nation after many out-goings of God not onely against the late King as a Tyrant but against his Monarchy as the root of Tyranny whereby the Form as well as the Power was destroyed as that Jericho which stood in opposition to the Lord his Cause and People so that to build it or when built to maintain it the Lord being much glorified in the ruin of it can be no less then publikely scandalous for without the Army of which our Brethren are Members and some of them very eminent in office in the judgement of reason this h An image of the Beast in regard it prosecutes the same tyrannical interest from a tincture of the same spirit which the late King did stands upon the same yea a more bloody bottom so much of the Saints others blood being shed in opposition to it is more arbitrary then the former having first by himself and secondly under the false cover of a second garbled Company of Sallary and self-interested men without the lords people and the Nations consent taken the Military power and a negative voice c. which no King ever was allowed and is not onely sinful and scandalous but contrary to the mind of the lord and right Reason Therefore when Soul through a spirit of apostacy in and from the wrath of God upon the people was chosen king Samuel declared he would be such a one 1 Sam. 8.9
10 v 18 layes opâ—n the arbitrary power and oppression of a king or monarchy so that he is onely divers in name through the old thred-bare pretence of giving liberty to the lords people which is no other then to go peaceaby to their several meetings and home again if they let him alone and not reprove his tyranny and usurpation but to all who speak against it and comply not with him therein he is both in look and in deed more stout then his fellows as by his former and late actions to some doth plainly appear Image of the Beast now set up could not stand and though our Brother Kelzey was pleased to say That he or they were Traytors who spoke or rose up against him who had now the power of the Nation though usurpedly in his hand thereby endevouring to fasten than upon us which he himself with the rest are guilty of yea we think it is plain to every one that will not shut their eyes against the light that it can be no treason to speak against a person who hath no Law for his standing or practise i The Army in Remonstrance at Albons Novem. 16 1648 and in the Abridgement thereof See looking-Glass â—… 7 28 30 to justifie their pressing for justice against the king in opposition to the Parliament about the personal Treaty do say That where a person trusted with a limited power to rule according to law shall not onely pervert that Trust but assume hurtful powers never committed to him and swallow up all foundations of right and liberties into his absolute wil and power to imposs takâ— away and destroy at his pleasure c. and shall by force uphold himself in that tyrannical power is guilty of the highest treason against the highest law amongst men and forfeits all that trust and power he had and sets the people free to take their best advantage to bring him to justice c. And in answer to that common objection from Rom. 13.1 Let every soul be subject to the higher powers c. urged by malignants in that day as by members of Churches and others now they say Paul speaks of magistracy in its constitution not of a person abusively exercising it to be Gods instrument for good to every one an encourager of good in every man and an enemie to evil therefore the kings of the Israelites must know the law for a rule for this they quote Deut. 17.2 kings ii 12.2 Sam. 23. wherein we apprehend they speak the will and mind of God Now if a lawful power acting thus or king Charls between whom and the people was some kind of compact and agreement could not nor was not then reputed to be Gods Ordinance and might not onely be spoken against but brought to justice then surely O. Cromwel who forceth his power upon us committing the same and greater wickednesse is much lesse Gods Ordinance and may not onely be spoken against but brought under the same and greater condemnation And for our brethren the Souldiers to be abetting and supporting such abominations having formerly declared and engaged against them may and ought to be reproved and in case they persist therein to be withdrawn from yea to disown all Church relation with them but like a brute beast hath broken all the bounds limits of Law or Reason to accomplish his lustful Will therefore where there is no Law there is no transgression And what Law of the Nation do we transgress yea Is there not a good Law of the Land that doth justifie us in making it Treason for the person now in Power to act singly in the Government and our Brethren who abet him that he may not be brought to publike Justice are likewise transgressors of that Law yea the Instrument of Government shall be Judg he having therein sworn to maintain all the the laws of this land of which that Act is one yet in force so that we humbly think they do directly come under the reproof of that Scripture 2 Tim. 3.4 in these Words Traytors heady high minded having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away which is the more considerable if compared with the first verse of that chapter where the Apostle among other sins reckons that to be one of the dangerous sinnes of the last times and that likewise in the sixth of Luke verse 16. where our Lord Jesus speaking concerning Judas calls him Traytor foretelling what he would do to him and whether the cause of Christ be not betrayed k Iudas professing love to the person of Christ as a friend Disciple afterwards falling in with the Power in being betraying him into their hands for 30. pieces of silver was called a Traytor So the army having declared for the advancement of his Kingdom Interest in opposition to Antichrist Monarchy and Tyranny and after all for the riches and preserments of this world to deliver up this blessed cause and the people who are kept faithful to it to be persecuted and imprisoned by their General who to keep power in his hand is acting upon that foundation and doth those very and worse things for which the former Tyrant and Monarchy were destroyed in the mean while like Iudas when he kist Christ pretending faithfulness thereunto they may more truly be called Traytors then he having herein acted not onely the part of treacherous Iudas but been more vile then the wicked Magistrates by this generation for whom our Brethren do so-stifly contend we leave unto the Lord and you to judge yea with grief of heart we may speak it to be truth Secondly which is the sadnesse of it our Brethren cannot free themselves from being guilty of the breach of that Engagement l See the Ingagement in page 46 of the forementioned Book which was sent to the Officers and Souldiers to sign to take off the reproach cast upon them That they cut off the King to set up one of theire own we look not upon their transgression so much to consist in being against a Common-wealth otherwise then as it was opposed to Monarchy which was is and in the hand of any single person but Christ will be tyrannical and antichristian And if self-interest Oppression and arbitrary power were not more establisht now then before we should be the more silent being to eye the end of an Engagement and the form onely as it answers the end but we may truly say there is a breach of the form with the power and end also as is plain to every eye not by ast with gifts and preferments which Deut. 16 19 doth blinde the eyes of the wise c. given by the Parliament to all that served them To be true and faithfull to the Government as it was then established without a King and House of Lords Besides the Declaration of the Army m See this Declaration in the same book page 3 as also Deol Iuly 19. 1650. pag. 46 47 say they A
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
to them all our Papers containing the sum and substance of what had been done by us as to those from whom vve vvere vvithdrawn that so they might have the clearest knowledge of things as we were able to give them and after some VVeeks we received this return from them viz. That according to our request they had been meeting together and waiting several times upon the Lord that they might be able to give us such advice as they might judge to be of the Lord and that as to what we had already done they did conceive we had been graciously led by the Lord and could not but own and approve of our proceedings hitherto but withall did apprehend before any further proceeding should be by us wherein they were very unanimous namely That we should yet once more make a further tender unto those from whom we were withdrawn about hearing the matter in difference between us as formerly we had done for these following Reasons viz. 1. To the end that those Brethren and Sisters of whom we write so tenderly in our Papers might thereby be brought off from those disorderly persons or else be the more without excuse if after such a tender made though refused they shall yet continue vvith them 2. In case such a debate be granted it is conceived that Truth of the one hand and Iniquity on the other will be thereby discovered and the eyes of many opened to whom the knowledge thereof shall come or else we thereby the more vindicated as to any further proceedings if such a tender should be refused 3. That those Brethren whose advice had been desired will be the more cleared and justified in any further proceedings whether a debate be granted or not 4. That the Messengers of the Churches called in by the other part of the Congregation were so tender as not to proceed without the consent of both parties therefore those brethren whose advice we have desired could do no less then make such a proposal unto us that if possible a debate of the matter in difference my be obtained 5. That though it is believed what is contained in our Papers be true yet by such a debate truth will be made more plain unto those Brethren whose advice we have desired for their further proceeding and justification before others 6. That this VVork being of Concernment unto all the Congregations in the Nation ought therefore to be done with as much consideration as may be in regard the issue of it if done in the spirit of the Lord will be much for his glory and the advantage of his despised and reproached Cause and People at this day After these Reasons laid before us a Brother stood up in the Name of the whole and gave them a kind acknowledgement of their brotherly love That there were any who would own and stand by the truth in such an evil day as this is and for what they had offered concerning another tender to be made unto those from whom we were withdrawn we should consider of it with their Reasons inducing thereto and according as we should be directed by the Lord so we hoped it was in our hearts to preceed and no otherwise And so those Brethren departed after which a little time was spent together and a day concluded upon to seek the Lord by prayer as to what they had offered unto us and accordingly at the time appointed we met and in the conclusion of the day came to this result That it would be much for the glory of God respect being had to the foregoing Reasons to make another tender unto those from whom we were withdrawn and that two brethren be forthwith chosen to acquaint them therewith The substance of the Message delivered to the other part of the Congregation at Allhallovvs the sixteenth day of the fifth Month 1657 by the two Brethren appointed thereunto That they were sent in the Name and by the appointment of the Brethren and Sisters withdrawn from them to present a Message unto them after seeking the Lord as being that which they judge to be his mind and will concerning them and is to this purpose Notwithstanding we had two several times already offered unto them for the further manifestation of truth and clearing up our integrity in the matter and ground of our withdrawing we did hereby once more make this further tender unto them that according to the tenure of our last Paper given in we might according to our Gospel-liberty in this extraordinary case choose on our part men fearing God and working righteousness and faithful to the Cause of Christ in this evill day and such who have hazarded their lives for the same whether in Churches or out to hear the matter in difference between us and they might on their parts take the like liberty if they thought meet there being no command forbidding or injoyning us to send unto Churches onely in matters of Church difference though we conceive it be a very equitable way to send unto Churches did it not appear the generality of Churches are either silent under or complying with the Apostacy of this day and in regard we had already waited about three or four monthes since our first tender in this kinde without any return we judged it meet to offer that we might receive your answer one way or other by this day fortnight And so the two Brethren intrusted with the delivery of the said message came away leaving it to their consideration About twelve dayes after Master Jessey accompanied with Brother Palmer and Brother Marsh brought us an answer to the said Message which is inserted in our next paper it being thought meet to be given in writing that they might the more plainly judge of our Reasons why we could not condescend thereunto and likewise that it might either be a witness for or against us for the time come And is as follows A paper Containing our Reasons why we could not condiscend unto the message brought by Master Jessey accompanied with Brother Palmer and Brother Marsh Dear Brethren and Sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ VPon the 28th of the Last moneth we received a return to our last message by Master Jessey accompanied with brother Palmer and Brother Marsh and was in words to this effect That himself with Master Knowles and Master Barebone were by you acquainted with a message received from us being the same we had formerly delivered And in regard the matter in difference was by you referred to the members of several Churches to do therein as they think meet of whom they were a part they did thereupon give notice to the rest of their Brethren intrusted with this businesse who meeting together came to this result to which they had also received your consent to wit That they thought it but reasonable we should have the liberty of our choice provided those we sent unto be Church-members chosen by the consent of their respective Congregations if so they were to have
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
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
liberty of reading it some of the Chief amongst them saying That is ought first to be perused by the Brethren amongst them at their usuall meeting and if they thought meet then to have read it otherwise not or else if we would stay till the next fourth day of the week it was possible we might have liberty to read it our selves But this was not thought meet to be embraced but since they denied us the present reading of it to leave it with them to do therein as they should think fit onley a Brother stood up and declared It was our last testimony of Separation against those scandalous sins and evils which many amongst them are guilty of and that it was our prayer that the Lord would please to sanctifie it unto them After this the Brethren took their leave and departed And so ends this Narrative Signed in the Name and by the Appoinment of the greater Number of the Congregation who have separated from those now walking with Master John Sympson Humphry Hathorn John Seely John Portmans Caleb Ingold A Preambulatory Epistle to seven of the Letters which Master Sympson wrote to the Congregation whilest he was a Prisoner for Truth in Windsor Castle IT doth much concern every true Believer in such a day as this When darkness covereth the earth and gross darkness the people to be watching narrowly to their paths lest they turn aside from the holy Commandment delivered to them as many have sadly done in this day which is to be bewailed with a bitter Lamentation had we a suitable Spirit thereunto when the Father is dishonored Christ reproached and the Spirit blasphemed and all under a form of godliness were we Baptized into Jeremiahs Spirit we should in the sense of the back-stiding of Professors say Oh That I had in the wilderness a lodging place of way-faring men that I might leave my people and go from them for they be all adulterous an assembly of Treacherous men they bend their tongues like a bow for lies but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth Jer. 9.2 3. Many of us have had no small Wrestling in our own Spirits whether these Letters of Mr. Sympsons should be published or no chusing rather to have silently Mourned over him in the sense of the loss of that Spirit he seemed to be anointed with whiles he Continued in Windsor Castle as by his following Letters dated from thence will appear But considering what a Noble and Honourable Testimony he hath born against the iniquity of this day and that from the Spirit of God as he profest and since that to be as highly professing on the other hand saying That it was his errour and evil drying down all his former professions visions as delusions and of flesh Which hath staggerd some as to the very Principles of Godliness Likewise considering how he is fallen in with the present Abominations he hath formerly so witnessed against Adding hereunto that he hath been the instrumental cause of our Breach and Separation by falling in with and pleading for the Souldiers and present Power Which had he not done for ought as we know they might have turned from their evil way and thereby the Congregation having purged out their old Leaven might have become a new and pure Lump to the glory of God and comfort of each other in this evill day Likewise his owning of the Tryers by sending to them as well as others for advice how there might be a proceeding against us for our withdrawing Also to take a Commission from the Person in Power to Preach at All-gate though he hath formerly declared very highly as well against the Tryers with their Practice as the present Power we humbly apprehend may so far silence any Persons as not to Judge any thing before the time lest they be found Judging their Brethren or the work they are upon without a thorow knowledge of the cause or Spirit leading thereunto Yea give us leave humbly to say That the sense of the former Courage Life and Zeal which was in him for the truth wherein we cannot but Judge that the Spirit of the Lord was eminently manifest in him as to the matter of his Testimony though as to the manner most of us in many things were not so well satisfied with it seemes unto us to be rather a provocation then a discouragement in this work for we do not hereby publish his failings but onely by his naked Letters without paraphrasing upon them give a taste of that Spirit which formerly appeared in him for Christ against Antichrist and all evil doers Psal 94.16 And let the Reader Judge though it seemed unto us much like that Spirit the Church is found in Rev. 12.1 Which every true member ought to be Clothed with being Clothed with the Sun and the Moon under her feer All sublunary Creatures appeared nothing to him he seemed unto us like unto Paul Acts 20.24 Tell him of troubles likely to fall thorow his faithfulness to Christ and his despised Cause and none of these things move him Moreover we are provoked hereunto considering how much Life and Courage was Administred unto us in the hearing of them read which we trust upon perusal of them by others may be useful unto them as well as unto us And shall truth die for fear of displeasing a man or men that are gone off from the work of Christ in their generation surtly no yea we trust that the publishing of them may be to the reviving of his Spirit again that he may consider from whence he is fallen and do his first works and then we shall rejoyce it may appear that he is in the number of those mentioned Dan. 11.35 Some of them of understanding shall fall to try them c. And we should much rejoyce if the Lord should make this way in any measure Instrumental to eat out that core of Apostacy which more gentle meanes though applied would not do or deliver the feet of any out of the snare who by reason of him are fallen from their own stedfastness however this is our rejoycing the Testimony of a good Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have been exercised herein and not out of malice strife or vain glory Signed in the Name and by the appointment of the greater Number of the Congregation who have separated from those now walking with Mr. John Sympson Humphry Hathorn John Portmans John Seely Caleb Ingold Here follows the Letters themselves JOhn a Prisoner not of Cromwel and his Council but of the Lord Jesus Christ unto the Saints and faithful Brethren which meet at the place which is known by the name of Great All-hallows London Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ Blessed be the Name of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus who dayly loads you with his loving kindness and tender mercies in Christ and for ever let his glorious goodness be
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