there could be no more a true Esse of the Church till from God some myraculous Ministerie should breath new life into the people as of Stones raysing vp Children vnto Abraham Anabapt A true Esse What is that I hold my life it is somewhat of the Romane beastes language Legat. arr I despise the seauen headed Monster more then you Neither care I a straw for Hebrew Greeke or Latine for thankes to his diuine Maiestie I neuer was an Uniuersity-man much lesse an Academicall Diuine or Theologue nor haue I troubled my selfe about the Beastes tongue Only as in reasoning I haue bin pressed with such a word I haue obserued it for slaying another time the Medianite with his owne sword Anabapt Fowle Heretike I would thou knew it I hate this prophane learning and language so well as thou I am a Prophet of the true Church and yet get my lyuing by making of Swordes the first calling I was trayned in Legat. ar Whia sir foole you hold the Magistrate to be onely an Ordinaunce since Christes time without the Church and that the vse of the Sword is vnlawfull You therefore in making Swordes doe vphold Bloodshed and Warres which otherwise you hold vnlawfull And so a raucke hypocrite Anabap. Sawcie princocks the Apostle hath charged vs to walke in the same calling wherein we were called to be Christians but when I was called to be a Christian I was a Sword-maker therefore in that called I ought to continue Legat. ar Gray head and greene minde by like proportion I reason thus The Apâ—stle commaundes a man to walke in the same calling a man was of when he was called to Christianitie But when I was called vnto Christianitie my calling was to keepe an Whore-house therefore being now called to be a Christian I ought yet to keepe an Whore-house Country-man take heede of him for vnder his pâ—aine habite voyde of Silke Ueluet and Pearse and yet I warrant thee of as softly English cloth as his Purse could purchase there lurketh all counterfaite dealing He would be thought most aduerse to the Romanistes and yet in the doctrines of Predestination Freewill Iustification mayne fundamentall poyntes he iumpeth one with them besides that execrable Heresie that Christ had a Corporall nature from Heauen not from vs wherevpon must necessarily follow that then he could neuer satisfie Gods iustice for vs. Anabapt Heauens-power how great is thy lenitie in bearing with such blasphemie Faythfull Proselite hanke in thine eare come to me there to night or tomorrow morning and thou shalt be inspired from aboue with power to resist all the deuises of such Charmers charme they neuer so wittily Farewell deare Proselite for I will trudge before least my eares become receptacles of his vnhallowed breathinges THE FOVRTH DIALOGVE betweene the Flyer and Legatine-arrian Legatine-arrian DEare Countryman may I be so bold as to inquire wherefore you came into these parts Flyer Good sir to speake the truth I came from the Separistes in London with full purpose to ioyne with that Church of them which is in these partes But meeting with this man as I came from Flushen where I landed and discoursing with him about Religion I verily resolued to ioyne with him and his Congregation But perceiuing by your Dialoguizing with him that all is meere foolerie to beleeue that either Hee or Brownist or Mal-content is of any true Church yea that there can be no Christian communion till a myraculous Ministerie be stirred vp of God for baptising people and calling them into Christian communion I herevpon haue giuen him the bagge Fish where he shall he shall haue no Fish of mee And therefore good sir seeing it pleased the Almightie to saue mee myraculously from seas and I perceiue it was for keeping mee to be instructed of you my humble desire is to vnderstande of you what a soule is to doe in this case there being not onely no true visible Church on the earth but also no true visible Christian I beseech you pray for mee or else I know not what shall become of mee Legat. ar Pray for you I may but pray with you I may not Prayer with one is an action of communion as for example if I should say Our Father Giue Vs this day our bread Forgiue Vs our sinnes Lead not Vs into temptation this should imply that you and I were in communion or christian fellowship But before that myraculous Ministerie as afore shall come and gather the Gentiles into such communion and Elias come for calling the Iewes there can be no such fellowship and therefore no such prayer When I come at my Chamber I will pray for you Flyer I pray you sir let me next Sabaoth day haue accesse vnto your Congregation for I doubt not but you haue some Congregation heere in Zeland Legat. ar How sillily you speake I haue all this while taught you that there is no Church nor visible Christian in the world as yet seeing no myraculous Apostles haue yet been sent to Baptize people and call them into communion and you talke of a Church Besides it is a notable badge of Antichrist for any christian Congregation vpon the Sabaoths conuention or any other time of the Churches meeting to admit of any vnbeleeuer or stranger to the fayth vnto the Pastorall exercise For is it not written in 1. Cor. 14.22 Prophecie serueth not for them that beleeue not but for them which beleeue Flyer Then I perceiue that all such as I haue left behinde me haue serued Antichrist in hypocrisie for they suffer any Infidell to come vnto their exercise of Prophecie or Preaching But my Countrimen the Flyers haue herein sinned aboue all for they permit infidelious Marchantes and others to come on the Thurseday vnto their exercise of Prophecie when ten to one by reason of some brabling canse then to be pleaded the Congregation meeteth â—ayeth and departeth without any Prayer at all or exercise of their propheticall guiâ—tes Legat. arr Propheticall guiftes Propheticall fooleries Tom Lace-seller and Abraham Pin-seller so I thinke M. Henry Barrow spoke in the Fleete must come out and spatter their meaninges and this must be called the exercise of Prophecie Flyer O excellent man of God I am sory that we be come notâ— into the tayle of Midleburghe for that will brake off our Discourse Legat. arr O prophane speach you should haue sayd into the Suburbs of Midleburghe Flyer The word Suburbs I tooke to be â— word of Latine and so of the Beastes language which made me to auoyde it Legat. ar Therein I commende your zeale For in their Translations they cannot be contented to say My God my God why hast thou forsaken me but before it they must put downe their prophane Latine Elj Elj lamasabâ—thenj Nor can be contented to say God hath sent the spirit of his Sonne to cry Father but they must turne it Abba father At Amsterdam I once checked a Preacher that is now in England for such fooleries
thâ— whole corporation of such people aâ— teach an opposite ground to the ground of the Gospell wherevpon vnhappily they may build much other euill but all that is of the By noâ— of the Mayne and yet condemnable also With which By or euill accidentes the truest Church and Christian in this life hath is and shal be more or lesse cumbred and yet noâ— â—â—erefore Antichristian seeing she and â—ey be sound in the foundation of â—â—e Gospell For the Foundation â—eld there may be Straw and other â—ooleries through ignoraunce or â—eaknes buylded vpon it â—othing â—utable to the ground and yet the â—uilder saued though as the Apostle teacheth it be as by the Fyre But a contrary foundation layd and held till the end it auayleth nothing what Golde and Siluer was builded vpon it for the foundation sinketh and man and all standing vpon it perisheth 5 This Man of sinne then must be considered not onely in the whole as one Corporation but also in the partes or members which concurre to the beeing of that Body and both of them according to their Place or situation The principall members of that body are registred of S. loâ—n in his Apocalips to haue the Seauen hilled Citie Rome for their place The members in subordination to the former are of him compared to Waters for their multitude variable noyâ—â— of language because that Rome wâ—â— to haue people of many Languageâ— subiect to the Doctrine that shoulâ— flow from that Sea What soule theâ— soeuer whether in the Church of England or other true Church shall submit it selfe to Antikeimenisme it longeth to the Romish-head And whatsoeuer soule within the territories of Rome shall submit it selfe to the contrary foundation which is in Christ Iesus such a one appertaineth to that body whereof Christ is the head and indeed is a fellow member with vs. For euery one that walketh eateth and sleepeth in a Kinges Court is not therefore of that Court noâ— euery one that dwelleth and hath ordinarie communion with a Kingdome is therefore one with that King in the foundation of subiection None therefore can iusâ—ifie all within a true vsible Church nor condemne all that be within the Beastes visible Kingdome seeing all Within it are not essencially Of it Beeing one in the foundatioÌ„ one is so Essencially of it but â—f seuered in the fundamentall poynt of obedience then such a one is but a member Accidentalâ—y And Accidents specially proceeding of weaknesse may burne and be consumed without detriment to the foundation or him that in humility resteth vpon it 6 Which ground held the Romanist is easily answered Hee asketh Where our Church was 200. yeares since I answere As there might be some part of the Church in some part of the earth though to vs vnknowen euen as wee are vnknowen to some partes of the earth so our Church hath been where their Synagogue hath been and many of the members of it still persecuted by them Besides they were to come into the Church as Tares came into the Wheat-field by way of vsurpation not right And this the Apostle foretolde when he sayth that the Antikeimenist should sit in the Temple of God God reared a spirituall Temple at Rome as appeareth in the Apostles Epistle to that Church but afterwardes the Man oâ— sinne entred into the Lords House and there not only laboured to ouerturne the foundation laid in Christs-blood but also layd a contrary ground as fast as he could pull vp the other Vpon which that Church became for constitution like vnto the ten Tribes of Israâ—l when their Calues were reared vp Which Calfe since in the time of the Romanistes is turned to a Bull howsoeuer we with Iudah cannot meet with the Popes Bull but we baite him The veritie of all this will better appeare when hauing read the Epistle to the Romanes it shal be examined whether wee or they be furthest departed from the veritie of that Doctrine which that Church first held And then I am sure that their part of the Cake is like to prooue dough Amen But as for the Romanist he fals into the errour of the left hand and that kind of errour may come to be touched in his season Thus briefly touching the Church and that her aduersary Anti-christ THE SHEPHEARDS Elegiaque Epilogue YOu Shepheards of our Lawnes leaue off your layes Alacke for woe these be no ioying dayes While many of our Sheepe do peake aside Staring for Daintrels in their height of pride O welladay then prowling Reinard teares And learing Wolues do take them by the eares And from their iowles do squeaze the crimsen die Where-with life endes Accurst Phlebotâ—mie Or if you needes must strayne an Oten-pipe O let ' be greene so shall it cry and shrike And bubble foorth some iucy fainting teares Which may procure some mones of all it heares A neede of Iakobs Staffe if e're to beat Backe these blood-suckers which make Lambes their meaâ— Poore Lambes their meat alacke and welladay Wring hand in hand in roume of Roundelay Aminta'â— Crowne fâ—â— she was worth a Crowne Her Head I found last day aback the Downe There litle Lucrece with her specked powle Was fleest of all her Wooll poore pretty sowle But as she ready was to gasp last breath I came goodhaâ— and rescued her from death Black VVill that time was joorring of the Fox And so escapt with losse alone of locks Great Megge was tangled in a cursed Bryer Bald-paâ—ed all like to an holy Frier That lately had been in the Pollers hands I troe she will no more come in these bands But ayes me man aback the Poplar tree Where Shepheards eate their shaled Pease with glee And in the Trench about that Table square Compact of Dazy soddes but now all bare There there woes mee three Tups haue left their lyues With sundry seores of their poore Lambs and Wyues Heere lyes a lock and there a scrap of skin The botthom of the Trench the bloods lyes in And then vile sacriledge the vpper seat Where Vmpire of the Shepheards sits at meat There there the Wolues haue trampeled and trod And cast their Gorge vpon the Royall sodde Yee Shepheards of our Lawnes it resteth All Ioyne heart and hand for keeping of our Stall Wee negligent haue been indeed too long While cruell Cattle are become too strong Wee sing of matters farre beyond the Sun While all this mischiefe heere at home is don I feare I feare that some in Shepheards pay Be one in night with Wolues with vs â— the day Iwis our Maister can but take it euell His Sheepe through lacke of food run to the Deuell Not euery Sonet is for selfe-same turne For some câ—use ioy and some enforce to moorne Strow strow that fodder fore your Charges faces Which may them keepe from foraigne vncouâ—h places And with your eye so lead them in the way As sylly-soules they may no longer stray They may no longer stray but able bee Through all their flattring stratagems to see Meane time I moorne I moorne Maryahs stray Returne that Sheepe ô Lord ô Lord I pray Returne I humbly pray Returne them all That truly long vnto our Maisters stall FINIS Errata Page 25. lyne 20. read implying Pag. 33. line 17. read Midianite Pag. 34. line 12. read calling Pag. 46. line 11 read Antichriâ—t Page 53. line 4 read peaceable Math. 24â—23 c. Math. 7.15.16 c * This phrase is vsed in Prouerbs 10.21.31 18.20.21 c. Isai. 65.5 2. Tim. 3.6 * Ezek. 3.6 Gala. 3 1â— * A beeing * Io. L. a Weauer * Ioh. 6 68 * 2. Thess. 2.4 * Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. § Math. 13 24. c * 1. Cor. 11.29 c. * 2. Tim. 2.5 * Luke 3.23 c. Math. 16.18 ch 28.20 Reu. 12 17. ch 21 2-3 Gal 4.26 * Math. 13. 24. See for this my Antidoton * 1 Cor. 3 16. 2. Cor. 6.16 * 1. King 12. 18. * As Elias Eliâ—â—a Hoseih Amos Ionah with others * In Reuel 14.6 it would be turned The euerlasting Ghospel rather then An eueâ—lasting Ghâ—spel * Gal. 2.16 * 1. Cor. 3. 11 12 13 14 15. * 1. Cor. 3.15 * 2. Thess. 2. 3. 2. Thess 2.4
not Flyer Uerily I doe And happy it was for the Shippe as a Marchants factour could lately say that I was in it for had not I longed earnestly after Zion and according to Gods decree were predestinated before all worldes to come safely vnto the true Church planted in these partes as the Factor could say all the Ship had been cast away Anabapt What true Church is it sir which you meane is planted in these partes Flyer Certaine Englishmen separated from the Whore of Babilon I meane the Church in England Anabapt FroÌ„ the Protestants Church meane you Flyer The very same My heart leapes to thinke how farre I am got from the skirtes of that proude bloody Fornicatrix Are you a Duch-man that you can parlie so in English Anabap. I am and sometimes was a member of the dutch-Dutch-church that is in Norwich But God opening mine eyes to see the falsehoode of that Church I forsooke it and came so into these partes to liue with a Congregation purely christian Flyer What with our people I pray you Anabapt There be certaine English people of vs that came out from the Brownistes Flyer From the Brownistes Whya they be the people that I come to But I pray you let me admonish you of one thing Leaue that tearme of Brownist for they despise Brownes standing I tell you Anabapt Yea they despise his present standing for that he is returned to the Church of England but meane time they haue slapt vp his Vomite and maintaine the blind Schisme he made from that Church Flyer Call you it a blind Schisme Blind they be not that see the Holy thinges they see Nor Schisme is it but a faythfull departure from Babel Anabapt Babel You know not what â—abel meanes for they be a people ouer head and eares in Babel so farre from being fled from it Flyer Prooue that and I le leaue my Religion Anabapt You leaue it You may say if God will giue you the Grace to leaue it For it is a peculiar Grace to leaue Sodome and Aegipt spiritually so called Flyer It is trueth you say But I pray you Of what Religion may you be Anabapt Of the true Christian Religion commonly tearmed Anabaptisme TroÌ„ our baptizing of people againe comming from the false Church whereof your Congregation is a maine arrogant member Flyer I tremble to thinke that you should dare so to blaspheme the Tabernacle pight of God and not of man Anabapt Pight of the Diuell and the Antichristian Man Let mee spurre you one question Are you Baptized Flyer That I am I thanke God Anabapt Who Baptized you Flyer A Minister of the English Church And I thanke God it was done with a Sermon and without the Crosse in the forehead Anabap. Are the Ministers of England true Ministers Flyer No they be slaues to Antichrist in all his inuentions Anabapt Marke what a foole you be neither call I you foole Vnaduisedly You seperate from Babel and yet iustifies the ministeriall action of the Ministers of Babel Can they be Antichristian Ministers and their essentiall ministeriall actions Christian Hath Christ appoynted any limme of the Beast to keepe his Signet and to seale his people with Baptisme Hath Christ giuen power vnto any to Baptize to whom he sayth not first Goe and teach Will the Ministers of Antichrist seale vnto the true Christ Flyer Though they and their places be Antichristian yet the Baptisme may be Christian. Anabap. Once againe if happily God may bring you out of that misterie of iniquitie Was the Minister him selfe first a true Christian before he entred into that function Flyer No for he was a lim of that Beastes body Anabap. Did his ministerie then make him a true Christian Flyer At no hand being a Minister in the body of the same Beast Anabap. He being neither a true Minister nor so much as a true Christian and your selfe also a member of the same Antichrist How could you by his Baptisme become a true Christian Out of a bitter Fountaine can there come any sweete Water As the first fruites are are not also the branches Flyer I was no true Christian then nor it any true Baptisme but now being separated from them as these of the Ten Tribes which came vnto Iuda My Baptisme is good as their Circumcision then became good Anabapt English-man the Comparison is not alike They of Israel were commaunded to circumcise but no Minister of Antichrist is commaunded to Baptize The Israelites were a people that had been a true constituted Church but as your selues say England was neuer constituted of or to the Lord. Thirdly any Israelite might circumcise his Childe but in your opinion a Preacher of the word may onely doe that Till therefore you can prooue that the English Minister did but the commaundement of God in Baptising as the Israelite did it in Circumcising you may goe with the Beastes marke in your forehead as old and young in your Church carry it But come wee to another poynt â—â—e you hold that Christ which your â—â—iptian Priestes did teach you Flyer Yes verily and by Gods helpe so I will Anabap. And yet you are come out of Babel Can they that teach people dayly the true Christ be Ministers of Antichrist Are they not true ministers that teach and seale to the true Christ Or if they 〈◊〉 false Ministers which you graunt must not their principall felsehood â—â—en lie first in teaching a false Christ and secondly in sealing to the false Christ That is the Ministers can not be Antichristian but they must direct â—â—d signe the people vnto Antichrist vnder a cullour of Christ and that onely can be the mysterie of iniquitie But another question By what â—eanes seeke ye to be one with your Christ Flyerâ— By Fayth onely which is wrought 〈◊〉 my heart by the outward ministerie 〈◊〉 the word and the inward operation 〈◊〉 Gods spirit Anabap. Silly silly Can you call these Ministers of Antichrist whom you defende for such as haue not onely aâ— you say taught you the true Christ but also lead you by the true meanes vnto that true Christ. Thus the blinde hath led the blinde and both tumble in the ditch Either make the Treâ— good and his fruite good or make it bad and his fruite bad O friend I muse not though you stand amazed I my selfe was sometimes in such 〈◊〉 strait but he that gaue me simplicitiâ— of heart gaue mee to wind out of thaâ— Laborinth Iohn could not see the mysterie of that Beast in the Apocalips till he went out into the Desart God might for your lynsi-wolsie Fayth haue cast you away in the Sea but in mercie he hath reserued you vnto a better hower He did not cast me into your way for nothing I hope foâ— a blessing though otherwise in your perishing I should become a good fauour vnto God Thou in the Heauens take the Scales away from his eyes that he may see into the end of thinges that are to be abolished