First In the Wilderness figuring our Spiritual Warfare over Sin the World and the Devil and then by Joshua as they were led into Canaan the figure of * Heb. 11. 13 14 15. Heaven So the Saints in the Wilderness †Rev. 12. 6. Exod. 13. 14. chap. Ezek. 20. 35. of this World through many Tribulations ‖ Acts 14. 22. under the conduct of the true Joshua Christ Jesus enter into the glorious Rest even the Haven of Eternal Happiness And hereupon it is written in praise of Christ's Called Chosen and Faithful * Rev. 17. 14. That all the thousand Years Reign of the Beast aforesaid they lived and reigned †Rev. 20. with Christ and they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their Testimony and that in the Wilderness and this World and the same is still the Saints ‖ 1 John 5. 4. Victory even our Faith by which we overcome the World Now as touching Election that most Heavenly Doctrine of Comfort to God's Children for the help of them deceived about it note That Election is a Work of God the * Eph. 1. 4. Father Redemption †Rev. 5. 9. a Work of God the Son and Sanctification ‖ 1 Cor. 6. 11. the Work of the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son So that the very nature of the word Election meaneth not all Men but God foreseeing before all Time in respect of Creation whatsoever would come to pass in time did make choice of a Remnant * Rom. 11. 5. out of the Lump of Mankind to be Heirs of Glory through Christ and left the rest in their fallen Estate And who shall call God to account †Rom 9. in these his Matters So that whomsoever the Father Elected he gave ‖ John 17. 12. unto his Son to Redeem And hereupon it is written in praise of God in Christ Thou hast Redeemed us * Rev. 5. 9. out of all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People So not all Nations because he was given a Ransom for many So that these ‖ Mat. 26. 28. as many as were †Acts 13. 48. ordained to life believed For * Jo. 6 44. no Man can come to Christ but those the Father draweth Now if all had been Redeemed the Altar under the Law and Priests that served at the same all Figures of Christ in the Work of Mans Redemption would have signified so much in Christ the true Altar and High Priest and Sacrifices offered thereon So that if he had Redeemed all would he not at the Golden Altar have offered up his Prayer for all But as Christ redeemed only the Elect or whole †Rom. 4. 1 Joh. 2. 2. World Abraham was Heir of so he appeared at the Golden Altar to offer Prayers for no other but ‖ Rev. 8. 3 4. Saints as it is written I pray not for the World * John 17. 9 20. but those the Father had given him in the †Ezek. 16. 8. Cant. 2 16 Covenant of Grace out of the World And thus all all that is Truth will agree to the Law to wit of Figures and Testimony of the Gospel of Salvation And that those Elected ones by God the Father and Redeemed by Christ cannot totally fall away because none can pluck them out of his Father's Hands ‖ John 10. 29. who has put his fear into their Hearts that they shall not depart * Jer. 32. 40. Prov. 14. 26 27. from him So are they kept by the Power †1 Pet. 1 5. John 17. 12. of God through Faith unto Salvation that they cannot possibly saith Christ be totally deceived Mat. 24. 24. Now some will object If the Elect cannot fall away how came so many as Demas and the like to fall from the Faith they professed Answer The Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a ‖ Mat. 13. 47 48. Draw-Net which gathereth into it both good and bad as in the Figurative Building among the Materials came * 1 Kings 10. 22. Apes and Peacocks So among the Elect Living Stones the Materials of the Spiritual Building came Hypocrites who like Apes imitate for a time what the Saints do These are at the Feast but want the Wedding * Mat. 22. 11. Garment of Christ's Righteousness put on by Faith having only Lamps of External †Mat. 25. 3. profession or form of Godliness and not the ‖ 2 Tim. 3. 5. Power or Life thereof the Oyl of God's Grace so having received the Seed of God's Word on a Rock wanting Root * Luke 8. 13. Faith that worketh by Love so were in the Church saith the †1 John 2. 19. Scripture but not of it for had they been of it no doubt they would have continued in it Therefore like Peacocks through Pride fell away not from Grace but from that Grace they seemed ‖ Luke 8. 18. to have their * 2 Pet. 2. 22. Swinish nature being never changed turn again to wallow in the mire of open Filthiness as a Dog to their Vomit As touching Free-will in Man in his fallen Estate to repent and turn from Sin to God is a gross mistake First Because if Adam the Root had not this Power how came his Children to have it For cover †Job 31. 33. his Sin he did but repent he could not because it is not a virtue in Nature As it is written If God perad venture will give them Repentance ‖ 2 Tim. 2. 25. to the acknowledgment of the Truth who only works in his Elect both to will * Phil. 2. 13. and to do of his good Pleasure Therefore when Esau sought Repentance with Tears he found it not because true Repentance is a change †Heb. 12. 17. of the Mind which only belongeth to God to do As by the gift of Faith he opened the * Acts 16. 14. Heart of Lydia to believe and obey the Truth as it is in Jesus Ephes 4. 21. Some will object If all Men have not power to believe and obey why is it required of all Men Answ As Belief is a point of Obedience to God our Creator upon the Covenanted Estate Angels and Men made with God before the Fall it is still applied unto all as the word of their Condemnation And hereupon Noah by his Preaching condemneth †Heb. 11. 7. the old World as it is still the savour of Death unto Death in them that perish * 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. Else Christ would not have said to the fallen Angel It is written Thou shalt worship †Mat. 4. 10. the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve So that as this was spoken to Satan being what the Law required of him yet it doth not therefore follow that he had power to repent and believe so can no Man Though the same * Deut. 6. 13. Law requireth Obedience
CHRISTIAN WARNING-PIECE FOR ALL TRUE PROTESTANTS BY WAY OF CHRISTIAN COUNSEL and ADVICE TO THE KING'S Most Excellent MAJESTY and all His good Protestant Subjects sounded forth out of the Written Word of GOD. Wherein is clearly shewed the true Causes why the Lord in former Ages brought his severe Judgments on his own People both before the Law under the Law and under the Gospel All which being applied to the present State of Protestants is proved both by Scripture and History that it is the same Cause still for which the Lord is bringing His severe Judgments on his Protestant People Together with the Means if imbraced which God in Mercy hath Ordained to prevent the same By THOMAS WALL Cry aloud spare not lift up thy Voice like a Trumpet and shew my People their Transgressions and the House of Jacob their Sins Isa 58. 1. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our Learning and Admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come Therefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall Rom. 15. 4. 1 Cor. 10. 11. Whosoever heareth the sound of the Trumpet and taketh not Warning his Blood shall be upon his own Head But he that taketh Warning shall deliver his own Soul Ezek. 33. 4 5. LONDON Printed in the Year 1680. TO THE King's Most Excellent Majesty Most humbly shewing THat the most Wise God who hath made all things for his * Rev. 4. 11. Pleasure hath ordained in every Nation but two States Pillers or Legs to stand upon the one Civil and the other Spiritual The Civil State is God's Ordinance of Magistratical Government under divers Titles as Kings or other Chief Governours unto whom an excellent †Dan. 4. 36. Majesty is given them of God as next under ‖ Rom. 13. God Head of the Commonwealth the Lord's Lieutenants here on Earth And seeing since the Fall Mans Heart is * Jer. 17. 9. deceitful and in Mans Flesh dwelleth no good thing so that the Good he would do he doth not but the Evil he would not that he doth †Rom. 7. Therefore for guide in Government God hath given Kings the second ‖ Exod. 20. Table of his Royal Law as a most sure Foundation and Rule to square all their Laws by to govern their People so that by it they bear not the Sword in vain but use it to the Glory of God for the punishment of Evil-doers * Rom. 13. and the praise of them that do well Of which Trust and Stewardship committed to them they must shortly give an Account to their Chief Judg the Prince of the Kings of the Earth the Lord Jesus at the last Day The other State or Piller is the †Rev. 15. 3 Mat. 28. 18 Kingly Government of the Lord Jesus in his Church or ‖ John 18. 36. Kingdom in all things Spiritual As Christ hath his Office under God the only Head of his Mystical Body * Ephes 5. 23. Col. 1. 17. the Church unto whose Government is given the first Table of God's Law according to which most sure Foundation are all the Laws made in all Ages for his worship And though Christ was not manifested in the Flesh till these last Times yet was he from the Days of Adam King in his Church on his holy †Psal 2. 6. Hill of Sion in those who were Figures of him as * Heb. 7. 1. Ps 110. 4. Melchisedeck ‖ Acts 3. 22. Moses and David so Christ was the same Yesterday to Day and for †Heb. 13. 8 ever who now in his Church sitteth on the Throne of his Father David as it is written of him * Isa 11. 3 4. That he shall not judg after the sight of his Eyes nor reprove after the hearing of his Ears but with Righteousness shall he judg the Poor and reprove with Equity for the Meek of the Earth and shall smite the Earth with the Rod of his Mouth and with the breath of his Lips shall he slay the Wicked So that his Weapons are not Carnal as his Kingdom is not of this World so differing from the Civil State Moreover as these be the only States ordained of God and the nature of them being so different the one from the other as the nature of a thing Civil and Spiritual is so that the one State may not meddle with the Work◠that belongeth to the other And hereupon did the Lord in his Wisdom constitute the Civil State in the Tribe of * Gen. 49. 10. 2 Chron. 5. 2. Judah and the Spiritual State in the Tribe of Levi but when King Uzziah would presume to break God's Order to do that Work which †2 Chron. 27. 16 17 18. belonged not to the Civil States Office the Lord smote him with Leprosie to the day of his Death that others may be warned not to presume above what is written 1 Cor. 4. 6. Therefore the Lord Jesus our High Priest and only Lord Spiritual in his Church would not meddle with the Magistrates-work nor Office to give Judgment on a Woman taken in Adultery ‖ John 8. 3 4 5. nor divide Inheritances between Brethren And likewise commanded his Disciples and all Bishops and Ministers to the Worlds end not to take on them the title * Luke 22. 25. Mat. 20. 25. of Politick Princes but rather he that would be Chief to be Servant to all and not as Lords either in Title or Rule over God's Heritage †1 Pet. 5. 3. or Churches of God Therefore we see God in his Wisdom hath limited either State to keep within the limits he hath ordained for them Therefore as touching the Civil Magistratical State we may justly conclude That whatsoever Person he be whether Noble or Ignoble that shall presume to Alter Change or Diminish to or from any part of the Laws Ordinances Offices or Order contrary to the King 's Royal Crown and Dignity established by Law according to the second Table of God's Law must needs be accounted a Traytor to the King and suffer his high Displeasure Accordingly may we conclude concerning the Spiritual State of Christ's Government in his Church That whatsoever Person he be whether Noble or Ignoble that shall presume to Add or Diminish Alter or Change any thing in Government or Ministry Time Maintenance or Order contrary to the Rules or Laws of Christ's Testament founded on the first Table of God's Law in all things pertaining to the Worship of God may justly be deemed a Traytor to the Royal Crown and Dignity of the Lord Jesus and may hear the Sentence out of his own Mouth against them saying Bring those mine Enemies that would not that I should Reign over them and slay them before me Either by casting out of his Church or by everlasting Wo at the last Day May it therefore please your Majesty in your Wisdom to consider these things That it is one of the Crying
Gift of the Flock they feed and Vineyard they dress when they had degraded themselves by repentance of their false Ministry and the People if they thought fit to Elect and Ordain them in God's Order into the Work of the Ministry But this was so contrary to these Prelates minds that they sent forth their Pursivants to take and bring before them all that should either refuse to come to their Worship or did speak against their Ministry So that in the Year 1592 †As was mentioned in a Petition to the Parlament at that time on a Lord's Day they took to the number of fifty six Persons as they were serving God according to Christ's Directions in his last Will and Testament in the very place the like Christians were forced to serve God in Queen Marie's days and sent them by two and two into the several Prisons in and about London some of which by long Imprisonment were near Starved others were Bapished and three they Hanged two at Tiburn namely Mr. Henry Barrow Mr. John Greenwood and Mr. John Penry was hanged at Thomas a Watering near Southwark in the Year 1593. That these were true Protestants appeareth to any that have or shall read Mr. Barrow's Discovery his Answer to Gifford Mr. Barrow's and Mr. Greenwood's Conference in Prison with several Persons beside all their Examinations before the Lord Treasurer and some Justices all Printed at that time So that they were put to Death contraty to Queen Elizabeth's Mind as was then specified in Print * As was afterwards noted in an Apology presented to King James by the same Church because she sent her Reprieve two several times to fetch them back when they were carrying to be Executed but contrary to her knowledg it may be supposed were they at last put to Death sooner than the ordinary time a day by means of the Prelates as I find in a certain printed Relation of their Sufferings in these words Mr. Barrow and Mr. Greenwood were put to Death by the Prelates in Queen Elizabeth's Time without her knowledg or privity and that early in the Morning the figure of their Sufferings being seen in the Skie by Mariners that were in other parts and it was supposed by the beholders of the Figure then to be done in England because of the Women wearing of Hats The two poor Widows that attended upon them in the Prison waited on them to the Gallows bearing their winding Sheets Now dear Protestants if the Blood of God's Servants shed in King Manasses days for bearing their Testimony against the inventions of Men set up in Worship contrary to the Law of God written by Moses was charged near eighty Years after on their Posterity who followed the steps of their Fore-Fathers in Persecuting the Lord's Prophets for like Work in Jeremiah's * Jer. 15. 4. days and if the righteous Blood shed from the days of Abel †Mat. 23. 35. was by Christ charged on the Jews for persecuting him and his Disciples for telling them they worshipped God in vain ‖ Mat 15. 9. teaching for Doctrine the Commandments of Men how may Protestants now fear that the Lord may have like Indignation against this Nation or Generation for persecuting the Lord's Servants who call them from the Devices of Men in Worship to worship God as he hath appointed by his Son Christ Jesus in his Testament Now therefore before the Judgment is poured on us Oh that the King 's most Excellent Majesty would do the Work herein that belongeth to Kings to abolish all Inventions set up by other Kings out of Worship and every good Protestant to do his Duty to touch none of the unclean * 2 Cor. ◠17. things of Mens Inventions in Worship Then may we expect as Jacob did when he purged the Church from all Idolatry that God would turn the Hearts of Kings to be as God hath ordained them †Isa 49. 22. Nursing Fathers to the Lord's People as Pharoah was to the Church in Jacob's days But when Jacob's Posterity after his Death had corrupted themselves with the Idols of Egypt then God turned the Heart of King Pharoah to afflict them So when all that go by the name of Protestants shall do as aforesaid God will turn the Hearts of Kings to them and until this Work be done God will make Kings the Rod * Isa 10 5. of his Anger against a Hypocritical Nation as he did the King of Assyria and call them his Servants as he did Nebuchadnezzar †Jer. 25. 9. to afflict his People Therefore let no Protestant like Children envy the Rod but consider the cause for which the Rod is prepared and amend those things that are amiss and God will break the Rod and turn it against our Enemies and then Kings will as God hath ordained them be Nursing Fathers to preserve the Church of God from all Injuries and Wrongs as it is written ‖ Rev. 12. 16. The Earth helped the Woman as is very excellently shewed by Mr. Penry in his Examination before two Justices of the Peace Mr. Fancha and Mr. Young in the Year 1593 April the 10th in his Answer to some Questions put to him The first was this Quest 1. You labour to draw her Majesties Subjects from their Obedience to her Laws and from this Church of England to hear you and such as you are teach in Woods Mr. John Penry's Answer Answ Nay I persuade all Men unto the Obedience of my Prince and her Laws Only I dissuade all the World from yielding obedience and submission unto the Ordinances of the Kingdom of Antichrist and would persuade them to be subject to Christ and his Blessed Laws as I assure my self that the same is warranted thereby Her Majesty having granted in Establishing and Confirming the great Charter of England whereunto as I take it the Kings and Queens of this Land are sworn when they come to the Crown That the Church of God under them should have all her Rights and Liberties inviolable for ever Now let the benefit of this Law be granted unto me and others of my Brethren and it shall be found that we have done nothing but what is warrantable by her Laws Quest 2. What is it meet that Subjects should charge their Prince to keep Covenants with them and enter to scan what Oaths they have taken for this purpose VVhere find you this warranted by Scripture Answ The Subjects are in a most lamentable case if they may not alledg their Princes Laws for their Actions yea and shew what their Princes have promised to the Lord and to them when the same may be for declaration of their Innocency And it is the Crown and Honour of Princes to be known not only to hold but even to be in Covenant with their Subjects that they will maintain and preserve them from Violence and Wrong Nay Heathen Princes have thought themselves honoured when their mean Subjects have charged them very earnestly