are upon us in that it is in your power to redress them and especially at this present in this High Meeting assembled for the publick weal of all your loyal Subjects Our miseries are long and lingring Imprisonments for many years in divers Counties of England in which many have dyed and left behind them Widows and many small Children taking away our Goods and others the like of which we can make good probation not for any disloyalty to your Majesty nor hurt to any mortal man our Adversaries themselves being Judges but only because we dare not assent unto and practise in the Worship of God such things as we have not Faith in because it is sin against the Most High Heb. 11.6 Rom. 14.23 as your Majesty well observeth in these words It is a good and safe Rule in Theology That in matters of the Worship of God Quod dubitas ne fereris according to Pauls rule Rom. 14.5 Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind Medit. on Lo. Prayer If we were in error herein these courses of afflicting our bodies for Conscience cause are not of Christ but of Antichrist as hereafter is most plainly shewed And if no Church be the Rule of Faith but only the holy Scriptures as the learned Protestants do truly confess and that therefore the Doctrine of the Church of Rome that all must believe as the Church believes and so practise or else be cruelly persecuted be most ungodly as it is then how can they avoid the like censure that practise the same thing contrary to their own Judgement For the learned Protestants do say it is high cruelty for the Papists to constrain them to practise those things in Gods Worship which they have not Faith in nay which they know to be evil with Imprisonment Fire and Faggot and therefore why may not we say it is great cruelty for the learned Prorestants to constrain us to practise such things in Gods Worship which we have not Faith in Nay which we certainly know to be evil with lingring Imprisonment loss of Goods and what other cruelties they can procure against us of your Majesty and the Civil State If your Learned say they have the Truth and we are in Errour that resteth to be tryed by the true Touchstone the holy Scriptures If they be our Judges the Verdict must needs go against us If their sayings be a safe Rule for us to be saved by we will rest upon them And then why may not the saying of the Papists be sure also and they be the Protestants Judges and so bring us all to believe as the Church believes The iniquity of which we have discovered as briefty as we could beseeching your Majesty and all that are in Authority to hear us It concerneth our eternal Salvation or Condemnation and is therefore of great importance for what can a man give for the ranfom of his Soul Oh he pleased to remember the saying of that great and good man Job chap. 29. I delivered the Poor that cryed and the Fatherless and him that had none to help him The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me and I caused the Widows heart to rejoyce I was a Father to the Poor and when I knew not the cause I sought it out diligently I brake also the jaws of the unrighteous man and pluckt the prey out of his teeth Our prayers are and shall be for you day and night to that God of glory by whom you reign and are advanced that He will pat it into your hearts to let these things enter into your thoughts and then we doubt not the evidence of them being such that you will be moved to repeal and make void all those cruel Laws which we most humbly beseech which persecute poor men only for matters of conscience not that we any way desire for our selves or others any the least liberty from the strict observation of any Civil Temporal or Humane Law made or to be made for the preservation of your Majesties Person Crown State or Dignity for all that give not to Caesar that which is his let them bear their burden but we only desire that God might have that which is his which is the heart and soul in that Worship that He requireth over which there is but one Lord Eph. 4.5 and one Law-giver who is able to save it or to destroy it Jam 4.12 which no mortal man can do It is not in your power to compel the heart you may compel men to be Hypocrites as a great many are who are false-hearted both towards God and the State which is sin both in you and them The vileness of persecuting the body of any man only for cause of Conscience is against the Word of God and Law of Christ It is against the profession of your Majesty against the profession and practice of famous Princes The antient and later approved Writers witness against it so do the Puritans yea the establishers of it the Papists themselves inveigh against it so that God and all men do detest it as is herein shewed And therefore in most humble manner we do beseech your Majesty your Highness your Honours your Worships to consider of it and do as God directeth you in his Word that cannot lye Let the Wheat and Tares grow together in the world until the harvest Matth. 13. And so in humble manner we proceed CHAP. I. The Rule of Faith is the Doctrine of the Holy Ghost contained in the Sacred Scriptures and not any Church Council Prince or Potentate nor any mortal man whatsoever PRoved by the Scriptures themselves which are the Writings of Moses and the Prophers the Evangelists and Apostles these are a sufficient Rule alone to try all Faith and Religion by our Reasons are 1. They are inspired of God and are able to make us wise unto salvation and perfect to every good work 2. Tim. 3.15 c. 2. Because these Writings are written that we might have certainly of the things whereof we are instructed Luke 1.4 That our joy might be full 1 Joh. 1.4 And that we might believe and in believing might have life John 20.31.3 We are commanded not to presame or be wise above what is written 1 Cor. 4.6 For with this weapon Christ put to flight the Devil Mat. 4.4 And taught his Disciples Luke 24.27 46. And Paul taught Christ Jesus Acts 17.2 The Godly are commended for searching the Scriptures Acts 17.11 All are commanded to search them John 5.39 And they that will not believe these Writings will not believe Christs Words John 5.47 nor one that should come from the Dead Luke 16.31 If any ask how we know all or any of these Scriptures to be inspired of God We answer The ear saith Job 12.11 discerneth words and the mouth tasteth meat for it self And as the eye discerneth the light of the Sun so doth our Spirit discern these Scriptures to be inspired of God and that for these
Master-builders and layers of a new foundation or another Gospel And for the Apostle Paul his delivering Hymeneus and Alexander unto Satan 1 Tim. 1.20 it was not by any temporal sword or power but even by the Power of our Lord Jesus Christ in his Name by the sword of the Spirit 1 Cor. 5.4 And this was not extraordinary but ordinary to continue in all Churches to the end and not to destroy the outward man as you teach and practise but to destroy those lustful affections which dwell in the flesh that so the flesh being mortified the Spirit may be quickned and the Soul saved in the day of the Lord Jesus And whereas you say that as they did it by extraordinary means so you may do it by ordirary means If you would use only those weapons which Christ commanded his Disciples to use in this business which are not carnal we would agree with you herein but if your ordinary means be such as Christ never had nor any of his Disciples then it is a means of your own devising for Christ hath all means whatsoever for bringing men to the obedience of the Truth Ant. Doth not Christ in the Parable teach that he compelled all to come in Ch. I demand of you wherewith doth he compel them he hath no carnal weapons Doth he not compel them by his Word which is his two-edged Sword Heb. 4.12 Rev. 2.12 Doth he smite the Earth with any other weapons than by the breath of his lips Isa 11.4 Ant. Well then you see then compulsion may be used Ch. Yes I confess to you such compulsion as much as you will if when you have done you will walk in his steps who when the Gaderens prayed him to depart he left them and taught his Disciples where they should preach the Word of God if they would not receive them that they should shake off the dust of their feet for a witness against them Mat. 10.14 which accordingly they practised Act. 13.51 and 18.6 c. He never taught them to pull the contrary-minded out of their houses and put them in Prisons to the undoing of them their wives and children This was Saul's course when he was a Blasphemer and Persecutor c. Act. 9.1 c. Christ taught his Disciples to wait if at any time God would give the contrary-minded repentance and not to prevent their repentance by seeking their blood Indifferent man I have heard you all this while and by that I have heard I see evidently that none ought to be compelled by any worldly means to worship God neither can any be accepted in such worship in that it is Spiritual Worship that he accepteth Ch. Blessed be the Lord that you see it I would not you only but all men did see that the sword of the Magistrate and all afflictions proceeding therefrom are only upon the outward man and connot convert a soul from going astray not beget faith for Faith comes by hearing the Word of God Rom. 10.17 and therefore is no instrument in this work All that the Magistrate can do is to compel me to bring my body for except there be a willing mind which no man can see there is no acceptance with God and therefore it is not Gods Glory nor my acceptance with him they seek by forcing me but meerly their own Obedience to God's great dishonour and the destruction of my soul if I should so do But if it would suffice them to bring my body to that they call their Church and require of me no worship I will go when they will only not when their false worship is performed For I abhor the accursed Doctrine of the Familists herein Indif It is a lamentable thing to consider how many thousands in this Nation there be that for fear of trouble submit to things in Religion which they disapprove of Ch. Oh! whose eyes do not gush out with tears in the confideration thereof seeing in all that God is highly displeased and all those are under the Judgments of God everlastingly if they repent not Ant. If it were as you would have it that all Religions should be suffered how dangerous would it be to the Kings Person and State what Treacheries and Treasons would be plotted Indif Indeed that is a thing greatly to be suspected but if permission of all Religions could be cleared in that there is no question but it might prevail with the King and State Ch. If it be not cleared of that then let all men abhor it It is the Commandment of him who is the God not of confusion but of Peace and Order and therefore to be obeyed Mat. 13.30 Let the good and bad grow together unto the end of the world Suffering the contrary-minded patiently proving if God at any time will give them repentance that they may acknowledge the Truth c. First for all those that seek and practise in themselves Reformation in Religion Satan himself cannot task them with the least jot of Treachery And for the Papists may it not justly be suspected that one chief cause of all their Treasons hath been because of all the Compulsions that have been used against their Consciences in compelling them to the Worship practised in publick according to the Law of this Land which being taken away there is no doubt but they would be much more peaceable as we see it verified in divers other Nations where no such Compulsion is used for if they might have freedom in their Religion unto their faithful Allegiance to the King the fear of the Kings Laws and their own Prosperity and Peace would make them live more inoffensively in that respect Indif Only the Papists are dangerous in that some of them hold That the Kings and Princes that be Excommunicated by the Pope may be deposed or murdered by their Subjects or any other Ch. For that damnable and accursed Doctrine as we abhor it with our souls so we desire all other may and therefore all the Laws that can be made for the prevention of such execrable practices are most necessary But now I desire all men to see that the Bishops and we justly cry out against this accursed doctrine and practice in the Pope and his associates That Princes should be murdered by their Subjects for contrary-mindedness in Religion yet they teach the King to murder his Subjects for the self-same thing viz. for being contrary-minded to them in their Religion So likewise as that accursed doctrine is to be abhorred in the Papists who teach Subjects not to be obedient to their Princes that are excommunicated by the Pope even so is that accursed doctrine of the Bishops to be abhorred who teach Princes not to protect their Subjects that are excommunicated by them in not affording them either Law or Justice nor to bear Testimony in any Court Do not the Bishops herein justifie this accursed doctrine and practice in the Papists Ant. There is a great difference in the persons for the one are
may be in short I demand of you what Covenant the Lord meanthe here It must be granted he meaneth either the Covenant of the Land of Canaan with all the Promises thereof or the Covenant of Christs coming of his lyons concerning the flesh or else the Covenant of Life and Salvation by Christ one of these three it must needs be Let me have your Answer or any mans hereto Indif The first and second cannot be pleaded therefore it must be the third namely Life and Salvation by Christ Ch. VVell then I demand Have the fleshly Children of the Faithfull more priviledge to Life and Salvation than the Faithful themselves Indif No I think it cannot be said Ch. VVell then I affirm that the Faithful have right to this Covenant of Life and Salvation only upon their Repentance and Faith and not otherwise and so have their Children and not otherwise except you will say they have greater priviledge thatn the Faithful or else that they have Life and Salvation by their Parents Faith or else that they have right and title to it whether they repent and believe or no. If any say they have right and title to it by Gods Promise I answer God hath promised Life and Salvation by Christ to none that are under Condemnation but only by Repentance and Faith let any shew the contrary if they be able If any say as some foolishly have done being urged That it is the Covenant of the visible Church what Covenant is that but the Covenant of Life and Salvation made to the Faithfull Christ Body and Church And therefore seeing they are so confounded herein some teaching one thing and some another some that Infants have neither Faith nor Repentance but by vertue of the Covenant made to their Parents Others teach that Repentance and Faith is to be performed of every one that is to be baptised and that Infants may repent and believe by their Sureties till they come to age themselves Seeing I say they are thus confounded herein having nothing in Christs perfect Testament only some shew of a forged consequence and also that they agree not amongst themselves Let us take heed of prophaning the Lords holy Ordinance administring it where he hath not commanded Many other things might be said but this may suffice seeing much is already written and more may be ere long knowing they have nothing to say but their several conceits Indif I praise God you have given me great satisfaction in these things What must we do after our Baptism Ch. As the Saints our predecessors did They that glady received the Word were baptized and they continued in the Apstles doctrine fellowships breaking of bread and prayers Acts 2. walking in fear towards God and in love in word and deed one towards another according to the blessed rules in Christs Testament and also justly and unblamably towards all men that they may cause their Conversation aswell as their Doctrine to shine before men that men may see their good works and glorifie their Father which is in Heaven without the which conversation all profession is nothing Indif It is a great stumbling-block to many that divers who profess Religion walk corruptly in their conversation it is a great cause that the wicked open their mouthes against Gods Truth Ch. Alas it is most lamentable but Gods People must know it hath been and will be so unto the end of the world And therefore Christ Jesus hath appointed means for the redressing thereof in his Church Mat. 18. and 1 Cor. 5 c. And we may not justifie or condemn any Religion whatsoever by mens personal walkings May we say the Religion of the Philosophers was good because of their moral vertues or that the Religion that Judah and David professed was evil because of Judahs Incest and Davids Adultery and Murder Gen. 38. 2. Sam. 11. or the Religion of Christ evil because that one that professed it fell into Incest I Cor. 5. Gods People had need to take heed of sinning whereby to cause the adversaries to blaspheme for the which God may make them examples to all succeeding ages Ind. I give you hearty thanks for your pains with me in these things and I trust I shall not let them slip but remember them all may life and put them in practice Ch. The glory and thanks thereof only belongeth to God for to him it is due but this I desire you to consider that the knowing of the Will of God without practising of it doth us rather hurt than good the Scripture saith Not the knowers but the doers are justified Rom. 2.13 Jam. 1.12 And He that knows his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Many there be in this Nation with grief of soul I speak it that acknowledge and confess the Truth but praclise it not for some respects or other the Lord Perswade all your hearts to the speedy practice thereof and that by many examples that are left unto you David that man of God saith I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments Psal 119.60 The Disciples Mat. 4. immediately without tarrying followed Christ The three thousand the same day they were informed obeyed the Lord and were baptized Acts 2. The Samaritans Acts 8.12 assoon as they believed were baptized both men and women The Eunuch likewise ver 38. The Jaylor Lydia Paul and a cloud of witnesses communing not with flesh and blood but obeyed the Lord assoon as they believed Here was no staying to hear what this and that learned man could say against it as now a dayes but as they were confidently perswaded thereof they obeyed And so I am assured it shall be by little and little as the kingdom of the Beast diminisheth Indif I hope I shall testifie to all my speedy walking in the steps of these holy men but one thing there is yet which bath much troubled me and others and in my judgment hat much hindred the growth of Godliness in this Kingdom and that is That many so soon as they see or fear trouble will ensue they flie into another Nation who cannot see their conversation and there by deprive many poor ignorant souls in their own Nation of their information and of their conversation amongst them Ch. Oh! that hath been the overthrow of Religion in this Land the best able and greater part being gone and leaving behind them some few who by the others departure have had their afflictions and contempt increased which hath been the cause of many falling back and of the adversaries exalting But they will tell us we are not to judge things by the effects therefore we must prove that their flight unlawful or we say nothing And frist Whereas it is said by some of these flyers that many of the People of God fled into forreign Countries and that God gave approbation thereof as Moses David our Saviour Christ in his infancy and other thinking hereby to justifie this their