the exercise of his Royal Authority Therefore say they in p. 40. We beseech you in the fear of God look about you for our Lord Jesus is coming c. Now accordingly we have and do declare for this Royal Interest of Christ which ought to be set up which so much blood hath been poured out for like water in the three Nations This Cause of Christ was magnified by God in answering the Dunbar-Appeal against the King of Scots The English Army appealing to God according to the Act of Parliament 1648. declaring it High Treason to set up Charles Stuart or any Other Person Chief Magistrate in England or Ireland or any of the Dominions thereunto belonging And as our Appeal was for No King but Jesus by which were the greatest Victories obtained that we had the Scots Appeal on the other side was for A King or personal interest of Man c. Gods Answer was so full and wonderful on the No King's side but Jesus and according to the Act of Parliament upon which the Army marched against the King of Scots that all Scotland was given in in few months and their Armies destroyed And to use the very words of the Act of Parliament Die Martis 17 Septemb. 1650. this Answer was inriched with so many remarkable circumstances as is to be admired at by succeeding Generations evidencing such a divine presence as the Commonwealth can never be thankful enough for And that it was given in as a Seal or Confirmation from heaven of the justness of this Cause after solemn Appeals made on both sides to God himself the Righteous Judge in this War between England and Scotland and that God did so decide the Controversie himself was of such value and high consequence that Generations to come may taste the sweet of it c. Besides all this much more we might mention of their own for this Cause and Kingly interest of Christ which we are resolved to adhere to and if the Lord will enable us never to recede from but to live and die in it Neither is it a Resisting of Government as some say of us but a Reforming of it which our Principles lead us to according to the Word And seeing the Army and Parliament have often declared as pag. 7. of Declar. June 14. 1647. No resisting of Magistracie to side with Just Principles upon which Maxime they assisted the Parliament against the King and that it is one Witness of God in the world to carry on a Testimony against the Injustice and Unrighteousness of men and against the miscarriages of Governments when corrupted or declining from their Primitive and Original Glory We use their own words 'T is true Every soul must be subject to the higher Powers and it is in obedience thereunto that we are subject to Christ and stand by this his Cause as we do so long as the Controversie is not now with us between man and man as was wont to be in other Ages but it is between Christ and man Which of these two then shall have the absolute power of Government in the Nations And who are the resisters of the higher powers which are of God those that own or those that oppose Christ's claim Judge ye 2. Because the Boutefeus of the Times are ever blowing up the flames upon us and incensing the present worldly powers and others against us with their lying accusations and evil surmisings as the Adversaries did Ezra 4. and Nehem. 6. against Judah and Jerusalem to render them odious to Artaxerxes that they intended to Rebel when they had done their building and that if he suffered them to go on it would hinder his Revenue c. and so Sanballat sent Nehemiah word that he and the Jews intended to Rebel when they had done with the walls they were about and all this to weaken the hands of them that had a minde to work Therefore to avoid such jealousies and fears we do freely declare against all Carnal Plots Devilish Designes or Ungodly Combinations of Men whatsoever as inconsistent with those gracious Principles which have we hope carried us and yet do daily into a Spiritual Warfare and hot contest for this Cause of Christ by the Word Faith Prayer and Solemn Appeals unto our God the righteous Judge of heaven and earth And indeed being thus armed with the whole armour of God we dare as before wrestle with principalities and powers and through the grace of our God we are not afraid of their Armies or Numbers but although we have not the least Reliance on any arm of flesh yet we can bid defiance unto all the Enemies of this glorious Cause of Christ contended for by the Saints with those means that God's Word leads us unto for which our dear brethren are imprisoned and suffer persecution at this day Therefore in a just and necessary defence of what is dearer to us then our lives bought with price of the Blood of Christ and thousands of his dearest Saints we call Heaven and Earth to witness between Us and our Brethren that have denied us and this Cause For in Cases not clearly or properly under man's judgment or where it is not easie for man to give a certain judgement the Engaged upon sure Principles and Pretences do centre in Appeals to God for Judgement and so did the two Tribes and a half Josh 22. for that it is then the proper work of God to bear witness and give righteous judgement which as he hath always done soone or later clearer or darker after the Appeal is made to him so in this last age and part of the world he hath made more haste then formerly to judgement and given it more quickly speedily and terribly and made his own Arm so bare therein as all men might see it witness the foresaid Appeal at Dunbar In the same Cause the Appeal is now made by us again All which hath induced us to take up the Word of God Faith and Prayer by Solemn Appeals to the just Judge of heaven and earth in the like and the same Cause A few particulars of the Matter whereof take as followeth 1. About their Vows Declarations Promises Engagements made unto God for Christ and his interest Psal 66.13 14. Deut. 23.21 Eccles 5.3 4 5 6. in time of their great distress all which are they not broken both as to Magistracie Ministery Churches Liberty and the Right of the Saints of the most High We appeal to God 2. Whether an espousing of the fame or a like Interest with that which God hath destroyed before our eyes and rejecting this blessed Cause of Christ King of the Nations for a Personal Cause of Man as we now conceive Jer. 3.1 Mal. 2.11 be not a provocation of God in the highest degree and too full a testimony of the foulest Hypocrisie and Selfishness in them whose former Profession and Declarations obliged them to the contrary 3. Whether a persecuting and imprisoning some of the choicest and holiest servants
assumed it that it were strange if those Civil Tryers should not have used it to smite them withal whom they would render odious and destroy And is not this against their own Declaration to Scotland pag. 6. where they say That that Church-Government which is of God God's own means viz. his Word must establish without a busie medling with or engaging of the Authorities of the world And the Lord General CROMWEL in his Letter to the Kirk-Assembly from Dunbar page 11. saith It is worth consideridg how those Ministers take into their hands the instruments of a foolish shepherd that meddle with worldly Policies or Earthly Powers to set up that which they call the kingdom of Christ which indeed is neither it nor if it were would such means be found effectual for that end and neglect and trust not to the Word of God the Sword of the Spirit c. Is not this all true in the Tryers And is not this also against their own Remonstrance Albans page 20. where they declare it the Parliaments part to protect religious men and take away all the corrupted Forms of outside-Religion and National Church-state whether imposed without Law or rooted in Law in times of Popish Ignorance or Idolatry or of Gospels dimmer light and also to take away the dependence of the National clergie in Civil Laws and Ecclesiastical Affairs which they had upon the King or that interest of the Clergie in Civil Laws and Affairs which the craft of both in length of time had wrought for each other But that the King's part was to discountenance the Godly or any conscience obliging above or against humane or outward Constitutions and to uphold and maintain the Civil dependence of the Clergie and their Church-matters under him Our bowels are so moved at these things that we cannot refrain from bewailing our condition after so vast a stream and treasure of the blood tears prayers lives and spoils of our dearest relations O did we ever think to see so many hopeful Instruments in the Army Churches and elsewhere to be so fully gorged with the flesh of Kings Captains and Nobles c. i. e. with their Lands Mannors Estates Parks and Palaces so as to sit at ease and comply with Antichrist the World Worldly Church and Clergie Oh! how hath the Cup of the Whore foxt and inchanted men viz. with the wine of the wrath of her Fornication to commit sin with her daily which the sober blush to see and to paint her over afresh for New lovers to lie down with to their utter ruine O the Mystery of Iniquity works apace This subtil spirit and soul of Antichristianism in a New body hath bewitched many of the Common sort and is wonderful cunning to deceive although by this universal Falling away amongst us the man of sin is blessed by Jehovah more discovered then ever who must be destroyed with the breath of Christ's mouth and brightness of his coming Yet under a sad sense of so many fresh Assaults which the Saints meet with daily by outward violence and Ecclesiastical tyranny and in a clear apprehension of that heavie Doom and Precipice hard by we verily believe upon all those Powers and Interests of men which keep warm the Seat of the bloody Beast for the Mother of harlots And after many solemn meetings and seekings of God for a special presence rolling our selves onely on his Arm having no carnal confidence blessed be our wise God now left us to look upon we are fully perswaded in our souls that he who hath hitherto most eminently appeared and plainly owned this blessed Cause which the Apostates of the times have cast aside and we yet cleave unto in England Ireland Scotland elswhere according to the faith and prayers of his poor despised people that he will yet appear and that more eminently and terribly too to save then ever and witness to the righteousness of his own Cause and the innocencie of his servants that suffer therein in great mercy pity passing by the failings and infirmities of us his poor creatures Therefore though we are sure that God will vindicate His own Name to purpose ere long under so much reproach yet in the dread of that Name we appeal unto the Lord who will be a swift witness against as if we utter these things in hypocrisie or for base ends or for any carnal personal interest whatsoever if we are not in the sincerity and simplicity of our hearts so far as we have one true grain of grace in us for Christ alone and his poor rejected Cause and People that we may ease and exonerate our selves in the sense we have of our duty herein and be withdrawn to the eye of all from partaking in the crying sins and Apostacie of the Times with all faithfulness holy awe and humility we profess and declare 1. For this Cause and Kingly interest of our Lord Jesus in England Ireland and Scotland or elsewhere according to the several Declarations of the Army sealed to with the blood of thousands of the precious Saints the cry of whose blood is for Christ according to the Declaration of the Army to Scotland pag. 36 37 38 39. who declare They were stirred up by the Lord to assist the Parliament against the King for this end To bring about the destruction of Antichrist and the deliverance of his true Church and people and upon this simple account was it that they engaged in the Wars of the three Nations against all Opposers of this work of Jesus Christ having these things singly in their eye viz. the destruction of Antichrist and advancement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and deliverance and reformation of his Church and the establishment of Christs Ordinances according to his Word and the just Civil Liberties of English-men And this they declare with the loss of many precious Saints pag. 38. That they engaged against the late King and his Monarchy as one of the ten horns of the Beast guilty of the blood of the Saints which act say they they are confident God will own against all Kingdoms or Nations that will oppose them and that will not suffer Jesus Christ to be King So pag. 39. they declare they value the Churches (b) Then owning the Congregated Churches as appears by Letters written to Mr. Feak and Mr. Simpson and the Churches that walk in fellowship with them and others c. of Christ who are the lot of Gods inheritance a thousand times beyond their own lives and that it is their duty to persevere therein to the utmost hazard of their lives and that the Lord made them instruments to vex all in his sore displeasure that take counsel against Christ whom the Lord hath anointed and decreed King And that they were not meerly the servants of man and that they not onely proclaimed Jesus Christ King of Saints to be King but that they would submit to him alone upon his own terms and admit him onely to
of Christ in the present light and work of this Generation whilst the Wicked are exalted on every side and such as were cast by taken up again Isai 49.24 25. Jer. 13.17 be of God or no 4. Whether the violence and force flattery or any other ways which are used to compel any of us against our Consciences to prostrate to mens carnal interests and to sin against the light be according to their former pretended Principles or the Word of God 5. Whether their unjust and unchristian accusations of us in the face of the world are not full of loathsome and cruel lyes whiles they spread about That we are against Magistracie Ministery Propriety Ordinances and the like Whether it be so or no we appeal to him that judgeth righteously 6. Their vexing and rising up against the Spirit of God which they call an Impostor and the false devilish fanatick spirit of Black-Fryers or Alhallows-meeting speaking blasphemously against it and that frequently wherein we appeal to the Lord to judge Whether that Spirit that is among them leading to Pride Pomp Worldliness Carnality Lying Persecution and Blaspheming or that Spirit which leads us day and night to the duty of Faith Assembling Praying Preaching Exhorting and building up in the present Truth contested against by them and to Comforting Counselling and Quickning up one another every day to hold fast our Profession without wavering to Self-denying and Mortification that we may not minde the present world nor the vanities thereof whether this Spirit our infirmities excepted or theirs which acts them be of God and which is the devillish worldly and deluding spirit Isa 63.10 2 Pet. 2.7 8. 7. Is not pomp pride and vanity in Court and elsewhere now up again in some respects more then ever so much contested and inveighed against for so many yeers together by themselves and others Whether by these amongst other things they have not opened the mouthes of the Enemies to blaspheme Christ and his Spirit to reproach his Cause and to harden their hearts And whether they have not given advantage to Ch. St. or some others to invade us our lives our relations afresh by open Wars inundations of blood and mischief so as seems to make void and uneffectual many yeers Wars with vast treasure expence and blood 8. Whereas they say we are all for Wars and would have no Peace with the nations round about we appeal to God therein whether we are not for the best safest and lasting godly Peace and were it God's will could wish no more blood might be shed Although we would not willingly see a Peace worse then War made with the nations against the Word of God Safety and Liberties of the good people for which so many have bled both by land and sea and upon such terms too as makes more for the interest of some men then for the Publike or upon such Articles as might make us blush for shame at this time of the Day and after so many out-goings of God in the midst of us as have not so much as one Article for the Lord Jesus or his Saints that are in the present work of this Generation concerning Christs Kingdom or Interest to subscribe unto Num. 33.52 53. to the end Exod. 23.32 33 34. Chap. 12.13 Upon these and many other Grounds we are induced and are resolved in the strength of Christ to keep up the Altar * Josh 22.34 ED and continue our Appeal until the Lord doth answer in justice and yet in much mercy to his poor little remnant which we are perswaded will be speedily as Luke 18.7 8. And if men will yet needs blinde their eyes and harden their hearts we could wish it be not to their destruction yet we do bless our heavenly Father that hath opened our eyes and kept our feet from falling with them that we can so comfortably see the things that concern our best peace according to the Law and the Testimony in the sure Word of Prophecie Blessed be JEHOVAH Amen Amen 3. But thirdly and lastly for that we finde much Misunderstanding among some and Misrepresentations among most of the Fifth Monarchy or Kingdom of Christ in the Nations which the holy Scriptures both in the Old and New Testament do clearly and plentifully declare with a positive period to the Worldly Heathenish Laws Ordinances and Constitutions of men as they are now executed in the Nations of the world And whereas it is also upon the hearts of many of the choice servants of God that in this present Age the Lord JEHOVAH is setting up the fifth Kingdom as Dan. 2.44 7.22 26 27. Zech. 21. which shall not be left to other people but shall break in pieces all the four kingdoms and remain for ever and ever and that at this time when as the fourth Monarchy is partly broken in these Nations that Christ may be the onely Potentate the King of kings and of all Nations 1 Tim. 6.15 Micah 4.7 Zech. 9.9 10. Col. 1.16 Heb. 2.8 Rev. 11.15 17. Chap. 14. 19. Chap. 15.16 Now finding this the present Truth so much opposed by the National Rulers and their Clergie yea and by some godly people and Church-members accounted Orthodox who cannot endure this day of Christs coming We therefore are resolved according to the presence and assistance of the Lord with us to entertain a serious Consideration and Debate for the benefit of all others touching the premises viz. of the Laws Subjects Extent Rise Time Place Offices and Officers of the fifth Monarchy or Kingdom whereby the World must be governed according to the Word of God without the mixture as now is of Mens Laws and Inventions whether in respect of Magistracie or Ministery Church or Civil affairs which Debate we intend to hold once a week in this City of London And we desire our beloved brethren which are one with us in the present Truth and sufferings whether in Churches or out whether in City or Country that are enlightned to take special notice of it for this end that they may enjoy the like freedom with us in those Meetings and Debates as often as they please to come And if the Lord give us the liberty we do purpose to proceed with the Debate of it from this day onward until we have taken up a full and clear Narrative thereof so far as shall appear to us out of the Scriptures fit to publish to the view of all men that our Principles in that point of the fifth Monarchy may be fully known with desire to know what any of our Adversaries now against us shall have to say to us or to our Principles therein who are contented with all our souls the Lord knows to be convinced of any Errour or Mistakes by the Word of Truth But we think not imprisoning or persecuting us a competent or fit way to convince our consciences if we were in Errours as they pretend And although we need no Law of men to allow us this Liberty it being our Birth-right in Christ among Christians and so fully warranted by the Word of God and practice of Primitive Saints yet if we should condescend to the Captious of our times we could tell them The Instrument intituled The Government of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland in the five and twentieth Article declares That Liberty shall be given to discover and confute Errour and Heresie and whatsoever is contrary to sound doctrine All which the Engager fol. 46. hath promised in the presence of God to observe and cause to be observed to his power subscribed O. CROMWEL In the mean time men would do well to take heed of blaspheming reproaching Christ his Spirit and his Monarchy as they do daily for which our hearts are grieved within us and to search the Scriptures whether these things be so or no. For as the Lord Cromwel writes in his own Letter to the Kirk of Scotland The Word of the Lord may be to some a word of judgement that they may fall backward and be broken and snared and taken there may be a spiritual fulness which the world may call a drunkenness or giddiness Act. 2. O that we might beseech such in the bleeding bowels of Christ crucified before our eyes to think it possible they may be mistaken Though the Great Ones and Wise Ones Priests and Rulers Scribes and Pharisees and Orthodox Professors so accounted of the times were all on their side yet a little handful of the weak ones may have the Truth though but the despised persecuted truth on their side And we do in the tenderness of our hearts and affections to all that are faithful beg of them in the Name of the Lord Jesus who is coming to raign righteously and gloriously that they will have nothing to do with them that are guilty of so great sins lest partaking of their sins they partake also of their Plagues And we hope the Lord will enable us to undergo the sharpness of this Day for our dear Christ and his Cause through the Reproaches Imprisonments Persecutions unjust Charges uncivil Raylings or un-Gospel Carriages which 〈◊〉 have or are like to meet with whether less or more so we may drink out of Christ's Cup and pledge our Master who first drank to us the bitter Potion We shall close at present with our heartiest Prayers and Supplications That God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ would in his due time cast down all those carnal earthly cruel and political Combinations of men of all sorts that would not have him to Reign over us but set up themselves and their own corrupted Interests in the room of that Scepter of righteousness which he hath given into the hands of his dear Son that he would by his Spirit resting and abiding upon you and us keep up all our hearts in a constant and patient waiting for his coming till he comes Even so come quickly Lord Jesus come quickly After this Copie is subscribed you are desired to return it with all speed possible to your affectionate friend and brother in our Lord Jesus