his Bishops and Ministers to perswade Prince and people to heare and beleeve the Gospel by his word and spirit and as Ambassadors for him to beseech both Prince and people to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 6.20 and not as Tyrants to force and constraine them by persecution At â—y thousand Ambassadors Martyrs of Christ hath Bishops caused to bee slaine since Christ ascended Mark 13.9 Persecution destroys Christians but not errors Thirdly because through persecution it will come to passe that the Ambassadors of the onely spirituall Lord and King Iesus may he persecuted and imprisoned burned hanged or banished for delivering the message of their gracious Lord sincerely and often both to Prince and people which to doe is a more hainous fact then to persecute the Ambassadors of the greatest King and Prince in the world for in stead of hereticks they shall as they have already burn banish and hang the Ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ who doth choose out whom he pleaseth to beare his name before Kings and Rulers for a testimoniall to them Fourthly because then we cannot say we have the liberty of the Gospel in our Land seeing where that is there is no persecution for any difference in Religion nor forcing of the conscience to beleeve the Gospel except by the word and spirit of God onely the which do wound and kill the errors of men and not their persons 2 Cor. 10.4 1 Tim. 1.13 15. Luke 9.53.55 Persecutors rebuked of Christ Fifthly because Christ came into the world to save sinners and not to destroy them though they be blasphemers seeing the Lord may convert them as he did Saul after called Paul and though they have difference in Religion or will not heare nor beleeve in Christ that they may be converted yet ought you not to persecute them seeing Christ rebuketh such his Father sent him not into the world to condemn the world but to save it be ye followers therefore of Christ and not of Antichrist in gathering people to the faith 1 Cor. 10 32. Col. 4.5 Sixthly because then you shall not walke wisely towards them that are without as the Scripture teacheth but shall offend also the Iewes and all other strangers who account it tyranny to have their consciences forced to religion by persecution Seventhly because if persecution bee not laid downe and liberty of conscience set up then cannot the Jews nor any strangers nor others contrary minded be ever converted in our Land for so long as they know aforehand that they shall be forced to beleeve against their consciences they will never seek to inhabit there by which means you keep them from the Apostolique faith if the apostolique faith be only taught where persecution is Eighthly because if freedom of conscience be not set up and persecution laid down then all the Kings subjects and all strangers inhabiting the Land that shall beleeve the Apostolique faith must depart the land to some free country or else abide the danger of burning banishing Persecution does make many strangers hanging and imprisoning the first will be a great impoverishing and weakning of our land besides a losse of the faith fullest subjects and friends The second will provoke the Lord to wrath by spilling the blood of his faithfull servants ambassadors and witnesses and also open the mouths of all strangers to speake yet more lamentably of the cruel and bloody persecution of our Land Ninthly because if persecution continue then the King and State shall have against their wils many dissemblers in authority and office both in Court City and Country yea no man of any degree shall know whether they are all faithfull and true Christians that are about him and with whom he hath to doe seeing most men will conforme themselves for feare of persecution although in their hearts they hate and detest the Religion whereto they are forced by law the which is very dangerous and hurtfull both to King and State in time of temptation from beyond the seas and in rebellion at home for they that are not faithfull to God in their Religion will never be faithfull to the King and State in their allegiance specially being tryed by a great reward or by a mighty rebell but wil to encrease their honors revenues conform themselves and some to save their honors land goods and lives will yeeld and submit though against their wils even as they have done in case of Religion for through forcing men to Church by persecution the true hearted subjects are forced out of the Land and out of the world some banished others burn'd hang'd and imprisoned to death Tenthly because then Persecution causes many religions in the Church if there be many religions in the land as it is well known there are it will come to passe through the continuance of persecution that many religions will be continued in the Church seeing all are forced to Church who bring their Religions with them as well as their bodies whereby all their devotion is against their consciences and all the Church is a confused Babel Rev. 18.2.4 full of every uncleane and hatefull bird even a bold of foule Spirits as the Scripture speaketh out of which the people of God are commanded to flee lest as of their sins they be also partakers of their plague And the Bishops the authors of persecution are very ignorant to think that when they have gotten people to their Church by persecution that then they have gotten them to their faith and Religion Better were it to have many religions in the land then in the Church the which is nothing so for most people though contrary minded to save life and goods will dissemble their Religion as for example the Jews in Spain and Portugal and the Papists Reformists and others in England but when they come hither or to some other free City or Counrry where praised be God is liberty of the Gospel then they shew that before they dissembled to avoid the cruell persecution of our Land Moreover the Bishops bewray great ignorance when they perswade the King and Parliament to force Prince and people to Church by persecution for if that be the means to come to the Church of Christ then Christ hath taught us to flee the means of salvation seeing hee hath taught us to flee persecution Mat. 10.23 Christ teacheth to flee persecution ergo it cannot possible be good Mat 7. 13. Note see 2 Tim. 3.3 4. the which the Bishops and their Ministers perswade to be a great means to bring men to the Church Indeed I confesse it is the onely meanes to bring Prince and people to the false church and therfore Christ teacheth us to flee that means least through persecution which is a great temptation we be constrained to goe the broad way which is the false Church that leadeth to destruction and many go in thereat and no marvail for there men may bee any thing except
when they com there for God giveth a blessing onely to his own ordinance and abhorreth Antichrists And Kings are to think that they are men as well as Kings Act. 9.15 1 Tim. 2.1.2 1. Cor. 7.2.22 Wise 6.1.8 and that Christ hath ordained that same meanes of faith for Kings which he hath for subjects and that subjects are Christs freemen as well as Kings subjects and Kings that beleeve are Christs Servants even as subjects are Kings servants and both are bought with a price therefore both ought not to bee the servants of men in matter of faith and religion but Kings shall give a greater account at the day of judgment then their subjects to judge men now for religion is to judge afore the time also to sit in the judgment seat of Christ to whom onely it belongeth yet not before the day appointed how much lesse to Kings and Bishops Rom. 2.16 Act. 10.42 I read that Constantine the Emperor called the great wrote to the Bishop of Rome that he would not force constraine any man to the faith but onely admonish commit the judgment to God Christs kingdom is not of this world Ioh. 18 36.10.17 therefore may it not be purchased nor defended with the weapons of this world but by his word and spirit no other weapons hath he given to his Church which is his spirituall kingdom Therefore Christ saith Mat. 18.17 He that wil not heare the church let him he to thee as a heathen and a publicane Ephes 6.10.17 he saith not burne banish or imprison him that is Antichrists ordinance And though a man be an heretick yet ought he not to be burnt but to be rejected after once or twice admonition Tit. 3.10 that is cast out of the Church but as in the church of Rome people of all sorts are by persecution forced there into by the Bishops Ministers thereof so it is in the Church of England also which sheweth that the Bishops Ministers of Rome England are of one spirit in gathering people to their faith and church which is the spirit of Satan who knoweth welth at his kingdom the false Church would greatly decay if persecution were laid down seeing himself cannot stand before the word and spirit of God much lesse his Bishops Ministers therefore he wil have them for a name and shew to use the word of God but indeed if the false interpretation and alledging of the Scriptures wil not help then saith he constrain them with fire and sword or else if people have libertie of conscience they will try the spirits which of them is of God as the Apostle John teacheth and then saith he the Prince as well as people will try all things 1 Ioh. 4.1 and keepe that which is good and wil also prove themselves as the Apostle Paul teacheth whether they are in the Apostolike faith or not 2 Cor. 13. 5 as the Church of Rome provoketh the Magistrates to persecute to death such as are excommunicated out of her so doth the Church of England provoke the Magistrats to persecute to death such as she excommunicates And as the Bishops and Ministers of Rome will perswade the prince and people to heare and read none but themselves so do the Bishops and Ministers of of England also but the Bishops and Ministers of the Apostolick church doe perswade all men to prove and try the Spirits whether they are of God which they cannot doe except they heare and read other mens doctrines as well as the Bishops and their Ministers neither can they if they would so long as the Bishops have power from the King and State to silence and imprison c. all Preachers and to burne all books which teach not their doctrines Your Majesty and Parliament shall understand that all those that confesse freely without compulsion that Iesus is the Messiah 1 John 5.1 1 Joh. 4.2 1 Cor. 12.13 the Lord and that he came in flesh are to be esteemed the children of God and true christians seeing such are born of God and no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost therefore not to be persecuted And as Abel killed not Cain but was killed himself and as Isaac and Iacob did not persecute Ismael and Esau but was persecuted of Ismael and Esau who Gal. 4.29 and Cain were figures of all persecuters so the beleeving doe not persecute the unbeleeving nor the true Church the fals but the beleeving and true Church are as they have been most often persecuted themselves of whom Abel Isaac and Jacob were figures whose children are all beleevers and freemen that stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free Gal. 5.1 and will not be tangled with the yoke of bondage no not with circumcision much lesse with the discipline and doctrine of the Church of Rome whose Bishops are able Ministers of the fire and sword both to Prince and people as many Histories doe lamentably witnes to their utter infamy and overthrow also if the beleeving should persecute the unbeleeving to death who should remaine alive then none but the beleeving should live in the world and the unbeleeving should dye in their unbelief and so perish for ever the Lord will not that the beleeving should live to the destruction of the unbeleeving but unto their conversion edification and salvation And by persecuting of Prince and people to death because they will not heare and beleeve is no gaining of souls unto God but unto the devill And whereas ignorant and wicked Bishops may think to win souls by killing Prince and people for Religion they are deceived greatly for thereby they lose many souls viz. their own and the unbeleeving their own they lose because they wilfully break the Lords Commandement that saith Thou shalt not kill Luk. 18.20 meaning such as are not corporall malefactors and the others which dye in their unbeleef they confesse themselves are eternally lost except they as some of their ministers hold a redemption after this life And the Bishops should know that error and heresie cannot be killed by the fire and sword but by the word and spirit of God that is the onely weapons of Christs Bishops and Ministers and such only Christs ministers do use whose lives and conversations are so harmles holy and gentle that thereby and by their deaths and sufferings they win many souls unto God whereby they are known from all false Bishops and ministers who like wolves and beares not like sheepe and lambs make prey and devour both Prince and people that are not of their kind if they be able to master them Besides may it please your Majesty and Parliament to understand that the beleeving man that hath an unbeleeving wife 1 Cor. 7.16 and the beleeving woman that hath an unbeleeving husband cannot live together as the Scripture teaches for the salvation of the unbeleeving if they be
good Christians for besides Demos the worldling and Hymeneus the blasphemer and many other sorts of indifferent Christians excommunicants covetous and profane persons there are notable Rebels and Traytors yea most cruell and desperate Traytors and Rebels as Digby Catesby Piercy c. whose unread and unheard treachery will never be forgotten which persons if they had not bin forced to Church against their consciences had never enterprized such horrible and hatefull treason And the Bishops should understand that it is preaching and not persecuting that getteth people to the Church of Christ for the Scripture saith Rom. 10.17 Faith is by hearing and bearing by the word of God and not by the sword of Princes and Magistrates as they perswade and practice And therefore the Bishops of our land are truly called Antichrists for by their beastly and bloody persecution as well as by their blasphemous titles erroneous doctrines and popish government may they justly be termed Antichrists Mat. 24. 2 Thes 2. 1 Tim. 4. 2 Pet. 2. Eleventhly because Christ foretold That many false Christs and false Prophets should arise and deceive many yea if it were possible the very elect and the Apostle Paul did prophecy a departure from the faith And Peter said There should be false teachers now among the people And John said the Kings should give their power and authority unto the beast Rev. 57.13 17 untill the words of God be fulfilled therefore if persecution be not laid downe and liberty of the Gospel set up you may persecute the true Christians in stead of the false as your predecessors have done for they are now like as they were then the smallest number and the false Christians are now like as they were then the greatest number and persecution is a notable mark of the false Church and her Bishops and ministers Gal. 2.3 4. 5.11 6.12 and therefore Christ would have us flee from it who overcame the devill and his Ministers by the word of God and by a good meek and gentle life whose steps his Bishops and Ministers ought to follow Twelfthly because persecution of such as do preach and teach Christ is a great hinderance to the liberty of the Gospel Note False Bishops reach Turkes and Pagans to persecute Christians For thereby are the Iews Turks and Pagans occasioned and encouraged to persecute likewise all such as preach and teach Christ in their Dominions For if christian Kings and Magistrates will not suffer Christians to preach and preach the Gospel of Christ freely and peaceably in their Dominions how should you expect it of the infidells unto whom Bishops and christian Kings and Magistrates ought to give a good example and not an evill as to burn banish hang and Imprison peaceable and godly christians that are no traytors nor theeves nor fighters nor manslayers nor yet swearers nor drunkards nor whoremasters nor such like And the King and Parliament may please to permit all sorts of Christians yea Jews Turks and Pagans so long as they are peaceable and no malefactors as is above-mentioned which if they be found to be under two or three witnesses let them be punished according to Gods word also if any be found to be willing lyers false accusers false alledgers and quoters of the Scriptures or other mens writings as some men willingly do let them be punished according to right and justice it is due desert no persecution but let Gods word have his ful and free passage among them all even to the end of their lives in all bountifulness long-sufferance and patience knowing that it is ordained of Gods rich mercy to lead the infidels and such as erre unto repentance and amendment Rom. 2.4 2 Tit. 2.25 out of the snare of the devil of whom they are taken and deceived Thirteenthly because persecution for Religion is to force the conscience and to force and constrain men and womens consciences to a Religion against their wils is to tyranize over the soul as well as over the body and herein the Bishops commit a greater sin then if they force the bodies of women and maids against their wills yea 2 Cor. 11.2 herein they are more cruell and greater tyrants then the Turks False Bishops worse then Turks and Pagans who though they force the bodies of strangers to slavery and bondage yet they let the conscience go free yea to Christians that are so contrary to them in Religions but these Idol-bishops will force the consciences of Christians their own naturall Countrymen Note False Bishops spirituall fornication 2 Thess 2.4 1 Cor 6.19 20. and 2 Cor. 6.16 17. with Rev. 18.4 2 Pet. 2.1 1 Pet. 1.19 even unto spirituall bondage and slavery and herein they commit fornication both with Prince and people and have made all both small and great to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads so that no man may buy or sell save he that will goe to Church and submit to the Bishops ordinances and name and mark of their beastly and bloody persecution through which as God they sit in and reigne over the consciences both of Prince and people which is the spirituall seat and temple of God bought at a dear price even with the precious blood of their onely spirituall Lord Jesus Messiah the true Shepheard and bishop of their soules And the Bishops in forcing men and womens consciences doe therein play the Antichrist so well as the Popes and indeed there is never a Bishop in the land but is a Pope for Pope in latin is Papa and Papa signifieth Father in English all the Bishops in our land are called reverend Fathers therefore all the Bishops in our land are called reverend Popes so many Lord Bishops so many reverend Fathers so many reverend Popes If Idolaters ought to be slain then ought all those that submit and yeeld spirituall obedience and reverence unto these Bishops to be slain who then should remain in land alive Rev. 17.13 and these are all so many Antichrists so many Idols and so many false Gods of England how many are thy Gods whom thou dost serve For whose spirituall adoration the knee of every man and woman must bow or else they shall be persecuted unto whom the King ought not any longer to give his authority and power lest hee fulfill the Scripture which saith that Kings should give their power and authority unto the beast Fourteenthly because the burning banishing hanging and imprisoning of men and women by Protestants for difference of Religion do justifie the burning banishing and imprisoning of men and women by the Papists for difference of religion even as the Papists doe justifie the Turks and Pagans in such like cruelty and tyranny wherein now is the Protestants more mercifull then the Papists or the Papists then the Turks Therefore as the Papists when they complain of the Turks and Pagans for their bloody persecution doe therein condemn themselves because they