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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76085	The second part of that book call'd Independency not Gods ordinance: or the post-script, discovering the uncharitable dealing of the Independents towards their Christian brethren, with the jugglings of many of their pastors and ministers, to the misleading of the poor people to the detriment of their own souls, and the hurt both of church and state, with the danger of novelties in religion; proving that Independency, is one of the most dangerous sects, that ever appeared in the world, since mortality inhabited the earth. In the which also there is a satisfactory answer given to the principall cavils of him that writ that railing pamphlet, stil'd The falshood of Mr Will. Prynnes Triumphing in the antiquity of popish princes and parliaments. With Doctor Bastvvicks just defence against some calumnies in way of preface. / By John Bastvvick, Dr in Physick.; Independency not Gods ordinance. Part 2	Bastwick, John, 1593-1654.	1645 (1645)	Wing B1069; Thomason E287_9; ESTC R200091	93,218	111

listen after it The same may be said of all the former Christians and Martyrs in Ages past and of all our glorious Martyrs here in England some of which were haled before King Henry the eighth and others in Queen Maries dayes before all the Tribunals before the Judges and Rulers of the Land by which means as they gave evidence unto the truth and sealed it with their blood so it was one of the principall causes of first propagating the Protestant Religion through the Kingdome and of afterwards establishing of it here whereas if they had never been questioned for their consciences by all likelyhood it would only have remained in some corners of the Kingdome and in some private Families and never have been publickly authorized For the confirmation of all I have now said the places above cited and Christs own words might sufficiently evince But it will not be amisse to hear Pauls testimony concerning this point whose witnesse I conceive is more to be credited then all the Independents put together much lesse then this Bablers He in 2 Tim. chap. 2. vers 9. speaking by the Spirit of God concerning persecution saith Wherein I suffer trouble saith he as an evill doer unto bands but the Word of God is not bound and in 2 Tim. chap. 4. vers 7. The Lord stood with mee and strengthned mee that by mee the preaching might be fully known that all the Gentiles might heare c. Out of the which words we may observe two things First that the Apostle suffered for his conscience not for evill doing Secondly that his suffering notwithstanding hindred not the preaching of the Gospell to all Nations for he himself affirmeth the contrary saying That by his bonds the Word of God was not bound and by this his questioning and persecution the preaching of the Gospel was made fully knowne that all the Gentiles might hear c. I refer it therefore to the judgement of any learned and intelligible man whether we ought rather to believe the Spirit of God speaking in Paul or this Chatter of uncircumcised ears and lips And Paul in Acts 20.22 23. saith And now behold I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem not knwing the things that shall befall me there save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying that bonds and afflictions abide me The same also was foretold unto him by Agabus in Chap. 21. vers 11. Yet Pauls bonds neither in Jerusalem nor in any other City and his being questioned for matters of conscience about the Resurrection before Foelix King Agrippa and Festus hindred not the propagation of the Gospell to all Nations as this Jangler would infer for Paul himself testifying the contrary in his Epistle to the Philippians chap. 1. vers 12 13. But I would ye should understand Brethren saith the Apostle that the things that hapned unto me speaking there of persecution have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the Gospell so that my bonds for Christ are manifest in Caesars Court and in all other places By this testimony also of Paul it is evident that the persecution for cause of conscience rather furthereth the preaching of the Gospell to all Nations then hindreth it as is yet more manifest through the whole story of the Acts as for one instance chap. 8. vers 4. where it is said That they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the Word And all Ecclesiasticall histories testifie the same so that by this that I have now said and many more evidences that might be produced it is clear that persecution for cause of conscience imposes not an impossibility that by it the Gospel should be preached to all Nations For persecution is the Bellowes of the Gospell driving every spark of truth into a flame So that all judicious men may see the vanity and invalidity of this Cavillers first assertion And this shall suffice to have been spoken of that Now I come to prove my second conclusion viz. That persecution for cause of conscience hindreth not the growth of grace and knowledge in the Saints yea it is so far from hindring Christians from growing in knowledge and from one measure and degree of faith unto another as this fond Babler in his second assertion would inferre as it every way improves their graces and knowledge as we may see in those in Heb. 11. concerning some of which the Lord giveth this testimony vers 34 35 c. Who through faith quenched the violence of the fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weaknesse were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the armies of the Aliens And others were tortered not accepting deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection And others had triall of cruell mockings scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment They were stoned they were sawne asunder were tempted were slaine with the sword they wandred about in Sheepskins and Goatskins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthie they wandred in Deserts and in Mountains and in Dens and Caves of the Earth and all these having obtained a good report through faith received not the promise c. All these thrived rather by their afflictions and persecutions and increased in grace and out of weaknesse were made strong if we may believe the Scripture The same is also affirmed concerning afflictions persecution for conscience sake in Rom. 8. where Paul saith Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword as it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep to the slaughter nay in all these things we are more then conquerours through him that loved us By this witnesse of the Apostle persecution which has been the lot of the Saints all the day long that is to say in all ages is so far from hindring the increase of grace and the degrees of faith that it makes them more then conquerours through him that loved us And Peter writing to his counntrey men that by persecution were scattered and dispersed through Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithinia affirmeth the same who in chap. 1. vers 5 6 7 c. saith That they were kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time wherein meaning persecution ye greatly rejoyce saith he though for a season if need be ye are in heavinesse through many temptations that the triall of your faith being much more precious then that of gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be found unto praise and honour and glorie at the appearing of Jesus Christ who having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glorie receiving the end of your hope even the salvation of your soules And in chap. 3. vers 14 15. But if ye suffer

in Jerusalem after the preaching of the Gospell and in the Apostles times as were before of the Jews for they after they were Christians continued still to assemble themselves if not dayly every Sabbath day at least in their Synagogues as they were wont to do where the Apostles were all so taken up in preaching as they had no leisure for reciprocall salutations and therefore of necessity there were more congregations in the Church of Jerusalem and a greater multitude of Christians them could all meet in any one or a few places even as it was here in England in King Edwards and Queen Elizabeths dayes as I specified before there was no fewer congregations and assemblies of Protestants in London then was before of Papists for as many Parish Churches as there were in the city of London so many severall congregation of Protestants there were then through the city and they that profest Popery before did now imbrace the Protestant Religion and made so many congregations and severall Churches of Protestants as there were congregations of Papists before and as it would be accounted great absurdity yea a ridiculous thing in any man to affirm that there was but as many Protestants in London in King Edward his time or in Queen Elizabeths dayes as could all meet in one place or in one congregation so to any understanding and intelligible man it is as absurd to conclude that there were no more christians and beleevers in Jerusalem then could all meet in one place and congregation when the Scripture it self affirmeth that all Jerusalem was turned Christians and had their meetings and assemblies in the Temple and in every house and that there was many assemblies there and it stands with all reason that if there had been but one Congregation of beleevers in Jerusalem when Paul went to visit Peter that then he of necessity should have seen some at least of the other Apostles besides Peter and Iames for without doubt Paul was dayly among the Christians a preaching to them in their Synagogues or meeting places and the other Apostles also whose duty it was to be continually taken up in praying and preaching amongst them would not so long a time have layen idle and private but in that neither Paul saw them not the Apostles Paul it is a sufficient Argument to prove there were many congregations and assemblies of beleevers in Ierusalem which so imployed them all in their severall Ministeries as they had no time for mutuall visits and that was the onely cause that hindred them from saluting one another so that I conceive by that which I have now said all understanding men will gather that there were more congregations of beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem then one and that all these severall assemblies made but one Church and were all governed by the joynt consent and common councell of one Presbytery whatsoever the Independent Ministers perswade the poor deluded people to the contrary for the upholding of their imaginary Presbyterian Government which is against all Scripture Antiquity Reason and Ordinary sense And therefore I may boldly assert in their dealing with their severall Congregations when they set before them their Churches of Ierusalem Ephesus c. as consisting of but one Congregation and Assembly a peece they juggle with them for no other end but to make themselves Lords and masters of them and to get the Soveraignty in time over the people into their own hands while they would seem to be their servants And therefore it highly concerns all men that desire the peace and welfare of Church and state duly to weigh and seriously to consider the danger of Schisms and rents in either which ought to move them to study by all means how rather they make up the breaches already made and how now to unite themselves together in love and unity against the common enemies of them both then to follow such blind leaders and guides as by their factions and fractions will bring us all into the pit of destruction and expose us and our posterities to as great misery and slavery both for souls and bodies as ever Nation groaned under And as it is the duty of every private Christian in his particular family to teach and instruct his children and servants in the nurture and fear of the Lord and with all singular care to purge his house of all such as may misleade them and seduce and corrupt them that are in their tender years and not well grounded in the principalls of Religion to give them speciall charge to haunt no such places and company as by which they may be viciated in their manners or poysoned with fals and erronious doctrines and opinions as the Word of God commands both in the Old and New Testament So it is the duty of all Magistrates and Ministers in their severall places who are the Pastors of the people the one for their bodily preservation and the common peace and the other for their spirituall good to joyn together for the setting up of Gods true Worship Government and Service in all Cities Towns and Parishes through the Kingdome the one by their power and authority and the other by lifting up their voyce like a Trumpet as all the holy Prophets and Apostles did in all their generations against all false teachers and to warn the people under their severall charges to take heed of them and shun them as they either desire Gods glory their own eternall Salvation or the publike present good and the prosperity and tranquility of their off-spring in succeeding ages and to be as sedulous and diligent in suppressing errours and schisms as all the godly Magistrates and faithfull Ministers have been in their severall times whose praises for this their good work is frequently recorded in holy writ and in all the Ecclesiasticall Records to their eternall honour and renoune and for our instruction And truely if the examples of the holy Prophets blessed Apostles and godly Magistrates and of all the deer servants of God whose names and fames are glorious to all posterity in the holy Word of God will not move us then at least let us learn of the very enemies of the Papists Sectaries and Hereticks in all precedent and fore-going Generations for they as all histories and dayly experience teacheth us not onely labour to remove all such out of their families and Churches as be of a contrary opinion to them but study also to exterminate them out of their very territories if they have strength or policy so to do And if none of their examples may yet perswade us to our duty then let the example of all those that now differ from us in opinion but in the matter of government teach us what to do in this point for they will not willingly entertain any into their families that is not of their own minde and opinion nor suffer their children to be instructed in any other way then their own and shun in as

to contaminate the reputation of those that have deserved so well from us and therefore all such as have neither a bridle for their tongues nor their unruly passions ought to have a bit put in their mouthes to teach them better manners more humanity and gratitude But this has ever bin the practice of all the enemies of God his government in all ages to make all his Servants the holy Prophets yea Christ himself and his blessed Apostles hatefull to the people under that notion of disturbers of all Kingdomes enemies of Caesars and of all government And this made the Popish faction in Qu. Maries dayes when they heard that those Ministers that fled out of England to Frankford in Germany and into other places intended to set up the Presbyterian government in England if the Lady Elizabeth ever came to the Crown so to bestir themselves and set their wits on work to hinder and frustrate that their intention for they said among themselves if that government were once established in the Kingdome their Catholick Religion could never get place or take rooting here any more and therefore seeing they could not take away the life of that most excellent Lady nor any way keep her from the Crown after her Sisters decease now all the policy would be to hinder that work Whereupon they suborn'd many of the most famous wits out of both Universities that under pretence of religion and zeale to the Protestant profession should flye over to Frankfort and to the other places where those Ministers were as if they had done it out of conscience and pure love to the Protestant religion and seemed in all points of doctrine to be as zealous as any of those that were there and the only desirers and advancers of the true Protestant Religion but they professed unto them that for the manner of government the Hierarchicall way of ruling the Church in their opinion the purity of religion being once established would most tend to the preservation of it as being most powerfull for the suppressing of Sects and Schismes and for the upholding also of the Kingdome and that the Presbytery would tend to nothing but the bringing in of Anarchy and what with their craft subtilty and wranglings as the Independents now do in the Assembly they so interrupted their proceedings as they could not then bring their good designe to perfection and so hindered that glorious work of Reformation for that time and all under the pretext of piety and good to the peace of the Church and Kingdome And as soon as Queen Mary was dead and that the Lady Elizabeth was preclaimed Queen of England then they all repaired home and having a strong party in the Court all seeming zealous Protestants though Papists in their hearts they commended these men as wise and moderate men and such as were lovers of Monarchies and regall government to the Queen and disgraced all those that stood for a Presbytery as such as were factious and affectors of innovation and such as were no way to be preferred to eminent places in the Church but because as they said they had suffered for their conscience they were willing they should have good Parsonages and Benefices through the Towns and Villages where they might preach to the people but they were all set in the Black Bill as men not fit to preach in Courts and as men uncapable of great places and high promotion in the Church were ever kept under as those that were seditious and not fit for Ecclesiasticall honours And all the other that were either Papists in their hearts or ill affected to the Protestant Religion though seeming Protestants were advanced to all Church-dignities and made Archbishops Bishops and Suffragates Deans Archdeacons and the Queens and Noblemens Chaplains And in a very short time they established their High Commission Court under pretence of suppressing Popery whereas they intended nothing but the rooting out in time of all true Religion and the re-establishing again of their old worm-eaten and rotten profession And they had in a good measure accomplished this their diabolicall plot and had really effected it had it not pleased our God to call this Parliament and Assembly who by their vigilancy and care frustrated this their designe And all this they then brought about by bringing the Presbytery into hatred and disgrace as the Papists themselves have often gloried and bragged among their Companions when they would shew how they had ever out-witted the Puritans And at this instant of time they have their complices that foment all these factions by whose means they labour to hinder the Presbyterian government knowing very well that if it ever be establied the Kingdome of Antichrist will never get head againe amongst us nor none of their abominable Sects have rooting in these Kingdomes but that the truth by that means will flourish maugre all the maligners of it and be propagated through the world which is the only cause that not only the Devill but all ungodly men and straglers are so inraged against the Presbyterian-government which they know is so prevalent for the suppressing of all Heresies and eronious opinions and for the curbing of all vice wickednesse and all prophanenesse as that they will never be permitted to roost in these dominations And whereas they look upon all the Presbyterians as they tell us in their writings as the enemies of JESUS CHRIST and his Kingdome I look upon all the Sticklers against the Parliament and Presbytery by what names and titles soever distinguished what seeming piety soever they make shew of as on a company of Juglers And truly as the Juglers in Saint Pauls time bewitched the foolish Galathians so these by their cunning craftinesse have infatuated too many well meaning and godly people who howsoever they have learned to forget the very lawes of civility and common charity and to condemne all those of a different opinion from themselves as enemies of Christ yet I shall ever learne to distinguish between the people that are mislead and they that seduce them for I conceive of many of them as such as desire to serve God with all sincerity and in the purest way of worshipping him and because their Teachers perswade them that these their new wayes are the wayes of God and they not being able to discern truth from error and to discover their hypocrisie are all deceived by them as the poor Widows were by the Scribes and Pharisees in Christs time who our Saviour said devoured their houses under pretence of long prayers and as they brought in the leven of their own doctrine and inventions into Gods worship and service so do the false teachers of these our times bring in their own grolleries and Baggatellies prefer their own traditions before the Commandements of God and violate all the lawes of love and charity for the establishing of the same And as ignorance in all people is the cause of error for so our blessed Saviour