preaching against the true Christ preaching against the Scribes and Pharisees and they affirming him to be a deceiver And I dare maintain that what they preach contrary to what we preach in publick if they do to be contrary to sound doctrine Object You say you do nothing but what is good you set open the great doors and little doors not caring who sees who heareth you Answ 1. Admit that what is preached is good yet it is not well done good things should be well done according to rule and order 2. The Tree is known by the fruits and by your such Meetings we see the publick Ordinances slighted neglected contemned 3. I cannot accuse what is delivered in your Meetings but if it is contrary to what we preach in publick it is not good doctrine And let me tell you that John of Leyden infused his dangerous opinions in private Meetings and how our Mr. Thrask in publick preached sound truths but in his private Meetings he did indoctrinate his followers with his pernicious principles Object They who preach to us in private Meetings are pious men the other are profane vicious scandalous Answ 1. If this be true that some of us are such we are sorry for it yea such we will not justifie and when was it otherwise nor is all done by the other justifiable 2. There are more sins than swearing and drunkenness who can forget the swarms of sins in our late Tragedies and who were actors of many of them in it 3. For the present Are not despising of Authority disobedience Cobler of Gloc. to wholsom Laws sins from which are these men free 4. Blessed be God although we all are proclaimed to be profane and naught yet there are very many as free from idleness drunkenness swearing and such like vices and as painful pious charitable and inoffensive as the strictest in your commanded company 5. But to be plain with you All professions whilst kept under it is their interest to be orderly but when these men of late had their liberty we are able to prove the profane excesses of some of them even to publick scandal by Epicurism intemperance and uncleanness to say no more For my part I cannot think but that the respect such who are in Authority bear to themselves their care to have their Laws and Religion upholden their obedient Clergy not vilified and people kept from Atheism and rebellion will awaken them in time strictly and by severity to do that which their clemency will not do You cry out much against Popery yet your doings endeavour to bring it in and set it up it is a Jesuitical plot to sow division amongst us to make our Religion odious and that they may fish in troubled waters From a good Author I will tell you a story which is this Before our troubles one Meridith an ancient Dr. Nicols and learned Jesuit told one reconciled to the Church of Rome that in England they had been long and industrious about the work of conversion but it went on slowly and so would do until they took a wiser course Two things there were that must be done before they should bring their business to a full effect they must first find a way to remove the Bishops and Ministers in whose rooms they must bring it so about that all should have liberty to preach Then secondly they must get down the Common-prayer-Book and suffer every man to use what prayer he list And we cannot but remember how far they effected this in our sad troubles Besides if you expect such priviledge why may not they expect the same They being Christians they being subjects they and some of you being Recusants why not they their Mass as well as you your Meetings Object Why Those you hear in your Meetings have rare gifts they are pious and precious men Answ I envy no mans gifts but bless God for other mens parts and piety 2. Comparisons are odious otherwise we could say as St. Paul of the false Apostles in his time Are they thus and so so are we 3. The forbidden fruit without doubt was excellent yet it had been good for our first Parents to have contented themselves with their allowed Trees and fruits Many mens Wives and Diet come short of other mens yet it is fit their own should content them 4. Blessed be God your allowance is large you may hear every week three Sermons in an approved way and none of them to be contemned And as for Popish Priests do you not think theâ— will say for their Priests and Jesuits the same that you do for your Preachers you say yours are rarely gifted men great Scholars pious painful and what you will more They will not conform to the Book of Common-prayer nor observe the Orders appointed by the Church of England they will not assent and consent They can and will say the same of theirs If you say yours will take no Livings they can say the same and add not Wives neither If you say that yours live by providence going about to do good they can say theirs have no setled abiding but are sometimes here and there to promote and spread the Catholick cause and are maintained by the peoples bounty We acknowledge that we and Papists are Christians agreeing in many things for we and they acknowledge unity in Trinity but we with them acknowledge no Queen of heaven to pray unto We and they acknowledge the Scriptures to be the Word of God but we with them make not the Apocrypha Canonical We with them make the Word of God the ground of faith but we with them make not unwritten traditions of equal authority We and they agree in admitting doctrinal traditions agreeing with Scripture or thence deduced yea ritual for order and decency left to the disposition of the Church although but of positive and humane right they not being childish nor accounted parts of God's Worship nor with opinion of merit nor burdensom for multitude But we with them believe not traditions obtruded as Articles of Religion grounds of faith and parts of God's Worship they not being deduced from Scripture by inference nor expresly commanded such we reject We and they receive and believe the three Creeds but we with them receive not the Creed of Trent We and they believe the true God is to be worshipped in Spirit and truth we with them believe not that he is to be worshipped by Images We and they believe that we are to pray with fervency and sincerity but we with them pray not in an unknown tongue We and they pray to God but we with them do not pray to Saints and Angels We and they acknowledge Christ to be our Mediator of redemption and intercession but we with them do not at all rely upon the intercession and merits of Saints and Angels We and they do honour Saints departed but we with them do not worship them We and they do urge to good works we as necessary
the Gospel 5. It contradicts the practise of Christianity 6. It is opposite to the calling of Ministers 7. It is contrary to common prudence to go in suspected ways 8. It dissents from the Rules of Humanity to fight against him who so long preserved us 9. It is against nature it self to consent to our own destruction 10. It is against reason to go in a way in which all who are gone before us have perished 11. It is against our Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy 12. And it brings in and sets up Popery and Popish doctrine For example 1. The doctrine of resisting Kings is Popery 2. To place infallibility of judgment in man as the Papists in the Pope These in the Parliament 3. Papists believe in the creature the Church These in the Parliament 4. Papists say faith is not to be kept with Hereticks These with Malignants 5. Papists believe it to be meritorious to die in their holy War as they call it These believe the same of those who die for the cause 6. Both consent in the doctrines of pious frauds 7. Papists press the precepts of men These the Ordinances of Parliament 8. Papists would have all to submit to the Pope These to the Parliament 9. Both agree in violence and cruelty in his hearing he saith he heard one say It was good to assist the Parliament way for if the King prevailed we should find favour if they prevail we shall have cruelty 10. Both have the spirit of Antichrist causing men to deny the truth they had learned and professed 11. And in the point of defamation they are as dexterous as Papists for upon a sudden they can do that against a godly Minister which the Devil in many years was not able to do making him seem scandalous so odious Thus he I know what is pleaded for resistance and taking up of arms namely Obj. 1 If subjects may not resist then they must obey unlawful commands contrary to Act. 5. 29. Answ Active obedience is to be given to their lawful commands Passive when they command things unlawful So we are Dan. 3. 17. 6. 7. alwayes to obey by executing their will actively or by submitting to the punishment passively If an Emperor be a Nero or Caligula what warrant then to take up arms against such a King against whom envy it self could not fasten any aspersions Obj. 2 They said they took not up arms against the King but against his evil Councellors Answ This is a new coyn'd distinction to cover the ugly face of rebellion And it is a vain distinction for to oppose his Councellors is to oppose him And it is certain Governours are not to be resisted But why then were not these 1 P â— 1. 2. 3 evil men named why not demanded that they might be legally punished Why The sequel shew'd it was against the King himself Mr. John Blackleach in his endeavours Printed 1650. justifieth John Goodwin for justifying the murder of the King Pag. 53. and pag. 54. he affirms that they did not take away the life of the King but of one that had been King and hoped so to have been again And G. W. in his Resp Anglic. pag. 32. saith That the Parliament finding him the King the evil Councellor a settled and obstinate Tyrant And pag. 41. for a Parliament and State to call a Tyrant to an account is not unlawful Obj. 3 That they did was in obedience to publick command Answ Obedience is due and to be yielded to authority but then the Authority must be lawful not like Sheba's And 2 Sam. 20. 12. the thing commanded lawful They had neither who resisted the King Obj. 4 If subjects may not resist then it seems Kings may do what they will Answ Shall we reject the Word of God for seeming inconveniences God commands us to obey and shall we pretend inconveniences Besides Kings are not at such liberty but accountable to God And subjects have many remedies exhortations disswasives and reproofs by their Nathans to their Davids prayer flight Obj. 5 But if Kings command to worship Devils should we not resist should we obey Answ Devil-worship was commanded by Emperors yet Christians took up no arms for the matter they betook themselves 1 Cor. 10. 20. 1 Pet. 4. 12 13. to prayers and patient suffering according to Scripture Obj. 6 But what if the Government is in danger by evil managing Answ We are enjoyned obedience upon a great penalty let us in obedience perform our part and leave the ordering of all to God there coming many and greater inconveniences by Rom. 13. 5 taking liberty to resist making inferiors to over-rule their superiors the subjects their Prince Nor can there be greater inconveniences in a family or a Kingdom than when there is no obedience but to what seems good in mens own eyes Our Saviour shews what follows the dividing of a Kingdom against it self The self of a Common-wealth is the Maâ—k 3. 21 Law thereof the common surety between Governour and governed The self of a Kingdom is the Religion of a Kingdom The self of a Church is doctrine and discipline the one as the Corn the other as the Hedge which like body and soul must not be divided Resisting lawful Authority in lawful things makes such divisions brings strange inconveniences I will conclude this propounding five things to your considerations 1. That the same God who commands children and servants to obey in all things which are lawful their Parents and Masters commands subjects in all lawful things to obey Kings if not more since such may command both us and ours both Parents and Children An houshold is a little Common-wealth and a Common-wealth is a great houshold Governours of houses may and do expect obedience from their inferiors so Magistrates from them We are to do as we would be done by 2. That Christian obedience doth greatly adorn the Gospel Tit. 2 5 â—0 1 Pet. 2. 15 16. of Christ and by it we do profess an acknowledgment of Gods Ordinance 3. That we have a great advantage by Government by Rom. 13 4 Governours they are for our good whereas Anarchy opens a window to confusion Government is for our good natural that our life and safety may be preserved for our Mr. Parre good moral that we may be brought from vice to vertue for our good civil that we may enjoy possessions and that publick honesty may be defended and for our spiritual good having God's worship established Some perhaps say good men are molested But let such know that good Magistrates are good mens nourishers bad are their tryers so for their good And if any good men are punished for good it comes from the abuse of the power However it is certain Obedience Rom. 13. 3 brings praise is a doing of good and is a good work in an high degree Tit. 3. 1 2. As if the Apostle should say no good work can be expected from him
worth or respect we have to any man but to search and see that they have a sound bottoming from the Word So we are not to wonder why the best of God's messengers cannot take men off from their unwarranted opinions The Jews retain their opinion that neither Elijah nor Christ are come The Papists retain their opinions and will die in their errors rather than embrace the truth It will be no strange thing then if I endeavouring to I neither do nor can remove you from your erroneous practises 1. In vilifying not coming to but absenting your selves from the publick prayers of the Church no not by Scriptures the testimony of holy Martyrs the hatred Papists bear to it the strictness of the Law under which we live the excellency and usefulness of it nor by the approbation the Reformed Churches give of it of all which I have made use but in vain 2. In not baptizing your children or baptizing them in an illegal and irregular way although I think I have shewed sufficient grounds and authorities and Mr. Baxters opinion which is That they who deny baptism to their children play the devils part yea do herein heinously exceed the Devil Some who admire the man will be his Interpreter saying his meaning is If they may have them baptized in his way and then will not but refuse Read his Book of Infant Church-membership through and through and you shall find no such limitting to this way or that he acknowledgeth ours to be true baptism valid and not to be reiterated And whereas some who think they know more than they do say It is the duty of parents to have their children baptized although it doth children no good such sensless silly speeches shew that some folks bolts are soon shot It is a duty and yet doth it no good Do Scriptures so highly Act. 23. 8. Rom. 6. 4. Tit. 3. 4. commend Baptism as we read and doth it no good Is it no good to be a member of Christ's Church but to be in the same condition with Turks and Pagans 3. In not coming to the Communion of which I have spoken often and at large but I see you are resolved notwithstanding I will intreat you to take notice that if your practises are erroneous as they are 1. That to be obstinate in an error is dangerous for mans salvation The ugliness of obstinacy in error doth appear from the Author of it who Mat. 5. 19. Mat. 13. 25. is not God but the Devil so obstinate errors diabolical and naturally it produceth Heresie or Schism and is such that St. Paul wished to be cut of A mutinous Soldier is Gal 5. 12. hanged when an open enemy hath fair quarter Consider also that errors in the end bring terrors such making men like children hulk on the Sea without rudder for in such a condition are such who flote on groundless errors yea errors Eph. 4. 14. make men as bones out of joint which cost groans to bring them in place again Alas what is a traveller in the night out of the way how is he troubled A Rebel out of the Kings favour how is he perplexed erroneous persons are Travellers out of the way and as Rebels out of favour Object You are deceived Papists Anabaptists Quakers we and other more you think do err are not troubled we fear not we suffer for our consciences Answ Admit some live and die confident in gross errors never fearing harms to follow So some run into the fire fearlesly and rush upon dangers desperately but they are frantick or foolish not wise and well-guided persons And that we may not err take heed of pride which provokes men to errors and factions Take heed of prejudice against any thing causelesly Take heed of covetousness Act. 8. 9. Act. 19. 32 Tit. 1. 11. truths adversary for some subvert houses for lucre sake gain perswades many to maintain errors that errors may maintain them And be we careful to this end constantly to believe what is taught you by the Scripture and conscionably to obey what is commanded you by the Church provâ—ded it be not contrary to Scripture Be careful to fasten our faith upon Scripture If Scripture saith it I will believe Gal. 1. 8. it To fasten our charity upon our Mother the Church and her directions and see that we our selves be humble for whereas many object all alledge Scripture we confess it to Mat. 4. be so The Devil himself did so yet it is certain if we will read the Scriptures carefully and faithfully hear the Church charitably and esteem of our selves modestly we shall understand Scriptures sufficiently to keep us from error Once again let me intreat you brethren not to err with any Master Some think they may safely do this or that because of such whom they follow To them I say as St. Aâ—gustine of Cyprian Although there are many things that Cyprian did excellently teach yet there are some things wherein Cyprian might have learned more than he knew So say I of some men such shall be my friends I love them well for the good service they may do but I must and do love the truth better since a wise man will not alter an ancient truth for the love he bears to the Author of any novelty Gal. 1. 8. and a good man dare not For although men are wonderfully pleased with their own conceits and their opinions must be the great Monarch to rule even the Monarchs of the world although they suppress truth to advance falshoods yet they are but like a cumbersom heap of sands a congested heap of groundless opinions good for nothing not worth any thing only fit to deceive here and to destroy hereafter a fruitlesâ— heap bearing no other fruit than to abuse our neighbour dishonour God and betray mens souls to Satan a disagreeing heap not fast joyned together Errors and falshoods may for a time be patch'd together like a beggars cloak but they continue not long united and an inconsistent heap for they who embrace errors are not long constant but run from one absurdity to another Let me therefore acquaint you how some have drawn and do draw well-meaning people into error being stirred thereunto 1. Sometimes by covetousness Paulus Samosetanus expecting preferment from the Queen of Arabia fell into such Schisms which in the end wrought his own overthrow Some men finding it an easie thing to live at another mans Table although so doing is base to a generous mind speak often things to maintain and please a faction Tit. 1. 11. Sometimes by ambition which hath often caused contention and separation because Arrius could not get the Bishopwrick of Alexandâ—ia Donatus of Carthage Aerius of Ponts they became enemies to the Church 3. Sometimes by intollerable pride working contempt of Authority the contempt of which causeth separation and mens self-love is the cause of this contempt Self-love as Lib. 14. cap. 18. decivitat Dei
prophane Schisms of the Brownists and by Mr. Paget from the testimony of the Dutch Church and of the Magistrates of Amsterdam instancing in Studley Whitaker Holder and others yea in Mr. Brown himself who being reproved for beating his Wife said He did not beat his Wife but a curst old Woman Moreover since errors will have the worst at last they cannot hold out truth will prevail and since such who maintain errors shall not find favour with God Jobs friends Job 42. 7. held an error unknown and for zeal to God yet God was angry with them and is with such Mat. 5. 19. Lastly Considering that many errors are damnable mortal Jam. 5. 19 20. deadly a freeing from them being a freeing from death our care should be not to dally with them there being death in them as the way of truth is the way of life so also to draw others from them and so procure their conversion and Act. 4. 12. Joh. 17. 3. pardon for none can be saved without Christ Such who are saved by Christ must know him and believe in him and we must believe in him according to the tenour of Scripture the rule of faith and not err from it Object If we do err ours are but small errors Answ Differences about lesser points of Doctrine of Scripture held up for by ends against conscience may be damnable for then a lesser opinion is in the same rank with a known sin and so an error may be damnable by circumstance a man Joh. 3. 19. walking against light be the error but small the danger is great if a walking against light And gross negligence or not taking pains to know better is equivalent to standing out against the light it arguing a secret fear and suspition of the truth And such men who live and die in less errors about Joh. 3. 20. 2 Pet. 3. 5. 1 Cor. 3. 13. faith and worship being willingly ignorant if they be saved they may expect to be saved with much difficulty by fire as loss of much comfort of much peace being scorched in spirit and kept in dark and doubtful wayes These things thus premised I will shew you what an ererror is what it is to err Error strictly and properly taken is that which men hold or do out of ignorance of the truth It is in practise when we are ignorant of what is better to be done it is in opinion when we are ignorant of what is better for us to believe or hold Error then is an opinion Mat. 22. 29. or action swerving from the Rule of Gods Word when that which is false is believed to be true contrary to the mind of him from whom we say we have received it as if a man should believe idols to be Gods because Scripture calls them so It is an error when a thing which is false is believed to be true because he from whom we received it thinks it is true Should a man think the soul was made of moats because Lucretius thought so and we read it in him It is an error When out of another mans writings some true thing is believed which he who wrote it did not believe as to think an Epicure did place good in continency because he praised it It is an error Error is a wandring or straying Act. 10. 45 from th◠right way it is hardly cured being very prevalent 2 Thes 2. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A scopo aberrare to swerve from the mark Gal. 5. 20. and it is the way to Heresie although it is not Heresie Heresie being an error and more Heresie must be in some fundamental point or truth it takes men off from Christ or from the foundation of saving knowledge It is accompanied with pertinacy and obstinacy after cleer light offered it is possible to have an error about some fundamental point yet be no Heretick Heresie makes men take pleasure and delight in it therefore it is called a work of the Tit. 3. 10. flesh and such are often wounded by themselves although they will not be convinced by others Heresie being an error in judgment a pertinacy in will and a taking delight in it in our affections so an error and more we are the more careful to take heed of it since such like tares are sown amongst Gods wheat yea while the Apostles lived and the causes of it still remains namely ignorance of God pride of heart self-conceitedness want of love to Christ and his truth Satans malice ambition covetousness flattery and Gods permitting such still for trial of his as gold by fire for the cleerer confirming of the truth and for the punishment of the contempt of his truth and careless entertainment of 2 Thes 2. 11. his word It is no wonder then if after a faithful Pastor there comes a Wolf Quest If any doth ask why God permits deceivers to draw men into errors and men to be drawn into them Answ 1. Scripture shews it is for the tryal of his to shew the corruption or sincerity which is in men Deut 13. i 2 3. 1 Cor. 11. 19. Jude 3. 2. To make his to contend for the faith Some are busie to spread errors that others may be busie to withstand them to avoid them A Cut-purse is like another man yet when men are assured such are in the crowd every one will look to his purse So when errors are abroad every one should take more heed to himself 3. God often punisheth one sin by another Men continuing in sins of practise God suffers them often to fall into sinful Ezek. 14. 7. 2 Thes 2. 11. opinions false doctrines are fit plagues for false hearts They who love not the truth are punished with belief of errors and such are sore punishments which are made of sins That we may therefore avoid error (1) Psal 25. 9. Be we humble (2) John 7. 17. Be diligent in obeying the Word (3) Psal 119. 113. Tit. 3. 10. Grow up in love to the affecting of the truth Take heed of Heretical Books and of company with such persons they being infectious take heed of covetousness and ambition which have made many Hereticks and reject those who are such Object You said from Timothy that they are mildly lovingly and tenderly to be dealt withal How then reject Answ They are so whilst there is hopes they may be gained and won for in so doing we imitate God who admonisheth Gal. 6. 1. before he smites He commands also to restore with meekness and by so doing we shew our great love to the offendor and imitate St. Paul who used not the rod so long as meekness would prevail Such places therefore as Rom. 16. 17. 2. Joh. 10. are to be understood after admonitions and good means used for their reclaiming which proving vain they are to be rejected In regard of themselves (1) 1 Thes 5. 5. To work sorrow for their sin (2) 2 Thes 3.