seing they iustifie themselves in them and say they sinne not therefore their sinne remaineth and cannot bee taken away by Christ As for example You all iustifie the baptizing of infants now when you repent of all your sinnes of ignorance have you anie thoughts to repent of that and if you were asked would you not with your last breath iustify that you have done wel therein and that the baptizing off Infants is a holy ordinance of Christ but if it be no ordinance of Christ and that you sinne therein cā you be so simple as to imagine that this sinne shall come within your general repentance Wherein you blesse and iustifie your selves You can no more bee forgiven at Gods hands then they that ignorātly set vp a false Christ ād iustify him to be the true Christ or thē they that put the true Christ to death and iustify he is a false Christ We know your answere in this willbee that if you could see it to be your sinne to baptize infants and to mainteyne it to bee a holy ordinance off God you would repent of it but before you cannot wil not God answere you that when hee can see you repent he wil forgive you but before he cannot Ezek. 18.21.27 Wil not the Pope make the same answere for al the bloody persecutions wherewith he hath and doth persecute al Protestants so called Wil not the lord Bishop make this answere for all their wicked and cruel persecutions against the Puritanes ād Brownists so caled but shal they be pardoned they iustifying thēselves in al these wickednesses wherein they think they doe God service because they repent of al their sinnes of ignorance whereof they iustifie these to bee none wil God pardon thē in al this their wickednes because they cannot see it to be their sinne You al wil grant they cannot be pardoned of these sinnes they iustifying themselves therein neither can anie be pardoned of anie sinne they iustifying themselves therein If this were duely considered it would make men take heed what they professe or practice in the profession of Christ seeing if they professe or practice anie thinge that is not according to the word of God and iustifie it for good they must perish and cannot be saved it stands therefore al men vpon the peril of their soules to looke to their waies and to bee vpon a sure ground from Gods word what they condemne for evil or error ād what they mainteyne and iustifie for truth for if they that iustifie the wicked they that condemne the iust be an abhomination vnto the Lord. Pro. 17.15 Then they that iustifie error and wickednes and condemne truth and righteousnes calling light darknes darknes light such must needs bee an abhomination to the Lord. If al the learned Scribes and Pharisies and false Prophets in the world had harts to beleeve this and confesse it it would make them take heed what they iustified for truth ād what they condēned for error and how they taught others to do so If al the careles professors of Christ that professe him in word would beleeve this word of the lord to bee true it would make them looke more circumspectly to their waies and not thinke that anie profession of Christ is sufficient and that they may professe Christ after that manner that is best pleasing to their owne mynds makeing the way large that they may walke therein at liberty according to the vanity and excesse of their owne harts If the simple harted who in manie things are weyued from the world and who have manie zealous disires in them did faithfully beleeve the Lord herein that if they iustifie anie false waies vntruth or error and condemne anie way off light and truth their sinne remaineth they are an abhomination to the Lord if they did beleeve God herein it would make them take heed how they went on in their ignorant zeale being led by their Teachers approving and iustifying what they teach thē and disapproveing and condemning what they reach them to disaprove and condemne Forsakeing the teaching off Gods Spirit not thinking it possible for themselves to attayne to the vnderstanding off the Scriptures but by the teaching of their learned and good men as they falsely cal them but if they did beleeve this word off the Lord that they must perish if they iustifie anie one error or false way and condemne anie one truth it would make them with feare and trembling to seeke wisedome knowledg and vnderstanding of God that they being taught off God might bee able of themselves by the helpe of the holy Spirit the onely true Teacher and leader into all truth to discerne and iudg betwixt good and evil light and darknes truth and error least they relying vpon men be seduced and led to iustifie false waies and condemne the way of truth in anie perticuler and so fal vnder the iust iudgment off the Lord evē the iudgment of eternal death and condemnation a right recōpence of reward for al that wil of ignorant simplicity out of their good meanings ād zealous affectiōs falsly so called submit themselves to be led ād taught onely of men seeking for knowledg at their mouthes ād not wholly depēding vpō the scriptures for instruction and the spirit of God to teach thē the vnderstanding thereof neclecting of faith the reading and searching and meditating of the scriptures day and night and earnest praying without doubting that the Lord would give them the spirit of wisedome to direct thē to the true vnderstanding ād meaning of God in the Scriptures that they might be able if an Angell frō heaven should come and teach them anie other doctrine then Christ and his Apostles hath taught to iudg him accursed when this way shal be once truely learned ād faithfully practized of Gods people to attayne to true knowledg then shal all that seeke after Christ strive to enter into his kingdome by regeneration and new birth being borne againe of water the Holy Ghost then shal men learne to knowe the true baptisme of Christ which is the baptisme of repētāce for the remission off sinnes and be therewith Baptized and put on Christ and not satisfie themselves with childish baptisme in which baptisme they have not nor could not put on Christ and without which baptisme of repentance for the remissiō of sinnes they cannot put on Christ and then shal the elect of God not be deceived by the multitude of false Prophetts with al their lying wonders that say Loe here is Christ loe there is Christ but they shal take heed to the glorious brightnes of his coming which shal be in the shining light of his truth vnto the which the chosen of God shal flie ād come from far as Eagles to their pray And to this clere light of truth the Lord that hath bought you all with his blood raise vp your harts that you may seeke his face and be filled with the fulnes of his presence
robbing him of his honor iff by repencance You maae not your peace with him Now for the next name of blasphemy that is within our capasitie to speake of it is the title of Lords Grace and this is your houshold title we meane it is a title that may not bee omitted in al ordinary occasions doth not this attribute belong onely to the lord off grace aÌ„d wil you have this prerogative with him Now although this title be vsed in what sence wee knowe not in the stiles off some civill Magistrates where with wee meddle not yet wee knowe all your titles off degree you beare by a spiritual prerogative and therein consists the misterie of iniquitie and there fore are al your names of honor aÌ„d prerogative where by you challeng superioritie names of blasphemy aÌ„d directly against the expresse comaundment of Christ who by his comaundment that were worthy to bee obeyed charged his Disciples that they should in no wise seeke superioritie in his Kingdome neither in name nor power The Lords of the Gentiles beare rule one over an other are called gracious Lords or beare names off honor but it shall not be so among you he that wil bee greatest shal be least in my Kingdome that is he that wil be exalted in name or power by being a Disciple of my Kingdome he shal be the least Luk. 22.25.26 But the words of our Saviour Christ are not at al regarded herein the man of sinne will have a Kingdome where there shal be mightie power and authority one over anothers conscience appointing and coÌ„pelling men how they shal worship their God and to imprison to banish and to cause to dye them that resist and the man of sinne wil have in his kingdome names of most high honor yea even the names titles and attributes off God and thus doth he sit as God both in name title and power And this prophesie is now fullfilled as he that hath an eie may see and hee that hath an eare may heare For let anie man but heare the prophesie of this booke of the Revel and he may see it fulfilled in the first aÌ„d second Beast as evidently as if Christ should send one from the dead and declare it vnto him and say this is the first Beast and this is the second and they that wil not beleeve him in his word neither would they beleeve him if hee should send one from the dead Luk. 16.31 And now al that do agree with vs in iudgment concerning the first Beast that it is plainly to bee seene in that Romish profession and that it is vnpossible that the maÌ„ of sinne should bee exalted in a higher measure of exaltation wee cal you al fuâ—th for witnesses before God and Men whether it bee not as plainly to bee seene that the second Beast that hath the two hornes like the Lambe pretending or makeing shewe of the word and power off the Lambe in humblenes and meekenes but speaking like the dragon and exercising the power of the first beast And making the ymage off the first Beast Wee call you all to witnes whether the second Beast be not as plainly to be seene in the Hyrarchy of ArchBishops and Lord-Bishops aÌ„d whether it be possible that there should bee made so lively an image of the first Beast as is in this Hyrarchy in al titles and names of blasphemy in al Pompe and in al power throughout begining at their Book-worship with all the conformity belonging to it and so going through all their Offices and Officers Courts Canons and decrees if al these bee not the image of the first Beast conceived in his bowels and brought out off his bosome let Heaven and Earth witnes and let all the men vpon Earth deny iff they can and shewe anie other ymage of the first Beast And therefore all you whome this may most may most concerne either deny this prophesie of God and wipe it out which if you doe God wil deny you and wipe you out of the booke of life or eis confesse it to bee fulfilled in and among you and give glory to God and cast away your abhominations and take heed off hardnes harts that can not repent which heape vp as a treasure vnto themselves wrath against the day of wrath Oh why should you for the pleasure of vnrighteousnes for a verie few daies little doe you knowe how few vtterly destroy your owne soules and perish yea and destroy the soules of al that submitt vnto you in the least of these things except they repent And if you wil yet iustifie your selves in these things and make shewe of your selves to bee the servants off the Lambe and not the servants of the Beast then stand furth and defend your Kingdome and cause with the spiritual sword of the Lambe which is the word of God and convince your gain-saiers and stop their mouthes therewith and so shal you approve your selves Bishops in deed And if you can prove by Gods word that wee ought to say prayers as you comaund vs wee wil both sing and say as you bid vs and if you can prove your names of blasphemy and titles of degree your Pomp and al your cruell spiritual pouwer good by that warrant we wil yeild it you al and not diminish you of the least tittle there of What need you feare to bring it to trial You have learning enough you have partakers enowe iff you had but half a good cause which battle if you will feight we say vnto you as Michaiah said vnto Ahab when he would go vp to Ramoth Gilead Take it in hand go vp and prosper But wee wil tel you also with the same Prophet that if you stand in this cause The Lord hath determyned evil against you 2. Chro. 18.16.22 But in al this let vs perswade you in feare to God and shame to men to cast away all these courses wee shal now mention Do not when a poore soule by violence it brought before you to speake his couscience in the profession of his Religion to his God do not first impose the Oath Ex Officio Oh most wicked course and if hee wil not yeild to that then imprison him close Oh horrible severitie if he wil not bee forced by imprisonment then examine him vpon divers articles without oath to see iff he may bee intrapped anie way Ogrevious impietic and if anie peece of advantage either in word or writing or by witnes can bee gotten turne the Magistrats sword vpon him aÌ„d take his life Oh bloody cruelcie if no advaÌ„tage caÌ„ be found get him banished out of his natural countrie and from his Fathers house let him live or sterve it matters not Oh vnnatural compassionatnes without pittie Let these courses bee far from you For there is no shewe off grace Religion nor humanitie in these courses this is to lye in wait for blood to lay snares secretly to take the simple to slay him And to conclude this point
false Prophetts like these Prophets that wil teach you to seperate and Come out from Babilon and to touch no vncleane thinge And when they have done teach you to reteine the Baptisme received there which they teach and you professe to bee the seale of the Covenant of Grace so are you sealed vnto the Covenant of grace by Babilon so are you made Christians and members of Christ by BabiloÌ„ for without this baptisme you are no Christians Oh how you crie out against the sweetnes of the stollen waters of Babilon and yet your selves caÌ„not beware thereof but are bewitched therewith the which you retaine with as little vnderstanding as when you received it and were washed or Baptized therewith But your false Prophets to make good the reteining of your Babilonish baptisme like deepe deceivers with turning of devices plead that your baptisme must be reteined and is not to be repeated no more then Israels circumcision when they came to the passover in Hezechias time Oh that al men would see your deceiveablenes of vnrighteousnes herin that to draw simple people after you and to build your selves vp a kingdome you crie against the assemblies of England they are Babilon Egypt and Sodom seperate your selves bee not vnequally yocked with infidels What fellowship hath light with darknes What concord hath Christ with Belial c. Therefore aâ— must bee cast away no comunion is to bee kept But when you are vrged or called on for the reteyning off your baptisme you received in Babilon then Israels circumcision is your hold so make you England Israel and your selves Iudah pretending hereby as though you came out of Israel what deceitfull deceiving is this What turning of devices to crie Come out off Babilon and touch no vncleane thinge and to shew and declare in al words and writings that if anie man worship the beast and his image and receive his marke in his forehead or in his hand he shall drinke of the Cup of Gods wrath applying this perticulerly to England and when you have done come farth sealed in the forehead with the seale of baptisme as you calâ—i haveing no other seale for your whole Christianitie for wee hope you wil not say that there may bee a Church of vnbaptized Christians and all this you prove good because Israels circumcisioÌ„ was good vnder Ieroboam so make you a shew in this perticuler as though you came but from Israel but if your first crie had beene come out from Israel and seperate your selves from Israell You might have cried long enough before anie that had feared God or had anie vnderstanding of his truth would have followed you to have built new Churches and set vp an Hyrarchie of Ruleing Elders as they and you brethren in evil therein also have done To draw to an end in this point if you be come from Israel then were you true Israelites before then al that you have left behind you are true Israelites as wel as you for al the Ten Tribes vnder Ieroborm were true Isralites and you and the assemblies of England from whence you came were all in one estate and conditioÌ„ off profession before you seperated and they stil remaine as you left them aÌ„d as you daylie leave them they are not become Samaritanes if they were non before if you like therefore to stand vpon this ground that you have brought your Baptisme fro rebellious Israel then you Iudah must needs acknowledg Israel to bee your sister for the Lord testifieth that Israel was Iudaes sister Neither did Iudah ever denie Israel to be hir sister therefore may not you vtterlie cast off England that is your sister Israel And whereas you acknowledg in your booke called the Apologie Pag. 113. Through ignorant dissimulation and flatterie that you never doubted but there are thousands in the Romish Apostacie in England which receive not the Beasts marke in their forehead or hand but bee careful to kepe the Commaundements of God and faith of Iesus must you not acknowledg except you bee destitute of al vnderstanding that these thousands that are baptized with the same baptisme that you are and that receive not the marke off the Beast and bee carefull to keepe the comaundements off God and faith of Iesus must you not acknowledg that these thousands are a true Church or true Churches as wel as you Dare you say more of your selves whereby to challeng anie preheminence are you anie more if you were so much then truelie baptized free from the marke of the Beast carefull to kepe the Commaundements of God and faith of Iesus What darke blindnes is this and palpable words of flatterie To confesse in words there are thousands in Englands Apostacie in as holie and blessed estate as anie people of God can bee and when you have so done both by practice writing and teaching denie all spirituall comunion with anie one of them and not to suffer anie one of them to have comunion with you except they make and submitt to a new Covenant with you which covenant you have made according to the devisings off your owne harts What Syon have you built that wil not open hir gates to men as you confesse truelie baptized haveing no marke off the Beast kepeing the comaundements of God and faith of Iesus how woefullie are you overtaken in these things how caÌ„ we thinke lesse of this theÌ„ that it is ignorant dissimulation and flatterie with such faire words to stopp the mouthes and blind the eies of Mr. Bilson and the Oxford Doctors and when you had walled vp that breach and dawbed it with morier of deceitfull temper then to professe and practice the contrarie Thus do you when it wil serve your turne make England Israel and when you please it is Babilon Sodom Egipt and hereby have you a long time and stil do like most subtile charmers charme the simple and ignorant so that they receive not the love of the truth that they might bee saved building and holding vp hereby your kingdome and throne aÌ„d if anie incline to returne from you to England againe then is England Sodom Egipt Babilon and worse iff worse could bee and if anie make question of casting away that Baptisme or washing received there then England is but rebellious Israel and let hir take away hir fornications out of hir sight and hir adulteries from betwene hir brests and she may still bee a wife What can bee said to this your deceitfull duble dealing wee must bee forced to leave a simple duble answere thus If you were Babilonians and have Babilonns baptisme vpon you then have you no rule nor example that the Babilonians circumcision could bee accepted and admitted to the passover and if you were true Israelites before you seperated and have Israels Baptisme vpon you and so become to Iudah then must you acknowledg Israel from whence you are come which is England your sister and so may you againe go follow the voice of that old deceiver that
vnto the Lord for ever but the corrupt pollutions and administrations in this holie vessel or ordinaÌ„ce of baptisme wherewith it hath bene defiled and prophaned these may no more be brought into the house of God then Belshazzars quaffings or anie other prophane administrations wherewith he did abuse and pollute those holy vessels yea although he had vsed them to the same vses vnto the which they had bene vsed in the house of the Lord as if he had set shew-bread vpon the vessels and had kindled and made the same lights for the candlesticks al must bee cast away as abhominable withall the vses that hee had vsed them vnto and the vessels must bee purified and brought againe into the house of the Lord onelie as they were carried furth therefore even so must this holie vessel the true doctrine or ordinance of baptisme he brought againe into the house of the Lord onely as it was carried furth aÌ„d al the corrupt vses aÌ„d abuses wherevnto it hath bene vsed and al the prophane administratioÌ„s in this holie ordinaÌ„ce must be cast away as being al abhominable before the lord and none off those vses and prophane aÌ„d false administratioÌ„s may be admitted into the house of the Lord. This now is the some of al that we have spokeÌ„ of this ground the vessels of the Lords house are carried into Babilon and Belshazzar and his Princes his wives and Concubines drinck in theÌ„ aÌ„d prophane theÌ„ the vessels off the Lord are brought againe to the house of the lord and are sanctified but Belshazzars drinckings in them and prophaning of theÌ„ is cast away as abhominable So the like may be said following your owne exaÌ„ple of comparison The vessel of the Lords house the holie ordinance of baptisme is carried into Babilon and the Babilonians they wash or baptize in this ordinance and prophane it this vessel of the lord the holie ordinance of baptisme is brought againe to the house of the Lord but the Babilonians washing or baptizing aÌ„d prophaning it must be cast away as abhominable aÌ„d thus must your baptizing be cast away and may not be permitted in the house of the Lord you confessing England to be Babilon where you received it except you wil also admit Belshazzars drinckings and quaffings Do not stil deceive your selfe aÌ„d delude others in saying baptisme is the vessel off the lord makeing a deceitfull shew as though therefore your Baptisme were the vessel of the Lord aÌ„d by an example of the vessels of the lord that were brought furth of the house of the lord and carried into Babilon and polluted there in vse onelie and being sanctified from that polluted vse were brought againe into the house of the Lord by this example to bring in an ymagination as though your Baptisme were brought out of the house off the Lord when it is brought furth off the assemblies off England with whome you iustifie God never made Covenant and that they never were his people nor God their God pag 338. You er not knowing the scriptures or els wil fullie misaplie them for your purpose which God forbid for it is the Ordinance of Baptisme that is the vessel of the Lords house which hath bene aÌ„d is carried into Babilon and hath bene polluted in vse in Baptizing of you and al of your profession which vessel or Ordinance of the Lord is to bee brought againe into the house of the Lord and to bee sanctified from that polluted vse of your Baptizing which it cannot bee if it bring that polluted vse which is your baptizing into the house of the Lord with it no more then the vessels of the Lord could have bene sanctified if Belshazzars quaffings had bene brought into the house of the Lord with them and this is a due proportion according to your owne example of comparison Wee will passe by manie things in your booke wherein their is great falshood and deceit because it were an endlesse worke to follow you you are so intricate tedious and ful of turnings and windings loosing your selfe and loosing such simple Readers as we are and that is one hope we have of your booke that the simple wil not read it because they are not capable of vnderstanding you and amongst them that are as ful of art as your selfe wee thinke it wil do smale hurt Wee cannot denie but there are manie worthie truths in it but mixed with so much falshood as the reader had need to bee wise harted and in that you and all the false Prophetts of your profession do mixe your falshood with divers truths all Gods people had need to beware of you for that is but your Sheepes clothing by the faire shew whereof you in snare and worke your lying wonders as when you smite mens harts to the ground with laying out the deformities off Babilon and caâ—â—sir their affections with the discriptions of your Syon falslie so called declaring the bewtie and supposed comelie order thereof and setting furth the comunion of Saincts as with the tongue of an Angel of light Thus do you deck your bed with ornaments Carpets and laces perfume it with mirrhe aloes and Cinamon and so with your great craft cause men to yeild and with flattering lips you entice manie straight following you as an Oxe that goeth to thâ— slaughter as a foole to the stocks for correction and they are stricken thorow as a bird that hasteth to the snare not knowing he is in danger of such hath the wiseman by the wisedome of the spirit forwarned vs. Prov 7. Wee have endeavored to shew you your halting betwixt Babilon and Israel wee exhort you to tread straight stepps before the Lord and that men may see your pathes to bee right shew vs the writing of your Genealogie that wee may see certenlye from whence you are come if you bee come from Israel and bee Iudah then warr not against England as against Babilonians but remember they are the Ten Tribes your brethren 1. King 12. 24. Which Ten Tribes were no falfe Isralites but the true seed of Abraham and so true Isralites for the two Calves set vp at Dan and Bethel did no more make them false Israelites then the Calfe which they made in Horeb and this wickednes of Ieroboam did no more make Israell a false Church the Solomon his wickednes made Iudah a false Church when he followed Ashtaroth the God of the Zidonians and Milcom the abhomination of the Amorites and builded high places for Chemosh the abhomination of Moab and to Molech the abhomination of Ammon in the mountaine over against Ierusalem And who knowes not that reades the scriptures that Iudah abounded in abhominations in so much as the Lord by the Prophet Ezekiel 16. saith of Iudah Samaria hath not comitted halfe they sinnes but thou haist exceeded them in all their abhominatioÌ„s and vers 35. The Lord by the Prophet called Iudah an Harlot because of the greatnes of hir fornications and yet al this made not