point of attonement That he is the Anointed Priest compare Heb. 3. 1. with 1. 9. and there shall we see the Spirit of God calling him an High-Priest who was of God anointed with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellowes which cannot but be understood of his fellow-Priests either such as were ordained of old before the time of Reformation and so were types or shadowes of him or else of such as were since by him made Priests unto God and so received of the fulness of that his oyntment Now that there is none to him in point of attonement will easily be made manifest if these three things be considered 1 The nature of the attonement it self 2 The weaknesse or insufficiency of all other Priests whether ordained or made to perform such a work And lastly the sufficiency of this High Priest to make a perfect attonement for all those that come to God through him Touching the nature of the attonement it is not amisse to consider that what was by this word attonement exprest under the first Testament while that Priesthood stood hath been since under the administration of the last Testament that is established upon better promises than that been exprest more frequently by the word Reconciliation and therefore the word that in the 5 Rom. 11. is rendered attonement is in 2 Cor. 5. 18 19. and in all other places translated by the word Reconciliation Now Reconciliation does pre-suppose an estrangednesse or enmity rather between two parties and if the parties were men peradventure there might befound a man to mediate but the enmity lies not so much between man and man or between men and Angels good or bad but between God and man the Creator and the creature and who is he in Heaven or in Earth that dare interpose or step in to make a reconciliation between these two yea who can effect it especially if we consider that the enmity on the creatures part is rooted in his mind and cannot be eradicated I had almost sayd and yet I think I shall not need to retract it by the powerfull hand of God himselfe stretcht forth in his wrath his mind still remaining as indeed doth notably appear out of the mouth of the Lord himself by the hand of his Prophet Isay 57. 16 17. For the iniquity of his covetousnesse was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart So see it confirmed also in Rev. 16. 9. 11. 21. when the wrath of God breaks forth with an exceeding great Plague then shall you find men blaspheming the name of God who hath power over those Plagues because of their paines and their sores and repented not of their evill deeds to give him glory and if the wrath of God does it not how unlike is the wrath of man to effect it But further to shew the greatnesse of the work of Reconciliation as it lies on mans part for as he hath not an alienation only but an enmity in his mind so is he apt upon all occasions to the utmost of his power to manifest the same by wicked provoking workes against the God of Heaven so that let but God himself be manifested in the flesh or any bright beam of his glory break forth and shine through mortall flesh presently shall the Iewes and Gentiles though otherwise full of enmity one a-against an other concurre yea Herod and Pilate shall now be made friends and shall agree to Crucifie the Lord of Life and Glory to pour forth the pretious Blood of God and to tread under foot the Sonne of God and to count the blood of that Covenant as an unholy thing So that from hence we may conclude That as he that hateth his Brother in his heart may be said to murther a man so he that hateth God in his heart may be said in a sense to murder God Now as on mans part there appears such enmity in his mind such an aptnesse to vent it and such backwardnesse as I might shew in him to accept of any but especially the Gospell termes of Reconciliation whereby the work appears to be great So if we consider it on Gods part that the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodlinesse and against all unrighteousnesse of the Sonnes of Men and that his word is gone forth and cannot be recalled In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye and the Soul that sinneth it shall dye and cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Law to doe them so that his Wrath lustice and Truth are all engaged in this main controversie that he hath with his creature and by reason thereof he will not be pleased with thousands of Rams nor yet with ten thousand Rivers of Oyl c. And therefore if the question be asked who is worthy or who is able to stand between God and Man to make the attonement to slay the enmity and so to make peace The answer will be the same That no man that is meerly so no nor Angel in Heaven nor in Earth nor under the Earth is either worthy or able to undertake this great work no nor in that sense to look thereon And therefore in the second place all other Priests will be found insufficient for as for the Priests of old and all that belonged to them as Vestures Vessels Altars Temple and all that was officiated by them as their Sacrifices Attonements Oblations blessings they were too weak to accomplish this work for they were not able to make him perfect that did the service as appertaining to the Conscience but brought their sins to remembrance in stead of blotting them out so as to remember them no more and were indeed but meer shadowes of good things to come which they that beleeved had in their eye and saw a farre off see Heb. 7. 18 19. 9. 9. 10. 1 2 3 4 11. and as for others that are made Priests unto God they doe but receive of his fulnesse and will readily acknowledge with Paul that through the Law they are dead to the Law so as by their own works or righteousnesse which now appears to be but glistering wickednesse and no other than fruits of that enmity that was in their minds by them I say not to expect to make their own peace with God and although it is true they have liberty to enter into the holiest yet it is by the blood of Iesus and by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for them and although they may draw neer unto the holy God with a true heart and full assurance of Faith yet they must have their hearts sprinkled with his blood from an evill conscience and their bodies washed with pure water and although being in the holy presence of God they may as the Priests of old offer up prayers with strong cryes for themselves and others yet must they be offered upon the
ILL NEWES FROM NEW-ENGLAND OR A Narative of New-Englands PERSECUTION WHERIN IS DECLARED That while old England is becoming new New-England is become Old Also four Proposals to the Honoured Parliament and Councel of State touching the way to Propagate the Gospel of Christ with small charge and great safety both in Old England and New Also four conclusions touching the faith and order of the Gospel of Christ out of his last Will and Testament confirmed and justified By JOHN CLARK Physician of Rode Island in America Revel 2. 25. Hold fast till I come 3. 11. Behod I come quickly 22. 20. Amen even so come Lord Jesus LONDON Printed by Henry Hills living in Fleet-Yard next door to the Rose and Crown in the year 1652. To the Right Honorable the House of PARLIAMENT and COUNCEL of STATE for the Commonwealth of ENGLAND The author humbly craves of that mighty Counseller that Prince of peace a large donation of the spirit of Counsell and of the spirit of courage with a suitable and happy success for the Peace Liberty and enlargement of these three Nations MAy it please you right Honorable in some of those few vacant hours which it pleaseth the most high whose rod and staff you are to afford unto you from those many weighty difficult and distractfull incombrances and affairs that do flow in and press upon you daily to cast your eye at least for recreation sake upon this Treatise and the rather because it contains in it matter of no small concernment as in it self so especially to your honoured selves for in the first part which is the narrative you may please to read a tragicall story wherein I hope your eye will not a litle affect your tender hearts to see such a discurteous entertainment of strangers and wayfaring-men that were passing by and tarried but for a night or two and that by their neighbours men professing the fear of the Lord as they also do who together for liberty of their consciences and worship of their God as their hearts were perswaded long since fled from the persecuting hands of the Lordly Bishops your adversaries and ours unto those utmost parts of the World to the extreme hazard of their lives the wasting of their estates and upon the point to the totall loss and deprivation of their neer and deer relations and the comforts thereof in this their native land and the rather to see this acted by that sword that hand which from your honored arm they are betrusted with and so to see your sword your power your hand misused therein In the second part which is the confirmation of my testimony by the word of God and testimony of Christ Jesus the Lord and especially in the later part thereof you that count it your greatest honour and highest preferment in this world to be servants of Christ who is indeed the Lord of Lords and King of Kings whose Sword-bearers you are as was also that Caesar although he knew it not you I say I hope shall find that he hath not required such things at your hands as generally they that have been his Sword-bearers before your selves have been apt to conceive and thereupon have been too deeply engaged in the shedding of much innocent bloud in this Land being also perswaded thereunto by their teachers who to maintain their superstitious humane invented religion and worship for filthy lucres sake it being the only curious art and craft by which they had their wealth and livings as those of old not having the two-edged sword of the Spirit which is the word of God to defend themselves and to maintain their craft against the poor illiterate and despised servants and witnesses of Jesus Christ have been forced to call for the sword of stell the power of the Magistrate to help to stop their mouthes to cut them off and so to take them out of their way and by casting a mist before their Rulers eyes they have still perswaded them That this is their office and duty to do and that hereby they did God best service with that sword with which they were betrusted whereas indeed they did but make their sword guilty of the blood of the innocent and thus were they taken off from attending upon the very thing for which this sword was put into their hands to attend upon their private and carnall interests and so were brought into a double transgression By whose errataes Right Honourable I hope the Lord will teach you to beware and by giving you a clear discerning of his mind and will in these more bright sunne-shining daies wherein the Earth begins to be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea will give you to understand that as all power in earth is given to him so he to the glory of God his Father whose power and wisdome he is doth wisely manage the same by a two fold administration of power suitable to the two fold state or being of man whom in the earth and in the things thereof he hath appointed Lord that one may be called an earthly and outward administration which suits the outward man and all those outward and visible things in reference unto man that do belong thereto as he is Lord thereof and is managed by an outward visible sword of steel and by a carnall or audible voyce or word of him or them that holds it in their hand and to an outward and carnal end yet righteous just and good which being diligently attended to tends to the peace liberty and prosperity of a civil State Nation and Kingdom so far as it concerns the outward man and visible state thereof which end is the preservation of it self the whole and every particular part and person belonging thereunto safe in their person name and estate from him or them that would rise up visibly to oppress or wrong them in the same Thus in the general and to instance more particularly in case by the caution of a wholesome Law and just penalty annexed thereunto which by a carnall hand or way is presented to a carnall and visible eye or ear the Oppressour takes not warning and will not be deterred from offering violence to the person name or estate of his neighbour then by this power shall he be made responsible and be forced nolens volens so far as he is able to make it good and to restore in case any be impoverished or faln to decay in their outward man and estates by age sickness fire or by some other way or hand of GOD so far as their present strength extends by this power they are to be employed and where it fails to be relieved and that by an equall and just levy of their neigbours estates to be taken also by force in case there be not so much love and charity in them towards their poor distressed neighbours to constrain them thereunto and by the same way also to maintain itself and all other just undertakings
avoid a greater and further declares that the servant of the lord must nor strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach not to strike patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will according to which precepts of Christ we find the primitive Christians were meek and gentle and yet able by sound doctrine both to exhort convince the gainsayers who called not for carnall weapons to mannage their warfare but declared their weapons were mighty through God and either by the word and a good conversation wonne men to the acknowledgement of the truth as it is in Jesus or else left them wiâ—hout excuse together with the world unto the judgement of the great day of the Lord but now all men may see that your way is not only different from but contrary unto this precept of Christ and president of Christians and therefore cannot be esteemed any better than unchristian yet Antichristian Let not your adversary and mine Dear Countreymen fill your hearts with indignation and thoughts of revenge against him who in a faithful discharge of his conscience both towards God and you have made bold to deal plainly with you least my God to whom vengeance belongs repay it upon you and smite you with blindness of mind and hardness of heart that cannot repent but rather set before your eyes that memorable practice and worthy pattern of those noble Bereans and laying profits honor and prejudice aside if it be possible peruse my testimony and search the scriptures diligently to see whether the things contained therein be so or no if you find them so viz. confirmed and justifyed by the word of God and by the testimony of Christ Jesus the Lord then consider not I but the Lord from heaven calls upon you to break off your sins by repentance and let me hereby give you warning to take heed that you dispise not him that speaketh from heaven As touching the wrong and injury done to us you having thereby much more wronged your own souls in transgressing the very law and light of Nations doing as you would not be done unto it is in my heart to pitty you rather and to petition my Lord in heaven not to lay this sin to your charge than to complain against you or to petition your lords and ours here on earth for justice herein no no we have better learned Christ than so having also given up our hearts to be led by his spirit and to walk in his steps who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed his case to him that judgeth righteously and who knowes but that the spirit of judgement and the spirit of burning hath been or may be ere long in your hearts whereby you may be made affectedly sensible that the cause is the same or very little differing from this A poor innocent traveller passeth along the Countrey upon his occasions a man having strength in his arm findeth him frames himself offended with him for no cause he hath given him and because he cannot draw him unto his party either to rob or to kill or to say amen to his practises he therefore binds him and casts him into a pit and declares himself resolute there to keep him till he hath his blood unless he will deliver him his purse the man either hath not a purse about him or a heart to deliver it and being unwilling either to part with his blood or that the other should be so deeply guilty in taking it from him he meekly and earnestly thrice moveth the strong man for a discourse and humbly entreats him that he would not seek by the strength of his arme but by the force of some arguments to convince his understanding and conscience and so to draw him as a man to his party but the strong man delaies him and so puts him off whereupon a good tender hearted Samaritan passing by and perceiving how the case stood and that the strong man would have his purse or his blood without any dispute being moved with compassion to redeem this innocent blood from the handof the strong man he delivers him his own purse and so the man is released Take it not ill that I have used so much plainess of speech for my studie is now to speak plainly and neither flatteringly nor invectively and to use plain dealing with all men although I verifie the Proverb and die a begger for as I told some of your selveâ— and that in publick I abhor dissimulation neither can I account him a wise man who doth not hate dissembling or that doth love to dissemble and therefore saith Solomon rebuke a wise man and he will love thee c. and David the King saith on this wife let the righteous smite me and it shall be a precious balm I know instruction is grievous to him that is out of the way but what saith the wise man he that hateth instruction shall die Consider I pray what hath been spoken and turn not away your eye nor your ear nor your heart from instruction least that which was said by the prophet of old Isa 9. 14 15. 16. be in you verified which to prevent is the humble and earnest request unto the fathers of mercies of Your loving friend and Couutreyman JOHN CLARK To the true Christian Reader THou maist herein Christian Reader see and peruse thy destiny in this present evill world which seems in a great measure to be subjected unto devils through which thou art to pass unto that purchased possession and promised inheritance of the Saints in light which is in that better world which is not subjected unto Angels but unto the Sonne of God himself thou maist herein also observe and take notice of the hand by whom from thy heavenly father thou art to receive that bitter cup which he drunk off when he was here below for thy sake chiefly was this treatise brought forth into the publick view I hope not to discourage thee but to strengthen thine heart that thou mightest not fear any of those things which thou shalt suffer either from men or devils for thy testimony that Jesus is the Christ it being that which will shortly appear the only prevailing and victorious truth in all the world for herein shalt thou also see that worthy saying lively accomplished If ye suffer for the name of Christ blessed are ye for the spirit of the Lord and of glory resteth upon you thou hast a worthy name called on thee My hearts desire and prayer to God on thy behalf therefore is that thou maist enjoy such a plentifull pouring forth of that holy spirit into thine heart that thereby thou maist be inabled to walk worthy of it and having so bright a beam of the Fathers glory in thy
soul it may so shine forth before the sons of men that they seeing thy good works may have cause administred to glorify our father which is in heaven It is not words now Christian although they were spoken with tongues of men and Angels when that worthy name is every where well spoken of but faith that works by love and love by works that will distinguish a heady from a hearty Christian Say not in thine heart that Christs Comands are low and his appointments carnall legal injunctions and at the best but neat for babes least hereby thine heart be declared to be vainly puft â—p in thy carnall or fleshly mind and to have too low and carnall conceits of Christ himself who is the injoyner appointer and commander thereof and shall ere long appear as Judge yea least hereby thou be declared ignorant or at the best forgetful of this one thing that it is the great design of God in Christ as to glorifie himself to admiration in poor sinful flesh so whilest he doth it to hide pride from man and therefore as he hath chosen not many wise mighty nor noble of this world but the foolish weak base despised nothings thereof so hath he suited his commands and appointments thereunto and intends through these foolish things so to cause his wisdome to shine forth as thereby to confound the wise through these weak things so to cause his power to appear as thereby to confound the things that are mighty and through these base dispised things that are not to bring to nought those noble glorious and excellent things of the world that are Thou mayst herein see gentle Reader that I have rather chosen to bear witness to the faith and order of our Lord and to shew unto the world but especially unto thee what is the mind of Christ in this time of his absence as to faith and obedience to shew I say rather what is truth which is but one than to bear witness against the ly which is so various knowing that the truth once established shall discover the falshood and light breaking forth shall scatter the darkness And whilest I lead thee forth to seek him whom thy soul loveth and longeth after who is also thy joy and thy Crown while I lead thee I say by the footsteps of those flocks that first trusted in Christ and were fed by such pastors according to his own heart as he gave them God forbid that thou shouldst be as one that wilt turn aside by the flocks of his companions and shouldst be found remaining either on the left side in a visible way of worship in deed but such as was neither appointed by Christ nor yet practised by them who first trusted in him or on the right in no visible way of worship or order at all either pretending that the outward court is given to the Gentiles and the holy City is by them to be troden under foot that the Church of Christ is now in the wilderness and the time of its recovery is not yet or else pretending that God is a spirit and so will in spirit be worshipped and not in this place or that in this way or that Well if thou beest in these waies misled I can no longer forbear in tenderness of spirit and compassionate bowels of love to stretch forth a helping hand thereby to try whether it be the good pleasure of God at this time to drop down a word of light and life and power into thine heart that thou mayest be there by awakned and quickned to be still saying within thy soul Lord what wilt thou have me to do so shalt thou hear such a saying as this Come out from among them Oh my people and be ye separate from them and touch no unsanctifyed thing and I will receive you and be a father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord God Almighty and also such a saying as this Blessed are they that do his commands for they have right to the tree of life and shall enter in through those gates of pearl into that glorious City Rev. 22. 14. and know that these are the commandments of Jesus sci As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him and behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast yea hold fast till I come And such as may be under the later disceptions let me intreat thee to ponder these words in thine heart sci That prophecies although marvelous plain and easy to be understood cannot warrant a pure conscience to neglect much less to cast off the commandments and oppointments of Jesus neither can the spirit of Christ direct or incourage the heart of a Christian to cast off his lordship no no the spirit of Christ is hereby distinguished from that of Antichrist in that he shall unfainedly confess that Jesus is the Christ and that this Christ Jesus is come in the flesh and when he is come according to promise into the heart of a Christian he shall not speak of himself but as a messenger his office is to gloryfie Christ by taking of him and his and shewing it unto yea writing it in the heart of a Christian so that I dare boldly say there is none for the exaltation of Christ Jesus the lord according to his last will and testament and for the nourishing a lively hope in the heart of a Christian concerning his glorious return I say there is none to that holy spirit of promise who being also the spirit of truth shall guide the souls of the Saints to worship the father as in spirit so likewise in truth and therfore that spirit that speaks of himself and is so far from taking of Christs to exalt and gloryfie him according as he hath foretold and his father intended that he takes from Christ laies him low and diminisheth his glory that spirit cannot be the spirit of Christ or that holy spirit of promise and for asmuch as the spirit speaketh expresly that in these later daies there shall be seducing spirits that shall deceive if it were possible the very elect of God whose incounter will not be so much with flesh and blood but with wicked spirits in high places let me therfore exhort thee in the words of that beloved disciple of Christ beleive not every spirit but try the spirits and that by this rule whether they be of God or no bring them to the wholsome words of the holy Apostles Prophets and son of God ye erre saith Christ not knowing the scriptures and the power of God let it be thy care Christian therfore to search the Scriptures and therein to wait for the power and glory of the spirit of God And look to thy spirit for as immediately before Christs appearing in flesh Satan in a large measure possessed the bodies of men that by his casting them out his power in flesh might appear So before his coming again in glory I have grounds
our friends house at Lin where we lodged it being two miles out of the town we were persued and also apprehended by the Constables under the name of erronious persons being strangers and by that power were caried after a full and clear manifestation of our unfreeness unto their Assembly then to Prison and after a while were also brought before their Iudgment seat in which two Assemblies to which we were forced they drew forth matter enough as they conceived to make us transgressors thereupon proceeded to sentence us without producing either Accuser Witness Iury Law of God or man whereby either we might appear to be guilty or they to be just and justified in their proceedings against us 2 After we were thus persued and apprehended under the name of erronious persons and strangers and by their Court condemned and sentenced as Herericks or scismaticks a motion being made by their Governour touching a discourse with their Ministers was readily accepted by us and often repeated and as often promised by them but yet could not be obtained as is here at large to be seen 3 Although through the mercifull hand of our God upon us we had wronged no man corrupted no man defrauded no man as he together with our Consciences then did and still to this day do bear us witness yet besides the exceeding great loss and detriment otherwise sustained we had all no doubt met with as cruell Scourgings as his faithfull servants of old had not the provident hand of our God so disposed the hearts of some of our friends to lay down our ransome by which two did escape and this did evidently appear in the third who came under their zealous yet merciless hands and received from them 50 stripes above the restraint of the Iews as writers report yea and such entertainment no doubt should strangers or Angels from Heaven yea Christ Iesus himself have received at their hands if they could effect it in case they should have come among them and not submitted as it is not possible they should unto that golden and glorious Image or likeness of the worship and way of God appointed by Christ which they have set up 4 When this faithfull Martyr and Witness that Christ is the Lord had born this fourscore and ten stripes cruelly laid on not only with a patient mind but with an exceeding great joy of the holy spirit as the spectators could not but discern and was loosed from the Post and was going to Prison again some being inwardly moved with joy in beholding the gracious support which the Lord afforded him as they have affirmed could not forbear to take him by the hand for which thing sake two of them were apprehended sentenced to pay each of them 40 s or els be whipt Let the Actors themselves and all that peruse their practice for cautions sake consider whether the spirit by which they are led thus to act be not very like unto if not the same which is seen Revel 13. Acting the second Beast that arose up out of the Earth which had two hornes like a Lamb yet spake like a Dragon and exercised all the power of the first Beast that was before him caused a lively Image to be made unto him and forced the Earth and them that dwel herein both small and great rich and poor free and bond to worship his Image and that no man might buy or sell save he that had the marke or the name or the number of his name Here is Wisdom and let such as desire from their hearts to live Godly in Christ Iesus and do as really expect to suffer with Christ in this present evill World as they do to reign with him in that good World which yet is to come let such I say consider and bear still in mind these expressions Revel 13. 10. He that leadeth into Captivity shall go into Captivity he that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword here is the patience and faith of the S ints Rev. 12. 11. And they overcame him by the bloud of the Lamb and by the Word of their Testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death Rev. 6. 9 10 11. I saw under the Altar the Souls of them that were slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they beld And they cryed with a loud voice saying how long holy and true wilt thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwel on the Earth c. Rev. 20. 4. And I saw the Souls of them that were beheaded for the Witness of Iesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshiped the Beast neither his Image neither had received the marke upon their foreheads or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years And now forasmuch as it was boldly affirmed by a Solicitor for New-England and that in the Councell Chamber before that honourable Committee there assembled in Councell that men in New-England might freely injoy their understandings and Consciences provided they walk civilly among them and that they that suffered of late did not suffer for their Consciences but for some misdemeanor thereby endeavouring to possess those noble brests with that which is false therefore I think it necessary both for the Vindication of truth and to the end that such worthy persons may not be taken with or deceived by such unworthy reports so as to be drawn to countenance persons that walk in a way that they are ashamed in plain and open terms to prosess and acknowledge for these ends I say I think it necessary to produce their Laws at least such as speak to the matter in question whereby these two things will plainly appear 1 That they that will not or else in Conscience towards God cannot conform to their worship or suspend the worship of God as their Souls are perswaded are by the authority of their Laws to be forced to the one and restrained from the other and that the Magistrate is thereby not only justified in but also injoyned unto such a proceeding against them although the men otherwise walk not only as civilly or soberly as themselves but also righteously and Godly in this present evill World and are such indeed as are a Law to themselves 2 Although they have Laws thus to proceed to force all to their worship to restrain those that differ from them from that worship to which their Souls are perswaded yet in our case they were so far transported with zeal that what they did unto us they did without Law yea against those Cautions which their own Laws have provided Certain Lawes established in the Colony of the Mathatusets in New-England and drawn forth by constraint to prove that the Authority there established cannot permit men though of never so civill sober and peaceable a Spirit and Life freely to enjoy their understandings and consciences nor yet to live or come among them unlesse they can
the chiefest of them and told them that they should be as lambs in the midst of wolves yea holds them and us and all that shall reign with Christ when he shall appear with his Kingdome in a continuall expectation of a persecuted and afflicted condition in this present evil world then it cannot be expected that they should have any such liberty much less authority from him thus to persecute prosecute or inforce others But the first is true See Mat. 11. 29. 1 Cor. 13. 4. Eph. 4. 34. 1 Pet. 3. 8. Mat. 10. Tim. 2. 3. 12. All that will live Godly in Christ Jesus saith Paul who well discerned the spirit that was abroad that which should remain and increase in the world shall suffer persecution and theservant is not greater than his Lord saith Christ Mat. 10. 24 25 So that by this it appears that the first is true and therefore the second which is this That no servant of Christ can expect any such liberty or authority from his Lord thus to persecute prosecute or inforce others A Fourth argument against forcing men against their consciences ' in the things and worship of God is taken from the nature of the conscience of man and of the worship of God which are both spiritual and it standeth thus 4. Arg. That which the Lord hath reserved in his own hand and hath intended to mannage as part of his own Kingdome by his own power or Spirit and by another manner of ministery and sword than that which is put forth in the Kingdoms of men his being such as fuits with the understanding and conscience of man as it 's a spiritual thing and with the worship of God which is also spiritual that I say can no servant of Christ have authority from him by an other sword or arm of flesh to undertake mannage or think to effect But the Lord hath reserved this great work of ordering the understanding and conscience which is the spirit of man by way of constraint or restraint and also the outward man with respect to the worship of God I say he hath reserved this great work in his own hand and in the hand of the Spirit and hath intended to mannage it as a part of his Kingdome by his own Spirit and by another manner of ministery than that which is put forth in the Kingdoms of men Therfore c. The first proposition I judge cannot be denyed because if it be by him reserved in his own hand and power then by his authority it cannot be in the hand of another and if intended by him to be mannaged by another manner of ministery and sword than that which is put forth in the Kingdomes of men then not by the same And as for the second it will appear to be a truth by these following testimonies 1. That the great work of ordering the understanding and conscience which is the spirit of a man by way of constraint or restraint and also the outward man with respect to the worship of God is reserved as a part of his Kingdome the spirits of men being the throne of the Lord in his own hand and in the hand of the Spirit doth appear Luke 17. 26. Rom. 11. 32. Isa 45. 22. Zach. 4. 6. Prov. 2. 6. Iam. 1. 5. 10. 1. 9. Luke 24 45. 2 Cor. 4. 6. Eph. 1. 18 19. Act. 2. 47. 11. 21. And 2. That he hath intended to mannage it by another manner of sword or ministery than that which is put forth in the Kingdoms of men is also evident in that he did neirher speak to nor yet make use of the Kings of the earth to make him discipies nor yet call for their sword to constrain them or others to the worship of God or to restrain them from their own although it was performed to dumb Idols and so unto devils but made use of the sword of the Spirit which is his own word the ministery of his Apostles and servants to hold it forth to the world and tl ereby were disciples made unto him and so by him brought from their own to the worship and service of God See lo. 16. 8 9 10 11 26. Acts 15 16 18. 1 The. 1. 8 9. ch 2. 13. Heb 4 12. The fifth Argnment against forcing mens consciences or rather the outward man for conscience sake in the worship of God standeth thus 5. Arg. That which presupposeâ—h one man to have dominion over another mans conscience and is but a forcing of Servants and worshippers upon the Lord at the least which he seeks not for and is the ready way to make men dissemblers and hypocrites before God and man which wisemen abhor and to put men upon the profaning the name of the Lord that can no servant of Christ Jesus have any liberty much less authority from his Lord to do But by outward force to seek to constrain or restrain an others conscience in the worship of God c. doth presuppose one man to have dominion over another mans conscience and is but to force servants and worshippers upon the Lord which he seeks not for and is the ready way to make men dissemblers and hypocrites and to put them upon the profaning the name of the Lord. Therefore c. The first proposition is undeniable because it is evident that it is not the will of the Lord that any one should have dominion over another mans conscience no not such as had the largest power and presence of the Spirit of God and the largest interest in the hearts of his people as had the Apostles Elders and Brethren See 1 Cor. 8 11 12. 10. 29. 1 Pet. 5. 3. Phil. 3 15. 2 Cor. 1 23 24. chap. 4. 5. for this indeed would be to enter upon the throne of Christ to sit in the Temple of God and is the very highest design of the spirit of Antichrist See â— Thess 2. 4. 1 Cor. 3. 10. And for any man to enter upon the throne of Christ to set a foot into the Temple of God is to defile it and he that defiles the Temple of God saith the Apostle him shall God destroy And for a man to put servants and worshippers upon the Lord when he would not have others to put servants upon him and make men dissemble when if he be a wise man he cannot but hate dissembling must needs be much more abomination to the Lord so that the first proposition as I said cannot be denied The second will easily be proved in each particular thereof As 1. This so cing of all to conform in the worship of God doth presuppose one man â—o have dominion or Lordship over another mans conscience for who knows not that the worship of God is a case of conscience and that that worship and service that is pleasing to him must have the spirit and conscience the chief in it and therefore that man which by outward force would cause others to conform in point of worship must