Antichrist from whom they are descended and succeeded both lineally and of great antiquity Mystically Wherefore I humbly beseech the King and Parliament that you will betimes listen unto the holy spirit in the mouth of the prophet which saith Psal 2.10 Be wise now therefore ye Kings be learned or instructed ye Judges of the earth serve the Lord in feare and rejoice in trembling kisse the Son of God lest hee be angry and ye perish in the way of persecution when his wrath shall suddenly burn Let not therefore the Kings of the earth band themselves with the Bishops and Ministers of Antichrist Psal 2. â— 3. 1 Ioh. 2.20 Rev. 17.14 nor Princes assemble themselves together against the Lord and against his amointed that is against Christ and his Church seeing both he and she break your bands and east your cords from them Rev. 12.11 Yea her seed overcommeth you by the bloud of the lamb and by the word of their testimony for they love not their lives unto death Beware then in time lest you offend any more of these little ones that beleeve in Christ seeing Christ saith it were better to have a milstone hanged about the neck Matth. 18.6.10 and drowned in the depth of the Sea then so to do He meaneth that it were better for you to lose your lives then any way to consent to the offence of such little ones that beleeve in Christ See then I pray that they be not despised burned banished hanged and imprisoned For their Angels alwaies behold the face of Christs Father in heaven and remember he saith Matth. 10.38 39. Matth. 11.35.36 the tree is known by his fruit but persecuting of Christians is an evill fruit And that a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things but persecuting of christians is no good thing and that for every idle word men shall speake they shall give accounts at the last day of judgements How much more for every wicked and cruel deed of persecution as burning banishing hanging and imprisoning of those that confesse with the mouth Rom. 10.9 and beleeve with the heart the Lord Iesus and that God raised him from the dead whose laws and ordinances they are carefull to keepe and obey Christ saith that such shall be saved and yet you feare not to burn banish hang and imprison such But if you beleeve that God will avenge his elect Luk 18.9 beware of persecuting his servants that cal on his name specially such as witnesse his truth against the abominations of Antichrist Suffer not your Bishops to destroy those men and women that strive to serve God according to his will in his word Be not your Bishops executioners in burning banishing hanging and imprisoning of harmlesse and peaceable Christians but let them enjoy freedom of the gospel and liberty of conscience that so the apostolick Church which is scattered and driven into the wildernesse and desart of this world may be againe gathered together both of Jews and Gentiles into visible and stablished congregations 2 Thes â— 8 And that the Catholick and universall Church of Antichrist may bee consumed and abolished by his word and spirit as the holy Apostle hath foretold even the uttermost of his arrivall which is the Emperiall and triple Crowne I pray the Lord to give such grace the Sea of Rome may ebbe apate through the triple sea of Rome And again I humbly intreat the King and Parliament to vouchsafe to heare me with patience yet a little further If freedom of the Gospel and permission of conscience might be granted then would not Papists nor any others dissemble their religion to the dishonor of God the destruction of their souls and to the great danger both of King and State seeing they are forced to Church against their consciences may not Popish Priests and Jesuites unawares to the Bishops become the Bishops Ministers seeing the change of their Religion and religious habit differ so little and so by degrees infect the people with more Popish doctrine as occasion shall be Nota. From Popes submission there is great suspition And such men will readily embrace the Bishops Orders and so they shall readily have the Bishops favours by which means they may more easily and speedily have accesse unto the Court and presence of the King and Prince which indeed is very dangerous howsoever not regarded Therefore I doe according to my duty humbly advise his Majesty not to beutifie his Court and presence with any popish stones not with one though it be of Alablaster But permission of conscience and freedom and liberty of the Gospel will no way be dangerous to the King or State if such like rules as these be observed 1. That no people tainted with treason doe beare any office 2. That all sorts of people tainted with treason do at all times from home weare a black hat with two white signs the one before 1 Kin. 2.36 41 42. Rom. 13 1. to 5. the other behind in open sight 3. That no people tainted with treason approach within ten miles of the Court without licence 4. That no people tainted with treason do inhabit the City of London nor yet within ten miles thereof 5. That none tainted with treason do make any assembly or congregation 6. That no person or persons in whatsoever difference by reasoning or disputing do draw any weapon nor give any blow stroke or push in paine and penalty as his Majesty and Parliament thinke meet 7. That for the more peace and quietnes and for the satisfying of the weak and simple among so many persons differing in Religion it bee lawfull for every person or persons yea Jewes and Papists to write dispute confer and reason print and publish any matter touching Religion either for or against whomsoever always provided they alledge no Fathers for proof of any point of religion 2 Tim. 2.24 25 Iames 3.17 but only the holy Scriptures neither yet to reproach or slander one another nor any other person or persons but with all love gentleness and peaceableness informe one another to the glory of God honor of the King and State and to their own good and credit Note A true signe of false Bishops and Ministers by which means both few errors and few books wil be written and printed seeing all false Ministers and most people have little or nothing else besides the Fathers to build their religion and doctrine upon or if it be once stablished by law that none shall confirm their religion and doctrine by the Fathers and by prisons burning and banishing c. but by the holy Scriptures then error will not be written nor disputed except by obstinate persons feared consciences seeing the word of God will be no shelter for any error Yea I know by experience among the people called Brownists that a Man shal not draw them to write though they be desired
when they com there for God giveth a blessing onely to his own ordinance and abhorreth Antichrists And Kings are to think that they are men as well as Kings Act. 9.15 1 Tim. 2.1.2 1. Cor. 7.2.22 Wise 6.1.8 and that Christ hath ordained that same meanes of faith for Kings which he hath for subjects and that subjects are Christs freemen as well as Kings subjects and Kings that beleeve are Christs Servants even as subjects are Kings servants and both are bought with a price therefore both ought not to bee the servants of men in matter of faith and religion but Kings shall give a greater account at the day of judgment then their subjects to judge men now for religion is to judge afore the time also to sit in the judgment seat of Christ to whom onely it belongeth yet not before the day appointed how much lesse to Kings and Bishops Rom. 2.16 Act. 10.42 I read that Constantine the Emperor called the great wrote to the Bishop of Rome that he would not force constraine any man to the faith but onely admonish commit the judgment to God Christs kingdom is not of this world Ioh. 18 36.10.17 therefore may it not be purchased nor defended with the weapons of this world but by his word and spirit no other weapons hath he given to his Church which is his spirituall kingdom Therefore Christ saith Mat. 18.17 He that wil not heare the church let him he to thee as a heathen and a publicane Ephes 6.10.17 he saith not burne banish or imprison him that is Antichrists ordinance And though a man be an heretick yet ought he not to be burnt but to be rejected after once or twice admonition Tit. 3.10 that is cast out of the Church but as in the church of Rome people of all sorts are by persecution forced there into by the Bishops Ministers thereof so it is in the Church of England also which sheweth that the Bishops Ministers of Rome England are of one spirit in gathering people to their faith and church which is the spirit of Satan who knoweth welth at his kingdom the false Church would greatly decay if persecution were laid down seeing himself cannot stand before the word and spirit of God much lesse his Bishops Ministers therefore he wil have them for a name and shew to use the word of God but indeed if the false interpretation and alledging of the Scriptures wil not help then saith he constrain them with fire and sword or else if people have libertie of conscience they will try the spirits which of them is of God as the Apostle John teacheth and then saith he the Prince as well as people will try all things 1 Ioh. 4.1 and keepe that which is good and wil also prove themselves as the Apostle Paul teacheth whether they are in the Apostolike faith or not 2 Cor. 13. 5 as the Church of Rome provoketh the Magistrates to persecute to death such as are excommunicated out of her so doth the Church of England provoke the Magistrats to persecute to death such as she excommunicates And as the Bishops and Ministers of Rome will perswade the prince and people to heare and read none but themselves so do the Bishops and Ministers of of England also but the Bishops and Ministers of the Apostolick church doe perswade all men to prove and try the Spirits whether they are of God which they cannot doe except they heare and read other mens doctrines as well as the Bishops and their Ministers neither can they if they would so long as the Bishops have power from the King and State to silence and imprison c. all Preachers and to burne all books which teach not their doctrines Your Majesty and Parliament shall understand that all those that confesse freely without compulsion that Iesus is the Messiah 1 John 5.1 1 Joh. 4.2 1 Cor. 12.13 the Lord and that he came in flesh are to be esteemed the children of God and true christians seeing such are born of God and no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost therefore not to be persecuted And as Abel killed not Cain but was killed himself and as Isaac and Iacob did not persecute Ismael and Esau but was persecuted of Ismael and Esau who Gal. 4.29 and Cain were figures of all persecuters so the beleeving doe not persecute the unbeleeving nor the true Church the fals but the beleeving and true Church are as they have been most often persecuted themselves of whom Abel Isaac and Jacob were figures whose children are all beleevers and freemen that stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free Gal. 5.1 and will not be tangled with the yoke of bondage no not with circumcision much lesse with the discipline and doctrine of the Church of Rome whose Bishops are able Ministers of the fire and sword both to Prince and people as many Histories doe lamentably witnes to their utter infamy and overthrow also if the beleeving should persecute the unbeleeving to death who should remaine alive then none but the beleeving should live in the world and the unbeleeving should dye in their unbelief and so perish for ever the Lord will not that the beleeving should live to the destruction of the unbeleeving but unto their conversion edification and salvation And by persecuting of Prince and people to death because they will not heare and beleeve is no gaining of souls unto God but unto the devill And whereas ignorant and wicked Bishops may think to win souls by killing Prince and people for Religion they are deceived greatly for thereby they lose many souls viz. their own and the unbeleeving their own they lose because they wilfully break the Lords Commandement that saith Thou shalt not kill Luk. 18.20 meaning such as are not corporall malefactors and the others which dye in their unbeleef they confesse themselves are eternally lost except they as some of their ministers hold a redemption after this life And the Bishops should know that error and heresie cannot be killed by the fire and sword but by the word and spirit of God that is the onely weapons of Christs Bishops and Ministers and such only Christs ministers do use whose lives and conversations are so harmles holy and gentle that thereby and by their deaths and sufferings they win many souls unto God whereby they are known from all false Bishops and ministers who like wolves and beares not like sheepe and lambs make prey and devour both Prince and people that are not of their kind if they be able to master them Besides may it please your Majesty and Parliament to understand that the beleeving man that hath an unbeleeving wife 1 Cor. 7.16 and the beleeving woman that hath an unbeleeving husband cannot live together as the Scripture teaches for the salvation of the unbeleeving if they be
Mat. 12.36 fear God and be like unto him for he causeth his sun to shine both on just and unjust Think at last you must give an account of your works many at the day of judgemnt will bee ever burned for killing and burning innocent Christians but no man shall be damned for saving their lives leane then I humbly beseech you on the right side of mercy rather then yeeld unto such as perswade to persecute innocent christians for they cannot help you when you must give account therof unto Christ who adviseth you otherwise although they be such as erre how much more such as do but seem to err and for difference in religion ought you to save their lives and I do in all humility affirm Maâ— 13.29.30 39 Acts 17.31 that those which advise you to pluck up and burn the tares which Christ commands to be let alone till the end doe advise you to pluck up and burn the commandement of Christ unto whom assuredly except amendment you shal give account at the day appointed Therfore beleeve not such as counsel you to shed blood for judgment in religion for if themselves should suffer the pain they would verily give you other counsell be not then their executioners any longer for all that will live godly in Christ 2 Tim. 3.12 shall suffer persecution though you do your best to hinder it And I pray to remember that to preach the gospel after the mind of Christ is to bring glad tydings unto the people but to burn banish hang and imprison for religion is not to bring glad but woful tydings unto the people Luk. 2.10 Rom. 1.16 let it not therefore bee any longer preached in your Majesties dominions I meekly intreat Though Paul plans and Apollos water 1 Cor. 3.6 yet it as God that giveth the encrease But your Bishops and Ministers will have an increase whether God will or not or else they will burn banish hang and imprison Kings and Magistrates are Gods Ministers and not the Bishops therefore I humbly beseech you to withstand the bloudy minds of your Bishops that there be no more innocent Christians persecuted to death for Religion A crying sin I read that in the Netherlands above a hundred thousand persons have been put to death for religion but now praised be God we have no such wofull tydings preached among us the Lord work as much in our land I beseech him that so you may no longer burn and banish the servants of Christ for he saith they that do these things have not known the Father nor me Joh. 16.3 yet I confesse you have the zeal of God for you think you do God good service in burning Christians that differ from your Religion But I also confesse your zeal is not according to knowledge for your Bishops and Ministers being indued with University and high school learning Ro. 10.2 3. divinity and doctrine but being ignorant of the lowly learning heavenly divinity and doctrine of Christ have and do stil go about to stablish their own and have not yet submitted themselves to the lowly learning divinity and doctrine of Christ and therefore like their predecessors wil perswade you to burn banish c. such Christians as they hold to be in error about doctrines and questions of faith and Religion right as if they had the power to rule govern and dispose the hearts and spirits of Kings Princes and people even as they list and also to make them good and righteous when they will and to cause them to understand and beleeve the gospel even by a day and hour appointed which to do belongeth to God alone and therefore Christ saith Iohn 6.44 no man can come to me except the Father draw him and Christ will have his Ministers to preach to such as are worthy willing and not as your Ministers who come to them whom they hold unworthy and find unwilling and say Mat. 10.11 24. Will ye not come to church and hear and will ye not beleeve our doctrine but we wil make you or else we will burn you for hereticks Thus will they taunt meek and holy Christians who are torn like sheep among the wolves but Christs ministers will with meeknes instruct such as are contrary minded tolerating the evill men patiently proving if God at any time wil give them repentance 2 Tit. 2.25 Ioh. 13.35 that they may know the truth wherby they shew plainly that they are Christs disciples and have that true faith which worketh by love even as the Apostle saith the which I pray you to consider that so you may both know and obey the will of Christ Now saith he abideth faith hope and love 1 Cor. 13. but the chiefest of these is love for where love is there is no disdaine it seeketh not her own things it is not provoked to anger it suffereth all things it hopeth all things it indureth al things Yea the love of Christ so loveth that it will not vex nor persecute any that call on his name therefore I humbly pray you to remember them that are in bonds as though ye were bound with them and them that are in affliction as if ye were also afflicted in the body and to shew them mercy Heb. 13.3 for mercy rejoyceth against judgment but judgment mercilesse shall be to them that shew no mercy If ye be friendly to your brethren onely what singular thing do you Iam. 2.13 doe not the sinners the same be not like unto them Luk. 6.32 37. but unto your heavenly father whose wisdom love and mercy I beseech him to grant you that so you may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved and that we your Majesties faithfull subjects 1 Tim. 2. may lead a peaceable and quiet life even in our own nation in all godlinesse and honesty Amen Now them that are persecuted 2 Pet. 4 12. I exhort with the words of the Apostle Peter Dearly beloved think it nor strange concerning the fiery trial that is among you to prove you as though some strange thing were come unto you but rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall appear ye may be glad and rejoice If ye be railed upon for the name of Christ blessed are ye for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you â— Pet. 2.2 which on their parts is evil spoken of but on your part is glorified but let no man suffer as an evil does or as a murtherer or as a busie body in others matters but if one suffer as a Christian Acts 24.14 let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God in that behalf For all the martyrs of the Apostolick Church have suffered as evill doers and as hereticks For the time is that judgment must must begin at the house of God if it first begin at us saith the Apostle what shal the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God and if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and sinner appeare wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls unto him in weldoing as unto a faithfull Creator Antichrist and his persecution shall bee made low â— Thes 2.4 Read Esay 2.2 4 11 16. He shal judge among the nations and rebuke many people they shall break their sword into mattocks and their spears into sithes nations shall not lift up a sword against nation neither shall they learn to fight any more the high lookes of man shall be humbled and the loftinesse of man shal be abased and the Lord only shal be exalted in that day for the day of the Lord of hosts is upon all the proud and haughty and upon all that is exalted and it shall be made low Little David overcame great Goliah yet not brought up in war unlearned Peter confuted the learned Priests yet by calling a Fisherman Attend and help Gal. 6.6 1 Cor. 9.7 and you shall see the wonderfull works of God For the foolishnesse of God is wiser then men and the weaknes of God is stronger then men And God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and things that are despised hath God chosen to bring to nought things that are 1 Cor. 1.25 28. Leonard Busher FINIS