my Sorrow for you to see you who are so mighty a Champian as you boast your selfe to be to reason so shallowly and ungroundedly for if your Argument be true then all the Nations under Heaven are true visible Churches of Christ for it is not possible that the Heathenest Nation in the World should runne out of Gods Voyce and Call Psal 139.7.8.9 For saith Dauid If I ascend up into Heaven thou art there if I make my Bed in Hell behold thou art there if I take the Wings of the Morning and dwell in the uttermost part of the Sea even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me if I say surely the darknes shall cover me even the night shall be light about me yea the darknes hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darknes and the light are both alike to thee And also see Amos. 9.1.2.3 Where you may also read that no place can hide a people from Gods presence or call so that I say no place can exempt a people from Gods voyce but wheresoever they are he can find them out and by his Judgements laid upon a Nation or Peeple whether they be Pagans Heathens and Infidels that professedly serve and worship Idols and nothing else or whether they be a Nation of seeming Christians as England is no more like the Samaritanes that professe the Worship of the true God and yet serve their Idols 2. King 17.32.33 yet take them in which sence you will I say they are within the Voyce and call of God and by his Judgements and Plagues laid upon them for their sinnes he calls them to Repentance that so they might not perish but be saved as the Apostle Paull in the first of the Romans doth largly prove Vers 18.19 and so forward So that by your Argment all the Nations under Heaven are visible Churches of Christ for I thus frame my Argument according to your owne grounds All the Nations of the Earth that are within the Voyce and call of God calling them to Faith and Repentance that so they may be saved are true Churches But all the Pagan and Heathen Notions in the World are within the Voyce and call of God as I have already proved Ergo. They are true visible Churches Deny any part of the Argument if you can and prove against it But for the proofe of your Argument you cite Math. 20.16 where it is said Many are called but few chosen the first part of the words Many are called you say but doe not prove that we are to understand them of the visible Church which are called to the outward preaching of the word to which I answere and say you are not an Oracle of God that we must beleeve your sayings without ground for you bring no proofe for what you say but your owne bare Affirmations but if you will be an Oraclo it is but a lying Oracle and not of Gods you say they are called to the outward preaching of the Word it seemes to me that you will have all the people in a Nation that are within Gods call to be Preachers and then what shall become of all your Preists for if this be not your meaning I know not what you drive at but for that place of Scripture many are called but few are chosen I understand it thus many there was that heard the Word of God and seemingly professed it as they that came to Johns Baptisme and Herod that reformed many things and those many great multitudes that Christ preached unto many of which made an outward profession of him for a time but it was but for the loaves as he himselfe doth witnesse John 6.26.27 so here are many called to the outward profession of the Gospell but saith the Text few are chosen that is to say ehough there be many that make a formall profession of Christ and have the ouiside of Christianity yet few are they that are chosen either to Christs glorious kingdome with his father or are chosen and admitted as visible members and Subjects in his visible Church or Kingdome which in Scripture hath many and divers names as Syon Jerusalem his holy Mountaine the Lords holy place the kingdome of Heaven Psal 54.7.147.12 Fsa 62.6.65.9.11 Psal 68.17.33.46.4 Mat. 20.1 Rev. 21.1.10 this exposition of the place I plainly prove from Christs preaching to so many as he did the most of which for a time did outwardly prosesse him yet all those great multitudes that he preached unto and wrought Miracles amongst at his death there was but an hundred and twenty that entered into communion to worship him in a visible Church Acts 1.15 and in the second of the Acts Peter preached to a great multitude of people yet that multitude were not members of a true visible Church neither before he preached to them nor after but only so many of them as declared and manifested faith which were to the Number of three Thowsand and they were added or joyned to the Church and the Apostle commands them to save or seperate themselves from the rest of the multitude which he preached unto seing they did not peleeve nor were never the better for his preaching saying Save your selves from thes untoward Generatron Vers 40.41 For the Lord would not have them to joyne Riffe Raffe and all sorts of people to the Church to whom the Word was preached but only those that declared the worke of Grace to be wrought in their hearts therefore the Spirit of God saith The Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved Now though I grant the Kingdome of England is within the Voyce and call of God calling the people thereof to Repentance that so they may be saved yet I grant no more then what all the Nations under Heaven are therefore you cannot conclude from this Ground that the Church of England is a true Church of Christ seing the Whol Nation good or bad wicked or righteous godly or ungodly have all one and the same Priviledge by virtue of their being professed Membees of your Ch. therefore from that which hath been said I frame this Argument That the true visible Church of Christ under the Gospell doeth not consist of all sorts and kinds of people to whom the word of God is preached but only to such persons who by their outward Conversation may be judged to be true Beleevers Esay 4.3.35.8.9.10.51.11 Rom. 1.7 1. Cor. 1.7 Rev. 22.14 But the Church of England is not made up nor doeth not consist of true Beleevers that is to say Saints by calling and practice but of all sorts and kinds of wicked persons as Witches Sorcerers Whoremungers Drunkards Idolaters Swearers Blasphemers all sorts of Prophane Lewd Wicked livers Ergo It is no true Church of Christ but a false and Antichristian Church of Antichrists 2. Cor. 6.9.10 Rev. 9.20.21 and 13.8.16.17 and 21.27 and 22.15 Both the Proposition and Assumption I have already strongly proved
made it manifest Well now to come to your fift Argument which is thus framed If the Church of Engl. have the true matter and forme of a true Church then it must needs be a true Ch. But the Ch. of Engl. hath the matter forme of a true Church Ergo. It is a true visible Church Ans 5. I Answer if it had the true matter forme of a true visible Church then ti were true indeed for these are both and only essentiall to the being of a true Ch. but I say you want them both But you for to prove it say that the matter of a true Ch. is a company of men and that you have and you say the Forme is a profession of true Religion truly you bewray the blindnes and ignorance of a man whse braines and understanding is infatuated and made drunke with the spirituall cup of fornication of the scarlat whore not in the least understanding what you say and affirme yet to answer your Arg. though I grant that where true matter and true forme is there is a true Church yet I absolutely deny that you have either true matter or true forme which you say you thinke none will deny so that the begging of things and takeing that for granted which I deny and which you are never able to prove is the best ground you have to prove your false Arg. true But now for the matter of a true Ch. you will have it to be a company of men making no distinction but let them be what kind soever they will serve it seemes to be true matter in your ch whether they be a company of men possessed with Divels and uncleane spirits from whose mouth Christ will owne no confession nor service but absolutely commands them to hold their peace and not to take his name in their mouthes to speake of him Mar. 1 s 25.34 oa whether they be Inchanters Sorcerers or diviners or wether they be whoremongers fornicatorss Idolaters adulterers drunkards swearers blaspheamers prophane persons lyars or those that commit the sin against the holy ghost so they be but men let them he what kind of men they will you say they are fit matter for a true church indeed I confesse they are the fittest matter for your church that you can have and your church is made up and doth consist of all such sorts kinds of wicked persons which doth evidently and undenyably prove it to be an Antich Ch. and one of the nationall Citties that is under the government of the Beast for he is said to compell all as you doe both rich and poor high low bond free to become his servants subjects and to worship him according to his lawes and whosoever will not shall not live neither in peace nor quietnes Rev. 13.15.16 and this is the practice of your Church daily and hourly for the most unfittest matter for your Churches are the Consciencious Saints that desire to glorifie God as well in their Bodys as in their Sâ—ules and to walke unblameably in all his waies and if there be any such among you they are cast out of your Synagogues by you and prohibited either to buy or sell with you though such as these alone be the only true and fit matter for the visible Church or Kingdome of Jesus Christ Esay 35.10 51.11 Jer. 4.5 Act. 1.14.15 2.41.47 11.21.23 Rom. 1.7 1 Cor. 1.2 1 Pet. 2.9 Rev. 22.14 For all uncleane wicked and ungodly persons of what sort soever are no fit matter to become members of Christs holy City new Jerusalem which is said to come downe from Heaven or visible Church for all such should and ought to be kept out from thence Act. 2.40 1 Cor. 5.13 6.9.10 Rev. 21.27 22.15 In the second place you say the proffession of true Religion is the forme of a true Church this you in England doe and have and therefore are a true Church For answer to which I say that I have already in the foregoing discourse fully proved that your Religion is not a true Religion but a false seing you worship and serve God not accoding to his Lawes and commands but with and according to your owne devises and Inventions but yet I doe confesse that yee doe professe like the Samaritane the worship of the true God but for all that with them you serve your Idols therefore by your owne grounds you have not the forme of a true Church wherefore by the same Ground it followes that you are not a true Church But now punctually to answer your Argument I affirme that thâ— forme of a true Church is for a company of beleevers who are washed in the blâ—od of Christ by a free and voluntary Consent or willingnesse to enter into that heavenly and holy State City or Kingdome which in the word of God is plentiuflly described and by the power of Christ to become a constituted or Polytique Body or Corporation or an inclosed or fenced Garden or Vinyard and then by virtue of their combination uniting joyning themselves together each to other so unto the Lord promising to walk in all his waies to yeild obedience to all his Lawes commands as he requires they should Gen. 17. 2 Cor. 6 17.18 they become a true visible Church of Jesus Christ Deut. 29.9.10.11 2 King 11.17 2 Cron. 15.12 Nehe. 10.29 Psal 110. 3. Jer. 50.4.5 Act. 23.24 so hath power from Christ her head to cast out offenders 1 Cor. 5. to chuse elect ordaine her own Officers Act. 6.3.5 14.23 they ordained them Elders in every Church by Election as the Originall and Beza's Translation with others read it though the word Election by the Bishops fraud and Pollicy be left out in our last English Translation and to receive in beleevers 2 Cor. 2.7.8 and to keepe out wicked persons Rev. 21.27 and 22.15 and to reprove and admonish her owne Officers Bishops or Overseers Col. 4.17 or doe her selfe any sprituall good or exclude from herselfe any evill shee feares or is like to come upon her without the helpe or assistance of any either church or officers besides her selfe Rev. 1.2.3 ch but the Ch. of Eng. neither hath or ever had this forme in the least as I have fully manifested elsewhere as also you may read in a litle Booke lately printed called the Three Estates that is to say the Civill State the rrue Ecclesiasticall Sate and the False Ecclsiasticall State and also you want the profession of the true Religion and therefore your Ch. is no true Ch. of Christ for it is vnited by profession subjection to the Pope of Lambeth who is substitute to the Pope of Rome whome Mason in his Epistle Dedicatory before his Booke of Ordination of Bishops Preists and Deacons cals the Head and cheife over the Ch. of Engl. for they in their publike Court of High Commission at the censure of that noble and worthy Dr. Bastwicke have renounced
nationall churches cityes or daughters that depend vpon her one of which England is and woe to that man at that day that is found within her territories or the Paile of her great catholike church or the walls of her great wide and farre spread spirituall citty Alas man there is a great deale of difference betwixt King Edwards and Queen Maryes times and ours now the martyrs and people of God were then but newly enlightned to see the blake and spirituall darke Kingdome of Satan and Antichrist in which they were brought up the darkenesse whereof was so great the Sun and the Aire was both clouded Rev. 9 2. and the bright shining light of the old and new Testament shut vp in much obscurity to what it is now and they did but see the abominable wickednes of his kingdome a farre of like the man in the Gospell whose eyes Christ opened who at his first looking up did see men walking a farre off like trees even so they saw but the truthes a farre off which made them rejoyce at a little Reformation and highly to esteeme of those things in the worship and service of God that now are made manifest by the light of truth before the open Sun to be no fitter for Gods worship and Service then kennell dirte being meer Idols and those Idolaters that communicate with them and though they rejoyced at a little Reformation of Antichrists errours but now it is made manifest that no Reformation of his Kingdome will serve the turne but it must be now annihilated and nullified before the visible Kingdome of Christ can flourish and become the praise of the whole Earth and you know and confesse they would have no Communion with the Church of Rome from which they thought they had seperated neither with that abominable Idoll the Masse which you confesse they counted detestable though they had communion with the Church of England and the Service-Booke but now the Church of England is proved againe and againe by hundreds of the Seperation and others in their disputes Sermons and writings to be as Antichristian as the Church of Rome and the Service Booke to be as detestable as the Idol of the Masse being even one and the same with it saving that it is in Latine and this in English as Noble Dr. Bastwicke hath proved And what though the abomination and fornication of that great Red WHOORE of Rome in King Edwards time was not so fully laid open but that the Martyrs and chosen people of God did then commit some spirituall Fornication with her must we therefore doe the like no God forbid for the Lambe that standeth upon mount Syon with an Hundred fourty and four Thowsand of his Elect and chosen ones having his Fathers name written in their Foreheads hath proclaimed and made it manifest that Babilon or spiritaall Rome is now fallen and is become the habitation of Divells and tho hold of every soul spirit and the Cage of every uncleane and hatefull Bird with whom Gods people now at no hand are not to be mixed in spirituall Society or Communion And what though the everlasting Gospell then was not so fully preached and revealed as now it is so that Gods people then were exceeding ignorant of it and by their blindnesse thought they thought they had seperated away from the Beasts Kingdome yet were they in it and did worship him must it then follow that we must doe so too no for now the great City Rome is much more fallen and descovered then it was and now a third Angell hath proclaimed it with a lowd voyce having his Commission from God so to doe that seing now the Booke is opened and the trueth of the everlasting Gospell is preached and Light is now brought into the world so that now if after all this a man worship the Beast and his Image or receive in his right hand or in his forhead his marke the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is powred out without mixture into the Cup of his Indignation and he shall be tormented with Fire and Brimstone in the presence of the Angells and in the presence of the Lambe and the smoke of their Torment ascended up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor night that worship the Beast or his Image or receive the marke of his Name Rev. 14.8.9.10.11 Wherefore saith the Spirit of God Came out of her any people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that yee receive not of her plagues chap. 18.5 here is the expresse command of God himselfe to all his chosen and elect ones to separate away from all Antichristian Assemblies and not in the least to partake with them in any of their worship ordinances or administrations which precept if any of them refuse to obey let them know that God will plague them and though for his Covenant sake he save their soules yet it will be through much difficulty accompaned with many an heavy and sad heart and many a bitter uncomfortable Crosse Therefore let all Gods people that yet are in her or in the bosome of the Church of England her daughter as they love their own inward peace and spirituall joy and looke that their soules should prosper and florish with grace and Godlines looke to it and withdraw their spirituall obedidience and subjection from all Antichrists Lawes and worship and now joyne themselves as fellow Cttizens of the City of God to worship and serue him in mount Syon the beauty of holynesse and there only to yeild all spirituall obedience to Christs spirituall Lawes and Scepter Now my Opposite I have fully by the authority of the sacred and pure word of God particularly answered your trifling childish and frothy arguments and proved against you and them that the church ministery and worship in England is all of them Antichristian from which all Gods people are bound in consolence ind in paine of undergoing the Lords high displeasure hnd indignation and heing portakers of his fearfull and dreadfull plagues to separate away from it and to have no communion with it Therefore to you my Opposer I say with the Prophet to backstyding Israel Iâ— God be God follow him or if Baall or Antichrist or Rome he God then follow him And so much for the Answering of your erronious Arguments BUt now you will it may be say if salvation as you have confessed and proved may be had in a false Ch. yea in no Gh. then wherefore doe you enter into and become a member of a true Church My Answ to this is in the first place negatively I doe not enter thereinto for to be saved thereby or for to seeke for Jesus Christ as though I wanted either for I have both Christ and salvation as all those ought to have that become fellow citzens of the City of God as I have before largely proved neither doe I enter into into it to live securely and carelesly in sin
AN ANSWER TO NINE ARGUMENTS Written by T. B. WHEREIN IS PLAINLY FROM THE SCRIPTURES shewed the weakenesse of his Arguments whereby he undertakes to prove both the Church and Ministery of England true as likewise describing the nature and properties of a true Church and Ministery Written long since by that faithfull Servant of God and his Countrey John Lilburne Leiftenant Collonell And now published for further good by a well willer to Him and the Truth Gal. 4.17 They zealously affect you but not well they would exclude you that you might affect them 1 John 4.1 Beloved beleive not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they be of God because many false Prophets are gon out into the world LONDON Printed in the Yeare of our Lord 1645. IOHN LILBURNE AETAT SVAE 23. An o 1641. G Glo fecit Gaze not vpon this shaddow that is vaine But rather raise thy thoughts a higher straine To GOD I meane who set this young-man free And in like straits can eke deliuer thee To the Reader Christian Reader THe providence of God bringing to my hands this ensuing Matter the Author of which thou well knowest if thou beest not a stranger in Israel is famous in Sufferings both for the cause of Christ in holding him forth to be the only King and Lawgiver of his Church against that Prelaticall faction which stood in opposition to the same as likewise in standing to defend the priviledges of the Kingdom whereof he is a member with his liberty estate and life as counting nothing dear to himselfe that he might render himselfe faithfull to Christ in giving to him that which was his due and unblameable to Caesar to give unto him that which is his resolving by the strength of Christ that although others that have seemed to suffer for Christ should deny him and plead for Baal yet to stand in his integrity my selfe knowing him to be the same that he was standing a member of such a Church which he maintaines to be the only spouse of Jesus Christ I thought good to publish to thy vow that which long since was written by him to that end when he was in the depth of his sorrowes or rather sufferings close prisoner in Irons in the Fleet is being an Answer to some Arguments which by an Opposite to the truth were then written wherein is unmasked those unsound grounds by which a false church and ministery is pleaded for as likewise describing from the Authority of the Scriptures the nature and properties both of true church and ministery And if it should be Objected by any that what is here published is not usefull to us the Prelats being now thrown down and a Reformation like to be established agreable to the Word of God To which Answer may be made that if it were so surely it would put an end to all contest of this nature For what is that Reformation the Word holds out but only the men should not Lord it over each others consciences but to serve each other in love and labour in the use of those meanes God hath appoynted to informe one an other as knowing it is the worke of the Lord Jesus alone as to bring Soules to himselfe so also to enlighten Soules in the knowledge of the truth as it pleaseth him and not men by banishments Chaines or imprisonments to doe it as the Prelates have done and the Presbyters in Scotland at this day doe But such a Reformation except God by a mighty hand interpose is like to be no other then a scourge to the States and as contrary to truth in the pure nature of it as the other although it have wore appearance of truth which will he plainly manifested to those whose eyes the Lord shall open to helpe to see and ezamine what in this ensuing Discourse is said there be two great evils which frequently are apt to beare-sway in the hearts of those that professe Religion which is spirituall sluggishnes which is manifested in living vpon other mens light takeing all for Gospell which Learned men say without tryall witnesse Mr. Enoch Gray who hath forsaken the truth to embace this present world and that great God of the World selfe love that cup of gold in the hand of the whore is so sutable to selfe that rather then that shall be for gon all the glory of Jesus Christ shall be trampled under feet by them And in my observaâ—ion I have perceived three sorts of men glued to those evils The first is carnall Professours that can content themselves with a forme of godlines and therefore takes all for gould that glisters The other two are Clergie men and Lawyers who are filled with selfe love that like Herod and Pilate they both joyne together against Christ and his pure wayes and what should be the reason that those two should cleave so fast together to goe hand in hand to fight against Christ truly I know not unlesse they feare that if the truth of Christ take place alone that it will bring such a luster with it as to appeare so perspicuous and cleare upon the faces of all men as thereby to roote the one out of their Calling and the other out of their Tythes and thereby spoyle all their glory and greatnes at one blow and I hope the wisedome of this present Parliament will see that such as that which now goeth by oppression into their purses may be turned to make vp the Kingdomes losses which may with much ease be done if they consult with God and their neighbour Countrey the Sates of Holland but I shall leave that to their wisedomes and thee in thee perusall of this to the blessing of the most High and if there be any thing in it that savours of harshnes to thee let it be looked at by thee as expressions of Resolution rather knowing that such a spirit hath been still manifest by him both in the cause of God and his Countrey And therefore I shall say no more but rest Thine in all services of love to his power M. N. AN ANSWEARE TO NINE ARGUMENTS of T. B. LOVING FRIEND TO satisfie your earnest desire to me I have put pen to paper to answeare the ungrounded Arguments of your Friend which you communicated unto me but to tell you my Judgment of them in few words They are of such Insufficiency and so ungroundedly compiled without all Authority of holy Scripture that I doe assure you if it had not been my promise to you to reply unto them I should not once more have spent my precious Time and Paines in a second view of them For in the laying downe of nine Arguments he hath not one Portion of Gods word to prove them all but only one and that is nothing pertinent to his purpose but runnes on most deceitfully to prove Logicke by Logicke Truly I am affraid he is too neer of kinne to the Prelate of Canterbury and Pope of Lambeth and the rest of his brother Bishops
virtue of his power and Lawes which he hath left recorded in his last Will and Testament for the bodies of his particular visible Churches to elect chuse and ordaine their owne Officers either let them doe this or else I say and will against them all maintaine it that they are Antichrists Ministers set in by the power of Satan in the Kingdome of the seaven headed and ten horned Beast in direct opposition and professed hatred against the Kingdome and Septer of Jesus Christ the eternall Sâ—n of God for they are but false Prophets false Shee Pheards and false Teachers like those in Jeremiahs time that runne before ever God sent them and say they are of his sending when as indeed thiy lye Jer. 14.14 23.21.32 Ezeck 18.6.7 for he never sent any of them Rev. 9.3 Therefore doe you and all those that are under their Jurisdiction looke to it as they and you love your owne soules for the Lord hath not only threatned to plague false Prophets false Ministers and false sheepheards but also all those that give care and submit unto them and are seduced by them Esa 9.16 Jer. 14.15.16 23.15.16.34.39 27.15 29.8.9.18 Ezeck 13.8.9.10 So that it is not enough for a man that takes upon him to be a Prophet and a Sheepheard to come in the name of the Lord and doe part of those things which a true Prophet and Sheepheard of the Lord doth but first of all he must prove his Authority and that he is of the Lords sending else none of Christs Sheep are to give eare unto him John 10. the beginning for Christ hath bid them beware of such seeing many of them were and still aâ—e to come abroad into the World coming in such a foule deceiving flattering way that they should deceive if it were possible the very Elect Mat. 7.15 24.11.24 Mar. 13.22.23 2 Pet. 2.1 1 Jâ—hn 4.1 and the reason wherefore they should beware of them and try and examine their Authority from whence it is as the Church of â—â—â—â—esus did for which she is highly commended Rev. 22. is because that false Apostles and false ministers all of them are deceitfull workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and ministers of righteousnesse Therefore all Gods people had need exceedingly to labour for true knowledge and understanding is it is their duty that so they may be able to try and know false Ministers and Sheepeards from true ones least their soules run vpon the Rockes and so be in great danger of suffering shipwrake in submitting and giving â—eare unto those Ministers and Preachers that never were of the Lords sending nor never received their errand from him in the number of which are all the Ministers in England as well the best as the worst done of them being Christs true Ministers but Antichrists Locusts which came out of the smoake of the bottomlesse pit and are fully described in the ninth of the Revelation But I know what evation you will have to prove your Bishops Preists and Deacons true which is to fetch and derive their lineall succession which Rabby Pocklington in his Sunday no Sabboth boasts of from his impiety of Rome that Antichrist and man of Sin and Son of Perdition 2 Thes 2.3 and so thinke to avoyde all that I have said against them and also you will rune to your greasie mouldy Consecration and laying on hands by which you give them your own Holy Ghost namely the spirit of errour of blindnesse and ignorance and therefore if you goe to the Pope and derive their authority from him as of absolute necessity you must this being your best and only Argument you have to prove them true which Mason to the utmost makes use of against the Papists who deny your Bishops Preists and Deacons to be true ones because you schismed away from them and so they want Cannonicall Ordination as they call it and therefore Mason in his booke of Ordination of Bishops Preists and Deacons proves it at large to be a false accusation and that they are true having had an inviolable canonicall Ordination and Consecration from the Bishops of Rome as there you may largly read pag. 10. 41. 58. 62. 64. 88. and so forward to the end Now if you goe this way to worke too as of necessity you must having no other way at all to goe to prove them true then what doe you else but even you your selfe prove your Ministers to be Antichristian whom Mason in his foresaid Booke pag. 77 doth prove by the authority of the Scripture that if they be so it is the duty of all Gods people to seperate from them And as for laying on of hands I say it was but a Ceremony which ceased when the visible working of miracles ceased which if you say to the contrary I put you upon it to prove it a durable and permanent action in the Church of God absolutely essentiall to the making of a true Pastor Teacher Elder or Bishop Also you will say one minister must make an other but your ministers and officers are made by other ministers and officers therefore they are true But I deny that either he that is made or he that made your ministers is true But for the Argument I absolutely deny the proposition and I affirme that it is not essentiall to the makeing of a true Bishop or elder which is all one Titus 1. to be made by other Bishops or Elders for those Bishops Elders and Deacons that were made in the Apostles times were elected and made by the Church who only hath power for that end and the Apostles and Evangelists did nothing else by that action of laying on of hand but shew their likeing and approbation of that action that the Church had performed and of those persons that the Church had made Officers to officiate in her and at the laying on of the Apostles hands God was pleased to worke miracles even to give the Holy Ghost unto those upon whom they was layd which were no officers in the Church Acts 8.17.18 19.6 and also at the curing the Father of Publius of his Feaver Paul laid his hands upon him and healed him Acts 28.8 yea Ananias who was no officer in the Church but a Disciple or a private man as you call them yet he laid his hands upon Saul at the doing of which he received his sight and also the Holy Ghost Acts 8.20.17 So that you see lâ—ying on of hands in the primative time was not only peculiar to the Apostles and Evangelists themselves bat also to others which were no officers but Brethren out of office and was not only used at the shewing their approbation and likeing of those men that the Church had chosen into office but also at the workeing of miracles as the giving of the Holy Ghost and healing of the Sicke so that I affirme that Action ceased when the visible working of Miracles ceased and is not in the least essentiall to the
have them follow him no further then he followed Christ 1. Cor. 11.1 But your Ministers in their actions and practise do declare and say unto the people that they will not owne Jesus Christ for the only Prophet or his Church and therefore they teach the people to worship the Lord with Ceremonies and Wil-worship as Capping Cringing and Duking clean contrary to the seccond Commandement and also with Holy Gâ—â—ments as they call them and with booke prayer translated out of the Popes cursed Masse-booke as worthy Dr. Eustaricke doeth in the third part of hâ—s Letany declare and prove by which they teach the people to leave the naked simplicity of that worship which Jesus Christ hath instituted in his New Testament John 4.23.25 saying to the woman of Samaria the hower cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him for God is a spirit and they that worship rim must worship him in spirit and in truth and tie and bring the people to worship God with a worship which is meerly and altogether sinfull mens inventions and foolish devises which worship is odious detestable hatefull abominable to God Esa 1.11.12.13 66.3.4 Jer. 6.19.20 25.6.44.21.22.23 Amos 5.21.22 Mat. 15.8.9 Marke 7.7.8 Col. 2. So that I may truly say of the Church of England and the worshippers therein as the spirit of God said of Judah in the second of Esa 8.9 their Land also is full of Idols they worship the workes of their owne hands that which their owne fingers have made and the meane man boweth downe and the great man humbleth himselfe therefore forgive them not 3. Againe in the third place as Jesus Christ is the only Preist and Porphet of his Church so he is the only King and Lawgiver of it and to it and none else Psal 2. 149.19 Esa 9.6.7 83.20 for the Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Lawgiver saith the Church of God the Lord is our King he will save us now the Apostles by their ministery taught this to the Saints and Churches of God That Jesus Christ is the only King and Lawgiver of and to his Church vnto whose Lawes and Septer alone and to none other they must stoope submit and yeild unto Ephes 1.21.22 2.22.23 Col. 2.2.3.6.7 Heb. 3. begin 20.28.29 12.25 But your Ministers by their Ministrery teach the people to rebell and bid defiance against the Septer Lawes and Commands of Christ as though he had not had wisedome and power enough to have erected and governed his owne spirituall Kingdome and to have instituted sufficient Offices as voyd places for his people by virtue of his Lawes to elect and chuse Officers to administer therin for the building of them up till they come to perfect then in the knowledge of God and unto the measure of the fulnes of Christ contrary to what the Apostle affirmes by the spirit of God Ephes 4.11.12.13 and therefore they teach the people to run to Antichrist and seeke for more Officers Away with such horrible wickednes as this which your Bishops Preists and Deacens those litle toes of Antichrist dayly and howerly perpetrate and commit as if so be Jesus Christ had not been so faithfull in his House as Moses was in his and as though he had not had so sufficient a care of his Church under the Gospell as Moses had under the Law and therefore they goe unto Antichrist Christs professed enemie and there would teach the people to seeke for Lawes for the governing of the Church of God under the Gospell rakeing them out of his cursed counsels Bookes of Articles and diabolicall Traditions and in their doing of this which is their constant practises they teach flat Rebellion and High Treason againg the Septer and Kingdome of the everlasting Son of God who will have his church governed by his owne Lawes which he instituted and left recorded in his last Will and Testament which he hath bequeathed to his church commanding them as they will answer it before his dreadfull appearing to observe and keep them strictly without violation in the least and also by his owne Officers therein expressed who are only five who are to be permanent officiating in personall presence and Being for the freedome of his church namely Pastor Teocher Elder Deacon and Widdow Rom. 12.7.8 Phil. 1.1 1 Tim. 3. 5. chap. But they teach the people to goe to the Lawes and Officers of Antichrist which are a great multitude in number as Patriarkes Primates Metrapolitanes Arch-Bishops Lord Bishops Deanes Chancellours Vicar generall Prebends Doctours of the Civill Law Doctours of Divinity Proctours Registers Arch-Deacons Sub-Deacons Preists Jesuites Parish-preists Parsons Vicars Curates Cannons Petty Cannons Chanters Vestrey men Church wardens Sworne men Side men Parish clarkes damnable and divelish Pursevants Summers Apparritours with a great many more And therefore in this respect doe not by their Ministery accomplish the same ends that the Ministery of the Apostles did and so by your owne grounds are no true Ministers And aâ— for those two things of conversion and confirmation or building up in the wayes of God which you speake of if you meane by conversion an opening of the eyes to turne them from drunkenes to light and from the power of Satan unto God Or if you meane by conversion a deliverance from the power of darkenes and a translation into the Kingdome of the Son of God both of which the Apostles Ministery did accomplish in the hearts and lives of Gods people Asts 26.18 Col. 1.13 I absolutely deny it that your Ministery in England doth this And therefore I desire you to declare what you meane by conversion and prove your definition by the holy Scripture and also prove that you in England are so converted which when you have done I shall further answer you by Gods assistance And as for their building them up in the wayes of God as all true Sheepheards ought to build up their sheepe as Acts 20. 1 Pet. 5. yet I deny it that your ministers doe it for how can they build them vp in that which they themselves are ignorant of and enemies unto for as Jannes and Jambres which withstood Moses so doe these men also resist the truth being men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth 2 Tim. 3.8 and doe feed you with huskes and chaffe being neither willing to embrace it themselves nor to let those that would as their constant preaching and speaking against the truth of God and the Kingdome of his Son doth witnesse And in the conclusion of this your Argument you say when the Separation can prove conversion in an Antichristian Church you will say more to them this belongs to you to prove for we doe not plead for Antichrist but against him and all his And therefore have I taken the paines by the Word of God and demonstrable Argument grounded therevpon to prove the Church
of England Antichristian And when you or any other doe by the Authority of the unerring and pure Word of God sufficiently confute what I have writ against it I doe promise you I will be a member of the Church of England againe but if that be not done I will by the strength of the Lord of Hosts for ever separate from Church Ministery and worship in England as all and every one of them Antichristean and false yet thus much I say and doe acknowledge and the Scripture proves it that God hath a people or an elect number in spirituall Babylon yea in the Kingdome of Antichrist part of which the ch of England is and none of them shall perish but â—e eternally saved yet I say it is the duty of all Gods Elect chosen ones that as yet in the whorish â—osâ—… of the ch of Engl. or in any part of Antichrists regiment iâ— separate away from it and come out of it least God plague them for their staying there 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 forward 51.6.9.11 2 Cor. 6.16.17 Rev. 14.9.10 18.4 Now from all that which hath been said I frame these Arguments First that every lawfull Pastor Bishop Minister or Officer in the visible Church of Christ ought to have a lawfull call and be lawfully chosen into his Office before he can be a true Officer in the Church of Christ Acts 1.24.25 26. 24.23 Gal. c 11. Heb. 5.4 But the Ministers and Officers in the Church of England have not a lawfull call neither are lawfully chosen to be Officers in the Church of Christ see the Booke of Ordination of Bishops Preists and Deacons compared with the Scripture Therefore all your Ministers are false and Antichristian Officers Rev. 9.3 2. Secondly The doing of those actions that belong to the execution of an office doth not prove a man to be a lawfull officer but a lawfull power instating him into his office Acts 8.4 11.28.24 18.24.26 But all the Ministers in the church of England have nothing to prove the lawfulnes of their standing in their Ministery but the actions of a Minister and are not able to prove that they are instated into their Ministery by vertue of a lawfull power and authority Therefore they are not true Ministers of Christ but false and Antichristian Ministers of Antichrist 3. Againe in the third place upon your own grounds I frame this Argument Those that by their Ministery doe not accomplish the same ends that the Ministery of the Apostles did are no true ministers But the ministers of the church of England doe not accomplish the same ends by their ministery that the ministery of the Apostles did 1 Cor. 12.2 Therefore your ministers are no true ministers So you see I have overthrown your second Argument and that in your own way and deny that which I have said and prove against it if you be able 3. Againe your 3. Arg. to prove your scratched and deformed mother a true visible church is this Whatsoever people doe enjoy outwardly submit themselves to the true worship of God they are a true visible ch of Christ But the people of Eng. dâ—e outwardly enjoy and submit themselves to the true worship of God Ergo the people of England are a true visible Church Answ 3. And for the proofe of your Arg. you say that the Separation grant and teach the proposition but the assupmtion they stifly deny as well they may do but you will stifly maintaine and prove it to their shame But first of all I will prove your Arg. false to your shame and then I will examine your proofe of it Therefore I deny your proposition assumption and conclusion And first you say the Separation teach where there is true worship there is a true Church what they teach I doe not very well know for I never heard any of their Sermons but only one neither have I read but very few either of their Books or writings but yet I say your Major is not found for true worship doth not prove a company of people to be a true visible church of Christ for they must be a true visible church before they tender and offer up any publike worship to him therefore true worship doth not provâ— a true church but rather a true church proves true worship for the cause must ever goe before the effect which it produceth but a true Church produceth true worship and not true worship a true Church Now to the makeing of a true Church there must not only be true matter but also a true forme 1 Cor. 15.13 Col. 2.5 or an entrance into that heavenly state or spirituall city called the New Jerusalem which comes downe from heaven and which is in the last end described in the Word of God and so becoming a politike Kingdome or Body that makes them a true church or an vniting joyning or combining of a company of Beleivers together amongst themselves and so unto Christ their only and alone head and King promising perfect obedience to all his Lawes and to walke in all his wayes that gives them the denomination of a true visible church of Christ by virtue of which they come to have Christs power to execute all the Lawes that Jesus Christ hath left and bequeathed in his last will to his welbeloved Spouse and to administer all his administrations which out of this state cannot lawfully be administred as I have already proved at large in my Answer to W. G. an eminent Professâ—… in your Church but yet an earnest pleader for Antichrists Kingdome and dominion as well as your selfe and therefore for this particular I referre you to that And as for your Minor and Assumption which is that you in the Church of England doe enjoy and outwardly submit your selves to the true worship of God It is most false and a notorious lie and untruth and as well might wicked Faux and the rest of the Gun-pouder plotters say that they submitted unto noble King James Lawes and Septer when they went about to blow up the Parliament House that so they might destroy him and all his for you doe not only oppose and justle out the true worship of God and throw downe and trample upon the Septer of Jesus Christ his Son but also you set up a false and Antichristian worship the inventer of which is the Divel and the man of Sin his eldest and most obedient Son Therefore I am ashamed to heare you who boast your selfe to be such a mighty champion as you â—ay you are having as I heare you have said that you have confuted many of the Separation to reason so shallowly and ungroundedly and against the knowne and confessed truth and therefore you are but like Goliah the Philistins great champion who exceedingly reviled as you doe the Hoast of the Lord and kept a mighty challinging of them as though none of Gods people had been able to encounter and graple with him when as poore David that yongue
stripling with his sheepheards staffe and a company of smooth stones flung out of a slinge overcame and destroyed that mighty Giant who thought none so stronge as himselfe 1 Sam. 15. and justifieth an one are you and will prove to be for you fight for the spirituall Philistims the enemies of the Lord namely for Antichrist and his Kingdome and you send forth great bragges boastes against the truth of God amongst your ignorant acquaintance but indeed they are nothing but wind and chaffe not able to stand before the breath of Gods sacred truth which his weake servants for their conquering weapons make use of as I have already and shall more fully by the strength of God make it appeare in my following lines and therefore to confute your Argument and lay it even with the ground I will bring your owne Writers weapons who were members in the Church of England who doe not plead for Separation but for Reformation therein read but the Lincolne-shire Ministers Abridgment and Mr. Cartwrights Defence against Bishop Whiteguift sometime Pope of Lambeth and Dr. Ames his Fresh Suite against Humaine Ceremonies and you shall see your worship proved to be Antichristian and none of Christs but of the Divels invention Also read the Scots Dispute printed in Holland the last Summer and you shall see the greatest part of your worship and all your humaine Ceremonies with which you serve God proved to be Idols as your holy garments and your invented gestures of bowing and cringing and your kneling at the act of receiving the Sacrament c. Also read a litle Booke of Mr. Damfords sometime Minister of Colmanstreet in London against the Service And noble Dr. Bastwickes book called The Vanity and Impiety of the old Letany and you shall see the Wickednes Sinfulnes and Vngodlines of it set forth to the utmost for there it is proved to be an Idoll which as he there faith sends more soules to Hell in a yeare then all the prophanenesse deboystnesse wickednesse and ungodlynes in the Kingdome doth besides and that nothing could have been invented either by the Divell or the Pope for a greater meanes to pull downe the Kingdome of Christ and for the maintaining and building up the Kingdome of Antichrist and therefore I put you upon it to Answer their writings and confute the Arguments of your own Authors which have fully proved that your worship is no divine but humane worship and therefore not a true but a false worship Now if you should deny that your humaine invented diabollicall Booke of Common prayer and your sacred Ceremonies as your Lords and masters the Bishops cals them are not the worship with which you in the Church of England worship and serve God the Booke of Common prayer it selfe will confute you for there in the Preface before that Booke of devised Service and wicked mans invention they ascribe to the dumbe Ceremonies a Sacramentall naature and the very Office and worke of the spirit of God the doing of which makes them all to become Idols and all those Idolaters that use them or partake with them that doe it for there they say they are apt to stirre up the dull mind of man to the remembrance of his duty to God by some notable and speaciall signification whereby he might be edefied Also in the act of vniformity they themselves doe confesse that they are but of mans Invention and device and to worship God with mans devices and Inventions is odious and detestable unto him as before I have fully proved and therefore you in England have not the true Worship of God and so by your owne confession are not a true Church of Christ But now to answer your Argument which you bring to prove your Assumption which is this You have had those that have lived and dyed in the same Worship which you still have and have beene saved in it therefore it must needes be a true Worship This you say but doe not prove it in the least but still take that for granted which I deny which is that it doth not therefore follow because some in the Church of England have been saved that have used your Worship that therfore it is true Worship for then it would follow that the Worship in the Papistry which in some respects is more grosser then yours is a true Worship for you dare not deny it which if you doe you are not able to prove it that in the Papistry there hath not beene many people that have lived and died therein that have been saved for the Scripture doth declare that God hath a people there which he calls uppon to come out thence Rev. 18.4 for he ownes his Elect even in Spirituall Babilon yet for all this it doth not follow that their Worship is or ever was a true Worship though the Riches of the Grace and unfathomable Goodnes of the Kindnes and Love of God doth reach and extend so far as to save some that live and dy in that Worship as well as in the Worship of England yet I say it is as extraordinary a worke as the manifestation of Gods love to the Thiefe upon the Crosse was but for all that I will maintaine it that none of those that yeild and submit themselves unto your or their Worship cannot by the Scripture prove himselfe to be a visible Christian or a true beleever if they should be put by Gods people to prove it Joh. 14.21.23.24 15.8.14 Col. 15.19 to the end Eph 5.8 Col. 1.21 Tit. 1.16 2.14 1 Pet. 2 9. Heb 9.14 Jam. 2.17 18. 1 Joh. 3.8 2 Joh. 9. Rev. 13.8 14.1.4.9.10 19.20 Now from that which I have said I frame these Arguments 1 That Worship which is of the Divells and Antichrists Invention Institution setting up is no true divine Worship But the Worship of the Church of England is of the Divells Antichrists Invention Institution setting up as the forenamed Authors and the 13. Chap of the Rev. doth fully prove Ergo. The Worship in the Church of England is no true Morship 2. That Worship which is a main meanes cause of pulling downe the Kingdome of Jesus Christ establishing maintaining upholding of the Kingdome of the Devell Antichrist sends more Soules to Hell then all the wickednesse Impietie ungodlinesse in the Kingdome doth besides is no true Worship of Godâ— but ought to be detested and abhorred of all his people But such is the Worship of the Church of England as worthy Dr. Bastwicke in the third part of his Letany doth prove Ergo. It is no true Worship but ought to be detested separated from by all Gods faithfull ones And thus much for the answering of your third fourth Arguments which you say are so strong and true that you say you need spend no more time in the proofe of them but indeed you are exceedingly mistaken for you have not in the least proved either of them as I have
which the Theife was hanged was a true church for there he had salvation the apprehension of Gods love his assurance of his enterance into the Kingdome of glory as fully as ever any in the ch of En. had and also it will follow that the Chariot in which the Eunuch rode Acts 8. was a true ch for there he came to the knowledg of his salvation the apprehension of the true love of God in Christ also you know God by his almighty power saved Daniel the three children alive even in the Lyons den and in the hot burning furnace and because God by his power did this shall I therefore goe cast my false into the fire and among the Lyons say they have no power to burne me or kill me but I am safe enough because God preserved Daniel and the three children alive in the like condition every wise man would conclude surely I were out of my wits So you see how erronious rotten insufficient unsound all your grounds arguments are in the lying downe of which you run with your deceitfull Logike like a blind horse in a mill about about and still come to the same place where you begun never in the least prove any thing you say by the authority of the word of God nor yet by any grounded reason but ruly your false affirmations for the wind that comes out of you mouth is so weak and feeble that it will scarce blow away a straw if it lie in your way And then in the last place you bring an Arg. in the necke of this being of the same nature with the former and it is this That because Latimer Hooper Bradford with many others were martyrs in your ch and were saved ssâ—… by the judgment of charity not infalibly wee may judge were saved and knew the corruptions of your church and yet did not separate away from it therefore it is a true Church and need not be separated from seeing men may be saved in it Truly I must confesse unto you I am almost weary with answering your paultery old rotten mouldy stuffe and you are such a novice in the misteries of God and godlynesse and the Kingdome of his Son Jesus Christ not understanding what you say or affirme nor bow to prove an Argument that I am almost loath any more to contend with you in regard the victory in overcomeing you will be so poore and meane and your wares are such paltery and peplary commodities that I am even tyred with lookeing upon them and turning them over but yet for all this I will a litle reply to this your last Argument but I hope you do not hold that maxime in the Church of Rome extra ecclesia nulla salus that is out of the Church no salvation if you doe it is most erronious for I have proved it and the whole New Testament doth declare it that it is possible for a man to be saved though he be a member of no visible Church yea and that some that are joyned to a false Church may be saved but yet if they may be so it is no ground for their staying or abiding there for God cals and commands all his people to be separated from the World and all false churches 2 Cor. 6.16.17.18 Rev. 18.4 but it seemes by your reasoning you hold that if a man get salvation and get to heaven and so get his own ends served let Gods glory goe a begging and lye at the stake a bleeding for all you but truly such a servant deserves no wages but rather punishent for alas man this is but selfe seeking at the best in which a man can have no spirituall comfort and joy But God would have his people to joy and rejoyc in walking in his wayes and sing and be merry and be of a chearefull countenance as it doth become the heires of the Crowne of glory and he would have them not only as it were creep into Heaven but to strive and labour to have an abundant enterane thereinto 1 Pet. 19.10.11 but by your reasoning you would have them never be merry joyfull nor chearfull for in false wayes there is no peace nor comfort Esa 59 8 9.11 Mal. 2.2 but live like forlorne men destitute of all comfort hanging downe their heads like bulrushes and so dishonour their God and their Christ in the eyes of the men of the world who will glory and triumph over them as though there were not that sweetnes beautifulnes amiablenes fulnes satisfaction and contednes in the enjoying of God in his Son Christ that might make them walke with merry counterances chearfull hearts and reioycing soules as it becomes the Sons and heires of the King of glory disdaining contemning and lightly esteeming the base and empty moth eaten contents of this present world and to have their affections crucified to it and it to them and though they be in the world yet to walke as those whose conversation is already in Heaven longing and desiring to be dissolved to be with Christ which is best of all Away man Christ hath no need of such unserviceable selfe seeking servants as you on are to weare his glorious and rich Livery and let me tell you God never sent his sonne Christ to save us for that end to live at ease and delight as we lift or in the fashion of the World but that we should glorifie him in being unlike to the World in our lives and conversation by an unblameable walking in all his wayes labouring and endeavouring to yeild obedience to all his Lawes and commaunds not suffering our hearts to be possessed with base feares of the world nor be in love with the things thereof but that wee should hold forth the profession of the purity of his truth and Gospell without feare before the eyes of the world and though wee suffer persecution affliction and tribulation for it that wee should joy and rejoce in it and esteem it our Crown and happines that the Lord counts us worthy to suffer for his sake And truly let me tell you he that seekes but his own ends and so that he could be but saved cares for no more not regarding or takeing thought what becomes of Gods glory honour and praise it is an evident and demonstrable signe that that man doth not belong to God nor never shall be heire of glory John 14.23.24 25.8.14 1 John 3.8.10 2.9 Rev. 12.11 14.4 And what if Latimer and the rest of the martyrs had communion with the Church of England is that a sufficient ground that therefore wee must not separate away from it I hope not for what if God winked at their blindnes darkenes and ignorance yet now let me say with Paul that in truth he will have all his people to come to the knowledge of his truth and wayes Acts 17.20 because he hath appoynted a day wherein he will shortly judge that great scarlet whore of Rome and all her