to stay wayt for a better tyme til the civil Magistrate wil give his allowance vnder these pretences stil keeping them in Spiritual boundage to the abhominations of Antichrist retayned in the Land I say herby you manifestly discover vnto al the world that seing you know the wil of your Lord Mr. Christ doe it not you are worthy to be beaten with many stripes that seing you break the commaundements of Christ teach men so you are the least that is none in the Kingdome of Heaven practising flat contrary to the Apostles who thought it better to obey God then man yet the Magistrates that forbad them were the Magistrates of the true Church of the Iewes wherefore breefly to answer both Ministers professors To the professors I say Shew mee your faith by embracing the whole new Testament of Christ To the ministers I say Shew mee the Seale of your ministery by converting establishing a Church after the Apostolique Corinthian frame constitution I wil grant that then you are true ministers your disciples truly converted in the meane tyme I wil judg your visible standing in Christianity as it is visible your invisible being in Christianity I wil leave to the Lord who seeth in secreat who knoweth who are his not doubting but the Lord hath his thousands even in the depth of popery much more among you this is that Mr. Bern. which wee hold grant concerning this point Now for your objection which you for vs make answer pag. 129. 130. That private persons may convert I say you herein also are deceaved deale deceiptfully For you are to distingnish of conversion according to the circumstance of tyme wherein meÌ„ were converted to Christ Iohn converted baptized many into Christ Iesus before the visible Church of the new Testament was revealed which came vppon the day of Penâ—ecost Act. 2. Eph. 4.11 Thus were al the Disciples of Iohn of Christ converted of this conversion Faith must the places of the Evangelists be vnderstood as namely that Ioh. 4.39 others so were the Iewes Proselites some of Samaria converted for as yet Chr. was not preached to the Gentils which he himself for bad to be done Mat. 10. thus were meÌ„ converted to beleve that the Messias which they knew should come was come that Iesus the Sonne of God the Sonne of Mary was hee who vppon their conversion baptisme became Christs Disciples to learne practise whatsoever he should afterward teach them That this is so read Act. 18 23. 19.2.3 Now after the day of Pentecost conversion was larger as I may so speake in respect of the visible manifestatioÌ„ therâ—f other like considerations For then men were converted to the matter of the day of Pentecost to al that frame constitution of the church of the new Testament which was purchased by Christs death exhibited vnto the Apostles by the promise of the Spirit given vnto them Thus were men converted after the death resurrection ascension of Christ after the comming of the Holy Ghost as may be seen Act. 2 38-42 8.16.17 10 44-48 So that Iohn converted men to the Faith of Christ to be manifested after the day of Pentecost the Apostles converted men to the Faith of Christ already given exhibited Seing therfor that the new Testament of Christ is now confirmed established revealed manifestly in the Scriptures of the Apostles of our Lord al that are converted now are converted to the new Testament the ordinances there of or els they are not converted to vs visiblie This being thus premised as necessarily to be vnderstood for the true knowledg of true conversion in the next place we must take notice for the answering of the objection of private mens converting that Antichrist hath defaced the Faith of Christ in the whole new Testament so the true ministery therfor it must needes be that whosoever doth convert from Antichristianisme establisheth a people into the true Faith new TestameÌ„t of Christ performeth that work either as a minister of Antichrist or as an Apostle Prophet Evangelist of Christ or as a Private person For this is a sufficient enumeration of parts ther being no other sort off persons to convert men from Antichrist to Christ but one of these For you have heard that Pastors do not convert but feed the flock I suppose you dare not a vouch that the Ministers off Antichrist do convert to the true Faith new Testament off Christ Iesus neither dare you say that ther are now in the world the offices of Apostles Prophets Evangelists wherfor when men convert they do it as private persons Therfore choose Mr. Bern. which of these three you wil affirme then tel mee whither private persons doe not convert as Act. 11 19-21 this shal suffice for this point of converting performed by private persons in the rising vp from the Apostacy of Antichrist for the discovering of your objection answer Now from the pa. 130-141 you teach vs the doctryne of the vocation of ministers which I wil not altogether disalow nor approve wholly seing it aperteyneth not to our question I leave it wholy vntoucht come to that which is pa. 141-146 wher you endevour againe to prove your ministery true that after this manner They that are called of Christ having both gifts graces they that are also outwardly caled of the church being examined aproved elected ordeyned they that preach true doctrine administer the true Sacraments peâ—forme their office faithfully live conscionably are assisted by Chr. to convert soules are approved by the people are the true ministers of Christ The ministers of the Church of England have al these particulars Ergo the ministers of the Church of England are the true ministers of Christ I answer you Mr. Ber. that the Popish ministers have al these forsaid qualifications in common with the ministers of England I plead not of the degree or measure of these things for I confesse some of them to be much more in the English ministers but I speake of the kind or nature of the qualifications which I prove by induction thus 1. The Popish ministers many of them have excellent outward gifts graces asmuch learning vtterance zeale gravity as any ministers of England though al of them have not so as al the ministers of England have not so 2. The Popish ministers are called examined aproved elected ordeyned of the Church that is as you expound the cheef governors who are as true ministers as you are seing your ministery is a branch of the roote So are you 3. The Popish ministers preach the true doctryne of Christ administer his true Sacraments for you retaine the baptisme that men have in popery as true and they breake and eate bread and wine in remembrance of Christs death although you preach more truth
Resolution courage to the Resolution of those three The Prelates that vrged Subscription conformity to the accusers of the Iewes I would therfor know of Mr. Bernard whither his mynd be now altered from that he held when he Preached these Sermons vppon this text if yea then I demaund whither feare of affliction love of his living reputation with the world have not caused that in him whither a man should beleeve him rather now he is a formalist then before when he was a reformist The place of Naaman the Assirian is this 2 King 5.18 When I bow in the howse of Rimmon to worship the Lord be mercifull vnto thy Servant in this point By this place Mr. Bern. intended to sinne against his conscience for he did acknowledg this truth wee now professe divers tymes was vppon the point of Seperation with some of his people with him yet loving the world prefermēt as Naaman is thought to doe he chose rather to stay stil in his vicaridge against his conscience then to leese it to follow Christ with a good conscience do you not remember Mr. Bern. what you said to mee Mr. Rob. Southw comming together from w that speaking of the daunger of walking in this truth of Christ we now professe you said you could easely die vppon the tre for the truth but you could not withour great horror think of being burned as the Martyrs were in Q. Maryes dayes that all the jorney you were casting how to dispatch your estate to get away with safety I speake this to prove vnto you the world that you were as forward to the truth of Christ with vs then as you were before to the cause of the Reformists yet as then so now you have wholly I feare finally apostated from it the L. be merciful vnto you in these your sinnes wherevppon this followeth that if ever you come to the truth of Christ wee professe you can not be admitted into the office of Elder in the Church but therein you must beare your iniquity bicause you have apostated fearfully from the truths you did acknouwledg therein giving Suspition of your constancy faythfulnes for the tyme to come whither you be a worthy Minister of your owne Church lett the Reformists judg who have betrayed their cause into the Prelates handes so shamefully as you have done wherfor be it knowne vnto you first that wee reject you Seconbly that the Reformists have just cause to reject you whither then wil you goe but to your LI. the Prelates to whome you have sworne your Can. obediēce vnto whome you have now at the last fuly returned as it were a dog to the vomit a swine to wallow in the myre But your covenant Mr. Bern. is beyond all the endevors of al the reformists of the land that you should cull out an hundreth persons of so many paris hes so far distant to enter covenant together not to heare the dumb Ministers to watch one over another to admonish one another c. And therevppon to receave the Lords Supper What was not the covenant the Church of England large enough but you must enlarge it thus Did not your conscience tel you then that the dumb ministery was vnlawful that you sinned in not admonishing your brethren therfor went to seek out an hundreth brethren where your proctor or agent could find them That al your parish were not your brethrē being not of your covenant though of the covenant of the Church of Englād or that you had two sorts of brethren one of a general nature viz all the people of the parish another of a Spiritual nature viz Those hundreth persons of your covenant yet that you admitted both those sorts of your brethren to all the holy things among you excepting the particular covenant I pray you with your logick or divinity justifie vnto vs these things But now all this is forgotten the Prelate of york hath so bewitched you with his flatterie eloquence aungels that your covenant is profaned cast in the dust men of your covenant must shift for themselves you have deceaved them like the staffe of reed you justifie your wonted speeches you love the world ease with all your hart therfor I say vnto you with the Apostle The love of the Father is not in you I do therfor Proclame you vnto the whole land to be one of the most fearful Apostates of the whole nation that excepting VVhyte Claphā you have no Superior nor equal that I know or remember who have thus often confessed witnessed much truth now not only have fallē from it but have so childishly yet most slaunderously written against the cause of the Lord to blaspheme the name of the Lord his Tabernacle them that dwell in Heaven as if bicause your sinnes werē not known Sufficiently to the world your would with inck paper publish them to al men ages to come that they might remain in record agaist you vppon the file at the day when the Lord shal recompense every man according to his worke But Mr Bernard ther is yet one other thing that I must discover to the world namely that you have written a book against the Prelates wherein you have proved by divers arguments that their authority is Antichristian this book some of your Frends have seē read though you durst not print it your self yet you would have been content a Frend should have caused it to be published vnder the vizard of an vnknowne Author is not this so Mr. Bern then tel mee with what face or conscience you can Subscribe to the Prelacy you can plead for the Prelacy is not this to build that which you have destroyed Surely all these things compared together do plainly convince your deep Hypocrisy yet in your pulpit among the simple sort you would seem a brother to the Sonnes of Thunder but I desire the Lord to open the eyes of his people that they be no longer deceaved by such Pharisaical Hypocrits as your deedes manifest you to be even in the indifferent censure of those that love you best Now therfor to conclude this Parallele of your Famous or rather infamous acts compare your resolurion against Subscription conformity with your Subscription to the Prelate of york your acknowledgment of the truth with Naamans presumptiō to sinne your covenant with your confirmity your book against the Prelates your book against the Seperation therevppon it will follow that you are as chandgable as the Moone as mutable as Proteus as variable as the Chamaeleon And whereas you object aganst me pag. 37. 73. that before I came to the truth I wrote against it was distracted to fro before I saw it cleered to my judgmēt conscience I must needes acknowledg it so to be which was my greater sinne the weaknes of my
formerly hidden mystical now it was revealed plainly by Christ although happily the Disciples vnderstood not Christs meaning at that present yet after ward the Holy Ghost brought that many other necessary things which they eyther vnderstood not Christs meaning at that present yet afterward the Holy Ghost brought that many other necessary things which they either vnderstood not or forgot to their knowledg memory as the Scripture witnesseth But further I say that particular was obscurely signified by the Typical King and Preists in the Old Testament vnto whome the Government was committed as I have already more then once declared vnto you further the government was then given to al Christs Disciples by commission as I have already proved sufficiently to your conscience the conscience of all that love the truth in sincerity That of the excommunication of the blind man Ioh. 9.22 was a devise of the Iewes for ther is no warrant for it in al the law if it were the L. ordinance it typeth vnto vs thus much that the visible Church succeeding in the place of the typical Kings preists have in their hands the powre of excommunication And although Cloe made complaint to the Governor yet it is nothing to the purpose For Cloe complayneth of an whole Church to an Apostle not of a particular person to the Elders of a particular Church and doe you think that this is a good argument That seing a particular person complayneth to or informeth the Apostle of the state of the Church who had an infallible gift of instructing and directing of Churches therefore a particular person in the third place or degree of admonition must tell the Elders that therfor those Elders are the Church The argument is altogether inconsequent Your second reason that tel the Church is tel the Governors is Christs chandg of the person From the third to the second The force of your argument is this If Christ having spoken in the third person saying Tel the Church afterward turneth his speech to the second person saying whatsoever ye bind c. then tel the Church is tel the Elders But Christ chandgeth his speech from the third to the second person Therfor tell the Church is tel the Elders Mr. Ber. you were not wel advised in making this argument For it overthroweth your exposition most manifestly as thus If Christ calleth his Disciples the Church then tel the Church is tel the Disciples or the body of the Church But Christ calleth al his Disciples the Church For this commission of binding and losing is given to all the Disciples jointly as is already declared more fully in the former arguments Therfor tel the Church is tel the body of the Church al Christs Disciples not only the Governors Therfor this reason confirmeth the truth we hold not the error which you seek to defend by wresting the Scripture Your third reason that tel the Church is tell the Governors is for that Christ speaketh of two or three That is to say after your exposition of two or three Elders or governors not of the whole body I answer that your argument is without al force of consequence For to argue thus is to argue without reason or force of argument viz. Iff Christ speaketh of two or three then he speaketh of two or three Elders or Governors But Christ speaketh of two or three Ergot Christ speaketh of two or three Elders or Governors Further by this argument one Apostle could do nothing but ther must needes be two or thre so one Elder can do nothing but ther must needes be two or thre so your Prelates Monarchy in their dioceses falleth to the ground but your arguments grow ridiculous Now the reason why Christ speaketh of two or thre is for consolatiō to the Church Disciples of Christ teaching that if but two or thre of them at any tyme walk together in the faith truth of Christ those two or thre have title to Christ al his ordinances have promise of audience acceptance as also to instruct the Saynts to stand for the truth against multitudes though they be the smallest nomber which is three or two for Christ he wil not leave them destitute of his presence and asistance Your Fourth reasons that Tel the Church is Tel the Elders in this that the person is changed from the second to the third vs 19. if two of you shal agree c. whatsoever they shal ask c the force of the argument is al one with the second so hath receaved answer there but it seemeth you delight in nomber multitude yet for further evidēce I will show you the reason the frame whereof is thus to be conceaved Iff ther be a Grammaticall change of the person viz you they then ther is a Reall chandg off the person physicall viz The Governors The Church But ther is a grammatical chandg of the person you they Ergo Ther is a Real chandg of the person physicall viz The Governors the Church I deny your Major stil I avouch that the chandg of the person is by way of exposition teaching that they you are one namely whither they be two of Christs Disciples then living viz you or any other two or thre to the end of the world viz they Christ hath promised his powre presence acceptance to them For so he saith wheresoever two or thre vs 20. Mat. 28.20 Lo I am with you alwayes So that these two general circumstances of place tyme are for the consolatiō instruction of the Church if they be but two or three in al ages For not the multitude but the truth is respected of Christ al tymes places are indifferent for the Church of the new Testament which was otherwise in the old Testament For the Lord then promised his presence especially in the Temple vppon their Sabbaths to the special people but now the partition wal is broken downe now al tymes places persons are indifferēt for the church the Lord. Your fifth reason that Tel the Church is Tel the Governors is this that otherwise absurdityes cannot be avoyded that arise out of the text the absurdityes you suppose would follow are 1. confusion 2 carelesnes wherevppon follow pride contention 3. weomen childrē speaking in the Church 4. that the whole Church cā speak 5. Christs should crosse himself who giveth the powre to two or three Herevnto I answer the supposed absurdities either do not follow or if they do folow are no absurdities For the truth is not absurd First it doth not follow that ther must needs be confusion carelesnes pride or contention if a brother be promoted to the body of the Church for his offence after once twise admonition but rather the brethren vnderstanding that al are interessed in the busines wil be careful to dischardg their dutyes whereas by your fancy the
Puritanes are the most likely to be Gods people but to say certainly this or that Puritane hath saith or feareth God I cannot doe by any warrant out of the word of God that I see For know you that ther is only one true forme of a visible Church Eph. 4. ther is one body in this body ther is one only true faith for the Apostle faith the â—aith is one but none of you al are meÌ„bers of this body which is a communion of faithful men Seperated from al vncleanes walking in the obedience of al Gods ordinances therefor none of you al are of the true faith which is found only in the true body You shal see Mr. Be. how many things I chardg you al with 1. You are mingled with al the abhominable people of the land coÌ„trary to these scriptures 2. Cor. 6.17 Apoc. 18.4 2. You cal God Father jointly with al the people of the Land whoÌ„ are brethreÌ„ of you members of the same Church with you with is vntrue if you take your selves to be faithful For they are of their Father the Devil 3. You make Christ a Mediator to you al in common with al the profane people of the land which is contrary to Apoc. 8.2 Ioh. 17.9 4. You make al the wicked people of the land members of Christ members of your selves in the seales of the covenant if you challendg your selves to be Faithful which is contrary to 1 Cor. 6.15 10.16.17 5. You refuse Christs Testament his Kingdome will not have him to raigne over you in his owne Offices Lawes which is contrary to these places Luk. 19.27 Apoc. 14 9-11 6. You vtterly reject the censures of admonition in the thre degrees therof contrary to Mat. 18 15-17 Heb. 10.24.25 7. You suffer your selves if you challendg to be Gods people to be deprived robbed of the powre of Christ to chose your own officers contrary to Act. 6.5 14.23.1 tim 3. toto 5.21 6.13.14 8. You reject the truth we by our testimony offer vnto you yea you persecute it by slaunders by lyes by raylings though many of you have been enlightened by it how then can we account you faithful certainly but we must certainly know theÌ„to be Faithful with whome we pray For whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne I pray you miconstrue me not For although I dare not say you have Faith of a certainty yet I hope wel of many of you in particular but to tel you plainly I hope better of many that never knew this truth then of you some of your Disciples whome I know by their owne confession to have beeÌ„ inlightened with it yet now oppose against it look to your selves your estate is fearful if our gospel be hid saith the Apostle it is hid to them that perish 2. cor 4.3 when certaine were hardened disobedient speaking evil of the way before the multitude as you doe Paul departed from them Seperated the Disciples Act. 19.9 so doe wee to you and therefore our practise is warrantable Therefore consider these things that I write for I professe before the Lord that this truth which wee testifie vnto you is as cleer and evident vnto vs as the noone day and observe it well that those among you that have been enlightened with it and now quench it shall grow from evill to worse and shal have Gods hand out against them so as every man shal say the Lord is avenged of them except they returne againe and so I leave this point Paralleles Censures Observations aperteyning to the eleventh Section Mr. Bern. Sep. Schis pag. 152. Saith that those men have lost the feeling of former grace all true charity that say thus viz That they cannot say certainly by any warrant off Gods word that any of vs hath eyther Faith or feare of God he nameth Mr. Smyth in the margent Againe pag. 58. he writeth thus viz one of them writeth that certainly he cannot by the word be perswaded that any of vs hath eyther true Faith or feare of God naming Mr. Smyth in the margent I write in this Section thus that particularly certainly I cannot say by any warrant of Gods word that I see that this or that person hath Faith feare of God among you yet I say also That I verely beleeve generally that God hath his people among you that they are in al likely hood the persons that are miscalled Puritanes Heer I wish the conscionable reader to consider Mr. Bern. evil dealing whither ignoraÌ„tly or maliciously I know not I speake generally specially Generally I doe certainly beleeve that the Lord hath his people in England Specially I say certainly particularly I know not who they be yet in likelyhood they are the Puritanes so called now Mr. Bern to make the Lords truth odious his owne part good perverteth this speech off myne in 3. particulars 1. he leaveth out the good that I say viz that I certainly beleeve Gods people to be in the LaÌ„d that in likelyhood they are the Puritanes 2. in his speach he leaveth out this word particularly knowne to mee 3. he in one of his speeches viz pa. 59. transporteth the word Certainly to the beginning of the Sentence as if I were certainly perswaded that none of the Land feared God or had Faith I beseech the Gentle Reader to marke his fraud evil dealing so to trust him according to his desert as also to consider what I say therefore to read the beginning of this Section where my words are manifest al that I entend is this That visibly certainly particularly I cannot say any one to have Faith or feare of God in the Churches of England which are False Churches buc generally certainly invisibly I beleeve ther are thousands viz a remnant according to the Election of grace See for this Rom. 11.3.4 compared with 1. King 19.10 Revel 18.4 Mr. Bern. I will not desire the Lord to reward you according to your workes as Paul did but I desire the Lord to give you eyes to see a hart to acknowledg this your sinne I desire all men to take notice of Mr. Bern. deceiptfull dealing in this one particular and accordingly to judg of the rest of his deaâ—â—â—s Further pag. 152. Mr. Bern. accounteth this one of our errors to hold that None of the Ministers of England may be heard and pag. 155. He reckeneth this as another of our errors to desend it to be vnlawfull to joyne in praver with any of the assemblies Seing the assemblies Ecclesiastical are false Churches and the members of the assemblies members of false Churches how can the members of true Churches have communion with them in that estate and standing For Christ and Antichrist the members of Christ and the members of the strumpet cannot bee mingled together and as it is impossible that oyle waters should mingle so cannot the