lyeth upon me to mind you of what is past what is present and what is to come to passe concerning you or many of you who have had sundry tender visitations of Gods eternal Love and many precious opportunities hath he put into your hands wherein you might have answered his Love and have perfected hisâ— praise in the earth had you not sought your selves more then the glory of God and the welfare of others And therefore is it just with the Lord now to pour out contempt upon you in the sight of those whom you have contemned and to make you as contemptible in the eyes of others as his despised people have been in yours You have had a glorious day of prosperitie as to the outward wherein the Sun of Righteousnesse hath caused his Light to shine forth gloriously to the illuminating of many of your understandings beyond your fellow Creatures but you have not liked to walk in his Light nor to retain his Counsel therefore is a thick dark mist come upon you so that you cannot see afar off and fear that surprizeth many of you and you are in a strait not yet well knowing what will be the end of these things that have befallen you one blaming another for his treachery and deceitful dealing when he that blames his fellow is as inexcusable as he that is guilty of the thing for which he is blamed had you been free from the things that heretofore have been laid to your charge by those whose Testimony you could not then receive then had not these things come upon you which the children of Light saw in the light of the Lord would befall you seeing you hated reproof and would not chuse the fear of the Lord notwithstanding all that which he had done for you But oh that you would now call to mind the dayes of old and the years that are past wherein you groaned under a heavy yoak of bondage which many of you for some years travelled under when you were restrained from having the liberty of your Consciences to serve God in that way which appeared to your understanding to be more agreeable to the Scriptures of Truth then that publick way of worship which then was established in the Nation which you then saw the emptinesse of by the light of the Lord in your own selves Do you not yet remember what a tendernesse there was in those daies in your hearts towards the Lord and good people And were not the meetings that you had in those dayes in your own houses or in other private places very comfortable and refreshing and was there not more of the presence and power of God felt and seen amongst you in your meetings in those daies when any man among you that feared God might have had liberty to speak what was upon his Spirit then there hath been for sundry years or is at this day And was it not better with you then when you were branded with the name of Puritan and Round-head and derided if not stoned in the streets as you have past and repâ—st to and from those * contemptible meetings in which you found so much of the presence and goodnesse of God And could you not in those daies have borne the revilings of the people much better then you could do now Could you not also have suffered better for that which your soules then thirsted after then now you could for that which you professe And was not your love very large to such as in those daies were persecuted for conscience sake did not you then take part with them when you durst appear against such as persecuted them And was not that the light of the Lord in you which let you see in those daies the evil of oppression and the evil of persecution wherewith you were persecuted for conscience sake was not that also the light of the Lord that gave you to see the emptinesse of that worship which you then liked not to be conformable unto And was not that of God in you that made you willing to suffer for conscience sake rather then you would do that which was contrary to your conscience And had you not peace joy comfort and refreshment in measure in your sufferings when you suffered not as evil doers but simply for conscience sake was not your prayers in those daies offered up unto the Lord with much tendernesse and many tears and did you not then feel something in your hearts making intercession unto the Lord with sighes and groans which were hard to be uttered And did you not in those daies make many vowes promises and engagements unto the Lord even upon your bended knees that if he would be pleased to appear for you and by the arme of his power bring deliverance unto you and set you free from that yoak of bondage which you then groaned under oh what you would then do in order to the propagating of his Gospel advancing of his glorious Truth removing the oppressions from off the oppressed making of his people a free people to the setting up of righteousnesse in the earth and to the shewing forth of his praise among the inhabitants of the earth c. Do you not yet remember that several years ye were wont to breaâ—h forth such things in your prayers to the Lord who was determined to try you as he hath done as afterwards may more fully appear Is it not well known unto many of you how that when you were little in your own eyes and few in number in comparison of the multitude that was contrary minded that even then and at that time when your hearts were very tender and you very low and humble before the Lord then did he appear for you for then he had respect unto you and his anger that was kindled against those that then would not let you have the liberty of your Consciences for they sought to quench and extinguish that which he had kindled in your hearts and their sins and abominations were grown to a very great height and many things the Lord had against them so that in processe of time the fire of his jealousie did wax so hot against them that they were not able to dwell in it but did begin to fly to the mountains and to the hills and unto them they cried for help but these could not save them from the terrible storm which swept them away Then did your day begin to dawn and the visitation of Gods eternal Love was then unto you whose cries had in the daies of your distresse entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabboth and then was he determined to try you whom he raised even as from the dunghill and put a very excellent opportunity into your hands For then many in Authoritie and Power begun to advise with you and take counsel at you and put you into places of preferment which you receiving begun to alter from the Lord and
some of them you begot into your own image and these promoted you and you flattered them And by degrees in processe of time you came to be invested with the supream Authoritie in the Nation And then you strove to wind out those that were not for your design though for your own ends you made use of many that were not of your mind but them you kept under and by guile caught them in your snare so that it was so with you for a season that you might do what seemed good in your own eyes And then many begun to sit down at ease having enriched themselves with the spoil of their enemies and were not onely gotten into their possessions and estates but were also plunged into their sins and were become as proud as covetous as self-seeking as their enemies had been And this many saw in the light of the Lord that had been one with you in your affliction and distresse in your sufferings and servitude which you had passed through before you came into the seats of those that the Lord drove out before you And when those that feared the Lord amongst you beheld your degeneration and saw so little was performed of what was promised by you they begun to desert you and many that retained their sinceritie towards God came out voluntarily from among you and others that could not bear your actions but must reprove you were turned out by you And even at that very time when many of you were in Authoritie did the Lord God of heaven and earth cause his Light to shine out of the darknesse in the hearts of a remnant even more clearly and more gloriously then it had done in yours And by this eternal Light which was the same that had shined in your Consciences whereby you had seen the evil of those things which you had long groaned under by this Light I say did the Lord convince many of his everlasting Truth and of the evil of destroying and devouring one another so that many came by the arme of Gods power to be gathered into the life of those things which you professed and came again to be brought into that tendernesse which you had lost and came to be more abundantly sensible of Gods eternall power and presence then you had been before And though those had been with you and had hazarded life liberty and estate with you yet you could not bear them because they could not bear your hypocrisie and deceit nor suffer it to passe unreproved therefore did you turn your hand against them that were your dearest friends and begun to make Leagues and Covenants with such as have now proved your enemies indeed And crept into fellowship with them and so sate down and setled your selves in that which was not your rest And then by degrees crept into Societies and some got into one form and some into another And many became Presbyterians and strove to draw if it had been possible all men after them into that Form in which there were and yet to this day are some as bad as those that you suffered under many years ago so in processe of time many came to see by the light of the Lord that they were not in the right way And so left them and went forth from that in themselves by which they had seen their covetousnesse their rigidnesse and the emptinesse of their form and so went too among them called Independants who in some things had a more shew of godlinesse though but in a few then the Presbyterians had but in a certain time their ambition and arrogancy appeared their covetousnesse and self-conceitednesse which became a burthen to such as retained their zeal and tendernesse towards the Lord and many such honest-hearted and self-denying people came out from among them and could not be content to keep at a distance from all till the Lord shewed them who were his flock and where they did feed and rest And therefore did they run to the Anabaptists so called who differed much in judgement from those with whom they had walked but in processe of time the light of the Lord manifested the emptinesse of their inventions as it had done the loosenesse of other Professors who had lost their tendernesse towards God which they seemed to have when they first setled in the forms before mentioned which many by running into them from that of God in themselves lost and so became dead dry barren and unfruitfull as many of you are who are as it were scorched and withered as trees of the heath without sap in the desert where you may behold your figure And when it came to be thus with you then many such as were tender among you and could not find him whom their souls loved while they continued in your forms came by the arm of the Lords Power to be pluckt out from among you as fire brands out of the fire and then many of you came to be offended and your indignation came to be kindled against them as the wrath of your adversaries was kindled against you in the dayes of your tendernesse and then did you instead of paying your vowes which you made unto the Lord in the day of your distress add unto the afflictions of the afflâ—cted and began to augment the oppressions of the oppressed and did behave your selves so uncharitably towards a suffering people even as if you your selves had never been acquainted with suffering so when you had lost the tendernesse that was in your selves you exalted your selves over them that were tender and made a prey upon them and cast them out from among you out of places of authority out of power and out of your Church fellowships And then preferred shallow selfish prating and deceitful men that would comply with you for their own ends above discreet sober honest and conscientious men that feared God when they could not swear nor bow to you nor give you flattering Titles did you not then and often upon that very account lay them aside esteemed them unfit to be in any place of office and so lightly regard your truest friends who bore much of the heat of the day and were more noble and valiant then your selves and for whose sakes rather then for yours the Lord often delivered you out of your enemies hands And some of you did not onely turn them out of power but gave your power unto their and your enemies for them to make a prey upon such as were recovered again to that state and condition which you were in when you suffered for conscience sake by that power that they had joyned with you against and yet did you do unto them as your adversaries did unto you when they had power over you yet they did not so unto you as you did unto them by whom you suffered For against them you plotted conspired and sought both their Lives and Estates as since hath appeared
Truths Caracter OF PROFESSORS And their TEACHERS Which by looking through may bring to their remembrance the dayes of old and how it was then with them which may evidently shew unto them what hath befallen them since they degenerated from the measure of God which some of them had in them And it may also put them in mind of Gods Justice and severity towards them Here is also something in Answer to some remarkable particulars which were extracted out of above thirty Addresses which were presented to Richard Cromwell when he was Protector and were published to the Nation in the 〈◊〉 as one by Tho Goodwin by the appointment of the Officers and Messengers of above a hundred Congregational Churches And others from some of the Churches of the Baptized people bâ—t the most of them were from the parochial priests and others that joyned with them from most of the Counties in the Nation whereby their hypocrisie and deceit their folly and flatteries are made palpably manifest to their shame and confusion of face By one that is appointed of the Lord to make war in Righteousness under the banner of the Lamb in the Truths behalf both against the Beast and false Prophet known unto men by the name of William Caton The dayes of visitation are come the dayes of recompence are come Israel shall know it the Prophet is a fool the spiritual man is mad Hos. 9. 7. For they have sown the wind and they shall reap the whirlwind it hath no stalk the bud shall yiel'd no meal Hosea 8. 7. Because I have called and ye have refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at nought all my counsel and would have none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh Proverbs 1. 24 25 26. LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the sign of the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate 1660. An Epistle to the Reader Friend THat which I have here published may give thee to understand if with a meek spirit thou wilt peruse it how the Lord several years ago caused his Light in some measure to shine out of the darknesse in the hearts of many of these professing Professors whereby they came in measure to see the grosse darknesse wherewith people was then covered and many of the superstitions that were then upheld by such as professed godlinesse And then a zeal for God did stir in many of them against them and while they retained their tendernesse and simplicity and kept in the fear of the Lord then was the Lord near them but when they begun to seek and set up themselves more then the Lords glory and his truth then did the Lord by degrees withdraw from them when they exalted themselves and begun to persecute the harmlesse and innocent people that were brought through mercy to the enjoyment of what they saw at a distance And when they got the power into their hands then their Priests with the help of their power begun to silence others and keep under them even as they had been silenced and kept under And they crept into their parsonage-houses and benefices in processe of time became highly guilty of their abominations Moreover by that which here followeth thou may see how many of them will change their merchandiâ—e to continue their trade dishonest gain are like unto subtil cunning merchant-men who observe what merchandize is the most commodious and will vend the best among those they deal withall even they will they provide for them partly for their own advantage and partly for pleasing of the people c. This following Treatise also sheweth how they have cryed for help and how they have been countenanced and holpen by the sundry powers that have been in being for these many years And particularly how generally from almost every County in the Nation they with others made their deceitfull Adresses unto R. Cromwell by which thou may see their blasphemies and flatteries their promises and engagements unto him And do thou judge how decâ—â—tful and hypocritical they have proved And it also appears by what followeth what hath happened unto and befallen those that helped them who are fallen split and broken yet they whom they combined together against stand in as much power authority and dominion in Gods eternal Truth as ever and the Lord hath appeared to their joy and honour whom they cast out but to their shame and confusion who have dealt deceitfully both with God and man And if the Lord shall cause the same measure to be mete to them which they have measured unto others it would but be just with him who will in no wise acquit the guilty nor suffer the wicked to go unpunished These things are put forth to publick view not to add grief unto their affliction that are already humbled and cast down but rather to put them in mind of their former proceedings which have caused this day of distress and calamity to be hastned upon them of which they have been often warned foretold by us the Lords Servants who now rejoyceth not because it is come upon them for we have rather desired to have seen them have forsaken the evil of their doings have returned unto the Lord with all their hearts that so they might have obtained Mercy from him neither is this intended to strengthen the hands of their persecutors for we are as absolutely against the spirit of persecution in their adversaries as we were against it in them and our testimony by suffering under it we expect and intend to bear against it now and henceforth as heretofore if the Lord permit And we are now as far from siding with these Priests who cast them out as we were from siding with them in their covetous practises and their abominations which hath long grieved the hearts and spirits of the faithful Now if thou be one that art concerned in the things herein contained be not offended with my plain and upright dealing for a necessity laid upon me to write and publish these things which I saw in the light of the Lord to be come and coming to passe And if I be accounted their enemy for telling them the Truth I shall notwithstanding rest in peace in the Lord in whose sight I have cleared my conscience concerning them in much love and tendernesse towards the witnesse of God in them which is now nearer to answer unto the Truth in many of them then it was when they were high and lifted up And oh that they would yet lay these things to heart and return unto him that smiteth them then should they find favour in his sight with whom we know there is mercy that he might be feared W. C. Truths Caracter of PROFESSORS and of their TEACHERS c. HEar Oh ye wise and prudent men of this world and seriously weigh and consider the things that I have to lay before you For a necessity
but these that you cast out from among you did not so concerning you but even suffered you to plow as it were long furrows upon their backs and resisted you not neither would they turn away their cheeks from you when you pulled off the hair neither would they resist you when you sent them to prison when you spoiled their goods rifled their houses drove away their Cattel because for conscience sake they could not do such and such things as you contrary to their conscience injoyned them unto This sundry that have been one with you in profession have sustained these things from you with patience and have not sought to be avenged so of you as you have avenged your selves of such as heretofore injured you But oh let me ask you are not your promises ingagements and Vows which you made unto the Lord in the dayes past which you have not yet faithfully payed and performed are not these become a heavy burthen unto many of you who in this thing are guilty Or have you thought that it hath been a light thing to make a vow unto the Lord as some of you have done many and not to perform it Surely if you had had so much tendernesse remaining in you as Iephthah had Iudg 11. 3c Who opened his mouth unto the Lord and vowed a vow saying if thou shalt without fail deliver the Children of Ammon into mine hands then it shall be that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me I will offer it up for a burnt offering And behold his Daughter his onely Child met him at the sight of which he rent his cloaths and said she had brought him very low yet he confessed he had opened his mouth to the Lord said he could not go back Now in this thing you are come short of Iephthah under the Law who would not omit performing what he had vowed to the Lord though it bereaved him of his onely childe then would not the non-payment of your vows have been so heavy upon you as I believe they are upon many of you at this day who may call to mind how it was with you when you were little in your own eyes Was not your mouths then opened unto the Lord And had you not a testimony in your selves that in those dayes the Lord heard your prayers and did in measure at times grant your requests but when you once forsook that in your selves which begat the tendernesse in your hearts towards God then did you seek your selves more then the Lord And the more prosperity you had the more liberty you took to your selves until you came to be taken in the snare of voluptuousnesse when your hearts were adulterated from the Lord and run after your covetousnesse And then many of you sat down at ease in a carnal security little regarding the cries of the poor and needy in your selves which groaned unto the Lord for deliverance but your ears were not lenâ— thereunto but rather to vanity and folly which many of you run into when you had lost your tendernesse and then when you went on in forsaking the Lord then did he withdraw from you and left you as it were to your selves and yet you triuphed as Conquerers and gloried too much in your wisdom and strength not considering the Lord had left you until the Lord begun to confound your wisdome and weaken your bow and bring your understanding to nothing yet would you not believe this but supposed your throne had been firmly established and that your party had been even invinceable and that you knew of none that you thought was able to make war with you so politickandwise you were so potent and mighty so strong and valiant so rich and wealthy so victorious and dreadful you seemed to be but all this would not serve when you had lost your sincerity and integrity which was more with the Lord then your sword and spear then your hearts fainted and your saith failed and you became like unto other men when your hearts run after the Treasures and Riches of your enemies how suddenly then did you fall into temptation and a snare and into many hurtful and foolish lusts And thus it happened unto you even in the height of your profession And now O ye Professors know you what will be the end of these things that have befallen you who was once above all other men invested with the Authority of the Nation one Professor recommending another to them that then were in power and one brother speaking in the behalf of another to their superiours in order to the procuring of one another places of preferment till that almost every man that was a professor got a sword upon his thigh who then were accounted of but professors or who were to be trusted with places of Office and trust in the Nation but professors And in those dayes when profession was in such great reputation then crept many into it hoping thereby to get places of preferment when they got to Be in fellowship and of such a Church or of such an Assembly for then they came to be in esteem with professors and some then would speak to their Superior officers who were almost all professors in the behalf of such a man who was become a member of such a Church and then he was looked upon to be a worthy man to bear rule or to be put in authority in the Nation And thus did many of you get up until you became too high for all reproof And then such as would not joyn with you in your design came to be even of almost no Reputation among you but oh how have you instigated those that fear the Lord and did not aâ—prove of your proceedings to joyn with you in your designs And how fair have your promises and pretences been unto them who have been not a little tempted and tryed by you in that thing when you have cryed out unto them saying Oh now is the time if ever you will stir stir now if you will but joyn with us you may do exceeding much good Oh therefore be â—erswaded to stand up in your own defence and in the defence of the Good Old Cause and receive Commissions now when th y are tendred c. Thus have you provoked and tempted the people of God from day to day till that you have wearied your selves and them also yet still the Lord preserved them that stood in his Counsel out of your snares your preferment and promotion honour and renown favour and friendship they little regarded neither would they at all be perswaded to make any League or Covenant with you And when that you by your fair perswasions and large promises could not prevail with them then did you begin to frown upon them And many of you would chuse rather to strengthen the hands of the wicked against them then put forth a hand to help them
Though its true there were some amongst you that had it in their hearts I believe to do good but such were kept in a slavish fear of the major party and so durst not do that which was in their hearts while they might have done it and so the oppertunity was taken out of their hands and instead of getting Honour and Renown by their well doing in their day they have brought infamy and contempt upon themselves and this is already come upon many of you who have joyned hand in hand to augment the sufferings of the afflâ—cted As witnesse the many Independants and Presbiterian Justices Warrants and Mitâ—imus which they have made whereby they have caused the innocent to suffer in the sundry Counties of the Nation Insomuch that I confidently believe there is never a County in the Nation but You Professors to wit Presbyterians Independants so called with others have had Your hands in Persecution You have been principally the men for several Years that have hailed the innocent before your Iudgement Seats * that have committed them to Prison that have caused them to be whipt that have caused them to be set in the Stocks that have fined them that have given out Warrants for the spoiling of their goods You and your Teachers have been the men that have been chiefly accâ—ssary to these things Therefore doth it lye much upon me at this time to lay these things upon You in the light of the Lord and before men and know assuredly that if You come to be dealt withal as You have dealt with others then shall those things which You have done unto the innocent become Your heavy burthen and as it was hard for them to escape Your hands so will it be hard for You to escape the hands of others For Your Professing Magistrates have most frequently set to their hands and Seals when they were in Commission unto the Warrants that have been granted out against the innocent whereby such Priests have been authorized to make a prey upon the People of God as they themselves little regarded nor peradventure would very scarcely hear them Yet often have they given up the innocent into the hands of such mercilesse men as gloried in making a prey upon them Moreover it hath been observed how that in sundry parts of the Nation professing Magistrates or such as made a great profession were the very first men that began with a pretence of a Law to persâ—cute them that feared the Lord to the great dishonour of their profession though they were at that time in such a zeal against the appearance of Truth that they thought they did God good service by their imprisoning and shamefully intreating such as the Truth appeared in And certainly the people that God by his eternal power hath raised up in this Nation * have had more opposition from them that have been in profession in many parts of the Nation then they have had from the vulgar sort of people True it is when they were first raised up by the Power of God both professor and prophane did with much bitternesse of Spirit oppose them and often branded them with many ridiculous names and scurrelous titles thinking thereby to make them odious to all if it had been possible and when they saw they could not prevail against them but wearied themselves with their own folly then they begun to withdraw not with renown in triumph but rather with shame in contempt which is justly come upon them so that some are ready to enâ—uire after them as the Apostle did after the wise and after the Disputer of this world saying where are they c. even so where are the chief Disputing Priests and the high contentious professors seeing they do so little appear to what they have done formerly What do they want their Goals Their Houses of Correction their Stocks and Commssiions now And doth their hearts therefore fail them What is the power taken from them and given into their hands that they have had power over and are they therefore cast down What are the places of honour taken from them and they turned out of their fat benefices and is that the case wherefore they are cast down What must they become as poor miserable and contemptable as they have been And is this the cause of their heavinesse Must their wisdome be confounded and their understanding brought to nothing Must the Weapons that they have been forming against others be turned into their own bowels And must the like prejudice as they have sought to beget in others against the innocent be begotten in others against them And as they have done and would have had others to have done unto the innocent even so must they be done unto must not now the same measure be met unto them that they have measured unto others Even by such as will have no more pitty in their hearts towards them then they have had towards the innocent And what must not jealousie be stirred up in the powers of the earth against them as they have stirred up jealousie in the powers of the earth against others that were much more harmlesse and innocent then themselves And as they have sought to make others rediculous even so shall they become contemptable in the eyes of those which they by their flatteries fawned upon who may for a season suffer them for their own ends as they suffered others for their own advantage And as they have sought to remove others out of their way so shall they be removed out of the way of others And their honour which they have sought one of another shall be laid in the dust and their glory shall fade like the flower of the field And when the Lord brings 〈◊〉 things upon you O ye persecuting yet professing Priests and Professors which of you shall dare in that day to say unto the Lord Why dost thou thus Shall you not rather be made to confesse that it will be the just hand of God upon you when you come to be dealt withal as you have dealt with others whom you have cast out saying deceitfully let the Lord be glorified but behold hath he not appeared for them and is it not You now that cast them out that hated them and persecuted them that begins to be ashamed and astonished And oh that You would but observe the hand of the Lord in all these things surely then You would humble Your selves under it that so You might come to obtain mercy from him with whom there is mercy that he might be feared Here followeth the Truths Caracter of the Professors Teachers MOreover as concerning the chief Priests and Teachers of this Nation which You Professors have run after much I have to say concerning them Oh that You had an ear open to hear and a heart to receive and understand the things that I could declare of them who with fained words and fair
promises and pretences have deceived many of You they have had their day of visitation as well as You they have also had a day of prosperitie wherein they have promised Peace to themselves and to You also several of them have had some tendernesse in their hearts towards God I do believe when they saw by the light of the Lord in their own consciences the heavy Yoaks and many oppressions that the upright in heart groaned and traveled under and then there was a zeal in them for God and godlinesse and after that power came to be overturned whereby some of them had been silenced then did they begin to stir themselves and night and day laboured and endeavoured to induce You into Church Fellowship and so came too get You too under their discipline And then began to make their party strong and so came to prevail against them that had been authorised by such as had kept them under And then they began to silence others with the same power and weapon by which they themselves had been silenced And then they begun to turn out others by the strength of the same arme by which they themselves 〈◊〉 been kept under and then did they draw many after them And then they came to be highly exalted in the Nation and began to grow into arrogancy and covetousnesse and several of them begun then to look after great benefits And they having the powers of the earth much on their side could by the help of their order easily get others out that were not of their mind and so by degrees could wind themselves in And when they were once setled in their places and livings and got the name of Parliament-Ministers few then durst oppose them or find fault with them they being setled by order of Parliament Then did they begin to insult over many of their Parishioners and proved deceitfull and treacherous to many of them whose Tythe of Corn Hay Wool Lamb Hemp Geese Eggs Pigs Apples Cheries and Turnups c. these have coveted and received and when they have gotten them of poor men they have refused to do those things which they were to do upon whom these benefits were first conferred and so the poor men have been constrained to hire others to do that which they judged their Priests should have done for them as baptized their Infants churched their Wives and have administred that they call the Lords Supper to them which some of your High-Priests would not do to many of their Parishioners and so the poor men have paid double for that which is little worth and if any of them desired to have a Funeral Sermon at their Burial these Priests would not give it them under ten shillings at the least neither would they admit several of their Congregation into fellowship with them except they would take on their form and comply with them in their Traditions which many simple people could not do And therefore hath that been with-holden from them by their Priests that have exercised Lordship over them which the people did think they had as good right unto as their Teachers had unto their Tythe which the poor simple people durst not with-hold from them though they did not administer bread and wine nor read the Service Book But in those daies you and your Priests might do what seemed good in your own eyes for you had then the sword in your hand by which you ruled And so you 〈◊〉 for a season a dread and a terrour to such as did not fear the Lord more then you who then had power to make Lawes and likewise to disanull Lawes And when your Teachers had got a Law on their sides by vertue of which they might recover not onely the Tythe it self but treble dammage of such as did detain it from them then did several of them put it in execution whereby they have caused many deeply to suffer who for conscience sake could not pay them Tythe yet these men of corrupt minds have pretended they could not do the things before-mentioned for Conscience sake when their Parishioners required them as to give them bread and wine church their Women and sprinkle their Infants c. yet they with their defiled Consciences could receive their Tythes and did not seem to scruple at the receiving of them nor yet at going to Law and taking treble dammage of such as for conscience sake could not pay them And those eminent professing Priests could spoil mens goods rifle their houses drive away their Cattel and rail as much against such as feared the Lord in their Pulpits as any and many of them have been known at sundry times to threaten us very much and that especially at such times as they perceived their party prevailed so that from them the people of God have suffered and that deâ—ply And much more opposition we have had from them then we have had from them that you their professing friends turned out for them to come in And those that you secluded were adjudged to be scandalous Ministers but now let the judicious and upright in heart judge what they were that crept into their places and benefices and took their livings from them and did not their work but proved to be more severe towards those that did not put into their mouthes then they that were thrust out by them who have often intruded into places by force having received power and Authoritie from the Powers of the earth so that they have prevailed when there hath been scarce twenty in a parish for them and the rest of the parish hath been against them in their minds and in their hearts yet peradventure durst scarce appear so to be being that he that should have been a servant to them all even exercised Lordship over them all and they must be contented and satisfied with what he invented and studied and provided for them when the people would rather have had that which he with-held from them And thus you Professors when you were but few in a Parish while you had the sword upon your thigh power in your hand could keep a number of people under you who wâ—re dis-satisfied and discontented though they sought to hide and conceal the thing from you with your discipline yet must be subject though by constraint rather then willingly and thus with a high hand have they exercised Lordship and usurped Authoritie not onely over tender Consciences but also over simple ignorant people who rather would have had their former discipline which they had been educated in then new inventions But in those dayes when profession came in fashion and was in estimation many for their own ends crept into it and these high professing Priests got many Proselites and many followed them in their pernicious wayes and upheld them in their covetous practises and sided with them in their plots designs and conspiracies But let people now mark well and observe
them how they stand to their principles and how they continue whether constant or inconstant if constant without shrinking or falling under in the time of trial when persecution cometh then we shall the rather conclude that their end hath been good simple and honest in their going into that profession for which they are willing to suffer and in walking answerable to which they hope to be saved But and if they fall by bowing complying and condescending to that which they have fought against prayed against and strongly contended against then they will appear to be unstable and inconstant and we may the rather conclude their end was not good nor single before the Lord in their aspiring into profession if that they renounce it for fear of persecution and this may be a Caracter for many whereby many shall be made manifest to the Nation But what have we not already observed that many of you Professors with your Teachers have already brought much contempt upon your selves by deviating and falling from your principles who have appeared to be worse then many that did scarce bear the name of profession as witnesse your making of bone-fires and your giving money to others for ringing of the Bells when you would not take the pains to do it your selves And your drinking of the Kings health till he prohibited it by his serviceable Proclamation yea many things were done by some of you some months ago whereof severall of you are now ashamed and among the rest this was one great evil to wit your fury and madnesse rage and persecution which you run into against us the people of the Lord about the time that the King came into the Nation when you were afraid your selves of being called in question Oh! what havock did you then in some places make of us to manifest to all that you were not of us how then did you side with those that rose up against us insomuch that had not the Lord been on our side and appeared for us in all likelihood you with those with whom you joyned would even have swallowed us up For at that time it was the expectation of many that we should have been given up into the hands of the rude multitude and so to have become their prey but hitherto the Lord hath not suffered it to come to passe according to the expectations of many which the Lord hath frustrated in a great measure and marvellously did he still the raging of the boisterous Sea and after a great storm we beheld a sudden calm which we look upon to be the Lords doing which indeed was marvellous in our eyes Though I have here a little digressed from what I have to say further concerning the Caracter of your Teachers now I purpose to come to it again for my Spirit is grieved with their treacheries and the souls of the Righteous are vexed from day to day with their deceitful dealings and hypocritical flatteries and pretences and if the Lord should give them up into the hands of their adversaries as we have been given up into theirs by such as should have protected us from their crueltie it would be just with the Lord who hath a controversie with them because they have exalted themselves more then him And therefore will he in processe of time I believe throw them by as he hath done Parliaments Protectors and Counsels that upheld them who are now become as withered branches though once they spread themselves as a green Baytree * then did these cuning men shelter themselves under them untill their branches begun to wither and then they withdrew and crept towards those that seemed to flourish the most but many of their friends are departed and scattered and contempt is powred out upon them and their strength is departed from them and the power that they once had in their hands it is taken from them and given to their neighbours And therefore have these Teachers that made so many Addresses to them with large promises that they would stand by them to assist them with Lives and Estates against all enemies and disturbers whatsoever c. withdrawn from them when they saw they could not save themselves nor help them to what end then was their blessings wherewith they had blessed them and their prayers which they had made for them surely many were deceived by them who thought they had leaued upon the Lord and that he had been among them and that therefore no evil could have come upon them yet even at that time when they cryed peace came sudden ruine and desolation even in one day upon many whose confidence was more in the arme of flesh then in the Living God Surely had not these Teachers of whom I write renounced them that once were their onely friends and cryed up those whom before they had detected they had fallen with them that fell and they had been split when others were broken to pieces but what do they think they stand yet if so let them take heed least they fall for assuredly they stand upon very slippery places It hath been observed how that their renowned friends by all their back-sliding revolting conforming submitting and condescending from one thing to another could not become guiltlesse and inexcusable neither could they thereby keep their places of preferment preserve their honour retain their reputation and continue in Authoritie but were by degrees wrought out by a generation of men that were as subtil and politick as themselves but this was done by degrees and not all in one day now such as perceived what things would tend to that begun to break forth among them in Authoritie who could not renounce their principles but would rather throw in their Commissions surrender their places and lay down their Armes then they would act contrary to their Consciences such got more honour by their so doing though then it was contemptible then they got that continned so long as they could in power by their becomming all almost to any thing till that their inconstancy appeared in almost every thing and then some would scarce trust them in any thing And thus it hath happened unto the Rock of your Teachers once defence which is now broken and breaking down Let not them think then totally to escape for though they may be spared a season as Solomon spared Abiathar the Priest and Shimei that curst his Father 1 Kings 2. yet they shall not alwaies go unpunished though for the present they may yet a little escape that which is decreed to come upon them even till their measure of iniquitie be as full as the Amorites was Surely he that executed justice and judgement upon their consorts will not hold them guiltlesse who have been the instigaters and stirrers up of one party against another to the bringing the Nation into much dâ—straction and unsetlednesse confusion and disorder yet many of the Rulers have not considered it nor laid it
that even refused to be comforted and further they do say they have lost a Father as well as himself whose heart and hands they declared to strengthen c what in them laid And though this poor mite can add nothing to his merits d yet the desire of their soules are to go hand in hand e with their Brethren and they declare they will not let the Lord go f till he hath blest him above and beyond all his Princely fellows through the Christian world and that he may live long the Defender g of the Faith and them c. The Priests and others of Lancaster Liverpool Priston and Wiggan in Lancashire Addressed likewise to R. C. WHerein they exprest the sadness of their of their hearts at the newes of the death of his Renowned h Father and do render their most humble acknowledgements i to his Highnesse the noblest branch of that Illustrous Stock and congratulate him as the inheritor of his Fathers spirit k as well as dignity Further they say they look upon him as the precious l person upon whose safety the right interest of establishment both in Church m and State depend and under God the repairer of their breaches n and prime preserver of their Rights and Liberties c. And do promise to uphold him in the supream dignity as their undoubted Prince and Leader with the utmost hazard o of their lives and estates The Priests of Cheshire and others of the inhabitants of that County Addressed to R. C. WHerein they twice expressed they cordially though in the rear of Englands Mourners joyn in a real deep resentment of their incomparable losse p in the decease of his illusterous Father on whose shoulder the good hand of providence had laid the Government q of these Nations and that their fear of spliting in the fall of his said Highnesse had risen to a higher tide but that he his serene Highnesse succeeded in his stead as a skilful pilot r to guide that Vessel wherein their chief concernments were imbarked into the desired Haven And they also said they hoped that God had designed him s in special mercy to the advancement of his Glory the propagation of the Gospel the vindication of this Truth against heresie error and the encouragement of Magistracy and Ministry and defence of their Rights Laws and Liberties and so promised to yield entire obedience to his Government The Priests and others of Salop County Addressed to R. C. WHerein they said happy may that Nation be called of whose late chief magistrate it may be justly said Gloririous things are spoken of thee t c. a Moses who through the good hand of God with him not onely led them out of the land of Aegypt u but himself attained to more then a Pisgah fight of the Land of Canâ—an and gave to them more then a tast of the clusters w of its grapes into their cup and they hoped that he would walk with the Lord in the steps of his Father of most happy memory and they declare their most effectual prayers x shall be no wayes wanting with their faithful enendeavours and ready obedience c. Thus it appears how they Addressed from sundry parts of the Nation unto R. C. whom they applauded and extolled and his help they craved and he added something to what his Father had done for them by putting forth his helping hand to support and uphold them by that unconsecrated way of Tythes but behold his time was very short and his help to them was very little And when he could help them no longer then did they decline from him and renounced his Government notwithstanding their many promises which they made in their sundry Addresses unto him Afterwards when he was laid aside then did they cry unto the Parliament and the Army for help from them but in this thing they were not all of one mind for many of them plotted and conspired both against the Parliament that then was and against the Army also and when they were discovered and they and their party subdued then their Brethren excused themselves and flattered the Parliament who let in their spirits and gave them thanks with other flattering expressions beyond what they gave to other petitioners And that Parliament did for them as others had done before them thinking thereby to appease their unruly spirits and to satisfie their unsatiable desire by their putting into their mouths yet neverthelesse they could not thereby quiet them but they stirred up and incensed the people against them and shot their arrows at them and that was all the thank they gave them for the favour they had shown them And when they were overturned then was their faith abundantly renewed and great was their expectations from them that then were the supream who countenanced and encouraged them as others had done before them Thus all along have they fawned upon and flattered the supream Authoritie of the Nation and that lying spirit wherewith they were possessed hath mightily prevailed time after time over the Rulers and Magistrates of the Nation who have been often forewarned by the Servants of the Lord of that cup of fornication which the Priests have put into their hands And when they were inflamed with it then were they easily perswaded that the Lord was with them when indeed he had left them unto themselves and then did they begin to turn their backs upon their enemies and were conquered without shedding of blood either with sword or spear And then some of them begun to see that those that had flattered them and had cried Peace unto them and cried for help unto them against such as could not uphold them that those were the men that had betrayed them and those in whom they had reposed confidence had dealt treacherously with them * Now the most of those that they cried and petitioned unto for help are split and broken And they whom they cried for help against yet stand in as much dominion power and Authoritie in the Truth of God as ever what then had not they need that have been holpen to take heed how they stand seeing so many as have holpen them are already fallen and broken to pieces like a potters vessel surely if that stone upon which they have been broken that have helped them do fall upon these Priests that haâ—e been holpen it will even grind them to powder And in that day they shall know that the Lord hath a remnant among them for whose sakes he hath reproved many of the mighty and many of the wise who have gloried more in their wisedom and strength then in the Lord who hath formed a people for himself in this Nation who have been persecuted and withstood both by Professors and prophane Teachers and have suffered both by Priests people of almost all sorts either in one
respect or another yet are they not destroyed but are more in number then they were sundry years ago And many now begin to â—ear that they shall scaree escape the rod wherewith they have been lashing others but that they must have the same measure met unto them which they have measured unto others so that now they begin to adhere much more unto us then heretofore and are much more open to hear and receive the Truth now when they are dejected and excluded out of their places of preferment then they were when they had the power in their hands and their swords upon their thighes when they little expected to have seen this dark and gloomy day which is come upon them wherein they can scarce see to work for the great foggy mist which is arisen * It was much observed how that when they had enriched themselves with their adversaries riches and were become guilty of their abominations and were set down at ease in the flâ—sh then the pride of their hearts would not endure nor suffer such men among them as were not for their design nor could not suffer their iniquities to go unreproved then did they thrust out such from among them until a just and faithful man that feared God and hated covetousnesse could scarce be found among them and when they begun to see how their strength manhood and courage failed then would they again have had those to have joyned with them that before they had cast out from among them but thereunto they would not be perswaded for they foresaw in the eternal Light of the Lord what the Lord was determined to bring upon them and therefore did they warn them often but they seemed to them as Lot did unto his sons in Law when he told them of the destruction of the City he seemed unto them as one that mocked Again it is to be observed how that shame contempt with fear and astonishment came upon them when the generality of Professors in the nation were buâ—â—â—ng exceeding active yet they all could not be able to stop the flood-gates which forceably were broke open by a mightystream which drove many before it even as chaâ—â—e before the wind and then the Anchors of many Professors would not hold but their faith failed and their hope perished and their honour fell into the dust and their glory faded like a flower their feasting soon turned into fasting their rejoycing was turned into mourning and their joy into heavinesse even in one day surely this was the Lords doing which was indeed marvellous in our eyes and when these things happened unto them these that had been their friends became their enemies and those whom they had looked upon to be their adversaries proved their harmlessest friends yet so doleful and terrible was the day that came upon them that they knew not whom to trust nor whom to believe nor in whom to confide many proved so treacherous and dâ—ceitful so unstable and inconstant that they were ready to betray one another to save themselves and then they begun to perceive where the Iudas spirit was that was entred into their profest Friends and with which they were leavened then did the Lord recompence that into their own bosoms which they had given as a portion unto others Thus hath the Lord already dealt with many of our Perseâ—utors by whom we have suffered for conscience sake yet many of them were eminent in profession when it was held in reputation but when they became persecutors of the innocent the Lord began to be angry with them and the fire of his jealousie begun to burn against them and shame and confusion of face came upon them for their unfaithful dealing with the Lord and with his people Now oh that others by their fall would take warning and not for the future form weapons against the Lord and against his annointed least they be turned into their own bowels And as for us that fear the Lord who for many years have been a suffering people by the many powers that have been in being in this Nation If our sufferings must be prolonged and continued under such now as have little profession of Religion in them in comparison of what others have had by whom we have already suffered that they may fill up the measure of their iniquity as others have done by their persecuting of us without a just case We do resolve and determine in the Name of the Lord to bear them with patience and not to resist them no more then we have resisted others but shall commit our cause unto the Lord who leaveth us not comfortless in our sufferings which we have learned to bear with patience having found them to the furtberance of the Gospel of peace Yet this we can say in truth to the shame of many professors that we have found more moderation and simplity in many who make very little profession of Religion then we have observed in many of them and in that particular we counted them more noble then the rigid professors who have been trying us but now they must be tryed yea some of them have tasted already of that cup which they put into our hands and without doubt many of them must drink of it except they renounce their Principles and become conformable again to that which many of them several years ago have renounced and rejected which if they do their folly will thereby the more appear and so much the more shame and contempt will be rendrâ—d unto them and this we have seen already fulfilled upon them who have added affliction unto the bonds of the afflicted and they have increased the sufferings of the oppressed instead of easing them when an opportunity was put into their hands wherein they might have done good but their hearts not being right before the Lord their day was shortned And many of them shall be oppressed with a sore oppression by them that are cruel and their oppressions shall be a vexation to them even as they have been to others And this they shall find to be the word of Truth unto them by one of those people that have suffered by them in whose behalf I can say we do as freely forgive them as we did desire to be forgiven And it is not their overthrow and downfall that we can so much rejoyce in as we did desire to be forgiven And it is not their overthrow and downfal that we can so much rejoyce in as we could in their salvation and restauration unto their first love that he might come to reign in them and over them whose right it is who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords to whom be infinite Praises Glory and Dominion over all henceforth and for ever Amen THE END What a day professors have had Isa 33. 14. Pro 1. 24. 25. How it was with Professors in the dayes of old 1 Cor 14.
what say you then is now their Light and in what must they now walk if not in the Light of the Lord e If you mean O. C. I say he was liker Pharaoh then Moses for Pharaoh oppressed Gods people and afflicted them sore with the many burthens that he in his cruelty laid upon them who set such task-masters over them as your selves that were cruel and hard-hearted And when Pharaoh saw that they were many he consulted how they should keep them under least that it had come to passe that when there had been war in his Land the people of God should have joyned with their enemies against him and his Subjects And thus did O. by his Laws and Impositions oppresse Gods people and would not suffer them to go free from under the oppression of Tythes which you cruel task-masters did much afflict them with as you do at this day Yet the more Pharaoh and the Task-masters afflicted them the mâ—re they grew and Moses chused rather to suffer affliction with the afflicted then to injoy the pleasures of sin for a seasonâ— but so did not O. after he was made Protector f If you mean R. C. I say he was more like unto Ahaziah Ahabs Son in that he walked in the way of his Father who provoked the Lord God of Israel by his strengâ—hening your hands against the innocent by his not loosing the bands of wickednesse by his not undoing the heavy bâ—rthens when it was in his power and by his not suffâ—ring the oppressed to go free and therefore did he provoke the Lord â—o wrath whereupon his dayes were shortned for the Elects sake g But now you cannot say the same for the Lord doth not onely change Governours but he hath also changed and is changing Governments and you as well as other men must be tryed h But in whom are your hopes now Oh ye vain men how long will it be before you cease from hoping for salvation from the Mountains and from the Hills i If at that day the Lord had with-holden life and breath from you then your transgressions would have been fewer in number then they are at this day for I perceive that it is as easie for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle as it is for you and your Generation to cease from speaking of lyes iâ— hypocrisie you are so exceedingly given up to the thing k To these two names I have spoken in my answer to the last Addresses l But he was too much leavened with your priestly spirit to press after a Reformation m Large were the Promises and fair were the Pretences that you generally made and as you have appeared to make them unanimously so have you manifestly broke them aâ— generally to the shame and dishonour of your profession n If he had done so then he should have done some thing in order to the removing of that grand opprâ—ssion of Tithe and not have strengthened your hands by enjoyning people to have payed them to you o he was a Pillar to your forced maintenance Salleries and Augmentations p He did not so truly and faithfully protect the peace of the peaceable as he did you in your parsonage houses and Mass-houses which you crept into by degrees and then did you begin to exercise Lordship over Gods heritage and to feed upon the fat and to cloath with the wool and then your hearts came to be exalted q Nay though he helped you in many things he never helped you out of that really and truly for both he and you loved the treasures of it too well and were not onely unwilling to come out of it your selves but have also striven to continue the oppressâ—d in it in the affâ—ictions under your rigor and cruelty r Are not you blind guides indeed and unfit to lead others who said you will beg at the Throâ—e of grace that R. C. as another Ioshua may lead 〈◊〉 into a more full pâ—ssession of Truth Righteousnesse and peace Oh Hypocrites well might you cause people to erre by your â—s and hypocrisie for which God will â—â—ge you s In many things he did promote his own Interest and yours more then Zions or her converts who wept in her and he did not comfort them but suffered them to be committed to prison in his Name and there he did not visit them And that which he suffered to be done unto them the Lord took it as done unto himself and he was wroth with him and removed him in his displeasureâ— t Rather fainedly and deceitfully did you promise and engage unto him whose help â—herewith he helped you was to little purpose even so were your flattering and hypoâ—itical promises vain and of no value v Surely you are blind and cannot see afar off and out of the fear of God who have not yet seen the day of the Son of man who ariseth with healing in his wings And therefore dare you the rather presume to put mortal men in the place of him who is immortall And giveth light to these three Nations and not R. C. and likewise to all the Nations upon the face of the earth And who are you that dare presume to set a mortal maâ— in his place w It is the spirit that quickneth and giveth both light and life unto the Nations that are saved x The lying lips are your own who speak blasphemously against the Lord and his Spirit and many lyes have you and your Brethren uttered with your lying lips y And you are like the wandring stars the Apostle Iude speaketh of who runs from mountain to hill and from one power to another to get help of them but the Lord will plead with you in one day a Oâ—ds the worâ— honour wealth glory and riches he got abundantly but when the Lord put an end unto his dayes what did these things then availe him b When he begun to seek himself and his own Interest then did he begin to loose both the hearts and affections of good people c Wherein do you mean in upholding and protecting you in your Benâ—fices in suffering the innocent to be made a prey upon by you in making fair pretences and large promises like your selves to little purpose if these things were not the foot-steps in which you would have had him to have vestigated and followed his Father then declare more plainly what they were d Though you pretended to do it with cheerfulnesse for a season were you not soon weary of it especially when you saw you could have no advantage by it e Though he was renowned with you so was he not with all because he did not shew mercy as mercy was shown him but suffered the poor and needy to be persecuted therefore are his children become as vagabonds and strangers have spoiled his Labour Psal. 109. 10. 11. f For your own ends it was and that you might be seen to be conformable to your Brethren in their â—latteries and deceit g Are your prayers yet engaged
your Brethren in Addressing and flattering what ever you were in practising and Performing k But so large a measure of its policy he had not and therefore was he lightlier betrayed by such fawning flattering deceitful tongued and lying lipt men as you are who might have shewed more wisdome by keeping of silence then you have by uttering what you have writ in your contemptible Addresse Plsal 31. 18. l How long did you look upon him to be precious and what was it that made him so in your eyes if not his countenancing you in your dishonest gain Parsonagâ—-houses Tâ—the and his allowing you to execute your wills upon the innocent and harmlesse people among you m If it have depended upon such as him then the great unseâ—tlement that hath been both in Church and Estate for many years is not to be admâ—red at but such as you who have been active in contriving plotting and conspiring against one power after another have been the chief instruments that have obstructed the establishment of the Nation in pâ—ace n And when you have made breaches and caused distractions in the Nation then hath your eyes been upon and your cries they have been unto the powers of the earth who could not make up and repair the breaches so fast as you made them And therefore hath the Nation been unsetled and the inhabitants in many parts of it unestablâ—shed in peace love and unitie For when the Lord hath appeared for the throwing down of that which his hand was against then you have sought to establish and build it again Aâ—d when he hath manifested his power among his people in order to the rearing and setting up again the Tabernacle of David then you like Rehum Shimshai and Haman have by your words and writingâ— instigated and 〈◊〉 up both Parliaments Protectors Counsels and Committees against such a people even as they before-mentioned did as you may read at large in Ezra 4. 9. 12. 13 c and Ester the 3. 8. 9. o Sundry of you as It is well known did hazard in part both your lives and estates with George Booth but I have not heard of any of you that have hazarded either with him according to your promise but I perceive you are of your Brethrens mind in Cumberland in having a desire to go hand in hand with your brethren whether it be in plotting or conspiring in rising or insurrections in flattering or deceiving in lying or blaspheming or what else soever but withall I would you knew this That if you partake of their siâ—s so must you also of their plagues p Though many of you counted it losse in your Addresses Yet did you not count it gain in your hearts notwithstanding your pretended faining sorrow and mourning q Was that your real faith and belief or did you not rather dissemble when you spoke or wrote these words r But when the winds of your selfish expections came contrary he with all his â—kill and serenity could not convoy you into your much desired carnal security so upon the great deeps of confusion where he found you rouling did he leave you and had much a doe to escape himself the wrath of your indignation which began to kindle against him notwithstanding all your flattering addresses and fair pretences and many promises that you and your bretheren made in the same which at this day will tend to your shame s While you hoped he would carry on your design you could unanimously flatter him with your lying tongues but when you saw he wanted power to encourage and defend you in your â—â—â—shly Liberties then did you desert him and his Government t That was while his Son bore rule that such as you spoke deceitfully of him but what things are now spoken concerning Your Moses even by Your brethren even things that are not glorious but notorious u If we see You returned again into those things which he brought You ouâ— oâ— as the Common Prayer Book and other things which many of You came out of in his dayes may we not then conclude from Your own words that You are gone back again into Aeâ—ypt But tell me if You be really come out of it as You pretend then wherefore have You sed so long upon â—ts leeks onions and garlick Have You been so long in the Wildernâ—sse as You pretend and have gotten no Manna yet which descended freely but that you are neceâ—â—â—ated to continue feeding to this present day upon Your Tithe and forced maintenance which the Israelites that were so indeed have loathed as detestable for many Years w With clusters he sed You but not of the Grapes of Canaan which are sweet and pleasent to the tast but with bitter clusters which he gathered from the vine of Sodom in the fields of Gomorrah so that your Grapes wherewith he hath sed You have been as Grapes of Gall and not of Canaan Deut. 32. 32. x Your prayers have proved ineffectual and unhelpful to him And Your thus addressing to him for a very little season will prove your shame upon whom the Lord hath begun to power out contempt which will be Your portion How the Priests renounâ—ed R. C. and his Government when he could not help them How they flattered the Parliament which let in their Spirits and then they did for them again as others had done before How a lying Spâ—rit in the Priests have ofteâ— prevailed over the Rulers of this kingâ—dome though they have been warned of 〈◊〉 * Note How they that Priests cryed for help against yâ—â— stand and how they that they cryed unto are fallen and broken How the Lords people have sâ—ffered both by professors and prophane â—ow many are nearer to receiâ—e the truth since they were â—based thâ—n they were when they were exalted * Note How hard it was to find a just man among them when they that feared the Lord were cast out from among them Gen. 19. 14. Note What befell Professors when they were at the height of their pride and vain-glory How deceitfull they prâ—ved one unto another in the day of tryal How the Lords anger was kindled agâ—inst them when they became persecutors Note The peoof Gods resolution Wherein some few that are â—ow in â—ower â—ave apâ—eared â—ore noâ—le then â—any proâ—essors What is â—oreseen â—hat will â—efall â—hem â—ow freeâ—y they â—hat have â—uffered 〈◊〉 them â—nforgive â—hem and â—nfained 〈◊〉 they deâ—ire their â—elfare
30. 31. * So they were in the eyes of your persecutors but precious to you at that time The Professors vowes and promises which they made to the Lord When they were low and tender the Lord had respect to them Isa. 33. 14. Hos. 10. 8. How evill befell them Why they that feared the Lord turned away from them How others were brought to that which they had lost How they crept into falâ—e rests How they run from form to form from the Light of the Lord in themselves Cant. 1. 7. How they lost their tendernes and became dry barren c. Jer. 17 6. Zach. 3. 2. How they behaved themselvs towâ—rds the tender harted when they had lost their tendernesse Those that suffered by them for conscience-sake did not unto them as they had done unto their Adversaries Psa. 129. 3 How they came to be undone When they forsook the Lord then did he leavethem to themselves 1 Cor. 1. 19. Their confidence How they came to be weakened and then became like other men 1 Tim. 6. 9. How they came to get swords upon their thighs What temptations they that feared the Lord had from them How they became peâ—secutors of the Innocent * So I call â—hem because you have sitten in judgment upon them A prophesiâ— concerning them Note Joh. 16. 2. * This is spoke of them that in scorn â—re called Quakers 1 Cor. 1. 20. Serious questions concerning them As they have done to others so shall they be done unto Isa. 66. 5. psal. 130 7 Note here the subtilty of the Priests Mark their authority How they received the wage but did not the work â—ow professors were a 〈◊〉 to some while they had the power in their hand 2 Tim. 3. from the fiâ—st to the 10. verse High professing Priests as cruell and wicked in some things as others yea and as prophane as those that were judged to bâ— scandalous From whence they had their power And how they fed poor people with their inventions How they have usurped Authoritie and over whom 2 Pet. 2. 2. A caracter by which their end in creeping into profession may be known How they have already brought contempt upon themselves One great evill of theirs manifested Note * How they â—heltered themselves alwayes under such as did flourish the most and what is befallen their friends Jer. 6. 14. 15. Note Wherein some was more noble then their fellowes Isa. 2. 17. Note What the expectations of mâ—ny are They are like unto subtile Merchant-men 2 pet. 2. Observe their craft and policy How they changed their Merchandize How they strove to pleasesuch as did bear rule Why they change their Merchandize * What need they have of the help of the powers of the earth and how they are begun already to cry unto them Act. 21. 28 That was O. C. * What the long Parliament did for them Their lies and blasphemies manifestâ—â— * Which are to be sâ—en in tâ—e abstract that I have taken out of their addresses to R. C. This Ordinance was made by the Parliament for Tithes Ano 1647. * Vide An Act made by O. C. and his Parliament An. 1656. Hoâ—O C. above many in his day helped them The Prophets and Apostles had never such an Act made on their behalf How tedious they were and how difficult it was for the Magistrates to keep them quiet or to be quiet for them Vide O. C. Ordinance made An. 1654. How they were placed in places by the authority of man and not by Christs Heb. 11. 36 37 38. How the Ministers of Christ had no Augmentation allowed them or provided for them by the powers of the earth How the Magistrates heretofâ—re have been troubled with the Priests How they have had trouble with them How Officers must be troubled 〈◊〉 Priests How have 〈…〉 upon Rulerâ— for 〈◊〉 years How they flattered R. C. when they sought his help The end wherefore their following Addresses were published to the Nation a Whaâ— did fear begin to possesse you oh ye Proâ—essors that you also â—ust make your addresse and 〈◊〉 your 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 what example for â—his had you in the holy scripture b If you have not many good people in this nation have to whose bonds you congregational Churches have added afâ—liction c If you mean Oli. he was liker Hamon then Mordecai in his self-seeking honour and promotion more then the weal of Gods people who stood at his gates like Mordecai and when he in great pomp hath come by could not bow unto him d If your faith be one with theirs in New-England then we know how far it will extend yet we have better hopes of many of you then of them of New-England whose desperate wickednesse have exâ—ended to the taking away of the lives of the innocent whose blood continues crying for vengeance upon them who have done that hoâ—rid wickednâ—sse which cannot but amaze the simple among you that yet retain any tendernesse in your hearts towards the Lord and good people e We have not yet found so many of you in one mind without contradicting one another especially in matters pertaining unto Religion f Oh miâ—â—rable men â—had your faith been the faith of Gods Elect you needed not have been so â—aithlesse neither would you have been so foolish as to have committed your faith to him to countenance and propagate who could not propagate defend and protect his own Oh you of little faith who were so suddenly surprized with fear when you saw you had lost the protection of that great Mordecai â—hen you shewed your selves like the Reformed Churches so called indeed who run with them for help from him that then had the power in his hand for whom you then engaged to pray but do you now according to your engagement g What could not your saith keep you out of Egypt neither but you must run with Presbyterians and Independants into Egypt for help tell us that could not go with you what found you when you came there did you not rather get shame and reproach thereby then either help or profit what did you not know before you went that the Egyptians help was in vain and to no purpose would it not have been more honour and advantage to you to have stood still and in the faith and paâ—ience to have waited upon the Lord then to have run down into Egypt and to trust in the shadow thereof which is now become and that justly your shame and confusion h Doâ—h his memory yet remain precious to you wherefore then do you not strive to wipe away the reproach that is cast upon him i If he was your Father as Elijah waâ—Elishas then tâ—ll us wheâ—her his spirit of policy do rest upon you since his departure as Elijahs spirit did rest upon Eâ—isha after they were both parted asunder yea or nay k But it seems that you with your listing up your hearts and hands to God could not prevaile with the Lord as Iacob did that