offending but therein is infirmity in vs and no faithfulnes to God nor them The wise King that knew right well the power and aucthoritie of a King adviseth not to stand in an evill thinge before the King for he will do what soever pleaseth him Eccle. 8.3 But in a good cause why should wee feare to stand before Kings seeing their thrones are established by justice Pro. 16.12 Our cause then being good for it is the cause of God as all shall confesse Thus much is it that wee do in all reverend humility beseech of all Kings Princes that they will performe this service vnto the lord according to this prophesie prophesied of theÌ„ in the performance whereof the lord requires their ferveÌ„t zeale which they ought to shew by their perfect hatred detestatioÌ„ of the whore by which zealous hate they are to be provoaked to make hir desolate naked to eate hir nesh burne hir with fire after this manner with these great ferveÌ„t affections shall these Kings that obey the lord in this worke serve him In all this wee beseech that wee may not be vnderstood as though wee ment that Kings should do this by their temporall sword of justice no nothing lesse the lord requires no such meanes in this busines for he hath testified by Prophesie as wee have formerly shewed 2. Thes .2 that he will abolish consume the man of sinne the mistery of iniquity which is this Beast and whore and citie by the spirit of his mouth by the brightnes of his comeing and therefore this prophesie may not be vnderstood that Kings ought to do this by their temporall power but by the word and spirit of the lord in their testimony withall holy zeale and this cannot be done except they first take all their power and authoritie from the Beast for no man can serv two Masters but he shall please the one and displease the other Kings cannot serve the lambe and the Beast but they must needs hate the one and love the other and this is most plainely set downe in this Prophesie Revel 17. for in the 13. and 17. vers it is said of Kings that they shall have all one mynd be of one consent with the Beast shall give their power aucthority vnto the Beast shall feight with the lambe vntill the words of God be fulfilled And in the 16. vers They shall hate the whore make hir desolate for God hath put in their harts to fulfill his decree Thus wee see these Kings propresied of by the spirit of the lord to do this great worke of God when they shall take it in hand they shall not halt betwixt two opinions they shall not be neither hote nor cold but they shall be most zealonis for the glory of God and shall no longer retayne anie frendship with the Beast alwaies our meaning is spiritually now â—â—en those Kings and Princes that will in this service obey the most high God and advaÌ„ce his glory that hath so greatly advanced them to high honor and dignity let them take all their power and aucthority from the Beast and with drawe all the affections of their harts and soules and turne them to hatred and to an vtter abhorring of the Beast and whore and so shall they make it manifest vnto all the world that they are true lovers of the lambe and perfect haters of the Beast and that they are they in whome this prophesie is fulfilled Oh that Kings and Princes would strive to go one before an other in giveing honor to God herein And amongst all the rest of the great and mighty Kings and Princes of the earth loyalty nature and grace doth bind vs with disires of exceeding dutifull and reverend affections to wish and desire that our lord and K. might be with the foremost in this great and acceptable service of the King of Kinges and lord of lords which were a worthy service most well beseeming our lord the King for whome the King of heaven hath done so great things and if our lord the King will do this service for his God then must he not by his power support the Beast nor his image which are one and the same power And seeing our lord the King hath seene the deepe iniquity of the peremptory ruling Presbitery let him much more see the high iniquity of the proud ambicious cruell ruling Prelacy which is a power set vp in the place of God bearing the names of high blasphemy Oh let it be far from our lord the K. to give his power which God hath given him to punish evill doers and to reward them that do well 1. Pet. 2.14 Let it be far from our lord the King to give this power to the Beast or his image for that advanceth the mistery of iniquity and smiteth downe the mistery of godlines God hath not comunicated his owne power to Kings and Princes for this end And seeing wee have begun to speake to our lord the King let vs declare what power and aucthority God hath given to him wherevnto his subiects ought of conscience to obey Our lord the King hath power to take our sonnes our daugthers to do all his services of ware and of peace yea all his servile service what soever and he hath power to take our lands our goods of what sort or kind soever or the tenth thereof to vse at his will and he hath power to take our men servants and maid servants and the cheife of our yong men and Cattle and put them to his worke and wee are to be his servants 1. Sam. 8.11.18 in all these thinges our lord the King is to be submitted vnto and obeyed Also he hath power to make all manner Gouernors lawes and ordinances of man 1. Het 2.13.14 Thus doth God give our lord the King power to demaund and take what he will of his subiects it is to be yeilded him and to comaund what ordinance of man he will and wee are to obey it And in all these things wee acknowledg before God men wee ought to be subiect not for feare onely but also for conscience sake â—oâ—n 13.5 Wee meddle not with anie conditions or contracts made betwixt the King and his people whereby our lord the King in fauour may or doth abridg himselfe of his prerogative and so make himselfe subiect to his owne covenants or conditions which our lord the King ought to keepe though it be to his disadvantage if they be not meerly vnlawfull but wee speake onely of that power which God hath given to the King all which our lord the King ought to vse lawfully but if he should do otherwise which God forbid he is in these things to be submitted vnto Eccl. 8.3.4 and 1. Pet. 2 18.-24 who soever resisteth resisteth the ordinance of God shall receive to them selves condemnation Rom. 13.2 Thus hath God given our lord the King all worldly power which
A SHORT DECLARATION of the mistery of iniquity Ier. 51.6 Flee out of the midst of Babell and deliver every man his soule be not destroyed in hir iniquity for this is the time of the lords vengeance he vvill render vnto hir a recompense Hosea 10.12 Sovv to your selves in righteousnes reape after the measure of mercie breake vp your fallovv ground for it is time to seeke the lord till he come raine righteousnes vpon you Anno 1612. To the Reader THE feare of the almighty through the vvorke of his grace having novv at last over vveyed in vs the feare of men vvee have thus farr by the directiō of Gods vvord and spirit strecthed out our harts and hands vvith bouldnes to confesse the name of Christ before men and to declare to Prince and People plainly their transgressions that all might heare see their fearefull estate and standing and repent and turne vnto the lord before the decree come furth and before the day of their visitation be past and that the thinges that belonge to their peace be altogether hid from their eies and vvhereas in this vvriting vvee have vvith all humble bouldnes spoken vnto our lord the King our defence for this is that vvee are taught of God especially to make supplications praiers intercessions and give thankes for our lord the King and wee are taught that the gracious God of heaven by whome the King reignes would that the King should be saved and come to the knowledg of the truth and therefore wee the Kings servants are bound especially by all the godly endeavors of our soules and bodyes to seeke the salvation of the K. although it were with the danger of our lives for if vvee savv our lord the Ks. person in dāger either by privy conspiracie or opē assault wee vvere bound to seeke the Ks. perservation delivrance though it werewith the laying downe of our lives which if wee did not wee should readily and most worthily be condemned for traytors hovv much more are wee bound to seeke the preservation and delivrance of the soule and body of our lord the King seeing wee see him in such great spirituall danger as wee do And if anie shal be offended at vs for so doeing they therein love not the King and if our lord the King should be offended at vs his servants for so doeing the King therein loves not himselfe and if all men and the King should for this be offended vvith vs which God forbid yet herein wee are sure our God wil be well pleased with vs in that wee have with our best strength and faithfullnes obeyed him who comaunds and teacheth vs to admonish all men every where to repent and this is our sure vvarrant and our assured hope and comfort Now as wee have according as wee hold our selves bound thus farr confessed Christs name before men by writinge so wee shall the lord assisting vs be ready as wee hold our selves bound to confesse Christ before men by vvord of mouth not fearing through Gods grace them that kill the body and after that are not able to do anie more In this duty to God and his people wee must needs confesse wee have hitherto greatly fayled but wee will novv be ready the lord strengthning vs rather to be sacrificed for the publishing of the Gospell of Iesus Christ and for the service of your faith then to faile as vvee have done both in our dutyes to God and you This vvee readily vovve to God and promisse to you and to vvill to do this good is present vvith vs but vvee find no meanes in vs to performe this duty and service vvee see a lavv in our flesh strongly rebelling against the lavv of our mynds but our assured trust confidence is that Gods grace alone is sufficient for vs to make vs every vvay able vnto these thinges vnto the vvhich of our selves vvee are no vvay able yet wee vvill say with the holy Appostle Paul If God be on our side vvho can prevaile against vs vvho shall seperate vs from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecutiō or famin or nakednes or perill or svvord no the lord vvee trust in these thinges vvill make vs conquerors and though our outvvard man should perish or suffer many afflictions vvhich vvee vvere most folish if vvee should not vvait for yet let the people of God looke vnto the truth vvee vvitnes consider vvith holy and vvise harts vvhether vvee have not good vvarrant yea direct comaundement to do that vvee do though vve be vnfitt and vnvvorthy for such a service Shall vvee heare the lord say Come out of hir my people and shall the Spirit of God comaund him that heareth say Come and shall not vvee say Come Shall the vvord of the lord comaund to Call vp Archars against Babell and all that bend the bovv to beseig it round about and let none escape to recompence hir the dubl Ier. 50.29 Reuel 18. And shall vvee spare our arrovves though they be vveake and shall the Spirit of God say All yee that are myndfull of the lord kepe not silence Esa 62.16 And shall vve hold our peace because vvee are not eloquent No no vvee have too long neclected our duties herein and novv through Gods grace vve dare no longer do so and therefore do vvee thus cry vnto you the people of God saying Babilon is fallen she is fallen Come out of hir Come out of hir for if you still partake with hir in hir sinnes you shal certenly be partakers of hir plagues and therefore also vvee say Let him that is a thirst Come and let vvhosoever vvill take of the vvater of life freely and vvee call vnto all valiant Archers that bend the bovv to come to the seige against this great Citié and vvee pray all that are myndfull of the lord not to kepe silence nor to give the lord rest till he repaire and vntill he set vp Ierusalem the praise of the vvorld And our continevvall praiers vnto the lord are and shal be that the lord vvill enlighten your vnderstandings and raise vp all the affections of your soules and spirits that you may apply your selves vnto these thinges so far as his vvord and spirit doth direct you and that you may no longer be deceived and seduced by those false Prophetts who prophesie peace vnto you vvhen vvar and destruction is at the doore vvhich the lord give both you and them to see that you may all flie vnto the lord for your delivrance and salvation Amen Tho Helvvys The principal matters handled in the Booke A Declaration vvith proofe that these are the days of greatest tribulation spokē of by Christ Mat. 24. vvherein the abhominatiō of desolatiō is seene to be set in the holy place That there hath bene a generall departing from the faith and an vtter desolation of all true Religion That the Prophesie of the first Beast Reuel 13. is fulfilled vnder the Romish
pray when to pray and where to pray and what to put on when they pray Because you made â—o manie Preists and have so manie yet among you as niether knowe what to pray where nor when to pray nor what to put on when they pray in so much as if you did not allowe them a sume of made praiers they had beene and yet would bee altogether without praiers and this doth the misterie of iniquitie with the deceiveablenes of vnrighteousnes hide from the simple and from the great and wise by your made order of praiers For take your Common booke from them and then would the impudent bee ashamed of such a ministery Oh that ten of the best and cheifest off a thousand of those your Preists might bee debarred from you booke and bee set in a Congregation off verie partial herers of their side to shewe their best abilities for the Office of the ministery Baals Preists were not more discovered 1. King 18. Then they would bee for the fault was in their God in that hee had no care to heare But your Preists fault would be found in themselves in that they would have no one word to speake to Gods glory nor to edification How can you but knowe this as well as you knowe your right hand from your left How will you aunswere this when you come before the righteous iudg shal you be able to staÌ„d in his presence the Lord give you harts to repent otherwise how shal you thinke to escape the feirce wrath of the Lord. Did the Lord bring evil vpon the house of Ieroboam swept it away as a man sweeps away doung til al bee gone and did The doggs eate him of Ieroboams house that died in the Citie the foules of the aite eate him that died in the feild Because hee set vp Calves to worship and make Preists of the meanest of the people which were not of the sonnes of Levi. 1. King 14.10.11 and 12.31 And do you thinke to escape with lesse iudgments that set vp the image of the Beast and such a blind Preisthood to support it For you knowe that it is blind ignorance that supports the misterie of iniquitie And therefore shall the Lord by the brightnes of his coming abolish it What shall wee say of your bare-headed and bare-footed white sheet pennance wherevnto to mocke the Almightie is ioyned a written repentance Thus do you device mens praiers and device mens repentances and they must pray and repent as you by your power appoint them Have you power also to appoint the Lord to accept these praiers and repentances Or do you not care whether the Lord accept them or no so that you bee submitted vnto therein then do you seeke your owne Worship and not the Lords Iudg your selves and let all iudg betwixt the most Holy Lambe and the most poluted Beast and confesse and testifie whether these thinges bee of the Lambe or off the ymage of the Beast The like off these thinges are without our numbring and there would bee no end made iff wee should followe them But wee wil drawe to an end hopeing that they that see these wil see al. Yet let vs speake some thinge of your excomunicatioÌ„ by the power whereof are cast out those that most seeke to serve God in sinceritie and if the most wicked fal vnder it â—hey may bee remitted submitting to the power by paying large fees especially iff they bee rich and simple or meane off degree And whosoever withstands the power off this fortie days then vpon a writt off signification hee is to bee cast into prison without bale or maynprise Is this learned off the Lambe or off anie off his Apostles Wee read that Thappostles suffered such violences and tiranies but the word off God teacheth not the Disciples off Christ anie such administrations and this is not the meekenes off the Lambe but the ymage off the cruel power off the Beast The power off this excomunication is off another especial vse off profit in that by the power thereof are brought in al duties Tithes and Court fees What horrible prophanation off the holy ordinance of Christ is this to make it an instruement to compell men to bring in exacted fees and dueâ—ies and tithes Wee read 1. Cor. 16. That Paul appointed in the Churches gatherings for the Saints and 1. Tim. 5. giveing direction for the releife off widowes hee also gives a speciall charge for providing for the Elders and especially for those that labor most The Elders saith Thapostle that lead go before or rule well let them bee had in duble honor especially they that labor in the word doctrine First here is shewed the power whereby they must lead go before or rule that is by the word and doctrine TheÌ„ thapostle proves by two reasons from the scriptures that such Elders are worthie off duble honor because the Scriptures say 1. Thou shalt not mousell the mouth off the Oxe that treadeth out the corne 2. The laborer is worthy of his wages And here is shewed what thapostle meanes by honor that is mainteynance But al this is from a voluntary liberal distribution as is shewed 2. Cor. 9.13 How vnlike is this â—o your ruling power and to your duble honor and maintenance Here is no imprisoning by power nor excommunication for feeâ— tithes and duties Wee confesse our Lord the King may give you what his pleasure is but it were to be wished that al those goodly Pallaces and possessions with al the previleges and prerogatives belonging to them were preserved for the maintenaÌ„ce of the Kings State and dignity and they were much more be fitting for the King and his posteritie to support them in their due pompe and Royalty then to support the pride and pompe of such as pretend to be ministers of the Gospel Thapostle Paule was better worthy off duble mainteynance then you and al the Preists in al your Provinces and dioces aÌ„d yet he labored with his hands although he had the care of mo and more worthy churces theÌ„ are now vpoÌ„ the earth that would willingly have administred vnto him but he would make the Gospel free Oh that we might live to see al them that preach the gospel if they stand in need to live off the gospel that is of the free liberalitie off the Saincts those Pastors would not devoure the flock but feed it And wee pray that the Lord would put into the hart of the King to take into his owne hands al those possessions and tithes wherewith those devouring shepherds that destroy the flock feed themselves That day shal be the most happiest day to the whole Land that ever was since it was a Land and that in these 4. thinges First it would overthrowe that high pride and crueltie off the image of the beast and misterie of iniquitie Secondly it would make a way for the advancement of the Kingdome of Iesus Christ in the sincere and humble profession thereof Thirdly
it would in-ruch the Crowne and fill the Kings coffers vpheaped with such a yerely revenewe as no peace nor war should ever be able to make theÌ„ half emptie and all this may be done by a holy good just and lawful meanes Fourthly it would in-ritch the whole land above measure and that in disburdening the land of al those Courts with al the suites aÌ„d services that belonge vnto them the taxations fees and penalties whereof are without number And the King would stand no need of taxes and subsidies although we would not wish the Kings people to with drawe the shewing off their loyale love to our Lord and King in those things Oh what a ful and ready consent would there bee in the kings people to these things how profitable would it be vnto them the Lord perswade his hart to it seing it would be for Gods glory his owne benefit and the so great good of his whole land and it would be the greatest and cheifest benifit of all to them to whome it may seeme the greatest losse for they should be disburdened of those things which although they he pleasant for a season yet they wil be most bitter in the day of account which wil come let them be sure and it would make them live moderately of that they have and vse good and honest endeavors to support themselves and there would be true comfort in such gaine Lastly to make it appeare plainly enough that this Hyrarchie of Arch Bishops and Lord Bishops is the image of the Beast let al behold the names off blasphemie which it bears and they are these so farr as wee knowe the number of them Arch-Bishops Prymâ—ts Metropolitanes Lords Spirituall Reverend-Fathers Lords Grace What names of blasphemy are here they are the titles and names of our God and of our Christ What words of detestation were sufficient to bee vttered against such blasphemous abhomination who is able to keepe silence If men professing Christ wil not speake the stones shal speake rather theÌ„ the lord wil be without witnesses Shal men be afraide to speake for feare of losse of goods of Lands or for feare of imprisonment banishment or death No no let them take al life and all Let them shed blood vntil they have enough and let the servants of God reioyce in the saieing of the Angel of the waters Revel 16.5.6 Lord thou art iust which art which wast which shal bee because thou haist judged these things for they shedd the blood of the Saincts Prophets And therefore haist thou given them blood to drincke for they are worthy This hath the Lord fulfilled vpon all those that are dead and have not repented of this abhomination and this wil the Lord fulfill vpon al that are alive if they repent not Is it not sufficient to dispoyle aÌ„d rob Christ of al his power but you wil also take froÌ„ him the rules of honor due vnto his name To passe by your derived Grecian names which wee to speake the truth are not able to our owne satisfaction to declare the interpretatioÌ„ of aÌ„d that no way lesseneth the iniquitie of them but rather shewes it more that you should get you names of such hidden blasphemy that simple men cannot vnderstand without an interpreter let vs speake with fearefulnes off that name which you might al tremble to heare off and that is Lords spiritual The verie artribute of the God of al spirits for he onely is the Lord spiritual and the spiritual Lord. And give vs leave to shewe you how you are hedged in that al subtile sophistry shal not helpe you out Beare you not this title by reason off your spiritual power and aucthoritie and do you not by this your spiritual power and aucthoritie make spiritual Canons and decrees and are not al your Courts spiritual Courts and do you not require spiritual obedience in al these things is not your title aÌ„d power a differing title and power from al other Lords see how the stile doth hedg you in which goes thus All the Lords Spiritual Temporal So that you cannot say you are spiritual Lords becaÌ„use of your professioÌ„ for you wil not deny but the temporall Lords are spiritual Lords in profession as wel as you Therefore must it needs bee that you are spiritual Lords because off your spiritual power and spiritual power is over the spirits off men so then as Temporal Lords have power over mens bodies so must spiritual lords have power over mens spirits but there is onely one spiriritual Lord which is the Father of spirits and therefore whosoever taketh this title and this power vpon themselves they take vpon them the name title and power of God and this is the maÌ„ of sinne that sits as God sheweing himselfe to bee God which herein the second Beast doth according to or in the image of the first Do you thinke that God hath forgotten to bee iust and are his judgments gone for ever Can you see and condemne in your words and writings the exaltation off the man of sinne in the Romish profession and can you not see and condemne it in your owne to such saith thapostle Paul Rom. 2.3 O thou man that condeÌ„nest theÌ„ that do such thinges dost the same thinkest thou that thou shalt escape the IudgmeÌ„t of God And for that duble degree of Reverend-fatherhood which you take to your selves some of you being most Reverend and some Right Reverend Fathers how might wee find out vnder what condition you beare this name It is plaine that you beare not that name because you have begotten all that people in Christ for most coÌ„monly you are their Reverend Fathers in God before they ever heard your voices then must it needs bee in you a name by inspiration seeing it is not by operation or worke So are you inspired with a Reverend Fatherhood vpon the instant time of your entrance before you have wrought anie worke amonge that people When you shall meet Christ in his coming what will you answere him for the breach of his strait commaundement herein where he saith Cal no man your Father vpon the earth for there is but one your Father which is in Heaven Are you not exalted above your brethreÌ„ by this name then you are they of whome Christ speakes of in this place and whome he wil bring follow Mat. 23.9.10.11 For thus takeing vpon you the name of God and exalting your selves above the brethren And iff you have not sold your selves to worke wickednes which God forbid and if you thinke it robbery to make your selves equall with God let your harts tremble and your hands shake to subscribe to such names of blasphemy and let your eares tingle when you heare theÌ„ vttered and red in your presence and observe but what magnificency is vpon you when you sit vpon your high places aÌ„d heare your selves thus intituled and remember that hee sitts over you that will tread you vnder foote for thus
in hand let it bee truely observed whether those that are off the Romish profession servants of the first beast coming in question before this Hyrarchy have not found much more favour then those that have stood most for reformation and hath there not beene gnashing of teeth and gnawing off tongues with al extreame perversnes and contempt against the one when there hath bene good myld and eeven carriage towards the other Which good carriage towards them wee disaprove not nor envye not but could wish that the holesome word of doctrine withall the cords off love were applied and vsed vnto them for their information and drawing them from their blind errors But wee mention it to this end to shew what vprightnes there can bee to God or the King in this For first it is not possible but this whole Hyrarchy wil confesse that those which seeke reformation have much more light of truth and gifts of knowledg for the building vp of a people vnto God then the other and that the first and they are al of one iudgment concerning the doctrines off the Scriptures in the foundamental points of Religion as they speake and yet there is no comparison betwixt their pacient enduring them of the Romish professioÌ„ aÌ„d there impacieÌ„t not enduring of the other is this vprightnes to God Secondly touching the King and State the ChildreÌ„ in the streets knowe the treachery and infidelitie that hath beene found in divers of the one profession aÌ„d they themselves knowe the ever vntouched fidelitie of the other what vprightnes is this to the King and State the evident reason of this may appeare vnto the wise and may not this appeare to beâ— it That the Romish profession is but cheifly an enemy to the Kingdome of Christ and but dangerous in some of them to the Kingdome of the King approving of ArchBishops and Lord Bishops and could wiâ—h they were Cardinals But those of al sorts that seeke reformation are most cheifest enimies to the Kingdome off ArchBishops and LordBishops and would have them humble and faithfull Pastors to feed the fâ—oth and therefore in no wise are to bee suffered how true soever they bee to God and their King And doth not all this shewe the affinitie and nearnes betwixt the first and second Beast But least anie should stumble at this part of the prophesie Revel 13. vers 12. Where it is spoken that the second Beast causeth the Earth and them that dwel therein to worship the first Beast and therefore the Romish Beast being the first this Hyâ—archy cannot bee the second in that it doâ—h not cause men to worship the Pope off Rome Wee pray it may be observed how that it is shewed 2. Thess 2.7.9.10 That the mistery of iniquitie is a working power of sathan which working power according to the degrees there of is set furth vnto vs in the booke of the Revel after divers maners aÌ„d discribed vnto vs in divers shapes or similitudes aÌ„d named vnto vs after divers names and in the hight off the exaltation thereof this power is set furth aÌ„d discribed vnto vs vnder the two names and similitudes of the first and second Beast both which exercising one power though in divers likenesses do bring al both smale aÌ„d great vnder the subiection of that one power both their harts being set to do mischief talking of deceipt at one table Dan. 11.27 And so doth the second beast cause al to worship the first in that it is al one power building vp one kingdome And the Popes person is not the mistery of iniquitie for then when the Pope were dead the mistery off iniquitie and the Beast were dead vntil another Pope were set vp and iff the Popes person were the man off sinne then the Lord by the spirit off his moueth should abolish and consume the Popes person but there is no such prophesie of scripture And then should the prophesies of the fal off Babylon bee vnderstood off the overthrowe and consumeing of the earthen or stone wals and timber houses off a Citie But this were too carnal an vnderstanding to conceive that the spirit off Gods mouth which shal consume the man off sinne spoken off 2. Thes 2. and shal shake in sunder the Citie which spiritually is called Sodom Egypt It were to carnal to vnderstaÌ„d this to be of earthly houses and Cities aÌ„d fleshly persons they are not the matter aÌ„d substance that shal be abolished by the brigtnes of this his comeing here spokeÌ„ off as we doubt not but wil easily appeare to the wise though some have bene and are much mistaken herein And that we may come to the true vnderstanding of this part of the prophesie Chap. 13. vers 13. And he did great wonders speaking of the second Beast so that he made fire come downe from heaven in the sight off men And to see how it is fulfilled in the second Beast wee must remember as we have formerly said that this is a spiritual prophesie of a spirituall mistery of iniquitie which none may deny and then doth it appeare that these wonders wrought by makeing fire come downe froÌ„ heaven are lying spiritual wonders and the fire is a false spiritual fire The which even as the true spiritual fire which is the holy Ghost doth truly worke woÌ„derful powerfully vpoÌ„ the harts and affections of them that beleeve the truth even so this false fire which is the spirit and power off Sathan doth worke effectually vpon the harts and affections off those that receive not the love off the truth and that after a wonderful manner off deceivablenes off vnrighteousnes so that men are strongly perswaded and beleeve that it is the true Fire from heaven even the spirit off God And this Fire hath the Hyrarchy off ArchBishops and Lord-Bishops made come downe from heaven especially in their former times when men had their word and power with their praier booke and al their Cathedral abhominatious in such admiration and with such zeale were affected vnto them and as yet some are to this day zealously perswaded off the holines and goodly order off these things al which in the Beast that hath two hornes like the Lambe made such a glorious shewe being compared to the former thinges as men were ravished in their spirits and thought and yet some fewe do thinke that their harts and affections were kindled with fire from heaveÌ„ By this false fire which is by an effectual working power in al deceivablenes of vnrighteousnes even hereby hath and doth the first and second Beast worke all their signes and lying wonders and whilst men through great ignorance have and do looke for some straing seights from heaven to knowe the two Beasts by their harts have bene are with the pleasures of vnrighteousnes stolne away This can all that are of anie vnderstanding who now remaine vnder the power of the second Beast easily discerne how by a wonderful fiery blind zeale all those that
are vnder the power of the first Beast are misledd but they cannot discerne their owne estates which are one and the same vnder the second Beast who is more deceiveable because of his two hornes like the lambe and therefore men had need more carefully to looke vnto thēselves least they be still deceived except men wil rest in security and perish to destruction which all must do that obey the power either of the first or second Beast as is withal evident plainnes shewed Revel 14.9.10.11 where it is written If anie man worship the Beast and his jmage and receive his marke in his fore-head or in his hand and whosoever receiveth the print of his name he shall drinke saith the spirit of the lord of the wine of the wrath of God which is powred into the cup of his wrath and shal be tormented with fire brimstone they shall have no rest day no◠night What will prevaile with men if neither the fore warning prophesies nor threatning iudgments of the lord will move them to consider and flee the feirce vengance that is already come Doth our Saviour Christ tell that the abhomination of desolation shal be set vp in the holy places and doth Thappostle Paule shew that the man of sinne exalts himselfe and sitts as God in the Temple of God and doth the prophesie of the Revel so duely set downe and declare the manner of the workeing of the misterie of iniquitie according to the severall degree thereof vntil it come to that hight of exaltation before spoken of by Christ by Th-appostle in the similitude of the first and second Beast who beares the names of blasphemy in takeing vpon them the names and attributes of God as is before shewed causing all that dwell vpon the earth to worship the Beast and his image and so sitts as God in the high places and in the Temple of God which is in the harts of men 1. Cor. 3.16 and 2. Cor. 6.19 and do wee see all these things fulfilled before our eies and will not he that readeth consider And doth our Saviour Christ showe the greatest iudgments of the lord to be vpon men in those days in so much as no flesh shal be saved and except those days should be shortned no flesh should ever be saved doth th-Appostle Paul shew that because men will not receive the love of the truth the lord shall send them strange delusiōs that they should beleeve lies that all might be damned which beleeve not the truth but have pleasure in vnrighteousnes And doth the spirit of God in the Reuel by Iohn say that all who worship the Beast or beare the least marke of the Beast and his jmage shall drincke even of the meer wine of Gods wrath out of the cup of his wrath And wil not all this move the hardned harts of men to looke about and carefully to search out the prophecies of scripture concerning these things compare them with these times and seeke and find out how they are fulfilled which through the grace of God every faith fuil hart seeking shall now easily discerne seeing the first Angell Revell 16. hath powred out his viall so that noysome grevious sores do appeare vpon the men which have the marke of the Beast and vpon them that worship his image yea Glory and honor and praise be given to our God the fifth Angell hath also powred out his viall vpon the throne of the Beast and his Kingdome doth already wax darke who doth not see this that lookes but with anie seeing eie after religion Doth not now more then ever the noysome botches of manye grosse absurdities appeare in the bewitched vnderstanding of those men that beare the marke and worship the Beast and his jmage and is not the palpable darknes of blind ignorance openly discovered vpon the throne of the Beast And doth not the bewty of his image fade Is not the baptizing by midwives quit vanished And doth not Bishoping of yong and old much decay Doth not the duely reading of Iniunctions and homilies growe to forgetfulnes and are not prophane perambulations well layd aside and do not holy evens and days and ember wekes almost passe out of mynd and is not the booke it selfe become much out of vse Hath not whole conformitie received a blowe and will not anie halting subscription serve the turne Oh that the spirituall Lords of this spirituall Kingdome could see that the smoake of the burning there of is already deeply begun and doth highly ascend that they themselves might helpe to heape coales vpon the throne thereof and flee from the burning therewith Let them not fore cast to preserve it nor seeke to deliver it out of the hand of the Almighty they may more easily pull the pray out of the lyons mouth or dravve out leviathan vvith an hooke then prevent the mighty one that hath iudged these things Revel 18. vvho is clothed vvith a garment dip◠in blood and his name is called The. vvord of God And vvho hath vpon his garment and vpon his thigh a name written The King of Kinges and Lord of Lords Reuel 19.12.16 Thus have wee according as wee foretold of our selves set downe these thinges with great jnability but yet with all fidelity according to our consciences in the best measure of vnderstanding concerning the second Beast who hath caused to make the jmage of the first And wee disire the Godly wise that seeke salvation by the Lambe that they will compare the Beast which wee all agree to be the Romish Hyrarchy and his jmage which how can it be ymagined but the Hyrarchy of Arch. Bishops and lord B. must needs be compare them together in their spirituall Pomp spirituall names of blasphemy spirituall power and Cruelty and cast but a partly indifferent eie vpon their administrations in their Offices Officers Courts Canons and decrees and then let the word and spirit of God direct the to judg righteously of the Beast and his jmage to knowe them that thou mayst not submitt to the spirituall power of the Beast and his image neither receive his marke in thy forehead nor in thine hand or the least print of his name for if thou dost thy portion is to drinke of the Cup and vvine of Gods wrath and to be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy Angells and in the sight of the Lambe The word of the lord hath spoken it and his word is true and not lieing BVt shall wee now thinke wee have fully discharged our selves to God and men in speaking generally vnto all and shall wee not in humility perticulerly call vpon those servants of the lord of whome he hath especially prophesied that they shall hate the whore and make hir desolate and naked shall eate hir flesh and burne hir with fire this shal be done saith the lord by the Kings of the earth Reuel 17.16 of whome wee could be content not once to speake for feare of
extendeth to all the goods and bodies of his servants And doth our lord the King require anie more wee knowe he doth not then let not our lord the King now be angry that wee his servants speake the second time vnto him Doth not the King knowe that the God or Gods and lord of â—ords hath vnder him made our lord the King an earthly King and given him all earthly power and that he hath reserved to himself a heavenly Kingdome a kingdome that is not of this world Ioh. 18.36.37 neither are the subiects of his kingdome of this world Ioh. 17.14 and yet this King was in this world and his subiects are in the world Vers 12. that with this kingdome our lord the King hath nothinge to do by his Kingly power but as a subiect himself and that Christ is King alone onely high Priest and cheife Bishop and there is no King no Primate Metropolitane ArchBishop lord spirituall but Christ onely nor may be either in name or power to exercise aucthority one over another Luk. 22.25.26 Mat. 23.11.12 And will our lord the King not withstanding all that Christ hath done for him in giveing him such a kingdome with such great dignity and power therein will the King not withstanding enter vpon Christs kingdome and appoint or by his power suffer to be appointed Lawes Lords Law makers over or in this kingdome of Christ who wee may be bold to say with warrant if he were vpon earth in the flesh he would be subiect to our lord the King in his earthly kingdome for so was he to Cesar Mat. 17. he paid him tribute and he comaunded to giue vnto Cesar thinges that were Cesars Yea he would not meddle with anie thing that belonged to the King not so muchas to comaund the two beethren to devide the inheritance nor to judg the woman taken in adultery Far be it theÌ„ from the hart of our lord the King to give his earthly power to anie to rule as lords over the Kingdome and heritage of Christ which he hath reserved to himself to rule and governe onely by his word and spirit where no earthly power may be admitted in that it is no earthly kingdome Behold now wee have begun to speake vnto our lord the King and wee are but dust and ashes and our lord the King is but dust and ashes aswell as wee therefore let not our lord the King be angry that his servants speake the third time vnto him wee knowe our lord the King may do what soever pleaseth him and who shall say vnto him what dost thou Eccles 8.3.4 Yet though he should kill vs wee wil speake the truth to him It is the Kings honor to search out a thinge Prov. 25.1 And wee knowe the King is a wise man and a man of vnderstanding thus then wee speake vnto him Will the King challeng to himselfe to sitt vpon the throne of David and to iudg Israell wee the Kings servants meane will the K. have the same power now over the church house of God that the Kings of Israell had vnder the law who satt vpon Davids throne will and ought the King to make a covenant and cause all to stand to it and must all stand to it and will ought the King to compell all that are found in his dominions to serve the lord as the King comaunds 2. Chro. 34.32.33 and will and ought the King to slay all that come not to the passover Num. 9.13 If our lord the King have this power theÌ„ he ought duly to execute it and then he sitts vpon Davids throne and then the King of Spaine hath the like power to compell all in his dominions to serve God as he comaunds so every king sitts vpon Davids throne and all Kings are herein to be obeyed for will not our lord the King that is a man of vnderstanding yeild that Queene Marie the Kings noble predecessor had the same power and aucthority by hir sword of justice over hir subiects that our lord the King hath and that hir subiects were bound to obey hir in all things and submitt to hiâ— sword of iustice as well as our lord the Kings subiects are to obey him and submitt to his sword of iustice for all earthly Kings have but one manner of power and sword Rom. 13. Chap. If our lord the King by his deseruing iudgment see this then our lord the King will easily see that as Queene Mary by hir sword of Iustice had no power over hir subiects consciences for then had she power to make them all Papists and all that resisted hir therein suffered iustly as evil doers neither hath our lord the King by that sword of iustice power ouer his subiects coÌ„sciences for all earthly powers are one and the same in their severall dominions And if our lord the King will have anie other power it must be a spirituall power and theÌ„ that must be with an other sword even a spirituall sword for an earthly sword is ordeyned of God onely for an earthly power and a spirituall sword for a spirituall power and Offences against the earthly power must be puinshed with the earthly sword and offences against the spirituall power with the spirituall sword and with this sword the King of Kings make our lord the King mighty through him to cast downe holds casting downe the ymaginations every high thing that is exalted against the knowledg of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2. Cor. 10.4.5 Who is the fruit of Davids loynes concerning the flesh and onely sitts vpon Davids throne for ever Act. 230. Luke 1.32.33 Esa 9.7 And vpon his kingdome to order it to stablish it with iudgment with Iustice The rod of whose power is sent out of Syon who is ruler in the midst of his enimies whose people shall come willingly Psal 110.2.3 and requires not anie earthly power to build vp his Church as he sheweth when he declareth that all power was given him in heaven and in earth he bids his Disciples Go therefore and teach all nations Baptizing them in the name of the father c. he that shall beleeve and be Baptized shal be saved But he that will not beleeve shal be damned Mat. 28.19 Mark 16.16 who when he ascended vpon high he led captivity captive and gave gifts vnto men he gave some to be Appostles c. for the reparing or gathereing together of the Saincts Ephes 4.5.12 Here is shewed vnto our lord the King that which wee knowe he is not ignorant of that Christ onely sitts vpon Davids throne to order it and wee the Kings servants shew it that the King might not be deceived by deceivers who would perswade the K. that he hath the same power over the Church of Christ that the Kings of Israel had over the Church of the old Testament to this end that they might vse the K. earthly power to rule over and build
vp as they pretend the spirituall Tabernacle Temple and Church of Christ which if the King shall suffer them to do he shall sinne against God in entring vpon the kingdome of Christ who onely is King of Israell Ioh. 12.15 whose power and sword are spirituall whose Tabernacle TeÌ„ple and house is holy made with out hands 2. Cor. 3.17.1 Pet. 2.5 Heb. 9.11 and therefore hath given spirituall gifts vnto men for the gathering together of the Saincts for the worke of the mistery and for the building vp of his body which is his Church and doth not will nor require to have people comaunded and compelled by an earthly sword or power as in the days of Hezekiah and Iosiah Kings of Israel for that was an earthly or carnall comaundement Heb. 7.16 and they had a worldly Tabernacle made with hands and worldly ordinances and Carnall rites Heb. 9.1.2.10 and therefore were the Ordinances or law comaunded to be kept by a worldly power and the Tabernacle to be built by hands but now wee have a Tabernacle which the lord pight and not man Heb. 8.2 and that carnall comaundement is changed Heb. 7.12 and wee have a comaundement after the power of endles life vers 16. vnto the obedience of which law no earthly Kings power can cause or bring anie one man to obey in anie one thing and the which Tabernacle not made with hands no earthly power which consists onely of the strength of hands can cause to be built in anie one part thereof but all this is to be done onely by the K. of Israels power who hath all power given him in heaven and in earth whose power is all sufficient to bring vnder obedience all his subiects where vnto no earthly power can be helpfull whose sword is his word which is lively and mighty in operation and sharper then anie two edged sword Heb. 4.12 and therefore needs not the helpe of anie Kings sword If his sword will not prevaile to bring men vnder obedience to his owne lawes what can our lord the Kings sword do it is spirituall obedience that the lord requires the K. sword caÌ„not smite the spirits of meÌ„ if our lord the K. shall force coÌ„pell meÌ„ to worship eate the lords supper against their coÌ„scieÌ„ces so shall he make his poore subiects to worship and eat vnworthily whereby he shall compell them to sinne against God and increase their owne judgments On let not our lord the K. suffer such evill to be done by his power little doth our lord the King know how many thousands of his people have bene compelled through troble and for feare of troble to worship and to eat the lords supper vnworthyly and so to worship and to eat and drincke to ther owne damnation who although they perish in their owne sinnes yet their blood wil be required at their hands that have compelled them so to sinne against their consciences and the lord in mercy give the K. a hart to looke vnto it that it be not laid to our lord the K. charg if he shall suffer them to exercise such powre by his authority And wee bow our selves to the earth before our lord the K. in greatest humblenes beseeching the K. to iudg righteous iudgment herein whether there be so vniust a thing and of so great cruell tyranny vnder the sunne as to force mens consciences in their religion to God seeing that if they err they must pay the price of theyr transgression with the losse of their soules Oh let the K. iudg is it not most equall that men should chuse their religion themselves seeing they onely must stand themselves before the iudgment seat of God to answere for themselves when it shal be no excuse for them to say wee were commanded or compelled to be of this religion by the King or by them that had authority from him And let our lord the K. that is a man of knowledg yet further consider that if the K. should by his power bring his people to the truth and they walke in the truth and dye in the profession of it in obedience to the Kings power either for feare or love shal they be saved The K. knowes they shall not but they that obey the truth in love whome the love of God constrayneth their obedience onely shal be acceptable to God 1. Cor. 13. Thus may our lord the K. see that by his Kingly power he cannot cause or make men bring an acceptable sacrifice to God and will the King make men whether they will or no bring an vnacceptable sacrifice to God and shall the King herein thinke he doth please God God forbid If the King will please God in such service then must he seeke to convert sinners from goeing astray Iam. 5.20 turne men to righteousnes Dan. 12.3 not with his sword of iustice but by the foolishnes of preaching for that is the meanes whereby God hath appointed to save them that beleeve 1. Cor. 1.21 and 27. for God hath chosen appointed the foolish things of the world the weake things the vile things the things that are dispised and things which are not to confound and bring to nought things that are and these things hath God chosen to set furth Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God Here is not the absolute auctenticall word of comaund nor the mighty powerfull punishing sword of our lord the King required to this worke of the publishing of the Gospell of Iesus-Christ And let the King call to mynd that which no doubt the King hath often redd in the gospell according to Luk. Chap. 9.52.56 That when the Samaritanes would not receive Christ and that his disciples said wilt thou that wee comaund fire to come dovvne from heaven and consume them Iesus rebuked them and said â—ye knowe not of what spirit ye are the sonne of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them wherby the King doth see that Christ will have no mans life touched for his cause if the Samaritans will not receive him he passeth by them if the Gadarens pray him to depart he leaves them if anie refuse to receive his disciples he onely bids them shake of the dust of their feet for a witnes against them Here is no sword of iustice at all required or permitted to smite anie for refusing Christ Then let not our lord the King suffer his swore of iustice which God hath given him with power from himself to defend and rule with aucthority keepe in all obedieÌ„ce his owne people people of God vnto the Ks. owne lawes statutes which apperteynes to the well governing and ruling of the Kings state kingdome which is worldly and must fade away Let not our lord the K. suffer this sword to be vsed to rule and keepe in obedience the people of God and of the K. to the lawes statutes and ordinances of Christ which apperteyne to the well governing and ruling of the
kingdome of Christ which is heavenly and endureth for ever the sword of whose kingdome is spirituall by the power of which sword onely Christs subiects are to be ruled and kept in obedience to him by the which sword our lord the K. must be kept in obedience himself if he be a disciple of Christ a subiect of Christs kingdome And this takes away with out gain-saying all the Kingly power authority of our Lord the K. in the kingdome of Christ for he cannot be both a King a subiect in one and the same kingdome the Kings vndestanding hart will easily deserne this Then let our lord the K. in all happines prosperity sitt in his owne Princely throne of that mighty Kingdome of Great Britanne Which God hath given to the King and to his posterity and the lord give the K. a most wise hart to rule iudg his people and the lord give all his people faithfull harts to love obey him and let all those the K. enimies that would not that he should reigne over them bestayne before him And let our lord Iesus-Christ in power and Maiesty sitt vpon Davids throne the throne of the Kingdome of Israell which his father hath given vnto him let Christ according to his owne wisedome iudg his people Israell and let our the K. be his subiect the which our lord the King yeilding himselfe to be the K. must needs grant that as he is an earthly King he can have no power to rule in this spiritual Kingdome of Christ nor can compell anie to be subiects thereof as a King whilst the K. is but a subiect him self for there may be but one King in Israel And let not our lord the King be now angry and his servants will speake but this once Will our lord the K. being him self but a subiect of Christs Kingdome take vpon him by his Kingly power to make Primats Metropolitans Arch. Bishops and lord Bishops to be lords in the Kingdome of Christ and over the heritage of God And will our lord the K. do this against the whole rule of Gods word wherein there is no one tittle to warrant our lord the K. thertoo Will not our lord the K. be supplicated by the humble petition of his servants to examine his power authority herein Farr is it from the harts of vs the Kings servants to move the King to depart from the least tittle of his right that belongs to his Royall Crowne dignity and farr be it from the King to take from Christ Iesus anie one part of that power honor which belongs to Christ in his Kingdome Let our lord the King pardon his servants for medling in this matter for wee professe our selves bound vpon the perill of our soules to be faithfull subiects both to Iesus Christ our K. to our lord K. there fore it stands vs vpon to know what belongs vnto Christ our heavenly K. and vnto our earthly K. and Christ our spirituall K. hath freely spoken vnto vs coÌ„maunded vs to give vnto our K. that which is our Ks. will not our lord the K. say as freely vnto vs give vnto God that which is Gods Wee doubt not but our lord the King will say so why then we appeale vnto our lord the K. that is our earthly K. lett the K. speake according to the true iudgment of his hart will the K. say that it belongs to him to make spirituall Lords over the house of God And will the K. warrant his saying to be Good And if the King warrant it onely by his Princely prerogative may wee therepoÌ„ give vnto the King this power in submitting our selves to such spirituall Lords and to their power were not this to take from our Spirituall Lord and King that which is even his owne name title and power and give it to another what greater evill can be comitted against Christ then to take his honor and power from him and give it to earthly meÌ„ who should feare tremble before him in giveing to him glory honor and not takeing from him Let not our lord the King be partaker in such great evill to suffer a power and name of blasphemy to be set vp so directly against the expresse comaundement of Christ who forbidds all Lordly titles and ruleing power one over another in his Kingdome we dare not but thinke it is done ignorantly both by our lord the K. who suffers this and by them that administer in this greatest evill wee the Kings servants say this greatest evill in that it is the abomination of desolation set vp in the high places which are the dayes of greatest tribulation that ever was or shal be the which dayes except they should be shortned no flesh should be saved And if it shall not yet appeare vnto our lord the that this Hyrarchy of Arch-Bishops and lord Bs. is this abhomination of desolation set in the high places then wee beseech the K. vpon our knees by his highest honor and renowne by his truest justice most righteous iudgmeÌ„t by his most Godly Princ-like care of the salvation of al his subiects and lastly above all by his cheifest love vnto God to his holy truth That our lord the King will with his Royall coÌ„sent give way that this cause may come to an equall tryall but thus farr that the K. will but take hold his sword of iustice from this Hyrarchy that they may not smite the faith full true loyall subiects of the K. therewith neither to death nor to imprisoment nor to banishment for speaking or writing onely against their Kingdome And let our lord the King by the humble supplication of vs his servants be intreated to leave them to defend their spirituall power and names by the sword of the spirit which ought onely to be the weapon of their warefare if they be spirituall Lords as they pretend and then shall â—ur lord the K. see this cause truely decided to the Ks. honor and great comfort for the K. knowes that this Hyrarchy withall their learned dependancy if their cause be good they cannot lose it for want of learning in that they have wisedome learning if it be according to godlines sufficient to convince the whole earth and if they can with all that masse of learning mainteyne their Primacie and Prelacy Arch-Bishopry and spirituall Lordships then may our lord the King let them enioy it with comfort but if they cannot with all the spiritual weapons and armor they have vphold it then let it fall and go into the bottomles pitt from whence it is come Revel 9.2 and whether it must go though all the Kings on the earth should strive to vphold it Revel 20.1.2.10 Let not our lord the K. therefore give the least support therevnto by the power of his sword The lord grant that wee may find fauour in the Kings eies in this so iust and equall a cause which
is that wee may but try the power of these called Spirituall Lords and that by earthly power they may not force men to yeild vnto their spirituall aucthority How can it but seeme equall in the Kings seight that spirituall lords should have no more spirituall authority then they can gett and mainteyne by spiritual power And if the Hyrarchy themselves thinke it vnequall that the doctrine of their power should be tryed be not most willing ready therevnto but shall by pollicie secret intimations shift it of then shall our lord the K. that is wise easily deserne that their deeds are evill and they hate the light neither cometh to the light least their deeds should be reproued Ioh. 3.20 But they that do truth come to the light that their deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought according to God Thus shal our lord the King all the world have a ful tryall of them whether their deeds are wrought according to God or no for if they will now come to the light of Gods word in the sight of all men and manifest their deeds to be wrought according to God then have they approved them selves but if they do not then hath our Saviour Christ here condemned thē with his owne mouth and let our lord the King also condemne them in his owne wisedome Shall wee need to be importunate with our lord the King in this cause of his poore people which concernes the condemnation of all their soules what need wee seeing our lord the King knowes that a King that iudgeth the cause of the poore rightly his throne shal be established for ever Pro. 20.14 Then let our lord the King here the cause of the poore and the rather in that the Kings most noble Predecessor hath before iustly adiudged the same cause and freed his people so far of the bondage wherein they were King Henry the 8. that Prince of great renowne freed his people from the bondage of the first Beast especially in these two great and maine perticulers in causing the scriptures to be set over and printed for the people in their owne language that so they might heare the word with their owne eares and also that their worship should be in their owne tongue that they might speake to God with theyr owne tongue and not in a straing tongue as they did Let heaven and earth iudg and let our lord the K. iudg let all the Kings people iudg whether this was not the depth of all darknes when men might not knowe what God speake vnto them nor knowe in their publique worship what they speake vnto God Let our lord the K. iudg whether ever there was such spirituall cruelty vpon the earth when the poore people of God for whome Christ died were debarred from the presence of God in their publique worship might neither heare god nor speake to God with their owne outward cares tongues but as the Ministers of the mā of sinne appointed and in astraing tongue as they taught them Wee knowe our lord the K. doth see that heere the abomination of desolation was set vp in the high places as also that the Corpes of the two witnesses of God prophesed of Reuel 11.8 which are the word and spirit of God lay dead in the streets of that great Citie there being no true vse at all of them and the people being deprived of the life of them for the word was a dead letter vnto them and the spirit a dead spirit The Kings predecessor of famous renowme thus freed his people from that bondage of the first Beast but there is risen vp a second Beast which exerciseth the power of the first Beast and now our lord he Kings people cry vnto the King with the sighes and groanes of their spirits and would cry also with a lowd voyce but for feare of the Beast and humbly besech the King that he would put too his helping hand to free his people from the bondage of the second Beast that their soules may not perish to everlasting perdition which all must do which are vnder the bondage of the same and so continewe And now let the King heare with an eare of compassion and see with an eie of pittie the cruell spirituall bondage that his poore people are kept vnder by the second Beast in these perticulers The Kings people have the word in their owne language and may pray in their owne tongue But they must not vnderstand the word but as the Lord Bishops will have it vnderstood and they must not pray nor administer in the holy things but as they appoint Now let the King with a godly wise hart consider in what woefull Spirituall bondage Gods people and the Kings are kept by this Hyrarchy Now plainely would our lord the King see the cruell Spirituall tyrany hereof if the King would make it but his owne cause Would not the King thinke it a must cruell tyranny if the King should be by force compelled to vnderstand and beleeve the scriptures as the Hyrarchy of Rome would have him And to worship God and administer in the holy thinges as that Hyrarchy would appoint And if the King would not so do that then that Hyrarchy should have power to put the King in prison and if that would not serve the turne to procure or cause the Kings life to be taken from him or at least to banish the King from his Kingdome nation would not our lord the K. thinke this great tyrany cruell bondage Wee knowe the King would for which cause the K. and his predecessors have cast of this bondage Then let the King see that the Kings people are vnder this same bondage for if they will not vnderstand the scriptures and worship God as the Hyrarchy of Arch. Bs. and lord Bs. comaund appoint they straight send a pursivant apprehēd them by violence and force imprison them sometimes divers yeres manie times not suffering so much as their wives to come at them and if their lives cannot be gotten then procure their exile or banishment The lord give the King a hart to pittie his people herein the King is ignorant of these dealings and none dare tell the King thereof the Prelacy have bene so mighty and so cruell And will it please the King to veiwe the cause of his people being true and faithfull subiects yet further what doth it profitt the Kings people to have the word of God to heare and read it seeing they are debarred of the spirit of God to vnderstand it but according to private interpretation by the the lord B. as though they had the spirit and could not err Oh that our lord the King that is a man of excellent wisedome would but bēd his wisedome to behold how that herin wherein the whole power of the Beast consists this Hyrarchy of Arch-Bs lord Bs. doth nothing differ from the first Beast for the first Beast kepes both the word and spirit
from the people and they kepe the spirit of God in bondage then is the word of God of no effect debarring the people of God thereof tying them to their spirits in the vnderstanding of the scriptures which none may try whether they be of God or no but must beleeve and obey or els go to prison and if they will not yeild either he hanged or banished Iudg O King is this a rule of direction and ordinance of the Lambe That comaund Bishops to be gentle towards all men apt to teach suffering the evill men patiently instructing them with meeknes that are contrary mynded proveing if God at anie time wil give them repentance that they may acknowledg the truth and come to amendment c. 2. Tim. 2.24.25.26 By these fruits may our lord the King his people knowe the Bishops of the lambe that is lowly and meeke and bids learne so to be of him Mat. 11.29 but to pull men that are contrary mynded out of their houses by Pursevants to cast them into prison and cause them to lye there at excessive charges vtterly vndoeing them their wives and children and bringing them to all out ward misery and causing them to be banished from vnder their natural Prince to whome they are most true subiects furth of their native country and from their fathers houses and all their frends and familiars Will not our lord the King say that these are the Bishops of the Beast who is like a leopard and his feet like a Beares and his mouth as the mouth of a Lyon Reuel 13. of whome they learne to be proud and cruell And all these eviles and manie moe have come vpon the Kings people because they will not vnderstand the scriptures by the spirit of the lord Bs. and pray in their worship to God by the direction of their spirit Will our lord the K. heare the earnest complaint of his people herein and grant redresse that as the Ks. people by the meanes of the Kings most noble predecessor enioy that blessed liberty to read and heare the word of God in their owne language and to pray in their publique worship in their owne tongue that so by our lord the Kings meanes the Kings people may enioy this blessed liberty to vnderstand the scriptures with their owne vnderstandings pray in their publique worship with their owne spirits and then if men err their sinne shal be vpon their owne heads the Kings hand shal be innocent cleare from their transgression which it cannot be if the K. shall willingly suffer his power to be vsed to compell men to pray and vnderstand by the direction of the Lord Bs. spirit and if the King shall give his power to the Lord Bs. but to compell meÌ„ to eat meates which through our lord Iesus Christ are all cleane yet to him that iudgeth them vn cleane to them they are vncleame Rom. 14.14 in which case if a man freely of his owne accord do eat and doubt he is condemned because he eateth not of faith why then if a man in this case be forced by the Kings power whether he will or no to eat when he doubteth and so he be condemned vers 24. is not this to wound the weak conscience and to sin against Christ 1. Cor. 8.12 and can our lord the Kings hand be innocent herein When by the Kings power men shal be compelled to sin Oh that the King would then see that if he may not give his power to rule mens coÌ„sciences in the least things that are indifferent much lesse hath the King power to comaund mens consciences in the greatest thinges betwene God and man This being so wee the Kings servants with all the humility reverence that can or may be given to anie earthly Prince do out of the true Loyalty obedience faithfulnes of our harts thus speake vnto the King Let it suffice our lord the King and let it not seeme a smale thinge that the God of Gods hath made our lord the King a mighty earthly K. over divers nations and hath given our lord the King an earthly power to make lawes ordinances such as the King in his owne wisedome shall thinke best and to change alter them at his pleasure to rule and governe his people by and to appoint Gouernors Officers to execute the Kings will and all the Ks. people are bound of conscience to God and duty to the King to obey the King herein with their goods bodies lives in all service of peace warr and who soever shall resist the King herein they resist the Ordinance of God and shall receive iudgment from God besides the punishmeÌ„t with the sword of iustice which God hath given to the K. to punish evil doers that traÌ„sgresse the K. lawes And God hath also honored the K. with titles and names of Maiesty that are due vnto himselfe Psal 82.16 Dan. 5.18 hath comaunded honor to be given vnto the K. 1. Pet. 2. â—7 And God hath comaunded all his people specially to pray for the K. 1. Ti. 2.2 Let this Kingdome power honor fully satisfie our lord the Ks. hart let it suffice the K. to have all rule over his peoples bodies goods let not our lord the K. give his power to be exercised over the spirits of his people for they belong to another Kingdome which can not be shaken Heb. 12.22.23.28 differing from all earthly Kingdomes for our lord the K. knowes that the cheife of earthly Kingdomes are compared to gold silver brasse iron Dan. 7.37.46 But this is the Kingdome which the God of heaven hath set vp which shall neuer be destroyed this Kingdome shall not be given to another people but to the holy people of the most nigh God all powers shall serue obey him daÌ„ 2.44 7.27 Therefore in this Kingdome let our lord the K. give vs his servants leave againe to tell the K. that he must be a subiect that our lord the K. hath no power nor prerogative as a King to make lawes for in this Kingdome there is but one law-giver who is able to save to destroy Iam. 4.12 neither hath our lord the King power to appoint Officers in this Kingdome and much lesse to make spirituall lords over this Kingdome to bring all mens spirits in subieccion to their spirits in the vnderstaÌ„ding of the scriptures and worshipping God Wherein least wee may seeme to speake vntruely to the K. wee humbly beseech our lord the K. that it may be law full for his servants with his Princely fouour to shew the K. some few perticulers out of a multitude And first wee shew the K. that whereas our Saviour Christ Mat. 18.15 â—0 gives a rule of direccion to admonish a brother if he sin not speaking perticulerly of some sinnes but generally of all or anie one sinne as wee the K. servants vnderstaÌ„d with all the vnderstanding that God hath giveÌ„ vs. The
lord Bs. say this is not to be vnderstood generally of every sinne against God but perticulerly of some and herein must wee be subiect to the spirit of their vnderstanding and that rule of Christ must be made no sure nor perfect rule Next let vs shew the K. that if there be such a sin comitted as the Bs. do iugd to be a sin according to their rule which let the K. give his servants leave to suppose to be adultery that it proceeds or comes to this degree that it must be told vnto the Church which wee vnderstand to be the whole congregatioÌ„ moe or lesse The lord Bs. by their spirit of vnderstanding say tell the Church That is to be vnderstood tell the Ordinary which is either the Bishops chaÌ„cellor or the Archdeacons Officiall they are they that have power to bind in earth it shal be bound in heaveÌ„ their fees being paid theÌ„ they have power to loose on earth it shal be loosed in heaven Oh that the Ks. eare would but heare half the depth of this iniquity the Ks. servants knowe the Ks. hart would never endure it that his peoples consciences should be thus wounded and their soules destroyed by being coÌ„pelled to submitt to such spirits of vnderstanding Furthermore let our lord the King knowe that whereas the Holy ghost testifieth Act. 14.23 saieing that they had ordeyned Elders by Election in every Church and praied and fasted this wee vnderstand was the whole Congregations fasting and praying and Election and that the Church hath power to appoint some to ordeyne or lay on hands if there be no Elders as they did Act. 13.2.3 but all this say the Lord B. by the spirit of our vnderstandings doth belong vnto vs and the Patron and the people have nothinge to do but must be content to have such a Pastor as wee appoint though they never heard him knewe him nor saw him and although the congregation after ward should like neuer so well of him yet the Lord Bishops they have power to take him away from them to deprive him and silence him punish them if they heare him although he be never so well approved amongst them Thus must the Kings peoples be compelled to vnderstand the scriptures for the advancement of their power of Ordination and deprivation And whereas wee the Kings servants vnderstand according to the best vnderstanding that God hath given vs that Th-appostle Paul giving a rule of direction for the people of God how to worship God when they come together 1. Cor. 14.26.33 That every one as he hath a Psalme or a doctrine or a tongue may speake to edification and if anie thinge be revealed to another that sitteth by the first is to hold his peace for all that have gifts may prophesie one by one and in all this God is noe the God of confusion but of Order Thus do we hold the disciples of Christ ought to come together to worship God and edifie one another in the libertie of the spirit according to the gifts and graces that are given to every one Rom. 12.6 And that every man as he hath received the gift may administer the same one to another 1. Pet. 4.10 The lord Bs. vtterly deny the substance of all this vnderstanding and their spirit of vnderstanding directs that when the Congregation is come together the Preist or Curate that is licensed by them onely must performe the worship and must beginne their worship with their booke strictly tying them to such sentences and then to that which is written after then a Confession then an absolution with virsickles and answeres and Psalmes and lessons and Te Deum and the Latany 3. daies a weeke and at other times when the Ordinary shal comaund Thus may our lord the King see how his peoples spirits are in bondage to the lord Bs. spirit in the vnderstanding of the scriptures and they must of force against their consciences vnderstand them as they comaund or els go to prison And our lord the King may also see that whereas neither Christ nor his Appostles ever commaunded or practiced anie set forme of worship whose spirit had bene most fitt to have ordeyned such an order yet the Lord Bs. in the perfect jmage of the first Beast have composed a proportion and framed an order of praiers and readings for the worship of God comaunding absolutely the observation thereof forceing the spirits of the Kings people to be subiect to ther limitations herein and so deliuer Gods people their bread by waight and their water by measaure not suffering the hungry to be satisfied with the bread of life nor the thirsty to be quenched froÌ„ the rivers of waters but forceing the vnwilling to drincke stolne waters out of their Cesexons and eat hidden bread out of their store-houses but the simple that eat and drinke thereof knowe not that the dead are there that their ghests are in the depthes of hell Pro. 9.17.18 Let not our lord the K. be despleased seeing his servants speake but the words of sobriety and if the K. shall thinke wee misapâ—y theÌ„ that is the thinge which wee so humbly earnestly beseech the K. may come to tryall by the Ks. free consent and that the Kings hand of power may not be against the iust and due tryall thereof Now when wee the Kings servants do sue for a tryall wee disire our lord the King not to conceive that his servants meane a day of dispute and so to handle the cause of the lord as men that contend for prizes who submitt their cause to private censure for that it is private and concernes but themselves but our humble and most equall sute to our lord the K. is that seeing this Hyrarchy of Arch. Bs. lord Bs. do challenge such power prerogative over our consciences that all who cannot of consciente yeild it vnto theÌ„ may walke according to their consciences and publish their defence against them that these that beare the names of spirituall lords may by spirituall power onely convince their gain-sayers and not pretend to be spirituall Bishops and vse onely the Kings temporall sword to rule and convince men with And that our lord the King would suffer vs his servants to demaund of them that take vpon them to be lord Bs. of whome they have learned to rule by such power and who hath taught them to put the contrary mynded in prison how they wil be able to answere him that will bring the greatest of them to answere who taught all his disciples to 〈◊〉 not the contrary mynded with meeknes proveing if at anie time God will give them repentance and hath taught them to be gentle suffering the evill 2. Tim. 2.24.25 And let our lord the King give vs his servants leave to ask these Lord Bs. whether they thinke that God hath forgotten this his comaundement or that he wil quite forget to put it in their accompt because
they have al together forgotten to keepe it Oh that our lord the King would but take his sword out of these lord Bs. hāds to whose Officie it doth in no sort apperteyne if they were Christs Bishops and that the K. would let them onely vse that sword which is sharper then anie two edged sword which onely belongs to Christs Bishops in their Office let the King turne them out and let them if there be anie māner of vprightnes in them come furth with that sword and armor onely which the holy ghost hath appointed them if they be Christ disciples Ephes 6.11.17 And wee wil come to them through Gods grace in the spirit of love and meeknes but when they smite vs with the Ks. sword of justice maynteine their aucthority onely by that power and yet wil be spirituall lords how can wee with faithfullnes to the cause of God but shoot them thorow with the arrowes of the Almighty filling them the double Revel 18.6 Discover by the word of truth the height of their iniquity for if it may please our lord the K. to consider there is no other way to try and discover them whether they be spirituall or no but to apply the word of God vnto them examine compare them by it as the Church of Ephesus did them which said they were Apostles but were not found thē lyars Reuel 2.2 if this Hyrarchy of Arch-Bs lord Bs. will not nor may not be tryed by the word of God but will still cause by all the meanes they can as many as will not worship it should be killed so that none may speake or write against it but they shal be by death by imprisoment or by banishmēt destroyed thē our lord the K. cā iudg that knowes the practice of the first Beast in all these things that where the first Beast hath full power none may write nor speake nor looke amisse but they dye the King can iudg whether this Hyrarchy of Arch B. and Lord B. be not the second Beast who hath thus caused to be made the jmage of the first Beast And if the Kings people may not thus say and write and by the word of God prove this Hyrarchy so to be but must without gainsaying beleeve the scriptures worship God as they comaund then are they Lords over our faith and the people of God have no power from God to vnderstand the scriptures but all power is given to them and then must wee beleeue they cannot err And wee beseech our lord the King that is a man of wisedome to give righteous iudgment herein whether the Lord Bs. do not challenge onely to themselves all power to vnderstand the scriptures and not to eer when they will by force and violence of imprisoment banishment or death Compell the Kings people to yeild obedience to their vnderstanding onely for if the Kings people must not beleeve that they onely have the power of the spirit and cannot eer how comes it that the Kings people must be compelled onely to obey them in all their vnderstandings and practices Except the Kings people must obey them though they do err And if our lord the King will not altogether turne his eare from the deepe complaints of his servants then let the King heare his servants in this point which is so hatefull to the King and is of all estates that have anie vnderstanding in the mistery of godlines so much detested yea the Lord B. themselves do in words professe great detestation thereof and that is that presumptious sin of blasphemy of that Romish Beast who holds he cannot err and therefore thinkes that he may change times and lawes as is prophesied of him Dan. 7.25 and this he doth as our lord the King well knowes appointing or comaunding lawes days and times forceing obedience and saying he cannot err so that what soever he doth it must be obeyed as holy and good Oh that our lord the King all his people would see that the Hyrarchy of Arch-Bs and Lord Bs. do no lesse although in word they deny it yet in deeds they practice and hold the same thinge that they cannot err And this can never be denyed neither shall they ever be able to open their mouth to deny it if they might but be brought ta answere for shall they ever be able to anniswere it that they should expound the scriptures make spirituall lawes Canons and decrees comaund absolute obedience and in divers of their Canons decreeing excommunication ipso facto but that they shal be forced to shew by their deeds that they cannot err men must obey them vpon that ground because they cannot err or els vpon this ground that they must be obeyed although they do err for they must be obeyed vpon which last ground thausends do obey them But wee beseech our lord the King that it may be lawfull without offence vnto the King to try the Hyrarchy vpon the first ground which is that as the Hyrarchy of Rome say in words they cannot err that so in their deeds this Hyrarchy do absolutely professe they cannot err Wee with our best ability make it plaine to our lord the King and to every eie and eare thus The Hyrarchie of Rome expounds the scriptures makes lawes Canons and decrees and binds all mens consciences to obey forceing them therevnto by excommunication imprisoment banishment death none may examine the power aucthority or warrant thereof by the scriptures but all must be received for holy and good because the Hyrarchy of Rome say in words they cānot err And wee beseech our lord the K. to see that the Hyrarchy of Arch-Bs and Lord Bs. do all the same thinges they expound the scriptures make lawes Canons decrees bindes all mens consciences to the obedience thereof forceing the Ks. true obedient subiects therevnto by excomunicatiō imprisoment banishment the K. in mercy justice restraning them of blood none may examine the power aucthority of anie of their decrees by the scriptures but all must be received for holy good Doth not the K. in the wisedome of his hart see may not all the K. people see that this Hyrarchy of Arch-Bs and lord Bs. in all their deeds do shewe they challeng to have the same power not to err which the Hyrarchy of Rome do say in words they have thus do they absolutely in deeds professe they cannot err which the Hyrarchy of Rome professe in words and herein the Hy of Arch-Bs lord Bs. are the more deceipt full deceiveablenes of vnrighteousnes And now wee beseech the Creator of harts to give our lord the King a new hart to consider of all the exalted abomination of desolation executed practiced by this Hyrarchy of Arch Bs. and Lord Bs. and let our lord the K. know that it concernes the King highly on to consider of it in that it is set vp and supported and all the
cruelty thereof executed by the Ks. power whereby they make our lord the K. gilty of all the imprisoment banishment persecution which by the Kings power they impose vpon all the faithfull subiects of the King who with stād their abhominations But aboue all let our the King for the glory of God and for the salvation of the Kings owne soule suffer vs the Kings servants thus far to prevaile with the King that our Lord the King would but search the scriptures whereby the K. knowes he must be directed if he wil be saved and let the King see with his owne eie what showe of warrant can be found that the King should take vnto himself power to Elect Bishops Oh wee beseech the King that the successive possession and the goodly apparence of this power may nothinge sway with our lord the King herein but let the King set before his eies the worthy recorded remembrance by the spirit of God of Cyrus King of Persia who brought furth the vessells of the house of the lord which Nabuchadnezzer had taken out of Ierusalem had put them in the house of his God Ezra 1.7.11 Not regarding the monuments of his predecessors great cōquest nor the dispoyling of his Gods of such bewtifull ornaments nor the departing with treasure of so great value All these respects could not hinder this King for restoring the vessells of the house of the Lord. Let our lord the K. be no lesse mynded to the house Church of God but let our lord the King freely restore at once to the Church and house of God the whole glorious power of Christ the onely King thereof and perticulerly that most bewtifull ornament of Election and ordination of the Bishops and deacons thereof who ought to be elected ordeyned according to the rule of the holy ghost Act. 14.23 6.3 and who ought to be qualified withall and every one of those gifts and graces set downe vp Th-appostle 1. Tim. 3. Tit. 1. yea their wives childrē also or els it is grevious iniquity to chuse them And who must onely by their Office beare those names titles which the holy ghost hath given them and lead or rule by that power which Christ hath appointed and by those lawes and ordinances and live by those maintenāces if they stand need And will our lord the King change all these and manie mo lawes statutes and ordinances which Christ Iesus the mediator and King of the new Testament hath appointed and ordeyned in his Church Will the King take this power to himself to Elect in such manner and such men as the King thinkes good And give names titles and power such as best pleaseth the King Hath Iesus-Christ with his blood purchased to himself this honor to be the head of his Church Ephes 5. And hath he shewed himself a faithfilll Mediator And hath he bene accounted worthy of more glory then Moses And hath he builded his owne house himself Heb. 3. And shall he be dispoyled of all his honor And will our lord the King be entised by evill men to enter vpon the inheritance of the Sonne of God in appointing and by the Kings power suffering to be appointed Lords and lawes in and over the house of God which are not according to the patterne Which lords because Christ is not their buckler nor faith their sheild nor the sword of the spirit the weapon of their warfare they have deceitfully seduced our lord the King bringing themselves vnder his protection for their defence and getting the Ks. sword into their hands to destroy all that speake or write against them preferring their owne Kingdome before either Christs Kingdome or the kingdome State of our lord the King as wee have already shewed vnto the King in that they with such loveing patience suffer and permitt so manie thousands of Romists who by their profession and the practices of some of them are dangerously opposite to the Kingdome of Christ and to the King and State But these Lords Bs. Cannot in anie wise endure one that doth faithfully seeke for reformation because such are onely adversaries to their kingdome Wee still pray our lord the King that wee may be free from suspect for haveing anie thoughts of provoking evill against them of the Romish religion in regard of their profession if they be true faithfull subiects to the King for wee do freely professe that our lord the King hath no more power over their consciences then over ours and that is none at all for our lord the King is but an earthly King and he hath no aucthority as a King but in earthly causes and if the Kings people be obedient true subiects obeying all humane lawes made by the King our lord the King can require no more for mens religion to God is betwixt God and themselves the King shall not answere for it neither may the King be iugd betwene God and man Let them be heretikes Turcks Iewes or what soever it apperteynes not to the earthly power to punish them in the least measure This is made evident to our lord the King by the scriptures When Paul was brought before Gallio deputie of Achaia and accused of the Iewes for persuading men to worship God contrary to the law Gallio said vnto the Iewes if it were a matter of wronge or an evill deed o ye Iewes I would according to right mainteyne you he drave them from the iudgment seat Act. 18.12.17 shewing them that matters of wrong and evill deeds which were betwixt man man apperteyned onely to the iudgment seat and not questions of religion The like is shewed by the Twne clerke of Ephesus in Act. 19.38.39 And further Paul being in like case accused of manie thinges Act. 24. in the 25. chap. he appeales to Cesars iudgment seat where he saith he ought to be judged approveing and justifieing thereby that Cesars power judgment seat was the holy Ordināce of God and our Saviour Christ is himself obedient therevnto comaunds teacheth his Disciples obedience but this judgment seat power which was of God had nothinge to do in the causes of the Religion of God as our lord the King may see for if it had then could not our Saviour Christ have comaunded obedience therevnto but he must have vtterly overthrowne his owne kingdome and power Neither could Th'appostle Paul have said he ought to be judged at Cesars judgment seat if Cesar had or might have judged in causes of Religion to God for then had he vtterly overthrowne the Office of his Appostle-ship and then had he submitted his Appostle-ship wholy to the judgment of Cesar and so had the power and aucthority of it bene altogether destroyed made of no effect which might in no wise be Now let our lord the K. whose honor it is wisely to judg in thinges that differ judg whether there be in these daies anie other earthly power or anie other spirituall power
but the same that was in Christ and his Appostles times in which times all earthly power was in the hands of earthly Kings and Princes and them that were in aucthority vnder them and Christ and his Appostles diminished not Kings and Princes of the least tittle thereof And all spirituall power was in the hands of Christ and his Appostles that were in aucthority vnder him of which spirituall power aucthority Christ nor his Appostles would suffer no earthly K. to diminish them of the least tittle thereof but rather gave them their lives if then our lord the K. do deserue that earthly Kings and Princes had the same power then that Kings and Princes have now and that Kings Princes had no power then over mens religion which was spirituall and belonged to Christ men were then to give vnto God that which was Gods and vnto Cesar and so vnto all earthly Princes onely that which apperteyned to them Then let our lord the King judg by what warrant of Gods word the King can now take to himself a spirituall power and set vp an Hyrarchy of Arch Bishop Lord B. and give aucthority to them to make lawes and Canons of Religion and to give them power to compell men vnto the obedience there of by such seveer courses as they have done Let our lord the King consider and the Lord give the K. wisedome therein that if no King nor Prince could have set vp such an Hyrarchy with such power and titles then but they had vtterly troden vnder foot all the dignity and power of Christ and his Appostles for Christ and his Appostles must have bene subiect therevnto neither may anie King set vp such an Hyrarchy now because it doth vtterly tread vnder foot all the dignity and power of Christ and his Appostles as well now as it had done then for wee have now Christ and his Appostles in all their power dignity as well as they had in those dayes according to that saying of our Saviour Christ in the parable They have Moses and the Prophetts And wee humble beseech our lord the K. a little to suffer the foolishnes of his servants although wee may seeme as fooles vnto the king herein If there had bene such a steaing Hyrarchy set vp in Christ and Th-appostles daies would the Hyrarchy have suffered vs that are thousands of the K. of great Brittans subiects to have gone to Christ his Appostles to have asked them whether wee should have obeyed them or no in all their Canons and ordinances And whether wee should have given thē those titles of superiority and all that ruling power which they challeng over vs the Kings subiects sureby they will say they would not have denyed vs that liberty to have gone in so waighty a cause and being so manie to have asked Counsell of Christ and his Appostles what wee should have done 20. thousands being ignorant and 10. thousands being doubtfull whether anie such power might be submitted too or no and thousands being out of all doubt that it might not be submitted vnto they will say they would not have denyed vs but wee knowe what their Canons would have made of it and wee may suspect justly that they would have enformed the King that it were very dangerous to suffer so manie to go vnto Christ and his Appostles for counsell and that it were not fitt to suffer such giddy heads to have that libertie for makeing rents and divisions and that it were much more safety for the King to suffer them to make all whole by their power and to subdue such busie refractary spirits Let the King with fauour suffer his servants thus to speake by the way least peraduenture anie such thinges come in the way And wee the Kings servants now takeing it for granted that the Arch Bs. and lord Bs. that professe such great holines would not have deneyd vs to have gone to Iesus Christ and his Appostles to be directed And if Christ and his Appostles had in the hearing of all our owne eares being so ma witnesses comaunded vs absolutely not to yeild the Arch-Bs and lord Bs. anie such power or names could wee yeld it them Although the Arch-Bs and Lord Bs. should with 20. thousands of witnesses affirme that Christ and his Appostles spake otherwise to their hearing Would our lord the King thinke it equall that wee should be forced to beleeue their hearing because they are lord Bs. contrary to the hearing of our owne eares being so manie witnesses of one Nation and tongue besides hundreth thousands of witnesses of other Nations tongues Wee knowe our lord the K. would thinke it no more equall if the case were so that wee should be forced to beleeve the lord Bs. hearīg then that they should be forced to beleeve our hearing Then iugd O King for the case is all one and the same for wee have Christ and his Appostles in their writings and they do absolutely speake to our vnderstandings that in no wise there ought to be anie such Hyrarchy of Arch Bs. and Lord Bs. in Christs Church And the Lord Bs. say that Christ and his Appostles speakes to their vnderstandings that there power and names are not cōtrary to Christs words Can our lord the King that is accompted a most wise and iust Prince in his iudgment iudg that wee are all bound to cast away our owne vnderstandings of Christs speaking and are to be compelled to beleeve and vnderstand Christ to speake as the lord Bs. vnderstād Christs speaking Oh let our lord the King with compassion consider whether ever since the heavens and earth were created there was a more vnequall extreame cruelty then this that the Kings people should be compelled in a cause that concernes the everlasting condemnation of their soules bodyes to Hell of force to submitt their soules and bodies to the vnderstanding of the Lord Bs. that are not able to direct themselves from the waies of death but are perished every man that ever bare that Office with those names and power if they repented not thereof although they had no other sinne and they also that do now beare that Office with those titles power shall likewise all perish to everlasting destruction if they do not repent thereof and cast it away the spirit of the lord hath spoken it Reuel 19.20 the Beast was taken and with him that false Prophet that wrought myracles before him whereby he deceived them that received the Beasts marke and them that worshipped his jmage these both were cast aliue into a lake of fire burning with brimstone And thus manifesting to our lord the K. that Iesus Christ is onely K. of Israell that sitts vpō Davids throne therefore onely hath the power of the King of Israel and none may partake with him in that kingdome and power who had the Spirit without measure and yet neither he nor his Appostles that had the Spirit without error to deliuer the Counsels
of God did ever by example practice nor by rule comaund nor give power that anie should be compelled by anie bodily punishment to obey their lawes and Ordinances which were infalibly true holy and good How much lesse ought our lord the King to comaund or give a power to Arch-Bs lord Bs. men full of the spirit of error to make lawes Canons with aucthority from the King to compell by imprisoment sharpe persecutions the Kings true subiects and people of God vnto the obediente thereof who for their religion to God although they be contrary mynded to the K. therein ought not seeing they deserue not to be punished either with death or bonds this is cōfirmed to the K. by the testimony of King Agrippa and noble Festus the governor who adiuged Paul to have done nothing worthy of death or bonds but that he might have bene loosed if he had not appealed to Cesar yet Paul was contrary mynded to Cesar to the jewes in his religion to God But they iudged him by the lawe of Nations by the power of which law the Kings of the nations are to rule judg according to their owne severall lawes against which law Paul had not transgressed for his cause was concerning the faith of Iesus Christ which could not be judged by that law And let our lord the King give his servants leave to comend this to the Kings best observatiō which is worthy to be observed that where soever in the new testament throughout the professors of the faith of Iesus were adiudged by earthly rulers Governors for anie thinge that they did or held of conscience to God of faith to Iesus Christ if earthly Rulers and Gouernors tooke the cause in hand by their power the iudgment was alwaes wicked and abhominable And if our lord the King will but begin his obseruation at the fore-runner of Christ Iohn Baptist whome Herod put in prisō and beheaded And then let the King come to Iesus Christ whome they iudged and crucified finding no evill he had done And so if it please the K. to looke throughout the whole booke of the Act. there the King knowes how the disciples of Christ were imprisoned threatned beaten stoned The made Saul hauock with his letters of Comission and entred into every house and drew out both men wemen and put them in prison Then Herod stretched furth his hand and vexed certen of the Church and Killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword and Caught Peter and put him in prison Then were Paul and Sylas taken at Philippi by the Gouernors and people and were sore beaten cast into prison and the Iailer comaunded to kepe them surey being charged to preach Ordinances which were not lawfull for the Romans to receive nor observe Here may our lord the King see a true patterne how the people of God are persecuted when the Civill power doth iudg their cause of their faith and profession in their religion to God Thus have worldly Gouernors delt with the Church of Christ when the disciples fell vnder their censure for their faith to God And all these sentences of death bonds and persecutions the King can iugd to be vniust and vnlaw full in that these Rulers and Gouernors had no lawfull power nor aucthority to iudg Christ nor his disciples for matters of faith they being in all other thinges obedient to their lawes But men wil say all this is answered in one word They were heathen Rulers Now if our lord the K. will challeng a Prerogative or power becaus he professeth Christ then let it be lawfull for the King servants to tell the King that it he will professe to be a disciple of Christ that gives the King no power to do anie of all these thinges to imprison to banish to put to death that belongs onely to his earthly Kingdome for Christ and Appostles had no such power given them neither taught they the disciples to take vpon them anie such power and to execute it vpon the contrary mynded but taught them the cōtrary to instruct thē with meeknes and by preaching the word seeke their conversion with all long suffering and not to destroy them by severe punishments yea the disciples of Christ must wait and labor for the grafting in againe of the Iewes according to the prophesies of the scriptures Rom. 11.24.27 and therefore the King knowes they may not be destroyed although they be the greatest enimies of Christ that are vpon the earth and have and yet do cast the greatest reproach and contempt vpon Christ with such words as are most fearfull to vtter yet must the disciples of Christ wait for their conversion and not worke their destruction And let our lord the King call to mynd how the Appostle Paul teacheth all the disciples of Christ to be mynded towards all infidells Rom. 1. 14.15 where he saith Iam debter both to the Grecian and to the Barbarian both to the wise and to the vn wise And the same Appostle 1. Cor. 9.20.21.22 saith To the Iewes I become as a Iew to them that are vnder the law as though I were vnder the law to them that are without the law as though I were without the law to the weake I become as weake that I may wīne the weake I am made saith Th-appostle all thinges to all men that I might by all meanes save some All these instructions and directions are for our lord the King to direct the King how he should go in and out with holines all meeknes before his people to wynne them to Christ and not to set vp a Cruell Hyrarchy to make havock of the K. people as Saul did pulling them out of their houses both men and wemen casting them into prisons forceing them to flee the land and persecuting them with all cruelty May the King suffer all this to be done by his power vpon this ground of being a Christian King the Kings servants shewe the King yet once againe in all humility that Christ the King did not so himself he never appointed to be punished anie one man for desobeing his Gospell with the least bodily punishment And therefore wee instantly exhort our lord the King that the King would be no longer seduced by those most dangerous deceivers that have gottē the Kings power to punish those that Christ the King of Israell would not punish that persuade the King that the King hath the same power in the Kingdome and over the house and people of Christ that the Kings of Israell had in that Kingdome and over that house and people of God as it was the Church of God Wee according to our great weaknes have shewed to our lord the King before that the King cannot challeng that power meaning onely in respect of Religion And wee will by the Kings favour repeat the substāce of the whole ground in few words and wee beseech the King that wee may the rather do
it in that the whole cause depends thereon And wee repeat it vnto the King in these few words which shall never be disanulled or made void whilst the heavens and earth endure not because they are our words God forbid anie such arrogancie should possesse our harts but they shall never be made void neither shall anie ever be able to gain-say them with anie shew of truth because they are the words of the everlasting God of truth whereby wee shew vnto the King that the King cannot have that power in respect of Religion to God in the kingdome and over the house and Israell or people of Christ now that the Kings of Israell had in the old Testament or in the tune of the law The ground wee repeat vnto the King is this That the kingdome of Israell was an earthly or worldly kingdome an earthly or worldly Temple Tabernacle or house an earthly or worldly people and the King an earthly King who in and over all that kingdome Temple and people could require onely earthly obedience But the kingdome of Christ now is an heavenly kingdome not of this world his Temple Tabernacle or house an heavenly Temple Tabernacle or house his people a heavenly or spirituall people not of this world and the King Christ Iesus a heavenly spirituall King requiring spirituall obedience Therefore our lord the King can not as a King have anie power over this kingdome Temple Tabernacle house and People of God in respect of the Religion of God because our lord the King his kingdome is an earthly kingdome and to our lord the King belongs onely all earthly obedience service and duty which ought to suffice anie earthly man And the God of all Grace give our lord the King a gracious hart fully to be satisfied and contented with that great honor power and dignity that belongs vnto the King and to give glory and honor to God for it that it may go well with the King and his posterity for ever And the God of heaven deliver the King from all such enchanters of Egipt as shall perswade the King to take vpon him the power of the Kings of Israel over the Church of Christ onely for the setting vp and supporting of their High Priest hood with vrim and Thummim with Pompe and power and the Leviticall revenewes of Israell which they challeng and hold as apperteyning thervnto forceing the Kings people by cruelty to obey them as though with them onely remayned the oracles of God And now if they will shew anie manner of vprightnes vnto God or faithfulnes to the King or anie regard to Gods people let them not mainteyne their kingdome which they have obteyned of the King by deceit and flatteries as is prophesied Dan. 11.21 Let them not mainteyne it by the Kings sword and power but let them come furth with that sword and power whereof they glory so much and vse so little and mainteyne their names power cruelty with it and wee professe before God the whole hoast of heaven before our Lord the King and all his people that if they can prove evidently to our consciences by the holy word of God that wee may obey them in all their Canons and decrees and give them those names and titles without the everlasting destructiō of our soules and bodies in hell yea if they can but prove that wee ought to rest or depend vpon their iugdments vnderstandings in the exposition of anie one part of Gods word or that they have power to ordeyne and appoint anie one Ordinance or the manner of administring anie one Ordinance in the worship of God and Church of Christ wee profess vnto our lord the King wee will yeild them all the obedience they require But if they will prove these thinges onely by Conuotation Canons how can our lord the King require that the Kings servants should dishonor God by casting his holy truth away and with it the salvation of our soules and depend vpon their Canons and yeild them obedience and perish both in soules and bodies Wee have rather chosen thus to say downe our lives at the feet of our lord the King in presenting the cause into the Kings presence Saying with Ester If we perish we perish for coming thus boldly vncalled into the Kings presence but we will wait with hope and expectation that through the gracious worke of the lord the King will hold furth his golden rod that wee may live and not so onely but also that by the Kings meanes comfort and delivrance shall appeare vnto Israell And that our lord the King will say as that great King of Persia said Ezra 1.2 The lord God of heaven hath given me many Kingdomes of the earth and hath comaunded me to build him an house in Ierusalem who is he amongst you of all his people with whome his God is let him go to Ierusalem build the house of the lord God of Israell And as King Darius said Ezra 6.7.16 Suffer the worke of the house of God that the Israelites may build this house of God in his place that they may offer sweet odours vnto the God of heaven and pray for the Kings life and for his sonnes And as Artahshashte King of Persia said Ezra 7.23 what soever is by the comaundement of the God of heaven let it be done spedily for the house of the God of heaven for why should he be wroath against the Realme of the King and his children Thus beseeching the director of all harts to direct the Kings hart in these thinges wee continew praying for the King and his Sonne and the Kings Realmes and children That the King and his seed to Gods glory may sitt vpon the throne of Great Brittane whilst the earth endures possessing from God wisedome and Riches and Honor befitting the dignity of their high Renowne that they may walke in the waies of god that god according to his promisse may prolong their dayes And the Lord give all the Kings people faithfull vpright and honest harts that they may all with one hart as one man Feare God and Honor and obey the King with all the honor and obedience that hath or can be due to anie earthly King or Prince which is all earthly and worldly obedience with lands goods bodie and life And wee most humbly supplicate our Lord the King and all the honorable and worthy Gouernors vnder the King that they will not suffer them selves to be missed in judgment in condemning vs as movers of Sedition and our bookes for seditions bookes because wee differ from the recieved profession of Religion in the land but that they will according to that great gravity and wisedome that is vpon them wey what Sedition is and they will easly find that to professe and teach a differing judgment in Religion to the State cannot be proved Sedition for then had our Saviour Christ and all his Disciples bene found seditious persons which neuer could be proved against
them neither could Tertullus with all his Oratory prove Paul a mover of Sedition to Felix the Gouernor who was willing to pleasure the Iewes in this matter Act. 24. if he could have found anie advantage against Paul but vnder all that excellent and mighty Gouerment of Cesar vnder whome there was so manie wise Kings and noble Gouernors difference in Religion could never be proved Sedition against the Sâ—ate Neither could it ever be proved Sedition in all or anie of those that differed from the professioÌ„ of ReligioÌ„ established in Q. Maries daies although they taught and professed the same as even the Lord B. them selves will confesse And it is neither accounted nor found Sedition in divers excellent well Gouerned Nations round about to professe and teach a differing judgment in Religion from the profession generally established as our Lord the King and all his worthy Gouernors see and knowe It is but the false surmise and accusation of the Scribes and Phariseis who feared their owne kingdome and of Demetrius the Silver-smith with the Craftsmen whose Craft was in danger whereby they gott their goods Act. 19. they them selves raised tumults and moved Sedition and ever laid the blame vpon the Disciples even so is it now and ever wil be that such as feare their owne kingdome and private gayne do and will falsly accuse the Disciples of Christ as movers of Sedition against the State And if the lord Bs will not be found false accusers herein as their predecessors have bene theÌ„ lett theÌ„ if they can forbeare to accuse before they have cause But let them take heed least when they shall see fyve in one house devided three against two and two against three the father devided against the sonne and the sonne against the father ect let them take heed they call not that Sedetion if they do they shall call Christ a sower of Sedetion for what was his disire but that the fire of such Sedetion should be kindled Luk. 12.49.52.53 And may it please our Lord the King and all that are in authority of Gouerment vnder the King with their wise judgment to consider that it wil be a straing thinge to condemne men for Sedetion who professe and teach that in all earthly thinges the Kings power is to be submitted vnto and in heavenly or spirituall thinges if the King or anie in authority vnder him shall exercise their power against anie they are not to resist by anie way or meanes although it were in their power but rather submitt to give their lives as Christ his Disciples did and yet kepe their consciences to God and they that teach anie other Doctrine let them be held accursed VVE being yet through the helpe of our God most disirous to a wakeÌ„ all you of our owne Nation out of that dead securiy and spirituall slumber wherein as in the Sea you are all over whelmed and finding no better nor anie so fitt portion of Gods word to effect these our vnfained disires as this prophesie of our Saviour Christ Mat. 24.15 which prophesieth of daies of so great tribulation and it is repeated Mark 13. and Luk. 17. and Luk. 21. all which places of the Evangelists must be most carefully and diligently compared together because the wise reader shall find by good observation that there are 4. Prophesies of our Saviour Christs by the Evangelists set downe together which are 1. the destruction of Ierusalem 2 ly the daies of the exaltation of the man of sin sene and discovered 3. ly the days of the Sonne of Man in the brightnes of his coming for the consuming and abolishing of the Mistery of Iniquity the abhomination of desolation the Man of sin And lastly the day of Christs coming to judgment Every one of these Prophesies must be diversly considered of with their proper apperteynings for the true and holy vnderstanding thereof and not confounded together Two whereof wee have and shall by the grace of God speake of as God shall enable vs 1. the exaltation seene and discovered and the dangers of those daies 2. ly of the days of the Sonne of Man in the brightnes of his coming for the consuming of the Man of sinne as being most fitt Scriptures to stir you vp to the consideration of your spirituall estates and standings and to direct you therein the Scriptures wee meane not wee if you will not harden your neckes and perish in the waies of death and sinne And as wee have endeauored to proboake you to looke vp that you might see the abhomination of desolation set vp in the holy place how the kingdome of the Man of sinne is even within you all that submitt your selves in anie obedience to the power of the first or second Beast bearing the Beasts mark or the print of his name so shall wee also be willing with the helpe of our God to stir you vp to consider of the great daÌ„ger that our saviour Christ hath fore-shewed shal be in these daies when men see the abhomination of desolation set vp and according to our Saviours exhortation begin to flee as all that have eies may see men now begin to do The danger that Christ foretold of is that in those days which are these daies manie shall come who now are come in Christs name and say Loe heere is Christ Loe there is Christ and manie false Christ shall arise and manie false Prophetts and shall shewe great signes and wonders so as if were possible they should deceive the very elect Way then with your selves whether you had not need to consider when the daies are so dangerous perillous as if it were possible the very elect should be deceived such is the danger of these daies by reason of the false professions of Christ and false Prophetts that do arise And seeing the false Prophetts are the Teachers and mainteyners of the false professions wee shall endeauor to discover them both vnder one and will onely speake of such false Prophetts and professions as are amongst you and knowne to you not burthening you with the multitude of straing and forreyn false Prophetts and false professions that are in the world whereof wee generally admonish you to beware of but it is full time that you tooke to those false professions and false Prophetts that are amonge you if you have anie regard at all of Gods glory or the salvation of your owne soules And seeing wee cannot speake of the false Christs or false professions of Christ that are amongst you but wee must name them wee pray it may not be offensive that wee tearme them by such names and titles as men distinguish them The first where of is that great and so much applauded profession of Puritanisme The which profession to prove it is a false profession yea and such a false profession as wee know not the like vpon the earth wee shall not need to produce anie testimony but your owne for whereas in your so manie bookes you
Christs owne works Ioh. 10.14 And al the power you have to administer is by the authority of the Bishops bull which you have in so great contempt and yet it is all the seale of your admittance to your ministerie and warrant for your administration therein a most sit warrant for such administrations Oh that you could see these thinges if you have anie the least love of God in you cast of al these abhominations aÌ„d become the disciples of Christ and preach Christ in his owne ordinance as his disciples did Act. 11.19 which if you wil not doe buâ— runne on in the heate of your blind zeale in this your false ministerie theÌ„ shal you be found to be those false prophets that come in shepes clothing of whome our Saviour Christ hath fore told Mat. 7.22 that shal say Lord Lord have wee not by thy name prophesied by thy name cast out Devils by thy name done manie great workes To whome he wil answere I never knewe you depart from me ye that worke iniquity Let this suffice to have proved by Gods word that your Election and Ordination to the Office off your ministerie is not off God and that you have not entred in by the doore but have climed vp another way and therefore are theeves robbers false Prophets hierlings straingers whose voices Christs sheepe knowe not but they flee from you and wil not followe you Ioh. 10.5 And by this are all they that heare you and followe you most plainly proved vp the most evident words off Christ that they are no one of them his sheepe for he saith His Sheepe knowe his voice followe him they wil not followe a strainger for they knowe not his voice And this is al the comfort that Gods word doth afford anie one of you in your flocks that followe you they are not Christs Sheepe And this is all the comfort that the people can have off you You are not Christs Sheepherds so are you like people like Preist like Sheepherds like Sheepe And you shall perish everie Man for teaching and drawing them after you because you are false Prophetts and are not sent of God and the People shall perish everie one off them for hearing and following you because you are straingers and hirelings iff you and they repent not Luk. 13.3 This is the word off the Lord the which you shal neither al nor anie one off you bee able to gainsay for you shal never bee able whilst heaven and Earth endureth to make anie shew from Gods word for your entrance into your Office off ministery and then are you vtterly confounded in al your waies aÌ„d al the people that follow you Wee have spoken sharply vnto you as it may bee thought and if wee have not wee had need seeing you have bene so often spoken vnto off this your false ministery and that with excellent words and yet you have not regardâ— which might discomfort vs in you and discorage vs in our owne simple playnnes But the love of Gods glory which through his grace wee hold most precious and the longing disire off our soules after your salvation and the salvation of this whole land which is so deare vnto vs and wee so much wish and pray for And the hope and assurance we have of Gods mercie and power to prevaile by weake meanes these causes have stirred vs vp driven vs on and encoraged vs to speake thus vnto you And wee pray you by the name off Iesus that as there is anie purpose off hart in you to feare God and walke-in his waies or anie love in you to this people whome you are bound so much to regard with al faithful carefulnes make haist to reforme your owne waies and to enforme this people in the way to life and salvation according to the strict rule off Gods word and do not stil lead them on in the way to death and condemnation according to the new inventions off your owne harts and old traditions off other men Wee will now returne to speake a few words off your ground and reasons or rather excuses that cause you to vndergo these thinges whereoff you cry out so much for reformation One 〈◊〉 because it is vnder a Christian King Wee demaund off you how iff the King should bid you truely enforme him whether it were more lawful for a Christian King to restraine the Church off some off the Ordinances which Christ hath appointed then for a Heathen King It can not bee that you would tell the King that a Christian King might more Lawfully do such evill then a Heathen King iff you should you would make Christianity a liberty â—o sin which may not bee why then iff a Christian King may not more lawfully do such evil evil sure you hold it to be els why cry you out so much for reformation neither may you more lawfully obey him in such evil then a heathen King Leave off such deceitfull pretences and vaine ymaginations for the which iff you should bee required warrant out off Gods Word you would easily see that it is but an excuse off a false shewe The Disciples off Christ who were most obedient subiects and taught you and vs all obedience vnto our King yet they would not be restrained in the causes off God but chose rather to obey God then men and rather to suffer imprisonmeÌ„t and beating then to bee restrained either of preaching or practicing anie off the ways off God although they were commaunded imprisoned beaten by the High Preist the Counsel and al the Elders off Israel that were no heathen Governors Act. 5. Those were faithful disciples and were content to obey in al sufferings And such obedience should you have submitted vnto iff your harts had bene vpright to God and the King herein but you have al bene found deceitful vpon the weights aÌ„d lighter then vanity it selff in these thinges when you came to trial and have dawbed with vntempered morter and no marvil though you fel because the lord was not your streÌ„gth in that you sought not the right way but would have established a Presbitary Hyrarchie and a decreing Synod which would have bene no more pleasing to God then an Hyrarchie off Arch Bishops and Lord Bishops and a Canonical ConvocatioÌ„ house for they have both one mynd with the Beast and give the right haÌ„d off fellowship one to aÌ„other seeking aÌ„d exercising one power which is to rule over mens consciences by their owne lawes and decrees Therefore strive no more for that your waie the Lord wil ever be against you in it For iff a Ruling Presbitary by their Synodal decrees and ordinances bee lawful then why not a Ruling Prelacy by Convocation Canons lawfull and then why not a Ruling Pope These are all off one Condition in their degrees and not anie one of them more pleasing to God then another although they bee every one more sinful in their degrees then other yet they al abolish
not if you might without danger or losse reforme your selves and as manie as you could according to that reformation you sue for your owne consciences can tel you you would If the King at first had made a law that al should have bene in subiection to the Bishops power and Goverment in the Church but he would have no man punished by imprisonment nor put out of their liveings that should refuse would you not al that make anie conscience off your waies have reformed If you would not then the reformation you plead for is not needful except the King wil approve of it and so have you striven al this while about needles things if the Kings comaundment may disanul the necessitie of them then are they needful if the King wil permit if not your reformatiō may be spared ād so ought you not to have gainsaied it as you have done And in this doth your iniquitie greatly abound in that you make so smale a matter off those thinges wherein you in iudgment differ from the Lord Bishops seeing the difference is no lesse then for the whole Goverment off Christ in his Church And the Lord give you and al his people Grace duely to consider off it how greatly you dishonor Christ and make a mock off him when you professe him to bee your King and yet say his Goverment is not of absolute necessitie so do you hold it of absolute necessitie to give him the name off a King but not to give him the power of a King what great impietie off high contempt is this What earthly King would endure this at his subiects hands Iff you should do so by our Lord the King off Great Brittanne acknowledg him to bee your Lord and King and call him by that name and title and bend and bow to him with words of al reverence but wholy submit your selves to bee Governed by the lawes and Officers off a forreyne power and that by Rebellious subiects who ought to bee obedient vnto the King and yet are set vp as Kings and take the Kings power from him were you not al worthy to bee accounted traytors and Rebels and would not the King cast you all out off his Kingdome or destroy you al in it would the king bee satisfied withall your words off flattery that you could vse in acknowledging him and calling him by the name off your King when he should see hee had no power to Governe you by his lawes and Officers but that you did submitt to bee ruled by the Lawes and Officers off his Rebellious subiects and enimies Would our Lord the King endure this Haveing power in his hand to avenge himselff off you would he not after his often proclamations made and his manie messingers sent vnto you to commaund you to come from vnder those Governors and that Goverment least ye bee destroyed with them and to submit your selves to him and he will bee your King and your defence if for al this you would not harken and obey would not the King come with his power according to his word and destroy you all together that would not suffer him to rule over you Certenly the King would do it in iustice and for his owne honor and haveing protested it with his word Evē so be you sure wil Christ Iesus your king do by you all if you stand stil in rebellion against him submitting your selves to that rebellious Hyrarchie of arch B. and lord B. who ought to be his subiects but are his enimies ād exalt thēselves above him governing you by aforteyne power and Goverment and not by Christs power and goverment and the kings proclamations are come vnto you comaunding you to Come out from among them and seperate your selves and be his Children and people And he will receive you and bee your God and Father 2. Cor. 6. And Go out of hir my people that ye bee not partakers of his sinnes that you receive not of hir plagues Revel 18. Thus doth Christ Iesus your King cal vnto you and if you will not yet harken to his voice but flatter with your tongues and say you acknowledg him to bee your King but submit not to bee governed by his power he wil certenly in his iustice for his honor haveing protested it by the word of his mouth come against you al and give you the Cup off the Wine of the feircnes of his wrath Revel 16.19 Oh people destitute of vnderstanding Oh Nation not worthy to be loved Can you thinke in your mynds that God hath given all earthly Kings power to make good lawes to rule and governe their people by and comaunded their subiects to be obedient thervnto And hath he not given Christ Iesus his beloved Sonne whome he hath set vpon Davids throne for ever and made King over his people Israell power to make true lawes and good ordinances to governe and rule his people by and hath he not comaunded al his subiects to be obediēt thervnto wil no king of power suffer his subiects to submit thēselves to be governed by the govermēt of anie other ād so to be deprived of that goverment which God hath given them over their subjects and can you bee so vnwise to thinke that Christ Iesus who is a King of greatest power will suffer it in his subiects Can you not see that a King is no King if his Goverment over his people bee taken away and can you thinke that Christ may bee a King without his goverment What vanitie doth possesse your minds whilst you make so smale a matter off Christs goverment saying you differ with the Bishops in no fundamental point but onely in matter of Goverment See if there bee anie sight in you if the Lord Bishops power of goverment were taken away where were their kingdome their names and titles would not support their kingdome and this they see and you find by their Can. 7. Anno 1603. which they have made for the firme establishing off their Goverment knowing it to bee fundamental without the which their kingdome would presently come to nought even in one houre even so have they brought Christs Kingdome to nought amongst you by takeing his goverment from him Who hath be witched you thus to say and teach and seduce the simple as though goverment were no fundamentall point knowe you not what Goverment is Can you devide Christs goverment as hee is a King from his power or his power from this goverment Will you make him a king without goverment Wherein then is he a King otherwise then in name If the Lord-Bishops should compel you to denie Christ off the name of a king in or over his Church would you not then say they overthrew a fundamentall point off faith And have you not vnderstanding to deferne that the power or Goverment of a King is off farr greater authoritie then the name of a king and were it not a much lesse matter for a king to bee deprived of the
name and title of a king then of the power and goverment of a king Let the simple iudg whether is greater a king of great power and goverment or a king of great name and title Let them contend and see who shall get the victorie All this wee set downe to shewe how greatly you do er through ignorance that cannot deserne that power and govermeÌ„t in earthly kings is much greater theÌ„ name and title and therefore you err in Common iudgment But you do err much more in spirituall iudgment in that you cannot deserne Christs name and power off goverment to bee of equall estimaâ—ion for if you doe not hold al thinges in Christ and all things of Christ to bee equall and of like condition or proportion you overthrow the nature and propertie off God as thus Al the Graces of Christ in himself are equall a like and al his workes are equal a like It was all one with God to make Behemoth spoken of Iob. 40. and the Pismice Pro. 30. and God estemeth theÌ„ both a like so al the word of God is a like aÌ„d of like power and authoritie as Christ himself sheweth when an expounder of the law asked him which is the first and great Comaundement Iesus answered Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with al thy hart soule and mynd this is the first and the great Comaundement the secoÌ„d is like to this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe And thapostle Iames makes it most plaine that the comaundements of God are all of like power and authoritie and al of like necessitie to be obeyed aÌ„d the holy ghost doth shewe an evident reason wherefore everie comaundement is a like to be obeyed and why the breaking of one is the breaking of al because saith the holy Ghost by Thapostle he that comaunded one comaunded al. Iam. 2.10.11 From which ground of truth wee thus speake vnto you in the words of the holy ghost He that hath comaunded in the Church the true preaching of the word true baptisme and true administration of the Lords supper The same God hath comaunded also true goverment in the Church therefore although you should have the word of God truely preached and baptisme and the supper of the Lord truely administred yet iff you have a false Goverment you are transgressors of the whole law of God and gilty of al. Thus doth the word of God disaprove aÌ„d vtterly condeÌ„ne that blasphemous doctrine of pous whereby you fearefully deceive your selves and the people of God whilst you hold and teach that Christs goverment in his Church is not fundameÌ„tall And besides the word of God we have endeavored to shew you that in al humane sence and vnderstanding a king that hath not the power of govermeÌ„t over his subiects but they submit to the goverment of strang lords they are disobedieÌ„t aÌ„d rebellious aÌ„d give their king onely the name of King aÌ„d such subiects are you giveing Christ onely the name of a king but give his power of goverment to strang lords your lord Archb. and Bishops who enlarge you by their spirit and you are enlarged and who restraines you by their power and you are restrained who sets you vp for shepherds when you please theÌ„ aÌ„d puts you downe like hirelings wheÌ„ you offend theÌ„ who if they destroy your flock before your faces and you stand by you dare not aid theÌ„ but give Councel for peace to submit to their crueltie although they should condemne your most innoceÌ„t and iustifie the most gilty and al this evil aÌ„d much more you iustly bring vpon your selves and the people in teaching and professing that you differ not froÌ„ the Lord Bs. in any fundameÌ„tal point making and accounting there by the goverment which Christ hath appointed in his Church not to be fundamental wherein you sinne against God with an high haÌ„d makeing Christ Iesus a vaine Lawgiver whilst by your practice and profession both in deeds aÌ„d words you declare that the Ordinances of Christ which he hath appointed for the whole goverment of his Church are not of absolute necessitie and fundameÌ„tal If the Iewes had so said and practiced against the ordinaÌ„ces which they received for the goverment of the TeÌ„ple and Tabernacle and appointing the officers by the mouth of Moses it had made an vtter coÌ„fusioÌ„ of al aÌ„d they must have died And behold a greater theÌ„ Moses is here giveing ordinances for the goverment of his Temple aÌ„d Tabernacle and for the ordeining of Officers against which iff you resist and admit of anie other you must dye except you repent Heb. 10.28.29 and 12.25 for you make an vtter confusion of al. Oh that you would but looke with your eies and see what a confusion it would have brought into the Temple and Tabernacle if anie other Officers and anie other goverment had bene brought in then Moses appointed had not all their sacrifices and services bene polluted aÌ„d most abhominable to the Lord would Moses ever have endured it and would Aaron have consented there vnto They would not and if all the people had they al had bene destroied with Korah Dathan and Abiram who would have overthrowne the goverment and Officers of the temple for the Lord would have bene as iust in his iudgment vpon al as vpon sâ—me Oh that you would consider this and forget not God least he teare you in peeces and there bee none that can deliver you Are the Lawes and Ordinances given by Iesus Christ for the govermeÌ„t of his Temple and Tabernacle and appointing of his Officers not so perfit as those that was given by Moses and wil not the bringing in of anie other Officers and goverment into the Church of Christ then hee hath appointed cause as great as confuâ—ion as it would have done in the Temple and shal not al the sacrifices and services be polluted and most abhominable as theirs would have beene wil Christ Iesus the Mediator and high Preist endure it or consent vnto it anie more then Moses and Aaron would have done if you say he would then you make Christ lesse faithful then Moses and make his Church lesse holy then the Temple was and his lawes and Ordinances not to peâ—fit as those that were given by Moses and so shal the transgression against them deserve lesse punishment but but all the Prophets and Apostles and Christ Iesus himself testifieth the contrarie to this as you know right wel and most especially the Author to the Hebrewes handleth these thinges at large shewing that the Temple Tabernacle and al the Officers and offices and ordinances off administration for Goverment and service given by Moses were but a paterne shadowe and similitude of the Heavenly Temple and Ordinances established and given by Christ who is the Mediator of a better Testament established vpon better promisses and is the High Preist of a more perfect Tabernacle and hath purified al the ordinances with a better blood he is faithful as
Moses is worthy off more glory honor Heb. 8.5.6 and 9.11.23 and 3.2.3 and he wil punish with much sorer punishment those that dispise his Law then Moses could Heb. 10.28.29 Therefore take heed to your selves for you have brought an vtter confusion vpon the house of God by submitting vnto another goverment and other Officers then Christ hath appointed in his Church and so are al your sacrifices and services polluted as theirs would have bene in the Temple iff they had permitted anie such thinge and if the Goverment of the Temple was fundamental how much more the goverment of the Church of Christ Bee wise in spiritual wisedome and then you wil yeild that true goverment is of as absolute necessitie in the Church of Christ vnder the Gospell as it was in the Temple vnder the Law And if you will bee of vnderstanding according to all the vnderstanding off men you wil confesse that a kings owne goverment by his owne lawes and Ordinances is fundamental and of absolute necessitie in his owne kingdome and over his owne subiects or els he is a king but onely in name and not in power then must you needs confesse that Christs Goverment is of absolute necessitie and fundamental in his Kingdome or els you make him but a king in name and how can you in all true iudgment but acknowledg that it is much better to have the power and goverment of a King without the name of King then to have the name of a King and not the power and goverment of a King And therefore you might as well submitt to the Lord Bishops to take away Christs name of a King as submit to take away from him the power and govermēt of a King but therein lyes the depth of the misterie of iniquitie in the man of sinne in takeing wholly from him his power and yet professing his name and here by are al the Nations of the Earth deceived and this it is that blinds you al because you have the professiō off Christs name amongst you saying he is your king this makes you rest satisfied although you yeild vnto him no one thinge els that apperteynes to his Kinglie Office but onelie the name and title off a King That wee may make this plaine vnto you for you see it not that you give Christ onelie the name off a King in your Church wee shewe it vnto you thus all that can bee given to a King off his subiects is to give vnto him all the titles off honor due vnto his name and to submitt in obedience vnto his power This is al that God requireth to himself in the 1.2.3 and 4. Commaundements And this must everie King have their name and power and especially Christ our King Now the name of a King you give vnto Christ but no power of a King The which that it may appeare evidentlie vnto the simple wee pray you to consider that all the power of a king cōsists in punishing the evil doers rewarding the wel doers as is proved Rom. 13 1-4 where Thappostle shewes that al the powers that are they are of God ād they are to this end onely to punish the evil reward the good Speake now vprightly before God ād men hath Christ this power in your Church and are his Officers and people permitted to execute it are the good by Christs kinglie power cherished cōforted ād rewarded and are the evil by the power of Christ corrected and punished hath Christ power by his owne ordinances lawes and officers to receive ād keepe in the good and to cast out and keepe the bad out off the Church if you should say Christ hath his power in your Church you al called Puritanes are condemned at once for the most evil doers in the whole Church because you above al are most evil spoken of mocked contemned hated Cited silenced excomunicated ād imprisoned is al this done by the holie kinglie power of Christ then are you the most evil doers and thē are al the proud boasters cursed speakers malicious covetous and flatterers that have peace and prefermēt in the church weldoers is this the power of Christ if it be not as we knowe you wil al confesse it is not thē must you needs cōfesse that Christ hath not the power off a King in the Church For if he have no power to punish the evil doers ād reward the weldoers thē hath he no manner of power by his Kinglie Office among you and then do you give him but onelie the name of a King and so do you give him no more then Pilate gave him when he wrote a title and put it on the Crosse This is Iesus the King off the Iewes But in all this you thinke to excuse your selves in that you are innocent in these thinges and protest and seeke much to have it otherwise even so was Pilate he washed his hands and would bee innocent from the Blood off that iust Man Hee protested he saw no evill in him And he sought to loose him but when he saw hee availed not he belivered him to the high Preists and Elders to bee Crucified And thus doe you the best of you all that when you cannot prevaile that Christ might have his power sett vp as you pretend you deliver it into their hands that destroy it and submitt your selves vnto them also Wil you yet say Christ is your King When it is thus evident that he hath no power to rule over you wil Christ be such a King be not deceived God is not mocked he wil comaund you his enemies which would not that he should reign over you to bee slayne before him if you repent not no pretence of excuse shal bee admitted for comitting of evil neither excuse of feare nor of ignorance the Lord doth teach al men every where to repent they that beleeve obey shal bee saved they that do not beleeve shal bee damned which you shall all bee every one of you that submit to anie other goverment then that most holy and blessed goverment which Christ hath established in his Church whereof he is the Head King And therefore the Church of Christ is in subiection in every thinge Ephes 5.24 And our Saviour Christ wil no more bee the head nor savioux of such a Church that submits it selfe vnto the power of a stranger his ennimie then anie Godly wise husband wil bee the head of a wife that submits hir bodie vnto the power of another man although she make never so manie faire pretēces of excuses ād for this ēd and to shew al other love and duties hath the H. ghost aptlie heere by Thapostle compared Christ and his Church and a husband and a wife together to teach thereby al the love and duties of Husband and Wife one to another and to declare all Christs love to his Church and the duties of his Church to him againe how can the holy Ghost by more fit and plaine
comparisons to the capacitie of man shewe and declare the power and love of Christ over and to his church and the subiection that the Church is to yeild to him in everie thinge which subiection seeing your church wil not yeild to Christ but denies him the whole power off Goverment over it Christ cannot be head off such a Church neither can your Church bee his bodie for everie bodie is guided and Governed by it owne head and none of aâ— you that are members off that bodie are members of the bodie of Christ But the spiritual lord Arch Bishop and Lord Bishop are head of your Church in that it is in subiection to theÌ„ in everie thinge as you well knowe and therefore is it their bodie for everie head hath it owne bodie and you al are members of their bodie whereof Christ is not the Saviour but he is the Saviour of his owne body which is his Church whereof he is head Ephes 5.23 The God of grace give you grace to consider your feareful estates and standings herein and deliver you froÌ„ that daÌ„gerous delightful securitie wherewiâ—h your harts are so overipred all your sences and affections being bewitched aÌ„d ravished by that ware of Gold Silver al excellent mettales of pearles al precious stones of silke scarlet al costly vestures of vessels of yvory and of al most precious wood off Cinamon and odours and oyntments frankincense and Wyne and Oyle and fyne floure and wheat and Beasts and Sheepe and Horses and Charetts and Servants and Soules of Men and Apples that your Soules lust after All these things hath the Holie Ghost set downe most larglie Revel 18. to discover the deceiveablenes of vnrighteousnes in al the precious delightful sweet and pleasant spiritual baites and snares that are in that your glorious professioÌ„ of Puritanisme whereby your soules are bewitched and ravished as also in al other professions amongst those people that are the waters wherevpon the woman arayed in purple and Scarlet doth sit Revel 17. Of which people you are in that you are in subiection vnto the power of the Beast and his image and therefore are al your sacrifices oblations aÌ„d incense in vaine your Prophesieings or preachings your praiers and praisings of God are an abhomination vnto the Lord your silver is become drosse your wine is mixt with water The Lord hath covered you with a spirit of flumber and hath shut vp your eies Your Prophets and your cheife Seers hath he covered because you come neare vnto him with your mouth and honor him with your lips in calling Christ your King but you have taken Goverment from his shoulder who is called wonderful Councellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace the increase of whose government peace shal have no end Esa 9.6.7 and here doth the Prophet shewe likewise that he sits vpoÌ„ Davids throne vpon his Kingdome to order it but al this power you give vnto your strange Lords and yet you crie and say that Christ is your King Thus do you flatter with your lips dissemble with your tongues and your waies are not vpright before the Lord. What might we say to provoake you to set your harts to seeke the lord and to turne your feet to walke in his pathes and your eares to harken to his voice which seing you wil al with earnestnes professe to do do it with faithfulnes and cast away al ignorant hipocrisie and now that the abhomination of desolatioÌ„ is set vp before your eies heare this voice of the lord flee into the mountaines aÌ„d Come out of hir my people and turne not back to that which is left behind Remeber Lots wife Math. 24.15.16 Revel 18.4 Luk. 17.31.32 Wee will vse no more reasons to prove you are not come out of Babilon but you owne confessioÌ„ shal witnes against you in that you daylie complaine of your bondage therefore you may see you are in the house of bondage but there is no bondage in the house off God where the Children off the free Woman standfast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free Galat. 4.31 and 5.1 Why are you then stil in bondage vnder all those Ceremoniall Traditions which you say your soules abhor iff you be off those that Christ hath made free Shall we intreat you with Godlie advisednes to consider what the bondage is and see how you looke to bee delivered is not your bondage you complaine off a spirituall bondage in that you are restrained of spiritual libertie in the holie things Haveing Ceremonies and Ecclesiasticall Lawes and Canons pressed vpon you which of Conscience you cannot obey so is it plaine your bondage is spiritual And how would you bee delivered from your spiritual bondage aÌ„d who should bee your deliverer Can you bee delivered but by a spiritual power and caÌ„ you have anie deliverer but a spiritual Lord if you seeke to and depend vpon anie other Lord to bee delivered from spirituall bondage you take vnto yourselves another God and set vp a spiritual power against the power of God And whereas you should put on the whole armor of God and wrestle against principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses which are in the high places and stand fast you have shrunck in the day of batâ—le and have not faithfully contented for the maintenance off the faith given to the Saincts But have and do yeild to the Spirituall wickednesses which are vnder the power of those spirituall Lords the Arch Bishops and Lordbishops and have cast of the armor and sword off the Spirit wherewith you should resist and overcome and wherby these spiritual wickednesses shal bee consumed and abolished and you have taken vnto your selves a direction after the device off your owne harts seeking and sueing by petitions not to God but to meÌ„ that you might have leave as you pretend to sett vp Christ for your King and Governor and if you could get leave you make shewe as though you would reforme matters that are greatlie amisse but seing you cannot you are content to let them alone and grone vnder them for so you speake and not to bee too busie least you should make matters worse Of this same condition were the people of Israel when Moses was sent to bring them out of Egipt for when they saw that leave would not bee granted but that more worke was laid vpon them and that there was danger and trouble they would have made their peace and have groned still vnder their burthens as they had done and so have continewed in that their bondage as you do in your spiritual bondage but the Lord was merciful vnto them according to his owne promisse and brought them out by a mightie hand and with great signes and wonders and even so hath the Lord promissed to bring his Elect which are those that harkeÌ„ to the voice of his Call out of this spiritual bondage of Babilon Egipt and Sodom
Iudah a falfe Church Iff therefore you hold or account England as Israell then must you hold aÌ„d account England a true Chur. for it is but your devisings to say Israell was a false Church and iff England bee as Israel a true Chur. then are al your sinnes exceeding great who have made such a seperation as you have And if you bee come from Babilon then looke the whole booke off God throughout and you shal find that no Babilonian circumcision could be admitted into the house of the Lord. And let all behold in the booke of the Revelation what the estate and condition off Babilon is and of al them that are in hir and how the voice off the Lord is come out of hir my people and if any shal worship the Beast his image receive his marke in his forehead or in his hand or receiveth the print of his name he shal drinke of the wine of the wrath of God Therefore there may nothinge bee reteyned that is brought from Babilon no marke nor print off name And will you bring the Print seale and name of your Christianitie from thence what vaile of darknes overspreads your harts herein you are deceived through the vaine ymaginations of your owne harts supposing that although you come out of Babilon yet you were not Babilonians but if you hold the assemblies of England Babilon as you declare you doe then except you can shew your genealogie that you with your vessel of baptisme which is your baptizing were brought from Ierusalem and out of the house of the Lord iff you cannot prove this which were duble follie to go about â—hen must you be conâ—ent to knowe your selves that you were Babilonians aÌ„d yet are in that your seale of Christianity is the seale of Babilon and so are you but Babilonian Christians and servants of the Beast bearing the beasts marke title and name in your foreheads And whereas you and all the rest of the false Prophets of your professioÌ„ do in flatterie aÌ„d dissimulation not knowing the misterie of Godlines affirme and acknowledg of the assemblies in England that there are thousands amoÌ„g them that truelie feare God alluding to the seaven thousand in Israell you make them beleeve thereby that they stand in the estate of grace and salvation so do you prophesie peace and salvaâ—ion where the lord prophesieth destruction for the Lord prophesieth that al that come not furth of Babilon shal be partakers of hir plagues and that whosoever yeilds anie obedience or braces anie marke of the Beast shal bee tormented with fire brimstone Reve. 14. but you prophesie that there are thousands in England which you acknowledg to be BabiloÌ„ who receives not the beasts marke and that are careful to keepe the comaundements off God and faith of Iesus and that truelie feare God if such bee not in the estate of salvation then no flesh is or can bee but this cannot be the estate of anie one in Babilon which if you vnderstood the misterie off Godlines you might easilie see for the bondage of Babilon is spiritual bondage and all that are in Babilon are in spiritual bondage aÌ„d none that are in spiritual bondage can bee in the estate of grace and salvation For all that are in the estate of grace and salvation must stand faâ— in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made them free and may not bee intangled with the yock of bondage Gal. 5.1 And where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie 2. Cor. 3.17 Add vnto this that which is formerlie shewed that al that come not furth of Babilon must perish with Babilon Deceive not your selves therefore and flatter not them off England for there is no one person either of them or you we speake off persons of vnderstanding that are in the estate of grace or salvation or shal ever bee saved if you come not furth of Babilon and cast away the marke of the Beast wherewith you are al marked Revel 19.20.21 Wee exhort you all therefore that by grace in Christ you worke out your salvations with feare and trembling or els you perish from the highest to the lowest The King off Kings the Lord of Lords hath said it that Babilon shal bee destroyed withall that are found in hir Ier. 51.6 Revel 18.4 Wee wil now conclude with you putting you in remembrance that seeing no distinction nor differeÌ„ce can be made betwixt a false Church and no Church but they are both one For a false Church are they that say and make shewe they are a true Church but are not as false Apostles are they that say and make shewe they are Apostles and are not 2. Cor. 11.13 and false Iewes are they that say and make shewe they are jewes aÌ„d are not Re. 2 This your distinction being vtterlie overthrowne so as you shal never bee able to open your your mouthes to maintaine it But the simplest soule amongst you shal bee able to discover your deceit Your whole false building is at once fallen to the ground for a false Church being no Church then England being by you all adiudged to bee a false Church is no Church so is your baptisme brought out of no Church aÌ„d your false Baptisme is no Baptisme and thus shal the simplest amongst you bee able to say to you is our baptipsme that wee had in England a false baptisme then is it no baptisme then are we not Baptized and to this you shal never bee able to answere them although you should set your selves to vercaie Gods truth and their soules so likewise if you tell them that England is a false Church they shal say vnto you then is it no Church and you shal not knowe which way to contradict theÌ„ in that the scriptures do teach that a false Church is no Church as a false God is no God a false Christ no Christ a false Appostle no Appostle so is a false Ordinance no Ordinance off Christ a false Baptisme no Baptisme off Christ Thus wee doubt not but through the grace of God wee shall see by the brightnes of Christs coming that your darke deceitful waies wil be discovered to the simplest and you shal bee ashamed to speake of a false baptisme and to say it is partlie the true baptisme of Christ and partlie the baptisme of the Devil and so ioine Christ and Beelzebub together and make them partners in one baptisme Wee hope the feare off God wil teach you better wisedome â—hen thus still to blaspheme for the supporting of your kingdome off darknes And if you were not a stifnecked people aÌ„d of vncircuÌ„cised harts and races you would not thus long with contempt and violence have resisted the truth of God as you have done and do persecuting it with bitter envyings and raylings for the which the Lord may iustlie give you vp to hardnes of hart but the Lord in great mercie shew mercie vpon you al that do it ignoratlie we haveing from the word of the
Baptize no infants but such infants as were Babes in Christ such as are begotten by the imortall seed of the word and it would discover vnto you your carnal ignorance and blindnes in holding that Isralites beget Isralit snow as vnder the law or that Christians beget Christians by generation which hath brought in such madnes amongst men as the Brownists hold aÌ„d professe â—hat no infants that dye are vnder the Covenant of grace and salvation but such as they beget Thus do they onelie beget infants that are heires off salvation and al this and much more evil comes vpon makeing the new Covenant like the old and so make them both carnal which you doe herein in holding that parents begett Children to bee vnder the Spirituall Covenant by carnal generation But because some through the great weaknes off their judgment and vnderstanding cannot see the old Covenant to bee a carnal Covenant wee wil in short yet further endeavour to shewe how it is a carnall or worldlie Covenant First it was a carnal CovenaÌ„t in that al the promisses that God made to Abraham in that Covenant of Circumcision were of worldlie thinges as wee may see Gen. 17.5.6.7 where the Lord saith I will make thee exceeding fruitful I wil make Nations of thee yea Kings shal proceed off theâ—e and I wil give thee and thy seed after the all the Land off Canaan for an everlasting possession Here is this whâ—le Covenant of circumcision which God makes wherein there is no promisse but of worldlie thinges Secondlie in this Covenant of circumcision the lord requires a carnal obedience that is Let every man Child bee circumcised in the foreskinne of the Flesh. Thirdlie the judgment for the breatch of this Covenant is a worldlie iudgment vers 14. The vncircumcised man-child in whose Flesh the fore-skinne is not circumcised that person shal bee cut of from his People because he hath broken my Covenant Add moreover vers 13. Where the Lord saith This is my Covenant in your Flesh. Who wil bee so blind as not to see that this is a carnal Covenant Wiâ— men bee so void off all vnderstanding as to say that God makes a Spirituall Covenant with a people in their Flesh though men have bene so ignorant let them not be so ignorante stil After the like manner as hath bene spoken off the Covenant may bee spoken of the Tabernacle Preisthood and al those services and carnall rites in all which Covenant and worldlie ordinances their is no promisse of salvation for the keeping of them nor cannot be because they make not holie concerning the conscience Heb. 9.9 Neither sanctifie they the commers therevnto Chap. 10.1 Nor there is no judgment of condemnation pronounced against anie although they should presumpteouslie breake thine but bodilie death Num. 15.30 Heb. 13.28 etc. yet through repentance such might bee saved But now vnder the new Covenant which is spiritual there is promisse of salvation to them that keepe it For he that beleeves and is Baptised shal bee saved And there is condemnatioÌ„ pronounced against them that kepe it not he that wil not beleeve shal bee damned and he thaâ— sinneth presumpteouslie or willinglie of knowledg against this Covenant or anie of the ordinances thereof shal never bee forgiven Heb. 20.19 Thus may all see that wil not winck with their eies that the new Covenant is not likt the old But is a Covenant established vpon better promisses and that the first Covenant is established vpon Worldlie or Earthlie promisses But the new Covenant is established vpon spiritual or heavenlie promisses even of life and salsalvation The difference of these two Covenants being with a spiritual eie discerned it wil easilie overthrowe that most false and vnproper consequence which is drawne from the old Covenant to the new for the Baptizing of infants which consequence iff it were rightlie laid downe the darknes of it would easilie appeare as thus Vnder the old Covenant infants were circumcised in the flesh so vnder the new Covenant infants must be Baptized in the flesh what ignorance is this What wine of Fornication That hath made drunck al Nations there is no such Baptisme in the new Testament as Baptisme in the Flesh God forbid that men should remaine still so ignorant as to thinke that Christ Iesus in his heavenlie Kingdome and new Covenant hath established anie carnal rite or Ceremonial Ordinance the handwriting whereoff he hath put out and abolished Col. 2.14 And therefore the Baptisme of the new Testament must needs be a spiritual baptisme of water the spirit Ioh. 3.5 with which baptisme infants cannot be Baptized so is it great wickednes and a propâ—anation of the holie and divine ordinance off God to vse such administration vpon infants makeing hereby the ordinance of God of no effect there being no benifit or advantage end or vse of it for you wil al confesse that al infants must be regenerate and borne againe or els they cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven and our Saviour Christ the Saviour of vs al saith that they that are borne againe must be borne of water and the Spirit To what end then is the Baptizing of infants they not being regenerate thereby Furthermore you frame your consequence with these words as infants were sealed with the seale of the Covenant vnder the law so they must bee sealed with the seale of the Covenant vnder the Gospel Wee demaund of you is washing with water a seale If it bee a seale it is a seale in the Flesh where then is the print or impression thereof It hath none therefore it can bee no seale Oh how blindlie are the wisemen of the world carried away in these thinges contrary to al vnderstanding to bee brought to ymagine that washing an infant with water is a seale are not these vaine inventions without ground of Scripture reason or common sence Can you walke thus and thinke to please God Will God bee pleased with you when you walke in those waies that best please your owne mynds Bee not deceived God will not hold you gilties for thus vsing his name and Ordinance in vaine If you will examine the new Testament throughout you shall find no seale nor none sealed but they that beleeve who are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promisse Ephes 1.13 By which Holy Spirit wee are all Baptized into one body 1. Cor. 12.13 And there is but one Spirit one Baptisme and one body Ephes 4.4.5 Which holy seale of the Spirit seeing infants cannot have they cannot bee Baptized with that one Baptisme into that one body so is your consequeÌ„ce for the baptizing of infants directly contrary to the CovenaÌ„t and ordinance of God the Covenant of the lord being that they which beleeve are baptized shal be saved and the ordinance being the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sinnes To conclude this point with a ground that al who have anie knowledg of the word of God will confesse which is
this the Covenant of the new Testament is a Covenant of life and salvation onely to all that beleeve and are baptized Mark 16.16 The seale off the CovenaÌ„t must needs be aunswereable to that holy Covenant a seale of life and salvation onelie to them that beleeve and are Baptized Ephes 1.13.14 Revel 2.17 and 28. Thappostle here to the Ephes doth shewe that after they beleeved they were sealed with the holie Spirit of promisse Let all then confesse with whome there is anie vprightnes that infants who cannot beleeve for Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10.17 cannot bee sealed with the seale of this Covenant it is not in the power of parents to set this seale vpon their infants as it was in their power to set the signe of Circumcision vpon their Flesh Therefore is it not required of them by the Lord and it is altogether impietie and wickednes and a prophaning of the holie ordinance of God to take in hand to administer it vpon infants and the Lord will revenge himselfe for such wickednes if it bee not repented of But against this ground of truth that the Covenant of life and salvation is made onelie with them that beleeve and are Baptized it is obiected that the Covenant is made with them and their seed and though manie writers write thus and most men affirme it yet Mr. Robinson being next hand wee will produce his warrant for this ground being as good as anie others and he as vnadvisedlie overseene in the setting it downe Thus speakes he in his Booke Pag. 282. The Scriptures everie where teach that parents by their faith bring their Children into the Covenant off the Church intitle them to the promisses litle doth Mr. Rob thinke how suddenlie in his accustomed haist he hath brought in a meritorious faith it were to bâ— wished that he and al meÌ„ did see and feele that their faith is little enough to bring themselves vnder the Covenant of God if it were not for the gracious and most mercifull acceptance off God in Christ But God hath not promissed anie where to accept to salvation of the parents faith for their Children nor to condemne them for their parents infidelity this is but one among manie of Mr. Ro. doctrines of Devils which he hath heaped vp in his tedious booke his proofe for his doctrine is Gen. 17. And wee prove his doctrine most false by Gen. 17. where AbrahaÌ„ his faith and earnest praier to God could not bring Ismael his Child of 13. yere old vnder that Covenant vers 18-21 Thus is Mr. Ro. altogether overseene in the scripture that he himself allegeth Add moreover to this Gen. 25.23 Where Izhaks faith could not bring Esau vnder the Covenant Thus may all see that Mr. Ro. doth but quote scripture for his proofe and not shewe how it proves his ground The next proofe for this ground is Act. 2.39 Where Thappostle speaking to and of al the vnbeleeving Iewes and Gentils saith the promisse is made to you and to your Children even as manie as the Lord our God shall call How Mr. Ro. will apply this to his purpose we knowe not but wee confesse that this promisse They that beleeve and are Baptized shal bee saved is made to al the vnbeleeving Iewes and Gentils and their Children to this day but this doth no way prove that the faith of the parents in titles children to the promisses nor that the promisse of salvation is made to the vnbeleeving Iewes and Gentils or to their Children except they and their children amend their lives and be baptized And whereas Mr. Rob. as it should seeme vnderstands children in this place to bee infants wee wil first leave that to him to prove that thappostle speakes heare concerning infants and then wee will require of him how he proves that the inheritance off the Kingdome of heaven goes by succession of generation as the land of Canaan did For the second part of his vniust and vngodly affirmation that God takes occasion by the sinnes off the parents to execute his iustice to condemnatioÌ„ vpon the children herein Mr. Ro. dubles his sinne in that as he hath before made the parents faith the cause of blessing to salvation which he saith is every where to be found in the scriptures but shewes no where so now he affirmes that parents infidelity is the cause of Gods iudgment to condemnation vpon their children Mr. Ro. propounds his doctrine and rule for a general rule and doctrine To prove him a falfe Prophet in this also wee refer the Godly reader to the 1. King 14. where it is shewed that Abyah the sonne off most wicked Ieroboam being but yong was not cursed for his Fathers sinnes and Iosiah being but eight yere old when his Father died the Lord blessed him aboundantly in his infancy notwithstanding al the grevious transgressions of his Father Ammon 2. Chro. 33. and 34. Chap. Neither did the Lord punish the people of Israels children for that their great transgression Num. 14 27-39 when they murmured because of the spies by which sinne although they so provoked the Lord to wrath as he caused al their carcasies to fal to bee waisted and consumed in the wildernes not suffering anie one of them to go into the Land of Canaan save Ioshua and Caleb yet eveÌ„ then in his anger he declared his mercie to al their Children promissing to bring them into the Land Now wee confesse with Mr. Ro. that wee are al by nature the Children of wrath conceived and borne in sinne but wee disire to knowe of Mr. Ro. whether he hold not that al Children are alike the Children of wrath and alike begotten in sinne or that some parents confer grace by generation more then others and if they do not as wee assure our selves you wil confesse but that all Infants are alike in themselves the Children off wrath then let vs see not after a sort but directly by what evideÌ„ce of scripture it can be proved their sinnes being al alike in themselves that God should execute his justice to condemnation vpon some children for the sinnes of their paâ—ents and shew mercie to salvation vpon others for the faith of their parents seeing the iust God hath said that every one shal receive salvation or condemnation according to that which hee hath done in the flesh and not acording to that which his parents hath done And let al se Mr. Ro. great iniquity in this his affirmatioÌ„ in that he blaÌ„sphemously chargeth the most holy and iust God to punish infaÌ„ts to condemnation for the actual sinnes of their pareÌ„ts when they themselves have not sinned after the same manner of transgression Rom. 5.14 and we pray M. R and al men to consider the words of the lord Exo. 20. who saith he wil visite the sinnes of the Fathers vpon the childreÌ„ of theÌ„ that hate him which hatred is shewed by the breach of his comaundemeÌ„ts but do infaÌ„ts hate
off the Mone shal be as the light off the Sunne the light off the Sunn shal be seaven fold like the light of seaven days in the day that the lord wil bind vp the breach of his people heale the strooke of their wound And Esa 32.19 thou shalt not see a feirce people a people of dark speach that thou canst not perceive of a straing tongue that thou canst not vnderstand Al this teacheth the people of God to looke for plaine pathes to walke in which do shine with brightnes as also that the witnesses of the lord shal be a people that shal speake plainly to the vnderstanding of the simple therefore the Lords people must not walke in blind and secret wayes nor desert pathes which are not light and plaine nor be seduced by false Prophets and deceitful people that speake in their feirce heate dark and obscure thinges who are ful of deceitfull distinctions blind consequences and al turning of devices to deceive the simple saying loe here is Christ loe there is Christ of such our Saviour forewarnes his people that they beleeve them not although they shal shewe great signes and wonders but that they shal set their harts aÌ„d turne their eies vnto the cleare light of truth which is the everlasting gospel that the Angell flieing through the midst of heaven preached vnto them that dwel on the earth to every nation kindred tongue people Revel 14.6 This is the spirit off the Lords mouth wherewith he wil consume the man of sinne and abolish him by the brightnes of his comeing 2. Thes 2. By the ministery of the seaventh angel who when he hath poured out his viall their shall bee sounds lightnings thunders a great earthquake such as nevers was the great Citie shal be rent in three parts the Cities of the Nations shal fal that great Babilon shal come in remembrance before God hee shal give vnto hir the Cup of the wine of the feirenes of his wrath Rev. 16. Thus by the glorious light off the Gospell shall the misterye off iniquity be abolished And whereas our Saviour Christ saith that this his comeing shal bee as the lightning cometh out off the East and is seene into the west this makes it manifest vnto vs that the glorious overspreading off the gospel againe shal be as at the first General over all and that men shal seeke after and resort vnto the light of the truth of God as Eagles do to their pray according to the prophesie of Esa 60.4 Lift vp thyne eies round about and behold all these are gathered come to thee thy sonnes shal come from farr Esa 66.18 The Lord saith it will come that I shal gather all Nations and Tongues and they shal come and see my glory And the Lord by the Prophet Amos. 9.11 12. saith In that day wil I raise vp the Tabernacle of David that is fallen downe and close vp the breaches thereof will raise vp his ruins and I wil build it as in the dais of old and Esa 11.11.12 In the same day shal the lord stretch out his hand againe the second time to possesse the remnant of his people and he shal assemble the dispersed of Israel gather the scatered of Iudah froÌ„ the fower corners of the world And herevnto agreeth the Prophesie Revel 19.17 Where the Angel that stands in the sunne cries with a lowd voice to al the foules that flye through the midst of heaven come gather your selves together to the supper of the great God and Revel 21. The Holy Spirit speaking of the glorious exaltation of the Holy Citie after the destruction off Babilon saith The Kings of Earth shall bring their glory and honor vnto it the glory and honor of the Gentils shal bee brought vnto it And this yet â—s the hope comfort of the Saincts of God that it shal come to passe that they which now come against Ierusalem shal go vp from yere to yere to worship the King the Lord of hoasts and to kepe the Feast of Tabernacles Zach. 14.16 Therefore saith the voice out of the Throne praise our God all yee his servants and ye that feare him both smale and great for the Lord that almightie God doth now raigne let vs bee glade and reioyce and give glory to him for the marriage off the lambe is come and his wife hath prepared hirself Revel 19.5.6.7 These words are faithful aÌ„d true which must shortly bee fulfilled blessed is hee that observeth the Words of the prophesie off the booke Revel 22.6.7 But woe woe woe then bee vnto all that doe not marke and observe them and faithfully and carefully keepe the Words off the Prophesie off this Booke But wee demaund in all these daies of tribulation which are such as never were nor ever shal be where shal the ignorant appeare iff in the daies of so great danger when there shal bee as there now is so manie false Prophets shewing such signes and wonders so as if it were possible they should deceive the very elect if in these daies the ignorant bee seduced through their ignorance shal they drinck of the Cup of the wine of Gods wrath The word of the Lord is perfect and plaine they shal al perish that are ignorant and are deceived because they receive not the love of the truth therefore God shal send them stronge delusions that they should beleeve lyes and bee damned 2. Thes 2. And it is iust with the Lord their ignorance being declared to be for want of the love of the truth Thus then is this ground off truth most evident aÌ„d plaine they that through grace in Christ receive the love off the truth they are the Elect of God and shal not bee deceived but shal bee saved But they that through the effectuall working of Sathan withal his signes and lying wonders receive not the love of truth they shal bee deceived and beleeve lyes and bee damned Moreover our Saviour Christ saith if the ignorant lead the ignorant they shal both fall into the pit Mat. 15.14 let al therefore take heed and learne to knowe the truth of God and to love it and to vnderstand his word themselves seeing the Lord hath comaunded them not to followe such as say Loe here is Christ loe there is Christ but to looke vnto the shyning light of truth whereof if they bee not able to iudg and deserne of themselves by the direction of Gods spirit they can never have faith nor assurance in the way they walke so shal they runne blindfold to destruction not knoweing whether they are sedd False prophets or true Prophets are al alike to them they being ignorant of the scriptures whereby they should examine them and find them out and try their doctrine such must needs bee carried away with every blast off vaine doctrine wheÌ„ they are not able to try the spirits whether they be of God these
seing they iustifie themselves in them and say they sinne not therefore their sinne remaineth and cannot bee taken away by Christ As for example You all iustifie the baptizing of infants now when you repent of all your sinnes of ignorance have you anie thoughts to repent of that and if you were asked would you not with your last breath iustify that you have done wel therein and that the baptizing off Infants is a holy ordinance of Christ but if it be no ordinance of Christ and that you sinne therein cā you be so simple as to imagine that this sinne shall come within your general repentance Wherein you blesse and iustifie your selves You can no more bee forgiven at Gods hands then they that ignorātly set vp a false Christ ād iustify him to be the true Christ or thē they that put the true Christ to death and iustify he is a false Christ We know your answere in this willbee that if you could see it to be your sinne to baptize infants and to mainteyne it to bee a holy ordinance off God you would repent of it but before you cannot wil not God answere you that when hee can see you repent he wil forgive you but before he cannot Ezek. 18.21.27 Wil not the Pope make the same answere for al the bloody persecutions wherewith he hath and doth persecute al Protestants so called Wil not the lord Bishop make this answere for all their wicked and cruel persecutions against the Puritanes ād Brownists so caled but shal they be pardoned they iustifying thēselves in al these wickednesses wherein they think they doe God service because they repent of al their sinnes of ignorance whereof they iustifie these to bee none wil God pardon thē in al this their wickednes because they cannot see it to be their sinne You al wil grant they cannot be pardoned of these sinnes they iustifying themselves therein neither can anie be pardoned of anie sinne they iustifying themselves therein If this were duely considered it would make men take heed what they professe or practice in the profession of Christ seeing if they professe or practice anie thinge that is not according to the word of God and iustifie it for good they must perish and cannot be saved it stands therefore al men vpon the peril of their soules to looke to their waies and to bee vpon a sure ground from Gods word what they condemne for evil or error ād what they mainteyne and iustifie for truth for if they that iustifie the wicked they that condemne the iust be an abhomination vnto the Lord. Pro. 17.15 Then they that iustifie error and wickednes and condemne truth and righteousnes calling light darknes darknes light such must needs bee an abhomination to the Lord. If al the learned Scribes and Pharisies and false Prophets in the world had harts to beleeve this and confesse it it would make them take heed what they iustified for truth ād what they condēned for error and how they taught others to do so If al the careles professors of Christ that professe him in word would beleeve this word of the lord to bee true it would make them looke more circumspectly to their waies and not thinke that anie profession of Christ is sufficient and that they may professe Christ after that manner that is best pleasing to their owne mynds makeing the way large that they may walke therein at liberty according to the vanity and excesse of their owne harts If the simple harted who in manie things are weyued from the world and who have manie zealous disires in them did faithfully beleeve the Lord herein that if they iustifie anie false waies vntruth or error and condemne anie way off light and truth their sinne remaineth they are an abhomination to the Lord if they did beleeve God herein it would make them take heed how they went on in their ignorant zeale being led by their Teachers approving and iustifying what they teach thē and disapproveing and condemning what they reach them to disaprove and condemne Forsakeing the teaching off Gods Spirit not thinking it possible for themselves to attayne to the vnderstanding off the Scriptures but by the teaching of their learned and good men as they falsely cal them but if they did beleeve this word off the Lord that they must perish if they iustifie anie one error or false way and condemne anie one truth it would make them with feare and trembling to seeke wisedome knowledg and vnderstanding of God that they being taught off God might bee able of themselves by the helpe of the holy Spirit the onely true Teacher and leader into all truth to discerne and iudg betwixt good and evil light and darknes truth and error least they relying vpon men be seduced and led to iustifie false waies and condemne the way of truth in anie perticuler and so fal vnder the iust iudgment off the Lord evē the iudgment of eternal death and condemnation a right recōpence of reward for al that wil of ignorant simplicity out of their good meanings ād zealous affectiōs falsly so called submit themselves to be led ād taught onely of men seeking for knowledg at their mouthes ād not wholly depēding vpō the scriptures for instruction and the spirit of God to teach thē the vnderstanding thereof neclecting of faith the reading and searching and meditating of the scriptures day and night and earnest praying without doubting that the Lord would give them the spirit of wisedome to direct thē to the true vnderstanding ād meaning of God in the Scriptures that they might be able if an Angell frō heaven should come and teach them anie other doctrine then Christ and his Apostles hath taught to iudg him accursed when this way shal be once truely learned ād faithfully practized of Gods people to attayne to true knowledg then shal all that seeke after Christ strive to enter into his kingdome by regeneration and new birth being borne againe of water the Holy Ghost then shal men learne to knowe the true baptisme of Christ which is the baptisme of repētāce for the remission off sinnes and be therewith Baptized and put on Christ and not satisfie themselves with childish baptisme in which baptisme they have not nor could not put on Christ and without which baptisme of repentance for the remissiō of sinnes they cannot put on Christ and then shal the elect of God not be deceived by the multitude of false Prophetts with al their lying wonders that say Loe here is Christ loe there is Christ but they shal take heed to the glorious brightnes of his coming which shal be in the shining light of his truth vnto the which the chosen of God shal flie ād come from far as Eagles to their pray And to this clere light of truth the Lord that hath bought you all with his blood raise vp your harts that you may seeke his face and be filled with the fulnes of his presence