determines that is good and pleaseth God but look what he doth not approve though he doe not forbid it God will never accept it so that now by their own Doome we must go to Christ in this so hard a controversie to know which callings and ceremonies are lawfull in the administration of the Church and which gesture in the act of receiving the Lords supper is unlawfull or wicked and every soul that will not harken and be obedient unto him in these and all other things wee confes ought to be cut off destroyed out of the people as well as he that speakes in the name of other Gods or which is all one presumeth to speake a word in the name of the Lord which hee never commanded him to speake that is which teacheth the lawfulnesse of Conformity to some things of divine or religious use in the publicke worship of God which the Lord never commanded Doth not this full charged Canon most evidently threaten utter and unavoydable destruction to him that desperately or presumptuously without warrant from Gods word will come in the very mouth of it to assault the Cittie or sanctuarie of our God by pressing conformity to ceremonies and actions callings gestures of religious use in the worship of God which the Lord never commanded Here they are pleased to come to parlee would fain perswade vs that there shall be a final peace cōcluded and to that end a truce is taken and afterwards yea diuers times renewed till spying some speciall advantage which they wil neuer ouerslip they presently pyke quarrells at some thing publickly taught or privatly practised pretending forsooth that it is a violent and most dangerous breach of the peace of holy Church and then by some stratageme wherein they are admirable by one devise or other they put out by prefermēt the eyes of some most iudicious cut out the learned tongues of other by suspension and the rest that will not winke and be as mute as fishes shall be certainly cast into darke and noysome dungeons or into the deepe and dangerous seas or exposed to a thowsand other miseries as wofull and verie late experience doth manifestly testifie therfore what hope is there of all their faire offers yet that the world may take notice that wee desire peace vpon any outward terms whatsoeuer though neuer so vnequall or preiudiciall so that wee may hold our inward peace with God we do most reuerently respectiuely yeeld them audience Now they being well acquainted through their continuall experience with our resolution and being privie to their owne consciences that they are not able to stand before us if the cause come once to be tried by the Scriptures yet beeing very unwilling that the world should take notice hereof they make solemne protestation that they are most ready to referre the censure of this cause in question unto Christ himselfe And therefore having submitted themselues unto him according to the Fathers appointment they doe most diligently attend unto every word hee hath spoken and search everie sillable examine euerie letter yea and try everie root by the very originall and yet cannot finde as they offer to sweare upon all the books in the world that he hath forbidden kneeling no not as it is urged in the very act of receiving the Lords supper in any place of holy Scripture nor any other of the things in controversie and therefore conclude that we may very lawfully and being commanded ought most readily or else we sinne greevoussy if wee refuse to conforme thereunto This had been a verie prettie and wittie shift in a yong sophister and in controversies of their element tollerable if not commendable but beeing in the holy matters of the eternall God shifts and trickes of wit subtill evasions and nice distinctions are in matters I say of religious use but like the wittie excuses of the whoorish woman in the close carriage of her most filthie practises and therefore I will even referre it to the Lords owne censure and for answer do say that it is most true that all that do sincerely desire to take away evil from Israel or the Church must of necessitie take away all knowne presumptuous offenders either in the civill or Ecclesiasticall estate whether they be Hearers or Teachers For if they teach urge that which the Lord never cōmanded or is not warranted by the Scriptures and yet hold that for these and those politicke considerations it may upon such and such tearmes or limitations be conformed unto they speake in the name of other Gods even that golden God Pollicie not that there is any intendment in pressing conformitie to humane inventions in Gods worship to draw any from beleeving in the true everliving God but that the Lord that made mans heart and therefore knowes what means are best to reforme it hath ordeyned in the second commandement and the branches thereof the most absolute and effectuall means which in his wisdom hee saw to bee best for the holy Ghost to work in and by and with for the effecting of this new creation or regeneration of the heart unto which only as I may say he hath entailed by his faithfull covenant the effectuall working of his spirit for that very end purpose As therefore those that maintaine and teach these things purely and unmixed doe set up the Lord to be their God and by their holy partaking of them they may be assured of his love and favour even to be sealed up against the day of redemptiō so they that do not tye themselues precisely hereunto do verily serve other Gods and have no promise of any grace but what the Devill whose power onely doth work where the Lords is wanting can bestow upon them because they do not serve the true God described in the first commandement for either he is God in every commandement or in no commandement therefore to teach the doctrine of the first commandement never so soundly and purely and to corrupt the doctrine of the second cōmandement which concernes all things in the publick worship of God needfull in any respect for being or well being of the Churches of God by enioyning any Novelty or Incerteinty meere Inventions and devises of men is directly to teach in the name of other Gods and seeing the Lord never made promise to bee in such a worship no more then hee hath done to the devotions of the Turks and Indians I would faine see a sound reason How any of good Indgement and sincere hearts knowing the unwarrantablenes of these things dare conforme in any respect unto them but rather to subscribe that they that will take evill away from Israel must of absolute necessity take order that all such proud Prophets or ambitious preachers and all such profane and presumptuous hearers as dare teach and will coform to mens inventions be not fined in thousands or perpetually imprisoned but utterly deprived not only of their
of Christ are to be esteemed even the least of them in their degree meere workes of Darknes must it not needs followe even by infinite degrees that much more it is horrible iniquite to conform to or vse idle words or gestures not comely in the most special presence of our most holy God even when wee are at his owne holy table and is not euerie thing Rash hastie Idle uncomely which is not warranted by the word of God must not the heart be prepared before the body or any part thereof can bring forth any word action or gesture which is good and can the heart possibly bee prepared any way but by conforming to the spirit of God according to the scriptures yea is not every other conformitie parcell of that Evill treasure Incertainty therefore and Novelty are very evill yea most deadly corruptions and being thus iustified in the publick worship of God will corrupt and eate into all the civill procedings of the state whatsoever If then it bee subiect to his non fuit sic ab initio though it be of never so great antiquity yea therin may be coryval with the real presence and though the ordeyners thereof and pleaders for it had all the wit and learning of whole universities and the most absolute wisdom of a nationall Synode yet hee that could not erre hath adjudged it to bee a meare Novilty was it not so from the beginning of the sacrament did this gesture or these ceremonies creepe into the worship of God after the Apostolicall times mentioned in the scripture then with out all question though all the learned men in the whole world hold it and them lawfull yet it is a Novelty and they meere and idle Incerteinties for nullum tempus occurrit Regi wherefore as our said soveraine Lord and most learned King sayd to the grave and learned Iudges of the land Remember you are no makers of law but interpreters of the Law according to the true sence thereof even so I beseech al godly pastors and learned divines if they sincerely desire to build up the house of God and not to breake down the carved work thereof with axes and hammers bee pleased to remember that they are not to make rules or lawes cannons or constitutions in the Churches of Christ to bind the Consciences of Christians withall but onely to interprete and divide the word of God aright being the onely Cannon and sole rule of the Conscience and that not after this fathers or that Counsels opinion or Iudgement or the practise of later or more ancient Churches but according to the true sence of the spirit alwayes and onely evident in the scriptures And is it the Kings office to protect and settle the true interpretation of the law of God within his Dominions oh blessed and for ever blessed shall such bee then questionles will our Lord and master the great King of heaven and earth protect all those that stand for the true interpretation thereof and are readie to conforme to any thing that is evidently grounded thereon and refuse not conformity unto anithing but what is not warranted thereby Therefore brethren all that seeke the Lord with upright and honest hearts let them in these cases of Controversie not Runne into this or that Corner or country after an old Rabbie or a new Doctor but goe directly and plainly to the Law and to the testimonie for resolution truely given by the word of God doth onely bind the consciences of men And all Fathers or Counsels Doctors or Canons how Ancient and universall soever which Command or perswade to Conforme to any thing in Gods worship of Religious use and do not speake according to this word it is most certain they have no light in them But here my Lord indifferents light horsmen offer a light skirmish and say that these things not being forbidden in the word Christians have liberty to use or not to use as they think good or as the magistrate is pleased to command No saith the holy Ghost whosoever speaks not according to the word that is according to the doctrine of the word or practise of the Church mentioned in and approved by the word there is verily nothing but darknes in them for Christ is that light even the whole and onely light of the whole universall Church and is not the light of his word in these things which are so pressed and urged then whosoever followes or conforms unto them walks in darknes even as those that conforme to any thing truely grounded on the word follow Christ and so do not walk in darknes Is not his light of the word then but the darknes of mans wisdom and humane learning onely in these things then verily is the Prince of darknes strongly and most firmely for them oh how fearefull if he prevail which the Lord of light forbid must needs that darknes be and who dare conforme therunto will the pretence of not being forbidden shift off these things If therefore your pastors cannot make it appeare that the things which they perswade you to conform unto are according to the word of God you are bound in conscience not to yeeld unto them because you may not have any kind of fellowship with any actions gestures or other works which have no light but Darknes in them and all things are made manifest onely by the light of the word lykewise you know that Jesus Christ is that faithfull and true witnesse we may more falsely depend on his Testimony then on all the fathers and Counsels Cannons and Doctors in the whole world But they say that all these do sweare directly that kneeling even as it is vrged and so all things els in controuersie is both lawfull and Convenient but what saith that vneerring witnes heere our aduersaries reply that as he saith nothing for the gesture so he hath not one word against it or any of the rest I demand then whether this gesture be a true gesture or a lying gesture they must needs say a true gesture or els they shame all but can it possibly be so and that faithful and true wittnes never gaue any kind of testimony vnto it and wee haue a direct comandement to heare him in all things not in doctrines of faith only but in doctrins of gestures and ceremonies also yea in whatsoeuer is in any degree of religious vse do not stumble at the next wordes for they are all plain to him that will vnderstand for wherein consists the faithfullnes of Christ his Testimony but in revealing or making knowne all things concerning faith or gouernmēt gestures or ceremonis yea whatsoeuer the father would haue the Churches at any time in his worship and service to conforme vnto but to vse onely his owne wordes All things that I haue heard of my father I haue made knowne vnto you but he made knowne unto them that a
sensible savouring the things that are of men as how we ought to pitty our selues our wiues and children and so prevent the unavoidable evils of non-conformitie but yet they understand not in this poynt the things that are of God namelie that rather then we should conforme to anie thing in his worship which he hath not in the word commanded we must forsake yea we must hate or denie in this case all affection of dutie reverence loue tender care or whatsoever to father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and our owne liues also or else we cannot bee the disciples of Christ Must not these graue and learned perswaders then of absolute necessitie bee an offence unto every faithfull and tender heart Goe on therefore my brethren and be of good courage and assure your selues that in suffering for not conformitie to kneeling you suffer for the Lord Christ and to yeeld against the light of your hearts is to be ashamed of him seeing these things doe directly follow from his own words even wheÌ„ for feare of men spiritually adulterated we will conforme to things of divine use in his worship which he never commanded but are onely warranted to our consciences by the advise of the learned or the precepts of men the traditions of the Elders and other like humane authorities All which without warrant from the word even euery one of them in particular and generally altogether are Lyars and therefore all the gestures or actions ceremonies or or callings of religious use in the worship of God which they perswade unto without warrant from the word are lying gestures lying actions lying ceremonies and lying callings not but like the Divel they may speake professe and acknowledge some excellent truths but that the maine thing they aime at is to maintaine some errour or other and therefore all the volumes in the world filled with all the Art learning wisedome and discretion of the whole world compared with or set against one verse in the sacred Scriptures are to bee esteemed most filthy and stinking dung But haue we but one sentence in the Bible for a table-gesture which yet were sufficient against all humane opinions and authorities whatsoever haue we the first institution onely or barely mentioned do not everie one of the Evangelists make mention of a supper or a table of rising from supper and sitting down and of sitting even in the act of administring and receiving the sacrament yea doe not diuers places in the Acts and Epistles plainly inferre the continuance of a table gesture and therefore to bee the direct ordinance of Christ But it seems an impudent generation is come up who dare affirm that the Sunne of the Church must if they make such a charme or Canon stand still continually and not stir at all as once it did for one whole day in Gibeon but the Moone especially not to moue one inch as for that time it did not in the valley of Aielon further then they in their discretion shall thinke to bee fit and so by their wit and learning are bold to defend that the earth is in circular motion all the world and the creatures therein turning round continuallie yea they are most confident if they may haue audience to make any indifferent hearer that comes without preiudice to conforme and subscribe to â—his opinion Doth not the spirit of giddinesse possesse the heads of these men are not these the true successors of those learned Divines graue Rabbies great Doctors that still cried out to Christ Shew us a signe make it appeare that there is a Sun in the firmament proue unto us that there is a God or which was as evident that thou art the Messias Seeing then all things whatsoeuer of religious use which the father would haue the Church to know and conforme unto are treasured up in the word though every one indeed can not come at them deny this if they dare it must needs follow that either the gesture of kneeling as it is urged is a a humane Invention or as you would say in playne termes a very starke lie though hansomlie lapped up and therefore of the divell the father of lies though artificially painted perhaps by some of his limmers with the very best Italian beauties or else if it bee a trueth and therefore to bee conformed unto then there be some unwritten trueths or vereties which the Churches are bound of conscience to beleeve and conform unto and yet not commanded in the word of truth then it must needes follow besides the scriptures and either let our learned adversaries make this large breach for the Iesuites at pleasure to enter by or else for starke shame discharge no more such furious Cannon shot against our bullet-beaten fortresse The scriptures sufficiency Is it not high time to take away these presumptuous causes which purposely teach and perswade Conformity to such blasphemous doctrins out of Israel being the best seeds of the verie worst evils thereof I conclude therefore it is farre better to expose our estates and bodies to the greatest malice of our greevous adversaries by standing for a gesture without all exception then by conforming to one which that Prophet never taught no nor so much as once mentioned in that manner and forme as it is urged and so to be by him Destroyed out of the people For must we have his warrant and heare him onely in the doctrine of the sacrament and shall wee not care for his warrant nor regard what his word saith for the gesture of the sacrament And for those who in these matters of God concerning his publick worship insist so much and with such violence upon prohibitions a service sometimes not very acceptable to them crying out unto us shew one place where the Lord forbids these things and wee will yeeld that it is a damnable sin to conforme unto them I am bould with their good leave to Remember them of one other argument of the Lords own making concerning this very subiect of the actions ceremonies and gestures in this publick worship and service which he purposely framed and committed also to writing for the use of all posterity even to bee a lanthorne of our feet and an unerring light to our paths in these very occasions and in most plain evidence of the spirit it stands thus By the light of nature all mankind knows that there is a God therfore everie one wil worship him as wel as he caÌ„ though it bee not according unto knowledge to glorifie him as God for that is impossible without direction from his spirit according to the scriptures but though they have excellent wisdom and admirable understanding yet even the learnedest of them when they professe themselves greatest Clarkes proue themselues the veriest fooles because they become vain in their thoughts their foolish hearts are full of darknes for they turn the glory of the
incorruptible God even the glory of his wisedom and loue of his goodnes and power of his mercy and truth in devising ordaining the ceremonies callings and gestures appropriated to his own outward worship making the same powerful effectuall to draw mans heart unto him by working effectuall faith into such Images similitudes resemblances and likenesses as they in their discretion thought fittest to stir up devotion to beget reverence or to shew humility thankfulnes by which in time by degrees will get a reverent estimation of Gods ordinances euen his own attributes and titles yea and will presume to professe that Iure divino these are thy Gods O Israel that is this is the true outward worship of the God of Israel these be true callings gestures and ceremonies which by divine institution are ordeined to helpe to draw men to God through faith and sanctification of the spirit and so to be esteemed Therefore the Lord makes it an ordinance for ever that al his true Churches and true servants must onely conforme to such things in his worship and service as he hath in his word Required but the Lord never required kneeling as it is urged nor the other things in controversie therfore Gods true Churches and faithfull servants may not upon any neuer so reasonable termes conforme thereunto And here is either by direct consequent a manifest prohibition or else the Lord reasons most absurdlie which is fearefull blasphemie to thinke or inferre for else they might with the perswaders to conformitie of these dayes haue replied thou hast not forbidden it therefore wee may doe it and thou hast no reason to find fault with it seeing wee doe it to good intents and holy purposes But grant that the things which there are reproved were forbidden yet the manner of Gods reasoning remaines immutable Is there no commandement in the word for it or which is all one doth not the Lord require it then doth hee absolutly forbid conformitie unto it for the Lord hates whatsoever in the word is not required as these words being spoken with detestation do most manifestly declare Seeing then there is not one word of God for kneeling in the very act of receiving the sacrament nor any example of any Apostolick or Primitive Church for the practise thereof but from the beginning it was not so and seeing wee haue Christ his own example for a table gesture and the examples of all the blessed and now glorious Apostles who even after his ascention delivered that which they received of the Lord which must needs be granted was a table gesture and seing wee haue a direct commandement from the holy Ghost to follow them as they follow Christ it being their speciall care so to carrie thēselves in all actions of religious use especiallie as they might bee Examples for all Churches and Christians to follow for so I take this place to be understood and not to bee restrayned to that Church onely or to any particular occasion therein Yea seing this gesture as it is urged is not onely the Invention of man but in the verie first originall establishment of it in the publicke worship of God the direct commandement of that man of sin I referre it to everie godlie heart to consider whether with safetie of conscience wee may leave a table gesture for the use whereof we haue Christ and his disciples in the Institution for a patterne and the Apostles during their time and all Apostolicke Churches after them for 220. years for example and conforme to the gesture of kneeling never heard of in this kind till the Reall presence was established Is this to walke so as having the Apostles of Christ for an ensample or is there not Iust cause of lamentation and weeping to see so many worthie men and of most excellent parts for some worldly respects to become hereby the enemies of the crosse of Christ conforming now to that which formerlie they taught was to be abhorred You do verie ill therfore most Reuerent and learned men in offering to deale with vs poore and private Christians after the scholerlike manner of reasoning both in your publicke teaching pressing vs continually with arguments and that with such vehemencie as if nothing were wanting to our perfection but this conformitie to kneeling and in your private speeches tendring disputation when alas for pittie all our faithfull pastors hauing giuen vp their liues for the name of Christ are taken from vs and if any remaine yet there is no safetie to speake or write of those things If therefore you cannot procure libertie for such a course neuer yet obtained whatsoeuer you may pretend wherein freely and fully these questions may be handled according to that modest offer of dispute long agoe tendred then I humbly beseech you bee pleased either to confute that or the substance of it which hath been written and published against this ceremonie or els to set downe with the like conditions as the learned and godly men our late pastors haue offered your own arguments and reasons for this conformitie which you so eagerly presse and pursue and freeing the same from deceiueable subtilties of that dissembling sophistrie and vaine philosophie the speciall ornaments of that so affected kinde of teaching that wee of the vulgar may see and conceiue the force of them and whence it is drawen from God or men from the holy and inspired scriptures or from the writings and Canons of Councels or Testimonies of Fathers VVee do solemnly pofesse I dare speak in the name of all that in whatsoeuer wee haue no more for our warrant but the graue counsell learned opinion and holie practise of our most reuerent pastors which yet being sealed with their great and constant sufferings ought highly to be regarded of us for whatsoeuer they be to others or to your selues they are to vs the most faithfull messengers true and powerfull ministers of Iesus Christ since whose deprivations wee neuer heard men speake like them in that euidence of the Spirit and mightie power of the Holy Ghost to draw from sinne vnto holinesse O yee men of God you are in our very hearts to liue and die with you your memoriall is pretious would God all that we haue might redeeme the libertie of the Gospel in your ministerie notwithstanding I say we will freely for peace sake conforme unto you But if we can evidently produce one word of God against you or that you doe not bring his sacred warrant with you let it not seeme strange unto you that we runne not for company into the broad and easie way with you which none in this poynt Papist or Athiest will ever unfainedly oppose but rather expose our selues by this our refusall to open contempt grievous bands and perpetuall imprisonment professing publickly thereby our willingnesse and most ready minde yea heartie desire that that fire which our Lord and master brought with him and with his own hands
and mouth kindled might never bee quenched seeing the unerring and burning light thereof is our onely preservatiue through the effectuall working of the Holy Ghost against that feare of our adversaries this grace of God being given unto us not onely to beleeue in Christ but to suffer also for his sake in bearing witnesse to this part of the truth and not daring to conforme to any other though it cost us full deerely For thus onely in such times of triall are all that bee called thereunto preserued against all the powers and Principalities Lordly Dominions and other spirituall wickednesses in the whole and most unholy though most learned kingdome of darknesse Thus am I bold to present my poore endevours and private labours concerning these things unto publick view private I say not in regard of the truth generally in all true Christian Churches received professed but by reasoÌ„ of the danger of the times I durst not receiue direction from any who otherwise might haue been a great helpe unto me Onely to this end haue I done it not to be famous in my person for that were to bee infamous in their prison but to giue some taste that the Lord hath many who haue not bowed the knee in this kinde as it is urged as also to publish to all that feare the Lord and yet do not see the sufficiency of our warrant for so resolute a refusall to conformitie that it is not faction or humour nor the iudgement or practise of good men no not of our so endeered Pastors or of the most holy and best reformed Churches nor of all these together which we wholy rest or depend upon but that our consciences dare not conforme to any thing of religious use especially in the publicke worship of God but what is safely and soundly warranted by the word of our God and likewise to stirre up others who haue receiceived more and more worthy Talents to put their helping hands to the worke of the Lord. But mee thinkes I heare some black mouth roaring out That this is neither so nor so but onelie an old patcht Cloak to cover a peevish spirit withall for say such you haue the substance yet through frowardnesse because you may not have your wils you are not content but insnare your mindes and bring your consciences into a needlesse bondage about gestures and ceremonies or matters of Indifferencie which Christ hath fried us from I most humblie pray and doe hartelie beseech even by the mercies of God in Iesus Christ all such seriously to weigh consider whether any thing of divine use in the publick worship of God can be indiffereÌ„t or if God haue left it indiffereÌ„t whether any mortall power can possibly make it necessarie was it not the practise of that man of sin first under pretence of Indifferencie to make things common to be of Religious use then to bring them in some civill respects into Gods publick worship and at length to haue a necessarie state therein and so at last to bee of Apostolicall institution yet euen this way seemeth right to our graue and learned adversaries though the issues thereof bring forth most deadly what if I said damnable effects euen in all these Churches of Christ Iesus Breake not oh suffer not you Christian princes these men thus scornfullie to breake the sacred bonds of the first table lest you take away al coÌ„science of the duties of the second for Christ hath in them tyed you and all under you most strictlie to precise and sincere obedience in all things belonging to his publick worship yet hath he left full scope even large enough so farre as is fit for any mortall power in the other six Commandements for your Regall powers ad plâ—citum to exercise your high prerogatives most supreamelie in Bee well content therewith they that perswade you to incroach upon him under colour of inlarging your soveraintie do giue that which you ought not take being directly against the crown and dignitie of the Lord Christ in liew thereof are bould to challenge that from you even of divine right which by no means upon any terms you ought to parte to them they being withall persons utterly uncapable thereof And as for our adversaries I intreat all that are godlie minded advisedly to bethink themselues whether that substance which God be blest we haue being holy for which I confesse wee are nor sufficientlie thankfull can make that same Ceremonie also holie which in it first originall was impure and unwarrantable yea most vile therefore and abominable can any thing which is primarilie evill ever possiblie bee made good but onelie by the primarie goodnesse himselfe To make then that gesture action calling or ceremonie or the similitude and likenesse of them good which had their beginning from Antichrist and not bringing Gods word for it and yet to hold it upon these terms necessarie in Gods publick worship even conscience to be conformed unto is directly to set up another God who must impart this goodnes unto it Doth it not plainlie appeare by this that their Divino Iure did never discend from Divine Iehovah but from some black limping Vulcan or Olimpian Iupiter the naturall patroÌ„ of all such durty Dianaes yea I beseech them rather to obserue whether more probablie the ceremony being thus known to be of human invention and therefore of absolute necessitie filthie and polluted as everie thing of religious use is which is not commanded by God in the word doe not make that holy substance which we haue unprofitable and so uncleane also unprofitable I say though not for information of iudgement yet for sanctification of life to the obedience of faith For if holy flesh under the Law could non legallie sanctifie everie thing no nor any thing which was ioyned unto it by touching of it no more can the doctrines of faith and iustification under the Gospell truely taught and publikly professed in all the Churches of Christ amongst us ever by any possible meanes make the callings ceremonies or gestures in controversie lawfull or indifferent seeing these are not ordained by God and therefore that ministery that spends it strength for the iustification of them though it may perhaps continue some measure of knowledge in the hearers yet is it greatly to be feared that all those who freely conforme thereunto and wholy depend thereon shall rather scatter then gather any saving grace or sanctification thereby But to this it is said that these ceremonies callings and gestures are not those of poperie for nullum simile est Idem but the graue and advised ordinances of the holy Catholicke Church that hath come from amongst them and cleane separated from Antichrist at least in all fundamentall points of doctrine concerning our Iustification and therefore without all question ought by everie obedient Childe to bee conformed unto Alas what means then the lowing of these Oxen and bleating of the sheepe
proue your confusion Henceforth therfore I beseech you perswade no man to conformitie to religious actions without a Religious warrant no not upoÌ„ any good meaning or holie intention but Reproue them rather and professe your dislike of them yea curse and smite them and pull of their heare and take an oath of them by God not to make any such marriages but manifestlie shew your contempt of them and howsoever the wisdom of this world will censure such proceedings for most uncivill parts and indiscreet actions full of dangerous violence and unseemlie rashnes readie to tumble down and overthrow all things that dislike you yet you may remember that you haue good Nehemiah a most zealous and godly prince and Christ lesus the meekest of all the Lambes of God for your patterns and presidents and therfore most worthie patrons of such zealous courses for and in the causes of the house of God Oh how silly a part was it crie these Coole temperate discreete and indifferent persons and verie much unbeseeeming the gravitie of his person and holinesse of his profession yea rather Child then Christ-like with a scourge and that also a hundred to one of his own making to driue so many graue Ancient and most Reuerend fathers out of their holie offices and most honorable functions which they and their predecessors before them had long even time out out of minde to the comfort of many godlie and well affected people peaceably and commendablie enioyed greevouslie and most dangerously disturbing thereby the quiet settled peace of the Church which principally consisteth in these spirituall callings and outward condition thereof which were largelie allowed and highly approved of by the publick coÌ„sent of the whole Empire as most fitting for that present gouernment yea and not content herewith to use them with most base unreverent and dispitefull termes calling them I meane these graue spirituall and reverent men arrant theeues these their ecclesiasticall callings verie dens of theft as if they had harbored the veriest knaues and most greedie devowring cormorants that regarded nothing neither religion nor honestie but their â—own profit in all the world yea as if these proceedings and courses did waste more of the subiects estate and substance of the comminaltie then all the taxations or impositions of the civil magistrate and yet I tell you in your eare for I would be loth to be brought to rehearsall for it a great deale more might be said for the iustifying of the worst of these human inventions to proue them farre more convenient and everie way by many degrees more tollerable then the verie best of these in controversie amongst us henceforth therfore I advise you unlesse you will openly professe your delight in and therefore desire to haue the speech of Ashdod still sounding in your eares or dare reproue the holy Ghost for inserting in the sacred Scriptures by way of prophesie his divine warrant which alwayes carries in it what forme soever it bee of the nature of a precept for the zeale of all Gods servants in these causes of his house or publick worship I say for ever hereafter hold your peace and teach your people that they must bind themselues by an oth by God neuer to make any such marriages I meane to Conforme any more to any such mixtures in the gestures or ceremonies of religious uses in the publick worship or divine service of our holie God for do not these words for I the Lord thy God am a Iealous God inferre plainly that strange ceremonies and callings uncommanded gestures or actions having state in Religious worship are no more allowed of him but even as hatefull and abominable at least as these strange mariages Though therfore your ministery abound in all excellent admirable gifts that amongst many nations there be none like unto you for your multitude and all maner of learning and other worthy endowments yet as strange women caused even Salomon himself most fearfully to sin so these unlawful ceremonies callings and the amiable but most strange preferments which in by conformity to them are obtained do so intice and allure you as they cause you even many that are of most excellent parts to suscribe to verie strange positions and practises for the upholding the Reputation and credit of these Courses to put in practise strange coÌ„clusions Shall we then obey you and doe all this great evill and to transgresse against our God even to marrie strange wiues or to conforme to these strange or uncoÌ„manded ceremonies gestures in the worship of God seing though the Lord promiseth to shew mercie unto thousands yet it is only to those that keep his commaÌ„dements so that unlesse these ceremonies callings and gestures be the commandements of God the Church hath no promise of him for a blessing what affectioÌ„s soever they use theÌ„ with all but rather of a curse though their inteÌ„tions be never so good in their owne perswasions by conforming unto them VVhat then though it were true that they be not forbidden yet I beseech you consider whether not being commanded they be not at the verie best that can possibly be made of them a spice of Ephraims base mixture Indeed our substance or doctrine of the Church publickly professed is as one side of a cake upon the hearth very wel baked but the other side of our worship consisting of ceremonies and callings actions or gestures is very dough and was never yet throughly turned who dare then haue so base an opinion of the Almighty as to consent or conforme in any respect to offer such unsavoury bread in the divine worship of our holy God seeing all the wit Art and learning in the whole world can never make it holesome VVhat are his eyes growne dimme that hee cannot see both sides or is his taste so decayed that he cannot perceiue our halfe-baked service or is he no better or no more to be regarded but that any thing is good enough for him in his service The watch men of Ephraim should bee with my God and teach nothing but what he hath commanded but the Prophet or Preacher is as the snare of a fowler in all his wayes all his study and care is how hee may prevaile with his hearers to ensnare their mindes by conformitie to mens Inventions in Gods worship and so bring hatred into the house of his God O foolish people how long will ye be ignorant and commit your soules to spirituall men that are mad even without any government of Gods spirit or direction of the scriptures for is all the learning and wisedome in the world without these any better then lunacie what louely grapes did your fathers times bring forth how many sweete clusters did flaming stakes affoord but you haue separated your selues by conformitie unto the shame or similitude of the inventions of Baal Peor which are the Abhomination as well as the idolatry
it selfe therefore Ephraim thy glory decayes yea flies away like a bird there is none that do sincerely reverence thee gray haires are upon thee though thou consider it not Doe not all men see that thou hast nothing but devices meere tricks of wit though never so dishonest to defend their owne Invention many altars thou doest make great shewes of devotion and exceeding care of religion thou doest pretend but all that thou doest is to defend thy sinne even to gaine estimation to thy carnall devices which haue no warrant from the Lord nay those that dare not comforme to thy Canons or courses because the great things of Gods law written in the Scriptures doe not require it for all other writings are small in respect of these and and to bee regarded but as trifles thou countest them strange men it being a strange thing with thee to loose any thing for Christs sake but to forsake their livings and liberties to loose their Credits and reputations rather then to conforme to these humane Inventions yea thereby to expose themselues by their deprivation to open cōtempt miserable povertie bands and imprisonment seemes to be one of the strangest wonders of the world that any of sound iudgment should euer haue so little wit in them thus doest thou glorifie thy self though thou committest iniquity in Gilgal for there is the cause why the Lord doth hate thee even for the wickednesse of thine Inventions in his worship which there thou hast set up in great pomp state therefore will the Lord cast thee out of his house or Church because all they spiritual Lords or princes are Rebels iustifying these carnall devises against the plaine evidence of the scripture Increasing daily errors and lies which in the end will be their own Destruction which yet they hope to prevent by making a covenant or contract with Ashur and carrying oyle into Egypt Refining and so refreshing their old Imagerie with new painted devices yet thou feedest thy selfe with this winde and art very confident that these secret and hidden plots of thy close and subtill fetches shall maintaine thy greatnesse though thou grow gracelesse perswading Christians yea compelling some to conforme to offer uncleane bread upon the Lords Altar and yet would haue us subscribe that this is not contrary to the word of God And in great disdaine they demand wherein haue wee polluted the Lord or the worship or seruice of God alas when you presse vs to a gesture at the Lords owne table which is not warranted by the word do you not say or directly inferre the table of the Lord is not to be regarded for it matters not what gesture we vse no say you though our ceremonies be lame and our callings blind and our gestures sicke yet it is no euill for they are ordeined and haue been long established by publick decree to be the offrings and sacrifices of the Lord and therfore ought with all reverent respect to be conformed unto of all rather then to disturbe the quiet possession and peace of the Church which by a strong hand these armed men haue obtained and keepe as the onelie entrance or rather maintenance of their glorious pallaces Is it no matter then for the outward worship so the inward bee intended and professed to be good and sound why do you then condemne the papists for taking away the second commandement quite out of the table and you letting it stand take the effect quite away giue them but the same libertie which your selves exercise and they will quickly agree with you for the substance of that which is inward I warrant you for who can udge the mentall reservation and you require no more but an outward profession and subscription at least though you teach the necessity of inward sinceritie yet your own practises doe manifest that the other without this will serue the turne wel enough but be pleased I pray you if any thing possibly be able to satisfie you to heare the Lords own answer go your wayes and when you haue any purpose to shew your loue and tender your service yea in a most speciall manner unto your prince offer him such presents will he bee content with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of hosts yea when thou invitest thy friends or neighbours to thy own table do but serue them with such dainties and diet-bread and marke how they like it nay see if thy horse will not blow upon it and refuse it though perhaps thy greedy dogges or grunting hogges will accept it yea though neither side were ever baked on the hearth yet you teach and preach you professe and perswade and spend a great deale of time which you had need to redeeme by many long and as you thinke learned arguments and wise reasons to proue that this is good enough for the Lord that is that he will verily accept such a publicke worship and service at our hands though no body haue any care to shut the doores to make due triall of that which is brought for an offering as these things in controversie whether it ought to enter into the Lords house as being commanded or required by him or whether it bee the meere invention or wil-worship of men and so what goodly and golden shewes soever it make to haue the doores shut against it and not to offer abhomination before the Lord but come who will come and bring with him what hee will though it be not according to the commandement and holy ordinance yet if he will but come and conforme presently you receiue him and most readily kindle a fire and offer up that which he hath brought though there be never so evidēt appearance similitude or likenesse of Idolatry in it Is not this directly to worship God in vaine even to kindle a fire vpon his altar to no purpose yea you grow weary of the Lords own ordinances they doe not giue full content to your senses and therefore yee snuffe at them as being too base for your greatnesse wanting pompe and state and I know not what and approue rather of any thing never so absurd ridiculous and popish even that which is torne lame and sick should I accept this of your hand saith the Lord but cursed be the deceaver you that haue my servants the males in your flocks whom I haue fullie quallified to make the truth of these things known and who haue faithfullie spoken my word in my name and in this behalfe and will depriue them and purposely maintaine though if need require you know how to make shew of the cleane contrarie Brokers of Corrupt doctrines perswaders to and defendors of unwarrantable ceremonies callings and gestures and so deall deceitfullie with the Lords people in these great things of his law or publick worship teaching them in steed of these to sacrifice unto the Lord a corrupt thing you I say shall certeinly bee
manner it is a receiued opinion of great antiquitie being one of the deepe doctrines of diuine Durandus that euerie sonday and holiday the soules do play in Purgatorie Are they not worthy therefore to be presented that doe any kinde of worke upon any holy day yea though it bee not in prayer time unlesse it bee to goe to the Ale-house to be merry and to leap and daunce about the May-poule after a bagpipe or so forth for that helpes forward the foresaid merriment yea our owne countrey-man Cardinall Poole a reverent Divine and as great a Scholler as any of our great Adversaries held and taught that the meaning of Christ in making Peter a fisher of men was that hee would driue all Emperours and Kings yea all the people of the world into the Popes net so that he might seeth broyle or fry them in a pan even as his Holines should think best to use and order them and his Prelates and their inferiour officers also to make their best gain and advantage of them and many other strange opinions concerning callings and ceremonies in Gods worship haue beene published by great Schollers and confirmed by whole Synods Convocations yea and generall Councels with as great probabilitie many of them and shew of all kinde of true learning as all that is which the reverend fathers and learned Divines of this age haue published or can say for these ceremonies and the other things in controversie amongst us Seing then the Church in her wisedom establised them as divine truths though not as necessarie to salvation yet profitable for unitie decencie and to try the obedience of her children why should not they be as well conformed to as ours were not their pure naturals as able to finde out some things commendable yea necessarily to be conformed unto in the worship of God though they had no better ground for them in the Scripture then as is formerly mentioned as well as the naturals of this pure or learned and spirituall age Degrees of Evill there is indeed but nature admits not any one degree of goodnesse no not one for it is starke dead in trespasses and sinnes the minde vaine the understanding darkened and full of ignorance the heart haidened not perceiving the things of the spirit of God nay it thinks them to be meere foolishenesse and more then needes even most absurd and against common sence must it not therefore be granted of absolute necessitie that all such spirituall persons as well in these times as in those by what name or title soever they be called though they haue all the learning and wisedome in the world yet if they bring not the warrant of Gods word plainly or truely for them in all their ceremonies callings gestures and other devices whatsoever of religious use are to bee held reputed and adiudged lyars and therefore all such their opinions of the Divell the father of lies and therfore by no meanes upon any tearmes to bee conformed unto was not their verbum non scriptum consuetudo sanstae Ecclesiae traditiones patrum bonae intentiones constitutiones vel canones as tollerable and necessarie as ours was it not the practise of the serpent from the beginning to proue by many wise and learned arguments that the onely way to aspire to spirituall preferments in this world is absolutely to forsake and disclaime the warrant of the sacred scripture in all matters of ceremonie and to depend upon tradition and the Catholicke grounds aforesaid Oh our most deere mother we can never forget these weightie instructions which so carefully and constantly thou hast taught unto us first that all manner of witch-craft is in the degree a direct forsaking of God and a uniting and knitting unto the Divell and therefore no manner of Witch white or blacke good or evill nor any that seeke after them ought to liue not that there is any of them good but that like other humane or divellish inventions they seeme to do good by maintaining divers in unlawfull callings and by helping some to their stollen or lost goods or others of diseases in men or beasts or the like Secondly that Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft yea that a Rebellious transgression though it bee but in ceremonie calling or gesture is a wickednesse not inferiour to Idolatrie for the same ground or foundation serues for both and that it is noâ— garments musick and such like complement that the Lord accepts or takes any pleasure in which yet hee doth in every thing of Religious use which he would haue his fervants in his worship to conforme unto but when his voyce is obeyed Now his voice is in nothing but what his word doth command therefore thou didst conclude that hee was not obeyed in any thing of religious use which was not grounded upon his commandement according to his own words whatsoeuer I command you concerning my worship that do thou shalt not add any thing whether ceremony calling gesture or whatsoever thereto for al counsels or canons or whatsoever that in Gods worship require any thing of religious use which is not the commandement of the Lord or his voyce is directly stubbornes of a wicked heart which makes to go backward from God and sinceritie to all profanes and Apostacie trueth is perished and cleane gone out of the mouth of such preachers as maintain such things and therefore thou didst charge us for ever to continue in our serving of God in all things which are written in the word of God to doe them yea them onely and not any Invention or noveltie whatsoever which unavoidably especially being once known and yet Iustified and defended will bring Gods greevous plague and curse Is the Righteousnesse of the Church Revealed in the Gospell and that not torne or patched but perfect and compleate and is the worship and ceremonies callings and gestures whereby the Church is made partaker of that righteousnesse and shewes her thankfulnesse unto God for the same but lamely taught therein or to the halues part being left to traditions unwritten verities and humane Inventions verily as in that so in these if there be any cause of Reioycing it is not with God and therefore must needs be with the Devill for what else can possibly bee found concerning the flesh bee it never so wise or learned or any work fruit or device thereof is not the Iustifying of humane Inventions in Gods worship without warrant from the word a plaine profession that they thinke though they bee not more Iust then GOD or more pure then their maker yet verily there is some iustice and puritie in their nature whereby they are able to find out a holy use of these things which God never commanded Is not this a verie naturall branch of that follie which being found was punished so fearefullie in the Angels therefore didst thou warne us also for ever to take heed of unstedfastnes
CERTAIN REASONS OF A PRIVATE CHRISTIAN AGAINST CONformitie to kneeling in the very act of receiving the Lords Supper By Tho Dighton Gent. GAL. 6. 9. Let us not be weary of wel-doing for in due season we shall reape if we faint not Anno 1618. TO AL PRIVATE CHRISTIANS VNfaignedly desiring to serue the Lord Christ and preparing themselues gird up the loines of their mind wait for his appearing grace and peace be multiplied for euer BRETHREN hearing what paines and labour many of your reverend and learned Pastors who sometimes were otherwise minded doe lately vndertake in many places by their publick teaching and example by their priuate conference and all other meanes possible to perswade to conformitie I am bold lest they should reioyce in your flesh to present this my poore mite vnto your godly consideration as casting it into our Lords Treasurie most humbly beseeching those that are rich in grace and haue siluer gold and precious stones conferred vpon them to offer them freely and seasonably for the seruice of his Sanctuary euen to build vp the decayed places of the gates barres and walles of the most holy Citty Alwayes prouided that nothing be done confusedly or at a very venture vpon the warrant of no ill meaning or a supposed liberty as if it had been sufficient to bring wood and timber stone and morter and all other needfull prouision in all abundance of any kinde or fashion length bredth thicknesse or temper even as the most learned and wise of those times thought meet and not to haue every thing fitted and prepared by the Lords owne direction so as there may need neither axe nor hammer nor any toole of Iron to be heard to reform and amend the same but if any thing be not well to put to or take from as occasion shall require No no all Gods outward worship and publicke or divine seruice must in every part and ceremony or gesture thereof bee so pure and free from all kinde of mixture of any humane invention as all things of the very least moment whatsoever being directly ordered according to the patterne shewed in the Mount of Gods holy word every beleeuing heart may reioyce at the most comely order and holy beauty of Gods own Ordinances and adiudge it high presumption to tender any innovation by farre-fetcht devices and novelties or some old Tradition or worme-eaten Ceremony full of incertainty to the direct disabling of the all-sufficient truth and offence of tender consciences In all humilitie therefore labour to be able to giue good and sound reasons why you dare not conforme to the questioned gesture and ceremonies nor to any thing else which is not within the compasse of the most vn-erring patterne the holy word of the all-commanding God and bee sure to build your refusall safely upon the rocke and not upon the sand vpon the commandement of Christ and not upon your owne humours or any mens iudgement and practise be they never so learned zealous and holy yea in whatsoever you haue not Gods word for your warrant Thus saith the Lord thus did our Lord or the Lord never tequired this at our hands therein submit your selues lovingly and peaceably yea most readily to them that are over you in the Lord. And in any case nourish not that most pestilent humour of that man of Sinne a delight in opposition to superioritie but in all humility in matters that are but meerely grounded on opinion and not on the Scriptures thinke better of other mens iudgements then your owne for God giues no saving grace but to the humble to the humble in deed not to the humble in shew Get this vertue therefore my brethren for then the yooke of Christ which now you are to draw in will be most easie and without griefe and his burden part whereof you are presently to beare light and full of comfort yea though you be made the gazing-stockes of the world and be hated and scorned of all men as the very off-scouring of the earth for bearing witnesse to this part of the truth yet shall you by humility bee inabled with much cheerefulnesse and spirituall consolations to endure all things and to suffer all things yea consider I pray you that the very true and most direct way to reigne with Christ hereafter is of necessitie to suffer for him in this evill world and to suffer for any part of the truth in Gods worship is to suffer for Christ Beleeue it therefore as verily as you doe any other thing that God hath purposely predestinated you to these particular trials euen in every circumstance and instrument thereof Seeing then you must drink of this Cup pray heartily that his name may be glorified and then what matters it though wee be despised disgraced scorned and derided so long as our Lord and master may haue honour thereby Will not every true hearted subiect suffer and endure any paines trauell or losse of goods and life for his King and Soueraignes sake yea and that most cheerefully with a manly and valiant courage And shall not we much more doe the like for the King of Kings who hath done and suffered a hundred thousand of millions more for vs he lost not an eye a hand or a foot for vs but was content to giue his whole body and soule also yea he spared not his whole person for vs and that also when we were his enemies he suffered disgrace not onely before the Princes but all manner of contempt by the vilest and of torment by the cruellest yea and the most grievous paines that the fierce wrath of God in all extremity of his iustice could possibly inflict upon his soule and body Doe you think he hath forgotten these things No my deere brethren in that hee suffered and was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted yea assure your selues he puts euery one of your teares into his own bottle obserues every hidden device and close practise of your adversaries keepes a Register not to be corrupted of every word presentment information or certificate that is made signed put up exhibited or uttered against you and sets downe also every disgrace and contempt that is cast vpon you and keeps a iust reckoning of every penny for fees that is exhausted from you for exactions excommunications absolutions and of whatsoeuer other open or under-hand proceedings practised against you and will assuredly call to iudgement both you and all your aduersaries and backe or hollow friends euery one to giue a particular and most strict account of all these things and to them that haue done well herein hee will giue everlasting life and glory but they that haue done ill and unconscionably rather serving the time then the Lord shall certainly goe into eternall fire Gird vp therefore the loynes of your minde and feare not them that haue onely power to imprison your bodies and take away your goods or liues let neither their perswasions
nor threatnings cause you to conforme to errour of which nature is every thing not warranted by the word of truth but feare him who when hee hath done as much as they possibly can is able also to cast body and soule into hell fire Christ saith vnto vs all Him feare even feare to do any thing in his worship seruice but what you haue good warant for under his hand and seale in the sacred Scriptures that he will not be offended at it but acceptably receiue it at your hands and so blesse the use thereof unto your soules For else at the very best that can bee sayd for it is not this directly to tempt the Lord and to dare him to his face when in his publick worship wee dare doe some things of speciall note which hee most carefully obserues and that before his face and most assured presence yet onely upon the Canons or perswasions of sinfull men not consulting with the word whether God will be pleased or offended therewith or no There is difference I confesse betwixt that which the Lord hath expresly forbidden and that which he hath not directly nor by any good consequent commanded but yet it is onely secundum magis minus to conform to the latter is to do wickedly but to subscribe to the other is to become abhominable Therefore in such cases of extremity the chusing of the lesse sinne may very well argue a most wise and carnall discretion but not any honest heart or sincere affection You know brethren that in the begining the Lord put an everlasting enmitie betwixt the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent distinguished afterwards into the Citty or Kingdom of God where himselfe is pleased to dwell as supreame Lord and King peramount ruling governing his people especially in his owne service by his owne Spirit according to his owne Lawes in his owne Word and into the Synagogue of Sathan where he also sits upon a Royall throne indeed not in his owne likenesse but most exactly trickt vp and transformed into the similitude of an Angel of light teaching by his seruants many things commendable by the light of nature yea and commanding with great authority of all possible learning reason discretion wisedome and Philosophicall vnderstanding garnished with the pretious ornaments of most admirable Oratory many diuine and excellent truths of the word but enterlacing ever and anon some doctrines of darknesse yet very covertly alwayes in outward shew for holy ends and godly purposes and never vndertaken but upon most graue and good advice yea very learned sound and divine deliberation renouncing the Divell forsooth most directly and professedly out upon him naughty meat what did ever any body meane to bestow the sealding and plucking of him the very savour or sent of him is death irrecoverable but retaining the broth wherein he was sodden or the principall brewisse or some speciall part thereof oh it is very good and most wholesome diet indeed the holy father his benedicite light upon them that saved it for else all the fat had been in the fire yea I tell you this with good houshold bread is even Angels food full glad would they be the proudest of them to lick their lips after the leavings of it though indeed every common understanding cannot diue into the deepe mystery thereof Separating from and quite banishing for euer and a day the grosser doctrines of Popery the reall presence praying to the Saints departed the supremacy of the Apostolike Sea and such like fie for shame that any body should so much as once name them seeing without all question they are most damnable and came verily from hell but yet retaining diuers gestures and ceremonies thereto appropriated and thereby first begotten oh here be many rare bits and sweet morsels euen admirable and most excellent uses of such as the Holy Ghost could never for his life foresee or thinke of and therefore indeed it never came into the minde of the Lord to require them euen because he did not prouidently enough consider what decency and comelinesse what vnity and much other vndiscerned goodnesse their generall conformity would instantly produce For seeing the Diuels to deceiue the world with greater ease and to be more free from suspition will put upon them the likenesse of Gods holy Angels why should not these againe to bee revenged on their enemies transforme themselues into the likenesse of Diuels by conforming to some of their ceremonies that so more powerfully they might draw the seruants of Sathan vnto God What if the damned crue were guld a little and some other fooles made faine a while yet were not this an admirable peece of seruice and do they not deserue all the packe of them to be hangd up yea by the very heeles that will not subscribe to the lawfulnesse hereof All which premisses being most grauely pondered and carefully considered certaine nice and nimble wits of a very deepe diuing reach and most high soaring humour are lately risen vp and now growen full ripe who haue vndertaken not to dispatch all the labours of Hercules in one houre nor by their sweet melody to make the wilde beasts the sea hideous monsters the fell fowles of heaven and all the huge mountaines of the earth in one instant to bee silent and at a trice to conforme to their measures of most indifferent mildnesse but with great facilitie though it be a very strange wonder I tell you yet do not thinke it incredible to reconcile euen these two so contrary seeds and by divine appointment directly opposite Citties O what a blessing are these peace-makers worthy to haue for the speedier and more safe accomplishment whereof they haue most wisely provided and discouered to all our horizon the full perfection of their so learned sufficiency for they haue most strongly builded and highly erected euen in the very aire a very great yea without all question the goodliest castle that euer mortall eye beheld called Saint Neuter-hall or as the base vulgar speak Newt-hall which is furnished with all store of every kinde of warlicke munition either for offence or defence so that by the place it is inaccessable and by the power of it utterly impregnable all their aduersaries may cast their caps at it the constituted Regent hereof is a most sage and honourable graue person Lorded out of their owne loynes one Grando Magnifico Cavileiro Segnioro Indifferento whose colours vnder the conduct of two great commanders they haue made full not a man missing I warrant you with most able followers of an invincible temper and indefatigable constitution neither hot nor cold neither flesh nor spirit but indifferently disposed I do not say for God or the Divell but as times and occasions do best serue for their purposes Now this is the man and these bee his forces and arguments my brethren that make strongest head against you hee perhaps will faigne hypocritically that hee is at vtter defiance
with all the seed of the Serpent and would not for a world be a meanes to perswade you to conforme to any of his damnable devices no not in the least circumstance whatsoever because they all come from one root and flow from the same fountaine and to make this good he will not sticke by Drum and Trumpet to proclaime open and intestine warres against all their damnable courses and dissembling proceedings yea to giue you full satisfaction hee will take his corporall oath that his iudgement is directly contrary to them though for some speciall considerations him thereunto moving his practise in outward shew carries some image or resemblance of them yea and at the very worst he protests to take neither part but being of a most quiet and peaceable disposition too too unwilling to disturbe the rest and ease of the Church in which he was bred and liues but rather to bee conformable to the times he pretends onely to stand indifferently minded and equally disposed till matters be setled and in the meane season looke which way the most take he will encline presuming they are absolutely in the right yet trust him not my brethren for he that is not with Christ will easily be hired by this great mans two gallant commanders knight marshall Feare and Lord generall Favour men of exceeding prowesse and great experience to take Armes against Christ yea all that are not professed and publick friends to the Citty of God wil be content under pretence of preserving the Churches peace at their request secretly to labour and underhand closely yea most strongly to practise for Sathans Synagogue and when time and opportunity serues to shew forth yea openly to professe their dissembled malice In the meane season learned subtilty and great shewes of peaceable honesty do but quite cover over grosse deformity and most cleanly conceale vile and abhominable hypocrisie Stand fast therefore and quit your selues like men take unto you the whole armour of God but in any case beware of the weapons of the Synagogue Excellency of words entising speeches of mans wisedome and the wisedome of this world which will seeme most learnedly and fully to giue any man sufficient satisfaction if he tie not himselfe precisely to the word of God for they haue in them as intising allurements hereunto as any beautifull harlot in the world Looke you therefore unto Iesus Christ our Lord who is the authour and finisher of our faith and of all the meanes substantiall or ceremoniall thereof or any way circumstantially conducent thereunto and is gone up on high and given gifts unto men according to his word even whatsoeuer in calling in doctrine in ceremony or in gesture is to be conformed unto he is gone I say to prepare a kingdom and an eternall weight of glory to bestow upon every one of his Cittizes who haue fought the good fight of faith such honour shall all his Saints haue in the very presence and sight of all your Synagoguish aduersaries that now so molest and trouble you who standing neither on the right hand nor on the left but aloofe off in their ayrie Castle even indifferently disposed betwixt both shall finde to their cost that whosoever is not in the right is verily in the wrong be it doctrine or gesture and not being of the Citty of God is certainly for the Synagogue of Sathan be it for calling or ceremony and he that is not directly for the truth so farre as he sees is at the very best indifferently for errour and falsehood yea and therefore whatsoever they pretend all that loue not the Sheepe of Christ but woorry his Lambs and persecute his seruants shall haue their full portion with the filthy goats And as for my Lord Indifferent who will not loose his present wages of unrighteousnesse for the most assured hope of future glory vnlesse his honour very nimbly bestirre himselfe and retire quickely into the old or some new erected Purgatory ten thousand to one his portion will be fearfull in the euerflaming furnace though now for the present he triumphes and makes a most glorious florish Looke therefore my brethren to the last end of these things and then shall you never doe amisse Now the God of peace who will shortly send our Lord Iesus to make triall of every mans worke preserue and keepe you and make you wise according unto godlinesse that you may discerne things that differ and so be of one minde and of one practise and so may haue peace not with the world for all that will liue godly and conforme onely to him must haue tribulation therein but with God and amongst your selues having your consciences pure within and liues outwardly unspotted in the world for nothing is availeable but a new creature godlinesse is the morter whereby the house of God is builded all the gifts of Art and nature without this do pull downe and not set vp yea though they haue both zeale and knowledge I beseech you therefore let this be well tempered before any stone be layd and then may we safely fall to building yea then shall the worke prosper in our hands let Tobiah Shamballet and all the dissembling enemies of the truth doe what they can Therefore my brethren whatsoever in the worship of God helpes not by his owne appoyntment unto holinesse cannot possibly be of Christ For is it not the fruit of the Spirit if it be conformed unto then must it needs be a fruit of the flesh and therefore lusteth though perhaps closely and secretly yet most naturally and constantly against the spirit for these two ever were are and will be contrary one to the other yea all the Lord Indifferents in the world with all their learned trickes and artificiall devices can never reconcile them Keepe that therefore which by the faithfull ministery of our godly and zealous pastours hath been committed to you take heed of curious vaine and unmortified spirits nimblenesse of wit is no helpe to sanctification of the spirit Seeing then you know the truth of the things in question beware lest yee also be â—lucked away with the bewitching errours of them that are carnally minded and so by little little conforming first to this then to that at length by degrees you fall from your former stedfastnes rather striue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ by cleaving more and more to Gods owne ordinances and hating more and more all humane Inventions as most vaine devices and false wayes Conforme therefore to nothing in Gods publicke worship but what is revealed in the word which if you desire to know seeke and you shall finde knocke and it shall be opened unto you for to him that hath and useth it well more shall be given yea he shall haue abundance Decline not therefore hide not your knowledge or any other Talent upon any cause or consideration seeme it never so reasonable but abstaine from all
to conclude that if such worthy and reverent men euen masters in in Israel may not simply bee relied on or trusted unto in those great things of the Law VVherein they are most exercised and take greatest paines much more probable it is that they may erre in matters of ceremony which they count triviall and therefore do not halfe so carefullie look into so that undeniably it follows that it is no sufficient argumēt to bind the consciences of Christians to conform to this or that gesture in Gods worship because many grave and learned divines doe hold it indifferent and lawful yea as the cause standeth most fit and convenient seing as wise reverend and learned as they are have donne as much for most horrible errors as the doctrine of Purgatory Freewill merit yea that most damnable heresie of depriving of Princes Neither is it any disparagement to the trueth because those that professe it and will not betray it to conforme to error even mens meere devices are but Bibes some of them ministers and perhaps preachers but of no Reputation or account in the world seing these yea these onely do see and beleeve the trueth when it is hid from the wise and men of understanding Vnlesse therefore those Reverent and learned persons the patrons of conformity doe make it apparant that they ground their perswasions practise not barely though in seeming most strongly upon wit and reason antiquity wisdom or learning but soundly and evidently upon the word of God there is no force to move or bind the conscience in all their arguments or reasons whatsoever yea much rather and more safely they are at the very best to be but esteemed of that number from whom the Lord hath as yet hidden these things In this case therefore that most excellent and primcely saying of his majestie concerning his lawes may verie fitlie in my vnderstanding be vsed that speciall care is to be had to purge them from two corruptions Incerteintie and Noueltie For if our church gouernment or lawes ecclesiastical were freed from these that we might be certaine which are the true callings and which be the true ceremonies then let all peruerse and froward spirites that upon meere peevishnes or other refractarie humor will not conforme and subscribe be irreuocably adiudged vtterly vnworthie the gratious protection of so singular a souerainty But surely if in his most princely care to settle his subiects estates and to prevent the miseries of endles impouerishing suits he truly foresees the absolute necessitie of reforming these two corruptions in the Ciuill government Lett our lamentation finde fauour in his eares who are daily subiect to be most violencly traduced scornfully intreated and verie greevously fined even in the triple valew of our whole personall estates yea and to be perpetually imprisoned without baile or main prise onely because wee dare not in Gods publicke worship conforme vnto mens Inventions nor bowe downe vnto these devowring Cankers that do secretly consume the speciall and most principall ministeriall members of the Churches of Christ yea and haue hitherto fed vpon and are much strengthned or confirmed by euerie remedie which hath beene applied for their cure or remouall for if religion or the outward parte thereof consisting in Religious rites be subiect to these two Corruptions Alas how can poore Christians with any comfort or assurance of faith order their outward serving of God seing they haue no certeine rule for their actions gestures Ceremonies therein and appropriated thereunto but must either forsake the felowshippe of the Churches or conforme to the orders canons and directions which the Ecclesiasticall gouernors in euerie age successiuely shall in their wisedome and discretion thinke to be most fit for the times and meet or conuenient for the occasions Are not the outward actions and ceremonies ordained by the Lord him selfe for his publicke worship most certaine seales and assured evidences of his verie true and essentiall presence hath our holy faith any other help from the sences but by this means and do not all they that hinder the magistrate from establishing them say unto God departe from vs wee will none of these thy waies and from the contrarie are not the Inventions or traditions of men established in Gods outward worship infallible evidences and vnerring testimonies of the real presence of Sathan and do not they then that hinder the magistrate from casting them out fall down and worship him The Reverent Bishops in King Edwards dayes and all the first times of the most famous and blessed Qu. Eliz. of holy and verlasting memory held it necessarie that the Ancient and primitive discipline should bee restored and therefore these controverted ceremonies to be onely for a time retained as by the publick decree of the whole state more at large doth appeare which blessed be God is most religiously by our dread and soveraine Lord still retained and kept in force Now the most learned grave Bishops of this age professe that the King and state shall commit a greevous sin against the Lord if they do remooue any one of these things in question whatsoever and their Reason is undeniable if they can make it good viz. because they are every one of them ordeyned by God for so much directly doth their Iure divino and no Ceremony no Bishop being put together necessarily imply Now let our adversaries search all the the reporrs of the Common lawes and see if it bee possible to find any one case so full of contradiction and manifest Incertainty for suppose the next succession of these seas a thing I tell your greatly to be feared shall think it fit upon certaine good causes and considerations to bring in Images into our churches pressing only the old pretence ornamenti gratia and the crosse into the Lords supper for Reverence spittle and salte into Baptisme only for significancy and mysterie where shal Incertainty have an end unlesse of absolute necessity an unerring power be established for whose safe foundation they have in these things most wisely provided for can any doubtful matter possibly bee of Faith may any thing of religious use which is not of faith be conformed vnto in the worship of God and can any thing of this nature have certainty for the lawfulnes of it unlesse it bee evidently warranted by the word of God I conclude therefore that to conforme to any thing of religious use which is not commanded in the word of God or which is all one truely grounded thereon and so warranted thereby is to conforme to meere Incertainty Novelty even to I know not what which at the very best must needs be an ignorant worship a gesture at Random and a ceremony at all a very venture And if it be sin to vse Idle words in our ordinary talke and if those civill workes of our callings be they gestures or other actions if they be vnfruitfull not sauouring of the spirit
the first verse which he had not commanded them what could it advantage them to plead as these men do the Lord hath not forbiddē it therefore we may conform unto it seeing there is no ill meaning nor any the least purpose to bring in Idolatrie or to confirme any therein but the cleane contrary as it is well enough known why should any bee so precise to abridge us of our libertie But the Lord foreseeing that all the other eight commandements would not haue halfe so much oppsition as this of his outward worship yea knowing that all the witty obiections and the very quintescence of all the subtill distinctions that the bottomlesse pit could possibly affoord would bee set abroach in these last times under colour of unity and decency for the more easie making way to the breach thereof this being the very key to all the other following for keepe this sincerely and faithfulnesse and truth will flourish in all the rest but suffer wicked men by carnal devices to make a breach in this and to iustifie the same and there will bee nothing but carnall policie and dissimulation in all the rest Now to prevent this misery which all callings and conditions else wil feele the smart of he teaches Magistrates by his owne practise how to deale with their Nadabs Abihues for every age wil haue some such and by this his argument o◠maner of reasoning teaches al private Christians how to behaue themselues in these occasions as if he had said That fire which the Lord hath not cōmanded is strange or a novelty that gesture in Gods worship that ceremony or calling in the Church which the Lord hath not ordained is strange and a meere Innovation Is it a matter of religious use yes And hath not the Lord in the word commanded it no. Then it is strange and thou mayst not in any case subscribe or conforme unto it And lest the impudent importunity of these indiffrent ones should prevaile in his Churches the Lord is pleased for our better confirmatiō to afford us this invincible reason Those that teach words in my name he doth not say which I haue forbidden but which I haue not commanded teacblying words so that whatsoever is ministerially taught and expressed in the Churches of Christ which God hath not commanded is of a lying disposition even of no other vse but to oppose the truth and to iustifie errour Those callings then which the Lord hath not commanded are lying callings Those ceremonies and gestures which the Lord hath not commanded are lying ceremonies gestures ferue for no other end but under colour to thrust out Gods holy ordinances and to bring in by degrees even any of mens Inventions But here me thinks I heare one crying out this is not to the point though they graunt all that I haue said for Nadab and Abihu were violent and vnstaied yong men and that which they did was the friute of rash and greene heads and they were neuer Inioyned by Moyses to take any other fire then that which was of Divine institution and came downe from heaven but voluntarily presumptuously without any dāger of losing their liuings or having any Ecclesiasticall ordinance or allowance for the same they very vnadvisedly yea desperatly ventred on it whereas otherwise if they had been graue and discreete persons the action not being forbidden by God the magistrate commaunding it and that otherwise they might not haue ministred at the Altar but should haue beene deprived both of their places and maintenance In such a case rather then the daily sacrifice should cease and the people be untaught it were better a thousand times to take any fire yea and to weare a fooles or a red pyde Coate in steed of the Priests garments and to conforme or subscribe to any thing whatsoever in cases of such desperate extremitie and so there appeares an exceeding great difference betwixt ther case and ours I must needs confesse this to be true and hee were worthy of a fooles Coate and cox-combe too that will not acknowledge this so great a difference in many of you But is it any other then that which was betwixt Ioabs killing of Abner in his owne private quarrell voluntarily presumptuously and of malice forethought And of Doeg that Edomite his running upon and slaying fourescore and fiue persons that did weare a linnen Ephod by the direct but most uniust commandement of Saul the annointed of the Lord Hee that voluntarily makes himselfe a Foole and a Knaue is worthy of reprose but he that is commanded to doe wickedly and damnably as to take away a mans living good name or life by some Canon-shot poyson or other damnable practise is not to be held any strange man but by this strange inference of these strange disputers to bee iustified because though to breake any of Gods least commandements even the least branch of anie of them wilfullie against knowledge and to teach others so to do or to perswade them to conforme thereto in cases of extremitie will certainlie keepe out of the kingdom of God in the iudgement or opinion of Christ yet if the magistrate will haue it so saith our learned masters sweet inference then any even the greatest commandements of Gods Law in anie branch thereof may very safely be broken without all danger conformed unto Is not this most horribly though most closely to vilify supreame authority let no sonne of Esau or cursed Amalekite gather that from hence which was never so much as Intended as if I inferred that either such an unlawfull decree may in any fashion be resisted seing all the servants of Christ though in in such cases they cannot be obedient because it is not in the Lord yet of absolute necessity they must bee subiect for the Lords sake or because David a man after Gods own heart gave forth a commandement occasionally wicked which yet being meerly civill Ioab unwillingly obeyed that therefore David is to be esteemed a Saul a persecutor an hypocrit a reprobate God forbid if it be a sin of the second table though great and filthy yet with Shem and Iaphet couer it but if directly against God confesse it if ever we looke for mercy Not but that God himselfe may dispence with any of his Commandements but for us to give this his glory or a speciall prerogative to any other is to blaspheme him that made us Moyses therefore knowing the absolute necessity in the ordinarie way to salvation of the knowledge in this principall and fundamentall poynt of faith and Religion viz. that the Lord will be sanctified both by using his own ordinances reverently and holily and especially or principally in having nothing in his publicke worship of religious use but what hee hath Commaunded in them that come neere him and can we possibly come neerer him then when we are with him and he by his speciall presence with us at his
livings and liberty but even of their lives also And till this the other lawes of Christ ordeined in the second commandement bee in force all the good that the most wholesome lawes of most godly princes and Religious states can effect is onely to make Ambition a little more wary and subtill more Cawtelous and dissembling or else more arrogant even to devise new and more secret practises to hinder all means or purposes of reforming any thing in the worship or Church of God yea by proposing one thing or other by one or other to have still in store such variety of fresh and most urgent occasions as there shall not bee the least breathing time so much as to think of Reformation Much crying out there is and that iustly of fearful depopulations how can it be otherwise seeing the howse of God lieth waste and is troden vnder foot his faithfull ministers suspended his faithfull seruants traduced and censured Gods ordinances neglected and mens Inventions erected Clients do greivously complain of delaies altring of orders reuersing of Iudgments and the like so that poore souls they cannot tel wheÌ„ they are sure of any thing they haue or that their suits wil receiue an end VVoe is me for them but how can this be ameÌ„ded seing the publick worship of God is so â—ul of direct Incerteinties and absolute Nouelties One sayes they are indifferent and may be tollerated another comes and proues them necessary because they are commanded by humane authority but at last starts one up and with his divino Iure makes all club sure that there is not a a word now to bee uttered against conformity to them thus look what is sowen in the first table will bring forth fruit in the branches of the second VVhoredom and drunkenes do euery where abound yea are grown to be but civill recreations and doth not superstitious Atheisme adulterate the holy things of God yea is it possible but that base and beastly gestures and and Carnall ceremonies in Gods publick worship will fill the civill estate full of all uncleanesse and bastardies is it not become the glory of many to sporte with Religion even to scoffe at sinceritie and to ierke and gybe at the upright in heart haue not the bastard poets and players and like profane humours a great pride to be singuler in this pastine Theft and deceite oppression and cousenage are growen to be great trades and professed occupations and can all the world tell how to mend it till the spirituall theeves who have securely made their dens in the very house of God bee driven from their unlawfull Callings and courses great lamentation is made as for a most evill presage that offices of Iustice are bought and sould must not such of necessity proceed accordingly even for hyre or reward but doth not the buying of all spirituall promotions Iustifie and cleare all such Courses But to come to you that have so painfully searched all the words and sillables of Christ not to find out that which hee hath commanded which is the study and meditation of all that are sincere in hart and therefore the whole word of God is often called the coÌ„mandements of God inferring directly that there ought to be no coÌ„formity to any thing but to that which is commanded but to see what he hath not forbidden for therein lies all the perill are not these thinke you worthy subjects that never care for not so much what their soveraine Lord would haue done as very curiously inquire most painfully search out what he hath forbidden that so being out of his reach and danger they may follow their own devices If any man will not conforme to their precepts how is he reproched and Reviled but to speak against the lawfulnesse of them is pettie treason I hartely pray them therefore to consider from the Lords own mouth whether it bee not high presumption to speake a word ministerially which he hath not commanded suppose hee hath not forbidden it in particular or expresse terms yet doth hee not directly in the former vers requiâ—e absolute obedience to whatsoever that great Prophet and sheepheard of our soules shall teach us and doth hee not most plainly forbid upon paine of death in this verse to teach any thing which in the word hee hath not commanded How dare you then oh you men of learning how dare you I say hazard your pretious souls in conforming to such things doe not object that you haue good warrant from the word so to do because you are commanded to acknowledge them that are over you and labour among you for I confesse wee must have them in singular loue for their works sake so it bee in the Lord yea if they teach no thing but what hee hath commanded them we will obey submit and conforme unto them but if they will preach and presse things which Christ never commanded though they cover them in sheeps cloathing even with words full of all excellent wisdome and admirable learning able to ravish the hearers and to entise any man that hath reason and understanding and is able to Iudge wisely and discreetly of matters to conforme unto them yet not being in plain evidence of the spirit and of power wee must esteeme of them as wolues and false prophets rather watching all opportunity to maintaine their pompe state and glory and to feed their own bellies by this conformitie then to feed the flocks or churches of Christ over which he hath made them overseers If they say they are greatlie wronged by such imputations and no man whosoever dare iustifie this to their faces for my part I confesse it will bee much against my will if ever I come before them but yet as good a man as great a scoller as wise as worthy as holy and as godly though perhaps not so great and Lordly as any of them be hath so taught and preached and I will beleeve him before all of them yea I will set down his own words whatsoever come of it and will not alter one sillable beware of fals prophets alas how can wee tell which are they you shall know them by their fruits or doctrine which they teach which not being the commandements of God are absolutelie evill even of a woolvish and devouring disposition in all the Churches of Christ for the word or comandements of God or writings of the holy Ghost were sufficient to teach Timothy a man not much inferiour to the most of them for the inward glory of the soule how to behaue himself in the house of God which is the Church of the living God even what doctrins to teach what callings ceremonies and gestures to presse conformitie unto if then in their cannons or constitutions they will behaue themselves otherwise then the word doth require can there possiblie bee any safetie in conformitie to them And as this concerns all our teachers so our blessed Lord
Yea I do friendly intreate these Merchants of experience in and with these true west Churches of Christ advisedly to view and take particular notice of these pleasant wares so full of delicacy which their souls by reason of their excellent fatnes do so greedily yea most violently thirst or luste after and sincerely to consider whether they be not so like to those of poperie as one naughtie egge can possibly be like another though perhaps one be but addle and the rottennesse of the other most offensiuely stinkes the one most noysome the better very unholesome But here our adversaries will confesse that for the forme they are alike indeed as one partridge is to another but in their use and intention most opposite even cleane contrary But is not this I pray you some small parcell of the voyce of that beast yea is it not an apparant branch of his great blasphemie to assume authoritie to ordaine ceremonies and callings for the publicke worship of God and to appropriate unto them holy or religious uses and spirituall intentions which power is onely proper and peculiar unto God himselfe and yet even this divine authoritie doe they dare to assume as their divino iure hath publicklie proclaimed to all the Churches in the world But to leaue this to their better consideration and to assume that which which they must needes bee willing to grant that the things in question are in their outward forme like unto those of popery but not in their use at least as it is preached I humbly desire them to consider whether this bee not without any turning or winding a direct and manifest breach of the second commandement where the Lord forbids all Churches under what climate or government soever not simply as I may say to haue but to make Images or any visible representations of the eternall loue of God the Father and of the incomprehensible and invisible grace of IESVS CHRIST shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost but as if the Lord had said I know it is absolutelie necessarie in my outward and publicke worship to haue certaine visible signes and formes subiect to common sence and reason which must haue this heavenlie use even to represent to the minde and understanding by the eye of faith these spirituall graces for else the imagination beeing left at libertie and not preciselie tied to these set formes and divine ordinances will bee so full of wandring fantasies in hearing seeing tasting handling and meditating as the soule can never possibly bee edified But yet saith the Lord. Thou shalt not make or devise these I doe reserue that glory to my selfe and will not under Law or Gospell giue it no not in the least circumstance of publicke and religious use in my worship and service to any other But say our adversaries wee doe not take that glory to our selues therefore wee haue not broken this commandement I confesse between the theife and the receauer the whore and the bawd there is indeed some manifest difference and therfore to auoide all manner of contention herein it is as if the Lord had said in plainer termes Thou whoseuer thou art generall counsell or nationall synode ciuill magistrate or ecclesiasticall Ruler or both together shalt not make or being made shalt not command or teach any to conforme vnto any thing of Religious vse pertaining to my worship and service which I may self haue not commanded no nor the liknes of any such thing either in forme or vse so that if these things in question be but like popish devices and be not coÌ„manded by God we may not for any cause or consideration or in any respect whatsoeuer bowe downe vnto them that is intertaine or shewe forth any reuerent estimation of them and so onely in a good meaning for peace and quietnes sake coform vnto them in the worship of God Vnlesse therfore the verie touching of holy things in or by the soundnes of some doctrines in our Church and so as it were carrying a part of holy flesh in the skirt of our garment or divine service be a sufficient warrant to make any ceremonie lawful yea though it be taken from the heathen poets from the Turkish Alcaron or the Popes massebook yet vpon intentionall altering of the vse they may be very safely coÌ„formed vnto in the publick worship of God their argument of haueing the substance hath no iot of substance in it at all Therefore vnlesse their words reasons and arguments whereby they perswade to coÌ„formitie come from the mouth of God we haue sufficient forewarning no not in any case to conform unto the but to esteeme them as verie chaffe huft and puft up perhaps into a verie great bulke making a goodlie shew in outward appearance by excellencie of words and art but being winnowed or tried by the fanne of the Lord no corne of grace or one grain of goodnesse can be found therein and this is the verie cause why the Lord threatens to bee or to come against such sweet tongued preachers that labour chiefly for a sweet deliverie and to that end steale the word never applying it to the right end and use but as it were by force and armes doe take and carrie away the true scence intent and meaning of the scriptures ordeined onely to maintain the truth by tricks of wit tearms of art they enforce theÌ„ at least to seem to maintaine errors even the meere Inventions of men and this in some false in many flattering and in most a dreaming kind of preaching is the onely and main cause of error and schismes diversitie of opinons sects that are among the people not bringing any other profit in the world unto their hearers but either to nuzle them still in ignorance or to bee utterlie out of loue with the trueth from hence then haue wee good warrrant to adjudge all their doctrins which are not according to the word of God to be verie lies though they shew never so great art and learning and thereby giue all good content to their auditorie For that high or large commission of all the true ministers of Christ extendes onelie to Teach the Churches to obserue and conforme unto all things not which they in wisdom and discretion shall adjudge meet and fit or think not to be forbiden but onely what-whatsoever Christ in the word hath commanded and we will abjure whatsoever we cannot prove to be his commandement if then they presse any thing which is not the commandement of Christ they goe beyond the limits of their commission yea doe more then ever our Lord himselfe would do for though indeed his 〈…〉 ctrines seemed verie strange yea impossiâ—â—e to some and others marveiled or were astonied not at his allegation of fathers or patriarkes of Councels or Rabbies and other learned authors nor at his excellencie of gifts but at his knowledge in the Scriptures for
he taught as one having authority not as the learned Scribes which he shewed in opening the sence and meaning of the holy Ghost deliuering fit doctrines and making profitable uses and applications from the word so that he spake to the hearts and consciences of his hearers in the power of his ministerie which they doe not who teach the precepts of men but speak only to the ears of their hearers yet alwayes the motives that he used to perswade thē to conformity was not these things are not forbidden or they are the traditiōs of our godlie Elders or they are most fitting this state and present government or it is the pleasure of the civill magistrate or the Church Rulers hold it meet though indeed divers learned men at that verie time used such kind of arguments in their ministerie and teaching for that subscription which they required but his Doctrine which hee preached and the things he urged and pressed was not his own but his that sent him it was not of his humane Invention which yet was a great deall freer from errour then all the fathers and 〈…〉 cels in the world but onelie such as 〈◊〉 that sent him to preach and teach the glad tydings of salvation was the authour of As whereas some might object unto him these are thine own speaches and in the pulpit you haue libertie to say what you list and to gird at whom you please make it playn to our capacities how we may know who is of God and who is sent of the Devill for thou and the Scribes and Pharisees teach both of you verie learnedlie and zealously but in verie manie things especially in the ceremonies and callings actions and gestures of Religious use in the publick worship of God directlie contrarie one against the other and therefore most certaine that both of you cannot possiblie be of God he therefore giues them a playn and an unerring Rule whereby the simplest in a congregation may discerne which preacher teaches the doctrine that comes from God and which speaks onely from men or the deuill first do the will of God get a good and an honest heart free from preiudice and profanesse readie to doe whatsoeuer the Lord requires of thee in generall as thou art a Christian or in particular as thou art a magistrate or subiect minister or hearer husband or wife parent or child master or seruant bond or free old or young rich or poore maried or single or of what condition soeuer for els if thou haue neuer so much wit learning vnderstanding discretion hast not respect vnto all his cōmandemēts though thou feare and reuerence the faithfull ministers of God yea heare them gladly and reforme thy selfe in doing many things which they make plaine to thy conscience is not the will of God yet if thou wilt not captivare thy Iudgment and subdue thy will and affections to be obedient vnto all that God requires it is impossible for thee to discerne the truth or to be preserued from error but if thou wilt be sincere which is Euangelicall perfection free thy heart from hypocrisie and be that thou wouldest seeme to be then if thou wouldest know indeed which preachers are worthy of double honour and which deserue shame contempt looke not at their spruce neatnesse in their attire or excellencie of gifs or degrees of learning for herein perhaps there will appeare no great difference both being graue wise and understanding men but hee that is sent of God seeketh his glory that sent him Yea but which is that the same is true you shall never heare him presse or teach novelties or incerteinties but onely such things as are plainlie grounded on the word of trueth whatsoever they concern faith or government godlinesse or ceremonies yea there is no unrighteousnesse in him nor any unrighteous inference in his ministerie but Christians may most safelie commit their souls to such a one even to depend upon his ministerie as a most powerfull means ordeined by God to bring them to salvation the other seeks his own glory that is a foule fault and he is a very prowd fellow I warrant him what shew soever he make but how may we take true notice of him he speaketh of himselfe and seeketh his own glory his manner of preaching is in one kind or other verie vaine glorious using all possible means though in some verie covertly to set forth himselfe and to make known his great reading or Iudgment his wit art and understanding in all manners or kinds of deepe learning and true schollership and therefore he comes in Excellencie of words and studies most painfullie and carefullie for such Intising speeches wittie and well ordred sayings pleasing passages pithy sentences and elegant phrases even whatsoeuer might ravish the hearers and by the admiration of the excellencie of his gifts and exquisitnesse of his Art might so prevaile that their faith might be in the wisedom of men even to beleeve onely so much as flesh and blood can disclose a man by nature may perceive which kind of preaching with words and manner of handling which mans wisdom teacheth makes the crosse of Christ of none effect and when excellencie or grace of words is more affected then the dignitie or worthinesse of the matter which is intreated then are their sermons beautified with most glorions speeches wherein the focre and power of eloquence doth shew it selfe to allure and delight the hearers but he that is sent of God labours and striues to speake in such words and phrases seeme they never so plaine base or contemptible wherein the power of God may bee made manifest to the consciences of their hearers honour and reverence such but it is most dangerous to commit thy soul unto and to depend upon the ministerie of the other though he be as great a scholler and as wise a man as is in all the World These courses therefore all those that desire to use their talents profitablie in the ministerie of the Church must purposely avoid even as they would the golden legend or like Deceiveable fables not but that those to whom God hath given a beautifull forme of speaking may use it as well as they that have comely shape or fairefaces but as they that bee black must not paint themselues so preachers may not affect oratorie to the eare but to the heart nor yet that rude and grosse phrases are the onely powerfull manner of speaking but that every one is to use that gift which God hath given him to the edification of his auditorie which consists in delivering the sence plainly in the evidence of the spirit and applying it powerfully to the conscience and this deuiding the word aright that euerie one may haue his portion seasonably ought to be studied for and affected of all faithfull ministers not a painted or pensild maner of speaking But those that scorn this māner of handling the word
perfection even to haue our eyes opened yea and be as Gods by conforming to these novelties whose device is this marke deere mother upon my bare knees I beseech thee who that is that talketh such things with thee Do we sel Advowsions depopulate townes or houses do we keep two benefices or closely practise usurie are we partners in monopolies haue we a whore in a corner doe wee dissemble and deceiue or are we unmercifull uniust or any way dishonest then let thy holy Ceâ—sures cut us of from that blessed Communion of they heauenly familie and divine societie But oh thou sweetest among the loueliest who art the verie choice of all the fairest Inioyne us not wee beseech thee to forget the name of our God or to bow our knee or conforme to any thing which is not truely grounded on his word some thing indeed may be in these courses which we cannot discerne but no goodnesse or godlinesse can possibly be in them unlesse they bee his commandements But thou sayest or rather thy minions informe thee that the Lord did never forbid these things The cleane contrarie seems most plain to us and that out of thine own doctrines but suppose hee bee pleased to be silent to teach modestie and feare shall we bee bould therefore to fall into presumption Consider oh thou that bare us the appointed months and brought us forth in everie ones due season where did he forbid Adam to eate that particular fruit true indeed that the tree was forbidden and are not we in the same generall terms directly forbidden to worship him in any other manner in his publick service then he hath coÌ„manded is not this the very tener purpose drift of the second coÌ„mandement forbidden also to bow down or shew any Reverent respect to the likenesse of any thing which in his worship man hath devised Oh thou that are the mother of us all pluck up these fruits of distraction even by the verie roots and suffer them no longer to breed divisions and separations among thy true children deall truly with thine own soul and marke it well though it come from such as excell all other in learning and wisdome yet whether it be not a tare of that Enâ—ious-man and whether those Resolute disputers for the Iustifying thereof be not his professed Children for thou hast often taught us to take heed of sinning against our knowledge or certeine perswasion though it bee but in a matter of never so small consequence but especially in all things of Religious use seeing disobedience yea and Rebellion appeareth as well therein as in the grossest and foulest abomination of poperie yea this was the comely talke of thy scarlet lips that whosoever keepeth the whole law and yet faileth in one point hee is guileie of all and therefore though we haue cast quite away the grosser point of poperie yet wilfull conformitie to any humane Innvention of Religious use in the publick worship of God makes us guiltie of the whole masse of that damnable Idolatrie according to an other lesson which most carefullie thou didst often beate upon that a little leaven doth soure the whole lumpe yea whatsoever is borne of the verie wisedome of the flesh is notwithstanding verie Enmitie with God for howsoever Adam and all in his loyns were by creation the sonnes of God and whatsoever gestures they used in his worship were most pleasing and acceptable to him yet now by transgression hauing changed their father and nature all the ceremonies callings and gestures which they can possibly devise concerning the worship of God or government of his Church are without contradiction the very works of their new father and nature for who can possibly be ignorant of this that to whomsoeuer we giue our selues as servants to obey his servants we are to whom by conformity we do obey whether it bee to humane Inventions or Gods holy ordinances and the same rule holds in all matters of Religious use if they can not tell how to preach except they bee sent nor wee how to pray or call upon God as wee ought but by the spirit of God according to the Scriptures how is it possible for all the learning and wisdom in the world to tell what ceremonie calling or gesture is fit and lawfull in the service of God but by the same spirit Seeing then these devices at the very best the mocking yea some of them persecuting sonnes of Agar haue no warrant from the word and spirit of God what letteth but that safely we may yea ought to esteem them Vagabonds Runnagates in the earth howsoever not in the highest degree able to murder or make an absolute nullitie of religion yet not being borne of God or warranted by his word they must of absolute necessitie be confessed to be unrighteous because the Lord our Righteousnesse is not author of them and all unrighteousnesse in substance or ceremonie is sinne and therefore all that wittingly conform therevnto upon what terms of considerations soeuer though in the lowest and most tollerable degree that can be imagined are in the same degree that this their sinn is of verely and most certeinly of the Diuill VVhy should any woonder then or thinke it strange that though wisdome hane cried out and vttred her voice like a trompet in pulpits in prisons in words in writings in fierie zeale in most humble and meekest manner yet these carnall and worldly minded men loue foolishnes even the devices of fleshe and bloud and take pleasure in scorning whatsoever and whosoever is contrary to them therein and so despise all the counsell of the Lord shall not the end of these things be bitter yea will not Destruction ceize on them at length and will not the Lord reioyce and laugh thereat even make ioyfull the hearts of his people to see their cruel adversaries eate the fruit of their own way and be filled with their owne devices Yea most deare and tender mother hast thou not often told us that all that are disobedient unto or wilfully gainsay anie thing truely and evidently taught from the Scriptures were to be esteemed of all that desire sincerely to feare the Lord stiffeneked resisters of the Holy Ghost because by such proceedings they plainlie proclaime that in their hearts they say thâ—re is no God or which is all one that God is not so iealous of his worship and everie ceremonie calling and gesture therein so as he esteemes them onely his lovers and friends that subscribe onely to his commandements therein and holds them his enemies yea such as hate him that conforme to any thing therein which in his word hee hath not commanded as in the second commandement more at large it doth appeare be pleased therefore to remember from the verie word of our father thou hast often instructed us that though without all contradiction there is
a spirit in man and therefore it may bee that some are called spirituall men yet we should allwayes find this to be true in all controversies o◠proceedings about matters of Religious nature not many such how excellent soever much lesse the greatest part of them though most wise after the flesh no though their counsell in their dayes be esteemed as free from error as the oracle of God are notwithstanding chosen of God to doe any speciall good to his Churches or servants for indeed though their titles be spirituall yet their wayes and courses doe plainly testifie that their hearts are Carnall and fleshly and therefore they do not savour the things of Gods spirit no they seeme meere foolishnesse unto them because indeed they are spiritually discerned therfore they esteem them verie fooles and asses that will loose a good living rather then conforme to mens Inventions in Gods worship thus doe they assume that sufficiencie to themselues which is wholy of God Almightie whose inspiration onely giveth understanding especially in all matters of Religious use and yet will these aspiring spirits presume to set the H. Ghost to schoole most presumptuously reade large lectures of discretion unto him in his servants because they will not conforme without his direct warrant pretending that there is great truth no lies in the things they presse and yet cannot possiblie proue them to bee commanded of God as all trueth necessarie for the Church to conforme unto is as though if there were any kind of truth in them the holy Ghost would not lead and direct us therein and least they should put this off as a peculiar promise to the Apostles he hath purposely by precept and practise expresly in all such occasions tied us absolutely to the Scriptures you haue done foolishlie therefore in this O yee reverend and learned men that ye◠haue not rested on the word of the Lord in these thing in controversie which you so eagerly presse conformitie unto but as it were upon the hoast of the Aramits on the Ancient fathers general counsels and canons humane reason and the learning and wisdom of the world heare therefore the word of the Lord henceforth you shall haue wars one or other shall set upō your ceremonies all other your humane inventions and never giue that argument over till all ordinances in the Church which God hath not planted by the authoritie of the Scriptures bee utterlie rooted out And this your Idoll of conformitie the ripe fruit of your proud hearts wil deceiue you yea though thereby you are growen confident because you haue at length setled your seats as safely as in the clefts of the Rock and made your nests the verie next to the Eagle himself in the supremest mountaines of the highest Region yet will I bring you down from thence saith the Lord for though by thy wisdom and deepe pollicies or undiscerned subtleties thou hast gotten thee great riches and prefer 〈…〉 nts and hast increased very greatly thy power and authoritie and so art lifted up in thine heart as in a chaire of securitie conceiting thy selfe that thou art wiser then Daniel and hast more learning and wisdom greater reason and stronger arguments for thy conformitie then all those that are of perfect or sincere hearts towards the Lord and are contrarie minded and therefore dare no way conforme unto you with whom their feare even hee whom they serue will shew his strength yet behold God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound you that are so wise yea vile and despised persons which in the opinion of the world being compared with you did not so much as seeme to exist or bring to naught your strongest arguments for this your great goddesse conformitie and that by a plaine demonstration of their vanity yea though they be neither prophets or sons of the Prophets nor so much as brought up at the feet of some prophet but in comparison meere strangers yet they bee as a terrible nation and their arguments shall be as drawen swords against the verie beautie of thy wisdom yea they shal defile thy brightnesse your so admired vnderstanding by laying open your most dissembling and cunning practises yea in some of you horrible and fearefull blasphemies Many haue had I confesse too religious estimation of your learning and other venerable endowments but finding it plaine that in this Controversie with poore Christians you haue cast off the word of the Lord and trust in violence and wickednesse and stay thereupon for the iustifying of your courses not regarding the lawes of God or man but by one devise or other will breake through all therefore there is great hope that this iniquitie which lies swelling within you will make you so top-heavie as your verie height the onely thing you so wisely foresaw to be necessarie and therefore so providently by your deepe reaches haue attained will be an unavoydable cause of your sudden and violent downefall yea and with that detestation as no one humane invention seeme it never so tollerable shall bee left for the meanest use and office in the worship and publick service of the Lord no not so much as a little sheard to fetch fire or water for as all Gods ordinances are good so no humane invention of religious use in Gods worship can be good no not one And wheras it is obiected y t the reverend Fathers of our Church hold thē lawfull and good Iure diuino even so that Reuerend father Deterano Chamberlen to Vrban 6. publickly taught with great approbation of many great Divines that the verie meaning of Christ in saying giue to Caesar the things that be Caesars was but till his ascention and that when he was lifted vp he would drawe all these things vnto him that is Baronies Earledomes yea and kingdomes too even all that was Caesars and that it is therfore of Diuine Institution that the ministers of the Gospell might challenge and enioy these things as their proper and peculiar right both revenewes and honours and that it was grievous sacriledge for any prince to withhold the same or any ciuil authority from them or to this effect was that which he held which hath sprong out of that slip which he then set the seueral plants wherof haue wōderfully thriven in al christendom so likewise many great schollers and very learned divines haue held it an invincible argument that the Popes gouernment Hierarchie and supremacie is lawfull because it hath prospered and so long endured with good success for els say they God would neuer haue suffred it Is it not also avowed by many wise and reuerent Doctors that Iames the brother of our Lord according to the flesh did bring in the Masse and ioyned it to the scripture and therefore that it is of Apostolicall institution and ought to be conformed unto In like
not to presume to conforme to any invention of man in this kind seeing hee dwels but in a house of clay whose foundation is in the dust and therefore all his reasons and arguments are but dustie and dirtie and that fleshly libertie carnall priviledges which he claims proceeds but from his fatnes even that abundance of earthly honours and preferments which pamper him and by securitie makes him better fed then taught and so to fall from sinceritie and uprightnesse and even to spurne with his heele at Gods ordinances and servants which in effect is to forsake God that made him by not regarding the strong God of his salvation but despising his gracious ordinances which hee had made strong and effectuall to bring him to the assurance thereof by faith in Christ he sets up his owne inventions and magnifies his carnall devices punishing most grievously all that will not conforme thereunto And thus by strange gods or which differs nothing in effect by strange ceremonies calings and gestures of Religious use in Gods worship which are Abominations they provoke the Lord to Anger how can this be otherwise seing all such outward worship and service though the Inward substance concerning the doctrine of faith in the Messias seeme never so found is a meer offering unto devils and not unto God evē new gods newly come up as every thing which God himselfe hath not commanded in the word is to be esteemed Can wee with any honesty condemne the inventions of poperie in their religious worship whether they concerne their callings as their 7 orders of priests c. or ceremonies as voluntarie vows like devotions as directly comming out of that smoake of the pit because they thereby corrupt the true worship of God with profane carnal devices must we not needs thereby subscribe that ours are of the same hatch if they haue no better warrant then they by the word of God Their civill magistrates allow cōmand those as best fitting their government as hauing long experience of Gods blessing on them for maintaining of them where is it forbidden in the Scriptures to haue a most reverent opinion of the Relikes of saints suppose it be Iosephs breeches or our Ladies smock which are with great devotion reserved at Aken or in what Epistle or Gospel is it prohibited that the town of Genua in Italie should keepe in a reverent memoriall of Christ the taile of the Asse which hee roade upon to Ierusalem which if any man will not beleeue mee hee may goe thither and see verie fresh and faire at this day for ought I know not one haire wanting Now may not they as well greevously punish and perpetually imprison at least till death set them at libertie all that will not conforme to these and many other as good as these as having nothing in them contrarie to the word of God as well as our adversaries for these in questiō among us for what greater decencie can be found in a white shirt or a well furd hood then in these Oh Lord did not these plants come from Gomorah which haue such dragonish poyson and Aspish crueltie in them are not these their courses laid up in store with thee yea are they not sealed most safely till their full rypenesse be accomplished among thy treasures shall not their feet whose beautie doth onely consist in their golden buskens and slippers in due time slide Haue they not some feeling alreadie of the slipprinesse of their places which makes them so extreamly violent in their mischievous Courses yes verely deere mother those that thus haue abused thee and fed thy Children with corrupt food the very Day of their Destruction is at hand and the things that shall come upon them make haste for the Lord shall iudge his people and repent towards his servants when hee seeth that their power is gone and no man left either to speake or stand out for the truth when men shall say where are their Gods even that mightie God in whom they trusted whom they did so reioyce with their prophesyings and dayes of publicke humiliations and reioycings Let them rise up and helpe you let him be your refuge and if he will haue you let him deliver you out of our courts from our censures from excommunicato capiendo from our bands and imprisonment Oh heare the word of the Lord all yee that tremble at his word your enemies who tearmed themselues brethren and hated you which they evidently shewed by casting you out for my names sake said let the Lord be glorified and so he will for he shall appeare to your ioy and they shall be ashamed for I will choose out their defusions wherewith they haue so blinded and deceived the Princes and the Rulers and discover their hypocrisie to all the world For I know the thoughts that I haue toward my people saith the Lord even the thoughts of peace and not of trouble to giue you an end and your hope then shall you cry unto me and yee shall go and pray unto me and I will heare you and yee shall seeke mee and finde me because yee shall seeke me with all your heart yea you shall take up this curse against your adversaries The Lord make thee like Zedechiah and Ahab whom the King burnt in fire because they committed villanie in Israel even adulterie with their neighbours wiues and haue spoke lying words in my name which I haue not commanded them even I know it and testifie it saith the Lord though they walke so closely as they think no body shall finde them out yea I will visit Shemaiah because hee hath spoken rebelliously against the Lord and hath prophesied and I sent him not Thus wee finde it true deere mother which thou hast often repeated that a little leaven in their corrupted mindes being thus by ambition nourished brings this lamentable sourenesse to the whole lumpe of all their proceedings even a Rebellious wilfulnesse to breake anie of Gods greatest commandements if occasion so require rather then to reforme their fleshlie and carnall devices the onely supporters of their lawlesse greatnesse Yet wee must needs acknowledge that howsoever divers of our adversaries are exceeding violent and will not stand to heare reason or to giue any for the things they require but either conforme take the oath or take him away Iaylor or cast him out yet divers of them take exceeding great paines and with many deepe reasons full of learning and antiquitie discretion and wisedome seeme to say very much for conformitie but for mine owne part I still say and for ever must say that I never heard or saw any dram of divine authority nor any thing favouring of the spirit of grace come from thē alas holy mother thou hast taught us over over again that we must esteeme the most absolute perfection of the wisdom of the flesh to
be unsensible of the things of God yea meere Enmitie against him and therefore in any case never to conforme unto them because in so doing wee cannot possibly be subiect to the law of God but must needs Rebell against the holy Ghost by whose inspiration it was written Rebell therefore no longer you learned men by walking in a way which is not good euen after your own Imaginations if you think it horrible blasphemy that a priest of a peece of bread should make his maker then iudge it at least some smatch of like Idolatrie for men to presume without any warrant from the word to creat any thing whatsoever of Religious use for the service of their sauiour but if you be perswaded that those fiue words are of such efficacie then hold on your course make more cannons to strengthen your Conformitie Lastly one word to you my deere brethren of the Separation and one word to the wise is sufficient There is no one thing that our adversaries do more greedily desire then how to raise divisions and dissentions amongst us which most willingly though dissemblingly they usually for a time giue way unto Carefully looking what comes neerest to the truth and therefore most directly opposing their kingdom and that with force and armes euen by fraud and all abominable practises they set against which my trust is some good body will plainly discouer to their perpetual shame but teÌ„l me true in good sadnesse did you never read the learned legeÌ„d of that holy Nun mother Hubberd how that an Asse is still an Asse though he haue stoln a Lyons skin iets up and down like an irregular monster a learned master I should say even verie so it is I tell you a trueth though indeed a great secret they haue bretrayed our deere mother who bare us all and because she would not yeeld to their beastly lusts by a trap doore yea in the place of holinesse and that under pretence of devotion haue caused her ere she was aware of their guilefulnes to fall in a most deep dungeon and hauing stript her of all her goodly Raiment they haue power giuen them there to detain her for a time and so haue clad their common harlot my Lady sa-reverence Superstition in our mothers best cloathes and painted her writhen face filling up the pockholes c. with such excellent art and learned devices as they haue made the filthie beast to seeme â—erie like our holy mother insomuch as a good while we all were perswaded that it was shee but some of our elder brethren hearing her voice so strangelie changed began to suspect that some thing was in the wind and so observing more diligently perceived her box pensill attendans never to be from her lest any accident should discover the knavery Now you know shee alwayes abhorred painting as all honest women do and so it is evident that this filthie strumpet guls the world abuses all that are sincerely affected having such a Company of base and beastly followers as will sweare and forsweare any thing for the preservation of her credit for if her vizard be once plucked off they know full well that they must be sent packing with a vengeance My humble suite is therefore unto you that in your wisedome you would bee pleased seriouslie to moralize this fable and to Ioyne with us in the meanes of the redemption of our mother who I do assure you recommends her loue unto you and desires greatly to embrace us all in her armes of unitie and sinceritie The dungeon is an entire Rock and so hard that no toole will pierce it onely the tears of true Repentance distild in a limbeck of a lively faith over a fire of a godlie life moderately kept burning with the bellows of holy zeale according unto knowledge will absolutelie dissolue it yea I may tell you our mother is verie confident that if you and wee would louinglie ioyne together in this businesse without fainting separating our selues froÌ„ all singularitie pride loue of the world even all the works of darknesse her sighs and groans haue alreadie so softned the inside that the outside gapes as it were for our mollifying medicine Vp my brethren stir up one another and let us never giue over till by our earnest prayers and godly liues we haue procured her libertie then shall we see these Inchanters and witches children with their goddesse Conformity sent home againe to Egypt where shortly together with all of that litter they are to receiue their portion pardon my boldnesse deere mother passe by my rudenesse deere brethren accept of my service to my Saviviour for I desire onely his prayse and glory MALAC. 3. 1. The Lord whom yee seek shall suddenly come to his Temple even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in behold he shall come saith the Lord of hostes But who may abide his comming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a refiners fire and like fullers sope c. I doe most humblie intreate all Christians that are zealous of the Common salvation wisely yea and earnestly to Contend for the maintenance of all and everie action gesture and ceremonie of the faith which were once giuen to the saints and never to conforme to any other FOR No omission of any action is Sin but onely of those actions which GOD hath Commanded or haue warrant from his word but the actions of the gesture of kneeling and of the ceremonies in question in maner and forme as they be urged are not commanded by God neither haue warrant from the word therefore the omission of them is not sin Let our adversaries proue that they bee commanded by God or are warranted by the word and we will ipso facto conform unto them but else their omission is no sin and therefore we are punished for well doing Be of good courage and doe it and the Lord shall be with the good 2. Chron. 19. 11. 1. King 6. 7. Deut. 12. 32. 32. 47. Math. 11. 29. 30. Rom. 8. 5. 10. 1. Pet. 1. 13 Luk. 12. 4. 5. Deut. 18. 19. 20. 1. King â—â— 6. 8. Eph. 6. 10. 1 Cor. 2. 1. 4. 6. Gal. 5. 17. Psal 129. 128. Math. 7. 7. Mat. 25. 29. 13. 12. Ioh. 5. 39. 2 Tim. 3. 16 1. Pet. 1. 23. Heb. 2. 1. Reu. 2. 4. Mat. 11. 25 Luk. 19. 21 Psa 45. 23. Luk. 24. 45 Act. 16. 14. Eph. 1. 18. 19. Ezek. 33. 32 Rom. 8. 8. 1. Cor. 2. 15 vers 12. 13 14 1 King 22. 6. 10. 11. 12. Mat. 7. 22. Note His Maiesties speech in the star-chamber Pag. 17. 2 Tim. 2. 17 Preface to the booke of com prayer Ioh. 4. 22. Mat. 12. 36 Eph. 5. 11. Eph. 5. 11. Eccles 5. 1. Psa 101. 1 Mat. 12. 35 His Maiesties speech pag. 18. Math. 5. 32. 48. 1â— â— Pag. 19. Pag. 7. Esay 8. 20. Obiect Answ Ioh. 8. 12. Eph. 5. 11. 13. Reu. 1. 5. 3.
onely in some damnable poynts of Machiavelisme Mahometisme Poperie or Arianisme but continually even in all things especially much more in those that concerne the worship service of God till he have opened their vnderstandings To Conform then to any thing of Religious use without warrant from Gods word though learned and wise men yea grave and godly preachers are verily perswaded that rather theÌ„ the Churches should be untaught or Christians want and be deprived of the sacrament and other exercises of Religion wee very safely may so do is absolutely notwithstanding the sayd opinion of very worthy men to conforme to Evill Therefore it were far better for the true Churches of Christ in this case to bee driven into the wildernes so deprived of all publick visibility in the world for even there is a place prepared of God yea they shall verily be fed there then thus by conforming to Incerteinties and Novelties to bee either quite starved or most grosly infected Every thing therefore of Religious use which hath not warrant from the word of God is directly Evill and to contend and to be zealous for it is to goe a whoring after our own Inventions But here it may be sayd there is as much verrue reverence and deuotion if the affections bee rightly ordred in one gesture as in another in that of kneeling as in a table gesture and so in the other questioned Ceremonies as well as in any other whatsoeuer Sureâ—y matters being simply considered by them selues and so compared together these men speak to verie good sence and reason yea with verie great iudgement and vnderstanding but yet The things which God himself hath purified or set apart for Religions uses let no man pollute or seperate by mixing any humane inventions therewith And from the Contrarie let no man 〈…〉 urifie or enioyne for religious vse in the worship of God any thing which not being warranted in the word God hath polluted for they may as well defend and that with as good colour and shew of naturall reason and humane vnderstanding that there is as much divine vertue in beere ale or water as in wine in the sacrament and therefore also rather then to breake the peace of the church in which wee liue and not to haue the blessed sacrament administred ministers and people were better to coÌ„form subscribe to the vse of them if they in like manner should be inioyned And with as good probabilitie they may avow there was as much vertue in any other rodd as in that which was in the hand of moyses and in any other salt as in that wherewith the prophet healed the waters yet at the verie best this is but a meere carnall or a prowd Syrians argument and though it seeme verie probable yea and to some the more they ponder on it the more vnanswerable it is yet is it exceedingly leaprous and infections To make which good let them be pleased to consider the argument and maner thereof which in the verie like case the lord him self framed and pressed yea and purposely noâ— contingently but in the most absolute perfection of his divine wisedome committed the same not to tradition but to writing for the use and direction of all posterity in the like occasions to be their president for ever For the whole Scripture and therefore also this part is given by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach and defend all truth which is to be conformed unto either concerning faith or godlinesse and to convince or disproue all errour for doctrine or ceremonie to correct all vice and to instruct in all righteousnesse and therefore why should I feare to professe that I verily beleeue that even this place which I urge and every other portion of sacred writ was even therefore written that we might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ being some way helpfull thereunto and that in beleeving wee might haue life tbrough his name as helping much therefore for the confirmation of our faith in the holy Scriptures absolute and most perfect sufficiency and for the assuring of our hearts that wee may not conforme to any thing of religious use in the publicke worship of God but what is truely grounded on them Marke I pray you reverently and religiously the true reason why Nadab and Abihu were so fearefully and miraculously consumed and devoured would not the fire thinke you which they brought in their Censors haue serued well enough to haue burnt up the incence was there not as much naturall vertue in that fire and as sufficient power in any mans reason to performe that service as in any other yea and as in that which was upon the Altar yes verily no indifferent man that heares and knowes the matter will say otherwise why then what need the Lord to haue made so exceeding much adoe about a little fire or others about a poore gesture as if the very foundations of religion had thereby been grievously shaken Fire must be absolutely had and so they use it reverently and carry themselues decently and orderly and here is no mention to the contrary what can any peaceable minded man say against them Even this is said against them by the Lord himselfe the very God of peace They put fire what which the Lord had forbidden No the Lord purposely refuses to reason in that manner to make us able to meet our adversaries in the gate and saith Tbey offered strange fire before the Lord that was a strange and remarkable presumption indeed and full worthy of a strange and remarkable punishment to teach all posteritie for ever whether Councels or Churches particular or generall to take speciall heed that they never presume to bring any strange fire strange gestures strange callings or strange ceremonies into the publick worship and divine service of our most holy and iealous God especially in the cleare sun-shine of the Gospell But was this fire made by Philosophy Alchimy or Necromancy For then it must needs be confessed that this were a very foule fault in any and most worthy of deprivation ipso facto No such matter how shall we then know which fire or callings which ceremonies or gestures are strange that we may take heed whatsoever come of it wee never conforme unto them seeing Nadab and Abihu and men of eminent place and excellent parts doe stand very confidently for the absolute lawfulnesse yea and direct fitnesse of these things of this nature questioned amongst us Lord open thou our eyes that we may see these wonderfull things in thy Law To help us in this case against all cuÌ„ning questionists subtill disputers which the Lord foresaw would even pester this last age of the world he is pleased to speake in words and sillables that the simplest may understand if they will not stop their eares and most easily discerne if they will nâ—t winke with their eyes and saith in