part of his holy worship and sometimes put for his whole worship and therefore proper unto such as are his true Worshippers in Spirit and Truth and persons may as well be forced unto any part of the worship of God as unto this since it ought not to be used but most solemnly and in most solemne and weighty cases and ordinarily in such as are not otherwise determinable since it is the voice of the two great Law-givers from God Moses and Christ Iesus that in the mouth of two or three Witnesses not Swearing every Word shall stand Whether the inforcing of Oaths and spirituall Covenants upon a Nation promiscuously and the constant inforcing of all persons to practise this Worship in the most triviall and common cases in all Courts together with the Ceremonies of Booke and holding up the hand c. be not a prostituting of the Holy Name of the most High to every unclean Lip and that on slight occasions and a taking of it by Millions and so many millions of times in vaine and whether it be not a provoking of the eyes of his jealousie who hath said it That he will not hold him what him or them soever guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine An Humble and Christian proffer of Disputation WHereas in the Epistle I intimated my readiness to debate the Particulars of this Discourse c. I am here humbly bold to Professe as in the holy presence of the most High that I am not Conscious to the least Designe or Aime but that of a Conscionable and Peaceable presenting Verbum opportunum an Apple of Gold in a Picture of Silver into those Honorable hands whom it so highly concernes 'T is true my long Exile into and in America have rendred me now a Stranger and after the Dispatch of some Civill Affaires I should unspeakably rejoyce to be gone to morrow But while the Most High is pleased to force my stay He hath also as I beleeve inforced my Spirit againe to proffer in all Christian meekness and humility to agitate with whom or before whom soever these following Proposals First Since the remoulding of this Nation into the Modell of Protestanisme the Clergy or Ministry so call'd of this Nation both Prelaticall Presbiterian and Independent and however in their persons many of them precious and excellent yet as to their Functions and Offices as to procuring the Magistrates actings in spiritual cases as to the Worships and Consciences of this Nation they have been bewildred if not wholly blinded For as the Hireling way of Ministry is none of Christs So for this Hire have not only the Popish but the Protestant Clergy tost up and downe even like Tenis-bals the Magistrates and Laws the Consciences and Worships the Peace and War the Weale and Woe of this Nation Secondly In all ages since Constantine the Hireling Ministry have must wofully mislead the Consciences of the Civill state by Preaching them out of their Civill Spheare and Line sometimes into an Headship sometimes into a Footship now over and above and againe as the Revolutions have been inferiour to and under the Church Out of this Civill line or Sphear as this present Age is forced to confesse that the Civill Magistrates our Fathers before us never made true Christian Worke of it so I am humbly bold to maintaine they never shall and therefore Thirdly As the Civill permission of all the Consciences and Worships of all men in Things meerly spirituall is no wayes inconsistent with true Christianity and true Civility So is it the Duty of the Civill Magistrate to suppresse all violencies to the Bodies and Goods of men for their Souls beliefe and to provide that not one person in the Land be Restrained from or Constrained to any Worship Ministry or Maintenance but peaceably maintained in his Soul as well as Corporall Freedome To which end I add that the violent putting in and putting out of the severall sorts of the Ministers of Worship in this Nation if against the Peoples Free choice and desire hath ever and will be yet while so practised a Grand oppression and a Powerfull occasion both of Civill Insurrections and Soul mischiefs Fourthly The Lord Jesus Christ hath not forgotten to be infinitely Faithfull and infinitely Wise and Tender to the Soules of his Chosen but hath in all Ages and in all Conditions and Changes of his Spouse stirred up by his holy Spirit and sent such Voluntary Labourers into his Vine-yard and so will as have been and shall be abundantly sufficient for this Nation and all Nations as may best suit the Holy ends and Periods of his Time and Kingdome Fifthly As he never appointed so he never needed the casting of whole Nations into Oecumenicall Nationall Provinciall Parochiall or Parish forms and Classes To feed which Churches and the Ministries thereof he never appointed nor needed the Divinity or Godlinesse degrees of Universities and Colledges Nor the enforcing of all the People of a Nation to come to Church as they call it nor the Distinction between inforcing to some Ordinances but not to others as to the Word and Prayer and Singing and Paying but not to the Lords Supper All which are Plants which God his Father never planted and therefore as all such like though â—â—irer Plants and Inventions must all in his holy Season be plucked up and cast into the Fire FINIS The Author's Call to this Endeavour Contrary to Intention and Desire The Civil Power in all Ages deceived by the deceived and deceiving Hirelings The excellent Gifts and Spirits of many who are yet captivated with a mercenary spirit and principle The Author 's humble advice to such excellent and worthy Spirits as are â—et captivated in the Trade of Hirelings Holy persons most unfit for unholy places God most wisely disposeth of his work some to the Fathers and some to the Children Impartial soul freedom to all the people of the Nation Where the guilt of all the bloud spilt in Ireland lies The ministry of Prophets and the People of God have assembled with them all the reigne of Antichrist The duty of each particular child of God in the midst of differences and dictractions 1. Conclus Moses Christ reveale from God a Visible Worship 2. Conclus Prov. 9. Christs Messengers sent into the World The white Troopers 3. Conclus The White Troopers Routed 4. Conclus A state of Witnesses during the Apostasie Revel. 10. 11. 5. Conclus The 144000. Virgins the twelve times 12000. mysticall Israelites Prophets and Witnesses A two-fold famous number of the followers of Christ Iesus in these times The Fullnesse of the Gentiles and Conversion of the Iewes 6. Conclus The Civill state cannot restraine or constraine in Spiritualls No other present Sender but the holy Spirit of God Consectarie Pretenders to that Grand Commission Matth. 28. mistaken Not the true Begetting or Feeding Ministry appointed by Christ Iesus yet extant Quest The Ministry of Prophets immediately stirred up by God
The two Prophets in Sack-cloath A glance on Revel. 11. The Apostacy the Witnesse the slaughter the after rising all universall Quest Gifts Pretences to Mat. 28. examined Calâ—ing Worke A stupendious Mâ—stery of Preaching to convert the converted Wages Object Christ Iesus never made Bargaine with his Messengers or Pastors Quâ—st The Lands Countries divided for gain as Daniel speaks and men know in a way of Hire what to be sure of expresly An implicit Bargaine like an Onion is a Bargaine infolded and wrapt up with more subtle peelings c. The first patterne of Ministers Maintenance Objection Objection Gods infinite patience in bearing with his peoples Failings The most voluntary preaching ever most fruitfull Excellent Prophets of God who never knew the pretended School of the Prophets An honourable remembrance of a despised Witnesse of Christ Iesus Samuel How No Successe in Preaching now comparable to the first and why 3. Consectarie No remarkable Conversion of the Nations as yet to be expected Quest The bodies of Protestant Nations yet unconverted The present Designes and purposes of Christ Iesus 3. Consectary Universities as to the Ministry of Christ Iesus none of his Institutions The title Schollar appropriated to the Ministers a sacrilegious title Universities in order to Christs Ministery but refined Monasteries Pharisaicall and Popish Titles and Ceremonies in their Creatings and Commensings Spirituall exercises proper only to the Churches and Assemblies of Saints the true Schools of the Prophets The Hirelings wofull Trade and Merchandize Object Answ. Excellent holy men in the bondage of sinfull Institutions Superstitions Quest The counterfeit of the Apostolical Ministry Institution of Youth in humane learning withall instructing them with the knowledge feare of the Lord most christian and honourable The Civill State never made good work in spiritualls The body of a civill State or Nation and the elect or chosen of God out of each Nation must be rightly distinguished Absolutes fâ—â—â—â—dome in â—â—â—â—ters meerâ—â— spirituall 〈◊〉 all the consciences iâ— the world The people ought not to be forced to nor from the paying of Tenths or Fifths according to their Conscience Objection The Apostolicall Ministry to the lost Nations interrupted Yet of the Prophets and Witnesses mourning in sackcloth continued The Ministry of Prophets more opened Gods Prophets of high or low condition must not keep silence and hide their Talents c. The Apostolicall ministry to the Nations and Peoples The Apostolicall Ministry to the Nations and peoples The Lords worke only in the Lords way The grand oppression of the whole Nation is the Parish inforced constitution Freedom for the people to frequent the word in other Assemblies beside the Parish a great and hopefull means of blessed and Soul-saving fruit to the Nation 4 Consectary Christ Iesus no Founder of Covill power in spirituall causes Quest The Civill Magistrates duty as to spirituals turning upon two hinges Quest The breath of Christ Iesus by which he consumes Antichrist stopt by the Nations Quest The Magistrates and all men ought to excell in fruits of Piety and Mercy according to conscience Object No sword to be used against the most horrid Blasphemies Heresies but the two edged sword of the Word the sword of the Spirit of God Quest Tithes ought not to be injoyned or forbidden The people of this Nation according to their severall Consciences distinguished Objection The Sun of Righteousnesse is able to shine more light upon the wisest and the highest Some prophanesse better then inforced Hipocrisie Severall consciences sometimes emulate each other Gain Godlinesse and God belly The wonderfull burning of Hay and Stubble in this Nation Soul-Liberty ought to be impartially restored to the three Nations All Christs true Followers and especially the Leaders among them are a willing people and Voluntiers Dan. 11. Queries as touching the Parochiall Division of the whole land The Inforcing of a nationall way a national oppression The Parish Churches Idol Temples There is a strange Prophecy extant Henry the 8th Abbeys and Cels Henry the Ninth Churches and Bells Traditionall Religion the Nurse of Hypocrisie and Destruction Dangerous State-policy The want of Civill Officers in this Nation as to birth of Children Marriages and Burials being all but naturall Civill things Singular mercies call for singular Acts of Exemplary and singular Gratitude The Holy name of Gâ—d highly dishonoured by the Legall Oaths of this Nation
no more of those white-horsemen that is as I conceive of the Apostles or Messengers of Iesus Christ the whole streame of the Intervening Prophecies from the 6. to the 19. insinuating a totall Routing of the Church and Ministry of Christ Iesus put to flight and retired into the Wildernesse of Desolation Fourthly during the dreadfull Apostacy and Desolation the Lord hath not left the World without witnesse but hath graciously and wonderfully stirred up his holy Prophets and Witnesses such as were before the Waldenses more obscure but more eminently the Waldenses the Wicklevists the Hussites the Lutherans the Calvinists so called who have as Witnesses prophecyed and mourned in Sack-cloath 1260 dayes or years prophetically I say mourned for the routing desolating of the Christian Church or Army and panted and laboured after the most glorious Rally thereof and Restauration This Testimony is probably neer finished and the Saints by their late and yet following wars I say probably must in rage the Antichristian world so far as to provoke the Nations to their great and generall slaughter called the slaughter of the Witnesses Revel. 11. After which and their shame three years and a halfe followeth their most glorious and joyfull Rising These Witnesses these Prophets are probably those one hundred forty four thousand Virgins mysticall Israelites twelve times twelve which stand with the Lamb on Mount Zion against the Romish Beast and are the same Number sealed twelve times twelve Revelations 7. But there is in the same seventh Chapter a numberles Number which no man can number to wit the Converts of the Nations of the world which must yet come flowing unto Christ Iesus after this his famous second Conquest over the Devil the Dragon in the Romane Popes having before triumphed over him in the Romane Emperours The World divided say our ablest Cosmographers into thirty parts as yet but five of thirty have heard of the sweet name of Iesus a Saviour His Messengers must yet goe forth into the other twenty five after the downfall of the Papacie when also at the Fullnesse of the Gentiles or Nations comming in shall be the joyful Raising us from the Dead of the Accursed and yet Beloved Nation of the Iewes Rom. 11. Revel. 18. 19. The Civill state of the Nations being meerly and essentially civill cannot Christianly be called Christian States after the patterne of that holy and typical Land of Canaan which I have proved at large in the Bloudy Tenent to be a Non-such and an unparalel'd Figure of the Spirituall State of the Church of Christ Iesus dispersed yet gathered to him in all Nations The civill Sword therefore cannot rightfully act either in Restraining the Souls of the people from Worship c. or in constraining them to Worship considering that there is not a Title in the New Testament of Christ Iesus that commits the Forming or Reforming of his Spouse and Church to the civill and worldly Powers Seventhly no man ever did nor ever shall truly go forth to Convert the Nations nor to Prophecy in the present state of Witnesses against Antichrist but by the gracious Inspiration and Instigation of the holy Spirit of God according to 1 Cor. 12. where the holy Spirit discoursing of those three Gifts Administrations Operations tells us that No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Spirit And Revel. 11. I will give power to my two Witnesses c. I prejudice not an Externall Test and Call which was at first and shall be againe in force at the Resurrection of the Churches as Mr. COTTON himselfe calls it in Revel. 20. But in the present State of things I cannot but be humbly bold to say that I know no other True Sender but the most Holy Spirit And when he sends his Messengers will goe his Prophets will Prophecy though All the World should forbid them From the former Conclusions we may first see upon what a false Sent or Word our Fathers and our selves have run as to the true Ministry appointed by Christ Iesus How many thousand Pretenders have been and are Protestants and Papists to that Grand Commission Matth. 28. Goe into all Nations Teach and Baptise c In the poor small span of my Life I desired to have been a diligent and Constant Observer and have been my selfe many wayes engaged in City in Countrey in Court in Schools in Vniversities in Churches in Old and New-England and yet cannot in the holy presence of God bring in the Result of a satisfying discovery that either the Begetting Ministry of the Apostles or Messengers to the Nations or the Feeding and Nourishing Ministry of Pastors and Teachers according to the first Institution of the Lord Iesus are yet restored and extant It may then be said what is that Ministry that hath been extant since Luther and Calvins time especially what is that Ministry that hath been Instrumentall in the hand of the Lord to the conversion of thousands I answer The Ministry of Prophets or Witnesses standing with Christ Iesus against his great corrivall and competiour Antichrist Revel. 10.11 The whole Books of Martyrs or Witnesses is nothing else but a large Commentary or History of the Ministry of Witnesses during all the Reigne of the Beast to this day Look upon Berengarius with the Saints enlightned by him Look upon Waldus with his Waldenses in France Wickliffe in England Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prague in Bohemia Luther in Germany Calvin in Geneva what were they but the holy Prophets of Christ Iesus in those Parts and other Places and Countries now examine their Witnesses in two Particulars 1. Negatively wherein they Witnessed against the False against the Vsurpations and Abominations of Antichrist and therein they were the Infallible Witnesses and Prophets of Christ Iesus Preaching and oft times Suffering to the Death for his Names sake But 2. View them in their Positive Practise and Worships as they have assumed and pretended to such and such Ministries and Titles and Churches and Ministrations and there is not one of them no not Calvin himselfe the greatest Pretender to Church-Order but the Father of Lights in our times of Light hath been graciously pleased to discover their great mistakes and wandrings from the first Patternes and Institutions of Christ Iesus I know the multitudes of Interpretations given upon Revel. 11. as touching the two Witnesses and that many if not most incline to beleeve at least to hope and desire that their slaughter may be past and over unto which in all humble submission to the holy councells of God for Zions sake I most heartily say as Ieremy once said in another something a like case Amen But all the Interpretations extant that ever I have yet heard or read of they seem to me to look up the Sun in a Chamber they are too narrow and particular and like some Almanacks calculated for one
cry Helpe you men of Ephesus helpe O Inhabitants of Ierusalem c. Or must we fly up to Heaven by Prayers and Curses to fetch downe Fire upon the persecuting Captains and their fifties This doe the Nations this doe false Christs and Christians but this did not this will not doe the Lambe of God the Lyon of Iudah's Tribe who with his Word and Spirit alone which the Father hath promised to put into his Mouth and the Mouth of his Seed and the Mouth of his Seeds Seed Isa. 59. will either kill or save the gain-saying Opposite The Second sort to vvit opinions of Incivility doubtlesse the Opinions as well as practices are the proper Object of the Civill Sword according to that Magna Charta for the civill Magistrate Rom. 13. and that true Apothegme or saying Ex malis moribus bonae leges Good Laws occasioned by Evill manners But ought not the civill Magistrate to repeal their Ordinance for Tithes and also to appoint some course for the maintenance of the Ministry I answer Upon that Ground of Removing Soule Yoaks and not Restraining nor constraining conscience I humbly conceive that the civil State cannot by any Rule from Christ Iesus either forbid the payment of Tithes to such whose conscience is to pay them or enjoyne them where the conscience is not so perswaded For the further clearing of which assertion I distinguish of the People of this Nation into two sorts First Such as have a Freedome in their minde to frequent the Publick Parish Assemblies of the Nation and they are also of two sorts First Such as conscienciously frequent such places either out of a consciencious zeale of worshipping of God or out of a superstitious and traditionall awe Secondly such as can goe or not goe and care not what Religion themselves and the State be of There is a second sort of people in this Nation which out of conscience dare not frequent such Places and they are such First Such as indeed feare God and are in their consciences perswaded of an indelible Character of Holinesse upon such Temples as Temples dedicated to a Parish worship Secondly Such as out of an utter dislike of all Protestant Worship and an high esteem of their owne Catholick Faith are as far from love to such places as the former sort Now all these Consciences yea the very conscience of the Papists Iewes c. as I have proved at large in my Answer to Master Cottons washings ought freely and impartially to be permitted their severall respective Worships their Ministers of Worships and what way of maintaining them they freely choose But if the civill state injoyne not the maintenance of the Ministry If they quite let loose the Golden Raines of Discipline as the Parliament exprest and the Scots objected What will become of the Ministry of the Gospel and the Soules of men For if each mans conscience be at Liberty to come to Church or not to Pay to the Minister or not the prophane and loose will neither pay nor pray but turne Atheisticall and irreligious The Ministers of Worship will be discouraged and destitute and Parents will have little mind to expend their Monies to make their children Scholars when the Hope of their preferment is cut off I answer First that Supreame Court in their Declaration never Declared to barre up all the Doors and Windows of that Honorable House so that no further Light from Heaven should breake into their Souls and councels from the most glorious Sun of all Righteousnes the Lord Iesus Although the Loose will be more loose yet possibly being at more Liberty they may be put upon consideration and choice of wayes of life and peace yet however it is infinitely better that the Prophane and loose be unmasked then to be muffled up under the veile and hood of Traditionall Hypocrisie which turnes and duls the very edge of all conscience either toward God or Man Thirdly It is not to be doubted but that each conscience the Papists and the Protestants both Presbiterians and Independents will aemulously strive for their not onely conscience but credit sake to excell and win the Garland in the fruits of bounty c. Thus a Iesuite once in New-gate boasted of the Papists charity to a Protestant put in also for his conscience by the Bishops for pulling out his hand full of Gold look here said he are the fruits of our Religion Fourthly Such Parents or children as aime at the gaine and preferment of Religion doe often mistake Gaine and Gold for Godlinesse God-belly for the true God and some false for the true Lord Iesus I adde such Priests or Ministers as can force a maintenance of Tithes or otherwise by the Sword or else cease preaching for want of such or such a maintenance or can remove from Bishopricks or Benefices as Calves and Bulls of Bashan for fatter and rancker Pastures or wanting spirituall worke and maintenance are too fine to worke with their hands as the first Patternes Christ first Ministers did how can they say as Peter to Christ Iesus Lord thou knowest all things Thou knowest I love thee c. therefore Lastly The Father of Spirits graciously be pleased to preserve the Spirits of our higher powers from laying on of Hay and Stubble though upon the Golden foundation Christ Iesus for all such worke in matters spirituall which our Forefathers either Popish or Protestant in their severall changes in this Nation have made they have been consum'd and burnt like Hay and stubble and come to nothing The Summa totalis of all the former particulars is this First since the people of this Nation have been forc't into a Nationall way of Worship both Popish and Protestant as the Wheels of times revolutions by Gods mighty providence and permission have turned about The civill state is bound before God to take of that bond and yoak of Soul-oppression and to proclaime free and impartiall Liberty to all the people of the three Nations to choose and maintaine what Worship and Ministry their Soules and Consciences are perswaded of which Act as it will prove an Act of mercy and righteousnesse to the inslaved Nations so is it of a binding force to ingage the whole and every Interest and Conscience to preserve the Common-freedom and peace However an Act most suiting with the piety and Christianity of the holy Testament of Christ Iesus Secondly The civill state is humbly to be implored to provide in their high Wisdome for the security of all the respective consciences in their respective meetings assemblings worshippings preachings Disputings c. and that civil peace and the beauty of civility and humanity be maintained among the chiefe opposers and dissenters Thirdly It is the duty of all that are in Authority and of all that are able to countenance incourage and supply such true Voluntiers as give and devote themselves to the service and Ministry of Christ Iesus in