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A78118
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Certain queries, propounded to the churches of Christ; and all that fear God, and love the appearing of King Jesus
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Barber, Edward, d. 1674?
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1650
(1650)
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Wing B692A; ESTC R230844
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19,314
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16
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CERTAIN QUERIES PROPOVNDED To the Churches of Christ and all that fear God and love the appearing of King JESUS QVERIE 1. WHether there be not sufficient in the Bible as it is translated into English for Believers under the Gospell to prove their Faith and Order or Church-fellowship by without any tradition of men as Matth. 20.28 teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world according to Tim. 2 3.14 15 16 17. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them And 〈◊〉 form a childe thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes Compared with Rev. 22.18 19. Q 2. Whether Christ Jesus hath not given as plain and perspicuous a rule under the Gospel to Believers in all their Administrations to the end of the world as Moses did to the Jews under the Law Deut. 4.2 Isa 8.20 Jer. 6.16 Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them you think to have eternall life and them are they that testifie of me compared with Ephes 4 8.11 to the 14. Quer. 3. Whether any thing may be brought into the worship of God for matter or form that is not exprest in the Gospell or the Epistle of the Apostles seeing the Jewes were required so strict obedience under the Law as it was given of God by Moses Deut 12.32 What thing soever I command you to observe do it thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it compared with Pro. 30.6 But believers much more under the Gospell as given by Christ Heb. 1.1 to the 4. and 2.1 to the 5. and 3.1 to the 4. and 10.28 29. He that despised Moses Law died without mercie under two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Sonne of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an un-holy thing and hath done despight unto the spirit of Grace Quer. 4. Whether actuall Believers confessing sins and professing faith with desire of the Ordnance be not the true subject of Baptisme or Dipping And the right form Dipping or Burying in water not Sprinkling with water it being not according to the rule and institution of Christ and the primitive Churches practice Mat. 28 19 20. Acts 2.37 38. and 8.12 13. But when they believed Philip preaching to them the Kingdome of God and the name of Jesus Christ they were all dipt both men and women compared with verses 36 and 37. Rom. 6.4 Coll. 2.10 And this is performed in shew by Godfathers and Godmothers commanding the Priest to dip the childe as is cleer in the Rubrick And whether the Administrator be not to go down into the water as Philip with the Eunuch Acts 3.38 and Iohn with Jesus Matth. 3.16 Quer. 5. Whether repentance and faith with desire of dipping be not of necessitie to be required according to the former Scriptures and declared in the Catechisme set forth by authoritie of every one that is baptised And whether there be not the same ground for Common Prayer Surplice and the rest as for sprinkling of Infants Quer. 6. Whether Christ commanded or the Disciples and Apostles ever practised the dipping much lesse the sprinkling of Infants of eight dayes old or the like or when or by whom it was first invented which we finde to be one Fidus a Priest and confirmed by Pope Innocentius about 300 years after Christ And whether such as seek to uphold it by Scripture be not those false accusers Paul speaks of 2 Tim. 3.3 In that they pretend Scripture for it when both the Church of Rome Councels and Fathers as they call them confesse it to be but a Tradition And whether the Inventers and upholders declare not themselves worse then Balam Numb 22.18 who being sent for by Balack to curse the people of God and so to be raised to great promotion answered If Balack would give me his house full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the Word of the Lord my God to do lesse or more Quer. 7. Whether every one that looks for life and salvation by Christ and professe faith in him be not bound to partake of that one Baptisme Eph. 4.4 5 and not content themselves with any inventions of men For as Eliah said 1 Kings 18.21 how long halt ye between two opinions if God be God follow him if Baal be God follow him So say I if Dipping actuall Believers be Gods Ordinance obey and imbrace it If Sprinkling Infants be according to Christs institution prove it by the Scripture and continue it For as the Apostle saith if he or an Angell bring any other doctrine then what they have received or above what is written let him be accursed Gal 189. 1 Cor. 46. Quer. 8. Whether every particular Church of Christ or Assembly of Saints in the order of the Gospell have not power from him their Head to receive in deal with or cast out their own Members by the onely Lawes Keyes or Statutes of him their King and Law-giver according to Is 33.22 The Church of Ierusalem Corinth or the Churches of Galatia for Iames 4.12 there is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy Acts 2.41 46 1 Cor. 5 4 5. Quer 9. Whether Religion be to be forced or compelled by any paenall Laws and Statutes Or if these Scriptures prove not the contrary Psal 18.43 and 110.3 Math. 10.1 to the 16 and 20.1 to the 10 and 28.19 Mark 16.15 16. 2 Cor. 10.3 4 5. 2 Tim. 2.24 25. And whether the Civill Magistrate in forcing the conscience fulfils not these Scriptures in giving their power and Kingdome to the Beast Revel 17 12 to the 18. And whether as was said by Christ Matth. 23.32 to the 36 Fill yee up the measure of the Fathers ye serpents ye generation of Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of hell wherefore behold I send unto you Prophets and wise men and Scribes and some of them ye shall kill and crucifie and some of them shall ye scourge in the Synagogues and persecute them from Citie to Citie that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the bloud of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barakias whom ye slew between the Temple and the Altar So whether the bloud imprisonments banishments deaths and persecutions of what kinde soever that hath been spilt of any of the Saints that hath witnessed for the truth since Christs death our Abel shal not be required of the Kingdomes and States where they have suffered According to Isa 43.4 and
Christs spirituall house under the New Testament whereof he is Lord Hab. 3.6 and head Ephes 1.22 23 and King Isaiah 33.22 and Matth. 28.18 19 20 and Prophet Deuteron 18.15 Matth. 17.8 Acts 3.22 23 He being the Priest and Sacrifice by which all that believe are for ever perfected Heb. 10.14 For it is not the voice of the Church as some fondly dream but Christs voice in the Church that we are to hear He that heareth you heareth me and he that heareth me heareth him that sent me Luk. 10.16 These where-ever gathered together under heaven Jewes or Gentiles have power from Christ their head Coloss 1.18 given to receive in deal with or cast out of the Church by the Lawes and Statutes of King JESVS their King and Law-giver Isaiah 9.6 and 33.22 James 4.12 Acts 2.41 Compared with Matth. 18.15 to the 20. 1 Cor. 5.3 4 5 and 2.2 3 to the 9. If any knowledge and light appear give all the glory to God through Jesus Christ As the Apostle saith in another case I am in a strait between both having many reasons not to set my name As my own unmorthinesse and dis-respect and being liable to sufferings Yet if I do not I make my self a Libeller by the Law therefore to discharge my duty to God and man By EDVVARD BARBER Citizen and Merchant-Taylor of London Who as I have formerly and ever shall stand for King and Parliament to the extent of Estate Liberty and Life doth now prostrate the same for King JESVS the priviledge of the Gospell and Liberty of his Churches And as I have formerly lain in the University of Newgate eleven moneths in Kings Bench and Newprison and sued in the High-Commission Court five yeares and in the Echequer and Common-pleas and Kings Bench being stung by the Locusts that came out of the smoke that arose out of the bottomlesse Pit Revel 9.2 3. So I desire to go on not fainting knowing that in due time we shall reap FINIS TO All them that love the publishing of the Everlasting Gospell of King JESVS I having given in many of these queries to divers of the Synod yet could never have any Answer from them And having taken the Protestation in which we are to stand for a thorow Reformation according to the Word of God AS ALSO THe cause of propounding these Queries is that notwithstanding being ready to submit to His Majesty and State as Masters of our flesh so farre as concernes our Estates Libertie and lives And walking conscionable in the way and worship of God according to Christs institution and the primitive practice To whose Word as our onely Law giver we ought to have recourse he being faithfull in all his house and therefore worthy of more Glory then Moses Heb. 3.2 3. yet have we been and still are both in Print and Pulpits reproached with the name of Anabaptists and said to deny civill government as by Dr. Featley Bakewel the Baker M. Edwards c. which how false it is let all that know any of us judge yea the Prelates and High-Commission before whom we witnessed the truth when some that now do rail against us hid their heads and fled their Countries But yet so long as we practice according to the Great Charter of King Jesus though we walk in the way called Heresie as Paul did Acts 24.14 yet so worship we the God of our Fathers being ready as the Apostle Peter adviseth 1 Pet. 3.15 Alwayes to give an Answer to every man that asketh with meeknesse and fear As also to receive any information produced from the Word of God And to that end if we might enjoy that priviledge that was under the Law among the Iewss Acts 13.19 and ought to be in all the Churches of Christ 1 Cor. 14.29.31 and 1 Pet. 4.10 which order ought to be continued for ever Matth. 28.20 1 Tim. 5.20 which is to come openly to declare the truth or convince error we should be glad And so that aspersion of running into holes and Chambers and preaching in Tubs as they say would be taken away Which privacie we have been forced unto as the Disciples of Christ did for fear of the Iewes John 20.19 But as Paul saith we are not to seek our own but every one anothers good 1 Cor. 10.24 and 2.12.14 And as Christ requires deny our selves And not like that evill servant hide our Talent in a Napkin Matth. 25.24 25 26. Neither should the contempt of our persons discourage us seeing there was a poore wise man Eccles 9.14 15. delivered the City by his wisedome it being besieged by a great King and great Bulworkes built against it yet no man considered that same poore man Also Jer. 49.19 20. and 50.45 God will work that great deliverance by weak meanes Also Jer. 29.14 For thus saith the Lord hear ye the counsell of the Lord that he hath taken against Babylon and his purposes that he hath purposed against the Land of the Caldeans surely the least of the flock shal draw them out surely he wil make their habitation desolate with them therefore the meanes or instrument by which God workes is not to be condemned but the wisedome and power of God magnified As Iudges the 7. So 1 Cor. 1.18 to the 29. Where the Apostle declares the preaching of the Crosse is to them that perish foolishnesse but unto us which are saved it is the power of God For it is written I will destroy the wisedome of the wise and will bring to nothing the under standing of the Prudent Where is the wise where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made foolish the wisedome of this world for after that in the wisedome of God the world by wisedome knew not God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleive And 2 Cor. 8.12 it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not for it is very probable that this unnaturall War will never cease nor Prerogative of the King priviledge of the Parliament and Libertie of the Subject be obtained till sighting for the Gospell with carnall weapons be laid down and the conscience left free for Christ the King Lord and Lawgiver to rule by his own Lawes and Statutes prescribed in his VVord Isa 33.22 James 4.12 There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy VVherfore although we are to submit to the Magistrates as the Fathers of our flesh yet unto God as the Father of our spirits Heb. 12.9 and Christ bids Matth. 13.50 Let both grow together unto the Harvest though not in the Church yet in the world Shewing a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit for by their fruit ye shall know them And consider who must go up and perswade Ahab that he might go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead 1 Kings 22.20 21 22. but a Spirit that would go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets and the Lord said thou shalt perswade him and prevail also go forth and do it Also Rev. 16.13 14 I saw three unclean spirits like frogs came out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet which are the spirits of Divels working miracles and goe forth unto the Kings of the Earth and of the whole world to gather them to the Battle of that great day of God Almighty By EDWARD BARBER Citizen and Merchant-Taylor of London