effects and beginnings for the raine doth fall on all and the Sunne shines without respect Yet when the fruite doth appeare after this generall blade Mar. 4 28. whereby the good ground is knowne from the bad as the wheat is from the tares and after this generall raine and sun-shine the good ground like good trees doth bring forth good fruit There doth appeare so great a difference betweene them as is betweene end and beginning betweene first and last betweene the blade and the fruite Betweene the kingdome compared to a Net wherein all sorts of fish is caught both good and bad and the kingdom compared to a field wherein lay a treasure hid of so great worth Mat. 13.44 that whosoeuer could get possession of it though it cost him all that euer hee had if it were neuer so much yet should his gaine be great and infinite And betweene those little ones who are borne againe whose loue is great for great respects Who know they are translated from death to life And those vnreturned ones 1. Ioh. 3.14.15 that loue not nor know whether they goe And as the difference is great in regard of the vncertainty of the one and the certaine euerlasting happinesse of the other So haue they a Charter so great and freedome so strong with so many priuiledges belonging thereunto as no Citie in the world Reu. 21. nor kingdome can afford the like And wherein those entercommoners on whom God hath shewed his bounty in giuing them Sunne and raine and haue not yet brought forth fruit can haue no part nor fellowship neither ought any more to presume to touch or meddle with then those that might not touch nor stay the Arke or him to whom Peter said thou hast no part nor fellowship with vs Act. 8.21 nor in this administration But those poore little rich fruitfull ones are the onely Priests of God the stay and pillars of his Arke of Arks not made of wood Reu. 1.5.6 which now is gone to wrack but of heauenly enduring matter and trees of life and although they be the pillars and stayes of it yet are they not the builders But the Lord alone Reu. 3.12 who saith vpon this rock will I build my Church Mat. 16.18 Now as these fruitfull trees and free-borne Citizens doe pertake and haue fellowship together in the priuiledges peculiar to this holy Church City of God 1. Pet. 2.9 being as one saith a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation a people set at liberty So do they shew forth the vertues of him that hath called them whose loue is perfect in them whereby they know each other to be borne of God as S. Iohn saith Hereby we know that ye are in him 1. Ioh. 2.5 And as these are knowne either to other by their fruit which fruit I will not speake of heere seeing it is as I thinke plainly described before So out of the great heape of Commoners doe sometimes appeare euill trees who are knowne also to those that are borne againe by their euill fruit the fruit of death Luk. 6.43.14 to be vncurable euill trees That is so seene against the light and them that walke in it as that they shall receiue the sentence of eternall death euen while they liue trees twise dead Iud. 12. 1. Cor. 16.22 and pluckt vp by the rootes of whom it is written Let him be cursed And as the good ground or trees do not appeare all at once out of the generall field of Commoners but when it pleaseth him who giueth the encrease some sooner some later So no more doe the euill trees appeare all at once but now and then when their euill fruite is ripe some breake forth betimes some stay longer some not at all to the Church I meane vntill the great day of account who then shall be found speechlesse without the wedding garment And as the euill seruant Mat. 22.12 Luk. 19.20 Mat. 25.8 that hid his Masters talent And as the fiue foolish virgins who found no oyle in their lamps when the bridegroome came supposing till then all was well Euen so likewise is there many of his beloued ones not knowne to others but the Lord himselfe vntill that day who then with the rest of their fellowes shall bee made manifest to all yea euen to those who shall then admire their glory and riches when themselues shall lye in dust and shame So that when the Lord saith in his Parable Mat. 13.26.27 That when the wheat did appeare by the fruit then did also appeare the tares his meaning is not that in the generall kingdome all the wheat appeares at once and all the tares but as I haue said before And therefore the seruants must not goe to weeding at the first sprout of the eare though some wheat and some tares doe euidently appeare least they plucke vp wheat with tares For some of both shall remaine vnknowne vnto them vntill the great haruest day And this is Ver 30 and shall be the condition of the common field vniuersity of Christians vntill that day and therefore the seruants must spare to iudge or iustifie till their fruits doe euidently appeare And as the Sunne doth shine and the raine doth fall equally vpon them I meane those Christians that shall proue tares as those that shall prooue good wheat Mat. 5.44.45 fit for the Lords owne barne So ought also his seruants to be kind to the vnkinde and mercifull to all Insomuch as in the first effects before mentioned there doth appeare little or no difference Now hauing thus distinguished betweene Christian and Christian Kingdome and Kingdome tree and tree Let vs see how matters doe fall out betweene them and how they doe agree and also how they ought to walke and carrie themselues toward each other And that we may the easier accomplish our purpose we will deuide these great company of Christians into two parts that is to say Some borne of God returned and become as little children to whom he hath giuen the keyes of the kingdome and all those priuiledges before spoken of and a thousand treasures more besides on whom the second death shall neuer haue power nor the gates of hell preuaile The other vnregenerate equall partakers with the regenerate in all the common first thinges before mentioned but not in the second effects the last and speciall things Now these kinde of brethren doe often times offend the little ones and despise them because they are little in their owne eyes and poore in their own spirit and are returned and become as little children because their fruits of loue appeare beyond theirs knowing their owne works to be euill and their brothers good wherefore the Lord saith to those brethren Mat. 18.10.11.12 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones these lost sheepe whom I haue sought out for I say vnto you howsoeuer you esteeme of them Their
with all his trash is quite abandoned where all is reformed both life and doctrine And that is here with vs for we haue cast off all and haue beganne a new we baptise none but men of yeares and that doe make confession of our faith and are of vpright life wee haue strooke the right Couenant with him therefore he is here Then steppes vp the fift with a high spirit controuling al epecially the three last accusing them for wranglers and blasphemers saying ye are all lyers you are iangling contentious spirits ye seeke Christ without you seeke him within you you good thinking wise-ones you doe not so much as know what Christ is nor yet what Antichrist is you condemne that holy auncient father the Pope of Rome to bee the Antichrist the beast and man of sinne and all the holy orders of their Archpriests Priests and offices of good intentions hauing all names of good signification and all Images Sacrifices and Ceremonies of good information to bee all blasphemus Idolatrous and superstitious and so blaspheme the holy thinges vsed in the Catholicke Church of Rome Not knowing that as God did teach the world by the orders Sacrifices and Ceremonies vsed among the Iewes tell Christ came in the man Iesus So it pleased him also to teach the world by those Orders Images Sacrifices and Ceremonies vsed in the Catholique Church of Rome vntill the Christ came againe now in the end of the world according to his promises in his obedient man H. N. by whom hee hath appointed to iudge the world according to the Scriptures Not with fire and brimstone vpon mens heads as we suppose but with wise sentences with darke and parabolous saying deliuering high things with a high spirit teaching reproouing and condemning the whole word being the eight and the last breaker of the light The Archangel and the last Trumpe none in this third and last day wherein Christ is perfitted And is that Angell flying in the middest of heauen hauing an euerlasting Gospell to preach to them that dwell vpon the earth Saying Christ is not nor was not a man as yee suppose but holinesse is Christ And he that doth beleeue it is possible to keep all the ten commandements hath the right faith in Christ and they that doe attaine to the perfect keeping of them are risen from the dead according to the Scriptures and as holines is Christ and the sonne of God So sinne is Antichrist and the sonne of the diuell fight therefore against the Antichrist in your selues ouer come the beast which is the sinne and put on holines which is the Christ Put away therefore all your good thinkings and all your Scripture learnednese and come hether naked for here is cloathing enough for you for I tell your whosoeuer comes to learne at his schoole must be as simple and hold himselfe as ignorant as a little child for the tree of knowledge is the tree of death wherefore if ye will liue come hether did not the diuell tell you you should be as gods and will yee beleeue him still did he deceiue you once and will you not beware wherefore become fooles that yee may be wise And here take this booke but keepe it close for H. N. hath many enemies especially among this wrangling crue And therein thou shalt finde an interlude which if thou marke well shall teach thee all and harken no loner to those disturbing spirits who feed thee with nothing but the forbidden fruite Learne to liue againe in innocency wherein thou shalt not not be ashamed though thou shouldest goe naked as thou didst before and thou shalt know nothing but loue which shall neuer fade away and when thou hast attained to this thou shalt be in Paradice againe and then take of the tree of life and eate and liue for euer And tel me now Is no here Christ indeed and the very true Christ and haue I not also tolde thee what is the Antichrist and many other worthy thinges wherefore stay heere and thou shalt see wonders in the end These are strange and wofull times Are not these the dayes which the Lord fore-told here is Wolfes in sheepes cloathing on euery side and yet heere are not all but let others tell the rest for my part I am weary telling of these But which way is it possible for the little sheepe to escape these Wolues euen through a very narrow way and a straight gate which their Lord hath appointed and made easie for them for they must escape It is not possible the Elect should be deceiued the know them by their fruites These are the contentions of our dayes who shall end the cōtrouersie This we are sure of he that hath the bride is the bridegroome and shee which hath the bridegroome is the bride wheresoeuer shee be She hath begun to shew her face already a little and her voice hath beene heard euen in our land but the Wolues came so thick about her that shee was glad to retire a little into the wildernesse againe but when her appointed time and yeare is once come she shal come forth and end this controuersie whereby her little ones are so much dismayed in the meane time let her poore little children reioyce and be glad for her light shall shine euery day still more and more and as light comes in darknesse shall goe out howsoeuer things seeme to goe The night is euen passed the day begins to break it is but a little while the Sunne will shine for the morning and euening sacrifice must bee restored againe as in the former time and in the dayes of old And yet a little while and the King of Babell and his City both with all his army shall be ouerthrowne And the song of Moses shall be sung againe for the great City Rome shall be burnt with fire and like the great mill-stone which the Angell cast into the See be throwne downe and shall be found no more Then shall Israell sing in daunces as before saying Haleluiah Saluation and glory and power be to our God for hee hath triumphed gloriously The horse with his stately Rider is ouerthrowne and his pompe turned to the graue And then a very little while and that day so long looked for shall shew it selfe wherein that poore distressed and desolate woman tossed with tempest too fro who hath so long attended with many a wet eye and watchfull looke and her lamp alwaies ready burning for the cōming of her husband to the wedding day wherein he wil giue her a crowne of life and wipe her eyes for euer weeping more and giue her ioy and gladnesse in steed of mourning and beauty and euerlasting life and glory in stead of dust and desolation Great and meruailous are thy workes Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy iudgements King of Saints who shall not feare thee oh Lord giue glory to thy name for thy iudgements are made manifest Let vs be glad and reioyce and giue glory to him for the mariage of the Lamb is come his wife hath made her selfe ready Esai 14. 4. 8. How hath the oppressor ceased and the gold-thirstie Babell rested Since thou wast laid low no hewer came vp against vs. FINIS To the Reader ANd if any man thinke heere is not so much said against them as their faults deserue Let him consider if one should lay open to others all his faults at once with their due deserts he would take it very vnkindly and very hardly euer receiue an admonition at his hands in good part that should so serue him Therefore to preuent this euill I haue rather laboured to tell them what they should be then to lay open what they are for loue hopeth the best till it see the worst And this I assure both thee them that no man euer was more forward and strict in outward obseruations nor more ready to contend about the forme and manner of religious exercises and carnall washings and all other commons of the Kingdome then the very hippocrite that neuer intended the purging of his heart nor yet to partake in her peculiar things though vnder the cloake of the one he doth pretend the greatest part in the other Make cleane then the inside first and the out-side shall bee cleane for whosoeuer is cleansed in heart neede not bee taught to wash his hands
wonder you wold not receiue your baptisme first from some one of the Elders of the Dutch Anabaptists but you will be holyer then all and see how you haue marred all And you Church your selues you say and put a Church vpon your selues What strange doubtfull speech is this What kind of Church is that you put vpon your selues and Church your selues withall Doe you meane a Church of lime and stone made by mens hands Such a Church you may Church you withall and put vppon your selues when you will But that is not your meaning I dare say that is an abhomination in your eyes Your meane If I mistake not Two or three gathered together Doe pull Christ vnto them and so Church Christ and not themselues to speake sensiblie And is this your meaning indeede sir where read you or euer heard you of the like Christ saith to as good men as you none dispraised you haue not Chosen me Iohn 15.16 but I haue chosen you And vpon this Rocke will I not Master Smith and his company build my Church nor any company in the world else And the gates of Hell shall not prenaile against it And will yee know now to what Church he giueth these rules if ye call them so And I giue vnto it saith hee the Keyes of the kingdome of Heauen And where two or three be gathered together in my name I would you knew what this In my name doth intend there am I in the middest of them as if he had said where two or three of these little returned ones that beleeue in me whom my Fathers will is shall be saued doe at any time or in any place gather together in the same faith and considence put in my name there will I be in the middest of them that is there will I make my habitation my Church and my dwelling place Psal 95.7 This is the spirituall Canaan and land of rest and this is the little house whose vessells are all of gold and siluer Heb. 3.8.12.13 But in the groat house there are vessels of gold siluer wood and clay and they are but one in commons together but two in the speciall peculiar things Which are not distinguished by baptisme but by regeneration 1. Cor. 12.13 the birth of water and of the holy Ghost and other such like great and peculiar things And tell me are ye all entred into that rest Are ye all the free womans Children Are yee all borne of God 1. Iohn 29. Is there not one amongst you that loues not his brother 1. Cor. 11.19 Is there not one among you that maintaines Heresie which is a thing necessary that those which are approoued might bee knowne Is there neuer a one weake amongst you are yee all strong men in Christ Iesus Heb. 4.1.7 Is there none of you carnall and yet in your sinnes that had need be exhorted to vnharden his heart and to study to enter into that rest least he be depriued of his expectation Is there not one of all the to amongst you Are ye all as one one as alâ—â—s there neuer a better nor worse are ye al baptised with that one Baptisme spoken of pertakers of that first resurrection Is this your saying indeed Hath the water of Holland washed ye all so cleane ils Indeede if all these things be so then there is no toÌ„parison between the Iewes Church yours nor yet betweene the Church of the Apostles dayes and yours but great difference Though yet betweene the Church of Christ in the Apostles dayes and the Church of Christ vnder the law there was neuer any such difference as ye pretend For they had all the same Gospell and faith Heb. 4.2 Heb. 3.18 1. Cor. 10.2.3 Heb. 3.17 preached the same baptisme of repentance and purging of the holy Ghost euen the very same way of entring into his rest and some were made pertakers thereof and entred thereinto had the same keies committed vnto them that are still giuen to Christs Church Although with many of them that did pertake in Commons with them God was not pleased I meane those that were baptised in the Sea and circumcised in the skin and offered their sacrifices in common with them as did Cain and Abel And who might for bid Cain to offer or Ismael to be circumcised or the hard-hearted Isralites their baptisme in the Sea or the whole house of Israel to come and offer vpon the brasen Altar that stood in the Court of the temple So now likewise and in all times were and shall be common things for all and peculiar things for the peculiar The least grace is to be cherished none ought to be discouraged Act. 8.22 Simon Magus was exhorted to pray They that beleeued the Gospels truth were baptised Acts 2.41 and receiued the signes of Christs bodie and bloud also 1. Cor. 11.21 In these common things they did pertake with Christs holy Priesthood his peculiar Church But you say these things are not common now They were common once when trueth tooke place as the Scriptures by examples proue I meane to such as did beleeue the Gospell and did not professe the practise of iniquity but professed the Gospel and the truth thereof though they were not circumcised in heart regenerate and become as little children Ioh. 6.66 any more then the Disciples were that fell away from Christ and those who asked who should be the greatest and many other moe which the new Testaments examples proue Mat. 18.1 For tell me shall euery one that is baptised in the right forme and manner for that ye stand much on vpon the skinne bee saued And euery one that receiueth the Communion of the Lords body and blood I meane the signe thereof be saued I thinke you will say no then say I they are common As on the other side to beleeue in Iesus Christ to put our trust in God through him to eate his flesh and drinke his blood is eternall life and is peculiar to his Church alone Iohn 6.54 in the middest of whom he dwelleth Obiection But you say we iudge all so that are baptised though God iudge otherwise Doe you so indeed doth God iudge one thing and iudge you another doth God say one thing and say you another And doe you know one thing when God knoweth the contrary or dare yee affirme that which yee know not Answere I perceiue I must speake plainely vnto you you are so dull of hearing Tell me I pray you did euer Christs Apostles and true Church affirme any to be borne of God that prooued otherwise Did they euer iustifie whom God condemned or condemne whom God iustified Indeed the Lord saith to the Pharisees you iudge after the outward appearance Iohn 7.24 but iudge righteous iudgement Yee make cleane the outside saith he but if you would make cleane the inside Mat. 23.26 the outside should bee cleane also Luk. 11.42
thy brethren and seeke his loue as before with all courtesie and meekenesse of exhortation and if he still resist thy loue and vtter wordes of scorne against thee or reuile thee as enuie cannot hide it selfe Then can that one or two witnesse against him and will if that he will not heare them neither but first let them also admonish him that so euery word that he speaketh euill against thee or the light in thee may be confirmed And if he refuse to heare them tell it vnto the Church if he refuse to heare the Church also let him be vnto thee as an Heathen man and a Publican that is If hee still like a scorner refuse to giue eare and to receiue instruction at the handes of that one witnesse with thee or two tell it to the Church These he hath made Pillars in his house and they shall goe no more out Reu. 3.12 that is to those little ones borne of God being gathered together in my name who onely haue this priuiledge to be my Church and Pillar of truth for if there were fiue hundred brethren more beside the little humble ones yet none can iudge this cause but they This Church doth neuer condemn the inocent and let the guilty goe free This Church neuer decreed lies and condemned the truth And if he refuse to heare this Church let him bee vnto thee no longer as a brother and a fellow partaker in the common things of the kingdome wherein before he did and might take part with thee as a disciple of Christ but let him be vnto thee and vnto all the Church euen as a Heathen that beleeueth not the truth of the Ghospell and as a Publican that professeth the practise of sinne Verily I say vnto you Ver. 18 whatsoeuer you binde on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer you loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen for to you it is to whom I haue giuen the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen as well to binde them that sinne against you and the Conenant of loue written in you with the bond of death and to shut the gate of mercy and loue against them as also to lose the bonds of iniquity and the cords and chaines of their sinnes that do repent and to open the gates of my kingdome of mercy life vnto them so that whatsoeuer ye binde on earth is bound in heauen and whatsoeuer ye lose on earth is losed in heauen For if he escaped not that despised him that spake on earth how should he then escape that despiseth him that speaketh from heauen And as he died without mercy vnder two or three witnesses that despised Moyses law Much more lamentable and fearefull is the condition of him that despiseth that law and couenant of grace whereby his soule should liue resisting the voice of the bride and of her children which sought his good How much greater is his bondage and sorer shall his punishment be that is condemned by that Church where the Prince of the couenant doth sit of treason against his bloud by the testimony of two or three witnesses It had been good for that man if he neuer had beene borne And better for him after hee was borne that a milstone had beene hanged about his neck and throwne to the bottome of the Sea before he fell to despise the Lord in his Sanctuarie and to resist his spirit of grace in his little ones Againe verily I say vnto you That if two of you my brethren that beleene in me Ver. 19 agree in earth vpon any thing concerning my word and the meaning thereof either for the sentence of death to the disobedient or mercy and life to the returned sinner whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name if it be life for him that sinneth not vnto death or whatsoeuer else is necessary and good for the kingdome he will giue it you For Ver. 20 where two or three be gathered in my name there am I in the middest of you what will hee not therefore giue you for my sake Aske and ye shall receiue that your ioy may be full These are priuiledges belonging only to those little ones that are born of God who haue their parts in the first resurrection against whom the gates of hell shall not preuaile nor yet the second death But there was euermore an Israell after the flesh which persecuted that Israell which is after the spirit and shall be to the worlds end For this generation shal not passe away till the Lord himselfe come Mat. 24.34 And if there were not an Israell not of God Paul would neuer haue said To the Israell which is of God And if there were not an earthly Ierusalem he would neuer haue told vs of a heauenly Yea there were two Ierusalems in all times Two Israels in all ages two mothers two test aments two seeds euen from the beginning As Caine and Abell Ismaell and Isaack Esau and Iacob Two lands of Canaan heauenly and earthly Two rests carnall and spirituall As it is written saying To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts least ye enter not into this rest Euen then while they were in possession of the earthly rest Heb. 3.15.16.17.18.19 which by vnhardning their hearts and hearing his voice they might haue entred into Euen the same way which euer was still remaines and shall doe to the worlds end Euen the same rest the same heauenly Ierusalem the same congregation of the first borne the same holy City the same Church which hath had in it at all times the same power from God to binde and loose to remit and to retain sinnes And this is the bride the Lambs wife This is she to whom is granted to be cloathed in white aray And these are they that watch and are sober attending with their Lampes burning to meete the bridgeroome their husband These all vnhardened their hearts and heard his voice and entred into his rest The rest and peace with God rest to their soules euen that rest which is said to remain to the people of God Heb. 4.9 And whosoeuer entred into that rest did first heare his voice that is receiued the word of faith And whosoeuer receiued that word of faith did first vnharden his heart that is did first repent was lost and dead crying and bewailing with an vn-vtterable desire of life his sinnes death and these are the dead which heare the voice of the sonne of man and liue Ioh. 5.25 And this is that one baptisme spoken of and is called the baptisme of repentance Acts. 19.4 Mark 1.1.2.3.4 and the beginning of the Gospell the preparation to the word of faith That one faith spoken of and they that are borne againe of these two Mat. 3.3 Ephe. 4.5 haue all receiued that one spirit spoken of euen the spirit of adoption and are all seruants vnto that one Lord and children to that one God their
gouernours is there is the world that doth command the truth of Religion in generall like the King and Gouernours of England And you are reformers that stand so much vpon termes What law is there in England imposed vpon you contrary to Gods law Consider and tell vs. I know what you haue pretended a great while and we haue seene the issue of it but looke a little better vpon the matter and search throughly If you finde any contrary to God and his law imposed vpon you but looke ye be in a sure ground Obey them not what King soeuer command you let him first haue all euen your liues If not take heed suffer not like euill doers as you haue done a great while and as you haue pretended reformation in the generall now reforme your selues in particular for be it knowne vnto you your doctrines and proceedings haue beene the cause of much euill you haue beene the breeders of these sects you haue laid the foundation and others build Their buildings stand vpon your foundation and therefore you are no more able to deale with them in this controuersie then one is able to deale with his enemie when hee hath yeelded him all his weapons For by the same reason that you inuay against the ceremonies as ye call them will they come against you for going to the assemblies in the Temple and as you find fault with them for want of an eldership in the ordination of their pastors They defend their proceedings by the same reasons that you deny the Authority of your Presbitery at home And you would also haue the Church of the same fashion as they For you agree with them that non ought to be baptised but such as doe first shew forth vnto you the fruits of regeneration Whereupon dependeth their Separation and Rebaptisings and then ought not children to bee baptised for they shew forth no fruits of Regeneration so that if al be true which you say that is true which they doe and so you are the sayers and they the doers And therefore you must of necessity either ioyne with them or change your minds or else hide your selues for shame for ye cannot fight with them seeing you are vnarmed they haue all your weapons Therefore as you haue troubled many a poore soule with your doubtfull Doctrines vnder pretence of abstaining from sinne and performing of holy duties that many of you and of your followers differ but little from the Sect of the Pharises So now at last see if yee can learne to giue them better instruction And as you haue beene the Authors of Sects and many errors which hath bred much distraction and trouble of spirit as is to be seene this day both at home and abroad now at last seeke to redresse it for it is lamentable to behold how many hundreds of people no doubt single and vpright in heart hungring and thirsting for peace and rest to their soules haue beene by you seduced and brought into a spirituall bondage And also throught their deuotion and bounty vnto you haue brought themselues some of them into great wants and miseries some with feasting of you some with lâ—eÌ„ding some with giuing and some to ease their conciences which you had burdened and to escape trouble haue left their callings remooued their dwellings solde their possessions fled their countrey separating themselues from the Church of England as from Idolatry and the abhominations of Antichrist And beeing beyond the seas In Holland by name beholding among the Sects of Separatists there The wranglings the brawlings the deuisions the enuie and the grosse sins that hath beene amongst them haue been driuen to their witts ends running from Sect to Sect and from error to error that some of them now at last are become carnall and blasphemous Familists betweene whom and the worldlings there is little difference but onely in their doctrines and blasphemies Others the better of the two Imbracing meerely this present world Onely a few haue escaped whome God hath better instructed who can tell how through his grace to giue vnto Caesar the things that are Caesars and vnto God the things that are God And now yet for all this neither you nor your followers haue once called into question your beginnings and grounds of these things but they are so blinded with you and you with your long accustomed errors your supposed truth and with the arguments you haue so long maintained against the Bishops their titles their places and callings The iniunctions and ceremonies as ye call them that you haue still proceeded in your blind zeale euen to silencing and imprisoning and they on the other side in their deuotion and simple zeale of your Doctrine and you so that they haue ministred so bountifully vnto you and that out of their penury some of them that you haue filled your bagges with money and your bellies with cheere some of you when some of your poore contributors and followers haue sit with many a hungry meale at home with many a sigh and trouble in spirit when as neither you nor your rich followers haue scarce euer enquired or lookt after them And you are so cunning some of you that you can plead pouerty to increase your store that you may haue hundreds to spare against anotherday And herein your greatest and richest followers are so partial they wil giue you a pound and plenty offeasts cheere when they wil hardly giue their poore hungry brother a penny a cup of cold water or a piece of bread And this they haue learned of you who are also as partiall as they if not more for they that fill you with delicates and that put pounds into your purses you will visite and that often you are well acquainted with their dores whereas though there bee ten poore to one rich of all your followers yet you know not the way to their dores nor the place where they dwell they are strangers and vnknowne except they visit you Are not these your proceedings I know what I say it is pitifull to see how many of your poore followers are in great and extreme wants with their wiues and children Looke vnto it therefore and repent for be it knowne vnto you God will raise them out of the dust that you thinke not who shall Ecclips your light Iacob is disquieted by your meanes and Israel by you caused to erre And for you Master Smith and your company here is newes come to England already that you are deuided and you know what must come to a deuided kingdome a house against it selfe That which cannot stand must fall and that which cannot endure shall come to nought Seeke strength of the Lord and request that you may stand in his Courts and dwell in his house whose pillars endure for euer But perhaps some will say Obiection If we should yeeld and obey as you say how should we then suffer persecution and be afflicted how should we be hated of all
a true Israelite So likewise in this new time there is the Baptisme of the skinne and the Baptisme of the heart but the Baptisme of the heart is the onely chiefe baptisme 1. Cor. 12.13 and they that are so baptised are the onely true Christians and Israel of God and is but one and the same for euer In comparison whereof that which is but outward on the skinne is none at all And tell mee Master Smith are not these thinges true indeede dare you to resist and gain-say them do you not know that which is of God shall stand Act. 5.38.39 and that which is of men shall fall and come to nought Take heede therefore least ye be found a fighter against God But you may say to me thou art a sinfull wretch and if I write against thee I write but against a wretched one It is true indeede and therefore vnworthy I am to write or speake of these holy things And as for me spare me not for my sinnes but yet let the truth goe free for the Lords sake whose it is and for his childrens sake to whom it may come and for your owne sake least you die Obiection But some will say perhaps Master Smith is too wise I trow to fight with or to yeelde to such a foole that hath not one maior or minor but all minimes too too little for his great capacity Alacke Master Smith regards it not he scarse looked on it it is so meane he will not file his hands to answer such a clownish discourse that hath not one artificiall argument in it and so void of learning that it hath not so much as method but plaine like the plough Alacke Master Smiths bringing vp hath not beene so Swineheard and Shepheard like He is a Scholler of no small reading and well seene and experienced in Arts. If hee thought his answere to Master Clifton would be the lesse esteemed for that hee is helde a weake man but that his allegations and reasons are the best plea of the greatest Rabbies themselues Thinke not that he will weaken his cause to answere thee If it were any of the Rabbies of England or any other harlot whatsoeuer you should see then what he would say to it for although Master Smith doe publish answeres to Master Clifton one of the separation on Master Iohnsons side chalenging them especially to the combat yet he proclaimeth saying Be it knowne to all the separation that wee account them in respect of their constitution to be as very an harlot as either her mother England or her grandmother Rome out of whose loines she came Answere As her Mother England whose sonne is Master Smith if one might aske where was hee borne and where had he his education and bringing vp In England yea in England Is this a kind sonne to vse his mother thus not onely to runne away from her like his followe brethren against whom also he doth protest but to raile against her so Is this your Logick sir was this your bringing vp hath Art caused you so much to forget Nature If not grace yet mee thinkes the light of nature should haue taught you better If you had beene borne in America or in Rome it selfe very nature might haue perswaded you that some might bee there that had rather die then worship diuels or bowe to Baal Much more in England though you be runne out for feare tell mee whether can any man runne in all the world to mend himselfe at this day And although your mother England hath too many disobedient and froward children yet if you had beene a Naturall sonne you would haue stayed at home and if you had receiued a greater light then the rest of your brethren Loue would haue forced you to haue laide downe your life for them rather then they should haue beene vntaught therein considering also what great hope is to bee conceiued of England aboue any one Nation in the world and not to leaue them in the darke and cry out a harlot a harlot no Church visible nor Christian to be seene no faith but the faith of diuels no Baptisme but the marke of the beaste no Church to bee seene in the world but I Iohn Smith and my Company Is this your shamelesse voice Dare you be so bold to set vp a flag of defiance against the City of God Be it knowne vnto you that the least Citizen thereof is able to meete both you and all your company in the field and through the strength of the Lord thereof without either bow or shield euen by the word of his mouth put you all to flight And for all your great bragges and flagges Bee it knowne vnto you and vnto all the world this day That his holy Citie is in England euen Ierusalem that is from aboue and although she hath many yea and too many entercommoners yet she hath free Denisons who pertake of her priuiledges whose feete walke in our streetes though the world regard it not and if ye will not beleeue me wipe but your eyes with Sackecloth and come and see and if you will doe neither answere in the field and although heere bee neither Art nor learning and therefore you know not how to frame your pen to stoope so low Remember where once you were from whence you came know that reason brought forth Art and therefore was before Let Art then beeing the daughter although shee be so high looke downe a little to her mother and let both and all and euery creature bend and yeeld vnto the word of the Lord which shall endure for euer And although it be none of the Rabbies but one of the vnlearned babies yet meete him seeing hee doth accept the challenge but looke well to your forehead for all your Artificiall Armes and skill to vse them for little Dauid beeing a keeper of sheepe though he knew not how to stir himselfe in such like armor yet comming in the name of the God of Israel from the sheepe with his sling and a stone stroake Goliah so deadly that hee fell downe and with his owne sword cut of his head wherefore looke vnto it it is dangerous striuing with trueth for although Kings be strong and Wine is strong and Women are stronger then either of both who beare Kings and the planters of Vines and all Masters of Artes and sciences whatsoeuer yet truth is stronger then all and all must bend and bow and yeeld to her least they die at the point thereof And though it come out of the mouth of very babes and sucklings yet it is stronger then Goliah withall his forces Not that I despise learning but reuerence it and doe acknowledge my selfe to be vnworthy thereof but only this It must not be so proud to thinke that trueth should learne of it or to thinke that reason must not rule it and if Art should thinke for it is like Nature very blind that truth and reason could ouershoot it selfe yet were