revile us and we have Christs example for it who said Father forgive them they know not what they do speaking of those that persecuted him which Saint Stephen imitating said Lord lay not this sin to their charge supplicating likewise for his enemies And so Saint Paul prayed for all those that forsook him when he appeared before Nero. Now when the Independents and Sectaries transgresse thus against precept upon précept and against the example of all the holy Prophets and Christ himselfe and his blessed Apostles and Martyrs and dayly by these their practices fight against God himselfe and are in every thing so unlike the old Puritans of England it is manifest that they have not outgrown them in this point of duty and that the way of Independency is not the way of righteousnesse but the way of error and open rebellion against God so that those glorious titles they assume unto themselves of being the onely holy and praying people and the Saints and but the old Puritans of England overgrown do not belong unto the Independents and Sectaries when they are so like the devill in all their practices For it is sufficiently known can be abundantly proved that many of the Independents Sectaries wil neither pray with the Presbyterians nor for them no nor for King and Parliament nor for the Assembly nor for the Scots yea if need be it can be proved that they have prayed and that publickly against them all yea their dayly Pamphlets witnesse what good affection they have towards them all whose chiefe imployment it is except it be now and then by the way of slattery when they coaks the Parliament a little to gain their favour that by their party in the house they may do the more mischiefe against the Presbyterians I say except it be at such a nick of time the whole imployment of all the Sectaries generally is abominably to abuse them and to raile and revile both the House of LORDS and COMMONS and the Assembly and the Scots and the City and for the King they cannot hear of his very name with patience I can say thus much of them and men also of good rank and reputation that I never have heard more reviling speeches in my life against any men then they have uttered in my hearing and in the audience of many and that at the Parliament door affirming openly that they were more tyrannicall then either Strafford or the Prelate and greater persecutors then those of the High Commission Court and this was the general language of all the Sectaries through the Kingdome within this twelve Moneths indeed since the recruiting of the House and since by that means they have strengthned their party and they have of late shewed lesse favour to the Presbytery and the City they have not been altogether publickly so boysterous in their expressions yet notwithstanding privately amongst themselves they can speak daggers both against many worthy Members in the House of Commons and against many of the Lords and against the City and against the Scots and especially against the Assembly all the which they traduce at pleasure with most of the proceedings of the House of Commons if at least they do not humor them to their desires and designes yea many of their printed Pamphlets can witnesse for me that I wrong them not and amongst others those that were writ by John Lilburne who is but the mouth of the rest who dares speak out what the other Sectaries dare but mutter and therefore he is adored and exceedingly animated and countenanced by them all and superlatively cryed up as the onely man of courage and animosity amongst all those of that fraternitie and he makes all the Lords but Prerogative and King creatures and the very House of Commons but the creature of the people who may call them to an account when they please and therefore for all their flatterie in their Petition it highly concerns the Great Councel and the whole kingdom timely to look into their proceedings their clandestine machinations lest that in recruting of the Parliament they doe so strengthen their faction that in fine they destroy not only the Parliament it selfe but the whole Kindome and make themselves soveraigne Lords indeed as they pretend they are over both the King and Parliament and all the people and so become really our Lords and Masters so that whereas formerly this nation was called the Popes and Prelates Asses we may now justly be called and termed the Independents Mules a monstrous brood indeed for it is sufficiently knowne and can be proved and that by good witnesse that it is their maxime that the Saints only ought to rule the world and to have the sword in their hand aud they prove this their Doctrine out of the 149. Psame where the Prophet saith v. 5 6 7. c. Let the Saints be jeyfull in glory let them sing abroad upon their beds let the high prayses of God be in their mouth and a two edged sword in their hand to execute vengeanee upon the Heathen and punishments upon the people to bind their Kings with chaines and their Nobles with fetters of Iron to execute upon them the judgement written this honour have all his Saints prayse yee the Lord. Upon this place of Holy Scripture they ground their opinion that the Saints only ought to rule the Earth now they account none Saints but themselves and all the Presbyterians enemies of Jesus Christ yea they have beene heard say when they are amongst themselves where they may speake freely that they see no reason why the Saints may not compell any nation by the sword to come under obedience to Christs Kingdome So that howsoever they challenge liberty of conscience now saying that conscience is a tender thing and that it ought not be forced yet if they but once get the day they will give no toleration I beleeve to any Presbyterians yea I am most assured had but the Parliament voted for Independency as they did for the Presbyterie they would have found Scripture enough then by which they would have proved that the Christian Magistrate might have forced any to come under obedience to Christs yoake and then the example of Nehemiah would have beene exceedingly urged by them all who seeking a through Reformation would not suffer so much as the language of Ashdod to be spoke within his jurisdiction but constrained them all to imbrace the true Religion and sweare by God that is to set up Gods true worship this example of Nehemiah I am confident would have beene urged and that eagerly by them all who at their first comming over from their pretended banishment I meane the Homothumadon Brethren and those of New-England as long as they had any hopes of setting up their Independency were very frequently heard speake of a through Reformation and alwayes commend noble Nehemiah for his zeale that hee would not suffer any false worship in Ierusalem but since they perceive their
the most uncivilized people living they usually railing of me to my face and such of them as I know not nor never to my remembrance saw before their assaulting of me and they that carry themselves fairest towards me either puffe in my face as they passe by me thinking to provoke me or else make odd faces at me or stare on me as I passe by them like a hare in a forme and they have often professed unto many that they had as leive meet the devill as me and said that I was a devill and that I looked like the devill and like Cain and a thousand more such expressions they have upon all occasions in their mouthes concerning me besides whatsoever they have published in their Pamphlets and besides all their filthy and infamous language they dayly use to the defaming of me and mine But this is not my condition alone but so they deal with all those faithfull and godly Presbyterian Ministers all which confirms me in my opinion calling them ugly fellows and bland asses and Presbytyrants and loading them with all manner of reproaches so that they have made them all through the Kingdome so hatefull and infamous as they cannot dwell safely in their houses where there is any increase of them and all that I now write can sufficiently be proved by many witnesses which passages of theirs towards all corroborates me in my perswasion So that by these barbarous practices of all the Sectaries and by these their uncouth sounds they have so scared and terrified the people that now the name of a Presbyterian is formidable to many and it is enough to hinder any from preferment that they can but blast with the name of a Presbyterian and this also hath been generally observed that there is scarse a man found to have been familiar at any time with any of the Sectaries that if he once come to declare himself to stand for the Presbytery that ever they could endure after whatsoever love they seemed to shew towards him before that time yea it is farther observed that scarse ever any man of what rank or fashion soever he were that familiarly conversed amongst them that they have not afterwards betrayed or blasted their in honor and reputation yea I could tell many a sad story to the deterring of any Presbyterian for ever being familiar with any of that brood and I shall ever be able to prove that when some of them that were poor unlearned and obscure men yet for their seeming holiness have by great Parsonages been entertained in their families and whom they made their principall companions these most ungratefull and treacherous fellows have made use of this their noble courtesie and humanity but to find how they stood affected to Independency and when they perceived that they were not for their purpose though otherwise they were very moderate men yet they raised many infamous reports of them yea they so blasted them in their honours as they could never after recover their reputation So that it is a wonder to me that any cordiall reall and solid Presbyterian will familiarly converse with them when they have dayly so many sad presidents of their treachery before their eyes And for my part I wonder how any truly godly people dare come in their company much lesse hear them preach especially when they pray they may not be led into temptation and when they have a speciall command to take heed of all seducers and are so frequently in holy Scripture forewarned to decline all society with them which they according to Gods command ever ought to avoyd For Saint Paul speaking of false teachers in the fifth of the Galatians wishes that they were cut off and in the first chapter of the same Epistle v. 8. 9. he faith there that if an Angel from heaven should preach unto them otherwise then he had taught them that they should account him accursed therefore surely he would not have any of Christs Disciples and Scholers familiar with false teachers and such as teach the people otherwise then Paul had taught them which all the Sectaries do and much more ought all those that know the doctrines and practices of the Sectaries of our times how dangerous a generation of men they are in all respects and how many have bin utterly ruined undone in their souls and in their estates and reputations by their familiarity with them to shun them Surely it is a great provoking of God when they know his blessed Will who hath said Matth. 15. 7. Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheeps clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves that yet they will not take heed of them but run after their preachments for this is indeed to thrust themselves into temptation and put themselves upon needlesse danger to the ruining of their own souls and the souls of those that are commitâ—ed to their charg in their families whom they are by Gods command to bring up in the nurture and fear of the Lord and to instruct in the way of truth and righteousnesse which the Sectaries do not walk in as I have sufficiently proved both in my Epistle to the Reader and through my whole Book and therfore ought to be shunned and declined whatsoever seeming holinesse and sanctimony they pretend to the World Without doubt the deceivers in Pauls times were as seemingly holy as any of our Itinerary and Independent Praedicants for he saith of them that like the devill they transformed themselves into angels of light and appeared like the Ministers of righteousnesse and the Pharisees in Christs time seemed very glorious outwardly as our Saviour speaketh of them and yet he commanded all his followers to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod he would have none of his Disciples famâ—liar with them but injoyns them all to take heed of their doctrines And Saint Paul 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 4. saith that the last times wil be perillous and dangerous times in regard of the false teachers that should then arise and after he had made a description of them that they might know them which in every thing agrees with the Sectaries of our times he saith of those seducers that they shal be lovers of themselvs covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to Parents unthankful unholy without naturall affection covenant breakers false accusers that is in the Originall devils incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good treacherous heady high minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a form of godlinesse but denying the power thereof Now after he hath deciphered them he gives all men a speciall command to avoyd their society saying from such turn away he injoynes all men not so much as to hear them And compares them to Jannes and Jambres those sorcerers who withstood Moses and says of those seducers that they also like them would resist the truth they being men of corrupt minds and reprobate concerning the faith
consideration of the which the better to stirr up thy attention makes me boldly to conclude of them all That whatsoever they pretend and whatsoever shews of seeming holinesse they hold out to the world they are unsound root and branch and neither the godly party nor the praying people nor the only Saints but the most pharisaicall brood that ever yet appeared in the world and more injurious to Christ the King of his Church and to his royalty and to all his holy faithfull Ministers and Servants then ever the Pope or any of the Prelaticall party were and more malicious and treacherous to the Saints and truly godly and precious ones and more opposers of all Reformation then ever the Cavaliers were and many of them greater enemies to Church and State and the welfare of both then either Strafford or the Prelate of Canterbury And as for the Independent government as it is most certain it hath neither precept nor president for it in all Gods holy Word so it is far more tyrannicall and lordly then that of the Pope or Prelates tending to nothing but an Anarchy and confusion in Church and State And therefore that they with all their trumperies and desperate practices with all their unrighteous dealing ought to be abhorred and abominated whatsoever seeming sanctimony they make shew of by all such as truly fear God and wish the peace of Zion and the good of the State and Kingdomes in which they live Now they that have a desire to see this charg made good against them shall find it with the whole impeachment fully proved and made evident in the following discourse But in the interim it will not be amisse to produce some few instances more of their practices for the proving of their Independency not to be the way of righteousnesse If a man but look upon their superlative pride especially the conceit they all of them have of their own holinesse and sanctity we shall find that it exceeds that of the very Scribes and Pharisees for all the Independents and Sectaries stile themselves the holy people the godly party the praying people the generation of the just the Saints yea esteeming the very retrimentitious part of them to speak in their own dialect Saints calling their most blasphemous opinions and practices the infirmities of the Saints in the mean time excluding the most godly Presbyterians from those titles calling them the Antichristian brood the enemies of Jesus Christ and his Kingdome the sons of Beliall and what not all which dealing with their brethren is not the way of righteousnesse yea in their very prayers to God they like the Pharisees boast of their own knowledge slighting and vilifying all their Presbyterian brethren disdaining so much as to pray for them yea in their publike Assemblies and in their publike prayers they have been heard contemptuously to speak of those in authority asserting that they were not worthy of the prayers of the Saints and it is well known that many of them will neither publickly nor privately joyn with their Presbyterian brethren in any duty of piety accounting them all as an Antichristian and unsanctified generation of men and all this out of a strong and confident perswasion of their own holiness out of an uncharitable opinion of their brethrens impurity then the which strain of pride the very Pharisees never exercised a greater all which practices of theirs sufficiently declare that the way of Independency is not the way of righteousnesse for greater unrighteousnesse there cannot be then this as will by and by appear But I will now come to some instances Not long since at a great entertainment and festivity on the Lords day when they were all met together one of the Homothumadon brethren a great man amongst them beginning the duty of the day in his Prayer before his Sermon speaking unto God by way of complaint against the Presbyterians said unto Him with many tears Lord they meaning the Presbyterians hate us because we know more of thee then they do but we beseech thee Lord give us still to know more of thee and let them hate us more if they will But before I come to speak of this their prayer and of some other passages of their other good prayers I shall take the liberty here to say something of the difference between these mens practices and the old Puritans of ENGLAND and so much the rather I do it because they would perswade the world that there is little difference between them and the old Puritans yea one of their Itinerary Predicants not long since preaching in a publike Assembly affirmed that there was no other difference between the Independents at this day and the old Puritans of ENGLAND but that the Independents were over-grown Puritans which I conceive he meant in this sense that the Independents outstripped them in all duties of piety and charity and in all comely seemly orderly and temperate walking in an unblameable conversation before God and men This I say I conceive to be his meaning by the word overgrown for I would not willingly put a worse interpretation upon his expression and understand by overgrown that he meant they were become monstrous Which notwithstanding too too many of them are therefore if his words be taken in the better sense by overgrown he understands that the Independents have attained unto a higher degree of perfection then ever the old Puritans had attained unto and that they now walke more closely in the way of righteousnesse then ever they did I will first therefore set down some of the practices of the old Puritans with the paths and wayes of righteousnesse they walked in omitting many things for brevity sake though worthy of eternall memory and our everlasting imitation For the old Puritants of ENGLAND as those that have read their writings and knew their practices and were familiarly acquainted with them they can testifie of them that they were an humble self-denying people ever groaning under that burden of the remnant of sin crying out with the Apostle Paul Rom. 7. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death they never dreamed of a perfect holiness nor never thought themselves more holy then others or presumed to call themselves Saints and if that title had at any time been given unto any of them by such as truly honoured them for their singular graces you should ever hear them complain of their imperfections and with the Apostle Phil. 3. ver 8 9. counting all things losse for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ esteeming all their righteousnesse but dung that they might win Christ and be found in him not having their own righteousnesse c. Now they that are acquainted with the Independents doctrine words and practices hear them talk of nothing but of their own sanctity and of their perfection saying God can see no sin in them and although some of them do not professe so much in words yet in deeds
they allow of that doctrine proclaming themselves to be the only Saints the holy people and the godly party the generation of the just and separate from their brethren as impure creatures Therefore the Independents do not walk in that old way of righteousnesse the old Puritans of ENGLAND walked in who made no separation in the worst times from the publike Assemblies or ever refused to pray with their Christian brethren and therefore in this point they have not outstripped them nor overgrown them from which I boldly conclude that herein that Predicant did abuse the world in saying that there is no difference between the Independents and the old Puritants of ENGLAND For the old Puritans were humble self denying men and the Independents are pharisaicall boasters of their own holinesse and sanctity and therefore in this their way is not the way of righteousnesse but a great aberration from it Again the old Puritans of England though never so learned and never so sufficiently furnished with all accomplished abilities of divine knowledge which many of them by their indefatigable pains study and industry and by their prayers unto God night and day and by their continuall waiting upon the Ordinances and Gods blessing upon all their endeavours had attained unto so that they were taken notice of by all men both in the Universities and amongst all the learned to be incomparable men many of the which I could name yet not any one of them ever preached either in publike or private without great study and prayer yea and without a speciall call and they alwayes with Saint Paul exercised their Ministery in fear and much trembling 1 Cor. 2. ver 3. saying with him 2 Cor. 2. 16. Who is sufficient for these things Those holy and godly Puritans though transcendently learned yet were always conversant in all holy duties especially in preaching and prayer with fear and trembling thinking themselves never sufficiently enough provided for for those duties And truly Saint Paul's example is worthy alwaies to be looked upon who though he were immediately inspired by God himselfe and had alwayes the assistance of his spirit and ten thousand times more learning then all the Independents put together yet he preached alwayes with fear and trembling and cryed out who is sufficient for these things Now if we compare the Independents and their Predicants with the old Puritans of England we shall find the old Puritans alwaies and in all things imitating the example of holy Paul and the other Apostles in their Ministery which they had a command to follow Phil. 3. ver 17. who intruded not themselves rashly upon the Ministery as the false Apostles and Seducers usually did and as all the Independents and Sectaries daily do they cryed out who is sufficient for these things and how can any preach except he be sent Rom. 10. saying No man taketh this honour unto himself but he that is called of God as Aaron Hebr. 2. 4. Those old Puritans were all men of Saint Paul's spirit they durst do nothing without a call nothing without great study nothing without their parchments and books imitating Saint Paul in this who would alwaies have his parchments with him that is his books bring me my parchments saith he they preached not without fear and trembling this was the continuall practice of the old Puritans they could never be seen in a Pulpit before they had some dayes prepared themselves by prayer and study and yet after all this they would then cry out Who is sufficient for these things Whereas all the Independents and Sectaries assert that every man may preach and every man of them is sufficient and many also hold that women may preach yea and to manifest that they are all sufficient for these things and for the dispensing of the great mysteries of Heaven which the very Angels desired to pry into they run through Town and Country and wheresoever they come get up into the Pulpits and preach with such impudencie impiety and blasphemy as it is not lawfull to name their very doctrines being so destructive to all piety goodnesse and good manners and Ruffian like they go in their hair and apparrel and so insolent and proud they are that one would rather take them for Luciferians then Saints and such unbeseeming expressions they have in their prayers to God as would terrifie a truly consciencious and godly man to hear them as not long since one of them in London publickly speaking unto God in his prayer said Right Honorable Lord God which kind of expressions as they are blasphemous so ridiculous exposing Religion and the sacred Ordinances of God to ludibry and derision But yet this is the dayly practice of the Sectaries through the Kingdome far different from that of the old Puritans of England and therefore in this point of fear and reverence and of an holy awe of Gods divine Majestie and a reverend adoring of the ministery and mystery of the Gospell the way of the Independents is not that either of the holy Apostles or of the old Puritans there being as vast a difference between them as between light and darknesse and therefore the way of Independency in this particular also is not the way of righteousnesse but the way of rebellion and impudency Againe the old Puritans of England had all of them a reverend opinion of all in authority and did ever beleeve that there was no power but of God and that all powers were ordained of God Rom. 13. and they beleeved that every soule ought to be subject to the higher power and that whosoever resisted the power resisted the Ordinance of God and for that their Rebellion they should receive to themselves damnation and they ever believed that every soule ought to be subject unto authority not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake this was the Doctrine of the old Puritans of England and their practice in yeelding continuall obedience to them and praying for them is knowne to all men yea they did acknowledge that as all power was given unto Jesus Christ in Heaven and Earth Matth. 28. Psal 2. so they did beleeve that all power in Church and State was derived from him as the head of all Principalitie and power who had said Prov. 8. 15. 16. By me Kings raigne and Princes decree justice by me Princes rule and Nobles yea all the Iudges of the earth c. this doctrine the old Puritans of England had learned and taught and were obedient unto as having precept upon precept for it as from the words above quoted out of the thirteenth of the Romans so out of 1. Pet. chap. 2. verse 13 14. who said submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supreme or unto Governors as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evill Doers and for the prayse of them that doe well for so is the wâ—ll of God that with well doing yet may
that I have not known any Presbyterian now living that was formerly familiarly acquainted with any that afterward turn'd Sectary or Independent notwithstanding whatsoever courtesies they had formerly received from them that have not either betrayed him or done him some ill office afterward or at least would never do him the least kindnesse though he were in need or shew him any favour So that in this point of love and charity they walk not in the way of the old Puritans who were kind to all men and sincere towards those they had familiarly conversed with it never being known that they betrayed any of them or did them any ill offices and therefore in this point also the way of Independency is not the way of righteousnesse nor the way of the old Puritans of ENGLAND but the way of treachery unthankfulnesse and unrighteousnesse But to instance the practices and wayes of the old Puritans in a few things more and then to compare them with the wayes of the Independents and Sectaries The old Puritans of ENGLAND as all can witnesse that knew them were all of them generally men no way addicted to the pleasures of the world and in their apparell and outward garbe commonly they were ever out of fashion It was to my knowledg counted a great sin amongst them to exceed in apparrell or to be fashionably clad or to go with long hair or Rufsian like or to be seen in gorgeous attire You should rarely or seldome behold any gold or silver lace on any of their apparrell except they had been of noble Parentage or of some very great and rich Families or in some eminent place of authority and that was alwayes very sparing and for cuffs at their hands not one of a thousand of the old Puritans were ever seen in any and if they at any time upon any festivity or at any solemn entertainment or upon such like occasion appeared in any they were commonly such little sucking ones as a man could scarse discern them Now if you look upon all the Independents generally through Town and Country though they were never born to any estates nor were of any repute till that out of the ruines of the Kingdome by their Sectarisme and indirect dealings they have attained to some wealth You shall find them the only gallants of the world so that one that should meet them would take them for Roarers and Ruffians rather then Saints Yea you shall find them with cuffs and those great ones at their very heels and with more silver and gold upon their clothes and at their heels for those upstarts must now be in their silver spurs then many great and honourable personages have in their purses so that those that behold them if they knew them not would take them to be the Gentry and Peers of the Kingdome rather then a company of obscure fellows in so much that some taking notice of the great change in this Kingdome said not long since that Gentlemen and Noblemen were become beggers and beggers were become Lords and Gentlemen Truly the like pride in apparell was never seen amongst such as made profession of Religion before these our times Whereas the old Puritans of ENGLAND both men and women were all modestly cladd and attired and went very plain and thought it rather a scandall to Religion to be attired or cladd in the least manner after the fashion of the Court then for an honour to their profession and I have known them blame those that abhorred all pride as much as any men did and onely for that they went handsomely cladd and apparrelled although it were onely for the gracing of their profession as they then told them for the which they were at that time sufferers So that if those people were now alive those old Puritans and should see our Sectaries and Independents who predicate themselves to be the onely Saints those good old Puritans would lift up their hands with admiration and say as one of New England said not long since seeing a brother of his coming over thither very gallant whom he had known live in a meaner condition that in beholding him he thought he saw one of the seven wonders of the world and profest that he believed they would ere long grow mad with pride in Old ENGLAND saying moreover that in his time he having then been but ten years in New England he that should have been seen go in those fashions the Sectaries and Independents usually and daily now go in would have been thought to have had little Religion in him and he exceedingly marvelled at the liberty all those of the Congregationall way now take saying that he much suspected their sincerity that now made that a vertue and counted that an honour to Religion which the old Puritans of England deemed a dishonour to God and a disgrace and dishonour to their holy profession So that in this point also the practices and way of the Sectaries is not the way of the old Puritans of England and the way of righteousnesse it being the way of vanity and the world and contrary unto the command of the Apostle Saint Paul Rom. 12. ver 2 3 4. Again whereas the old Puritans of ENGLAND had their fare diet and houshold stuffe how rich in estate soever they were according to their severall degrees were it a Yeoman or but an ordinary Gentleman or a Knight they ever observed their rank whatsoever I say or how great soever the estates of each of them were the Yeoman had his house furnished and fared like a Yeoman and not like a Gentleman the Gentleman he also fared like a Gentleman and had his house furnished accordingly and not like a Knight the Knight in like manner fared like a Knight and had his house furnished according to his rank and not like a Lord All the old Puritans of ENGLAND every one of them out of conscience observed and kept their rank and lived and fared according to that degree and order God had placed them in this world and used their superfluity for the clothing of the naked and feeding of the necessitated and relieving of the poor many of the which rich Yeomen Gentlemen and Knights I could name some of the which to my knowledge layed by yearly out of their estates and revenues some two hundred pounds some three hundred yea some five hundred pounds all their life time which they sent to the godly Ministers here and there dispersed through the Kingdome to be distributed amongst the poor and necessitated Christians in those parts and this was the practice of the old rich Puritans of ENGLAND yea many of them maintained a preaching orthodox Minister in some blind corner of the Kingdome at their own charges others of them alwaies entertained one silenced Minister or other or took poor necessitated Christians children into their Families and bred them as their own I can speak much to the praise of God and to many of their immortall honours upon my
own experience concerning the charity of the old Puritans of ENGLAND who ever kept their ranks whatsoever their wealth and riches were and would never exceed in houshold-stuffe in fare or diet whatsoever their hospitality was which notwithstanding was many times very great and this order and decency they observed out of conscience and that they might the better relieve the necessities of others and this was the way the old Puritans of ENGLAND to my knowledge walked in and this was the way of righteousnesse as approved on and commanded by God himselfe and yet the old Puritans of ENGLAND knew their Christian liberty and what right they had to the creature as well as any Sectary or Independent in our times Now if we compare the Independents and Sectaries in respect of this custome with the old Puritans of ENGLAND we shall not find them the old Puritans of ENGLAND overgrown that is to exceed them in all these graces of charity wisdome moderation frugality and orderly walking every one according to that rank and station God hath placed them in for the Sectaries have all of them changed this ancient custome and way of righteousnesse and are all run as in their opinions into the way of error so in this into the by path of luxury and sensuality So that the Sectaries generally although the greatest part of them through the Kingdome as it is well known are such as are but newly sprung up out of the ruines of the State and that were never borne to any thing yea many of them before the troubles of the Kingdome having scarce bread to put in their mouths yet now are grown to such a height of pride and luxury and sumptuosity that you shall find their houses furnished rather like Noblemen and Peers then ordinary men and ye shall see more plate in their dwellings and all things with more bravery and elegancy then in the pallaces of the Grandees of the Earth and their fare and dietis so delicious and set out with such curiosity of cookery and all things correspondent to it in respect of all sorts of wines and dilicacies and whatsoever rarities the seasons and time of the year will afford as they exceed the very Princes of the world by report of those that have been at their entertainments so that Dives in all his glory exceeded them not Yea it is well known and can be proved that many of them that were never born to three halfpence a year of inheritance nor never were worth any thing but what they have got in these troublesome times by the ruines and miseries of others that these very fellows are tasters to all the Noblemen and Peers of the Kingdome And their very Predicants are grown so dainty that they must be served before the Lords and mighty rich men in all markets for they will outbid the greatest of them for the satisfying of their pallates So that whatsoever rarities according to the severall seasons of the year whether from sea or land are stirring they are ordinarily the men that have the first gusto of them So that they exceed the daintyest and most delicate Dames and Ladies by the relation of those that are acquainted with their diets so that all fine things are tasted and eat in their houses before they are so much as heard of in Noblemens Families whereas the old Puritans of ENGLAND denyed themselves all these things who were usually according to the proverbe the first that were last served This I have heard affirmed by great Gentlemen and travellers very gallant men that were sometime very intimate with the Sectaries and Independents whose familiarity they made use of onely to pry into their severall humours and whom the Sectaries had some hope to have gained to their party and therefore spared not in their entertainments these very Gentlemen I say have asserted unto me that whatsoever things were thought some ten years since to be rarities in all Princes Dukes Marquesses and Noblemens houses and were rarely to be found in any other places they met dayly with them in every ordinary Independent and Sectaries house upon all occasions So that they vowed unto me they thought them the onely Helieogabalists in the world and the greatest Sensualists and they observed that generally there was more luxurious entertainments now amongst them in these times that called for mourning and fasting then ever were in the richest Subjects houses in the times of the Kingdomes prosperity So that if ever there were a generation of men in the world that in their fulnesse of bread and in their felicity forgot the afflictions of Joseph they were the Independents and Sectaries who are alwayes feasting which was one of the principall causes as they profest unto me that made them beleeve they were not the onely Saints their actions being so unsaint-like which made them also pry farther into their dealings and proceedings which they found to be altogether contrary unto the royall law of Love for as they said all their charity was ever limited within the confines of their own fraternity and to such onely as were either of their party or they had hopes to gain in all which things they are different from the old Puritans of ENGLAND who walked in that way of righteousnesse which teacheth every man a moderation and right use of the creature and to keep within their bounds and to extend their charity towards all especially towards the poor and indigent and not to spend all upon themselves in luxury and vanity and that at such times as call for mourning and fasting and when there are such multitudes of distressed godly families as are drove from house and home and have been made a prey to the spoilers whom the Sectaries will see lie famishing in the streets rather then they shall receive the least reliefe from them unlesse they will become of their fraternity which many of them to my knowledge out of meer necessity were forced to be or else they could not have had the least reliefe from them which is not the way of righteousnesse and that way God hath chalked out through his holy Word for all his Saints and Servants to walk in saying that they should always have the poor amongst them and that their charity should be extended to all and therefore commands all his servants Mat. 5. ver 48. to be perfect as their heavenly father is perfect and ver 44 45 46 47. injoyning them That they should love their enemies and blesse them that curse them and do good to them that hate them and pray for them that despightfully use them and persecute them And telling all his servants That by their so doing they shall shew themselves to be children indeed of their heavenly father who makes his Sun to rise on the evill and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust saying If you love them only that love you what reward have you Do not even the Publicans the same And
assimilates and likens them to the Devill for the which if he had lived in our times hee would have been termed a boysterous and froward spirited man shamelesse deserving the name of Cretensis against whom there would have come out many vindications telling him that it became not the gravity and wisdom of old age and an old professor of Religion to charge and that publickly his brethren of unworthy double dealing and unfaithfulnesse though they were all guilty of those crimes And therefore I see no reason why any godly conscientious man should now fear to use the same method with the deceivers and seducers of these our times that Paul did with those in his dayes and to laugh at them for it would be an abuse of gravity to spend it upon them who continually glorie of their parts knowledge and sanctity as the seducers did in Pauls time as by the Apostles expressions through all his Epistles is manifest seeing it is well known that the Independents and Sectaries of our times in their words and very prayers and in all their vindications Pamphlets confesse that they separate from us as an unholy people that they know more of God then the Presbyterians and that all their brethren are the only protious and holy people and the godly party the Saints and for their Ministers and Pastors they account them the only Preachers of Iesus Christ and of free grace the most illuminated and eminent Saints and servants of Christ and the most excellent Lights all which their expressions move mee without feare of being counted a jeerer and scorner of piety and religion which from my soule I reverence and honour in all in whom I truly see and discerne those graces to make use of the Apostles example and to laugh at their grolleries and imitate him in comparing the Presbyterians with the Independents and Sectaries which I am confident I may doe without any just offence and therefore with Saint Paul I say unto all the Sectaries and Independents whether people or Ministers doe any of them looke on things after the outward appearance if they trust to themselves that they are in Christ let them also thinke this againe that as they are in Christ even so are the Presbyterians Christ's are they beleevers so are the Presbyterians are they Israelites the people that wrestle with God day and night by prayers and supplications and by groanes of the spirit and teares prevaile with God so doe the Presbyterians are they the seed of Abraham the children of the faithfull and doe they walke in Abrahams steps so are the Presbyterians as well the children of the faithfull as they and walke as carefully conscienciously and unblamably in all manner of conversation before God and towards all men and therefore in nothing inferiour to them if the Sectaries and Independents be really and indeed such as they pretend to be are the Independent Predicants and Pastors Ministers of Christ I may truly say the Presbyterian Ministers are more as having had the honour of the conversion of them all the seale of true Ministers if they were ever truly converted and of many hundred thousands besides and they are more orthodox Ministers yea such as stood to their Ministry faithfully and indured the heate and brunt of the day when all the Ministers of the Sectaries for the most part either ran away or hid their heads or most basely temporized as the whole Kingdome knows So that whatsoever they can speake of themselves in respect either of knowledge graces or priviledges or in regard of gifts or indowments the Presbyterians with far greater reason and with farre better right and without any vaine gloriation giving the praise of all they have unto God may challenge unto themselves and may truly ever say doe the Independents and Sectaries hope to bee saved The Presbyterians beleeve that through the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ they also shall be saved Act. 15. 15. God having put no difference betweene them and his chosen people the Iewes purifying their hearts by faith verse 9. So that I say whatsoever the Independents and Sectaries can vainly glory in or boast of the Presbyterians can truly in all humility and with farre better reason speake of themselvs yea and truly apply it unto themselves so that there is no just ground why all the Sectaries should thus daily brag of their gifts and graces and of the singularity of their parts and priviledges and of their familiarity with Jesus Christ and of their holinesse and piety appropriating all those prerogatives to themselves and excluding all their Presbyterian brethren from partaking in them making them all no sharers in them proclaming them all the enemies of Jesus Christ and the sonnes of Belial I say and assert that I can see no reason why they should thus make impropriations of all the priviledges and immunities of the true Saints unto themselves and confine all the graces of God to their owne party and rob all their brethren of all their Christian excellencies as they in the Army spoyle and rob all the Presbyterian souldiers of their due honour and prayses in all those glorious victories God had crowned that whole Army with and ascribing all the glory and honour of them all to themselves which they call the godly party I say I cansee no good reason of all these their practices for thus did not the Saints of old thus did not the old Puritans of England assume to themselves to be the only people of God preferring themselves before their brethren upon all occasions they walked all of them in the way of righteousnesse that God had appointed them to walk in which was to give every one their due and to love as brethren Rom. 12 which was not to separate from the Assemblies of their brethren counting themselves more holy then they for the which they have neither precept nor allowable president in all Gods holy Word and therefore I may truly conclude of them they are not in this their practice the old Puritans of ENGLAND overgrown exceeding them in vertue or in the way of righteousnesse they went in though they come to us in gray heads and appear unto us in most glorious gravity and in the beauty of old men For in all these proceedings that I have now named and in many more that I could enumerate they are not in the way of righteousnesse and in the paths of the Saints of old and in the way of the old Puritans of ENGLAND and like them but they may be truly compared whatsoever they glory of themselves to the enemies of the true Saints I mean the Seducers in all ages and with the Jesuites and all Popelins whose actions and examples they better know how to imitate then the actions and lives of the Saints of old and the old Puritant of ENGLAND for they tread rather in the steps of the Jesuites as the following particulars and practices of all those juglers and impostors will manifest
Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord upon that viz. occasion or designe For this is as much as the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do signifie being taken both adjectively and relatively in that place and therefore under reformation be it spoken it is not rightly translated in our bibles for unlesse we do consider the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with reference to some substantive or some thing going before there can no sense be made of them nor no man mortall can tell the meaning of them no more then any man can divine or judge what one that commeth abruptly into his company and having interchanged no discourse with him doth mean and understand if he should barely say upon this or upon that Now all the contestation is about these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we all agree it signifieth with one accord Now the Independents by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understand in one place which epì tò autò never signified in the world for if we will stand upon the words they have a far other meaning then the Homothumadon brethren give of them as will by and by appear for as for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking it not as a preposition in the Greek tongue as all the learned in that language know it often signifies time and of this I could produce many examples as if one speaking or writing Greek should say such a thing happened in my time or in my dayes he would expresse it by epì and say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tempore meo or mea aetate it was done in my time So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may with far better ground and by far far greater reason be interpreted for time in that text then for place in regard there was no mention made of place before but of time for it is in terminis said When the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all together with one accord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. at that instant of time or upon that very day this interpretation I say doth farre better come up to the sense and meaning of that text then the other in one place for both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that text are relatively and adjectively taken as I said before having reference to something going before for otherwise they cannot possibly be understood So that there being mention of time before they are to be interpreted rather of time then place but that is not the true meaning of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that text for the true interpretation therefore of them we must have recourse to other places of holy Scripture and primarily to that portion of Scripture from whence these words are taken and that is out of the Septuagints translation upon the second Psalm ver 2. which Saint Luke follows which in the Greek runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is rendred by the latin interpreters thus astiterunt reges terrae principes convenerunt in unum adversus dominum adversum Christum ejus In our bibles the words are thus translated The Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsell together against the Lord and against his anoynted So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place must necessarily be taken for an evill designe purpose counsell machination or resolution and indeed if we duly consider the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wheresoever we meet with them they do for the most part signifie some designe purpose or resolution whether it be taken in a good sense or a bad as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Psalm is taken for a conspiracy and an evill design of the Kings and Rulers but in the second chapter of the Acts ver 1. it is taken for a good design in the Disciples for when the day of Pentecost was fully come saith the Scripture they were with one accord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. upon this occasion they were met together with this design purpose and resolution to consecrate the day to Gods service and to celebrate the feast to his name and this is the true and genuine meaning of the place viz. that the disciples were all met together upon the day of Pentecost upon this designe with full purpose and with an unanimous consent and resolution to keep that day and celebrate the feast unto the glory of God and this was a good design and purpose in them which is signified by the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are not to be understood in one place as the Independents would have it and as it is translated and that it may yet be more evident that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is signified a design and not in one place very reason and common understanding will make it out and clear to every man if we will compare Scripture with Scripture and in the first place duly consider the words in the 2 Psa where it is said that the Kings of the earth set themselvs and the Rulers took counsel together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words there do not imply a convention or meeting together of the persons of all the Kings and Princes in the world in any one place for that they never did nor could do there being an impossibility of it both in respect of time and place no place being able to contain them all so that I say by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is onely signified a wicked design and purpose or a deliberate counsell and resolution agreed upon and consented unto in all their wicked and rebellious hearts to shake off the sweet yoke of Christ and of casting away from themselves those bands of love and of breaking those cords of his affection towards them For whereas God the father had appointed Christ to be King over the Nations to govern them by the Scepter of his Spirit and by the Rod of his Word they all conspired with one accord to resist his spirituall government over their souls and would not have him to rule over them And therefore the holy Ghost expresses this their conspiracy wicked design and evil purpose by the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which intimate as much as if the spirit of God had said this was the design resolution and the determinate counsell of all those wicked Kings and Rulers to reject the government of Christ over them not meaning or understanding there by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they in all their persons ever either came together or could meet in any one place So that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is meant a design onely and not a meeting of all the persons of all Rulers and Kings in one place The same expression we find Acts 4. ver 26 27. where it is said That Herod Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel were gathered together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which expression is borrowed out of the second Psalme the
Truly if ever the Scripture were fulfilled in any age of the world it is now fulfilled in these our times there being not any part in this whole description of those dangerous seducers that doth not in every branch of it agree with the Seducers and Sectaries of ours the most dangerous times in that regard that ever were in the world And therefore it concerns all men that desire the peace of Zion and the welfare of their own souls to take heed of them all least they be found fighters against God for we have precept upon precept to this very end given by all his holy Prophets Christ and his blessed Apostles to shun them and Saint John in his second Epistle v. 10 11. saith there speaking to all Christians If there come any unto you that bring not the doctrine of Christ entertain him not into your house neither bid him God speed for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds Now we know the Sectaries of our times teach such doctrines as were never taught by Christ nor any of his blessed Apostles how then dare any that have the name of Christians be familiar with such and entertain them in their houses especially when Saint Paul saith 2 Tim. chapter 2. verse 19. Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity or evill And what greater iniquity and evil can there be then to live in the open violation of Gods Commands for in the very same chapter hee exhorted them ver 16. 17. to shun prophane and vaine bablings which is the practice of the Sectaries saying they would increase to more ungodlinesse and that their words will eate as doth a canker of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus who concerning the truth have erred saying that the Resurrection is past already and overthrow the faith of some he nameth some of the Sectaries there Now here also we are commanded againe to avoid all evill whether it be the evill of Doctrine or manners or evill company and especially to avoid and shun all false Teachers whose doctrines eat as a Gangrene such as are the new Doctrines of our times which are inferior to none for evill impiety and wickednesse that were ever yet taught in the world as yee may see in Learned Master Edward's Gangrena and therefore it concernes all to shun the evill of all Sectaries company and fellowship and in the 6 chapter of his 1. Epistle to Tim. verse 3. as if hee could never have given caution enough hee saith there If any man teach otherwise then he and Christ had instructed Timothy to teach and consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to Godlinesse from such with draw thy selfe If Timothy which was a well grounded Christian an Evangelist by his place if he were againe and again by the Holy Apostle commanded to shun and decline the company and familiarity of all false Teachers and Seducers how much more ought all other Christians that are so much inferiour to Timothy in all respects to take heed of all Sectaries especially when we by our daily experience find how many they have misled and seduced Truly it hath been the great Rebellion of both Ministers and people in these our times contrary to the command of God to follow them and to lend them not only their eares but their Pulpits and Churches to preach in and doubtlesse whatsoever they may thinke they have both of them much to answer for before God as being the principall causes of the ruine and misleading of so many soules and if the State doe not speedily take order for the suppressing of all those wicked Deceivers the times will grow more dangerous and perilous not only in regard of the precious soules of many but in respect also of the peace and quiet of the Land for all things will speedily run to confusion and the Sectaries will bring downe Gods judgements upon the Land by their damnable and desperate Doctrines and ruine upon the very Parliament and the States of the Kingdome and there will one Iack Straw or other or one Wat Tylâ—r or some worshipfull Knipper or other be raysed up to be a deliverer of their Soveraigne Lord the people out of the hands of all Prerogative and King-creatures and out of the hands of their owne creature the Parliament The Lord awaken the Parliament the Lords and Peeres of the Kingdome and all the Governours through the same to stand now all upon their Guards they having had so many Warning-Peeces both in the Army and in the Citie both in Pulpits and Pamphlets what the Independents and Sectaries intend to doe Were there no other Books but Iohn Lilburns who knows the mind of his brethren and the great concourse of people that follow him and countenance him in his wicked practices it were enough to awaken the whole Kingdom But when wee daily heare and reade what Peters Salt-marsh Dell c. those worthy Saints both preach and print and what gallant Fellowes they have now with the sword in their hands and what priviledges they clayme unto themselves it is a matter of wonder and astonishment to me that they are not all of them timely looked unto and it stranges me most of all that there should be any of those Sectaries permitted through the Kingdome to beare any office of charge committed unto them or to have any other weapon offensive or defensive in their hands then a bodkin or a thimble which were the only iron many of them wore before these times for it is well known that all the Sectaries in the Kingdome within these six years were as much afraid of the Artillery Guarden and of the Military Yard as they were afraid of a Cathedrall Church and the roaring of the Ordnance and Canons and the noyse of a volley of shot the sound of a Trumpet and the beating of a Drum were as formidable Musick in their eares as the noyse of a paire of Organs or Sackbuts or the singing of the Choristers in Pauls Westminster-Abbâ—y or in the Kings Chappell and yet now they can begin to talke of the sword in their hands It is not good that such children as these are should be suffered to have such dangerous weapons in their fingers It was not thought fit by our Fore-fathers who were commended for their wisdome that any Papists should sit in the Parliament and our ever to be honoured Worthies now sitting in that great Conncell did not thinke it for the Kingdoms safety that any Papist should bee of the Kings Councell and at the first sitting of the Parliament no Monopolists or Gatherers of Ship-money or Pattentees or any such creatures though they were lawfully chosen by the people were suffered to sit in Parliament but were thrust out as being suspected they would prove bad instruments to the State and therfore I say notwithstanding the peoples election they were immediatly dismissed the great
leaving the poore sheepe in the wildernesse I say when all these things are evident out of the holy Scripture it necessarily followeth when Diotrephes was an Elder and Presbyter in that Church Saint Iohn writ unto which Master Knollys confesseth that he had there his particular congregation and therfore there was no neede of making any mention of it for very common reason will dictate thus much to any man that if any great grasier have ten or twelve thousand sheepe and many severall walks and places of pasturage to feed them in and hath severall pastours to looke unto them all as not a few Shephards can feede ten or twelue thousands sheepe and gives them all a charge in common of looking to his sheepe and feeding them although all those severall pastours are to have a generall care of all those sheep that have his marke upon them and that are within the limits of his severall walks and grasing places yet it is to be understood that every one of them hath his severall flocke committed to him in speciall for he must not be idle over the which he is to have the particular inspection and care for the well ordering of it with this limitation that he may not wrong the flocke or do any thing contrary unto his Masters pleasure or to the dammage or prejudice of his other fellow Pastours or their flocke All this I say good reason will dictate to any rationall man and dayly experience will confirme it In the same manner things were ordered in the primitive and Apostolicall Churches all whose Elders and Pastours in them had the charge of the severall flocks committed to them in common all the which they were to governe communi consilio presbyterorum as it is by all the Independents themselves confest for all those Churches were Aristocratically and Presbyterianly governed and therefore according to the wisdome and common councell of their Elders this Presbyter had the charge of the sheepe of such a ward or walke committed unto his care and that Elder had such a Circuit committed unto his charge and a third Elder had such a precinct committed to his cure and so of the rest with this proviso alwayes that all things of publicke concernment and that tended to the common good both of sheep and Pastours should be ordered by the joynt and common councell of the severall and respective Presbyters in an orderly and well regulated way for all things in the Church were to be done in order and decency and uniformitie which could never have been if every Pastour and Presbyter and every particular congregation under them severally would have governed as pleased themselves without any reference to the Colledge or common counsell of all the Presbyters which was the failing of Diotrephes here for which he was greatly blam'd by Saint Iohn And that all those Churches were to be governed by their severall Presbytries and that the people were not to intermeddle with the government of them Master Knollys himselfe in the third page of his pamphlet and in the eleventh of the same doth accord who citing my words in my introduction to my booke deduceth from them foure conclusions which I shall by and by set downe after I have related the grounds of them Before saith he the Doctor comes to proove his four particular Propositions he saith it will not be amisse in generall to take notice that all the Churches we read of in the new testament were aristocratically and Presbyterially Governed and were all Dependent upon the severall Presbyters and produceth divers places of Scripture to prove the same and two sheets are spent wholly in proving thereof from the 12 page to the 29. These words Mr Knollys quoteth out of my book Now hear his answer All which saith he should it be granted onely proves First that in every City or Church there was a Presbytery For they Ordained them Elders in every Church Act. 14. That thou Ordain Elders City by City Tit. 1. v. 5. Secondly that as there were Apostles and Elders in the church of Jerusalem so there were Elders in the church of Ephesus Acts the 20. ver 25. and in the church of Corinth and in the church of Galatia and Philippy c. Thirdly that those severall churches were dependent upon their several Presbyteries and they were to obey them who had the rule over them Hebr. 13. 7. 17. 24. Who were their guids obey your guids Fourthly that this Presbyterian church Government God hath appointed as his Ordinance to be continu'd to the end of the World the which whosoever resisteth resisteth the Ordinance of God These are the foure conclusions Master Knolleys gathereth out of my arguments but with all adds saying that all this doth not prove that this Presbyterian Church government is dependent upon a supreame judicature to the Decrees of which they must submit themselves and their churches This saith Mr. Knollys doth not follow but of that in its due place In the mean time it will be much to the purpose a little to consider his expressions All which saith he should it be granted proves First c. to wit the four conclusions now layd down in this place I intreat the Reader to behold the vanity of the man in so speaking all which shâ—uld â—t be granted as if he did me a great courtesie and favour to yeeld unto me that which the holy Scripture in exâ—resse woâ—ds declareth o be the will and pleasure of God and that which I had out of the blessed word of truth sufficiently ev need and which no man can deny except he will deny the Scripture and Word of God which hath perspicuously and in fo mall termes set own that there was a Colledge Presbyte ie of Elders orda ned and constituted in very Church or City who were to have the rule over the people in their severall congreâ—ations within their â—râ—cin â—s w ch M Knollys himself consenteth unto as is evident by his 4 conclusions So that if ever there had been any time of denying or not granting that all the Churches of the New Iestament were all Arâ—stocratically and Presbyterianly to be govern'd and were so many severall Eccle aâ—â—icall Corpo ations and that all those Scriptures I had produced for the proof of the same had not been rightly applyed and alleadged now had been the time when this businesse was in question and agitation for Mr Knollys to have shewen his skill and to have produced the reasons of his dislike and gain-saying but when he confirmed what I proved as is manifest from his four conclusions it is a great folly in the man to say all which should it be granted when he himselfe acknowledgeth as much and in expresse terms in the eleventh page of his book hath these words It is not denyed saith he by the brethren meaning the Independents that the Presbyters in all Churches were the men in the Government of the Churches in which they were Elders These are
and as the House of Commons sends to the House of Lords and the House of Lords to the House of Commons by their Messengers and as all businesses are to be done in the Name of the States and in the name of either Lords or Commons so those little sucking congregations and churches though they consist but of 10. or twenty a peece although never an one of them knowes any more what belongs to government then the horse Master Knollys preaches on when he goeth into the Countrey yet they send their Officers in the name of the Church to any other of their Churches upon any difference or about any of their Grolleyes with as great State and Grander as if they were very absolute principalities and they use by the report of those that have seene the manner of their carriage in their imployment in imitation of greatnesse the same garbe and gestures that Embassadours or those that carry a Message from the House of Commons to the House of Lords usually do making their honours and conges and they are such bunglers at the work as those that have seene them say it is one of the ridiculosest spectacles that ever was beheld for they make a thousand Jackinaps tricks and act their severall parts with such affectation of State that experienced men and such as well know what belonges to the entertainment of Embassadors affirme that they never beheld any thing so fanaticall It is reported that Iohn Lilburne my Scholler is Master of the Ceremonies amongst them and teaches them their postures of Court-ship If ever there were any people in the world that trampled all government both Divine and Humaine under their poluted feete or ever made a scorne of authority I may truly say the Independents are the â—en and yet they applaud themselves in all their actions and sticke not to say by these their doings they set up the Lord Christ upon his throne in his Kingdome and in their houses and compt all those that differ from them of their congregationall way as enemies of the Lord Iesus and of his kingdome and esteeme of them as of a company of Infidels and yet they have neither precept nor president for their so doing but St. Diotrephes in all the holy Word of God which constituted a Presbytery in every Church and committed the government of all the congregations under each Presbytery into the hands of a Common-councel and Colledge of Elders as that Church Saint Iohn write unto can witnesse which was governed by the conjoynt consent of them all in which Saint Iohn was a Presbyter and therefore writ If he came he would remember Diotrephes deeds which abundantly declareth that Saint Iohn acknowledged a Court a settled government in every church whether the members might have recourse for redresse of any abuse or scandalls and therefore took no more upon him then belonged unto his place and this shall suffice to have answer'd to Master Knollys his last whibbling cavill and to have spake of this point of controversie between us in this place I shall answer methodically to all his other evasions in their due places which the reader shall finde as they are scattered through the booke for he is very immethodicall in all his pamphlet where I will set downe Master Knollys his owne words But in the meane time it is sufficiently confirmed out of the Word God and out of all the Scriptures above quoted that all the churches we reade of in the New-Testament were so many corporations in Christs kingdome which were to be governed by a Common-councell of Presbyteries And so for many yeeres after the Apostles times they were Governed Communi consilio presbyterorum as our brethren the Independents do confesse and prove by antiquity and humane authority which weapon I wonder they will contend with in deciding of Gods matters which are only out of his holy Word to be proved which is to be the rule of our faith But it seemes Saint Ambrose his authority pleaseth them well though if we looke into it it makes much against them He lived as the author that cites him saith within the fourth Century His words are these upon the 1. of Timothy Synagoga postea ecclesia seniores habuit quorum sine consilio nihil agebatur in Ecclesia Quod qua negligentia obsoleverit nescio nisi doctorum desidia aut magis superbia dum soli volunt aliquid videri Take with it his own interpretation The Iewes Synagogue saith he and afterwards the Christian church had Elders without whose counsell nothing was done in the church which by what neglect it grew out of use I knew not unlesse it were perhaps the sloth or rather pride of the teachers whilest alone they would seeme to be some body However it is acknowledged by their owne testimony that in the Apostles time and many yeares after the Apostles nothing was done in the church without the Councell of the Presbyters So that it is evident the Primitive churches were governed by the joynt and common councell of the Presbytery and the people had nothing to do with it We may adde here unto Saint Ambrose Saint Ieromes testimony who in his Commentaries upon the first chapter of the Epistle of Paul to Titus largely declaring himselfe as in many other places concerning the occasion of the change of that government established by the Apostles saith Idem est ergo Presbyter qui Episcopus antequam diaboli instinoâ—u studia in religione fiâ—râ—nt diceretur in populis ego sum Pauli ego Apollo ego autem Cephe communt Presbyterorum consilio Ecclesiae gubernabantur c. In the which words he acknowledgeth by the first institution all Churches were governed by the common councell of the Presbyters and not by the advice of the people Yea the very Canons of the Pope in the first part and the 95. distinction giving the reason why the Presbyterian Government came to be changed and the Hierarchiall was put in the place affirmeth that it was through faction and for the avoyding of further Schismes and rents in the Church and cities using the very words before quoted out of Saint Ierome and confesseth that before that time the Churches were governed Commum consilio Presbyterorum not by the people or any one Prelate but by the Presbytery and their councell And if humaine authority were needfull in this businesse I might make a volume with their very expressions to prove the novelty of the Hierarchicall government and that of the peoples jurisdiction assuming the Authority of governing into their hands and the Antiquity of the Presbytery and that by the enemies own confession Bet I am resolved to cleave only unto the Word and sound reason deduced from thence for the deciding of this controversie being sorry that there was so much as occasion of naming humane authority in a point of Divinity As for the Presbyterian government in the sense that I understand it there is nothing more
or sweare fealty to any King who is owned by the people and whole Kingdome to be their lawfull King as appointed and set over them of God and is openly proclamed through the whose Realm to be their King though at that time hee be in an other Countrey and but now comming to take the possession of his Kingdome I say I demand whether such subjects as take the oath of allegeance and sware fealty unto him before he comes and sits visibly upon his Throne be not by this their oath become that Kings subjects as truly and as really as if the King were bodily present I demand further when hee is in person come into his Kingdome and visibly amongst them saluted and entertained and owned by the people for their King whether or no those subjects that then take their oath of allegeance and promise by that their oath their subjection unto him bee not as really and truly his subjects as those that after hee is inaugurated and gone into one of his other Kingdomes take then the oath of allegeance and sware subjection unto him in all his just commands I am confident that all men that are but a little skilled in politicks or any good learning will acknowledge that either of the former subjects are as truly and really subjects unto him though they never saw him as many hundred thousands never did their Kings as those that tooke the oath when hee was gone in triumph into an other of his Kingdomes And thus it was with those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist that great Officer of Christs kingdome and the blessed Apostle those Stewards Secretaries privie Counsellors Embassadours of his Royaltie who all baptized those that came unto them into Iesus Christ the King and Messiah as well before his death as after and all they owned him as well then for their King as after crying Hosanna thou sonne of David and strowing their garments in the way saying Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord peace in Heaven and glory in the Highest Luke 19. vers 4. and therefore it is a senslesse reason yea contradictory unto it selfe that I. S. bringeth considering there is no difference for the substance of the matter though there be some variety in respect of the circumstance of time and in this fond error of I. S. is my brother Burton and the Papists who thinke there was a great difference between the Baptisme before Christs death and that after his death when indeed for substance there was none no more then was betweene the Sacrament of the Lords Supper before Christs death and after And therefore all those that received either of those Sacraments or both of them before his passion were as good Christians as those that received them after for hee was owned by them at that time to be the Lambe of God that was to take away the sins of the world of beleevers and to be the King of the Iews the Saviour of his people to be the anoynted Christ they took the Sacraments upon it which is as much as the oath of allegeance to any King which were sufficient to make them as good Christians as any that should come after them and therefore they that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist into Christ to dye which I. S. doth acknowledge they were all as good Christians as any now baptized by the Independents and therefore that hee faith to the contrary and in opposition to this truth is a meer babble and a contradiction of himselfe And this shall suffice to have spoke to his first answer to prove that those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist were as good Christians as any other that were baptized after Christs death His second is as senselesse which is this To say saith he that the Baptisme of Iohn was the same with Christs and the Apostles is flat contrary to the assertion of Iohn himselfe and the Apostles Mat. 21. 25. Act. 18. 25. I baptize you with water saith he but there comes one after me who shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire These are the words of his second argument to prove that those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist were no Christians In the entrance of this his answer he beats the ayre and fights with his owne shadow and falsifies my words for I never said nor thought it that the Baptisme of Iohn was the same with Christs for the Scripture relateth that Christ baptized not at all Iohn 4. vers 2. I said indeed it was the same with the Apostles and that is manifest out of many places of the holy Scriptures as out of the 3. of Luke ver 2. Iohn the 1. v. 33. where Iohn himself speaking saith hee that sent mee to baptize with water the same said unto me c. Yea one of those places quoted by himselfe Matth. 21. vers 25. sufficiently declares that Iohn had his Commission from God himself whose Prophet he was to baptize with water and the Apostles themselves before Christs death and Ascention baptized but with water and had no other Commission but that Saint Iohn the Baptist had and Iohn baptized with the Baptisme of Repentance saying unto the people that they should beleeve on him which should come after him that is on Christ Iesus Act. 19. vers 4. and the very Apostles Baptisme before Christs death vvas no other but the Baptisme of repentance and to beleeve in Christ yea faith and repentance was the summe of all the Preaching both of Iohn and of all the holy Apostles both before Christs death and after as wee may see Acts 20. vers 21. where the Apostle saith Testifying both to the Iewes and also to the Greeks repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ Now when the Baptisme of Saint Iohn and the Apostles both before Christs death and after was all one for substance and all into Christ as wee may yet further see Acts the 8. 16. where it is said they were baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus It was no error in mee to say that the Baptisme of Iohn was into Christ Iesus and the very same with that of the Apostles for the Holy Ghost which is the spirit of truth hath so taught mee and therefore all those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist were as good Christians and beleevers as those that were baptized by the Apostles if repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ and being baptized into him could make good Christians which were blasphemy to gain-say and nothing else but to give the spirit of God the lye and therefore J. S. affirming that there was a difference between the Baptisme of Iohn and that of the Apostles and denying that those that were baptized by Iohn were Christians gives the spirit of God the lye for the holy word of God which was penned by his spirit asserteth the contrary And for that text that he citeth
out of the third of Matthew where Iohn saith I baptize you with water but there comes one after me who shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire this is nothing to his purpose nor nothing against my opinion For as I said before it was never my beliefe that the baptisme of Christ and Iohns baptisme was all one seeing Saint Iohn the Baptist hath taught the contrary as in the words alledged it is sufficiently declared But I demand of I. S. whether the Apostles all whose names were written in heaven were not as good Christians and Beleevers in Jesus Christ by Iohns baptisme before they had received the gifts of the Holy Ghost and were baptized with fire which we read of Act. the 2. as they were after the cloven tongues appeared unto them ver 3. If either he or any of his fraternity shall deny it then they must deny the sixteenth chapter of Matthew and the sixt of Saint Iohn where we finde that honourable confession of all the Apostles where they testifie their faith in Christ into whom they had been baptized before that yea they must deny the whole Scriptures of the New Testament which affirme the contrary And if the baptizing of any with the Holy Ghost and with fire be that thing onely that makes men Christians and Beleevers then none that were not so baptized were good christians for the gifts of the Holy Ghost as the diversity of tongues and working of miracles were not promiscuous and given to all as Saint Paul doth sufficiently declare 1 Cor. 12. 30. Have all the gifts of healing Do all speak with tongues So that all the people were not baptized with the Holy Ghost and therefore by I. S. his learning were no christians Neither was that the worke of the Apostles but it was Christs work onely who first breathed the spirit upon the Apostles and after his ascenâ—ion first poured down those gifts upon them Acts the 2. and after that at many other times through the prayer of the Apostles and putting on of their hands upon the Beleevers Christ for the confirmation of their Ministry and to manifest to all those that were converted by them that they were sent by him shed down those miraculous graces upon many but gave them not to all and it is also declared that they first believed and then they were baptized with the Holy Ghost and wee have but one President that I remember in the holy Scripture that any received the gifts of the Holy Ghost before they were baptized with water and that is those of Cornelius his house but all the rest were baptized with water before And therefore those gifts made them not Christians but declared them to be beleevers and were the effects of their faith which notwithstanding were not conferred by the Apostles but were immediately given by the spirit of Christ So that those visible gifts were not essentiall for the making of any Christians and Beleevers for they were alwayes Beleevers before they received them and if those gifts had been essentiall and absolutely necessary for the making of any Christians then all that had received them should have been saved which they were not besides then many hundred thousands of the primitive Christians should not have been true Beleevers and Christians indeed for all men generally received them not as I proved before and all the Christians for ought I know since the Primitive times and all that now live should be no good Christians for they were not and now are not baptized with the holy Ghost with fire So that al men may see with how little reason this I. S. speaketh in these his argumentaâ—ions and how vain and impious he is in all his cavills this shall suffice to have spoke concerning his second answer And now I come to his third which is as good as the two former His words are these 3. Therefore now saith I. S. by Iohns baptisme they were not all made Christians no more then the body of the Iewes before John were turned Christians by being baptized in the red Sea c. For they were baptized into Christ by their baptisme 1 Cor. 10. 3. I deny not but this baptisme of John was to prepare men for Christ and did beare a more immediate relation to such a worke then any Ordinance before but it did not make them absolute Christians It did not absolve and perfect the new Church I mean not so far as that Ordinance of baptisme was to do afterwards Thus I. S. blasphemeth rather then disputeth For that he saith is impious in the highest degree for it is an apparent giving of the spirit of truth the lye and a confuting of Christ himselfe and Saint Paul and an opposing of the generality of all the Independents as every understanding man will easily gather for the Scripture everywhere and all the orthodox Divines yea and all the Independents that ever I talked with or read of before I. S. and my Brother Burton acknowledge that those that were baptized by the Baptist and Christs Disciples before Christs death were Christians and Beleevers for otherwise they could not have been baptized Notwithstanding I. S. out of his learning denyeth not onely that they were Christians but affirmeth also that those that were baptized by Moses in the red Sea were no Christians whether therefore this be not to beat up the quarters of Iohn the Baptist Christ himselfe and the quarters of Moses the servant of the Lord and of all the Independents and to pull down the very pillars of the holy Scriptures and be not a horrid blasphemy in I. S. I leave to the judgement of the learned Our saviour saith Luk. the 7. v. 29. 30. And all the people that heard him the Publicans justified God being baptized with the baptisme of John but the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the Councel of God against themselves being not baptized of him Here we have Christs testimony who asserteth that the Lawyers and Pharisees only excepted all that heard Iohn of which innumerable multitudes of them came from Jerusalem for all Ierusalem went out to him did justifie God and did not reject his Councell that is to say they were Believers for the councel of God in the ministry of Saint Iohn to all the people was that they should repent and believe in the Messiah and in token of their faith that they should be baptized now this sweet councell for the obtaining of free grace and favour offered unto them by God in the ministry of Iohn did the Pharisees and Lawyers reject to their own perdition for they would not bring forth fruits meet for repentance that is they would neither believe in the Messiah nor repent nor be baptized and therefore as a company of Infidels and unbeleevers they despised the councell of God and his grace and favour but all the other that heard Iohn saith Christ justified God and did not reject his councell that is they acknowledged that
world as they do mightily extoll one another and upon the praises and commendations of this man many thousands of people should by and by flock after him wheresoever they should hear he preacheth and some one or more of his followers should come unto this minister that so praysed him and say Sir such a man who you so commended in such a place behold he now preacheth and all men come to him and follow his ministry would such a relation I pray as this made unto him that had formerly praised that minister infer that those that told him of such concourses of people as ran after him not only hesitated but wer right down scandalized at him I am confident that upon mature deliberation no rationall creature would make such an inference Neither can I see any ground why either I. S. or any of his associats or any other should so conclude For the Scripture relateth every where that there was fairer agreement and much love and amity between Johns Disciples and Christs and that they knew one another very well and desired to imitate one another so that they did not envy one anothers masters prosperity nor doubted not of one anothers masters ministry nor were scandalized one at anothers masters happinesse And there is very good reason for it For they all knew that John had so honourable an esteem of Christ as he thought himself not worthy to carry his shooes Mat. 3. 11. they knew also how highly Christ had often magnified Iohn proclaiming him to be the greatest prophet that ever was borne of women and how that Christ had commanded John to baptize himselfe so much he honoured his ministry They by their experience likewise knew that their was great correspondency continued amity between their masters and that they justified each others ministry and that before all the people John teaching the people That he was the Messiah and the Lambe of God that was to take away the sins of the world and Christ upon all occasions making mention of John with great praises saying That his ministry was from heaven and that he was his messenger to prepare his way before him So that I say in all these respects and many more that might be specified it followeth that Iohns Disciples neither hesitated nor were scandalized at the true Messiah as I. S. grollishly and wickedly inferreth Besides they knew that at Christs Baptisme Mat. 3. The Holy Ghost discending like a dove lighted upon him and a voice came from Heaven saying this is my beloved sonne in whom I am well pleased So that Iohns Disciples that were dayly with their master and waited upon his ministry which onely preached up the Kingdome of Christ could not doubt much lesse be scandalized at the true Messiah Jesus Christ Again in the 1. of Iohn it is related there that Iohn openly among all the people proclaimed Christ to be the Lambe of God and sayeth that hee knew him so to be by the discending of the spirit from Heaven upon him because that God that sent him to baptize with water said unto him upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit discending and remaining on him the same is hee which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost and I saw saith hee and bare record that this is the Sonne of God And all this was spoke in the hearing of Johns Disciples so that they could not doubt now of the Messias or be scandalized at him for then they should have beene very untaught Schollers which the words following verse 33. shevves they vvere not for two of Iohns Disciples at that time hearing their Master speake these vvords beleeved and follovved Iesus and inquired vvhere he dvvelt vvho inviting them to come and see went with him to his aboad and tarried with him that night and the story and discourse follovving shevves that they vvere so confirmed in their faith and were so far from doubting and being scandalized at the Messiah as they likewise preached him and gained Disciples to him And the same we may say of all Iohns other Disciples that they honoured Christ very much and predicated his fame unto their master upon all occasions as in the 7. of Luke when the rumour of Christ miracles was spred abroad Iohns Disciples were alwayes wont to relate it unto their master Whereupon Iohn at one time calling unto him two of his Disciples sent them unto Jesus saying art thou he that shall come or looke we for another which message was not sent by S. Iohn that either he or his Disciples doubted or hesitated or were scandalized at the true Messiah but that they all also might be as well eye witnesses of his miracles as others and might say another day that they had not onely heard of his fame but that they themselves had seen his wondrous works For John desired by all manner of wayes hee could to publish the Kingdome of the Messias and knew that the more witnesses Christ had and them of knowledge of reputation the more their report and preaching of him would be credited especially when they themselves could say that they had seene him working miracles and that Christ bade them goe and tell Iohn what things they had seene and heard how that the blind see and the lame walke and the Lepers are clensed the deafe heare the dead are raised and the poor receive the Gospel and for this very end did Iohn send two of his Disciples to Christ not that either he or they doubted whether he was the Messias or no but that they might be eye witnesses and relate these things with the more confidence both unto the people and to those that should be pen men of the Holy Scriptures as St. Luke in the 1 chapter v. 2. Even as they delivered them unto us which from the beginning were eye witnesses and Ministers of the Word according to that of Saint Peter Acts the 1. verse 21. Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Iesus went in and out amongst us beginning from the baptisme of Iohn unto the same day hee was taken up from us must one be ordained to be a witnesse with us of his resurrection So that it may well be gathered that Iohn the Baptist had a speciall eye to the future and desired not only in his owne person to preach up Christs Kingdome but that his Disciples after him might relate to their Auditors and to the holy pen-men what they had both heard with their owne eares and seene with their own eyes and so might the better witnesse unto Christ neither will any man deny but that Iohns Disciples might also be much strengthned in their faith in beholding those wonderful miracles of Christ though they no way doubted or hesitated or were scandalized at the Messiasbefore no more then the people in Samaria doubted concerning him Iohn 4. after the woman had said to the men of that Citie Come see a man which told me all things that ever
their new lights and their congregationall way But this by the by Now I say if there were such multitudes both of Hearers and Teachers there was without all doubt many places for them seveally to heare in and it stands withall reason that the severall strange Nations had Synagogues by themselves and such men to Teach unto them in their own language as they could understand or else they could not have been edified and there is very good ground to induce men to beleeve that I now say For if there was a Synagogue in Ierusalem of the Libertines as there was that is to say of those that had beene slives and bond-men but were made free then can any man beleeve that all those severall Nations of the free-men that abounded also with wealth and honour or else if they had not had great riches they could never have journied so about from Country to Country and transported their families thither I say in all these regardes it stands withall reason that they had their particular Synagogues also and therefore that they were in mighty multitudes so that a few places could not containe them all to communicate in all Acts of worship and therefore of necessity in Christ his time they were distributed into many and severall Congregations and all this I say besides the holy Scripture very reason dictats to any man but Master Knollys and I. S. and their fraturnity who all deny that there were either in Christs life time or after his death more Christians and believers in the church of Ierusalem then could meete in one place or congregation notwithstanding the holy Scripture sayeth that there was a world of believers there and that all Jerusalem the very City was full of them I referre therefore that which I have now spake to the judgement of all the judicious and learned whether we ought rather to believe the Holy Scripture of truth which was indited by the Spirit of truth or Master Knollys who saith and writeth the contrary by the spirit of error And this shall suffice to have spake for proofe of my first proposion to wit that the world that went after Christ were believers which Master Knollys most fondly and impiously denyeth The second proposition remaining to be proved is this that there was a world of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem and that they were inhabitants there Now howsoever by the proving of my former proposition this latter also was included in it and proved likewise as all the places above cited do sufficiently shew for the place where the word that followed Christ dwelt is said to be Ierusalem and if we but consult with the holy Scripture especially the Gospell of Saint Iohn we shall again and again meet with many testimonies there besides those I have above quoted to prove the same so that it may be thought a needlesse work in particular to prove this second proposition seeing it is already evinced in the former yet because Mr Knollys hath made them two propositions and hath peremptorily delivered it that there was not a world of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem I will to gratifie him and to satisfie any that will be satisfied prove this proposition also distinctly and severally by it selfe viz. That there was a world of beleevers in Ierusalem and that they were inhabitants there For proofe of this the 12. chapter of Saint Iohn and the 29. verse declaâ—es it saying behold the world is gone after him This world was at Ierusalem and inhabitants there and well known to the Scribes and Pharisees which is yet farther ratified out of the 7. chapter ver 48. where the people that are called accursed had their dwelling for they were known to the high Priests Scribes and Pharisees which they could not have been had they not been Inhabitants which is yet more clear from the 21. of Matthew where it is manifest that not only the men of Ierusalem but that the very children cryed Hosanna to the son of David and it is wel known to all men what children do ordinarily in a publike way it was well approved of by their parents who likewise cryed Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord as it was here in London at the begining of the parliament when the king came into the city to seek for the 5 Members there was not a woman or a child that had a head as big as a crab but cryed for the Priviledges of Parliament commonly as the cock crows so crows the hen the chickens And by all probability it was at that time in Ierusalem in respect of Christ as it was then here in respect of the Parliament the generality of all the inhabitants believed in him and honoured him as the people generally in the city did the Parliament which is yet more evident from the great indignation and wrath of the Priests and Scribes who were displeased to see the wonderfull things he did and especially that they heard the children crying in the Temple saying Hosanna to the sonne of David by which they well perceived that the children spake no otherwise then their fathers would have them and that the whole city of Inhabitants were such as beleeved in him Yea the second of the Acts addes a great deal of strength to this argument where it is said That there were devout men dwellers at Ierusalem out of all the Nations under Heaven besides the Inhabitants that were Natives But the eleventh of Mar. puts all out of doubt for that chapter speaks plainly of all the Inhabitants and Dwellers in Ierusalem as well as of the strangers that came to the Feast where it is said there were two mighty parties either of which so awed the Scribes chiefe Priests and all the enemies of Christ that they durst not meddle with him and the one of them was such as adhered unto Christ and beleeved his doctrine so that although Christs enemies sought to destroy him yet they feared him because saith the Scripture ver 17. all the people were astonished at his doctrine that is all the people approved of it and beleeved in him for he taught as one having authority Matth. 7. The other party were Iohn the Baptists Disciples all beleevers too for it is there asserted that all men compted John that he was a prophet indeed ver 32. And this party also kept the chief Priests the Scribes and the Elders Christs capitall enemies in such awe as they durst not attempt any thing against Christ and all these were inhabitants of Ierusalem For it is said in the 28 verse that all the people were astonished at his doctrine and it is said ver 32. that all men counted John a Prophet indeed Now then if all the people of Ierusalem and all the men of Ierusalem these two mighty parties and both believers be put together and were inhabitants there as â—he Scripture relateth besides the strangers that came up to the Feast then there was a world
brought into Christs fold and church and by that worke of conversion they were added to it as he that should this day take any of our Ministers and faithfull Pastors sheep out of their folds and steale them away as too too many of the Independent Ministers daily do and bring them into their new congregations may not that Independent Minister without any marvilous anticipation or mistake or without any error truly be said to have added so many more to his new church when the number of his members is thus increased And if another Minister be joyned with him as a teacher in that congregation or succed him if he also shall run plundering about both city and country as a gifted brother and bring in a great many more poore silly sheepe into his fold then the other did as they are notable cunning theeves may not it truly be said of him and that without any marvilous anticipation and mistake that he also added unto the church when still the the number is daily increased I am confident that all men of sound reason will say there is no error in all this And therefore I hope by all the judicious I shall be free from any blame or error in that I said those that were converted by Christ and made Disciples by his Ministry were added to the church and to those that were formerly converted by the Baptist But saith J. S. how could Christ make mo Disciples then Iohn Out of whom should he make them saith he when Iohn had swept all along with him as the Doctor affirmeth pag. 32. Not taking it Synecdochically Thus he shewes his acumen or rather his vanity in contradicting the Scripture and abusing me For he that hath ever read my booke and looks but in the 31 page toward the lower part shall finde these words That Jerusalem went out to Iohn and was baptized it must therefore by a Synecdoche be taken for all the common people promiscuously or for a mighty multitude of all sorts and of all ranks of people and of all professions as Publicans Souldiers and the ordinary inhabitants These were my very words there And therefore I. S. saying that I took not the word Synecdochically belyeth me befooleth himselfe and abuseth the reader and fights with his own phancy But for answer to his whibling Cavill I say Christ converted those he made his Disciples and Schollers out of the remmant or remainder of those that were yet unconverted in Ierusalem and in that work he added more unto that church which though the mother church as the other were Daughter churches through all Iuda yet it was but a particular church in that Nationall church for the being a Nationall church doth not exclude as this man fondly conceits particular churches from bearing the name of church no more then the Catholike visible church doth deny the name of church to any particular churches because they being similar parts do partake both of the name and nature of the whole as all the learned and Orthodox Divines do hold And therefore taking Ierusalem Synecdochically as I then did it is also here to be so taken and then Christ did make mo Disciples out of the people of Jerusalem that remained yet unconverted then Iohn had done before him and added them unto the church at Ierusalem that particular mother church in that Nationall church which as it was at that time in respect of morall worship governd by a Colledge of Elders or Presbyters as the Scripture everywhere relateth which is called a church so it was ever after governed by a Presbytery all those Synagogues and severall churches being all combind together under the rule and goverment of that Presbytery and making all but one church within its precinct after which manner all the other city churches throught Iudea following the example of this mother church were ever to be governed to the end of the world and this is indeed the true chuch mould according to the New Testament forme that all churches ought to be cast into if we will imitate the government of the mother church Ierusalem and all the daughter churches both in Judea and Israel as that of Samaria and into this mould did the Baptist and Christ cast all they converted Therefore when I said that Christ made more Disciples in Ierusalem then Iohn and that he added them unto that Church I speake nothing but that I have warrant for out of the good Word of God and the Scripture of truth and which is sufficiently backt and corroborated also by all sound reason And therefore it is wickednesse in I. S. to say that in so speaking it is a paradox For if it be a matter of ludibre in me and a paradox to say that Christ made more Disciples then Iohn Then likewise it is a paradox and matter of laughter in the holy Evangelist For he in formall words saith That Iesus made and baptized moe Disciples then Iohn I referre my selfe therefore unto the judgement of all honest godly minded men whether Saint Iohn be not as well censured and traduced by this vaine and wicked fellow as my selfe and whether in his so speaking he doth not give the Spirit of God the lye And his second paradox is as vaine and childish and impious as this where he saith is not this a marvelous anticipation and mistake to apply that which was done by the Disciples after Christs ascension unto the ministery of Christ himselfe For answer let I. S. take notice that in saying Christ made â—mo Disciples then the Baptist and in making them added them unto the Church at Ierusalem There is no marvelous anticipation or mistake as I. S. unlearnedly inferrs for in giving unto Christ his due honour and affirming he added unto the Church that was then in Ierusalem I have both the Scripture and reason for it and in so speaking I detract nothing from the honor and dignity of the Disciples for it is no error in any man to apply that unto Christ Ministery viz. the conversion of men and the adding of them to the church which worke properly and primarily belongeth unto him though in a Metaphoricall sense it may also be attributed unto the Apostles and Ministers of the Gospell And therefore the mistake is in I. S. and not in me for he applyes that unto the Disciples which was done by Christ for it is said the Lord added unto the Church dayly such as should be saved It was done by Christ and not the worke of the Apostles but instrumentally and therefore I. S. is a prevaricator in many respects sinning both against God and man for here he giveth that honour which is peculiar unto Christ unto the Disciples and then he falsly accuseth me of an error and mistake when there is none and then would make me guilty of his own sins which I am free from as all they that read my booke in the page quoted by him may see and this is not all but in
and judgment in any one to conclude That all the beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem were there And unlesse they can so conclude the Argument is nothing to the purpose nor of any validity to evince and prove the Assertion of our brethren But if I should yeeld unto the brethren these two things the first That all the beleeving Greeks and all the beleeving Hebrews none excepted were all before the Apostles in one place yet still this will follow that all the beleevers of every severall Nation were not in this multitude and number for they had nothing to do in the businesse for they were no parties so that the Argument is nothing to the purpose but a meer fallacy to delude unstable soules and to make them beleeve that bladders are Lanthorns Secondly should I grant unto the brethren that by multitude here and by the whole multitude all the beleevers then in Ierusalem were to be understood and that then they might all meet in one congregation doth it therefore follow that many years after when there was dayly such additions of multitudes of Beleevers that they might all still meet together in one place and in one congregation for all acts of worship and to be edified I beleeve our Brethren themselves the Independents will not grant it yet they must grant it if they will stand to their principles But from this murmuring between the Greeks and the Hebrews I with very good reason can frame an Argument to overthrow our Brethrens Tenent and may from thence gather That in the Church of Jerusalem there were many and severall Congregations where they had all acts of worship and that every severall nation had their severall congregations and severall assemblies where they might heare the Word of God in their own language and to edification and communicate in all Ordinances with comfort For if there should arise a controversie in London between the Dutch and the French about points of Religion or about any other matter of practice concerning Religion and they should all apply themselves to the grave and learned Assembly for the decision of it would not all men gather that there were two distinct congregations of them in the City So it may well be concluded against our Brethren that every severall Nation of Believers in Ierusalem had their severall congregations and assemblies apart as well as the Greeks and the Hebrewes where they might partake in all Ordinances to edification and understand their Ministers Preaching to them in their owne language As for my part I verily beleeve it was so and from warrantable reasons and yet all these severall congregations made but one Church and were under one Presbyterie and for this my beliefe I shall give my reasons in the ensuing discourse But had there beene but one Nation in Ierusalem so many thousand Believers as the Scripture relates there was could not all have met in one place and in one congregation as all reason will perswade So that all the Arguments of our brethren to the contrary are but as so many Squibs which onely make a noise and then vanish in the ayre to say no more And these are the most rationall objections that as yet I ever heard from them to the which I have briefly given my severall answers which I hope by Gods assistance I shall ever be able to make good against them all And now I will goe on to prove That by the ministry of the Apostles and the divers miracles daily wrought by them after they had received the gifts of the Holy Ghost there were such additions of multitudes of Believers to those that were converted by Saint John the Baptist and our Saviour and his Disciples before the death of John and the sufferings of our Saviour that they could not all meet at any one time and in one place or congregation to partake in all Ordinances no nor in a few but were of necessity forced to be distributed into severall assemblies and congregations and that before the Persecution under the Persecution and after the Persecution And for proving of what I lay downe which is still but the first conclusion I undertooke to make good I will begin with the first eight Chapters of the Acts and then goe forward to the ensuing story of the same Booke in order to prove my assertion In the 2 3 4 5 and 6. Chapters of the Acts it is related how the holy Apostles imployed themselves in their several Ministeries after they had received the gifts of the holy Ghost were indued with all power of working miracles and had received the gifts also of tongues and languages and the effects also of their Ministry preaching and miracles are there set downe at large and it is specified that by meanes of that first miracle when all the people of severall Nations heard the Apostles speak to them every one in their severall tongues and languages who were very well knowne to bee Galileans that they were amazed to heare the wonderfull Works of God and from their amazement it is said they gave attention to the Sermon of Peter the Sermon it selfe being there set downe and the effect of it which was That when they had heard it they were prickt in their heart and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do Then Peter said unto them Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sins and yee shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost c. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized and the same day were added unto them about three thousand soules And they continued stedfast in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayer And feare came upon every soule and many signes and wonders were done by the Apostles and all that believed were together and had all things common and they continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart praysing God and having favour with all the people And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved Here wee see that by vertue of one Miracle and Sermon God working with them were added to the Believers that Saint Iohn the Baptist and Christ and his Disciples had converted and such as were formerly baptized three thousand more a great Miracle all which with the many other that were converted afterward are called but one Church For it is expresly said that the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved We heard of the great multitudes and of a world of such as beleeved in Christ before this Miracle and Sermon And can any man in reason conceive that all these could meet in any one place or congregation to partake in all acts of worship But let us goe on In the 3. and 4. Chapter by means of that Miracle that was
wrought upon the Impotent Man who was knowne to all the people to have bin a Cripple from his Mothers wombe and through the powerfull preaching of Peter who exhorted them to repent and to be converted that their sinnes might be blotted out when the time of refreshing should come from the presence of the Lord c. It is said that many which heard the word believed and the number of those new Believers is there specified to be about five thousand men which were also added unto the Church and joyned to all the former Beleevers so that wee have here eight thousand new Members added unto the Church in a very little time and this was a greater Miracle then the former So that the Prophesie in the 110. Psalme verse 3. was now fulfilled That in the day of Christs power his willing people from the wombe of the morning should be multiplied as the Dew upon the Earth And which is not tobe passed by without due notice It is supposed by the best Interpreters and the most orthodoxe Writers and there is good reason for it that these new Converts were Men not Women and Children And without doubt these new Believers endeavoured to convert their Wives Children Servants and Neighbours and there is good reason also why wee should be induced to beleeve that Truth with such wonders and miracles annexed to it should be as prevalent to convert Women Children Servants and Neighbours and whole Families as errours and novelties in these our dayes are able to misleade those poore creatures that are ever learning and never come to knowledge and the which are carried about with every wind of doctrine and beleeve every new-borne truth as they terme it and follow every New Light and every new-found way though it tend to the confusion of the Church and Kingdome It is said of that man of Sin that Sonne of Perdition that hee shall come after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiveablenesse and unrighteousnesse in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved 2 Thess 2. But to see people so deluded without Miracles is a Miracle So that those poore Women that are carried about with every wind of doctrine from that truth that was taught by Christ and his Apostles and confirmed by so many Miracles and those that doe and have mis-led them have all of them a great deale to answer for But this I speake by the way conceiving that all those new Converts would endeavour as the good Samaritan Woman did after her conversion not only to bring their Wives Children and Families but their Neighbours also and whole Cities to the same faith And I have that opinion also of all the Women and people of that Age that they were as ready to imbrace the truth as the Women and people of this Age and in these our times are to follow errors But let us now see what effects the other Miracles wrought upon the people that are related in the 5. C. as of Ananias Saphira his wife who for tempting the Spirit of God were both stricken downdead and gave up the Ghost and the other Miracles wrought by the Apostles It is said in Vers 11. That fear came upon all the Church and to as many as heard these things that to the rest viz. the Scribes and Pharisees the Maglinant party durst no man joyne himselfe And Believers were added unto the Lord multitudes both of men and women Here come in the good Women now And in Verse 26. it is said that the Captaine with the Officers brought the Apostles without violence for they feared the people least they should have stoned them It will not be amisse briefly to take notice of the severall effects these Miracles wrought Thefirst is That great fear of offending God came on all the Church Gods own people which notwithstanding of the many additions of Believers is called still but one Church The second That none durst joyne themselves to the contrary party the Pharisaicall malignant crew The third That Believers were added to the Church and that multitudes no small companies both of Men and Women Here is a new increase and that a great one The fourth is that the very Captain and Officers were awed and kept in feare by reason of the multitude of Believers so that those that feared not God were afraid of his servants By which it may be gathered That the party of Believers did ballance the number of the incredulous and Pharisacall party if not by far exceed them And therefore by all probability must needs be an innumerable company and a mighty multitude and such a number as could not all meet in any one place or congregation to partake in all the Ordinances And to say nothing of the diversity of Tongues and Languages which were not given to the Apostles to be uselesse and of no profit nor to speake any thing of the divers Jewes that were then dwelling at Jerusalem devout Men and Women out of every Nation under Heaven which notwithstanding may be a sufficient argument to prove That they all had their severall meeting places and their severall Ministers to preach unto them in their severall Languages that they might be edified I say for the present to wave all this let us take notice what is positively set down in the last Verse of the fifth Chapter that is That the Apostles daily in the Temple and in every house ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ That is to say they preached both publickly and privately and the very places where they preached are set down as in the Temple and in every house So that of necessity there must be severall congregations and assemblies of Belivers in Ierusalem according to that in the 2. of the Acts vers the 46. where it said That they continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking of bread from house to house which by all Interpreters is understood the administration of the Lords Supper and that the severall assemblies and congregations were wont usually to meet in private houses is frequently mentiond in the holy Scriptures as in the 16. of the Romanes verse the 5. and in the 1. of the Corinthians chap. 16. vers 19. Col. 4. 14. and Saint Paul in the 20. of the Acts vers 20. saith That he kept back nothing that was profitable unto them but taught them publikely and from house to house so that they had their Assemblies as well private as publicke even in the Church of Ephesus where they did partake in all acts of worship and in that Church also they had many Presbyters and yet were but one Church But now I will passe on to the sixth chapter in the 1 2 3. and 7 verses it is said That in those dayes when the number of Disciples was multiplyed there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews because their
be credited all that the holy Scripture hath related unto us concerning the conversion of these men is a meere fable for the Scripture saith they believed and he affirmeth the contrary and sayth they were only called men and not converts not believers Whether this fellow therefore ought not to be cast out of the seven Churches and out of all the Churches of the world for this his wickednesse and temerity I leave it to the judgement of all the learned either dependents or independents and so I will passe to his other good stuffe which in its due place you shall meete with But in the meane time out of all the above quoted places of Scripture I thus farther argue Where there was almost an hundred preachers and Ministers besides the twelve Apostles and all these continually taken up in prayer and preaching and could not leave their Ministry to serve tables and where there was such a company of believers and people as did imploy them all there of necessity they must be distributed into diveâ—se congregations and assemblies if they would all be edified and avoyd confusion and partake in all ordinances But in the Church of Jerusalem there was almost an hundred preachers and Ministers besides the twelve Apostles and all these were continually taken up in prayer and preaching and could not leave their ministry to serve tables and where there was such a company of believers and people as did employ them all there of necessity they must be distributed into diverse congregations and assemblies if they would all be edified and avoyd confusion and partake in all Ordinances For the major very reason and the common light of understanding without any reluctation will assent unto it And for the Minor it is manifest from Chapter the 1. ver 21. 22. and from chapter the sixt ver the 2 and 4. and chapter the 8. ver 1. So that the conclusion is undenyable But out of all the former places I thus farther argue Where there were people of al nations under the heavens and them in some multitudes and most of them believers and devout men and women which waited upon the Ordinances and had a desire daily to heare the Word there of necessity they must be distributed into divers and sundry congregations and assemblies and have such to preach unto them severally in their owne language or else they could not partake in all acts of worship to edification But in the Church of Jerusalem there were people of all Nations under the Heavens and them in some multitudes and most of them Believers and devout Men and Women that waited upon the Ordinances and had a desire dayly to heare the Word Ergo of necessity they must be distributed into divers congregations and assemblies and have such to preach unto them severally in their owne language or else they could not partake in all acts of worship to edification For the Major no reason can gainsay it for the Apostles and the other Ministers imployed all those gifts of the Holy Ghost and those divers languages which they had received for the edification of the Church to the utmost and did improve all opportunities for the converting of the people committed unto their charge and for the further building of them up in their holy faith which was their calling and imployment and this they could not have done unlesse they taught those Nations in their severall Languages and that they could not do without confusion unlesse they were distributed in severall assemblies where they might distinctly heare their own Languages For otherwise as Saint Paul saith in the 1 Cor. 14. 23. if men should speak to the people with unknown tongues if the unlearned saith he come in and unbelievers will they not say that they are all mad And therefore Tongues are given for a signe not to them that believe but to them that believe not Now they were devout Men in Ierusalem and Believers and therefore the Apostles and Ministers were to speake to them severally in their own languages and for that purpose God gave them those Tongues and that diversity of languages that those that were Believers might be more edified and that the unbelievers and unlearned such as belonged unto Gods election might be convinced and judged of all and that the secrets of their hearts might be manifested that so falling down upon their face they might worship God and report that God was in them of a truth as the Apostle there saith So that I say for the Major no reasonable creature will call it in question And for the Major it is manifest out of the Chap. 2. Vers 5. c. and in Chap. 6. Vers 1. and Vers 2. 4. And for the conclusion that from the Premises doth also ensue Againe I thus further argue out of the former Chapters That which the holy Scripture in expresse words and in diverse places hath declared unto us that every Christian is bound to believe but the Scripture in expresse words and in diverse places hath declared unto us that there were diverse assemblies and congregations of Believers in the Church of Jerusalem and that the Apostles and all the Believers in Jerusalem did continue daily with one accord in the Temple and that they brake bread from house to house and that daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Iesus Christ Ergo there was diverse congregations and severall assemblies of Believers in the Church of Jerusalem where they did daily partake in all the Ordinances and enjoyed all acts of worship For the Major no Christian can deny it For the Minor it is manifest from 46 Verse of the 2 Chapter and Chap. 5. vers 12. and vers 42. and Chap. 3. vers 12 13. and many more places that might be produced And in those places it is not onely said they preached in every house but that they brake bread from house to house by which expression all Writers interpret the holy Communion and partaking of the Lords Supper and if it should not so be understood we never can reade that any Christians in Ierusalem besides the Apostles ever enjoyed all acts of worship especially those that are peculiar to Church Communion It is related often that they preached the Word daily in the Temple which was common to Iewes and Christians though no Jewish worship as all men acknowledge And by evident Arguments it may be proved that they never administred the Sacraments in the Temple those discriminating and distinguishing Ordinances of the Christian Church as all the most Orthodox Interpreters gather from the ensuing words where it is said They continued daily with one accord in the Temple but when they speake of the Administration of the Lords Supper it is expressed in these words and breaking of bread from house to house which is interpreted by all Divines of Sacramentall bread which phrase and manner of speaking is usually so expounded by all the Learned upon Acts the
every Church that is to say in all or through all Churches these are his own words as you may see it in the third page of his wise Pamphlet So that when it makes for his turne hee can make no difference betweene the singular and the plurall yea hee translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 domatim that is house by house which is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as houses by houses and per singulas domas for hee that saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man by man sayes as much as men by men and therefore hee playes the Iugler and cheate thus to cloud the light that he may put off his base wares the better and to darken the truth with his trifling about words al this to shew to the people that hee hath some skill in the Greeke and Latine because hee can write the words out of the Text which every Schoole boy can doe But I pray see how the poore creature troubles himselfe in beating the ayre hee saith it is in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 domatim they brake bread from house to house but it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per singulas domos that is to say they did not breake bread in all houses or through all the houses Ergo there were not many Congregations in Ierusalem which is a meere wickednesse in him to trifle thus for hee himselfe a little before translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per singulat Ecclesias and here hee would make a great difference betweene the singular and the plurall when notwithstanding in the Originall there is none for in the twentieth of the Acts v. 20. there the Holy Ghost saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plurall which is all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but if Master Knollis Interpretation be good that when the word is used in the plurall it signifies many Congregations and Assemblies then in the Church of Ephesus by his owne confession there were many Congregations and yet they all made but one Church within that Precinct and doubtlesse so it was in Ierusalem there were many Congregations there and yet they all made but one Church and the truth is so evident that Master Knollys his owne interpretation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the singular will carry it for hee translates it domatim house by house Now I appeale to any intelligible man that knowes but the English tongue or any other language where civility dwels and barbarism is banished whether or no when the Magistrate sends Messengers or Officers to search for any Delinquents and gives them in charge to search through such a street house by house I demand I say whether the Messengers by this their warrant are not in joyned to search every house in that street whether house by house be not to be understood every house and all the houses in that street and when the Officers returne againe to the Magistrate relate unto him that according to his command order they have diligently searched house by house through the street doe they not I pray in this acknowledge that they have searched every house in that street yea all the houses all men that know any thing in reason know that house by house in every street or in every Citie is as much as all houses in that street and in all houses in that Citie Now when the word of God sayes Acts 2. that the Christians in Jerusalem and Beleevers brake bread from house to house and when in the 5. of the Acts v. 42. it is recorded that the Apostles daily in the Temple and in every house or from house to house or house by house as Mr. Knollys would have it ceased not to teach and preach Iesus Christ It is manifestly apparent that in every of those houses and in all those houses they had an Assembly or Congregation of beleevers and for ought any thing can be said to the contrary there might be as many congregations then in Ierusalem as they had Ministers and Pastors there which were in abundance For none but the Ministers might administer the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Lords Supper the Apostles and the Ministers of the Gospell only had the charge to feed Christs sheep and Lambes so that the sheep and lambes were not to feede their Pastor Now all the people under them were either sheepe or lambs and they were not to intermedle in those holy Ordinances to administer them though they might receive them from them and therefore what the holy Word of God relateth to us that we are bound to believe but the holy Word of God relates unto us that in Ierusalem and that in the very infancy of the Church they had congregations and Assemblies every day in many severall houses at one time yea in every house Ergo there were many Assemblies and Congregations of believers in the Church at Ierusalem and that in the very infancy of it and this Master Knollys doth acknowledge for he confesseth they had their meetings day by day and house by house that is to say every day and in every house they had their Congregations in Ierusalem and so he is constrained to confesse that which he had so often and peremptorily denied but such is the force power and efficacy of truth as it will breake out of the mouth of the enemie and fly in their faces for Master Knollys doth confesse that besides their meetings in the Temple and in Solomons Porch and that daily they had their meetings also house by house Domatim so that their meetings and congregations in Jerusalem were numberlesse if they were from house to house But if neither the Scripture nor his owne confession can convince his error at least let his owne Words take some place with him who in the 23. pag. of his learned answer hath these expressions Some godly and learned men of approved gifts came to sojourne in this city and preached the Word both publickly and from house to house and daily in the Temples and in every house they ceased not to Teach and Preach Iesus Christ and some of them have dwelt in their owne houses and received all that came unto them c. Thus Mr Knollys speaks and for proof of what he saith he quotes the very places of Scriptures in the Margent of his booke that I produced as Act. 2. ver 46. Acts the 5. 42. Acts 20. vers 20. Where from house to house and in in every house in his dialect is all one which it was not when I quoted it out of the Word of God And very reason and common experience teaches all men that wheresoever the Independents have their meeting houses they have a Church or congregation there and as many meeting houses as they have so many Churches ordinatly they have witnesse Toleration-streete which they call the holy streete I meane Coleman-streete which an Independent one day meeting me passing through it tould me was the Saints streete
and that their were more precious Churches in that street then in all England besides and he did confidently believe it And I was no sooner passed from him but turning on the right hand I saw many of the Independents going into the Nags-head a Taverne a little above Coleman-streete there they call their Parliament and make Committees and Chayre-men for preparing of businesses for the great Councell and for the advising of them what to do and there they order how they will deale with the Presbyterians and this is one of their meeting houses also whither the Saints resort upon all occasions to consult together about the affairs of the Church State and that is the holy drinking Schoole of the Saints for they say they are all Saints and to the pure all things are pure and therefore they must have a pure drinking Schoole But passing from Toleration-streete and leaving their drinking schoole and they together Let us consider their practices and what Master Knollys saith who tells us that some godly and learned men of approved gifts came to Sojourne in this City and preached the Word of God both publickly and from house to house and daily in the Temples and in every house they cease not to teach and preach Jesus Christ I demande of any of the Independents now whether or no wheresoever any of those gifted men preach they have not a congregation to preach to and whether or no wheresoever any of them hath a gatherd Church as they call it he hath not there â—n his meeting house a Congregation and assembly and whether or no wheresoever they have preaching of the Word and breaking of bread amongst them they have not a Church or Congregation there I am confident they will none of them deny it Yea they will acknowledge that in as many places as the Word of God is preached amongst them and the Sacraments administred that in all those they have a severall Church congregation and assembly this very reason will dictate unto any man And therefore if in this City there be many Congregations and assemblies in all those places where they preach publikely and from house to house and in every house not onely because Mr Knollys saith it but because every mans reason will convince him of it after the same manner every man will conclude That in the Church of Ierusalem there was many Congregations and Assemblies for the Scripture relates That the word of God was preached publikely in the Temple and in Solomons Porch and that the Saints brake bread from house to house and that the Apostles ceased not to teach and preach Iesus Christ in every house and therefore all Christians are bound to beleeve this because the mouth of the Lord hath spoke it yea and it is acknowledged by Master Knollys from all which it doth now evidently appear to all the world that there were many Congregations and Assemblyes of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem which Mr Knollys notwithstanding doth wickedly deny affirming there were no more beleevers in Ierusalem then could all meet in any one place and so he not onely contradicts himselfe and fights against the very light of reason but which is more he gives the spirit of God the lye and therefore he ought by all those of the seven Churches to be severely dealt with as a wicked impostor and deceiver and ought indeeed to be thrown out of all their Congregations as a jugler and a false prophet Having thus evidently proved that there were many Congregations in the church of Jerusalem before the persecution I will by Gods assistance make good that there were also many Assemblyes under the persecution and after the persecution and this I do the rather undertake because some of the brethren have said that howsoever it could be proved that before the persecution there were many severall Assemblies yet by reason of the dispersion of the beleevers the Church of Ierusalem was so wasted and scattered that there were no more left then could all meet in one Congregation And were it so that after the scattering of the Beleevers and Christians in Ierusalem it could never be evinced and made good that there were more then could meet together in one place yet all this were nothing for the enervating of the argument for we must ever look upon the first constitution and government of the Church and what it was originally and by divine constitution and not what it was accidentally and through persecution and oppression and by the violence of men for governments of Churches are often changed from their Primordiall State through many casualties as it happened often in the Church of the Jewes and therefore in all reformations things are to be reduced to the first rule and originall pattern and we are not to look upon them as by occasion they vary and change through the injury of the times And therefore if we look into the Church of Ierusalem as she was in her youth and in her most flourishing age we shall finde her consisting of divers Congregations and many Assemblies and all them governed by a Common Councell and joynt consent of a Presbytery which must be the patterne of all Church Government to the end of the world if wee will in our Reformation conforme our selves to Gods Ordinance and to the first constitution But because I say they think it so difficult a thing to prove many Congregations in Jerusalem after the persecution I will now God willing make it evident and not onely after the persecution but even in and under the persecution and I will do it first out of that very place our brethren bring against us and by which they labour to evince the contrary the place is in the 8. of the Acts verse 1 2 4. In these words And at that time there was a great persecution against the Church which was at Ierusalem and they were all scattered abroad through the Regions of Iudea and Samaria except the Apostles verse 3. As for Saul he made havock of the Church entring into every house and haling men and women committed them to prison Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word From whence the brethren gather that there were no more beleevers left than could meet in one Congregation Before I come to prove my Assertion I must give some Reasons to evince and make good that this dispersion and scattering of the Beleevers here spoken of was not so generall and universall and so great as that there might not yet remain more Congregations in Jerusalem and more people then could possibly meete in any one place or two for persecution is the bellowes of the Gospell which blowes every spark into a flame so that this their division proved their multiplication at home and abroad as wee shall see after I have set down my Arguments and Reasons so that it was no cause why we should conceive that there were fewer assemblies in the Church of
Saint Luke and confute what he hath writ and whether notwithstanding what he saith the truth doth not yet more cleerly appeare and that by his owne interpretation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for in his interpretation two things are observable the first that it signifies some great number The second that it signifies such a great number as cannot suddainly be told from which all rationall men wil conclude if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie some great number that cannot suddainly be told as Master Knollys affirms then it signifies more then ten thousand for ten thousand is not so great a number nor such a number but may without any difficulty be suddainly told for wee have read of five thousand that have suddainly been fed and of foure thousand at another time besides women and children that have all likewise been suddainly fed and therefore ten thousand may suddainly be told and although those five thousand could meet together and be suddainly fed in the fields I will not be induced to beleeve that any one place or roome in a Citie or house could have contained them all to communicate in al the ordinances Now then if according to Mr. Konllys his learning there were many greatnumbers of Beleevers in Ierusalem that could not suddainly be told all rationall men will gather that they could not all meet in any one place or congregation to partake in all acts of worship this I say every good accomptant and intelligible man will easily gather But because Mr Knollys affirmes and that so peremptorily that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not alwayes signifie ten thousand and to that end cites Beza's his version and the translation of our Bibles who interpret it thousands and not ten thousands I thinke it fit to say something concerning this busines in way of farther answer to Master Knollys that all men may the better discerne in to the wickednesse of these trifling men for all Accomptants know and they that are but a little skilled in Arithmetick that the word ten thousand in what language soever it be loseth nothing of its signification but retaines the full number and alwayes signifies ten thousand though any Interpreter translating the word should for ten thousand interpret it thousands or many thousands for this his interpretation diminisheth nothing from the signification of the word for ten thousand is ever ten thousand as for instance if one writing to his friend beyond the Seas concerning the Battle at Nazebie should relate unto him the manner of the fight in every particular and should also set downe the number of each Army and in expresse words say that the Kings Army consisted of ten thousand and the Parliaments Army of as many and he that should translate this Letter into the French or Dutch tongue for this certaine number of ten thousand should say the King came into the field with thousands or many thousands and the Parliament with as many I demand of any understanding Arithmetician or skilfull Accountant or but of any intelligible creature whether the number of ten thousand loose any thing of its signification or be not still ten thousand although the Interpreter for that definite and certaine number set downe an indefinite number I am most assured his reason will dictate unto him that there is no diminishing of the number but it will ever be in the Originall Copie ten thousand though the Interpreter did not in formall words say the King and the Parliament came into the field with ten thousand men a peece Even so it is here Beza and our Translators taking the liberty of Interpreters render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thousands or many thousands which word notwithstanding in the Originall signifies ten thousand I appeale now to the judgement of any wise man and godly Christian whether I shall cleave rather to the interpretation or to the originall and authentick Copie or whether the Text is rather to be relyed upon or the traduction especially when wee are commanded to goe to the Law and to the Testimony without the guidance of which wee shall wander in darkenesse Isa 8. I am confident that all judicious men will conclude that the originall is rather to be stuck to and beleeved then the interpretation Now when in the Originall the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ever signifies ten thousand and never lesse but many times more as being a word in the abstract it followes notwithstanding all that Master Knollys and all those of his party can say or aâ—firme to the contrary that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place and in all other places in the Holy Scripture and in all good Authors ever signifies ten thousand and Beza himselfe upon the first verse of the 12. of Saint Luke verse 1. in his briefe notes hath this expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word for word saith hee signifies ten thousand and so he interpreteth it in other places So that Beza's his translation helpeth Master Knollys and his brethren nothing And as for our English translation howsoever in this place it rendreth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many thousands yet in other places it giveth the right interpretation the full number the word signifieth as in the 19. of the Acts v. 19. where the word is in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they translate it there fifty thousand peeces of silver and Beza denariorum quinquaginta millia that is in both translations five Myriads And so likewise in the 5. of the Revelation verse 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they render it ten thousand times ten thousand and in Iude the fourteenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they translate it and behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of Saints So that it is most apparent by our interpretation that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never signifieth lesse then ten thousand but being taken single and by it selfe it often signifieth more and is left free to reach to a greater number yea an innumerable company as in the place above quoted in the 14. of Iude and in the 12. of the Hebrewes verse 22. where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our translation is interpreted an innumerable multitude of Angels by all which I am most assured the learned will all conclude that the place in the Acts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth no lesse then many ten thousands So that all Master Knolly's pudder about that word sheweth nothing but his vanity And for his reason of his probability that there were not so many it is impious and fights against the truth and gives the Spirit of God the lye and as for the multitude in that place that followeth in the 22. verse all the best Interpreters understand some of the chiefe and select men and of the prime in authority for all things were to be carried with order and decency and not with confusion which the comming together of many ten thousands would have caused though they had bin Saints
peoples hands and of which there is neither precept nor president in all the holy Scriptures for this distinction of Officers they call for in all churches and many other things they rigidly exact of us for the compleating and forming of a church after the New-Testament forme were not in the church of Ierusalem the mother church and yet it was by my brother Burtons confession the first formed church and that in the judgment of all the Independents besides himselfe a perfect church at that time But because he requres of me to shew him distinct Officers and Members united into one body respectively in all the severall congregations in the church at Ierusalem without which he affirmeth they were no formed churches properly so called I desire of him likewise that he would shew me that distinction of Officers and Members in that whole church that he demands of me in its parts without the performing of the which all that he hath written is nothing and he must of necessity grant that the church at Jerusalem was not a church properly so called if that distinction I say of Officers and Members be essentiall to the compleating of a church or churches For he confesseth at that time he calls it a formed church they had no Deacons and all the Independents that ever I have seene or talked with say they reade of no Elders in the church at Ierusalem till the 12. of the Acts which was a long time after the first forming of this church and we reade not at any time of any particular Pastor or of any Doctor or Teacher ioyned with that Pastor as is usually in the churches of the Congregationall way but that upon all occasions all the people applyed themselves to all the Apostles and and said Men and brethren what shall we doe and that they continued in the Doctrine and fellowship of all the Apostles and that all things were transacted by the common Counsell of all the Apostles and that they all laid their hands in the Ordination of the Deacons upon each of them we heare nothing I say of any particular Pastor or Teacher or of any Elders all this while and yet by my brother Burtons Doctrine it was a formed church then and we neither heare nor reade also any thing of an explicit particular Covenant which the Independents call the forme of a church neither doe we reade of many things they now rigidly require of all such â—s desire to be Members of their new Congregations practised in that Church I shall therefore cordially desire of my brother Burton seeing the underwriters his tributaries have given him leave as he saith in his Truth shut out of doores that he should baulke no truth he shall meet with in the plowing up of the Scripture but should Preach every truth I say he having obtained this Christian liberty of his Benefactors and truth being now no more in prison that he would candidly and plainly without any reserve Doâ—eâ— ad triarios redieritres tell me the next time I heare from him who was the particular pastor in the church at Ierusalem who was their particular Doctor or Teacher who were their Elders who were their Deacons seeing my brother Burton denieth any congregation to be a church properly so called if it have not its distinct Officers and Members united into one church body respectively for these are his words therefore I put him upon this to prove and without proving it all that he hath hitherto writ both in this book and in his vindication will all prove but waste paper to use his own language I am confident he will not say that Iames or Peter were their Pastor or Teacher or that any of the Apostles were the Pastor or Teacher of that particular church for they were the Universall Pastors of the visible Catholicke church and were extraordinarily sent into all the world as the Scripture recordeth therefore they could not be either the particular Pastors or Teachers of that church for as the Independents teach they must be fixt and should not leave their charge and Flocks neither can my Brother Burton tell which were their Elders for the Independents say they reade of none in the church at Ierusalem till the twelfth of the Acts and therefore according to their doctrine they then had none and it seemes to be my brother Burtons opinion â—or he â—aith the Church at Jerusalem wanted that part of discipline of casting out of corrupt Members which if they had had Elders they could not have wanted and for Deacons my brother Burton acknowledgeth that at that time he calleth it a formed Church they had none So that by this I have now said I beleeve it will be a difficult if not an impossible thing either for him or any of his fraternity to shew me that distinction of Officers and Members in the whole Church at Ierusalem which he requires I should shew him in the several branches congregations without the which notwithstanding according to his learning it cannot be a Church properly so called and so then the church at IerusaleÌ„ it self was no church properly so called Therefore when he is at plow again as now I understand he is I desire him that he would furrow up this truth unto me and shew me that distinction of Officers and Members withall I desire to be resolved how he comes to make this distinction of Officers and Members united into one church body respectively to be the forme of a Church when his brethren of the congregationall way make an explicite particular covenant to be the forme of a Church and the Members and Officers to be the materials onely of a Church All these truths I desire and that earnestly that my brother Burton at his next going to plow he would lay open and discover unto mee and then I will conclude of him that he is a singular tiller and a very good husbandman in Christs field his Church or otherwise hee will never be fit either to make a compleat Independent Country courtier or an absolute Independent Gentleman but he shall be a Haberdasher in the small wares of Independency and with those I perswade my selfe he will be best able to trade with But in the mean time till I heare from him I will affirme that if it be true he saith That the Church of Jerusalem wanted Deacons and Church discipline and an explicite particular covenant and many other good things they require of us for the compleating of a church or churches properly so called then that Church was not perfect and compleat and yet we read not that the Saints of those times made any separation from their publike Assemblies and Congregations though they wanted Officers and Discipline and many other things required now by them so that we may learn from those primitive and holy Christians that we ought not to forsake the publike Assemblies of the Saints for want of some part of Discipline or for want of some Officers
likewise wanteth nothing for matter and forme but hath plenary authority within it selfe and therefore is as compleat a Church within it selfe as any church in the world by all which it must necessarily follow and that upon their own principles that it is brought forth in perfection in one day and hath no neede of a graduall growth Now I shall never beleevethat those glorious churches founded by the holy Apostles in every city in the which they had their Elders and Presbyters and all other Officers appointed them the which churches also consisted of visible Saints that they were not at their first constitution as compleat churches and in the which Christ was not as well set up upon his Throne as any of our new gathered churches of the congregationall way Yea it were an impiety to think that the blessed Apostles did not know how to gather churches and how to set up Christ upon his Throne in them and how to bring them to perfection in one day at their first constitution as well as our brethren the Independents who notwithstanding do all proclame they but imitate the Apostles both in the gathering and constituting of their new churches And therefore if the Independent congregations are all compleated at their first founding and constitution and be all compleat within themselves as having plenary authority and power within themselves much more had all the Apostolicall and Primitive Churches absolute jurisdiction within themselvs at their first constitution which is yet more manifest from the reproofe given to the Church of Corinth by S. Paul who blameth them for not casting out the incestuous person and from the reproof given to some of the 7 churches of Asia by Christ himself For otherwise they if they had not bin perfect and compleat at their first constitution might have replyed and answered That they had no power to cast out corrupt Members and that their churches were not compleatly moulded up at their first founding and that they wanted that part of Discipline but none of these churches pretended any such thing neither could they for Saint Paul had given the church of Ephesus by name a caveat to take heed of Wolves that would rise up among them after his departure and had armed them likewise with power and authority for the casting of them out as it is at large to be seen in the twentieth of the Acts and that church executed its power in finding out of false Teachers and is praised for it though the other are blamed So that the neglect of this their duty and not executing of their Discipline was that that was found fault with in them and that they had not exercised that power that was given them in casting out of those corrupt Members from amongst them This I say was their failing and for this were they blamed so that it was not for want of Discipline or that they were not perfect at their first constitution but their negligence and their not doing their duty was their sinne Neither was the Church of Ierusalem inferior to any other church in power or wanted that part of Discipline of casting out corrupt Members as my Brother Burton boldly and without all reason affirmeth for it is well knowne that the church at Ierusalem had power of life and death as wee may see in the storie of Ananias and Saphira his wife the which if it could take away the very life of offendors as it did theirs for lying to the Spirit of God then it had power to cast out any corrupt Members and scandalous persons if they had had any amongst them as all reason will dictate to any well grounded Christian But that wee reade not of any excommunicated in the Church at Ierusalem it was not for any want of Discipline or power in that Church of casting out offenders but because there was no open Delinquents and scandalous persons for they were all zealous of the Law as it is well knowne and would suffer none in the least to transgresse it without questioning them nay if they conceived but an offence in the Apostles themselves they would call them to an account as wee may see Acts the â—1 where they questioned Peter for going in to the Gentiles and it is conceived by learned and judicious Christians that the punishment also that was inflicted upon Ananias and Saphira strucke so great a terrour of offending into all the Ghurch as it is in expresse words declared that they durst not in publike be vitious and therfore that made them all afraid of publike open and scandall withall it is recorded that they were all true Beleevers and Saints in the Church of Ierusalem and that they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayer and were all true converts and Saints indeed now no church useth to cast out Saints and men of a holy and unblameable conversation and such as persevere in goodnesse and doe their duty but the wicked and scandalous which when there was none in the church at Ierusalem there was no need of excommunication or at least they had no occasion of exercising that part of discipline at that time For discipline in any church is as Magistracy in a Common-wealth or Kingdome which is not a terrour to the good but to the wicked as Saint Paul speaketh Rom. the 13. it is a comfort to well doers and as the Magistrate useth the sword onely against Offendors and Delinquents so the Officers of the Church exercise that part of Discipline only in casting out corrupt and scandalous Members which is solely to bee put in execution against them and therefore that wee reade not of excommunication in the Church at Ierusalem it was not for want of that part of Discipline but because there were no publick and scandalous persons there as in the church of Corinth Besides all men know that Discipline is one thing and the execution of discipline is an other and is but the result and effect of discipline as the church is one thing and the Administration of the Sacraments is another Power and Authority in a court whether ecclesiasticall or civill is one thing and the execution of the power of that court is an other and as the execution of its authority makes it not a court nor giveth not the power to it but declareth it to be a court invested with authority as in the Parliament the great and supreme court of this Kingdome the cutting off of Strafford and the Prelates heads gave not power to the Parliament but declared the power they had by their first constitution for they were a court before and had the power of execution before but upon this occasion they exercised it but will any man say if they had not at this time exercised their authority as they have not done for these many years before that the great court had wanted that part of Discipline all men that should attempt to say that great councell
wavering for hee is faithfull that promised and let us consider one an other to provoke unto love and good workes not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one an other and so much the more as you see the day approaching It seemes the Jewes presuming of their owne holinesse and that they were the peculiar people of God thought basely of the Gentiles and began to separate in that regard from their publike assemblies as too many now adayes of the Ildependents doe from their brethren thinking themselves more holy then they the Apostle therefore writing to his countrey men the Jewes blames them for this and in them reproveth all that doe the like and forbids them so to doe and Saint Iohn speaking of such as made schismes in the Church saith that if they had beene of us they would not have gone out and departed from amongst us but in that they separated from amongst them it was manifest that they were not of them so that hee maketh it a marke and note of Apostates to make rents and schismes in any Church from the publike assemblies in all these regards therefore wee ought to take heed of separation and ought in this to make the church of Ierusalem and the other Primitive Churches our paterne and example and not to separate from the churches and assemblies of the Saints though indeed there should be many faylings in them which when the churches of the congregationall way daily doe they are highly to be blamed as offenders against precepts and presidents both of Christ and the blessed Apostles and against the example of all the Primitive churches who never did it all the which notwithstanding my brother Burton saith ought to be conferred together for the making up of a perfect paterne for our imitation they therefore not following their paterne but making rents have in their so doing much to answer for Lastly as the church at Ierusalem and all the other churches my brother Burton enumerates are to be a paterne to all churches in succeeding ages in their well doing and in what was prayse worthy so likewise wherein either the whole churches or any officers or members in them were fayling in their duty and for it either reproved threatned or punished for their owne disobedience or but for their indulgence at others in their sinnes as old Ely I Sam. 3. in that hee did not correct and chastise his wicked sons and the seven churches of Asia for their particular faylings especially those of Pergamos Thyatira and Laodicea for suffering the doctrinc of Balaam Jezebel and of the Nicolaitans though it was not with approbation of the same but onely in that they connived at them and did not exercise their power in casting out those offenders and punishing those luke-warme Laodiceans who were indifferent what religion was set up or imbraced amongst them I say in all these respects both these churches and people and all other churches for their faylings and punishments are examples to us to teach and forwarne us not to offend in the like manner lest partaking with them in their sinnes wee partake with them also in their severall plagues and punishments for whatsoever was written was pend for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come 1 Cor. 10. verse 11. and therefore if wee will tolerate all religions among us and shall not be zealous for the honour of our God and labour by all our might to establish his true worship and for the extirpating of all heresies and scandals the Lord will have a controversie against us as hee had against them and if wee repent not will remove his Candlesticke from us and leave us in darkenesse and in the shadow of death as hee hath done those churches in Asia who are all now under the Mahumetan superstition For wee must take notice that as every command of God is both preceptive and prohibitive so there is something in the practise and manners of all the Saints and churches of God as that in the Israelites 1 Cor. 10. and in the above mentioned churches that have some things in them to be shunned and avoyded as their speciall sinnes and faylings and some things in them likewise to bee imitated as their zeale piety vertues and godly examples and holy courage which as they are all praise worthy and for which they ought ever to be honoured so they are set downe for our learning and imitation that wee should doe the same yea this their example is as a command to us that wee should follow them in this their well doing and where they did evill and fayled in their duty in this there is a prohibition to all christians and to all churches in succeeding ages to the end of the world to take heed left they doe the like and so fall into the same condemnation as Paul speakes 1. Tim. 3. verse 6. where prohibiting the Evangelist to ordaine a novice for a Minister he saith lest being lifted up with pride hee fall into the condemnation of the Devill for by his pride hee was cast out of heaven that saith the Apostle hee was condemned for therefore lay thou no hands upon a novice lest hee be lifted up with pride and fall into the same condemnation So that in all the former respects both the church at Ierusalem and all other churches and the people of Israel are a paterne to us upon whom the ends of the world are come that wee should alwayes set them before our eyes if wee desire to injoy those mercies and blessings they partaked in for their well doing or to shun and avoid those punishments were inflicted upon them for their sins negligences and rebellions And this I thought good to say in way of answer to my brother Burton concerning the Church at Jerusalem and the other Churches enumerated by him all the which hee asserteth are to bee conferred together for the making up of a compleate paterne and plat forme of Church government and yet grollishly denieth that they can be a paterne in all things which to speake the truth is a peece of non-sense and a contradiction But before I conclude with him and shut up this discourse I shall desire the Reader a little to ponder and weigh my brother Burtous expressions in the very entrance of this his answer and reply to his own argument For your indefinite enumeration saith he of those multitudes baptized by John the Baptist and Christs disciples wee take no notice of them unlesse formed into a Church or Churches but following the expresse Scripture the first formed church wee find is in Acts the second These words deserve due consideration Amongst those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist Christ himselfe was one the Lord of life who sanctified that ordinance in his owne person and that in a speciall manner as being done by his speciall command and that for the fulfilling of all righteousnesse both in himselfe
be all dependent I shall set downe the chiefe things observable in it First they define a visible church to bee a mysticall body of which Christ is the head the Members Saints c. Secondly they assert that this church is but one congregation or as many as can conveniently meet together in any one place to partake in all Gods holy Ordinances Thirdly they affirme that the forme of this church is a holy explicite covenant which falsely they make one of Gods Ordinances or they say they are united together into one congregation by an holy covenant Now it cannot be holy except it be one of Gods Ordinances and have his command and authority for it which is that that ingraves holinesse upon it otherwise it is either diabolicall or at least but humane So that in the Independents learning wheresoever any of these things are wanting in any congregation of christians it is not a formed church for this is their definition of a church within the bounds and limits of which whatsoever church doth not come and within the which it is not terminated it is no true church and so by this all particular churches that are and have beene in the world neither were nor are true formed churches no not the very Independent congregations themselves as I hope by Gods assistance I shall illustriously make appeare after I have said something in order of the particular branches of this their definition and have shewed the absurdities of it and the impossibilities of attaining such a church as they have set out and the great inconveniences and indeed the unsupportable bondage that would redound unto thousands of Gods people if these men might have their mind and all things according to their definition For from such a church as they describe and desire though it consist but of ten or twelve bee they never so erroneous in their doctrine and never so corrupt in their manners and never so perverse malicious and unplacable in their minds and wils and let their unjustice done against any poore oppressed Member by them be never so great or exorbitant there is no appeale from it or helpe or redresse to be expected by any appeale to any other court church or Ecclesiasticall Tribunall which is a yoake of one of the most horrid tyrannies and slaveries that ever the world yet saw and which neither wee nor our Fore-fathers could ever beare a greater then the which never any men voluntarily put themselves under before these our unhappy times All the which I shall God assisting mee in the examination of the severall parts of this definition make evident And first whereas they define a visible church to be a mysticall body If any Presbyterian should have so spake the Independents would have said it had beene a bull For visible and mysticall cannot be predicated of one and the same body at one and the same time for if it be mysticall then not visible and if visible then not mysticall and therefore their definition belongs rather to the invisible church then to any visible congregation because the matter of it is the mysticall body of Christ consisting of Saints and such as are truly holy and godly which none know but God himselfe for no man can certainly and positively say that this or that man is a Saint but in the judgement of charity which is often mistaken as the Independents themselves acknowledge they have beene for the time was that they thought some men Saints who are the same still they then were and yet now they not only thinke but say though falsely they are Devils and repent that ever they prayed for them But most true it is that God only knowes who are his yea the Apostles themselves though of more discerning spirits then any in our age yet could not discover Iudas Christ onely knew hee was a Devill it was hidden and a mysterie to the Apostles and the same to this day lies hid from all men who are Saints indeed that belongs onely to God it is his Prerogative who is the searcher of all hearts and therefore their definition is absurd groundlesse and vaine in this branch of it when they say a visible church is a mysticall body consisting of none but Saints And then it would follow that none of the Apostolicall churches were true formed churches according to this their modell for wee reade not onely of many scandalous walkers amongst them but of some hereticks and yet they ceased not to be true churches what ever the Independents thinke now of such congregations as are mixt though in none or in very few of them they can discover any such offenders as were in the church in Corinth Galatia Philippi and in some of the seven churches of Asia and therefore if their definition bee good none of the Primitive churches were true churches yea I hope to make it evident in the sequell that none of the churches of the congregationall way are then true churches as not consisting of all Saints But now I come to the second branch or part viz. that the Church they desire must be but one congregation injoying all Gods Ordinances in it which if it be true and good in this branch also then the Church at Ierusalem was not a well formed church for there were many congregations and then also never a Church in the world to this day was a true church much lesse can any of our new congregations challenge that title and be true churches it being impossible though they consist but of one congregation apeece for them severally to injoy all Gods Ordinances in any one of them for amongst Gods Ordinances the Independents both in New-England and here amongst us hold that Synods and Councels are one of Gods Ordinances and yet they are not churches properly so called in their dialect though as they are representative bodies of many churches they may have that name given them and are churches in my notion and according to my understanding but I say not properly according to their language for their congregations consist of particular Pastors and Teachers and of two or three Elders apeice and Deacons and of a few men and women and have many other pretty things required for the moulding of them up into formed churches after the New-Testament forme whereas in Councels and Synods they have neither particular Pastors nor Teachers over them nor any such Elders and Deacons as they require nor no women so that no particular church in the world to this present day injoyed that Ordinance in it For a Synod and Councell consists of Presbyters onely and that of many not onely out of any one particular church though never so large and great but out of many sent and delegated from each of them respectively and severally yea many times not only out of many severall Presbyteries adjacent but out of other countries and Provinces as that at Jerusalem and all the ancient Councels and that lately at Dort and this our
is apparent to any that will not wilfully put out their eyes In the time of the Prelates raign every ceremony they brought in was excepted against as a human tradition and that worthily and every invention and tradition of man was rejected as Popery and will-worship was abhorred as Antichristian and to serve God by the precepts of men and by a service established onely by humane authority was rejected as a thing displeasing unto God and thought unsufferable and to have Prelates set over them to Lord it over Gods heritage was thought the highest point of tyranny and for the removall of them root and branch with all their trumpery and appertinances all the Independents themselves with the whole city and the greatest part of the Kingdome petitioned the great Councell of the Kingdome and not onely so but many of them have ventured their lives in the just defence of their Christian libertie and have offered their estates and exposed themselves and theirs to greatest dangers in this good quarrell which will ever be to the immortall honour of them all to all succeeding ages and they will be an example to other Nations to do the like Yet behold every one of these things revived now and brought in amongst the ignorant people and contended for with all severity and eagernesse as for the Oracles of God notwithstanding ding they are but the inventions of men there being neither precept nor president for them in the whole Word of God nor any practise of them in any of the Apostolicall and Primitive Churches and therefore it doth necessarily follow That their whole service and Discipline with all their concomitants are but their own appointments for which there is no warrant or pattern in the whole Word of truth and as for their Ministers and Pastors both in New England in their new Congregations here they Lord it over the poor people in as high a manner as can be proved as ever the lordly Prelates did in respect of their supercilious behaviour and yet the people swallow all these things as Gods Ordinances and bind themselves by their unholy Covenant to observe them which in any understanding mans judgement that knows what his Christian lâ—berty is and in the which he is commanded to stand fast in Gal. 5. ver 1. is the most intolerable yoak of bondage which the world yet ever saw And thus having briefly discovered some of the errors of their definition and shewed the absurdities of it and the inconveniences of such a Church as they would have and evinced also that according to that there has never yet bin a true formed Church on earth and that all the congregationall Churches if they will be included within the compasse of that discription they must necessarily be Dependent I will now come to my last and main conclusion which is to prove that none of the Churches of the Congregationall way are true Churches as not consisting of all visible Saints and therefore not to be communicated with in holy things which I shall do from their own argument For thus they dispute against us Those Assemblies say they or Churches in which the Members are not visible Saints called out of the world and united together into their severall Congregations by an holy Covenant to worship the Lord and to edifie one another in all his holy Ordinances they are no true formed Churches according to the New Testament forme and ought not to be communicated with in holy things but are to be separated from unlesse they will be made companions with such kinde of Saints as Job would not set with the doggs of his flocke being tagg ragg with whom godly soules can no more converse then with heathens But the Parochiall Congregations through the whole Kingdome are such Ergo they are not true formed Churches after the New Testament forme and ought not to be communicated with unlesse c. This is the Il-dependents doctrine they teach their Disciples concerning our Churches as appeareth in all their Pamphlets as in that of I. S. and my brother Burtons especially and this is one of the capital arguments which they use to maintain their separation from us and upon which they ground the gathering of their new Congregations the futility and vanity of the which every one that shall but vouchsafe to read this book shall finde in many places discovered I will therefore in this place make use of the same against themselvs to prove that their Churches and new gathered congregations are not true formed Churches after the New Testament forme as not consisting of all visible Saints and therefore not to be communicated with in holy things as the severall insuing arguments will declare which I desire the Independents themselves would without any prejudice seriously consider and ponder that they may the better discern into the errors of their wayes and in time repent of all their unrighteous and uncharitable dealing towards their brethren I thus argue Those Churches and Congregations the Members of the which are not visible Saints called out of the world and united together into their severall Assemblies by an holy Covenant to serve the Lord in all his holy Ordinances but are joyned together in a wicked conspiracy and combination against the people of God and his Ordinances and to hinder the reformation of the Church they are no true formed Churches after the New Testament forme and the Members of them are not true visible Saints and therefore ought not to be communicated with in holy things but to be separated from But all the Churches of the Congregationall way are such Ergo they are not true formed Churches after the New Testament forme and therefore by their own doctrine not to be communicated with in holy things but to be separate from and that for the same reasons the Il-dependents falsly pretend they sever themselves from our publique Assemblies The Major of this Syllogisme is their own and therefore they cannot gainsay it the Minor therefore being proved the conclusion will necessarily insue And as for the Minor I thus evince it Those Churches and Congregations whose Members are raylors révilers slanderers covenant-breakers with God and man ordinary lyars notorious calumniators and false accusers such as in holy Scripture are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Devils heretiques open seducers and causers of division and offences contrary unto the doctrine of Christ such as all Christians have a special command to take heed of and to shun and are prohibited to receive into their houses or bid God speed or so much as to eat with they are no visible Saints nor good Damons and therefore no true formed Churches nor to be communicated with in holy things But the churches of the congregationall way consist of such Members Ergo they are not visible Saints and therefore no true formed churches nor to be communicated with in holy things For the Major of this Syllogism it is grounded upon Godsown word and has its warrant for
it as the insuing places sufficiently prove Rom. 16. ver 17 and 18. Now I beseech you brethren saith the Apostle marke them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoyde them 1 Cor. chap. the 5. ver 11. But now I have writ unto you saith Saint Paul not to keep company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an Idolater or a raylor or a drunkard or an extortioner with such an one no not to eat 1 Tim. chap. the 6. ver the 3. and 5. If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse from such withdraw thy selfe and 2 Tim. chap. 3. ver 1 2 3 4 5. In the last dayes saith the Apostle shall perilous times come For men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents without naturall affection covenant or truce-breakers false accusers or make-bates incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good trayterous heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God hauing a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof from such tâ—rne away for of this sort are they which creep into widdowes houses and lead captive silly women laden with sinnes c. Tit. 3. ver 10. A man that is an hereticke after the first and second admonition reject saith the Apostle 2. John ver 10. If there come any unto you saith Saint John and bring not the doctrine of Christ receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evill deeds And Gal 1. ver 8 9. If we or an Angell from Heaven saith the Apostle preach otherwise then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed as I said before so I say now againe if any man preach unto you any other Gospell then that you have received let him be occursed Out of all the which places and many more that might be produced we are taught to shun and decline the society and fellowship of all such Christians as are corrupt in their doctrine or manners and such as either preach or practise otherwise then they have precept or example for in the holy word of God especially we are to have no communion with them when they not only preach another way to Heaven then that which Christ and the holy Prophets and blessed Apostles have chalked out unto us and delivered unto the Church but have joyned themselves in a wicked and unwarrantable Covenant to persist and continue in this practice for they are no Saints But such are those of the Congregationall way whose Teachers and Members are combined together to persevere in their wicked practices and courses and therefore by expresse command from Heaven we are to have no communion with such unlesse we will be found fighters against God and partake in their punishments And these places of holy Scripture with these reasons shall suffice for the proofe of the Major proposition For the Minor that the churches and assemblies of those of the congregationall way consist of Raylers Revilers Slanderers and covenant-breakers c. it is evident and well knowne to all such as are acquainted with the practise of the Independents and are verst in their doctrine and have read their Pamphlets which consist chiefly of errors untruths and right-downe raylings as amongst others those of my brother Burton and Iohn Lilburne not to mention the Pamphlets of all the other Independents the very names of which would make a booke in all the which there is little other but rayling and dangerous novelties Some of my brother Burtons and Iohn Lilburnes expressions with an other or two more which write in the name of all the Independents I will produce that by the mouth of two or three of their witnesses the truth of their proceedings in their Raylings Errors and Lyes and bad practises may be yet more evident My brother Burton in his Vindication hath these insuing words against all the Presbyterians both Ministers and people and first against the Ministers of whom hee saith that they deny disclaime and preach against Christs kingly Government over mens consciences and churches so that such a conversion as is wrought by them comes not home to whole Christ and such with their converters doe deny Christs kingly Government or at least and best they are converted but in part and that maine thing is wanting to wit Christs kingly Office And in his Vindiciae veritatis hee accuseth mee pag. 21. for taking Christs name in vaine because in my Booke I asserted that the Ministers of the church of England set up Christ upon his Throne which for mee to affirme hee saith it is to take the name of Christ in vaine his words are these And here saith he I challenge our brother for taking Christs name in vaine when insteed of finding Christ set upon his Throne in their congregations we find there no more but an Image such as Michal had made up insteed of King David or as those that in mockery made of Christ a Pageant King stripping him and putting on him a scarlet Robe and on his head a Crowne of Thornes and in his hand a reed saluting him with Haile King of the Iewes with which title over his head they crucified him therefore saith he those passages quoted out of my Booke will stand good against their opposers These are his words against all the Ministers of the Church of England Now of all the people that are not of the congregationall way and of their new Assemblies my brother Burton in his Vindication hath these words Wee exhort them saith he to set up Christ King in their hearts Wee exhort them to become and professe to be those Saints of whom Christ is King for hee is King of Saints Revel 15. 3. but they will not beleeve us saith hee they will not depend upon Christ as the only Law-giver and King over their consciences Now what would you have us to doe in this case saith hee baptize the Infants of such parents as will not in this respect professe or confesse Christ to be their King why doe you not know saith hee that no Infants have any title to Baptisme that are not within the Covenant visibly and how are they within the Covenant visibly but by vertue of their parents faith outwardly professed and what outward profession of faith is there in their parents that refuse Christ for their onely King that are ashamed or afraid to professe to be in covenant with Christ as their King if therefore the parents professe not yea refuse thus to be in visible covenant can the children be said to be in visible covenant and so to have a right in Baptisme the externall Seale of the Covenant here is an obex a barre put These are my brother Burtons owne
Religion neither is the true Religion nor that it leads men the true way to salvation And affirmes that hee groundedly and absolutely denies that either the Church of England is or ever was a true Church innumerable more such sentences might be produced out of this Pamphlet to this effect and from many such premises as these hee exhorts all good people that are in the bosome of the Church of England as they love their own inward peace and spirituall joy to withdraw their spirituall obedience and subjection from her Now here againe I appeale to all judicious Christians what the Devill the Accuser of the brethren could have spake more raylingly and falsely against the faithfull servants of God both Ministers and people then what Iohn Lâ—lburne in the name of all those of his Fraternity hath uttered against them all Surely if any Enemies Persecutors Raylers and Revilers of the people of God and false Accusers ever lived upon the earth they are those of the congrâ—gationall way and therefore they are no Sâ—ints Yeâ— when they write most mildly against the Presbyterians they call them Lyons Beares Wolves Tygers and in their ordinary language in towne and countrey they never see almost any Minister passâ— by them but they call them Baals Priests the lims of Antichrist the Antichristian brood the Devils Ministers Presbytyrants with a thousand other words of conâ—umely and of all their Presbyterian brethren both Scots and English they speake of them most shamefully upon all occasions terming them sonnes of earth sinners carnall people enemies of Christ Jesus and his Kingdom nay they revile us in the open streets when we passe by them and all that I now say the Independents themselves cannot deny to be most truly related by mee and their very bookes and all their Pamphlets are now in the hands of the people and daily read by them and they all can witnesse for mee that I have wronged them in nothing by all which that part of my Minor is sufficiently proved that all the Independents are notorious Raylers Revilers and false Accusers and therefore no Saints nor good Daemons but such as ought to be separate from and not to be communicated with in holy things as not formed into a church or churches after the New-Testament forme which ought to consist of all visible Saints And that they have caused divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine of Christ is also apparent and that from the great rents schismes and factions they have causelessely made amongst their brethren in church and state having neither Precept nor President in the whole Booke of God for any of their practises and proceedings in their new congregations and therefore this truth also being by the sad experience of all men notoriously knowne wee have a command to shun them and take heed of them as of a company of Seducers and false Teachers who so long as they persevere and continue in these their ungodly wayes they proclaime themseves to be no Saints nor good Daemons but a Generation of vipers and serpents and such as all godly soules ought to have no communion with whatsover their pretences of holinesse and sanctity be And that they are notorious covenant breakers it is most evident and apparent to all that will not wilfully shut their eyes for they have entred into a solemne covenant and oath and that made in the presence of God to labour for a through reformation of Religion in the Kingdome of England and Ireland in Doctrine Worship and Discipline according to the word of God and the example of the best reformed Churches and in expresse words also they have vowed and covenanted in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all hearts with a true intention to performe the same as they shall answer it at the great day that they will without respect of persons indeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophanenesse and whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound doctrine and the power of godlinesse lest they partake in their sinnes and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagnes They have vowed also with all faithfulnesse to indeavour the discovery of all such as have beene or shall bee Incendiaries Malignants or evill Instruments by hindring the reformation of Religion dividing the King from his people or one of the Kingdomes from an other or making of any factions or parties amongst the people contrary to thâ—s league and covenant And all the Independent Ministers in the Reverend Assembly did faithfully promise unto their brethren and under their owne hands by writing confirme it that they would preach such doctrines publickly only as tended to Faith Repentance and Salvation and that they would not trouble the people with any of those controversies concerning Discipline and Church-government till they saw what Plat-forme of Discipline the Parliament and the Assembly should set downe and solemnly promised also by such a time to bring in their modell and others of the Ministers of the congregationall way when they came out of New-England entring into serious discourse with some of their brethren the Ministers of the Church of England that had suffered much under the Prelates tyrannie and that indeed had indured the brunt and undergone the heate of the day of their cruelty and persecution and of whom they had experience for their faithfulnesse and constancy in the truth I say some of these fugitive Ministers after their returne entring into communication with them and demanding of them what Discipline and Government they intended now in place of the Prelaticall usurpation to establish and set up for answer they told them that their indeavour God assisting them should be to set up a Government according to the word of God as nigh as they could after the example of the best reformed churches in Scotland France Germany and Low-countries whereupon they immediately replying said if this be indeed your reall intention then in the presence of God wee give you the right hand of Fellowship resolving to stand to you and by you faithfully unto the death All that I now relate can be proved by an Iliad of witnesses Notwithstanding all these Covenants Promises and serious ingagements and that in the presence of God they have all of them blake all these covenants and promises made both to God and man and have violated them all and every one of them and have not only neglected to bring in their modell of government though promised by them and againe and againe urged to it but made factions rents and schismes in the Church and preached up the congregationall way and brought an odium and hatred of the Presbyterie amongst the people and most shamefully continually inveighd against their brethren the Presbyterians and all their proceedings and have laboured also with all their might and power to hinder the reformation of Religion and to breake the union betweene the two nations Scots and English and to bring in a toleration of all
Religions under the name of liberty of conscience which tendeth to nothing but profanesse and all licentiousnesse which is against the power of godlinesse and against their solemne vow and covenant made before God and men and therefore all they that doe these things as all the Il-dependents daily doe they are no Saints in Gods Dialect nor good Daemons but a Generation of wicked and ungodly men with whom all good Christians ought to have no communion with in holy things as not being churches after the New Testament form But will some say though some of the Independents should bee guilty of all these crimes yet they are not all to be condemned as equally guilty For answer here I shall make use of my Brother Burtons Learning pag. 16. where indeavouring to make all the Conformists guilty of Persecution hee hath these words the most of the Conformists saith he if not all have had their hands lesse or more either by acting or assenting or by silence or connivence in the persecution of those godly Ministers and people which stood out against the Antichristian usurpation over their consciences inferring from thence that they were equally guilty I have made choyce of his words though it bee a truth and doctrine set downe in holy Scripture and confirmed by the light of nature and by the practise of all nations both Jewish Christian and Heathenish who adjudge Consentors Connivers and Abettors and all the complices in any treason conspiracy wickednesse and malefice as equally guilty as the Actors Plotters or Contrivers as all Histories both divine and humane doe declare and for some examples out of holy Scriptures wee find that although Iezabel was by name the principall agent in killing and persecuting of the Prophets yet all the Israelites are accused as guilty because they connived and assented by their silence unto their death and therefore the holy Prophet saith they have slaine thy Prophets and have brake downe thy Altars and so all the Jewes are adjudged guilty of the death of Christ as well as Herod and Pontius Pilate as consenters and allowers of it and so Christ himselfe accuseth all the Jewes as guilty of the death of all the holy Prophets in that they allowed of their Fathers doings by building the Monuments of the Prophets by which their action our Saviour saith that they allowed of their doings and in expresse words chargeth them as equally guilty the same hee said of them concerning the death of Iohn the Baptist ye saith hee have done to him whatsoever seemed good unto you whereas it is related in the Gospel that it was Herods act who only is said to have commanded that Iohn should be beheaded yet this wickednesse is laid upon all the Jewes as connivers and by their silence consenters unto it and Paul in like manner accuseth all the Gentiles in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans and all the Jewes in the second chapter of all those sinnes hee layes to their charge though they were not many of them actors and committers of these haiuous crimes but in that they connived at them and by their silence allowed of them or hindred them not or by punishing the offendâ—rs prevented them not which was the sin of old Ely in not punishing his sonnes for their wickednesse So that by all these examples out of the word of truth and by my brother Burtons own words and learning it is apparently evident thaâ— all such as by their silence connive and assent unto any wickednesse persecution rayling or covenant-breaking they are as â—qâ—ally guilty as the actors and contrivers Now when all the Iâ— â—â—pendents as well Ministers as people in any of thâ—se wayâ—s or in all of them are guilâ—y of rayling reviling seducing and Covenant-breaking and making divisions contrary unto the Doctrine of Christ and of hindring Reformation and of breaking the Union between the Nations of England and Scotland in as much as in them lies it followeth thâ—y are neither visible Saints nor good Daemons and that those Churches that consist of such Members are not true formed Churches after the New Testament forme for they are to consist of visiâ—le Saints and therefore they oughâ— to be separated from and all good Christians ought to have no communion with such Churches in holy things as being mixt Congregations and tagg ragg and such Saints as â—ob would not set with the doggs of his flock And this shall suffice to have spoke for the proof of my fiâ—st Argument My second Argument is this Those Congregations and Assemblies whose Members contrary to the example of all the holy Prophets and Servants of God who were ever humble in their own eyes continually falsly and pharisaically and upon all occasions boast themselves of their owne righteousnesse so much condemned in holy writ calling themselves the pretious and holy servants of God the godly party the praying people the onely men of Gods right hand the Saints the generation of the Just hating and despising their poor brethren and are ever plotting against them accounting them as Heathens and Infidels and departing from them as more holy then they all such I say are neither visible Saints nor good Daemons as being by Christ himselfe and the holy Scripture condemned and therefore are not true Churches after the New Testament â—orm whose Members ought to be all visible Saints but are mixt Congregations with whom truly godly souls ought not to communicate in holy things But all the Congregations and Assemblies of the Il-dependents are such as consist of such Members Ergo they are neither visible Saints nor good Daemons and therefore ought not to be communicated with in holy things but to be separated from by all the truly godly souls For the Major proposition no man can deny it now if the Minor be confirmed then there is no man that will doubt of the truth of the conclusion for that will necessarily insue from the premises The parts of the Minor are these The first That it was ever the practice of all the holy servants of God to be humble in their owne eyes The second That God did ever condemne such as justified them selves and boasted of their own righteousnesse The third That the Il-dependents do both falsly and pharisaically boast themselves when they call themselves the pretious and holy servants of God the godly party the praying people the onely men of Gods right hand the Saints and the Generation of the just The fourth That they do despise their Christian brethren and separate from them as being more holy then they By all which they declare themselves to be neither Saints indeed nor good Daemons nor a Church or Churches after the New Testament forme and therefore ought to be separated from I shall now prove all these parts in order beginning with the first by which the conclusion will be the more obvious to every judicious Reader and I hope to many of the Il-dependents themselves if they will
not despise But for all such as pharisaically boast themselves of their own righteousnesse God will despise and resist especially when they come far short of the Pharisees righteousnesse who fasted ordinarily twice or thrice a week and gave tythes of all they had and were very bountifull and charitable to the poor and did many other things praise worthy whereas all the Il-dependents are so far from giving tythes of all they have as they would not willingly that any other should give them writing books to the contrary and that bitter ones and for the many other acts of holinesse in the Pharisees as fasting deeds of charity the world knows they are not so frequent in them towards their poor brethren that dissent from them but in running from sea to land and from one place to another to make Proselytes and seduce the people they are very like the Pharisees and in boasting and glorying of their own righteousnesse in this they â—qualise if not exceed the Pharisees and Justiciaries of old and if they repent not God will have a controversie against them for God resists the proud and will give grace unto the humble and in the 30 of the Proverbs ver 72. God saith there That there is a generation pure in their own eyes and yet they are not purged from their filthynesse Gods people were ever humble but the Il-dependents are not as will by and by appeare in the sequell The third part now to be proved viz. That the Il-dependents do both falsly and pharisaically boast themselves when they call themselves the pretious and holy servants of God c. Now that they boast and glory of their own holinesse and that they are the onely people and the godly party all that are acquainted with their language and have heard their Sermons and have seen their books can bear witnesse with me of the truth of that I now charge them with neither can the Il-dependents themselves deny it And that they falsly glory and boast of their own righteousnesse holinesse and sanctity is my taske now to prove which by the grace of God I will do running through all and every severall branch of their gloriations And to begin with the first when they call themselves the onely pretious servants of God and the godly party in this their glorying I say they as falsly as Pharisaically boast which will evidently appear if we duly examine who in Gods dialect are a holy people and the onely holy servants of God In the 1 of the Corinthians chap. 7. ver 34. The Apostle there describes who are the holy people they saith he are such as care not for the things of the world but for the things of the Lord how they may be holy in body and spirit They were such as being bought with a price studyed how they might glorifie God in their bodyes and in their spirits which were the Lords 1 Cor. 6. ver 20. And how they might cleanse themselves from all filthynesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesle in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. ver 1. The holy servants of the Lord are such as present their bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God as their reasonable service and that from the consideration of Gods great mercyes unto them Rom. 12. ver 1. They pressed toward the mark to the high calling of God in Jesus Christ Phil. 3. 14. Whose conversation was in Heaven ver 20. Those Saints minded not earthly things but being contented with food and rayment they esteemed godlinesse the greatest gain 1 Tim. 4. Gold and silver saith Peter I have none Acts 3. He studied onely to be holy and regarded not the world The life of all the godly and holy party was above in heaven according to that of Solomon Prov. 10. They were not groveling upon the earth nor regarded not the things of this life they were changed from that they were before they were now no longer conformable to this world but they were transformed by the renewing of their mind that they might prove what is that good that acceptable will of God Rom. 12. ver 2. According to that of Paul Eph. 23. 24. They were renewed in the spirit of their mind they had put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Yea they were renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created them Coloss 3. ver 10. In a word all the truly holy and godly party have an universall change wrought in them their understandings witts and affections are changed they are all heavenly the whole frame of their lives and conversations are changed they are all heavenly so that they by all their actions declare they are such as really minde nothing but heavenly things they are mortified men they seeke not great things nor they intangle not themselves with earthly businesses they onely mind heavenly things where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Coloss 1 2 3. No sooner was Levi called from the receipt of custome but hee relinquished and left the world and followed Christ The same did Zacheus distributing that hee had liberally to the poore and manifesting to the world by giving full satisfaction to all men that could say they were damnified by him that now hee minded nothing but heavenly things the things of the Lord how he might be holy in body and spirit which were the Lords and this was the practise of all the holy servants of God in all ages they were heavenly minded lowly humble meeke they were of one mind having compassion one of an other they loved as brethren they were pittifull and courteous they rendred not evill for evill or rayling for rayling but contrariwise blessing knowing that they were thereunto called that they should inherit a blessing they refrayned their tongues from evill and their lips spake no guile they eschewed evill and did good they sought peace and ensued it 1 Pet. 3. verse 8 9 10 11. they loved without dissimulation they abhorred that which was evill and cleaved to that which was good in honour they preferred one an other Romans 12. verse 9. in Lowlinesse of mind they esteemed of others better then themselves Phil. 2. ver 2. 3. they wete all heavenly minded men who regarded no worldly things neither doe we ever reade in all the sacred Scriptures that any of the holy Prophets or Saints of old were taken up with the world or aspired to the Honours and Dignities of the same but chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to injoy the pleasures of sinne for a while yea they esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then all the treasures of Egypt they chose rather to wander about in deserts in sheeps skins and goats skins naked despised and contemned in the caves and dens of the beasts of the earth then to dwell in the greatest affluency of worldly things they slighted all the world and all the Glory of it
their proceedings and being carried on with a blind zeale conceive they can never doe too much for them and therefore upon all occasions stirre up their Husbands and friends to advance the cause as they call it and to the uttermost with their power and purses to promote it and hence arise those factions on all sides every one of them in their particular places seeking the maintenance of their party hence it is that there are so many dayes amongst those of the congregationall way set apart for the seeking of God for that is their language for the gaining of some great wealthy personages into their new gathered Churches which they call the conversion of them when indeed it is nothing but the perverting and misleading of them into the by-wayes of their errors I could if need were instance many a Godly Family that were knowne to bee of approved Integrity Piety and Holinesse before these men appeared in the world and yet are now reputed the holy people and Saints and onely for being of the congregationall way The truth of this thing is so apparent as some of the Independents themselves have uttered it that they well perceive that many of their Ministers seeke themselves whiles they pretend they seeke the good of others yea they seeke the world whiles they perswade others to abandon it Saint John sayes 1 Epist Love not the world nor the things that are in the world for he that loves the world saith hee the love of the Father is not in him It is an impossible thing in Gods Dialect to serve two Masters they cannot serve God and Mammon for the friendship of the world is enmity with God saith Saint Iames. Now then when it is evident by all the practises of the Independents that they for the greatest part of them gape after the world and are chiefly imployed in those things that worldly men are taken up in as in biting and devouring one an other in hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings c. It is manifest they are not the only holy spirituall people if Pauls doctrine be true Gal. 5. ver 15. 20 21. and that the Independents are too too busie in these imployments daily and sad experience teacheth us neither is there any truly iudicious and impartiall Independent that can gainesay what I now write Besides the holy people of old as Abraham Jacob Ioshua Cornelius c. were such as with their whole houses served the Lord they would have none in their Families but such as were of one and the same Religion they would neither connive at indulge or tolerate any Religion in their houses but that God had appointed as all the holy Scriptures testifie they at their uprising and lying down at their goings out and comings in Deut. 6. and Deut. 11. instructed their children and families in the statutes and commandements of the Lord they with their Men-servants and Maid-servants and the stranger within their Gates Exod. 20. tooke care that all of them under their roofes should sanctifie the Sabbath and keepe all the commandements of the Lord they thought it their duty and their place to see that they should serve the Lord with one shoulder and with one lip they left them not every one to the liberty of his owne conscience but according to the expresse rule exacted obedience from them to the commandements of the Lord and this they esteemed to bee the holinesse well pleasing unto God not their owne fained conceits Now in this thing also most of the Il-dependents are fayling in their duty as can be proved who leave their Families to their owne Genins in the serving of God so that they may goe whether they please on the Lords day and bee of what Religion and Sect they like best and therefore they follow not the example of the Godly Party and holy Saints and servants of God of old In all these regards and many more that might be specified it is apparantly evident that those Churches of the congregationall way doe not consist of all Saints as being but mixt assemblies as well as the congregations of their brethren that they separate from and therefore they are not the only holy people as not being crucified unto the world and the world to them as the holy people of old were when they are wholy for the world and this shall suffice to have spake concerning the first title they dignifie themselves with above their brethren calling themselves in all their preachings and writings the holy people and godly party whereas the truly holy people and Godly Party were ever humble in their owne eyes and thought basely of themselves counting themselves wretched and miserable sinners Neither doth the other title truly and onely belong unto them when they call themselves the praying people for our Saviour hath said Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of Heaven but hee that prayeth according to his will for so Saint Iohn asserteth in his first Epistle chap. 5. verse 14. this is the confidence wee have in him that if wee aske any thing according to his will hee heareth us So that it is not the meere praying of any people that will procure audience from God but the praying according to Gods will for Christ hath said Matth. 6. that men are not heard for their much babbling for that is a thing displeasing unto him but in that they pray according to his direction and will so that of necessity it followeth they onely are the praying people properly so called that in all their supplications and requests follow the rule set downe by Christ himselfe the only Prophet of his Church and who knew best what the will of God was and what the meaning of the Spirit of God was for he onely it is that must helpe our infirmities in prayer for wee of our selves know not what to ask Rom. 8. It wil not be amisse therefore briefly to run over some of those Petitions that the Lord hath set downe for an everlasting rule for all the truly praying people to square their prayers by the which whosoever in prayer swarveth from they cannot properly be called the truly praying people Our Saviour teacheth us Matth. the sixth vers 9 10 〈◊〉 13 saying when ye pray say Hallowed be thy name So that they that pray aright desire that the name of God may be glorified and in so praying they desire that whatsoever hinders the glorifying and hallowing of Gods name may be taken away and removed now the toleration of all Religions under pretence of liberty of conscience which all the Independents not onely pray for but with all their might labour for will not make for the hallowing and glorifying of Gods name but greatly to his dishonour and the unsanctifying of his holy name and be a meanes of bringing in of profanesse and atheisme and all manner of abominations and damnable heresies as the very connivence at them already teaches
their duty and according to the will of God Therefore when the Il-dependents pray for a Toleration of all Religions under the name of liberty of conscience and labour for it and hinder with all their power the setting up of the onely true Religion and worke of Reformation and the setting up of such a Government in Christs Kingdome which is his Church as he hath revealed in his blessed will and they have also covenanted to bring in in their so doing they neither pray that Gods name may be hallowed nor that his Kingdome may come nor that his will may be done nor that they may not be led into temptation and be delivered from evill and therefore they pray not aright and are not as they falsly boast themselves the only true praying people for they pray not according to Gods will Now when those Churches of the Congregationall way consist of such kinde of praying Members it is apparently manifest they are a mixt Generation of men and not the Generation of the just nor the men of Gods right hand which is another title they falsly and pharisaically also claime and challeng unto themselves as they did the former as will by and by appear upon due examination and discussion of the true sense of that expression For those that are the men and people of Gods right hand properly so called are such as with all their might stand up in defence of Gods true Religion and earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the Saints Jude 2 3. and are not onely ever ready to lay down their lives for that ancient faith but with all their power to fight for it to the last drop of their blood in opposition to all errours superstition heresies and all manner of false worship and in opposing whatsoever is against the power of godlinesse as a Toleration of all Religions is which tends only to the bringing in of all prophanenesse and irreligion Now the Il-independents deny that they did ever fight for Religion Yea I my selfe have heard many of them say That it is unlawful to fight for Religion and they professed that when they went out with the sword in their hands they fought onely for the liberty of their consciences and for a Toleration of Religion which is a part and branch as they said of the Subjects birth-right All this I can with many more depose and therefore they falsly arrogate unto themselves that title of being the men of Gods right hand which no more belongs unto them then the other ensignes and titles did And as little right have they to the title of Saints and the generation of the Just which is so frequently in their mouthes if wee bring them to the true touchstone of that mettle therefore it may be to very good purpose to turne to the 15. Psalme and briefly to run over that where we shall finde a true description of Saints indeed Who saith the Psalmist shall abide in thy Tabernacle and who shall dwell in thy holy hill that is to say who are Saints indeed and the generation of the Just For answer the Holy Ghost that best knew who were Saints indeed sets down the characters of true Saints The first of which is his upright walking He that walketh uprightly saith the spirit of God This is a metaphoricall expression signifying the trade of a mans life his custome and carryage in it as when a man is said to walk after the flesh it is as much in the dialect of holy Scripture as to say He goeth on in his naturall condition and in his irregenerate state in his ignorance blindenesse wicked courses and practises and hath no work of grace wrought in his heart nor any chang in his will and affections nor in his whole frame of life and carriage but he is the old man still Rom. 18. ver 1. So to walk uprightly in Scripture language is to walk after the spirit to be regenerate to be a holy and heavenly minded man who doth all the actions of one borne again of the water and of the spirit he makes the Law of God his delight and squares his life and actions according to that rule and the direction of his blessed word and he orders his life by that rule in all integrity sincerity and without hypocrisie or any base or by-ends or wordly respects He makes it his employment with Enoch and Noah to walk with God secretly as well as openly in all manner of conversation in his thoughts words and deeds as if he were ever in the sight and presence of God walking uprightly also towards men carrying himselfe justly towards all but especially his main aime is to indeavour that the true worship and service of God may be set up in his family and wheresoever he hath power hee declines not to the right hand nor to the left in matters of Religion but keeps himselfe strictly to the rule and goes right on according to the direction of that He halts not between two Religions or more for he knowes how much that is disspleasing unto God who said unto the people by his Prophet Why halt ye between two Religions That God cannot indure in any people no more then he can indure the lukewarme Laodiceans that are neither hot nor cold but indifferent what Religion be set up so they may injoy their case all such he knows God hath and will spew out of his mouth Such therefore as halt and limp in Religion and hop first on this side to this Religion and then on the other side to that other Religion and a little after limp into another opinion and soon after hop into another Sect all that walk thus are no Saints in Gods dialect For the true Saints indeed they walk up â—ghtly before God in that one Religion he hath appointed they turne not to the right hand nor to the left they take no by-way or crosse path in Religion they halt not nor limp not nor doubt not of their way neither do they sit still or make a stand nor set not a foot backward in Religion all which were not to walk uprightly before God but all the true Saints walk uprightly they go on with constancy without interruption in their Religion that way Jerem. 6. They are not carryed sometimes this way with this wind of doctrine and sometime that way with that blast of opinion but they walk right on they set not a step backward from their first love to Religion like the Church of Ephesus Revel 2. but passe forward toward the price and mark of their high calling with as great a zeal and fervency as at first and hate all false wayes and erroneous religions they persevere in all the wayes of God and in the footsteps of all the Saints of old and imitate all those vertues and graces that are commendable in the Saints and all the Churches They cannot indure that any doctrine of Baalam Jezabell or of the Nicolaitans should be connived
they spake not the truth in their hearts all such therfore as contrive all the mischief they can against those whom at every word they call brother and good brother yet write whole bookes to the defaming of them and killing of their good name which is worse then the murthering of their very bodies they are so farre from being Saints as they are like Cain that wicked one that slew his brother ver 12. all such therefore as say one thing and practise the contrary are double-minded men and a Generation not of the just but unjust for they speake not the truth in their hearts when therefore all the Independents in words pretend love unto their Presbyterian brethren and seeme to honour the Parliament and the Scots and their godly brethren the Ministers and yet seeke by all meanes possible they can to render them all odious to the people to baptize them into the hatred of all men and write scurrilous and defamatory books against them all to this very purpose and rejoyce at any evill that happens to any of them or to heare of any breach or division amongst them and labour to make it greater and will not so much as pray with them or pray for them but have beene heard in their publick congregations say and that in their prayers Now Father we should come to pray for the Parliament and the Assembly but they are not worthy the prayers of the Saints thus they speake unto God himselfe of the Parliament and Assembly in their owne congregations and will not vouchsafe them so much as their prayers as can sufficiently be proved and yet to the world they pretend they honour the Parliament and Assembly and love all their Presbyterian brethren and wish them all happinesse when all their actions words and Pamphlets proclame the contrary for it is well knowne that the whole scope of most of their imployments is to traduce the Parliament and their government and to make the Scots and all the Presbyters their brethren the most hatefull people in the world as if all their indeavours were to bring the people under an unsupportable slavery and a greater yoake of tyrannie then that of the Prelates this is their very language in all their discourse and writings yea often in their meeting places by which they have so inraged the people every where against all our godly and painefull Ministers that they are looked upon with an evill eye through Citie and Countrey and yet they pretend love unto them in words and call them brethren at every turne and their godly brethren and yet would sterve them if they could and both in their writings and preaching and disputes labour to take away their good name yea their livelyhoods their Tythes the only maintenane by which they should support themselves and their families all which their dealing is abominable dissimulation So that when they most court them and faune upon them with the title of brother and good brother and shew them some outward courtesies they had most need to take heed of them for then they plot mischiefe and speake not the truth in their hearts and therefore the Ill-dependents are no true Saints for they speake not the truth in their hearts But to goe on to the other characters of the true Saints they saith the Holy Ghost verse the 3. Back bite not with their tongue nor doe evill to their neighbour nor take up a reproach against their neighbour In this verse there are three other characters together of true Saints as in the former ver The first they backbite not with their tongue the second they doe no evill to their neighbour the third they receive not a reproach against their neighbour they will not entertain indure or take up or beleeve an evill report against their brethren for they that are Saints indeed know that they that receive stoln goods into their houses or doe assent unto a Thiefe are as equally guilty as the thiefe that tooke them away now all such as make it their chiefe imployment to traduce their neighbours and defame them and speake evill of them and fouly reproach them with all manner of contumelious and disgracefull language calling them the profest enemies of Jesus Christ and his Kingdome the Antichristian brood the lims of Antichrist using a thousand such scurrilous and unchristian reproaches against the Presbyterian brethren in tongue and pen and doe all manner of evill unto them in word and deed and write libellous bookes against them and receive and imbrace all manner of evill reports against them yea hunt after such and seeke for them that they may have matter of slander against them and give eare to Tale-bearers and busie bodies against the word of God and will imbrace the acquaintance of the most impious peoyle in the world as can be proved and give eare and credit to the calumnies and reproaches of profest Atheists in any thing they shall falsely report against any of their Presbyterian brethren all such in Gods dialect are no true Saints for they that are Saints indeed back-bite not with their tongue they doe no evill to their neighbour nor they will not receive a reproach against their neighbour much lesse against those that are in authority and dignity Now I say if it can be proved that the Independents make it their ordinary and daily practise not only to traduce back-bite and doe evill and receive a reproach against their fellow brethren but doe all these evils also against those that are in dignity and authority and are made Rulers and Governours of the people and over themselves it follows that they that doe all these evils and all those that assent unto them in their so doing are not Saints indeed in Gods esteeme now that the Il-dependents are guilty of all these crimes the many Pamphlets lately set forth by them as those published by Iohn Lilburne and my brother Burton and all the other scurrilous and libellous Bookes set forth by those of that party and countenanced by them doe sufficiently witnesse And here I shall desire of any man ingenuously to tell mee what it is to back-bite their neighbour and do evill to them and to receive a reproach against them if speaking defamatory words of them all and writing and publishing of libellous Bookes against the great Councell of the Kingdome and those in authority be not to back-bite their neighbour Certainly such words and books as accuse the Parliament of Injustice tyrannie and of exercising an arbitrary power over the people against Magna Charta and the Petition of Right and the priviledges of the subject and make them all as bad as Strafford and the Prelate and such words Pamphlets and writings against the House of Peeres and Commons as tend to the defaming of them and their just power and government and to disaffect the people against them and to stirre up a faction against their just authority and to make them odious to all men
wee might never looke for happy dayes nay it can be proved that some of the Independent Ministers have made it part of their imployment to run from one place to an other to preach their errors and in their Sermons to bring the Gentry and Nobility into the hatred of the people accusing them as the cause of all our calamities publickly declaming against them as the basest Gentry and Nobility in the world saying in expresse words that howsoever Noble-mens Mothers were knowne yet their Fathers were Grooms or some base fellows that they were nothing but drosse dresse drosse and this they have spake in great and crowded Assemblies all the which speeches if they tend not to make the Nobility hatefull to the people and so by consequence to the ruine and overthrow of them in time I know not what can and whether all this bee not to doe evill to their neighbours I leave it to the judgement of others and how many of the Independents have vilified the great Councell let their bookes be examined and they will say I wrong them not in any thing when I affirm they labour to bring in a confusion of all things yea their words daily at the very Parliament dore can witnesse that howsoever they pretend to honour the Parliament yet they do accuse them of arbitrary and tyrannicall Government and assert that the Lawyers in the Parliament have betrayed the Liberties of the subject and this is their daily language and that it may bee the better knowne it is all extant in their printed Books by all which they do evill to their neighbours Now then if I in my just defence made use of their owne expressions to set downe the wickednesse of their wayes and to discover their bad intentions there was no just cause why any rationall man should condemne mee for it for ridentem dicere verum quid vetat Now that the Independents have so severely censured mee causelessely for this they shew they are altogether partiall and very unjust Judges and whiles they doe the greatest evill unto men that can possibly by the malice of men be done unto them which no true Saints doe for they doe no evill to their neighbours as the Spirit of God saith yet they will condemne others for but making use truly of such expressions as they themselves have falsely and causelessely used against others for I in discribing of them and their proceedings exprest my selfe but in their owne dialect and yet they fill the whole Kingdom with clamours against mee for being but their scholler The time was when I writ my Letany for to make my self and my fellow Prisoners merry in our bands that when many grave men liked it in private yet disswaded mee from making of it publick that those that are now the great Sticklers of the Independent party against all the counsell of my grave friends perswaded me to print it protesting that they thought it would doe the Prelates more mischiefe then any booke that was seriously penned against them and therefore intreated mee by all meanes that I would publish it yea they offered mee to set it forth upon their owne charges and costs and through their importunity they prevayled with mee to give them the copie and it was printed and liked so wel of by that party as they commended mee with all the prayses men could extoll and magnifie a man with as can be proved and they have often profest unto mee that they thought it was the best way of dealing with any enemies of the Church and therefore I conceive that Martin useth so much of this method in his books But indeed there have bin many and grave Divines that have writ many merry and pleasant books against the Prelates in all ages nations which have discovered their vanities more then any thing that was seriously writ by which meanes many personages of eminent quality as well as those of low degree have come to the knowledge of the wickednesse of the Papall Hierarchy which had they beene seriously penned no man would have regarded yea the holy Prophets and divine Pen-men have made themselves merry with the vanity of the false Prophets and great men of their time many presidents of the which might be produced out of sacred writ so that there is no sinne in writing pleasantly against any such as goe about to seduce and mislead the people and alienate them from their duty towards God and their obedience to those that are in authority and from their duty and love to their brethren all which are capitall evils and which no true Saints will perpetrate Now I say in this that the Independents did so well like of my Letany and the merry passages in that booke and are so highly offended at my mirth in my just defence against them that are equally guilty with those they most mortally hate and in that they so harshly accuse those expressions in my booke which I have but borrowed from them saying that none that useth such can have a dramme of grace in them in all this they are very partiall and unjust Judges and give unrighteous judgement against their neighbour which is to doe evill to their neighbour which all true Saints will not doe and they may remember that the Lord in the 29. of of Isaiah condemned such as made a man an offender for a word But of all these things in their due place When I upon an other occasion shall answer to the moderate checks wherin I shall make it appeare had those expressions beene mine owne there had beene no blasphemy in them without it be esteemed blasphemy with them to compare a company of rude and rebellious wicked people to a good creature of God when as the Holy Ghost compareth such to a Dog returning to his vomit and to a Sow wallowing in the mire withall I shall then make it evident that the conspiracy of Corah Dathan and Abiram was not greater against Moses and Aaron then this confederacy of the Ill-dependents at that time against some of the honourable Members of the Parliament But letting passe their partiality in many other things towards their owne party in whom they can see no sinne I will goe on to the other characters of true Saints indeed as they are set downe by the Spirit of God the third of which in this verse is that they receive not a reproach against their neighbors The true Saints saith the Holy Ghost take not up a reproach against their neighbours they will neither heare much lesse entertain or receive an evill reproach or calumny against their neighbours for they have learned better things out of Gods holy word as in Exodus 23. verse 1. where the Lord speaking to his owne people and all true Saints saith Thou shalt not receive or rayse a false report put not thou thy hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witnesse Neither is there any thing more forbidden through the whole Scripture then whispering
and tale-bearing as all the Proverbes indeed all the Propheticall apostolicall writings can witnesse so that all such as either raise or receive false reports or reproaches against their neighbours in Gods esteeme are no true Saints but wicked men and unrighteous wretches for so the Lord proclameth all such and a greater unrighteousnesse and sinne towards men there cannot be then to rob them of their good name which is to them as a pretious oyntment and better then gold or silver or great riches Proverbs 22. verse 1. Ecclesiast the 7. verse 1. and hence it was that David compares the tongues of reproachfull men to Speares Arrows and Swords and all instruments of death for by their calumnies they wounded and murthered the reputation of their innocent neighbours and killed them whiles they were alive which is the worst of all mortall deaths and therefore the holy Prophet though otherwise a valiant man and undaunted yet often professeth that they had brake his heart with their reproaches and truly a sorer affliction in this life cannot lite upon any men then to bee wounded in their good name and to have their due honours and prayses taken from them to be made vile amongst the people which is the greatest of worldly evils as all judicious and impartiall men will easily judge for there is no fence or ward against calumnies in the schooles either of wit or art and all such as either rayse such reports against their neighbours or receive a reproach and harbour any evill thoughts against them and such as tend to the wounding of their good names and fames are all in Gods Dialect reputed no Saints for the true Saints saith the Holy Ghost take not up a reproach against their neighbours for thus the Lord hath declared himselfe in his holy word concerning all such men as either raise or receive a reproach against their brethren asserting that they are no Saints Now when the Il-dependents make it their dayly practice not onely to receive reproaches against their ordinary neighbours and brethren but against both the Magistrates Ministers and all their Presbyterian brethren both Scottish and English as all the Pamphlets of John Lilburne and my brother Burton and all the other writings and words and the very Sermons of those of the Il-dependent party and all their proceedings do daily witnesse it is sufficiently evident that they are no Saints For the true Saints and all such as are Saints indeed receive not a reproach against their neighbours Yea it is well known and can be proved that they hunt after reproaches against their innocent neighbours and will not only entertain into their companies but even into their new gathered Churches such infamous persons as have been a shame and dishonour to all their kindred and such as continue still in their wicked and ungodly practices and onely for this that they can impudently and wickedly reproach their neighbours and raise an evill report against them all this I say can sufficiently be proved Nay some of them have been heard say when they have railed at and reviled some godly Presbyterian Ministers that opposed the errors and novelties of the times whē they were demanded what evil they knew by them and what they could blame in their lives and conversations I say when this question has been propounded unto them they have replyed this is the mischief and spite of it that they are unblameable in their lives then the which there could not be a more wicked malitious and unchristian expression by which they declare unto all men that it troubled and perplexed them that there was no evill in their lives by which they might justly defame them so that it is evident to all men that it is matter of rejoycing amongst the Il-dependents when they hear of any failings in their Presbyterian brethren contrary unto the custome and practice of the people of God and the true Saints in all ages for they receive not a reproach against their neighbour innumerable instances of this nature might be produced against the Il-dependents but that their practices are so obvious to all those that are acquainted with them or but come in their companies for a man shall not be half an hour in any of their societies but he shall hear them either reproach the Parliament or their Proceedings or inveigh against some of the Generalls of our Armyes or speak against the reverend Assembly of Divines and against all the Presbyterians their brethren or against the Scots and all that they speak of them or any of them tendeth to their reproach or infamy so that they do not onely receive reproaches against their innocent neighbours that live harmlesly by them but they raise up reproaches against them and print them yea against the whole city that has deserved so well from Church and State and only for that they desire to keep their Covenant with their God and which they have solemnly taken lifting up their hands and hearts to the most high and vowed to perform which will be for their immortall praise and yet for this cause onely and no wrong done or attempted against them they can in the Great Court of the Kingdom in print also reproach them all and accuse them of black choler yea blackcoat choler as if they were the most malitious rancorous and envyous wicked men in the world which is so unsufferable a reproach against the great city of the Kingdome as yet before these our times never saw the light Now if these men at their pleasure will causlessely traduce and that publickly and in print men in authority and men that have deserved so well from the Church of God and the whole Kindome What may any man imagine will not these men do and plot in private to reproach their harmlesse neighbours when they thus daringly and prodigiously reproach them in publick and that in print So that I may conclude and that truly of them Except they seriously and cordailly repent of this their wicked dealing towards their brethren this character of the Saints also will not belong unto the Independents for the true Saints neither raise nor receive a false report or reproach against their neighbours nor assent to any that do either And this shall suffice to have spoke of the three Characters of all true Saints indeed contained in the third verse of this 15. Psalme There are yet other four in the insuing verses three of which I will run over briefly they being all things of practice and well known to all men And they are these In whose eyes a vile person is contemned and he honoureth them that fear the Lord and he that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not The first of these Characters is to contemn a vile person The second is to honour such as fear the Lord. The third is to swear to his own hurt and change not Those therefore that are Saints indeed in whose lives and conversation these three
all men they were worthy communicants otherwise professing unto them that they durst not administer the communion unto them and therefore for some moneths abstained from the publick administration of the Sacrament and used all their best endeavour in that interim by their faithfull and painfull preaching and exhortations to fit all men for the better receiving of the Sacrament and that by this means they might gratifie their tender consciences I say in this interim of time it shall be proved that these Independents who those godly Ministers had such a desire to please went unto these wicked and ungodly men that the Ministers excepted against for their conversation as ungodly and prophane and joyned with them against their Ministers saying unto them What will you give tythes and maintenance to such Ministers as shall thus deal with you as to deny you the Sacrament of the Lords supper surely were I in your condition were I a Member of your Congregations I would never own such a man for my Minister nor never give any allowance to any such as would not administer the Sacrament unto me By which practices of theirs they have made those painful Ministers so odious to the people by joyning with those wicked varlots as they have not only deprived them of their livelyhoods and maintenance but so persecuted them with all manner of reproaches and evill language as they have forced them to leave their places and to wander about the world to get themselves a poor living for the supportation of themselves and their distressed families by all which proceedings if the Independents do not declare themselves to be such as countenance a vile person and to be enemies of those that fear the Lord I know not what ever any men did to deserve those Characters by all which they proclaim themselves to be no true Saints if the Lord himself knoweth how to describe Saints indeed This that I have here related I shall by Gods assistance be able to prove by such witnesses as against whom there can be brought no just exception And that all the Independents are notorious covenant-breakers or assenters unto such as violate their oathes and promises both to God and men all the Kingdome can witnesse for me especially those Ministers of the Reverend Assembly with whom the dissenting brethren have brake all promises and solemne agreements not once but many times so that it would be a needlesse work to expatiate any further in proving them to be no Saints indeed when they manifest by all their practices that they neither walk uprightly nor work righteousnesse nor speak the truth in their heart and when they backbite their neighbours with their tongue and do evill unto them and receive a reproach against their neighbours and countenance vile persons and honour not such as fear the Lord and keep not their promises either with God or men by all which they declare unto the world that they are not Saints indeed when all these Characters are the badges onely of wicked men to do contrary to that description of true Saints Now when all the Churches of the Congregationall way consist of such Members as these are it followes that they are mixt Assemblies as not consisting of visible Saints therefore ought justly to be separated from and not to be communicated with in holy things and that from their own principles For they pretend they separate from our assemblies onely because they are mixt of tagg ragg and such Saints as Job would not set with the dogs of his flock Many other Arguments also might I here bring against both the Ministers and people of the congregational way to prove them no visible Saints and that not from any private information or clandestine practices but for open delinquency and scandalous walking and that in the veiw of all men and such as can be proved by such personages as against whom there can be no just exceptions But before I conclude this businesse let me say that which a learned man once uttered reading Christs Sermon upon the mount and the holy Evangelists either this is not the Gospel saith he of Jesus Christ or if it be the men now living are no Christians After the same manner I may truly say of those of the Congregational way that either this discription of the true Saints is not the word of God or if it be those of the Independent Assemblies are no Saints for there is no agreement between them and the description of those Saints there specified as all their practices sufficiently and apparently declare And now the fourth and last part of my Minor Proposition remaineth only to be proved viz. That the Independents and all those of the Congregationall way despise their Christian Brethren and separate from them as being more holy then they which is so apparently true as besides their words and Pamphlets in all which they protest against us as enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ his Kingdome and as an Antichristian brood their dayly practice declareth it who have moulded themselves into innumerable sucking Congregations which they terme the onely true Churches and have separated from our Aslemblies as from so many Synagogues of Sathan for this is their language So that it may be thought a needlesse spending of time to use any Arguments to evince that which is in the view of all men which the Independents themselvs avouch Having therefore thus proved all the parts and branches of my minor proposition the major being undeniable the conclusion will necessarily follow That the Churches of the Congregationall way are not true Churches after the New Testament forme as not consisting of all visible Saints but are mixt Congregations and therefore by truly godly people ought not to be communicated with in holy things and that from their own principles So that now it is apparently evident to the judicious Reader from that I have formerly spake from my brother Burtons words and from their own definition of a Church That neither the Church of Ierusalem nor any of the Primitive and Apostolical Churches were true formed Churches after the New Testament form if my brother Burtons and I. S. his words and their definition of a Church be true and that the very Churches of the Congregationall way as not coming within the bounds of that definition are no right constituted Churches as not consisting of all visible Saints coÌ„municating in all Ordinances and which is more That if they will be right formed churches they must al be dependent All this I say is sufficiently proved fâ—oÌ„ all the foregoing discourse to any intelligible impartiall Reader in the which I have been the more large that if it be possible I might undeceive the poor deluded people and perswade them to take no notice of them as the Independents do not of those multitudes baptized by Iohn Christs disciples as formed into a church or Churches after the New Testament form for the first formed
possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need and that they continued daily with one accord in the Temple and that they brake bread from house to house and did eate their meat with Gladnesse and singlenesse of heart Thus the Holy Ghost describeth those three thousand converts unto us as not onely skilfull in the theory of church-fellowship but also exceedingly well verst in the practicall part of it whether therefore in this particular also in that J. S. saith it is suspicious that the three thousand converted at once were not so soone instructed in Church fellowship as converted when the Scripture reporteth the contrary it be not to give the Spirit of God the lye I leave it to the judgement of all the godly and impartiall Râ—aders who I am confident will give their verdict against I. S. For certainly there is no act of church fellowship that was omitted by them and although I love not such as will groundlessly be suspicious as I. S. is here and those of his Fraternity yet I am confident the Independnnts will never be induced to imitate the example of those three thousand and I have very good reason to make mee continue in this beliefe for what I already know in their daily practises and therefore they are rather to be suspected that they are not well instructed in church fellowship they make notwithstanding so great a noys about therefore whether this be not a great temerity in these men thus upon all occasions not onely to censure their christian brethren that live harmelessely by them but to suspect all those that were converted by the Baptist and the Apostles themselves before Christs death yea and to suspect even those three thousand also that were converted by Peter after Christs ascension and to adjudge both Pastors and people to bee all ignorant what church government and church fellowship was I leave it likewise to the judgement of the prudent advised Reader And yet this is the daily practise of al the Ill dependents thus to speake of them all as if they had not learned their lesson as well as the congregationall Predicants and their disciples and knew not how to cast them into a church mold after the New Testament forme and to instruct them concerning church fellowship when not withstanding it is recorded of those Ministers that they revealed the whole counsell of God and whatsoever was needfull to be knowne or practised by all christians to the end of the world Acts the 20. and therefore could bee ignorant of nothing that tended to edification and the building up of beleevers in their most holy faith But yet notwithstanding I. S. and his brethren are still full of suspicions and yet never satisfied in any thing that can be produced out of the holy Scripture to confute their erroneous novelties for although I had sufficiently confirmed my first proposition and proved by both Scripture and reasons that all those that were baptized by John and Christs Disciples were good Christians and true Believers and that there were many Congregations of Beleevers in the Church at Jerusalem yet I. S. page 11. sayes He is not satisfied by any thing that hath been alledged by me that the Church of Ierusalem consisted of many Congregations and Assemblies and that upon the scruples before instanced And Mr Knollys in his 11. page affirmeth the same So that it is certain these men are resolved never to be satisfied though things be never so evidently proved unto them And it is no wonder that there is at this day such a brood of creatures in the world for there has ever been a generation of such men in all ages that will never be satisfied Christ the great Doctor of his Church with all his blessed Apostles and faithfull Ministers could never satisfie the Jewes but they ever resisted his spirit Acts 7. Neither can the holy Scriptures now satisfie all gainsayers but they will still be doubting amongst the which Sir I. S. and Saint Hanserdo with many of their fraternity may well be numbred But for all such Christians as whom the god of this world hath not blinded their eyes that they should not see the glorious light of the Gospel of truth I am confident they will be satisfied that I have sufficiently proved that there were many Congregations and several Assemblies of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem from that satisfaction they will learn to abhor the errors of all the sectaries and straglers of our times and to decline shun their company and fellowship And for all such as they are that will receive the good seed of the word into good and honest hearts I desire ever to satisfie them and not those that are resolved to be ever scepticall and ever learning yet never attaining or coming to knowledge or at least withhold the truth from others in unrighteousnesse And for all such I shall not much study to give them satisfaction as being a company of unreasonable men from whom we ought daily to pray to be delivered for all such the Lord hath given over to strong delusions that they should beleeve a lye because they received not the love of the truth that they may be saved 2 Thess 2. Notwithstanding I say I have very little hope ever to satisfie any such and therefore may be thought to go about an impossible worke if I should indeavour it yet that all men may sâ—e my fairer dealing with I. S. because he saith that he hath not been satisfied with any thing alledged by me that the Church of Jerusalem consisted of many Congregations and Assemblies I will therefore adde a few reasons more or at least call some of the former briefly to his minde which I am most assured if there were no other in the whole book would perswade any rationall man that there were many Assemblies and Congregations of beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem which if they cannot yet satisfie him I am confident they will satisfie and content others And to the reasons I shall produce I will also adde some testimonies of those of his own party for his farther satisfaction or conviction at least All such as have read I. S. his learned works know that he hath not only cut of all those that were baptized by Iohn and Christs Disciples before Christs passion and ascension from the Church of Ierusalem but razed them out of the Kalender and Roule of the Saints absolutely denying them so much as the very name of Christians all this I say those that have read his scruples very well know They know likewise that he granteth there were three thousand converted by the first Miracle and Sermon of Saint Peter though he uncharitably saith That it is suspicious that they were not so soon instructed in Church fellowship as converted So that here by his own confession we have a very ample Congregation consisting of three thousand and six score persons And in the same
and Presbyters may any man suppose if they had been admiâ—ted into that Synod and should then and there have heard them dispute against the ceremoniall law condemning it as a burden too heavy for them and to be such as neither they nor their fathers could bear and therefore decreed that it should not be imposed upon the beleeving Gentiles I say it stands with all good reason if the weak believers in Ierusalem which were many ten thousands should have heard these disputes it would have put them all in such a heate and rage as they would have set the whole Citie in an uproar to the hazarding of the lives of both the Apostles and Presbyters there and all such as should have sided with them and so much the more it would have incensed them against the Apostles and Presbyters because they granted greater Priviledges to the Gentiles and gave them an immunity from the observation of the Ceremoniall Law which the Iewes still observed and strictly kept so that many of the Iews going from Iudaea wheresoever they came urged the observation of the ceremoniall Law amongst the Gentiles also as necessary to salvation now I say if these Zealots of the Law had all both men and women how many soever can bee made of them to use Master Knollys expression beene present as hee groundlessely affirmes and should have heard these disputes they would have beene so farre from voting with the Apostles and Elders and saying it seemed good unto the Holy Ghost and us as they would have voted the contrary and for this that I say it is evident from the Holy Scripture for in the one and twentieth chapter of the Acts it is said that they would have staine Paul for this their jealousie onely that he preached and taught the Gentiles against the Ceremoniall Law which they would never have beene offended with him for if the Brethren in Ierusalem those beleeving Iewes the multitude even the whole Church how many soever the Doctor can make of them as master Knollys saith had then had their voice in the Councell and Synod at Ierusalem and had assented and voted against the ceremoniall Law and for the abrogation of it as Master Knollys against all reason saith they did for then they would never have beene displeased with Paul for instructing the Gentiles and all people in their christian liberty and for teaching them that they were freed from the Ceremoniall Law for that Councell and Synod made those Decrees for the benefit of the Gentiles but they would rather have beene offended with Paul if they had heard that he yet urged the observation of it amongst the Gentiles if they with the Apostles and Presbyters had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one unanimous consent and agreement had by searching the holy Scripture found out what was the good and acceptable will of God and from thence had decreed the abolishing of the Ceremoniall Law I say if all the beleevers in Ierusalem the whole Church and multitude as many as can be made of them as Master Knollys affirms had been present in the Synod with the Apostles and Presbyters and should have voted with them it seemed good to the holy Ghost and to us to abrogate the Ceremoniall Law and to free the Gentiles from it they could not then have been displeased with Saint Paul for observing their Order and Decrees and for obeying their injunctions but when they were displeased with him for but hearing he taught the Gentiles against the Law of Moses and the Temple it is apparently evident that by brethren spake of in the text by the whole church the multitude cannot be understood all the beleevers in Jerusalem how many so ever could be made of them as he grollishly asserteth could they have all possibly met together in one place for then they themselves should be transgressors of their own Decrees and be offended with others for observing what they themselves had commanded which is a sin and therefore by brethren there First all sisters are excluded for they are not numbred amongst them and so then not all the beleevers for sisters also are beleevers and of the multitude and Secondly all those zelots spake of in the 21 chapter had no vote in that Synod and were not present there for they were enemies to Saint Paul for Preaching according to those Decrees made and Voted there so that Mr Knollys in time may come to see his Error and by brethren there and the multitude and the whole Church may very well understand that they were such as Judas and Sylas were viz. Prophets and chosen men and assistants to the Apostles members of the Church in Jerusalem of which they had store for many of the Priests were converted and were members there though not fixt Officers and Presbyters and Elders as the other were who Synecdochically were called the Church a part being understood for the whole which is usuall in the holy Scripture and to these may be added all the Presbyters that came out of all the Churches of Iudaea from among whom those false teachers were gone and had taught among the Gentiles the observation of the Ceremoniall Law as necessary to Salvation which was a cause of their meeting together and with these also may be reckoned those that came with Paul and Barnabas to that councell from the Church of Antioch which were the brethren spoken of as the Text doth sufficiently declare so that to all men that read but the 15 chapter of the Acts with judgement they will soon be satisfied That by brethren and the whole Church and the multitude there spoken of are to be understood some chosen men men of eminency for all divine knowledge Prophets who disputed and argued the businesses there and debated the matter by reason such as Iudas and Sylas were for so the Scripture speaketh and not the people men and women the whole Church the multitude how many so ever the Doctor can make of them as Master Knollys and those of his fraternity dayly though falsely assert and upon this false ground and rotten foundation laid in their own brain would erect and build their new confused Babel of Independency admitting all people both men and women not onely to Votes in their new Congregations but also in Councells and Synods and free them from all dependency upon other Churches which tends to nothing else but to the bringing in of a confusion in Church and State and to meer Anarchy and therefore from all that I have now said these two conclusions will evidently insue and plainly arise First That all the Apostles and Presbyters were all equally Depending upon God and his Word and that all the Churches we read of in the New Testament were all likewise Dependent one upon another and upon their severall Presbyteries Secondly That the people neither brethren nor sisters in those dayes were to have their Votes or suffrage in the Government of the Churches and admission of members
his Throne all such as these are I say make Christ a Pagent King and salute him with haile Master as the Jews did to usurpe some of their own rhetorick and learned elequence but indeed they disthrone him For what is it to disthrone a King if writing of Warning Peeces and Pamphlets against Kings service and Kings-honour be not And what I pray is it to disthrone a King if this be not to passe all acts of Government in the peoples name and to send out all their warrants and mandates in the peoples name and to command all their officers to manage all their imploiments in the peoples name never so much as mentioning or taking notice of the King in a publique act of Government Are not all these actions and passages to any rationall creature a sufficient demonstration that the King in that Kingdome is either absolutely disthroned or is but a King to them in ludibry as Christ was to the wicked Jews I am confident that all understanding men will so conclude Now when in all the new congregations those new gathered churches the Ildependents there have such amongst them that write books and that with their approbation against Iesu-Worship that is against the Worship of Iesus who is the eternall King of his Church and when every day in all their particular churches they exercise all the acts of Government in the name of their churches and not in Christs the Kings name and that against the command of Christ and his Apostles I affirm and by the grace of God I hope ever to make it good that all this is not onely a robbing Christ our Lord and King of his due honour but a blasphemous and more then a Papall usurpation and derogating from his Kingly dignity and royalty yea it is indeed a plain disthroning of Christ their King and thrusting him out of his place and putting themselves in it which whether or no it be not the highest point of contumacy rebellion and blasphemy I leave to the judgment of others as for my self I know not what either of these things be if they be not blasphemy for when I learned Divinity I was taught that blasphemy consisted in this either to give unto God that that belonged not to him and to the excellency of his Majesty divine nature or to detract from him that that peculiarly belonged either to the essence persons or glorious attributes of the diety or to give the honour properly and peculiarly due to God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost or to any person in the glorious Trinity to any creature or malitiously or wickedly to speak evill of God his essence attributes word works c. or to do or act any thing obstinately and wilfully that is or may be derogatory to the dignity and honour of the Divine Majesty of God blessed for ever any of these things when I studied Divinity were thought blasphemy and worthy of severest punishments and those that perpetrated any of those crimes were reputed unworthy to live and proclamed blasphemers and men unsufferable and yet there are many such kind of creatures in our new gathered Churches who are guilty of all that can be called blasphemy and that rob Christ the Lord of his Worship and write against Iesu-worship blaspheme the holy Scriptures and deny the diety of Christ and the blessed Trinity c. and disthrone Christ in their new Congregations whiles they cry hail Master exercising all acts of Government amongst themselvs in the name of the Church never so much as mentioning the name of Christ the King and many more intolerable insolencies they dayly commit against the Soveraign Majesty of heaven and earth the Lord Jesus Christ our Lord and King and all these notwithstanding are counted Saints that commit these vices and malifices and great books are writ in defence of all these wicked blasphemous wretches and both their errors and their persons are countenanced and that by their great Rabbyes and Champions all which notwithstanding are in Gods dialect and in his holy Word both old and new counted abominable creatures and men unholy and displeasing unto God and the acters and abetters and countenancers of all such blasphemies and wickednesses were thought equally guilty and great and fearfull judgements were denounced against them all as it is apparently evident out of Gods holy Word and yet these great evills are counted but the infirmities of the Saints amongst our Independent masters Now then I say when the Illdefendents are guilty of all these crimes as partly acting them partly tolerating such as are both actors and abetters or conniving at them and countenancing them pretend they what they will of setting up Christ upon his Throne I hope to be ever able to make it good that they all of them disthrone Christ manifest to the world that as much as in them lies they would not have him raign over them and so make themselves guilty of that crime they lay to the Presbyterians charg whom they dayly accuse to be enemies of Jesus Christ his Kingdom and such as would not have Christ rule over them when notwithstanding the Presbyterians do and ever will by Gods divine assistance set up Christ King upon his Throne and shall ever desire that all honour and glory and praise may be given for ever and ever to the King eternall immortall invisible the only wise God the King of Saints and King of Kings and that he may solely rule for ever and that all his enemies and such as rob him of his honour and dignity may be made his footstoole in the number of which the greatest part of the Sectaries are and all such as comply with them And this shall suffice to have spoken concerning the first part of my undertaking against I. S. which was to set forth the wickednesse of the Independents and to shew how by their doctrine they rob Christ of his honour and Kingly dignity when they pretend they set him upon his Throne which is an unsufferable blasphemy in them And now I come to prove against I. S. that I undertook in the second place to make good viz. that by their doctrine they not only rob Christ of his honour but all Christs blessed Apostles Ministers and Servants of their power and leave them nothing but the name and shadow of authority which is a horrid injustice and wickednesse in the Sectaries and Independents to do which although I have briefly proved before yet I shall here again for the more full elucidation of the truth and for the better setting forth of the Ill-dependent wickednesse a little further expatiate in this business and answer to all that I. S. hath materially or with any colour to speak in behalfe of his cause where I presume he hath spake as much as he and his complices thought and conceived made for it and for which their vain and impious jangling they must one day give a dreadfull account I undertake therefore now to prove
What their Ministers have done since I know not but I well perceive it is as great a difficuly for a poore man to get into some of their congregations as to get into Suttons-Hospitall and that I conceive to be the onely occasion that makes some walke so long in many congregations before they come to be admitted members for if they be rich they are speedily received nay invited to be Members It is too well knowne that many godly and holy people have left their native countrey and transported themselves over into New England where this government is set up onely that they might enjoy the Ordinances there in their purity they were beleevers before they went and were baptized and such as were knowne before they went thither to be the deare servants of God but when they come there especially if they be poore they make them walke some a yeare some more yea some six or seven before they can be admitted Members of their Congregations and they baptize none of those children that are borne there before their Parents be joyned Members and except they will in all things conforme themselves to their owne conditions they shall never be admitted And some time the man onely is admitted and his wife left out still to walke and some time the wife is admitted and the man left out still to walke and both these notwithstanding are beleevers and baptized and after with a great deale of difficulty they are admitted to be Members a very small offence will be sufficient to cast them out againe if they be poore But for stories of this nature I doe not love to multiply them but I have heard many of this kind from those places and from such as have beene in New-England and men both then and now no way evilly affected either to the place or people serving God there But it is too notorious they lord it there over Gods poor Clergies in the superlative degree and every man that hath but eyes in his head may see it here in England in their congregations what difference they make between the rich and poor and that they have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of persons a sinne in Saint James his time highly blamed in Christians James 2. And as in their carriage towards the poor they are very lofty and look for great observance and attendance from them wheresoever they come so likewise a little thing will displease them if they speak a word amisse it is enough to be cast out of the Congregation presidents of this nature might be brought many And if all this be not to lord it over Gods Clergies I know not what it is to admit of none though beleevers and already baptized but such as will come in upon their own termes and keep out the poor either altogether or as long as pleaseth them without any other reason but because they are poor and cast them out again upon every slender occasion I say if all this be not a most diabolicall tyranny and lording it over Gods Clergies I referre it to any moderate man to judge of and if to unchurch all Churches but their own and at one blast to proclame them all enemies of Christ and his Kingdome and to deny all Church-fellowship with them be not more than a Diotrephian Prelâ—ticall and Papall Authority there was never any in the world and if this be not to lord it over Gods Clergies there was never any known Now I say if the Independent Presbyters do so timely begin their absolute lording of it what would they do if their government were established by authority Their Ministery and government is farre different from that of Christ and his holy Prophets and Apostles for they invited all the poor to come in and to buy milk yea to come in and buy milk without money Isaiah 55 〈◊〉 and Saint Paul for the encouraging of the poor to come in â—aith not many mighty not many noble but the meane and contemptible things hath the Lord made choyce of intimating unto the poore that they have as good right to Heaven as the greatest and chiefest and our Saviour Christ saith come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and ye shall find rest unto your soules Our Saviour hath no respect of persons but the poor are with him as acceptable as the rich if they be weary and heavy laden with their sinnes for that is all the condition that Christ requires in all that desire to be admitted Members of his Church Now when these Presbyters already make so great difference between the poor and the rich and between beleevers and beleevers as they will admit none but at their own times and upon their own conditions I do conceive that this is a most tyrannically lording it over Gods Clergies and Inheritance which when they dayly do it and the Presbyters of the Church of England do it not it is most apparent that their rule and domination is more prelaticall and more to be feared than that of the Presbyters of the Church of England for from the Independent Presbyters they can never expect any appeal for releife and redresse whatsoever wrong or injury they have sustained by them and therefore there is no just cause why any should so traduce the Presbytery of the Church of England as to think they will lord it over the people from whom they may ever expect farre better measure than ever they can from the Independent Presbytery which if it should once be established would tend to nothing else but to enslave the whole Kingdome and to bring in a confusion upon both Church and State But now it will not be amisse before the conclusion as we have compared the Presbyters of the Church of England with the Presbyters Independent both in regard of their doctrine and discipline so now likewise here to paragonate them together in their proceedings for the advancement of Christs Kingdome that all men may see in that regard also which of their endeavours tend most to the advancement of the Kingdome of Jesus Christ and which of them ought to be preferred before other and which of them doth more really and truly tend not onely to Gods glory but to the peace also of the Church and State For the Presbyters of the Church of England they 〈◊〉 and endeavour as there is but one body one spirit one hope one Lord one faith one baptism one God and Father over over all who is above all and through all and one true Christian Religion Eph. 4. so that this onely may be established through the three Kingdomes and that all erroneous ways of worshipping and serving God and that tends to lead men to perdition and make disturbance in Church and State may not publikely be tolerated The Independents on the contrary both publikely and privately and in all their bitter railing and intolerable Pamphlets as that of the Compassionate Samaritan the Storming of Antichrist and that
and cryed out against it as an intolerable violating of Gods Law and asserted that it was enough to provoke the Lord to anger against the whole Land and write bookes and divine Tragedies upon Sabbath-breakers and Profaners of the Lords day and those that permitted the profanation of it which with the godly of those times was reputed their immortall honour how unsufferable a thing therefore is it I say now in these very men to pleade for a toleration of all Religions that could not then tolerate sports on the Lords day by which not onely the fourth commandement would be brake but all the commandements of both of the first and second Table without doubt they have a great deale to answer for before God for by the doctrine wee have learned from our Law giver and King the Lord Jesus Christ who is not changeable though they be they that breake the least ef Gods commandements and teach men so to doe whatsoever they esteeme of themselves that they set up Christ upon his Throne and whatsoever opinion men have of them they are the least in the Kingdome of Heaven and have much to answer for before his Tribunall for these their wicked dealings and truly it exceedingly saddeth my heart when I think of them how fearefully they are fallen and what a scandall and blemish they are to their holy profession that thus Chamelion like change their forme upon every occasion But how much more is it intolerable then in those men that have the name of Rabbies amongst those of the congregationall way and that would make the world beleeve they are the onely Saints for those to make themselves merry when the godly and faithfull Ministers of the Gospell out of sorrow and griefe of soul spread before the Lord the blasphemies of the times as good Hezekiah did the blasphemies of Rahshekah that it may move the people to mourning and sackcloth and to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God for the diverâ—ing of his Judgements that do for these their blasphemous tenents hang over the land I say how intolerable a thing is it in such men to make a sport at it and as Solomon speaks of the wicked in his time whom he calls fools to make a mock at sin Yet such there are as Cretensis by name amongst the rest is one of them who makes himselfe merry at these blasphemies and writes books in justification of those wicked and ungodly men and calls their damnable practices the infirmities of the Saints accouÌ„ting of them as Saints and holy men whereas the good and zealous Prophet Ieremiah ch 9. cryeth out at the beholding the abominations of his times far inferio to those of our dayes saying Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of teares that I might weep day and night for the slain of the Daughters of my people Oh that I had in the wildernesse a lodging place of wayfaring men that I might leave my people and go from them for they be all adulterers an assembly of treacherous men And they bend their tongue like their bow for lyes but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth and they know not me saith the Lord. Here we see the posture of the holy Prophet we find him armed and clad with mourning to behold the profanation of the truth and we have here also his great complaint that at that time there were not any valian for it upon the earth If now this glorious Prophet were in the world and amongst us here in England and should behold those damnable blasphemies that are every where venâ—ed by the sons of Belial in these times should see how few upon the earth are valiant for the truth yea how they labour for a toleration of all Religions how would his spirit be moved how would his soul be perplexed within him to see it and what fountains of tears would he pou e out to the Lord quenching of the fire of his wrath and indignation against them but how much more would it perplex and trouble hâ—s soul to see any that should write yea publish books wherein they do not onely make themselves merry at those blaspnemies and count them the infirmities of the Saints but proclame them Saints that perpetâ—ate all these wickednesses and write most scurrilous â—ailing and vilifying books and Pamphlets against his holy servants that are valiant for the truth counting them speaking disgracefully and contemptibly of them but thimbles full of dust without all controversie it would sad his soul to the very death and so indeed it should trouble the souls of those that are truly godly to behold such lawlesse wickednesse not only to go unpunished but to find favor and applause even of those that are Masters of the Assemblies Truly howsoever out of the infinite patience of God these men are yet suffered yet I am most confident he that wil come wil come and not tarry to reveng his own quarrel the quarrel of his servants that are valiant for the Truth And I wil take the liberty to say thus much to St Cretensis that reverend learned and ever to be honoured Master Thomas Edwards who he so much vilipendeth and slighteth calling him a thimble full of dust will walk like a noble lyon when he like a Curr or Bandogg shall go bawling by him and withall I would advise him to take heed of that thimble For two or three fillips more of it upon his great noddle may so stagger him as he may happily never recover again and for ought I know or can discerne God may make halfe a thimble full of that dust to put out his eyes and the eyes of half the Independents and Sectaries in England For most assured I am that all such as in the name of the Lord as he doth come out against such notorious enemies of God and his Truth as Cretensis and his associates are will be able to confound them all and by the power of his might be ever strong enough to deal with the whole Army of them and with all those grolls and â—ynnies that take their part and appeare in their wicked cause I will therefore rather advise Cretensis not gyant like to fight any longer against the Truth but to humble himselfe for what he hath already done under the mighty hand of God whom he with his complices abetters have so highly provoked to wrath and anger against this poor tottering Kingdome It is not Cretensis with all his foul language shall ever be able to bespatter the immaculate reputation of learned and godly Master Edwards who hath in Gods cause ever shewed himselfe valiant for the truth and stood in the gap against the errors of the times and hath lift up his voice like a trumpet which will be for his immortall praises when too too many of his brethren which will not be for their honour were silent We finde it Matthew 13. ver 24 25. When the man had
they would have done the like and that they were men worthy of death which made them I say as equally guilty as their wicked Iudges and Executioners as wee may see also in those that assented unto the High-Priests and to the Scribes and Pharisees in putting to death the Lord of Life they made themselves all guilty of his blood and by that meanes brought the curse of God upon them and their children by it to this day as well as the High-Priests themselves a fearefull sinne though the world take no notice of it and which all these Kingdomes have yet to repent of Saint Paul also makes himselfe as guilty of Stephens blood as they that stoned him saying When thy holy Martyr Stephen was stoned I stood by and assented unto it and held the garments of those that stoned him By which hee acknowledgeth himselfe equally guilty and so all those that assented to all the cruelty done to the people of God in these Kingdomes and were approvers of their tyrannie are as guilty as the actors of it for consenting unto any treason or conspiracy or with any malefactors and all their complices both by the Law of God nature and nations makes them all guilty before God and men and as liable to justice and punishment as those that acted in those malefices and therefore those that but assent unto a toleration of all Religions a sinne so highly displeasing unto God are as guilty as the Actors of it and if but consenting make them guilty how guilty are they then that use Arguments to bring in a toleration of all Religions and abuse the Scriptures to this end and plead for it and would have it established by a Law surely they are offenders against divine Majesty in an elevated nature and have a great deale to answer for it before God especially when they doe it in a most scurrilous and rayling manner by which they manifest to all the world that they are more verst and better acquainted with the doctrine of Billings-gate then with the language of Canaan But this may seeme a wonderfull thing to all judicious men that that people which within these six yeers were afraid of a Surplice and of the crosse in Baptisme and of any popish ceremony or of any of their vaine traditions and will-worship which was their honour then should now plead for the toleration of the body and soule of Popery and for all other both Iewish and heathenish Religions and all manner of sects so destructive to that Religion which the King of Saints and King of Kings and the onely King of his Church the Lord Iesus Christ himselfe hath taught us and to the peace and quietnesse of the Land this I say must needs seeme a monstrous thing to any moderate minded Christian Nay how unreasonably doe these men deale with their brethren they plead for a toleration of all Religions here in England and yet in New-England banish men into Ilands from amongst them for dissenting from them in their new modell of Church-government and for but dissenting from them in their opinions about Religion and hâ—re amongst us what impious and rayling bookes doe they make against the Ministers for endeavouring to establish that Religion and that Church-government that God himselfe in his holy Word hath set downe and what approbrious names doe they give the faithfull and painfull Preachers and Pastors of the Church of England calling them Baals Priests the profest enemies of Iesus Christ and his Kingdome the lims of Antichrist false Prophets the brood of Babylon terming some particular men of them Rabshekes others Bauds others Black mouths legall Preachers and stiling all of them the cursed enemies of Iesus Christ and thinke of them as men not worthy to live and in expresse words professe it and yet these men plead for a toleration of all Religions when both by their words and deeds they manifest if it were in their power the first worke they would doe should be to root us all out of the Kingdome so that all men may see they say one thing and mean another that they would tolerate all Religions but onely that which is the true Religion and so by that meanes have no Religion at all but one of their owne making which by their new lights they have of late found out which they call the straight way to Heaven and the onely way of setting up Christ upon his Throne which is nothing else to say the truth but to dis-throne him and set up themselves and their new modell for who doth not see how already they lord it over all good Christians not admitting them to the Sacraments but upon their owne termes nor suffering their children to be baptized amongst them nor so much as suffering any they call Presbyterians to preach in their new congregated Assemblies and if this be to give a toleration of any Religion but their owne let all the world judge but I say and will ever by Gods assistance be able to make it good in that they plead for a toleration of all Religions they are guilty of hainous and foule sinnes being complices as well as they that are Actors Now then when the Presbyters of the Church of England seeke and endeavour in all their proceedings to establish that Religion which Christ the King of his Church hath taught them and his blessed Apostles and labour to set up that Government that was ordained in all Churches to be perpetuated to the end of the world in their so doing they imitate all the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles and in that they doe more advance Christs Kingdome than the Independents who under pretence of liberty of conscience would bring in a toleration of all Religions and confusion upon us all Surely if ever any Ministers deserved well from the people the Ministers of England now do who by all their endeavours shew that they seek to bring them to the knowledge of God and of his Sonne Jesus Christ and to the knowledge of themselves which is life eternall For what could men do more than that which they have done who have Petitioned the House of Lords and Commons now sitting in the great Councell of the Kingdome that they might be armed with authority from them in their severall charges to have the examination of such as shall be admitted to the Sacraments that they may be rightly informed in the knowledge of those holy Mysteries and that â—one that are either ignorant or scandalous in their lives may be suffered to communicate at the Lords Table by which their endeavour they shew the Christian care they have of their eternall welfare for which the people are ever bound unto them and by the which also they take away all scandall and occasion of offence to others which formerly pretended that the cause of their separating from our Congregations and Assemblies was in regard they could not communicate with doggs and swine and with the tag ragge and bobtaile of all the Malignants
an evidence of sincerity David a man according to Gods ownâ— heart publisheth this as a manifestation of his integrity that hee hated Gods enemies appealing unto God saying Doe not I hate them O Lord that hate thee and am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee J hate them with perfect hatred I count them mine enemies Psal 139. 21 22. had not David thus hated Gods enemies hee could never have cleared his faithfulnesse to God And this is undeniable that those who David hated with perfect hatred were not nor could not be greater enemies to God then you have accused the Presbyterians to be for you proclame them enemies to the Sonne of God the Lord Jesus Christ whom God hath anoynted to be the King Priest and Prophet of his Church Isa 61. 1. Psal 45. 7. Psal 2. 6. Dan. 7. 14. Revel 17. 14. Psal 110. 4. Heb. 7. 27. Deut. 18. 18. Act. 3. 23. Now whosoever are enemies to Christs Kingly office and will not have him to raigne over them they are open enemies to God resisters of his will and opposers of his infinite wisedome for he hath given all power unto the Sonne Matth. 28. 18. and all such his enemies hee will command to be brought and slaine before him Luke 19. 27. O Brother either give glory to God and confesse you have highly offended in maintaining such an uncharitable opinion whereby you condemne all godly holy selfe-denying Christians that walke not in your way yea all the Reformed Churches in Europe or if you with other Independents will still persevere in charging the Presbyterians to be enemies to Christs Kingly office and if you absolutely beleeve they are such then acknowledge that those Independents hate the Presbyterians if not it may justly be suspected such Independents are not sincere to God nor the onely Saints because they doe not like holy David manifest their integrity for the Saints shew their sincerity in loving God with all their hearts with all their soules and with all their might which Love cannot be set forth more clearely then by their labouring so to walkâ— that their whole Lives and Conversations may bee squared according to Gods Royall will and the example of his holy Saints and servants And this is the will of God that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father Hee that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him Ioh. 5. 23. but the Independents doe not honour the Son as the Saints of old have honoured the Father unlesse they account all the enemies of Jesus Christ their enemies and hate them with a perfect hatred Therefore upon due deliberation the whole universe will conclude this truth and give in their verdict that either you and other Independents are too rash and ridgid in censuring for it is notorious what you and they hold teach and write concerning the Presbyterians viz. that they are enemies to the Kingly office of Iesus Christ and make but a mocke King of him c. Or if the Presbyterians be indeed guiltie of the like enmitie against the Lord Christ as the wicked Jewes were who crucified him as you accuse them then the Independents doe hate the Presbyterians more then they doe or may their mortallest enemies because they pronounce these to be enemies to the Sonne of God his beloved Son in whom he is well pleased otherwise if the Independents know the Presbyterians to be so desperately wicked as you have said and doe not hate them then this verdict will bee given in that they are not the only Saints and godly party as they speake of themselves for the Saints hate all the knowne enemies of God and of his Sonne the Lord Iesus Christ So then that which I briefly gave but a touch of in my Post-script being thus evidently proved from your owne tenents both by Scripture and reason none who doe not make it their delight to cavill and their worke to except against every truth that is spoken can considering the grounds question the verity of what I there said I come now to answer your complaint and Queries made and laid downe in your booke pag. 27. where for the space of foure or five lines you breake off your discourse with mee and to insinuate into the Reader complaine of me saying Hee commends the Kings Cavaliers for brave Gentlemen and hee found more favour from them which he doth ever acknowledge for a singular courtesie then ever hee found from Protestant Goalers Thus having complained of my gratitude which in all other is accounted a commendable vertue you begin to parle with me againe and strictly inquire what was the cause that moved the Popish Cavaliers to shew mee favour and then you raise Questions viz. was it that you discovered unto them some of that bitternesse of spirit against the Independents or some courtly compliance with Papists preferring them before Independents or Protestants that made those Popish Cavaliers so much to applaud you Thus you Brother for your complaint and quaeries I entreat you be not offended that I say had you not been when you framed them so far transported with causlesse passion as it left no place for brotherlo love truth well grounded reason or your own experience to dictate unto you certainly you would never have thus complained nor propounded them therefore I shall repeat my own words and whosoever reads them will soon discern how unworthily you deal with me what a causlesse abusive complaint have you made and how little ground or colour you have for the propounding such quaeries I having there given a reason why the Popish Cavaliers shewed me favour sufficient to satisfie any that will not maliciously pretend they are unsatisfied For in the fourth page of my Defence I speaking of the clamorous tongues of Independents and how that after they understood I differed in opinion from them before they had seen my books they railed against me raised up false reports and calumniated me as the greatest Incendiary in the Kingdome in all which they most shamefully as dayly still they do abused me thereunto I replyed in these words I have been freed from that reproach by both Houses of Parliament who adjudged all my sufferings unjust as against the Law and Liberty of the Subject And if it were a thing that could be any way usefull unto me I could prove by many of the brave Gentlemen in the Kings Army who in great Assemblies did acknowledge when I was a Prisoner amongst them that I had great injury done me Yea the Papists themselves have often averred it that never any Subject suffered more unjustly then I did in that I was cast into Prison and fined for maintaining the Prerogative Royall of the King against the Pope and for defending that Religion which was established by the Laws of the Land And further added that had any Catholique writ as well in defence of their Religion as I did for the maintenance of the