comply with our Brethren lying under these sins be not a breach of the bond of love according to that in the Corinths Love rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth And whether it be the union and wisdom of the spirit to hold the bond of peace without purity according to that in James 3.17 The wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable c. So that our present practise seems unto us to be a pressing after that Grace of love in its true end according to the Scripture yea it is counted by the Lord a hating of our brother to see sin upon him and not to admonish him Lev. 19.17 and to withdraw from him in cafe that Admonition bring him not to such an acknowledgement of his sinne as to forsake it 9 9. Whether it be sufficient to excuse us at the great day of the Lord d The occasion of this query did arise from the great outcry made against us by the generality of them charging us with Schism and making division in the Church when our Lord saith that offenees will come but wo be to those by whom they do come And whether the crying evil of the Souldiers hath not justly given offence and Mr. Simpson and some others chiefly abetting of them hath not also added thereunto we leave unto the upright in heart to judge and whether it be not a popish principle and also they do not hereby condemn their own practice in seperating from the National church so called of England in saying There is no withdrawing from a Brother walking disorderly because the maior part of a congregation falls in with them And is it not the argument of the Church of Rome at this day who say we do withdraw from the Mother-church because the grand apostacy first sprang from a true Church in home who in number have all along been the maior part that Wee did cry out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are we when at the same time it will appeare that wee have those amongst us who do defile the Temple of the Lord to the view of the World for the Temple of God is holy and that you should rejoice in such defilement surely all such rejoycing is not good And whether our Lord Jesus by the Evangelist John doth not charge five of the seven Churches in the Revelation for complying with sin yea one of them for their lukewarmness is threatned to be spued out of his mouth as being a Church onely in Name and not in deed and one of the other two to wit Smyrna hath no sin laid to their charge but are exhorted to be faithful unto death and they shall receive a Crown of life for the Devil would cast some of them into prison Now we suppose that the Devil there it taken for some of his Instruments which makes out That their testimony was of such a publike nature that the power in being would take hold of them and yet it cannot be supposed but that they had their sins of weakness though nothing is laid to their charge in regard of their faithfulness to some present Truth 10 10. Whether sin in a Church of Christ we mean sinnes of scandal be not more dishonourable e If the incestuous persons sin or two or three Brethren committing the same or other sins be dishonorable to God then surely if the church whose duty it is to reprove cast out such from amongst them Matth. 18 17. com with 1 Cor. 5.13 should either be guilty of the same or own them that are so their sin would be so much more But to come more home to our present case see Numb chap. 14. chap. 16. where the lesser part of the congregation to wit Moses Aaron Caleb and Ioshua who were pressing on from Egypt to Canaan the work of God in that generation were counted faithful owned by him for that very cause but the greater part of the conregation who said Let us make a captain and return into Aegypt and would have stoned Moses and Aaron c. their sin was so dishonorable to God and did so provoke the eyes of his glory that their carkasses must fall and not see the good Land they were going into yea and their children after them wander in the Wilderness forty years And in Numb 16. The sin of the greater part of the congregation in joyning with Korah and the renowned men amongst them in opposition to the Spirit of the Lord in Moses c. upon the forementioned account see verse 13 14 was like wise so abominable in his fight that he bid Moses and Aaron ver 21 24 26. Separ te from them and also speak to the congregation to depart from the Tents of those wicked men and touch nothing of thews lest they be consumed in all their sins Then surely the wickedness of them in Power who have indeed made a Captain and are gone back to Aegypt and those that uphold them whilest they oppose and persecute the Lords spirit in his little Remnant who are pressing from Monarchy and Tyranny towards the promised Zion and Kingdom of Christ the work of God in this generation doth equal if not exceed the sin of that congregation of Korah his company it is as great an evil to touch with them or receive any of their things upon that account as dishonorable to God to stand by uphold them therein or for Churches or others to own them that do so as it was to have countenanced upheld or touch't with Korah and his company in that day to God then the like in a private brother or two or three Brethren And how can we be said to withdraw from every Brother that walks disorderly when we quietly sit down with the Church that owns them in their sin as we conceive and do break bread with and prophesie amongst them for we cannot see how this will hold before the Lord when we are to avoid every appearance of evil 11 11. Whether to acquiess in the judgement of a Church concerning sin though a restimony have been born against it be not something of the reliques of the man of sin and in process of time may not bring us under this Maxime To believe as the Church believes though we ought to be very tender and careful how we proceed in such a business that we be upright in heart before the Lord earnestly seeking to him for direction and counsel 12 12. Whether our Brethren that wear the Sword are not to be charged with Schism making a rent in the Church having through their just offence given to many Brethren and Sisters in the Congregation and many other choice Saints in the Nation made division amongst us and as we hear several others standing in the like quality with them have been f There was a mistake about the Souldiers mentionend in this query as cast our of two Congregations in VVales for so soon
it shall appear that it is groundlesly division and therefore we should have no vote with them neither should there be any vote in the Church except we would withdraw Which not a little grieved our spirits But notwithstanding so foul an aspersion we made little reply but waited to heare what others would say but a general silence continuing we concluded that the major part were of his mind Whereupon we departed and waited patiently for some time to see whether they would send us their thoughts about the Souldiers since they would not let us have a vote with them and least if should be laid aside which Mr. Sympson endeavoured all along to do We did by Messengers remind them several times likewise to know whether those Words then spoken by Mr. Sympson were the sense of the whole which they disown'd as being Mr. Sympsons Words alone but to the other We could get no return to this day as by our next Paper given in to them doth more at large appear Likewise before the delivery of the ensuing Paper having spent some particular time to seek the Lord for direction and counsel and also to enquire into his Will at this time it was judged a duty incumbent upon us to go to our Brother Sympson lay his evil before him in abetting the Souldiers and declining the Testimony of Christ he had suffered for in Windsor Castle as by several Letters from thence being read amongst us did appear some Copies whereof the Reader may peruse in the close of this Book and accordingly six Brethren in the Name of the whole were sent unto him and with all humility to intreat his hearing of what by them we had to say which accordingly they did but how unkindly they were received will appear by the eusuing Narrative being the substance of what then passed between him and them The 11th of the 9th Month 1656. A briefe account of some Passages between our Brother Sympson and the Brethren appointed by us to meet with him about some Letters he wrote to the Congreation during the time of his imprisonment in Windsor Castle it being apprehended he is very much fallen from the truths therein laid down to the great dishonour of the Gospel and the grief of many of the faithful in this day THE six Brethren appointed to this Work met at a Brothers House in Coloman-street the day abovementioned about two in the Afternoon to commend their present Work unto the Lord and desire his blessing upon them therein and then made their repair to our Brother Sympson where after a little waiting for the coming of our Brothers Shrimpton and Marsh who desired as the Brethren were informed to hear what should pass in relation to the Letters This motion was also made by Brother Powell being also present That before any progress be made there might be a word put up to the Lord for a blessing To which end another brother made answer That it would be necessary the naked ground of their coming should be first laid down that we might pray with understanding Which being done the Brethren sent by us declared their readiness to joyne therein Hereupon one of the Brethren proceeded to declare the ground of their coming to this effect That several of our Brother Sympsons Letters from Windsor Castle being presented to several Brethren who met at our Brother Caryes house intentionally upon another account but those Letters intervening we spent our time in perusing them which in the reading did so work upon their hearts that they throught meet to present unto the Brethren Sisters in whose Name they were then come the said Letters and to offer Whether some Brethren should not be chosen in the Name of the rest humbly to lay the matter contained in them before him that if it were the Will of the Lord he might be convinced wherein and how far he had declined the Cause and Interest of our Lord Jesus and be provoked to that old Spirit of Life and Zeal in testifying to so glorious a Cause and accordingly upon reading of them we were of one heart that the Brethren aforementioned in the Name of the whole be desired to lay them before him with as much love tenderness as could be and that we were also reproved in our own spirits as having missed of the Will of the Lord that we had it no more upon our hearts to beg mercy for him at the Throne of Grace that the Lord would restore unto him that primitive spirit for the cause of Christ that many of our hearts were broken on his behalf at the reading of his Letters After an account thus given it was offered that a Word should be spoken to the Lord in prayer before any discourse should be Our Brother Sympson then spake to this effect That having had some knowledge of their coming from some of us and the occasion of their coming from some others before their meeting here he had privately commended the business they were come about unto the Lord as he did suppose they also had done likewise he judged that if any of them should speak unto the Lord in prayer he could not freely joyne with them so neither if he should speak there might be that spoken wherein they could not freely joyn with him which being pre-considered be judged it most convenient to proceed to the work without prayer and thereupon spake further to this purpose That since they profest they had in all plainness declared the ground of their coming he would give them as plain an Answer which that he might the better do he should lay down his Answer under three heads 1. As to themselves and those whom they represented 2. As to the Church meaning those with whom he walked 3. As to the Letters about which our Brethren came As to the first They were to know that he could not have discoursed with them in regard that the Church had dealt with us and not onely declared their dissatisfaction of our withdrawing from them but also that he had in the Name of the Church admonished us of our evil therein that they had waited upon us a great while to the end we might repent and return but we persisting in our sin and refusing to hear the Church we were thereby cut off from the priviledges of the Church and therefore he could not look upon us as Brethren but as heathens and publicans and so to refuse discourse with them upon account of the Brotherhood according to that in Matth 18. Which though they might look upon as very harsh and a manifestation of little love yet it being the Rule of Christ in the Gospel he therefore was not to dispute the reason of it but rather to judge That obedience to the commands of Christ in this as well as in other things is the only rule of love and therefore did declare That the Church having so proceeded against us he could not entertain any debate with
them about those Letters Which brought in the third Head to which he spake to this effect That the Letters about which they came were directed to the Church meaning those with whom he walked and if he had written any thing therein contrary to sound dectrine or otherwise he must appeal unto the Church as Paul did from Agrippa to Caesar and if the Church thought meet upon perusal to call him to an account for any thing therein he should be ready to answer it before them but he could not give way to the debating of them by our Brethren for the reasons aforementioned besides he could not in this case bring himself under the judgement of his adversaries or Words to that purpose and thereby also give away the priviledges of the Church into the hands of such whom according to the Rule of the Gospel be must look upon as Heathens and Publicans but if they or any other would come in their own k Mr. Sympson did not mean by coming in our own Name to receive us as Brethren but as Heathens and Publicans Name he should be ready to discourse with them yet herein it was to be weighed whether the Church would give away so much of their priviledge as that any Letters directed to them should be questioned by any person without their consent at least After this our Brother Cary one of the six said It was somewhat strange to him that he could so considently assert an untruth to wit That we should lye under the Admonition of the Church when there was never any Admonition from those Brethren and Sisters from whom we were withdrawn much less from the Church Which the said Brother further made out thus That himself with some other Brethren were appointed in the Name of the Whole to go to the other part of the Congregation from whom We were withdrawn who went to Allhallows and met with a considerable number of those Brethren in the Vestrey to know of them Whether those Words spoken by Mr. Sympson that day our Paper was debated to wit That the Holy Spirit had set a mark upon us for such as had made division were the sense of the whole with them To which they answered It was not theirs and Mr. Sympson also said They were his own words After this our Brother Cary was silent and then our Brothers Marsh Shrimpton and Powell being present as aforsaid said They never remembred any such Admonition Mr. Sympson said It was so which he endeavoured to make out thus That the Brethren who were entrusted with the Government of the Church did agree that we should be admonished as having sinned in leaving the Congregation and turning out backs upon the Ordinances of Christ and that they had committed it to him to declare the same which he did at that time when brought in our paper containing the grounds of our withdrawing through at that time we were not admitted to read them the Church not disowning of it he looked upon it as an admonition of the Church After this other of our Brethren spake in few Words to this purpose That they were come as brethren and they hoped in much love and singleness of heart to discourse with him and to have laid down wherein we judged he had missed of the Will of God and declined the Cause of our Lord Christ comparing the present frame of heart he is in with what it was when he lay a prisoner in Windsor Castle when they could not but look upon him as having an excellent spirit for Christ but since he did refuse they would turn unto the Lord who would hear and mourn for him And so those Brethren departed returning the said account unto us Being thus unkindly yea may We not say unchristianly entertained by Mr. Sympson We still continued vvaiting upon the Lord in our estate of vvithdrawing our spirits being grieved by this carriage of his And after some time seeking the Lord and enquiring into his mind and Will We came to this conclusion as a present duty lying before us That in regard We did find no repentance in the Souldiers but rather hardness of heart as also Mr. Sympson hardened in his evil in excusing and abetting of them vvhich encouraged others to do the like and the rest vvho vvere some vvhat sensible of the evil amongst them much darkned in their understandings by reason thereof We should unanimously go unto them and lay before the Souldiers their ovvn evil and the evil of the rest as abetting of them in their degree and to admonish them in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ vvith as much brotherly love as the Lord should help us And that We might have the greater avve of the Lord upon our souls and be more orderly in this Work vve did agree to send unto the Brethren hereafter mentioned to intreat them in brotherly love and for the glory of God to accompany us as Witnesses therein vvhich was accordingly done and persons chosen from amongst us to speak unto them The Names of the brethren sent unto are these Mr. Cann Mr. Clark Col. Danvers Mr. Bland Mr. Barbone Mr. Waters Mr. Squibb Mr. Luxford Mr. Barret Mr. Ireten Having given notice to the other part of the Congregation the VVeek before our coming That vve intended upon the next first day after to come offer something to them All these brethren except Mr. Barbone who vvas not vvell being members of other Congregations and Societies came according to our request and accompanyed us to Lodon house upon the said first day of the VVeek in the Afternoon vvhere being come the said brethren vvere not vvillingly admitted but after our coming in vvith them one of our brethren stood up to acquaint them with the occasion of our coming at this time but Mr. Sympson and two or three more speaking together very confusedly cryed out No no we should not speake except those Brethren that came along with us would depart To which answer was made That we desired their company to testifie to the Truth of vvhat we had to say And then the brother vvhich spake first would have gone on but several of them cryed out together very confusedly as before to which vve replyed That having sought the Lord therein before our coming we could not give way thereunto but since they did refuse to hear vve vvould depart And in a short time after vve sent them the substance in VVriting of vvhat was then intended to be spoken A Copy whereof is as follows Dear Brethren and Sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ SInce your unkindness towards us the last l We mean that time wherein we intended to deliver this Admonicion by word of mouth and had testified thereunto according to the Rule of the Gospel Math. 18 16 17. time we vvere with you after some seeking unto the Lord vvhat might be our duty yet further this is gathered to be his mind and vvill That the substance of what was then
THE Old Leaven purged out OR THE APOSTACY Of this DAY further Opened BEING A true and faithful Narrative of the orderly Proceedings and Dealings of the Lesser part of the Congregation formerly walking with Mr. John Sympson with and against severall Souldiers of the Army who being fallen in with the APOSTACY of this DAY contrary to Professed and Declared Principles and the many out-goings of the Lord thereupon are withdrawn and separated from together with Mr. Sympson their Chief Abettor and others after neer two Years labouring whilest we were in the Congregation and neer two Years more since AS ALSO The true Coppies of seven of the Letters which Mr. Sympson wrote with his own Hand and sent to the Congregation whilest he was a Prisoner for Truth in Windsor-Castle WITH An Answer to severall Objections that have been or may be raised against Printing and Publishing the Whole ALL Humbly presented to Publique view not in Strife Vain-glory or to be seen of Men but we hope out of conscience to endeavour a Recovering of the Name of the Lord which hath layen under so great reproach through Misreports raised of us since our first withdrawing 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you And will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Thes 3.6 Now we command you Brethren in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly c. 2 Tim. 3.4 5. Traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away Printed in the Year of our Lord 1658. To all that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity in this evill day whether in Churches or out Beloved in our Lord INcrease of Faith Hope Love Humility Zeal Wisdom and Patience with all other the fruits of the Spirit be multiplied unto and bestowed upon you according to the purchase of our Lord Jesus who is King of Saints and Nations that you may bee able to stand upon the Sea of glasse mingled with Fire and maintain your Victorie over the Beast and his Image and Number of his name having the Harps of God in your hands that when his Iudgments shall be made manifest and a reward given to Babylon according to his word you may not with the Merchants and great Men of the Earth stand afar off crying alas alas but may with the Angell and the followers of the Lamb who are called chosen and faithfull with rejoycing say Righteous art thou O Lord because thou hast judged thus How unmeet such as we are above any who have obtained like precious faith to appear in this publike manner is best knowne to the Lord and our own souls being in some measure through his Free grace made sensible of our insufficiency to so weighty a Work the consideration whereof might wholly discourage our proceeding herein did not the honor of God the interest of Christ Jesus our Lord groundedly provoke us thereunto for now as all will behold whether Saints or Sinners so many being already prejudiced in their judgments thorough false reports received of us as they have been apt enough will shoot their arrowes against us but with how much unwarrantableness on their parts let the Reader judge by this ensuing Narrative Others being convinced of the truth and goodness of the cause we are ingaged in as they do not speak against us so on the other hand lest they should come under the like reproach with us are silent in saying any thing on our behalf yet some Elijahs there are who have been and still are willing to bear part of the burthen with us Adding hereunto that we are a stumbling block to many thorough the many failings infirmities and miscarriages such poor nothing-creatures as we are have been compassed with in the management of so honourable and weighty a cause as this is for which each one of us have great reason to be truly humbled before the Lord though hereby we may humbly say Are we as Signs and Wonders in Isreal Howerver notwithstanding all the reproaches and hard speeches that hitherto hath attended us from many of our Brethren and Familiars whom we desire dearly to love in the Lord as wel as from the Apostates of this day the latter of which as we have may expect it so we do not much regard it We have been strengthned in our Head the Lord Jesus to bear up under all though many halts stops have been made in this work thereby which hath caused some searchings of heart amongst us and we trust that the same power and goodness of our Father which hath been so wonderfully manifested towards us to this very day will still carry us on therein to the glory of his grace by Jesus Christ which is to be acknowledged by us before him and his people with all humility and thankfulness some passages whereof are inserted in these following particulars First by frustrating the intentions of those from whom we are seperated to have proceeded against us even to a casting out though the chiefest of them were unanimous therein and in making them confused and abortive in all their indeavors that way Secondly that when they had sent as they apprehended to the soberest and choicest of the Independent and Baptised Congregations in the City to countenance them therein who accordingly sent chief men from amongst them they hitherto have been so over-ruled by the Lord as that they have not been capable of advising therein Thirdly In keeping us together as one intire body from first to last though full of weaknesses inabling us from time to time that according to Gospel-rule to admonish those from whom we are seperated end to watch over one another in love though Mr. Sympson gave out upon our first with-drawing that he was confident we should break asunder within three moneths or thereabouts as the just hand of the Lord against us And therefore the Lord having so graciously owned us we do not desire to be fore-casting what will be the event or issue of this our publike testimony but looking up to him desire to rest satisfied in this that herein we have done no more then our duty for these following reasons First That in regard the Lord hath been and is so greatly dishonoured by a professing generation sinning against so great light as never was known before amongst whom the Souldiers and Mr. Sympson we are seperated from are apart it may appear there is a remnant among the Churches of Christ who do not wink at or comply with so great iniquity but do desire to bear a sutable Testimony against and make a due seperation from it Reas 2. There being many reproaches and calumnies cast upon us as to the matter and
ground of our seperation and with-drawing to this day so as that the name of the Lord is greatly reproached thorough these Misreports concerning us it might therefore hereby appear that the cause why we do so is for such sins as are publikely scandalous and sinful that so whatever becomes of our persons the truth may be vindicated Reas 3. That all who fear the Lord in uprightness of heart may consider and see it 's their duty to with-draw and seperate from all such persons For what saith the Apostle Know you not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Purge out therefore the old leaven c. And may it not be spoken with grief of heart that the lump or generality of the Churches in this day are much leavened with a luke-warm sensual selfish spirit seeking the honor and favor of men for their own advantage rather then setting the Lord before them and approving their hearts to him and indeavouring after the advancement of his glory in the world which comes to pass in a great measure for want of doing their duty to such persons in this particular Reas 4. That if it should please the Lord to call any or all of us further to suffer herein or upon such like account it may appear we suffer for his Name sake and not as evil doers the mouthes of many professors having been already opened in this respect though wee could wish it hath not rather been to palliate and cover over their own Apostacy Reas 5. Because thus saith the Scripture Them that sin to wit in the sight of all men as these have done and that against the light of Nature and Grace rebuke before all that others also may see and fear and do no more so wiâ—kedly for as Jannes and Jambres Korah Dathan and Abiram with their company withstood Moses in the work of GOD in their day so these likewise do resist his cause and truth in our day proceeding from iniquity to iniquity Reas 6. That so such as are unknown to us and have been already engaged in this work of seperation may bee incouraged and not discouraged and may know that whatsoever their afflictions and trialls are thereupon the same are also accomplished in others of their Brethren upon the same account that so from a spirit of love to truth we may be strengthning one anothers hands in so blessed and honorable a work Rea. 7. If Pilate was so sensible of the innocency of Jesus Christ that he could do no less but in the presence of the Court and the whole multitude take water and wash his hands saying these words the better to clear himself from being guilty of his blood I am free from the blood of this just man look ye to it Doth it not much more concern us in such a day as this when our Lord in his members and cause contended for in the late warrs is again crucified afresh put to open shame to take this water of our publike testimony in the presence both of Saints and Sinners and testifie our dislike of and seperation from so great iniquity as also the persons guilty thereof And if our Lord Jesus could charge upon the Jewes all the righteous blood shed from Abel to that day and Peter Act. 3.13 and so Stephen Act. 7.51 52. likewise charge them for retaining their forefathers wicked spirit though they pretended otherwise manifested in denying betraying delivering up and killing of Christ and the Saints who were witnesses to the truth in that day May not wee justly fear that if we should be silent in this day the guilt of their blood which was shed in the late wars as also of the sufferings of the Saints formerly and yet imprisoned for their faithfulness to the despised cause and interest of Christ who did and do offer themselves so willingly may be found upon us when the Lord makes inquisition for the same and we come to be partakers of that judgement which we are perswaded will lye heavie upon all that shall be found guilty more or less Reas 8. Because of the so plain discovery through a generall silence of a Laodicean or luke-warm spirit for Christ in this day which the Lord loaths and threatens to spue out of his mouth But on the contrary commends the Churches of Ephesus and Smyrna c. for their zeal and faithfulness in discovering of and not bearing with sin nor sinners yea the Lord delights in such who offer themselves willingly And the Inhabitants of Meroz are cursed with a bitter curse not because they appeared against Gods cause and people but for standing Neuters and not coming forth when an opportunity was offered to his help against the mighty So in Psal 94.16 there seems to be another plain word of instruction in this case where the Prophet by way of Proclamation hath these vvords Who will rise up for me against the evil doers Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity He doth not say as some say novv Sit still and let God alone for he will finde out wayes and means to do his work in his appointed time himself for he hath power at command why do you trouble your selves more then a great many wiser men No So the Lord seems to speak in this day as once Iohn said Who is on my side who And although such poor creatures as vve are can adde nothing to him yet he loves to see us shevv our good affection and to do vvhat vve are able and he hath so appointed that the foot yea the feet of the poor and the steps viz the indeavours of the needy shall tread down the lofty City And the least of the Flock shall draw them out c. And it may not be forgotten how that the Parliament in the time of the late war as they took notice of Neuters by way of dislike on the one hand so they did very kindly resent the constant good affections of others on the other hand Reas 9. When sin comes to be National First in respect of the sin it self Secondly in respect of the persons committing it being in a National or publike capacity Thirdly And contrary to professed and declared light as the sin of this day is and persisting therein after many admonitions so as that we may truly say of the transgressors of this day as the Spirit of the Lord by Isaiah said of Israel of old Wo to the rebellious children saith the Lord that take counsel but not of me that cover with a covering but not of my spirit that they may add sin to sin that walk to go down to Aegypt and have not asked at my mouth to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharoah and to trust in the shadow of Aegypt c. Now as in verse the eight the Prophet is commanded to go write is before them in a Table and note it in a Book that it may be for
as they began to lay their sin to their charge they withdrew themselves and came no more to them as we are since informed otherwise they had proceeded further against them cast out of two Churches in Wales upon the same occasion to wit Mr. Jenkin Jones Mr. Powells Churches and likewise as we hear another in England whose Name at present we have forgotten 13 13. Whether that Principle of the Congregation namely Communion with Saints upon the account of union with the Head be not unduly charged as broken by us when it is not intended by so good and righteous a principle that a Brother or Sister should take a liberty thereby as an occasion to the Flesh to walk scandalously among Saints and sinners for that is the corruption and not the true end of it The consideration whereof we think doth lye with such sorrow upon our souls as we may truly say hath wrung tears out of some of our hard hearts We shall not add more at present fearing it may be thought we have been too large in this already onely this that whereas it is said Nothing would content us but the sudden casting out of our Brethren without an orderly process according to the Scripture to which end we had resolved our present withdrawing before we came to the Church We do therefore desire to leave this with you as before the Lord That it was the least in our thoughts so to do for we hoped that truth would have taken so much place as that our brethren would have been admonished of their sin by the Church and so to have withdrawn from them if happily thorow a more narrow search into their hearts hereby the Lord might please out of his Grace to discover this their sin which hath and doth bring so great dishonor to the Name of the Lord though at present as they say unseen to them and in this Work not to have counted them as enemies but admonished them as brethren but so sudden a vote for communion with them lying under so great sin as we judge by what was offered that day did so amaze us that when we came out of London-House we knew not what to do only some of us did then conclude to meet together to enquire what was the mind of the Lord in this thing in which way of seeking to him we have continued to this day Now we hope you will bear with us and put a brotherly interpretation upon any thing therein that may not seem to carry with it that Love Affection and Gentleness which we desire from our hearts should be it not being our intention to justifie our selves in any evil but rather to lye at the Lords and your feet therein yet would gladly be found faithful to the Lord in such a day as this when they that tempt God are delivered and they that work wickedness are set up yea he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey and a snare is laid for him that reproveth in the Gate Thus we humbly leave these our thoughts to your serious consideration hoping that whatever our failings may be yet we shall not want the guidance and direction of his spirit in every way of truth and we also trust That as you are in some measure pressing after that excellent Grace of Love so you may abound therein more and more in knowledge and in all judgement that you may approve things that are excellent in such a day as this being sincere and without offence until the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God and then it will be our joy and rejoycing to return unto you and in the mean time we judge it our duty to be waiting upon the Lord and you till his mind and Will be further revealed concerning us in whose protection we leave you and remain Dated the first day of the fourth Month 1656. Your poor destitute and mourning Brethren and Sisters in some measure till the Lord restore you to your primitive spirit of Faith Light Love and Zeal for his glory wherein you have been as a Beacon upon the top of a Mountain AFter some solemn waiting upon the Lord this Paper was signed by threescore in number or thereabouts and was intended so to have been given in but was otherwise determined upon for these two Reasons First Because in such an evil day as this we ought not to trust in a Friend no not in a Guide but to keep the door of our mouths from those that lye in our bosome If so then not to trust our hands with those who had so unworthily betrayed the Cause of Christ Secondly It was judged most for the glory of God to go in person all of us being about twelve more then signed it and own the said Paper which would be more authentick and less advantage given against any particular person and therefore an exact Copy was drawn out and carryed unsigned all of us accompanying the Brethren to whom it was chiefly committed unto London-House the next first day after the date thereof when being come a Brother of ours stood up and spake a few Words to this effect That we were here come to present unto them in brotherly love after solemn waiting upon the Lord a Paper containing the evil of those persons amongst them against whom we had been so long contending together with the Grounds and Reasons of our withdrawing to this day which we had the more hastened to give in in regard we were several times urged thereunto by several Brethren sent by their appointment unto us and further desired that liberty might be granted unto one of the Brethren by us intrusted for the reading of it Which was not onely denyed us but much scruple raised by some What Scripture-Warrant we had to give in our dissatisfactions in Writing To which answer was made That we judged it our Gospel-liberty to give it in by writing or otherwise as might be most for the glory of God for by this writing we did give in our joynt Testimony against the present evil with the reasons of our withdrawing which we apprehended could not be so well done by a private brother or brethren in speaking but that we might have had just grounds of exceptions against some things that might be spoken against such brethren Hereupon our Brother Marsh who walks with them said That he thought it was not onely our Gospel-liberty but the Scripture would warrant our practice else Pauls writing to the Corinthians about the incestuous person was not warrantable but if it was then our practice had ground in Scripture and therefore conceived there need be no further discourse about that And by this means was that Scruple in some measure removed and some Way made for the reading of our Paper but not by any one of us which although we judged it a little unreasonable yet for peace sake we condescended thereunto
upon our hearts to have delivered by word of mouth should be done in vvriting as vvell for your sakes as in discharge of our own duty according to the Rule of the Gospel and therefore vve intreat that you will suffer us hereby to plead a little vvith you for truths sake and vve hope it is unfeignedly upon our hearts to lay your great sin before you from some sense of the great dishonour brought unto the Name of the Lord by you and let these lines be patiently read through before you judge you poor unvvorthy brethren and sisters for we can truly say that we disire to mourn and groan in secret for you as well as for our own vveaknesses and this is some part of our joy That in simplicity and godly sincerity many of us have been by the space of two years and upwards endeavouring to get your feet as well as our own out of the Snare of the apostacy of this day having compassion of you as of our own souls for we are in some measure perswaded that some eminent hand of the Lord wil be manifested in due time to distinguish between those that serve him faithfully and those that serve him not In the first place therefore we pray you to consider the six great and scandalous sins laid to the charâ—g of the brethren amongst you wearing the Sword which for brevity sake we shall here onely mention referring you to our paper already given in for a more particular knowledge thereof wherein We desire the Scriptures in the margent may be diligently perused and some remembrance had of vvhat the Lord did inable us to speak from them when our Paper vvas debated in the Church although it is very vvell knovvn so much liberty vvas hardly obtained First Treason against Christ as King and Prophet of his people and King of Nations also for the latter part of the late VVar did run in that Channel Likewise against the faithful and vvell-affected in this Nation whose Liberties and they are made bond-slaves to their brethren though some blood was spilt and treasure spent to obtain it our of the hands of the late Tyrant Secondly Convenant-breaking and false swearing having engaged before the Lord and his People to perform the good promised on the behalf of Christ his People and the Nation vvhich are novv broken in the face of the Sun Thirdly Oppression by Tythes Taxes c. upon the bodyes and consciences of the Lords People and the well-affected the Nation at this day Fourthly Persecution of Saints many of the Lords people having been and some are still imprisoned for their testimony on the behalf of the Lord his Cause and the Nations liberty and therein the Souldiers are altogether active there being no rule not so much as according to the Law of the Land to justifie their practice by Civil Officers Fifthly Maintaining Antichristian Laws Statutes and Customs contrary to former Engagements and Declarations by vvhich the Saints of old have suffered and some do now suffer at this very day Sixthly Hereby the hearts of the righteous are greatly grieved for that brethren at least professing themselves so to be should be active in abetting and supporting so great vvikedness That these sins were plainly proved against our brethren wearing the Svvord novv amongst you is very manifest not onely in general but also in a great measure particularly and therfore shall leave it unto the Lord vvho judgeth righteously Yet vve do hereby humbly admonish them of their evil as being very great and scandalous After this there is laid down several Queries how vve vvere in duty bound to withdraw from them and by the same Rule to admonish and withdraw from your selves as being partakers with them having made your selves m Guilty for they are hereby encouraged to keep their places whereby the Man in Power is encouraged to go on in his apostacy and to judge himself in pretence at least to be in a good condition for when he hath been told That he had not the love of good people as formerly and that many were grieved at his present actions he replyed They were but a few inconsiderable people who were dissatisfied for the greatest part of honest men in the Army and Churches were for him and approved of what he had done which approhensions are begotten by members of Churches and other professors holding places under him for whilest they do so their tongues are tyed that they dare not openly speak their minds though they really apprehend yea and will to some confess That the present state of things are out of course and are not so honest as in the day of their straits they declared they should be Wherefore doth is not concern the Churches to take heed how they encourage those by continuing them among them who abet and uphold the present apostacy lest they become guilty thereof themselves and incur the Lords displeasure for so doing guilty of their iniquity by your vote of communion with them And this vve do in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ who hath commanded us to withdraw from every brother that walks disorderly though herein we would distinguish between such of our Brethren Sisters as do plead for encourage and support them in their evil and others who for want of a true knowledge understanding thereof together with the overawing of some amongst you as we fear are notwithstanding in their degree also become partakers with them in their evil And here desire so far to digress as to answer one objection namely That our brethren the Souldiers desired leave to go off from us before we procceded so far as now we have but we would not To which vve answer That it is to be considered their sins are very scandalous and if so such a practice would be contrary to the Rule directing in such cases That if a brother or brethren offend to admonish them particularly then more publikely as he or they are found to persevere in their sin that if the Lord will they may see their evil and repent and not suffer them to go off without knowledge of their evil for if they should it may prove to the hardening of their hearts and consequently to the ruine of their souls Indeed to have let them gone off would have been much more easie to us and pleasing to the flesh for we did in some measure foresee how hard it would be in this rough path to follow the Lord fully yet we take comfort in this That our Cause is of God and our hearts we trust in the main upright therein Now we shall proceed to give you a short account how the Lord hath led us since our said withdrawing wherin it will be manifest if the Lord give you a spirit of discerning that we have to this day been patiently waiting upon the Lord and you to the end that if it had pleased our heavenly Father it might have put you upon inquiry how far you are become
guilty of the great iniquity of this day which hath brought so great reproach unto the Name of the Lord even through the World but instead of inquiring and smiting upon the thigh saying What have I done your practice doth demonstrate that you say You have well done Further We desire you to remember That the same Evening after the debate our Paper the whole Church being there We desired their result to wit Whether our brethren the Souldiers by what was offered were not in a great measure guilty of she evil laid to their charge Whereupon our Brother Sympson spake to this purpose That the holy spirit had set a mark upon us for such as had made division and therfore declared that we were not persons fit to have a vote amongst them neither should there by any vote had there unless we would depart Which words though we cannot say he spake in the Name of the Church yet we are sure the major part were n It is the great fault of Church-members and other professors in this day and much discovers their darkness that they approve their hearts no more to God but are so much led whether right or wrong as their Pastor or some eminent member or person among them steers their course which low carnal frame of spirit the more the spirit of the Lord is poured forth will not onely stink in the Nostrils of his faithful people but be condemned and dye for the true spirit doth so redeem those who have it from the fear and favour of man to God as they will follow no man nor things let their pretence be never so high and glorious further then they follow and are for Christ according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 1â— 1 so silent that notwithstanding he spake so unadvisedly there was little spoken against it so that for peace sake it was judge meet to depart at that time without the result of the Congregation Next after this several Brethren in the Name of the whole withdrawn from you were sent to London-house to desire That since you would not admit us to have a vote with you we might by your selves have the sense of Paper to wit that which was first given in but you wholly refused to give us a hearing of what we had to say Since which several Brethren in the Name of the Whole were sent to Allhallows upon a first day in the Afternoon after breaking of bread to know your sense Whether those Words spoken by our Brother Sympson to wit That we were marked by the holy spirit for such as had made a rent in the Church and that he admonished us of our evil therein in their namo Likewise whether by their vote of communion with the Souldiers this were not to be taken into the vote to wit notwithstanding the evil laid to their charge to the former they said They did not remember any admention but to the latter your Brother Sympson said That we might know their mind by their practice to which they were generally silent none contradicting what our Brother Sympson had spoken whereupon those brethren took their leave and departed out of the Vestrey for the Message vvas only delivered to the brethren being fifty or sixty in number or thereabouts it not being thought meet so speak in publike first because many strangers were present Secondly We did desire to order it as might make most for peace After this upon further inquiry what our duty was yet to do notwithstanding so much means used to provoke you to jeanlousie and no fruit of it but hardness of heart and a further closing in with the present evil by your continued practise There were several Letters of our brother Sympsons presented to us Dated from Windsor Castle when he was a prisoner there it being judged that the Lord was eminently present with him as by the said Letters will appear Which Letters being read among us the Lord was pleased so generally to melt out hearts in the sense of that spirit of truth We judged then to be breathing in him but his present frame of heart compared with what it was then seeming to us as contrary as light to darkness It was thereupon concluded as a duty incumbent upon us to appoint several brethren in the Name of the Whole to take those Letters and in love and meekness to read them to our said brother to the end that if the Lord so please he might thereby consider from whence he is fallen and do his first works hoping also that he might thereby be brought to consider whether he had not missed of the Will of God in endeavouring not onely to excuse but as We judge to countenance our brethren the Souldiers in their evil Way But oh that which We desire to mention with grief and sorrow of heart instead of receiving us in love as We came unto him and giving us leave to open our hearts before him he absolutely refused not onely to pray with those brethren sent by us but also to entertain them in our Name as brethren or to admit any conference with them upon that account in regard that we were by him admonished in the Name of the Church of our evil in making a rent and division as he said And since that he said they had waited upon us to see if we would return and repent but we not returing they looked upon us as Heathens and Publicant and that he did so look upon us also And for the letters they were directed to the Church meaning your selves without us and that if they had any thing to question him about'them he would make answer unto them Vnto which this Answer in general was made That We humbly thought he spake an untruth in that We could not remember there was ever any such Admonition given us as yet much less had We any account that We vvere esteemed no other then Heathens and Publicans After the Brethren sent by us to him departed being much grieved that our love should be so returned upon us but so it was the Lord lay it not to his charge if it be his Will upon further seeking to the Lord what was our next Work it was thought meet That as We had been a long time waiting upon you by patience and much long-suffering as We judge our Weakness excepted having laid the sin of our Brethren before you by our selves and of your own evil in abetting them some more and some less but instead of returning from your evil you have fallen in with it more directly in o It seems they were not contented with their first vote in declaring communion with the Souldiers notwithstanding their evil though at our first coming off they disowned that by saying That they did onely declare a continuance of communion with them as Souldiers without respect to the evil laid no their charge But by revoteing communion with them they have plainly declared the evil laid to their charge to be no evil and so
mourn and grieve for you that if it were the Will of our heavenly Father you might be recovered out of the Snare and do trust many of you will but in case We should join with you before the least acknowledgement of your evil should not we return to you before you return unto the Lord and so come under the reproof of that Scripture Jer. 15.17 and that also in 2 Cor. 6 17 18. Yea Would it not rather be a grieving of the Spirit and making light of so precious an Ordinance as Prayer is Have We not some sad experience hereof already in that dya of Prayer kept with you when our first Paper was to be debated What contrariety of spirits did then appoar Were We not in the duty deeply judged and censured by one of the chief amongst you when We came to lay the matter in difference before the Lord If so little confort then sure less now Can two pray together except they be agreed We do therefore humbly apprehend before any such conjuction be that you will first inquire into the great evil amongst you and not to eat with such persons but in brotherly love to admonish them and then to waite and see whether the Lord will humble them in the sence thereof if this were done We know that the consequence on your part would be to lye low before the Lord for complying with them to this day and when you shall minifest repentance by such a Work then We should have joy and confort in joyning with you to be further humbled before the Lord and also to lie at the Lords and your feet as to any other thing you should desire of us for his Name sake for We hope it is not in our hearts to be lifted up above our Brethren but onely to be faithful unto the Lord in a day of so great Apostacy Now as to the second thing about seeking to the Lord for a right way what you and we ought to do for the healing of the breach between us This seems to turn the goodness of the Lord upon himself and to forget his loving kindness yea to deny that We have been in a right Way after so much seeking unto and waiting upon him for direction and counsel from time to time yea give us leave to say That we humbly judge the Lord hath led us in a right path to this day and hath made darkness light crooked things straight before as well as since our first withdrawing Moreover wholly to question the ground of our proceedings to this day would be also of great reproach and dishonour to the Name and Cause of our Lord Jesus Christ and pre-declare to any discerning eye that We are returned from whence We vvere withdrawn upon no solid substantial grounds To the third namely That if there were any other thing necessary to be added we might have our freedom This we conceive needs little return respect being had in our answer to the two former propositions Thus desiring a tender construction if it may be of what is here laid down as to your last Message and chiefly to eye the first part as it relates to the choice of persons for clearing of the difference between us We remain Dated the first day of the first Month 1657. Your poor unworthy Brethren Sisters mourning for you yet apprehending that as truth is with us so the Power of the Church rests in us Signed in the Name and by the appointment of the whole none contradicting John Proud Tho Cary Caleb Ingold John Sealey AFter the delivery of this Paper We continued waiting upon the Lord as formerly expecting a return as to the contents of the first part thereof relating to the choice of persons by us and them to hear the matter in difference which many of us did the more earnestly desire not onely for the further manifestation of truth but also to take off that scandal laid by them upon us That we were altogether Judges of our own cause and would not admit of the hearing of it by others but three months time expiring since the delivery of our said Paper or thereabouts and no return given unto us one Way or other it seemed to many of us that their silence was a flat denyal to our render to the first part of our said Paper which put us upon further inquiry into our duty and to that end a day was set apart to seek the Lord for advice and counsl and the greatest part whereof being spend upon that account we then came to enquire of each other what the Lord had set upon our hearts as our further duty and after some discourse about it came to this result That having made so many tenders unto those from whom we were withdrawn with so little effect we had hopes to obtain our reasonable desire from them and therefore judged it our duty to proceed to the work of separation And accordingly some Brethren were chosen out from amongst us to make a draught thereof as the Lord should direct them and yet hereby not to exclude any Message that might come in the mean time from the other part neither to be too sudden about it so that it was about five or six Weeks before the draught of separation was brought in but after it was presented and agreed upon it was questioned by some whether it should yet be given in for some reasons urged by them unto which it was answered by others That they conceived the Lord would be much glorified in the delivering of it in as the unanimous consent of the whole But some again stood up and said That they conceived this would most glorifie God at present to wit that we should revive the tender make in our foregoing Paper notwithstanding their by their practiso to this day But this was opposed again by others judging that it would be little effectual considering how we had been dealt withall from the first day of our withdrawing until now however it was â—udged meet this being our last step towards those from whom we were withdrawn to be very diligent and watchful least Satan should take advantage upon us at the last and the Lord thereby be dishonour to take the advice of some upright and grave brethren who were faithful unto the Lord in this day of apostacy and present our Paper of Separation unto them for advice and counsel so far as the Lord should administer unto them Which was accordingly concluded bernard upon and the Brethren aforementioned to wit Mr. Cann Coll. Danvers Mr. Squibb c who accompanyed us as Witnesses when we gave in our Admonition at London-House were sent unto and upon their Meeting the Paper of Separation was delivered unto them who received it and in brotherly love took the matter into consideration taking their times and seasons of meeting together spreading it several times before the Lord in prayer as we have been credibly informed upon their desire we did also diliver in
to them all our Papers containing the sum and substance of what had been done by us as to those from whom vve vvere vvithdrawn that so they might have the clearest knowledge of things as we were able to give them and after some VVeeks we received this return from them viz. That according to our request they had been meeting together and waiting several times upon the Lord that they might be able to give us such advice as they might judge to be of the Lord and that as to what we had already done they did conceive we had been graciously led by the Lord and could not but own and approve of our proceedings hitherto but withall did apprehend before any further proceeding should be by us wherein they were very unanimous namely That we should yet once more make a further tender unto those from whom we were withdrawn about hearing the matter in difference between us as formerly we had done for these following Reasons viz. 1. To the end that those Brethren and Sisters of whom we write so tenderly in our Papers might thereby be brought off from those disorderly persons or else be the more without excuse if after such a tender made though refused they shall yet continue vvith them 2. In case such a debate be granted it is conceived that Truth of the one hand and Iniquity on the other will be thereby discovered and the eyes of many opened to whom the knowledge thereof shall come or else we thereby the more vindicated as to any further proceedings if such a tender should be refused 3. That those Brethren whose advice had been desired will be the more cleared and justified in any further proceedings whether a debate be granted or not 4. That the Messengers of the Churches called in by the other part of the Congregation were so tender as not to proceed without the consent of both parties therefore those brethren whose advice we have desired could do no less then make such a proposal unto us that if possible a debate of the matter in difference my be obtained 5. That though it is believed what is contained in our Papers be true yet by such a debate truth will be made more plain unto those Brethren whose advice we have desired for their further proceeding and justification before others 6. That this VVork being of Concernment unto all the Congregations in the Nation ought therefore to be done with as much consideration as may be in regard the issue of it if done in the spirit of the Lord will be much for his glory and the advantage of his despised and reproached Cause and People at this day After these Reasons laid before us a Brother stood up in the Name of the whole and gave them a kind acknowledgement of their brotherly love That there were any who would own and stand by the truth in such an evil day as this is and for what they had offered concerning another tender to be made unto those from whom we were withdrawn we should consider of it with their Reasons inducing thereto and according as we should be directed by the Lord so we hoped it was in our hearts to preceed and no otherwise And so those Brethren departed after which a little time was spent together and a day concluded upon to seek the Lord by prayer as to what they had offered unto us and accordingly at the time appointed we met and in the conclusion of the day came to this result That it would be much for the glory of God respect being had to the foregoing Reasons to make another tender unto those from whom we were withdrawn and that two brethren be forthwith chosen to acquaint them therewith The substance of the Message delivered to the other part of the Congregation at Allhallovvs the sixteenth day of the fifth Month 1657 by the two Brethren appointed thereunto That they were sent in the Name and by the appointment of the Brethren and Sisters withdrawn from them to present a Message unto them after seeking the Lord as being that which they judge to be his mind and will concerning them and is to this purpose Notwithstanding we had two several times already offered unto them for the further manifestation of truth and clearing up our integrity in the matter and ground of our withdrawing we did hereby once more make this further tender unto them that according to the tenure of our last Paper given in we might according to our Gospel-liberty in this extraordinary case choose on our part men fearing God and working righteousness and faithful to the Cause of Christ in this evill day and such who have hazarded their lives for the same whether in Churches or out to hear the matter in difference between us and they might on their parts take the like liberty if they thought meet there being no command forbidding or injoyning us to send unto Churches onely in matters of Church difference though we conceive it be a very equitable way to send unto Churches did it not appear the generality of Churches are either silent under or complying with the Apostacy of this day and in regard we had already waited about three or four monthes since our first tender in this kinde without any return we judged it meet to offer that we might receive your answer one way or other by this day fortnight And so the two Brethren intrusted with the delivery of the said message came away leaving it to their consideration About twelve dayes after Master Jessey accompanied with Brother Palmer and Brother Marsh brought us an answer to the said Message which is inserted in our next paper it being thought meet to be given in writing that they might the more plainly judge of our Reasons why we could not condescend thereunto and likewise that it might either be a witness for or against us for the time come And is as follows A paper Containing our Reasons why we could not condiscend unto the message brought by Master Jessey accompanied with Brother Palmer and Brother Marsh Dear Brethren and Sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ VPon the 28th of the Last moneth we received a return to our last message by Master Jessey accompanied with brother Palmer and Brother Marsh and was in words to this effect That himself with Master Knowles and Master Barebone were by you acquainted with a message received from us being the same we had formerly delivered And in regard the matter in difference was by you referred to the members of several Churches to do therein as they think meet of whom they were a part they did thereupon give notice to the rest of their Brethren intrusted with this businesse who meeting together came to this result to which they had also received your consent to wit That they thought it but reasonable we should have the liberty of our choice provided those we sent unto be Church-members chosen by the consent of their respective Congregations if so they were to have
the like liberty with those chosen by you to speak what might be upon their hearts as to the matter in difference But in case they were not so chosen although they might be Church-members yet they might not have liberty to speak any thing as to the matter in difference yet he said it was very likely that upon our request some liberty might be given in that kinde But in case any chosen by us should not be actuall Church-members though it may be granted for them to hear what was Controverted yet no liberty for them to speak any thing at all Likewise such persons so chosen their names should be given in to you for approbation as to their Principles and Conversations Now the Reasons why we cannot condiscend hereunto are these following 1. As being directly contrary to the end of our message more at large contained in our last paper not having therein exceeded our Gospel-liberty 2. It is altogether needlesse to make choice of persons to hear a matter in controversie and deny them liberty to speak unto it if they have any thing upon their hearts to say 3. To bind us up not onely to Church-members but also in a great measure to the Churches for their choice when it is very plain that the Apostacy of this day hath reached to the generallity of the Churches whereby there are few Zealous in the cause of Christ though many faithful ones in other things is to exalt the form above the power of Godliness 4. That it seemes to us directly contrary to the Principle of the Congregation you so much pretend unto which is To receive Saints as Saints and not as bound up to this or that form 5. To condescend hereunto is to undervalue the Spirit of the Lord breathing in severall of his servants who are not enemies but friends to Church Communion though not formal Church-members by reason of the foulnesse of the waters of the Sanctuary at this day and whom we desire to esteem far better then our selves 6. As there is no command in joyning us to Churches alone in this Case neither is there any against it therefore we humbly conceive our Gospel Liberty cannot be denied us Moreover there is but one example in all the New Testament as we can remember which was in the Church at Autioch sending to the Church at Jerusalem Asts 15. About the matter of Circumcision neither was there any visible Apostacy among the Churches at that day as now is else we conceive that the Church at Antioch would not have sent unto them about it These Reasons being premised and the substance of our last paper relating hereunto considered we do humbly declare That we can in no wise condiscend to a debate upon those conditions received from you neither upon any other terms then is mentioned in our last paper and upon which account we refused at first not that we desire to stand upon terms of advantage for our selves were we not groundedly perswaded the name and cause of Christ we are ingaged in would very much suffer thereby Thus desiring to hear a return from you if a debate of the matter in difference be really intended And that we may have our free choice without any bonds imposed upon us or them we shall chuse provided they be men fearing God and working Righteousness any more then we desire to impose bonds on you or whom you shall chuse for which we shall wait 14. dayes from the date hereof and in case of no return by that time we shall be in no longer expectation thereof We remain Your unworthy Brethren and Sisters mourning and praying for your return yet apprehending that as truth is with us so the power of the Church rests in us Dated the 4. of the 6. Moneth 1657. Signed in the Name and by the Appointment of the whole John Proud Caleb Ingold ACcording to our promise we waited for a return till the expiration of the time mentioned in the said paper but having no Answer neither any intention thereof so far as we could understand but rather an aversness thereunto considering that they had committed our said paper to the perusal of the Pastors and Elders of several Congregations to whom they said they had given up our business and to be directed according to their advice Who upon perusal thereof apprehended our desire and tender therein to be but reasonable Yet was their advice and proposition refused also A coppy of the agreement of the messengers of the Churches met at Allhallowes the II. of the 6. Moneth 1657. At the request of those from whom we are withdrawn about our paper Dated the 4. of the 6. Moneth 1657. 1 1. That Persons of approved Godliness may be endowed with wisdom to advise and to help to heal breaches as well as others 2 2. That the Persons that the dissenting Brethren had chosen which were not Church-members were well approved of for Godliness 3 3. For peace sake which we are to follow after we judge it not unlawfull but convenient that such Godly and approved persons as are mentioned in the last paper Dated the 4. of this Moneth may freely be admitted to hear and advise in the matter propounded with the like number of such as the Church with Mr. Sympson did choose 4 4. Our advice is that the number of Persons so chosen should not be many not exceeding ten of a side at the most Now it being so obvious that they not onely refused our tender but theirs also to whom as on their parts they had committed the matter in difference we judged it our duty to wait no longer upon them being without hope after so many denialls and therefore the Brethren to whom the orderring and managing the affairs of the Congregation was commited were appointed to perfect the draught of Separation intended and present it unto us with all expedition which was accordingly done a Coppy whereof is as followes Our last Testimony or separation from the Souldiers of the Army being guilty to six scandalous sins likewise from Mr. John Sympson their chief Abettor and others with him As also from the rest of those Brethren and Sisters we formerly walked withall whom we desire to mourn for yet as they hold Communion with those scandalous sins and Persons must separate from them IT is we trust some grief and trouble of heart unto your poor unworthy Brethren and Sisters that notwithstanding the Lord hath cast us into dayes of so great light and profession wherein he calleth upon all to repent without excuse or pretence of Ignorance you should to this day not onely hold Communion with but be justifiers of severall persons amongst you that are guilty of such sins as are not commonly named amongst men which is the more considerable in regard they are the sins of the last times into which we are fallen yea your continuance therein seemes to speak unto us as if the custom of sin had taken away the conscience thereof in
excusing of them and by his suddain starting such a question of Non-communion without serious consideration whereby many Brethren and Sisters were ensnared as they afterwards confessed and notwithstanding that truth had such hard usage from the beginning almost to that time yet we have since our withdrawing been waiting upon the Lord almost one whole year and half thereby bearing a more particular Testimony against their evil also by admonishing them twice according to the rule of the Gospel but no repentance as we can discern apprearing but rather hardness of heart and their sin every day more and more manifesting it self to the great dishonour of God and reproach of his Name We do therefore hereby declare That we can have no more fellowship and Communion with them then with Heathens and Publicans till the Lord shall give repentance unto life by acknowledging and forsaking their iniquity and do hereby humbly Testifie our separation from the accordingly Secondly That our Brother Sympson whose condition we desire to mourn for yet can but humbly testifie that he hath been for many moneths a secret opposer of those Brethren that prosecuted the cause of Christ against the evils of those Brethren of the Army and every day more and more did and doth stand by maintain and plead for them Nay more he is not afraid nor ashamed to plead for those very evils which he himself hath declared against openly and for which he for sometime suffered very boldly so that we can do no less then declare before the Lord Angels and men that he is now become guilty with the other Apostates to build again the things which he and they formerly destroyed and is become very skilful to cover the iniquity of this day which appeareth to all unbyast persons But least any should think that we had neglected our duty in not admonishing him privately before this publique testimony against him we answer That several Brethren had been with him privately upon that account Moreover we did at another time by several Brethren in the name of the whole apply our selves unto him intending particularly in love and due respects to have opened our hearts concerning his evil but in stead thereof he absolutely refused to give the least entertainment unto us as Brethren and Sisters or to hear any thing we should say unto him upon that account but looked upon us as Heathens and Publicans and thereupon refused so much as to pray with the Brethren who were sent by us Adding hereunto that thorow his pleading for and excusing of them he hath been the Instrumental Cause of this breach and separation and hardning the hearts of the Souldiers when some of them were in some measure convinced of their evil as we thought saying That if it were a sin to have Communion with them let it be charged upon himself and such as were satisfied with them as they should answer it at the day of the Lord Jesus For which and much more if needful at this time to declare We can have no more fellowship with him nor scarce so much as with those Brethren among you that wear the sword whose wickedness we have been so long contending against onely leaving him unto the Lord who can when he pleaseth convince him of his evil and give him grace to do his first works Thirdly That several other Brethren whom we could Name if need require have likewise much abetted excused and pleaded for this iniquity and particularly one of them who was formerly so convinced of the Soldiers evil as being the first person that put pen to paper to draw up Articles against them who said It was true but he thought it would not come to this And therefore we do judge it our duty also humbly to Testifie against them and separate from them as such who are greatly partakers of the Souldiers evil though it is possible that they may be much oversway'd in ther judgements by our Brother Sympson and cannot have Communion with them till such time that the Lord doth convince them of their evil and cause them to return from whence they are fallen and do their first works Fourthly That many other Brethren and Sisters though they have little to plead for the Souldiers as under those sins laid to their charge yet care not for inquiring into truth neither considering that Scripture 1 Cor. 5.6 Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump purge out therefore the old leaven that you may become a new lump But are willing to have their judgements byassed thorow affection to our Brother Sympson and so are willing to stand or fall in his bottom as we have just ground to fear and thereby become partakers of their evill deeds and if the Lord do not in time graciously awaken them out of this drowsie sleepy frame of Spirit we fear they may in time feel the sorrow of that Scripture Isa 9.16 For the Leaders of this people cause them to erre and they that are led of them are destroyed And therefore hereby testifie and declare that we cannot hold Communion with them till the Lord shall discover unto them their evil therein Fifthly As for those Brethren and Sisters amongst you that groan and mourn under the sense of those crying abominations that our Brethren the Souldiers with their Abettors are guilty of we do desire to open our hearts to them with all bowels of tenderness and compassion declaring that although we can see no Scripture ground or bottom for their present practise and the rather when the Lord hath enabled their poor unworthy Brethren and Sisters though but a remnant to withdraw and separate from the evil doers whereby the decission is made And that Scripture Psal 26.4 5.6 Seems unto us a plain word of Instruction for them in these words I have not sate with vain persons neither will I go in with dissemblers I will wash my hands in innocency and so will I compass â—â—â—e Altar Whence the Spirit of the Lord seems to hint himself not innocent had he not refused Communion with dissemblers and vain persons without having respect whether they were the greater or the lesser number And how they can call that part of the Body a Church when those they joyn with are onely the disorderly walkers for those who bear the Testimony are withdrawn we do not well understand which is the more considerable when they are commanded to withdraw from every Brother that walks disorderly However we judge it our duty to continue our prayers for them and to spread their condition before the Lord in secret as if it were out own that he would enlighten and inform them in their duty and give them obedient hearts thereunto that the Lord would deliver their feet out of the snare and do hereby intreat exhort and desire them as they tender the glory of God and the comfort of their own Souls in the time of Tryal and Temptation to come out from amongst them and separate
from them trusting that the promise of grace mentioned 2 Cor. 6.17 18. In these words Wherefore come out from amongst them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and be a Father unto you and you shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty We desire also for their and our encouragement to leave with them that Scripture Psal 9.4 Hos 11.12 to be theirs and our portion also But till then we do also hereby humbly testifie and declare that as they now stand we cannot have Communion with them as otherwise in the uprightness of our hearts we desire to have and should much rejoyce in were they clear from the evil of this day and withdrawn from amongst those disorderly persons till then we have just ground to believe they are in their degree partakers of their evil according to that Scripture 1 Tim. 5.22 Be not partakers of others mens sins keep thy self pure Now to conclude and end this our Testimony we do in the General and to each one say and humbly declare That we cannot discern the power of the Church rests in you as under those sins you are now guilty of and fallen in with each one in their degree but ⋆ Only Moses Aaron Caleb and Joshua c. Who followed the Lord and had truth on their side and separated from Corah the Princes and famous men of the Congregation were owned by him and had the power with them as also to prevail that the greater part of the Congregation might not wholly be destroyed Num. 14.19 20. compare ch◠16 41. to 50 ca. 262 which notably agrees with Matt. 18.18 19. Whatsoever ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heaven c. Again if two of you viz. having the truth shall agree on earth as touching any thing they shall ask it shall be done unto them c. And upon this account chiefly it was that they had the power and this presence with them and not so much because the one was the Leader and the other as it were the Pastor of the Congregation for if with the others they would have made a Captain to return to Egpt as also have stoned Caleb and Joshua in all likelyhood they had perished with them yea we finde that because the did contrary to the minde of the Lord at the waters of Meribah they must die by the way and not go into the good land and the power they had deliver'd unto others and onely Joshua and Calch c. who followed the Lord fully have the power and his presence with them Numb 20.12 24 26. Deut. 3.27 compare Chap. 34.4 By which it plainly appears the Lord would have the power to reside with those who follow him and have truth on their side though the lesser number and not with the greater though the Pastor be with them that are declined and so have not the truth with them We also finde Revel 2.7 9 10. Revel 3.4 to 10. That onely the Churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia and the few names in the Church of Sardis who followed the Lord fully and kept close to truth and had not desiled their garments and such as overcome and keep close to truth to the end are own'd by Jusus Christ and shall inherit the promises but he threatens to remove the Candlestick from the Church of Ephesus and to come upon all those of the Churches of Pergamus Thyatira Sardis though the greater number as a Thief and to fight against them and kill them with death unless they repent and return from the evil among them And the Church of Laodicea the worst of them all are for their Lukewarmness threatned to be wholly spued out of his Mouth Revel 2.5 16 23. Revel 3. 3. Which things are not written as onely belonging to that time but are also a prohesie of what shall be among the Churches a little before or about the time the promises and prophesies relating to the Kingdom of Christ and Zion shall be fusilled See Revel 2.26 27. Revel 3.10 12 21. in your poor unworthy Brethren and Sisters in whose name this comes though the lesser number Which we desire to mention with all Humillty and not in vain-glory knowing that we have no cause to be high minded but fear that such poor shrubs as we should stand when so many tall Cedars fall It being no where recorded in Scripture that the power of the Church rests in the greater number as under that Denomination but in those who according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ do withdraw from every Brother that walks disorderly be they the less or the greater number for where truth is there is the true-Church power according to that in Matt. 16.18 19. in these words Thou art Poter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven c. Whence we desire to observe that although our Lord Jesus speaks to Peter as a single person yet layes the weight of the Church upon him not as Peter but upon the truth whereof he made so upright a Confession whereby it seems plain unto us That where truth is not onely in the judgement but practice there is the Church with the Keys to wit it's power And this our Brother Sympson hath formerly declared saying That he should judge it his duty to joyn with a little number were they but 30 or 40. in number against 500. being perswaded that the Keys of the Church were truly there where the truth appears not onely in the doctrine but practice And yet we would say That where the greater number oppose the truth more caution is to be used more humility and brokenness of Spirit manifested and much looking up unto the Lord to be guided aright by the seffer number wherein we must acknowledge we have been too remiss desire to be humbled before the Lord for the same in the face of Jesus Christ Thus desiring that this out last Testimony may be received in love and be of that use and weight as to provoke you to a godly jealousie as Pauls Epistle did the Corinthians about the Incestuous Person that we may have cause to rejoyce upon the same account as he had which could we once see we should willingly lie at your feet for truths sake and be more glad thereof then of our daily food till then we desire to mourn and pray for your return Signed in the Name and by the Appointment of the whole John Proud Tho. Cary. Caleb Ingold James Chadwick Humphry Hathorn John Portmans Dated the 1. of the 7. Moneth 1657. THis Paper was committed to the custody of six Brethren chosen from amongst us to present and deliver it according to direction and if it might be obtained that some one of the six might have liberty to read it in the presence of them all but when they came they were denied the
liberty of reading it some of the Chief amongst them saying That is ought first to be perused by the Brethren amongst them at their usuall meeting and if they thought meet then to have read it otherwise not or else if we would stay till the next fourth day of the week it was possible we might have liberty to read it our selves But this was not thought meet to be embraced but since they denied us the present reading of it to leave it with them to do therein as they should think fit onley a Brother stood up and declared It was our last testimony of Separation against those scandalous sins and evils which many amongst them are guilty of and that it was our prayer that the Lord would please to sanctifie it unto them After this the Brethren took their leave and departed And so ends this Narrative Signed in the Name and by the Appoinment of the greater Number of the Congregation who have separated from those now walking with Master John Sympson Humphry Hathorn John Seely John Portmans Caleb Ingold A Preambulatory Epistle to seven of the Letters which Master Sympson wrote to the Congregation whilest he was a Prisoner for Truth in Windsor Castle IT doth much concern every true Believer in such a day as this When darkness covereth the earth and gross darkness the people to be watching narrowly to their paths lest they turn aside from the holy Commandment delivered to them as many have sadly done in this day which is to be bewailed with a bitter Lamentation had we a suitable Spirit thereunto when the Father is dishonored Christ reproached and the Spirit blasphemed and all under a form of godliness were we Baptized into Jeremiahs Spirit we should in the sense of the back-stiding of Professors say Oh That I had in the wilderness a lodging place of way-faring men that I might leave my people and go from them for they be all adulterous an assembly of Treacherous men they bend their tongues like a bow for lies but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth Jer. 9.2 3. Many of us have had no small Wrestling in our own Spirits whether these Letters of Mr. Sympsons should be published or no chusing rather to have silently Mourned over him in the sense of the loss of that Spirit he seemed to be anointed with whiles he Continued in Windsor Castle as by his following Letters dated from thence will appear But considering what a Noble and Honourable Testimony he hath born against the iniquity of this day and that from the Spirit of God as he profest and since that to be as highly professing on the other hand saying That it was his errour and evil drying down all his former professions visions as delusions and of flesh Which hath staggerd some as to the very Principles of Godliness Likewise considering how he is fallen in with the present Abominations he hath formerly so witnessed against Adding hereunto that he hath been the instrumental cause of our Breach and Separation by falling in with and pleading for the Souldiers and present Power Which had he not done for ought as we know they might have turned from their evil way and thereby the Congregation having purged out their old Leaven might have become a new and pure Lump to the glory of God and comfort of each other in this evill day Likewise his owning of the Tryers by sending to them as well as others for advice how there might be a proceeding against us for our withdrawing Also to take a Commission from the Person in Power to Preach at All-gate though he hath formerly declared very highly as well against the Tryers with their Practice as the present Power we humbly apprehend may so far silence any Persons as not to Judge any thing before the time lest they be found Judging their Brethren or the work they are upon without a thorow knowledge of the cause or Spirit leading thereunto Yea give us leave humbly to say That the sense of the former Courage Life and Zeal which was in him for the truth wherein we cannot but Judge that the Spirit of the Lord was eminently manifest in him as to the matter of his Testimony though as to the manner most of us in many things were not so well satisfied with it seemes unto us to be rather a provocation then a discouragement in this work for we do not hereby publish his failings but onely by his naked Letters without paraphrasing upon them give a taste of that Spirit which formerly appeared in him for Christ against Antichrist and all evil doers Psal 94.16 And let the Reader Judge though it seemed unto us much like that Spirit the Church is found in Rev. 12.1 Which every true member ought to be Clothed with being Clothed with the Sun and the Moon under her feer All sublunary Creatures appeared nothing to him he seemed unto us like unto Paul Acts 20.24 Tell him of troubles likely to fall thorow his faithfulness to Christ and his despised Cause and none of these things move him Moreover we are provoked hereunto considering how much Life and Courage was Administred unto us in the hearing of them read which we trust upon perusal of them by others may be useful unto them as well as unto us And shall truth die for fear of displeasing a man or men that are gone off from the work of Christ in their generation surtly no yea we trust that the publishing of them may be to the reviving of his Spirit again that he may consider from whence he is fallen and do his first works and then we shall rejoyce it may appear that he is in the number of those mentioned Dan. 11.35 Some of them of understanding shall fall to try them c. And we should much rejoyce if the Lord should make this way in any measure Instrumental to eat out that core of Apostacy which more gentle meanes though applied would not do or deliver the feet of any out of the snare who by reason of him are fallen from their own stedfastness however this is our rejoycing the Testimony of a good Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have been exercised herein and not out of malice strife or vain glory Signed in the Name and by the appointment of the greater Number of the Congregation who have separated from those now walking with Mr. John Sympson Humphry Hathorn John Portmans John Seely Caleb Ingold Here follows the Letters themselves JOhn a Prisoner not of Cromwel and his Council but of the Lord Jesus Christ unto the Saints and faithful Brethren which meet at the place which is known by the name of Great All-hallows London Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ Blessed be the Name of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus who dayly loads you with his loving kindness and tender mercies in Christ and for ever let his glorious goodness be
honoured who at all times and in all ages hath doth and will hear the prayers of his faithful ones in Christ we have cause mutually to rejoyce that God hath heard your prayers for my fellow Prisoner and me and that God hath heard our prayers for you At my meeting with you I shall see more of God in some of you then ever I saw though some may wither away and come to nothing and I am confident that you shall behold the Image of Christ more plainly in me then ever formerly you beheld it God doth still notwithstanding many infirmities in me shine upon the Soul of his unworthy Servant in the face of Jesus Christ I shall grow in grace my faith is quickned my repentance shall be encreased my love will abound to you to all Saints my hope shall be lively and my joy shall be full And I shall never be ashamed that I have given you an Alarm of Christs comming in the Spirit among his People I do yet by free grace glory that I shall receive more of the Spirit in gifts and graces then yet is given unto me Isa 45.11 God hath commanded me to ask him of things to come Christ hath perswaded me that this Prison is a Jerusalem where I must wait for the promise of the Father Acts 1.4 Pray therefore for me for your selves and for all Saints that they and we may be Baptized with the holy Spirit not many dayes hence The Spirit will return again unto believing Saints and the Churches of Christ according to the New Testament institution shall be the Schools of the Prophets Universities as now they stand upon an Antichristian foundation must be tumbled down Antichrist hath set up those Cages of unclean Birds that they who go thither may learn to sing the whores songs but not the songs of Zyon what the Spirit shall be to the Spiritual Church those places have been to the Carnal Church when Antichrist forced the Woman into the wildernesse and taught men to believe that the Spirit was not to be expected any more but that was to cease in his gifts and to supply the want of the Spirit which was in the true Church he laid the foundation of Universities and from them and not from the Churches and Spirit of Christ he taught Men to expect a Ministry But these Monastries must down Down with them sweet Jesus and lift up thy self in thy Spirit among the Congregations of thy Saints The Ministry likewise must down which stands upon a Popish foot and Antichrists foundation yea the best of Ministers must be thrown down so far as they stand upon an Antichristian Bottom though God will own what is of his own Spirit in them And God will most eminently appear against those sons of Hophnye and Phineas as he did against their fathers the Archbishops and Bishops 1 Sam 2.16 Who say unto the People as they did Nay but ye shall give it me now and if not I will take it by force The Judgement is gone forth from the Mouth of the Lord against them and all the Babylonish Protectors in the world shall not be able to defend them and to maintain them in the enjoyment of their Antichristian maintenance But Jehovah shall Arise and have mercy upon Zyon Psal 103.13 For the time to favour her yea the set time is come for thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favor the dust thereof The Spiritual Saints which are the stones of this Zyon begin to delight in one another and as they do abhor what is most glorious and seemingly Spiritual in Babylon so there is nothing so mean no outward Ordinance of Zyon so base and contemptible but they do honor it and thus they favor the Dust thereof Wherefore my Brethren if you are perswaded that this will be the work of God in this Generation night and day pray down those things Persons and Places which are Antichristian and yet standing in England Come out and be seperated from the wisdom and Spirit of the world and come up with me into the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Labor to practise the Lesson of self denial in opposing those Errours and sins which are pleaded for by the world and some Saints in these times as truths and vertues and so with Noah you shall be upright in your Generations Indeavour to know what are those truths which God will now bring forth to Light and not suffer them any longer to lie under the Cloud of Antichrist and resolve to overcome your enemies either by doing or suffering And not loving your lives unto the death give all diligence that you may be Christians in power and not in form onely disclaim your own strength every day value not a faith repentance love or hope of your own working it is not worth a rush But look up unto Jehovah to work all grace in you by the operation of God Pray for me that I may have a more glorious Mission and Commission from Christ to Baptize and Preach the Gospel Isaiah had a more glorious Call at the second time then he had at his first calling Isai 6.1 though to the glory of grace I do acknowledge that I have had a sufficient call yet for the exaltation of grace I beg a more glorious Call to Preach the Gospel Oh that I might Preach as one having Authority and not as Vniversity men Oh that I might have more of the Spirit that I might serve you better then ever I have done and might in some measure be enabled to requite you for those pledges and expences of love which I have received from you I am for many favors in the Spirit engaged unto you Particularly for your great gift of love which you sent the last week by some of our Brethren you have obliged me unto you beyond my desires and expectations The Lord knoweth that I sought no such thing from you directly or indirectly I was very well content to spend onely out of my own purse in this Prison but seeing God hath drawn you forth to express your love this way I am bound thankfully to accept your gift and do profess that if I know my own heart I am more taken with your love then with your gift or should be taken with it if it were a hundred thousand times more then it is and shall pray that my God may supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen Windsor the 12th Moneth 4th day 1653. This is a true Copy of the Originall examined by us Tho. Cary. John Clements Brethren of the Lord Jesus SInce I did write unto you as the Lord did move Elijah to write unto Jehoram so I do apprehend that the Lord did stir me up to write unto the Lord General and contrary to my own resolutions the Lord did presse me to put my life into his hands by dealing
faithfully and plainly with him in setting his sins before him The Lord is still very gracious and favourable unto me Oh blesse the Lord with me for his unspeakable grace to me in accounting me worthy to suffer any thing for Christ in bearing witnesse against the sins of men which fight against his glory and interest when I consider what a base vil'd filthy Creature the Lord hath honoured in calling him to suffer any thing for him my soul is melted and humbled within me I do plainly perceive a plot of Divine Love in bringing me unto this place Jehovah is here fitting me for some other service I have not had such a constant uninterrupted Communion with God in glorious light love and joyes all the days of my life as I can remember as I have had since I came hither Oh how sweet is Communion with Christ in a prison I should be viler then the vildest upon earth if I did not prefer these Spiritual enjoyments before all the pleasures riches and honors of a thousand worlds I am now wrestling with God night and day for his Spirit for my self and all Saints O help me in your Prayers that I may not be ashamed for waiting upon him for his Spirit Of a truth the Spirit is at the door I shall receive him more gloriously then yet I have received him for the present the word of the Lord is precious there is no open vission 1 Sam. 3.4 God calleth to us as he did unto Samuel but we know not infallibly and in the Demonstration of the Spirit who it is that speaketh unless it be concerning our Salvations but he will speak and we shall know that it is he that speaketh in us Isa 52.6 He hath spoken unto us in as it were parables but he is shewing us plainly of the Father John 16.25 The Spirit will shew us things to come John 16.13 I am perswaded particularly concerning my self that I shall receive some gifts of the Spirit which I have not yet received If you shall desire to know the grounds of this perswasion I shall lay them down I am not afraid that they should be tried First I have a Spirit in this thing to teach me self denial I do plainly see that no strength or endeavors of my own will do any thing I must be dead unto them a faith of my own working will not remove a molehill power must be given in by Jesus Christ for the gloryfying of his Name Mark 6.7 Secondly I do expect Spiritual gifts by the Gospel and not by the Law Gal. 3.2 Though I have been a vile Creature yet the Lord Jesus Ascended that he might give gifts to the Rebellious Thirdly the grace of God will shine more gloriously in giving gifts unto me by so much as I have been vilder then other Saints before and since my Conversion Rom. 5.20 Fourthly I have faith according to the Scriptures that the word of the Lord will come unto some Saints to inform them concerning the work of their Generation as it did unto Isaiah Jeremiah Agabus and others Because God will do nothing but he will reveal it unto his Servants the Prophets Amos 3.6 Fifthly Many Saints do pray that God would fill me with his Spirit and do believe that God will hear their prayers for me and I do not doubt but it shall be unto me according to my Faith Sixthly I am commanded to Covet earnestly the best gifts which by grace I do and shall do by the help of your prayers 1 Cor. 12.31 Seventhly I am humbled for anything of flesh which might move me to desire the Spirit and I desire gifts in the Spirit upon this Account 1 Cor. 10.31 That the Father may be glorified in the Son Eightly I look upon Christ as powerful so that he is able as gracious so that he is willing as true so that he will be faithful in making good that promise John 14.13 14. Which I have by grace applied in this particular case Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son If ye shall ask any thing in my name I will do it Christ cannot be unfaithful John 14.15.16 Ninthly Christ saith If you love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever I believe therefore have I spoken saith the Psalmist Psal 116.10 So say I I do believe therefore have I written these things unto you And the God of bowels will never cover me with shame for making this profession of my faith in the bosomes of the Saints I have been sensibly present with you in the Spirit though I am in body absent from you And I hope that when God shall bring me again unto you that I shall come in the blessing of the fullness of the Gospel in the mean while I shall in the Spirit of grace make my supplications for you at the throne of grace that you may flourish in faith grow in love abound in lively hope and that the peace which Christ hath bequeathed his Disciples may be with you and shall beg your prayers for me night and day that the Father of lights from whom every good and perfect gift comes may give the gifts and graces of the Spirit which I expect who by grace may subscribe my self Your Servant in Christ and a waiter in the Spirit for the Spirit John Sympson From Windsor the place of my great liberty and Imprisonment the 9th day of the 12th Moneth 1653. This is a true Copy of the Originall examined by us Tho. Cary. John Clements Dear Brethren WHen I resolved to write unto you I was thinking with my self unto what Churches of the seven Churches of Asia I might compare you If I had compared you to Smyrna and Philadelphia which are not reproved but commended by Iesus Christ you might have concluded that I did flatter you If I had compared you to Laodicea some might have thought that I had wronged them and therefore I think that I cannot more truly speak of you as a Church of Christ then by acknowledging that some of the good things for which some of those Churches are commended may be found amongst you and that some of the bad things for which some of those churches are blamed may be found among some of you I am perswaded that Christ hath somewhat against some of you Rev. 2.4 Because you have left and in part lost your first love which you had to Christ his Gospel and people The Lord awaken you and help you to recover that unfeigned repentance lively faith flaming affections and soul-ravishing hopes which once you had what have you found in the wayes of sin and the world which can countervail the loss of those sweet and heavenly enjoyments which once you had in God Return unto your first husband for then was it better with you then now Hosea 2.7
Secondly I know that Christ knoweth the poverty of some of you but you are rich Rev. 2.9 The Lord hath left in the midst of you an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord Zeph. 3.12 Woe be unto the full for they are empty blessed be the empty for they are full Woe be to the rich for they are poor Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God Labour therefore to be poor that you may be rich And if any man seem to be wise among you let him become a fool that he may be wise He that will be nothing shall be something and he that will be something shall be nothing He that hath ears to hear let him hear what Christ saith unto his Church Thirdly some of you live where Satans seat is and yet hold fast the Name of Christ and do not deny the faith of your King Rev. 2.13 Some are labouring in spirit to help Christ to the throne of England Others if you can but give them some comfortable hopes of a place or preferment or some other worldly thing they care not whether the interest of Christ sink or swim they are contented that Satan shall keep his seat and the throne if he will but gratifie their lusts But the Kingdom of England shall be the Kingdom of Christ let Souldiers and Devils and carnal Policy do what they can to hinder it For the Kingdoms of this world are become already to out saith Kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever Rev. 11.15 Fourthly There may be some among you though very few of whom Christ may say I know thy works and love and service and faith and patience and thy works and the last to be more then the first Rev. 2.19 Hold fast this Crown the Lord Jesus doth lay none other burthen upon you and therefore I will not That which you have already hold fast til he come Rev. 2.24 25. But fifthly I am afraid that Christ may say to some of you as to the Angel of the Church of Sardis Thou hast a name that thou livest but thou art dead Rev. 3. There may be dead sinners in a congregation of Saints Oh! What will it advantage you to be in Church Communion with Saints here when you shall keep company with Fiends and Devils and Judases in hell to all eternity Externel priviledges and common gifts in the kingdom of heaven here will but agrivate our condemnation in hell hereafter unlesse Christs findes burning oyl in our Lamps internal and unfeigned graces in our souls Lay a carkass in the midst of a congregation of living men and will the carkass be enlivened by it so the presence of living members in a Church cannot quicken Church members who are dead in sins and trespasses strive therefore rather to be then to be accounted living Christians Sixthly There are some of you concerning whom Christ in the spirit doth inwardly give this testimony that they have a little strength Rev. 3.8 As Christ gave the same testimony concerning Philadelphia's Angel To you that have grace in truth more grace shall be given the weak shall be made strong grow therefore in grace and in the knowledge of the mystery of the Father Son and Spirit And while the lusty youths who are strong in their own strength shall faint and be weary and utterly fall They who have no might shall encrease their strength And they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint Isa 40.29.30 Seventhly I would that I had no ground to fear that there are some lukewarm Laodiceans among you whom the Lord will spue out of his mouth Rev. 3.16 One end of our redemption by Christ is zeal in good works Titus 2.14 He who is a professor in these dayes without zeal will not be a professor long The Lord will suddenly bring his furnace to Zyon to burn up the hypocrites and refine the true Saints I do beg this at the hand of my God that you may all in this Looking-glass behold the graces and spots of your souls and behold your several conditions I shall reminde you of that which I moved when I last spake among you That our Brother Wise may be called forth from among you to be a teaching Elder I apprehend that by the grace of God it may be to Gods glory your edification and confirmation in faith and love and my great comfort and refreshment And likewise desire that you will endeavour to walk in the order of the gospel as becomes the Churches of Christ A City may as well be without Government an Army without Military Discipline as a Church of Christ without discipline and government the Lord compleat you in graces gifts and officers in the knowledge and practice of all the ordinances of Christ our Saviour and in the fulness of his Spirit which in the Spirit is and shall be the prayer of him who by grace am made Your Companion and Brother in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ John Sympson 16th day 12th Moneth 1653. from my Prison in Windsor Castle This is a True Copy of the Original Examined by us Tho. Cary. John Clements Brethren in Christ GRace Wisdom Discretion Valour Gentlenesse Meeknesse Zeal and Peace be multiplied upon you through the Knowledge of God and our Father who is God Blessed for ever Amen Rom. 9.5 The word which I have from the Lord unto you at this present is to direct you in the right manner of doing that which is good unto the glory of the Father When we seriously consider how many in these times have held forth most glorious truths and done many righteous things and afterwards have apostatized from the way of truth and righteousness we cannot but conclude that they never did any of them well the heart of foolish man doth not deceive him more in any thing then in holding forth truth and in doing that which is good in it self if we are for truth and do that which is good our deceitful hearts are ready presently to canonize us for Saints when in the mean while we may be rotten hearted Hypocrites It is not enough to do that which is right and just but that which is good must be well done any defect though never so small in an action may make it evil but there must be a joynt concurrence of all Causes and Ingredients to make an action really good There is a broad way to hell in doing that which is materially good Praying Preaching Fasing meeting with the Saints breaking of Bread with them and to them may be a stage upon which a man with the approbation of the Saints may act his lusts and the truths of God in all ages have never suffered more sadly then by some zealous and religious Stage players who
the Lambs company upon Mount Zion you will never be able to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Rev. 14.4 The very noise and rumout that Christ is going unto a Prison and that we shall not be able to keep Company with him and minde his Interest vigorously unless we are made willing to follow him into a Prison will make some recant and rather blasphemously Father the Issues and births of the Spirit in them upon the flesh then run the hazard of suffering persecution for the Truths concerning Christ and his Interest which they have declared But you will say Why do you send these lines unto us are we not all for Christ and his People their Cause and Interest I answer with Paul to Agrippa I wish that you were not almost but altogether all of you such as I am except those bonds I wish that you were all as really for the Cause of Christ and his people against all Antichristian Spirits whatsoever as you seemed to be when the Churches at the first met at All-hallows But know that men do easily deceive themselves in generals In general Papists carnal Protestants all Professors of Christianity are against Babylon and Antichrist the man of sin who professeth himself to be Christs Vicar will say that he were not worthy to live if he were not against every Antichristian Spirit And therefore come to particulars if you will not be deceived and deluded by your own hearts Again if you will not be deceived by the great Cheaters Jugglers Impostures your own hearts do not onely try your selves in particulars in which all men Saints and sinners agree and which you may agree with them in without suffering persecution but come to particulars in the profession of which you may suffer persecution The word of Christ in our generation may be a word for a while for which we may suffer Christ had never had any Martyrs if there had not been some raised in Spirit to hold forth something in opposition to the judgement of the powers of the world under which they lived It is an easie thing to Preach and maintain a thousand truths without suffering And it may be that Christ would have one truth preached and witnessed unto which will certainly bring persecution at the heels of it You may Preach and speak against ten thousand sins and not suffer the loss of one hair by it And yet there is one sin which Christ will have his People speak against which may cost them their lives which I could easily demonstrate but the messengers departure doth inforce me to break off abruptly The Lord preserve you in wayes of truth and peace and make you more willing to suffer with the Interest of Christ then to raign with a base beggerly and proud Interest of men which shall be the prayer of him who in the Spirit of truth can subscribe himself Your Brother and Christs Prisoner John Sympson Windsor 1. Moneth 25. day 1654. This is a true Coppy of the Originall examined by us Tho. Cary. John Clements Brethren in the Lord IF I am not mistaken concerning the time in which we live the next eminent work of God which will appear upon the stage will be the filling of his Temple with smoke from the glory of God and his power Rev. 15.19 And therefore it will not be an unseasonable word to stir you up to pray for the Accomplishing of it there will not be any great thing done beyond what you have seen with your eyes until the Angell of the Covenant come into his Temple to fill it with the glory of his Spirit surely the Spirit is upon his return to the Churches of Jesus Christ During the raign of the man of sin the Learned Impostures of the world with their Accademical Anointings have ecclipsed the glory of the Saints but when the promised Spirit of glory in Graces and gifts shall dwell among Sions Congregations the learned wisdom and policy of the carnall Church will be confounded As yet as I humbly conceive one vial hath not been poured forth But suddainly a great voice will be heard out of the Temple saying to the seven Angels Go your wayes and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth Rev. 16.1 As when the Temple of Solomon was Consecrated fire came down from Heaven and the glory of the Lord filled the house and the Priests could not enter into the Temple 2 Chron. 7.1 2. So Christ of whom Solomon was a Type is about to Consecrate his New Testament Temple which Antichrist hath profaned and polluted And suddenly the glory of Jehovah will fill his Churches fire will come down from heaven upon his beloved ones The Angel will fly thorow the midst of Heaven preaching the everlasting Gospel and the earth will be enlightned with his glory Hitherto onely some of Antichrists body hath been destroyed but then his Spirit will be confounded and destroyed It was the speech of Luther concerning King Harry the 8 th that he hated the body of Antichrist but loved and lived in his Spirit So there are many in these times who hate the body but love and live in the Spirit of the Whore The Spirit of the Whore is exalted in England and though few can see Spirits yet blessed be God there are some who have Eagles eyes and behold the Spirit of Christ and Antichrist combating upon the stage of England As blinde as I am who am not worthy to be accounted a spiritual Saint from Windsor Castle I descry and behold the Spirit of Babylon gotten upon the throne in England yea I behold a Beast risen in England with two horns like a Lamb but he speakes like a Dragon It was the speech of a Pope concerning an Archbishop of Canter bury That he was a Pope of another world Alterius orbis Papa Meaning of England I tell you the truth there is not onely a Pope of Rome but there is a Pope of another world but by faith I do behold his hornes dropped off And I pray to my God that that may happen unto him which befell the Caldean Lion Dan. 7.4 That his wings may be pluckt and he made to stand upon his feet and that a mans heart may be given unto him Oh that he might cease to be a beast and become a man If the Spirit of Antichrist be in the Pope and his Cardinals he is in this Beast and his Delegates The Lord Jesus hath set in his Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles then gifts of healing Helps Governments diversity of Tongues But this Beast by his Ecclesiastical Antichristian power hath set up Commissioners Patrons Parsons Vicars Curates and Lecturers The Lord Jesus doth make Ministers by the Unction of the Spirit But this Beast doth make Ministers by a Sealed Instrument The Lord Jesus hath appointed that his Ministers should live by the free contribution of the People But this Beast will
confess doth weigh in the ballane of truth yet this doth not prove that we ought to publish their sins by writing and therefore we would gladly hear what Scripture you have for the same Answer In case it appears that according to the nature of their sin and the capacity they stand in they cannot be rebuked before all but by publishing them by writing then we think it cannot be supposed but that it is our Gospel liberty so to do or otherwise as may most answer the end of the Scripture that their folly being manifest to all they may proceed no further else how came Pauls epistle about the Incestuous Person to be published surely none will Judge that the Apostle did write out of malice or revenge But further we desire more particularly that that Scripture in Isa 30.1 2. and 8. verses together with the Scriptures in the margent may be compared and it will appear that the sin of Israel in that day runs parallel as face answers to face in a glass with the sin of our day as if it were the very time he prophesied of In the first and second verses after he hath laid down their sin with the aggravations of it he is commanded in the eigh verse to write it in a table and note it in a book that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever And the sin of the Souldiers in this day seemes to run in a line with the sin of Israel in that day and without doubt the Propher by the Spirit of the Lord was directed to foresee our very day that what he then writ might be a word of Instruction for after ages For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning c. Rom. 5.4 Object The end of Pauls writing about the Incestuous person was not so much about publishing by writing the sin of such a person or persons in the like maner guilty but rather for direction unto the Churches how they ought to proceed against persons guilty of such gross sins Because a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump And for that Scripture in Isa though it be full unto the purpose for which it is urged yet we conceive he had an extraordinary command for it Also the Church of the Jews being National it was no more then a publishing their sin in the Church Answ We do grant as is laid down in the objection that one end of the Apostle was to give direction how brethren in Church relation guilty of grosse sins ought to be proceeded against yet this doth no ways weaken the other end the Apostle might have in leaving this Epistle upon record that if God may be glorified by it to publish by writing the sins of such persons for generations to come which being compared with that in the 30. of Isa aforementioned seemes unto us strongly to warrant such a practice And although it is urged in the Objection that what Isaiah writ was by an extraordinary Spirit and unto the Jews as a National Church So was all the Scripture writ with an extraordinary Spirit wherein are some things for our positive Rule and the rest as words of Instruction for the people of God in after ages that they might with that ordinary portion of the Spirit given forth unto them with the help of the Scripture be throughly furnished to every good work And for what is further urged That it was a Church Act they being a National Church That we conceive is a mistake or at least much shortning the scope of the Spirit thereby intended for in the 9. verse of that Chapter the Prophet is directed to write down their transgression not onely as a Church but as a Nation in these words This is a rebellious people there is their national state and in the next words lying Children there is their Church State so that we conceive this Scripture stands firm and unanswerable Object Was not Ham Noahs son reproved for uncovering his fathers nakedness though guilty of the sin of drunkennesse Gen. 9.22 And if they should be published this Scripture would reprove us for hath not Mr. Sympson been as a father unto us Answ Noahs sin was private committed in his cent Noahs sin was not Wilful but Ignorantly for he being the first that planted a vine as we read of was drunk with the wine not knowing the strength thereof Also Ham uncovered his fathers nakedness before fore he had humbly laid his evil before his father for else we conceive that if Noah had persevered to justifie himself after admonition once and again as the Souldiers and Mr. Sympson do and continue in their evil Ham would not then have been charged with uncovering his fathers nakednesse Now the sin of the Souldiers is a National sin in turning aside to the old Abominations after many out-goings of God to the pulling them down and solemn Declarations Ingagements and Promises to the Contrary And for Master Sympson We conceive that in publishing his Letters we rather cover then uncover him by holding forth to the view of all what and excellent Spirit was formerly in him for Christ and his Glory But further we meddle not neither in the Narrative preceding otherwise then in our proceeding against the Sonldiers he comes in as their Abettor Object Was not the sin of Judas in betraying Christ a publique sin yet we do not read that the Disciples ever made mention of him except it were in the choice of another Apostle to take his place and therefore we do conceive that although their sin be publique and they in a publique capacity yet it ought not to be published Answ This Objection seems unto us to have no weight in it in case it were so as you assert For Judas went and confessed his sin to the Chief Priests and Rulers and then destroyed himself as the just Judgment of God upon him for his great iniquity in Betraying our Lord Jesus And therefore not so needful to testifie against a person who was taken out of the world by so eminent a Judgment But yet we finde that as the Lord by his Spirit in his faithful ones hath Recorded and published the sins of Asa Jehu Hazael and other Rulers as also the sins of his own people in the old Testament So by the same Spirit hath the Disciples Recorded the sins of Judas in the New and to his perpetual infamy published him to the world as a covetous and treacherous person in betraying our Lord Jesus As also the sins of Demas and Alexander Likewise have the Apostles persevered in their ⋆ publique testimony against the Scribes and Pharises c. for continuing in and justifying of the sin of their forefathers in shedding of innocent blood And do not the Souldiers by their sin in upholding the Oppression Tyranny and Persecution of this day also justifie the former Oppressors Tyrants and Persecutors in their sin adding thereunto more and more to the