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A53263 The old leaven purged out, or, The apostacy of this day further opened being a true and faithfull narrative of the orderly prooceedings [sic] 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apostacy of this day, contrary to professed and declared principles, and the many out-goings of the Lord thereupon) are withdrawn and separated from, together with Mr.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 while 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 an answer to several objections that have been, or may be raised against printing and published 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 endeavor a recovering of the name of the Lord ... Hathorn, Humphrey. 1658 (1658) Wing O205; ESTC R32246 96,744 101

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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
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
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
maintain them in the injoyment of a maintenance which by the Mother of Harlots is inforced and compelled from the People Sweet Jesus open the eyes of the People of England that they may see themselves in the midst of Babylon Dear Brethren be not offended with the subject of this Letter I am bound as a Watchman to give you notice of the approching of the Beast and be not offended with my manner of expressing of my self It is best to speak of Christian and Antichristian things and persons in the language of the Scripture or Scripture like words What I write I write with a good conscience without doubting or wavering blessed be Jehovah for it and therefore receive it in love learn to love every truth of God if any of you be otherwise minded concerning this matter God shall reveal even this unto you in the mean while whereunto you have already attained walk by the same Rule of Christ and minde the same things Pray to God that he may keep you sound in the Faith which I hope you have received from Jesus Christ and take heed of those deceitful workers who overthrow the plain and simple gospel of Christ Do not hazard your own soules endamage the soules of others not encourage them by lending an ear unto their Sermons and discourses beware of familistical and notional wolves in sheeps clothing remember that victory over false Teachers is part of that victory which we have by Christ Ye are of God little Children and have overcome them John 4.4 Because greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world If any therefore come into your City and bring not the plain Doctrine of Faith according to Godliness bid them not God speed for he that biddeth them God speed is partaker of their evill deeds 2 John 10.11 Do not murther Soules by encouraging Soul-murtherers by hearing of them but beware lest being led away by the errour of the wicked you fall from your own stedfastness 2 Pet. 3.16.17 But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ To him be glory both now and for ever Amen Your Brother in the Spirit of Jesus John Sympson Windsor the 2. Moneth the 8 th day 1654. This is a true Coppy of the Originall examined by us Tho. Cary. John Clements Dear Brethren I Have thorow mercy a whole week together tasted the sweetness of God in close Imprisonment it is nothing to be alone if it be for many years together where there is a gracious presence of God he that with Enoch walketh with God can never be alone It was the speech of an heathen I am never less alone then when I am alone how much more may a Christian say who in truth can say Truly my fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Unless the New Courtiers did love me very well they would not deal with me as they do If they knew what an Advantage close Imprisonment were unto me That my Faith Joyes Hope Sanctification might arise higher my Father gave forth his Orders that the under Gaolers should keep me close Prisoner Father if thou wilt be so sweet in all thy dispensations to thy worthless and vile Creature though by grace thy Son it shall not be grievous unto me If it shall please thee to suffer them to deal more roughly and barbarously with me God is so sweet that I cannot but glory in Tribulations I have my wife and children about me while I am alone because my Jesus is with me My personal Communion is so sweet with God that were it not that I would not live onely to my self and my own comforts in glorifying God but do desire to be usefull unto others in glorifying God I should never desire more external Liberty God doth smile upon me yea that you may wax confident by my Imprisonment and not be ashamed of my reproach I must tell you the cause for which I suffer doth smile upon me Who am I that God hath so highly honoured me in thinking me worthy to suffer for Righteousnesse sake in bearing witness against the Covetousnesse Lies Perjuries Hypocrisies and Tyranicall Practises of Men I would not change my Imprisoned condition with the highest condition of my persecutors and oppressors How much is it better to be a persecuted Saint then a Persecutor The Lord will succour and relieve the oppressed but will break in pieces the oppressor I begin to be perswaded that there is some truth in the things which formerly I spake doubtfully of About at twelve moneth since in Martins fields I was transported into a Spirit beyond my own and in it the downfall of great O. was revealed unto me About the dissolution of the Parliament I saw great O. four severall Mornings Intellectually In the first he was hastily running towards a Crown In the second he sat in a Chair of State In the third he was presented with a part of Horns upon his head and in the fourth he was shamefully tumbled from his Pomp and Glory I have seen the three first come to pass and for the third I do now more fully understand it then ever I did His two Horns are his Tyrannical Power by which he doth push at and persecute the poor Saints and his Antichristian power by which in things Spiritual and Ecclesiastical he doth oppose Christ in his Royal Prerogatives as he is King of Saints and an appointer and ordainer of Preachers according to his own Laws I pitty the man in the place in which he is now seated If he were an Angel in his present place and feat he could not but be a persecutor of the Saints for he is one of the ten horns of the Beast which must make war with the Lamb but he shall overcome him for he is Lord of lords and King of kings and they that are with him are called chosen and faithful Rev. 17.14 I had an impulse of Spirit in which I was strongly carried to believe that that Bastardly Government in the setting up of which the mouthes of Gods enemies were opened to blaspheme should die and not live though in it self it might be good enough and too good for us unless we did walk more worthy of our mercies yet considering it as set up by them who declared so much for the Liberty of the free born people of England and the Interest of Christ it is a bastard begotten conceived in a night of Hypocrisie and brought forth in a day of bold faced impiety and the Lord will make a grave for it for it is vild I did apprehend that great O. was set up by God permissively by the Dragon voluntarily by himself ambitiously by the Army cowardly by willing Saints Trayterously and by unwilling Saints passively mournfully I do repeat these things that you may know I am confirmed not weakned in my perswasions that you may know what comfortable ground I have to wait for
shame of Profession not onely in this but other Nations also Wherefore it is much upon the hearts of some of us That if our Transactions in this kinde had not been published we should not have been able to free our selves from the guilt of the blood shed in the late Wars In regard we have hereby a price put into our hands and so are called to serve the Lord there with Object Notwithstanding what hath been spoken we are not satisfied as to the Printing and publishing of the said papers for it seemes to us to savour of vain-glory at the least and therefore were desire that 2 Sam. 1.20 concerning the death of Saul may be considered where David makes use of these words concerning him Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askelon lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoyce lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph Now if Sauls iniquity ought not to be published who had so foully backslidden from the Lord lest the enemies of the Lord should triumph then surely the Souldiers evil ought not to be published which we think doth not exceed Sauls though we are satisfied that the Lord is greatly dishonoured by them Answ For a right understanding of this Scripture and thereby a due answer unto this objection we desire that 1 Sam. 31.8 and 9 verses may be weighed Where it will appear that the Philistines the next day after the battel finding Saul among the slain of Israel out off his head and sent it into the Land of the Philistines round about to publish it in the house of their Idol Gods and among the people so that Sauls death was alreadly published all over the land of the Philistimes and therefore as it ought not so it needed not to be published by Israel for he had not sinned against the Philistines But the Souldiers have sinned not onely against the people of God but the whole Nation and in this wickedness keep the Nation under their oppressive power and not onely so but cover their evill to many Godly as well as Carnall men saying They have done no evil and therefore their iniquity ought to be published to undeceive the people and many gracious hearts who still follow them as some did Absolom that rebelled against David In the next place though Saul had back-slidden in a particular command about saving Agag alive and preserving the Cattell of the Amalekites to offer Sacrifice with yet still he fought the Lords battells and rul'd by the same Lams as before so that though his sin was known in the Nation where he dwelt yet it was not as we can read known to any other Nation for Israel held correspondency then with no Nation but were a distinct people separate from them all so that it would indeed have savoured of vain-glory to publish his evill to such But the Souldiers have ingaged to stand by the grand Apostate who hath sworn to maintain the body of the old Beastly Antichristian Laws contrary to the end of the Lord and his people in the late War and their own Declarations and Ingagement so solemnly made in the day of their straits Also they fight Antichrists battells and not the battell of our Lord Christ and so their sin exceeds Sauls and if they persist therein so also wil thei Judgement And therefore may and ought to be published within the bounds of our own Nation against whom they have sinned Moreover Saul was Gods anointed and therefore he was ingaged to stand by him against his enemies had he not back-slidden so that had they published his death it was in a manner to have disowned the Lords Anointed upon which account it was as we conceive that David mourned for him after his death as being the glory of Israel but we hope there is none will be so void of understanding as to make such a comparison between the Souldiers and Saul Adding hereunto also that Saul by his death as the just hand of the Lord upon him was removed from any further dishonouring of his Name by his Apostacy And so there needed no testifying against him which was not in being no more then against Judas after the just hand of the Lord had reached him for his inquity But the Souldiers have the Power of the Nation in their hands and stout it out against the Lord and his People persevering in their evil and adding more and more to the dishonor c reproach they have already brought to the name of the Lord by covering their iniquity under a Form of Godlinesse and therefore their iniquity ought to be published to unvaile their hypocrisie and discharge a good conscience by a sutable testimony against them FINIS [a] Rev. 15.2 [b] Rev. 15.4 [c] Rev. 18.10 11. [d] Rev. 16.5 compared with ch 19.2 [e] Isa 8.18 [f] 1 Cor. 5.6 [g] 1 Tim. 5.20 com with Deur 19 20. [h] 2 Tim 2.8 comp with Num. 16.3 12 13 14. [i] Mat 27.19 24. [k] Mat. 23.34 35. [l] Mat. 23.30 [m] Rev. 3.15 16. [n] Rev. 2.2 3 10. [o] Judg. 5.9 ●3 [p] 2 King 9.32 [q] Isa 26.6 comp with Jer. 49 20. [r] Isa 30.1 2. [s] Jer. 15.19 20 21. com with chap. 1.17 18 19. [t] 2 Cor. 6.14 Phil. 4.8 [u] 2 Cor. 7.2 [⋆] Isa 5.20 [x] 1 Sam. 17.29 [y] 2 Sam. 6.20 [z] Luk 11.43 [a] Prov. 29 26. [b] Rev. 1.9 [c] Mat. 25.23 comp with Luke 12 from 35 to 45. [d] Acts 11.22 23 24. [e] Acts 15.38 [f] Rev 31.10 [g] 2 Tim 2 19 com with Jude 23 [a] Isa 26.21 [b] Isa 33.14 comp with chap 4.4 5. [c] Isa 4.4.5 [d] Psal 149 4. Gal. 2.18 Rom 21.32 Rom. 2.3 Phil 4.8 Mic. 2.2 Zeph. 3.4 comp with Ezek. 22.27 Ezek. 46.18 Pro. 22.22 Zech. 7.10 Neh. 5. v. 9 to 14. Iam. 2.6 2 Chron. 36.16 Matt. 23.30 31 34. 2 Chro. 19.2 Esther did otherwise chap. 8.3 5. com with chap. 7.3 4 6. yea she desired that the ren sons of Haman the persecutor might be hanged also Esth 9.13 Luk. 11.23 Mic. 6.16 2. King 10.29 30 31 32. Isa 29.13 14. com with Matt. 15.8 9. Lam. 2.15 16. Rom. 2.23 24. com with Isa 52 5.6 Psa 79.4 Dan. 9.16.2 Sam. 12 14 2 King 19 3 Jam. 2 7 Psa 69 9. Ezck. 13.22 Isa 10.1 ⋆ This also was by Kelzeys Order ⋆ To wit the time allowed them to look after their own occasions Matth. 18.19 20. Jam 1.5 chap. 5.16 Mal. 3.16 Luk. 24.14 15 17 32. Matt. 18.7 Rom. 16.17 1 Cor. 13.6 Matt. 18.16 17. [g] Gal. 5.13 ⋆ Brethren of the other part of the Congregation ⋆ The man in Powerbid Mr. Jessey others call him Iugler if tythes were not taken away by the third of Septem 1654. ⋆ Mal 18 16 ⋆ It being as he said so great a case of Conscience And which indeed is so to us [q] Isa 64.5 ⋆ Viz pag 38. of this Book [s] Those two Admonitions are contained in our first second paper delivered in unto them ⋆ Note ⋆ Captain Harrison kept Master Sympson Major Strange kept Major Generall Harrisou ⋆ To wit Mr Ecak at that time a Prisoner there for the same cause of Christ with him ⋆ The Man in Power judged the Ministry of England stood upon a Popish Bottom and none to be Christs Ministers but those who had received the Spirit for that use See his speech to little Parliament in Looking-glass Pag. 60. Note Note ⋆ The Man in Power was of this minde also See his Speech to Little Parliament Looking-glass p. 62. ⋆ Note ⋆ Note ⋆ Note Note ⋆ Note ⋆ Note Note Note Note ⋆ Note ⋆ Note Note ⋆ Note who doth so now VVho doth so now Note Note ⋆ Note Note Who is a Lecturer now Note ⋆ Note Note ⋆ Is not Kelzye Strange Harrison Ducker Sumner whom we have charged with this And others the willing Traytors according to his own words ⋆ Among other Scriprures see 2 Kings 21.11 12. Jer 15.4 Hos 1.4 (c) Mar. 27.19 24 (d) As by their Declarations doth appear ⋆ Isa 31.1 Hos 8.3 4 Hab. 2.6 9 15. Amos 6.1 3 4 5 12 13. Hos 5.7 Isa 19.15 21. Isa 30.9 10 11 12 16. 2 Chr. 36.16 Mat. 2.24 48 49. ⋆ The Judgements against Judah were written in a Roll and published in the Lords house and abroad to the people And their fins likewise the cause of those Judgements were there with declared see Jer. 36.2 4 6 28 31 32 comp with chap. 35.13.15 17. ⋆ Gen. 9.21 22. ⋆ Matth. 26.15 16 25 47 48 49. Mark 14.10 11 43 44 45. Luke 6.16 Chap. 22.47 48. John 18.2 3. 2 Tim. 4.10 14. ⋆ Acts 7.51 52. ⋆ Rev 17.13 14. compared Jer. 51.56 57. ⋆ 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5.