is this to take vpon you to dispence with the false administrations in the ordinances of Christ thus do you runne into darke places whilst you forsake the lanterne that should light your pathes which light of truth teacheth you and all men that the baptisme of Christ is the Baptisme of amendement of life for the remission off sinnes Mark 1.4 And our Saviour Christ saith Except a man bee borne off water and off the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Iohn 3. and Heb. 10.22 Let vs draw neare with a true hart in assurance of faith our harts being pure from an evill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water Here is the true Baptisme set downe which is the Baptisme off amendement off life for the remission off sinnes And here is the true matter where with men must bee washed which is water and the Holie Ghost that is pure from an evill conscience and washed with water Therefore can you not devide the water and the spirit in this Baptisme Christ hath ioyned them together and he that denies washing or is not washed with the spirit is not baptized and hee that denies washing or is not washed with water is not Baptized because wee see the Baptisme of Christ is to bee washed with water and the Holie Ghost And to take away a subtile exception if a man bee in prison or anie place and bee coÌ„verted to the lord aÌ„d would be baptized with water but cannot he is accepted with God who accepts the will for the deed 2. Cor. 8.12 and herein is the Lords mercie equal with his iustice for if a mans hart consent to evil he is giâ—â—ie before the Lord although he do it not Mat. 5.27.28 Thus much to discover the great deceitfullnes off your waie in the first respect of your false distinction wherein you would prove onelie the essential matter water and washing with water and words he essential forme Wee passe by your forme of words because wee thinke you wil not stand vpon it in that you see there is no certen forme of words held Act. 10 48. and 19.5 And take this with you to consider of that if there were anie truth in your distinction and respect then were anie washing with water with those words the true matter and forme of Christs Baptisme and so if one Child baptized another with water and those words it is true baptisme in that respect and let that Child come aÌ„d ioyne to you ad you can make it good in al respects Passe not these things over as you have done for you are not able to answere them with anie true vnderstanding from Gods word and so wee come to your second respect Secondly you say baptisme is to be considered clothed with such appurtenances as wherewith the Lord hath appointed it to bee administred as for example a lawful person by whome a right subiect vpon which a true Comunion wherein it is to bee administred dispenced in which regard you say you do not approve it to bee true Baptisme either in Rome or England If darkest error did not possesse your hart you could never have written such thinges but that wee knowe your stifnes in your false waies wee should pittie to point out your palpable ignorance in these thinges did ever man of anie vnderstanding in religion write thus You are lighter then vanitie herein Will anie man that hath anie knowledg of God bee so blind as not to see how the spirit of error doth lead you to iustifie that a baptisme where there is neither the spirit off God lawful minister right subiect nor true comunioÌ„ is the true baptisme and ordinance of Christ in the essential parts thereof Hath the like ignorance appeared in these daies esspecially amongst men that will â—rie out for proofe by Scripture in all things If this your ground were true then a Turk baptizing a Turk with water and those words in anie assemblie whatsoever is the true Baptisme of Christ in the essential parts thereof see what rocks you runne vpon whilst you forsake the waie of truth it may now appeare no marvil though you would have baptisme to bee nakedlie considered you have made a most naked baptisme and ordinance of Christ of it First where there is no spirit of God no lawful minister no right partie to bee baptized no true comunion it may wil be called a naked baptisme and you a naked man of al grace and godlie vnderstanding to maintaine it for a true baptisme and ordinance of Christ in anie respect If al this wil not serve to convince you wee will yet smite you with the rod of froÌ„ aÌ„d breake you like the potters vessel in this point You professe and acknowledg that Baptisme comes in the fâ—ead off Circumcision then let all men iudg whether if Circumcision being administred by an vnlawfull person vpon no right subiect and in no true Comunion could ever have beene approved for the true ordinance of God in the essential causes thereoff and whether one so Circumcised could vpon anie conditioÌ„s have bene admitted to the passover you wil we hope be destitute of al devices to aÌ„swere this al those that are anie waie indifferent betwixt you and vs wil see your great error herein that iff a Babilonian had circumcised a Babilonian in their babilonish assemblies that Circumcision had not bene in anie respect the Ordinance of God and such a one could vpon no condition have bene admitted to the passover by that Circumcision Now to shew that you hold England Babilon in your booke throughout it appeares but wee especiallie hold you to these Pag. 277. and 338. where you affirme that Rome and England were never within the covenant of God as Iudah was So have you debarred your selff from bringing your circumcision and so your baptisme from Apostate Israel and therefore you must hold your selfe to this to prove circumcision administred in BabiloÌ„ by an vnlawful person vpon a wronge subiect and in no true Comunion you must prove such a circumcision the Ordinance of God in anie respect aÌ„d that one so circumcised might bee admitted to the passover prove this and wee will confesse that your skill is above all mens herein and Ezra and Nehemiah shall bee reproved off you for causing the people to put away the Children that were borne off the straing Wives in Babilon Ezra 10.3 Nehem. 13.23.24.25 Off whome if you make question whether they were circumcised you cavell without cullor for then had the Israelites bene giltie of the breach of the Lords covenant whereby they were commaunded to circumcise all their males in their houshould But wee will leave you to prove your Babilonian Circumcision to bee in anie respect the Ordinance off God and prove it by Scripture and by sound reasoning from the ground off Scripture and not by Lodgick and Naturall Philosophie shewing things in nature to bee true which will not in Spirit bee proved true And thus do you deceive
wherein you are by great and marvelous signes and wonders as the spirit of God hath declared Revel 15. and 16. Chap. by the seaven Angels which powre out the seaven vialls of the wrath of God vpon the Earth But you must knowe that this is a spirituall Prophisie and al these are spiritual signes and wonders which the lord hath graciouslie promissed to shew vpon Babilon Egipt and Sodom spirituallie so called to the destruction and everlasting overthrowe of the Scarlet cullored Beast and the Woman that sits vpon him which woman is that great Citie Babilon and vpon all the people that come not furth at the call of his voice Revel 17.18 Chap. But take heed you bee not deceived by lookeing for their things with carnal eies as the Iewes did who looked for an earthlie King to deliver them so that whē their spiritual king came they knewe him not but hated him dispised him persecuted him killed him and cast him out and so remaine in transgression and vnder condemnatiō vnto this day by the iust iudgment of God Take heed least you do so in sueing after and seeking by earthlie meanes to be delivered out of your spiritual bondage and when the spirituall meanes and way is shewed you you contemne it dispise it hate it persecute it speake al manner of evil against it oppose it reiect it and condemne it and so remaine stil in your transgression and vnder the condemnatiō of the iust iudgment of God which the Lord hath pronounced against all those that come not furth of Babilon partaking thereby with hir in hir sinnes and so shal be made pertakers of hir plagues which plagues you cannot escape if you come not furth but beleeve those false Prophets that prophesie lyes vnto you Be not deceived by your good intents ād meanings and good desires whereof you are full Nor by your great affections of zeale wherewith you abound above al people that we knowe or have heard of that have anie knowledg of the Gospel wee speake not of the ignorant zealous Papists that go before you and all the earth that knowe the name of Iesus in these things which makes them thinke their estates most happie Take you heed least you bee also still hereby deceived Wee confesse these are excellent things if knowledg and faith go with them Furthermore your obedience vnto the second and great comaundement which is Love thy neighbour as thy self and al the particuler dueties thereof as Honor Parents do not comit adultery Kil steale beare false witnesse Covet nothinge that is thy neighbours In these excellent duties verie manie of you greatly abound and wee cannot but with great affections looke vpon you and love you for them yet knowe that manie Papists are nothinge behind you in these thinges Therefore let not these things deceive you as though you had all things because you have these You see it testified by our Saviour Christ that a man may have or do all these things and yet not follow Christ as is shewed in the example of that excellent Ruler whome Christ looked vpon and loved for those excellent things in him Mark 10.21 And therefore please not your selves so much in those things although wee acknowledg they are worthie of great comendations in you and our soules are much affected to you for them But iff you followe not Christ in the regeneration that is if you bee not borne againe of water of the Spirit so enter into the Kingdome off Heaven all is nothinge as you see by the example of this Ruler And Cornelius Act. 10. If he had not bene baptized with the holy ghost and with Water for all his praiers and almes he had not nor could not have entred into the Kingdome off Heaven Thus entered all the people off God of whose entrance the Scriptures give testimonie either by rule or example and therefore if there bee anie other entrance found out it is not nor cannot bee of God this onelie is the doore which Iesus Christ hath set open for all to enter in at that enter into his Kingdome Iohn 3.5 and the Lord sanctifie al your harts with grace that you may enter in thereby For no other way off salvation hath Christ appointed but that mē first beleeve and bee Baptized Mark 16.16 Thus have wee freely spoken the truth vnto you from our harts suspect vs not of the least contempt or dispite iff wee seene sharpe There are multitudes of you of that Puritane profession so called that knowe our love is most true and vnfained to you all and that wee cannot but love and reverence you and therefore wee cannot but the more seeke your reformation wish it and pray for it and wee will not give the Lord rest therein vntill hee heare vs that wee may see your salvation accomplished THe next false profession off Christ and false Prophets amongst you that wee will by Gods assistance speake of is that false profession and those false Prophets which are vsually called Brownists you are they that say you are Iewes but are none and have made your selves a name to bee the Seperation and are falsly so called but are not as through the helpe of our God we shal make it plaine by the Word of the Lord both to your owne consciences if you wil not alwaies resist the truth and also to the consciences of al others And this we will do by those grounds of truth which you acknowledg which you must be forced either to forsake or els be cōvinced by them And the first ground is this in your Booke called the Apologies the first part of your third position stands thus set downe A true visible Church is a Companie of people called and seperated from the world by the word of God and ioyned together by voluntary profession of the faith of Christ in the fellowship of the Gospel And by this meanes that is by the word of God and by thus doeing that is seperating themselves from the world and ioyning together say you they are become a true visible Church Now to come to a full discoverie off your false profession off Christ Let it be observed that you confesse you were off the World before you seperated Which when you were then were you Enimies vnto Christ for Christ testifieth the World hates him Iohn 7.7 Then were you none off Christs for those that are Christs or off Christ are not of the world Ioh. 17 1◠and now to be come Christs you say you are called and seperated from the World by the word of God and ioined together by voluntarie profession of the faith of Christ in the fellowship of the Gospel This is your constitution wherein you have erred as may plainlie appeare for when you were called and as you say seperated you should have ioined to Christ and have entred into his Kingdome which seing you have not done you are not seperated from the world nor have no fellowship in the Gospel Wee confesse the
naturall men and your selfe as in this point in hand because with your carnall eies and eares you see and heare water and washing with such words to bee vsed in the administration off the Lords Baptisme therefore you according to your naturall vnderstanding iudg these thinges to bee the essentiall causes of spirituall Baptisme and teach simple soules that these things being once truely done they are not to bee repeated or done againe when they are whollie natural actions and prophanelie done as you confesse and therefore can in no respect be said to be the Baptisme off Christ which is whollie a spirituall action aÌ„d ought holilie to be performed and done Thus do you make the ignorant beleeve that you can put the spirit off grace into naturall actions formerlie prophanelie done and make the same actions Spirituall and acceptable to God Thus do you make Mid-wives baptisme good and the holie ordinance of God in the essential causes so can you make al the prophane praiers and sermons in playes which are vsuall holie and good actions and the Ordinances of God This then is your rule denie it if you can everie washing with water into the name off the Father etc. is the true Baptisme and Ordinance of Christ in the essential causes thereof by whome soever administred and vpoÌ„ what person or thinge soever This may bee good in lodgick and Philosophie but this is blasphemous cursed doctrine in divinitie and woe are wee for you that ever such abhominations should bee vttered by you wee are a shamed to follow you in the perticuler application of these things which if they should be vrged to the ful it would make everie hart that had anie grace and knowes you tremble and greive for you This hath your Lodgick and Philosophie brought you to whereby you have confounded manie a simple hart and weake vnderstanding and whereby you thinke you have a Privilege to vnderstand the meaning off God in the Scriptures before them that are ignorant of these Arts But now hath the Lord confounded you in them glorie to be his Name and the Lord give you a hart to acknowledg it and to repent and denie your selfe and give glorie to God Wee will omit to speake off your vnproper speach saying that Baptisme must be clothed with a right person vpon whome it must be administred Thus to make your maâ—ters to agree you speake preposterous things for the party must put on and bee clothed with baptisme and not baptisme bee clothed with the partie The next thinge that by the helpe of our God wee will endeavor to discover you to bee a false Prophet and a deceaver in is in a stronge ground you have wherevpon you much relie and often repeat it in your booke and that is this You say Baptisme is the vessel off the Lord as when the house of the Lord was destroyed the vessels thereof together with the people were caried into Babilon they remained stil the vessels off the Lords house in nature right though prophaned by Belshazzar and made quaffing bowles being brought againe out of Babilon to the house of the lord were not to bee new cast but being purified might againe be vsed to holie vse So this holie vessel Baptisme though prophaned in Babilon being brought againe to the house of the Lord remaines stil the holie vessell off the Lord. This is a strong doctrine from example both with you and al the rest of the false Prophets off your profession and no marvil though you deceive greatlie hereby because the doctrine and example is good but most deceitfullie misaplyed of you for you preteÌ„d hereby as though your baptisme were brought from the house of the Lord as the holie vessels were will you iff there bee anie vprightnes in you shew how and from what house of the Lord your holie vessel of baptisme was brought you shew vs plainlie from whence you have brought it againe out of Babilon that is England But out of what house of God came it before it came into Babilon that is England that is not shewed how deceitfully do you faine these things These are the imaginations off your owne vaine harts far have anie of you brought your Baptisme from the house of the Lord into England have you anie other roote or foundation for your baptisme then England do not all men knowe that your vessel off Baptisme was composed formed framed and made there How shal anie man bee able to open his mouth to denie this Why then your holie vessel falflie so called was made in Babilon Thus are you found false dissemblers to say and faine that your baptisme is a vessel brought out of the house of the Lord into Babilon as the vessels of the Temple were wheÌ„ it is most evident that it was molded and made in the Church of England which you confesse is Babilon Mr. Rob. had not you and al your Congregation the true matter as you cal it and true forme of your baptisme in England and was it not administred vpon you al in the assemblies of England then was your vessel off baptisme made there see your deceit herein if there bee anie grace or vnderstanding in you How have you blinded the eies of the simple herein and how hath Sathan seduced you and your owne hart deceived you Now the Lord Iesus give you a hart to repent and in the name of the Lord wee beseech you repent for you have bene and are a malicious adversarie of Gods truth and you lead manie soules in the way to destructioÌ„ The lord for his Christs sake deliver you out of these and all the snares â—f Sathan and the Lord deliver his people out of the net wherein you have like a cuning fowler taken theÌ„ and overthrowne them And wee pray you that you wil with patience suffer vs to shew you how you are al deceived in this point in saying baptisme is the vessel off the Lords house and brought from thence and so applie it to your owne baptisme which you may see iff you do not both winck and cover your eies never came out of the house of the Lord except you wil say The Church of England is the house of the Lord which wee hope the Lords word hath convinced to al your consciences that it is not therefore your baptisme can not be the vessel of the Ls. house but it is the true doctrine or Ordinance of baptisme that may bee said or called by way of comparison the vessel of the Lords house and this we and al must needs confesse is the vessel of the Lords house whether soever it is carried either to Rome or England and though it be polluted and prophaned there as both it and manie other doctrines and ordinances of the Lord are yet being purged from those errors aÌ„d abuses wherewith both they and you have and do pollute theÌ„ they may aÌ„d ought to bee brought into the house of the Lord againe and remaine holie vessels
Baptize no infants but such infants as were Babes in Christ such as are begotten by the imortall seed of the word and it would discover vnto you your carnal ignorance and blindnes in holding that Isralites beget Isralit snow as vnder the law or that Christians beget Christians by generation which hath brought in such madnes amongst men as the Brownists hold aÌ„d professe â—hat no infants that dye are vnder the Covenant of grace and salvation but such as they beget Thus do they onelie beget infants that are heires off salvation and al this and much more evil comes vpon makeing the new Covenant like the old and so make them both carnal which you doe herein in holding that parents begett Children to bee vnder the Spirituall Covenant by carnal generation But because some through the great weaknes off their judgment and vnderstanding cannot see the old Covenant to bee a carnal Covenant wee wil in short yet further endeavour to shewe how it is a carnall or worldlie Covenant First it was a carnal CovenaÌ„t in that al the promisses that God made to Abraham in that Covenant of Circumcision were of worldlie thinges as wee may see Gen. 17.5.6.7 where the Lord saith I will make thee exceeding fruitful I wil make Nations of thee yea Kings shal proceed off theâ—e and I wil give thee and thy seed after the all the Land off Canaan for an everlasting possession Here is this whâ—le Covenant of circumcision which God makes wherein there is no promisse but of worldlie thinges Secondlie in this Covenant of circumcision the lord requires a carnal obedience that is Let every man Child bee circumcised in the foreskinne of the Flesh. Thirdlie the judgment for the breatch of this Covenant is a worldlie iudgment vers 14. The vncircumcised man-child in whose Flesh the fore-skinne is not circumcised that person shal bee cut of from his People because he hath broken my Covenant Add moreover vers 13. Where the Lord saith This is my Covenant in your Flesh. Who wil bee so blind as not to see that this is a carnal Covenant Wiâ— men bee so void off all vnderstanding as to say that God makes a Spirituall Covenant with a people in their Flesh though men have bene so ignorant let them not be so ignorante stil After the like manner as hath bene spoken off the Covenant may bee spoken of the Tabernacle Preisthood and al those services and carnall rites in all which Covenant and worldlie ordinances their is no promisse of salvation for the keeping of them nor cannot be because they make not holie concerning the conscience Heb. 9.9 Neither sanctifie they the commers therevnto Chap. 10.1 Nor there is no judgment of condemnation pronounced against anie although they should presumpteouslie breake thine but bodilie death Num. 15.30 Heb. 13.28 etc. yet through repentance such might bee saved But now vnder the new Covenant which is spiritual there is promisse of salvation to them that keepe it For he that beleeves and is Baptised shal bee saved And there is condemnatioÌ„ pronounced against them that kepe it not he that wil not beleeve shal bee damned and he thaâ— sinneth presumpteouslie or willinglie of knowledg against this Covenant or anie of the ordinances thereof shal never bee forgiven Heb. 20.19 Thus may all see that wil not winck with their eies that the new Covenant is not likt the old But is a Covenant established vpon better promisses and that the first Covenant is established vpon Worldlie or Earthlie promisses But the new Covenant is established vpon spiritual or heavenlie promisses even of life and salsalvation The difference of these two Covenants being with a spiritual eie discerned it wil easilie overthrowe that most false and vnproper consequence which is drawne from the old Covenant to the new for the Baptizing of infants which consequence iff it were rightlie laid downe the darknes of it would easilie appeare as thus Vnder the old Covenant infants were circumcised in the flesh so vnder the new Covenant infants must be Baptized in the flesh what ignorance is this What wine of Fornication That hath made drunck al Nations there is no such Baptisme in the new Testament as Baptisme in the Flesh God forbid that men should remaine still so ignorant as to thinke that Christ Iesus in his heavenlie Kingdome and new Covenant hath established anie carnal rite or Ceremonial Ordinance the handwriting whereoff he hath put out and abolished Col. 2.14 And therefore the Baptisme of the new Testament must needs be a spiritual baptisme of water the spirit Ioh. 3.5 with which baptisme infants cannot be Baptized so is it great wickednes and a propâ—anation of the holie and divine ordinance off God to vse such administration vpon infants makeing hereby the ordinance of God of no effect there being no benifit or advantage end or vse of it for you wil al confesse that al infants must be regenerate and borne againe or els they cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven and our Saviour Christ the Saviour of vs al saith that they that are borne againe must be borne of water and the Spirit To what end then is the Baptizing of infants they not being regenerate thereby Furthermore you frame your consequence with these words as infants were sealed with the seale of the Covenant vnder the law so they must bee sealed with the seale of the Covenant vnder the Gospel Wee demaund of you is washing with water a seale If it bee a seale it is a seale in the Flesh where then is the print or impression thereof It hath none therefore it can bee no seale Oh how blindlie are the wisemen of the world carried away in these thinges contrary to al vnderstanding to bee brought to ymagine that washing an infant with water is a seale are not these vaine inventions without ground of Scripture reason or common sence Can you walke thus and thinke to please God Will God bee pleased with you when you walke in those waies that best please your owne mynds Bee not deceived God will not hold you gilties for thus vsing his name and Ordinance in vaine If you will examine the new Testament throughout you shall find no seale nor none sealed but they that beleeve who are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promisse Ephes 1.13 By which Holy Spirit wee are all Baptized into one body 1. Cor. 12.13 And there is but one Spirit one Baptisme and one body Ephes 4.4.5 Which holy seale of the Spirit seeing infants cannot have they cannot bee Baptized with that one Baptisme into that one body so is your consequeÌ„ce for the baptizing of infants directly contrary to the CovenaÌ„t and ordinance of God the Covenant of the lord being that they which beleeve are baptized shal be saved and the ordinance being the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sinnes To conclude this point with a ground that al who have anie knowledg of the word of God will confesse which is
weeke which are three daies and a half Iohn saith Revela 11. The two witnesses the Word and Spirit off Truth lye killed in the streets three daies and a half And Reve. 12. The Woman which is the Kingdome of Christ the heavenly Ierusalem the mother of al the faithful Gal. 4. fleies into the wildernes for a time times and half a time which may with good warraÌ„t according to these prophesies be expounded to a day two daies aÌ„d a half Thus then we coÌ„clude The true sacrifices and oblations of the people of God The word and spirit And the Heavenly Ierusalem the spowse of Christ Ceasing speing dead in the streetes and being fleed into the wildernes it must needes followe that there was an vtter desolation off all the holy thinges and of all the meanes of salvation For further confirmation of this see the wordes of Thapostle 2. Thes 2.3 speaking of the last day where he saith That day shal not come except there come a departing first It were much weaknes in anie to thinke that this is not spoken of a general departing in that there were manie particuler departings in Thappostle times But here he speakes of a departing from the truth and an exalting of an adversarie the man of sinne to sit in the Temple of God as God shewing himselfe that he is God whome the Lord shal consume with the spirit of his mouth abolish with the brightnes of his cominge These wordes shewe to the vnderstanding of the most simple that there is an vtter departing in that there must bee a comeing againe for the abolishing of this wicked man And here may bee discovered by the way the damnable heresie of those men which are twice dead and plucked vp by the rootes and those are they which are fallen from grace which were once dead and have beene quickned by the word and Spirit of God aÌ„d are dead againe which now hold aÌ„d say that the man of sinne sitts and rules in the Church off Christ In this place it is shewed that the spirit of the Lords mouth consumes the man of sinne and the brightnes of Christs coming abolisheth him Now wee confesse if there can bee a Church of Christ where the spirit of the Lords mouth is not and where his brightnes shineth not in such a church the maÌ„ of sinn may sit and rule as God and these men are onely fitt subjects for such a Kingdome but let the children off God learne to knowe and professe that in the Church of Christ there is the spirit of the Lords moueth and his shininge brightnes which consumes and vtterly abolisheth the man of sinne and therefore they cannot both cule in one house Now for the bare words about which they contend thus much wee say not to them but to such as may bee in danger to be seduced by theÌ„ These are the words Thappostle speaking of the man of sinne who exalteth himselfe against al that is called God or that is worshipped saith thus So that he doth sitt as God in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God Now as it is said he sits as God shewing himselfe that he is God even so doth he sitt as in the Temple of God shewing it to be the Temple of God This exposition is agreable to the ground of the scriptures and according to the proportion of faith for the scriptures teach vs every where and wee beleeve that Christ is the head of his Church And he walkes in the midst of the seaveÌ„ goldeÌ„ câ—ndlestickes he sits in his church being God aÌ„d the maÌ„ of sinne caÌ„not sit with God as God in the teÌ„ple of God Therefore we say vnto these meÌ„ as our saviour Christ said vnto Sathan hence from vs. It is written 2. Cor. 9.15.16 What concord hath Christ with Belial And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols etc. and 1. Cor. 10.21 Ye cannot drinck the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devils yee cannot bee pertakers of the table of the Lord and the tâ—ble of Devils But seeing these men can find no better a pretence to followe and to helpe to heale the deadly wound of the head of the Beast then by pretâ—ding that they have found him sitting in the Temple off God they looking with the same eie may find also in the same place that he sheweth himselfe that he is God and if they wil abide by the letter of the Scripture herein likewise then have they found a new temple and a new God most fitting for them because that their Temple and God and they shall all perish together wee meane those onely that have bene enlightned with this truth that Christ and the man of sinne cannot rule and reigne or dwel together in one house aÌ„d now have they found as they most blasphemouâ—â—y affirme Christ and the man of sinne exalted both in one Temple In al this we have not digressed from the matter in haÌ„d in that we have shewed that by the departing the man of sinne was exalted aÌ„d therefore the departing was general and the maÌ„ of sinne his exaltation general as doth further appeare by the words of Daniel 9.27 where he saith speaking of the sacrifices for the overspreading of the abhominations he shall make it desolate Answerable to this prophesie is that prophesie in the booke of the Revel 13.7 where it is writteÌ„ it was giveÌ„ vnto him speaking of the Beast that had 7. heades and 10. hornes to make warr with the Saâ—cts to overcome them power was given him over every kindred tongue nation Who can deny but this is general eveÌ„ a general desolatioÌ„ wheÌ„ the Sainctes are overcome And wheÌ„ al that dwel vpoÌ„ the earth as followeth vers 8. Shal worship the Beast All our perticuler knowledg of the fulfilling of this prophesie wil make it more evideÌ„t And who doth not knowe and see that this prophesie is fulfilled in that Romish misterie of iniquitie who yet sits vpon manie waters with whome have comitted fornication the Kinges of the Earth the inhabitants of the earth are dranken with the Wine of hir fornication Revel 17.2 Wee doubt not but manie will agree with vs in this vnderstanding and wee that wish vnfainedly the salvation of al and that they would come to the knowledg of the truth do earnestly desire that those that are over-whelmed in this misterie of iniquitie and vnder the power of this deceaveablenes of vnrighteousnes would but consider which way it can bee avoided but that this prophesie is fulfilled in that great exaltatioÌ„ of the man of sinne in that Romish profession and if they would come out to the Scriptures and perticulerly vnto this booke of the Revel they should be forced either to deny the prophesies of this booke to bee true or els they must needes yeild that they are fullfilled in that their profession for how shal they bee able to point our vpon the face of the whole earth
any one part of this prophesie fulfilled but it shal be found in and from them For which way should they go about to shewe the man of sinn being the misterie off iniquitie in the deceaveablenes of vnrighteousnes to bee exalted sitting as God and as in the Temple off God Sitting vpon â—eaveÌ„ Kinges ten Kings giveing their power therevnto if these prophesies be not fulfilled in that their Romish profession then is it not nor ever was it begun nor fulfilled in anie false professioÌ„ of Christ vpon the earth which cannot be because we see here thapostle to the Thes saith The misterie of iniquitie doth already worke And in that this prophesie of Christ also is come to passe Mat. 24. where he saith Manie wil come in my name saieing loe here is Christ c. this proves that the abhomination of defolatioÌ„ is set vp already in the high places The prophesie then being fulfilled it must needs be fulfilled according to the due proportion thereof in exaltation and power which must of necessitie be in that Romish Church as if they were not altogether blind they might see by lookeing vpon that Church at Rome which Thapostle Paul writ vnto And by compareing that Church in Rome and this Church of Rome together they shal see a straing exaltation of power and pompe such as there is no prophesie of Scripture for to bee in the Church of Christ A spiritual power setting vp a Pope or Bishop by vertue of his Office with a Triple Crowne Kinges and Princes bowing to him and serveing him and by vertue off his Office carrieing a bloody sworde and his hands ful of blood this is part of his outward pompe and power Also bearing spiritual names of blasphemie as to bee head of the Church and Bishop of the vniversal flock taking vpon him to have power to cast soule and bodie to hel and to send to heaven whome he wil to make spirituall lawes and decrees what he will and to bind mens Consciences to the obedience thereof If this bee not he that sits as God shewing himself to bee God If this bee not the abhommation of desolation set vp where it ought not to bee where should it befound Can the earth afford a greater exaltation of the man of sinne then this and doth it not reach from hel to heaven what hart would not tremble to see and heare of such high blasphemie and sinne against God If it were not the Lord of hostes that shal judg these thinges there could not judgmeÌ„ts great enough hee found but these sinnes of highest pride towards God and greatest crueltie towards his Sainctes shall go vp into heaven and God shall remember al these iniquities and reward the duble whereat although the spirit of God bidds the heavens rejoyce the holy Apostles Prophets because God hath punished revenged for their sakes Revel 18.20 Yet who can but with compassionate hartes lament to see so manie soules perish dayly and continually vnder this destruction For al the soules vpon the earth that exalt give power and submit themselves to this Man of sinne and so dye they perish to everlasting destruction although they do it ignorantly A hard doctrine wil this seeme to the most But the moueth of the Lord hath spoken it Thappostle in this place of 2. Thes 2. proves it without al contradiction where it is said vers 10. That the man of sinne his comeing is in all deceaveablenes of vnrighteousnes amonge them that perish First then here is proved that the misterie of iniquitie prevailes by deceaveablenes now men are deceived by being ignorant of the deceipt and they that are thus deceived through ignorance are they that perish for saith Thappostle this deceiveablenes is effectual or prevailes amonge them that perish and vers 12. That all they might bee damned which beleeve not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnes speaking of this deceiveablenes of vnrighteousnes by the man of sinne For further proofe thereof take the voice from heaven Revel 18.4 which saith Go out of her my people that ye bee not parraker of hir sinnes that ye receive not of hir plagues Here is no exception ignorant or not ignorant if they come not furth at the voice of the Lords cal but stil remaine and abide there they shal surely bee partaker of hir plagues hir plagues come at one day they are death sorrowe famine burning with fire in one houre shal she bee made desolate vers 8. and 19. Whose soule would not mourne to heare of so manie great Princes States and people abroad and to see Nobilitie Gentrie and people at home perish and ready to perish daylie vnder this so great and swift destruction it were to be wished that al good and holy meanes were vsed for their information and instruction herein with love and meekenes by the sword of the spirit which sword onely is to bee vsed to compel meÌ„s consciences to submit to the truth that is the spirit of the Lords moueth whereby he will consume the man of sinne Aff by this wee have said wee can neither perswade them to bee carefull of their owne estates which is fearefull nor perswade anie other to bee more careful of them and more compassionate of their estates yet thus much have wee gained towards the cause in hand that it being proved that the misterie of iniquitie and the abhomination of desolation is exalted to the highest in that Romish profession then wee doubt not but it wil be yeilded that all Nations acknowledging Christ have bene overspred aÌ„d vnder the power of that Romish profession and so are al these prophesies fulfilled in our eies which have beene produced to prove that there hath beene an vtter desolation of Christes power and authoritie and the power and authoritie of the man of sinne exalted and it hath also bene proved that all that submit themselves to that power of the man of sinne do and must perish except they repent Therefore according to our first words wee exhort al peoples and nations and tongues to take heed and beware least they be vnder the woes of everlasting destruction prophesied of in this booke of the Revel and they themselves be not aware thereof And seing it is proved that al peoples and nations and tongues have bene vnder it let them that thinke they are come furth looke how they are come furth least they be deceived or least comeing furth they have booked back againe to whome our Saviour Christ saith Luk. 17.32 Remember Lots wife Wee doubt not but wee shal have the ready consent of divers natioÌ„s and peoples to approve of our vnderstandings and application of this prophesie of the exaltation of the man of sinne to bee fulfilled in the Sea of Rome and wee need to make no question but therein wee are of one judgment in the truth for it is vnpossible that the hare of man should device a misterie of iniquitie or deceaveablenes
offending but therein is infirmity in vs and no faithfulnes to God nor them The wise King that knew right well the power and aucthoritie of a King adviseth not to stand in an evill thinge before the King for he will do what soever pleaseth him Eccle. 8.3 But in a good cause why should wee feare to stand before Kings seeing their thrones are established by justice Pro. 16.12 Our cause then being good for it is the cause of God as all shall confesse Thus much is it that wee do in all reverend humility beseech of all Kings Princes that they will performe this service vnto the lord according to this prophesie prophesied of theÌ„ in the performance whereof the lord requires their ferveÌ„t zeale which they ought to shew by their perfect hatred detestatioÌ„ of the whore by which zealous hate they are to be provoaked to make hir desolate naked to eate hir nesh burne hir with fire after this manner with these great ferveÌ„t affections shall these Kings that obey the lord in this worke serve him In all this wee beseech that wee may not be vnderstood as though wee ment that Kings should do this by their temporall sword of justice no nothing lesse the lord requires no such meanes in this busines for he hath testified by Prophesie as wee have formerly shewed 2. Thes .2 that he will abolish consume the man of sinne the mistery of iniquity which is this Beast and whore and citie by the spirit of his mouth by the brightnes of his comeing and therefore this prophesie may not be vnderstood that Kings ought to do this by their temporall power but by the word and spirit of the lord in their testimony withall holy zeale and this cannot be done except they first take all their power and authoritie from the Beast for no man can serv two Masters but he shall please the one and displease the other Kings cannot serve the lambe and the Beast but they must needs hate the one and love the other and this is most plainely set downe in this Prophesie Revel 17. for in the 13. and 17. vers it is said of Kings that they shall have all one mynd be of one consent with the Beast shall give their power aucthority vnto the Beast shall feight with the lambe vntill the words of God be fulfilled And in the 16. vers They shall hate the whore make hir desolate for God hath put in their harts to fulfill his decree Thus wee see these Kings propresied of by the spirit of the lord to do this great worke of God when they shall take it in hand they shall not halt betwixt two opinions they shall not be neither hote nor cold but they shall be most zealonis for the glory of God and shall no longer retayne anie frendship with the Beast alwaies our meaning is spiritually now â—â—en those Kings and Princes that will in this service obey the most high God and advaÌ„ce his glory that hath so greatly advanced them to high honor and dignity let them take all their power and aucthority from the Beast and with drawe all the affections of their harts and soules and turne them to hatred and to an vtter abhorring of the Beast and whore and so shall they make it manifest vnto all the world that they are true lovers of the lambe and perfect haters of the Beast and that they are they in whome this prophesie is fulfilled Oh that Kings and Princes would strive to go one before an other in giveing honor to God herein And amongst all the rest of the great and mighty Kings and Princes of the earth loyalty nature and grace doth bind vs with disires of exceeding dutifull and reverend affections to wish and desire that our lord and K. might be with the foremost in this great and acceptable service of the King of Kinges and lord of lords which were a worthy service most well beseeming our lord the King for whome the King of heaven hath done so great things and if our lord the King will do this service for his God then must he not by his power support the Beast nor his image which are one and the same power And seeing our lord the King hath seene the deepe iniquity of the peremptory ruling Presbitery let him much more see the high iniquity of the proud ambicious cruell ruling Prelacy which is a power set vp in the place of God bearing the names of high blasphemy Oh let it be far from our lord the K. to give his power which God hath given him to punish evill doers and to reward them that do well 1. Pet. 2.14 Let it be far from our lord the King to give this power to the Beast or his image for that advanceth the mistery of iniquity and smiteth downe the mistery of godlines God hath not comunicated his owne power to Kings and Princes for this end And seeing wee have begun to speake to our lord the King let vs declare what power and aucthority God hath given to him wherevnto his subiects ought of conscience to obey Our lord the King hath power to take our sonnes our daugthers to do all his services of ware and of peace yea all his servile service what soever and he hath power to take our lands our goods of what sort or kind soever or the tenth thereof to vse at his will and he hath power to take our men servants and maid servants and the cheife of our yong men and Cattle and put them to his worke and wee are to be his servants 1. Sam. 8.11.18 in all these thinges our lord the King is to be submitted vnto and obeyed Also he hath power to make all manner Gouernors lawes and ordinances of man 1. Het 2.13.14 Thus doth God give our lord the King power to demaund and take what he will of his subiects it is to be yeilded him and to comaund what ordinance of man he will and wee are to obey it And in all these things wee acknowledg before God men wee ought to be subiect not for feare onely but also for conscience sake â—oâ—n 13.5 Wee meddle not with anie conditions or contracts made betwixt the King and his people whereby our lord the King in fauour may or doth abridg himselfe of his prerogative and so make himselfe subiect to his owne covenants or conditions which our lord the King ought to keepe though it be to his disadvantage if they be not meerly vnlawfull but wee speake onely of that power which God hath given to the King all which our lord the King ought to vse lawfully but if he should do otherwise which God forbid he is in these things to be submitted vnto Eccl. 8.3.4 and 1. Pet. 2 18.-24 who soever resisteth resisteth the ordinance of God shall receive to them selves condemnation Rom. 13.2 Thus hath God given our lord the King all worldly power which
lord Bs. say this is not to be vnderstood generally of every sinne against God but perticulerly of some and herein must wee be subiect to the spirit of their vnderstanding and that rule of Christ must be made no sure nor perfect rule Next let vs shew the K. that if there be such a sin comitted as the Bs. do iugd to be a sin according to their rule which let the K. give his servants leave to suppose to be adultery that it proceeds or comes to this degree that it must be told vnto the Church which wee vnderstand to be the whole congregatioÌ„ moe or lesse The lord Bs. by their spirit of vnderstanding say tell the Church That is to be vnderstood tell the Ordinary which is either the Bishops chaÌ„cellor or the Archdeacons Officiall they are they that have power to bind in earth it shal be bound in heaveÌ„ their fees being paid theÌ„ they have power to loose on earth it shal be loosed in heaven Oh that the Ks. eare would but heare half the depth of this iniquity the Ks. servants knowe the Ks. hart would never endure it that his peoples consciences should be thus wounded and their soules destroyed by being coÌ„pelled to submitt to such spirits of vnderstanding Furthermore let our lord the King knowe that whereas the Holy ghost testifieth Act. 14.23 saieing that they had ordeyned Elders by Election in every Church and praied and fasted this wee vnderstand was the whole Congregations fasting and praying and Election and that the Church hath power to appoint some to ordeyne or lay on hands if there be no Elders as they did Act. 13.2.3 but all this say the Lord B. by the spirit of our vnderstandings doth belong vnto vs and the Patron and the people have nothinge to do but must be content to have such a Pastor as wee appoint though they never heard him knewe him nor saw him and although the congregation after ward should like neuer so well of him yet the Lord Bishops they have power to take him away from them to deprive him and silence him punish them if they heare him although he be never so well approved amongst them Thus must the Kings peoples be compelled to vnderstand the scriptures for the advancement of their power of Ordination and deprivation And whereas wee the Kings servants vnderstand according to the best vnderstanding that God hath given vs that Th-appostle Paul giving a rule of direction for the people of God how to worship God when they come together 1. Cor. 14.26.33 That every one as he hath a Psalme or a doctrine or a tongue may speake to edification and if anie thinge be revealed to another that sitteth by the first is to hold his peace for all that have gifts may prophesie one by one and in all this God is noe the God of confusion but of Order Thus do we hold the disciples of Christ ought to come together to worship God and edifie one another in the libertie of the spirit according to the gifts and graces that are given to every one Rom. 12.6 And that every man as he hath received the gift may administer the same one to another 1. Pet. 4.10 The lord Bs. vtterly deny the substance of all this vnderstanding and their spirit of vnderstanding directs that when the Congregation is come together the Preist or Curate that is licensed by them onely must performe the worship and must beginne their worship with their booke strictly tying them to such sentences and then to that which is written after then a Confession then an absolution with virsickles and answeres and Psalmes and lessons and Te Deum and the Latany 3. daies a weeke and at other times when the Ordinary shal comaund Thus may our lord the King see how his peoples spirits are in bondage to the lord Bs. spirit in the vnderstanding of the scriptures and they must of force against their consciences vnderstand them as they comaund or els go to prison And our lord the King may also see that whereas neither Christ nor his Appostles ever commaunded or practiced anie set forme of worship whose spirit had bene most fitt to have ordeyned such an order yet the Lord Bs. in the perfect jmage of the first Beast have composed a proportion and framed an order of praiers and readings for the worship of God comaunding absolutely the observation thereof forceing the spirits of the Kings people to be subiect to ther limitations herein and so deliuer Gods people their bread by waight and their water by measaure not suffering the hungry to be satisfied with the bread of life nor the thirsty to be quenched froÌ„ the rivers of waters but forceing the vnwilling to drincke stolne waters out of their Cesexons and eat hidden bread out of their store-houses but the simple that eat and drinke thereof knowe not that the dead are there that their ghests are in the depthes of hell Pro. 9.17.18 Let not our lord the K. be despleased seeing his servants speake but the words of sobriety and if the K. shall thinke wee misapâ—y theÌ„ that is the thinge which wee so humbly earnestly beseech the K. may come to tryall by the Ks. free consent and that the Kings hand of power may not be against the iust and due tryall thereof Now when wee the Kings servants do sue for a tryall wee disire our lord the King not to conceive that his servants meane a day of dispute and so to handle the cause of the lord as men that contend for prizes who submitt their cause to private censure for that it is private and concernes but themselves but our humble and most equall sute to our lord the K. is that seeing this Hyrarchy of Arch. Bs. lord Bs. do challenge such power prerogative over our consciences that all who cannot of consciente yeild it vnto theÌ„ may walke according to their consciences and publish their defence against them that these that beare the names of spirituall lords may by spirituall power onely convince their gain-sayers and not pretend to be spirituall Bishops and vse onely the Kings temporall sword to rule and convince men with And that our lord the King would suffer vs his servants to demaund of them that take vpon them to be lord Bs. of whome they have learned to rule by such power and who hath taught them to put the contrary mynded in prison how they wil be able to answere him that will bring the greatest of them to answere who taught all his disciples to 〈◊〉 not the contrary mynded with meeknes proveing if at anie time God will give them repentance and hath taught them to be gentle suffering the evill 2. Tim. 2.24.25 And let our lord the King give vs his servants leave to ask these Lord Bs. whether they thinke that God hath forgotten this his comaundement or that he wil quite forget to put it in their accompt because
the new Testament which he hath purchased sealed vnto vs with his blood to stand for a law of Election and Ordination for ever vnto which who soever addeth or taketh away either in word or action by Doctrine or example the Lord will add vnto them all his judgments and take away all his mercies Reuel 22.18.19 You being thus by the word of truth all declared and proved to be false Prophetts not haveing entred into the shepefold by the dore it must needs follow according to the words of the Lord that all the great signes and wonders that you shew in this your false ministery are lying signes and wonders Let it not be grevious vnto you to heare of these thinges whereby to provoake you to wrath but let it be grevious to you that you thus sinne and so be provoaked to indignation against your selves that you may come to repentance Here is all your Zeale of wonder and signes of so great fervency whereby you worke vpon the blind consciences and ignorant affections of the simple deceaved soules proved to be false and deceaveable all your fire wherewith you kindle the harts of men and seduce simple woemen makeing them beleeve you have brought it from heaven all this is but the false enlightning and heat of a false spirit even of that spirit which your spirituall Lord breathed vpon you when you kneeled on your knees before him and he laid his hands vpon you and most blasphemously even in the high dishonor of the spirit of grace bad you receive the holy ghost by and in the power of this spirit do you preach and pray and do all your great wonders and other spirit have you none for this is the spirit to which you have submitted and by this spirit onely are you sent and therefore are you all false Propheets and you have not the spirit of God abiding in you ye are gone out of the way ye have caused manie to fall ye have broken the Covenant of levi in that you are admitted to the Order of Priesthood by the Man of sinne who is an adversary against God to whose blasphemous consecrating of Preists directly contrary and opposite to the holy established ordinance of Iesus Christ in the Gospell â— the spirit of God can give no approbation 〈◊〉 neither admitt of such to be the Prophetts of God that have not entred by Christ the true doore and way but have entred by him that sitts as God in the Temple of God but adiudgeth you all to be false Prophetts Leave of therefore your great daies of humiliation by fasting and praier wherein sometymes you make the people to Cover the Alter with teares and whereby some of you have taken vpon you to cast out manie Devills goeing on to the hight in shewing signes and lying wonders to deceave if it were possible the very Elect according to the prophesie of Christ which is thus fulfilled in you Kindle fire vpon the alter of the Lord no more in vaine the Lord hath no pleasure in you neither will accept an Offering at your hand but will curse you as deceavers who vow a holy Offering but bring a Corrupt Sacrifice vnto the Lord Mala. 1.14 and all this you do and shall do so long as you serve in your Office and Ministery received by the power and authority of the Man of sinne contrary to the holy Ordinance of Election and ordination appointed by Christ in the new Testament And now al these thinges we dare not but thinke you have done and do through ignorance Amend your lives therefore and turne that these your great and grevious sinnes may be put away when the time off refreshing shal come from the presence of the Lord. And take heed both you and al the people that do with such admiration runne after you as wee our selves have done wee speake it to our owne shame take heed least that now your ignoraÌ„t zeale and fiery spirits of error wherewith you have enflamed the harts off the simple being discovered take heed least you boyle in great heat gnawe your tongues for sorrow blaspheme the God of heaven for your paines for your sores repent not of your works as is prophesied men shal do Revel 16 9-11 From which hiest measure off sinne the Lord for his Christs sake deliver you and through Gods grace wee wil hope better thinges off you which the Lord grant we may find in you for the Lord knowes our vnfained harts disire is that you might al be saved And we exhort the people off God no longer to harken to the voice off straingers but that they flee from them according to the Counsel of our Saviour Iesus Christ Ioh. 10.5 And let the people see with their owne eies how you have al shewed your selves to bee hirelings which are not the Shepherds neither the sheepe are your owne in that seing the wolfe coming you have fledd and left the sheepe nay manie of you even of those that are accounted most faithful and holy have and do go your selves and lead Your flocks to heare the voice of strangers that are set vp and stand vp in that Office and publique place which you challeng for your owne and are glad your selves to preach in corners Others of you make a secret composition with the Hyrarchy which you professe to abhor and then heir some wretched maÌ„ vnder you to surplice aÌ„d crosse and sinne for you Oh how hateful and abhominable are the works off darknes of this kind which are done off you in the light and al this vnder a great seeming shew off holines but is meere hypocrisie aÌ„d dissimuâ—ation because you are hirelings and not good shepeherds who would lay downe their lives for their sheepe rather then lead them into the hand of the destroyer and if you deny them to bee theeves and robbers that come into your places aÌ„d are made pastors over your flocks against your wils and against the mynd off the flock then must you needs acknowledg them true shepeherds over the flock and that they have come in by the doore aÌ„d acknowledg your selves iustly thrust out seeing you in your iudgments hold but one Pastor over a flock Wee wil not follow you in these perticulers except further occation be offered But remember how you compare your fellow Preists to Circumcellions or Fryers goeing vp and downe with the bishops bulls like beggers to see where they can get entertainment and see not al this while your selves yea some of your cheife spirits for working lying wonders stand in the market place to be hired from the East to the west aÌ„d to be transported froÌ„ North to South wheresoever you can get a good Towne pulpit or a privileged Chappel a great Chamber or dyning parlor to administer in how prophane soever the Towne or houshold be you wil not let to make theÌ„ all partakers of the holy thinges at first before you knowe your shepe or your shepe knowe you contrary to
Lord hath called vnto you and you have ioined your selves together in a voluntarie profession but you have not ioyned your selves to Christ ād therefore is your profession a false profession and you have a false Christ that is no Christ as shal bee hereafter plainlie proved And to shew you that you are not ioyned to Christ you being of the world before you constituted or set vp your Church by your owne confessions the word off the Lord doth evidentlie declare that there is no way for them that are of the world who are not in Christ but enimies to Christ as all that are of the world are there is no other way to ioyne and come to Christ but onelie to Amend their lives bee Baptized Act. 2.38 and Gal. 3.27 Al ye that are Baptized into Christ have put on Christ Let vs now intreat you on Gods dehalf that you wil no longer be feighters against God in contending against his truth from the which wee trust through the mercie of God you shal not bee able anie longer to hide your selves For if al men that knowe God and his Sonne Christ Iesus will not confesse that infidels and vnbeleevers have no other way to come and be ioyned to Christ but onely by beleeving and being baptized then you that confesse you were of the world before you set vp your Church must needs confesse also that you were infidels and vnbeleevers for you shal bee ashamed to say that there are anie beleevers of the world seeing our Saviour Christ saith Iohn 14.17 The World cannot receive the Spirit of truth and Iohn 16.8.9 The Comforter shall reprove the world of sinne because they beleeved not in me and Iohn 17.25 O righteous Father the World hath not knowne thee and Iohn in his first Epist Chap. 5.18.19 speakes thus We knowe that were are of God this whole World lieth in wickednes And this being the condition of thē that are of the world 1 That they cannot receive the Spirit of truth 2. That they beleeve not in Christ 3. That they knowe not God 4. That they lye all in wickednes You confessing your selves to be of the world before you ioined your selves together in your voluntarie profession by a Covenant of your owne devisings you being of the world your Condition was the same Then were you without the Spirit of truth vnbelevers not knowing God Lying al in wickednes and so are you all infidels ād their was nor is no way for you to ioyne vnto Christ but to amend your lives be Baptized and by Baptisme to put on Christ Which seeing you have not done you are stil of the world the spirit of truth is not in you you are infidels and vnbeleevers you knowe not God and you remaine in your wickednes and so is your profession a false profession of Christ and you have not the true Christ but a false Christ and so is your Baptisme a worldly baptisme brought out of the world an Ordinance of the world and not the baptisme and Ordinance of Christ whose baptisme is not of the world as he is not of the world Shal wee need to lay downe anie other ground to convince you and stop al your moueths is not this easie plaine and evident enough What can bee more plaine You confesse your selves you were of the world before you made your seperation from England and our Saviour Christ saith that they which are of the world beleeve not in him and who wil not grant that they that beleeve not in Christ are infidells or vnbeleevers then you being of the world were infidells or vnbeleevers and the Holy Ghost teacheth that infidels or vnbeleevers must Amend their lives be baptized by Baptisme put on Christ And our Saviour Christ Mark 16.16 giveing a generall direction to his disciples to preach the Gospel to al gives likewise a general direction what al vnbeleevers must do iff they wil bee saved They must beleeve and be Baptized This strait are you now driven vnto either to confesse that before your seperation you were infidells or vnbeleevers and then you must beleeve and be baptized or els that you were beleevers and faithful and then have you Seperated from a faithfull and beleeving People and not from the World and you must returne to your vomit with that false prophet your first and cheife Shepherd that hath misled you vp on these false grounds who not being able through his infidelitie to kepe his face towards Ierusalem and the Land of Canaan hath fainted in the way and rebelled in the wildernes and is returned to his so much formerlie detested Babilon and Egipt And next let vs shewe vnto you that your Prophets are al false Prophets and although it bee a full sufficient proofe that they are false Prophets because they are Elected and ordeined to their Office by a cōgregatiō of infidels or vnbelevers that are not ioyned to Christ and have not put on Christ by baptisme yet wee wil further shewe them to bee false Prophets because they Prophesies lies and by their lying wonders would if it were possible deceive the verie Elect these are deceiptful workers transforme themselves into the Prophets of Christ as though they were the Ministers off righteousnes whose end saith Thapostle shal bee according to their workes 2. Cor. 11.13.15 yet they doeing it ignorantly through vnbeleife if they repent may be received to mercy 1. Tim. 1.13 but they must repent as Paul did who left of being a persecutor a blasphemer and an oppressor els he could never have bene saved so must they leave of being false Prophets seducers and deceivers or els they shall all bee damned Revel 19.20 And first to shew how your false prophets do trāsforme themselves whereby they are most dangerous deceivers and tempters they in the forefront of their crie come with a maine ground of truth ād this they vtter with a lowd voice It is fallen it is fallen Babilon that great Citie Go out of hir my people c. and seperate your selves and come out this is al their crie to bring the people from the assemblies of England ād then they runne vpon England and prove it Babel and Babilon we confesse with proofe enough which when they have done working a iust distaist in the harts of some people of the spiritual abhominatiōs in those assemblies so far as they themselves dislike but being loath to cast Babilon cleane to the ground and vtterlie to make hir naked and desolate and to lay all hir honor in the dust and not being willing through hardnes of hart and want of true zeale and holines to runne the rate to the end and to seperate thēselves from al vncleanes they teach you stil to reteine your first and cheife badg or marke of Babilon which is your baptisme wherein you receive the seale of the covenant of grace as they say ād teach you ād this you may not part withal vpon anie condition Is there anie
God and breake his comaundemeÌ„ts you al confesse with the Prophet Eze. 18.14.17 notwithstaÌ„ding these words in Exo. 20. That if a wicked man begett a sonne that seeth al his Fathers sinnes which he hath done feareth neither doth such like he shal surely live then must you grant that the infants of wicked parents that do not such like sinne as their pareÌ„ts do shal not dye Thus much to stop M. Ro. for the preseÌ„t in his speedy courses who runnes his race as though he were stronge and none could stay him but the lord and his word wil overthrowe him in these his waies if he repent not whose repentance we much disire to Gods glory and for his owne good And now let the covenaÌ„t of the lord staÌ„d firme and good against al the adversaries thereof which Covenant is they which beleve are baptized shal be saved the words whereof being spokeÌ„ by him that made it do with authority convince to the Consciences of all that will heare them that this Covenant is made onely with them that are beleeve and are baptized which is with them that of the faith of Abraham Rom. 4 12-16 And not they that are of the Flesh of Abraham there are saith thappostle Children of the Flesh and Children off the promisse but the Children of the promisse are counted for the seed Rom. 9.8 How ignorant and obstinate are men become whome no word of God can perswade but they wil have the Children off the Flesh to bee the Children off the promisse and the seed for they wil have the seed of the faithful that is al the Children begotten off their bodies to bee the Children of the promisse and the sead with whome the Covenant is made saying the Covenant is made with the faithful and their seed meaning all the Children begotten of the Flesh yet â—happostle faith the Children of the flesh are not the seed but thapostles testimony wil not serve the turne the Pope saith it is not so and the Bishops and Presbitary haveing learned it of the Pope say it is not so And thâ— Brownists haveing learned it of the Bishops say it is not so Here are manie witnesses and they have long and ancient custome and the fcuyt is faire to looke vpon and pleasant to the eie and mynd that infants are begotten and borne Christians the most wicked and prophane parents that are like this wel that they may bee accounted to beget Christians and that their Children may bee made members off the body off Christ when they are new borne the best men like this wel and the worst like it wel This pleaseth al Flesh in these parts of the world there was never anie one doctrine of Christ nor of thappostles that ever was so acceptable to all men it must needs be acceptable because so good a thinge is so easily come by what a geevious thinge would it bee if one might not bee a Christian and member of Christs body before they had learned Christ and to beleeve in him this would troble Children if they should bee forced to learne to knowe Christ before they could be admitted to bee his Disciples and to be Baptized and this would bee a great troble to parents that there Children should not be baptized before they had carefully brought them vp in the instruction and information of the Lord and this would bee a great burden to Bishops and Preists if they should have none admitted members of heir Church vntill by their diligent aÌ„d faichful preaching of the gospel they were brought to knowledg faith and repentaÌ„ce and to amend their lives and bee Baptized If these old doctrines of Christ and his Appostles should now bee put in practice it would troble and offend all the world being so contrary to al custome and Counsels and affections off men O crooked and foolish generation how long shal the Lord beare with you how long shal he suffer you wil you make the way broad and wide which he hath made strait and narrow wil you stil walke in the traditions of meÌ„ after the lusts of your owne harts and treade his statutes vnder your feet shal the long evil custome and false testimony of men agreable to your owne affections overthrowe the divine and true witnes of our Lord Christ and his Apostles Doth our Saviour Christ say that those with whome he hath made the new covenaÌ„t are they in whose mynds and harts he hath written his Law whome hee declares to bee those that beleeve and are baptized and wil you add vnto the Covenant of the Lord and say it is made with the faithful and their seed before they can beleeve and doth Thappostle say that the seed to whome the promisse is made are they which are off the faith of Abra aÌ„d not they that are of the flesh of AbrahaÌ„ and wil you say that they that are of the flesh of the faithful are the seed with whome the Covenant is made can you device in your harts more directly to oppose the Lord and falsefie his truth theÌ„ you do herein Wil you thus contend against the lord and dispite the Spirit of grace and trample vnder foote the blood of the new Testament and thinke that you shal escape much more punishmeÌ„t theÌ„ they that dispised Moses law deceive not your selves aÌ„d do not thinke that God careth not for these things and that he regardeth not the breach of his holy ordinances because he seemes to hold his peace in that he strikes you not with bodily iudgments but except you repeÌ„t he wil reprove you and set al these thinges in order before you and teare you in peeces when there shal be none that can deliver you Oh consider this aÌ„d forget not God what shal it profit you to have your infants washed with water and a few words whereby the name of the Lord is blasphemed and you perish for so prophaning his Ordinance the infant is never the better it shal not be saved thereby aÌ„d there is no such obedience required at your hands let the word off the Lord be your guid in these thinges and not the word of man nor long custome although it be in a thinge that is most pleasing to your carnal mynds Thus leaving to your remembrance that AbrahaÌ„s faith could not bring his Children vnder the CovenaÌ„t in that it did not bring Ismael nor anie one of his six sonnes that he had by Keturah his Wife vnder the Covenant Gen. 25. and therefore that is a most deceitful and false ground to say that they were circumcised because they were vnder the Covenant and that they are vnder the Covenant by Abrahams faith for then had al Abrahams bondmen and houshold bene vnder the Covenant and Ismael whome the Lord denyes to bee vnder the Covenant and yet he and they al were commaunded to bee circumcised This then is the ground of truth which cannot be gainsaied that al the males free and bond that were borne in Abrahams
house or bought with his monie which were not of his seed were al to bee circumcised because it was the Covenant that God comaunded Abraham to kepe to circumcise al his males and not because they were al vnder the Covenant of circumcision by Abrahams faith this is but a vaine invention of the man of sinne and a mistery of iniquity to deceive them that have pleasure in vnrighteousnes haveing no shewe nor warrant of scripture to say they were circumcised because they were vnder the Covenant by Abrahams faith al evidence of Scripture is against it in that the lord doth plainly declare in his word that they were to be circumcised that were noâ— vnder the Covenant even all Abrahams houshold whereoff there was no one vnder the Covenant but himselff when the commaundement was given Now theÌ„ you haveing no cullor shew nor warrant from the scriptures for the baptizing of infants but a deceitful consequence from the example off circumcision we beseech al that hope for salvatioÌ„ by Iesus Christ to see the deceit of your consequeÌ„ce thus you say and this is all your hold that as the seed off the faithful were circumcised so the seed of the faithfull must be baptized proofe for this your ground you have none but your strong perswasions and long custome wherein no one of you have faith but to shew yet againe the deceit of your consequence First it is not drawne by due proportion which is a most deceitful way to deceive the simple for thus ougt your consequence to be drawne as Abraham beleving was circumcised aÌ„d al the males of his houshold both meÌ„ and childreÌ„ of eight daies old bond aÌ„d free so now anie man beleving must be baptized withal his houshold both men and childreÌ„ of eight daies old bond aÌ„d free Secondly the deceit of your consequence is because it is not a necessary consequence for you must prove nothinge by consequence but that which must off necessity followe but this doth not off necessity followe neiâ—her can it followe that because infants were circumcised with circumcision in the Flesh vnder the Law therefore infants must of necessity bee baptized with the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sinnes vnder the Gospel with which baptisme they cannot be baptized as all of anie vnderstanding must needs confesse aÌ„d there is but one baptisme and therefore most blindly ignorantly and deceitfully is this consequence drawne being neither draweÌ„ by due proportion neither can the rule possibly follow by true consequence neither shal you be able to tel what to say when you shal bee required to prove it a necessary consequence If therefore you will not wilfully go on in the waies of everlasting destruction forsake this roote off error which overthrowes the Covenant of the Gospel of Iesus Christ in the first foundation thereof bringing in the seed off the flesh off the faithful by carnal generation for the seed of the promisse in steed of the seed of the faith of Abraham by spiritual regeneration making the infants that are begotten of the faithful after the flesh members of the body of Christ and heires of the Covenant of the new TestameÌ„t which is the Covenant of faith and repentance through the faith of their parents and by this meanes you have and do daylie bring all the wicked and vngodlie in these parts of the World to bee members off Christs bodie and heires off the Covenant by natural birth which our Saviour Christ saith Ioh. 3. Can no way be but by new birth that is by being borne againe of water and the Spirit which is by beleeving and being Baptized Thus do you vtterlie destroy and overthrowe the holie Covenant of the Lord the holy baptisme and the body off Christ makeing them Comon to all yong and old wicked and prophane blasphemers persecutors murtherers adulterers and witches and al their ChildreÌ„ but let all knowe this such as the members are such is the body and such is the baptisme aÌ„d such is their Covenant the Covenant of death and condemnation vnto al that are vnder it and not the Covenant of life and salvation which is onely made with them that beleeve and are baptized and the Lord perswade every honest hart to ground their faith vpoÌ„ this rock that as vnder the Law none were circumcised but those that were expresly commaunded by rule or exaÌ„ple so vnder the Gospel none may bee baptized but those that are expresly commaunded by rule or example and keeping to this true ground no simple soule shal bee deceived and so wee leave this point with Godly care to be considered of beseeching the Lord to give you vnderstanding harts Thus have we with our most willing though most feeble endeavors manifested vnto you these two salse professions of Christ and the false Prophets that mainteyne them amongst you with divers perticuler errors and strong delusions whereby they deceive you transforming themselves as though they were the Prophets off God but they are all deepe deceivers and Prophesie lyes as wee have proved wherein they shal never bee able to iustifie themselves neither before God nor his people and wee much rather disire their repentance then that they should go about to approve themselves in their evil whereby they shal heape sinne vpon their owne heads and bring shame to their owne faces seeing the time is come that the lord wil reprove the foolishnes of such false Prophets who make shewe off Godlines but denie the power thereoff who lead captive simple wemen which are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledg off the truth These are they that Thappostle foretold of 2. Tim. 3. Who like Iannes Iambres resist the truth who are proud boasters in exalting themselves and challenging to themselves speciall power to knowe and vnderstand the counsels of God when they are meÌ„ of corrupt knowledg aÌ„d mynds and to be reproved concerning the faith but saith Thappostle they shall prevaile no longer for their madnes shall bee evident vnto al men aÌ„d we exhort you with the words of thapostle turne away therefore from such It followeth that we speake some few words of the second prophesie which is of the days of the Sonne of maÌ„ in the brightnes of his comeing for the consuming of the man of sinne spoken of 2. thes 2. the which days our saviour saith shal be as the lightning that cometh out of the East is sene into the west mat 24. wherein is set furth vnto vs that the Lord shal make his truth to appeare with vnspeakeable evidence of light so as his people shal plainly see the way and light thereoff according as the Lord by the Prophet Esa speaketh 42.16 I wil bring the blind by a way they knew not lead them by pathes they have not knowne I wil make darknes light before them crooked thinges straight and the lord wil not speake in secret neither in a place of darknes in the earth and Esa 30.26 the light
off the Mone shal be as the light off the Sunne the light off the Sunn shal be seaven fold like the light of seaven days in the day that the lord wil bind vp the breach of his people heale the strooke of their wound And Esa 32.19 thou shalt not see a feirce people a people of dark speach that thou canst not perceive of a straing tongue that thou canst not vnderstand Al this teacheth the people of God to looke for plaine pathes to walke in which do shine with brightnes as also that the witnesses of the lord shal be a people that shal speake plainly to the vnderstanding of the simple therefore the Lords people must not walke in blind and secret wayes nor desert pathes which are not light and plaine nor be seduced by false Prophets and deceitful people that speake in their feirce heate dark and obscure thinges who are ful of deceitfull distinctions blind consequences and al turning of devices to deceive the simple saying loe here is Christ loe there is Christ of such our Saviour forewarnes his people that they beleeve them not although they shal shewe great signes and wonders but that they shal set their harts aÌ„d turne their eies vnto the cleare light of truth which is the everlasting gospel that the Angell flieing through the midst of heaven preached vnto them that dwel on the earth to every nation kindred tongue people Revel 14.6 This is the spirit off the Lords mouth wherewith he wil consume the man of sinne and abolish him by the brightnes of his comeing 2. Thes 2. By the ministery of the seaventh angel who when he hath poured out his viall their shall bee sounds lightnings thunders a great earthquake such as nevers was the great Citie shal be rent in three parts the Cities of the Nations shal fal that great Babilon shal come in remembrance before God hee shal give vnto hir the Cup of the wine of the feirenes of his wrath Rev. 16. Thus by the glorious light off the Gospell shall the misterye off iniquity be abolished And whereas our Saviour Christ saith that this his comeing shal bee as the lightning cometh out off the East and is seene into the west this makes it manifest vnto vs that the glorious overspreading off the gospel againe shal be as at the first General over all and that men shal seeke after and resort vnto the light of the truth of God as Eagles do to their pray according to the prophesie of Esa 60.4 Lift vp thyne eies round about and behold all these are gathered come to thee thy sonnes shal come from farr Esa 66.18 The Lord saith it will come that I shal gather all Nations and Tongues and they shal come and see my glory And the Lord by the Prophet Amos. 9.11 12. saith In that day wil I raise vp the Tabernacle of David that is fallen downe and close vp the breaches thereof will raise vp his ruins and I wil build it as in the dais of old and Esa 11.11.12 In the same day shal the lord stretch out his hand againe the second time to possesse the remnant of his people and he shal assemble the dispersed of Israel gather the scatered of Iudah froÌ„ the fower corners of the world And herevnto agreeth the Prophesie Revel 19.17 Where the Angel that stands in the sunne cries with a lowd voice to al the foules that flye through the midst of heaven come gather your selves together to the supper of the great God and Revel 21. The Holy Spirit speaking of the glorious exaltation of the Holy Citie after the destruction off Babilon saith The Kings of Earth shall bring their glory and honor vnto it the glory and honor of the Gentils shal bee brought vnto it And this yet â—s the hope comfort of the Saincts of God that it shal come to passe that they which now come against Ierusalem shal go vp from yere to yere to worship the King the Lord of hoasts and to kepe the Feast of Tabernacles Zach. 14.16 Therefore saith the voice out of the Throne praise our God all yee his servants and ye that feare him both smale and great for the Lord that almightie God doth now raigne let vs bee glade and reioyce and give glory to him for the marriage off the lambe is come and his wife hath prepared hirself Revel 19.5.6.7 These words are faithful aÌ„d true which must shortly bee fulfilled blessed is hee that observeth the Words of the prophesie off the booke Revel 22.6.7 But woe woe woe then bee vnto all that doe not marke and observe them and faithfully and carefully keepe the Words off the Prophesie off this Booke But wee demaund in all these daies of tribulation which are such as never were nor ever shal be where shal the ignorant appeare iff in the daies of so great danger when there shal bee as there now is so manie false Prophets shewing such signes and wonders so as if it were possible they should deceive the very elect if in these daies the ignorant bee seduced through their ignorance shal they drinck of the Cup of the wine of Gods wrath The word of the Lord is perfect and plaine they shal al perish that are ignorant and are deceived because they receive not the love of the truth therefore God shal send them stronge delusions that they should beleeve lyes and bee damned 2. Thes 2. And it is iust with the Lord their ignorance being declared to be for want of the love of the truth Thus then is this ground off truth most evident aÌ„d plaine they that through grace in Christ receive the love off the truth they are the Elect of God and shal not bee deceived but shal bee saved But they that through the effectuall working of Sathan withal his signes and lying wonders receive not the love of truth they shal bee deceived and beleeve lyes and bee damned Moreover our Saviour Christ saith if the ignorant lead the ignorant they shal both fall into the pit Mat. 15.14 let al therefore take heed and learne to knowe the truth of God and to love it and to vnderstand his word themselves seeing the Lord hath comaunded them not to followe such as say Loe here is Christ loe there is Christ but to looke vnto the shyning light of truth whereof if they bee not able to iudg and deserne of themselves by the direction of Gods spirit they can never have faith nor assurance in the way they walke so shal they runne blindfold to destruction not knoweing whether they are sedd False prophets or true Prophets are al alike to them they being ignorant of the scriptures whereby they should examine them and find them out and try their doctrine such must needs bee carried away with every blast off vaine doctrine wheÌ„ they are not able to try the spirits whether they be of God these
but the same that was in Christ and his Appostles times in which times all earthly power was in the hands of earthly Kings and Princes and them that were in aucthority vnder them and Christ and his Appostles diminished not Kings and Princes of the least tittle thereof And all spirituall power was in the hands of Christ and his Appostles that were in aucthority vnder him of which spirituall power aucthority Christ nor his Appostles would suffer no earthly K. to diminish them of the least tittle thereof but rather gave them their lives if then our lord the K. do deserue that earthly Kings and Princes had the same power then that Kings and Princes have now and that Kings Princes had no power then over mens religion which was spirituall and belonged to Christ men were then to give vnto God that which was Gods and vnto Cesar and so vnto all earthly Princes onely that which apperteyned to them Then let our lord the King judg by what warrant of Gods word the King can now take to himself a spirituall power and set vp an Hyrarchy of Arch Bishop Lord B. and give aucthority to them to make lawes and Canons of Religion and to give them power to compell men vnto the obedience there of by such seveer courses as they have done Let our lord the King consider and the Lord give the K. wisedome therein that if no King nor Prince could have set vp such an Hyrarchy with such power and titles then but they had vtterly troden vnder foot all the dignity and power of Christ and his Appostles for Christ and his Appostles must have bene subiect therevnto neither may anie King set vp such an Hyrarchy now because it doth vtterly tread vnder foot all the dignity and power of Christ and his Appostles as well now as it had done then for wee have now Christ and his Appostles in all their power dignity as well as they had in those dayes according to that saying of our Saviour Christ in the parable They have Moses and the Prophetts And wee humble beseech our lord the K. a little to suffer the foolishnes of his servants although wee may seeme as fooles vnto the king herein If there had bene such a steaing Hyrarchy set vp in Christ and Th-appostles daies would the Hyrarchy have suffered vs that are thousands of the K. of great Brittans subiects to have gone to Christ his Appostles to have asked them whether wee should have obeyed them or no in all their Canons and ordinances And whether wee should have given thē those titles of superiority and all that ruling power which they challeng over vs the Kings subiects sureby they will say they would not have denyed vs that liberty to have gone in so waighty a cause and being so manie to have asked Counsell of Christ and his Appostles what wee should have done 20. thousands being ignorant and 10. thousands being doubtfull whether anie such power might be submitted too or no and thousands being out of all doubt that it might not be submitted vnto they will say they would not have denyed vs but wee knowe what their Canons would have made of it and wee may suspect justly that they would have enformed the King that it were very dangerous to suffer so manie to go vnto Christ and his Appostles for counsell and that it were not fitt to suffer such giddy heads to have that libertie for makeing rents and divisions and that it were much more safety for the King to suffer them to make all whole by their power and to subdue such busie refractary spirits Let the King with fauour suffer his servants thus to speake by the way least peraduenture anie such thinges come in the way And wee the Kings servants now takeing it for granted that the Arch Bs. and lord Bs. that professe such great holines would not have deneyd vs to have gone to Iesus Christ and his Appostles to be directed And if Christ and his Appostles had in the hearing of all our owne eares being so ma witnesses comaunded vs absolutely not to yeild the Arch-Bs and lord Bs. anie such power or names could wee yeld it them Although the Arch-Bs and Lord Bs. should with 20. thousands of witnesses affirme that Christ and his Appostles spake otherwise to their hearing Would our lord the King thinke it equall that wee should be forced to beleeue their hearing because they are lord Bs. contrary to the hearing of our owne eares being so manie witnesses of one Nation and tongue besides hundreth thousands of witnesses of other Nations tongues Wee knowe our lord the K. would thinke it no more equall if the case were so that wee should be forced to beleeve the lord Bs. hearīg then that they should be forced to beleeve our hearing Then iugd O King for the case is all one and the same for wee have Christ and his Appostles in their writings and they do absolutely speake to our vnderstandings that in no wise there ought to be anie such Hyrarchy of Arch Bs. and Lord Bs. in Christs Church And the Lord Bs. say that Christ and his Appostles speakes to their vnderstandings that there power and names are not cōtrary to Christs words Can our lord the King that is accompted a most wise and iust Prince in his iudgment iudg that wee are all bound to cast away our owne vnderstandings of Christs speaking and are to be compelled to beleeve and vnderstand Christ to speake as the lord Bs. vnderstād Christs speaking Oh let our lord the King with compassion consider whether ever since the heavens and earth were created there was a more vnequall extreame cruelty then this that the Kings people should be compelled in a cause that concernes the everlasting condemnation of their soules bodyes to Hell of force to submitt their soules and bodies to the vnderstanding of the Lord Bs. that are not able to direct themselves from the waies of death but are perished every man that ever bare that Office with those names and power if they repented not thereof although they had no other sinne and they also that do now beare that Office with those titles power shall likewise all perish to everlasting destruction if they do not repent thereof and cast it away the spirit of the lord hath spoken it Reuel 19.20 the Beast was taken and with him that false Prophet that wrought myracles before him whereby he deceived them that received the Beasts marke and them that worshipped his jmage these both were cast aliue into a lake of fire burning with brimstone And thus manifesting to our lord the K. that Iesus Christ is onely K. of Israell that sitts vpō Davids throne therefore onely hath the power of the King of Israel and none may partake with him in that kingdome and power who had the Spirit without measure and yet neither he nor his Appostles that had the Spirit without error to deliuer the Counsels
of God did ever by example practice nor by rule comaund nor give power that anie should be compelled by anie bodily punishment to obey their lawes and Ordinances which were infalibly true holy and good How much lesse ought our lord the King to comaund or give a power to Arch-Bs lord Bs. men full of the spirit of error to make lawes Canons with aucthority from the King to compell by imprisoment sharpe persecutions the Kings true subiects and people of God vnto the obediente thereof who for their religion to God although they be contrary mynded to the K. therein ought not seeing they deserue not to be punished either with death or bonds this is cōfirmed to the K. by the testimony of King Agrippa and noble Festus the governor who adiuged Paul to have done nothing worthy of death or bonds but that he might have bene loosed if he had not appealed to Cesar yet Paul was contrary mynded to Cesar to the jewes in his religion to God But they iudged him by the lawe of Nations by the power of which law the Kings of the nations are to rule judg according to their owne severall lawes against which law Paul had not transgressed for his cause was concerning the faith of Iesus Christ which could not be judged by that law And let our lord the King give his servants leave to comend this to the Kings best observatiō which is worthy to be observed that where soever in the new testament throughout the professors of the faith of Iesus were adiudged by earthly rulers Governors for anie thinge that they did or held of conscience to God of faith to Iesus Christ if earthly Rulers and Gouernors tooke the cause in hand by their power the iudgment was alwaes wicked and abhominable And if our lord the King will but begin his obseruation at the fore-runner of Christ Iohn Baptist whome Herod put in prisō and beheaded And then let the King come to Iesus Christ whome they iudged and crucified finding no evill he had done And so if it please the K. to looke throughout the whole booke of the Act. there the King knowes how the disciples of Christ were imprisoned threatned beaten stoned The made Saul hauock with his letters of Comission and entred into every house and drew out both men wemen and put them in prison Then Herod stretched furth his hand and vexed certen of the Church and Killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword and Caught Peter and put him in prison Then were Paul and Sylas taken at Philippi by the Gouernors and people and were sore beaten cast into prison and the Iailer comaunded to kepe them surey being charged to preach Ordinances which were not lawfull for the Romans to receive nor observe Here may our lord the King see a true patterne how the people of God are persecuted when the Civill power doth iudg their cause of their faith and profession in their religion to God Thus have worldly Gouernors delt with the Church of Christ when the disciples fell vnder their censure for their faith to God And all these sentences of death bonds and persecutions the King can iugd to be vniust and vnlaw full in that these Rulers and Gouernors had no lawfull power nor aucthority to iudg Christ nor his disciples for matters of faith they being in all other thinges obedient to their lawes But men wil say all this is answered in one word They were heathen Rulers Now if our lord the K. will challeng a Prerogative or power becaus he professeth Christ then let it be lawfull for the King servants to tell the King that it he will professe to be a disciple of Christ that gives the King no power to do anie of all these thinges to imprison to banish to put to death that belongs onely to his earthly Kingdome for Christ and Appostles had no such power given them neither taught they the disciples to take vpon them anie such power and to execute it vpon the contrary mynded but taught them the cōtrary to instruct thē with meeknes and by preaching the word seeke their conversion with all long suffering and not to destroy them by severe punishments yea the disciples of Christ must wait and labor for the grafting in againe of the Iewes according to the prophesies of the scriptures Rom. 11.24.27 and therefore the King knowes they may not be destroyed although they be the greatest enimies of Christ that are vpon the earth and have and yet do cast the greatest reproach and contempt vpon Christ with such words as are most fearfull to vtter yet must the disciples of Christ wait for their conversion and not worke their destruction And let our lord the King call to mynd how the Appostle Paul teacheth all the disciples of Christ to be mynded towards all infidells Rom. 1. 14.15 where he saith Iam debter both to the Grecian and to the Barbarian both to the wise and to the vn wise And the same Appostle 1. Cor. 9.20.21.22 saith To the Iewes I become as a Iew to them that are vnder the law as though I were vnder the law to them that are without the law as though I were without the law to the weake I become as weake that I may wīne the weake I am made saith Th-appostle all thinges to all men that I might by all meanes save some All these instructions and directions are for our lord the King to direct the King how he should go in and out with holines all meeknes before his people to wynne them to Christ and not to set vp a Cruell Hyrarchy to make havock of the K. people as Saul did pulling them out of their houses both men and wemen casting them into prisons forceing them to flee the land and persecuting them with all cruelty May the King suffer all this to be done by his power vpon this ground of being a Christian King the Kings servants shewe the King yet once againe in all humility that Christ the King did not so himself he never appointed to be punished anie one man for desobeing his Gospell with the least bodily punishment And therefore wee instantly exhort our lord the King that the King would be no longer seduced by those most dangerous deceivers that have gottē the Kings power to punish those that Christ the King of Israell would not punish that persuade the King that the King hath the same power in the Kingdome and over the house and people of Christ that the Kings of Israell had in that Kingdome and over that house and people of God as it was the Church of God Wee according to our great weaknes have shewed to our lord the King before that the King cannot challeng that power meaning onely in respect of Religion And wee will by the Kings favour repeat the substāce of the whole ground in few words and wee beseech the King that wee may the rather do