Lords people were prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them for know the Ministers of the Gospel are fitted for their service by gifts from heaven as Ephes 4. 8. 11. to the 15. And not by Arts learned at Oxford or Cambridge although I desire not in the least to take any thing from them that is properly due to humane learning as thereby to fit men for the service of the State and Common Wealth Again you say the Warre was begun for the defence of the King and Parliament to end in the death of the King and violation of the Parliament Herein you shew as little judgement in civill things as in spirituall but your London brethren at Zion Colledge hath been sufficiently answered to this Next you speak of the feares about Religion and Parliament which you say is turned into sorrows I blame you not for the mysterie of Iniquity is discovered and your cunning craftinesse whereby you lye in wait to deceive also who are those great merchants of the earth with your weeping and wailing for no man buyeth your merchandize any more The which is much aggravated in you by the Agreement of the people wherein your flattering with the Parliament concerning the tender therof is much discovered And for the draught of poyson you speak of I wish this nation had been no more poysoned with the golden cup of the Whore And for the love care you speak of to the people of your respective flocks your Ordinance for Tyths with treble damages without bayle or mainprize upon refusall will sufficiently demonstrate it wherein you have as your reverend Fathers indeavoured to rule with violence not by love And whereas your hearts tremble to think of the subversion of the ancient well grounded government of the Kingdom the Protestant Religion what do you meane what ayle you Have not your selves done this in cutting of your Reverend Fathers the Prelates Alasse they by their Agreement desire to take away all slaverie and tyrannie brought in by Tyrants and their flatterers in their Civill or Ecclesiasticall Government and instead thereof inright the Freemen of England and their posterity in their civill rights and the liberty of the Gospel of King Jesus in its due to wit to set up his government by his lawes and Statutes only Next you speak of an unlimited power of Parliament and that in Religion surely the word of the Lord is fulfilled Isay 44. 25. Saying that frustrateth the tokens of Lyars that maketh diviners mad that turneth wisemen backward and maketh their knowledge foolishnesse c. But truly Sirs I cannot agree with you in neither of these for first in civill things for which they are properly called together they are not to act for their own ends and by respects but for the good safety and wel being of the people their Trusters or Impowrers by whom they may and ought to be called to an account if they should neglect to performe their duty For if in things civill the Parliament have an unlimited power why complain you of the Executions done in Queen Maries dayes by a Parliamentarie power with the consent of your Reverend Fathers the Prelates As also in Queen Elizabeths dayes upon Barrow Greenwood and Penrie who were hanged for professing against the Common Prayer book which now you practice the case being altered neither are we ignorant of the turnings changings and unchangeings of you Priests as in Henry the eights dayes Papists in Edward the 6. Protestants in Queen Maries Papists in Queen Elizabeths Protestants in K. James and K. Charles his dayes for the Bishops and Episcopal Government Now for the Presbyterian a greater Benefice being a loadstone sufficient to carrie the greater part of you after it like some Lawyers that looks more at the greatnesse of thâ— Fee then the goodnesse of the cause nay being Feed leaves his Client and turns on the other side I would there were none such fate in the House of Commons Secondly For Religion they receive no authority or charge from God he having given that power and prerogative onely to his Sonne King Jesus they being Masters of the flesh only but God the Father of Spirits and therefore â—is worship being spirituall he requires only voluntary spirituall worshippers to worship him as John 4. 24. God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth c. For the many Oaths Protestations and Covenants you speak of I feare as Jeremiah saith For these the Land mourneth for it had been good if they had been fully debated concerning the lawfulnesse of them before they had been with such violence forced upon the Nation although now you desire not to have them kept for if not lawfull by the word of God they are of no more force then theirs that had bound themselves with an Oath neither to eate nor drink till they had killed Paul Acts 23. 12. And whereas you object against the Ambiguity or darknesse in that it is said it is intended that Christian Religion should be held forth as the publick profession of this Nation yet doth not declare what that Christian Religion is And can you object this Have you forgot the Protestation Covenant Vowes League and Covenant you engaged this Nation in for the Protestant Religion yet never did declare what that Protestant Religion was you intended and so much spake of And whereas you alledge that all Sects and Errors in the Church of Christ nay take the Church of Antichrist to it since the Apostles dayes do all lay claime to Christian Religion and may by this Agreement plead at least stand as Probationers for the priviledge of publick profession I wonder else how could you all this while come in for a share and are you not herein as those of whom the Apostle saith Yee professe that ye know God yet in works you deny him c. Titus 1. 16. And whereas you seem to take offence that only the Popish and Prelaticall are left out I shall desire to include them also otherwise I nor you nor they can obey Christs commands Mat. 7. 12. and Luke 6. 31. to wit to doe to all men as we would they should doe unto us In the next place I joy that you desire that God would increase that care in you and others to have Religion reformed to the greatest puritie in doctrine worship and Discipline according to the word of God and for instructing people in a publick way And for the confutation of Heresie and Errour c. How can this be done and not liberty of conscience granted I hope then the truth will not be confined as it hitherto hath been by you within the Lips only of the Tribe of Levi as you call them But that others shall have liberty to speak either to add unto or contradict if erroneous To the second branch where sound doctrine and a good conversation shall be the only meanes to winne upon the contrary minded
beast untill the words of God shall be fulfilled And truly we may now say as Christ once said Luke 4. 21. This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares That therefore the Magistrate would consider this and take notice that for your part you are not the men that the Lord will give deliverance to his people by but according to the words of the Lord by Jer. the 49 20. Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out surely a company of poor despised Mechanick men must doe it Again Consider how much Innocent and Ignorant blood hath been spilt by the civill Magistrates to set up and uphold not theirs but the Kingdom of Antichrist least it be one day made good according to the saying of Isaiah Isa 60. 12. For that Kingdom and nation that will not serve thee shall perish yea those nations shall be utterly wasted of which cup of Gods wrath this Kingdom with some others have already deeply tasted according to Luke 20. 17 18. compared with Acts 3. 23. And he beheld them and said what is this then that is written the stone which the builders rejected the same is become the head of the corner whosoever shall fall on that stone shall be broken but on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind him to powder You being such indeed as Micha speaks of Micha 3. 5. Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets that make my people erre that bite with their teeth and cry peace and he that putteth not into their mouths they even prepare warre against them c. compared with Zach. 13. 2 3 4. Next you say The Parliament seeing which way the Councel of the King steered apprehended a necessitie of raising armes for the defence of themselves and the Kingdom wherein they make you their Instruments to stirre up the people as fittest for that purpose wherein they declare for the maintaining of the Protestant Religion which notwithstanding you have sate so long and enjoyed so many goodly fat benefices by their favour yet have you never declared to the people what this Protestant Religion so called and which you so much speak of is much lesse proved your Presbyterian Nationall Church and Directorie to be it And Sir I hope you think the preservation of the Freemen of England whose servants they are and you ought to be but are indeed grown their Masters according to Salomons words being indeed that evill which he saw under the Sun Eccles 10. 5 6 7. There is an evill which I have seen under the sun as an error which proceedeth from the Ruler Folly is set in great dignity or height and the rich sit in low place I have seen servants upon horses and Princes walking as servants upon the earth I say I hope you will have them preferre the good and safety of the Nation before any particular persons whatsoever But had you been Ministers of the Gospel you would have done as they did mentioned Acts 6. 1. to the 4. who refused to leave the word of God to serve Tables And truly for ingaging in the cause being called unto it by lawfull Authority in matters civill I grant they are a lawfull Authority But in matters Ecclesiasticall concerning the government of the Church of Christ there neither they nor you have any authority the Government being wholly on Christs shouldiers Isa 9. 6. compare with Matt. 28. 18. James 4. 12. he ruling by his own Lawes and not your acts nor commands And truly had it been that you had been Ministers of the Gospel you durst not leave your flock to attend upon the Civill State and affairs of the Kingdom seeing the Apostles thought it not meet to leave the word to serve Tables that was to look to the necessity of the Saints for which service they chose out seaven Deacons fitly qualified for that purpose as before is shewed I shall say no more to this but what the Lord saith Isa 29. 7. to the 17. And for powring out your prayers in your daies of humiliation you have done as the Lord complains Isa 58. 2. to the 8. Yet they seek me dayly and delight to know my waies as a Nation that did righteousnes and forsook not the Ordinance of their God they aske of me the Ordinance of Justice they take delight in approaching to God Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our soul and thou takest no knowledge Behold in the day of your fast you finde pleasure and exact all your labours Behold ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednes ye shall not fast as ye do this day to make your voice to be heard on high Is it such a fast that I have chosen a day for a man to afflict his soul is it to bow downe his head like a Bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him wilt thou call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse to undoe the heavy burdens and to let the oppressed goe free and that ye break every yoake Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thy health shall spring forth speedily and thy righteousnesse shall go before thee The glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward c. For your Appeale to God the searcher of all hearts to whom you must give accompt of all your ways that these were your grounds of your first Engagement and intentions in it But pray take in with you the love of money the root of all evill And for your amazement consider what the Lord saith Isa 29. 9. 10. Stay your selves and wonder they are blind and make you blind they are drunken but not with wine they stagger but not with strong drink for the Lord hath powred out upon you the spirit of deep sleep and hath closed your eyes the Prophets and your rulers the seers hath he covered c. Again you say to see a warre begun for the defence of Religion likely to end in the ruin thereof herein you discover your great ignorance in the mystery of the Gospel for now is the Lord making good his promise that the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea God powring out his spirit upon all flesh as Isa 11. 9. Acts 2. 4. Where they all spake as the spirit gave them utterance not Books Arts Learned at the Universities And this is according to the desire of that faithfull servant and type of Christ Moses when Joshuah the Son of Nun his servant desired Moses to forbid Eldad and Medad from prophesying saying Enviest thou for my sake would God that all the
grounds and reasons for it And lastly shew you how persecution for conscience came in and was afterwards agrivated to uphold not the Church of Christ but the state and â—hurch of Antichâ—ist First then were our Religion as false as you our Adversaries pretend yet were that no ground to take away our lives estates oâ— banish us pulling down our houses to make Iakes therof and hang us on the timber as some of eminency have preached for before authority I spare to name them I say we proving loyall to our Country though holding errors in our judgements yet were that no ground for persecution as is cleare from Christ by the parable of the Tares Mat. 13. Whereby the Tares must needs be understood men professing a false Religion which when some would have had them pluckt up Christ declared his mind to the coâ—tâ—ary and commanded they should be let alone and grow with the wheat untill the harvest in the world Although not in the Church least men undertaking to pluck up the Tares wanting wisedom to distinguish pluck up the wheat in stead thereof as it hath and doth often come to passe according to the words of Christ which shews that some shall be so blindly led and devoted as to kill the Saints thinking thereby that they do God service and therefore Christ will have the tares let alone with the wheat untill the harvest then who without great sin can attempt to pluck them up before that time And this doth no way contradict Gods word which saith that Magistrates are Gods Ministers to take vengeance on them that do evill the tares being sinners against God in false Religion whom he hath reserved to be punished with flaming fire at the day of Christ the other being trespassers against men and are justly to be punished by the civill Magistrate and herein we give to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods 3. The Lord commandeth that those that are blindly led on in a false Religion and are offended with him for the teaching of the Gospel should be let alone and referreth their punishment to the falling into the ditch Mat. 15. 14. And Phil. 3. 3. For we are the Circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Thirdly the Lord Christ reproveth those Disciples that would have had fire come down from heaven and consume the Samaritans that would not receive him in these words Ye know not of what Spirit ye are for the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Which sheweth plainly that Christ would have no man hurt for Religon yea though they were refusers of himself Luke 9. 54. 55. 56. Fourthly when the Lord Christ sent forth the twelve to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom this is the utmost that he directed them unto concerning those that should refuse to hear their words namely Mat. 10. 14. 15. To shake off the dust of their feet for a Testimony against them leaving their further punishment to the day of Judgement This was clear under the Law where none was compelled to the worship of God by the Authority of the Civill Magistrate but as the Lord did perswade the heart by his Word And as this was so under the Law much more in the time of the Gospel the Body being of Christ as first by the Commission of Christ given to the Apostles where Christ sheweth though all power in Heaven and Earth was his yet he only appoints Preaching the Gospel for gathering of his Churches throughout the world according to Pauls words where he saith The weapons of our war-fare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down Imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God Gen. 9. 27. Exo. 35. 5. 21. 22. 23. Psa 18. 43. 44. 110. 3. Col. 2. 17. Matt. 28. 19. 20. 2 Cor. 10. 4. 5. Again the same Apostle commandeth 2 Tim. 2. 24. That the servant of the Lord strive not but be gentle towards all men suffering the evill instructing with meeknes the contrary minded proving if God at any time will give them repentance that they may acknowledge the Truth and come to amendment out of the snare of the Devill Which plainly sheweth that repentance must be continually waited for and not constrained by violence and persecution and that because repentance is the gift of God and cannot be given by man and therefore Religion not to be forced or compelled Ephes 2. 5. 8. According to these commands the holy Prophets fore-told That when the Law of Moses should cease in matters of worship and the Law of the Messias should be set up instead thereof that then the carnall Weapons should cease They shall break their Swords into Mattocks and their Speares into Sythss Nation shall not rise against Nation neither shall they learne War any more They shall sit every man under his vine and under his own fig-tree and none shall make them afraid for the mouth of the Lord haâ—h spoken it There shall none hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountaine for the Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea Which when Christ came he taught and practied and so did his Apostles and servants Behold my servant whom I have chosen my beloved in whom my Soul is well pleased I will put my sppirit upon him and he shall shew Judgement to the Gentiles he shall not strive nor crie neither shull any man he are his voice in the streets a bruised Reed shall he not break and smoaking Flax shall he not quench till he send forth Judgement unto victory Advising them to be so far from persecuting those that should oppose and not be of their Religion that when they were persecuted they should pray when they were cursed they should blesse leaving the Judgement to God Isa 2 4. Micha 4. 3. 4. Isa 11. 9. Isa 42. 1 2 3. Matt. 12. 18. 19 20. 2 Tim. 2. 24 25 26. 2 Cor. 10. 4. Rom. 12. 14 to the 20. The reason of all is They who are now blind may see They who now reject the Truth may receive it They who are now Tares may become Wheat They who are now in the snare of the Devill through wicked works and adversaries to the Truth may hereafter come to repentance They that are now Blasphemers and persecutors as Saint Paul was may in time become most glorious and faithfull witnesses as he did They that are now Idolators as the Corinthians somtimes were may hereafter as they become true worshippers of God They who for the present are no people of God in vissible appearance nor under mercy may hereafter become the people of God obtaining mercy as the Saints have done for some come not till the eleaventh houre though some came at the First Third and sixt houre yet some not
I shall plentifully prove that to be according to the Gospel rule As 2 Tim. 2. 24. 25 26. And the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle towards all men apt to teach patient in meeknesse instructing the contrarie minded c. And for your distinction of Paganisme I have elsewhere proved your state Antichristian and to be farre worse and is compared to Sodom and Aegypt the vety worst of Heathens and therefore not to have given their hands and Seales to Christ nor taken upon them the profession of faith in him unlesse it be implicite to beleeve as the Church beleeves or by tradition of men And whereas you conceive there is so much zeale for God and for his truth in the people of England that did they but know the liberty intended and endeavonred after they would be so far from subscribing their hands to the Agreement that at the very hearing of it they would Rent their cloaths and cast dust upon their heads Sirs I beleeve it for as the children of Israel who had been a long time in bondage and slavery in Aegypt God sending his servant Moses to deliver them in their journey they murmered against him desiring rather to return and remain by their Flesh-pots with Onions and Leekes then to be transported into the Land of Canaan so these having drunk so deep a draught of the golden cup of the Whore from your hands that they are now in the same condition that the Jewes were to whom Paul preached the Gospel Acts 22. 22 23. Who said Away with such a fellow from the earth for it is not fit that he should live crying out casting of their cloaths and throning dust into the ayre c. Then you fall into the old strain of enveighing against Anabaptists Antinomians Arminians Arians Socinians Phocinians c. never shewing what they are much lesse confuting their doctrine to be erronious neither can you bring any part of the Gospell to prove that these men were they as erroneous as you pretend should be persecuted for their opinions and not enjoy the Liberty of their Conscience But herein you shew your selves brethren to James and John That would have had fire come down from heaven to consume the Samaritanes But as Christ said to them so say I to you Yee know not of what spirit ye are of for the Sonne of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them And for your feare of overthrowing the Oath of Allegiance and Supremecie your Shibboleths if they had never been but according to James his words yea Christ himself not to have sworn at all we had been far better and the sin of perjury and swearing would not have lain upon the Land as I feare it now doth The rest of the discourse is as much as in you lyes to hinder a generall Libertie of Conscience in matters of worship which is your Parenthisis your flie in the box of oyutment disabling the power of the civill Magistrate and Societies in private Families And why are you so invictive against the Papists and Prelaticall your late reverend Fathers from whom you had your Ordination being and maintenance Oh Ingratitude That children should so degenerate as to seek the death and overthrow of their Fathers that so they may get into their possessions which you have done by Papists and Prelates And whereas you say Poperie and Prelacie may have liberty by the Agreement because they make profession of faith in God by Jesus Christ do you Presbyters any more Are ye not of those the Apostle speaks of Titus 1. 16. That professe they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate or void of judgement In which your practice you shew your woolvish nature derived from your Fathers that notwithstanding by the providence of God your rage is stopt and teeth struck out Yet like a muzled Woolfe doe you not retaine your nature of snapping and snarling making good the word of the Lord Jer. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin on the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evill compared with verse 22. and chapt 5. 19. For your conclusion upon your being better informed and inlightned in your minds I wish your light prove not darknesse for then how great is that darknesse and whereas you do all freely and solemnly underwrite the substance of what is there published concerning the honour of God I shall be of your mind when I see you with the Jewes and the Goâ—lor cry out What shall we doe to be saved Acts 2. 37. and 16. 30. Or with those that used curious Arts and burnt their books when you go and do likewise Acts 19. 1â— Or according to Christs command and the Apostles rule and practice preach the Gospel freely getting that Ordinance for Tiths repealed with your trâ—ble dammages or imprisonment without Bayle or Mainprice When with the Dâ—mzell in whom was the spirit of divination Acts 16. 16. You confesse those whom you revile and persecute to be the servants of the living God that shew forth the glorious Institutions of the Gospel of Christ the way of salvation renouncing all Antichristian practice and traditions of men that you have neither precept nor example for Then and not untill then shall I judge you to be no Malignants against Christ nor Sectaries nor Schismaticks from the only rule of Christ But herein Reader take notice of two things the state of the Nationall Church of the Jewes under the Law from the world distinguished by circumcision and the Church of Christ under his government in the time of the Gospel distinguished by baptisme or dipping That being a Covenant of works made with Abraham and his carnall or naturall seed after the flesh The other being a new Covenant made with Christ beleevers Isaac and his spirituall seed being of the faith of Abraham Gal. 3. 7. 26. 28 29. compared with Rom. 9. 7. 8. Iohn 1. 12 13. and 3 4 5. 2. We hinder not men from Instructing Catechising and perswading their families either Magistrates or private persons yea and to powre out themselves with Jeremiah and Paul in prayer for them But not to use any violence or carnall weapons to force them to the worship that God requires under the Gospel by Christ it being spirituall according to that great Charter Mat. 28. 19 20. His Churches being so gathered in the Primitive times and ought to be so gathered after the Apostacie of the man of sin to wit by one and the same rule and ministrie c. being taken from the Heathens or Antichristians although you seem to make a difference for the word sets forth the state of Antichrist to be Sodom and Aegypt the worst of Heathens If you will make a difference I shall now desire to shew you what was practised under the Law as also under the Gospel concerning Liberty of Conscience with the