Priests GEORGE GIFFORD To condemne overthrow read prayer ye bring as the ground or foundation of al your matter this Sentence God is a Spirit to be worshipped in Spirit Iob. 4. This Scripture indeed is cleare strong to cut downe al carnal worship as disgreeing from the nature of GOD And if any maintaine that the very bodily action of reading is the worship of God it may fitly be alleadged against them c. IOHN GREENWODS Answer Wisdome is Iustified of her Children IT is agreed upon consented unto on both sides that seeing God is a spirit onely requireth such to worship him as worship him in spirit truth all carnall worship is cut downe hereby of what sort soever as disagreeing from the nature of God that all fantastical devises of men namely whatsoever is not warranted in his worde is carnall worship a wearisomnes unto him lothsome in his sight So that no man ought to intermedle attempt or practise any thing in shew of worship wher of they have not sure grounde of his worde For even our God is a consuming fire Now to put away all your bodily distinctions and earthly cavils I still affirme as I have proved the stinting imposing mens writings upon publique assemblies to have them read over by number and stint or any other way as a worship of God instead of true invocation is a meere devise of man so carnall worship as also all other reading of mens writings publiquely or privatly in this abuse for praying to God Yet say you to apply this Scripture Iohn 4.22.23 in this manner against read prayer is frivolous where I appeale to all mens consciences for the weight therof It is frivolous you say except I can prove that a man cannot pray by the spirit of God with sighes and groanes upon a booke or when prayer is uttered after a prescript forme c.. At the first step you goe about to alter the question All our prayers ought to be uttered after a prescript forme even that perfect rule and forme our Saviour gave to his Disciples and all posterities But this is nothing to the matter For the other which is nothing but a begging of the question I alleaged certayne reasōs to this effect First that those sighes groanes in reading instead of praying were not of faith seeing that those sighes grones that proceed of faith minister matter to pray without a booke 2. That you did but barely affirme the question in calling it prayer by the spirit when one doth read seing reading is not praying at all for as I then alleadged to invocate the name of God in spirit is by the worke of the spirit to bring fourth of our hearts prayer to God which is then in truth when it agreeth to Gods word But reading is another matter namely a receaving of instruction into the heart from the booke Out of the first Mr. GIFFORD maketh men beleeve he hath fetched two heresies the one a perfection of faith the other that faith cannot be joyned unto or stand with anie outward helpes for the encrease therof Litle marveile he found so many heresies in our whole writings that could finde two or three in my first reason but that you may remember your self better though you had two yeares to consider I will bring the wordes before you againe if peradventure you may have grace to call backe your self I said if the sighes grones in that kinde of praying were of faith it would minister matter without a booke this sentence I may confirme by many testimonies of scripture that no perverted spirit can gaine say or resist the scripture teacheth us every where that in praying the spirit onely helpeth our infirmities no other helpes mentioned or can be collected in the present action of prayer through the Scripture He hath sent into our hearts the spirit of his Sonne crying Abba Father we beleeve therfore we speake Yet here is not any shew of perfection of faith but of the contrary praying for our wantes But this may be gathered that God onely accepteth the fruits of his owne spirit in prayer and requireth no more of any but that every one according to the proportion of faith pray unto him as occasion in them requireth Now to conclude that because in praying we neede not a book to speake for us when the heart it self book of our conscience speaketh with God that therefore sayth never needeth instruction but is perfect were slanderous false and senselesse The cause then of these heresies proceed hereof that your sel fe Mr. Gifford would needs frame two syllogismes in the moodes of your malice constraine the propositiō of the present action in praying to a generall sentence of all times and actions though both our question here was of the very action of praying in the conclusion of that very point within six lines after this you ad these wordes Even in the time of their begging at Gods hands so that these heresies must be Mr Giffords and not myne seeing they are found to be coyned of his idle brayne and godles heart only to defame the trueth But say you the most part are ignorant weak short of memorie c. therfore need all helps to stir them up to pray c. where by your own confession reading is not praying but a help to stir up to pray And even hereupon al our errours arise that you cannot discerne the difference of spiritual gifts with the distinct use of thē We doubt not but before prayer al the daies of our life we have neede of helps of instruction to praye aright for the fitnes of the mind bodie often fasting reading meditating c. are great helpes to go before to humble our selves in praying but in the present action of prayer whē the heart is talking with God the eies hands c. with attention lift up to heaven all the powers of our soules bodies conversant with God to take a booke read cannot be called in this action a help but a confounding of the mind of Gods ordinances and a doing we know not what though before and after it be an exeellent meanes ordeyned of God to instruct us to pray and al other dueties As for the conformation you talke of where I alledged that a troubled minde is the penne of a readie writer therefore needeth not a booke to speake for it in the action of praying By troubled minde I understood such a minde as is presently moved with the sight of some sinne or urged by other occasion a broken spirit a broken contrite heart not such a minde as in dispayre or doubt is perplexed and that the heart which is moved in faith with present occasion to cal upon God is the penne of a readie writer that is hath matter and wordes enough without a book to utter his own wantes we may reade throughout the Psalmes My throte
of the spirit giving vs cause of our owne heart by the worke of the spirit giving vs cause of prayer and instead therof to reade another mans writing I doubt not wil be founde and judged of all that haue spirituall eyes to see a quenching of that grace yea in that action the reading hindreth vs from pleading our cause with God according to the occasions we see in our owne hearts And by not teaching men to drawe out the graces of God in them to offer vp the sweete incense of his owne spirit in praier but an other course devised by fleshly pollicy the people growe into such Atheisme that they learne not all the dayes of their life to lay open their owne soule before the Lord in praier How much more then by imposing stinted wordes to be read in the whole assemblies insteade of the liuely graces making it a sufficieÌ„nt ministerie to reade ouer such beggarlie wares do you abandon Gods spirituall giftes and make an assemblie of Atheists in most places of this land yea trulie in the best assemblies compell such wares to be read when and where the liuely voyces of God present graces should onely be draweÌ„ fourth as an holy odour vnto the Lorde Yea I appeale to the consciences of al that feare God if this have not brought the land generally to Atheisme that not one amongst an hundred can call vpon God 2 That it is an ignorance to presume to come into so neere a conversing with God and to do one action for an other so offring the sacrifice of fooles let it be sufficient proof that reading is not praying That it is presumptuous to bring such lame sacrifices when yov know to do better let it be considered whether you would so vncircumspectly and carelesly approche to the presence of the Prince or any noble personage Then if he be our Lorde where is his honour his feare etc. when we wil teach men and compel men to do they knowe not what in his sight and to offer such lame sacrifice The Priests themselves care not what offring they bring to him Malach. 1. Thirdly the reading praier can be at no hand a striuing in praier for the worde agoniso which is read Rom. 15 30 signifieth to contend in fervency both in minde and worde to preuaile with God as Iaakob wrestled with the Angell and said I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me Genes 32 24.25.26 Such â—rist you shall see throughout the Psalmes in the praiers of David and the Prophets alas how this should be performed either by feruency or contynuance let the wise consider 4. For importunacy and continvance in praier whereof we have many precepts let the worde be looked vpon which is proscartereo to insist by perseverance etc. as we see our Saviour Christ make plaine vnto vs by a parable Luke 11.5 6.7.8 and Luke 18.1.2.3.5.7 now shall not God auenge his elect which crye night and day Experience we see in Moses who when he lifted up his handes to heaven the Israelites so long preuayled Exod. 17. You can not make your read prayers serve in this vse with all your divises For how would you effect this except to make the Priest reade till he sweat againe with vaine repetition and the people that use such stinted praiers to say them often over as the Papists their fifteene Aue marias fiue Pater nosters as a cure of altheir grieves By this litle I have spoken it may appeare though the Lorde knowes I am a man of vncricumcised lippes neither able to vtter that God giveth me by faith to see in these high thinges neither yet comprehending anie title of the excelency of them it I hope it shall appeare to Gods children how odious your marchandize is in Gods eyes and how you make the ordinances of God of true prayer of none effect by your traditions he onely approving the lively graces of his owne ministerie and such as have giftes and are called thervnto to be his mouth vnto the people and the peoples mouth vnto him in the publique assemblies you invent a newe worship and extinguish his which maketh men fall into dissolutnes and bloudie tyrannie against his Sainctes And where I alleadged that Paul would pray with the spirit and vnderstanding and therefore not vpon a booke you answere that Paul had no such neede of a book as other men have But if you had looked vpon the text better you should see that the Apostle in his owne person teacheth what ought to be donne in all Churches of all men And that he there taketh away the abuse of spirituall giftes I Corin. 14.15 and in the same Chapter sheweth that this and all other his doctrines are commannments of God vers. 37 nowe either God prescribeth two wayes to pray or els your reading for praying is a devise of man But your self have confessed there is no commaundement to reade prayer for praying Yet here you cauill with your stale shift that Paul taught others to singe Psalmes vpon a booke which is a meere evasion seing singing is not praying The same Apostle faith to all that are borne of God because we are sonnes God hath sent fourth into our heartes the spirit of his sonne which cryeth Abba Father So that although we have not like measure of grace yet if we cannot pray we have uot the spirit of God Gal. 4.6 I alleadged as you say a reason here why praier read cannot be true praier Jn reading we fetch the matter from the booke which moueth the heart In true praier we fetch the matter from the heart which causeth the mouth to speake Your answere is that this a most ridiculous vanitie for tell me say you this when we bring fourth in true praier matter froÌ„ the heart which causeth the mouth to speak hath not the heart bene first moued with the worde of faith etc. Let men here witnesse with me what cause I had to esteeme you as a skorner Againe how empty you are of any spiritual favour And here you haue no answere to give but aske me certaine questions First whether wheÌ„ we bring fourth in true prayer etc. the heart hath not beene first instructed To this I answere that againe you confesse the reading praier vpon a booke is not praying but an instruction of the heart to praye If you would stand to this we should not neede have so much labour and all the places of Scripture which you have alleadged for to proove reading praying have beene meerly wrested by you to deceaue the simple Well say you but if the heart be first instructed before it can vtter matter in praier whie may not the heart againe be moued with hearing or reading the worde and so vtter prayer Yes I graunt and still you graunt me that reading is not praying but moueth to praier TheÌ„ all your assemblies that have no prayer at all and all that vse read praier for praying do not praie but mocke with
More vvorke for PRIESTS OR AN ANSWERE TO GEORGE GIFFORDS pretended defence of Read Prayers and devised Leitourgies comprised in the first part of his booke Intituled A short Treatise against the Donatists of England Wherein Is proved that the serving of God in such away and manner is a superstitious and vaine worship Written By JOHN GREENWOOD Christs faythfull Martyr Here-unto Is added by another man many other arguments against stinted service and booke prayer Luk. 16. 15. That which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God Printed in the yeere 1640. The Preface MY first writing being about that spiritual exercise of prayer and true invocation of Gods reverend name whereby the distressed soule of man loaden with the burden of sinne compassed also about with so many deceitfull enimies continual assaults of Satan rebellion of the flesh entisements of the world etc. seeketh daylie help of God the Father giver of all good giftes having thorough Iesus Christ free accesse by the direction of his holy spirit for all occasions to unburden it self of whatsoever grief or occasion of thankes it is moved with I ought stil and by Gods assistance shall keepe me in the meeknes of the spirit not withstanding his unchristian railinges slanders reproches against me the truth I then shewed that no other prayer could utter and ease the severall occasions distresses of this conscience and that no other mans writing could speake for this soule unto God but the heart and mouth of him that prayeth for himself or is chosen the mouth of many uttering to God his or their mindes for their present wātes or occasion urgeth and the spirit giveth utterance And I further proved that onelie this prayer pleaseth God and is grounded on faith to this effect I brought many reasons out of Gods worde admiring the ignorance of this age wherin having had the gospell of Christ thus many years in our owne language to search and try all things by whole congregations doe make no other praier to God thē reading over a certeine number of wordes upon a booke from yeare to yeare moneth to moneth day to day c. the same matter and words as they were stinted even out of that Portuis englished out of Antichrists masse booke besides private reading of menswritings instead of praying And seing this counterfeit shew of worship and pretended prayers was made common marchandize in every assemblie by this Antichristian preisthood and that al men every where were compelled to bowe downe hereunto and to offer up such counterfeit sacrifices I perceaved the first principle of Religion which is to invocate the name of the true God through the meditation of Christ in spirit and truth with heart and voyce for our present wantes according to the will of God was never yet sincerely taught by these time serving Priests But as an agreable service to the humors of earthlie minded men which have not the spirit of God this ware was thrust upon al people They wel knowing that such a ministery and such a Church of wordlings could never have stood without such a Samaritan worship Egyptian calf and like earthlie devises to counterfeit a Religion al men inclyned to some And long have I heard this pretended worship inveyed against by many sometimes zealous for the errours and confused order thereof Yet could I not heare anie to sett downe or teach which was the true prayer that only pleased God manie contriving divers formes of wordes as though they had knowen the heart of man counselled thē to reade them day unto day yeare unto yeare at evening morning dinner supper c. by portion measure and stint as an offering to God what state soever the soule was in not teaching the difference betweene reading upon a booke and prayer unto God all the tyme So that true and only prayer hath not beene taught all this tyme those that knewe how to pray aright neglect it this reading being most easie as they thinke and they aptest therunto compelled in the publique assemblies thus to mocke with God after the manner of the papists mattins true zeale no where founde but in the persequuted remnant These my first writings caryed abroode by such as desired true instructiō and willing to make others partakers of such benefits as God imparted unto them it fell into Mr GIFFORDS hand Who as it seemeth being a marchaunt of such ware fynding the gaine of the priesthood to depend here upon or as he saith the peace and uniformitie of the Church made head unto it and that not with purpose as the fruite of his labour sheweth to edifie others but standing himself a minister to this Liturgie having made shipwrack of that conscience he sometimes was thought to have with all bitternes of spirit and carnal wisdome having no more savour of grace in his writings then there is taste in the white of an egge fleeth upō me with uncharitable raylings slanders c. And loadeth not only me but all the faithfull that walke by the rule of Gods worde with opprobrious titles of Donatists Brownists Anabaptists Heretiques Schismatiques seditious foolish frantick c. to bring not onely us but the truth of God into contempt with our Sovereigne Prince and all that feare God for he ceaseth not with laying al reproches he can devise upon our persons as one of those Locusts Rev. 9. whose similitudes are like unto horses prepared to battell whose faces like men but their teeth as the teeth of Lyons But also perverteth blaspheameth by all meanes defaceth the truth offered to him Welseing the natural mā perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God I wil speak not here of the giftes of the spirit but of the grace of God which sanctifieth the same many having Charismata that have not Charin And seeing I am alreadie thus rent Gods truth delivered by me troden under his feete I will followe the councell of Salomon who forewarneth me that he which reproveth a skorner receaveth to himself shame and he that rebuketh the wicked himself a blot And so tourne me from him leaving him to the consideration of his owne words where he sayeth in his Epistle to the reader He that seemeth most zealous in Religion and refrayneth not his tongue hath but bitternes in his heart in stead of heavenly Zeale And though nothing els can be looked for at their bandes that are Apostate from that light they have sometymes themselves published of vvhich sorte the worlde was never more full yet for the good of Gods chosen scattered abroade and for the defence of Gods trueth I cannot holde my tongue And for the more playnenes I will answeare as to him though I minde not to have anie more to doe with him till God give him repentance Wishing grace by the direction of Gods holy spirit to him that readeth to weigh both sides uprightly and to follow the truth to his owne salvation JO GRENWOOD More works for
prescript forme of prayer is a tradition bringing our libertie into hondage c. my reason was c is that the Lord by Moses prescribed a forme of blessing c. Num. 6 the Prophets in the Psalmes have prescribed manie formes of prayer Our Saviour Christ prescribed a forme of prayer c. JOHN GREENWODS Answer HEre is a greate storme yet nothing but wynde If you were in Caiphas his place you would either have rent your clothes for zeale or els condemne me before you vnderstand what I say Is it simple dealing do you thinke to say I hold it a bondage breaking our libertie for the Lord by Moses the Prophetes our Saviour Christ also to set downe a forme of praier or to prescribe a forme of praier Did you not see that the Minor Proposition speaketh of the reading for praing and not of the forme of praier Againe of the commandement wherby men are compelled to reade instead of praing Did you not see that these wordes brought into the publique assemblies did specifye the matter to be mens writings to be read in the assemblies as a worship yea invocation of Gods name which is a grosse mockery Not that ther is any Commandement to reade ouer those formes of praier mentioned by you for praing and so the Commandement so to reade them for praying is an abuse of them and a Commandement of men and not of God etc. But that much more odious it is to bring in mens writings into the publique assemblies is proved vnlawfull in the first argument and then to commit Idolatrie with them by reading them jnstead of praing and that to compell men by Commandement wher God had set no Commandement so to vse them was a bringing all men into bondage of popish traditions So that your common recitall of these places of Scripture is abuse of them and you do but palinodian cauere I thinke if you get St. I H O N S gospell about your necke as the Papists do you wil thinke you haue religion ynough The more fearfull is your Apostacy you proceede from euill to worse GEORGE GIFFORD About the Commaunding a prescript forme of prayer to be used our Church doth agree with all godly Churches yea the reformed Churches have and do practise the same here therefore I wish the reader to observe that you Brownists doe not only condemne the the Church of England but all the reformed Churches whatsoever and can be no other but Donatistes IOHN GREENWODS Answer I Trust your madnes will appeare to all men the poyson of Aspes is vnder your tongue he that cannot rule his tongue his Religion is in vayne Shall J in your heate be pressed with multitude of Churches then heare what the Lorde faith Thou shal not followe a multitude to do evill we have the word amongst vs we shall by that worde be either iustified or condemned Then either prove your matter from the scriptures or els give eare to the Scripture If those Churches you speake of bring mens writinges into the publique assemblies inforce them to be read for praying I would see their warrant we beleeve not because men say so or doe so but because God speaketh And where he speaketh all men must be silent You may accuse other countries as you wil knowe not their estate but your drudgery insteade of true worship is lothsome the priest with his massebooke the begger with his clapdish canuize over the Pater noster for their bellie which is your common worship with other trinckets We shal speake of a Liturgie in due place Here you breath out your accustomed lyes slanders railings First you terme us Brownists Donatists wheras I never conversed with the men nor their writings I dereft Donatus his heresies And if they had beene instruments to teach us anie truth we were not therfore to be named with their name we were baptised into Christs Browne is a member of your Church your brother and all Brownists do frequent your assemblies And here you wish the reader to consider that I condemne all reformed Churches do I condemne all Churches for reproving a sinne by Gods worde May not the true Churches if they were such err Did I affirme at anie time that they were no true Church that used read prayers remember your self you knowe who is the Father of such untruthes But because your Conscience bare witnesse you had wrongfully chardged me and in frome all true Christians you bring it in by necessary consequence thus you assi'me say you prescript formes of praier brought into the publique assemblies to be the changing the work of the Spirit into an idoll a tradition breaking Christian libertie a deade letter quenching the Spirit c. and therefore most detestable But all reformed Churches receive and use it c. therefore You can reason well to bring the truth into contempt your moth is open and tongue whet as a sworde thereunto If the proposition be true drawe what consequence you will it is yours not mine if the doctrine be true it is Gods worde that giveth sentence against the sinne And if you have anie sparke of grace procure that we may decide the truth with other Churches Doth it follow that because imposing of mens writinges to be read for praying is an heynous sinne therefore they that use it are no Church If I should say so I should justlie be called an Anabaptist And here you accuse me to pleade for such a freedome in the Church that nothing receaued which is imposed by commaundement Abaddon is the Father of such Prophets Doth it follow that because we would have the Church free from all traditions of men which have no warrant in Gods worde that therefore we would not receave Gods ordinances by Commaundement That we ought to receave nothing by Commaundement in the worship of God which God hath not commaunded the second commaundement with the scriptures I have rehearsed are evident Deut. 5.32.33 Mat. 2 5.2.3 Gal. 4.9 Collof 2 20 But seing your self graueled considering all the world cannot lay a Commandement to bring their owne inventions into the assemblies wher God hath laide none but forbidden it you ranne to your former places of scripture to wrast them as before where your collections are but vaine repetions of that which hath been convinced before Moses the Prophets etc. prescribed formes of praiers therefore men now may thrust their writings into the publique assemblies Your Argument is denied and yet here is no warrant for the reading them over for praier G. GIFFORD The Church had power to expounde those prayers mentioned in the Scriptures to apply them to their severall necessities c. J. GREENWOOD If you meane by expounding the breaking of them up by doctrine vp and by doctrine and praier to applye them to the severall vses of the Church by lively voyce far be it from me to thinke otherwise But if you meane by expounding to make homilies vpon them or liturgies
professed subiects of false government no censures of admonition belonging vnto them but calling of them to repentance separation from the false Church Then as the wife that giveth her self to be one with an other man is an adulteresse Rom. 7.3 so that Church that subiecteth herself to an other government ordinances and lawes then Christs is an harlot Now lett all men say whether I had not iust cause to say you speak like a carnall libertine and an Athiest yea now as one having his conscience seated to affirme that the Church remayninge in open knowne bondage to a false government may saye as Paul said it is not I that sinne And that continuing in that adultrie she is the spouse of Christ by outward profession You would saye it were a false Argument to say the Church hath manie imperfections ignorances transgressions etc. therfore standeth in bondage to sinne nay standeth in bondage to an other heade and an other government then Christ Even so to saye the Church doth sinne therfore may contynue in bondage to sinne is false doctrine nay to say it may stand in open professed subiection to Antichrist be esteemed the Church of Christ by outward profession in that estate is damnable doctrine It is the flat contradiction of all the rules of the Scripture to say a man may stand in bondage to sinne and the free servaunt of Christ by outward profession by mans iudgement at one tyme seing the obstinate offenders are to be cast out of the assemblie But nowe though the regenerate may fall into these high sinnes and contynve in their sinne a long time yea manie yeares depriued of Gods grace to mans seeming to vs he is the servant of Satan for anie thing wee see yet the Spirit of GOD is never vtterlie extinguished or or deparred after regeneration but will recover the man againe and bring him to repentance as David after a whole yeare for the stronge man once displaced and cast out by a stronger then he the spirit never vtterly departed againe for then it were impossible that man should be renewed Mat. 12.31 Heb. 10.29 and 6.4 And herevpon I might saye Paul never contynued captive in sinne but was alwaies renewed by repentance Furder this spirit of God the sparkes wherof were never quenched vtterlie did not nor could not consent or give place vnto sinne for here is the enmitye and battel betweene the spirite and the flesh everie where spoken of Gal 5.16.17 Rom. 7. May I not now say then that Paul never contynued captive vnto sinne nor consented vnto sin concerninge the inner man or gave place vnto sinne in that place mentioned without heresie And still reprove you that when Paul reasoneth of the old man or corruption in him you will conclude it of the new man or inner man and of the whole man when you see evidently he opposeth the one against the other For whiles the spirit striveth against sinne and raigneth in vs though the fleshe rebell and cause vs to sinne seaven times a daye yet are we not overcome of sine so to remayne in bondage no sinne that it should contynue to raigne in vs as you may see in the same chapter Rom 7.5.6 Where you alleage then that Paul saw a lawe in his members which did lead him captive vnto sinne you do falsifie the text for he saith leading me captive and not did leade etc. for ther was a stronger then man that suffered not the lawe of his members to reigne for saith be I my self in my minde serve the law of God but in the flesh the law of of sinne so that the whole man could not be said to serve sinne But say you afterward as concerning then the inner man we may besaid to serve the lawe of God and thervpon be called the free servants of Christ notwithstanding this corruption of sinne in the flesh So the whole man by reason of our imperfectnes may be said to be the servants of sinne No it is not true for the whole man is called after the part that hath greater rule in vs as if the fleshe rule in us we are the servaunts of sinne and ledded by Satan at his pleasure but if the Spirit rule in vs we are the servauntes of God Sonnes of God Sainctes of God Citizens of Ierusalem a royall nation holie and free people Kinges and Priests not that we are perfect or sinne not but that sinne raygneth not in vs but the spirit wherby we suppresse sinne reprove sinne strive against sinne subdue sinne and though we fall seven times yet we rise againe by repentance and serve not sinne Rightly therfore did I saye that man cannot serve 2 masters for his servantes we are to whom we give our selves as servants to obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnes Rom. 6.16.18 being made free from sinne we are made the servantes of righteousnes So that the regenerat man or he that is by outward profession the servant of Christ cannot be called the servant of sinne by reason of the corruption of the old man and dregges of sinne neyther can he that standeth in bondage to anie sinne and giveth himself over to it be called in that estate the servant of Christ till he repent but the servant of sinne 2. Pet. 2.19 Therfore you must recant your false interpretation of Paul in the 7. to the Rom. and cease your blasphemous raylings in calling the truth of God the rocke of Brownisme And consider the height of your sinne by concluding a bondage vnto sinne of the whole man for the corruptions of the fleshe which through the worke of the Spirit is daylie subdued though never vtterly rooted out of our earthlie members and from the committing sinne through frayltie and obstinate professed bondage to the false Church false government false ministerie etc. which is plainly the marck of the Beast to whom with outward obedience they bowe downe and stand servants in his kingdome Revel. 14.9.11.12 As for the 4 of the Galat. 26. where the Apostles aith Jerusalem which is abone is free with her Children you durst not open it nor expounde it but blaspheame raile and slander as though we should pleade for such a freedome as should detract from Magistrates lawfull authorities from having Gods ordinances established by commaundement vpon the Church etc yea that we should hold Anabaptisticall free dome as though we had power not to committ or consent vnto sinne wheras we have everie where by practise and protestation by word and writing testified to our Sovereigne Prince and to all men the contrary But Satan that old accuser and detracter of Gods children to deceive the world sendeth out such lyinge spirites to deface the truth We with all subiection and willinge obedience to our sovereigne Prince teach all men their obedience to the higher powers Subiectes to Magistrates Flocke to Overseers children to Parentes wives to their husbands servantes to their Masters etc. in all