peruert Heb. 6. and other holy Scriptures to their owne destruction Hauing now discouered some of H. Ns. principles The summe of the true Faith wee will in short set downe our Faith concerning these 6. Principles Heb. 6. First of Repentance from dead workes we doe beleeue that euery transgression of any Law of God is sinne 1. Ioh. 3.4 Rom. 6.23 and the wages of euery sinne is Death and so a dead worke That no man by reason of weake Flesh can keepe the Law Rom. 8.3 and therefore by transgression becommeth dead in Sinne Ephe. 2.1.3 and so by weake Nature the Childe of wrath For the Law causeth wrath Rom. 4.15 for where no Law is there is no transgression but the power of Gods word contained in the holy Scriptures 1. Cor. 15.34 Ephes 5.14 and not the Reuelations or Dreames of H.N. nor any others awaking man and setting his sinnes in order before him and the fearefull terror of Gods wrath against him Act. 2.37 16.30 Act. 2.38 3.19 causeth man to be pricked in his heart and to cry out what shall wee doe to be saued To which God answereth Repent of thy sinnes confesse them sorrow for them and reforme them But man seeing by the same holy Scripture that this his repentance or any other thing that he can doe cannot appease Gods wrath nor satisfie his Iustice for his sinne he is inuited hereupon to flye vnto Gods Grace by the Redemptiō purchased through the blood of his Sonne who is God ouer all and tooke our Nature vpon him and became Man Dyed for vs and is risen againe in his Body ascended into Heauen sitting at the right hand of his Father making intercession for his seruants euen for all that obey him Heb. 5.9 through whom alone wee haue Redemption euen the forgiuenes of our sinnes 2. Thus by Faith in the Blood of Christ is this Sinner sprinckled in his heart from an euill Conscience Heb. 10.22 and must also be washed in his Body with pure water 3. This is the Baptisme that saueth not onely the washing away the filth of the Flesh but in that a good Conscience maketh request vnto God 1. Pet. 3.21 by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ Yet not onely the good Conscience is Baptisme but also washing with materiall water into the Name of the Father c. For to enter into the Kingdome of Heauen which is the estate of Grace or true Christianity in this life called the Kingdome of Heauen Ioh. 3.5 Ephes 4.5 Wee must haue Water and Spirit Christ hath coupled them together as his one Baptisme and let no man seperate them 4. By laying on of handes wee conceiue is meant the whole ministery of the Church which consisteth of those Offices mentioned in Christs Testament All which are to be entred into by laying on of hands as these Scriptures teach * Act. 6.6 13.3 For other laying on of hands by which extraordinary guiftes were communicated vnto men wee vnderstand they were myracles giuen of God in the primitiue Church for the confirmation of the Apostles authority who taught thinges that neuer before were taught Heb. 2.5 which that they might be credited they did such thinges as neuer men did And if any Familist can doe Myracles as did th Apostles thē might they haue had some colour to write and bring into the world new Gospels as they are not ashamed to doe 5. Concerning the Resurrection from the Dead We beleeue that our soules shall be seperated from our bodies by naturall Death That the Body returnes to earth whence it came and the Spirit to God that gaue it Eccles 12.7 1. Cor. 15. vntill the day that Iesus Christ shall come againe to Iudge quicke and dead Then shall our Bodies rise againe euen these bodies Ioh. 19.25 c. and with these eyes shall wee see our Redeemer Lastly we doe beleeue and looke for to our great reioycing the blessed appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ to that Eternall iudgement wherein hee shall Iudge both quicke and dead according to their works done in this Flesh 2 Cor. 5.10 whether they be good or euill Reuel 20.12 to an Eternall being to wit Them that by continuance in wel-doing seeke glory and Immortality Rō 2.7 c. 1. Thes 4.17 Rom. 2.8 they shall come to Eternall Life where they shall bee euer with the Lord. But those that are contentious and disobey the Truth and obeyes vnrighteousnes haue done euill and haue not repented thereof They shall come forth to the resurrection of condemnation Ioh. 5.29 indignation and wrath shall bee vpon them burning in the Lake for euermore with the Deuill and his Angels Mat. 25.41 Now let all Iudge whether wee be totally ignorant of the 6. Principles Heb. 6. as these accusers doe suggest or rather that themselues are not only ignorant of them for if they were their sinne were the lesse but they deny them and that after their enlightning The 9. transgression they accuse vs of is Ninthly you will not bee reformed by the Light which God hath manifested in these latter times and whereof much is in the Booke of Common Prayer and in the Homilies and in the Booke of Ordering of Bishops Priests and Deacons Answ VVEE hauing asked some of them what Light this is that in these latter times God hath manifested for we conceiue God neuer spake nor euer will after his speaking by his Sonne in these last dayes who by himselfe and his Apostles hath deliuered all the Counsell of God sealing it vp with these sentences If wee or an Angell from Heauen teach any otherwise then we haue Preached Gal. 1.8 9. let him bee accursed And if any adde to what they haue done Reuel 22.18.19 God will adde the plagues written by them or if any take away any of those their wordes God will take away their names out of the Booke of Life we say we hauing asked them concerning these thinges they haue answered vs God hath spoken to the world at three seuerall times First by Moses and the Fathers 2. By Christ and the Apostles And thirdly by an euerlasting Gospell in these last dayes alledging Reuel 14. Which what Gospell should it bee but the Gospell of the Kingdome which H. N. hath published to the world in which many of his poysoned Doctrines is broached concerning which hee hath giuen himselfe a stately stile farre exceeding the Apostles in all their writings full of blasphemies which is this H. N. through the Grace and mercy of God Euang. Peg. Cap. 1. and through the holy Spirit of the loue of Iesu Christ raised vp by the highest God from the Death according to the prouidence of God and his Promises annoynted with the Holy Ghost in the olde age of the holy vnderstanding of Iesu Christ Godded with God in the Spirit of his loue made heyre with Christ in the heauenly goods of
the workes of the Iewes his owne people if when he came they had not cast him off The most that this place proueth is that if Gods people teach truthes but practice it not the truth they teach must be followed not their practices but if they will not repent of their euill practices they must be cast out for being Gods people * Math. 18.15 c. 1. Cor. 5. c. 2. I hes 3.14 and serueth nothing to proue that Gods people may practice according to the wicked workes of the Idolaters but the contrary but of this exposition more hereafter But feeing this Scripture is alledged heere by the Familists for proofe of that which many that are not so farre gone as they will abhorre yet thus farre take it vp as that they may heare Idolaters in their Religious exercises which is a dependancy of the former we thinke it very necessary to speake something of that forasmuch as many haue beene ouerthrowne by that vpon these rockes of Familisme for indeed in part it is the former For it is this a hearing of Idolaters to receiue some Spirituall benefit by them else why doe they heare and yet in their hearts doe not joyne in any Spirituall fellowship with them but iudge them to be Idolaters their estate with God to be most fearefull In a measure it is hypocrisie as the former and vtterly vnlawfull by the Scriptures That it is not lawfull to heare lying Idolatrous Prophets except to reproue them and contend against them is thus proued 1. THe Lord expresly forbiddeth it Deut. 13.3 Thou shalt not hearken vnto the wordes of that Prophet c. Thus saith the Lord of Hoasts Iere. 23.16 heare not the words of the Prophets that prophesie vnto you and teach you vnity they speake the vision of their owne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord. For if any goe to such Prophets to aske for God Ezek. 14.10 the Lord will punish them with the Prophets punishment Which is to bee cut off from Gods people Cap. 13.9 not to be written among the righteous and not to enter into the Land of Israell for euer Ioh. 10.5 Christs sheepe will flye from a stranger for they know not his voyce and they are often commaunded to beware of false Prophets which come in Sheepes cloathing Math. 7.15 1. Ioh. 4.5.6 the world heareth them but they that are of God heareth vs saith the Apostle Lying Prophets are for the wicked Micah 2.11 Gods people must not receine them if they come vnto them to teach them 2. Ioh. 20.11 much lesse may they goe seeke to be taught of them Let them returne to thee returne nel thou to them Iere. 15.19 2. As Preaching or teaching the word of God and hearing of the same among the Saints is a part of true worship * 1. Cor. 11.5 Math. 15.9 so is preaching and hearing among the wicked a part of false worship and so their Communion From which the Saintes are to seperate and haue no fellowship with their vnfruitfull workes of darkenes Ephes 5.11 but reproue them And so the wicked themselues account Preaching and hearing a part of their worship Psal 16.4 and 15.4 26.4.5 which the Saints may not offer but euen contemne such vile persons and actions and hate their assemblies and not company with them 3. As God commaunded that the Prophet that should presume to speake a word in his name Deu. 18.20 that he commanded him not to speake was to dye That is the Israelites the people of God were to slay his Body Deut. 13.5 and so to take euill away forth of the midst of them So are Gods people now cōmaunded that euen among themselues they must marke diligentlys them that teach contrary Doctrine and auoyde them Rō 16.17 and from such to seperate themselues 1. Tim. 6.5 yea if they were Angels from Heauen teaching falshood to let them be accursed Gal. 1.8.9 Gal. 5.10 and beare their condemnation whosoeuer they bee which being practised towards false Prophets within the Church or without the Saints are no more to heare them but to declare their estate of Death as vnder Moses bodily so vnder Christ spiritually 4. The Saints are to declare vnto the wicked That God saith what hast thou to doe to declare mine Ordinances that thou shouldest take my Couenant in thy mouth Psal 50.16 c. seeing thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my wordes behind thee and because I held my tongue therefore thou thoughtest I was like thee but I will reproue thee c. This is written for the Saints instruction Rom. 15.4 that herein they may imitate their heauenly Father Math. 5.48 For whosoeuer heareth in Gods matters and is silent he doth establish that which is done Num. 30.14.15 And hee that wincketh at iniquity when he seeith it Leuit. 20.4.5 the Lord will set his face against that man 5. Our Lord Christ Ioh. 8.44 would not suffer the Deuill the Father of all lying Prophets to confesse him Mark 1.25 yea by his power he made the euill Spirit in the man Act. 19.15 reproue those wicked men for medling with the name of Iesus 1 Ioh. 2.6 And we must walke as hee hath walked that when we heare the Deuill in the wicked false Prophets meddle with the name of Christ or his holy word or Ordinances we must sharpely rebuke them and asmuch as in vs is not suffer them 6. The end of the Saints hearing any false Prophet meddle with the word of God must either be for edification or else to rebuke them as before else what doe they there If to rebuke them it is lawfull as before is proued If to receiue Spirituall food from them they may not for there is food sufficient in Gods house the Saints may not goe to Aegipt to seeke food of any Aegiptian Esa 30.1 Woe vnto the rebellious Children saith the Lord that take counsell but not of mee they walk forth to goe down into Aegipt Esa 31.1 And woe vnto them that goe downe to Aegipt for helpe For the Lord will say to his people Iere. 5.7 how shall I spare thee for this though I fed thee to the full yet they cōmitted Adultery and assembled themselues in Harlots houses yea he doth further say What hast thou to doe in the way of Aegipt to drinke the water of Nilus Iere 2.18 or what makest thou in the way of Ashur to drinke the water of the Riuer And therefore this Prophet of the Lord when he had none to company with in Gods matters Iere. 15.17 he would not sit in the assembly of mockers but sate alone 7. Christ hauing giuen sufficient meanes in his Church for the edificatiō of euery member * Ephe. 4.16 Col. 2.9 1. Cor. 1.7 1. Cor. 3.21 2. Chro. 11.15 therin it is high
Family be asked whether in his generall Repentance he doe include his bodily worshipping according to the custome of Mahomet the Church of Rome or wheresoeuer he liueth the Magistrate commaunding it he will answer you no he doth not repent of that For hee ought to subiect his Body at any worship which the Magistrates commaunds keeping his heart to God For Gods worship is not at all outward and therfore that his practise is good and approueable Doth he now repent of this in any generality which he accounteth one of his good actions Repentance is an acknowledgement of sinne c. but an Idolater and Familist acknowledge their action herein to be good therefore cannot repent of them at that time If any say they haue not sinned Ieâ—e 2.35 1. Ioh. 1.10 God will enter into Iudgement with them and their sinne remaineth Oh but this is a dangerous censure they obiect not onely of those that are liuing but of many that are Dead To which we answer we censure none onely relate Gods censure in his Word that cannot lye Which word shall iudge all men at the last Day Ioh. 12.48 wee say of none whether dead or yet liuing that they are damned except such as sinne against the Holy Ghost as many of the Familists haue because wee know not in what moment of time they may repent But this we say whosoeuer they be that sinne and neuer repent thereof they shall perish Luk. 13.3 not we but the Lord saith this Therefore so long as we know men line impenitently in Idolatry through what delusion soeuer hating to be reformed and casting Gods word behinde their backes we can truely say they are in the estate of condemnation and shall perish if they repent not of that their Idolatry and come into the Arke that saueth 1. Pet. 3.21 which is the Baptisme of Christ the request of a good Conscience by Christs resurrection For the profession that must be had and kept is to draw neare to God Heb. 10.22.23 with a true heart in assurance of Faith sprinckled in our hearts from an euill Conscience and washed in our Bodyes with pure water Hauing thus discouered the false Christ of H.N. and his learners false way of Religion of those that are running fast after him though yet it may bee not of that louely Family who affirme that by keeping the Law any may be saued though they be neuer so great Idolaters as Idolatry is taken of all but Familists which wide brod way of affirming that any may haue saluation though they beleeue not in the man Christ but be Idolaters ouerthroweth the vertue of Christs precious Death and bloodshed and all Religion and Godlinesse Wee say hauing discouered the falshood of these wee now come to cleare our selues of their imputations which followeth thus vnder their hand Twelue transgressions that yee commonly called Anabaptists doe commit euen with a high hand and therefore yee for the very greatest part are vn-Christians FIrst your greatest Zeale is concerning Ceremonies and your least is concerning Godlines euerlasting and further yee contend against Godly ceremonies Answ In this vniust accusation are contained three thinges 1. Wherein our greatest zeale consisteth namely in Cermonies 2. Wherein it doth not consist in Godlines euerlasting 3. That we contend against Godly ceremonies First what mystery they may conceiue in this word Ceremony for they vse it much wee doe not well know but if they had no other meaning than as it is Heb. 9.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated Religious Ordinances or Diuine seruice or worship or Ceremonies then we say our zeale ought to be great concerning the Ordinances of true Religion or worship to God for it is the first and great Commaundement Mat. 22.37 Religion or religious seruice or worship towards God consisteth in the vpright hearty and vnfained submitting vnto with our Spirits and performing with our Bodies such Ordinances and Commandements as Iesus Christ the great Prophet hath commanded For he that obeyeth not the Sonne shall not see Life Ioh. 3.36 but the wrath of God abideth on him and wee must obserue all that hee commaundeth which if wee will not wee shall be destroyed from among his people Act. 3.23 for wee must stand fast and keepe euery instruction which hee or his Apostles haue taught vs 1. Cor. 11.2 for in these last dayes the Father hath spoken vnto vs by his Sonne and if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast Heb. 1.2 and euery transgression Cap. 2.2.3 and disobedence receiue a iust recompence of reward how shall wee escape if we neglect so great a saluation Cap. 3.3 For the Sonne is worthy of more honour then the Seruant wee are Christs friends if wee doe whatsoeuer he commandeth but hee that saith Ioh. 15.14 1. Ioh. 2.4 hee knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyer So that if the Ordinances of Religion or Diuine worship be the Lords if wee should not be zealous therein and earnestly contend for the maintainance of that Faith Iude. 3. which was once giuen to the Saintes we should be iustly reproued of the Lord as the Church of Laodocea and that iudgement pronounced Reuel 3.16 I will spewe thee out of my mouth But they will answer the Scripture learned men haue no vnderstanding as in any other thing so in this For the worship of God is altogether to be performed within in the Spirit and not in any outward Ceremony whatsoeuer With this they flatter themselues in their owne eyes whilest their iniquity is found worthy to bee hated the wordes of their mouthes are iniquity and deceipt Psal 36.2 c. they haue left off to vnderstand and to doe good they imagine mischiefe vpon their beds and set themselues vpon a way that is not good as shall manifestly appeare to all that haue eyes of any indifferency when we shew what the worship of God is as afterward we shall haue a good occasion to speake of onely this may suffice to cleare vs from any vniust accusation if we be zealous for the Lords Ordinances concerning his worship To the second part of the accusation that our least zeale is for Godlines euerlasting What doe they meane by this Godlines euerlasting whether that of their oldest Elder H. N. the perfection of liuing in the holy vnderstanding and vpright righteousnes in the louely being which in these last dayes is reueyled by H. N. in the house of Loue Or doe they meane that to bee euerlasting Godlines which some of his young Disciples affirme to be in those Gentiles Rom. 2. A iustice in themselues through keeping the Law which they call the Christ neither of these we freely confesse we seeke after For the first we doe asmuch detest as we doe the Deuill himselfe who is the Father of all lying allegories and reuelations that are not contained in the sacred Scriptures And for the second we doe
the riches of God Illuminated in the Spirit with the heauenly truth the true light of the perfect being elected to a Minister of the gracious word which is now in the last time raised vp by God according to his promises in the most holy Seruice of God vnder the Obedience of his Loue. The blasphemies of whose writings are so grosse as these wretches are very strait to whom they affirme that this euerlasting Gospell is H. Ns. the Light which God hath manifested in these last dayes yet apparantly it is it and no other For they speake plainely to whom they dare trust as they know wee well know and disperse his Bookes to those in whom they haue some hopes requiring most solemne protestations that they shall not let any see them who they know to be aduerse * For often they write keepe secrets from vnbeleeuers So that it is plaine this light which they much boast of and haue tolde many of vs of is this Gospell of H. N. which is so farre from light being compared with the holy Scriptures that it is damnable darknes from which we trust our God will alwayes keepe vs. But they tell vs much of it is in the Booke of Common prayer in the Booke of Homilies and in the booke of ordering of Bishops Priests and Deacons wherein all may see these hypocrites still would shelter themselues vnder Authority though it be a manifestation to all of their owne hypocrisie and of the horrible defamation of the Common prayer Booke for as wee said before they respect the Common prayer booke and the rest no more then they respect the Popish Masse-booke nor the Turkish Alchoran to wit in respect of the Magistrates commaund being farre from thinking in their hearts that any of them containeth the worship of God which they affirme to be onely inward and not in any outward obseruation whatsoeuer wherein they are most notable dissemblers in making men beleeue they respect that which they doe not And what a defamation is it vnto the Common prayer Booke and the rest that they affirme much of this new Light to be contained therein Is any such thing contained in any of these Bookes as that men euer had or can haue One Nature Being Life order and Spirit with God That God is all that Man is and that man is all that God is That Christ is the Perfection in the louely being whereunto H. N. and his fellow Elders doe attaine That Regeneration or the true Baptisme is the captiuating of men into H. Ns loue and her seruice That the Resurrection of the dead is the rising to H. Ns Doctrine That the Eternall iudgement is in this Day of the Loue of H. N and the life euerlasting the liuing in the Doctrine of H. N. after which there is no life more to bee waited for That any Idoll may haue all reuerence performed to it with the body that a man being tempted to any sinne if vpon crying helpe come not hee is free from the transgressing though he commit the fact That in this Citty or Communialty there is no more euill nor euill suspition nor yet sight of euill in them For within the same one doth neither see nor thinke any thing but all good c. That this Family should make manifest their whole heart with all their counsels mindes willes and thoughts together with all their doings 1. Exhor cap. 13. sect 12. dealings and exercises naked and bare before the Eldest in the Family of Loue and not couer nor hide any thing be it what it is before him also all whereunto their inclination kinde and nature draweth them vnto and all wherewith they become tempted or assaulted in their hearts And in their louely society Spirit land Cap. 37. sect 3. they doe not vow or binde themselues in the matrimony of men nor yet suffer themselues to be bound therein but are like the Angels of Heauen And there is no man that claymeth any thing to bee his owne as to possesse the same to his owne priuate vse for no man and that out of euery ones good disposition can desire any thing to bee his owne or yet to make any thing proper to himselfe from another But also whatsoeuer is there is free and is left free in his vpright forme There is also no man denyed to vse any thing in freedome of all that is profitable and needfull for him for they stand all in equity as one in the Loue c. Oh who would haue thought that so many abhominations had lurked in this wicked Family though alas these bee not all that are knowne and how many moe are vnknowne Pro. of H.N. Cap. 22. sect 16. and keepe secrets from vnbeleeuers men may imagine by H. Ns teaching his fellow Elders not to reueale their secrets no not to their owne young ones This is H. Ns. light brought into the world in these latter times but wee hope none of this new light or rather darknes will be sheltred in the Cōmon prayer Booke It will not patronage any of these fearefull blasphemies and therefore the hypocriticall boldnes of these Familists will haue little thankes for this their affirmation but before they come to this Light obserue what they must doe Looke who so will know these thinges must depart from all the wisdome of the Learned from the steps of the graue Fathers and from the religious walkings of all the Deuout persons euen all the knowledge men haue must away by little and little from euery one that shall be saued M. P. burning light cap. 7. sect 23 but before a Wise man can let slip all there must rise many agonies anguishes striuings and Earthquakes c. For before the Truth shall appeare the Destroyer must come and make all waste All light of Truth must bee put out before they can come to these thinges Oh fearefull wickednes Tenthly yee are voyde of the Christian Faith Answ OF the Faith of H. Ns. Christ we confesse our selues vtterly voide and doe blesse our God for the same but wee hauing manifested our Faith in the true Christ none will iudge vs to be voyde thereof but Atheisticall Familists Eleauenthly yee seperate from the holy Catholike Church Answ FIrst let it be obserued what these Familists iudge of all that beleeue not the Loue. Thus they write All such as beleeue not the Loue nor are Baptised into the name of the Father it is not meete to account such vnbeleeuers and vnbaptised ones for Christians at whose hands wee should looke for any word of truth let them esteeme themselues as holy as they will they are a false Christianity and deuillish Synagogue or Schoole now this being their censure of all but themselues If they meane the holy Catholike Church to be the Family of Loue as indeed H. N. saith then we must beare this accusation For as wee neuer were of it so we purpose to be deuided from it for euer If they meane any