substance of which as the Subscribers say is an earnest and Cordial invitation and free Call to one which they name Mr. William Brownsword to exercise his Ministry at Kendall And now in the behalf of the Parishoners amongst whom this Paper goes abroad to obtain the Subscription of their hands This following Paper am I moved to send to the said William Brownsword and to others of the Inhabitants of Kendall that are of his party for them to consider of it and to compare it with the former Paper and I shall wait expecting his and their Answer I am a lover of your Souls and a friend to Righteousnesse and dayly travelleth in the work of the Gospel to the intent that Sinners may be converted to God and the Saints strengthned in the Faith which gives them victory over the world and I wait for Sions Redemption and for the overthrow of great Babylon that hath ruled over the Kings of the Earth and whereas it is manifest to me that there is a great dissatisfaction in the spirits of people in this Town and Country hereabouts concerning the Ministry and the great cry is who is a true Minister of Christ and who is is not some crying up one man and some another and it appears to me that there is a great strife in the mindes of people about Ministers and Ministry and about the Worship of God and Religion some saying This is the way others saying That is the way and some crying This is Truth and others crying That is Heresie Now to the intent that all people may be satisfied and that the way of Truth may be clearly known from all the false wayes of Error and that the true Ministers and Ministry ma be perfectly known and distinguished from all false Ministries and that the Truth may be exalted over all and all Deceipt confounded Upon these Considerations with that dear and tender love which is in my heart unto the soules of all people but more particularly to the people of this my native Countrey therefore upon these accounts I am moved of the Lord to send these unto thee that thou wouldst meet me in some publick place in the Town or at the Steeple-house where the people of the Town and Countrey may conveniently come together to hear our discourse of these things which is doubtful to them that they may be satisfied as aforesaid and these things I do propose which I do Judge are things which are most needful that the people should be informed in and no Question but the unfolding of these Particulars underwritten by the Spirit of the Lord in sober Arguments may tend to satisfie many FIrst Whether thou canst prove thy Call to the Minisâ—ry to be the same and by the same means as the Ministers of Christ was in the dayes of the Apostles in the true Christian Churches Secondly Whether the maintenance of thy Ministry and practise in thy Ministry and the fruits and effects of thy Ministry be the very same as was the maintenance and practice and fruits and effects of the Ministers of Christ and of the Apostles in the time of the true Churches before the Apostacy And if these things thou canst prove then he that denies thee and thy Ministry shall be accounted a transgressor and thou shalt be free Thirdly What are the marks and evident tokens of the false Ministers and whether thou canst clear thy self according to the Scriptures from all the signes and tokens of a false Minister and deceiver and wilt thou be tryed according to the Scriptures Fourthly Whether any man without the gift of the Holy Ghost can be a Minister of Christ and of the Gospel and whether through thy Ministry sons and daughters do receive the pourings forth of the Spirit upon them as in the dayes of the true Churches of old and whether the annointing that teacheth all things dwelleth in every member of that Church whereof thou art a Minister Fifthly What the true state of the true Church is at present and hath been for many ages and whether the Church of England as it stood in the time of Prelacy or as it now stands in Presbytery be the true Church of Christ the Lambs wife or who are the true Church and what name of people doth the true Church of Christ go under at this day Sixthly Whether the time hath been or now is or is yet to come that the true woman fled into the Wilderness and what is the Wilderness into which she was to fly and what is the state of the true Church at this time and if she hath been fled into the Wilderness how much of the time is expired that she was there to remain and what was these flocks with which the Dragon did persue her and how was the Dragon in Heaven and how and when was he cast out into the earth And these things with some others which I have to propound being fully opened in the way of a fair and sober dispute may try thy Ministry and satisfie many that are doubting and truth be made manifest and deceit confounded And these things I am willing to travel through in discourse with thee the said William Brownsword or any other that shall accept of the Propositions with the consent of the Mayor and Aldermen of the Town who may preserve the place and people in peace and soberness also provided that each of us on both parts may have full deliberation to speak forth our mindes pertinently to the matter and that each may have silence from the other whilst the other is a speaking and that all fair and sober dealing be amongst us and the fear of God but if these things proposed for subjects to dispute be not agreed to to fall upon then any other particulars which is necessary for edification which may be named by the Mayor or any other sober man in Kendal provided I may propound one thing for another And send thy Answer to this whether thou agree to it or not if thou or any other dost consent hereunto let the time be appointed to be in a convenient time after the date hereof and I shall expect an Answer to this either in agreement to dispute these Particulars or to give me an Answer to the Queries in writeing and I shall wait for an Answer hereof The 12th day of the 12th month 1659. E. BVRROVGH THE END
Acts 10. 34. where Peter saith of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons Sixthly where thou sayest there is no absolute decree of Election and reprobation from Eternity and sayest see a late Confession of Faith by Burroughs To this I say there is no such position in his confession of faith as thou here hath asserted but that we do believe that their is a state of Election and Reprobation as is there confest and faithfully acknowledged Seaventhly thou sayest that the Scriptures are not the Rule this is charged upon them by the Ministers of New-Castle as thou sayest To this I say as many as are begotten of the immortal seed to a lively hope by the word of God which abides for ever are his sons and children and such are led by the Spirit of God and it is their rule and not the letter Rom. 8. 14. and yet such are not Papists nor to be parallel'd with Bellarmine who shews the Scriptures are not necessary for they acknowledge that they are necessary that the man of God may be perfect and throughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3. 17. Eighthly thou compares us to the papists for saying the baptisme of Infants is not to be proved by the Scripture and quotes Bellarmine for calling it a tradition that 's no where written To this I say though we are no Papists yet I believe that Bellarmine confesses in this thing more truth than thou for it is very like it is a tradition which in its beginning was instituted by the Papists Church yet however this I am sure of that it is not recorded in the Scriptures of truth that ever God commanded it or any of his Ministers whom he sent forth practiced it therefore the Papist and thou that preaches it up as an ordinance of God is required to prove if you can when God ordained it or any of his Apostles practiced it and if you cannot Confess you have taught for ordinances mens traditions and seeing the Papists do confesse it is a tradition well may you Protestants doe the same for you had the practice of sprinkling Infants from them and in this you have drunk the whores cup. Ninethly whereas thou sayest that one day of seaven which we call the Lords day is no more than any other day and that it is without divine Authority To this I say further there is no command of God in the Scriptures for observing the first day of the week as a Sabboth of rest by ceasing from all bodyly labour of man servant or maid servant cattle and stranger that is within our gates as there was a command of God to the Jewes to observe the seaventh day and keep it holy to the Lord for a Sabboth of rest to them their sons and daughters man-servants and maid-servant cattel and stranger that was within their gates which Sabboth unto them was a signe and thou further sayest we make it Tipecal in which thou compares us to Bellarmine which comparison is altogether unequal for though Bellarmine counted it Tipical yet we make it not Tipecal for it was the seaventh day and not the first day which we say was a signe and concerning the first day of the week if thou hold that it was commanded by divine Authority as the seaventh day once was when thou writes again shew when it was commanded and where the holy Scriptures testifies of any such Command Tenthly whereas thou sayest that we say the Lords Supper as administred in your Churches is nothing but a bit of bread and wine and that we speak scornfully of it To this I say when thou writes again I desire thee to shew us an example if thou canst where ever the Apostles and true Church mett together in a Steeple House or Idolls Temple and broke bread in such a form and manner among unconverted people as you do calling it the Lords Supper or a Sacrament but the Lords Supper which is so in truth we do freely own and whereas thou compares us with the Papists in saying we speak scornfully of that which you call the Lords Supper in this I say thy comparing of us with them is altogether unequal for we do not speak scornfully of it but where we see either the Papists or you in an error we do rather pitty you than scorn you and desires that you may be recovered out of all error and be saved in the day of the Lord yet we do despise and reject the vain traditions of men which is practised for the worship of God by you Eleventhly thou sayest that wee affirm that Protestants Ministers are no Ministers of Christ that we use the vilest Language against you that we can invent deny your call and say you came from Rome c. Answ If thou meanest by Protestant Ministers of such of you as seeks for your gain from your quarters and Preaches for hire and makes a bargain for so much a year these practices being the same as the false Prophets and Papists are in doth in some measure demonstrate that your begining was from Rome for no example can you shew for those practices aforementioned among all the Holy Prophets or Ministers of Christ that have been since the begining And whereas thou sayest that we use the vilest language that we can invent against you I Answer this is utterly false for no vile language do we use or invent against you but the language of truth telling you plainly without flattering of the evil of your wayes that you may repent and in thus doing we have the holy Prophets of old for our example Twelfly that we have the same spirit of Infallability that the Apostles had To this I say further both we and all Gods children who are of the little flock have the same Infallible Spirit according to its measure and manifestation which is given to every child of God to profit withall 1 Cor. 12. 7. and both thou and all that say they have it not but counts it Popery for any to confess they have it art so far from being a Minister of Christ that both thou and they that have it not are not yet of his flock for the Apostle saith plainly if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8. 9. and yet he was no Papist nor with them to be parallel'd no more are we that confesse we have the Spirit of Christ I having rightly stated and vindicated our doctrines against thy slanders and proved them by the holy Scriptures to be the wholesome and sound doctrines of the Gospel I shall go on to lay open and reply against thy slanders and falsities concerning us in which thou hast compared us with the Popish Monks but it had been more wisdome and more like a Minister of Christ to enquired truly into our practices before thou had given judgement upon us or have compared us to the Popish Monks in whose discipiline thou sayest we seem to be admirably
hold forth which is neither provable nor exemplary in the Scriptures then thy colour had been more fair and thy pretence more spacious But because thou hast truly instanced nothing against us neither in doctrine nor practise but what we can prove sufficiently by the Scriptures therefore thy work is invalid even to many that are not of us For say they if this be Popery to follow the example of the Apostles in doctrine and practises its better to be a Papist then a Protestant for why the Protestants holds forth many doctrines and practises which are not proveable by the Scriptures and I might instance in many things that this is true even that you Ministers of England doth hold forth in doctrine and practise many things which is not proveable by the Scriptures but in some things even contrary to the Scriptures And what if I should compare thee and thy Brethren in some of your doctrines and practises which you hold and the Papists hold the same which is not according nor proveable by the Scriptures will not the conclusion fall upon thee and you that you are Popish Jesuites and like unto them as instance a few things amongst many you are made Ministers by Natural Learning and Languages through the attainment of such Arts and Sciences at Schools and Colledges which the Apostles were not and not by the immediate gift of the Spirit of God as the Apostles were and in this very way and manner are the Ministers of the Church of Rome made and sent forth And moreover by the Authority of the Church of Rome and by the Papists were your Colledges builded and ordained for the very use and end which you make of them and those Revenues as Tythes and other things which you yet uphold even your orders habits and formalities at Schools were given and ordained even in the daies of Popery and by the Whore of Romes Authority and you are in the very practise of that which they practised in this particular and you hold up and maintain that which the Papists instituted and first ordained and therefore are not you Papists and upholders of Popery let the witness in every mans conscience judge for you are doing and upholding the very same things which the Papists do which the Apostles never did and by thine own rule you are therefore Papists Again you are maintained in your Ministry by Tythes Gleab-lands Easter reckonings yearly stipends and so much by the year and settled in a Parochial way and thus were never the Apostles nor found in such practises but the Jesuites and Papists they are in the practise of such things that first instituted and ordained them in this Nation and herein you follow their example and not the example of the Scriptures and therefore we may conclude that you are Papists and follows their spirit and you practise what they practised even without any example at all in the Scriptures Again you sprinkle Infants and sayes it is the Baptisme into the Visible Church and Original Sin is thereby washed away and it is a Seal and a Sign of Regeneration and of the Covenant and this practise and doctrine the Papists hold forth and were indeed the first Founders and Ordainers of this practise and doctrine and it hath never been proved yet to us from the Scriptures but you hold it forth and the Papists they hold forth the same and therefore it may be concluded that you are Papists and yet upholds Popery by these and many other things that I might mention which you do and the Papists do the same and without any proof or example in the Scriptures or any of the Apostles doth fully demonstrate that you are more guilty of Popery then we are and Popery remains yet amongst you and these practises are but a few of many I might mention and this is but a hint at things which more largely might be spoken to and it is occasioned upon thee by thine own proceedings And I must tell thee that you are a company of shameless men to cry out against the Church of Rome for is not She your Mother and did not your Religion your Church and Ministry and Worship for the most part of it spring out of her bowels Yea it may easily be proved that the general part of your Worship doth consist of such practises brought forth in such a manner as was first instituted by the Whore of Rome both the practises themselves and the very manner of their performances and this may easily be proved and therefore you are shameless men to cry out of your Mother who hath made such fair provision for you She hath instituted and taught you a way for making of Ministers and She hath instituted and taught you a way of maintenance by Tythes and so much a year and she hath provided you your very houses for worshipping in for your Churches were her Mass-houses not many years ago And thus She the Whore of Rome your Mother hath made a large provision for you She hath taught you a way of Baptisme as I have mentioned and she hath taught you also the way of persecuting people for good conscience sake it was She that kill'd and destroyed persons for good conscience sake and it was She that forced and imposed Faith and practises upon peoples consciences contrary to the Spirit of God which you Ministers yet practises in part Many things I might instance to illustrate you to be like unto the Papists and even such as have sprung out of the Church of Rome But the Nation is begun already to see your shame and folly and if I were silent the Lord will not forget to repay his enemies with vengeance and the day of the Lord is at hand wherein his Judgements shall be known in the earth And thus I have measured thee according to thy own rule and I do leave it to the Witness of God in thy own Conscience and to all thy Parishioners to whom indeed I do wish well and that they might come to the knowledge of the things that belongs unto eternall life that they might be saved And ye people of Kendall and there abouts Oh that you would consider Oh that you would come to be taught of the Lord and every one of you to receive the Spirit of God which is the free gift of God that it might lead you into all truth according to the promise of the Lord for this is his promise That all his Children shall be taught of him his Law shall be written in their hearts and his Spirit put in their inward parts and they shall all be taught of the Lord and his Spirit shall lead them in all the wayes of righteousnesse Oh! how long will it be ere you come out of Idolatry and out of Antichristian wayes which long you have walked in and not only you but all Christian Nations for great hath been that darkness that hath been upon the world since the Apostles daies for Christ in his