sensible savouring the things that are of men as how we ought to pitty our selues our wiues and children and so prevent the unavoidable evils of non-conformitie but yet they understand not in this poynt the things that are of God namelie that rather then we should conforme to anie thing in his worship which he hath not in the word commanded we must forsake yea we must hate or denie in this case all affection of dutie reverence loue tender care or whatsoever to father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and our owne liues also or else we cannot bee the disciples of Christ Must not these graue and learned perswaders then of absolute necessitie bee an offence unto every faithfull and tender heart Goe on therefore my brethren and be of good courage and assure your selues that in suffering for not conformitie to kneeling you suffer for the Lord Christ and to yeeld against the light of your hearts is to be ashamed of him seeing these things doe directly follow from his own words even wheÌ„ for feare of men spiritually adulterated we will conforme to things of divine use in his worship which he never commanded but are onely warranted to our consciences by the advise of the learned or the precepts of men the traditions of the Elders and other like humane authorities All which without warrant from the word even euery one of them in particular and generally altogether are Lyars and therefore all the gestures or actions ceremonies or or callings of religious use in the worship of God which they perswade unto without warrant from the word are lying gestures lying actions lying ceremonies and lying callings not but like the Divel they may speake professe and acknowledge some excellent truths but that the maine thing they aime at is to maintaine some errour or other and therefore all the volumes in the world filled with all the Art learning wisedome and discretion of the whole world compared with or set against one verse in the sacred Scriptures are to bee esteemed most filthy and stinking dung But haue we but one sentence in the Bible for a table-gesture which yet were sufficient against all humane opinions and authorities whatsoever haue we the first institution onely or barely mentioned do not everie one of the Evangelists make mention of a supper or a table of rising from supper and sitting down and of sitting even in the act of administring and receiving the sacrament yea doe not diuers places in the Acts and Epistles plainly inferre the continuance of a table gesture and therefore to bee the direct ordinance of Christ But it seems an impudent generation is come up who dare affirm that the Sunne of the Church must if they make such a charme or Canon stand still continually and not stir at all as once it did for one whole day in Gibeon but the Moone especially not to moue one inch as for that time it did not in the valley of Aielon further then they in their discretion shall thinke to bee fit and so by their wit and learning are bold to defend that the earth is in circular motion all the world and the creatures therein turning round continuallie yea they are most confident if they may haue audience to make any indifferent hearer that comes without preiudice to conforme and subscribe to â—his opinion Doth not the spirit of giddinesse possesse the heads of these men are not these the true successors of those learned Divines graue Rabbies great Doctors that still cried out to Christ Shew us a signe make it appeare that there is a Sun in the firmament proue unto us that there is a God or which was as evident that thou art the Messias Seeing then all things whatsoeuer of religious use which the father would haue the Church to know and conforme unto are treasured up in the word though every one indeed can not come at them deny this if they dare it must needs follow that either the gesture of kneeling as it is urged is a a humane Invention or as you would say in playne termes a very starke lie though hansomlie lapped up and therefore of the divell the father of lies though artificially painted perhaps by some of his limmers with the very best Italian beauties or else if it bee a trueth and therefore to bee conformed unto then there be some unwritten trueths or vereties which the Churches are bound of conscience to beleeve and conform unto and yet not commanded in the word of truth then it must needes follow besides the scriptures and either let our learned adversaries make this large breach for the Iesuites at pleasure to enter by or else for starke shame discharge no more such furious Cannon shot against our bullet-beaten fortresse The scriptures sufficiency Is it not high time to take away these presumptuous causes which purposely teach and perswade Conformity to such blasphemous doctrins out of Israel being the best seeds of the verie worst evils thereof I conclude therefore it is farre better to expose our estates and bodies to the greatest malice of our greevous adversaries by standing for a gesture without all exception then by conforming to one which that Prophet never taught no nor so much as once mentioned in that manner and forme as it is urged and so to be by him Destroyed out of the people For must we have his warrant and heare him onely in the doctrine of the sacrament and shall wee not care for his warrant nor regard what his word saith for the gesture of the sacrament And for those who in these matters of God concerning his publick worship insist so much and with such violence upon prohibitions a service sometimes not very acceptable to them crying out unto us shew one place where the Lord forbids these things and wee will yeeld that it is a damnable sin to conforme unto them I am bould with their good leave to Remember them of one other argument of the Lords own making concerning this very subiect of the actions ceremonies and gestures in this publick worship and service which he purposely framed and committed also to writing for the use of all posterity even to bee a lanthorne of our feet and an unerring light to our paths in these very occasions and in most plain evidence of the spirit it stands thus By the light of nature all mankind knows that there is a God therfore everie one wil worship him as wel as he caÌ„ though it bee not according unto knowledge to glorifie him as God for that is impossible without direction from his spirit according to the scriptures but though they have excellent wisdom and admirable understanding yet even the learnedest of them when they professe themselves greatest Clarkes proue themselues the veriest fooles because they become vain in their thoughts their foolish hearts are full of darknes for they turn the glory of the
of God which is good which nothing possibly can be but that which comes from God the sole author of whatsoever is good For howsoever it cannot bee denied but that surely there is a spirit in man and great excellencie of learning wisedome government and discretion in the subordinate tutors or teachers of this other master yet the inspiration of the Almightie or the inspired word of God onely by the effectuall working of the holy Ghost giveth understanding especially in all things of a religious use in the publick worship of God To ground religious conformity therefore vpon any thing els whatsoeuer is directly to forsake the right way and there is but two wayes the one of truth which is streight and narow and but a few that will subscribe vnto it and to go astraie and follow the broad way or to learne the easie lesson of Balaam the sonne of Bosor which loued the wages of vnrighteousnesse I iudge none but intreate all to take heede of those swelling wordes of this other Schoole or Synagogue full of vanitie least they bee beguiled by them and so bee wrapped also in their error especially to take heede of the second entangling for the latter end of such is farre worse then the beginning to whom the black darknes is reserued for euer Seing then there be but two chiefe masters God and the Deuill and but two wayes grace and nature and seing all that ground their conformitie truly on the scriptures are in the way of truth though imprisonment and other grievances inflicted on them make it some thing streight and narrow and are verily taught of God it must needs follow that all that ground their conformitie vpon any thing els or vpon these erroniously are taught of the diuel which their maner of reasoning allegation of their best authorities doth not obscurely discouer But here perhaps one will strike me on the face and say why should the clay call the potter to account why hee made it thus or so or why should our adversaries demand why this gesture of kneeling should not be as comely and as comfortable as a table gesture Surely I for my part can say no more but ipse dixit our master whose teaching we onely rely upon hath by his own practise openly and solemnlie published and proclaimed in the word as with a silver trumpet to all Churches and congregations for ever the excellent and divine dignitie thereof The other master teaches from fathers and counsels from the precepts of men yea as he bragges from unitie Antiquitie and universalitie as with the verie quintessence of Parnassus melodie that kneeling in the verie act of receiving the holie bread and wine in the Lords supper is the most humble thankfull reverent and fittest gesture in the the whole world yea far beyond that of the table Thus either master hath flows in a different sence let everie servant disciple or scholler therefore cleaue fast to his own master and quite forsake yea hate and despise the other but ô man who art thou are thou mortall must thou come to Iudgement and yet darest thou aske a question of the immortall sonne of God in his members or servants why the gesture which he made choice of and used and ordeined should bee better then that which the sonne of perdition devised and exalted mayest thou not as well aske why there should be any Sabboth or but one not two why two sacraments and not seven why he wrote to 7. Churches and not onely to the metropolitan why wives should be subject to their husbands more then in name or the Church unto Christ further then in shew let us examine and trie these things therefore whether they be of faith for else they are sin yea no man can be ignorant of this that if Christ do not warrant them by his word they are reprobated and serue for no other use but to bring some to reprobation and to hinder others in the means of their salvation for as there is no law or condemnation against any fruit of the spirit or against them in whom it is yea though the world make a law against it yet is great consolation to be found in suffering for it even so if these things in question be the lusts or inventions of the flesh then can they not possibly serue to any other use but to fulfill the will of the flesh and of the mind and so in their verie nature are as I may say the children of wrath as well as others even as well as those damnable devises of sacrificing for the quick and the dead of disposing of crowns of dispensations with corporall and spirituall adulteries or Incests and other like hellish abominations or humane inventions for they al com frō one the same root flow out of one the same fountain haue all every one of them as good warrant by the doctrine of this second master one as another even from the prince that ruleth in the aire that spirit which worketh in whatsoever is not donne in the obedience of faith in all things of Religious use Dare we then conforme in the Religious actions or gestures of our bodie to the ceremonies of that spirituall harlot or to the likenesse of them especially seing in this great secret or mystery of our union with Christ wee are now ioyned in a far neerer bond unto God then in the innocent estate and therefore a far greater and stricter subjectiō is required at our hand True indeed by creation wee were the lovely sonnes and amiable daughters of the most high having no thing uncomely nor any disposition thereunto in any part of us but by sin we made our selves strangers yea enemies most filthie and euen loathsome to look upon yet even in this estate to look upon when he saw us polluted in our own bloud or filthy nature when we were naked and bare utterlie void of all goodnesse or any disposition thereunto even starke dead by sinne in sinne I say in this hatefull condition hee looked upon 〈◊〉 with the eyes of his love and covered yea clothed our filthinesse with the skirts of his own righteousnesse and sware unto us even entred into covenant with us and so contracted vs to him self to be come wholy and in all things his and his onely euen flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone therfore did he wash us in that fountaine of the house of Dauid and annointed vs with an ointment from that holy one decking vs with all spirituall ornaments of grace and sanctification of life so that his holines in the Godly though never so contemptible to the world is become as truly glorious and honorable as a kingdom euen as wickednes makes the mightie and great ones in the world ignominious and contemptible Is it possible therefore to expresse what great and iust cause we haue
things wherein there is any appearance or likenesse of evill ye 〈…〉 forme to nothing be it gesture action or ceremony in Gods publicke worship if it be not the commandement of Christ which hath any resemblance of Idolatry in it though the Idolatry it selfe be sent packing for verily such inventions haue in them though purified never so often an Idolatheous disposition Haue you no fellowship therefore with them and so I pray that the peace of God may be with you all that are in Christ Iesus Now unto him that is able to keepe you that you fall not in these times of triall and to present you faultlesse before the presence of of his glory with ioyes unspeakeable and glorious even to God onely wise bee glory and maiesty dominion and power both now and for evermore Amen T. D. CERTAIN REASONS OF APRIVATE Christian against Conformitie to keeling in the very act of Receiving the Lords Supper THE Eternall sonne of God our blessed Lord spake alwaies to his church euen from the beginning and directed all his seruants for their manner of worship as well outward as inward even to the fathers before the flood to the Patriarks Prophetts and holy men of God after and this he did in diuers and sundry manners but now since his comming in the flesh he hath tyed all Churches and all persons that desire to haue eternall life to the sole direction of his word which is his owne and onely personall voyce and doth testifie of him whatsoever is profitable for the Church to conforme vnto either for doctrine or gouernment or for whatsoeuer else that is any way or in any degree helpfull vnto godlinesse for this and this onely is the immortall seede or the seede of immortalitie all other doctrins for any Religious vses raised els where are meerly mortall or seeds of death and therefore vtterly vncapable of any good vse in the publicke worship of God Seing then we must wholy and onely depend vpon the scriptures for direction in all the actions of Gods publick worship which are to be conformed unto let us in these controversies about kneeling in the very act of receaving the Lords supper whatsoever else is in question being of Religious use diligently give heed to the things wee haue heard and learned therein being truely or evidently grounded thereon and by no means approove in any degree of any thing else for that will make us one time or other in one thing or other to run out and fall from our first love yea doe what possibly we can to decline scatter Harken therefore to that which the Lord Iesus himselfe did purposely speake in this his own voice concerning this very point I thanke thee ô father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise hast opened or as Luk renders it revealed them to babes euen so father because it so pleased thee VVhence he gives all his â—ervants plainly to understand that all the wit learning discretion experience and Iudgement in the whole world is not possibly able to find out the mysteries of Religion or to determine with what ceremonies actions gestures Gods publick worship service is to be performed no though they be Rabbies Doctors or the most absolute teachers in Israel but that this is a speciall peculiar priviledge or grace treasured up in the word and reserved purposely for such persons as will dig and search for it and rather desire and labor to have dominion over all their known corruptions and so to bee glorious within then to exercise any outward glorious pompous domination in the world for those that rest them selves and depend on Gods holy own ordinances shall have their hearts or understanding thereby opened or inlightned so made able to know the hope of their calling the riches of the glorious inheritance of the saints the exceeding greatnes of Gods power towards al which beleeue but those that depend upon the wisdom and learning of men can not possibly attain hereunto because Gods own ordinances though they do enjoy them yet are not esteemed of them further then the excelleÌ„cy of the outward gifts therin give coÌ„tent to their senses for though they heare yet they will not do or obey all such bee they never so wise and learned are in the flesh and therefore cannot possibly please God but those in whom the Spirit of God doth dwell shal be enlightned and made able to discerne all things which the other though of never so great learning most admirable parts having even the very spirit of the world in them can not do because they have but mans wisdom that perceiveth not the things of God nay they are foolishnes unto him here therefore for distinction sake and that every one might iudge his own heart whether he be of that number to whom God hath revealed these things or no our Saviour cals them Babes not in sanctification of life and power of Gods spirit but in their sence feeling being privy to their manifold weaknesses ignorances therfore in all humblenes of mind and meeknes of spirit they renounce their owne wisedom and submit themselves to the word of God as also being in the accompt esteeme of the world when they are compared with those that be contrary minded no better then very Babes even base contemptible persons not worthy so much as to carry their books after them yet these are the people and thus must they find themselves quallified men women or children whom Christ hath chosen to Reveale his holy and divine mysteries unto So that howsoever learning and wisdom are highly to bee reverenced as being very excellent gifts of God ordeyned for special helps in the ministerie of the Church both for the finding out of the truth also for the deviding of it aright therefore they that despise them cannot bee of God yet many times men of Belial doe enjoy them even false Prophets profane preachers who are many of them of most excellent parts so that from this place it is most evident that very often and not unusually learned and wise grave and understanding men yea famous and of principall note even Chiefe Rulers and principall pillars in the Churches of Christ having as much in them for all manner of learning in humanity in divinitie and in whatsoever as nature and industrie can possibly attaine unto are notwithstanding all this more then this if more can be teachers defenders maintainers of many grosse and horrible errors yea vise and damnable heresies which yet Babes do separate and fly from if any be pleased to restraine these words of Christ to the doctrines of faith and IustificatioÌ„ though every branch haue intrest in the priviledges of the tree I wil not contend about it but onely presuming on their patience be bould
proue your confusion Henceforth therfore I beseech you perswade no man to conformitie to religious actions without a Religious warrant no not upoÌ„ any good meaning or holie intention but Reproue them rather and professe your dislike of them yea curse and smite them and pull of their heare and take an oath of them by God not to make any such marriages but manifestlie shew your contempt of them and howsoever the wisdom of this world will censure such proceedings for most uncivill parts and indiscreet actions full of dangerous violence and unseemlie rashnes readie to tumble down and overthrow all things that dislike you yet you may remember that you haue good Nehemiah a most zealous and godly prince and Christ lesus the meekest of all the Lambes of God for your patterns and presidents and therfore most worthie patrons of such zealous courses for and in the causes of the house of God Oh how silly a part was it crie these Coole temperate discreete and indifferent persons and verie much unbeseeeming the gravitie of his person and holinesse of his profession yea rather Child then Christ-like with a scourge and that also a hundred to one of his own making to driue so many graue Ancient and most Reuerend fathers out of their holie offices and most honorable functions which they and their predecessors before them had long even time out out of minde to the comfort of many godlie and well affected people peaceably and commendablie enioyed greevouslie and most dangerously disturbing thereby the quiet settled peace of the Church which principally consisteth in these spirituall callings and outward condition thereof which were largelie allowed and highly approved of by the publick coÌ„sent of the whole Empire as most fitting for that present gouernment yea and not content herewith to use them with most base unreverent and dispitefull termes calling them I meane these graue spirituall and reverent men arrant theeues these their ecclesiasticall callings verie dens of theft as if they had harbored the veriest knaues and most greedie devowring cormorants that regarded nothing neither religion nor honestie but their â—own profit in all the world yea as if these proceedings and courses did waste more of the subiects estate and substance of the comminaltie then all the taxations or impositions of the civil magistrate and yet I tell you in your eare for I would be loth to be brought to rehearsall for it a great deale more might be said for the iustifying of the worst of these human inventions to proue them farre more convenient and everie way by many degrees more tollerable then the verie best of these in controversie amongst us henceforth therfore I advise you unlesse you will openly professe your delight in and therefore desire to haue the speech of Ashdod still sounding in your eares or dare reproue the holy Ghost for inserting in the sacred Scriptures by way of prophesie his divine warrant which alwayes carries in it what forme soever it bee of the nature of a precept for the zeale of all Gods servants in these causes of his house or publick worship I say for ever hereafter hold your peace and teach your people that they must bind themselues by an oth by God neuer to make any such marriages I meane to Conforme any more to any such mixtures in the gestures or ceremonies of religious uses in the publick worship or divine service of our holie God for do not these words for I the Lord thy God am a Iealous God inferre plainly that strange ceremonies and callings uncommanded gestures or actions having state in Religious worship are no more allowed of him but even as hatefull and abominable at least as these strange mariages Though therfore your ministery abound in all excellent admirable gifts that amongst many nations there be none like unto you for your multitude and all maner of learning and other worthy endowments yet as strange women caused even Salomon himself most fearfully to sin so these unlawful ceremonies callings and the amiable but most strange preferments which in by conformity to them are obtained do so intice and allure you as they cause you even many that are of most excellent parts to suscribe to verie strange positions and practises for the upholding the Reputation and credit of these Courses to put in practise strange coÌ„clusions Shall we then obey you and doe all this great evill and to transgresse against our God even to marrie strange wiues or to conforme to these strange or uncoÌ„manded ceremonies gestures in the worship of God seing though the Lord promiseth to shew mercie unto thousands yet it is only to those that keep his commaÌ„dements so that unlesse these ceremonies callings and gestures be the commandements of God the Church hath no promise of him for a blessing what affectioÌ„s soever they use theÌ„ with all but rather of a curse though their inteÌ„tions be never so good in their owne perswasions by conforming unto them VVhat then though it were true that they be not forbidden yet I beseech you consider whether not being commanded they be not at the verie best that can possibly be made of them a spice of Ephraims base mixture Indeed our substance or doctrine of the Church publickly professed is as one side of a cake upon the hearth very wel baked but the other side of our worship consisting of ceremonies and callings actions or gestures is very dough and was never yet throughly turned who dare then haue so base an opinion of the Almighty as to consent or conforme in any respect to offer such unsavoury bread in the divine worship of our holy God seeing all the wit Art and learning in the whole world can never make it holesome VVhat are his eyes growne dimme that hee cannot see both sides or is his taste so decayed that he cannot perceiue our halfe-baked service or is he no better or no more to be regarded but that any thing is good enough for him in his service The watch men of Ephraim should bee with my God and teach nothing but what he hath commanded but the Prophet or Preacher is as the snare of a fowler in all his wayes all his study and care is how hee may prevaile with his hearers to ensnare their mindes by conformitie to mens Inventions in Gods worship and so bring hatred into the house of his God O foolish people how long will ye be ignorant and commit your soules to spirituall men that are mad even without any government of Gods spirit or direction of the scriptures for is all the learning and wisedome in the world without these any better then lunacie what louely grapes did your fathers times bring forth how many sweete clusters did flaming stakes affoord but you haue separated your selues by conformitie unto the shame or similitude of the inventions of Baal Peor which are the Abhomination as well as the idolatry
perfection even to haue our eyes opened yea and be as Gods by conforming to these novelties whose device is this marke deere mother upon my bare knees I beseech thee who that is that talketh such things with thee Do we sel Advowsions depopulate townes or houses do we keep two benefices or closely practise usurie are we partners in monopolies haue we a whore in a corner doe wee dissemble and deceiue or are we unmercifull uniust or any way dishonest then let thy holy Ceâ—sures cut us of from that blessed Communion of they heauenly familie and divine societie But oh thou sweetest among the loueliest who art the verie choice of all the fairest Inioyne us not wee beseech thee to forget the name of our God or to bow our knee or conforme to any thing which is not truely grounded on his word some thing indeed may be in these courses which we cannot discerne but no goodnesse or godlinesse can possibly be in them unlesse they bee his commandements But thou sayest or rather thy minions informe thee that the Lord did never forbid these things The cleane contrarie seems most plain to us and that out of thine own doctrines but suppose hee bee pleased to be silent to teach modestie and feare shall we bee bould therefore to fall into presumption Consider oh thou that bare us the appointed months and brought us forth in everie ones due season where did he forbid Adam to eate that particular fruit true indeed that the tree was forbidden and are not we in the same generall terms directly forbidden to worship him in any other manner in his publick service then he hath coÌ„manded is not this the very tener purpose drift of the second coÌ„mandement forbidden also to bow down or shew any Reverent respect to the likenesse of any thing which in his worship man hath devised Oh thou that are the mother of us all pluck up these fruits of distraction even by the verie roots and suffer them no longer to breed divisions and separations among thy true children deall truly with thine own soul and marke it well though it come from such as excell all other in learning and wisdome yet whether it be not a tare of that Enâ—ious-man and whether those Resolute disputers for the Iustifying thereof be not his professed Children for thou hast often taught us to take heed of sinning against our knowledge or certeine perswasion though it bee but in a matter of never so small consequence but especially in all things of Religious use seeing disobedience yea and Rebellion appeareth as well therein as in the grossest and foulest abomination of poperie yea this was the comely talke of thy scarlet lips that whosoever keepeth the whole law and yet faileth in one point hee is guileie of all and therefore though we haue cast quite away the grosser point of poperie yet wilfull conformitie to any humane Innvention of Religious use in the publick worship of God makes us guiltie of the whole masse of that damnable Idolatrie according to an other lesson which most carefullie thou didst often beate upon that a little leaven doth soure the whole lumpe yea whatsoever is borne of the verie wisedome of the flesh is notwithstanding verie Enmitie with God for howsoever Adam and all in his loyns were by creation the sonnes of God and whatsoever gestures they used in his worship were most pleasing and acceptable to him yet now by transgression hauing changed their father and nature all the ceremonies callings and gestures which they can possibly devise concerning the worship of God or government of his Church are without contradiction the very works of their new father and nature for who can possibly be ignorant of this that to whomsoeuer we giue our selues as servants to obey his servants we are to whom by conformity we do obey whether it bee to humane Inventions or Gods holy ordinances and the same rule holds in all matters of Religious use if they can not tell how to preach except they bee sent nor wee how to pray or call upon God as wee ought but by the spirit of God according to the Scriptures how is it possible for all the learning and wisdom in the world to tell what ceremonie calling or gesture is fit and lawfull in the service of God but by the same spirit Seeing then these devices at the very best the mocking yea some of them persecuting sonnes of Agar haue no warrant from the word and spirit of God what letteth but that safely we may yea ought to esteem them Vagabonds Runnagates in the earth howsoever not in the highest degree able to murder or make an absolute nullitie of religion yet not being borne of God or warranted by his word they must of absolute necessitie be confessed to be unrighteous because the Lord our Righteousnesse is not author of them and all unrighteousnesse in substance or ceremonie is sinne and therefore all that wittingly conform therevnto upon what terms of considerations soeuer though in the lowest and most tollerable degree that can be imagined are in the same degree that this their sinn is of verely and most certeinly of the Diuill VVhy should any woonder then or thinke it strange that though wisdome hane cried out and vttred her voice like a trompet in pulpits in prisons in words in writings in fierie zeale in most humble and meekest manner yet these carnall and worldly minded men loue foolishnes even the devices of fleshe and bloud and take pleasure in scorning whatsoever and whosoever is contrary to them therein and so despise all the counsell of the Lord shall not the end of these things be bitter yea will not Destruction ceize on them at length and will not the Lord reioyce and laugh thereat even make ioyfull the hearts of his people to see their cruel adversaries eate the fruit of their own way and be filled with their owne devices Yea most deare and tender mother hast thou not often told us that all that are disobedient unto or wilfully gainsay anie thing truely and evidently taught from the Scriptures were to be esteemed of all that desire sincerely to feare the Lord stiffeneked resisters of the Holy Ghost because by such proceedings they plainlie proclaime that in their hearts they say thâ—re is no God or which is all one that God is not so iealous of his worship and everie ceremonie calling and gesture therein so as he esteemes them onely his lovers and friends that subscribe onely to his commandements therein and holds them his enemies yea such as hate him that conforme to any thing therein which in his word hee hath not commanded as in the second commandement more at large it doth appeare be pleased therefore to remember from the verie word of our father thou hast often instructed us that though without all contradiction there is
not to presume to conforme to any invention of man in this kind seeing hee dwels but in a house of clay whose foundation is in the dust and therefore all his reasons and arguments are but dustie and dirtie and that fleshly libertie carnall priviledges which he claims proceeds but from his fatnes even that abundance of earthly honours and preferments which pamper him and by securitie makes him better fed then taught and so to fall from sinceritie and uprightnesse and even to spurne with his heele at Gods ordinances and servants which in effect is to forsake God that made him by not regarding the strong God of his salvation but despising his gracious ordinances which hee had made strong and effectuall to bring him to the assurance thereof by faith in Christ he sets up his owne inventions and magnifies his carnall devices punishing most grievously all that will not conforme thereunto And thus by strange gods or which differs nothing in effect by strange ceremonies calings and gestures of Religious use in Gods worship which are Abominations they provoke the Lord to Anger how can this be otherwise seing all such outward worship and service though the Inward substance concerning the doctrine of faith in the Messias seeme never so found is a meer offering unto devils and not unto God evē new gods newly come up as every thing which God himselfe hath not commanded in the word is to be esteemed Can wee with any honesty condemne the inventions of poperie in their religious worship whether they concerne their callings as their 7 orders of priests c. or ceremonies as voluntarie vows like devotions as directly comming out of that smoake of the pit because they thereby corrupt the true worship of God with profane carnal devices must we not needs thereby subscribe that ours are of the same hatch if they haue no better warrant then they by the word of God Their civill magistrates allow cōmand those as best fitting their government as hauing long experience of Gods blessing on them for maintaining of them where is it forbidden in the Scriptures to haue a most reverent opinion of the Relikes of saints suppose it be Iosephs breeches or our Ladies smock which are with great devotion reserved at Aken or in what Epistle or Gospel is it prohibited that the town of Genua in Italie should keepe in a reverent memoriall of Christ the taile of the Asse which hee roade upon to Ierusalem which if any man will not beleeue mee hee may goe thither and see verie fresh and faire at this day for ought I know not one haire wanting Now may not they as well greevously punish and perpetually imprison at least till death set them at libertie all that will not conforme to these and many other as good as these as having nothing in them contrarie to the word of God as well as our adversaries for these in questiō among us for what greater decencie can be found in a white shirt or a well furd hood then in these Oh Lord did not these plants come from Gomorah which haue such dragonish poyson and Aspish crueltie in them are not these their courses laid up in store with thee yea are they not sealed most safely till their full rypenesse be accomplished among thy treasures shall not their feet whose beautie doth onely consist in their golden buskens and slippers in due time slide Haue they not some feeling alreadie of the slipprinesse of their places which makes them so extreamly violent in their mischievous Courses yes verely deere mother those that thus haue abused thee and fed thy Children with corrupt food the very Day of their Destruction is at hand and the things that shall come upon them make haste for the Lord shall iudge his people and repent towards his servants when hee seeth that their power is gone and no man left either to speake or stand out for the truth when men shall say where are their Gods even that mightie God in whom they trusted whom they did so reioyce with their prophesyings and dayes of publicke humiliations and reioycings Let them rise up and helpe you let him be your refuge and if he will haue you let him deliver you out of our courts from our censures from excommunicato capiendo from our bands and imprisonment Oh heare the word of the Lord all yee that tremble at his word your enemies who tearmed themselues brethren and hated you which they evidently shewed by casting you out for my names sake said let the Lord be glorified and so he will for he shall appeare to your ioy and they shall be ashamed for I will choose out their defusions wherewith they haue so blinded and deceived the Princes and the Rulers and discover their hypocrisie to all the world For I know the thoughts that I haue toward my people saith the Lord even the thoughts of peace and not of trouble to giue you an end and your hope then shall you cry unto me and yee shall go and pray unto me and I will heare you and yee shall seeke mee and finde me because yee shall seeke me with all your heart yea you shall take up this curse against your adversaries The Lord make thee like Zedechiah and Ahab whom the King burnt in fire because they committed villanie in Israel even adulterie with their neighbours wiues and haue spoke lying words in my name which I haue not commanded them even I know it and testifie it saith the Lord though they walke so closely as they think no body shall finde them out yea I will visit Shemaiah because hee hath spoken rebelliously against the Lord and hath prophesied and I sent him not Thus wee finde it true deere mother which thou hast often repeated that a little leaven in their corrupted mindes being thus by ambition nourished brings this lamentable sourenesse to the whole lumpe of all their proceedings even a Rebellious wilfulnesse to breake anie of Gods greatest commandements if occasion so require rather then to reforme their fleshlie and carnall devices the onely supporters of their lawlesse greatnesse Yet wee must needs acknowledge that howsoever divers of our adversaries are exceeding violent and will not stand to heare reason or to giue any for the things they require but either conforme take the oath or take him away Iaylor or cast him out yet divers of them take exceeding great paines and with many deepe reasons full of learning and antiquitie discretion and wisedome seeme to say very much for conformitie but for mine owne part I still say and for ever must say that I never heard or saw any dram of divine authority nor any thing favouring of the spirit of grace come from thē alas holy mother thou hast taught us over over again that we must esteeme the most absolute perfection of the wisdom of the flesh to
incorruptible God even the glory of his wisedom and loue of his goodnes and power of his mercy and truth in devising ordaining the ceremonies callings and gestures appropriated to his own outward worship making the same powerful effectuall to draw mans heart unto him by working effectuall faith into such Images similitudes resemblances and likenesses as they in their discretion thought fittest to stir up devotion to beget reverence or to shew humility thankfulnes by which in time by degrees will get a reverent estimation of Gods ordinances euen his own attributes and titles yea and will presume to professe that Iure divino these are thy Gods O Israel that is this is the true outward worship of the God of Israel these be true callings gestures and ceremonies which by divine institution are ordeined to helpe to draw men to God through faith and sanctification of the spirit and so to be esteemed Therefore the Lord makes it an ordinance for ever that al his true Churches and true servants must onely conforme to such things in his worship and service as he hath in his word Required but the Lord never required kneeling as it is urged nor the other things in controversie therfore Gods true Churches and faithfull servants may not upon any neuer so reasonable termes conforme thereunto And here is either by direct consequent a manifest prohibition or else the Lord reasons most absurdlie which is fearefull blasphemie to thinke or inferre for else they might with the perswaders to conformitie of these dayes haue replied thou hast not forbidden it therefore wee may doe it and thou hast no reason to find fault with it seeing wee doe it to good intents and holy purposes But grant that the things which there are reproved were forbidden yet the manner of Gods reasoning remaines immutable Is there no commandement in the word for it or which is all one doth not the Lord require it then doth hee absolutly forbid conformitie unto it for the Lord hates whatsoever in the word is not required as these words being spoken with detestation do most manifestly declare Seeing then there is not one word of God for kneeling in the very act of receiving the sacrament nor any example of any Apostolick or Primitive Church for the practise thereof but from the beginning it was not so and seeing wee haue Christ his own example for a table gesture and the examples of all the blessed and now glorious Apostles who even after his ascention delivered that which they received of the Lord which must needs be granted was a table gesture and seing wee haue a direct commandement from the holy Ghost to follow them as they follow Christ it being their speciall care so to carrie thēselves in all actions of religious use especiallie as they might bee Examples for all Churches and Christians to follow for so I take this place to be understood and not to bee restrayned to that Church onely or to any particular occasion therein Yea seing this gesture as it is urged is not onely the Invention of man but in the verie first originall establishment of it in the publicke worship of God the direct commandement of that man of sin I referre it to everie godlie heart to consider whether with safetie of conscience wee may leave a table gesture for the use whereof we haue Christ and his disciples in the Institution for a patterne and the Apostles during their time and all Apostolicke Churches after them for 220. years for example and conforme to the gesture of kneeling never heard of in this kind till the Reall presence was established Is this to walke so as having the Apostles of Christ for an ensample or is there not Iust cause of lamentation and weeping to see so many worthie men and of most excellent parts for some worldly respects to become hereby the enemies of the crosse of Christ conforming now to that which formerlie they taught was to be abhorred You do verie ill therfore most Reuerent and learned men in offering to deale with vs poore and private Christians after the scholerlike manner of reasoning both in your publicke teaching pressing vs continually with arguments and that with such vehemencie as if nothing were wanting to our perfection but this conformitie to kneeling and in your private speeches tendring disputation when alas for pittie all our faithfull pastors hauing giuen vp their liues for the name of Christ are taken from vs and if any remaine yet there is no safetie to speake or write of those things If therefore you cannot procure libertie for such a course neuer yet obtained whatsoeuer you may pretend wherein freely and fully these questions may be handled according to that modest offer of dispute long agoe tendred then I humbly beseech you bee pleased either to confute that or the substance of it which hath been written and published against this ceremonie or els to set downe with the like conditions as the learned and godly men our late pastors haue offered your own arguments and reasons for this conformitie which you so eagerly presse and pursue and freeing the same from deceiueable subtilties of that dissembling sophistrie and vaine philosophie the speciall ornaments of that so affected kinde of teaching that wee of the vulgar may see and conceiue the force of them and whence it is drawen from God or men from the holy and inspired scriptures or from the writings and Canons of Councels or Testimonies of Fathers VVee do solemnly pofesse I dare speak in the name of all that in whatsoeuer wee haue no more for our warrant but the graue counsell learned opinion and holie practise of our most reuerent pastors which yet being sealed with their great and constant sufferings ought highly to be regarded of us for whatsoeuer they be to others or to your selues they are to vs the most faithfull messengers true and powerfull ministers of Iesus Christ since whose deprivations wee neuer heard men speake like them in that euidence of the Spirit and mightie power of the Holy Ghost to draw from sinne vnto holinesse O yee men of God you are in our very hearts to liue and die with you your memoriall is pretious would God all that we haue might redeeme the libertie of the Gospel in your ministerie notwithstanding I say we will freely for peace sake conforme unto you But if we can evidently produce one word of God against you or that you doe not bring his sacred warrant with you let it not seeme strange unto you that we runne not for company into the broad and easie way with you which none in this poynt Papist or Athiest will ever unfainedly oppose but rather expose our selues by this our refusall to open contempt grievous bands and perpetuall imprisonment professing publickly thereby our willingnesse and most ready minde yea heartie desire that that fire which our Lord and master brought with him and with his own hands