may though all the power of darknesse set themselves against them yet that they may cleave close to God our Saviour Christ and the purity of his Gospell for we must looke for fanning and sifting and for the fiery tryall therefore let us sit downe and reckon what it will cost us and if we be not willing to lose all for his sake yea and to hate all even Father and Mother riches life c. if they stand in our way to keep us from him we are not worthy of him Math. 10.37 and 16.24 Mark 8 34. Luke 9.23.24 and 14.26.27 And for my owne part the Lord himselfe hath so firmly by his owne enlightening Spirit so fully convinced me and setled my soule so unmoveably in his truth that I assuredly know that all the power in Earth yea and the gates of Hell it selfe shall never be able to move me or prevaile against me for the Lord who is the worker of all my workes in me and for me hath founded and built me upon that sure unmoveable foundation the Lord Iesus Christ and I know if ten thousand deaths for my conscience and the cause of my God for which with courage and rejoycing I now beare witnesse to and am close prisoner in bonds lying day and night in Fetters of Jron both hands legges should be inflicted upon me I should sing rejoyce triumph in them all For my God makes me glory in my tribulation and my soule is filled so full of that sweetnesse and joy that it findes in my God alone that my tongue and penne is never able to the full to expresse utter it to his praise I desire to speake it and I doe beleeve that it is not possible for any man in any condition whatsoever whose neck in the best doth stoope to the yoake of Antichrist to have his heart and spirit elevated and lifted up above it selfe in that high degree with spirituall joy and comfort divine and heavenly strength and supportation that mine is for the Holy Ghost saith they have no rest night nor day who worship the Beast and his Image and whosoever receiveth the marke of his name And I doe beleeve it to be true as I am able to speake by my owne experience For they may have some spirit of rest and peace and sudden Flashes of joy and comfort but when a storme or Tempest doth arise they are so possessed with base and cowardly feare and distraction of spirit that they are like men without hearts and are ready to runne into every hole to hide their heads from the face of man a poore worme being ready to say when a tempest ariseth with them in the 6. Rev. 16.17 Let the Mountaine and Rock fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand When as on the contrary the Righteous is as bold as a Lyon though the wicked fly when none persueth Prov. 28.1 18.10 The name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous runneth unto it and are safe And Psal 91. he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shaddow of the Almighty and he shall be safe from the feare of all danger as the Holy Ghost there doth declare So that we see the feare and terrour that possesseth the hearts and spirits of all those whose necks are either in part or in whole under the spirituall yoake and bondage of the Beast And also the rest and peace and holy security that they are in that submitt alone to the Lord Iesus Christ for their spirituall Lord and King And are willing to follow him whersoever he goes not loving their soules to the death Rev. 12. but keepe close and hold fast the name and faith of Christ even where Satan hath his Throne Rev. 2.13 for he hath said and promised unto his people that keepe close to him because thou hast kept the word of my patience I will also keepe thee from the houre of Temptation which shall come upon all the World to try them that dwell upon the Earth Rev. 3.10 And this have I found by experience since the Lord in great mercy and rich loving kindnesse by his strength and power inabled me to withdraw my soule totally and finally from the greatest spirituall yoake and bondage that ever any mortall man groaned under namely the spirituall yoake and bondage of the Beast or Roman State unto which whosoever is hated of the Lord and doth not belong unto him doe submitt yeeld Rev. 9.4 and 12.7.9 13.8 But the Lord from all eternity hath loved me with his everlasting love hath delivered my soule from it and set me at liberty and in a large place and hath given me rest and ease and hath put a song of prayer and thanksgiving into my mouth unto the Lord of glory and the Lamb that sitts upon his Throne who is blessed for ever and ever and my God hath filled my soule so full of Heavenly matter that had I but a current vent I could ex tempore write an hundred Sheetes of paper to you filled full of Heavenly expressions of the Lords goodnesse faithfulnesse loving kindnesse and Truth for my soule is ravished with that fulnesse sweetnesse aimeablenesse and beautifulnesse that I finde in my God Oh that my soule were altogether with him that I might be satisfyed with his fulnesse and might solace my soule face to face which I most confidently know I shall in his due time But Oh I say againe and againe that J were with him for he hath crucifyed the World and all things here below unto me and hath enabled me to account and esteeme all things besides himselfe as dung and durt not being worthy of casting any affectionate eye upon them Philip. 3.8.9 and he hath pitched my soule upon himselfe as a naked and a single object in whom alone the quintessence of delight beautie and satisfaction is to be had enjoyed and possessed and for my shackled condition that I am in it is most sweete and 〈…〉 I am as merry yea more chearefull then ever I was in any condition in my life and can sleepe as soundly in my Boots and Irons as Peter did betweene the two Souldiers when he was in prison who when the Angell of the Lord came to him to deliver him He was faine to smite him before he awaked Acts 12.6.7 And I doe sing Psalmes and J am as merry as Paul and Sylas were when they were in the Stocks and in prison who sung Psalmes and Prayses at midnight so that the Prisoners heard them Acts 16.24.25 for the Lord hath so strengthened me with divine power and strength for the Lord of Hosts is my confidence And in the Lord Iehovah there is everlasting strength And there is no torments that the greatest Tyrans in the World can inflict
〈…〉 OR An Ansvver to the questions of a Gentlevvoman a professour in the Antichristian Church of England about Hearing the Publicke Ministers vvhere it is largely discussed and proved to be sinfull and vnlavvfull ALSO A Iust Apologie for the way of Totall Separation Commonly but falsly called Brownisme That it is the truth of God though lightly esteemed in the eyes of the blinde world With A Challenge to Dispute with them publickly before King Counsell to prove whatsoever J said at the Pillery against them Viz. That the Calling of them all is Jure Diabolo Even from the Divell himselfe By mee JOHN LILBURNE Close Prisoner in the Fleete for the Cause of Christ IOHN 10. Ver. 27.5 My Sheepe heare my voyce For they know not the voyce of strangers Printed in the yeare of hope of ENGLANDS purgation the Prelates dissolution ANNO 1639. The Publisher to the Reader COVRTEOVS READER IT pleaseth the Lord in this latter age of the world to giue vs sundry helpes whereby the man of sinne with all that bloodie Crew is more and more discovered and Gods elect lead as it were by the hand out of Babylon Jf any therefore shutting their eyes against the light remaine notwithstanding vnder the yoake of Antichrist they must make account to feele for it the sorer and heavier wrath of God Touching this Treatise what it is I shall leave it to thy triall and censure and as thou findest profitt by the reading thereof so blesse God for it and be ready to communicate the good which thou receivest vnto the profitt of others Farewell and pray for mee Who is thy truely loving friend and Countrie-man Alvvayes give prayse to God and let him have the glory of all KInd and Loving Christian Freind J kindly salute you in our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Beseeching him that his enlightning spirit the Spirit of Truth may both now and ever be with you and remaine with you and all those that desire to serve and worship God in all his commandements according to his revealed will not according to mens precepts and devices which is odious and abominable to him Math. 15.9 Col. 2. Gal. 4.9.10 Esay 66.3 But now to give an answer to that which you desire J say and that in the words of truth that the thing as it is to me expressed is very false and therefore I have wrong done me by them that doe report it and I would desire you to know of my respected Freind the party that told you who they are that did report it It seemes they say that I have said that I would as soone heare the devill as Doctor Stoughton or M Walker which thing is very false for I never said it nor medled with any particular persons But yet thus much J have said and still doe affirme and maintaine and will at all times be ready to make it good and seale it with my blood That the Prelates all of them are Limbs of the Beast spoken of Rev. 13 2. and also that all those Officers and Ministers that are made by them are all of them Antichristian the best as well as the worst And we have as good warrant to heare or give eare to the worst as well as the best For I proved in my speech that the best of the Ministers calling is as bad as the vvorst of them for they are all sent by the Prelates Christs professed and knowne enemies and they doe preach by vertue of their instituting of them into the Office of Preisthood unto whose power they submit and take an Oath of Canonicall odedience And this doe the best among them as well as the worst that take upon them a Parochiall chardge for they are not sent from Christ to preach the Gospell or by vertue of his power which he hath left in the bodies of his particular not Nationall Churches to choose or ordaine Officers to preach the Word But by vertue of Antichrists power and authority from whom they have as really their calling and power given them to preach as those Officers that were ordained and instituted in the New Testament to preach Christs Gospell had their power from him and this ere long you shall see fully proved though I be never hereafter able to set pen to paper Some thing concerning this I said in my speech as in it you may reade but it was but a little for the maine thing and strength of my Argument was behinde which I could not make knowne by reason of the Gagg But J looke and expect to come there againe or to a worse place and by the strength and might of my God I will come life come death speake my minde freely and couragiously for I am studying to fitt my selfe for it and I doubt not but by the might of the Lord of Hosts who is my strength and refuge to reade them such a Lecture that shall make the Beast roare and blaspheme the God of Heaven for madnesse though I be hewen in peeces when I have done For I feare neither the Devill nor his Agents the Prelates in this cause of my God and the Lord hath sheltred me under the shaddow of his wings Psal 91. under whose protection I am secure and safe from all danger and harme for though it seaze upon me yet shall it not overcome me therefore will I not feare what man can doe unto me for God is my salvation I will trust and not be affrayde for the Lord Iehovah is become my salvation Esay 12.2 Exod. 15 2. I have in part in a briefe way since I was whipped declared my minde and judgement to some freinds because I did feare false reports and I am alwayes ready according to the command of the Holy Ghost to give an answer to every man that shall aske me a reason of the hope that is in me with meekenesse feare 1 Pet 3 15. And J now desire to impart a little of my minde unto you but for my owne part I will perswade no man to beleeve me nor no man whatsoever but only to beleeve Iesus Christ speaking in the Scripture it being the intire and absolute rule of Faith and that unerring touchstone that is able to try gold from drosse neither would I have any to take upon them the profession of that way the truth of which I am fully convinced off and am able to any man breathing for my judgement to give a reason and grounded answer But for others my advice is to them as one wishing well to the soules of all my Fellow Brethren and Sisters Fellow heires of the same Kingdome with me that they would not take up things lightly and slightly but labour to gett inward principles in their owne soules And to gett a ground and bottome for their owne spirits for these things they professe and hold that so they may not build upon the sand but upon the unmoveable Rock the Lord Iesus Christ that shall never be shaken that so they
the strict profession of it is so meane contemptible and burdensome a thing in the blinde and darke eyes of the World and lyes under the reproach and ignominy of the men thereof the great Rabbies doe stumble at it and doe not imbrace it 1 Cor 1 19 20 for it is written saith God I will destroy the wisdome of the wise and wil bring to nought the vnderstandings of the prudent where is the wise where is the scribe where is the disputer of this world hath not God made foolish the wisdome of this world Isa 29.14 33 18. Oba verse 8. Therefore in regard the great Doctors of the world doe not imbrace the ways of God the multitude stumble at them likewise being ready to say with them Io 7 haue any of the Rulers or of the Pharises beleeued on him but this people who knoweth not the law are accursed Even so say men in these daies of the naked truths and waies of God do any of the Rulers or Nobles or do the great learned Doctors famous Divines imbrace and practice these strict and rugged waies but onely a companie of Brownists who are the base and obscure fellowes of the world and a companie of foolish singuler people contemning and censuring all besides themselues as though none should be saved but they onely To you Oh yee spirituall blind people whose vnderstandings are darkned with the smoake of the bottomlesse pitt and whose braines are intoxicated and drunke with the glittering and gilded Cup of spirituall fornication abhomination of the scarlet whore Reuel 17. To you J answere and know you that the way to heaven is narrow and straite and Christs fold and flocke but a small little company in comparison of the world Math 7.14 Luke 13.24 Also know that God hath not called many wise men after the flesh nor many mighty nor many noble but God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of this World to confound the things that are mighty and the base things of the World and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to naught things that are And he himselfe gives the reason of it that no flesh should glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1.26.27.28.29 And Iames tells us that God hath chosen the poore of this World rich in faith and heires of the Kingdome which he hath promised to them that love him James 2 5. And what though the Rabbies and great Doctors be learned yet it is but Earthly and humane learning which Paul had before his conversion for he was a Pharise brought up at the feete of Gamaliel a great learned Doctor of the Law had in reputation among all the people Acts 5.34 and 22.3 But yet when he came to the true spirituall knowledge of true spirituall learning indeed which is taught to all Christs Schollers lesse or more that are brought up in his Schoole he renounced his humane Schollership and accounted it no better then dung or dirt Phil 3.5.7 8. But besides him we read of none of the Apostles that were learned in that learning which the blinde world accounts learning and Schollership for they were all or most of them poore men brought up in obscure and base callings many of them being no better then poore Fishermen yet when Christ called them he indued them with spirituall learning which is the true learning indeed Acts 2.1 c. And those in the new Testament that are commended for their learning it was because they were filled with the gifts of the Spirit and were mighty in the Scriptures Iohn 7.38.39 Acts 18.24 1 Cor. 12.3.7.8.10 and 14. By all which places of Scripture we see that the learning which made the Apostles famous was not human learning for none of them had it but Paul and he renounced it but it was heavenly learning which came from God being the gift of his Holy Spirit And for all the rest of those which they ordained by the power and Authority which they had from Christ to officiat in the Churches and to administer the sacred and holy things of God to his chosen and sanctifyed ones for none but them have true right to Christs ordinances it was spirituall knowledge divine learning and insight into the Scripture which are the gifts of the spirit of God as is before proved which made them fitt for those Offices that they were chosen to by the Church and ordained by the Apostles for they were not to be Novices in the Mysteries and wayes of God but sound in the Faith and also of a holy and Godly life and conversation which the Apostle calls a good report and to have the rest of those qualifications which he layes downe in 1 Tim. 3. and 5. Chapters and Titus 1. And whosoever have not these qualifications are not fitt according to the Apostles command there to beare Office in the true Church which is the spirituall Sion Citty House of God Psal 87.2.3 and 132.13.16 Esay 3â— 20.21 and 52.1 Heb. 12.22 Rev. 20.9 and 12.2 Now that Heavenly learning and gifts of the spirit which the Lord under the time of the Gospell doth bestow upon his chosen and holy ones doth fulfill the Prophesies of the Prophets in old time who Prophesied of the same things Esay 44 3.4 and 54.13 Ier. 31 Ioel 2.28 saying And it shall come to passe afterward that I will poure out my spirit upon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dream dreames and your young men shall see visions and also upon the hand-maids in those dayes will I poure out my spirit Oh! the simplicity sweetenesse and pleasantnesse of the wayes of God if we had but inlightened spirituall understandings to see behold and looke into them which if we had they would ravish our soules rejoyce our spirits and fill our hearts full of gladnesse But they are sealed and will be hid from us till the Lord in his rich mercy loving kindnesse be pleased to anoynt our eyes with spirituall Eye-salve and take away these Foggie Mists of darknesse scales of ignorance that hang upon our understandings 1 Cor. 2. Oh! that the Lord would be pleased to deale so gratiously with us that we might be fooles Idiots emptie vile in our own eyes that so we might nakedly lye at the footstoole of Iesus Christ and seeke for wisedome spirituall understanding from him him alone according as it is our duty the the command of wisedome Prov. 1.4.8 and 9. Chapters But alas alas we have haughty hearts proud spirits our owne and seeke to be something in ourselves and doe not labour to be weaned from all things in our selves as is our duty for we should nakedly goe out of our selves and this we shall know to be true if ever the Lord come truely and throughly to instruct and teach us in
hath wrought in my heart And for this I will spend and be spent and be puld in ten thousand peices before I will in the least deny my God and his naked truth or the least tittle of that which he himself by his holy spirit hath made known vnto me 1 Cor 2.10.11.14 And further knowe that all my kindred according to the flesh hath deserted and forsaken me in my present condition But if all my friends yea and Christian Brethren also in the the world should be offended with me for sticking close to my good cause and if they should all forsake me and leaue me naked to the world yea though I starue rott in Prison as I know I shall not for as long as there was a peice of bread in the bakers street Ieremiah wanted not in his distresses and I know Ieremiahs God is my God wil do the like for me as he did for him if need require But if J should be like to starue in Prison yet wil I never in the least by the strengh might of my God feare my enemies or loue my friends so much as to deny the least of his truths for their threatnings or cruelty or for their faunings flattering and deceiueable perswasions for I know if my friends do leaue me and forsake me yet the Lord will stand by mee support and vphold me in the midst of the greatest of my tryalls distresses and afflictions and in due time deliver me from the mouth of the Lyon for he did thus with Paul when he was to answer before Nero for his and Doctrine at which time all forsooke him yet the Lord stood by him and delivered him 2 Tim. 4 16.17.18 And I know he will doe so for me too for he hath filled my soule so full of his strength to strengthen me in my greatest tryalls and of his presence comfort to comfort me in my present afflictions that I know I can liue by faith in every condition whether in hunger of nakednesse in want scarcity in prison or in dungeon or exile or in banishment And in my present afflicted and chained condition I haue and do possesse all that my soule can desire for I haue God Christ his holy spirit and haue rest true peace and ease and though I be in bonds fettered with Irons lockes and chaines yet I am at liberty for my heart spirit is mightily inlarged also I haue full satisfaction contentednes yea the world all 1. Cor 3.22.23 for my outward condition I haue not a troubled thougt about it for it doth not in the least molest me for I can truly with Withers in the beginning of his Motto say Nec habeo Nec careo Nec curo I neither haue nor want nor care for When I haue the least then I haue a feast and I hauing that I know God will cotinue it and for my owne part I neither long for nor earnestly desire more dainties varieties then there is at a feast and I feast every day and therefore haue no want of good things yea did but my enemies truely know in how rich and plentifull a condition I am in they would bite off their fingers ends for to heare of my prosperous and happie estate in the midst of their cruelties for I haue found and got such riches since J came to Prison that I thinke the like is not to be got abroad in the world And of all conditions vnder heaven in my judgement a prison and an afflicted condition for the truth and cause of Christ and the testimonie of a good conscience is the most happie and rich condition for then Gods holy ones grow in I grace and Godlinesse like tall Ceadars in Libanon and get great large experience of Gods goodnesse faithfulnesse and kindnesse as I am able to speake it by grounded experience And though my Adversaries are learned in the Phariseicall Philofical deceiuable learning of the world Act 5.34 22.3 compared with Phill 3.5.8 Coll 2. and haue studdied and beat their braines in their Vniuersities and else where for many yeares together yet in one sixe moneths in a Prison and fettered condition I haue got more true spirituall learning and and knowledge in the misteries of Godlinesse then is amongst them all therefore when they sent me to Prison they did more for me then if they had given me ten thousand pounds for they haue sent me to a heaven vpon earth for so J haue found it And so farr I am from being overcome by their vnheard of cruelty to submitt and make a base recantation as they would haue me which they haue do still exercise vpon me in a high degree that I am ten times stronger then I was at the first and the next act of cruelty that they shall inflict vpon me will make me twenty times as strong as I am and the next act of cruelty after that will make wee as vnmouable as Mount Sion which cannot be moved but abideth for ever Psal 125. 1. Pro. 10.30 And as the hatred dispeasur of my friends which is the greater tryall of the two which J haue incurred from them by reason of my judgment and Conscience I will carrie my selfe by the help assistance of my God like an innocent harmelesse lamb of Christ yet will I never in the least either for their love or displeasure forsake or renounce the least Truth that the Lord in great mercy hath manifested and made known unto me since I came to prison For before J was not only a Novice but a very Idiot in the right wayes of God having muddy affections but wanted inward principles having fiery zeale but it was without grounded spirituall knowledge But now the Lord hath made knowne to me by his spirit the way wherein to serve and worship him And he hath made me by his power and strength as unmoveable as an Iron Pillar or a Brazen Wall And if they doe not in matters of Religion returne unto me J shall I hope fullfill that command of God given unto Ieremy in the 15. Chapt 19. that I shall not in the least returne unto any of them though I be ever accounted by them as an allien and stranger to them Againe I desire to lett you know that upon the pillary I challenged all the Bishopps in England to dispute with them upon this proposition to prove the Popes power and authority from the Devill and that their power authority and jurisdiction and calling in which they stand at this day is from the Pope and so originally from the Devill as well as his But these Episcopall Rabbies who are Cheife members of the Kingdome of Darknesse had no other Argument to convince me with then to put a Gagg in my mouth least I should have shaken the foundation of their Antichristian Kingdome publickly at the Pillary and least the people forsooth should be infected with my speeches which in their account and estimation
are no better then scandalous factious and seditious when as indeed they were the words of nothing but the naked Truths of God and did not in the least meddle with the persons of any or with any temporall state matters with which I have nothing to doe and say unto And therefore they could neither factious nor seditious unlesse the Booke of God be faction and sedition which were blasphemy once to thinke But indeed with the Prelates every thing that is said or written against their spirituall Babilonian wicked Kingdome is counted faction and sedition for indeed they have no other arguments to maintaine their tottering and languishing Kingdome but Clubb Law that is to say tyranny blood-thirstinesse and cruelty But take that Argument and Weapon away and then a Child will disarme them and beare them and take away their Weapons from them And then to ruine and destruction will their decaying Kingdome come and also the Weapons that J exhorted and perswaded the people of God to draw out against the Prelates those Spirituall Adversaries of the Kingdome of the Lord Iesus Christ was not any temporall sword or Weapon but only the two edged sword of Gods Word spoken off Hebrews 4 12. And they are more described in the sixth of the Ephes Also the next day after my sufferings by Mr. Ingram the Warden of the Fleete I sent this Challeng in particular to the Bishop of Canterbury and earnestly intreated him to deliver is to himselfe that I would dispute with him before all the Nobles and Peeres of this Kingdome And if I were not able to prove that his calling and power is from the Devill I would be willing to lose my head But I pray you take notice of his great learned Arguments which he used to confute me and defend himselfe which were these Let him be lockt up close prisoner in the basest place in the Wards of the Fleete for so runne the words of the Order and let none come at him least he should infect any of the people with his errours and so be a meanes to bring ruine and destruction upon his spirituall Kingdome Oh! Scholasticall Arguments indeed Alas poore man are your eyes so sore that they cannot endure to looke upon the Sunne or your back so gawled that you cannot endure to be touched it seemes they are or else you would never have been affrayde to have met a younge man in the open feild to have tryed out the goodnesse of your cause who desires no other Weapons against you but the Bible the Word of Life and infallible judge of all Controversies and the Liberty of my Tongue to speake freely without any gagging And yet you are affrayde and dare not meere me in a publicke dispute As poore weake and feeble men let me speake in the words of the spirit of God unto you Ier 12. if you have runne with Foote-men and they wearied you then how can you contend with Horses And if in the Land of peace wherein you trust they have wearied you how will you then doe in the swellings of Jordan That is to say if you be affrayde of me a younge beginner in the wayes of God Or if you dare not venture in the Land of peace where you have the Temporall power and sword at command to incounter with me a stripling that never studied Philosophy Logick Rhetorick nor euer was at any Vniversity to learne any Lattin Greeke or Hebrew How will you doe in the swelling of Iordan when your temporall power shall be taken away from you and strange men of great parts fall upon you and make open spirituall warre against you Surely you will never be able to stand for already your Pillars that hold up your Kingdome are growne so rotten that they cannot endure to be roughly handled or touched And therefore without doubt ere long your building must needs fall and therefore looke to your heads and take notice that I have given you warning of it least you repent when it is to late Againe upon Thursday the 17. or 18 of May last I was had before Sir Iohn Bancks and Mr. Littleton the Kings Attourney and Soliciter Generall to be examined what J said at the Pillory before whom I expressed my minde so freely that they were willing and desirous that J should hold my peace and laboured with me by fleshly Arguments as Peter did with Christ to save my selfe But before them I made this challenge and desired them to tell it to the Bishops that I would dispute with them all before my Dread Soveraigne whose faithfull loyall and humble subject I am to prove their calling so farre from being of God as they affirme it is that is is from the Devill And if I were not able to prove it or if I delivered any thing in the proofe of it that deserved death I would not refuse to dye or if J held any errours if they could by the Authority of the Scripture confute me I would publickly recant them But their Argumēts replicatiō to this my challeng was Lay him fast in Irō chains Armes and Leggs coupled together And let him lye in them night and day And let neither gold nor money nor bookes nor writings nor any other thing be brought unto him from his freinds And let none come to him to speake with him And if any come to aske for him take notice of their name and place of habitation that so we may overcome him with crueltie and Tyrannie and make him submit for if we doe it not by these meanes he will hardly be brought unto it And therefore Warden of the Fleete looke to it have a speciall care of him that none come to have any talke with him or give him any thing that so we may by Tyrannie Crueltie and Torments overcome him for he leads away a multitude of people and causes them to follow him And he is of such a lofty high spirit that if he goe on in the way he will spoyle our tottering Kingdome And therefore put to your best assistance to see if by any meanes you can overcome him to get him to submit This was the effect of their speech Oh! Brave Episcopall Arguments indeed But J pray you did ever Christ or his Apostles or any of his Servants use any such Arguments to overcome or convince those that were opposite to them in judgement No verily in the whole New Testament we doe not read that any of Christs servants for spirituall things used any such Weapons or Clubb Arguments as these for they used nothing but spirituall Weapons to overcome ther enemies And with the sharpe two edged sword of Gods Word Heb. 4.12 Rev 19.15 they fought against their Adversaries by this and by this alone they did overcome them And Peter with this one Weapon did strike downe three thousand of them at a blow and made them yeeld subjection to the Kingdome of Christ Acts 2. And we never reade of any temporall Weapon that they made