and personall presence and send precepts rules by the aucthoritie of your Office and wee and all that â—eare god will cast away your aucthoritie and office and the aucthoritie and office of all others heerein with the precepts and rules made by the power thereof and wee will onely submitt our selves to the office and aucthoritie of Th-appostles and to the precepts and rules which they have sett downe by the power of their office wch power aÌ„d office they received froÌ„ god not from men nor by man gal â— 1. Thus may you and all men see that what people chuâ—ch or congregation soever do challenge vnto theÌ„ selves anie previlige or prefermeÌ„t in keeping the holy thinges that they onely are to dispose of the to others such previlige aÌ„d prefermeÌ„t must needs be proper to their persoÌ„s onely and froÌ„ all such previlige to their persoÌ„s as wee have before shewed Paul and â—â—phas and Appollos disclaymes although they were the ministers by whome the corinthians beleeved And will you or anie people or church challeÌ„ge privilege and prefermeÌ„t to your persons over al men although by your ministrie they beleeve not and all your warrant for this is because you say you are the first If you wil yet staÌ„d for privilege by your beeing fiâ—â—â— as you Ymagine heare what our saviour christ saith vnto you for your instruction Mat. 2â— 1.14 â—rend I do thee no wronge take that which is thyne owne and go thy way I will give 〈…〉 much as vnto thee these men thought because they came first into the veinyaâ—d they should have had more wage them they that came last although there wages were agreed vpon so you thinke you are worthie of more aucthoritie them the last because you suppose you were the first but our Saviour christ teacheth you in thâ—â— place that the honor reward in all one to the last as to the first And take heed least by this your sinne if you had no other the lord passe this sentence against you and say vnto you The first shal be last To dravve to an end in this point that the gospell is come vnto all the vvorld alike coll 1.6 to god is no accepter of persons And therefore all the world ought to receive it beleeve it obey it a like so doeing all have free libertie to enioy and administer in all the holy ordinances a like for of vvhomesoever the Lord requires obedience of all his ordinances they obeying he giveth to them the privilege benifitt of all his ordinances Then vvhat soever people receives beleeves obeyes the gospell as truely as another people do they have as much privilege libertie to einoy the gospel all the ordinances thereof as anie other people For god is no accepter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him vvorketh righteousnes is accepted vvith him Act. 10.34.35 And if anie shall novv feare god fast pray as Cornelius did their praiers almes shall come vp in remembrance before god the spirit of god shall direct them to heare vvhat Peter saith to be directed by Peter the rest of Thâ—appostles not bid them send for you or go to you or anie people to make them perfect for the word of God is all sufficient to teath them instruct them make them perfect to everie good vvorke as is shevved 2. tim 3.16.17 The vvhole scriptures as given by inspiration of god is profitable to teath to convine to correct to instruct in righteousnes that the man of god may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes Heere may you all learne vnderstand that the vvord of god is all sufficient of it self to make the people of god absolute perfect vnto every good worke to pray to preach to Baptize to breake bread to administer in all the holy thinges to vvalke in all the vvaies of god vvithout the helpe of of anie man or men And if anie should be so vnvvise as thinke that the meaning of the holy ghost heere is onely to make a man perfect vnto everie good worke in himself it were great weaknes seeing that the holy ghost testifieth That the mainfestation of the spirit is geven to every man to profit withall 1. Cor 12.7 1. Pet. 4.10 Lett everie man as he hath received the gift Minister the same to another as good disposers of the manifold graces of god To make this plaine that he that runnes may read it vnderstaÌ„d it that Christ and al things are geven to every faithfull people although they be but two or three according to Christes owne wordes Mat. 18.20 Christ is there king Luk. 1.33 he is there Mediator Heb. 9.15 by whose blood they may be bould to enter into the holy place He is their high Priest who with one offering hath consecrated for ever theÌ„ that are sanctified Heb. 10.21.14 And made them kings And Preists vnto God Reuel 1.6 They are come vnto Mount Syon And to the citie of the liveing God the celestiall Ierusalem Heb. 12.22 whose gates are not shutt by day and there is no night there Reuel 21.25 wee conclude therefore with those heavenly wordes of comfort spoken by the holy ghost vnto everie faithfull man and men though but two or three Reuel 22.17 Both the spirit the Bride say come And let him that heareth say come and let him that is a thirst come and let who soever will take of the water of life freely VVeâ— with your selves now and let all meÌ„ consider whether this be not al sufficieÌ„t Heere is the King the Mediator and the high Priest and the citie Ierusalem with hir gates open and the spirit of God bidding all come freely and all the faithfull made kings Preistes vnto God what should let the faithfull for entring in offering Sacrifices administring in all the holy thinges before the lord seeing they onely are appointed there vnto of God 1. Pet. 2.5 4.10 If the jewes cominge out of captivitie had had Salomon their kinge Moses their mediator Aaron their high Priest Ierusalem their citie with hir gates open their god bidding theÌ„ come who should have for bidden theÌ„ for bringing their sacrifices and administring before the lord freely If Pharoh should hinder theÌ„ all the plagues of Egipt should fall vpoÌ„ him And though Tobiah should despise theÌ„ SaÌ„ballett coÌ„spire against them yet they praying to their god their enimies shame should be turned vpon their owne heads and the lord should bring their counsells to nought Nehe. 4. And God hath promissed to do no lesse for his people now against his and their enimie the mistery of iniquitie the man of sinne for he will consume him with the spirit of his mouth abolish him with the brightnes of his coming 2. Thes 2.8 And he will smyte the earth with the â—od of his mouth and with the breath of his lipps shall he slay the
advisednes to consider vvhat vvas the seperation vvall betvvixt the Ievve the gentill Th-appostle Rom. 3.1.2 declares plainely what is vvas in these vvords The preferment of the Ievve the profitt of circumcision is much everie manner of vvay for cheiflie because vnto them were of creditt coÌ„mitted the oracles of god this was the divisioÌ„ vvall vvhich the Lord had set vp betvvixt the Iewe the gentill in that he gave his statutes ordinaÌ„ces to Israell to keepâ— not debarring the geÌ„tills at all froÌ„ eÌ„ioying the benefitt of his statutes ordinaÌ„ces as the lord sheweth Exo. 12.49 One lavv shal be to him that is borne in the land and to the strainger that dwelleth amongst you This then was the preferment and the devision wall that the Iewes kept the oracles and the Gentills must have them at their hands for if the gentills had themselves possessed the land of Canaan And the holie Citie and the Temple and all the holie thinges they had bene all polluted in their hands but when the Iewes had the possession of all the holy thinges and communicated them vnto the geÌ„tills they were holy to them Thus could the gentills have no benifitt of the holy thinges except they came to the Iewes and receyved them from them and so enioyed them vnder them This then is so plaine as anie thinge can be that the partition wall betwixt the Iewe and the gentill was in respect of the previlige that belonged to the person of the Iewe in that to the person of the Iewes the oracles were committed to be kept for as wee have shewed there was the same law of ordinances for the gentill as for the Iewe but the gentill must receive them from the Iewes and they must come vp to Ierusalem to worship with the jewes Act 8.27 and joh 4.20 This stopp of the partition wall hath Christ broken downe That he might reconcile both vnto God in one body by his crosse and slay hatred thereby makeing peace Eph. 2.16.15 Thus hath the Lord of himself made peace both with jewe geÌ„till now not preferring anie one people above another in giveing his oracles to theÌ„ to keepe but hath made his convenant with all both jewe geÌ„till they that are a farr of they that are neare Act. 2.39 Eph. 2.17 To everie maÌ„ that doth good shal be glorie and honor and peace to the jew first and also to the grecian For there is no respect of persons with god Rom. 2.10.11 There are now by gods appointment no more straingers and forreyners but through Christ all both jew and gentile have an entrance vnto the father by one spirit Ephes 2.19.18 not standing in need of admittance by men And what people soever either jew or gentile are biult vpon the foundation of Th-appostles and Prophetts Iesus Christ himself being the châ—â—te corner stone in whome all the building cuppled together groweth vnto an holie Temple in the Lord they are built together to be the habitation of god by the spiriâ— Ephes 2.20.21.22 And therefore no people are bound to seeke to men to be built a habitatioÌ„ of god But the doctrine of Th-appostles by the worke of the spirit is sufficient All this proves the partition wall is broken downe which is that the oracles are not now commited to anie people of creditt to keepe that all should be forced to come to them as the gentills were of necessitie constrayned to come to the jewes Christ hath slayne that hatred saith Th-appostle and hath reconciled the gentills to god and so god is equally favourable to them both that is to all men for all were either jewes or gentils God doth not favour anie one in respect of committing his orracles to be kept they are now left free to all that come according to that prophecie of scripture Psai 55.1 Hoe every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ye that have no silver come buy and eate Come I say buy wine and mylke without silver and without monie This then being confessed of al that have anie knowledg in the religion of God that the seperation wall is broken downe and being rightly vnderstood also that the seperation wall was a personall previlige vnto the peculiar nation of the jewes by genealogie which was to keepe the oracles of God by Succession amongst them selves from generation to generatioÌ„ and the gentiles that were without could not be admitted to the holy thinges but by them this being the câ—vision vvall and this being broken dovvne and the gentiles let in the doore sett open for all freedome libertie proclaymed That by the blood of jesus christ vvee may be bold to enter into the holy place by the nevv and liveing vvay which he hath prepared for vs through the vaile that is his flesh Heb. 10 1â—.20 Hereby all Succession is abolished all previlige and prâ—lâ—…ment to perticuler persons in keeping the holy oracles is taken away and they are free for all men that beleeve to 〈…〉 for wee are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus There is neither Iewe nor Grecian there is neither bond nor free â—…e is neither male nor feemale or we are all one in Christ Iesus Gal. 3.26.8 Now they then that will set vp Succession and 〈◊〉 have all the oracâ—es of God committed to them and that all 〈…〉 receive the ordinances of Christ from them they herein build vp the perâ—… wall againe they challenge to themselves the prefermeÌ„t of the Iewe they stopp the entrance into the holie place by the new and liveing way which Christ hath made by his blood they deny that any people built vpoÌ„ the foundatioÌ„ of Thâ—appostles Prophetts by the spirit can be the â—…on of God they will not permitt meÌ„ to be the sonnes of god by faith all these thinges are nothinge available without meÌ„ come to theÌ„ be admitted by them men cannot have Christ except they have theÌ„ nor be joyned to christ except they be ioyned to them nor putt on christ except they putt on theÌ„ Lett all the godly but equally iudg betwixt you and vs whether this be not to sett vp the 〈…〉 wall againe Wâ—…h is to give a speciall previlege â—…d prefermeÌ„t to the people more then another and that none may enioy the holy thinges but from their persons which wee deâ—…e may yet better be observed well vnderstood that you or what people soever manteyne Succession oâ— will have a previlege or preferment in the possession of the holie things it doth apperteyne is tyed to your persons the power and auctoritie you challenge it is in your persons for it is not in your gifts aÌ„d doctrine for setâ—… by your persones tye vs not to them and then wee will preferr the gifts doctrine of Th-appostles before yours and wee wil be directed by theÌ„ And the aucthoritie and preferment you challeÌ„ge is not in your office for sett by your persons
the lord our 〈…〉 you onely 〈◊〉 you also taught of 〈…〉 humbled and humble your selve 〈…〉 people 〈…〉 If this will not 〈…〉 word 〈…〉 be called 〈…〉 Prophet 〈…〉 Compact together 〈…〉 the Tithes of the 〈…〉 to praise the name of the 〈…〉 you this 〈…〉 Iâ— you be the 〈…〉 but the Tithes must come to 〈…〉 the grace of God 〈…〉 you cannot 〈…〉 but you will 〈…〉 shal be the people And 〈…〉 Mount Syon which cannot be removed and shal you remaine for ever If you can promisse this of your selves you go beyond all the excellent Churches that are spokeÌ„ of in the new testament whereof there remaines no mention at this day to be seene but onely that the scriptures testify that such Churches there were but not one of them hath remained vnto this day Therefore none of them were Mount Syon And will you lift vp your horne on high and be more then they all this is the foolishnes of folly beare with our rudenes The lord knoweth wee seeke his glory and your good herein although our infirmities may too much appeare It is your turning from these your evills that wee disire for Godes glorie and the salvation of your soules and therefore will wee through Gods grace endeavour yet further to shewe you your error in this point The Prophet in the 48. Psal 2.3 Seaketh on this wise Mount Syon Northward is faire in scituation it is the joy of the whole earth the Citie of the great king In the Palaces thereof God is knowne for a refuge and vers 8. God will establish it for ever Selah To add vnto this the glorious discription so at large sett downe by Iohn Reuel 21.10 VVhere he saw that great Citie that holy Ierusalem descending out of heaven from God whose wall had twelve foundations aÌ„d in them the names of the twelve Appostles of the lambe vers 14. wch Citie hath no need of the Sunne neither of the Moone to shinne in it for the glorie of God doth light it and the lambe is the light of it vers 23. And the people that are lived shall walke in the light of it vers 24. And the Nation the kingdome that will not serve thee shall perish and these nations shal be vtterly distroyed Isa 60.12 See your selves now how unlike you are this Citie are you the joy of the whole earth sorrowe is the ioy that wee the poore winesses of Christ have in you for our partes as you shall further heare do the people that are saved walke in the light of you and shall the nation and kingdome that will not serve you perish God forbid be content and glade to have this Citie your joy and to be Citizens of this Citie and to walke in the light of it and to serve it or els you shall perish and be destroyed But this Citie cannot perish nor be destroyed but you may be and therefore you are not this Ierusalem and the world knowes that you are not the earthly Ierusalem wincke not with your eies but see and stâ—pp not your eares but heare how the word of God doth convince you in this your error And now wee beseech the vpright harted amongst you to be willing to heare what Thappostle Paule doth shewe Ierusalem to be and followe not your owne inventions herein Th'appostle to the Gal. 4 22-26 sheweth that Abraham had two sonnes and two wives one sonne by a servant and one by a free woman he wch was borne of the servant was borne after the flesh and he that was of the freewoman was borne by promisse By the which thinges another thinge is ment saith Th'appostle for these mothers are the two testamentes The one which is Hagar or Syna is a mountaine in Arabia and it aunswereth to Ierusalem which now is and she is in bondage with hir children But Ierusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all Thus doth Th'appostle so plainely as is possible for the vnderstanding of all teach that by Hagar the bond woman is mente the old Ierusalem which is the old Testament with all the carnal ordinances there of And by Sarah the free woman is ment the new Ierusa the new Testament with all the spirituall ordinances thereof And this spirituall mother which is Sarah the free woman the new Ierusalem the new Testament is mother of all that are borne after the spirit and they are hir childreÌ„ as Th'appostle saith of himselâ— others vers 31 Now will you be this Ierusalem the mother of all the faith full will it not suffice you to be children but you must be the mother of all Do but see how herein you agree with that Antichrist of Rome that wil be the mother of all Churches How farr contrary is this to all the rest of your profession who professe such humblenes of mynd in all thinges and yet hereyn to seeke thus highly to advice yours selves above the poore servants of God that through his grace and mercie by the power of his word and spirit are borne children of the free woman and though weak childreÌ„ yet borne as free as you or anie what great evill is this in soo maine of you as would to seeke to bring vs in bondage vnto you when you cannot by aine warrant of Gods word have anie more freedome in anie holy thinge or to anie holy thinge then wee if wee be all the Children of one mother for then are wee brethren Synne not thus against God and wronge not vs by seeking to tread vs vnder your feet which you do in advanceing your selves over vs to bring vs in subiection who are borne as free as you This being by the word of God made cleare that neither you nor anie Church congregation or people are Ierusalem it will easily follow that nether you nor anie Church congregation or people are the kingdome of heaven for the heavenly Ierusalem and the kingdome of heaven are all one as all that have anie vnderstanding agree and knowe Therefore it shall not be needfull to vse 〈◊〉 wâ—rds mo in this cause lett vs inshort therefore shewe what the scriptures speaketh of the kingdome of heaven Our Saviour Christ Luc. 4.34 Saith thus Surely I must also preach the kingdome of God to other Cities for therefore am I sent This kingdome cannot in anie vnderstandinge be ment of anie people for it must be preached to a people and this agrees with that before spoken of Ierusalem which is that it is the new Testament And thus speaketh our Saviour Christ Ioh. 3.5 except a man be borne of water and of the spirit he cannot 〈◊〉 into the kingdome of God whereby it is so plaine as anie thinge can be that no people are the kingdome of God but that people ought to enter into the kingdome of God and when they are entred then are of the kingdome of God and children of the kingdome Mat. 13.38 And therefore wee pray the Godly reader to consider that there is
your owne shame and humble your selves repent of this error VVill you now with patience suffer vs a little to declare and try your best ground fâ—r these thinges wich wee have received from some that are greatest amongst you wee could repeat divers of your arguments and reasons but wee spare you wee will take your strongest ground which if wee can by the ground of truth shewe to be most vnsound wee will hope that they amongst you that seeke the lord in singlenes of hart will forsake it first knowe this and let all knowe that you have never bene able at anie time to produce anie one scripture and mainteyne it for your Succession although wee have had divers conferences with the cheifest amongst you but you reason by simelies and proportions of your owne devisings for the most part To come to your ground this is the some of that you saie That baptisme being once raised vp by one vnbaptized after none did neither was it lawfull for anie vnbaptized to baptize but all must have it from him so you follow on with your proportion from baptisme to the church and ministry And this is the waie you runne not knowing whether it leads jou wee praie you marke what the wiseman saith Pro. 4.19 The waâ—e of the vngodlie is as the darknes they knowe not vvherin they shall fall even so little do you knovve into vvhat pitt you shall fall or vpon what rock you do cast your selves others in this your way first whereas you say that when baptisme was once by one vnbaptized raised vpon 〈◊〉 none after being vnbaptized did or might This John never taught you nor 〈◊〉 of Thâ—appostles where els you have learned it wee know not but you 〈…〉 in it and say it is the course order of the scriptures But wee require you with godly consideration to consider that heerein vnder a 〈◊〉 of binding to the due 〈◊〉 course of the matter manner of the scriptures which all ougâ— to follow you bring men to a due perticuler courseâ— persoÌ„s vvhich none are bound to follow except anie daâ—ie say of themselves as that excellent vvorthy Appostle Paul said Phil. 2.17 Brethren be followers of me In short see if you would not be blynd vvhether you rule leades you if you wil tye the vvord ordinance of God vnto men Prist for baptisme you must bring man prophecied of as Iohn vvas that shalle able tâ— annsvvere as Iohn did to them that asked him vvhaâ— art thou that vvee may giue aunswere to them thaâ— sent us vvhat saiest thou of thy self vvhy baptizeâ— thou Iohn aunsweres I am hee that the Prophet Esaiaâ— prophecied of c. I am the voice of him that crieth iâ— the vvildernes make straight the vvay of the lord Thus doth Io prove his office ministration to be lawfull and therefore might Ierusalem all Iudea of faith come faith to him to be baptized And this man vvas sent in the power of the spirit of Elias Therefore vvhatsoever he did in his ministry vvas true and vvarrantable so that men might safely joyne themselves to his baptisme Neither could men learne baptisme the maner thereof but of Iohn of them that received it from him vvil you now in the behalf of your first beginner aunswere us that aske vvho art thou that baptizest And saiest all men must have their baptisme from thee VVhat saiest thou of thy self VVhere is thy vvarrant VVil you aunswere vs as you have done that Io his example is your vvarrant VVee vvil aunswere you as vvee have often done wee also do the like by the same example And wee say farther that Iohns example and al the examples rules in the scriptures to be followed are generall and there is no one perticuler example or rule in all the new Testament wch is onely to be ymmitated observed by anie one man anie two Tenn twenty or a hundreth but what soeuer example in the scriptures anie one Man may followe and what soever rule or commaundmeÌ„t anie one man may observe kepe even so another man may followe the same example keepe the same comaÌ„dmeÌ„t so of two men ten twenty or an hundreth And the like may be said of time place for there is no example or rule in the new Testament that is onely proper or appirteyning to anie one person or persons time or times place or places for the new testament is the Covenant of Grace which Christ hath purchased with his blood and there is no part of it can be abolished till he come to iudgment But if anie part of it anie example or rule in it be tyed to anie particuler person or persons time or times place or places these al may be abolished before Christes coming and therefore no part of the new testament can be particulerly tyed to anie one of them To shewe for example the question in hand If Iohns example of Baptizing being vnbaptized or rather not being of anie other first baptized If his example be a particuler exaÌ„ple for one man onely as you say theÌ„ jt follovveth was it abolished when your predecessor had once begun to Baptize and so is that example now of no vse and it may be for anje thinge you knowe or ever can knowe that he was not the first and then if your rule be true how wretched is your case that challeng apreregative that by your owne rule apperteynes not vnto you and your best advantage is that you can but jmagine that you are the first and you would have vs jmaigine so with you VVell wee beseech you consider throughly this one point especially That the new testament nor anie part of it neither rule nor example doth perticulerly apperteyne to anie one person or serve onely for anie one person or serve onely for aine one time or place wch if you deny you abolish 〈◊〉 and the Testament purchased with his blood and makes it a carnall covenant for no spirituall covenant can eveâ— be abolished And if you confence that the new Testament and all the rules examples therein are generall to all Then may all men in all places whome the lord by his word and spirit shall stirr vp and indue with gifts and grace preach the goâ— and men being converted baptize them so is your Succession fallen to the grouÌ„d And therein have you no 〈◊〉 if you love the lord his holy truth for thereby shall the holy ordinances of Christ be sett at 〈◊〉 which you have kept in bondâ— to the great 〈…〉 of God and to the 〈…〉 divers soules whose blood wil be required 〈◊〉 your hands though they be perished in their owne sinnes if you repent not Moreover as wee have shewed before Iohn came in the power and spirit of Elias therefore what soever he did 〈◊〉 office and ministrie was warrantable and according to truth and he could not 〈◊〉 therein This no man that knovves anie truth vvill
these wordes might coÌ„vince you all of your error in this point and they shall condemne you all if you repent not of your reaching and stiftly mainteyning that these Ministers of god retayning this their Office from god may not be members of the Church of Christ Hearken to their Office or ministery yet againe It is to punish evill doers and to reward or praise them that do well in which holy administration they are like vnto god and in applieing them selves faithfullie therein they do the worke that is proper to god for to execute justice vpon the wicked and shewe mercie vnto them that do well is the divine propertie and worke of god and so farr as the lord hath comitted auctoritie to Magistrats to administer therein they do the proper worke of god and therefore doth the holy ghost by the Prophett David speaking of Magistrats say Psal 32.6 I have said yee are gods speaking in respect of the great honor that is due vnto them by their holie Office where vnto he hath appointed them The some scope of that which is heare sett downe in this point is to shewe vnto you that the Appostle doth heâ—e teach that the Office ministery of Magistrats is an holy Office appointed of god and that the lord requires of Magistrats a diligent willing faithfull obedience which is pleasing vnto the lord the which obedience they preforming vprightly though weakely and fayling in manie thinges as Th-appostle confesseth he all the children of god did Iam. 3.2 yet beleeving the gospell of Iesus Christ and repenting of their sinnes how can it be denyed them to be admitted members of the bodie of Christ Is this a good exception because they are Magistrats why then you except against them because they are the holy ministers of god and do his will in faithfull obedience VVhat a doctrine of devills is this that anie should be denyed to be members of the body of Christ for executing an holie Office appointed of god For further proofe that it is an holy ordinance or office pleasing vnto god it is shewed in that wee are comanded to obey of conscience that is onely in that which is holy good for god forbidd that his children should be tyed of conscience to obey in anie thinge that is vnholy not good Th-appostle shewes heere that the holy ghost intends no such thinge when he saith vers 3. Magistrats are not to be feared for good works and 1. Pet 2.17 Feare god honor the kinge therefore if Magistrats shall comaund anie thinge against god or Godlines the people of god are not bound to obey for this cause Th-appostles when they were comaunded of the Rulers Elders of Israell that in no wise they should speake or teach in the name of Iesus answered whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather then god judg yee All this doth still give further proofe that Magistracie is a holy ministery or Office appointed of god onely for good and therefore none bearing that Office or ministery is for that cause to be debarred froÌ„ being meÌ„bers of the body of Christ which is his church except men for executing an office comaunded of Christ should be debarred from Christ which is more then madnes for anie that professe Christ to affirme Furthermore hath god by reason of that high power auctoritie which he hath given to Magistrats comaunded such feare such obedieÌ„ce so great honor to be given vnto them of all men and shall they whome god hath so greatly honored with such auctoritie dignitie power for bearing this honor which god hath putt vpon theÌ„ shall they for this be accounted vnworthy to be meÌ„bers of Christes church This is to bring the greatest dishonor that possiblie caÌ„ be before god his people vpoÌ„ that ordinance the ministers thereof vpon which and vpoÌ„ whome the lord hath putt most honor on for it is a most miserable wretched dishonorable ordinaÌ„ce office or calling that debarrs meÌ„ froÌ„ being meÌ„bers of Christes body And let all knowe that have anie vnderstaÌ„ding in the misterie of godlines that if Magistrats ought not to be meÌ„bers of Christs church they cannot be childreÌ„ of the kingdome of Christ and if they be not children of the kingdome they cannot be heires of the promisse for those that are worthy to be heires of saluation must needs first be children of the kingdome being begotten by the â—mortall seed of the word and borne a new 1. Pet. 1.23 all such are worthy to be members of Christs Church Therefore if you vnderstand your selves se this to be the end of your opinion That if you denying Magistrates and hold them vnworthy to be members of Christes Church you much more deny them to be worthy of saluatioÌ„ for if by reason of their Office they be vnworthie to be of the comunioÌ„ of the saintes vpon earth they must nedes thereby much more be made vnworthy to be of the comunion of the Saintes in heaveÌ„ And thus do you by this your opinion hold and mainteyne that god hath appointed an ordinance and they that are his ministers therein by his owne appointement are by that their Office and ministery debarred of saluation Your sinne herein is no lesse then blasphemy against god in that you charge the most holy to have appointed an ordinance the executing whereof debarrs men from saluation wee hope you do it ignorantly as also your leaders Let not the antiquitie of this your error make it precious vnto you but rather vile and sinne not by tradition after the doctrines of men but be brought to try your waies by the word of god and set his spirit be your teacher and leader into all truth be not led by men for all men are gone out of the way and are full of ignorance error And to make it appeare how you are misledd in this be witched opinion VVe wil come to some of your cheife holdes herein whereof this is one Mat. 20.25.26 Luk. 22.24.25.26 Mâ—k 10.5 45. There arose a strife among Christes disciples which should be the greatest And he said vnto them The kinges of the gentiles reigne over them and they that beare rule over them are called gracious lords but ye shall not be so but let the greatest be as the least and the cheifâ—st as him that serveth From hence you gather that kings Magistrates that beare rule in the world may not be of the Church To come by the grâ—tions direction of the spirit of god vnto a due vnderstanding of this scripture wee must first seeke to knowe wherein the disciples of Christ did seeke to be greater one then another and if they did strive for worldly preferment then may your ground prove partly true but if they did not strive for preferment in the world or worldly preferment then is there no cullor that your collected ground should be true for our saviour Christ his speach is to
Magistracie is sinne and that Magistrats by reason of their office and aucthoritie are sinners For although a Magistrat should manifest never so great faith and repentance yet these men will not yeild that he may be of the Church of Christ for except be cast away his Magistracie his saith and repentance is nothinge This vnholy Office vnsanctified and horitie doth vtterly overthrowe faith and repentance Let it not displease you that wee write thus plainely set if it be a holie Office and Sanctified aucthoritie then it cannot debarr anie froÌ„ being members of the church of Christ Thus may you all see that these among you which teach that Magistrats may not be of the Church And that it is not lawfull for them to punish evill doers with the sword nor by the sword to mainteyne warr for the preservation of their contries people these are they that privily bring in damnable heresies despising goverment and speaking evill of these that are in dignitie and aucthoritie in that hereby they seeke the vtter overthrowe of all goverment and accâ—â—pt aucthoritie and magistracie most vise because evill doers are punished thereby which you teach ought not to be but is sinne wickednes to be done And if all men in these Provinces vnder the goverment of the lords stats generall were of your mynds as you would have them where were goverment and magistrats were it not all in the dust Thus is it evident that you would have Kings Princes magistrats vtterly abolished Is not this heresie privily brought in vnder so great a shewe of godlines to destroy the holy ordinance of god and how manie of you vnderstand that this heresie leads you to accompt magistrats the ministers of god but as the devills are wee hope there are thoÌ„sands of you that have no such thoughs and yet it is most evident and cannot be avoyded but it is the end of your ground rule is not this privily brought inâ—â—e not therefore deceived by fâ—re humble speaches for weepâ— feste vnto you that it by this that is already said it do not plainely appeare to anie indifferent reader that your ground leads you to this that all that magistrats do by vertue and power of their Office in punishing evill doers is sinne in them if anie thinke good to oppose wee wil by gods assistance make it most clere that all may see it that wincke not with their eies If therefore you like not to hold that magistrats are no otherwise the ministers of god but as the devils are then leave of also to hold that magistrats by reason of their magistracie are to be debarred out of the kingdome of Church of Christ And also it shall appeare that this your ground doth evidently overthrowe all Magistracie in the whole earth for if God would have all Kings Princes saved and come to the knowledg professioÌ„ of his truth which Th-appostle saith he would 1. Tim. 2.2.4 and you confesse the same and if they cannot come to the knowledg and profession of the truth except they cast away their Magistracie as you say and hold then must all Magistracie be cast away in the whole world for God would have all the Kings Princes and Magistrats vpoÌ„ the earth to come to the knowledg of the truth be saved And if you like not to overthrowe all Magistrats and Magistracie in the earth then leave of to hold that they may not be of the kingdome church of Christ One other marke that shewes you are the false Teachers Th-appostle speakes of is that you stand in your owne conceite this wee have found in some of you and wee require wee may not now find it in you all for then shall it appeare evidently vnto all men Thus have wee in these pointes wherein wee differ from you spoken so farr as God hath enabled vs beseeching you all with singlenes of hart to try your standing in these thinges wee have spoken of and that you would not hold these opinions because you have held them long but that you will loveingly be advised to search the Scriptures and see whether you have any Good warrant thus to hold and professe and teach men so Approve your selves now vnto vs and vnto all men that you walke not blindly in the stepps of them that have gone before you but that you disire and endeavor to walke by true sanctified knowledg from the Scriptures and that you do not so much seeke to heape multitudes together and build vp great Churches and congregations as to gather together a holy people and biuld vp pure Churches in the profession of the true faith that you may be approved of God which neither you nor anie people can ever do except you first make sure that your doctrine be pure and vndefiled for though a people should never so much excell in all holines of conversation yea though they should excell in works in love service in faith patience that their workes should be more at laste theÌ„ at first Reuel 2.19 yet if they suffer false doctrine false teachers they are impure polluted churches for a little leaveÌ„ leaveneth the whole lumpe Gal 5.9 the lord will not approve of them but will certenly come against theÌ„ with the sword of his mouth will remove their candle suckes out of there places This the Lord saith but who beleeves the word of the lord herein If Churches and Congregations did beleeve these words of the lord it would make them try their doctrines by the word of the lord go vpon sound grounds with knowledg vnderstanding from the word of truth being testified vnto them by the teaching of the spirit of God and not receive doctrines vpon the good opinion they have of their Teachers knowledg holines faithfulnes although they should excell in all these thinges neither would the people of God be carried away after anie doctrines by the stronge working affections of their mynds judging it to be the working of the spirit of God when it is nothinge but the spirit of their owne affections wherein they may have great motions and feelings with much zeale but not according to knowledg Rom. 10.2 Therefore are wee comaunded not to beleeve every spirit neither in our selves nor in others but to try first whether they be of God And hereby shall wee knowe the spirit of error If wee heare Gods woâ—d 1. Ioh. 4.6 That is if wee search and try everie thinge thereby 〈◊〉 that Churches and congregations would thus looke vnto their waies and not hold errors for companie sake nor walke in by pathes by affections It is better to hold the truth alone to walke in the waies thereof coâ—rary to all the affections of the hart which is deceitfull but this is a hard doctrine who is able to heare it It is a pleasing thinge to walke in a profession of Religion with a multitude and especially it but some of the grounds of
wicked Esa 11.4 Now therefore take you heed and let al people take ficed how they go about to hinder the people of god that have freedome and libertie to administer before him being a holy Preisthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ 1. Pet. 2.5 take heed wee say how you go about to hinder them by setting vp your owne inventions and abhominations and bring swist iudgment vpon your selves And so wee leave this point praying you not lightly to passe by it though wee have handled it weakly But let all that disire vnfainedly in the truth of their soules to see the profession of Iesus Christ florrish in puritie and sincerity and in the light of all truth sett their owne harts and teach others to seeke Christ in his word And to followe him in all worshipp and service according to the examples rules precepts in the Striptures which are written for vs to that end For what soever â—â—inges are writteÌ„ aforetime are written for our leaâ—â—ing Rom. 15.1 Lett all men therefore that in vprightnes disires to walke in the waies of god according to true direction seeke to be taught of god by the Scriptures and not to be ledd by the examples and precepts of men For if a people though but two or three by reading and hearing the Scriptures by the worke of the spirit come to the faith of the gospel must be coÌ„pelled to joyne to anie or some people that formerly professe Christ then must they be forced to professe as they professe and walke in their stepps with them and so to be brought in subiection to all their errors and to be polluted by joyning with them in all their corruptions and so they cannot nor must not be ledd on for ward towards perfection as they ought to be Heb. 6.1 But they must be ledd forward or go backward or out of the way or stand still as that people to whome they joyne will lead them This destroyes all pure profession of the gospell and keepes men backe from walking in the cleare light thereof ffor if two or three shall in the honestie of their harts disire to walke holiâ—â—e with the lord and keepe themselves vnspotted of error this wofull rule of Succession debarrs them that they may not so do and constraines them to joyne to some people denying them libertie to walke after the rules and examples in the Scriptures and so to followe Christ and binds them to followe Christ with them as they followe Christ Hence it cometh that the Pope saith loe heere is Christ and seekes to force all to followe Christ with him And the Bishopps they say loe heere is Christ and they seeke to compell all to followe Christ with them The Presbitarie they say loe heree is Christ and they will constraine all to followe Christ with them wee passe by the most vngodly vnwise Familists and scattered flock that say he is in the desert that is no where to be found in the professioÌ„ of the gospell according to the ordinaÌ„ces thereof vntill their extraordinarie men they dreame of come which shall not be vntil there come a new Christ a new gospell And you to whome wee especially write you say loe heere is Christ you would have all to followe Christ with you Now in these troblesome dayes which our sauiour Christ hath foretold of and are now come to passe wherein if it were possible the very elect should be deceaved let all the godly stay them selves vpon that blessed counsel of our Saviour Christ who saith vnto al that will followe him take yee heed behold I have shewed you althinges before Mark. 13.23 which is by his word and therefore thither onely must wee go and followe no men And wee pray al you that would have men followe Christ with you to remember how our Saviour Christ reproved his Disciples for their evill disposition therin who when they sawe one casting out deviles in Christes name forbadd him because he followed not Christ with them Iesus vtterly disaproving them said forbidd yee him not he that is not against vs is with vs. Luk. 9.49.50 If theÌ„ our saviour Christ would not suffer these his Disciples to challeÌ„ge to theÌ„selves this privilege nor would not restraine that his Disciple for professinge his name althoug he followed not with theÌ„ why should anie challeÌ„g to theÌ„selves or why should the people of god think them selves bound to give vnto anie this prerogative Let all the people of God therefore every where knowe that they have libertie to followe Christly them selves which if Gods people would practice with feare reverence relying onely vpon the direction of gods word spirit it would make them 〈◊〉 wary carefull of their waies least they should run into error so be iustly reproved of all whift all mens eies are vpon them whereas contrariwise if of necessitie they be bound to go joyne to another congregation they walke securely because that peopleâ— walking is their warrant and what soever they find amongst them must be received as approved good And this makes divers who often receives manie good motions of the spirit to quench those provocations of the spirit because they thinke they must needes ioyne to some people and can see none that walke so vprightly nolilie with whome they may have comfort to joyne this is a cheife cause of all this evill in that manie are blinded with this error that you all the fore named people do stand so stiffly vpon that they must joyne to the Church And so is this libertie hidden from their eies you all that teach that doctrine being instrumentes there of that they may joyne theÌ„ selves to gether in the covenant of the new Testament so be the church Temple of God them selves as well as you or anie people and through the gracions blessing of god which he hath promissed shal be vpon them they so doeing walking in his waies they may shall growe to be a most holy people and a house for the most high god to dwel in the word spirit of god being fullie sufficient to build them vp they edifieing one another in their most holy faith according to the rules of the holy ghost in the new Testament And all this without the authoritie or admittance of anie people professing before them but all this you hide from their eies O that the children of god were as wise in their generation in al thinges in this as the Sonnes of men then would they loose no part of that libertie wherewith Christ hath made them free then would every people called of god runne of them selves the racâ— before them and followe hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of god in Christ Iesus Phil. 3.14 Vnto the which till the called of god by the word of his spirit raise vp their hartes to do striveing withall zeale holines to runne