They have better Principles than so where ever they are they are the Truâ—st Church say the Papists and Sectaries what they please Theirs is the only safe way to Salvation Sit anima mea cum talibus Christianis SECT VIII Therefore the Modern Divinity of the Reformation is according to the Pattern of Christ on Mount Sion not of Moses on Mount Sinai Right Preaching agreeable to the Sense Language and Stâ—le of the New Testament agreeable to Sense and Reason drawn from the New Testament explaining the great Points of Grace Faith Repentance Justification Regeneration Adoption Election c. for edification of Souls without the tincture of Legends of Saints Miracles and Reliques Penances Prayers to Saints or Angels Devotion to Images or the Cross or to the Host without School Subtilties or Flourishes of Eloquence falsly so called without Enterludes or Masquerades upon the Passion Resurrection or Ascension c. which things have a shew of Holiness but nothing of the Power of Godliness at all in them to please God at all Therefore the Modern Doctrine Discipline and Worship of the Reformation is agreeable to the pure Antient and Spiritual Doctrine Discipline and Worship of God in that true evangelical Dispensation after the Abolishment of Mose's Law without Carnal Pomp and Ceremonies directed to God above through Jesus Christ without any Applications to Saints or Angels or Images without Prayers in an unknown Tongue Half Communion Penances Pilgrimages Vows Offerings at Shrines Prayers to or for the dead which things have a shew and form of Godliness pleasing to the Flesh but nothing of the power or substance of Religion to please God This honest preaching of God's word and plain form of Publick Worship by solid Prayers Intercessions Praises Thanksgivings and Benedictions fitting for all conditions at all times is the true Modern Christian Service for Uniformity in Knowledge and Devotion in Spirit and Truth in the publick Congregation leaving every man to liberty of Conscience in Reading and Praying in his Family or in his Closet that all may be done for Edification Decently and in Order And if all Protestants would submit as they are commanded to the publick hearing of God's word and to the publick Worship as it is by Law established in the freedom of the Spirit and Faith though they scruple at some few indifferent Rites to which they are not in Bondage reserving their liberty of opening to themselves they should do no more then what all Jews did and what all Heathens did and what all Papists did and do and what all other Protestants and Christians over all the World do keeping peace though they are not all agreed in other things Why should our Dissenters be strangers to all Christendom besides And this the Poor People would quickly do if their private Teachers would conform and teach them to do the like which is the thing so greatly desired and to which they have been so long woo'd with all kindness and encouragement imaginable O when will they once look upon their dear Mother the Church of England whom they have pierced for she is ready to look upon them as God is with the eye of tender pity and compassion Her Bowels yearn upon her Children who that they may be undâ—ceived let them know that the bottom of the business is this The Politick Great ones pretending to the Title aim strongly at these two things 1. At the Power Regal Policy Thrones are brave things 2. At Crown Lands Church Lands and Nobilities and Gentries Lands These are fat morsels Nobles shall embrace Dunghills and Slaves shine in purple and Scarlet These great Dogs shall swallow the rich prey the little Curs bark aloud and starve You fat Citizens and Countrey Farmers shall spend your Bloods and Estates and be turn'd off with Debentures to the publick Faith till you be as poor as Job and as very Slaves as the African Negroes I le promise you Gospellers shall get Sequestrations of your Brethrens Livings but the Classes and Assemblies shall never be able to set up the Stool of Repentance nor tyrannize over the Gentry of every Parish by the Assistance of Weavers and Taylors and your Lay Elders You may remember when you were uppermost your Patrons never trusted you with Power nor with the Kings Nobilities or Gentries or Churches Revenues Stand off But the Independants Anabaptists Quakers having the longest Sword would not stand off but took the Power and Estate too and the least Dog of yours durst not open his mouth against your dear Brethren Then were you fairly wip't of all Then you whin'd and cryed to bring in the King and upon his knees too if you could for your own ends And now you are not pleased what does infatuation presage They say Quos Jupiter vult perdere hos dementat But you may do a great deal of mischief before that time But you may repent also and then that time shall never come And as a Motive to your Repentance I 'le be a Prophet for once that never was a Prophet before Your own Lay-Masters and Protectors will engage you to do their work for them and when they have done they will fill their own Bellies and turn you off to live upon the Bridle For Treason is liked but the Traytor loathed And if you will not believe me Look over into Scotland in Knocks his time Look beyond the Seas into Holland Germany Hungary Sweden Denmark Norway c. Observe their Clergy Superintenders and Lay-Administrators where the Name of Bishop will not down but their Estates are gone down glib into Lay-mens Stomacks and are very well digested But the new-named Clergy are put off with a Bit and a Knock pitiful dependent Pensioners and Trencher-Chaplains easily blown away by the Blast of their Great Dons or the Puff of a Lurdy Burger Lastly for I am tired in this Odious Subject Beside the most deplorable Atheism daily increasing and the Distractions in the Religion that is left Rebellion multiplying upon us by reason of the Spirit of Rebellion not only the Prince is affronted by his Subjects the Magistrate by his Citizens the Pastor by his Flock but every Parent by his Children and every Master of a Family by his Servants So that if there were no other end but the benefit of enjoying our Temporal Rights we had need to pray for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life here in common honesty which can never be expected in such a state of Rebellion as we are now in From which Good Lord deliver us Amen Do but consider If you should break out into Rebellion the Second time how many young poor Creatures would you draw away in the simplicity of their Souls as if it were Gods cause but especially what multitudes of forlorn hungry Desperados Banditi and angry Fellows would follow you for prey and plunder of Churches and Palaces to the Ruin of the King Nobility
may let it alone and give better if they can But to return to Demonstration the thing we aim at SECT XII The Demonstration of God Demonstration of God Rom. 1.19 20. is by his Creatures Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them For the Invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his Eternal Power and Godhead The Demonstration of God's Reward is his Son Joh. 6.45 46. Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me Not that any man hath seen the Father save he which is of God he hath seen the Father He that believeth on me hath everlasting life Matt. 11.27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father and no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whom soever the Son will reveal him He that cometh from above is above all Joh. 3.31 c. and what he hath seen and heard that he testifieth He that hath received his Testimony hath set to his Seal that God is true For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto them The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life but the Wrath of God abideth on him Joh. 5.9.10 c He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself he that believeth not God hath made him a Lyar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son If we receive the Witness of Men the Witness of God is greater for this is the Witness of God which he hath testified of his Son And this is the Record that God hath given unto us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself 2 Cor. 5 19. and our life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3 3. Joh. 5.22 The Father Judgeth no man but hath committed all Judgment to the Son He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death into life As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself 1 Joh. 4.14 c. We have seen and do testify that the Father hath sent the Son to be the Saviour of the World whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him So he that hath seen Christ hath seen the Father by Faith and in him all things even the whole Will of God concerning our Salvation We can no more doubt of God then of Christ He that believes Christ believes all we need no more because Christ came from the bosom of the Father therefore we can no more question the one than the other He that believeth God believeth Christ and he that believeth Christ believeth God for Christ and his Father are one Our Knowledge by Faith is as sure every way as our Knowledge by Sense The Mind sees and Feels and tasts as certainly as our Body The one sees and feels and tasts Intellectual beings as fully as the other sees and feels and tasts Corporeal beings He hath lost his Nature that looseth God For God is true as Nature and Nature as God who is the God of Nature All that believe God believe Nature and all that believe Nature rightly believe God And all that deny Nature deny God one is as true as the other The Reason and Judgment believes God the Unreasonable Will denys God We deny immediate Consequences which is unreasonable We cannot deny Principles We can no more disbelieve God that he is than we can disbelieve that we are I Am is as sure of God as we are is sure of us I Am hath sent me to you that are And because I am is therefore we are are by him and are from him and in him in whom we live and move and have our being and from whom through Jesus Christ we hope for an everlasting well being We are Creatures as sure as God is Creator And God is Creator as sure as we are Creatures Relations imply one another and are Members as sure as the other Relations are between two and God is one and we the other So the Father is the Sons and the Son is the Fathers one Relative demonstrates the other This is certain that God is or 't is certain that nothing is Therefore we cannot say that God is not because something is If God is then it follows as certainly that he is God And thence it follows that he is a Rewarder And if he be a Rewarder then there are some to be rewarded So that these Consequences are as sure as the grounds from whence they are taken And if God be a Redward he must be a Reward of those that are good for nothing is Rewardable but what is good And if God be a Reward he is also a punisher And if God be a punisher he must be a punisher of those that are bad for nothing is punishable but what is bad So if there be good there must be bad and if there be bad there must be good And if Angels or Men be good which are Creatures and all other Creatures are very good Then God must be good much more And if Devils and Men be bad then the Devil must be bad much more And if God be a Redeemer he must be a Rewarder in Christ as hath been proved SECT XIII Ob. How shall I know that Sol. Demonstration of Faith in Christ Christ himself hath confirmed it by his Miracles and God gave Testimony of him by a Voice from Heaven and by all his Prophets and Apostles and the Testimony of God is true He did not bear witness of himself Believe him for his works sake Ob. I did not see his Miracles Sol. They that did see them have told us the things which they had seen and heard and handled of the word of life And these things they have written that we might believe and that by believing we might have life And blesse are they that have not seen and yet have believed We believe other men for what they have seen and heard and we never did yet they wrought no Miracle to Create Faith but were honest men and worthy to be believed and that was
Rebellions Poysonings Assassinations c. 'T would tire a sturdy Satyr and quite wear out his Whips of Steel to lash every Doctrine of Devils that Devillish men have invented to the hurt of Churches and Kingdoms and the disturbance of the whole World to bring all things into a Chaos of Confusion if some men might have their Will Long has Popery and Superstition reigned from the days of Phocas VVitnesses of â—he Truth Against these the Waldenses and Albingenses have protested with John Hus Jerom of Prague Robert of Lincoln John Gerson Council of Constance Erasmus Baptista Montuanus Cassander Polydore Virgil Hesselius Melancthon Luther Calvin Oecolampadius Beza c. mighty men of valour famous in their Generations men of Renown of a noble Genius that dared to bid defiance to the Devil and to the overwhelming Tyranny of the Pope and Court of Rome The same work is prosecuted by us Protestants with might and main though there be some small Differences amongst us and we have cause to unite because the Common Enemy seeks to root us out from the Face of the Earth and Hannibal is at our Gates and a wonderful Progress is made therein by rare Artists SECT III. The Face of things is changed the Vizar removed the Natural Beauty appears no new Religion but the Old restored Hic labor hoc opus est Modern Divinity is the very same with the Ancient Catholick and Apostolical Faith contained in the Scriptures of the New Testament Modern Divinity plainly expounded without mixture of Artificial Glosses As Man was created Righteous but after that sought out many Inventions so are the Scriptures easie till obfuscated by humane Speculations The pure Gospel unmixed with Judaical and Gentile Praecepts and Ceremonies Philosophy Logick and Oratory Not wresting the Scriptures from their Literal or Mystical Sense No need of a living Judge a Pope a Conclave a Council packt for endless Controversies Pruritus disputandi scabies Ecclesiae They say Disputes never did good Wit against Wit engender Strife there is no end of such doings Necessary things few There are but few necessary things trouble the People of God no farther if they observe these things they shall do well The Simplicity of the Gospel is the Wisdom and Power of God unto Salvation mighty for the beating down of the strong holds of Sin and Satan A two-edged Sword for the dividing asunder of the Heart and Reins The preaching of Christ and him Crucified to the Jews a stumbling Block and to the Greeks Foolishness but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks the Power of God and the Wisdom of God Without controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness Christ manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels believed on in the World and received up into Glory He that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned This is the Whole Duty of Man Fear God and keep his Commandments Matters of Faith not controverted There are no Matters of Faith in Controversie The chief Disputes of Antiquity Prosperity Succession Infallibility Supremacy Miracles Transubstantiation c. are not Matters of Faith but doubtful Disputation We are to contend for nothing but the Preservation and Propagation of that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints There is no Judge of Faith but God who hath judged it for us and revealed it unto us The Truth is lost by vain Janglings Tu disputa ego credam Justinian wisely forbad any Comments upon the Text of his Law but they yielded no obedience to him in that at all but the quite contrary SECT IV. In the Three first Centuries were no Controversies but such only as the Apostles had with the Jews and Gentiles Touch not taste not handle not Circumcision Days and Years Meats offered to Idols c. They taught Christian Liberty and a New Creature In the Fourth and Fifth Centuries and so forward came in large Commentaries Sophistical and Casuistical Divinity innumerable Superstitions Reformation and Will-Worship This needed a Reformation which all moderate Men studied and longed for in every Age but could not effect The time was not yet come Throw away Infallibility Supremacy c. Pull up Weeds Sweep away Rubbish Cherish Faith and a good Life When we agree in the things leave disputing of the Modes Let our Moderation be known unto all Men. The Lord is at hand we are all in our Journey to Heaven fall not out by the way give the Right Hand of Fellowship one to another serve one another in Love keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace serve the Lord with one Lip and with one Shoulder contend not about Forms of Discipline obey the Magistrate variety of Forms hurt not Faith let Brotherly Love continue speak the same things though in a different manner give that liberty of Prophecying one to another Laws are plain Justice easie do as we would be done by all will be at peace if Spirits be peaceable If any man be contentious we have no such custom neither the Churches of God Salus Populi Suprema Lex c. Suffer no Doctrine which is hurtful to Church or State and all will be well Receive the ingrafted Word of God which is able to save your Souls the sincere Milk of the Gospel receive a weak Brother but not to doubtful Disputations offend not him for whom Christ died Never eat Flesh while the World stands rather than offend a weak Brother or wound his tender Conscience for whom Christ died If Tares be sowed the Enemy hath done this the Lord will destroy both it and them Let the Tares and the Wheat both grow together until Harvest when the Angels the Reapers shall bind the Tares in Bundles and throw them into the Fire and burn the Chaff with unquenchable Flames but they will gather the Wheat into Gods Barn every man must stand or fall to his own Master Every mans work shall be tried his Hay and Stubble shall be consumed which he hath ignorantly built upon a pretious Foundation but he himself shall be saved yet so as by Fire Whatsoever is of God shall stand be not found to fight against God nor condemn the Generation of the Just It is in vain to kick against the Pricks We have not so learned Christ Let every Soul be Subject to the Higher Powers for there is no Power but of God Pure Religion and undefiled is this To visit the Fatherless and the Widows and to keep our Souls unspotted from the World to hate the Garments spotted by the Flesh to live uprightly in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation and to flee from the Wrath to come SECT V. The Word of God is inwardly by instinct of Nature in our Hearts and Consciences Word of God The Word of God is inwardly by Revelation of Grace written in by his Spirit in our Hearts and Consciences The Word of God is outwardly written in
the Scripture The Word of God is outwardly written in the whole Creation To believe and serve God only and not Saints or Angels or Idols is Gods Word To Obey Princes and Priests is Gods Word To Rebell is Witchcraft and the Devils Word Rewards of Grace not Merit is Gods Word Christ the only true Priest and Sacrifice and Mediator is Gods Word No other Name given under Heaven by which we can be saved Baptism and the Lords Supper in both kinds is Gods Word Marriage in all is the Ordinance of God and Gods Word Justice and Mercy to all is Gods Word Religion to be perswaded not forced is Gods word Common Salvation is Gods Word Christ died for all Scriptures common to all Gods Testament Gods Word God no Respecter of Persons is Gods Word These things are good and profitable to all men These things exhort and teach with all Patience and long Suffering Freely we have received freely give If these Doctrines were preached amongst Papists and Protestant Dissenters of unbiassed Spirits they would listen diligently and be pricked in their hearts and cry out Men and Brethren what shall we do But alas the poor well-meaning Souls are led away by the crafty wiliness of those deceitful workers that lye in wait to deceive that make a Gain of Godliness writing and preaching and practising un-Gospel-like things We endeavour and pray and hope and long for this happy Reformation and till it be perfected continue to protest against all that is contrary to sound Doctrine and this is all our Forefathers did or that we can do and God accepts of it and will help our good work and labour of Love And still God and his Truth shall never want their Witnesses When we have tried all the ways we can what ever the Success be it was fairly offered we shall not lose our Reward we have wronged no body our Reward is with the Lord it shall return into our own Bosoms we shall see the travel of our Souls and be satisfied and the work of the Lord shall prosper in our hands Let God do his work in his own time and in his own way we have saved our own Souls Their blood shall be upon their own heads There is set before us Jewish Divinity Heathenish Divinity Popish Divinity Reformed Divinity Try all things hold fast that which is good But above all Stand fast in the Liberty with which Christ hath made you free and be not entangled again in the Yoke of Bondage which neither you nor your Fore-fathers were able to bear SECT VI. If there be Custom Customs or Education or Credit or Interest in the case you may come off from all these for the Gospels sake and for your Souls sake and for Gods sake except ye be Reprobates and will be Reprobates except ye be Barbarous and will be Barbarous The ignorant and slavish Greeks stand off from Reformation by any Copy Greek because they will not alter though for the better lest the Turks under whose Bondage they live should deny them that Liberty they have for siding with their Western Enemies 'T is a sore necessity 't is Barbarism their Forefathers disdained the Title 'T is their greater misery and their less sin by how much the more they are oppressed and by how much the less they understand and by how much the more they would know better if they knew how If they had known the things that we know and were in that Liberty and Plenty that we are in they would do better things than we do No body knows what Slavery is but they that feel it No body knows what Poverty is but they that feel it No body knows what Ignorance is but they that are under it and think there is no other Knowledge Magnum est humanae fragilitatis remedium Necessitas Sen. Customs barbarous Many Customs of Nations though never so Barbarous are diligently observed as lying with Mothers and Sisters among the Persian Magi Prostituting Wives as the Lacedemonians did and Indians do and count it a great honour and civility eating their Old Parents alive so to bury them in their Bowels a great Piety Stealing an honourable employment amongst the Idumaeans and Arabians and Algerines c. ever since Nimrods time the old Thief-hunter Canibals eating of Men. Wives buried or burnt alive with their dead Husbands c. But we are a Civilized as well as a Christianized People and may and do understand and practise better things We know our Masters Will and do it not we deserve to be beaten with many stripes We live not among Turks and Infidels but among Christians We are not Slaves but Freemen We may be wiser and honester if we will for we know better things So that we have no Cloke for our sins we can make no just excuses we can frame no righteous pretenses we are verily guilty for being no better because we are better taught than to be Idolaters Covenant-breakers Murderers Robbers Profane and downright Atheists So making our selves sinful as we are so making our selves miserable as we are and more and more sinful and miserable as we deserve to be even forsaken of God whom we have forsaken and then looking upon one another for help but not upon God SECT VII O the Right Spirit of the Gospel is quite another thing than that which shews it self abroad in the World in our days 1. The Clergy are not to Lord it over the Laity as far as Princes as they do Clergy for they are the Lord's Inheritance 2. The Clergy are not to Lord it over the Clergy as they do for they are the Lord's Inheritance How plain is Christ's Prohibition to the contrary It shall not be so among you My Kingdom is not of this World c. This is unreasonable this is unsufferable I will not say unpardonable whether it be in the Pope as it hath been a long time viis modis God knows how Or whither it be in the Presbyterian Independant Anabaptists or c. as it was for a short time in comparison viis modis God knows how To be sure they all equally claim Infallibility and Supremacy Infallibility and Supremacy if they could catch it and would practice equally Rebellion Murder and Rapine if they durst What else are those indeed and in truth but Simeon and Levi Brethren in Iniquity how true is it that Instruments of Cruelty are in their Habitations how true is it that they have brought a scandal upon the peaceable Gospel of Christ to be the cause of all the Blood that hath been spâ—lt in Christendom and made the names of Christians stink among all the Inhabitants of the World that have heard of their Doctrines and Doings Surely the Lord will be avenged upon some body for these things The true zealous Protestant party wash their hands from this guilt and though they dy Ten Thousand Deaths will never stain their hearts with such Blood guiltiness