that it have as mutuall protection from them as it yields subjection to them for this is the good will of God concerning them as such and whether they be Heathens or Christians they are Gods Ministers to attend continually upon this very thing viz. to render unto all men their dues as men viz. a room in quiet in the world of what wayes of religion soever yea though Indians and redress of any civil wrongs as they expect to have all men of what religions soever within their power to render to them their dues of tribute honour custome fear for for this cause pay they their tribute also because Magistrates are Gods Ministers to the world ward and to the Church as part of the world and in no other sense then as to the rest of the world to attend continually on this very thing to dispense praise or punishments for civil good and evil among men not spiritual for then they may punish evill thoughts proud looks ignorance non-profiting by the word not Gods Church-ministers to dispense good or evil for good or evil done in the Church but as the same actions may have reference to the state also as theft or the like civil abuse which comes one way under the Churches censure and another way under the Common-wealths they are not I say Church Ministers nor Ministers to the Church qua Church as the Priests principle seemes to make them for then they may claim not only Tribute but Tith also as well as the Priest but that he will be loath to part with though in truth it belongs to him for his Church wasting work full as little as to the other I humbly beg therefore I say of the Powers that truth which hath been trod under foot may be tolerated among them in their several civil States Common-wealths and Kingdomes and to the end it may undoubtedly be so let all that which the Powers in the several Nations do judge in their own consciences to be truth in point of Religion have toleration and protection and no more countenance by them as Magistrates but bare protection from injury as other waies also may have and not such extraordinary supports from a power Heterogeneal to that of the Church nor such extraordinary gratulations gratuities revenews incomes preferments and portions out of the common State-stock let their own private purses be as open to them such as professe it pay to its Ministry as much as they will for besides the partiality of this thing of making other Religions and wayes that judge themselves to be the truth as well as that pay and be tributaries to the true one and the grumbles it will ingender in mens minds this proves the greatest mischief under heaven to the truth when the Ministers who should expect nothing but shame and suffering with their Master who was Beelzebub are slusht with the outward pomps and vanities of this world till they forget themselves so as scarce to know what ground they stand on and howbeit Magâ—…trates may mean honestly in their high honourings of them as that good man Constantine the great did yet as his high embraces and graces done to Christi in Bishops proved besides his intent the stirrup whereby those Lord beggars got up on horse back and rode to the devil for so hath that Romish whore rid both her self and the beast under her which is Christ'ndome so though I hope it never will yet it may possibly be so again if care be not taken against it witnesse the two other more seemingly modest and maidenly Minions Episcopacy and Presbitery which qua Ministry came out of her loines wâ—… have not brought the world so far out of that old Babilon towards Sion as they pretended to do by reformation as else they might have done being slugged luld asleep by benefits and benefices in the way for posit â eadem causà ponitur idem effâ—…ctus sublat â tollitur golden cups ever yet made wooden Priests and ever will do let truth have liberty and peace it will desire no more of the State if it be truth indeed And Secondly let all other wayes and religions besides that which the Magistrate judges to be truth that judge themselves to be in the truth save that of those whose very way as abovesaid is no way but dishonesty and whose way isto root out all wayes but their own by civil power be also tolerated practised and protected from outward violence and oppression as well as that for this besides the knitting of the hearts of men of all wayes under one civill power in intire love and strong affection to that Power that domineers not ore their conscience besides that I say this tolerating all practices in point of religion save that practise of non toleration of any but it self in civil states must needs tolerate the truth among the rest whether it ly in this way or that and so the Power shall be out of all danger and hazard of coming under the guilt of truth treading which the P P Priesthood hath engaged the civil power in for 1260 years together as else it cannot for if toleration be of no way but one then if that chance to be the wrong and themagistrates are no more sure then other men that they are in the right yea 100 to 1 they are not if they use civil violence to others First because the false wayes are many and bread and easie and fine and the true way but one and that so streit and narrow mean and base that not many noble and mighty and men of power ever find it 1 Cor. 1. 26. Secondly because as King Iames said persecution is a certain note of a false Church then truth is unavoidably smothered by them and will first or last pull vengeance upon that power Rev. 6. 11. 12. though it be under the name of Heresie onely that he suppresses it and plucks it up under the name and notion of weeds and taâ—…es that would else choak the wheat besides therefore a most strict charge that Christ gives Mat. 13. that in the world i. e. the civil States and Common-wealths of it the Tares should stand together among the wheat untill the harvest which alone is an Argument putting all out of doubt in this controversie he gives this good reason viz. least in plucking up the Tares the wheat also chance to be rooted up with them t is for the wheats good therefore for the Tares to stand and for the wheats sake that Christ wills they should though not in the Church yet in the world to the very end thereof And because the Divine cannot yet divine that to be Christs meaning in that scripture that false worshippers hereticks c. may lawfully if not civil offenders be licenced to live in civil States let us consider how sinister his own conjectures are upon it I have met with some and some of chiefest note in this County of Keâ—… who have shifted it
deponing of that position you ground all on viz. that t is apparent the infants you sprinkle do believe and so a serving of our turn as much as we desire and as for that little which seems not so directly for us though by reason of not the profundity for t is shallow enough but the darkness and muddiness of the matter it be hard to see clearly to the bottom of it yet if I do truly sound the sense of it and reach to the utmost of your meaning in it it seemes to speak as liâ—…tle for your selves You tell us first that an Argument from comparison is subject to many objections and cannot hold unlesse caeteris paribus be first proved whereby you subject the most of your own Arguments in the present point to exception for I appeal to your selves and all men to judge whether they are not mostly drawn from comparisons between the children of the Jewes and the children of Gentile believers the circumcision of the one and baptism of the other and yet caeteris paribus is not at all proved by you to this hour nor yet ever can be sith caeteris imparibus I mean disagreement almost in all things between Jewes children and Christians between circumcision and baptism is so manifestly made appear by us that there hardly appears any analogy at all between them Besides Secondly So far as to the freeing of this Argument from comparison between infidels and Christians infants so as that it may hold without any exception caeteris paribus is granted by your selves for if by this parity in other things you mean an equality of souls by creation your selves assert that parity but a page above viz. p. 16. where you say all souls are equall in their creation and so the souls of believers and unbelievers infants But thirdly If by parity in other things which you would have proved you mean an equallity in their natural capacities and endowments of wit and ingenuity then either there is such a parity in infants of Christians and infidels or else so far as disparity is the excellency may much rather of the two be supposed to be in the children of Christians in whom yet caeteris paribus suppose them to have the same education and instruction there is no more inclination to believe in Christ by verrue of any habit of faith infused into them in infancy above the other then there is in the children of Indians Next you tell us If the Objector had considered c. he would not have concluded thus as he doth The objector you say is Reason so that Reason belike was much besides it self in arguing so unreasonably against your fiction of faith in the Infants of Christians but what if Reason should consider the very same that you here wish it would must its conclusion against the belief of believers infants be thereupon ere a whit the more unconcluded and what though among children born of the same Christian parents under the same education one gives a better specimen not onely in acts of piety and religion but of knowledge also may not therefore the habit of faith be more groundedly denyed to be in one then the facultie of understanding can be denyed to be in the other What still Sirs still will you make the being of faith in the infants of Christians of equall necessity with the being of the principle of reason and facultie of understanding in infants the faculty of understanding is an innate habit necessarily to be concluded and that in the highest degree to be in all infants t is in omni per se quâ ipsum but faith in Christ is by your own confession but an infused habit and by your own confession as not in all infants so in you know not which and which not till you see them act it and yet by your own conclusion to go round again t is in such not in such viz. not at all in Turks and Pagans infants for they are all in a damnable condition with you but in all infants of Christians even such as yet give no specimen of it and that so necessarily that a man may as truly deny that which is naturall to them even the faculty of understanding as deny the habit of faith to be in them Next in order to a fuller and more direct answer you prepare the way by a pannel of six or seven positions which you say you must necessarily hold concerning two or three of which we may say it s no great matter whether you hold them or no for any undoubted and infallible truth that is to be found in them in the sense wherein you take them or at least for any great matter of assistance that acrues to your cause by them and as for the rest of which you say you must necessarily hold them you might have said rather you must necessarily yield them to us for indeed they are the giving up of your cause and no other then the drawing of a dash with your own pen over all that ever you say throughout the residue of your works as concerning that sufficient appearance of faith you assert to be in believers infants yea he is blind that doth not see you thereby perfectly blotting out again what ever you penned in that particular with your own hands First say you the habit of faith must be before it can work I know no necessity of holding this for truth neither indeed would you hold it but that you imagine faith to be another kind of habit then it is for there are more kinds of habits then one though you speak of habit by the lump all along as if you were aware of but one for here 's ore and ore again habit habit habit habit habit but not the least hint of what kind of habit you mean you are never the men that distinguish of habits whereas qui bene distinguit bene docet there being some habits acquired and obtained no otherwise then by acting and faith it self is such a habit as will hardly be proved for all your confidence in the contrary to be any other at least to be apparent in any one or visible to the view of others till some act thereof hath past the persons in whom it is neither is any one in the world that I know of habitually a believer in Christ till having heard of him or his word he doth actually believe Secondly whereas you say the spirit of God infuses this habit I grant he infuses it if you take the word infuse in a true sense i. e. for begetting it in persons by the preaching of the word other infusion of faith if yet that may be properly called infusion which is a phrase rather of your own coining in this case the word knows none God indeed gives it but he gives it in the way of hearing the word of faith in the way of hearing Christ preached in which way he never gave it to infants neither is it his
linkes whereof if one happen to prove unsound and t is a chance but a flaw may be found in some of them that have been trailed for many hundreds of years together through the hands of that Apostaticall harlot the intaile is clear cut of your pedigree and descent from the Apostles as a ministry perishes is spilt upon the ground and can never be tact on again any more for ever you have hitherto owned your ordination as handed by an uninterrupted lineal succession from the Pope to the present Presbytery and if we put the question to the veriest novice or youngling among you who ordained you and who ordained those that ordained you and who them and who them and who them you can find your function flowing in a continual stream from the Primitive fountain no other way but through that stinking sink and corrupt channel of the holy chaire Pope Gregory the great gave power of ordination to Austin the Monk when he sent him over into England about a thousand years since he to the Popish Bishops they to the Protestant Bishops they to the Presbyters and the Presbyters to their present Preachers thus what Ministeriall power you have â—…angs upon the Protestant Bishops theirs upon Austin Austins upon the Pope the Popes upon Peter you came i. e. descended from the Pope the Pope came i. e. departed from the Apostles and thus from the Apostles you came all but thither you must go again letting go your sweet succession and from their words which are the same now as then begin your businesse again before you can be â—…ight or know any thing cleerly where you are for if he whom your selves call Antichrist made you a ministery of Christ you may be the Ministry of the Church of England if you will which if it be vere Ecclesia a true Church at all yâ—…t is such a one as had its parochial posture from whence you had your power and therefore fit enough each for the other but of the Church in England which is vera Ecclesia the true Church indeed you shall never be the Ministry for me till you repent and be baptized As for my self whom you deem to be no Minister of the Gospel I must not lead you so far from the other work in hand as to stand upon the proof of that now having transgressed as some will think too far already though else it were no impossible thing to prove it and therefore I say this only in short that whether I am now a true Minister of the Gospel or no t is now my utmost aim to preach and promote the truth of it as t is in Jesus but as for the time in which I was owned a Minister of the Gospel I was at that time no true one at all yea though I have obtained mercy and such mercy as to be made a Minister thereof since because I did what I did ignorantly yet so far was I then from a Minister of the Gospell that I rather rejected the counsell of God against my self being not baptized of them that preached it and disputed much against it as well as you And now as unto your third quaery viz. what Commission have any to baptize in that manner that is by dipping which you stile such an irrational and undiscreet way t is that which I have resolved you in so satisfactorily before that unlesse you have more to say against it then to miscal it as you do before you have proved it to be so base as you are pleased to stile it I shall rejoice in Christ Jesus that hath chosen such foolish and base things as dipping in water is in the account of men however excellent in it self and in proof of its warrantableness unles it be occasionally add no more Rantist I have referred you already where you shall find exception against all you have said before as concerning the truth of the way of baptism and I desire that you would find your self work a little therewith I mean the forenamed books that are extant specially that of Mr. Baxter whom I know to be a very able and godly man who hath in mine and I think in all discerning mens Apprehensions so sollidly disproved and clearly confuted your way of dipping that few or none of those that see what he saies in that point will be of your mind and follow your fashion therein for whereas you say that dipping was the custome in the first times and therefore go about to seduce men into the belief of it because it s said that the Eunuch went down into the water and that John baptized in Aenon because there was much water there he replies that is a thing never proved by any and that the Jaylor was baptized in the night in his own house and therefore not likely over head in that Countrey where water was so scarce and that the Eunuch might well be said to go down into the water for the Country was mountanous and the brooks in the bottoms and that even the River Aenon it self where Iohn baptized because there was much water is found by Travellers to be a small brook which a man might almost step over and much more that gainsaies much of what you have said is in the 135. page of his book which I shall expect your answer to but if you please le ts see what you can say to this first Baptist. I shall very freely speak to any thing which hath not yet been spoken to in particular and to Mr. Baxters exceptions in that particular rather then any other because he is most noted in those parts were he lives and also in the examination of his Exceptions I shall have the more hint to take notice of such reliques and broken pieces as remain yet unspoken to as the gainsayings of the rest in this point for he seems to me to have gathered them up there and to have epitomized those mens matter as iâ—… were into a fardel of fewer words excepting the two last grand Arguments of Mr. Cook against dipping one of which Doctor Featley affronts us with in the title page and both of which are more sparingly spoke to yet covertly touched and tacitly touched upon by Mr. Cook and those Mr. Baxter rather comments on at large and makes I cannot say a fairer but a fouler a falser and far more miserable improvement of then any of the rest do This he professes to be the businesse of his book p. 13. viz. To use the proofs that others make use of in some newer kind of way confessing that few have improved their Arguments as they might have done nor mannaged them in the most forcible way and not to medle much with those arguments that others have fully mannaged Yet by his leave he meddles so much with the Arguments that others almost every one makes use of that he makes some of them the worse again he â—…ars many a one with his mendall Mannagement It is not to use
Lawyers who while the people believe and justifie God being baptized with the true baptism do generally reject the councel of God against themselves being not baptized therewith where had thy message by the mouth of Paul lesse acceptance then at the university of Athens where hath the word now lesse then in the Academies Christian Academies seemingly reforming Academies where if thou didst not tell us that Christ crucified should be foolishnesse to the wise men after the flesh and disputers of this world who could believe that the Princes of Zoan should be such fools such idiots as they are in the matters of thy Kingdom where doth thy truth meet with more difficult entrance more course entertainment more malitious accusatious more captious questions secret underminings open oppositions then among the CCChristian Ministry which therefore is not thine but Antichristian because it is both for thee and against thee yea who so blind as those that seem to themselves to be the onely Seers both for themselves and others ever seeking to thee for thy spirit yet ever resisting thy holy spirit speaking to them out of the mouths of babes as a very babler ever teaching yet never learning which be the first principles of thy doctrine ever serving thee yet ever thinking they do thee service when they affront thy servants O Lord let as many of them as do it ignorantly obtain thy mercy if it be thy will and let thy truth shine into their souls that they may be saved as for such as are more malevolently disposed if it may not be otherwise but that the main body of the CCClergy shall evermore be adversaries to thee and thy Clergy Amen sobeit And now have shewed the Reasons why God suffers Hereticks and hath suffered the Arch-heretick and Schismatick and mother of Abominations of all Christndom i. e. the CCClergy that have been Wolves rather then Pastors to Christs sheep the last of which reasons was this to provoke the true Pastors to diligence and watchfulnesse to prove them whether they be hirelings or not such as will flee when the wolf comes or lay down their lives for the sheep and having discovered whom I mean by Pastors viz. not the Priests but those of the truly gathered and constituted churches that have separated themselves from the Priest and his parish popish posture I proceed yet a little further For This last Reason administers the matter of this ensuing discourse concerning the wayes how Pastors of right constituted Churches such as those of the Baptists onely are should oppose or rather should have opposed the coming in of these wolves the CCClergy for the Pastors of old through their negligence did suffer them to come in and drive them out being entered What the Magistrates duty is in this case it presumes not to set down here partly because the Magistrates duty is discovered and discourst on above and partly because it presumes the Magistrate will be wise enough in this age to know what he is to do towards the freeing of himself from that infinit care and cumber that hath crusht him in former dayes by the CCClergies constant clacking to him to correct Hereticks Schismaticks and Sectaries and crying out to â—…m â—…o lend them his helping hand and the edge of his civil sword about Church-work yea and if God who did once put it into the hearts of the Kingdomes of the earth to fulfill his will and to agree and with one mind to give their power strength and Kingdom unto the beast and to serve the whore that rode them Rev. 17. 13. 17. and as ten horns to toss the Saints at her will will now put it into the minds of these ten horns even all the Kingdoms of Christndom to hate the whore and make her desolate and naked and eat her flesh and strip her of all 〈◊〉 â—…ith and spiritual glory revenue dignity and burn her with fire and in theâ—…â—…age to ruin great BBBabilon the City that in three PPParts or PPProud PPPriesthoods hath reigned over them as I believe he will Rev. 16. 19 17. 16. 18. throughout as I can neither much help or hinder it so I find no warrant to cry Alas Alas for it as the Kings and Merchants that come down with her shall do but rather Allâ—…lujah with all the people Rev. 18. 9. 11. 16. 19. 1. 2. 3. c. There are two publique wayes for private are suffering fastings and prayers and teares c. matters wherewith the CCClergy for the most part of them never yet kild themselves nor approved themselves yet as the Ministers of Christ by as his true Ministers did of old which have been practised by Pastors in those primitive dayes viz. Disputing Preaching concerning both which this discourse intends onely a short suâ—…vey leaving the proceedings in them to their judgements whom God hath made faithful Disputation say our Ashford Disputants hath ever been decried by most iudicious and grave men Tertullian is bitter say they against it Perdes in contentione vocem nihil consequeris nisi vilem de blasphematione laâ—…dem and I say so too a man may very easily wrangle ad ravim dispute himself hoarse and lose his tongue in contention and get nothing but a base repute of blasphemation specially when as t was at Ashford and somewhere else within a mile of an oak the contention is so sharp that there 's not onely six tongues to one or two talking for it tuning alltogether against the truth but six bells balling out also to bear it down with And another magni res est periculi veterem fidem quasi novellam otiosa disputatione discutere and so indeed it is a matter of great disadvantage idâ—…ely to dispute the old faith as if it were some new one whereupon that truth may receive detriment by us in nothing hence forward we do all men to wit that howbeit the CCClergy and their creatures claim antiquity to be on their sides still both in the point of baptism and other differences between them and the men call'd Anabaptists and delude their people into a blind misbelief that all that truthâ—… which now comes to light is to be taken for granted to be heresie before hand new faith new wayes a new Gospel and this they do more easily and effectually by how much t is true that the fog of their errors hath been so thick that men can find but little of that which now shines forth in the dayes of our mâ—…e immediate forefathers though there were many righteous men no question then disiring to see and hear what we now do and could not howbeit I say they have prepostest people thus yet in order to the dispossessing of them of that praejudication by reason whereof the primitive truth which however God winkt while it was a time of ignorance must now it comes to light again be received in the love therof that they may be saved and in the rejection of which they will be damned 2 Thes. 2.
and his Angels did now prevail against him and his cruel Cutthroats so that place must be no more found for them in heaven i. e. the high places of power in the Empire and that he could execute his wrath now no longer by them against the saints as Christians a Christian being now come to the Crown he had no other remedy now then to play his cards about another way and turn Christian also himself that he might have the fairer advantage to crush the true Christians that kept the commands of God and the faith of Jesus under the new nicknames of Hereticks Schismaticks c. that would not obey the orders of the Church insomuch that who but the devill who so busie as he now to have Christian Bishops favoured cherished advanced honoured with all the honours that might be next to that of the very Crown Imperial it self who so earnest as he to have all the world brought about by all means possible and in all the hast to become Christians and to become one holy Catholick Christian Church and so within a while Deo permittente non approbante having set forth the beast or Roman Empire in another shape and christned it with the name of Christendome he scrambles up his Kingdome to himself again makes over his power seat and great authority to this beast thus transformed and this beast gives it all up to the Whore he sets him up a Vicar General and names him the Vicar of Christ the head of the Church Bishop of the Universal See and such like and by him and the Ministers of Christ that issued from him fills all the earth with abomination and reigns with as full force though not so open face but under a mask having all things in a kind of apish imitation of Christs kingdome to the suppressing of the truth as in former daies he had done and all this came to passe through this sin of self love in the Clergy which as it grew great so love to the truth grew smaller and smaller till it came to be totally extinguisht and the light of it wholly ecclipsed from the earth for when the good man Constantine in his zeal to the truth gave them great Revenues to which other princes added more still according to the voice that was then heard in the aire viz. 〈◊〉 veneâ—… insusum est ecclesiae so it sell out for the Cleâ—…y fell to make much of themselves and things of the earth to serve and seek their own interests fell to wrangling and jangling about Primacy Superiority who should be universall Bishop and such base unworthy abominable and self-pleasing practises so that the truth took no more place in their hearts from then ceforth for ever From thenceforth they began to grow in high esteem of themselves and not only to fancy but also to inveagle both Princes and people to fancy some perfection holinesse choicenesse spiritualnesse and purity in them more then in all other men and to distinguish themselves from the people by their garbs and titles of Holy men of God the Spiritualty the Clergy or Heritage of God the Tribe of Levi the lot of Gods own inheritance the Priesthood Ghostly fathers Divines shutting out the people from sharing with them in these terms of honour which belong onely to Gods people whom of all the rest in the mean time they villyfyed with the names of Hereticks as if God himself had no â—…egard almost to any but themselves and did behold all manner of men but these Ministers afar off calling other princes and lords for the Clergy men were become lords and princes too now i. e. spiritual ones Temporall Princes Lords Temporall Secular men and the people the Laity Mechanicks that must not meddle with the Scripture so much as tolook in it for so it was in old time not so much as to take upon them to be skilled in it much lesse to speak out of it or expound or understand any otherwise then as these Divines say is the meaning of it yea under the raign of these latter Lords the Protestant CClergy though they have it in such plain English before their eyes yet what a horrible thing was it but a few years behind fancied by Featley and still is well nigh universally by the CClergy here in England who appropriate all the wisdome about the Scripture to themselves what a horrible thing I say for the people to talk on or have more to do with Scripture then to take it as the Priesthood gives the sense of it The Shoomaker goes not beyond his last nor the Taylor beyond his measure quoth he only the trade and well might he so call it for by that craft they have their wealth as handicrafts men theirs by other crafts of expounding Scripture is a mystery which every Artizan arrogateth to himself the Physitian here will be prescribing receipts the Lawyer will be demurring upon Dubi a Evangelica and every handicrafts man will be handling the pure word of God with impure and unwashed hands this the pratling huswife this the old dotard this the wrangling Sophister in a word this men of all profession and men of no profession take upon them to have skill in sic ille quid ni quaeso O Sacerdos what was the Scripture given for thee only to look in or wast thou set to keep people out from it under lock and key or may the spirit blow no where but where thou listest must not all people search it or must they search and find no more truth in it then thou findest or must they not take it into their mouths lest they defile it as Bishop Wren thought who prohibited the people to talk on it at their tables for fear they should prophane it It should seem so by Dr. Featley who cryed down the people as Asses Apron Levites Russet Raâ—…bies the Clergy of Lâ—…cks c. wondering that their dores and posts and walls did not sweat upon which any note was fixed to give notice of the exercises of men of any manual imployment yea t is a thousand pitties quoth he that such owls and bats and night birdâ—… as if the Clergy onely were the children of the day and the people the children of the night and darknesse should flutter in our Churches and silâ—… upon our fonts Pulpits and Communion Tables This was the cause of that great Schism of Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16. all the congregation is holy But this is the cause of that schism of Pope Prelate and Presbyter from the primitive freedome that gifted Disciples whether offiâ—…ers or no had to speak to exhortation edification comfort and that the congregation then had to admonish her Ministers upon occasion Co. 4. 17. viz. all the congregation are prophane onely the Priesthood holy enough to draw neer within the rails and to preach to the people out of the Pulpit they are afraid I wot least the preaching of others there should sile and bewray it
you and me though I suppose I shall not be more critical in considering nor volumnous in dilating on them than your selves are numerous in bewraying of your own negligences ignorances contradictions fictions â—…nakednesses and abusive shifts throughout this your three-fold thing yet I shall make little less than a totall transscription of your Papers before I have done and therin take notice of such absurdities at least whereby you most notoriously delude the world most grosly oppose the truth most unworthily wrong your Respondent and most palpably proclaim your selves to be rather true Dissemblers than true Discoverers of the Ashford Disputation and Smotherers rather than Publishers of that Gospel-truth in the point of Baptism which you pretend also to give as true an Account of to the world as of the other Report You talk first of Propositions agreed upon between your Respondent and your selves the Ministers at the Communion-Table in the Church of Ashford in Kent before the Disputation began Reply Give me leave Sirs sith silence with you may be taken else for Assent to say a word or two to this you stile your selves the Ministers both here and else-where throughout your book But if you mean Ministers of Christ and the Gospel I am yet to learn that from you which I never found you very forward to teach me viz. that you came truly and honestly by that Title you have hitherto wanted no provocation from me to prove the lawfulness of your calling I made bold to denominate you Antichristian Ministers in my Position upon the very day of the Disputation before those Thousands which you say were Auditors thereof And I have asserted the same more abundantly since in that letter to Mr. G. C. which it seems you know so well as even thence to take occasion in a Pet to publish so much as you have done of your Disputation all which is enough to give you to understand that I own you not at all in that capacity yet did you never no neither then at the Disputation nor since in your so true a Relation of it so much as once open your mouth or strike one stroke with your pen whereby to evince it that you are Christs Ministers which gives me to believe that howbeit you have a habit of calling your selves so yet you had rather men believed you on your bare words than put you to prove your selves to be so and that you are as utterly uncapable to clear it as 't is clear you are unwilling to be urged to it You speak of the Church of Ashford and a Communion-Table in it 'T were strange if I should not know what you mean thereby yet had you told this peece of your tale in other Terms it had been so much the less lyable to correction I know but one Church of Ashford that hath a Communion-Table in 't and that is those few persons who since they have gladly received the Word of Truth have been according to Christs will in that kind baptized in his name for remission of sinnes and do now continue in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayers to which the Lord I hope will add dayly such in those parts as shall be saved in this Church there is a Communion-Table indeed even the Table of the Lord at which they meet blessing and drinking that Cup of blessing which is the Commemoration and Communion also of the blood of Christ breaking and eating that bread which is the Commemoration and Communion of the body of Christ at which you and your Respondent never yet met but may do yet in due time if the Lord please to grant you for till then surely it never will be repentance to the acknowledgement of his truth But for other Communion-Table I wot not Sirs that there is any at all at Ashford As for that common Table which stands in the great stone house where the Bells hang where the people meet once a week but never do that they should do if they were disciples of Christ indeed which house you call the Church of Ashford and I cannot but allow you so to do sith you disclaim the true one the very Steeple being well nigh as much a truly constituted Church of Christ as a parish people the one whereof is but a compacted number of dead stones in a literal sense and for the most part no less in a spiritual sense is the other besides stone Churches and wooden Priests such as if you are not yet most of the Popes children are suit well enough each with other as for that Table I say where you and your Respondent agreed better about the Articles of the Disputation then they do for ought I see to this day about that Article of faith they disputed on you had need to find some fitter phrase for it than Communion-Table for it hath long since ceased to be of any such use as for people to communicate at it The Gentleman my beloved friend that is now Resident there and President too in pretence at least as a Pastor over that flock having never administred it at all since his abode among them nor since the Classis possest him of that Relation and gave him orders to feed them with that ordinance why he doth not meddle with that service in his parish would be farre more wonderful to me then 't is had not mine own conscience been of the same constitution with his when I was with him in the same condition for as my own feet stuck once in the same stocks when I stood in Pastorall relation to parochiall people so I believe him to be further inlightned then to be free for a promiscuous admittance to the Supper of such Societies among whom he discerns not a few more goats than sheep or to hold Communion there with them whom in the Pulpit he cries out on as unbelievers as knowing well enough there 's no fellowship to be held between light and darkness believers and unbelievers in that holy ordinance yet he sprinkles the Infants of all as you also do and my self blindly did or else that parish will prove happily to hot to hold him upon what account he doth so I know not for sure it cannot be upon this because onely believers Infants are to be sprinkled The Lord open all your eyes to see those sorry shifts wherein you shroud your selves for a time from your own sight so that ye see not when ye interfeer nor feel when you hack your own shins for who so blind as those that cannot see how you act quite contrary to that you argue for and overthrow your own principles by your practise Report These Propositions say you were as followeth First that both parties should publiquely protest that they sought for verity not victory Reply I acknowledge this is very true and it was protested on both sides accordingly as was agreed nevertheless whether it be the Proud Priest-hood that seeks to tuck all
born at Ashford It hath had two or three births or appearances in publick one at Ashford the place where it was first held before many two at the press whence its forth-held before all from every of which it should have been with-held so as never to have appear'd at all to the view of any if any of those whose own more then mine it was could handsomely have smothered and broke the neck out The True father who first begate it by venting to a certain Gentlewoman further then he wouldhave done as it seemsto some since had he thought she would have prov'd with childby his dallying with her his pretended desire of some discourse with her seducer so he was then pleas'd to stile me by Anticipation having neither before nor since so much as said one word toward the shewing of me to be in error when he saw his offer thrive so fast in the womb of her desires that there was like to be an Issue i. e. a Disputation father'd on him to provide for would for ought ever I could discern whether to avoid the shame on 't or why else I know not have smothered the very Embryon in the wombâ—… but sith that could not be done very cleanly it being nois'd that there was a conception he was minded I suppose to have it smother of it self at the birth for want of help to bring it forth for he would have nought to do with it himself when the hour came but threw it as Iudas did his busines among the Priests with see ye to it not vouch-safing so much as to see it himselfe or to send in so much as one Rag. or Ragged Argumâ—…nt to hide its shame withall in the day of its nativity wherein notwithstanding all the help and hand it had from such of you as were sent for far and neer to â—…he lâ—…or who I dare say did the best for it you could it was not so well ordered buâ—… that it pittied many a ones heart to see how wretched it was and poor and miserably blind and naked Howbeit I say to give you your due you had bowels toward it far beyond him who was neerer kin to it then your selves for whereas he should have bin by right at all the pains and charges too that day as being most concern'd in the business of it yet he withdrew himself from both but you who as you say were not the men appointed for the disputation drew neer and undertook it and were at such pains about it that how far forth you gnawd your tongues for pain I cannot say but I may safely say you blasphemed the God of heaven both then and since so farre forth as to call his truth Heresie is to blaspheme him because of your pains and your sores nor do I hear that you yet Repent of your deeds in a word though little to th' purpose yet your cares concerning this Infant-disputation were very great when his whose it was were none at all save how to keep far enough from it that it might be strangled before ever it came to light Thus it outliv'd one or two smothers to which it was designed by its first father viz. both in and coming out of the womb much laud therefore which you love more then a little to you the kind uncles for it who so seasonably interposing your selves swadled it up as sairly as you could in such foul shifts as you had then about you in such wise at least as to save the life on 't or else it had surely miscarried and come well nigh to nothing before it was well any thing at all Now in small process of time perceiving perhaps that you had over-charged your selves unawares in Adopting this Ashford-disputation the fruit of another mans loins into your own future Tuition by taking the Patronage thereof upon you so publiquely as you had done that day before many people and possibly not more asham'd of its former poor appearance then afraid that a further appearance of it in publique might put you to more charge and shame even you the foster fathers also who had been so kind as to keep it from killing and to perform the mid-wivery und nursery thereof before had a design now to smother it your selves in order whereunto you had buried it alive it seems and rak'â—… it up in the ashes of oblivion that it might live no longer in mens minds but rather return dust to dust Ashes to Ashes as it was hoping the Sepulchre of your silence was so sure that the Ghost would never walk about to the cost shame and affrightment of its guilty Guardians any more But all this avails not yet the Baby-disputation was not fully smothered for all that for people of all sorts were in a kind of Hue-and cry after it Adversaries talkt how ill you handled it friends were importunate to see a copy of its countenance so that there 's no remedy but it must be rak't out of those Ashes in which it was then designed to be smothered and appear again in publique at the Prâ—…ss and so by chance it came to escape a third smother by which else in your intent it should have perisht both out of mind and sight per varios casus per tot discrimina rerum Hath this poor Infant-disputation had the fortune to escape those many smothers which in the fearful wrath of its own parents that begat and brought it out it was ore and ore designed to so that it rubs out still and remains in rerum natura in vivis characteribus to this very day Pre. And given life to it c. Post. And given death to it you might more truly have said for verily under a colour of setting it free from the old intended smother you have subtily smother'd it ore a new as it were in another yea your very Impression is a very suppression of it rather then otherwise for you have Prest it almost to nothing in the Press and made such a Thin-gut thing of it that howbeit it stands bulk't out with an Appendix and other bumbles yet it looks no more like the disputation it once was in respect of the Respondents Answers which you have rob'd it of as well as of your own weakest Arguments then the seven lean kine like the fat you would have sneap't it all out of sight if you could but necessity urging to set forth somewhat and shame forbidding the sight of all things as they were after some picking and stealing and mincing and making c. such Relikes of your Rakings as you saw most fit for your turns you Trick't together on a bundle threw them into the press and so there came out this Monstrum Horrendum Informe Ingens cui lumen Ademptum Nevercheless it lighted on a friend at last that was well acquainted with it from the beginning who seeing it so lame so decrepit so mis-figured recovered it out of those Sophistical Glosses wherein it was designed to
in hearts houses Towns and Countries as when Christ came to Ierusalem all was in an uproar and when Paul came with his Gospel to Ephesus Athens Iconium Lystra Derbe lewd fellows of the baser sort were set on by others to raise tumults for truth tormented them into rage thus we often judge of Causes as good or bad right or wrong by the effects that slow from them but to reason upon a cause as good or ill true or false right or wrong according to the might or meaness the abilities or defects of the persons that stand up for it is the right way to wrong it indeed sith the Antichristian cause hath the mighty wise and prudent Priests and Potentates of the world for its Patrons when the poor only for the most part receive Christs Gospell and the strength that God ordains in defence thereof against the persecutor is the mouths of Babes and Sucklings Causes are to be rejected as wrong and false according to the defects and weakness that is discovered to be in the Arguments that are brought to maintain and not by the weakness and defects that may seem to be in those that are more zealous then able to mannage them if there appear to be weight in the Arguments these if strong however weakly and babishly propounded will carry the cause in the conscience of any but such Priest-be-charmed Christians as in Charity to their Churchmen are resolved to yield themselves up to be carried away with every wind of doctrine that passes from them and covering the weakness of them to be whisled any way by such arguments as the men themselves that make them are fain to grant to be weak to prove what they are brought for for no Argument is weak that is sufficient to evince the thing it s used in proof of though it fall from the mouth of never so weak a man if a weak feeble hand let fall an heavy Axe upon it or a sharp sword even the sword of the Spirit the word of God that is quick and powerfull it may serve to cut off the Popes head Tripple Crown and all but if the Pope himself and all his children which are the ablest Humanists in the world come out to warre against Christ and his cause with reeds and rushes blind non sequiturs weak and broken Consequences they must ride back to Rome for stronger swords or else they may force fools into conformity to their follies but never guide wise men after the spirit to believe their cause to be good as therefore t is not good that an ill cause that hath but weak Arguments to uphold it should be owned for good either in Charity or upon pretence of ability in the persons that patronize it as the Clergies crooked cause of Infant-sprinkling is for what saies the Parish to those poor ones in it that entertain the Gospel are you wiser than a whole Synod of able Orthodox Divines so it is a thousand pitties that a good cause that hath strong Arguments enough from Scripture and reason to prove it right should be wronged so as to be rejected as rotten yet so Christs true baptism is through the defects of the persons called Anabaptists who are supposed at least to have more zeal then ability to prove it of which sin of wronging a right cause upon account of such defects even the cause of Christs true baptism which in his strength those Babes that are baptized with it are not only zealous but able to make good against the Ablest Baby-Baptist that is among you I know no men under the Sun more guilty then you Clergy men who take your advantages to cry out the lowder against it as error by the defects of Christs Disciples that plead and practise it of whom you say commonly as you say complementally of your selves here they have more zeal then abilities to maintain it yea verily you who seem here whether more simply or more simulatorily who knows not so to implore the charitable benevolence of well disposed people to cover the weakness of your Arguments and not to suffer your cause of Infant-sprinkling to suffer throw your defects and inabilities to maintain it are men so far from teaching fâ—…enda faciendo from doing to others as you would be done to that you rather disclaim and proclaim those Arguments of ours as weak which as feeble a folk as we are are strong enough to storm you out of your strongest holds and cause that cause to be despised under pretence of our defects which though weak in our selves and pretending to little of that outward accomplishment which you call ability yet throw Christs word assertaining it to be his and his spirit assisting us thereunto we have both zeal and ability to maintain who is it I trow that trumpets about the eminency and learnedness of their party and illiteracy of the Anabaptists whereby to render the way the more contemptible more then the Priesthood who charm their people against the receipt of the Gospel in such sort as the Pharisees of old when they said are you also deceived have any of the Rulers of the Pharisees believed on him but this peopâ—… that know not the law are cursed Ioh. 7. 47 48 49. So brags Dâ—… Featly and his fellows despising the way of dipping viz. joint suffrages of so many Bishops in such a Synod as for the Anabaptists they are a few mean sylly men and women an illiterate and sottish sect the father and head of whom quoth he was Nicholas Stock and a very blockhead was he p. 164. Simple rude Mechanicks Russet Rabbies Apron Levites whom we own not quoth he but detest and abominate p. 113 who know not how to dispute for truth because they know not the original and cannot conclude syllogistically in mood and figure p. 1. 2. Thus Featly defeats them in their cause by dilating on their defects and which of you almost do not confirm your people against their cause by their infirmities of one kind or other like flies you feast your selves upon their sores and let go their sounder parts you make much of their little to your purpose you make your best out of their worst and out of their personal weaknesses strengthen your selves and others against the truth which wise men know is nevertheless truth for the poors receiving it you root in their very excrements whereby to find matter to make their good cause bad and yet here oh how mendicant of other mens mercy not only to spare sentencing your cause as wrong by your personall defects and want of abilities but also in charity to couer the weakness of your Arguments which is such an unreasonable request as was scarce ever put forth before by any Disputants who if they find their Arguments to be weak ought rather to recant them specially after such publique acknowledgement of the weakness of them and to desire people that they would not suffer themselves to be swayed by them then otherwise But Sirs
do you think in your consciences that there is such weakness in your Arguments as is here intimated to us in your own book and likewise that your cause which is so far from a good one that it deserves to bear the name of Abaddon is in danger of suffering so much through your defects in disputing it unless men be so charitable as to wink at the weaknesses of both I speak seriously in my mind you had then better by far have conceal'd then reveal'd your disputation in an Account and had provided much better for the honor of it for now you have vindicated it from the disgraces with which it was loaded in private like him that fetches a frisk out of the frying pan into the fire whilst you publish it in the same weakness onely robbing your Respondent of the strength of his Answers in which it discover'd it self at first and hang it out against the Sun so that all men may see clean through it so thin and thread-bare it is and that without spectacles and not onely so but make proclamation of the weakness of your Arguments with a petition to pardon the weakness of them that 's an ill bird which in hast bewraies his own nest and leaves it to others to make all clean and such are they that uncover their own nakedness so far when they need not that they are fain to be beholding to the benevolence of others to cover it and yet are so inexorable as to hold the cause of others inexcusable in the self same case wherein they are earnest to be excused by them for our cause is at a loss among you for the sake of what ere defects you spie in any persons that profess it But I believe you are not cordiall in your acknowledgements here for if you were you would surely have endured your Respondents private representations of the weakness of your Arguments and your pedling in your proof of Infant-baptism with more patience then you did but its evident by your impatience towards him in that kind that what ere you say here of your selves in a voluntary humility yet you have so good an opinion of your selves and your work too that day that Tam nil as nothing as it here seems to be in your Account as well as ours you take it ill that any should esteem so poorly and speak so plainly though but privately of your trifling doings as you dispense with your selves to do here in publick before all 〈◊〉 world and howbeit here 's weakness and defects and defects p. 3. overtly worded over by you in a general way yet it 's an hundred to one if a man take you at your word and yield to what you say as truth and say it ore after you that there 's much weakness in your Arguments and that there were many defects in your Disputation and your zeal of Infant-baptism is great and your abilities but mean to maintain it you will be half angry with him and think he casts scandals upon your disputation and be ready to gainsay all this and to stand up in vindication of your Arguments as strong and sufficient and â—…ay all the defects that were in the disputation at your Respondents door and if you be askt what one individual particular Syllogism Term Argument or Scripture you were out in the framing uttering urging or underctanding of throughout the whole day of the disputation I am perswaded you will sooner bite your nayles then assign any or if it be specified by others that in this and that you were out you misunderstood such or such a Scripture such a speech or passage you faultred in I am afraid your pretended self-deniall will be found so little that you 'l justifie your selves in every bit and scrap of that which past from you during the whole discourse which makes your confessions deserve but little of that favour you so much implore by how much they savor of juggle and complement more then of a real true sense of what is wanting to you indeed which verily is a right-baptism to maintain rather then abilities to maintain that right-none that you stood up for nevertheless I must needs grant it to be true that you say here that your abilities were far short of your zeal yea so short that howbeit you had a good mind to do it yet you neither did nor could maintain it at all but wherefore was it but because you had a bad cause in hand yea had your zeal been as big as your cause was bad there had been no standing before you indeed the defects of your cause was the cause of your defects and not your own defects the cause of your causes had not the fault been more in your faith which was a false one then in your faculty to maintain things and had that and your baptism been as good as your parts are great and both these as probable as you capable to prove the meanest among you might have done more at the disputation then as it happend all of you did per vim unitam because though you fought with one who was no more then a flea in your ears yet you hapned to be fog'd so that you faced the wrong way and fell in unawares â—…ainst the truth which in these daies of its return falls upon inquisitive consciences with more force from the mouth of fooles and babes then meer tradition doth from the wisest Babists in the world The deepest defect is in the cause you defend in the way you warrand t is a crooked cause an unwarrantable way and therefore those that will warrand mens walking in it can never do it without faultring and fumbling in the work and such after occasions of fawning on men for their charitable excusation Gentlemen that I may neither seem to defie nor yet to deifie your persons but put things upon a true Account you are men that have some worth and excellency and yet some weakness and exigency too but I impute your miscarriage in the disputation not half so much to your own as to your causes indigency your business was well man'd but ill manag'd because there was but an ill matter to be maiâ—…tain'd you were at the wrong end of the staff and therefore well might you be defective in the strife this makes the least of the flock draw you great Leviathans out now adayes and the feeble to be as David before Goliahs that have been Polemically exercised from their youth in that truth on their side doth animate and assist them you meet them with staff and spear and humane accomplishments and they stand before you in the name of God and strength of that truth and true Israel of his whom you yet defie this makes Schoolmen like Schoolboyes under the rod when they are taken tardy in their exercise and see they are like to be whipt for it cry spare us in that their School-masters the Pope and Councels have overtaskt them and set them
a Theam which Scripture whence onely they must fetch all their proofs saies just nothing of at all This makes the Disputers the Divines to come abroad a begging in print among the vulgar as you here do saying cover pass by bewayling the weakness of their Arguments their defects in disputing their presumption in entring the lists their non-preparation for the disputation because it s not the true Gospel they disputed for a very stripling may make a Gyant give back if he have hold on the hilt of his sword and the other thrust hard against the blade 't is hard for thee O Saul to kick against the pricks a learned lawyer may be at loss in a lame suit Asinus ad lyram may play his part better and make sweeter musick then the most accurate musitian that hath nothing to beat upon but a board it may well put any but the meer Sophister to his shifts to prove the moons made of green cheese and so 't will any save the meer self-seeker that is set to serve it out of a sight that he can serve himself of it and therefore is resolv'd to make any Argument serve turn even libet ergo licet rather then leave it to prove Infant-baptism much more Infant-rantism to be a good cause and yet the more 's the pitty this is the cause you have to make good and have been so bold as to stand up for which though your wishes are here that it may not suffer wrong through your defects yet mine are much rather that you may not suffer your selves to be wrong'd any more or to be wrong'd for ever through its defects for howbeit it flatters you into an opinion of its ability to be maintain'd by you by its appearing ability to maintain you yet you 'l find ith'end that by its fair flourishes it hath flusht you into more zeal then furnisht you with ability to maintain it when it shall have brought you to your choice of one of these two ex quibus minimum est eligengendum viz. either of Repentance from it and all other your Parochiall dead works tithes and other traditions that depend upon it upon a sight and acknowledgement that you have been mistaken about these as well as other Romish Remnants that you have seen cause through the Parliaments eyes to renounce since that long since Lutheran reformation which after longer standing out will be so much the harder Chapter for you Clergy men to run throw or else which is worse then nought of perseverance in your evil waies and dead works against light to prevent the other which last the Lord prevent from befalling any of you if it be his will Pre. Who would not have presumed to have entered the lists c. Post. It had been no presumption in you had you been true Ministers of Christ and the cause you stood up in Christs cause indeed for grant it to be presumption in Uzzah to meddle in the publique service of the Temple and in Uzzah to put forth his hand to uphold the Ark and consequently for so you argue not we for men to meddle so as to minister to the Gospel publiquely in your Churches that are not in holy orders yet it is none vos Apello for the Priests or ordained Ministers of Christ to stand up any where in defence of Christs truth where it s traduced but rather duty which in speciall they stand bound to in that therefore you accounting your selves Christs Ministers do grant it to be presumption in you to put forth so publiquely when you saw it tottering you do no less then give the cause you stood up in to be none of his as indeed it was not but your own and that was it only which made it presumption and very high presumption in you too in that you durst enter the lists against the Lord Iesus in in his own ordinance and that with such weak Arguments such flags as slam'd like swords but alas such as could not bear the brunt when it came to blows here how much less will they in that battel of the great day of God Almighty which is now marching space upon you 'T is true therefore as you here confess you have been presumptuous and presumption is one of the most desperate sins that can be against Christ yet for all that in his name and as an Embassador from him thoâ—…gh otherwise an unworthy and â—…ver a contemptible creature in your eyes as though himself did beseech you by me I am bold to beg of you that you would not despair but come in and be reconciled to him presuming no more to stand up against him with such weak weapons as before least he tear you in pieces fall upon you and grind you to powder but sit down and humble your selves that you have stood so long in the way of Sinners so that they could not come to Christ through your Blurres lay down your arms and yield your selves prisoners to him stoop to that golden Scepter he yet holds out unto you own him as your King Priest and Prophet list no more against him but list your selves under him for he is gracious and will yet recâ—…ive you and baptize you with his spirit if you turn at his reproof and repent and be baptized in water in his name for remission of sins Pro. 1. 23. Act. 2. 38. become little children in such a sense as you should be that you may be baptized and then be baptized in truth and in token for your memory hath lost your traditionary token sprinkling that hereafter you will not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified but manfully fight under his banner against sin the world and the devill and continue Christs faithful souldiers to your lives end How happy had it been for you if you had took quarter from Christ before this time for he would have given it and forgiven all your enmity against him in his truth but you are stiff-blades and your words have been stout against him you Clergy men are Lords you will not come neer but I beseech you become Lord beggars at the throne of grace as Brightman said truly the Bishopâ—… were for earthly honor at the thrones of Kings and Princes that you may have more of that grace and holiness to worship God with reverence according to his own will which God gives to all humble Suppliants then had you less learning and living then you have and more disgrace in this world then ever any Synods of you had reverence or Arch-Bishops grace or Popes holiness you would never find occasion to bewail your losses or repent of your change or reject the councel of God against your selves out of his mouth who is a serious Sollicitor botâ—… from God to you that you would be and to God for you that you may be in the acknowledgement of his truth no less then happy for ever Pre. Where there was so great expectation c. Post. There was great
expectation indeed though not greater then little satisfaction for first some were earnestly expected and one also evidently engaged to be there so that some durst have laid any money he would not fail them who what ere the matter was were not there The two Doctors A. B. were both Absent yet to my knowledge both Adsenâ—… and good reason too for they were then not onely as immediate neighbours to each other in respect of the vicinity of their houses as A. B. in the â—…ris-cross row but also lookt upon for ability as two foremen in that whole Classis of Clergy-men As for A whom for his Age I truly reverence and some other excellencies in respect of which many are inferior to him if his prudence forbad his presence he may the more easily be excused by how much the less he was ingaged but as for B. the very beginner of all that business ut supra though I both lov'd and honour'd his person more then he did that truth of Christ I pleaded against him yet I must needs say for him to beget this Infant-Disputation and then on its birthday father it per â—…lios and not per se 't was too like them to whom in that and many more matters if he were not many more of that leaven are like who bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne on other mens shoulders and touch them not themselves with one of their fingers Secondly as some were expected to be there who were not so something was expected by the people from those that were there which yet could not be performed first and last too sith it might not be at first from the Respondent that since he was declaim'd against as an Heretick and Seducer that he should have given Account that being the professed end of his coming of the way he walkt in that 't was the way of truth but he could not because it was not permitted by the Priests who pretended to be most strict upon him for it neither afore nor at not after nor within nor without till he got far enough from the Ring-leaders peaceably publiquely perfectly and plainly to give it to them Secondly from the opponents that since they cried out error error heresie schisâ—… sedu 〈◊〉 they would prove for preach they would not neither by way of Argumenâ—… and by Arguments that had weight in them that their Infant-baptism was the way of Christ but they could not neither for whereas strong Arguments were â—…xpected they brought none but such weak ones that they were fain to wish good people to let their charity cover the weakness of them Pre. Without better preparation c. Post. Indeed your preparation was bad enough in all reason and it will be expected that if ever you enter the lists again your preparation be far better then it was but yet as it fell out it was better then worse and by so much the better by how much it was less then ordinary for take this for truth Sirs that your preparaâ—…ion may easily be bigger but never better if your cause be the same preparation to any bad matter is ever if the bigger the better then the better the worse for vis est improba quae valet ad nocendum a power that hurts is best when least and a little of that which is good is better then a great deal of that which is nought First then make your cause good Secondly your call Thirdly your conscience as far as it needs mending then all will be well enough ith'end and though men will fume and frown on you yet shall you be backt so well from heaven as to need no mans patronage here on earth nor yet so much time for preparation as you now lack who are ever to seek when summond to sudden service for the preparation of the heart and the answer of the tongue are both from the Lord Prov. 16. 1. on whom were you so intimately and immediately dependent as his disciples are bid to be Mat. 10. 29 20. Mar. 13. 1. Luke 12. 11. you would not be so sollicious what to say before the proudest Princes as for want of that and somewhat else you commonly are before the plainest people nor when you stand up in his name shall you need to excuse your presumption if you stood before as many Kings as there were people to plead for truth but alas deest aliquid intus as one said who went about to make a dead man stand the Spirit of the father speaks not in you you stick to a certain stock of divinity which you have stored up in your studies and common-place books which when you are but 40. foot off from you are so far off from your harbor and harness that meer mechanick Scripturists may make you strike sail to them but you want that inward treasury and through instruction for the Kingdome of God Mat. 13. 52. Luk. 6. 45. by which the good Scribe is furnisht as occasion is to bring forth things new and old this is one thing which more then the hast of Disputations forbids you to be so throughly provided as you should be besides deest aliquid ad extra too for the truth is that small preparation you make is more against then for the truth as it is in Iesus which who ever implead though with never so much acurateness and acuteness of dispute whether it be you or we can be but homines obâ—…use acuti as a man famous in your Account said well of such i. e. Acute Block-heads at the best Pre. But that they feared the triumphings of the Adversary c. Post. As far as the Adversary is minded to triumph he hath much more occasion ministred by your undertakings then if you had never entered the lists at all for then it might have been thought that you could have said something in proof of Infant-baptism but would not but now 't is known you would have said something to that purpose but could not But Alas Sirs as Adverse to you and desirous to triumph over you as we are Accounted by you to be we had much rather have occasion of rejoicing and triumphing in your sincere submission thereto then in either your dastardly disposition or your weak opposition of the truth yet thanks be to God whether you own or decline or spurn against the truth he alwayes causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of his love by us in every place for we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish and as for our great turn of triumphing truly over them who have trodden down the truth we are in serious expectation of that at the Return of our Captain Christ Iesus till then we must be no otherwise triumphant then as I said above but with the whole state of Christs Church militant here on earth Pre. And the unanswerable crime of deserting the truth to be charg'd upon them if
relation to Ishmael for not Ishmael but he and his posterity were the promised seed which should inherit the old Canaan and such is Christ in the reall spiritual Evangelical and everlasting account in relation unto Isaac himself for not Isaac and his seed as they were Abrahams seed by Sarah though they were the children of the promise of the earthly Canaà n and a promised seed in respect of Ishmael but Christ who is the true Isaac and those that believe in him among whom siâ—…h Isaac was one he will inherit here also as else he could not these are the promised seed that must inherit heaven Rom. 4. 13 Gal. 3. 16. these children of the promise i. e. these that are of Christ by faith and so his seed after the faith are accounted Abrahams seed his sons and heirs of the world with him and of the eternal inheritance A cleerer illustration of this to be the true sense and meaning of the spirit in Rom. 9. you have in Gal. 3. 7. 9. where the Apostle uses this term viz. they which are of the faith to express no other then the very same persons whom he here stiles the children of the promise know ye saith he there that they which are of the faith i. e. which believe for none else are of faith that I know of the same are the children of Abraham and blessed with faithfull Abraham he saith not they which be of Abrahams flesh for such neither are accounted his children as to the gospel promise nor simply as such are heirs thereof with him muchless doth he say or mean that those which are born of the bodies of them that be of faith are Abrahams children and such as must be signed as his sonnes and heirs by baptism in such wise as his own fleshly seed were signed by Circumcision as heirs with him of the old Canaan yet these are your common sayings who raise such a sort of seed to Abraham at second hand or third remove as will never be able to prove their pedegree or descent from him either after the slesh or after the faith either till they believe themselves whilest they breath on earth as if because Abraham is the spiritual father of all that believe and walk in his steps and they his seed and sons and heirs with him by promise of eternal life therefore he must patrizare to all their natural posterity too and be the spiritual father not of their persons onely but of their off-spring also But Sirs let me tell you he is not so much as a father to his own seed in the Gospel sense neither can they stand his children or the children of God and heirs of the heavenly blessing and kindome because they come out of his loines unless they do as he did for though his fleshly seed as a type for the time then being stood denominated the children of God and holy in an outward sense and heirs according to the earthly promise yet that account is gone now and there 's no other way whereby the Iews themselves much less any generations among the Gentiles can be stiled the children of God or Abraham so as to expect the gospel portion but believing in Christ Iesus in their own persons Gal. 3. 26. 29. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Iesus Christ if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise Another place which cleers it that Abrahams own seed in the old Covenants account are not his own in the account of the gospel so as barely thereupon to stand in any title to either the priviledges or ordinances thereof or to fellowship now in his family is Iohn 8. where Christ being cavill'd at by the Iews for promising them the priviledge of the Gospel-freedom from sin to which they were slaves servants and bondmen for all that legal freedom they did so boast of upon faith and continuance in his words discovers so plainly that a man may run and read it the discarding of the Jews from all these three things which I am now proving that for want of faith they are perished from them since the gospel First from the repute and denomination of Abrahams children any longer Secondly from any share in the glorious or spirituall blessing of the Gospel Thirdly from any right of abiding longer in the Church which they were the children of before which Church as visible now as well as then and to the end of the world since Gods conferring the fatherhood of the faithful upon him is called the house or family of Abraham First they say in a snuff two or three times ore that they are Abrahams seed v. 33. that Abraham is their father v. 39. that they are not born of fornication meaning as Ishmâ—…el the Son of the bond-woman or servant to their mother Sarah was but they had one father even God v. 41. to which Christ replies not by denial of any of all this for 't was true every tittle in that sense in which they meant it i. e. the typical sense and meaning of the old Covenant yea they were Abrahams children and this Christ confesses in plain terms verse 37. I know you are Abrahams seed yea they were also the children of God by an outward and typicall adoption of them unto himself as his peculiar ones and heirs of that typical inheritance Ezek. 16. 8. c. but by telling them that Abrahams children are accounted of otherwise now then formerly viz. not as comming out of his loines but as doing his works as being like him and allied to him not so much after the flesh as after the faith whereupon they not yet believing he denies them to be and goes about to prove them not to be Abrahams children in the true and substantial sense in this Hypothesis verse 39. if ye were Abrahams children ye would do the works of Abraham to which do but add the minor viz. but ye do not the works of Abraham and the conclusion follows thus viz. therefore ye are not the children of Abraham you see Christ asserts them to be Abrahams children in the old account so as to stand members of the old house but denieth them to be Abrahams children in the sense of the new Secondly they say they are free men and were never in bondage to any man to which Christ replies by granting it was so indeed in the outward typical sense that they were free men and true heirs of that earthly glory that was promised to Abraham in that old Canaan but denies them to be freemen as to the gosspel with that heavenly fredom of the Ierusalem which is above the mother of all true believers Gal. 4. 26. yea in those spiritual respects in which the Son makes free indeed those that know and receive the truth and gospel they were but servants verse 34. and in bondage to sin which is the greatest slavery of all as also Paul sayes Gal. 3. 25. that Ierusalem was which was
provided raiment for them they should put it on themselves or go without it thus candid are we towards the dying infants of all sorts nevertheless though we tell you of our charity towards them and of your own cruelty in sending all heathen infants to hell and this no less then twenty times over yet we must expect to hear it from ore the pulpit cloth twenty times ore again before the devil be dead how blessed and charitable your doctrine is and what most bloody and cruel opinionists the Anabaptists are concerning infants Infants then I say of what parents soever 〈◊〉 either such as die in the personall innocency of their own infancy and so are universally saved and yet in token or as 〈◊〉 sign thereof to themselves there 's neither need nor sense nor reason to baptize them or else such as live to understanding and then they appear either not to do Abrahams works and then we own them not yet as Abrahams seed though born of believing parents yea though of believing Abraham himself nor as heirs according to the Gospel-promise or else to belieue in Christ and walk in the steps of Abraham and then of what parents soever though of infidels we are to own them as Abrahams spiritual seed and such as so abiding are heirs apparent by promise of the heavenly Canaan this we can never discern by them in their infancy not knowing yet whether they shall die infants or live to years nor whether when they come to years they will reject Christ or receive him To conclude this then that any mans fleshly seed in the world is upon the meer account of their natural descent of such or such parents or further then as dying in infancy they have no actual sin to condemn them or living to act sin they believe in Christ in both which cases the seed of unbelievers are as capable of salvation as the seed of believers themselves are by promise heirs of salvation and in tokeâ—… thereof are to be baptized and in baptism visibly sign'd more then other children as children of God members of Christ and inheritors of the Kingdom of heaven t is a lesson which I learn'd once by roat and had by root of heart when in the minority of my standing in the false ministry with you I was verst in the Priests Primmer of Common-prayer and as to Gospel-administrations was skild but little further then the Psalter but when I once turn'd over a new leaf and began to advance a little further even into the Scripture which in some volumes was in those dayes annexed as some certain appendix at the end of it I could never read that lesson perfectly since neither can I learn now that any mans fleshly seed that lives and yet believes not can make any clearer claim of kindred to Abraham as their father or to the Gospel inheritance by a meer bodily birth of believers only then I can make of my kindred to the Great Turk and of my tight to succeed him as his heir in his dominion by pleading that between them both his Grandmother and mine had four elbowes Now therefore Sirs let it be seriously considered by you that that outward meer denominative birth holiness which was once in the seed of the Iews and is now supposed and asserted by you to be in the seed of believing Gentiles as it was then peculiar to that people only that were Iews by either nature or Religion so it is now universally and utterly ended in Christ crucified and no more to have a being among them or any other people under heaven It was not by Christ comming communicated or as Mr. Blake cloudily contends throughout his Treatiseâ—…f â—…f birth-priviledge and covenant holiness conveyed from the Iews to believing Genâ—…iles and their seed but clearly cashiered and confiscated so that ther 's now no such thing to be found at all 'T is not devolved downwards but rather resolved into that Gospel truth and substance which it shadowed ouâ—… yea and totally dissolved ecclipsed annihilated swallowed up as the light of the Moon before the Sun being clothed upon with a far greater and more glorious holiness than it self for as the type was in time to give way and be gone when the thing typified thereby should once come into existence so all that old covenant holiness even the holiness of that seed Isaac and his posterity as well as other things that were predicated by it was as but a type of a more perfect holâ—…nes and holy seed to come to flee away as Ishmael before himself when once Christ should come and that holy seed to stand in the house to whom the promises of the Gospel do belong Babist This seed you speak of viz. believers was come before Christ and in being under the law as well as now therefore they sure cannot be the holy seed shadowed out by that holy seed that came of Isaac Baptist. True the Gospel holy seed was under the law but not the Laws holy seed under the Gospel the substance being ever when and where the shadow is but the shadow not alwaies when and where the substance Novum Testamentum semper ubique fuit in vetere velatum vetuâ—… non in novo nisi revelatum the law and its holy things are not in being but only revealed what they wâ—…re under the Gospel but the Gospel and its holy things were in being though veiled over under the law and yet for all that the Gospel is said truly to come then because it came not into its full force till Christ came so faith is said to come in with Christ Gal. 3. 23. 25. not as if there were no faith in the world before but because both the fulness of the things before believed came in then and things before believed came then into full force and act and also because the way of standing in the Church which before was chiefly by a fleshly birth comes now to be no otherwise then by a spirituall birth from above by faith in Christ Iesus Rom. 11. thou staâ—…dest by faith saith â—…aul speaking of the manner of the Gospel standing in the visible Church so that the holy seed and heirs of the Gospel covenant i.e. believers which are the seed of Christ Esay 53. He shall see his seed are said to come then though there was such a seed in the world from the beginning thereof because they then came to dwell alone as it were in the house where Ishmael the sonne of the Bondwoman to speak after the Allegory I mean the fleshly Israelites a meer fleshly seed dwelt together with them as Ishmael did with Isaac till he was cast out in former time for even as Ishmael the servant dwelt as it were the Son and heir in the house till Isaac was born and then after a while was cast out that Isaac the true heir might dwell alone and such as should successively come from him so Israel after the flesh though a servant in
supper if we were minded in good earnest to plead their right to both in evidence of which I shall argue upon you with your own Argument thus To whom the thing signified belongs to them the sign also belongs unlesse there be some exception or incapacity to perform what is required to the receiving of the sign But the thing signified in the supper which is the same that 's signified in baptism viz. Christ and his benefits belongs to infants and there 's no more exception of them from it them from baptism nor more incapacity in them to perform that which is required to the supper then there is in them to perform what 's required to baptism Ergo if they may receive the outward sign of baptism they may receive the outward sign of the supper also But in truth as they are no more capable of one of these signs then the other so are they in very dead both uncapable of and plainly enough alike excepted from both Secondly is it so Sirs that infants being a great part if not the Major part of all nations must therefore be baptized because it s said baptize all Nations unless they had been excepted then I answer again if you mean thus viz unless they had been some way or other at least vertually or implicitly excepted then infants are most manifestly and clearly excepted in this very text it self Mat. 28. 19. if there were no other in all the Scripture to exclude them for first though that be Christs commission and direction to his disciples whom to baptize yet there 's no mention at all of children nor yet in Mark 16. 15. 16. where the same will of Christ is declared in other terâ—…s concerning the baptism of such as are converted to the faith by preaching and this Dr Featley himself more then confesses for he urges it with earnestness p. 62. in these words viz. there is no mention of children in either of these texts and if so that there 's no mention at all then they are not implied as both Mr. Marshal and himself to the contradiction of himself affirms they are in the word Nations for for children to be both implied and included in that word Nations and yet neither to be mentioned nor meant therein at all are inconsistent and such a bo-peep as is impossible and if they be not so much as implied and mentioned in the commission they must needs be understood to be excepted and excluded Secondly as there is no mention of children so there is such a plain limitation and restriction of baptism to such persons as infants in infancy are not capable to be viz. Disciples of Christ aliâs persons so taught and instructed by the ministration of men as to believe the Gospel that they are more then purblind who discern not infants for they are uncapable to learn by the teachings of men to be in that place excepted for it is said go ye and teach all nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Nations but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understood in the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the nations as by the figure Synthèsis which is oratio congruae sensu non voce I grant it may yet not the Nations by the lump but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 persons in the Nations that are indoctrinated and instructed as infants cannot be i. e. them that you have taught and that have learnt and are become disciples by your teaching it is as plain as the light that not any more of the Nations are here bid to be baptized than those even those very individuals that are first bid to be taught or made disciples by mans ministery for the Pronoun them that is put after the participle baptized can possibly have no other substantive then those persons in those nations who ever they are that are both capable subjects of teaching and also actually instructed and discipled it is most evident that teaching of persons is here commanded before the baptizing them Babist The order of words by which teaching is here set before baptizing proves nothing for in Mark 1. 4. that order is inverted and baptizing set before preaching thus viz. Iohn did baptize and preach the baptism of repentance Baptist. So saies Dr. Holmes indeed p. 7. and t is also a common saying among you all but I tell yod if you were not minded more to pervert then to preach the Gospel you could not be ignorant that that inversion Mâ—…rk 1. 4. is such as altars not the sense so but that t is in sense and signification the very same as we contend for out of Mat. 28. 19. viz. that preaching is to go before baptizing for though it be said there Iohn did baptize and preach the baptism of repentance it must necessarily be understood thus viz. that he preached baptism to persons before he practised it to them for you cannot be so silly sure as to imagin that Iohn first baptized persons when they came to him before he opened his Mouth to tell them wherefore yet I know one that being in a streit did not stick to strein himself out by such a simple saying as that but for all that if that honest man who said thus I forbear to name him least I shame him were as true a Minister of the Gospel as he supposes himself to be and should go forth with his Gospel to a Nation as ignorant of the truth of baptisme as himself and offer but such a small matter as his rantism much more so worthy so weighty and burdensome a business to the flesh as the true baptism is viz. to overwhelm them in water withour declaring to them first for what end and purpose either he would shew himself an Egregious and Arrant simpleton in once conceiving they would or they themselves but senseless Animals if they should so suddenly submit to him Moreover its apparent to any but such as are resolved to shift off tâ—…uth as long as they can that the same passage of Mark 1. 4. as t is recorded Mat. 3. 1. 5. Luke 3. 3. 7. shewes that Iohn first came preaching the baptism of repentance for remission of sins and then and thereupon people came out to him and were baptized of him in Iordan confessing their sins Out of that place therefore Mat. 28. 19. which is so usually assigned by your selves as the main Scripture in which Christ commands infant baptism though upon examination it is oft asserted to be a place that neither mentions at all nor once meddles with infants and that by the self same persons that so assign it I argue thus in disproof of them who assign it as Christ precept for infants baptisme and in proof that its a plain prohibition of such a thing viz. If Christ there commissionates and commands his Disciples to baptize none but the very same persons whom he commands them also first to teach and make disciples by
so thoroughly provided with them modesty doth now to insert them here Therefore the Christian Reader is desired to peruse Calvins Institutions Ursins Catechism and Dr. Featley 's Book upon this subject where he shall be thorowly furnished Besides that opinion of Ovid Etsi non prosint singula multa juvant What ever it may carry of eredit in other causses ought to have but little in this where we trust not in multitude nor measure by number but substance and weight of Arguments are the foundation of our faith the other are for pomp and victory these onely for satisfaction and verity Whosoever thou art that desirest to be grounded in the Truth examine diligently and understand these three arguments following which are but the same reviewed that were used in the disputation and thou shalt be able being confirmed thy self thorough the grace of God to strengthen thy brethren whose faith is every where assaulted in these miserable dates by the watchfulness and cunning insinuation of the adversary nor are these three commended unto thee as if among David's Worthies they were the first three the composer of them arrogates no such thing to them thou shalt find many both better appointed and more strongly armed and which go forth iâ—… strength of those that fight the battels of the Lord among the Worthies of Israel these were never intended but as a forlorn-hope yet till the adversary shall have worsted them thou shalt not need to desire fresh supplies Re-Review This first part or Praeambulary approach to the battel gives big words but no blowes it only vapours and vaunts carries the colours and flourishes them advancing with a company of broad bragges of what Innumerâ—…e forces your cause hath at command from Scriptures and from Reason and from Churches practise and authority and from Authors of Renown Calvin Vrsin Dr. Featley whereby fearing least they should forgo it upon sight of your own apparent slenderness and that unthorough provision your Disputation presented in proof thereof to flatter your followers First into a false faith of more full and thorough furniture câ—…mming in from all quarters toward its defence and so to a secure continuance in your crazy cause and to keep close still to the Clergy and their colours in order thereunto also highly inhauncing the price of three following forlorn-hope highway Hacksters and Hachny Arguments as not the last nor least though not the first three among the worthies that are engaged in it Whereas that poor blind Implicit-opinion'd pâ—…ople and Clergy-claw'd christen'd creatures may no longer to their utter erring from the way of Christs truth and their own peace trust in the lying words of their Prophets that profit themselves more then them by their traditionary doctrine I do here in the name of the great King Jesus who gave commission Mat. 28. 18 to make persons disciples and to teach them first and then to baptize them proclaim it aloud to the whole earth that all these are either clearly against you or all things considered nothing for you First the whole region of Scripture in every coast and quarter thereof is up in armes against you neither is there any one part or place throughout it wherein you ever find that way of infant baptism much lesse your way of infant-rantism so much as probably to have been practised or the war you wage for it promoted by so much as one piece of a precept that such a thing should be done or inch of instance that ere it was done at all yea in all places where ever baptism was dispensed you find it done onely and downrightly in that despised way wherein we do at this day i. e. of dipping persons immediately after but never before converted and discipled all they of Ierusalem and Iudaea and Galilâ—…e that were baptized by Iohn in Iordan and by Christs disciples in his presence and by his appointment confessed their sins 3. Mat. were first taught and instructed or made disciples Mat. 28. 18. Iohn 3. 22. Iohn 4. 1. 2. 3. all they who were baptized by Peter and others after his sermâ—…n at Ierusalem to the number of 3000. did first gladly receive the word Act. 2. 41. all they that were baptized by Phillip at Samaria and betwen Ierusalem and Gaza were men and women that believed the things spoken by Phillip concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Iesus Acts 8. 12. 36. 37. all they that were commanded to be baptized by Peter in the name of the Lord at Cesarea were such as were converted at the hearing of the word Act. 10. 44. 48. all that were baptized at Corinth by Paul Silas Timotheus were such as believed Act. 18. 8. all they that were baptized by Apollos or any other at Ephesus before Paul came thither which were about 12. were every one of them adult believers Act. 19. 1. 2. c. All that ever we find Aâ—…anias baptized at Damascus though there were other disciples there besides himself with whom Paul walkt a while was Paul that was baptized calling on the name of the Lord. All they of the Church of Rome to every one of whom Paul writes his Epistle Rom 1. 6. that were baptized into Jesus Christ and buried with him by baptism into his death were such as had formerly lived in sin and actually obeyed it in the lusts thereof and yielded themselves up as servants to it and had now visibly obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered unto them Rom. 6. 3. 4. 12. 16. 17. 19. 21. which things I take him to be little better then an infant in understanding that judges they were performed by any infants All they at Galatia who were baptized into Christ were such as had received and imbraced the Gospel and had put on the Lord Iesus Christ and such who through ignorance of God had done service to such as by nature were no gods but now had attained to know God by the preaching of the Gospel to them which things that are spoken to all the Churches of Galatia cannot be said of any infants Gal. 1. 9. 3. 27. 4. 8. 9. 13. verses among all which this is most notable in that he saith As many of you as have bin baptized into Christ have put one Christ we see all along throughout the whole body of the new testament It was not the rule of Christ nor the practise of the primitive times to baptize persons till they had had first preached the Gospel to them and according to the commission converted them or made them disciples indeed so soon as ever they were thus discipled or made disciples that no infants can be so in infancy is shewed above as simply as Mr. Bazter seems to suppose believers infants are so from the very womb I agree with Mr. Baxter that their baptism was not to be delayed and forasmuch as he abundantly proves the period of time wherein persons weâ—… ever baptized in the primitive times by the will of Christ
and have no pleasure in the truth Me thinks I see National Ministers of singular piety in peoples eyes prove men of singular pravity singularly bewitched into an implicit belief of the base tales that vain fellowes raise of the way of truth and singularly bewitching their people into implicit belief of them that so it is as they say that neither Priest nor people may obey the truth but both stumble and fall and be broken and snared and taken and ashamed each of other in the end Good Lord how is the practise of the truth made a reproach unto thy people and a derision dayly for I have heard the defaming of many report say they and we will report it possesse the pulpit and make the Priest believe it and then all the Country shall ring out and the people soon be diabolized into the faith on 't but hear ye rude reprochers of that people that are reprovers of the wayes whereby you run a whoring from the Lord you shall not prevail by such sleights such plausible pretences you shall be greatly ashamed you shall not prosper and unlesse you repent of your belying the truth of God your everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten It is too bad to be credulous to flying reports worse so violently to vent them worst of all malevolently to â—…invent them I dare not say nor dare I deem Mr Ba. to be guilty of the last but of the two first I cannot clear him sith I perceive that he takes it for a truth that we ordinarily dip naked and thereupon disputes against it as our usuall practise and then not confidently onely but of a certain relates to the whole world that it is no bare word nor any doubtful thing but an experience a known practise if he can clear himself he hath leave to do it for me who also summon him in the name of Christ Jesus whose true disciples he hath done such dispite to the Lord keep him from despiting the spirit of grace the people of whose love are the people of his wrath to prove it our practise ordinarily to dip naked yea to produce but one instance of any women of maids that ever he saw dipt naked in all his daies and I le abate him much of that I now accuse him of in the court of my conscience but if he say as indeed he does in effect that he never saw any dipt at all whilst p. 134. he saies that all that ever he saw baptized had water powred on them how can he say Epertus loquor it is his experience he having never so much as seen such a thing unlesse it were upon the brazen fac't front of Featleyes book where he fasly feignedly and filthily describes men and women dipping in that fashion or else upon the Titlepage of Ephraim Pagit who there paltrily pictures out this people practising thus and there I believe he hath experienced it or if he only hath it from the the mouthes of such as heard it from the mouthes of others who never saw it but receive it by tradition as well as he and that originally â—…o from the mouthes of some that made it and in such a manner very likely it was first bruted for I am perswaded there was never such a thing done of late in England unless by some Arch Knave and Arrant Whore in way of mockage to the Gospel which is rather a glory then a shame to Christ his truth then let Mr. Ba bear the blame of his blind blaspheming tho people of the everliving God Or if he know indeed that such a thing as baptizing maids and women naked hath been done in serious wise by any persons I further challenge him to make some proof of it and to print the names of such men as have done it and such maids and women that have suffered themselves to be dipped naked and the names of such credible eye witnesses as will testify it as in the fight of God which if he can though I shall not give place to him thereupon so as to be satisfyed therby for his overlashing in asserting it to be our practise to dip naked or for condemning and denominating a whole party much more their cause by the defects abuses of some persons whom the cause disclaimes for then there was 12. devils because one among the twelve and then what an Augaean stable is your Church of England by many members of which notorious roguery is committed every houre Yet I shall satisfy him so far as to undertake that the Church or Churches where such are shall declare every such person as hath wrought such abomination incommunicable without solemn repentance for that sordid practise or be themselves incommunicable by all o her Churches But I believe he cannot do it though I cannoâ—… positively possibly prove a Negative much more am I confident that he cannot make good his charge against us viz. that it is our ordinary and usual practise for besides no lesse then between one and two hundred which in grosse I can ghesse at which with these hands I have baptized I have seen with these eyes many a one more baptized by others yet never did I see male or female baptized naked to this hour nor nex to naked neither if I understand Mr. Baxs meaning in that bawbling phrase of next to naked Yea I suppose I may safely say my converse for these 5 years together and upward hath been with them that are commonly called Anabaptists and my businesse hath been for so long time at least among that people more then I perceive Mr. Baxs hath and much more then among any other people being more or lesse acquainted with a score of their Congregations yet howbeit Mr. Blake flings a little at us too and hath his fingers so far in this spatter as to say page 8. Those that have put a kind of necessity upon dipping have spoken much of being received naked â—…n bapâ—…sm I never heard the least speech of such a thing nor a syllable among them to such a purpose And if Mr. Ba. cannot prove it to be our ordinary known practise to dip naked then in the name of the Lord Jesus before whom he and I shall shortly both appear I intreat Mr. Ba. who as concerning zeal yet persecutes the Church of God poures out reproach upon true Christians giving his voice for them with as much modesty as Haman Est. 3. 8. as for high way Murderers alias that they may all suffer execution being through blindnesse and excaecation exceedingly mad against them that of an ignorant Saul he would become a seeking a searching a seeing a preaching Paul of the faith which he hitherto destroies and though he verily thinks with himself that he ought to do what he does against the truth yet I beseech him to know that he is but as others have been bâ—…fore him zealous of God but not according to knowledg sith it is but of the Traditions of his Fathers Gal.
and let Mr. Ba. who was once in doubt of infant baptism upon sight of the slender grounds that other divines did hold it from till satan seduced him back again to the belief of it again be perswaded if it be thy will on sight of the more weak and slender principles which with much ado he hath found out whereon to satisfy himself and others and to sit still in the shadow of that superstition to be not almost onely but altogether saving their sufferings from him such as thy servants are whom he yet vilifies what he can As then to Mr. Baxters Appendix of Animadversions on Mr. Bedfords Dr. Burges and Dr. Wards absurdities about baptismal regeneration of infants t is no matter to us yea I conceive it a likely means of it self to make wise men renounce Infants baptism that read there at what ods they are and how they wrangle among themselves that own it beside sith he that passing by meddles with a strife not belonging to him is like one that takes a dog by the ears Pro. 26. 17. ile passe by for my part and not meddle with it at all Fourthly another part of Mr. Baxters book is a small slender tract of about one leaf long penned in proof of baptisms a biding a standing ordinance of Christ to the worlds end and therein so far am I from excepting and contradicting that I rather approve it considering the high head of contradiction that in this last loose age already is and within a while much more and more headily will be made against it and how the subtility of Satan is such that sith he can uphold his kingdome now no longer by his old souldiers tâ—…e Rantizers which changed the lawes and ordinances of Christs kingdome he seeks to do it by erecting a new moddle of men I mean the seekers and Ranters who rase the very foundations of it and how sith he can prevail no more to deceive the nations from the narrow way of truth by his old Spiritualty the spiteful Priest he hath spit a new Spiritualty out of his mouth from which as from a greater Carnalty then the other the earth that it may be ripe for the sickle as it must be at Christs coming shall abound with abomination i. e. they that separate themselves from the true Church after their separation with them from the false sensual having not the spirit yet pretending more highly to it then ever any considering all this I â—…ay I seriously side with Mr. Ba. as to that subject and to shew him who simply supposes we are all a people posting towards the pulling down of Christs ordinances because some do and because all of us as we are sworn to it seek what we are able to pull down mens to shew him I say notwithstanding his conceits to the contrary how close we keep according to the counsel both of Peter and Iude in that behalf 2 Pet. 3. 2. Iude 17. to the commandements of Christ and his Apostles in these last daies wherein they declare that others should depart from and despise them to shew him also how little reason he hath to charge us with their evils who are to use his own phrase p. 26. above ordinances i. e. above obedience to God and so Gods themselves I intend God willing before this work escape my hand that is now under it to bestow some few lines on the same subject having been often requested to it by others in vindication to the truth Fifthly as for the forepart of Mr. Baxs book for more then a fourth part of it is worn out in Preamâ—…ular passages apologies epistles to the Church at Kederminster at Bewdley which Churches alias parishes of Ked and Bew. for all the people till of late that some few have separated themselves together to Mr. T. are Church-members with Mr. Ba. in those two places p. 280 which parishes I say howbeit sowing pillowes that they may slâ—…ep themore securely in superstition Mr. Ba. by a dedication of his doings to the Câ—…urch at Ked to the Church at Bew. would fain flatter into a faith that each of them is a Church of Iesus Christ yet I must crave leave to inform those Churches from Christ that as yet they are no other then Churches of the Popes calling and constitution for the parochial posture of Christning and so inchurching of all that are born within the bounds and barely abide within the preincts of the parish had its order from the head of those Churches viz. the Vicar of Christ but not at all from Christ Iesus himself yea and though there may be many honest men in both Ked and Bewdley among whom if Mr. Ba. be one it shall not grieve me at all yet according to Dr. Featleys nor yet according to Mr. Baxs own definition who say a true visible Church is a particular company of men professing the Christian faith known by two markes viz. tâ—…e sinâ—…ere preaching of the word and due administration of the Sacraments Dr. Featly p. 4. or a society of persons separated from the world to God or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called out of the world c. Mr. B. p. 87. neither of those two parishes are true visible Churches of Iesus Christ for neither were they ever yet called out of the world or separated from the world to God in that wise i. e by such meanes and in such manner as Christs Church is i. e. by the pure preaching of the word and pure power of God but rather by the power of the word of man i. e. partly of the Pope and partly of the civil sword in this nation of old under a penalty imposing upon them their present posture nor is the word preacht to them to this hour sincerely by Mr. Ba. or any other parish minister who unlesse he sing a new song will make them no more a Church of Christ then he found them but with wonderful much mixture of mans invention yea the fear of God is taught by him according to the precepts of men much lesse are the Sacraments rightly administred for their baptism is no baptism at all And as touching separation I know but three separations they have had since they stood under the name of Christian Churches answerable to the different Christian Religions of point blank Papism prelatical Prostantanism and present Presbyterianism which the parishes haue past under since they have been Parishes viz. a Presbyterian separation by appointment of the present Parliament who on pain of their displeasure commanded all to separate from the lesser superstitions of episcopall formes ceremonies services to a finer and more directorian kind of Protestant profession a generall Protestant separation by the Appointment of our english state under K. Ed. and Q. Eliz. who commanded all on pain of their displeasure to separate from the Romish grosser superstitions Popes Supremacies masse and other Marian opinions and professions also a parochial and a paropopical separation or distinct oppidal division
your selves when you speak plurally of it in your fifth question had he meant more kinds of imposition of hands then one for though hands be the plurall number yet laying on which is the phrase you speak to or else you speak nihil ad Rhombum is a substantive of the singular number both in the English and in the Greek and suppose the spirit had spoken plurally of more imposioâ—…s of hands then one must that that was Act. 8. 17-19 6. on baptized believers be ever the more excluded or the more incuded rather in all likelyhood among the rest and because the Apostle does not speak particularly enough nor distinguish nor expresse plainly enough what he means by shewing the end purpose and event of the imposition here spoken of therefore belike he meant that no body should ever own this principle at all but the truth is he speaks of no more impositions then one Therefore to conclude with the Enquiâ—…ers question propounded thus to themselves we desire to know what safety it is for any man to conclude that question to be worthy of an answer that is so falsely grounded as this of the Enquirers is and to conclude that Heb. 6. 2. is meant of more layings on of hands when it expresly speaks but of one And so deâ—… Friends whom I love too well to spare speaking plainly to you in a case whâ—…rein upon occasion of your putting on too too rashly in print little lesse then against it a precious truth of Christ lyes at stake between us since you are pleased to urge and importuâ—…e us so earnestly at the close of your questionâ—… by the opportunity that you have thereby put into our hands to justify our practise viz. laying on of hands upon all baptized believers as we love the glory of God and the promoting of that which we so highly esteem and hold to be truth as we will declare our love to the truth by countenancing men who diligently make search after iâ—… as we tender the union and communion of the Churches c. that we would discharge our duty and try if we could make it appear by the word of God which I confesse with you is able to instruct us in all things and therefore though much might be said from the constant practise of the Churches in and boâ—…dering upon the primitive times to the further clearing up of the truth in this point yea men far better studied that way then I am who yet see sufficiently to my satisfaction â—…ell us that all Antiquity teacheth laying on of hands after baptism yea and some that never practised neither it nor true baptism yet I wave â—…ll such Arguments aâ—… of no weight without the word Since also you promise us that if we so do then you shall acknowledg the truth thereof to the glory of God and your own shame in being ignorant so long and speedily imbrace it if God so assist you by his word professing you will to that purpose expect our faithfull care to be expessed with chearfullnesse without making delaies in a matter of so great importance which may unite and establish us in one mind hereupon I could not in conscience but take so much notice of your questions they meeting me also just in the mouth whilest I was musing to say some little but not a quarter so much as here is to evince the noncessation of this service as well as that of baptism as to give this transient answer as I travel along being bound also as you hint to me to give to every one that asketh it a reason of the hope that 's in me with meeknesse and fear so desiring the Lords blessing upon it towards you and upon you in your examination of it and as you have light your execution according to it that such excaecation as the Ranter who is run out of the reach of reason hath by little and little queried himself into may never overtake you I remain both yours and every ones servant for Christs sake Thus much concerning the continuation of that practise of laying on of hands now as to the present use of the ordinances of breaking of bread and church-fellowship I shal speak but briefly to that forasmuch as these are services the continuance of which to the end is denied doctrinally by none for ought I know but the Ranter that is run up above all saving that the Rigid Piesbyterians though in words they own the supper yet in works do deny it for many if not most of them live in the neglect of that administration of the supper in their parishes some four some five some six seven eight years without any use of it at all as if there were no such matter as that now in being for others I mean a certain mixt sort of Independents that are rife in these dayes they own and practise it and Church fellowship too more then enough unlesse more orderly in respect of that Antecedency to these of all the principles of the doctrine of Christ which ought to be now as it was in the primitive times which times they pretend to reform by taking in Omnium generum an Omnigatherum of persons men and women whom they take to be believers into fellowship in one visible body in breaking of bread and prayers some whereof having renounced their Rantism as null are truly baptized some as yet but meerly Rantized yet supposing themselves sufficiently baptized because of that which can be of no use to them as a sign for they remember it not some hanging in the air between both not satisfied whether they were truly baptized in infancy yea or no some doubting whether any water baptism at all be needful to be used in these times some convinc't that they ought to be baptized but not yet finding any Administrator that fits their fancies some resolved to be baptized but Christ who expects it from them must wait their leasure none reproving their procrastination nor saying to them as Ananias to Paul and now why tarriest thou arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord or as Peter to the Iews repent and be baptized Some resolving never to be baptized but roundly renouncing all water baptism as nothing concerning them yet leaving them at liberty to act according to their light that have a mind to submit to it and who see it their duty as if the plain word of Christ in this point of baptism were such a nose of wax as might be moulded and metamorphosed into any model according to every mans mind and temper or quite canceld disanuld melted into no word of Christ at all at every mans haughty humour that is loath to debase himself so far as to submission to it as if my Lord and my Lady and Sir such a one had more dispensation from Christ thenevery ordinary body to shew for their non-obedience to that dispised dispensation some of them that are baptized under prayer
broken his lawes changed his ordinances trampled his truth made void his commandments and subpaena damni Temporalis et eternae damnationis imposed mens Traditions arrogantly in their stead so you in your severall lines have done no lesse yea you also make people to erre with all your might and whatever tender consciences find Christ piping to the contrary in his word yet if they dance not after you pipe when it sounds to the tune of Tithes and put not into your moneths you cry peace but bite with your teeth and prepare war against them Mich. 3. 5. possessing the world with prejudice against them as a sort of seditious Sectaries damnnble Hereticks and Schismaticks yea exceptis excipiendis saving some few scatterings here and there of more sober and moderate minded Ministers like so many graines of salt to keep the rest from stinking too much in these states where you have or would have raigned who have not been so hot spur as their fellowes by the good will of P. the Presbiter as well as of P. the Prelate and P the Pope many an honest mans native countrey for non-conformity to his Gangraenaticall domination should ere this have been made too hot to hold him so far therefore as separa from the true church and her orders may denominate a people Heretical Schismaticks and Divines themselves place the Nature of Heresie much in seperation and Schism the Denomination seems to be your due O P P Priests who are departed from the primitive church and not ours for departing from you ye are are those Schismatical Teachers that are rent all from the primitive plainesse of the Gospel and present pompousnesse of each others way and have seduced the whole world into spiritual thraldome idolatry and superstition and inticed them into a carnal liberty of calling all things according as your carnal ends and interests impose the names of Heresie or truth upon them you are S S She that having got the good liking of the Kings and Kingdomes of the earth to confide in you do close the eyes of their judgements as Dr. Featley faines we do with your birdlime of Schism from the true church and head thereof Christ Jesus and bewitcht them into an implicic submission to Papism Arch-bishopism Occumaenical Synodism Provincial Classism and so lead them as you list into Anti-gospelism Antiscripturism c. making a prey of them and though Featly had the faculty of faining the Baptists â—…o be such yet you are indeed devisers of new religions and Spiritual Impostors falsely pretending to Christ as the Patron and Authorizer of your new doctrines of which Paedo-baptism is one which because there is not the least dram of evidence for it in the word of Christ therefore when people begin to question it you amuse the vulgar with the names of some divine Authors or other not Peter nor Paul c. but St Austin S â— Gregory S Chrysostome c. at Rome his Holiness the Pope the holy Mother the Catholique Church Ghostly Fathers c. and in places where those subterfuges are not regarded Reverend Sinods of grave Orthodox Divines Ministers of Christ Suffrages of all the learned Divines in the Reformed Churches c. and this you do to secure your Tenets from the hazards of disputes and exempt your persons and actions from the test of examination as if there were such infallibility herein that it is no lesse then blaspemy to doubt or call in question the Dictates or Directories c. of such and such thus bearing your selves up with bombasting termes of Fathers Spiritual Ius divinum c. you gain to the captivating of the reason of men so far that they resign up themselves â—…urare in v v vostram sententiam and will be as their Priests are and never believe but that they believe the truth when all this while there is nothing but humane authority and humanum est errare for most things you do yea you are indeed the greatest Schismaticks or Rentmakers in the seamlesse coat of Christ that the Earth bears you are they that have caused divisions and offences contrary to that doctrine which was at first received at Rome and in all Churches and by good words and fair speeches viz. decency order c. have deceived the hearts of the simple so as to make more conscience of serving those belly gods the Priests then the Lord Jesus according to his own will therefore when you talk so much to us of the Church and your Church crying out as the Pope does against the Bishops for theirs and the Bishops against you Presbyters for your departure from them Hereticks Hereticks that disturb the peace of the Church forsake the Church infringe the unity of the Church yet I say what Church so long as there is no other Church constitution among you to this day then that of parishes into which the Pope put all Christ'ndome what Church so long as the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles on which every true Church is built is cut off disclaimed and exploded and neither the word purely preached nor the Sacraments duly administred which by Calvin and Featley themselves are both made such true notes of the true visible Church that wherever they are there is the true Church and where not there 's no true Church what ever there may be in pretence yea verily so far are you from due administration of the sacraments giving the Supper to such as were never at all much lesse truly baptized many of you Presbyterians not administring it at all to your flocks whom you contend were truely initiated into your Church by baptism that indeed as you have substituted infant rantism instead of it so you preach down that due administration of baptism and the Supper which according to the primitive pattern Acts 2. is at this day to be found amongst us withall the vehemency you can proclaiming us Schismatical hereticks for declining your disorderly administrations and according to our covenant pressing on to that purity of administration of Gospell ordinances which lies now in such plain English before mens eyes that all your glosses wil beguile them but little longer there is no danger therefore of being rent from the Church of Christ in departing from participation with you in your oppositions of the truth therefore never glory so much in these vain lying words the Church of God the Church of God which is indeed the Common tone of all you Romanists each to other in your rendings each from other for there is none of you all three have a true visible Church of Christ among you nor yet right any administration of the things you call Sacraments whether we speak of either baptism or the Supper My answer then to the whole PPPriesthood of Christ'ndom even ye Protestant Clergy also from all whom as well as from the Pope we who are fictitiously stiled Anabaptists and charged as Schismatical Hereticks for so doing and troublers
in the field is the son of man i. e. Christ the field is the world therefore not the Church the good seed or wheat are the children of the Kingdom i. e. the Saints the true Church and worshippers the tares which while men slept and did not mind it the enemy came and sowed among the wheat i. e. in the same parts and places of the world Towns Countreyes c. locally considered the children of the wicked one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes. 2. that wicked false worshippers of God after their own inventions mens precepts not his will people and priests grown up into a Church worship ministery religion insensibly by little and little from false principles and foundations custome forefathers prudential additions of orthodox men c. not the pure naked word it self a people born to their religion yea their christian religion in the way of flesh and blood and the will of man of the Pope and councells constituting and civil powers from them commanding not of God by the word of truth The Enemy that sowed them is the devil for he indeed filled the whole world even the whole Christian world with false worshippers false principled Clergy men and when he could not kill the wheat the Christians in the ten persecutions in his open war against them by the mouth of thâ—… beast or empire heathen wherein he prosecuted them under their own names because Constantine a Christian was come now to the crown then he turned Christian himself and would have Christianity imbraced by all meanes by a law and sowed the seed of false principles of stablishing Christian religion as the onely religion before which all other shall now down promoting Christianity in the shell that he might kill it in the substance causing great honours revenues Peters patrimonies to be given in favour of Christianity from which principles selfish ambitious lazy luxurious Ministers as the Pope formall meer nominal Christians gâ—…w up and overtopt the truth and true Saints that kept close to the truth in the midst of all this mock shew wherin the devil hath kept an apish imitaon of Christs church all along and ministry ordinances baptism supper church censure but all corrupt and trod the holy city to the ground Rev. 11. the same subtle one now he sees his trade of forcing men from the truth by the pâ—…inciple of conformity to the false Christianity and the old Spiritualty fail is now shifting himself undoubtedly in to another Spiritualty that will as much corrupt delude the world by the principle of liberty of conscience abused and turnd by the Ranter into license though we who plead for liberty of truth say in maxima libertate est minima licentia in the greatest liberty of conscience to serve God there 's the least licence to serve the devil by our lusts and corrupt our selves in what we know naturally as bruit beasts nor is that conscience that makes conscience of nothing The harvest is the end of the world the reapers the Angels by whom at that time Christ will throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into his barn and burn up all chaff Tares husks weeds bryers thornes idolators hypocrites subtle seducers and sinful subverters of the truth whoever shall appear to have been such and all other trash with unquenchable fire Matth. 3. 12. Mean while I say still Tares may stand among wheat locally in one Country yet not lawfully in one church society Weeds and flowers Roses and nettles Lillies and thornes Vines and brambles Idolatours and true worshippers Believers and infidells the children of the Kingdome and of the wicked one the Temple of God and idols Christs church and the Devils chappel discovered hypocrites and sincere Saints Christians of all sorts save such whose very principle prohibits toleration and they make the case uncapable to be which will win or loose all stand alone or not at all as whether the P P Priesthoods do not or at least did not let all men judge Jews Turks and Pagans may be lawfully allowed their religions living in subjection under one civil power if the whole world were but one Monarchy in one World in one Field or Common-wealth though not in one Garden not in one Vineyard or Church and may not be made to be of the true religion whether they will or no yea I appeal to the conscience of any sober minded man whether if Pontius Pâ—…ue whom the Scripture stiles the Governour of Iudaea and a lawful Governour over the church a very heathen may be but no heathen lawfully a member much lesse an officer or a Governour in the Church whether I saie if Pilate should have been converted by Christ at the bar while he sate on the bench and truely believed in him it would have pleased Christ that he should have improved his civil power to have established Christianity in Iudaea and forced all men under penalty to believe in christ and renounce all meer Jewish worships or whether it had been as lawful a decree in Augustus â—…aesar to have forced all men to be Christians under a penalty as t was in him to issue out a decree that all the world should be taxed I suppose not but that he must have left all to their waies and have practised it himself and protected it from injury and propounded it to all in way of preaching but not prosecuting any by his civil power if they would yet remain Jewes or heathens and Christ might as easily have made Emperors his Disciples had he meant that the Gospel should be established by civil power And this is for the further safegard and advantage to the wheat as I sayd before for Christ gives this reasâ—…n why he would have the tares to be leâ—… alone least by rooting out the taâ—…es the wheat be roâ—…ed out also for if all religions may stand then the true one may stand in quiet without disturbance if all peâ—…ple may walk every one in the name of his God Mich. 4. 5. then we may walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever but if all be beaten down in a state and but one stand ten thousand to nothing it is not the truth that is there established for truth may be trodden down but treads not down others in a violent way of persecution Besides if true Religion establish it self alone in some States by forcing men to subject to it its gives a bad example to false religions in other states that think themselves in the right to do the like and force men that love the truth there to submit to them and â—…o there 's quiâ—… for quo and no end of disturbances they saying that we are Tares we that they are and so there is nothing but pulling up by the roots if toleration be not tolerated as the most peacemaking principle and so in these bussles if the wheat grow alone some where it must fall
Popes â—…oins the two P Priesthoods of the Protestant party might have lorded it longer like their father who will never be dead as long as they are alive had they not been as iron and steel against truth and true worshippers whom God makes as hard as slint against their faces that by their concussions against it he may the more fully fetch it forth the oppositions and imprisonments which Paul met with from the adverse party whereby they intended to smoother it in his daies fell out rather to the furtherance of the Gospel for it came to be the more manifest in all places by means of errors so earnest appearance against it 1 Phil. 12. to 19. Thus truth hath gained ground not a little in these latter daies by the ominous onsets wherewith falsehood fights it and would fain fright and force it to hide its head and wisdome works out it self not a little to light by follies flying so furiously at the face of it 3. That the truth might be better loved and more price set upon it we prize light the more by our knowledge of darkness health by our sense of sicknesse errour is a foil to a Diamond truth looks more lovely being compared with it The lilly looks most lovely and beautifull when it stands among black thornes 2 Cant. 2. the stars though ever obvious to us would never shine if there were no night contraria juxta se posita maxime eluâ—…scant contraries set together discover each other more lively in their severall loathsome or lovely formes the light of the Sun shewes brightest seemes sweetest when it breaks from under a dark cloud so does the Sun of righteousnesse now arising appear the more lovely by how much it hath been hid from the earth now of long time by that dismall darknesse and smoak of Heresies erroneous false worships and foolish figments with which the CCClergy hath filled all parishes throughout CCChristendome 4 For the punishment of hypocrites nominall Christians curious Minds such as have itching eares and heap unto themselves teachers stragling sheep fall into the wolves clutches such as will not keep the steps of the flock but go after the flocks of the Companions ever fall into most dangers of seducement all which is most plain by too woful experience in all Nations of CCChristendome for while Christianity and the Gospel was professed sincerely as it was saving some remote beginnings of mens traditions to take place against the commands of Christ in the first three hundred years wherein t was evidenced by the ten bloody persecutions that Christians served Christ for love then and not for loaves nor for lives sake neither for they loved not their lives unto the death there were not half so many Hereticks or Heresies as have been since but when once after Constantine Christianity comming into credit and being not onely owned by the Emperors themselves but established by their edicts in all things according to the pattern shewed them in the word not of Christ but of the Catholique Clergy convened in Councels as the Religion sub paena to be submitted to men turned Christians upon such sleight grounds and were born to that Name of Christianity without the Nature no otherwise then of the will of man and were no more then nomine tenus professors of it the Lord in his just and 〈◊〉 judgement to these nominal Christians permitted those Spiritual plagues that we â—…e Rev. 8. Rev. 9. seconded the sounding of the trumpets to fall thick and three fold upon the world suffered the Clergy to fall to contentions jars and janglings about their ambitious interests viz. primacy and universallity c and to Apostatize more and more from the plain primitive truth and to degenerate be degrees into darknesse till they came at last to be totally blinded in things of God and blind leaders of the blind Princes and people that implicitly gâ—…ve up themselves to be guided by them that both might drop together into the ditch yea he suffered that great star the Bishop of Rome that sometime shone very bright to fall as wormwood upon the third part of the waters the pure doctrine of the Gospel i. e. to foist in his heresies to the poisoning and imbittering of the doctrine so that many died even all that drank thereof because it was bitter and unwholsome and he suffered the third part of the Sun and Moon and Stars all the means and waies of Christs own institution and appointment to give light unto men by to be smitten and darkned corrupted covered with false glosses depraved with heaps of heresies and traditions c. crept in and authorized by the Pope and his Ecclesiastical Dâ—…ctors so that what with the damnable and horribly devillish heresies by means of Mahomet and his Alcoran infecting the Orientall Christians through all Asia and these Papisticall errors of those Arch-Hereticks the Pope and CCClergy and Scholastick Rabbies who with vain deceit seduced the Occidental part of the world from the simplicity that is in Christ the day shone not for a third part of it the might likewise i. e. the third part of that pure and pretious truth of Christ which shined in the primitive Churches was now exclipsed and extinguisht neither had men by the third part so much of that clear light of Christs Gospel that they were wont to have in former dayes yea further in way of plague and punishment to hypocrites and meer nominal Christians the Lord at last suffered that star which fell before or angel of the Church of Rome when he was fallen from all his heavenlinesse and love of truth to earthlinesse and love of money and honour from beneath to open the bottomlesse pit i. e. the way to the very depth of hellish darknes and to raise up a smoak or thick fog of errors and heresies lies traditions which as the smoak of some great furnace darkened the sun and air i. e. totally put out the light of Scripture and pure administrations which were but 〈◊〉 part ecclipsed before so that now nothing could be seen as it were but Popish legends and such stuff by the advantage of which smoother the Locuâ—…s came out i. e. the Clergy that swarmed all over the earth in every parish one at least stinging hurting wounding to eternal death by their poisonous doctrines propounded under pretence of the word of Christ all persons save such as have the seal of God in their foreheads even a few witnesses to the truth that withstood their doctrins which locusts are said to be scorpions i. e. carrying a fair face but stings in their tailes and to have crowns because of their great power for under their great King Apollyon they rule all and reign ore the Kings of the earth These are they that outwardly wear the sheeps cloathing i. e. cloth themselves with the denominations of Clergy Gods heritage Spiritual men Priests men of God which are the true titles of the sheep but
time as Authority did remove iâ—… uâ—…der that name on pain of five and ten pounds forfeiture to them that used it did then see it a corruption and imbraced the Directory in its stead and did not sleep as before but were changed in a moment yea we cannot be ignorant for who so blind as they that cannot see what they cannot but see of the Protaean practises of you Priesthood who since the new moulding of things here in Eâ—…gland from the depth of Popish darknesse have been the most self preserving sect as is to be seen this day in the world keeping together Catervatim in covents Counsells Classes and as trooping so trumpeting together for the most part in one tone according to the tempers of the Princes in whose times you happened to be trained up or have a being in against all that as Heresie which you saw the Higher Powers or general Assemblies of the Kirk directing and State correcting would have so and saving some few still among as well the Popish as Prelatick and Presbyterian Priests for its a hard case if there be never a consciencious Priest at Rome that would say otherwise then you all said saying and unsaying seeing and unseeing turning and returning changing and unchanging singing a new song and unsinging it again agreeing to speak with one mouth like the Prophets that Prophecyed before Ahab 1 Kin. 22. 13. who all save one Micaiah said but one thing and nothing still but good good to please the King so that whereas of old it was throughout all Christendome like Priest like Prince like People the heart of all Kingly power being hammered to the will of the Whore with whom it was enamoured Ahab being not a little overwiv'd by Iezebell that stole the breeches from him while he lay in bed with her and ran a whoring after her from the Lord so now since the civil Powers in these parts are resolved to be suprem and to be no more such underlings as to crouch any further then Consultativè about religion to any of the three parts of the Tripple Crown you the Priesthood seeing all your Pomp depend upon your obedience to the Sic volo Sic jubeo of King Henry and his Successors it hath been here like Prince like Preist like People me thinks I here you say O yee time-serving Prince Pleasing Priesthood Tempora mutantur nos mutamur in illis let us have our fees the fleece and let the flock feed how they will Kings Popes or People which ere Supreme do sit May let Religion be as you think fit We cannot but be aware unlesse we will wink how the body of you the Priesthood have for livings sake like reeds in the tide leaned this way and that way even which way soever the waters have turned and stood under K. Henry Papists under K. Edward Protestants under Q. Mary Papists under Q. Elizabeth and K. Iames Protestants and though you were ever eager for that form of Government and Worship still that was in present being pleading the truth of it as if you would have lost your lives rather then left it crying out that Religion it self was taken away if that were not continued as of old for Masse and Popes supremacy and more lately for Common prayer and Episcopacy and more lately yet for a Synodian Supremacy and Scottish Directory yet like children crying for the losse of some Gaudy Hornbook or Gilded Primmer a new Book a new Psalter and Festraw a New Testament or Will of the State streight stops your mouths so that any form else if it be an indifferent Independency may serve the turn specially when you judge it may cost you a whipping if you grumble and conform not Thus whilest truly tender spirits like a few harmlesse flies are catcht in the Cobwebs of mens lawes about Religion the Spider creeps clear over all and lives it out under Papacy Prelacy Piesbytery under commands of King Parliament and Army under the impositions of Masse Liturgy Directory and should a law be made as I desire of the powers there never may for conformity to the true form indeed may as well for ought I know begin again with the Baptists in the principles or A B C of Christs doctrine Heb. 6. 1 2. and primitive practice You professe you Protestant Priests to be Reformers in these times and places and bringers back of Gods people from Babylon to Sion but verily you hold them back from Returning so fast and so far homeward to the truth as some do more would do were it not for you who rather rap them in then help them on that run faster then your coveteotis turns can afford them to do in this work of reforming bythe word yea you are the greatest hinderers and retarders that are of that perfect reformation of all things according to the plain pattern of the word which yet upon several occasions since Protestanism came up you have protested for your selves and also pressed not to say what in you lies forced all people to protest for with you How is it else that men when they passe but a little from you Watchmen find him who their souls love and being first a shamed of your and their abominations while by implicit faith they dwelt under the shadow of your Ministery see the form and fashion the commings in and goings out and even all the ordinances and the lawes of Christs house and keep and do them in some measure and not tarrying for man Mic. 5. 7. nor waiting for the Sons of men are if not fully reformed yet daily reforming according to their covenant viz. the word of God and example of the best reformed Churches viz. Iudaea Rome in her first and true glory Corinth Galatia Ephesus Plilippi Colosse Thessalonica c. Yet you even you Watchmen are blind and found beating and abusing the spouse for her inquiries and sit like a company of Black Ravens or Rooks in a mist gaping after what way the whole body will take their flight before any Individuall though never so clear in discovery of the right dare once move from his standing before his fellowes you wait one upon another Sperantes omnes in singulis singuli in omnibus for light but behold obsurity for brightnesse but you walk in darknesse You groap for the way like the blind like them that have no eyes calling out help King help Houses help Councells help Neighbour Nations help Brethren of Scotland from all which because they are men and not God flesh and not spirit there comes no help at all save help to Gods people against you and such help too that he that helpeth you shall fall and you that are holpen shall fall down and you shall all fall together and none deliver You are sworn as well as we in the sight of both God and men to reform according to the word and that word is nigh enough even in your mother tongue bibles hearts and mouths viz. the word of
suitable to the simplicity and plainess of speech in which the Gospel ought to be declared and discussed nor reasonable to reason in with Russet Rabbies that are otherwise reasonable enough to give you such reasons of their faith and practise as you can never rationally resist nor is it much more profitable to our honest hearted people then if you spake wilde Irish. And when you have done then you smother and cloud over all that was more plainly and punctually answered and uttered to you on truths behalf in some true counterfeit Account or other in many if not most of which waies this Ashford Dâ—…spute as I have already shewed before both was and was designed to be smothered Thus like the fish Caepia when you are like to be catcht with playing too neer the mouth of plain truth you cast a flood of ink behind you and darken all that 's done and like the Lizard making good prints with your feet putting on as fair pretences as may be of willingnesse to try and have all things seen as they are upon the forepart of your work and then dashing all out with your tail and blurring all ore again with with some after and hinder part practises whereby to hinder the truth still from taking place in the spirits of the people As your Fathers have done before you for ages and generations together so do your selves in this point more too not a few Their delight was to hide their counsels and to do their works in the dark that they might say who seeth and who knoweth us Yea the whole Creation of you out of the Chaos of Romes Catholicon have been a very race of Smotherers that have cryed down truth as Heresie Saints as Schismaticks their tendernesse as stubbornnesse their serviceablenesse to Christ as selfishnesse seperation from your superstitions and corrupt communions as Sectarism singularity perseverance in Christs way without turning back to the flesh pots of Aegypt as obstinacy and will fulnesse Church meetings as Conventicles Church Messengers who are Christs true Ministers to the world even to the end of it approving themselves as so as few of you do in much patience in tumults c. reducing men to primitive purenes of faith fellowship worship baptism Supper life as Fools Bedlams Juglers Seducers Seditious Tumultuous deservedly round and rough reprovings of you who are more then any men hardened in your abominations as Elias Iohn Christ and others did them that were like you disgracing tailing reviling the one and onely true baptism as Anabaptism basenesse Enthusiasm Scripture searching by the Laity the onely way of Christs own appointment for all men to come to acquaintance with him by as medling more then needs Scripture opening by the illiterate Weaver Taylor Shoomaker Souldier upon whom the spirit that onely makes a preacher may as soon blow as upon a Schollar a means to multiply errors And thus what you Popish would smother in an unknown tongue you English P Priesthood who deliver it from that would more subtilly smother in a known whilest how far soever men see into the word yet they must see and say nothing or presume to see no farther nor practise any faster than the Priest Yea to shew how little you degenerate from him you even fill up the measure of your Father the Pope that wrath may come upon you all to the utmost whilst in these last breakings forth of light from all that smother wherewith Synodicall constitution hath overcast it even since your own seperation from Rome you damn it all by whole sale for darknesse ye are therefore of your Father Abaddâ—…n and the works of that Father of yours ye do he was a Smotherer from his beginning and neither could abide in nor can yet abide the truth because there is no truth in him he opened the bottomelesse pit and raised up such a smoak of traditions Ceremonies Canons Calumnies lyes nicknames misrepresentations of things to the world as the smoak of a great furnace to the darkning of the sun and the air when he speaks a ly he speaks of his own for he is a lyar and next to the devill the Father of it when he smothers that which should come to light he acts most like himself for he is a Smotherer also and the father of that practise Wherefore also as beloved that curse even darknesse drynesse and smother so it is come unto him and his CCClergy as he delighted not in the blessing of light so it is far from him as he cloathed himself and his with smoak and smother like as with a garment so it is come into his very bowells and like oile into his bones it must be to him as the garment that covereth him and for a girdle wherewith he must be girded this is the Reward of that Adversary from the lord and of all that speak evil with him against the truth Thus God hath lese you in his just severity to wander in by waies and to be lost in the laborinth of your learned Legands till you be all moped and sâ—…red even in the works of your own hands and smothered to blindnesse by your own smoak because when you should have Fathered and Mothered the Gospel so as to have brought it out in its primitive native beauty and brightnesse you CCClergy men have been the generation in all ages of your raign that have murdered and smothered it in the world And instead of Patronizing the truth and its professors and promoters you have belyed blasphemed both by the termes of Heresie Hereticks and worse witnesse Featly specially who from a few feats of some few mad men or rather Monsters of Manster and other place hapily like to our English mad braind Ranters whose rudenesse is in reason no reproach to us sith the way of baptism and Church-membership we walk in which these either never owned or abode not in allowes not but is more at odds with open wickedness then any other waies whatever who I say from some particular pranks of one Iohn of Leyden and his compeares that is no more kin to us then one Ioan of Lin is to the whole CCClergy denominates all the Baptists whom he yoaks together with them under the nick-name Anabaptists an Impure and carnall sect a cruell and bloody sect a prophane and sacrilegious sect a lying and blasphemous sect an illiterate and sottish sect all how truly it agrees to those men of Munster and their Chiâ—…ftan Iohn of Leyden it matters not but I am sure as much as you wipe your mouths and shift it of from your selves to the people of God that walk in the truth of the Gospel yet there 's no generation of men upon earth whom it all laies more claim to then the PPPreisthood of the Nations Forfirst though you stile your selves the Spirituality and holy men of God you are a race of men exceptis excipiendis still setting a side those few even all such whose consciences do not check them of
gâ—…ts little entertainment into their hearts I here proclaim it again to all people upon earth as that truth which as I have shewed above God will shew the Clergy once to their shame that the baptizing or dipping believing men and women in that way wherein we do it is no new faith practise nor baptism but that one only true baptism which was instituted by Christ and used in the primitive times of the Gospel and that their sprinkling infants is a meer trifle a toy a new trick and tradition of the church in its beginning to degenerate into darknesse and superstition and also that t is a tradition though more antient and reverent then some others as Mr. Rogers said of it and of which the church hath been posâ—…est for 1500 years as Mr. Marshall a little more then he could undoubtedly prove too said of it is confest not onely by the Italian Clergy as Bellarmine who said it could not be proved by Scripture but as simply as our Clergy wrests the Scripture into the proof out by the Remonstrants also who held it but as a very antient Rite that could scarcely be left off without great offence yea and Dr. Gouge also that would not be intreated to say ay or no to it at Dr. Chamberlains request now he sees people begin to pry into it did once acknowledge that it was a tradition of the church see Dr. Chamb. to Mr Bakewel p. 3. where he saies he hath under Mr. Barbers hand that he said so and used it as an argument to perswade him to take the oath ex officio And I desire all men to understand by these presents before whom we may happen to dispute this point hereafter that we declare against infant-sprinkling as a novelty in the faith and when we plead the dipping of believers as we are not in jest intending otiosam disputationem such idle dribling demi disputes and dainty dispatches as the Priesthood put us off with wherein he flams us i th mouth for an hour or two with the flap of a fox tail and lends us two or three licks of Latine and Logick and away again but a more serious earnest and constant course of conferring till the truth be tryed to the utmost so what we are so careful to contend for it is no new one but that old faith and baptism which was once delivered to the Saints this course of continued discourse though it suits not with such as seeing see not whose waies and courses are so much the more suspitious to be naught by how much the lesse they abide the light And a Modern Author whose Learning and Iudgement lives in the Memories of many of our Kentish Clergy passed this sentence on it Pruritus disputandi scabies Ecclesiae yet I say is that the very liâ—…e of the truth is so far concerned in that there 's very little of it comes to light in the CCClimate of the CCClergy by reason of their subtle sneaping things as much as may be out of sight that make against them I know the perverse disputings against the truth of men of corrupt minds destitute of the truth supposing that gain is godlinesse that t is reformation enough to mend the means of Presbyters out of the Bishops superfluities is the scabb of the Church of England indeed but I speak not of the pravity but purity of the disputation when plain minded men destitute of all self ends are minded to be serious and self denying and single-hearted in this work in order to more then either money or meer dispute it self nor is it Pruritus disputandi an itching simply after dispute for who are we simple Coblers Cartars Smiths Fishermen Farmers c. to stand before the wise and the Scribe and the disputer of this world in that work if God had not rejected them and made his wisdome foolishnesse but it is pruritus disprobandi a deep desiring of disproving your practises as Popish dispelling your smoak of errors and endeavouring to the utmost of our power according to what you have sworn us to in that kind to root out not by the civil sword but the plainnesse of the word your superstition heresie Schism and whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound doctrine that disposes us to desire it Indeed The Heathen said it was a wicked custome to dispute about the Gods for thereby things certain are oft called into question nor have they said thus without reason considering what little strength of Reason they had wherwith to assertain it that their Gods were Gods at all but me thinks it should not be counted therefore a wicked custome among true Christians that own the true God unless to put forth such curious questions about God as the Schâ—…olmen do viz. Aâ—… deus potius non suisse whether God could have chosen whether he would have been God or no and such like fooleries to dispute about their God and about his worship for fear it should grow more doubtful by discussing and howbeit considering the strong causes that commonly stiffen and harden the CCClergy in their Heresies or the utmost of their ends in disputing and some of those sorâ—…y effects that ensue there is but little encouragement to that work of disputing with them yet sith truth can likely be no looser by comming to the light nor is diminisht but displayed the more by how much it is discussed I see no reason why it should be declined and why Heteticks are not to be disputed withall and here it cannot be amisse If we consider 1 the Causes 2 the deâ—…ign of Hereticks 3 the Common effects of disputation with them Among the causes of the CCClergies Heresies may be reckoned Amor sui a conceit of themselves a fancied perfection and purity in them more then others Amor sui primum aedificavit civitatem diaboli saith St. Austin self love first set up the divels Kingdome Even that great City BBBabylon that in three PPParts reigns over the Kings and nations of the earth for though there were many superstitions grown in uppon the Christians before in the first three hundred years yet the pompous Kingdome of Priests had no foundation whereupon to rise so long as the Roman Empire remained Heathen for then the very Bishops of the Church of Rome whom the Devil hath since made his Vice-gerents in the world were persecuted to the death by the devil himself acting in the heathen Emperors in bloody butchery against Christians yea the Ministers went under miserable martyrdome as wâ—…ll as others and kept indiffâ—…rent close to the truth but when once the Dragon who fought against Michael and his Angels with open rage before and acted against them under the very name of Christians by his Angells the heathen Emperors and massacred Millions of Christians when he saw the Emperor himself Constantine the Great turned Christian and resolved to vindicate Christs cause and rescue the Christians from their bloody sufferings and finding that Michael
England onely was once of infinite riches as appeareth by the Bill preferred to King Henry the fift against the Temporall nues of the Church which were able to maintain 15. Earles 1500 Knights 6000 men of Aâ—…m more then a 1000 Almes-houses and the King also might clearly put up 20000 pounds as they now are not so rich so are they far more learned and of more sincere and Godly carriage wherein they give place to no Clergy in the world â—…nd for learning I dare say cannot be any where paralleld neither are they so destâ—…e of the externall gifts of fortune but that they are the the richest of any Ministers of the reformed Churches For besides 5439 Parochial benefices being no impropriations and besides the Vicarages most of which exceed the competency beyond Seas here are in England 26. Deaneries 60 Archdeaconries and 544 dignities and Prebends all of which are places of a fair revenue And as for the maintenance of Priests Monks and Friars before the reformation Mr. Camden reckoneth 90 Colledges besides those in the universivies 110 Hospitals 3374. Chanteries and free Chappels and 645 Abbeys and Monasteries more then half of which had above the yearly imcome of 200 pounds in old renâ—…s in Many above 2000 and some 4000 almost So studioâ—…s were our Ancestors both in those times of blindnesse and those of a clearer light to encourage men to learning and then reward it thus far he concerning the wealth of the English Clergy so that here was no lack yet I think but of a law that some should not sink and the rest swim in supersluity and hold two livings as Democritus would weep saies Mr. Den to hear some pluralists plead they do out of Charity it may be oâ—… of it indeed but t is in no charity to their brethren but on the bottomlesse pit of the Priestly purse beyond sea where poor Peter reigns in his posterity who had neither silver nor gold in his own person Act. 3. 6. of the gettings of that one great man the Pope to say nothing of the endlessenesse of his Priests eagerness after money there is no end nor yet weight number nor measure of his treasures t would make your eyes dazzle to see it and will make your ears tingle to hear what a deal of this ministerial maintenance is at Rome and her immediate Territories where there are no lesse then a million of Officers mendicants and others maintain'd at other mens cost themselves disbursing not a penny The ordinary Temporal revenue of the Papacy saith Helia Geog. 192. 193. Boterus makes to be better then two millions of Crownes the extraordinary and spiritual to be wonderful Plus Quintus who ruled six years onely got from the Spanish Clergy fourteen Millions Sixtus the sixth took from the Iesuites at one clap 20000 Câ—…oxns of yearly Revenue because they were too rich for men that vowed poverty and having sâ—…e but â—…ive years had coffered up five Millions four of which his Successor Gregory the fourteenth spent in lesse then a year Out of France they reap no lesse then a million of Crowns yearly out of England when it was the Popes Puteus inexhaustus they extracted no lesse then 60000 Markes which in our present money is 120000 pounds being at that time more then the Kings certain Revenue And this was in the time of Henry the third before their Rapine was fully come to the height Let other Countreys be rated accordingly Next adde the moneys received from the particular pardons for dâ—…spensing with unlawful Marriages the profits arising from pilgrimage from greats mens deaths and funeralls from the indulgencios granted unto Abbies and Convents in all which the Popes have a share and it would passe a good Arithmetician to passe his Entrado Here take the saying of Sixtus the fourth that a Pope could never want money while he could hold a pen in his hand yet is their Treasury seldome fall for 1. the State they keep because of their height of honor above all Princes 2. the large allowance they give unto their Legates Nuncios and other Ministers and 3. their greedy desires to enrich their Sons or Kinsmen with the Churches Lands or money with which humour Pope Sixtus the fift onely was never touched keep their cosfers exceeding low Adde to this the exceeding Gorgeousnesse of the Papal vestmets and especially that of the tripple Crown for when Clement the sist transferred his seat to Avignion we read how with a fall from his horse he lost a Carbuncle with which his Crown was thick set worth 6000 Ducats at the least Thus he And saith Lord Napier on Rev. 9. 21. and note q thereof It is more nor notorious what Abbies and Bishopricks from simple Princes what lands and yearley Revenues from landed men what money and goods from men of all estates hath been deceitfully stollen for indulgencies pardons remissions of sins â—…rigentals soul masses dirges de profundis and other superstitions stealing thereby not onely mens goods but even their souls If all this treasuring up of trash be not covetousnesse excuse me if I know not what else to make of it it would make me laugh as sorry as I am for all such hereticizing and Schismatizing among the Ministers from primitive plainnesse as hath been to see a Clergy man stand up and tell me now that much maintenance is a necessary means whereby to enable ministers of Christ to promote the Gospell specially if they consider how this covetousnesse hath caused the CCClergy in all CCChristendome to erre so miserably from the truth thereof after the traditions of one another that sâ—…me of the great Ghostly Fathers that had the greatest maintenance if that could have maintained them in or had not rather bewitcht them from it did not onely turn rank Hereticks but stark Atheists by their sin of covetousnesse when maintenance increased so much upon them if either lucre or learning could prevent the corruption or cure the ignorance of the Ministry the Popes had not proved such incarnate devills as the richest and the learnedst of them did Leo the tenth was indeed a great favourer of learning and layer up of wealth but so little favoured he of Religion that he was oft times heard to say Quantas nobis dâ—…vitias comparavit ista faâ—…ula Christi a speech saith Holin so blasphemous that Lucian Poâ—…e or Iulian the Apostate could never match it in his time begâ—…n the reformation by Luther and t was but high time for thee Lord to begin who wilt make an end also in thine own tiâ—…e for men yea thy ministers for so they all call themselves have throw covetousnesse utterly erred and universally made void thy law But enough if not too much saith Hâ—…lin and so say I of these Ghostly Fathers and of their sanctities I will as he does p. 185 end with the Painter who being blamed by a Cardinal for colouring the vilages of Peter and Paul too red reply'd that he painted them so as
outcry of Schism Schism Sedition blasphemy Heresie Heresie before he hath half heard it and so soon as ever its opening its mouths to speak that all the parish pulpits in a whole Countrey and now and then their steeples ring out in such combustion to the tune of Greâ—…t is Dâ—…ana of the Ephesians Act. 19 28. 34. that truth hath no way wherby to silence him but to be silent her self for when she begins to declare he with his Heresie Heresiâ—… soon stops men ears he is too arrogant to be convinced he hath controuled whole nations cut of the spirit of Princes bin terrible to the kings of the Earth and devinced invincible Emperors in his time therefore may well scâ—…rn to be convinced abominate detest disdain to be direâ—…ed by Russet Râ—…s Apron â—…os Minisâ—…n Mechanicks illiterâ—…â—…ns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tradesmen Christ the Carpenter Peter the Fisâ—…rman Paul the Tentmâ—…ker Aquilla and his wise Priscilla from which kind of poor folks and babes to whom it seems good in gods sight to preach the plain Gâ—…spel and reveal by his word and spirit what he hides from wise men when they will not see this prudent PPPriesthood if he were not proud might learn more truth and Gospel purity then ever was taught him by his Grand-father the Pope or any of those Clerical Councells or Ghostly fathers which he consults more with then with Christ and Scriptures The Reason of all his obstinacy against tradesmens teachings is this he knows that his trade of teaching for hire and divining for money Must fall if tradesmen begin once to turn divines and to teach truth for nothing ye know that by this craft quoth â—…e Act. 19. 25. c. we have our wealth moreover ye see and hear c. he is well aware and so are we that if he lose the lives of persecution for conscience and sprinkling of infants Iachin Boaz the two main pillars grand Supporters of his kingdom his Temple will quickly reâ—…d in to more pieces then 3 PPPs from the top to the very bottom and all his matchlesse magnitude and numberlesse priestly Prerogatives drop directly to the ground viz. his Lieutenantship to the prince of this World his Lordship over the heritage his headship over the Church his dominion over the faith his title to the tenth of every mans estate his merchandize of slaves bodies and souls of men his leave to trample the holy city and slay at pleasure the truth tellers that torment him his rich revenues dignity glory power seat and great Authority together with all the priviledges profits liberties immunities thereunto belonging All this his royalty must fail if he give ground but a little and would have failed ere this tiâ—…e If he had a face could blush at his own abominable blindnesse or ingenuity to confesse himself hurt or own the plain truth while his lungs will serve him in reply or Amor sui constrain him to cry heresie against the truth therefore this Diotrophes that loves to have the preheminence over all for ever because he hath had it for a while receiveth not truth but prates against it in the pulpit and elsewhere with malicious words and though he contradict himself ever and anon in his own Sermons and discourses yeâ—… if he say any thing at all he thinks it much when wisemen weighing it find it little to the purpose Tertulliau thus describes Hermogenes Loquacitatem facundiam existimaret Impudentiam constantiam deputaret c. so he when he bumbasts the pulpit and slashes the Saint Schismaticks in their absence before his people supposes he hath spoken with no small grace when t is for want of grace that he did it and that when he is most audacious against all reformation aâ—… at Rom and even that he hath sometimes sworn himself and others to as here in England when he finds it more crosse to his credit then he thought of when he undertook for t he counts them fickle unconstant that change their minds and mend their manners and himself only stable and constant to the CCChristian Religion Hence it is that the effects of Disputation with him have been not onely fâ—…strate but dangerous dangerous I say to him no otherwise then as it overturned his Kingdome that the truth of Christ might take place but to them that disputed with him in this respect as it hath been no lesse then their pretious lives were worth once to oppose or open their mouths against him witnes Wickliff Hus Ierome of Prague and all the executions done in Queen Maries daies upon such as dâ—…rst dispute against the Pope or meddle against the mass and those done in Queen Elizabeths upon Barrow Greenwood and Penry who were hang'd by Episcopal malice for professing against them and the Common-prayer which now well high all England hath renounc't as a corruption and what should have been done upon such as disputed against or depraved the Presbyterian directory is well known for that Clergy hath shew'd themselves so much in their Fathers colours that ere long all England will renounce both it and them and in this respect it hath been also frustrate as to peoples conviction for truths witnesses to dispute never so clearly against him for as much as he hath still stopt their mouths with the stake prison or gallows and kept his own wide open against them in the pulpit when he hath-secured them from all capacity of storming him there for The common sort are apt to think those have the victory that live to speast last and that their CClergies cause is never wrackt by the cause of Christ as long as one is left alive that can speak a word in that against the other And by how much error takes with our corrupt nature more then truth by so much there is more danger of its spreading where the Roots i. e. the self love vain glory ambition covetousnesse pride Lordlines universally and cruelty of the CCClergy who are plants that our heavenly father never planted Stocks from whom stemes out a stench from whom abomination branches it self out to the corrupting therof in al quarters of the Earth Rev. 11. 18. 1â—… 5. 19. 2. are not plucked up and rooted out for from the Priest and the Prophet profanness heresie hath gone out into all the world and spread it self like a leprosie or some raging canker and for the most part such is the resolvednesse of the CCClergy to bind the people still to a blind obedience to their blind guidance of them beside the word that Disputations with them if not carefully I mean clearly and also coolly proceedad in with love to their persons and almost without zeal against their evils which yet we must not abate them an ace of for all their anger pacem cum hominibus cum vitits bellum they Raise more evil spirits of wrath and divellishnesse in them then we can lay because they see them raise more good spirits of doubts and earnest enquiries after
talkt to that say to the Sâ—…ers see not prophecy to us smooth things that will not endure sound doctrine nor any troublesome truth that say of the words of Christ the doctrine of his baptism that calls for self-denyal the practise of which exposes to the crosse censure scorn shame suffering losse of credit custome offence of friends fathers mothers husbands wives c. which whoever loves above Christ is not worthy of him these are hard sayings who can bear them take heed I say of such ears as love to hear some truth but not all that stand open gladly to any thing but the losse of Herodias the darling lust what ever t is whether the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye or the pride of life God in his Iust Iudgement suâ—…ers such to fall Learn to be doers of the word not hearers onely and doers of all that you know and not some things onely as some do and patient both hearers and doers of what God and not what man saies Temptation hardly provails against that soul that is built upon the practise of Gods commandements but as is shewed above and exemplifyed in the parish people that are so built and no otherwise and whose fear toward God is taught after the precepts of men the soul that is built on the practise of mens commandements in his religion faith worship is easily prevailed with to be of any Religion the State pleases as well a false as a true as well Popish as Episcopall or Presbyteriall 4. To beware of the ordinary converse and needlesse society of these Schismatical Seducers the PPPriests that have drawn the whole world into a deep dotage after themselves and desperate departure from the plain doctrine of the primitive Churches and Apostles not to frequent groundlessely their popish parochial Antichristian Assemblies that say they are Jewes i. e. the Churches of Christ and are not but do ly and are the Synagogue of Satan and if any of the disciples or others think themselves strong enough to encounter with them or if they be so indeed yet to take heed of being foiled and spoiled throw their philosophy and vain deceit after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ 2 Col. 8. and however of offending weak ones by their example The Arguments of some nay of all these HHHierarchian Hereticks have not prevailed half so much to the perverting of the saith of so many millions of men and women as in all ages of their reign have been perverted from the truth as it is in Jesus as the examples of some shall I say nay of wellny all the Great ones in all nations the gentry the mighty the wiâ—…e the noble not many of which can submit to own the Carpenters son in the homely ordinances mean waies foolish and base things he hath chosen 1 Cor. 1. yea the Kings of the earth that falling â—…uto folly and committing fornication with this cunning women the CCClergy were besotted to sacrifice all their Crowns and the wealth and power and strength of their whole kingdomes to her will and to set up her waies Rev. 17. 2. 17. Who perhaps onely for noveltie or curiosity at first but at last after some few ages and generations out of principles of foolish custome and pretended antiquity have been present themselves and not by their own example onely but extremity of Lawes and Statutes which the Saints onely in each age have smarted for the breach of enforced others to be present at their will worships superstitious services extravagant dispensations and erroneous exercises and yet the bare example of great ones in a false faith without other enforcement is inforcement great enough amongst Parochiallists and the carnal commonalty who commonly live and believe much more by example then sound reason the faith of he Rulers right or wrong is usually the rule of their faith and Rex sum such a convincing reason with them as seldome receives other reply then nil ultra quaero plebeius 5. Not to be too rash to believe every Spirit nor to receive any more implicitly the spirit of the spiritualty the PPPriesthood no though it come in never so ghostly shapes and gorgeous pretences of piety humility zeal prayers tears c for she is a mystery and this is the very mystery of the Whores iniquity that she hides all her guile with a godly garb In nomine domine incipit omne malum saith the old Proverb and I wish that in homine domini occidat omne malum may be a new one if it prove a true one i. e. that in thy fall O man of God there may be an end of all mischief yet surely a worse mischief to the true Church sharp and short will arise out of thy ashes yet before the end false prophets must come in the name of the Lord as well as true ones Now gloriously did Balaam profess As Austin faith of Pelagius whose doctrine he counted devillish that his life was like a Saints so I say the Sancti Sanctorum of all Christendome in pretence have been in doctrine the veryest devils Alexander of â—…ales writes say some of Bonaventure that Adam did not sin in him and yet of all the Papists none lest more blasphemy behind him the Crocodile weeps till he hath got his prey the Priesthood won the world to it self with the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and then set up the trade of being Lords and Lawgivers themselves and rooted out his from off the earth 6. having once found out and fallen into fellowship with the true Church that is rightly constituted upon the true foundation of the Prophets and Apostles or principles of the doctrine of Christ to be stedfast and unmoveable in the way of truth not suffering themselves to be swayed aside in any wise by any deep devises or perverse pretences Satan of whatsoever and in order to their standing to avoid aweak and querrulous conscience misliking finding fault complaining taking offence at every thing where there is no cause streining at a gnat giving over the company of the flock for every rub forsaking the assembling of themselves together as the manner of some is seperating from the Congregation not so much for a ceremony as through a crooked and carnal conceit that t is but a meer ceremony to assemble and meet or meddle with any outward ordinances at all a matter in force onely for that small moment of the primitive age of the Gospel and now of no moment to us weak worships low things carnal ordinances unprofitable dispensations em pâ—…y elements bodily exercises beggerly rudiments c. like bruit beasts depraving the precious precepts of Christ even those holy matters of his which they understand not the weight and worth of these and such like have made such as of old Jude speaks of and we see so doing at this very day to depart and seperate themselves from Saintship to sensuality from Church-fellowship in the faith to fellowship
for Gods sake yet how did he put him off with delaies as if the businesse were now dubious to himself when as formerly he had acknowledged that it was a tradition of the Church and would give answer nec per se nec per se Synodum When therefore they shall say unto you ask the Priest seek unto us I say seek not unto them that say they seek but are loath to find themselves or at least are afraid that men should find and see all that which they cannot clearly deny to be the truth seek not to them that peep and that mutter and speak not out as if the matter were not momentary to be mentioned as if they were in a quandary whether it be safe or no to seek too seriously after the truth out should not a people seek unto their God for the living to the dead to the law and to the testimony your selves oh yee people if they speak not plainly according to the word it is because there is no light in them Isa. 8 19 20. Ask therefore the High Priest Christ Jesus and if you cannot be resolved so speedily as you desire to your satisfaction and content be content to stay till God shall reveal in the mean time while you doubt suspend the practise and do nothing doubtingly but exercise your selves the while in searching the Scripture and prayer to which pretious practise God hath made many pretious promises in his word as namely That they shall be undefiled in the way that seek the Lord with their whole heart Psalm 119. 1 2. That if thou wilt turn at his reproof though thou hast been a simple one and hast loved simplicity a scorner that delightest in scorning and jeaâ—…ing at the truth and a fool that hath hated knowledge which all are high degrees of sin yet he will powre out his spirit upon thee which happily hath been thy laughing stock and make known his words unto thee Prov. 1. 22. 23. that if thou wilt receive his words and hide his commaddements within thee If thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thy heart unto understanding yea if thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasure then thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God Prov. 2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Yet be assured of this humble ignorance in many questions debated in these daies by Divines and also in old timebefore us by learned Schoolmen and Casuists and by the Popish priests that reason about the unreasonable fopperries and refusely scum that arises out of the dead sea of their divinity is more acceptable to God then contentious curiousity yet not such humble ignorance about the ordinances of Christ as our Priesthood would hold men in as if the Law and Oracles of Christ which are all plain to him that understandeth were in things necessary to salvation so difficult and obstruse that poor mechanicks must meddle no more in t then they have leave from them in facili et aperto postta est salus the way of salvation is plain to be found in the book of God he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Lord for remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy spirit but the PPPriesthood hath led men the next way round about to salvation and framed a new Gospel for their followers which Scripture makes no mention of at all but as those Israelites that were led up and down the wildernesse so long God had sworne should not enter into his xest so neither shall those Christians that when the truth lyes plain before them delight rather to trace to and fro in the thicket of traditions received from their after forefathers then in the way of the first fathers of the Church and love more to wander then to walk in the narrow way of truth in the vast forrest wondrous wood and wide wildernesse of the PPPriests inventions 9. Consider sadly in heresie the sin the punishment the sin St. Paul places it among the works of the flesh Murder Idolatry Witchcraft Drunkenness c. and well may for t is onely in favour of the flesh and for some base fleshly ends or other that men depart from the way of truth and not of the spirit for that leadeth those that are resolved to be led by it as it speaks in the Scriptures into all truth as it is in the mind of Christ Jesus Iohn 14. The leaâ—… hereste cannot be excused the nature of it is to gather as it grows it is to run downhil and that 's the cause why so many follow it and so few the truth for its an uphill a narrow way that leads to life therefore few find it but facilis descensus averni the way to the bottomlesse pit is an easie and broad descent therefore many there be that go in thereat even whole towns Counties Kingdoms yea the whole world 1 Ioh 5. 19. Rev. 13. 3. a few onely excepted that obey the truth whose names therefore are written in the book of life the heretick that hath begun it cannot stop when he will but when once he ceases to receive and retain God in his knowledge and the love of the truth that he may be saved through some base love of the world and the lucre and lust thereof that he may be pleased profited preferred a 100. to one but he is hardned for ever in blindnesse God also giving him over as well as he himself to deeper and deeper delusion and at last to the love of lies more then truth Ieroboams rent turned into idolatry and the rent of such as run from the primitive doctrine of Christ is come to no less the Rantizer and the Ranter also are both sad examples to us how fearsul a thing it is to run away from the plain path of the word of Christ the one whereof when he ran down once but so far as to take upon him to mend Christs ordinances and teach for doctrine his own traditions never left adding more and more of his own odd constitutions till he sunk ore head and ears in a gulf of golden legends and a lake of lies the other when he had once declined the Scripture and denied all ordinances never left advancinxg himself into the clouds of his own airy conceits till his waxen wings melted with his soring so neer the sun and so he fell headlong into a sink of sorbid sensuality The punishment is either temporal the Donatists of old as some say the Anabaptists as they are commonly cal'd of Germany who if ever they ownd the truth abode notvery long in it are examples of Gods Iudgements in that kind spiritual blindnesse of understanding hardnesse of heart seeing and not perceiving hearing and not understanding and last of all eternal the worm that nâ—…ver
Ioanes example they may yet by Pauls rule they may not usurp authority in the Church * For now that 's put down also as to the present session as every power will be and that suddenly and with shame that puts down others for tyranny covetousness unrighteousness self settlement in greatnesse and delay of justice to poor people that cry for it in these latter daies and yet succeeds them in the same sins and in such security as to say Populus me sibilet at mihi plaudo Ipsa domi simulac nummos contempler in Arca. * I mean take tith for you pay none * of which you have the fift not the tenth if the husbandmans charges be all considered * If you were not blind your selves you would gather thus much from that viz. that while men are blind they sat under your ministry but when once they begin clearly to see they can see no ground to sit under you any longer * Nicholas the first was I think the first that prohibited the Clergy marriage saying that it was more honest to have to do with many women privately then openly to take one â—…fe Insomuch that a Priest of Placentia being accused to have a wife and children was deprived of his Benefice but proving the said woman to be the wife of another mâ—…n and his conebine onely he was again restored Helin p. 183. * That there should be 40000 dipped disciples at the first beginning of them too shall be no article of my faith who find an increase but to a few 1000s of such here in England undâ—…r no losse then seven years talking of this truth and find men more refusing to be baptized at all in truth then forward to be baptized ore again yea in this English Sectarian army of Anabaptists as it s termed by you Priests who have a habit of naming all men Anabaptists whether baptized or no that are up in lawful armes for the civil rights and liberties of the people against those Priests and Princes that have destroyed them t is to be feared there 's not one of an 100 did ever own Christ so far yet as to be baptized * Qui intravit ut vulpes reg navit ut Leo moâ—…ieb atur ut Canis came in a like a Fox reigned like a Lion dyed like a Dog * O monstrous is â—…age come upon our Doctors now in the hight that Apollo is the true God with them and his Oracles which by Christians were ever counted the Devils Gods oracles and the spoiâ—…ing of his Temple the spoiling and rifling Gods church and the ruin which Machinatione Daemonis say Historians themselves that write it fell on them that attempted it the curse of God for this sin of Sacriledge and Robbing God of his due so it should seem for defining Sacriledge to be a robbing of God a rifling of his Churches stripping Religion of her necesâ—…ary dresse and decent rites and ceremonies and asserting that God will curse with strange curses those that are guilty of it his first instance is the revenging hand of God on Xerxes for medling with the Temple of Appollo Surely these men who have so high an esteem of the God Appollo and his Temple would have had the like of Appollo's Sister Diana the great Goddess of the Ephesians and her Temple whom all Asia and the world worshipped Act. 19. 27. and counted Paul a Sacrilegious fellow in dispising her Magnificence and turning away people from her worship as Demetrius did who got his wealth by her standing had they been alive at that time yet this is the Doctor we are sent to for furniture with knowledge of the truth by you Ashford Accountants * Alias the Great gawdy building that was there in as much veneration as Pauls Church in London is for that is the Church with some whom a stone Church and wooden Priesthood pleases better then a spiritual house of living stones and spiritual ministry in it * Built by Queen Helena who if you consult the Story in no lesse Superstitious Devotion then they the Vessels of the Temple did consecrate the Temple it self to the Honor of Christ Pueri sacer est locus extra meiite * Alias the holy habitations of the most abominable holy Fryers who no question fryed in the fire of holy wrath and rage to see their holy Cloisters and Chappels sacrilegiously prophaned to civil uses which by them and their Lady Abbesses were wont to be made use of saving their holy Superstitions to nothing but uncivil and unclean * For then by my consent they shall be counted Sacrilegious too that shall ever happen to be spoilers of the tripple crown So Mr. Bayly and Mr. Baxt. Featly p. 161. 167. also Featley and Pagits title pages * Helin p. 161 * See Baâ—… Ep to the Read also Feat in his Epist. to the Read and p. 161. * Sae Featleys Epist. to the Read * Helin p. 189 * pâ—…va est vobis cura linguarum minor Artium mini ma pietatis were most of you as little learnd as good a peaâ—…cod shell might make you gown and hooâ—… Hang out your lights here your new lights quoth he scoffingly who in pride prints himself Capape Captain generall of all the Presbyterian forces in England c. viz. Dr. B. * Sir Henry Wotton Ciceâ—… 2. de naâ—… deor 1 Causes * After the oâ—…throw of the exâ—…chate 〈◊〉 Empâ—…rs now neglecting Italy the Roman began now to be governed by the advice power of the Popes Pepin and his son Charls having overthrown the Lombards give unto the Popes the Ex archate Urbine Ancona Spolero and many other Towns and territories about Rome Act. 18. 3. 4. Act. 20. 33. 34. 35. 2 Cor. 11. 7. ad 12. so 12. 13. 18. 1 Cor. 4. 11 12. 1 Thes. 2. 9. 2. Thes. 4. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. * Witnesse Al bert Archbi of Mentz who being at the diet at Ausbourge An. 1530. finding a bible on the the Table reading some leaves thereof where by chance he opened it said tâ—…uly I know not what book this is but this I see it makes all against us * Magister art is ingenii que laâ—…tor venter docuit negatas artifex sequi voces * 2 Tim. 3. 15. 16. * Featly p. 113. 2. Design 3 Effects * see the last clause of the first part of the Ashford pamphlet p. 11. Mr. Wilson Mr. Williamson * Mat. 15. 9. * Hâ—…tness Luther himself who though he wrote bitterly against indulgences yet durst not 〈◊〉 ought from the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 most holy Father Leo See an Epistle of his to Pope Leo the 10â—… * See Dr. Featleys dippers dipt See Dr. Helins Geography where speaking of Pope Joan he calls her both the literal and the mysticall Whâ—…re of Babylon * See Rutherfords Presbytery in the Epistles Dedicatory to the Reader * One of the three parts Rev. 16. 19. of the great City BBBabylon viz. the Pope and his carnal crue of Clergymen the Prelate found out but in nostris talpae in alienis linces sumus was so pittifully purblind at home that he could never find out a second the second part of that Babylonish WWWhore which are the Prelate and his Priesthood the Presbyter found out and began to cry out upon them also as an harlot but standing so much in his own light that he cannot see himself for himself and cannot see wood for trees to this day he cant hit upon the third but even that also which is the Presbyterian Clergy is in Tyranny so like the rest that the name Babylon will appear upon their foreheads too within a while * The term Christ used to Peter for his subtle selfishnesse immediately after he had honored him with the name of Peter Mat. 16. where the actions are Satanical the reproof cannot be too Satyri cal to whom soever See Brain 's Babels fall * Nos RustÄ«ci haud cÅ«â—…ănus quanâ—…ītătem SyllÄbÅrum
and that indeed is the most upright dealing with them of all yea Sirs you that are upon the Account of these times for godly Ministers let me say this to you for verily I have sorrow of heart for some of you of my old acquaintance my own flesh and blood for whose sakes flesh in me would fain be silent as knowing flesh in you would fain be let a lone but I must urge you to be serious in seeing how unsafely you satisfie your selves in your present fellowship with a carnal Clergy what make you among the prophane Ministry of the Nations that hath in all ages sate with such weight upon them as to sink them into a gulf of error so that all truth almost is heresie with them now and under hazard of being smoothered as soon as it peepes out from under that veil of traditions that hath covered it what make you keeping a Court of guard among the Babilonians to help to hold them in captivity still at least in the Suburbs and by the borders of Babilon where you yet linger and loiter for all your pretences and protestations to go quite home with them that are resolved foâ—… Sion what mean you to stand so neer in affinity as to make one spiritualty one spiritual fraternity with such flâ—…shly minded men as the main body of the national ministry consists of in all Europe for t is evident you 'l enter into the lists and make head with the worst of them even with the Pope himself against any further discoveries of truth then will stand with your standing among them though the Lord makes out the truth more clear and you seem in your prayers to desire him so to doâ—… 〈◊〉 yea I am almost ashamed to utter what I see I see preciseness and prophaness go hand in hand to keep out the true Righteousness indeed So that if I speak to the whole body of the CCClergy throughout the earth as very often I do yet I bespeak you no otherwise then I find you viz. whether for this or for that in particular yet all banded in one general body against the truth for as Herod and Pilate though at enmity could yet agree as friends against Jesus so you though of never so different complexions and constitutions lives and conversations doctrines and disciplines forms and fashions and goverments and Gospels yet are all friends to Christs crucifying in his disciples yea how implacably are you at odds among your selves one sort of you being for the supremacy of the Pope another for the Super-intendeny of the Bishop a third for the superstitions of the Synods others for they scarce know which and they care not what but as the temper of the times doth dispose them some Rantizing infants from one ground viz. because its a tradition some denying that and disclaiming it as both a rotten and false one yet Romanizing still from some other some and those the most more loose a few more strict in their manners notwithstanding all which variety you are at unity still i. e. at emnity against the Gospel of Christ. But should you help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord surely wrath will be upon you with them from the Lord If you Iehosophats i. e. the honest Presbyters in whom good things are found who have taken away the groves and much more of that Romish rubbish then your father Asa i. e. the good old Bishops did before you if you good Iehosaphats I say will after all this join with the wicked Ahabs that trouble Israel in imprisoning the Michaiahs at least by a silent assent and with the Ahaziahs that do wickedly so as to lay your heads together for ship-loads of Gold 2 Chron. 3. 31. 19. 2. 20. 35. 26. 38. for more means and maintenance saying to them we are in this point as you are our people as your people our parishes as your parishes our Articles of faith herein as your Articles of faith our way of maintenance as yours and we will be with you in the warre to reduce the Giliadites the sectaries that should be subject to us to our obedience your ships and all your projects works and councels will be broken and disappointed as the others what ever may become of your persons true men in a false way are out of Gods protection as well as hypocrites in a true Therefore depart ye from the tents of those ungodly men yea arise and depart from that Papistical posture of parish Churches and Pastoral relation to such as are not sheep which not Christ Iesus but the Pope stated men in at first for this is not your rest because it is polluted it will destroy you with a sore destruction whereupon come out from them and be ye seperate yea come out of her come out of her ye that are Christs people for Christs Ministers you are not though never so good men by Antichrists orders and partake no longer with her in her sins least ye partake also of her plagues Fourthly the Godlinesse and honesty of mens persons doth not prove the goodnesse and truth of the outward form and way of Church-order they are in nor must hinder the overturning it if false who will say many of these under the Episcopacy were not good men if good men stand in a bad place soil or posture they have so much the more need to be removed as trees and transplanted into a better for many of you Presbyters that go for godly were as godly every joâ—… while you stâ—…d in that false Episcopal form as now and some of you somewhat more for it s much to be feared that the settling of you in the same Hierarchy over the faith and chair of infallibility here in England out of which you justled the Bishops and they but an age above removed the Pope and the enjoyment of so much of their means hath been a means of abating much of your godlinesse and righteousnesse too if ever you had any or else the Priest surely would not so have so soon forgot that ere he was Clark as to have gone about so high Presbytery did but that God prevented him of his purpose so soon as ever he was gotten out of his own growning condition and kept from the clutches of those that crusht him to crush those that groan'd under him for the same liberty of conscience out of Smectimnus his own mouth There were therefore if not as many good men yet many as good men and to their then light sincere souls owning Prelacy and some its like owning the Papacy it self as may seem to be among you that now disown both yet did not this forbid you nor stop your mouths from using sharp invectives against their Authority as usurped their Government as ill their spiritual Courts consistories and seveveral sessions as spiteful to the truth their wayes as violent against tender consciences that could not close with them their Liturgies Ordinations administrations of Ordinances Baptism and
Supper Discipline directories for worship and Catechism c. as altogether superfluous superstitious unlawful and abominably corrupt their revenues too great though little enough for your selves if you could catch it their power too absolute till it came into your own hands their Synods too supercilious arrogant arbitrary and impositive upon the state both powers and people till you had a Synod of your own their pluralty of benefices too much of all conscience for one man till conscience in some of you was made wide enough to have and to hold as many cures as ever you can compasse and themselves an untoward and perverse generation the Whore of Babilon so Rutherford and the very best among them too bad and much more to blame then others for not seeing your model to be better and for once effering to set their shoulders to the upholding of so rotten a fabrick why therefore since your domination is the same and your government as Tyrannicall as the other the extent of your dominions the same for they rule but over all and you over no more then you can subject the subject matter of your churches the same viz. whole England whole Scotland whole Common-wealths the whole world at once if it would as Catholikely submit to your directory as it did once to the Popes in point of worships and payments at least whether godly in their conversations or no your parish form the same your Ministry a Ministry by the same orders and mostly of the same men new moulded not so much in mind and manners as in manner of ministration according to the laws for alteration in a word your whole Hierarchy though new suited so far the same that you are no lesse Cozen Germane to them then they two are one unto another why may it not I say be proportionably reproved notwithstanding a number of honest and godly men among those that are not more numberlesse then so godlesse that they may well say of themselves Nos numeri sumus fruges consumere nati 5. Specially since the best men are by so much unworthy to be justifyed favored in the false form they are found in by how much in some respects they do more wrong to the truth then the very worst that are in that wrong way with them For though the wicked Ministers are the worst both to themselves and to all others otherwise whether Popes Prelates Presbyters or Popish Priests of of any kind yet herein the best are worst and even more injurious then any viz. as they are greater stumbling blocks to some and by standing still in a superstitious way stand more in the way of such as living more at a venture by their example in all things then the word would else escape it then prophane ones are capable to do thus pious Priests that are adored as Popes in their several parishes more dazzle their peoples eyes from discovering the whole mystery both iniquity and godlynesse then dissolute rude proud paultry ones possibly can when once the Gospel comes among them yea Pope Caelestinus Pope Clemens Pope Innocentius Pope Pius Pope Formosus Pope Urbanus do more captivate their cures to continuance in crooked customes then either Leo or Helbrandus When men in a false Ministry are any better then ordinary in their persons though never so Antichristian in their performances yet how many are hardened to the heeding of these as Christian enough for their sakes but when they are not onely traditionary in their services but impious and impenitent in their lives this renders not onely their deformation more discernable but also reformation more desirable then else it would be so as corruptio optimi est pessima the pervertures of good men are most prejuditious if not pernitious to the truth ex malis moribus bonae nascuntur leges the parish Ministers immodest manners makes modest men look out for some better lawes and Gospel There 's one thing more I know you will charge me with for you Ashford Disputants did once before thousands when there was seemingly lesse occasion then now viz. that I am too sharp and Satyrical that I rail at and revile you in stiling you an Adulterous generation Antichristian Hereticall Schismaticall To which I say first that though some of you would have muzzled me up then by an Article from that which you call reviling least happily I should have unmaskt you too much yet in your sense that Article shall not bind me at this time with your leave for you call that reviling that is not so would you set your selves soberly once to reason things out i. e. to discern them properly as they are you would find that no man is reviled that is seasonably and soberly declared and denominated to be but what he is for be the titles we note men by never so grosse yet are they but their proper names if in all things suitable to the subject hence though I can excuse your ignorance in terming me Anabaptist for that 's impropriation indeed yet I le more then pardon you print me out how you will so you print me no worse then you prove me and as for me whatever stile I put upon you as I do it in a serious and not lusory way so I make it out to be your due as also what you Presbyters put upon the Prelates and you Prelates upon the Popedome viz. the denomination of Antichristian Strumpet Babylon and such like you make plainly enough appear to be their due and therefore I cannot possibly be said properly to revile you forasmuch as upon the self same Account as you cry out upon each other and use these disgracefull and opprobious termes as you term them towards one another I as justly cry out in the same language against you all unlesse you will yield to it as I know you will not that you are Revilers your selves If what I say of you be indeed more then the truth I le not onely expect your contradiction but accept thankfully your correction of me from the word but if you cannot from thence deny but that I call you what you are then as you will not be guilty of overcharging your selves as well as me you must acquit me from the guilt of reviling for as I lend you no worse language then you lend one another in the like cases so as I plead my innocency in it must you plead your own else can you be held guiltlesse no more then I but we must all be revilers togegether When the Pope challenges the Prelatical party for stiling him the Roman Antichrist and the mystical Whore of Babylon and the Prelates likewise come upon Presbytery for making them as much Babylon as the other for so doth Mr. Rutherford the Scotchman calling the two Governments of Italy and England the Popes and Prelates lawlesse Church Monarchy saying of the Prelate that he could not find his Father and was ashamed of his native Father Diotrephes i. e. the