sensible savouring the things that are of men as how we ought to pitty our selues our wiues and children and so prevent the unavoidable evils of non-conformitie but yet they understand not in this poynt the things that are of God namelie that rather then we should conforme to anie thing in his worship which he hath not in the word commanded we must forsake yea we must hate or denie in this case all affection of dutie reverence loue tender care or whatsoever to father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and our owne liues also or else we cannot bee the disciples of Christ Must not these graue and learned perswaders then of absolute necessitie bee an offence unto every faithfull and tender heart Goe on therefore my brethren and be of good courage and assure your selues that in suffering for not conformitie to kneeling you suffer for the Lord Christ and to yeeld against the light of your hearts is to be ashamed of him seeing these things doe directly follow from his own words even wheÌ„ for feare of men spiritually adulterated we will conforme to things of divine use in his worship which he never commanded but are onely warranted to our consciences by the advise of the learned or the precepts of men the traditions of the Elders and other like humane authorities All which without warrant from the word even euery one of them in particular and generally altogether are Lyars and therefore all the gestures or actions ceremonies or or callings of religious use in the worship of God which they perswade unto without warrant from the word are lying gestures lying actions lying ceremonies and lying callings not but like the Divel they may speake professe and acknowledge some excellent truths but that the maine thing they aime at is to maintaine some errour or other and therefore all the volumes in the world filled with all the Art learning wisedome and discretion of the whole world compared with or set against one verse in the sacred Scriptures are to bee esteemed most filthy and stinking dung But haue we but one sentence in the Bible for a table-gesture which yet were sufficient against all humane opinions and authorities whatsoever haue we the first institution onely or barely mentioned do not everie one of the Evangelists make mention of a supper or a table of rising from supper and sitting down and of sitting even in the act of administring and receiving the sacrament yea doe not diuers places in the Acts and Epistles plainly inferre the continuance of a table gesture and therefore to bee the direct ordinance of Christ But it seems an impudent generation is come up who dare affirm that the Sunne of the Church must if they make such a charme or Canon stand still continually and not stir at all as once it did for one whole day in Gibeon but the Moone especially not to moue one inch as for that time it did not in the valley of Aielon further then they in their discretion shall thinke to bee fit and so by their wit and learning are bold to defend that the earth is in circular motion all the world and the creatures therein turning round continuallie yea they are most confident if they may haue audience to make any indifferent hearer that comes without preiudice to conforme and subscribe to â—his opinion Doth not the spirit of giddinesse possesse the heads of these men are not these the true successors of those learned Divines graue Rabbies great Doctors that still cried out to Christ Shew us a signe make it appeare that there is a Sun in the firmament proue unto us that there is a God or which was as evident that thou art the Messias Seeing then all things whatsoeuer of religious use which the father would haue the Church to know and conforme unto are treasured up in the word though every one indeed can not come at them deny this if they dare it must needs follow that either the gesture of kneeling as it is urged is a a humane Invention or as you would say in playne termes a very starke lie though hansomlie lapped up and therefore of the divell the father of lies though artificially painted perhaps by some of his limmers with the very best Italian beauties or else if it bee a trueth and therefore to bee conformed unto then there be some unwritten trueths or vereties which the Churches are bound of conscience to beleeve and conform unto and yet not commanded in the word of truth then it must needes follow besides the scriptures and either let our learned adversaries make this large breach for the Iesuites at pleasure to enter by or else for starke shame discharge no more such furious Cannon shot against our bullet-beaten fortresse The scriptures sufficiency Is it not high time to take away these presumptuous causes which purposely teach and perswade Conformity to such blasphemous doctrins out of Israel being the best seeds of the verie worst evils thereof I conclude therefore it is farre better to expose our estates and bodies to the greatest malice of our greevous adversaries by standing for a gesture without all exception then by conforming to one which that Prophet never taught no nor so much as once mentioned in that manner and forme as it is urged and so to be by him Destroyed out of the people For must we have his warrant and heare him onely in the doctrine of the sacrament and shall wee not care for his warrant nor regard what his word saith for the gesture of the sacrament And for those who in these matters of God concerning his publick worship insist so much and with such violence upon prohibitions a service sometimes not very acceptable to them crying out unto us shew one place where the Lord forbids these things and wee will yeeld that it is a damnable sin to conforme unto them I am bould with their good leave to Remember them of one other argument of the Lords own making concerning this very subiect of the actions ceremonies and gestures in this publick worship and service which he purposely framed and committed also to writing for the use of all posterity even to bee a lanthorne of our feet and an unerring light to our paths in these very occasions and in most plain evidence of the spirit it stands thus By the light of nature all mankind knows that there is a God therfore everie one wil worship him as wel as he caÌ„ though it bee not according unto knowledge to glorifie him as God for that is impossible without direction from his spirit according to the scriptures but though they have excellent wisdom and admirable understanding yet even the learnedest of them when they professe themselves greatest Clarkes proue themselues the veriest fooles because they become vain in their thoughts their foolish hearts are full of darknes for they turn the glory of the
for if once you sit downe or settle your selues with resolution to proue the lawfulnesse of the seates of these scorners or money-changers you are neere vnto cursing and farre from the blessing yea the Lord thinking upon his congregation which he hath possessed of old and on the rod of his inheritance which he hath redeemed and measured out for himselfe and on mount Syon wherein hee hath dwelt will verily lift up his strokes and destroy for ever every enemy that doth evill to the Sanctuarie Even so be it Lord Iesus If true Religion onely knits our heart unto God and all false Religions seperate our hearts from God then whatsoeuer is of Religious use and to be conformed unto in Gods publick worship must be true that is truely grounded in the word of God or else it separats us from God But true Religion doth onely knit our hearts unto God c. and the gesture of kneeling as it is urged being of Religious use and to be conformd unto in Gods publick worship is not true that is not truely grounded on the word of God Therefore to Conforme to kneeling as it is urged is to separate from God All feare or Religion towards God not taught by the Scripturs but by the precepts of men remooues the heart farre from God yea the defence and justifying hereof workes great wonders and marvels the wisedom of such wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall bee hid Esa 29. 13 14. TO THE CHVRCH OF GREAT BRITtaine in generall or to the severall congregations or Churches therein in particular being the true visible Churches of Christ grace peace bee multiplied for ever IT is not vnknown how vtterly vnlawful yea altogether impossible it is to serue or conforme to two masters as also that by our fall in Adam we haue not onely forsaken our first master of Creation who in our innocent estate did immediatly direct teach and leade vs into all truth but haue betaken vs to a new master whose Inventions or nouelties we did most voluntarily subscribe vnto euen Satan who now doth immediately in the estate of nature guide and leade all the children of men as well in the Church as out of it into all falsitie and error in all things concerning God and his Church and yet also how euerie one naturally doth most willingly though some perhaps more wisely or learnedly and others more vilely and desperately yeeld their hartie obedience vnto him though not in their purpose and intention yet at least in error of their Iudgment and corrupted resolution For the vnderstanding being vtterly blinded we think in our reason wisdome and learning that to be certe 〈…〉 ly good which is directly euill that to be cleare light which is Egiptian darknes that to be the service of God which is the apparant worship of Deuills and so think and are verely perswaded our master to be God when in verie trueth it is Satan True it is that wisdome discretion learning and many other excellent parts and gifts yea euen in heavenly things nature may and doth still by industrie attaine vnto but the sauing or sanctfying graces of God which bring the heart vnto Christ that new or renewing master are supernaturall euen the immediate worke of the holy ghost whose schollers or seruants euerie one of necessity must be that will be saued and thus farre I take it is agrreed on all sydes in all our Churches or congregations For I speak to none but to such among vs as professe thēselues to be the schollers of Christ now being matriculated or by the blessed sacrament of holy Baptisme Initiated into the schoole or corporation or bodie of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ I humbly beseech euerie one that doth sincerely purpose euer to take the lest degree of true holines or sanctification without which no man shal see God seriously to consider what books whether historical propheticall politicall poeticall or Euangelicall or authours as they terme them must here to this purpose be learned and professed and these are all bound vp together in one volume of the canonicall sacred or inspired scriptures and for their excellencie called the Bible all other writers or authors diffring from these in any thing concerning God or his worship by teaching or pressing some things which are not truly grounded vpon these are to bee esteemed books of our second master therefore to be accursed how honest or holy soever their intention or drift pretends or seems to be yea of most absolute necessitie it followes that all who do upon any terms learne their lessons from thence and so conforme unto them do thereby conforme unto Satan who of all men in their wits is acknowledged to be the author and teacher of all lessons or doctrines concerning religious ceremonies callings or gestures in the worship of God which are not in evidence and power of the holy Ghost plainly grounded upon the word of God for there bee but two masters who are by Christ opposed the one to the other All trueth therefore is to be learned of the one and to be collected or gathered onely out of his books or sacred writings even from God to whom onely wee must giue credit in his word for oportet discente credere whatsoever then is learned elsewhere must needs bee from that other master as the proper lessons of his open and free schoole wherin yet wee confesse all the excellencies of of all arts and all the deepenesse of learning do abound who must also in those arguments and reasons we ground or practise upon bee credited and beleeved to bee the authour of that supposed truth which we make profession of by our so doing Let us therefore bring forth those bookes or authours into the open view of the world wherein this lesson of Conformitie or refusall thereunto is taught and learned that so every Scholler may be knowne by his own Master and the authours publickly taught in his schoole Now if any be ashamed to professe that hee obayes or learnes this lesson of any other then of God then must hee either shew his warrant and authoritie out of the sacred Scriptures for the things hee professeth and practiseth in this controversie or else he plainly discovers whose scholler he is for they onely are the fountaine of trueth that which comes from them is holy and sincere but if it be grounded vpon men or Churches though ancient and orthodox in many other things yet the filthines of their channell in all matters especially of religious vse will leaue some infection behinde it Let vs therfore trie all things yea though they haue beene the receaued opinions or practises of the holiest men and purest churches in the world whose iudgment yet is highly to be reuerenced though it differ from ours till the worde of God do euidently to our consciences dicide the Controuersie and keepe or conforme to that onely in the divine service
of God which is good which nothing possibly can be but that which comes from God the sole author of whatsoever is good For howsoever it cannot bee denied but that surely there is a spirit in man and great excellencie of learning wisedome government and discretion in the subordinate tutors or teachers of this other master yet the inspiration of the Almightie or the inspired word of God onely by the effectuall working of the holy Ghost giveth understanding especially in all things of a religious use in the publick worship of God To ground religious conformity therefore vpon any thing els whatsoeuer is directly to forsake the right way and there is but two wayes the one of truth which is streight and narow and but a few that will subscribe vnto it and to go astraie and follow the broad way or to learne the easie lesson of Balaam the sonne of Bosor which loued the wages of vnrighteousnesse I iudge none but intreate all to take heede of those swelling wordes of this other Schoole or Synagogue full of vanitie least they bee beguiled by them and so bee wrapped also in their error especially to take heede of the second entangling for the latter end of such is farre worse then the beginning to whom the black darknes is reserued for euer Seing then there be but two chiefe masters God and the Deuill and but two wayes grace and nature and seing all that ground their conformitie truly on the scriptures are in the way of truth though imprisonment and other grievances inflicted on them make it some thing streight and narrow and are verily taught of God it must needs follow that all that ground their conformitie vpon any thing els or vpon these erroniously are taught of the diuel which their maner of reasoning allegation of their best authorities doth not obscurely discouer But here perhaps one will strike me on the face and say why should the clay call the potter to account why hee made it thus or so or why should our adversaries demand why this gesture of kneeling should not be as comely and as comfortable as a table gesture Surely I for my part can say no more but ipse dixit our master whose teaching we onely rely upon hath by his own practise openly and solemnlie published and proclaimed in the word as with a silver trumpet to all Churches and congregations for ever the excellent and divine dignitie thereof The other master teaches from fathers and counsels from the precepts of men yea as he bragges from unitie Antiquitie and universalitie as with the verie quintessence of Parnassus melodie that kneeling in the verie act of receiving the holie bread and wine in the Lords supper is the most humble thankfull reverent and fittest gesture in the the whole world yea far beyond that of the table Thus either master hath flows in a different sence let everie servant disciple or scholler therefore cleaue fast to his own master and quite forsake yea hate and despise the other but ô man who art thou are thou mortall must thou come to Iudgement and yet darest thou aske a question of the immortall sonne of God in his members or servants why the gesture which he made choice of and used and ordeined should bee better then that which the sonne of perdition devised and exalted mayest thou not as well aske why there should be any Sabboth or but one not two why two sacraments and not seven why he wrote to 7. Churches and not onely to the metropolitan why wives should be subject to their husbands more then in name or the Church unto Christ further then in shew let us examine and trie these things therefore whether they be of faith for else they are sin yea no man can be ignorant of this that if Christ do not warrant them by his word they are reprobated and serue for no other use but to bring some to reprobation and to hinder others in the means of their salvation for as there is no law or condemnation against any fruit of the spirit or against them in whom it is yea though the world make a law against it yet is great consolation to be found in suffering for it even so if these things in question be the lusts or inventions of the flesh then can they not possibly serue to any other use but to fulfill the will of the flesh and of the mind and so in their verie nature are as I may say the children of wrath as well as others even as well as those damnable devises of sacrificing for the quick and the dead of disposing of crowns of dispensations with corporall and spirituall adulteries or Incests and other like hellish abominations or humane inventions for they al com frō one the same root flow out of one the same fountain haue all every one of them as good warrant by the doctrine of this second master one as another even from the prince that ruleth in the aire that spirit which worketh in whatsoever is not donne in the obedience of faith in all things of Religious use Dare we then conforme in the Religious actions or gestures of our bodie to the ceremonies of that spirituall harlot or to the likenesse of them especially seing in this great secret or mystery of our union with Christ wee are now ioyned in a far neerer bond unto God then in the innocent estate and therefore a far greater and stricter subjectiō is required at our hand True indeed by creation wee were the lovely sonnes and amiable daughters of the most high having no thing uncomely nor any disposition thereunto in any part of us but by sin we made our selves strangers yea enemies most filthie and euen loathsome to look upon yet even in this estate to look upon when he saw us polluted in our own bloud or filthy nature when we were naked and bare utterlie void of all goodnesse or any disposition thereunto even starke dead by sinne in sinne I say in this hatefull condition hee looked upon 〈◊〉 with the eyes of his love and covered yea clothed our filthinesse with the skirts of his own righteousnesse and sware unto us even entred into covenant with us and so contracted vs to him self to be come wholy and in all things his and his onely euen flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone therfore did he wash us in that fountaine of the house of Dauid and annointed vs with an ointment from that holy one decking vs with all spirituall ornaments of grace and sanctification of life so that his holines in the Godly though never so contemptible to the world is become as truly glorious and honorable as a kingdom euen as wickednes makes the mightie and great ones in the world ignominious and contemptible Is it possible therefore to expresse what great and iust cause we haue
a spirit in man and therefore it may bee that some are called spirituall men yet we should allwayes find this to be true in all controversies o◠proceedings about matters of Religious nature not many such how excellent soever much lesse the greatest part of them though most wise after the flesh no though their counsell in their dayes be esteemed as free from error as the oracle of God are notwithstanding chosen of God to doe any speciall good to his Churches or servants for indeed though their titles be spirituall yet their wayes and courses doe plainly testifie that their hearts are Carnall and fleshly and therefore they do not savour the things of Gods spirit no they seeme meere foolishnesse unto them because indeed they are spiritually discerned therfore they esteem them verie fooles and asses that will loose a good living rather then conforme to mens Inventions in Gods worship thus doe they assume that sufficiencie to themselues which is wholy of God Almightie whose inspiration onely giveth understanding especially in all matters of Religious use and yet will these aspiring spirits presume to set the H. Ghost to schoole most presumptuously reade large lectures of discretion unto him in his servants because they will not conforme without his direct warrant pretending that there is great truth no lies in the things they presse and yet cannot possiblie proue them to bee commanded of God as all trueth necessarie for the Church to conforme unto is as though if there were any kind of truth in them the holy Ghost would not lead and direct us therein and least they should put this off as a peculiar promise to the Apostles he hath purposely by precept and practise expresly in all such occasions tied us absolutely to the Scriptures you haue done foolishlie therefore in this O yee reverend and learned men that ye◠haue not rested on the word of the Lord in these thing in controversie which you so eagerly presse conformitie unto but as it were upon the hoast of the Aramits on the Ancient fathers general counsels and canons humane reason and the learning and wisdom of the world heare therefore the word of the Lord henceforth you shall haue wars one or other shall set upō your ceremonies all other your humane inventions and never giue that argument over till all ordinances in the Church which God hath not planted by the authoritie of the Scriptures bee utterlie rooted out And this your Idoll of conformitie the ripe fruit of your proud hearts wil deceiue you yea though thereby you are growen confident because you haue at length setled your seats as safely as in the clefts of the Rock and made your nests the verie next to the Eagle himself in the supremest mountaines of the highest Region yet will I bring you down from thence saith the Lord for though by thy wisdom and deepe pollicies or undiscerned subtleties thou hast gotten thee great riches and prefer 〈…〉 nts and hast increased very greatly thy power and authoritie and so art lifted up in thine heart as in a chaire of securitie conceiting thy selfe that thou art wiser then Daniel and hast more learning and wisdom greater reason and stronger arguments for thy conformitie then all those that are of perfect or sincere hearts towards the Lord and are contrarie minded and therefore dare no way conforme unto you with whom their feare even hee whom they serue will shew his strength yet behold God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound you that are so wise yea vile and despised persons which in the opinion of the world being compared with you did not so much as seeme to exist or bring to naught your strongest arguments for this your great goddesse conformitie and that by a plaine demonstration of their vanity yea though they be neither prophets or sons of the Prophets nor so much as brought up at the feet of some prophet but in comparison meere strangers yet they bee as a terrible nation and their arguments shall be as drawen swords against the verie beautie of thy wisdom yea they shal defile thy brightnesse your so admired vnderstanding by laying open your most dissembling and cunning practises yea in some of you horrible and fearefull blasphemies Many haue had I confesse too religious estimation of your learning and other venerable endowments but finding it plaine that in this Controversie with poore Christians you haue cast off the word of the Lord and trust in violence and wickednesse and stay thereupon for the iustifying of your courses not regarding the lawes of God or man but by one devise or other will breake through all therefore there is great hope that this iniquitie which lies swelling within you will make you so top-heavie as your verie height the onely thing you so wisely foresaw to be necessarie and therefore so providently by your deepe reaches haue attained will be an unavoydable cause of your sudden and violent downefall yea and with that detestation as no one humane invention seeme it never so tollerable shall bee left for the meanest use and office in the worship and publick service of the Lord no not so much as a little sheard to fetch fire or water for as all Gods ordinances are good so no humane invention of religious use in Gods worship can be good no not one And wheras it is obiected y t the reverend Fathers of our Church hold thē lawfull and good Iure diuino even so that Reuerend father Deterano Chamberlen to Vrban 6. publickly taught with great approbation of many great Divines that the verie meaning of Christ in saying giue to Caesar the things that be Caesars was but till his ascention and that when he was lifted vp he would drawe all these things vnto him that is Baronies Earledomes yea and kingdomes too even all that was Caesars and that it is therfore of Diuine Institution that the ministers of the Gospell might challenge and enioy these things as their proper and peculiar right both revenewes and honours and that it was grievous sacriledge for any prince to withhold the same or any ciuil authority from them or to this effect was that which he held which hath sprong out of that slip which he then set the seueral plants wherof haue wōderfully thriven in al christendom so likewise many great schollers and very learned divines haue held it an invincible argument that the Popes gouernment Hierarchie and supremacie is lawfull because it hath prospered and so long endured with good success for els say they God would neuer haue suffred it Is it not also avowed by many wise and reuerent Doctors that Iames the brother of our Lord according to the flesh did bring in the Masse and ioyned it to the scripture and therefore that it is of Apostolicall institution and ought to be conformed unto In like