if Christs Church for Constitution be Like Moses Church what need they disagree Cathederal It seems my Union thou approvest not This savours of Sedition or some Plot. The Land shall never quiet be untel Rulers by their Edicts all sorts compel To Uniformity in things Religious And therefore thy Opinion is Prodigious Jayl Rulers by Edicts Uniformity May well require in things transitory But Rulers as they 'r such in things divine Ought not t'compel men in the Gospel-time Rulers may miss the Truth which if they do Destruction unto their Commands is due Cathedral Until the Rulers did by force compel All to the Church which under them did dwell The Church was thin maintenance was scant But since they nourish't her she feels no want Her Honour 's great her Members like the sands As well in this as many other Lands Jayl I do confess of Christians nominal The world abounds by th'Church that 's National But it 's most plain thy Church no semblance hath With those that walked in th'Apostles path Whose Honour lay not in the outward State But with true Grace their Souls were eonsolate Cathedral Come tell not me of th'Apostles days for then Christs Church was small of the meanest men But when the Nobler sort possession took Of Christianity the Church forsook Her subterranean places and her Head Did lift up as one risen from the dead Jayl The Churches outward glory doth not prove That she from death to life doth nearer move But may as soon portend her Vacuation Of Grace as John hints in his Revelation And for the Nobler sort it seems this day They 'r too great strangers to the Gospel-way Cathedral How canst thou say this dost not daily see With one consent they do resort to me Yea they unto the Church are so united As that with none like her they are delighted And by their strength the Church is now protected And her Opposers unto her subjected Jayl The Church doth not subject by worldly powers Her Opposites Nor is this plea of yours A better plea for you than 't is for Rome To whom the Nobler sort more freely come Yea Nations Kinreds Peoples to the Whore Of Babylon resort her to adore Cathedral The Prophets do presage that Nations shall Flow to the Church and bring their Glory all Into the Church the New-Jerusalem And this my Doctors do expound of them Who now by Kingly Power their Subjects bring Into my Church my divine songs to sing Jayl Thou know'st right well the Papists do the same Their present pomp and glory to maintain But you are both deceived for 't is clear Before that blessed joyful day appear The Jews a People chiefly there concern'd In Can'ans Land must once more be confirm'd Cathedral If this be true I must confess I h've err'd When to my present state I have referr'd These Prophecies But thus much I perceive A State that 's National thou dost believe The Church may yet enjoy although it be When Isr'el their desired Land shall see Jayl This weighty case I will not undertake Here to dispute but this is what I spake I say the Prophets mainly have an eye In these Presages to the Jews Then why Shouldst thou imagine this thy present glory To be the subject of the Prophets story Cathedral Well we will leave unto consideration What hath been said of that Prophetick Nation Wherein the Jews I must acknowledge here Are often mentioned as may appear By reading of the places Now let 's see What thou hast further which must answered be Jayl Thy bringing Nations by the lump into The Name of Christian Churches plainly do Destroy the use of Preaching to convert The sons of men and makes their carnal heart Believe they 'r Christians from the womb and so Their souls deceive unto their overthrow Cathedral What though by preaching I do not convert My Members yet I have another Art Them to renew for this my Book doth say When any I receive into my way They are regenerate and born anew See therefore how thy charge is found untrue Jayl I know thy Book doth say 't but t is not true For Christs Book tells us all that 's born anew Are like the Wind which in such sort doth blow As others by their hearing it may know Again 't is said the World they overcome Of all which signs thy Converts can shew none Cathedral I grant where true Conversion is there 's ceasing From fleshly sins There 's likewise some increasing In holy life And truly in these cases My Infant Converts claim no real places ' Mongst Scripture Converts But I say unless They Converts be they have no Blessedness Jayl God doth not gather where he hath not strewed But from the Word it never can be shewed Where Infants are required to convert Nor yet canst thou with thy most subtil Art Discov'ry make 'twixt Infants eight dayes old To say This is renew'd That under sin is sold Cathedral I must confess such a discovery Doth pass my art for Babes in Infancy Do not demonstrate whereby we may know Which have the Spirit or whether or no Any whom I baptize have yet receiv'd it But as I have been taught I have believ'd it Jayl Thou said even now Infants no Blessedness Can have unless they converts be To this I answer As old Adams sin involves them ' Thout their consent in death So Christ absolveâ— them ' Thout their concurrence for Paul doth profess The Grace by Christ exceedeth Adams loss Cathedral So then this is thy judgment I perceive That look how Adam Infants did bereave ' Thout their committing sin of happiness So Christ ' thout their obedience shal them bless I hold the contrary to this but now Some other Argument I pray thee show CHAP. III. The Arg. The Minister Papal Rome disclaims The Jayle from thence doth shew Her own Prelatick state she mains If not unchurch her too Jayl IN this great Question Where the Church must be It may do well thy radix for to see The more I look the more I see thee come In thy Church-state but from great Papal Rome From whence I argue If Rome have no Church Then thou wilt scarce be found to have a Porch Cathedral Presumptuous Jayl my Chronicles do shew I cast off Rome and all her Popish crew Yea of their Bones a fire I have made And she sometimes with same coyn hath me paid Which clearly shews I have her quite disserted As an old Harlot from all Truth diverted Jayl Thou cast off Rome thou saist but thou hast neither Baptisme nor Church-power but what either Thou brought from thence this Rome thee boldly tels And thou canst find no answer which refels This their Objection So 't is evident Unless Rome be a Church thy Church is spent Cathedral What though their Baptism I do valid deem What though their Ordination I esteem Must it needs follow Rome is Christ his Spouse Or else the title of
O my Lord why am I busied here Thou knowst from war my heart and hands are clear And yet O Lord I pray thee teach me fight Couragiously that warfare which thy might Only can mannage sith it 's war Divine And Lord I thank thee that thou dost encline My heart and hand thereto and hast assisted My soul therein since what time I was listed Within thy Roll and in this undertaking I pray thee keâ—p my hand and mind from shaking That so the Truth with comely boldnesse I May practise preach write teach and testifie For Lord if Truth be Truth and still the same In nature worth and usefulness then blame Must be their Lot who are right bold to speak it In times of Peace and afterwards for sake it Because the times do turn O God forbid That I should for such cause let Truth lye hid In fleshly fears O God how great would le My shame when I thy glorious face shall see In that great Day the Day of final Sentence When none their loss regain can by Repentance The thoughts whereof O Lord doth give me boldness To speak for Truth though in a day of coldness Wherein the Waâ—ers are not more congeald Than mens cold Zeal hath all thy Laws repeal'd For what do they less than repeal thy Law Who of poor mortal flesh stand S O in awe As they 'l not act nor speak one word for thee But as great men do give them liberty But Lord I speak of Truth which all confess To be more worth than all that men possess But thou Lord know'st how doubtfull in this day It is become to find that blessed way Of Truth for though there 's nothing more pretended Yet surely there is nothing less befriended What one man saith is true another man Doth say is false yea even such as can Skill all the Sciences and Liberal Arts Are so divided into sects and parts That there 's no end of their most hot Divisions Yea such the multitude of their Confusions As thou Lord know'st cannot be lightly number'd And herewith Europe hath been greatly cumber'd What then shall I poor dust now signifie In Truth 's behalf will any think that I Have found this Pearl or can assign the Field Or Church which doth this precious Treasure yeeld Well whether I have found that Church or no Let him that readeth judge But this I 'll do I 'll shew the Church I 've found even the Truth Which I have fallen in love with from my youth That so if I be right another may By this means get some help into the way Of blessed Truth Or else if I be wrong throng Some one that 's right may break forth through the And sheâ— me that Old Way where Rest and Peace May be obtain'd that my own wayes may cease For is not this that which poor soules desire Where is the good Old Way others enquire Where 's blessed Sion Mother of the Saints Yea for a sight of her some hearts now faints Yea thou my soul remember canst the Dayes The Weeks the Months the Years and dolful wayes Wherein thou Pilgrim-like didst mournful walk And in thy Solitudes wouldst often talk With thy Creator by Pray'rs Vows and Tears That if he would but free thee of thy fears Which these crook'd wayes did minister to thee And of his Sion once but make thee free To set thy feet upon that holy Hill Then wouldst thou wholly yeeld up to his Will To be to do to suffer Gods good pleasure If he thereto would fill thee with his treasurâ— And now my soul what i' st wherein thy Lord Hath failed of in making good his Word In setting thy bound feet free from the band Of miry paths and in his blessed Land His dearest Church hath given thee a Station A dwelling place in his beloved Nation Yea thou a name and a rememberance Hast there obtain'd with an Inheritance So rich so full so ample every way That what it is no words can fully say Now then my soul see thou perform thy Vows Lest thy Engagements prove but empty Shows What Truth thou knowst the same communicate That others may thereof participate Remember how the Labours of the Saints In former times did much supply thy wants And so do still yea some the Seed-time knew And thou camst but to reap their Harvest true Yet thou a Seed-time with respect to those That are to follow must perhaps disclose Or at the least my Muse bring forth thy gains Which thou achieved hast by others pains That so the Sower and the Reaper may Rejoyce in mutual profiting that day Which shall in Praises to our Lord be spended And yet nor Day nor Praises shall be ended But now my Pen stay here and let us muse Upon the subject which thou must peruse Use seriousness for they are Divine things For the most part whereof thy Muse thus sings Gods precious Statutes are the chiefest Objects Implore his ayd in handling so great Projects To clear his Laws wherein men do abuse them And to declare how rightly they should use them Again there 's many things which thou here blam'st Speak of them seriously when thou them nam'st For some do deem as highly of those doings As of th' Apostles Precepts Walks or Goings Yea some are maâ—ked so they think those wayes Had their beginning in th' Apostles dayes As Pedorantisme and other things Which their procedure had from humane springs And whereas thy most weighty subject is About the Church that heavenly place of Bliss Deal clearly in this point for that indeed In this one Question lies both Fruit and Seed Defend her in thy place she 'l thee defend Yea God will him protect that is her Friend Dispute for Truth then will the Truth approve thee See to thy charge my Muse it doth behove thee Bear in thy mind the dayes wherein thy thought Was no way's like to that which I am taught More by Tradition humane than by those Instructions which the Scriptures do disclose This if thou do'st remember it may serve To lay thee low and in thy self preserve A due respect to those that do not see The errour of their way But if there be Any that do malitiously oppose The Truth see thou give them the sharper blows Fear not my Muse if Truth be on thy side As he which fanned Babel well hath cry'd That Truth is strongest by it thou wilt be Made Victor unto all Eternity My Muse sith thou a Prisoner art this day Because thou canst not walk in th' Minsters way Now therefore go thee forth in form of Jayle To Dispute with the Minster do not fail If she sound Reason with the Truth produce I do conjure thee make with her a Truce But if of these thou destitute dost find her Then freely of her fallacies remind her And if she mind thee not appeal to him Whom she pretends to serve and so come in To Goal again till Liberty from Heaven Thee
Heaven Christians must not be compelled to give their substance XX. Article I do believe through Christ the Dead shal rise Because he lives who once did not despise To die for them Yea from the graves of earth Each individual body shall come forth Both just unjust though when they were sown Weakness and all Infirmity was shown Yet in the Refurrection they shall be Made strong and firm to all eternitie Each pious man body and spirit joyned To their desired place shall be assigned The test of Antiquity Every part of the bodies perishing either in death or after it in the grave or wheresoever shall be restored renewed and of a natural and corruptible body it shall become immortal spiritual and incorruptible Be it all made into pouder or dust or by chance or cruelty dissolved into air or water yet can it not be kept hid from the omnipotency of the Creator who will not have one hair of the head to perish Thus shall the spiritual flesh become subject to the spirit yet shall it be flesh still XXI Article After the dead are come forth of the graves Whether of Earth or Seas fierce raging waves A Judgment that 's eternal shall be given At Christs appearing coming down from Heav'n Which Judgment which everlasting Sentence Can never be revoked by repentance Then good and bad each must rewarded be As Christ the nature of their work shall see The test of Antiquity In all these Chapters Augustine asserteth and proveth the resurrection of the Bodies of all men from the graves of earth or howsoever consumed and he proves the Bodies of the Saints shall be spiritual and glorious in the Resurrection and yet that they cease not to be bodies of real flesh And he proves that a body of flesh and living may endure in the fire unconsumed and yet tormented There are saith he a kind of Worms that live in the fervent Springs of hot Baths whose heat is such as none can endure it at certain times and yet those Worms do so love to live in it that they cannot live without Whence he observes seeing bodies of flesh may live in fire and be nourished by it 't is easie to believe that a body of flesh may live in the fine and be tormented by it because to nourish is not proper to the fervent heat of fire but to torment is proper thereunto XXII Article I do believe the same Christ which did shew Himself alive by tokens plain and true Who was beheld ascending into Heaven Quite from the sight of the select Eleven The same the very same shall come again In the same manner wherein he was ta'ne Up from the Earth And when he shall appear The Saints their fruits of Faith shall richly wear For Christ the King of kings and Lord of lords Shall reign according to the holy words Of these great Prophets in the Margent quoted For every Kingdom under Heaven 's allotted Unto our Christ yea and unto his Saints Whose heads a place to rest sometimes now wants Yea God hath said they then shall rule the Nations Though here erst while they meet with Tribulations The test of Antiquity John's mention of a thousand years Rev. 21. and Christ's words I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the Vine until the day that I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom with many Prophecies touching Christ's Kingdom in Jerusalem made some think that Christ would return into the World raise the Saints in their Bodies and live a thousand years here on Earth in all joy peace and prosperity The first Author of this Opinion was Papias Bishop of Jerusalem who lived in the Apostles times He was seconded by Irenaeus Apollinarius Tertullian Victorinus Picktaviences and Lactantius And many Martyrs and righteous persons held this opinion XXIII Article The holy Scriptures are the Rule of Saints In Faith and Life sufficient for their wants Through Jesus Christ Yea they are profitable To all good works God's servants to enable The test of Antiquity The error of our forefathers ought not to be followed but the Authority of Scripture and the Commandments of God which he teacheth us Truly through ignorance of the Law they receive Christ for Antichrist I dare not use to receive that which I read not Think not that it is in any other writing if it be not in the Scripture Let us seek to be resolved in the Gospel If we find it not there where shall we find it XXIV Article In Gospel-times I do believe men ought In things Religious to be forc'd to nought Against their Consciences by Persecutions Or Penal Laws ' gainst Gospel-Institutions But all should have like liberty as those Who in like cases do desire to chose What they think near'st the Truth But if the Pow'rs Wil take what 's theirs not give us what 's ours We say they act not as the Lord directed When he bad do to others what 's expected By us from them And tells us Tares with Wheat Must grow together till the Harvest great The test of Antiquity Ambition doth aid it self by the Name of Christ The Church doth fear and compel the people She that was made holy by Persecutors terrour now persecuteth c. Let them both grow together until harvest Which thing he spake to forbid the shedding of Bould for if the Hereticks should be put to death War should be without Truce c. This is then our desire unto your Reverence if it may be that you would confer with our Bishop peaceably to the end that Error might be taken away and not Men taken away But we to the contrary do not desire any will he nill he to worship or adore our God for we trust in his Majesty that he hath great power to avenge himself on them that contemn him XXV Article This I believe concerning Magistrates In every Nation should be Potentates For punishment of all that do transgress By sleshly lewdness or dishonestness And that in order thereto Civil Laws who 're just wholsome ought ' decide the cause ' Mongst Men as such ' thout having vain respect Of persons or to this or t'other Sect. Due Punishment and likewise due Reward Each one should have ' thout partial regard And we believe Christ's Gospel doth enjoyn Our selves and all men freely to resign Our selves as Subjects unto Magistrates In their appointments Only what relates Unto God's Worship wherein this we say That there such Rulers have no power to lay Their Edicts on men's Consciences by force But if they do yet shall we take 't no worse Than humbly tell them we must needs obey What God commandeth rather than what they Herein appoint us and shall never bow To Men in these concerns Nor shall we show Our selves rebellious though they go to wrong us But bear with patience what 's
impos'd upon us The test of Antiquity Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers He that enjoyneth this to every soul whom hath he exempted from subjection to Earthly Powers I may not demand or ask these things but of him of whom I know I shall obtain them I am his Servant and am killed for his Doctrine And do offer the best and greatest Sacrifice which he hath commanded Trajan the Emperor did send to Pliny to make enquiry of the manner of the Christians Life and afterwards to persecute them them Pliny writ again That after he had throughly enquired with most cruel torments until such time as he delivered them into the Hangmans hand to see them executed yet he never did find any other thing but that they accustomed to assemble at certain times to sing praises unto Christ as unto God Thus have I of my Faith confession made To which the test of th' Antients I did add Not that I think there 's any such like plea Drawn from Antiquity which more doth weigh Than doth the Holy Text which I have brought In proof of every point nor is there ought So truly Antient as their divine sayings But sith some tell us tales to your dismayings As though there 's nothing in Antiquity Which standeth with that Antient Verity Which now I hold I for this cause have brought These Witnesses to shew that whilst thou thought Antiquity was on thy side thou dost In very deed of empty nothings boast For sith I can from thine own Allegations Out of the Fathers bring such clear quotations For what I hold then doubtless I might shew Yet many moe and them both full and true For what I hold and had I th' skill which thou Hast in the Antients writings might them show And herein I could wish that men of parts Who love the Truth might so improve their Arts. Cathederal As touching this thy tedious Confession To speak to ev'ry point would be oppression Unto my patience Then wait my pleasure For I to answer it must take some leisure But I remember thou didst me detect As one inconstant But that 's thy defect Jayle Sith to thy charge I laid Inconstancy I 'le make 't appear For when the Papacy Possession took of the Commanding Pow'r Thou then turn'd Papist as 't was in an hour When Protestants got head thou didst the same When Neuter N O L thou promptly bore his frame Cathederal Why must we not subject unto the Pow'rs We are not their Commanders they are ours So that if they command we must obey Tho Pa. Prel Pres or a compounded way The Mass-book Comon-Pray'r-book or else neither If so the King command I 'le observe either Jayle God's Worship never stood on such a pin To turn with Man's breath either out or in God's Faithful Ones in this case did withstand The things that mighty Kings did oft command And yet as Kings they ever them obeyed And for their peace and good devoutly prayed Cathederal This point with others hath been controverted What I hold and what thou holdst is asserted We will therefore appeal to him for tryal Who doth no falshood own nor give denial To any Truth And now for a Conclusion I do conjure thee pray against Delusion Jayle That is my pray'r but I 'le not pray with thee Till in the Truth we shall united be Which we may be if we our selves deny And learn of God in due humility Which when thou dost in Truth 't is in my mind Not here but in the Jayl I shall thee find Cathederal What! is the Jayl and Truth so near united This dreadful doctrine will make men affrighted And few will find the Truth for if 't be so There 's few to seek the Truth to Jayl will go Now fare thee wel keep that place as thy treasure And I 'le keep this and here enjoy my pleasure Jayle Adiâ—u Cathederal go take thy fill Of Organ-Musick And sith 't is God's will I 'le back to that unpleasant Cell of mine Where some Truth 's known which else would never shine In its bright splendor Also there our God Doth shew himself a Father by his Rod. CHAP. VII The Arg. The Jayl doth soberly reflect upon the Conference And several things to that effect having some reference MY Muse thou' rt now return'd into the Jayl And canst not with the Minster yet prevail To bow her ear to Truth that it might win Her to the Antient Truth and from Romes Sin Now sith in this place of disconsolation None can deprive thy heart of meditation Let us reflect upon what sights wâ— have seen In yonder Minster who as some great Queen Doth seem to sit in joy in pomp and pleasure With wealth mirth other such like treasure But yet in this Reflection let us give Precedency to Christ's Church which doth live This day in Jaylâ— in holes and dens of Thieves VVhose life though such yet there is nought that grieves A sinful Generation more than that Her being here 's not wholly extirpate Lord I have viewed thy most holy House Thy Church as it at first erected was And with the beauty thereof I was moved There to sit down as th' place I chiefly loved In which Church I have seen my Saviour sweet Rise up and wash his poor Disciples feet There have I seen such as do minister Deny themselves of all things sinister There were thy Servants clâ—d like other men Their Instruments of Musick were not Tin There have I seen thy Servants generally Perform their Duty all in Charity There have I seen thy Spirit giving Graces Whereby each one were fitted for their places There have I seen those Graces exercised And none for doing so have been despised Nor persecuted But each one required To seek with choicest gifts to be inspired There did I see a holy Discipline The exercise whereof made Zion shine And many other precious things I saw In point of observation of God's Law And having heard the Minster laid great claim Unto thy Churches Interest and Name And yet by her most earnest procuration Some men she did surprize by captivation And lock't them up within my gates because They would not cease to keep thy Antient Laws At this I marvelled and therefore went To see what her pretence and practice meant For I suspected deeply by these doings Her feet were stray'd from Zions Antient goings Because from those men I could nothing gather That shew'd them guilty of what she would father On them to wit that they were Peace-disturbers Wheras in truth 't was cause they were Vicecurbers Which caus'd them to be shut within my barrs Under pretence of Law turn'd into snares Now when I came into the Minster walking I veiwed certain men which there were talking Gallants of all sorts they appear'd to be And seem'd to live in mirth and melodie On my right-hand there ' spide I a Convention From whence proceeded very hot contention For Money-matters