Dreams or Visions have madâ— on that poor deluded Multitude who will find their expectation frustrated in few days to their real shame and confusion of â—â—ce For how can They who proceed so directly opposite unto the wholâ— Sense and Tenour of Scripture Threatnings in all the most severe and positive Comminations against the greatest Sinners which always intend a Condition or purpose of Revocation upon Repentance and are denounced for that great End and not to drive Men or Nations as Ward and Evans have done into the Gulph of Desperation c. I say how is it likely these Ignorant and Presumptuous false Prophets can be sent of God And whether these Brain-sick Impostors who have thus strangely Transformed the Infinite Patience and Goodness of God into false Notions Dreams or Impulses of their own head and which Three Years experience have abundantly demonstrated to be false and also dangerous even to the present Governmeut by strengthning the hands of our common Enemy who watcheth for all such Occasions â—nd weakning the minds of many who otherwise would strenuously â—nd unanimously oppose that Inundation threatning all our ruine whether these Men are likely to be the Two Silver Trumpets for Proclaiming the Great Jubilee or the Second Coming of our Blessed Saviour unto Judgment beginning his Glorious Kingdom here on Earth 〈◊〉 St. Paul had the right apprehensions of that Time 2 Tim. 4. 1. And believe it the great Midnight-Cry Mat. 24. will be of another Nature and Effect both on the True Church of Christ and the Apostate State of Christianity those Wise and Foolish Virgins who both awoke arose and Trimm'd their Lamps at this Alarm Having given this necessary Precaution to undeceive the deluded Multitude who are met together in a great Assembly in Buckingham-shire expecting The Appearance of Christ to Judgment on Witsunday now immediately approaching according to Mr. Masons limited Time in his Dream or Vision which being to expire so speedily as a Week or a Fortnights time will be soon confuted and therefore needs no other Arguments thereunto but the short Event We shall therefore leave that Fraternity to their honest meaning Mr. Mason's Apprehensions which is like to prove no other than the Embraces of Juno in a Cloud c. and cast a more stedfast Eye on the aforesaid Ward and Evans those Two deceived Witnesses c. that so we may rightly inform our selves of what Complexion they are and of what deep and â—hastly Lineaments their Proteus-like Countenance is Composed who â—o speak the Truth in one Word do seem to cast something like a â—ontempt on the Articles of the Christian Faith and also on the Spirits â—â—fallible Testimony and on the Sacred Symbols of Christianity or â—â—ose Seals of the Covenant of Grace by making their Whimsical â—mpulses equal thereunto if not preferring them before the â—â—me That which follows on this Subject is Written in a Letter to a Friend Proving That the most Tremendous and most Positivâ— Judgments of God in Scripture denounced against Persons Cities 〈◊〉 Nations do not lay them under an absolute Necessity of continuinâ— Impenitent or of Perishing under the same Doom exceeding useful botâ— for Sinners of the greatest Obduracy as well as for such who arâ— Wounded under the sense of their Guilt and tempted to Despairâ— who may here clearly behold the Nature of Gods most Simple and Iâ—â—fallible Decree touching the Damnation of every Self-reprobating Sinâ—ner and how it becomes the Antecedent unto but not the Physicâ—â— Cause of their Damnation which Destruction is therefore possible to 〈◊〉 Prevented taken in a Simple and Physical sense and consideration 〈◊〉 Man as a Rational and free Agent whose Will was never forced 〈◊〉 Prenecessitated to do Evil meerly from Gods Decree as the Effect thaâ— follows its Cause although this Decree grounded on his foresighâ— of Mans Self-Reprobation as also his Decree for peculiar Election whicâ— is grounded on no Good in Man foreseen admits of no Frustration These weighty Matters with some other considerations of greaâ— Moment are on this occasion here briefly and clearly handled even to the apprehension of the meanest Capacities and the Judgmeâ—â— of all such whose Education-Light or Interest or Partial and blinâ— Respect of Persons hath not cast a Mist on their Understandings aâ—â— the Arguments are Solid and Orthodox agreeable to the Doctrin 〈◊〉 the Church of England and the Consent of the Universality of Dâ—â—vines beyond the Seas and above all to the whole Tenâ—ur of 〈◊〉 Scripture throughout all its parts A LETTER to a FRIEND On the Occasion of Mr. MASONS's Midnight-Cry AND Those Two false Prophets who most boldly Presumed to Comment thereupon from their Whimsies and Impulses being the Forerunner of and Preparative unto the said Mr. Masons late Deluding Vision which hath gathered such a great Concourse of People in Buckingham-shire to the disturbance of the World Sir SEeing you have been pleased to ask my Opinion of that Book lately published by T. W. and V. E. who call themselves the Two Witnesses to the Midnight-Cry it 's one small part of the Duty and Honour I owe you to Comply with this Request though I â—ave at present something on my hands which hinders me from giâ—ing such an ample Answer as otherwise I might I was in expectation to find some extraordinary thing in that Midnight-Cry not knowing at first sight but this might be that Cry â—retold in Matth. 25. 6. which all agree is to be the Prodromus of Christ's Second Coming immediately to ensue thereon upon which Alarum the Text expresly tells us 1st That the Wise and foolish Virgins who were both asleep Awoke 2d Both these Virgins Trimmed their Lamps 3d. The Foolish go to the Wise for Oyl to furnish their Extinguished Lamps 4th Being repulsed they go to buy Oyl where it was to be sold and while they went to buy The Bridegroom came When I see such a grand effect or something like it throughout the Christian World made up of Wise and Foolish Virgins and that it receives its Life and Influence from this late Midnight Cry I shall be Induced to consider if not to conclude that this Alarum is likely to be That of which our Saviour spoke in the Text before In the mean time the Author thereof doubtless had very Pious Ends in Publishing a Warning to us all so useful and seasonable at all times That the Sins of England and particularly of this City are very great beyond all others in the World besides if we consider the heinous Aggravations we lye under with respect of that clear Sun-shine of Gospel-Light which we enjoy and the many wonderful Mercies and Deliverances God hath wrought out for us beyond what he hath done for others and the many Warnings we have had by several great Judgments both of Plague Fire Earth-quakes War c. and our great Incorrigible Frame growing rather worse and worse under All and therefore that we may have great cause to fear and expect some
THE TRIAL and CONDEMNATION OF THE Two False Witnesses Unto the late MIDNIGHT-CRY Published by M R MASON The Author of that present Great Assembly in Buckinghamshire who are met together under a Deluding Expectation of Christ's Coming to Iudgment on Whitsunday approaching SHEWING Of what dangerous Consequence this may prove to the present Government if they should persist in the same Enthusiasm till next Whitsuntide come Twelvemonth c. under pretence of a literal Mistake c. Licens'd May 14th 1694. LONDON Printed for Richard Baldwin â—6â—â— The Tryal and Condemnation of the TWO WITNESSES UNTO THE Late Midnight-Cry WE have credible Information from several Hands that this Mr. Mason a Minister of the Church of England in Water-strafford in Buckinghamshire is a Person of a Pious Life and Conversation who above Three Years ago writ his Midnight-Cry which being a serious and practical Sermon tending to stir up our exceeding vicious and debauched Age to a startling Consideration of the near Approach of Christ to Judgment the great Argument used both by our Saviour and the Primitive Church in those early Days of the Gospel unto constant Watchfulness c. was a grateful Subject unto all the godly amongst us and though there appeared to several at least nothing extraordinary in that Discourse more than to quicken up all sorts to an earnest Expectation of and Preparation unto Christ's speedy Approach to Judgment Mr Mason's Modesty not prefixing any limited Time c. yet it became of such Universal Acceptation with the more pious sort who under this late Great Revolution throughout the Christian World and more especially in these Kingdoms have been waiting for some extraordinary Things immediately Antecedent thereunto that the Book soon spread and not altogether so much from the Title thereof which was singular and startling as from the Curiosity of many who expected to find some prefixed Time or such singular Prognosticks thereof 〈◊〉 might be Equivalent thereunto But being frustrated herein the â—oud Rumor thereof was buried for a Time But soon after the great Enemy of Souls began to lead the Apostate â—ge which like the Rebellious Unbelieving Jews of old was greeâ—ily looking after a Sign into his dark Labyrinth of Error and Conâ—usion and converting himself into an Angel of Light raised up Two â—old-fac'd Men who called themselves The Two Prophets unto the Midnight Cry Ward and Evans who with much admir'd Arroganâ—y and Presumption laboured hard to ingraff a fixed Perswasion into â—â—s That They were immediately called by God to bear witness to the Truth of the Revelations And that They were the Two Witnesses in Apoc. 11. who were to be slain c. Also That God had passed â—n Irrevocable Decree against England for most immediate Destruction more Infallible than that Sacred Oath which he sware against the Jews That they should not enter into his Rest. Making this dangerous Impulse of their deluded Fancy equal with the great Articles of our Faith that are Essential unto Salvation and of the same Divine Signature as is that Testimony or Witness of the Holy Ghost in true Believers The chief Subject of the ensuing Discourse being to detect this Spirit of Delusion and to bring it to a fair Tryal by the Touchstone of scripture-Scripture-Truth and to condemn these Arrogant Presumptuous Impostors by the Harmony of the Word of God throughout the Old and New Testament This hath been written Two Years since and was presented to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury and to some other of the Reverend Bishops and Clergy c. and had then come forth into the Publick if They had thought That had been the fittest Season and in whose Wisdom the Author did confide Since that Time the Infinite Goodness of Divine Providence hath wonderfully preserved these Nations from that Immediate Destruction now Three Years which these Two false Witnesses did then so presumptuously pretend to foretel as if by Divine Revelation was then instantly and inevitably to befal us and which they affirmed with such amazing Confidence as if They had been in the Secret Council of the Almighty These Two who thought themselves little inferior to the Two Anointed Ones that stood before the Lord of the whole Earth being thus shamefully confounded and put to silence by the Event of things which is the surest Interpreter of Visions and Revelations the satanical Spirit of Delusion takes an other occasion to vent it self and now laying aside Ward and Evans transforms it self in a more subtile manner than before viz. through a Dream or Delivery Vision in the Brain of Mr. Mason the Author of that Midnight Cry Herein imitating those Sacred Dreams and Visions of the Patriarchs and Prophets Now by what Fantasms resembling these Sacred and Oracular Visions even some good Men have been Acted in our late days is too long here to particularize it might be wished there had not been so many Instances thereof That Impulse of Mr. Sedgwick called Doomsday Sedgwick is yet too fresh in Memory to be wholly forgotten and is revived on this unhappy occasion now before us It had been greatly to have been desir'd that this Mr. Mason had read a most Elaborate Manuscript now fitting for the Press wherein all the Numbers of Daniel and the Revelations are made to Accord in one and the same Years for the Accomplishment of All these great Changes that are expected coming on the Christian World and particularly the Time for Christs Second Coming and also for The End of the World which Mr. Mason hath so well observed are Two distinct Times in his Midnight-Cry And whereon the whole is Illustrated by the Joynt Consent of all the Prophets in the Old and New Testament and all other parts of Sacred History as also by the great Works and Wonders of God from the Creation to this present Time in their Historical Chronological Mystical and Typical Significations in several Thousand famous Instances A Work of that great Rarity and Acurateness that it hath been perused by some of the most Learned Divines and Persons of Honour and Quality in Foreign Parts as well as by several eminent Divines both of the Church of England and others with extream satisfaction and particular Recommendation unto the World which ample Testimonies c. will be prefixed which when it comes forth in publick may soon remove that darâ— Veil that now is so much spread on all our Faces to say nâ— more In the mean time if the Reader please to afford a deliberate Examination of the many remarkable things presented to his serious consideration in the following Treatise he may soon perceive on what Sandâ— Foundation these Two false Witnesses build their Predictions c. and consequently may the better judge Whether these self-conceited and audaciously confident Men are like to be the Supporters of the Divine Oracles of God or the Harbingers of that Great Midnightâ—Cry which is immediately to precede the Second coming of our Saviour whatever Impressions Mr. Masons
being cut off v. 29 31. Here by the way observe that most serious Fasting and Prayer and Heart-Affliction and Contrition is God's Ordinance by which to turn away even the severest Threatnings of his Wrath most suitable to that Oath of God's in Ezek. 33. 11. As I live saith the Lord I delight not in the Death of any Sinner but that they turn and live Turn ye turn ye for why will ye die O House of Israel 2. Or by that Seal or VVitness of the Holy Ghost in Believers which testifies to all more or less that they are Justified by Faith Adopted and Sanctified called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or full perswasion of Faith But Mr. VVard like a good Christian shall we say hath Prostituted his Faith and Hope in God and all the Assurance of the Spirit 's witness in him and laid all at stake to maintain his strong Impression or Impulse and tempts uncharitable Persons to think he hath no other Article of his Religion or at least none that is more Sacred or Venerable in his Eye CONSIDERATION V. The consequent Effects which the immediate Manifestation of God unto the Holy Prophets or Penmen of Scripture or eminent Worthies of the Church had upon themselves were far differing from the effects which seem to appear in our two late pretended Prophets MOre Generally we find in the Holy Men of Old 1st Humble and low thoughts of themselves thus it was with Abraham that great Prophet Gen 17. 3 17 18. Ch. 18. 3 27. thus with Jacob Chap. 28. 27. Chap. 33. 10. Moses Exod. 3. 15. Gideon Judg. 6. 15. Isaiah Ch. 6. 5. 2. Sweet Courteous Affable demeanour and Condescention to others The Scriptures are full of this particularly one Text for all 2 Tim. 2. 24 25. The Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all Men apt to teach patient or forbearing In Meekness inctructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth so opposite to Persecution or the Muggletonian way of Damning c. compared with Tit. 3. 2. Speak evil of no Man be not brawlers but gentle shewing all meekness unto all Men. And how unsuitable to this Doctrin is the Spirit of these Two Men so presumptuously asserting that Satan had Transform'd himself into an Angel of Light in Mr. Baxter who then detected by what Spirit these pretended Prophets were moved This Meekness which we are in the consideration of so opposite to proud railing brawling and unchristian demeanour is one of the excellent Fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. 23. a Temper so amiable that the British Saxons resolved this should be their Touchstone to try that Doctrin which Austin the Monk came over with from Pope Gregory called the Great even then when they could not Argue the Point with him More Particularly The most severe and positive Threatnings to the greatest Sinners have always tended to stir up the Holy Prophets and VVorthies of Old unto an extraordinary Wrestling Mourning and Prayer for them And this 1. Whether we consider them as denounced against Gods backsliden Church we see it most conspicuous viz. in Moses when they had made and Worshipped their Golden Calf Exod. 32. 10. Let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them and Censure them and Deut. 9. 14. adds that I may blot out their Name from under Heaven and yet at that time when Immediate and Irrevocable Destruction seemed to attend that whole Nation how Sweetly and Excellently doth Moses Intercede for them And Gods Wrath was pacified So at other times also Deut. 9. from verse 22. to the end compared with Numb 11. 10 11. Another Instance we have in Phineas Numb 25. 11. and in Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 23. and in Jeremy chap 4. 19. chap. 9. â— 10. Chap. 13 17. and in Isaiah chap. 22. 4. and in Ezek. chap. 21. 6. and in Micah chap. 1. 8. And God himself puts his backsliden Children even them when lying under his severest and most positive Threatnings into the right way of preventing the desolation threatned Jer. 4. 8. chap. 6. 26. chap. 7. 29. 2. Or whether considered as against the Grand Enemies of his Church and here N. B. First God puts them also into the right way of preventing their ruine Threatned Isa 13. 6. VVe would have healed Babylon what Babylon that cursed Nation Sentenced to utter desolation Yes this Babylon but she would not Compare with Jer. 51. 9. Thus God stirs up Ninive to Repentance Exhorting them to turn from their Violence c. Jonah 3. 2 8. and Pharaoh also even after that God had expresly told him he had raised him up to shew his wondrous Power or Justice on him and his Kingdom Exod. 9. 16. Compared with chap. 10. 3. A Text greatly to be Noted Secondly God himself expresseth very enlarged Bowels towards these his Enemies even then when lying under his Severest Comminatins One great Instance take for all Moab is threatned by Gods Oath to be made a Perpetual Desolation Zeph. 2. 9. yet his wonderful Bowels of Compassion yerned towards that great Enemy of his Church Isaiah 15. 5. ch 16. 9. Jer. 48. 31 32 36. Texts worthy to be Engraven in Letters of Gold and fixed in us Thirdly God draws out the Prophets Heart to Mourn over them at the same time when lying under his Severest Doom that they may be taught how to mourn for their own Sins and Repent and escape the Desolation threatned thus for Tyre Ezek. 27. 1 31. for Egypt Ezek. â—2 2 18. and thus for Moab Jer. 48. 20. to Instance no more NOW from the whole it is not difficult for any considering Person to Conjecture by what Spirit Ward and Evans do Act in these respects for they are far from stirring up themselves or others to Pray and Fast and Wrestle for our poor sinful Land which they have thus unmercifully Sentenced to unavoidable Destruction that they seem resolved to Pawn all the hopes and expectations they have of Salvation or all the Religion they have as a certain Pledg that God will not give Repentance to England though they should seek it never so fervently nay more that his most Sacred Oath is gone forth without an If that they may thereby Infallibly be assured God hath made an Irrevocable Decree for our Immediate Destruction Now let any judge Doth not these Mens Faith teach us all to cast our selves into a Hellish Plunge of Desperation and thereby to become Seven-fold more the Children of the Devil than now we are Doth not it teach flat Rebellion against God and the whole Tenor of his VVord who Commands us all to Trust in him at all Times and to Pour out our Souls before him in the worst condition we can be in Psal 68. 8. And always to Pray and not faint Luke 18. 1. compar'd with Job 35. 14. Judgment is before him therefore trust thou in him which Text is excellently explained Jer.