receive but also purgeth the heart from all dead workes it doth not only take but it doth also worke by love behold now the joy and peace of this man at what ease doth he now lie If we looke upon him we would set up a Tabernacle by him nay certainly we should continue with him for ever He finds his bed large enough for his wearied body to rest upon the plaister great enough to the wound the covering large enough to wrap himselfe in and now heare him what he saith Lord unto me thou wilt ordaine peace for thou hast wrought all my workes Isai 26. 12. Thou hast commanded deliverance for Iacob In thee I will boast all the day long The righteous shall heare of it and shall wait upon thee for this thing For I declare to the world that they who observe lying vanities forsake their own mercies Ionah 2. They shall sinke upon them as a man upon quick-sand The sarrowes of them who offer unto other Gods shall be multiplied their offerings I will not offer nor make mention of their names within my lipps but I will remember thee only and thy name thou art the portion of my inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my let the liues have fallen to me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage I will blesse thee O Lord who hast given me this counsell for now my heart is glad my glory reioyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope for thou hast not left my soule in Hell thou hast showen me the path of life in thy presence is fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Thou hast heard in this one the Church speaking I have brought hir in upon another occasion and upon more deliberation clearing hir oft ecclipsed light as farre beyond Luther as the rising of the Sunne is from his fall and thence fetching his race as the Sunne in his strength though many times hid under a cloud And this she proves out of the Scripture where is no other spirit then what speakes in the hearts of hir children first from what the Lord hath done for her and then what she hath teturned to the Lord. Secondly from what her enemies in all ages haue done against her and then what she hath done for them Thirdly from those many deliverances past present though they be slaine all the day long and to come Wherein the Lord hath doth will make bare his Arme. Thou hast only the first here but briefly and in another forme of words as be fits the present but hast thou not discerned what a building this is I would ravish thy thoughts if any shall try to pluck a stone from this building it shall be unto him a burdensome stone If any shall march against it the horse shall be smitt with astonishment and his Rider with madnes If any shall attempt to burne it it shall be unto them as a firy torch in a sheaffe If to devoure it it shall be unto them as a cup of trembling the Lord hath said this Zach. 12. He hath he will he doth make it good Come away come away it is much to be under the shadow of it cast off all those dead works which thou dost eye too much and learne what the Lord requyres at thy hands surely not thowsands of Rames nor ten thousand rivers of oyle nor the sonne of thy body for the sinne of thy soule but to feare the Lord and to serue him in sinceritie and truth Iosh 24. 14. not mentioning the names of other gods nor bowing thy selfe unto them Iosh 23. 6. but to breake off thy sinns by repentanceâ— amd that there be an healing of thine errour to do iustly and to loue mercy and to walke humblie with thy God approuing thy selfe as the child of God not by these assumed services which will not hold weight when righteousnes is put to the scale but as the Saints doe by purenes by knowledge by long sufferings by kindnes by the holy Ghost by loue unfained by the word of truth by the power of God by the armour of righteousnes one the right hand and one the left Oh my bowels doe yearne upon my child my heart is inlarged Thou art not kept straite in me but I am kept straite in thee Thou maiest plainely conclude by what is said see how dearely my mother loues yea and the Lord knoweth too who is truth it selfe that my desire of thy returne hath no lesse loue in it then it hath safetie too for I wish aboue all things that thou maiest prosper as thy soule may prosper Once more if there bee any consolation in Christ if any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of mercy fullfill my ioy and come away And that thou maist make hast for a Mothers affection thinks the shortest time long I will quit thy argument which thou thoughtest so fit for my capacity indeed it was so with another as fit for thine for thou art but a child yet and knowest nothing as thou oughtest to doe And I know it shall fall as right as thine did but then with a different effect Thine did but foile the forme of godlinesse that was amongst us the power was not touched the truth remains the truth still and will be justified of hir children mine shall take away the truth and power you seeme to have and shall tell thee plainely there is none indeed harken while this argument smits your holy Mothet this once I will not smite her the second time for I shall labour to drive the naile to the head fasten hir to the ground with it that she rise not againe and all this in a deare affection to thee that so I may get thee out of her Tent and free my selfe from the feare thy selfe from the danger of having that other nayle in thy Temples Nearken then while the wiles and deceits of this Harlot are discovered unto thee these are playne by what hath ben saide by her name by her practise I shall not paralel this holy mother with hers in the 3 Proverbs it would proue her an Harlot but it would be taken in scorne neither will I tell you how shee hath filled forth the Cup of her fornications that wold prove as much but some would deny it Nor will search into the chamber of hir Imagery I cannot see into that I will take hir owne Argument and if I can by that prove hir to be cruell in commanding the Child to be divided I will by helpe of that Scripture turne it like a weapon against hir and sheath it in hir bowells for that Scripture makes cruelty the inseperable marke of an Harlott and when that is done the holy Mother is killed the Harlot is reserved to a longer day hir punishment sleepeth not The holy Mothers Argument against the Church hath beene drawne from the block fire sword persecution interdiction and the like there is
whose office is to stand betweene the living and the dead Hee thou prayest unto is a Spirit thou must worship him in spirit and in truth Againe doth he put no confidence in the flesh What meanes then his knowing of Christ after the flesh his will worship all his carnall services Doth he renounce his owne righteousnes is it as filthy raggs What meanes then his meritts his satisfaction his worke of supererrogation Doth he forgetting those things which are behind reaching forth unto those things which are before presse toward the marke that he may apprehend that for which hee was apprehended of Christ Iesus What meaneth then his fancy of perfection in this life This man cannot frame to pronunce Christ aright yet scales are before his eyes let him looke to it It will prove as deadly as Sibboleth to the Ephramite then they tooke him slew him at the passage of Iordan Iud. 12. I haue beene long about this yet I know no parent will blame me The Mother hath beene looking into hir Childs Eye and she feares it will be lost now you know the Eye is to this little body as the Sunne to the great the light of the body is the eye if that be darke the body lives in a continued night then if there be any remedie the Mother bestirres hir selfe how much more then if the inward eye bee in danger for when that is darke how great is that darkenesse A man knowes not where hee shall fall O the Mother would fame have that cleare because the loue of an outward sense may be supplied by the strength of another but if the light within a man bee darknesse what can recompence that losse I cannot then leave my Childs eye thus the counsaile is behind so is the eye salue thou shalt find them both if of what hath beene said thou shalt make this use Trust not my sweete Child thine owne eye it will present unto thee shaddowes for substances that is one grosse mistake for what is the shaddow to the substance no more then is the Chaffe to the Wheate It will tell thee it sees clearly when it is not onely dim and darke but quite put out that is another and can there be a greater Goe then my deare Child in the sense of this thy blindnesse for thou art blind also there is no question of it to him that is the Light the effect of whose comming is that they which see not to wit in the conscience of their owne blindnesse might see and that they which see might be made blind Ioh. 9. Go I say unto him it is not my counsell onely and say Son of David have mercie upon me that I may receive my sight and bee instant with him give him no rest till he make darkenesse light before thee and crooked things straight Till he bid the Prisoners come forth and say to the blind receive sight Isai 42. 16. Then and not till then shall thine eyes bee cleared then and not till then shall thy tongue bee loosed then not till then shalt thou frame to pronounce Christ right SONNE God knowes before whome I am our day to giue an accompt of my duty towards you that there passeth not a day or night either when you and yours take your rest wherein there is not intercession made for you MOTHER And dost thou begge vs of the Lord my sweete child Now the Lord unfold thy vnderstanding he cure thy zeale he adde knowledge to it he can doe it But all this while thou hast not fulfilled my ioy I reioyced greatly that I found of my children walkeing in the truth as we haue receiued a commandement of the Father they are Iohns words to to the elect Lady v. 4. Heare what he wâ—â—ts to Gaius I reioyced greatly when the brethren came and testified of the Trueth that is in thee even as thou walkest in the Trueth I haue no greater ioy then to heare that my children walke in the truth Beloued thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren to strangers I restraine this now to the matter in hand prayer though whatsoever a man doth that he doth it faithfully Crownes the worker the worke thou doest pray for thy Mother and her children doe it faithfully my deare child Faithfully in respect of those things that must be requested Faithfully in respect of that heart by which this Sacrifice must be presented Faithfully in respect of him to whom only it must bee directed Psal 65. 2. Faithfully in respect of that mediation through whom only it must bee accepted So pray on and begge vs of the Lord. Behold he prayeth Acts 9. 11 It is the spirits testimony of Paul after hee had left Gamaliels feete and his owne righteousnes and had attained to the knowledge of Christ and to the power of his Resurrection then behold he prayeth it yeldes a notable consideration no question Saul had prayed long and often while he satt at Gamaliels feete yet as if his prayers then had ben rather an houling then praying the spirit giues this testimony of him after the light had shined unto him behold he prayeth then and not till then Pray thus and pray on so begging vs of the Lord. I should haue no greater Ioy then to heare that my child walks in truth Beloved child thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to thy Mother and her children Oh what joy were here doe this and thou fulfillest my joy and thy owne for else thy labour of loue will be lost thy watching lost thy prayers lost thy selfe lost all lost looke to thy selfe then it is Iohns caveat that thou loose not the things that thou hast wrought but that thou receiuest a full reward In the meane time the Mother will pray for the child too that his loue may abound yet more and more how In knowledge and in all iudgement Philip. 1. 9. then shall we loue both in the flesh in the Lord Phil. 16. SONNE What more to doe in this my state I know not when my Mother is misled from the way of truth without knowledge and I must obey her but in the Lord in this thing then I must be excused and she must be plainely told that it stands not with the duty of a sonne to yeeld the least to so uniust demaunds of a Mother yet that she may know how duetifull a Sonne shee hath and how couragious for the witnessing of that which hee professeth were it with his owne blood Oh! that the commands were of the same nature with hers in the Maccabees who did incourage her children to suffer euen to the death surely I should be as ready to obey as shee to command but alas my Mothers commaunds are unreasonable nay unnaturall tending to the forsaking my Religion Gods Church his trueth himselfe MOTHER And is it so my Son an unreasonable request indeed and unnaturall O but hearken my Child and if it bee so let thine owne Mother bee hated O
done Why he was no more able to hurt then a dead dog could bite and therefore art thou O Lord my King and thou also Abner alive at this time and your eyes may behold both the speare and pott that was so nigh thy Masters Pillovv and my Master Saul may heare too and now I hope both my Lord and Abner from this very day will be able to discerne truth and innocency from wickednesse which ever proceedeth from the wicked man and be able to point at it too with the finger saying there it is behold Child Saul doth it he knowes the voice of David and it melts him into teares and see what he saith thou art more righteous then I thou hast rewarded me good when I rewarded thee evill and now my Child rhou hast seene truths guize and hir childrens carriage how meeke how harmlesse Thou maist likewise discerne the Beasts mark and from whence wickednesse doth proceed I know no motive in the world except the secret working of Gods Spirit more prevalent to cause thee to come away unlesse thou hast not a Sauls discerning But because I know thou art blind folded and hast no light but what comes in by chaunes and crevises I will contract what hath been sayd concerning these two Mothers into an Embleme one or two which thou maist perceiue by the least glimmering Then I will turne thee to two places of Scriptures from which thou shalt make thine owne collection The first Emblem shall bee of the holy Mother and a Mother shall be it An Hecuba in travell with a fire brand and forth it comes rushing into the Bush of the Church Or a Iezabell plotting the death of poore Naboth because he will not part with the Vinyard the inheritance of his Fathers She must not keep it for all her painting downe she must be cast like a milstone The Doggs did eate the flesh of Iezabel Take the Embleme of hir eldest sonnes and sonnes shall be it Samsons three hundred foxes running about the field with firebrands at their tailes see what hurt they doe the shockâ— are burnt Or for variety sake look upon the Gadarens heard of swine but not running into the lake though an evill spirit be in them The day of recompence for Sions controversie is not yet yet the enemy is not brought to the valley of Iehosophat to bee iudged there we must looke on them running into the vineyard that must be more wâ—st we leave them rooting there But here is the coÌ„fort Is it wast is Sharon a wildernes now I will up saith the Lord I will give to Israel the opening of the month in the midst of them and they shall know that I am the Lord. Ezech. 29. 21. Take the Embleme of she true Mother and that is made to our hands you heard hir begging of the Childs life Take the Embleme of hir Children David cursed and pelted at by Shimes and praying the while Steven stoning and even then saying Lord lay not this ot their charge We have done with the Emblemes wee turne to the Scriptures the first is 1 Kings 19. 11. There came a great strong wind but the Lord was not in the wind nor in the earth-quake nor in the fire There came a still and soft voice there the Lord was Make thy collection now here are two both would be Mothers both would speake in the evidence of the same spirits which of these comes like a wind renting as it goes like an earth-quake opening graves as it goes like a fire scorching as it goes or in a still and soft voice instructing perswading blessing praying as it goes with whom the soft voice is there the Lord is Answer this unto him who understands thy thoughts long before I have done with that Scripture we find the other 2 Sam. 7. compared with 1 Chron. 22. 8. where is something will hold us from our purpose a little for the Readers sake We find David sitting in his house and in peace yet not confined to his owne particular interest and looking no further one eye is on his house the other on the Arke and he sees no correspondency And yet he that hath Davids observation may observe a greater disproportion betwixt his conveniences the Arks now then was betwixt Davids and the Arkes then he sitts in his house of hewed stone he heares no complaining in the streetes Gods footstepps drop fatnesse towards him there are his conveniences What are the Arkes The enemy hath raised a mighty storme and the Arke hath scarce curtaines to keep it off I know well on the glory there iâ— a defence but I speak of that covering the outward eye may discerne Certainly if the consideration of David be this mans precept the practise of David will be his patterne whose mind was presently on worke how he might build an house for the Arke too Yet Nathan must stay his hand that must not be put to the worke We came purposely hither to enquire the reason of that but I desire the Reader would marke one thing by the way Though it were taken out of the power of Davids hand to build an house for the Arke yet the Lord tells him thou didst well in that it was in thy heart 2 Chro. 6. 8. A mans hand may be kept from the Arke every one cannot visibly worke the securitie of it nor bring it within Cedars Nay though the Arke shake every hand is not worthy to hold it up A man must looke to his warrant specially when he goes about the busines of the Arke But marke this they shall prosper that loue thee We wish you prosperitie in the name of the Lord O it is a gratious thing even when the hand can doe nothing But Mâ—roz with the inhabitants were cursâ— bitterly Iudg 5. 23. And the men of Sâ—câ—oth were taught that iâ— the word by briers and thâ—râ—â—â— Iudg. 8. 16. That was a sore teaching but who can help it They that will not be taught by instruction must be taught by paine 2. Esd 9. 12. It is Apocryphâ— thou maist keep it in thy Bible when it â—out of thy Creed and let it teach thee when thou look'st upon thy house of Ceder I meane thy many many conveniences many positrue many privatiue to haue the Arke in thy heart for this is to remember the Chareâ—â— of Israel and the horse men thereof that is the Church The glory of Israel that is the Gospell The Paules in prison and she Iaseps in affliction for this glorie for thy sake are we killed all the day long now what thou doest for these or any of these they â—â—e so like thou canst not distinguish them thou doest it to Christ and thou shewest mercy to thy owe soule For these will pray that thy mercy may be returned to thee thine in the tempestivitie of time The Lord â—â—ew mercy to Onesiphorus in that day Nor is that all the Lord shew mercy to the whole house of Onesiphorus Now to
acknowledgement it is the same of thine owne hand haue I given backe unto thee for who hath first given to the Lord And with Paul yet not I but the grace of God which is in me And with the Church the Lord hath given me dominion over the strong Iudg. 5. 13. The Lord hath wrought all my workes for me and so to hang on God as the finisher and perfecter of what he hath begun yet in an assured confidence of this very thing that hee who hath begun a good worke will performe it til the day of Iesus Christ Phil. 1. 6. I know I haue transgressed the bounds of an Epistle which must not fill the hand I know not also whether the gate the house are proportionable I mean the Epistle the Booke I am sure they are both to big Let not that trouble thee it was neither thy labour nor thy cost why should'st thou complaine It falls out in matters of this nature as in building this roome is not light enough nor is that large enough the third would have some addition by that time all is done the paines cost and building farre exceedes the Idea or first proportion so here It is true he that would say all must needes say too much yet I beseech thee spare thy Censure this once I will never venture it againe nor had I now unlesse there had beene a cause what have I now done is there not a cause I leave thee now to the power of his Grace who can build further we have a barren mould though the Lord hath had long patience how soone hee will come to require fruit wee know not Pray we that hee would husband us yet one yeare by his servants give unto us the springs of water the upper and the nether springs then cause his winds to blow upon it so shall we have a goodly portion Pray wee that hee would open our mouthes wide then fill them as with marrow and fà tnes so shall wee fare well A LETTER WRITTEN FROM DOWAY 6 OF MARCH 1627. VNTO HIS MOTHER DEARE MOTHER It is not the first time since my departure that I have writ unto you neither shall it be the last Nature will finde a way to vent her duty were shee never so hard opprest Out of sight is not out of mind for were you but as mindefull of your selfe as I am of you I doubt not but by the effects you should finde mee a dutifull Sonne But as the blinde who see not themselues thinke all others not to see them likewise so you forgetting your selfe thinke mee forgetfull of you to God knowes before whom one day I am to give an account of my duty towards you how that there passeth not a day or night either when you and yours take your rest wherein there is not intercession made for you If I knew what els in this my state a Child 's naturall obligation could effect in the behalfe of a Mother I would with what indeavour I could accomplish it But alas Deare Mother when your request is unreasonable nay unnaturall as the forsaking my Religion Gods Church his truth nay himselfe it stands not with the duty of a Sonne any way to yeeld in the least to so uniust demaunds of a Mother O that your desires were but of that nature of that good Mother wee reade of in the Maccabees was who did encourage her Children to suffer even to death for God I doubt not but God would so strengthen mee with his grace that you should find my duty as ready to obey as your piety would bee willing to command Though it bee not common for a Sonne to teach his Mother but rather to follow her in what shee should direct him yet when parents misled from the way of truth shall without knowledge command what is contrary to Gods will and their Childrens conscience It may be nay it is the part of a dutifull Sonne to remember that their command is amisse and cannot bee followed All I here now doe is no more I doe but informe you that the happinesse you wish mee is not true and reall happinesse That not longer I now but your owne soule might bee the obiect of your thoughts That you would from henceforth no longer be a stranger from the truth But submit your selfe to her who as a loving Mother would receive and embrace you with all affection within the armes of veritie first be instructed by her Deare Mother and then shall you learne to governe and guide your owne Children in thinges that are good And then I am sure they will bee ruled and guided by you And this is all should I doe lesse I should thinke with the Apostle that I were farre worse then an Infidell For how can I behold wolves which pray not for you but prey upon you and hold my tongue Where were my duty I perceiving you tost up and downe in the waves of heresie as you are and your selfe ready to suffer shipwrack and I not so much as offering you my hand to draw you into the Arke Which of all those blind guides that now pervert your soule will affirme that the foundation on which your salvation purchased so dearly by the blood of your Saviour on which your faith is built is unfallable If fallable why doe you hazard your salvation purchased so dearely by the blood of your Saviour upon sand Deare Mother I as a poore Child of your owne bowells as upon my bended knees in all duty of a Sonne doe desire you consider your owne declining age tho last iudgement and if you doe not now here in time worke a prevention of that fearefull sentence which otherwise must passe upon you that so you may avoid the wrath to come endeavour somewhat to examine whether all be true your false prophets preach unto you or at least whether they practise what they preach First try and then trust And because your capacity cannot master a better argument then to examine the lives of your professors of your owne sect There begin See first whether your new upstart ministers do not like stage players trickt up in their neat apparrell onely and barely act and talke and practise nothing they will tell you of Christs passion his povertie his want his hunger and thirst his humility his patience his labour and travell his ignominie in being apprehended scourged spit on in bearing his crosse they will also tell you of the Apostles povertie their sufferings their wrongs and afflictions but who is he either of your Ministry or Laity will follow your Saviour in these his passions who is there among you that in your selves allow either of fasting or watching or voluntary poverty or good workes or afflicting your selves for Gods sake to be despised to forsake the world live for ever austerely in pennance for sins they can commend these things in Christ and his Apostles and yet forbid to be practised by themselves They will tell
the joyes of this Iacob or number the fourth part of the comforts of this Israell The sure mercies of David are his The word of God his for his instruction The righteousnesse of God his for his justification Gods spirit his for his sanctification Gods power his for his protection Gods glory his for his happinesse All things are his he is Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3. 23. Let my strength be as this mans strength and my last end shall be like his Oh but why doth Balaam wish and sit still the while Iudge with thy selfe whether such comforts can be drawne with ease This is a worke not an easie one Why is there a price in the hand of a foole and he hath no heart unto it Prov. 17. 16. Digg man digg deepe deeper yet to it againe thou must through all these sandy bottomes Why judge within your selfe whether any thing but onely the rocke the rocke onely can hold a building thus stedfast that the world nay the gates of hell cannot prevaile against it Oh to it againe there must be a low foundation on which so glorious a building must be rooted built and stablished that must stand like mount Sion fast for evermore Then yet deeper and faint not forasmuch as you know your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. Deare Child I as an affectionate Mother to my owne bowells by my sorrowes in thy first birth by those since wherewith I travell with thee till Christ be formed in thee by that solemne vow thou mad'st to God in Baptisme by that strong bond of nature deare name of a Mother I doe desire thee nay she that might command doth beseech thee if there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort in love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowells of mercies to consider by what hath beene said and the Lord make it profitable whether my requests that thou wouldest returne bee unreasonable or unnaturall whether my reasons for it are any way dangerous or hazardous or rather whether the one be not pious the other safe certaine directing thee unto that Church which is guided by a certaine course it may float it cannot sinke setting thee upon a sure foundation it may shake it cannot fall no more then the corner-stone which cannot be removed Intreating thee to put away those lyes which are in thy right hand all those Idolls which cannot helpe all those sparkes with which you may compasse your selfe and yet lie downe in sorrow Isai 50. 11. perswading thee to put away all those vanities they are too long to name which weighed in the ballance will bee found too light and also to digg to the Rocke which cannot faile Oh my Child consider It is not for any of your good workes that you are condemned yet I know thou wilt consider that there are many circumstances belonging to every action from which the worke ever receives its true estimat Thou may'st heare somewhat more of this anon because thou doest not walke uprightly according to the truth and purity of the Gospell I would drive this naile to the head now consider whether your rocke be as our rocke even our enemies being iudges what will become of their gods their rocke in which they trusted let them rise up and helpe you and be your protection Deut. 31. ver 31. 37. c. But see my child this rocke is hee which I have pointed out unto thee there is none with him onely Christ onely Christ Can here be hazard my Child can here be danger canst thou thirst at the fountaine canst thou sinke upon the rocke In thine owne righteousnesse thou mai'st the intercessions of Saints and Angells may deceive thee Baall may be busied peradventure he may be sleeping Abraham may be ignorant of thee and Israell may not acknowledge thee I say but it may be though the Scripture puts it out of all question for albeit the Saints in heaven doe in generall remember their fellowes whose warfare is not yet accomplished and so performe that never failing act of charity to pray for them as they farre divided on earth doe one for another yet particularly they know not our hearts nor the desires nor sighs nor groanes of our hearts for thou only saith Salomon knowest the hearts of the Children of men 2 Chro. 6. 30. thou only therfor not Abraham not Israel Yet I say but that it may be that thou maist see plainly how at the best here is a venture here â—s a hazard but he that keepeth Israell neither slumbreth nor sleepeth and this is hee which I point out unto thee there can be no hazard here this rocke is a mighty redeemer hee will sustaine thee alone hee must have no helper whom wilt thou joyne vvith him whose name is everlasting I tell thee this for the summ of all there is nothing though never so lovely in thine eyes which can mak thee the righteousnes of God but that which was made sinne for thee Tell me then were any of these things crucified for thee how long shall vaine thoughts which seperate from God lodge within thee returne then my Sonne returne or in case thou doest halt betweene two opinions surely the Lord the jealous God who will not give his honour to another nor suffer Dagon to stand by him will have this controversie against thee and what Saint or Angell shall plead for thee thou hast committed two great evills thou hast forsaken the fountaine of living waters hewed thy selfe out Cisterns broken Cisternes that can hold no water Return then my Sonne returne for why shouldest thou be as a Cake halfe baked neither hott â—or cold almost a Christian Thou must â—â—ke straight steppse and cast off that which kings on so fast lest that which is halting be turned out of the way The Lord calls for thy heart give it him my Sonne and follow him wholly or else thou shalt nevâ—r with Caleb and Ioshuah come into that good Land Oâ— my bowells doe yerne upon my Sonne the Harlot shall rather have him then I will have him divided Come away from hir Son come away SONNE Yee have wolues amongst you who pray not for you but prey upon you Besids the liues of your Ministers and professours are very scandalous you have but the carcasse of the Ministry amongst you and you do not cover it with a seemely cloath Doe not the Ministers some of them like stage players only anâ— barely act talke and practise nothing They will tell you of Christs passion his hunger his thrist so of the Apostles too But which of your Ministers or Laity will follow his Saviour in those his passions Who amongst you doe allow of fastings or watching or voluntary Poverty c. Now looke upon ours their practise will preach you a Sermon they are rather doers then talkers They fast hard pray much suffer continually By this their practise you may knowe their doctrine there is your Sermon Now I
in the day of the Lords visitation he will visite our sins upon vs let Baal plead for Baall and wickednesse proceed from awicked man let him defend it it will find him out at length and in due time the foote shall slide And it shall be bitternesse in the end that the Priests whether yours or ours haue made the Sacrifice to bee abhorred and for the professors too that they have caused the name of the Lord to be blasphemed and his holy wayes to be spoken against nay I tell thee some of these ministers and professors too that have thus profaned the covenant and dishonoured that holy thing they have taken upon them are made contemptible and base before all the people Oh that they were wise then would they understand they would consider their latter end Now againe to theâ— my Child it is no matter how my wordes come forth for their method so none be lost thy Mother hath no Art And first for thy better information concerning our doctrine Yet as an introduction thereunto because there is no end of writing heare thy Mothers doctrine first Call it Salamons summes Feare God keepe his Commandements And consider this with it that these are Evangelicall precepts which are not dead like those of the law but lively in operation Take this also with it which thou findest in many places The Lord gives his Spirit to them that obey him and his secret is with them that feare him Thus much to prepare thy care it is the Lord that must circumcise it that must borâ— it The doctrine followes Love God with thy whole heart and thy neighbour as thy selfe there is the Law and the Prophetts and in that the Churches doctrine and thy lesson Thou wilt say with the young-man All this I doe performe Therefore thy Mother conceaves the lesse hope I would rather thou could'st have confe'st thy selfe an unprofitable servant that so thou mightst have beene capable of that which followes for thou hast but halfe yet Christ came into the world to saue sinners There is the Gospell And if in thy owne apprehension thou art one yea the chiefe of sinners there is the comfort only there Thus thou hast the summe of the Law and the Gospell take it together in Paules words 1. Tim. 4. 6. 2 3 4 5. It teacheth the wholesome words even the words of our Lord Iesus Christ the doctrine which is according to godlinesse and if any man teach otherwise he is proud knowing nothing from such with draw thy selfe 1. Tim 6. so much for the generall Now more particularly thou shalt see how this doctrine ariseth out of the Scriptures the ground of it as the sap soaketh out of the tree and thence spreadeth it selfe into severall branches then unites it selfe upon it's disciple man to whom it is more particularly made knowne by the inward worke of Gods spirit The Doctrine is holy according to the Scriptures avowing them to be a most perfect rule neither crooked any way nor short in any thing requisite which must bee received for the testimonie of God because wee must set to our seale that he is true and not for the testimonie of the Church which were to set to our seale that men were true Thence concluding that there is one God one Christ one Faith one Church one Baptisme That this one God is to bee worshipped purely as a spirit in spirit and in truth according to the three substances soberly and wisely according to all his Attributes piously religiously That Christ is to be rested upon wholly by a precious faith whereof God is the Author God is the Finisher for it pleades not the power of mans free-will in spirituall things against the free grace of God who will bee admired in all that believe not immediately when he giues the meanes but upon the conscionable use of the word and Sacraments according to the patterne and primitiue Institution set apart for that end and sanctified thereunto by which faith euery soule gets vnion with and interest in Iesus and hereby is only perfectly iustified both in respect of degrees parts and sanctified also in respect of parts and all this not by perfection of the instrument Faith that is a creature but of the obiect it apprehendeth Christ and so may with a true though palsy hand receiue and keepe both Christ and his benefits which doth evidence to the soule now not walking by sight that he hath vnion with the vine and Communion with the branches having now the Baptisme of the Holy Ghost even cleane waters poured upon him whereof the outward element was more then a bare signe And now being thus washed thus purged he cannot be unprofitable but beareth much fruite to the glory and praise of him who hath called him out of darkenesse into his marvelous light and this fruite comming from a lively root is lively also evedencing outwardly what the Spirit hath sealed inwardly So putting to silence the mouthes of wicked men and his owne mouth too from glorying in any thing but in him that raised the dead who prevented him with grace and followes him with grace thereby giving him assurance that he will perfect what iâ— begunne to him therefore is ascribed the glory whose power was and iâ— so gratiously manifested in weakenes Hence ariseth a Ioy inexprâ—â—sible yet till this warfare be accomplished many waies and divers times interrupted never quite lost in the ground of it be walkes by faith but the fulnes is reserved in the heavens which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give him for the praise of the glory of his grace according to the dispensation of his will purposed before all time sealed unto him iâ— time and shall bee perpetuated â—â—to all eternity This is a light Child though darknes apprehend it not this is a good seed whereof iâ— given thee but a little handfull though tares be sowen with it This is a Treasure what vessell is fit for it yet it is but in an earthen one that the glory may be of God SONNE What should you be medling with the Scriptures and the Churches doctrine rather according to sobrietie walke in un Implicit Faith resigning your selfe to the holy Church and the holy Church to his Holinesse I pray you what say you for your practise your capacitie may master that MOTHER Take heed the tongue is an unruly member Search the Scriptures it an indefinite iniunction Timothie knew them of a Child and by them was made wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Iesus 2. Tim. 3. 15. the neglect of them is the ground of error yee erre because ye know not the Scriptures It is our happines that wee have them our sure instruction that wee read them our condemnation if wee seeke for truth from any els though he who is translated into an Angell of light nay though an Angell from heaven should bring it Wee looke unto the Scripture to seeke counsell from them as
from our Oracle our Pillar our Rule but wee resignelour waies to the Lord by whom our thoughts are established And this shall aggravate your Iudgement that whereas the Lord hath written unto you the great things of his law ye have accompted them a light thing And further thy Mother is perswaded that so long as thou hast neglect of such a treasure and wilt hearken to the traditions of men thou wilt continue a foole though thou shouldest bee braid in a morter Concerning our practise I have something to say for it something against it thou shalt have it presently First I thinke it fit in the way to remove some strawes call them so comparatively thy Mother would not have a straw lie in her Sonnes way homewards a and herein I am the more warie because it will plainly appeare that thou hast stumbled at a straw and leap't over a blocke Consider then with mee that there may be some errors in points of doctrine not Fundamentall not trenching upon that onely and alone sacrifice once offered for sinne since which all sacrifices must cease whether bloudie or vnbloudie which errors not fundamentall the fire may consume yet the person bee saved Againe that there may be some faults in practise and those foule ones too which Charitie should helpe with both hir shoulders but if strength be wanting that way or the mantle too short yet Charity hath done it's part That all this may bee and is I gather it thus A wide doore was opened what did follow then many adversaries saith Paul The Husbandman was sowing his seede where was the enuious man As neere unto him aâ— Satan was to the Priests right hand to resist him Zech. 3. and he casts his hand as well as the seedes-man and perhaps faster too because the seedes-man sleepes sometimes but the envious man is wakefull and he bestirâ— himselfe In this place he throwes a handfull and in that a handfull yet it is a field still and the great Landlord saith let them grow up together untill harvest then they shall be seperated Now Child that I may bring this to oâ—â— purpose and thereby shew thee how thou hast stumbled at a straw and loap'â— over a block I returne to the first againe and say that as there are certaine principles of the doctrine of Christ and of faith which must first be laid and upon which other truthes are to be built so must not the foundation be confounded with the wall or roofe nor light errors bee made fundamentall From hence thou art to take this into thy consideration yet there is time That the errors of the Antichristian Church whereunto thou art joyned as Ephraim to Idolls doe trench upon the carner-stone elect and pretious than which none must lay any it be a foundation thus thou didst leape over a blocke Againe thou hast seperated from us I hope but for a season that wee may receive thee for ever at the ten Tribes if I may compart small things with great rented from Ierusalem the onely true instituted Church in the world which was then on individuall not many as now and this by Idolatry thus thou didst leape over a block To the second faults in practise they are confe'st I thinke the Harlot heard me plead guilty It was the best way sure unlesse one could have proved that the envious man had done nothing Be it granted then yet what is the Tares to the good soedes what is the chaffe to the wheat Good seed is good feed for all the tares wheat wheat notwithstanding the Chaffe Be it that we have both of our Shepheards and of their flocke to such whose walking is no whit answerable to that it should be Then the Scripture calls them Idolls Zech. 11. 17. And wee know an Idoll is nothing What can be inferred thence what though an Idoll hath nothing but the superficies outmost proportion of a man it sees not it heares not it speakes not It will not follow that therefore the living doe not praise God Though a lye bee nothing truth is something Thy questioning hereof puts me in mind of a strange speech that was uttered by one whose conceit was stronger then his reason and his love weaker then either He was once as hee thought over-reach't by a minister well said he for this tricke I will never trust a black-coat againe A good Item to those of that Coate that they walk circumspectly as examples in word in conversation in spirit in faith in puritie â— Tim. 4. 12. Considering their profession will take soyle as soone as their cloth so that the one as much requires a wakefull eye over it as the other a brush yet still offences will be taken But let us examine the former speech If so be that words make a Commentary on the heart as well as actions they say they doe and the one bewrayes a man as well as the other then I can discerne no difference betweene that man we now heard of and this I am now telling you of who very wisely put his drink into a sive and because the sive deceaved him and let his drinke out would not bee perswaded afterwards to trust his dish no that he would not Think you as you please of the one and the other I am sure here was an extreame The dish would have held it though the siue did not I must not lay the blame upon all because some walke not as they should doe The faults of a counterfeit must not cast dyrt into the face of a gracious profession no nor may any mans faults though never so scandalous bring contempt upon the doctrine As it was under the Law so is it now under the Gospell Aarons Priesthood was holy though Nadab and Abihu did that the Lord commanded them not The sacrifice holy though Elies sonnes were wicked That the offering of the Lord was abhorred was the peoples fault Yet woe befell them who gave the offence and it shall certainly overtake all such as goe on in their steppes But all this while there is no warrant for abhorring the offering There is a treasurie in earthly vessells the treasure sanctifies not the vessell nor the vessell pollutes the treasure Moses Chaire cannot make the Scribe the holier nor can the unholinesse of the Scribe pollute Moses Doctrine No mans sinnes should bring the service of God into dislike SONNE Yea but you have been speaking of your doctrin and you haue I know not how fitly compared it to a treasure and to wheat and I know not what this makes against you For we say sow wheat and reape wheat MOTHER It is most true For what a man sowes that shall he reape but you know the envious man sowed Tares then by the same reason there will bee tares too As envious as the man is he must have his crop SONNE This doth not satisfio mee we have read that Truth is strongest and doth preuaile it brings a power with it MOTHER That it
doeth and thou maist bee sure of it A greater power then is this to cast away ones goods to thump ones selfe on the brest to crosse the forehead to lash oneâ— sides till the blood follow to cast up ones prayers with beads in stead of counters to abstaine from egges on Friday and a chicke on Saturday and flesh for forty dayes together Nay I am not wide if I say it brings a greater power then that of your Popes keyes though it cannot open Purgatorie But for thy information which I specially intend I will plainly shew thee what power this is which trueth brings with it by two resemblances It is such a power as Iacob gave his Father Laban to search his tents for the Images which Rachell had stollen shee was desirous to keepe them whether to play with them or because they were hir Fathers I know not and Laban was desirous to haue them they were his gods therefore of great esteeme Search my tents saith Iacob there is your power I would give no way to keepe them upon any condition if I knew of them For Iacob knew not that Rachell had stollen them Gen. 31. 32. So then Rachell was too hard for them both The resemblance lyeth thus Trueth brings power with it to search the heart yea to sweepe it and cleanse it too And yet this crafty subtle Rachell keepes some of the filth behind the doore in a corner And this to humble man who if he knowes nothing by himselfe yet is he not thereby justified He hath to doe with him who is greater then the heart whose eyes are as Christall Selfe-puritie is a fancie it will deceive a man like a broaken tooth or a legg out of ioynt Behold if we say wee know it not doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it c Prov. 24. 12. Who can understand his errors cleanse thou me from secret saiâ—â—s keepe backe thy servant c. Psal 19. Now marke how Hezechiah prayed The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seeke God though hee bee not clensed according to the purification of the sanctuarie That man who is as desirous to cleanse his heart from Idolls as Iacob was to cleanse his tents and can say with Hezechiah Remember how I have walked before thee in trueth and with a perfect heart 2 King 20. that man may find comfort from Gods answering Hezechiahs prayer And the Lord hearkned to Hezechiah and healed the people 2 Chro. 30. 18. 19. I should now shew this power which trueth brings in a second resemblance but I cannot leave this scripture there being something else in it considerable and pat for our purpose Rachell had stollen hir Fathers gods no question but shee would keepe them and what meanes useth shee for that shee hides them under the furniture then sitts downe closse upon them This was a principall means first to wipe hir Fathers nose of them and then to keepe them above ground for till she rose Iacob could not burie them under the Oake we may sitly call this hir wilfulnesse But wilfulnesse though it bee a kind of a reason such as it is yet it hath nothing to defend it selfe we call it a madnesse rather how then did shee defend hir wilfull sitting so closse in hir Fathers presence and upon such pretious things For that shee pleades custome So now this Scripture hath afforded us two principall helps by which you maintaine Images at this day they are the very pillars which keepe them from falling to the ground Yee resolve to keepe them therefore you sit downe closse upon them This is a strong Argument this will is a tough knottie thing And yet that this wilfulnesse may not bee counted madnesse ye plead custome from ancient dayes let ancient dayes speake It is ordinary with you to say you hope your great Grandfather is in heaven yet he bowed before an Image It is hard to prove that because there were seven thousand who bowed not the knee before the Image of Baall But see here though they cannot use a more Herculean Argument then wilfulnesse yet if ye will aske for the old way and enquire of auncient dayes which I am sure would faile you here is a Scripture would stand you in stead for it drawes the Pedegree of Images from more ancient dayes then were my Fathers And we do grant your Church had a being long before Luther and that your strange gods are as ancient as the oake beyond Sechem yet that you may not thence conclude their lawfulnesse they lay buried there and certainly there is no true Iacob but thinks them fittest under ground But if there be any one who will say to the dead stocke stand up he must uphold them by wilfulnes or by pleading custome or both Here I have beene out of my way yet not from my purpose I come to another resemblance wherby that power which trueth brings with it will appeare also It is such a power which Iosuah had to carry all before him yet the men of Gibeon were too wilie for him yet the Iebusite dwelt in the Land The one made their peace by working wilily The other stood to it having first had the Cittie in a kind of ancient possession which is 12. points in the law and so rooted and earthed himselfe in the Land as you see Ivie doth into a wall I remember one compare the body of sinne unto Ivie in a wall the Ivie doth so claspe the wall as that it cannot be taken forth till the wall be pluck't downe nor can that sinne bee purged till the building bee dissolved The Iebusite held out till Davids time But marke the resemblance goes further The first were hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the Congregations Anger hatred feare c. All things worke for the good of them that fear him they who are others masters are Israels servants The other vvere as goades in Israels sides and as thornes in his eyes so is the crucified body of sinne unto the true Israell witnesse a true Israelite who shall deliver me from the body of this death SONNE Yea but if trueth bring but such a power with it how is it there is such fowle practise MOTHER The reason is plaine all men have not trueth nay sew have it Truth is a Iewell it must be bought it may not bee sould It must be bought at any rate rather part with all then misse of it It must bee sould at no rate the world and the glorie of it cannot ballance it So then it being hardly bought and hardly kept no marvaile that all men haue not trueth SONNE Yet I cannot see how trueth and such sowle practise may stand together any more then light by darknesse God with Beliall MOTHER They doe not agree together yet may they stand together yet may they be together how As the Israelite and Iebusite in one Land as the wheat and the tares stand in one field Now Child that
and her instruments watching their oportunitie and finding it layd this neck as upon the block that they might strike it off at a blow A blow indeede whose rage would have reched up to heaven which would have sent up the bodyes of men like the sparkels of a smiths forge and haue made as many divisions of each as there are sparcles SONNE Hold mother for you are out Beleeue Doct. Carier your child and take it upon our words who will not lie wee never heard the worke of that dismall day commended if so we had never been Papists MOTHER I think so too for the Lord awaked like a Giant refresht with wine brake the snare that it might not be told in Gath that the body of a state by meanes of a sulphutious blast was lifted up into the ayre like the body of a Lark soaring upon hir wings therefore were your mouths filled with shame in stead of laughter Foolish boy dost thou not know non placent scelera nisi peracta The throwing of wild-fire into a state is not commended before it takes and layeth wast then it is a meritorious worke Nay it hath beene compared to the worke of our Redemption I have an Author for that stop Reader thou must help us with thy prayers From this holy Mother O Lord deliver us A good man is mercifull to his Beast but the bowells of this Mother are cruell We do tell this to our Children that they may tell it to generations to come and they stand affrighted at it like a little Child when you tell it of Iohn of bare Armes And we doe pay our vowes in all the peoples sight nay because the whole fabricke of nature and the creatures in it had suffered in that blow we say let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord who stayed the blow like Abrahams hand so snatching us and them as brands out of the fire let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. If thou wilt be out of this number yet detest this Mothers cruelty nor let thy soule come into hir secret she will bid thee dig downe a wall that so thou maist prepare instruments of death I have done tracking this woman whom I have called Mother that she may so heare of hir cruelty as that the name of nature might brand hir as an Harlot Now I track the Church and hir Children and behold all hir wayes are peace she goeth plainly and quietly not like a boysterous wind but with a soft voyce she sinks into the heart well knowing the temper of it hir weapons are meeknesse gentlenesse long suffering if at any time or by any meanes except fire and sword that 's the whores mark truth abhors it she may win the people to her Observe further is this trueth opposed as indeed she is too much that 's truths destiny not hir fault is she tossed and tumbled and hurried see hir temper and thou wilt admire hir and for ever detest the Beast how doth she follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith patience and meekenesse Is she at length brought to the slaughter she is so That shall make hir light breake out as the noone day she knowes it well see hir temper still and behold in it the patience of the Saints Thou hast seene a sheep brought to the slaughter so is truth Thou hast seene a lamb before the shearer so stands truth Christ hath given hir a lesson even his owne example she hath learnt it she openeth not hir mouth I would not thou shouldest leave truths temper yet for I hope by feeling hir pulse thou wilt assure thy selfe she is of a sound constitution and plainly discover the contrary She is so farre from fire and sword or any such cruelty that she followeth peace with all men as farre as is possible she is no striker with the fist no smiter with the tongue there is a smiting with the tongue but it is bound to the peace and good behaviour I will shew thee hir Children as like the Mother as may be observe their carriage Being reviled we blesse being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we intreat 1 Cor. 4. This is a strange Retaliation never to be found but from the Children of truth who must not render evill for evill but contrariwise blesse knowing that they are therunto called being heirs of blessing 1 Pet. 3. 9. We will single out one of hir Children who made Sauls heart melt David had the skirt of Sauls robe in his hand his heart smot him for that too He cried out to Saul What gesture used he He might stand upon his poynts then the wildernesse of Engedi at least the advantage he had of Saul made them equall did it not By no meanes Saul was the Lords Annointed still and Davids Master too and if he casts his eye upon David off goes the haâ—t David stoopt with his face to the earth and bowed himselfe there was his gesture What was Davids voice what titles gave he to him that hunted him like Partridge one would thinke they should be such as choller rage had laid upmost But you shall heare David was better taught my Lord the King the Lords Annointed my Father What is the matter of Davids words Wherefore doeth my Lord heare mens words saying David seeketh thy hurt behold my Father see yea see the skirt of thy robe in my hand I might have had thy head as easily But I would thou couldest see how my heart hath smit me for cutting off the lap of the coat of the Lords annointed Heare yet further my Lord Saul I am much displeased with thy chamberlaine Abner whom thou hast made keeper of thy head and were I judge in Israel he might perhaps loose his owne head he is worthy to die but at the least he should out of his office he is too sleepy for that charge Why so he hath not kept his master the Lords anointed How doth that appeare Abner may see here and my Lord Saul may hearken though Abner be a valiant man and who like him in Israell yet is he not fit to be the keeper of the head of the Lords anointed that must have a surer watch then so I tell thee Abner thy masters head was in great danger this night and thou layest by him sleeping for novv see where the Kings spear is and the cruse of water are they not in my hands they were this night at thy Masters bolster and was not thy Masters head upon it Certainly Abner and let my Lord Saul heare had but a Philistim come in or but halfe a Iesuited Israelite thy Master though the Lords anointed had beene smitten to the earth at once there had not needed a second blow and his head had gon with the pot and speare But a David came into your campe this night a poore persecuted flea indeed one of truths children and God forbid that he should stretch forth the hand against the Lords anointed or suffer it to be