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A33276 Ill newes from New-England, or, A nar[r]ative of New-Englands persecution wherin is declared that while old England is becoming new, New-England is become old : also four proposals to the Honoured Parliament and Councel of State, touching the way to propagate the Gospel of Christ ... : also four conclusions touching the faith and order of the Gospel of Christ out of his last will and testament, confirmed and justified / by John Clark ... Clarke, John, 1609-1676. 1652 (1652) Wing C4471; ESTC R19361 89,149 98

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practise among those that first trusted in him have you for baptizing of infants who are declared to be but flesh and by nature the Children of wrath one as well as another for rantising and sprinkling them and not baptizing or dipping them for accepting such as were sprinkled with superstitious hallowed water and by the hand of as superstitious consecrated a ministery of Antichrist and for receiving of such as are sprinkled by your selves to the ordinance of baptism as you call it but yet to deny them communion in the Apostles doctrine and in breaking of bread And if you cannot find either precept from Christ or his Apostles or example among those that first trusted in Christ for none of these then will you be a● loss for the rest and neither find precept or president for your joining together or for your imitation of those that fi●st trusted in him in their ministery of continuance togegether in the Apostles doctrine and fellow ship and breaking of bread and prayer And touching your way to maintain it what have you a precept and president in the last will and testiment of Christ for such a gathering together with respect to the order of the Gospell of Christ in the name and by the leave of the Magistrate so as to make it a thing unlawful for the servants of Christ to do it without him by the civil sword to correct errour heresies and all false worships to constrain all Church-members and such also as are without and so cannot but by you be looked upon to be without faith without which it is impossible to please God outwardly and hypocritically to conform to your worship or to restrain them in like manner outwardly and hypocritically from enjoying their own when according to that rule to which is annexed the promise of peace to such as walk thereby the greatest Apostacies and Blasphemies that unpardonable fin it self not excepted were but punished with a delivery of the person that was guilty thereof unto Satan the God of this world that he might learn not to blaspheme the God of heaven and so to leave him to the coming of the Lord who shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance upon such and so much is signified by the word anathema Maranatha And I pray consider whether this be not to place the Magistrate too high or too low too high in case you make him the chief and upon the point the only Judge in spiritual things ●uch as appertain to the mystery of godliness that is so great and such as belong to the mystery of the Kingdome of Christ that is so wonderful so as to judge and determine what is truth and what is error and heresie what is the right way of the worship of God who being a spirit hath declared that he will be worshipped in spirit and in truth and what is not who are the worshippers he seeks for and who are such as his soul abhors and again too low in case you make him but the executioner only of other mens judgements which indeed is the ordinary practise And so I have done with the first argument the second stands thus 2. Arg. That order and way to maintain it which is not only different from but contrary unto the precept of Christ in his last will and testament and the practise of Christians that first trusted in him that order cannot be the order of the Gospel of Christ nor that way his way to maintain it But the order which you call the order of the Gospel of Christ and the way which you say is his way to maintain it is not only different from but contrary unto the precept of Christ and the practise of Christians that first trusted in him The first proposition it undeniable and the second will easily appear to be true if your order and that way by which you seek to maintain it be brought to and compared with the precept of Christ and his Apostles and the example of those churches that first trusted in him and first compare but your order with either precept or president and it will evidently appear not only to be differing from but contrary unto the order of the Gospel of Christ for according to the precept of Christ every creature to whom the Gospel was to be preached was by the preaching thereof to be made a disciple before he was to be baptised and then being so made and baptized he was to be taught to observe all things which Christ had commanded which was in reference to a sober righteous and godly conversation in the order of his house according to which precept was the practise of those that first trusted in him for they and they only that gladly received the word of salvation by Jesus Christ were baptized Acts 2 and they and all they that were baptized were joined without the leave of the Magistrate and continued together steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and in fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer but your joining together not at the command of the Lord but by the leave of the Magistrate and your continuing together in imitation of the first Churches and appointing a ministery before your selves be baptized and so visibly planted into the death of Christ as they were and your administring baptism as you call it to such as are not the true subjects thereof before they are taught or made disciples and after a false manner viz. by sprinkling which no way resembles the death burial or resurrection of Jesus Christ being that which his baptisme is appointed to do and your admitting some unto baptism as you own it which you refuse to admit unto breaking of bread and your receiving such to breaking of bread which yet were never baptized with the baptism appointed by Jesus Christ the Lord and your shutting out the exercise of the gift of prophecying which in the Church of Christ doth admirably tend to edification and your introducing a mixt confused way of singing which fills the ear rather with a loud sound of words than the heart with any thing that is truly edifying all which is not only differing from but contrary unto both precept and president and so cannot be the order of the Gospel of Christ and therefore is no better than disorder confusion and a part of that which in Scripture language is called Babell And compare that way by which you maintain it either with the precept of Christ or with the president of primitive Christians and it will as evidently appear not only to be different from but contrary unto them both for first the precept of Christ was to learn of him who was meek and lowly and to expect trouble and persecution from others and not to persecute neither to force the Jews that would not follow him nor yet to fire the Samaritans that would not receive him yea he expressely commands his Servants to let the rares alone with the wheat and suffers no small inconvenience thereby to
who are such worshippers as he seekes for who as a Lord faithfull over his house before his departure gave order thereto commanded his Servants to watch and to hold fast till he come and in his absence being at the right hand of his Father is mindefull to shed abroad of that holy Spirit of Promise whereby the true worshippers shall be led from truth to truth untill they be brought into all truth And if the nature of the commanding and ordering power that suits both with the worship and with the worshippers which the Father of Spirits seeks for be also considered which is not a law of a carnall commandment seconded with carnall weapons or an arm of flesh but a spirituall law or as the Apostle cals it Rom. 8. a law of the Spirit of life from Christ Jesus spoken unto or rather written in the heart of a Christian by the Spirit of Christ by reason whereof he obeyes from the heart readily willingly and cheerfully that form of doctrine which is engraven and laid up therein Heb. 8. 10. 2 Cor. 3. 3. Rom. 6. 17. If this I say be considered that the worship is spirituall such as must begin in spring up and rise from the heart and the spirit and so be directed to the Father of spirits and so the commanding power that suits herewith must speak to the heart and spirit of a man then is there no Lord in this matter to Christ Jesus the Lord who speaks to the heart in the Spirit and his words are as commands from the head to the members which conveigh together spirit and life to obey them by reason of which his commands are not grievous for where the Spirit of this Lord is there is liberty and they by beholding the glory of the Lord are transformed into the same Image from glory unto glory by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 17 18. And that there is none with him he is the onely Lord and law-giver of this spirituall building and so of the spirits in this sense appears by such scriptures as say One is your Lord and law-giver James 4. 12. Ephes 4. 5. Mat. 23. 8. 10. and by such as say ye are bought with a price be ye not therefore the servants of men and the Apostles that had greater authority in this point than any men living yet they acknowledge they had not Dominion over mens faith and therefore declare this to be the express mind of God that the servants of this Lord must not strive as if they were Lords but be patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves or as the word imports that set themselves by covenant in opposition to that living Lord. And whereas it is declared in the testimony that this houshold of faith was purchased by his blood as Priest instructed and nourished by his Spirit as Prophet c. this will all evidently appear to be true Acts 20. 28. John 16. from the 7. to the 16. 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11 12. Rom. 8. John 1. 2. 26 27. Rev. 2. 11. 17. 29. 2 Thes 14 15. 1 Cor. 11. 2. and 1. 7. And so is the first part of the testimony by the word of God confirmed and justified 2. I testifie that Baptism or dipping in water is one of the commands of this Lord Jesus Christ That this commandment of Jesus is by way of dipping and as it were by drowning overwhelming or burying in water and not by sprinkling with water appears many waies 1. In that although there be frequent mention made of that appointment of Christ in his Last Will and Testament yet is it never expressed by the word that may be rendred rantism or sprinkling but by the word that is rendred baptism or dipping 2. In that the word by which it is so frequently exprest doth in proper English signify to dip to plung under water and as it were to drown but yet so as with safety so that the party as to the manner may be drowned again and again see the instance of Naaman he dipp'd himself seven times in Jordan 2 Kings 5. 14. and to this sense of the word at least in that place both the Greek Latine and English Churches agree 3. In that the phrase in which there is mention made of such an appointment of Christ doth necessarily import such a thing and therefore when mention is made of baptizing there generally followeth that word the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is commonly translated in or into which suits with dipping and not the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies with and so suits with sprinkling And therefore it may be as well rendred I baptize you in water and he shall baptize you in the holy Spirit Mar. 1. 8. as it is rendred Iohn did baptize in the wilderness and in the River of Jordan verse 4 5. or that Iohn was in the Spirit on the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. and they were baptized in the cloud and in the Sea 1 Cor. 10. 2. yea it may as well be rendred I baptize or dip you into water as it is rendred they were casting a net into the Sea Mar. 1. 16. for the words are the same and it would be an improper speech to say Iohn did baptise with the wilderness and they were casting a net with the sea 4. That this appointment of Christ is by way of dipping and not sprinkling appears in that for the resemblance and likeness hereunto the Israelites passing under the cloud and through the sea where the Aegyptians that were their Lords and commanders their pursuers and enemies that sought their destruction were drowned left behind and seen no more is by the holy Spirit called a baptism 1 Cor. 10. 1 2. they were baptized in the cloud c. Where observe it is not here rendred with the cloud and with the Sea as in the other place Mark 1. 8. with water because it suits with sprinkling although the word be the same but in the cloud and in the Sea which suits with dipping or overwhelming and so with the appointment of Christ they passing through the midst of the red or bloudy Sea on dry land which stood on both sides as a wall and being under the Cloud were as men in a carnall eie overwhelmed and drowned and yet truly saved and safe from their enemies 5. That this appointment of Christ was not by sprinkling but by dipping or putting the person into or under the water appears by Philips baptizing the Eunuch It is said They went both down into the water both Philip the baptizer and the Eunuch that was the person to be baptized and being there in the water Philip baptized or dipper him in that water as John did Jesus in the river of Jordan and then it is said as they descended or went down into the water so they ascended or went strait way up out of the water see Acts 8. 38 39. Mat. 3. 16. mark the expression And Jesus when he
pre-suppose to have power over his spirit and conscience to cause it to conform likewise or else he cannot attain unto his Religious intent 2. This is but a forcing of servants and worshipers upon the Lord and I say at the best for it is more likely to force worshipers from him And this will cleerly appear because the true worshipers and such as the fathe seeks for are such as worship him in Spirit and in Truth See John 4. 23 24. who having received from Christ the Spirit of life and love have his word stand in their heart as the word of a King so that thereby they become a willing people to do him service and stand not in need of such outward force to compell them thereto they therefore that stand in need to be and therefore are by outward force compelled to the worship of God to the faith and order of the gospel of Christ they I say are such servants and worshipers as are forc'd upon the Lord whom he seeks not for This outward forcing men in the worship of God is the ready way to make men dissemblers and hypocrites before God and men which wise men abhor the truth of this will be thus demonstrated for if they be spirituall true and willing worshipers such as the Father seeks for then what need is there of a constraint or restraint such are a law of life to themselves but if they be not then what make they there before him who calls for the heart and wisheth men to look to their spirits for he is a Spirit and will be sanctified of all those that draw neer unto him See Prov. 23. 26. Mal. 2. 15 Rev. 10. 3 4. Then as they are forced upon the Lord against his will and without any warrant from him so are they also against their own and therefore although their bodies may be present and through fear of the stroke or hope of reward may seem to conform yet their hearts and minds not being changed and the strong holds thereof not being beaten down as by such carnall weapons they are never likely to be they I say are absent and far from the Lord so then while their hearts and confciences still cleave to their Idols and yet their bodies are caused to conform what is this but to make men dissemblers and hypocrites before God and man and that it is the way to put men upon the profaning the name of the Lord is also evident understand by name his attributes word ordinances worship they are all profaned by such a person that stands in need to be forc'd to Religion See Hag. 2. 13 for him to call upon the name of the Lord is to profane the name of the Lord for their prayers are abomination to him Gen. 4. 26. Prov. 28. 9. Isay 1. 13. And a calling the name of God or Christ upon such is counted by him a blaspheming his name See Rev. 2. 9. 13. 1. 5 6. and unto the wicked saith God Psal 50. 16. What hast thou to do to declare my statutes or to take my CoVenant in thy mouth Seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee By all which it doth evidently appear that the second proposition doth also stand firm A sixt argument against the forcing of men against their understandings and consciences is taken from the prohibition of Christ and stands thus 6. Arg. If Christ Iesus the Lord hath expresly forbidden his servants by such a force to seek to constrain or restrain another mans conscience or his outward man against his understanding and conscience in things appertaining to God although his understanding and conscience be cleerly discerned to be erronious and evil then can no servant of Christ Jesus have any liberty much less authority from him so to practise This cannot be denied But Christ Jesus the Lord hath expresly forbidden his servants so to practise and for the proof hereof take two or three instances Mat. 15. 14. where Christ speaking to his disciples touching the Pharisees who were blind guides seducers hypocrites strong opposers of Christ yet seemingly full of zeal and devotion and such as brought a vanity upon the worship of God and made his commandements of none effect by their traditions as appears V. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. of the same chapter yet V 14. saith Christ to his disciples let them alone they are blind leaders of the blind and so leaves them to that sad event which is their falling into the ditch or perishing together See the parable of rhe wheat and the tares Mat. 13. 24. interpreted by Christ himself V. 37 38. And he that soweth the good seed saith Christ is the Son os m●n The field is the world the good seed are the children of the Kingdome which being sown by the son of man must needs be meant faithful land sincere-hearted professors of the truth of the gospell But the tares saith he are the children of the wicked one and the enemy that soweth them is the deVill which being the children of the wicked one and sown by the devill after the children of the Kingdome must needs be meant such as crept in unawars and were sent in as Paul speaketh See Gal. 2. 4. to spie out the Saints liberties that they might bring them into bondage and so were formall Professors of Christ at the first but afterwards discovered to be Hereticks Schismaticks Apostats Blasphemers such as was Hymi●●us Phyle us Alexander Demas and such false teachers as Peter speaks of 2 Pet. 2. 12. That should bring in damnable heresies eVen denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction whose pernicious wayes many should follow by reason of whom the way of truth should be evill spoken of but to go on the harVest saith Christ is the end of the world and the reapers are no other than the angels Now the question for our instruction in righteousness being made by the servants unto their Lord when the tares were discovered whether it was his will that they should go and gather them up and take them out of the field his first answer V. 29. is nay and the reason he renders is this lest while ye gather up the tares ye root up also the wheat with them And the next answer V. 30. is an express word of command that they should let both grow together in the field which is the world and untill the time of the harvest which is the end therof and then his purpose is to speak to the reapers which are not men but Angels to gather them up and bind them in bundles to burn them I shall produce but one instanee more to shew that our Lord Jesus forbids such a practice as this among his Disciples or servants 2. Tim. 2. 24 25 26. The serVant of the L Lord saith Paul in the word of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach not to strike patient in meekness instructing those that
that may be presented for the preservation of the whole And this in brief is the sum of that administration of Christs power in earth so far as it meerly concerns the outward man with respect to others that may uphold it or molest it and is managed by that sword of steel which in reference unto him is called in scripture the rod of iron by which he rules the nations and breaks them to peeces like a Potters vessel and with this administration of his power on Earth Right Honourable hath he who is the Lord of Lords and shall ere long appear as King and Judge of all betrusted you in these three Nations having as a manifest token thereof put into your hand that iron rod and to admiration hath strengthened and upheld your arm for the subduing and ordering of the same There is yet besides this another administration of Christs power on Earth which compared with this may be truly termed heavenly and spirituall it being that which suiteth with and principally is exercised about the spirituall or hidden part of man to wit his spirit mind and conscience which is indeed the most naturall Lord and commander of the outward it and all things belonging thereunto being but naturally subject and readily obedient from which very consideration it is that it is more safe and also more honourable for the powers on earth to have one thousand souls to be subject to them for love and conscience sake than to have ten thousand times ten thousand bodies seemingly subject for wrath sake and for fear of revenge this spirit and great commander in man is such a sparkling beam from the Father of lights and spirits that it cannot be lorded over commanded or forced either by men devils or angels but onely leaving its first station wherein it came so neer to the light and glory of God it is now caused to possess death and darkness and by that means is in a capacity by men and devils to be deceived and so by perswasion to be mis-led This spirituall administration of Christs power in and over the spirits and consciences of men as it extends to all the inward and hidden motions and actings of the mind so to all the outward manifestations of its powerfull commands in the outward man in reference unto God and especially unto such as appertain to the visible worship and service of God who hath declared himself to be a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth and seeks such and onely such to worship him This spirituall administration so far as it concerns the outward man is managed not by a sword of Steel which cannot come neer or touch the spirit or mind of man but by the sword that proceeds out of the mouth of his servants the word of truth and especially as to the efficacy and to the inward man by the two-edged sword of the Spirit that spirituall law and light with which these candles of the Lord are enlightned and that by himself who is that light that enlightneth every man that comes into the world and this spirituall administration of Christs power on earth in and over the spirits minds and consciences of the sons of men and also over the outward man as to worship meerly is committed into the hands of the Spirit of Christ who is his vice-roy here on earth and is only able to deal with spirits by way of convincing converting transforming and as it were a-new creating of them and so to translate them out of the Kingdome of darkness in which they are by nature into the glorious ●iberty of the Saints in light Who is pleased also to make use of the mouths of his servants and through them as empty reeds and crooked rams-hornes to overturn the spirits and spirituall strong holds of men and devils and by them to convict avenge and execute the sentence written which upon such as manifest the emnity that is in their minds in the highest degree even against the holy Spirit himself the only sin unpardonable for all other sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven I say the written sentence that is to be executed upon such is anathema maranatha that is accursed with this intimation our Lord cometh leaving them untill he meet with them and otherwise than thus the servants of Christ cannot proceed having express command not to strive but to be patient apt to teach in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves to wait if God at anytime wil give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth Thus if it please the Father of lights to give you Right Honorable to distinguish between these two administrations of Christ's power here on earth and to leave that part to himself in the hand of his Spirit which cannot be conferred on others nor yet rightly managed but by the two-edged sword of that Spirit and wholly give up your selves to improve that part which belongs unto and well suits with that sword which you are now betrusted with it will much conduce to his glory your own praise and the peace and settlement of these three Nations over which the Lord hath set you And whereas Right Honorable it is in your hearts to propagate the Gospell of Jesus Christ the thing is excellent that is in your hearts and I hope the way to effect it is before you which is sith the Lord of hoasts hath said that works of this nature are carried on not by might nor by power but by his Spirit therefore to give way to his Spirit for the effecting thereof and to this end I humbly propose that your way to further this glorious design as to the might and power this Lord of Hoasts hath betrusted you with is 1. Not so much as to touch his Anointed and to do his Prophets no harm their ointment being the Spirit of prophecy and this Spirit of prophecy the testimony and witness of the Gospel of Jesus And 2. As obedient and dutifull servants to that Lord of Lords to suffer the Tares which being by the adversary sown after the Wheat must needs be ment erronious hereticall and antichristian persons professing the Gospel I say to let these tares alone in that part of the field or world over which the great Lord of the harvest hath placed your Honors sith it is his pleasure they shall there remain to the time of the harvest being the end of the world and that out of his tender respect to the Wheat lest in plucking up the tares though evidently discerned by his servants the Wheat should be rooted up also And 3. To the same end not to give your sword or power to the beast nor yet to suffer your power neither in these three nations nor yet in any forreign part of the world to be so misused by any to whom 't is committed as by vertue thereof out of an ignorant zeal and blind devotion pretending to pluck up the tares which yet is contrary to the express