right in all Points essential to Christianity and in the certain Way of Life he may easily conclude that to be unwarrantable separation which goeth from such But then I say How will the Protestants warrant their first separation from Popery or how did this Baxter with his Presbyterians in Oliver's time with their Directory excuse their separating from the Bishops and their Comon-prayer and how will be salve his old Non-conforming Brethren's flight into New-England where since they have shed the Blood of the Martyrs of Christ from the former Bishops But now his false Ground and Foundation being overturned it is most manifest that that separation is most lawfull which is from such who call good evil and evil good put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light as Baxter and all the Wicked do from whom the People of God in these Days separate And so in obeying the Voice of our God who saith Come out of Mystery Babylon my People lest ye pertake of her Sins and so of her Plagues we are justified for the sins of the Wicked who in words profess God and Christ but in deeds deny all is reached Heaven at this day And doth not the Apostle say If any man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator or Covetous or an Idolator and Covetousness by the Apostle's Doctrine is Idolatry or a Railer or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such not to keep company no not as to eat with them 1. Cor. 5.11 And doth he not say in an other Place Have no Fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness nor with the unfruitful Workers in Darkness as before but rather reprove them Ephes. 5.11 must we not yet separate from them yea yea in their very Worship Actions as well as others and when even the greater number are so far defiled and tainted with the Leprosie of Unrighteousness that they are so far from amending that they persecute all that will not be as bad as themselves Surely when the Lord hath spued out a People as he threatned to do luke-warm Laodicea Revel 3.16 yea and cast them off for their resisting of his good Spirit as he did the Jews 't is no time for his People to stay amongst them then and to continue with them in their Worship-Actions as he calls them but every one to deliver his own Soul by coming out of such Babylonish Worships whose Prayers are Abomination to God as all sinful Prayers are and neither this Baxter nor any one that he knows upon the Earth prayeth without sin as himself before hath confessed and so all of them together do daily and continually that which they should not do and leave undone what the Lord Commands them and so have no health in them and so now that the True Light shines so clear again from under the long Cloud of Antichristian Apostacy it is the wisdom of all that love God and their own Souls to joyn to the Lord in the Covenant of his Light and Spirit where no Committers of sin can joyn for Darkness and the Workers thereof can never joyn with the Light and the Workers thereof So now that the Trumpet hath sounded all ought to come to the holy Worship of God amongst the holy Worshippers that Worship in the Spirit of Holiness and Truth where no Worker of Iniquity nor Hypocrite can come out of all the Defiled Worship of the World whatsoever or under what Name soever in the Fall But this Baxter is in such love of hypocrisie that he makes a necessity of the Hypocrites being amongst the true Members of Christ as though they knew not how to do without them as if the good Corn could not grow so well if the Weeds were wanting saying Pag. 56. It is more for the sake of the truely Faithfull then for themselves that the Hypocrites have their Station and Priviledges in the Church God makes use of their Gifts and Profession for his Elect to many great Services of the Church To which I answer That this Language berayes thee further to be of Babylon and not of Zion what R. Baxter with all his seeming Zeal for Reformation in Oliver's dayes become now a-Pleader for the Hypocrites and their great Service in the Church But this is but like his Doctrine of his graceless Ministers which he pleads for Pag. 114. of his Book so R. Baxter and his Hypocrites and graceless Brethren with their Gifts or rather Thefts void of Grace have been so far from being serviceable to the Elect True Church that they have done it and ever did all the Injury that ever they can by their wicked Doctrines Ungodly lives and heaps of Lyes and false Accusations and cruel Persecutions in somuch that the growth of the heavenly Seed the Lillies of God the true Heirs of the Kingdom hath been and is as a Lilly among Thorns But Christ and Richard Baxter are directly contrary in their Judgment one to the other for Christ would not suffer the Devil in the man to preach him but commanded him to come out and hold his peace because Christ never had need of Devils or wicked men or Hypocrites to preach him but saith to such What hast thou to do to take my Laws and Covenant in thy Mouth and hatest to be reformed Psal. 50.16 c. and so far are graceless Priests and Hypocrites from being serviceable in this matter to his Church that he saith My Sheep hear my Voyce and they follow me but the graceless Minister and Hypocrite who is a Stranger to me they will not hear for such come but to rob and destroy read John 10. and see if ever R. Baxrter understood Scripture who talks so contrary to it As did those Pharisees of old whom Christ cried out so many times Wo against Mat. 23. Who would neither enter into the Kingdom of Heaven themselves nor suffer others And those in Ezekiel who sowed Pillows under mens Elbows making glad the Hearts of the Wicked Hirelings by perswading People that they must not disown them from being Ministers though they be totally void of all saving Grace and that Hypocrites have a Station in the Church for great services with their graceless Gifts to the Elect and by pleading for Games and Fashions of Apparel yea and the Opinions in Religion of bad People yea to such a measure that he is not ashamed to say That many an Error is taken up by going too far from other mens faults as is to be seen in Pag. 224. of his Book with many such like heathenish sayings up and down his Book a few whereof I only touch here and there as they come to mind that by those the Reader may see the nature of that wretched spirit that hath long lurked in him under a cloak of zeal for Reformation when the World pretended to such things but now that the World is for a manifest establishing of their old dark Stuff he turns about and is all for them as it were and against Zeal against
Reformation Separation Revelation or any thing that may manifest People to have a care of their Souls But Oh the misery the misery the unspeakable misery of such as are not yet redeemed from under the slavery and Egyptian Bondage of such men But the Lord will break the Rod of the Oppressor as in times of old as in the days of Midian and Egypt where both Jannes and Jambres who withstood the Lord's Servant Moses in his calling Israel out of Egypt were made manifest and their Folly by all clearly seen as this Baxter's is by every open Eye Praised be the Lord for his Infinite Love in all things But the Hearts of the Righteous whom God delights to comfort he doth all he can to make sad by perswading the dark cruel World that the cause of all the miseries of the late years yea and at present in these Islands is much what if not mostly occasioned by those who in tenderness of Conscience to God could not nor cannot joyn with nor uphold the Popish Customs and Antichristian imposition in Matters relating to Religion and the Soul which is more pretious to them that know it then all the World And in the Truth we may say that if we should come amongst the Steeple-house Worshippers or any other Company who are only separated from them in form and not in Life and Power and their exercise or Gift and heavenly holy Worship and Service to the Lord Jesus Christ our God we should even sacrifice the Abomination of the Egyptians before their Eyes and would you not Stone us or Imprison us or otherwise evil intreat us even as you do and ever have done yea yea and as they dealt with the Prophet Isaiah for saying Chap. 66.3 He that killeth an Ox is as if he flew a man he that sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a Dogs Neck c. and Chap. 1.11 c. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me saith the Lord I am full of them and who hath required it at your hands to tread my Courts bring no more vain Oblations c. for which it is said they slew him so they would deal with us And what measure have the dear Servants of God in New-England met withal not long since for the like witness against those Hypocrites but Death and cruel Whippings and Banishment and in old England lately but most savage and cruel usage And would this Baxter yet have us yea and those he counts his Brethren and of his Flock who have any tenderness in them to communicate with such whose Hands are full of Blood if he were as the mouth of God he would put a difference between the Clean and Unclean But he being of an other spirit is for leading People back again into Egypt not for bringing them out of Egypt into the Promised Land and so his Work and endeavour is accursed of God and abhorred of all that know God who are escaped out of Sodom and Egypt and Babylon spiritual where our Lord was crucified And to us the Lord hath said Let them return to you ye saved People but return not you to them for their Pastors are become bruitish and have not sought the Lord therefore they shall not prosper and all their Flocks shall be scattered Jer. 10.21 He that hath Ears let him hear and he that readeth let him understand for the time is at hand for the Lord is arisen to plead with all the false Worshippers upon Earth and with him is no respect of persons And now is the Lord God of ever blessed Power and love appeared in the Earth after the long Night of Apostacy to restore all things and now are the Virgins called upon through the whole World to trim their Lamps for behold the Bridegroom is come and coming and now the foollish Virgins who have been long sleeping and slumbering in a dead Profession of Christ and the Scriptures are found wanting in their Faith Holiness Love and all other Christian Vertues and so in their Unholiness shut out yea and though they run to the Hirelings that set all things to sale to buy yet still before they come the Door is shut for whilst the Lord stood waiting upon them with his pure free and full Grace and Spirit they would have none of it but rather chosed to go their own Ways of Carnal endeavours and man commanded Religion and so like the Jewes of old going about to Establish their own Righteousness have not submitted to the Righteousness of God which is by Faith in Christ Jesus But the wise Virgins who are of an honest Heart to fear God and wait for the Lord Jesus Christ to appear in their spirits to set up his heavenly and everlasting Kingdom in them they receive daily of his fulness which filleth all in all where the true Oyl of the Kingdom is found in their holy Lamps to the praise of the Glory of the unspeakable Love and free Grace of the Almighty Father so be it Again to that part of this Baxter's former Answer where he saith That in all Ages God giveth to some few men more excellent natural Parts then others and he engageth some in deeper and more laborious Studies and he blesseth some mens Studies more then other and therefore there are still some few who know more then the rest of the Country or Mankind and it were well for the rest if they knew these and would learn of them Quer. But how may one know these hard and laborious Studiers as he calls them Oh saith this Baxter They are such as give proof of their knowledge they pretend to and they are such to imploy their knowledge to the preserving of the Peace and Concord of Believers and do not proudly make a stir with it to set up their own Names though thereby they set the World on fire To which I answer and say it is still more and more manifest that this Baxter layes all the weight and stress upon natural Parts and hard Studies as though the Kingdom of God were not at all come nor the Promise of God concerning the free Gifts and plentifull pouring forth of the Spirit not yet fulfilled and so a necessity of learning at the feet of Gamaliel and earthly Doctors still But now that the Spirit of Truth according to God's blessed Promise is come and witnessed amongst us that believe praised be God we cannot go to such as this Baxter with all their natural Parts and hard Studies for the Spirit of Truth leads us and all that obey it into all Truth but this Baxter and such as he leads are in all Error as is manifest for they are of those that lead about a Company of poor Souls silly as Women leaden with divers Sins and Lusts ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth which sets free from sin for that and nothing else is the Truth which sets free from sin for saith Christ If ye
a thing that will do no good because it is a vain Command and maketh men spend that time in vain and yet be the Subject's duty to do it Answ. This is just such Doctrine as Paul's Enemies taught who said Men might do evil that good might come of it whose Condemnation was just So to avoid Sufferings from men he would have us to obey Unlawfull Commands which will do no good but rather a great Evil to wit make People spend pretious Time in vain Away with such Antichristian stuff amongst the Heathen for all true Christians abhor it in their Hearts as the Lord the good Shepheard hath commanded them And now R. Baxter to that part of thy feigned Prayer Pag. 252. where in words thou seemest to desire That God would stir up some faithful Friend to tell thee with convincing Evidence where it is that thou hast miscarried that contrition may prepare thee for the Peace of Remission Here the Lord hath contrary to thy will and desire stirred up one in faithfulness and love to thy Soul and the Souls of the poor deluded People whom thou hast deceived to tell thee plainly of thy faults and grievous miscarriages as by what is convincingly in these Lines set down doth appear and might be more abundantly if all the miscarrages in this Book onely to let pass all thy other were answered unto in particular but these in this Answer of mine being as it were least of what the rest are may satisfie at present And Oh that the Righteous Judgments of God may come upon thy Heart and the Hearts of all them who are in the same false fleshly confidence with thy self whose very Prayers are not without sin that you may never have peace day nor night until you humble your selves before the Lord and repent of all your hard Speeches and evil Deeds that you have spoken and done against him and his Servants for his Truth 's sake that if it be possible you may be saved from the wrath that will certainly come upon you if you Repent not for that old wicked Paper full of Lyes as I made manifest before thee and some of thy Company in thy Study to thy shame at Kidderminster which thou writst in the pride of thy Heart against us in Oliver's dayes when thou wast lifted up Entituled Reasons to perswade why no reasonable Man can be a Quaker amongst the rest of that kind which thou art not humbled for to this day as I perceive by this Book do all stand upon Record before the Lord the Righteous Judge against thee for in those thy doings and all of that kind against the manifest and manifold Appearances of Christ in his People of every degree thou hast plainly declared thy self to be of Rabshekaie's spirit who raised against the Living God and his dispised Israel and of that spirit that Jannes and Jambres who withstood Moses in his work under God of calling Israel out of Egypt and as the Lord pleaded the Cause of his People in those dayes so will he as he hath for ever plead our Innocent Cause against thee and all his Enemies for of a truth the Lord God blessed for ever hath raised us up to be his Servants Sons and Daughters to bear his Name in Righteousness before the Children of men in a pure holy Witness against all the false Ways and Worships of false man so be it and so it will be as hard for thee and all to kick against the Pricks as it was in persecuting Saul Acts 9. read and consider lest the day pass over you as it did from the unbelieving Jewes who would not receive God come and manifest in flesh in those days to whom Christ said Ye will not come to me that ye might have Life but they would seek it in the killing Letter and as it were by the works of the Law until midnight darkness and utter Desolation came upon them For Oh how the Earth is filled with Violence because of such Doctrines and Teachings as this Baxter and such men brings forth for behold how the Field of his Followers and Admirers are all over-grown with Briers and Thorns and noysom Weeds as the proper Fruit of their accursed Doctrines as this Baxter himself sets down in his 48th Direction Pag. 236. of his Book in these words that is to say Oh Friends how bad are we our selves What pride is in our Hearts What Ignorance in our Minds So wanting are we even in the lowest Grace Humility that we have scarce enough to make us take patiently as now we are giving out upon others So selfish as dishonoureth our Profession with the brand of contradictedness and partiallity So weak that our Duties are lyable to greater censures then we can bear And our inward Graces weaker then our outward Duties This must needs be so in the Duties of the graceless Minister thou pleads for of such ungoverned thoughts that Confusion and Tumult instead of Order and fruitfull Improvement are the daily temper and imployment of our Immaginations This must needs be so in you that live in such opposition to the Life of God manifest in his Children at this day So passionate impatient and corrupt that we are a trouble to our selves and others This must needs proceed from such a corrupt Fountain and a dishonour to the Gospel it is so and a hinderance to the conversion of those whom our holy examplary lives should win to God So strange to Heaven as if we had never well believed it that is so and therefore the Sheep of Christ deny your voyce you who are such Strangers to him And to say all in one so empty of love to our dear Redeemer and to the God of love that our Hearts lie vacant to entertain the love of worldly Vanities ye Hypocrites what have you to do to name Christ who are thus unbelieving and unredeemed and to fly back from the serious thoughts of God which should be our daily work and pleasure and fly from the face of Death as if we should be the worst when neerest to our God Oh Hypocrites how can you for shame call God yours when you are thus beyond measure bad when Scripture saith He that saith he knows God and keeps not his Commandments is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him see 1 Joh. 2.4 and repent lest ye all perish together Priests and People for the Lord is arisen to Judgment and none can stand before him which hath unclean and filthy Garments as you are covered with whom Baxter here puts on to be Teachers of others and yet remain your selves with him under such woful sins and condemnation as is here spoken of But surely if you did believe and feel inwardly that it were so bad with you as here in words is signified you could not go away so lightly with your burdens as you seem to do but it would stop your mouthes and cause all your Pride and Glory to cease For consider but the