are the Martyrs which in al ages have and doe suffer death imprisonment and bannishment since the first perseqution and we never reade nor ever shal reade that the Apostoliq Church or such as have derived their faith and discipline of her did ever persequte Therfore I humbly desier his Majesty and ParliameÌ„t with al godly carefulnes to consider that it is not possible that the Church of Rome caled Catholiq or those that are descended of her and have decived their faith and discipline froÌ„â—her ever was or could be the Apostoliq Church caled primitive Church or she that is descended froÌ„ her seing the scripture saith the Apostoliq church caled in scripture the womaÌ„ hath a place prepared of God in the wildernes a thousaÌ„d twe hoÌ„dred and sixty dayes from the presence of such as did persequte her Now then I beseech you coÌ„sider may it be possible that the church of Rome caled in scripture a mistery great Babilon the Mother of whoredoms abominations of the Earth the woman that sitteth vpon a scarlot coulered beast full of names of Blasphemy the womaÌ„ arayed in purple scarlet guilded with gold pretious stones pearles haveing a cup of gold in her hand ful of abominations filtines or her fornication the woman that is drunken with the bloud of Saints with the bloud of the martyrs or witnesses of Iesus by her beastly perseqution was or could be ever the Apostoliq Church or are those that are descended from her seeing the scripture saith she hath a Place in the wildernes prepared of God where she shold be fed a thousand two hundred sixty dayes from the presence of her persequtors If so be you wil have the Church of Rome and those that are descended from her to be the true Apostoliq Church then it wil follow that the Church caled the woman and did flye into the wildernes from her persequtors was and is the false Antichristian Church and also it will follow that those which we account to be the Martyrs and witnesses of Iesus were not of the true Apostoliq church but were obstinate persoÌ„s and heretiks even as their adversaries in Rome Spaine England and els where did persequte adjudge and execute them far But if you wil have the Prophecy of the Apostles to be true aâ—◠〈◊〉 beleeve their holy writings and also wil have the Martyrs that have bene burned ban hanged aÌ„d imprisoned to be of the true Apostoliq Chur then it will follow and that justly according and agreeable to the scriptures that the Church of Rome and those that did aÌ„d doe persequte are descended from the false Antichristian Church caled a mistery great BabiloÌ„ the mother of whoredoms abominations of the Eearth c which was and is druncken with the bloud of Saints martyrs of Iesus seing they have her Antichristian faith and lordly discipipline and for the defence and maintenance therof wil also burne bannish hang and imprison so hot aÌ„d fiery zealous that therby they shew plainly that they walke so just and even in the steps and paths of the Mystical woman great Babilon their bloudy parent mother so even I say as if they studied her lyeing and Hypocritical doctrine her deep and divelish devinity her blasphemous princely and daÌ„gerous dignity and her beastly bloudy and deadly discipline Through the continuaÌ„ce whereof not onely the Apostoliq Church is continued stil in the wildernes aÌ„d desert of this world but also the jewes and others both in great Brittayne and al over the world are kept back from the knowledge of Gods holy word the onely order and ordinance Christ hath appointed for the gathering of his Church together out of al places of the world And so long as perseqution continue you cannot trye the spirits of the many false prophets that are gone out into the world as the holy Apostle doth loveingly advise and admonish you But like the Pastists must be tyed onely to the spirits of your loedly Bishops and their Ministers who wil have alboth King Prince and people to receave their spirits and therefore wil not have any others to preach and print with in the Land least their lyeing doctrine and Lordly discipline be discovered and disclaimed And in steed of disputing and wryting by the word and spirit of Christ against their adversaries they wil cruelly persequte and fight against them by fyer and sword and Spirit of Antichrist from whom they are descended and succeeded both lynealy and of great antiquite Wherefore I humbly beseech the King and parliament that you will betymes listen vnto the holy spirit in the mouth of the prophet which faith bewyse now therfore yee Kings be learned or instructed yee judges of the earth serv the Lord in feare rejoyce in trembling kisse the son of God least he be angry and ye perish in the way of perseqution when his wrath shal suddeÌ„ly burne Let not therfore the Kings of the earth band themselves with the Bs ministers of Antichrist nor Princes assemble themselves together against the lord and against his anointed That is against Christ and his church seing both he and she breake your bands and cast your coardes from them Yea her seed overcometh you by the bloud of the lamb by the word of their testimoni for they love not their lives vnto death Beware then in tyme least you offend any more of these litle ones that beleeve in Christ seeing Christ saith it were better to have a milstone hanged about the neck drowned in the depth of the Sea then so to doe He meaneth that it were better for you to loose your lives then any way to consent to the offence of such litle ones that beleeve in Christ See then I pray that they be not despised burned bannished hanged aÌ„d imprisoned For their Angels alwayes behold the face of Christs Father in Heaven And remember he saith the tree is knowen by his fruit but persequting of Christians is an evil fruit And that a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth foorth good things but persequting of ChristiaÌ„s is no good thing And that for every ydle word men shal speak they shal give accounts at the day of judgement How much more for every wicked and cruel deed of perseqution as burning bannishing hanging and imprisoning of those that coÌ„fesse with the mouth beleeve with the heart the Lord Iesus that God raysed him from the dead whose lawes and ordinances they are carefull to keep and obey Christ saith that such shal bee saved and yet you feare not to burne bannish hang and imprison such But if you beleeve that God will avendge his elect beware of persequting his servaÌ„ts that cal on his name specialy such as witnes his truth against the abominations of Antychrist Suffer not your Bishops to destroy those
wyfe and the beleeveing woman that hath an vnbeleeveing husband cannot liue together as the scripture teachet for the salvation of the vnbeleeveing if they be persequted to death Indeed som therby are forced to comfesse with the mouth that which they beleeue not in heart and so are made true dissemblers in steed of true Christians wherby many men and womeÌ„ are deceaved with dissembling husbands and wyves as wel as the King and State are deceaved with dissembling servants and subjects but the word of God if permission of conscience might be granted would procure vpright puer and vnfeyned husbands and wyves servants and subjects so that thereby neyther Prince nor people should be deceaved for al good shepherds wil devide and seperate and not force slay and persequte for if men and women be found hereticks they shal be seperated from the Church but if they be vnbeleevers they shal not be joyned vnto it vntil they be converted by the word of God much lesse forced Which conversion for ought we know may be at their death if not afore seing the Lord caleth som at the elevent hower so wel as at the first and not at the King and Bs. pleasures Kings and Magistrats are to rule teÌ„poral affayers by the swords of their temporal Kingdoms And Bs aÌ„d Ministers are to rule spiritual affayers by the word and spirit of God the sword of Christs spirituall Kingdom and not to intermedle one with anothers authority office and function And it is a greate shame for the Bs. and Ministers not to bee able to rule in their Church without the assistance of the King and Magistrat yea it is a greate signe they are none of Christs Bishops and ministers of they were they would not be afrayd nor ashamed of their faith nor yet would they perswade Princes and people to persequte and force one another to beleeve them but would use onely the assistance of Gods word and spirit and therwith suffer their faith and doctryne to bee examined proved and disputed both by word and writing And he is a true Bishop who is vnreproveable aÌ„d that is able to stop the mouthes of his adversaries by Gods word and Spirit onely and whose faith and discipline agreeth with the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and maketh no contracictioÌ„ but al those Bishops that force Princes and peoples to receaue their faith and discipline by perseqution doe with Iudas goe against Christ in his members with swords slaues aÌ„d halberos who seing Gods word wil not help them betake themselues with al hast and hazard vnto the authoritie of the King and Magistrate I read that a Bishop of Rome would haue constrayned a Turkish Emperor to the Christian faith vnto whom the Emperor answered I beleeve that Christ was an excellent Prophet but he did never so far as I vnderstand command that men should with the power of weapons be constrayned to beleeue his law verely I also doe force no man to beleeue Mahomets Law Also I read that Iewes Christians and Turks are tollerated in Constantinople aÌ„d yet are peaceable though so contrary the one to the other If this bee so how much more ought Christians not to force one another to religion aÌ„d how much more ought Christians to tollerate Christians when as the Turks doe tollerate them shal we be lesse merciful theÌ„ the Turks or shal we learne the Turks to persequte Christians It is not onely vn merciful but vnnatural and abominable yea monstrous for one Christian to vex and destroy another for difference and questions of Religion and though tares haue ouergrowen the wheate yet Christ wil haue them let alone til harvest least whyle you goe about to pluck vp the tares you pluck vp also the wheat with them as your predecessors haue done who thought they had gathered vp the tares and burned them but you see now that they haue burned the weate in steed of tares Wherfore in al humility aÌ„d Christian modesty I doe affirme that through the vnlaufull weedhooke of persecution which your predecessors haue used and by your maiesty and Parliament is still continued there is such a quantity of wheate plucked vp and such a multitude of tares least behinde that the wheate which remayne cannot yet appeere in any right vissible congregation And now beloved soueraigne and Parliament I know that through ignorance you doe persequte as did also your predecessorâ—s Amend your lives therefore and turne that your sinns may bee put away when the tyme of refreshing shal come from the presence of the Lord who before hath shewed by the mouth of his holy servant Iohn that the woman meaning the church shold fleye into the wildernes for a tyme tymes aÌ„d half a tyme from the presence aÌ„d persecution of the Serpent And that the wynepresse shold bee troden without the Citty vntil â—loud came out of the wynepresse vnto the horse brydels by the space of a thousand and sixe hundred furlongs and thus he hath fulfilled it Now therefore I humbly beseeth you suffer not your Bishops and ministers any longer to perswade to force your subjects or any others to their faith and Church by perseqution neyther suffer them therewith to defend their faith and Church against their adversaries if they have not any thing from Gods word against vs let them yeld and submit themselves if they thinck they have any thing against vs let them betake themselves onely to Gods word both in word and wryteing for the whole Scripture is given by inspiration of God to that purpose and is profitable to teach to reprove to correct and to instruct in righteousnes that the Man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto al good works With which Scripture and not with fyer and sword your Majestyes Bishops and ministers ought to be armed and weaponed And whosoeuer shall not heare the words of such Bishops and ministers then such Bishops aÌ„d ministers are commanded by Christ not to to imprison burne ban and hang them but to shake the dust of theyr feete against them for a witnes when they depart from them affirming that at the day of judgment it shal bee easier for Sodom and Gomorrha then for such persons And this com of Christ did his Bishops and ministers obey as you may read By which and by that which follow your gratious may and Princely and honorable Parliament may perceave the will and mynde of our Lord and Saviour Christ vnto whose mercy I commend you and to the word and wisdom of his grace which is able to build further and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctifyed Amen Your faithfull and loveing subject Leonard Busher Not Furbusher Certayne reasons against perseqution FIrst because Christ hath not commanded any King Bishop or Minister to persequte the people for difference and judgment in matter of Religion Secondly because Christ hath commanded his Bishops and ministers to
the scripture hath foretold 〈◊〉 it is to be noted that the scripture hath also foretold of the consumatioÌ„ 〈◊〉 abolition of this Antychrist the man of sin his mistery of iniquity with theâ— most of his arival or hyghest top of dignity he is come vnto and this shal be done by the spirit of the Lord in the mouth of his servants For when 〈◊〉 words of God be fulfilled then shal the servants of the lord prevaile by his word and spirit with ten kings that shal hate make the whore desolate which sitteth in the hearts and consciences of peoples multitudes nations and this whore is the woman caled the great Citty which reigneth over the Kings of the earth meaning the chur of Rtome by her false faith aÌ„d disciplin which is so fast setleds in the hearts and consciences of the Kings of the earth that they think they doe God good service in killing and burning his servants that do speak against her faith disciplyne that wil not bay any of her wares that is her Antychristian doctrines aÌ„d ordinances But as she hath had her exaltation and arival to the heyght and dignity of the 〈◊〉 Empire of Rome by the love of kings who have given their power and authority vnto her and who have fought for her against the Saints servants of Iesus So she shal have her consumation and abolition from that height and dignity by the hatred of kings who againe shal take their power and authority from her and therwith defend the peace and persons of the Saints servants of Iesus noâ— for religions peace wil use their power and authority against the bloudy perseqution of Antychrist and al his bloudy Bishops and Ministers aÌ„d so becom nursing fathers vnto the church of Christ And as it hath pleased God to give his Majesty peace round about as he did vnto King Cyrus in whose dayes the material Temple began to be repared which was a figuer of the spiritual temple So I pray it may please him also in the peaceable dayes of king Iames to begin to repayre the spiritual Temple the Apostoliq church scattered and dryven abroad into the wildernes of this world whose caâ—ing and gathering together must be by the preaching of the word of God both to jewes and gentils and not by the sword of the kings of the earth as Antychrist and his Ministers have now along tyme perswaded and prevailed wherby not onely the jewes and infidels but also papists and other false Christians are hindred and deprived from the knowledg of the Apostoliq faith And it is be noted that David might not build Gods temple because he had spilt much blood which sheweth no blood ought to be spilt for the building of the spiritual temple 1. Cro. 28. 3. ergo peace in religion is a good meanes to make a vnity of religion among so many Christian sects And it is wel worthy consideration that as in the tyme of the old Testament the Lord would not have his offrings by constraint but of every man whose heart gave it freely so now in tyme of the gospel he wil not have the people constrayned but as many as receave the word gladly they are to be added to the Church by baptisme and therfore Christ commanded his disciples to teach al nations baptise them that is to preach the word of salvatioÌ„ to evry creature of al sorts of natioÌ„s that are worthy and willing to receave it And such as shal willing and gladly receave it he hath commanded to be baptised in the water that is dipped for dead in the water aÌ„d therfore the apostle saith Els what shal they do which are baptised for dead if the dead be not raised why are they baptised for dead And therfore also he saith we are buried theÌ„ with him by baptisme c and it is to be wel observed that when Christ wold have preached the word of salvation to the gadereÌ„s he did not compel them when they refused but finding them vnwilling to receave him and his word he turned from them without hurting theÌ„ also wheÌ„ Iames and Iohn saw that som of the Samaritaneâ— refused Christ they wold have commanded fyer from heaven to consume them as Elias did But Christ rebuked theÌ„ and said ye know not of what spirit ye are For the son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them By al which it may please his Majesty and Parliament to take knowledge that Christ wil haue none consumed with fyer and sword for not heareing and not receaveing his word And that howsoever it hath bene the mynde of Antychrist to destroy mens liues for religion and therein haue not spared neither prince nor people yet it is not the mynde of Christ that princes should destroy their subiects nor yet that subiects shold destroy their Princes for difference in religion And therfore why shold Bishops perswade Princes and people and why shold king prince and people be perswaded by their Bishops and Ministers to be contrary mynded to Christ verily it is a notorious aÌ„d playne token of a false faith and discipline that is defended by fyer and sword the power and authority of Princes And they cannot be Christs Bs and preachers that perswade princes and peoples to such Antychristian tyranny and cruelty And it is very evident that those Bs and Mm which giue ouer men and women to the Magistrate to be perswaded by perseqution doe shew clearly that their doctrine is not good and that they want the word aÌ„d spirit of God aÌ„d therfore flee to the Magist sword for the forceing of them to their faith and disciplyne and as the wyne is not good which we are forced to drink so those doctrynes are not good which we are forced to beleeue But it may be by this tyme al those Bishops who vnfainedly feare God and truly love the king will haste and make speed to come vnto his Majesty for pardon acknowledging the truth of this booke confesseing their ignoraace and arrogance in the knowledge of Gods word and in compelling the people to heare the word preached and for impri burn bannis and hang for religion coÌ„trary to the minde of Christ aÌ„d also for stopping the mouthes of meÌ„ aÌ„d burning their books that preach aÌ„d wryte contrary to their myndes aÌ„d wils yea it may be they wil also confesse and say Oh most gratious king we beseech your Maiesty to shew vs mercy and to forgiue vs our spirituall pride and ambition in that we haue thus long vsurped the blasphemous titles of spirituallords and lords graces the which Tytles we now to the glory of God aÌ„d honor of the King do with Vntained hearts confesse to be due and belong onely to Christ himself and that the name and Tytle of spiritual lord cannot belong to any earthly Creature no not to the
fatherlesse aÌ„d widowes be driven to beg froÌ„ place to place neither shal the lame sik aÌ„d weake persons suffer such misery aÌ„d be forsaken of their kinred as now they be theÌ„ shal not murder whoredoÌ„ and adultry be bought out for mony then shal not the greate defraude and wrong the smale neither the ritch oppresse the poore by usury and litle wages then shal not men bring vp and iâ—herit others childreÌ„ in steed of their owne neither shal an honest man be forced to liue with a whore in steed of an honest wife nor yet an honest women with a whorekeeper in steed of an honest husband 〈◊〉 shal not servaÌ„tâ— be forced from mariage by bonds nor yet be 〈◊〉 servitude longer then six yeares neither shal they be brought vp contrary to covenant nor posted from one quarter or one yeare to another for their fredom aÌ„d in th end be forced to buy it of their Masters or els to go without it two Then shal neither Prince nor people be disinherited for not being of the church neither shal they be held lawlesse persons though excomunicated neither shal any man dare kil them as now they may and be quit by law neither shall any man feare to have his mouth stopt for preaching the truth then shal no man need to flee out of his natiue contry and Fatherland for persequtions sake then shal al meÌ„ live in peace vnder his owne vyne lauding and praysing God honoring and obeying the King Then also wil no bloud be eaten among Christians wherby the Iewes should haue just cause to stumble or be offended neither shold any reliqs of the ceremonial law as Tithes and offrings etc be any longer in use wher by the jewes shold be hardned in their vnbelief and kept from the faith of the Messiah Then shal the Iewes inhabit and dwel vnder his Maiestys dominion to the great profit of his Realmes and to their furtherance in the faith the which we are bound to seeke in al loue and peace so wel as others to our vttermost endevor for Christ hath comanded to â—each al nations c and they are the first Lastly then shal not so many meÌ„ and Women be deceaved by false Ministers neither by their sermons nor yet by their bookes which are ful fraighted with false doctrines aÌ„d confirmed and countenaÌ„ced not onely by the Kings authority aÌ„d power but also by wresting and false interpreting of the scriptures and by aledging of popish Fathers which through the greate ignorance of the people doe greatly prevayle but then shal be abolished through the word aÌ„d spirit of God his two witnesses in the mouth of his servants who by â—ord aÌ„d wryting shal breed such knowledge that none of wisdoms children shal bee deceaved Another reason why so many good people are now deceaved is because we that have most truth are most persequted and therefore most poore whereby we are vnable to wryte and print as â—e wold against the adversaries of the truth It is hard to get our daiâ—y food with the labors of our weake bodyes and feeble hands how theÌ„ should we have to defâ—ay other chardges and to write and print I haue through the help of God out of his word made a scourge of smale coarâ—â—s wherwith Antychrist and his Ministers might be dryven out of the â—emple of God Also a declaratioÌ„ of certaine false translations in the new Testament but j waÌ„t wherwith 〈◊〉 print and publish it therfore it must rest til the lord seeith good to supâ—ly it In meane while I humbly entreat his Ma and Par to give me â—ave to prove the Bs. with one question by which you may perceave the â—â—orance of your Bs it is this how they wil bee able to proue a resurrection from these Words I am the God of Abraham the God of prison Kings and Magistrats are Gods ministers and not the bishops therfore I humbly beseech you to with â—and the bloudy mindes of your Bs that there be no more innocent Christians persequted to death for religion I read that in the Netherlands aboue a hundred thowsand persons have beene put to death for religion but now praised be God we have no such wooful tidings preached amoÌ„g vs the lord worke as much in our land I beseech him that so you may no longer burne and bannish the servants of Christ For he saith they that doe these things have not knowen the Father nor mee Yet I confesse you have the zeale of God for you think you do God good service in burning ChristiaÌ„s that differ froÌ„ your religion But I also confesse your zeale is not according to knowledge for your Bs and Min being indued with vniversity and high schoole learning devinity and doctrine but being ignoraÌ„t of the lowly learning heavenly divinity and doctryne of Christ have and doe stil goe about to stablish their owne and haue not yet submitted themselves to the lowly learning devinity and doctryne of Christ and therfore like their predecessors wil perswade you to burn ban etc such Christians as they hold to be in error about doctrines ano questions of faith and religion right as if they had the power to rule governe and dispose the hearts and spirits of kings princes and people even as they list aÌ„d also to make them good and righteous when they wil and to cause them to vnderstand and beleeue the gospel even by a day and hoâ—er apointed which to do belongeth to God alone and therfore Christ saith no man caÌ„ come to me except the Father draw him And Christ wil haue his ministers to preach to such as are worthy and wiling and not as your Min who com to them whoÌ„ they hold vn worthy and finde vnwilling and say wil ye not com to chur and heare and wil ye not beleeue our doctryne but we wil make you or els wee wil burne you for heretycks Thus wil they taunt meeke and holy Christians who are torne like sheep among the wolves But Christs ministers wil with meeknes instruct such as are contrary mynded tollerating the evil men patiently proveing if God at any tyme wil give them repentance that they may know the truth wher by they shew plainly that they are Christs disciples and have that true faith which worketh by loue even as the Apostle saith the which I pray you to consider that so you may both know and obay the wil of Christ Now saith he abideth faith hope and love but the cheyfest of these is love for wher love is ther is no disdayne it seeketh not her owne things it is not provoked to anger it suffreth al things it hopeth al things it indureth al things Yea the love of Christ so loveth that it wil not ver nor persequte any that cal on his name Therfore I humbly pray you to remember them that are in bonds as though ye were bound with them and them that