of vnrighteousnes above it in that there is in it the hight and power of al pride aÌ„d crueltie reigning and ruling over mens consciences as God vnder a most glorious shewe of godlines where by al Nations have bene made drunke with the wine of that Cup of fornication and whereby the whole power of Christ in his lawes statutes and ordinaÌ„ces hath bene aÌ„d yeâ— is abolished vtterly aÌ„d in the streets of this great Citie we meane nâ— perticuler place but the whole misterie of iniquitie spiritually called Sodome aÌ„d Egypt hath the corpes of the two witnesses of the Lord his word and spirit in the doctrine of the Apostles â—yen dead For who doth not knowe that they have altogether taken the word of God from the people that they migh not have it â—o much as in their owne language neither may they meddle with the spirit of knowledg and vnderstanding of it but from thâ—â— as they thought and yet do thinke good to deliuer it vnto them and that must stand for the Word and spirit of God without trying And this may suffice for a plaine and general discoverie of that BabiloÌ„ Sodome Egipt spiritually so called and of that Beast wiâ—h â—eaven heads and ten hornes and the rather seing there are so manie excelleÌ„t discoveries written thereof And shal we now sit downe as though our danger were past in finding out the first Beast and so make the prophesie of God Rev. 1â— 11 of no effect which so plainely sets furâ—h and describes a second beast off no lesse danger then the first shal we so betray the cause of God and the soules of thousands and ten thousaÌ„ds of meÌ„ God forbid and wil anie of you that frely approve of al the findings out aÌ„d discoveries of the first Beast not with willingnes consent to the finding out off the second far be it from you to have so little love to Gods truth and the salvation of men Wel we wil do our endeavors to diâ—cover the secoÌ„d beast leaveing it to the coÌ„sciences of whoÌ„soever it may most concerne to judg whether we deale faithfully or no and we wil forejudg our selves to deale most weakely Revel 13. FroÌ„ the 1. vers to the 18. It is written I saw another Beast comeing vp out of the earth which had two hornes like the lambe but hee spake like the dragon doth exercise the power of the first Beast saieing to theÌ„ that dwel on the earth that they should make an image of the first Beaste causeth as manie as would not worship the image of the Beast should bee killed made all to receive a marke in their right hand or in their fore heads that no man might buy or sell save he that hath the marke or the name of the Beast or the number of his name Which way now in finding out the second Beast shal we bee able to looke besides that great Hyrarchy of Arch-Bishops and Lord-Bishops are not you they that pretend in meeknes and humilitie the word and power of the Lambe who saith Learne of mee that I am meeke lowly c. But exercise the power of the beast and speake like the dragon have you not made and set vp the image of the Beast is not your pompe and power like his and hath there not beene much like crueltie vsed by that power Doth not the blood of the dead crie and have not the imprisoned groaned vnder that crueltie and do not the silenced at home and the banished abroad dayly complaine may not all these crie How long Lord how long when wilt thou revenge Are not your Canons and Consistories and all the power that belonges vnto them with al the rest of your Courts Offices and Officers are not these parts of the image are they not like the Beast wil you say they are like the lambe or like his Apostles it cannot bee that you should say they are the feare of the Almightie would astonish you And if you cannot possibly prove that power that Pompe that crueltie those Canons and Courtes with the belongings and belongers therevnto to bee like the laÌ„be Then let the terror of the Almightie possesse you and make you afraide to vse and possesse al those thinges vnder the pretence of the power of the Lambe Have you not soules to save pittie your selves aÌ„d perish not there is mercie with the Lord if you wil feare him What will it profit you to enioy these thinges for a little while as manie of your predecessors have done before you even a little while and then be condemned and fal vnder the feirce wrath of God had you not much better a thousand times better yea ten thousand times better and more too be ministers of Christ abounding in labors in wearines painfulnes in watchings often in hunger thirst in fastings often in cold in nakednes that you might say at your last ends not as Apostles but as thapostle saith Wee have fought a good feight have finished out course we have kept the faith Hencefurth is laid vp for vs the Crowne off righteousnes But if this bee your feight as it hath bene the feight of divers of your predecessors to cause as manie as would not worship the ymage of the beast your Hyrarchie should be killed aÌ„d to make al both smale and great rich aÌ„d pooer bond and free to receive a marke in their right hand or in their forehead and that no man may buy or sell save he that hath the marke of the beast or the number off his name if this bee your feight it is evidently the feight of the second Beast and not the feight of Thapostle Paul And there is no Crowne off righteousnes laid vp for such a feight And do you not al these thinges when you force and compel men to submit to your whole conformity which is the perfect image of the beast Not to speake of your surplice and Crosse and Churchings and Burials and Coopes and Chauntings and Organs in your Cathedrales and how manie mo such abhominations wee cannot recken vp neither need wee seeing so many writings are ful off them but whosoever shal looke vpon them with an eie of lesse then halfe vprightnes shal easily see them to come out off the bowels of the beast and to bee the deformed image of his vgly shape To let al these passe the least whereof shal be called to account in the day of the Lord wee come to your Common Booke not medling with everie perticuler of it but with the most general By what power do you make praiers and bind men to them and appoint the order of them in time and place Whereoff two you appoint to be read everie evening without alteration some praiers to bee said after the Curate bee paid his due some on the North side the Table some in one place some in another Will you see a speciall ground of these four abhominations in appointing your Preists what to
pray when to pray and where to pray and what to put on when they pray Because you made â—o manie Preists and have so manie yet among you as niether knowe what to pray where nor when to pray nor what to put on when they pray in so much as if you did not allowe them a sume of made praiers they had beene and yet would bee altogether without praiers and this doth the misterie of iniquitie with the deceiveablenes of vnrighteousnes hide from the simple and from the great and wise by your made order of praiers For take your Common booke from them and then would the impudent bee ashamed of such a ministery Oh that ten of the best and cheifest off a thousand of those your Preists might bee debarred from you booke and bee set in a Congregation off verie partial herers of their side to shewe their best abilities for the Office of the ministery Baals Preists were not more discovered 1. King 18. Then they would bee for the fault was in their God in that hee had no care to heare But your Preists fault would be found in themselves in that they would have no one word to speake to Gods glory nor to edification How can you but knowe this as well as you knowe your right hand from your left How will you aunswere this when you come before the righteous iudg shal you be able to staÌ„d in his presence the Lord give you harts to repent otherwise how shal you thinke to escape the feirce wrath of the Lord. Did the Lord bring evil vpon the house of Ieroboam swept it away as a man sweeps away doung til al bee gone and did The doggs eate him of Ieroboams house that died in the Citie the foules of the aite eate him that died in the feild Because hee set vp Calves to worship and make Preists of the meanest of the people which were not of the sonnes of Levi. 1. King 14.10.11 and 12.31 And do you thinke to escape with lesse iudgments that set vp the image of the Beast and such a blind Preisthood to support it For you knowe that it is blind ignorance that supports the misterie of iniquitie And therefore shall the Lord by the brightnes of his coming abolish it What shall wee say of your bare-headed and bare-footed white sheet pennance wherevnto to mocke the Almightie is ioyned a written repentance Thus do you device mens praiers and device mens repentances and they must pray and repent as you by your power appoint them Have you power also to appoint the Lord to accept these praiers and repentances Or do you not care whether the Lord accept them or no so that you bee submitted vnto therein then do you seeke your owne Worship and not the Lords Iudg your selves and let all iudg betwixt the most Holy Lambe and the most poluted Beast and confesse and testifie whether these thinges bee of the Lambe or off the ymage of the Beast The like off these thinges are without our numbring and there would bee no end made iff wee should followe them But wee wil drawe to an end hopeing that they that see these wil see al. Yet let vs speake some thinge of your excomunicatioÌ„ by the power whereof are cast out those that most seeke to serve God in sinceritie and if the most wicked fal vnder it â—hey may bee remitted submitting to the power by paying large fees especially iff they bee rich and simple or meane off degree And whosoever withstands the power off this fortie days then vpon a writt off signification hee is to bee cast into prison without bale or maynprise Is this learned off the Lambe or off anie off his Apostles Wee read that Thappostles suffered such violences and tiranies but the word off God teacheth not the Disciples off Christ anie such administrations and this is not the meekenes off the Lambe but the ymage off the cruel power off the Beast The power off this excomunication is off another especial vse off profit in that by the power thereof are brought in al duties Tithes and Court fees What horrible prophanation off the holy ordinance of Christ is this to make it an instruement to compell men to bring in exacted fees and dueâ—ies and tithes Wee read 1. Cor. 16. That Paul appointed in the Churches gatherings for the Saints and 1. Tim. 5. giveing direction for the releife off widowes hee also gives a speciall charge for providing for the Elders and especially for those that labor most The Elders saith Thapostle that lead go before or rule well let them bee had in duble honor especially they that labor in the word doctrine First here is shewed the power whereby they must lead go before or rule that is by the word and doctrine TheÌ„ thapostle proves by two reasons from the scriptures that such Elders are worthie off duble honor because the Scriptures say 1. Thou shalt not mousell the mouth off the Oxe that treadeth out the corne 2. The laborer is worthy of his wages And here is shewed what thapostle meanes by honor that is mainteynance But al this is from a voluntary liberal distribution as is shewed 2. Cor. 9.13 How vnlike is this â—o your ruling power and to your duble honor and maintenance Here is no imprisoning by power nor excommunication for feeâ— tithes and duties Wee confesse our Lord the King may give you what his pleasure is but it were to be wished that al those goodly Pallaces and possessions with al the previleges and prerogatives belonging to them were preserved for the maintenaÌ„ce of the Kings State and dignity and they were much more be fitting for the King and his posteritie to support them in their due pompe and Royalty then to support the pride and pompe of such as pretend to be ministers of the Gospel Thapostle Paule was better worthy off duble mainteynance then you and al the Preists in al your Provinces and dioces aÌ„d yet he labored with his hands although he had the care of mo and more worthy churces theÌ„ are now vpoÌ„ the earth that would willingly have administred vnto him but he would make the Gospel free Oh that we might live to see al them that preach the gospel if they stand in need to live off the gospel that is of the free liberalitie off the Saincts those Pastors would not devoure the flock but feed it And wee pray that the Lord would put into the hart of the King to take into his owne hands al those possessions and tithes wherewith those devouring shepherds that destroy the flock feed themselves That day shal be the most happiest day to the whole Land that ever was since it was a Land and that in these 4. thinges First it would overthrowe that high pride and crueltie off the image of the beast and misterie of iniquitie Secondly it would make a way for the advancement of the Kingdome of Iesus Christ in the sincere and humble profession thereof Thirdly
this the Covenant of the new Testament is a Covenant of life and salvation onely to all that beleeve and are baptized Mark 16.16 The seale off the CovenaÌ„t must needs be aunswereable to that holy Covenant a seale of life and salvation onelie to them that beleeve and are Baptized Ephes 1.13.14 Revel 2.17 and 28. Thappostle here to the Ephes doth shewe that after they beleeved they were sealed with the holie Spirit of promisse Let all then confesse with whome there is anie vprightnes that infants who cannot beleeve for Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10.17 cannot bee sealed with the seale of this Covenant it is not in the power of parents to set this seale vpon their infants as it was in their power to set the signe of Circumcision vpon their Flesh Therefore is it not required of them by the Lord and it is altogether impietie and wickednes and a prophaning of the holie ordinance of God to take in hand to administer it vpon infants and the Lord will revenge himselfe for such wickednes if it bee not repented of But against this ground of truth that the Covenant of life and salvation is made onelie with them that beleeve and are Baptized it is obiected that the Covenant is made with them and their seed and though manie writers write thus and most men affirme it yet Mr. Robinson being next hand wee will produce his warrant for this ground being as good as anie others and he as vnadvisedlie overseene in the setting it downe Thus speakes he in his Booke Pag. 282. The Scriptures everie where teach that parents by their faith bring their Children into the Covenant off the Church intitle them to the promisses litle doth Mr. Rob thinke how suddenlie in his accustomed haist he hath brought in a meritorious faith it were to bâ— wished that he and al meÌ„ did see and feele that their faith is little enough to bring themselves vnder the Covenant of God if it were not for the gracious and most mercifull acceptance off God in Christ But God hath not promissed anie where to accept to salvation of the parents faith for their Children nor to condemne them for their parents infidelity this is but one among manie of Mr. Ro. doctrines of Devils which he hath heaped vp in his tedious booke his proofe for his doctrine is Gen. 17. And wee prove his doctrine most false by Gen. 17. where AbrahaÌ„ his faith and earnest praier to God could not bring Ismael his Child of 13. yere old vnder that Covenant vers 18-21 Thus is Mr. Ro. altogether overseene in the scripture that he himself allegeth Add moreover to this Gen. 25.23 Where Izhaks faith could not bring Esau vnder the Covenant Thus may all see that Mr. Ro. doth but quote scripture for his proofe and not shewe how it proves his ground The next proofe for this ground is Act. 2.39 Where Thappostle speaking to and of al the vnbeleeving Iewes and Gentils saith the promisse is made to you and to your Children even as manie as the Lord our God shall call How Mr. Ro. will apply this to his purpose we knowe not but wee confesse that this promisse They that beleeve and are Baptized shal bee saved is made to al the vnbeleeving Iewes and Gentils and their Children to this day but this doth no way prove that the faith of the parents in titles children to the promisses nor that the promisse of salvation is made to the vnbeleeving Iewes and Gentils or to their Children except they and their children amend their lives and be baptized And whereas Mr. Rob. as it should seeme vnderstands children in this place to bee infants wee wil first leave that to him to prove that thappostle speakes heare concerning infants and then wee will require of him how he proves that the inheritance off the Kingdome of heaven goes by succession of generation as the land of Canaan did For the second part of his vniust and vngodly affirmation that God takes occasion by the sinnes off the parents to execute his iustice to condemnatioÌ„ vpon the children herein Mr. Ro. dubles his sinne in that as he hath before made the parents faith the cause of blessing to salvation which he saith is every where to be found in the scriptures but shewes no where so now he affirmes that parents infidelity is the cause of Gods iudgment to condemnation vpon their children Mr. Ro. propounds his doctrine and rule for a general rule and doctrine To prove him a falfe Prophet in this also wee refer the Godly reader to the 1. King 14. where it is shewed that Abyah the sonne off most wicked Ieroboam being but yong was not cursed for his Fathers sinnes and Iosiah being but eight yere old when his Father died the Lord blessed him aboundantly in his infancy notwithstanding al the grevious transgressions of his Father Ammon 2. Chro. 33. and 34. Chap. Neither did the Lord punish the people of Israels children for that their great transgression Num. 14 27-39 when they murmured because of the spies by which sinne although they so provoked the Lord to wrath as he caused al their carcasies to fal to bee waisted and consumed in the wildernes not suffering anie one of them to go into the Land of Canaan save Ioshua and Caleb yet eveÌ„ then in his anger he declared his mercie to al their Children promissing to bring them into the Land Now wee confesse with Mr. Ro. that wee are al by nature the Children of wrath conceived and borne in sinne but wee disire to knowe of Mr. Ro. whether he hold not that al Children are alike the Children of wrath and alike begotten in sinne or that some parents confer grace by generation more then others and if they do not as wee assure our selves you wil confesse but that all Infants are alike in themselves the Children off wrath then let vs see not after a sort but directly by what evideÌ„ce of scripture it can be proved their sinnes being al alike in themselves that God should execute his justice to condemnation vpon some children for the sinnes of their paâ—ents and shew mercie to salvation vpon others for the faith of their parents seeing the iust God hath said that every one shal receive salvation or condemnation according to that which hee hath done in the flesh and not acording to that which his parents hath done And let al se Mr. Ro. great iniquity in this his affirmatioÌ„ in that he blaÌ„sphemously chargeth the most holy and iust God to punish infaÌ„ts to condemnation for the actual sinnes of their pareÌ„ts when they themselves have not sinned after the same manner of transgression Rom. 5.14 and we pray M. R and al men to consider the words of the lord Exo. 20. who saith he wil visite the sinnes of the Fathers vpon the childreÌ„ of theÌ„ that hate him which hatred is shewed by the breach of his comaundemeÌ„ts but do infaÌ„ts hate