of all yet none can believe and obey but the Elect whom God giveth †2 Tim. 2. 25. Repentance to and to them only the Word is the savour of Life unto them that are saved by Faith in Christ Jesus Yet the Preacher knowing not who are the Elect doth apply the Word as generally calling all Persons to believe and obey in his Message As saith the Lord to Paul when he sent him to Corinth I have much People in this City So Act. 18. 10. John 10. 20. not all for they could not all believe because they were not all Christ's Sheep as it is written All Men have not Faith 2 Thess 3. 2. For these and the like errors in Faith and corruption in Worship which were too tedious here to refute about the state of Infant-Baptism and the Seventh-day Sabbath of the gross mistake in them that deny the one and keep the other largely handled by me not long since printed in a Book intituled Ancient Truth Revived Wherein is also in 22 Articles every true Protestant's Faith inserted the State of a true Church and how every Ordinance and by whom and in what Order they were performed in the Primitive Churches containing six Sheets of Paper unto which I refer the Reader is one cause why God hath not before this destroyed the false Ecclesiastical power of the Romish Babylon because as the Sins of God's People of old were the cause why old Babylon was not sooner destroyed even so is it See and read Jer. 25. now That as then God did first give his own People a Cup to drink and then Shishack did drink after them So Judgment must first begin at the House * 1 Pet. 4. 17. of God unless there be a speedy Repentance Else surely the time is come as that Servant of God Mr. Beal hath noted on Rev. 20. in his Book called The Image of both Churches That when the 1000 Years of the Beast's Raign was expired Satan the common Adversary of Man shall be loosed out of his dark Prison and set at large by the sufferance of God Mans wickedness deserving no other strongly deluding the Unbelievers for their unbelief-sake to deceive the Universal People of the World through the operation of Errors He shall cause them to give credance to Lyes that they may be damned for refusing the Truth So that the abomination of Desolation shall be set up in the holy Place meaning in the Heart where Christ by faith should dwell to the utter destruction of Faith Which People of him thus deluded is called in a mystery Gog and Magog that is as much as to say Covered and Off-covered For both the grand Captains of them depending doth these two words comprehend the one covering the Devil with many false Religions meaning Loe here is Christ and loe there is Christ the other in his sort following the same wicked consent these two Tyrants the Romish Pope and Mahomet with the whole generation of like Spirits with them mark that have gathered themselves together against God and his Christ to destroy the whole face of Christianity Now the woful experience of the beginning of these things is seen among us so that our Condition looketh too like the state of the Jews When Titus Vespasian the Roman Emperor came and besieged Jerusalem the Jews by reason of their many Errors were divided into sundry * Mark 12. 13 18. Sects and their dividing in Faith divided them in Heart that they destroyed one another So the words of Christ were fulfilled on them that despised his Counsel as it is written Every Kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation Mat. 12. 25. How then doth it behove all Protestants to be by Christ's Words warned with speed to examine whether they be in the Faith of God's Elect * Tit. 1. 1. Heb. 11. and worship God by Christ's †Rev. 14. directions only that there be no dividing in Judgment and so not in Heart considering what * In his Book called the Card and Compass of Life presented to Prince Charles the first one hath noted That the Jews affirm the first Blood split in the World was by reason of the differences in Judgment among Brethren for so all that bear the name of Protestants ought to be in these words Cain was so possessed with Covetousness that he believed there was no Life after this But Abel believed there was after this Life a reward for the Good and punishment for the VVicked in which Contention Cain slew Abel So that Cain was of the Wicked one For to Persecute Imprison or kill any one for Conscience sake is a work †1 John 3. 12. Rev. 2. 10. of the Devil and a Wo is pronounced against them As it is written Wo to them that follow the way of * Jude ver 11. Cain they shall perish So that Protestants may be ashamed to own that evil Spirit to force Men to believe when it is written That it is God shall †Gen. 9. 27. perswade Japhat to dwell in the Tents of Shem. Therefore to force Men to believe or practise in things Divine before God giveth them Faith is but to make a Church of Hypocrites whose Sacrifice is * Prov. 15. 8. Abomination to the Lord as their Father Cain's was Now if any Protestant should be offended like * Amos chap 7. Amaziah the Priest of Bethel with this Christian Warning-piece as he was with the Prophet Amos's Warning to King Jeroboam and his People and say The Land cannot bear these words against the Inventions of Men in the Worship of God charge me as Amaziah did Amos the Prophet with Conspiracy against the King when but for declaring the only means then from the immediate Mouth of the Lord to preserve the King and the Nation as this is from the mediate written Word of God to preserve our King and the Nations from the Judgments threatned I say if we like them will regard no Christan Counsel all Scripture being written for our Admonition then in all likelihood the Judgments threatned on them will fall upon us that God will darken * Amos chap. 8. the Earth in a clear day by sending a Famine in the Land not of Bread nor thirst for Water but of hearing the Words of the Lord. For by reason of so many false Teachers in Judah their Silver became †Isa 1 22. dross their Wine was mixt with Water and they were fed with * Jer. 23. 28. Chaff instead of Wheat As is now seen by woful experience whilst God's Word is not truly Taught but corrupted with Errors under the colour of Christianity with Lo here is Christ and lo there as they said of old The Temple of the ‖ Jer. 7. 4. Lord the Temple of the Lord are these Nevertheless they were told Thy Prophets †Lam. 2. 14. have seen vain and foolish things for thee for they have not
Sins in this your Kingdom for which God's Judgments are threatned against it because the Civil and Spiritual State is mingled together the Civil State assuming into the Spiritual Prerogative of the Lord Jesus who hath this Testimony from God that he was faithful in his House or Church as Moses to give Laws and Directions in every thing appertaining to the Worship of God to make Laws and Directions how and what we must worship God with and by The Ministers or Bishops contrary to Christ's express Word and Practice do take on them the Office of Civil State and Titles of Politick Princes to be Lords in Councils as Parliaments and Lords Spiritual in and over Churches if not Justices of the Peace so that by this breach of God's Order there is such a state of Confusion to wit A third State or Leg a Compound of both Civil and Spiritual yet neither really Civil nor Spiritual but a Monster called a Beast Rev. 13. 1 11. Which as Writers say * Plat. Politiq See Hen. Ains Arrow was first brought forth in Egypt by those Heathens void of God's Order in Grace and Nature and therefore they would have all their Kings Priests so commingling the Kingdom and Priesthood together in one Person And this abominable Invention was the Romish Church when fallen from Christ enamoured with for which sinful Act among others she is called not only Babylon †Rev. 18. Rev. 11. Sodom but Egypt because the Romish Church would have the Magistracy and Ministry Princedom and Priesthood in the persons of her Popes Cardinals and Bishops to be Church Princes and indeed above Princes to Dethrone them at their pleasure and from Rome was this Egyptian Fashion brought by her * Rev. 18. 15. Merchants into England And this being such a Confusion that the very ‖ Pont. l. 5. c. 9. Philosopher condemneth it by the light of Nature and says it could not stand with the actions of those two Offices meaning the Civil and Spiritual so different the one from the other that one Man should perform both at one time together but must needs fall out when both Duties are to be done that the one would be omitted So either God is not duly served or the Civil State suffers Damage And for as much as it is a work belonging to the Civil State to redress which your Majesties Ancestors King Henry the 8th King Edward the 6th and Queen Elizabeth of happy Memory began as God had promised That he would put into the Hearts of the Kings of the Earth to hate the Whore eat her Flesh and * Rev. 17. 16. burn her by the Fiery Law of God in making her desolate and naked to abolish out of their Dominions the Pope's Supremacy the Lord Abbots Cardinals Jesuits Monks Friers and the rest of that Ministry is left for your Majesty to abolish which if your Majesty refuse to do it must be done And why Because the Lord hath said it who will by whom he pleases give them Blood to drink for strong is the Lord that judgeth her And the Kings of the Earth who have committed Fornication and lived deliciously with her yet now shall bewail her and lament for her when they shall see the smoke of her Burning as more at large is written Rev. 18. 8 9 10 11. And all Magistrates that endeavour to hinder it are withstanders of God's Word because in her is found the Blood of the Prophets and of the Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth Oh Bloody Papists Rev. 18. 24. And hereupon it is written Rev. 17. 6. I saw the Woman drunken with the Blood of Saints and with the Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus Which Woman is clearly in this ensuing Book proved to be the Church of Rome For every Tree is known by its Fruit * Mat. 7. 20. Therefore the chiefest Article of her Faith is to Murder all that believe not as She believeth Now so far is that Church from being the Church of Christ or Children of God that they are Children of the Devil †John 8. who was a Murderer from the beginning so have him and not God for their Father because they do his works to the uttermost of their power Witness their Cruelty in Queen Marie's days the Powder Plot and now this Hellish Plot to take away the Life of your Majesty and your good Protestant Subjects As they began with that worthy Knight Sir Edmondbury Godfrey and will never be out of hopes of coming to possess this Land whilst Protestants can imbrace their Brethren in Office of Arch and Lord-Bishops Arch-Deacons Deans Prebends which Offices for Gospel-Ministers Christ's Testament knows nothing of but the Pope's Records Oh therefore That the Lord would be pleased to open your Majesties Heart to Act as a most Worthy Protestant Prince as with the * Isa 14. 22 23. Beesom of the Lord to sweep out of your Dominions not so much in their Persons as out of Office the remaining part of the Romish Ministry by Law of oversight established in Protestant Churches together with all other Popish Devices in Worship some of many are after noted And for your Majesties glorious President in this so excellent a Work for the Honour of God and good of his People who as Protestants will live and die with You Cast your Majestie 's Eye on that young King ‖ 2 Chron. 34 Josiah who so soon as he heard of the Judgments of God denounced against his Land and People called for the Book of the Law to be read before him and by it comparing the Acts of his Fore-Fathers and present state of his Kingdom rent his Clothes And for fear of the Judgments of God in the 16th Year of his Age and 8th Year of his Reign began to seek the Lord and in the 12th Year began to purge out of his Dominions the Reliques of Idolatry all Devices of Men in Worship set up by former Kings together with the false Ministry called * Zeph 1. 4 Chemarims either for their Black Garments they wore or being smoked in offering Incense to Idols as the Margent of the great Bible noteth and restored the Lord's true Ministry and holy order of Worship as the Lord had appointed by the hand of Moses Which if your Majesty will do this like Glorious Work by the Light of Christ's Testament comparing the Acts of your Predecessors and present state of your Kingdom so poluted with a Romish Ministry and other Inventions in Protestant Churches that so a true Ministry according to the Lord's Will in Christ's Testiment may be enjoyed and the People left free to choose their own Ministers according to Nature and Grace to grow out of every particular †Can. 8. 8. Ezek. 16. 7. Acts 14. 23. Body or Congregation and not by Humane Art for Ministers to be made by they know not whom and set afterward to the Body whether they will or no as
joyn with in the Ordinances of Worship Thirdly Though God did miraculously save Eight Souls by †1 Pet. 3. 20. Water yet in the days of Ferah the Father of Abraham was the Church so corrupted in Faith and Worship that God forsook them and called Abraham thence ‖ Gen. 11. 12. Josh 24. 2. and they that would go with him so God made his Covenant in Christ with him and his Children which went in process of time into Egypt But when they defiled themselves with the * Ezek. 20. 7. Idols of Egypt and were corrupted in their Faith and Worship the Lord made the King of Egypt the Rod of his Anger †Exod. 2. 23. grievously to Afflict them How like is this to the Condition of Corrupt Protestants now in their Faith and Worship Fourthly The Lord for his own Name sake first by his Punishments and then by his Promises and Wonders ‖ Exod. 4. 30. won them again to his true Faith and Worship and then he quickly destroyed their Oppressors in the Sea and afterwards in the Wilderness gave them his just Precepts between Man and Man and his holy Ordinances and Decrees for Worship which when they broke the Lord * 1 Cor. 10. Numb 16. 31. destroyed some by the Sword of their Enemies and others by the Sword of their own Brethren Some the Earth opened and swallowed up alive others died of the Pestilence so that within the space of forty Years of 600000 Fighting Men that came out of Egypt but two †Numb 14. 24. 2 Cor. 10. entred Canaan And this is written saith the Apostle for ensample to us Protestants on whom the Ends of the World are come Fifthly When God by the hand of Joshua brought their Posterity into Canaan the Lord strictly charged them concerning their Faith and Worship saying After the * Lev. 18. 2 3 doings of the Land of Egypt wherein ye dwelt ye shall not do neither after the doings of the Land of Canaan whither I bring you shall ye not do neither walk in their Ordinances My Judgments shall ye do my Ordinances shall ye keep to walk in them I am the Lord. Yea they were not so much as to †Deut. 12. 32. enquire how the Nations served their Gods that they might do so unto the Lord their God but whatsoever the Lord commanded them they should take heed to do without adding or diminishing But how quickly after the death of Joshua and the Elders of his Time did they corrupt themselves with the Inventions of Men in their Worship for which the Lord sold them into their Enemies hands * Judges ch 2. that so they could no longer stand before them And will not Protestants mind this in our day of Danger Sixthly And was not King Solomon beloved of his God who appeared to him twice Yet when he was drawn away with his Idolatrous and straying Wives to a Worship devised by Man did not God stir up Adversaries †2 Kings 11. 14 25. against him Hadad the Edomite and Rezon who were Adversaries to Solomon all his days And shall not Kings remember this Because the Judge of all the Earth will reward every one according to their Works And when Rehoboam Solomon's Son who was brought up in the Ways of the Lord forsook the same the Lord stirred up Shishack King ‖ 2 Chron. 12. 12. 1 Kings 14. 24. of Egypt to come against him to his great Prejudice And when the ten Tribes under King Jeroboam worshipped God by the * 2 Chron. 11. 15. devices of Men and by another Ministry than what God had ordained they were not only said to be without the True God without a Teaching Priest and without Law but there was no †2 Chron. 15. 3 4 5 6 Peace to him that went out nor to him that came in Nation was destroyed of Nation City of City for God did vex them saith the Scripture with all Adversity And whilst God was thus chastizing them in Measure he sent his Prophets to call them to his true Faith and Worship which still they despising at length the Lord stirred up the Spirit of Pull ‖ 1 Chron. 5. 26. 2 Kings 15. 19. and the Spirit of Tilgath-Pilneser Kings of Assyria who carried them away into Captivity to their utter Ruine And when Judah would not take warning but fell to false Worship and would not be reclaimed by the Lord's Prophets rising early * 2 Chron. 36. 15. Jer. 25. 3. 35. 15. sent to them and after many Afflictions on them the Lord sent against Judah Rezin the King of Assyria to their great Prejudice And again the King of Egypt came against Judah and condemned the Land †2 Chron. 36. 3. in a hundred Talents of Silver and a Talent of Gold yet they were not bettered then came the King of Babylon and carried ‖ Ver. 18. away many of them Captive with much Spoil yet they would not repent and return to the Lord 's true Faith and Worship but persecuted the Lord's Prophets then the Lord gave them again into the hands of the King of Babylon who burn'd * 2 Chron. 36. 17 18 19 20. both City and Temple and carried more of them Captive Thus we see the grand cause is still for Corruptions in Faith and Disorder in Worship that God brought his Judgments on his People And will not Protestants mind this seeing the like Judgments for like Causes are at our Doors as will hereafter appear Therefore Now let us come to Gospel-Times and see the Causes of God's Judgments that fell on Christians in the Primitive Times of the Gospel and compare our Condition with theirs in Miscarriages and Rewards if it be not the same still So that unless there be a speedy Repentance we can expect to fare no better than they Thus if the Word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every Transgression received a just recompence of Reward though under the performance but of * Heb. 2. 2. Figurative Ordinances even the smallest breach of God's Law as Vzza for touching the Ark was struck dead †1 Chron. 13. 10. Numb 4. 15. Dathan and Abiram for offering of Incence were swallowed up alive in the Earth and King ‖ 2 Chron. 26. 19. Vzziah smote with Leprosie to the day of his Death And likewise Miriam * Numb 12. and Gehazi †2 King 5. were they unpunished No sure How then shall we escape the Judgments of God having the Word spoken unto us by the Son of God Creator ‖ Col. 1. 16. of Angels sealed with his precious Blood * Heb. 13. 20. delivered and commended unto all Christians by his Apostles †Acts. 20. 32. whereunto may nothing be added or diminished ‖ Rev. 22. 19. either in Doctrine Ministry Ordinances Time or Order according to fleshly Wisdom without Rebellion and most hainous Transgression Sacriledg and Impiety as against the